A week passed. Mousse and Shampoo were talking to each other again, having gone to a secluded place for dinner, and honestly listening to one another, resolving to work on their relationship. Later that night, they took a walk, and kissed, making up-and out, a girlish Shampoo later admitted to her roommates. Mousse had also taken another cue from the girls, and while he didn't propose (he insisted that he would do it only when she began to drop hints), he asked her if she wanted to go away for the weekend. She decided that they'd go away for the Fourth of July weekend, spending it down in the quaint little town of Carmel-by-the-Sea.
Ranko had begun to work at the Magic Duck, and the customers flocked in due to the extremely cute Japanese girl with the amazing red hair and blue eyes. Ran-chan, in turn, turned up the kawaii mode about 200% percent, and increased business by the tonnage. She also took the time to submit a resume to the two major newspapers in the area, but so far she hadn't heard anything. She called LA to let Nabiki know she was fine-who apparently, had not been told the whole truth about the Natsumi incident; Ranma, Akane, and Kurumi deciding only to tell the family that Natsumi was defeated in combat by a much more powerful foe, with Mai reluctantly agreeing. She also "communicated" to Ranma that she was doing well, but she wouldn't call, write, or Email anybody else until she'd made good on his expectations; only to have him tell Mom, Pop, and Shiva that she was okay. She worked out with Tyler, who wasn't the quickest on his feet-or the most stable, for that matter, either-but he showed promise of being at least at her father's equivalency, even if he would never get to the level that the Saotome siblings had attained.
Shampoo had her catering deal with Ghirardelli's, and it was a success. Such a success, that they signed a five-year exclusive catering deal with the Cali Cat for all their functions. She got to know Jasmine fairly well, and the two of them became pretty good friends, the other girl occasionally calling for advice or just to chat. Secretly, Shampoo also set up for Mousse's parents to come out to visit for Christmas-it had been nearly two years since he'd last seen them and she wanted it to be a surprise, even though the holiday period was still months off.
Tyler, Shampoo, and Ronnie continually worked on and off on the Phoenix Eye project, not telling Ran-chan or any of the others. This had become a challenge for the three: Tyler, eager to do something for his friend; Shampoo, because she felt it was her responsibility to get to the bottom of it; and Ronnie, who was simply amazed that such a piece of history had escaped centuries of record. There had to be an answer.
Ronnie also had the opportunity to see it up close when Tyler introduced her to Ranko. The two hit it off instantly, becoming friends. Ronnie also knew that although Ran-chan and she were friends, Shampoo and the redhead were practically like sisters, so she couldn't count on her assistance. Therefore, she simply left her friendship for what it was, a general liking of one another. The two chatted often while at Pier 39, and went to lunch together as well, when Shampoo was too busy with her "little side project" to join them.
Ronnie had also come to like Shampoo, admitting that she was absolutely wrong about the girl. Yes, she had a temper. Yes, she tended to be a bit abusive towards Mousse (sigh), but from what Ran-chan had told her, that was a result of the insanity that they all lived through growing up in Nerima. She didn't say anything more, and Ronnie wasn't sure she wanted to know more. What she did like about the "Chinese Amazon" (what a strange nickname-not that "Shampoo" was any winner, either) was her carefree spirit-when not worried about the Phoenix Eye, her determination, and her frankness and honesty.
It was on a strangely rainy Tuesday evening that Ronnie decided to make her move to challenge Shampoo for Mousse's (sigh) heart. She was really sorry to do it to her...friend (there, she admitted it)...but life was life, and her life with Mousse (sigh) was all that mattered in the end. Yes, she'd tell her tonight. It would be just the two of them, since Tyler was studying his kenpo then going to a movie with Ran-chan tonight.
The night had not gone well. Nothing to be found on the Internet as usual, and since the Fortuna home office had let its clients know that the service would be down for a week for upgrades and servicing, that avenue was lost. Contextus, although still fairly massive, didn't have the Chinese spin that she needed. They'd worked there all day, from lunch until about 9:00 in the evening. Since it was Ronnie's turn to buy dinner that night, they decided to go to this little Italian place near Coit Tower. This way, they'd have the peace and quiet necessary to study their notes.
Dinner was a subdued affair. Shampoo read her notes and quietly ate her spaghetti Carbonara, while Ronnie tried to focus her attention on the shrimp risotto. She was busily lifting her glass of wine to her lips with trembling hands, when Shampoo noticed, a look of concern slipping into the older girl's look. Or was that despair Ronnie saw in those eyes? Shit. And I haven't even thought of how to mention it to her.
"Ronnie, are you okay?" Shampoo asked in Chinese, using it only when they were by themselves. "You don't look too well."
"I'm sorry, Shampoo. I don't know how to say this..." Ronnie felt like a heel. Here she was, with possibly the only person that she was comfortable speaking Chinese with, and she was about to slide the knife into her side. "I wish there was some easier way to say this...but I...I feel so...I wish we could still be friends."
"But I thought that we were friends. Did I do something wrong?"
"No, it's not that. It's just, you're so nice, and I can't be your friend when I'm-"
"-trying to steal my boyfriend?" Shampoo finished Ronnie's sentence, as she poured herself another glass of wine from the carafe.
Ronnie facefaulted. "Y-You know? B-but how di-did-" She was casual about it. What was going on?
"C'mon, Ronnie, give me some credit. I noticed it every time his name's mentioned, in your conversations with Tyler-who, by the way, thinks the world of you-and Ran-chan, and other little cues. I guess you could call it women's intuition, but I just call it an educated guess. But what I fail to see is why we still can't be friends."
"But I'm trying to...wait. Are you saying you're giving him up?" This didn't make sense. Shampoo sat, looked at Ronnie for a second, then took another bite of her spaghetti. Shampoo by all rights should be busily ripping my lungs out.
"Please; you've got to be joking. I'm not giving him up." The Chinese woman daintily wiped her mouth, took a sip of her wine, then continued. "I just don't see why we can't be friends."
Ronnie was completely confused now. "I thought you'd hate me!"
"Not in the least. You're a nice person, and a good friend. Now, I'll have to consider you a rival, and I won't let you have Muu Tsu, but I don't hate you. If anything, I like you all the more for helping me with my problem with the Phoenix Eye."
"But how can we be friends if we're both trying to sleep with Mousse?" she stammered, absently noting that it was one of the few times she said his name and didn't swoon with passion.
Shampoo looked at her with complete puzzlement. "I'm sorry," she laughed, but it sounded forced, somehow, not the same as Ronnie had grown used to. "I forget that you and I have not had the same experiences growing up." She pulled out a pen, tore a clean sheet off her notepad, and began drawing a complex web with a bunch of names. "Perhaps I should explain my teenage years. Maybe then you'll see why I'm not concerned about being your friend and your rival at the same time."
Starting with Akane and Ranma in the center, she started detailing about how Kuno chased Ran-chan and Akane, who was engaged to Ranma who fended off moves from Kodachi, Shampoo, and Ukyo, who partnered with Ryoga as he chased Akane who was also dodging Mikado who was also chasing Ran-chan while she was fighting Shampoo for the sake of Ranma who was avoiding Kodachi who at one point teamed up with Azusa and Mousse to prevent Akane from stopping Kuno who was not chasing Azusa even though she was chasing Ryoga who ignored her and went after Akane who then had to ignore Mousse who fought Ranma for the hand of Shampoo even as he was avoiding Kaori who took on Akane and Ran-chan who was trying to stay away from Mikado as he began chasing Kodachi who was intent on getting Ranma who only wanted Akane but wouldn't admit it and turned to Nabiki for help even as she was slowly beginning to attract Kuno who wanted Akane who liked Tofu even though he wanted Kasumi and...
After a few minutes, and a few more explanations, Ronnie was completely dizzy. Just how in the hell did Shampoo, Mousse (sigh), and Ran-chan come out as sane as they did under the circumstances? Or alive, for that matter?
Shampoo again laughed-less forced this time-and said the combined total of the hospital bills at one point got to the size that insurance companies began running for cover whenever somebody wanted to date somebody else. "And if you think that that's insane, you shoulda seen when we got to the point that we began to escalate to dirty tricks. You won't believe how many times I tried to use hypnotic spices or so on Ranma. Or how much Kuno spent on Nabiki as a consultant to win Akane's heart. Or the time that Akane went out with Ryoga and Ranma with Ukyo just to spite the other. Then there was the time that Ukyo and I teamed up with Ryoga to send Ranma and Akane into a 'lover's cave' designed to tear couples apart; it didn't work. But that doesn't mean that we hated each other. On the contrary.
"Ranma, Ran-chan, Ukyo, and Ryoga grew up together, all of them knowing each other since childhood. Sure, Ranma and Ryoga went through a period where their rivalry overshadowed their friendship, but they're over that now, and the best of friends. Myself, Ukyo, Kodachi, and Akane were determined to win Ranma's heart at all costs, but we were all still very close. Tate-that is, Kuno-and Mikado, in regards to Ran-chan di-no, skip that, they still hate each other, even though Mikado's now married to Kodachi, who is Kuno's sister.
"When Akane was kidnapped by a prince of a foreign land, we all pitched in to save her. When we were shipwrecked on a deserted island-well, what we thought was deserted, anyway-and all us girls were taken by the natives, Ranma led the guys in to rescue all of us. When Ranma and Ran-chan were captured by the Vietnamese warlord Nguyen Tran Loc, Akane rounded up the troops and mounted a huge cavalry effort, starting an event that the locals refer to as 'The Crystal Temple War'. When Akane's sisters Kurumi and Natsumi defeated Ranko and Akane for control of the dojo, Ukyo, Ryoga, and I helped train Akane, while Ranma and Mousse trained Ran-chan. I could go on and on and on, but you get the picture. Basically, what happened in the past is what made us the close people that we are-okay, so we tend to ignore Kodachi's husband Mikado, but I digress.
"I'm an only child, and my last relative died three years ago. But I can't say I have no family. Ranko, Ling-Ling, and Lung-Lung are like the sisters I never had. Akane and Ranma, Ukyo, Tate and Nabiki, Ryoga and Akari, Kodachi, the Tendos, the Saotomes, the Onos, the Jiangs, the Wongs, and Mousse-they are my family now. And I have my friends here: Libby, Maria, Gil, Tyler, Paolo, Jasmine-and now you.
"What I'm saying is that I can't not consider you a friend. I have no reason not to. Oh, I'll fight you tooth and nail for Mousse-and actually, I don't need to since he only loves me and no other-but other than that we can remain friends." She held her hand out, same as she had the previous week. "Unless you aren't comfortable with the idea..."
"Well, you've been honest with me," Ronnie said, "and I guess I shouldn't have expected that. But I really do like you, and still want to be your friend." She took Shampoo's hand and shook it. "Hell, I'll even help you find a new boyfriend after I take Mousse from you."
"Well, I really doubt that, but at least we're civil about it." Shampoo took another drink from her wine. "Now that this little mess is out of the way for now, we can discuss the problem currently at hand.
"Tonight, for the umpteenth time, I went through every possible website, from the Peoples' Library in Beijing, to the Royal Hong Kong Archives to the Federal Research Database in Taiwan. I even checked the Royal Museum On-line in London and the US Library of Congress' datafiles. I've come up with nothing tangible." She sounded like she was about to say something else, but held back.
"Same thing with me. Fortuna has nothing in all three dialects. I even Emailed the researcher in charge of esoteric information at the University of Beijing, as well as his counterpart at Oxford, and they came up with nothing at all. Contextus at this point is probably a total wash; it doesn't have nearly the amount of stuff specialized on China that we need."
"I thought so. I just may have to play my ace in the hole," Shampoo admitted, the tone in her voice indicating that this was something that she absolutely didn't want to do.
Ronnie yawned. "Well, hate to call it a night, but I need to get some sleep. I've got a test tomorrow, and have to review some notes. Let me drive you home, and we'll pick this up tomorrow."
"Don't worry about it. I'll take a cable car. You get some sleep." Shampoo stood up, stretched, picked up her bag, and clapped her on the shoulder. "Take care. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Shampoo." She watched as her friend walked out of the restaurant, and headed for the nearest cable car stop. She didn't know what to think of the Chinese girl now. She was definitely a character, and when Mousse (sigh) and Ronnie finally were married, Ronnie hoped that she could find somebody just as nice for Shampoo. After all, she deserves it. But she also got the distinct feeling that there was something that Shampoo was not talking about.
Well, Jade noted, as she looked at the fax she received from Japan, I know who you are now, red-haired girl.
The search, it turned out, was harder than it had first seemed. In Japan, it turned out that there were approximately 2000 women of the red-haired girl's age who had the same natural hair color. Add eye color, and it brought the number down drastically, to about 150. With approximate body type and disposition, it brought it down to 15. Add to that the final filter, having traveled out of Japan within the last year or so, it narrowed it to three. Fortunately, her contact had faxed pictures of the subjects to go with the data as well.
Tomorrow she'd make her move. She quickly called Kaguro and asked him to set up a team of ninjas to capture her. She'd be working at her boyfriend's store, and he'd most likely be there. Also, the blonde-who Jade had discovered was Lao's other roommate-would most likely be there as well, since the three of them always went to lunch together on Wednesdays. It would also be advantageous to have other captives as well, since the threat of harming them would easily coerce her to surrender the Phoenix Eye. And lastly, Jade knew, Lao would probably attempt to come to her friend's rescue, thereby allowing Jade the pleasure of disposing of her nuisance once and for all.
Hanging up the phone, she laughed, her shrill cackle piercing the air. "Now at last, my victory is complete! Prepare to face your gods, Shan Fu Lao, because you shall not long be for this world!" Her green aura lit the air, only to be suddenly supplanted by the newer, stronger red aura, making the air warp from its power.
Jade picked the fax off her desk and read. Name: Akemi Roppongi. Occupation: Bartender...
Shampoo was silent as she got home. The house was quiet and unlit, since Ran-chan was out at the movies with Tyler, and Libby would be home late due to contract review with a local company Kunotech was planning to acquire. So she sat in the dark, with nothing but her dark thoughts, and her dark mood.
I spend six years trying to get my life in order, and in one week Ranko tears it all apart. Except that it isn't her fault. It's mine. I did this eight years ago, without even knowing the repercussions. A tear slid down her cheek. God, I wish I had never received that damn pendant for my 18th birthday. I should've kept the Contrary Jewel; at least that was controllable!
Tears began to flow freely. All I wanted was for Ranma to love me. Look at me now. I have a challenger for my boyfriend's hand. My best friend's a walking time bomb, and could potentially drag me down into hell with her. To boot, she was created by the very same gem that now threatens to destroy her. All because I knew nearly nothing about it. Or my family.
All I know is that my great-grandmother was elder of the tribe. She helped raised me since I was a baby. I never knew my grandparents or my mother; though I had a father until age 16, he was distant and aloof until the day he died. All I really know is the basics: that my name is Lao Shan Fu, the great-granddaughter of the village elder Lao K'o Lon. A member of a family so powerful that not even the government of the Peoples' Republic would dare cross us. We took what we wanted, and protected the weak. We were the Emperor's Warriors.
But I'm not that person anymore. My family is dead. I'm just Shampoo Lao, good little All-American girl and owner of San Francisco's most popular Asian restaurant. As far as China goes, it's like I never existed.
She remembered earlier that night, when she tapped into Jusenkyo On-line, a website detailing everything about the province. What she saw shook her to the core, worse than anything in this world, save Cologne's death:
KEYWORD: CHINA: PEOPLE: MAYORS: JOKETSUZOKU: LAO K'O LON aka K'O LON LAO aka COLOGNE
Result: No such entry.
KEYWORD: CHINA: HISTORY: FAMILY TREE: JOKETSUZOKU: LAO
Result: No such entry.
KEYWORD: CHINA: REGIONS: QINGHAI: QUANJING PROVINCE: JOKETSUZOKU VILLAGE aka VILLAGE OF THE CHINESE AMAZONS aka JUKUSETSO
Here it gave her a minimal paragraph on the village that was her birthplace, but no mention of the Lao clan, a family that was so integral to Joketsuzoku/Jukusetso that the village was named after one of her ancestors.
KEYWORD: CHINA: LEGENDS: TALISMANS: PHOENIX EYE PENDANT
Result: Access denied by Government authorities. For details, contact your local Party Office, or your local Chinese government function.
That was a surprise. None of the three had come up with anything on the Phoenix Eye pendant before...
Finally, she made the last search:
KEYWORD: CHINA: PEOPLE: CITIZENS: JOKETSUZOKU: LAO SHAN FU aka SHAN FU LAO aka SHAMPOO
Result: No such entry.
Just like that. As far as the People's Government was concerned, the last remnants of the Chinese empire and its mystery had died with Lao K'o Lon. With Shampoo no longer living in China-no longer even a Chinese citizen-the Communist Party felt that the family no longer existed. Shampoo was the last of a dead family. When she married, the Lao name would be gone forever. When she died, the Lao clan would be gone forever.
Just another reason why she couldn't marry Mousse, as if she needed one. She was already unsure if she'd ever marry him, mainly not because she didn't love him, but wasn't sure if she really knew how. He'd been her boy friend for so long in her life, she wasn't sure how to adjust to him being her boyfriend. The status quo, where she knew she loved him but was not totally in love with him, was the best situation. Then there were her teenage years, compounded with the years with Ranma. I treated Mousse so badly for so long. How could he still love me?
She couldn't stop crying. She cried for everything. For a man who loved her, but she didn't know how to love. For a man she loved, but couldn't love her back. For a friend that was practically her sister, and whom she'd provided the means to destroy herself, after that same gem was part of her creation. For the loss of her last family member, her great-grandmother, who she'd never been able to even get the full story of her life from. Everything made sense. Nothing made sense. She was losing everything that mattered to her in life.
She was on the verge of losing it all when Mige hopped on her, snuggled up in her lap, and began snoozing contentedly. She began to pet him, and he purred with the satisfaction of someone being loved. Her tears began to slow, as she began to smile. Here it seemed, was at least one being that understood. I remember when Kasumi used to pet me in the same way, when they thought I was simply a cat given to Ranma by myself. I was called "Miss Kitty" by Kasumi, who gave me the love and attention that Ranma couldn't because of his phobia. All I remember was her love. That's why I gave Kasumi Miss Kitty when we were separated. Why Mige is so dear to me, my beloved pesky pet. And why the Tendos, Saotomes, and Jiangs practically adopted me when Grandmother died. Maybe that's all that's needed. Just somebody to help, somebody just to be there.
That did it. She made her decision. Trying to not disturb Mige, she reached over and grabbed the phone, pulled up the antenna, and dialed. (310) 555-5866.
The phone rang across a matter of seconds and of hundreds of miles. Finally, there was an answer at the other end of the line. Her ace in the hole, the absolute last step. The one thing she didn't want to do, but now knew she needed to.
The voice on the other end sounded extremely groggy, as if the person had just been woken up out of a deep slumber.
"Kuno residence. It's 11:16 in the evening. Do you have any idea-"
"Ni Hao, Nabiki. It's me. I'm sorry I called so late, but..."
"Shampoo! Are you okay, you don't sound like yourself. Don't worry about getting me up at this time; I really should be going over those contracts Libby sent me, but Tate insisted that I've been working too hard and should get some sleep. 'Sides, you know I'll drop everything for family."
If Nabiki could see the Chinese girl's face, she would've seen Shampoo's eyes, already red from crying, begin to water again from the word "family". "Nabiki, I need your help. I've gone through just about every source of information that I can, and I don't know what to do."
Shampoo could hear the sounds of Nabiki getting out of bed. "Hold on a sec. I'm gonna throw on a robe." More sounds ensued, then the opening of a door. "Okay, go ahead. I'm walking down to the studio, and Tate's gonna kill me, but..."
Shampoo and Nabiki chatted about a couple other minor details as Mrs. Kuno made her way to the office in her sizable Malibu homestead. There was another door opening, and in the distance, she could hear a male voice asking just what the hell was Nabiki doing out of bed? Shampoo pictured in her mind Nabiki glaring at her husband as she heard the woman say, "Not now, Kuno-baby. Family matters." A second later, the voice got louder. "Sorry, but had to put you on speakerphone. So cough it up. What's up?"
"Who's that?" Tatewaki Kuno asked.
"Hiya, Tate. Shampoo." Shampoo then explained every little detail to Nabiki, from Ran-chan's entranced late night workouts to her fight with Libby to Shampoo's own conflict with Mousse and everything in between. She then went over the fruitless computer search, including the Chinese government references to the Phoenix Eye, the sudden disappearance of any information on the Lao family, and other pertinent matters, leading up to her fears about the talisman's effects on the pair.
There was a half minute of silence on the phone, then the tapping of a keyboard as Tate Kuno asked, "Is there anything else, Shampoo?"
"What happened to Nabiki?"
"I told her to go back to bed. The doctor told her that she's over-exhausted herself lately, and I can't let her burn out over minor things like the business and things I can handle. I tell you, first chance I get, I'm going to shipwreck us on another island again, just so we'll have some time to ourselves." She heard him laugh softly. "As for your info, don't worry. When you're married to someone for four years, you tend to share everything. Contacts and secrets, for example."
He paused for a second. "Hmmmm. Okay, I think I may have the answer. I've got a friend in the State Department who owes me a favor or two. Time to see what he can dig up. Might take a day or so, though-you know how bureaucracy is."
"Thanks." Shampoo couldn't help but smile.
"Hey, anything for family." She smiled at his comment, then blinked; she was getting a bit drowsy. "Speaking of that subject, have you called anybody in Japan?"
"No." Her voice was firm. "I want to keep this under the table. They've spent too much time worrying about Ran-chan, and I don't want this to get out of hand. You know how Ranma'll react."
"Yeah, that I do. But they have a right to know about Pigtail. If this is as bad as you say, then at least Mr. and Mrs. Saotome need to know. And Ranma will find out, eventually. Don't know how he does it, but he will."
Shampoo did a double-take at Tate's words. Amazing that he still calls her that. That and the fact that he's never found out about the Saotome curse, either, she thought. However, she remained firm. "No. Absolutely not. I don't want them in this mess unless we need them to be. I didn't even want you guys involved at first, but the need for the info outweighed the initial hesitation."
"I disagree with you, but I'll accede to your wishes-for now. But you'd better start dialing numbers in Osaka and Nerima if something else goes awry." Now his tone was firm.
She knew better than to argue with him at this point, so she fought off a yawn and said, "Okay. I don't like the idea, but you're probably right."
"You know I'm right, you just won't admit it." He yawned, himself. "Sorry, but I have to go-have to get some sleep, too. Have a long day ahead of me, and I really don't want to hear Nabiki say 'I told you so' over and over again. I'll get the info to you as soon as. Say 'Hi' to Pigtail and Libby for us, okay?"
"Okay, I will. Thanks again. Good night."
"Good night, Shampoo."
She put down the phone and yawned again, trying to keep her eyes open. She was completely exhausted. "Long day tomorrow. Plus now I've got to develop...an...anti-Ron..."
Her head rolled to one side as she instantly fell asleep on the couch.
The following afternoon, Ran-chan was busy with another day working at the Magic Duck. Her mind was elsewhere at the moment, though. When she and Libby got home at about 12:30 in the morning-Tyler had bowed out of the movies due to studying for a test, Libby and Maria deciding to go in his stead-they found Shampoo asleep on the couch. When Libby threw a blanket over her, she noticed that Shampoo had been crying. They didn't wake her up, but left notes telling her to call them at work.
So far, she hadn't-either Libby or herself. She didn't mention it to Mousse, lest it be another one of their arguments or something that could make her worry. They'd been doing so well after last week's argument-and what was it all about, anyway? She'd forgotten-so she didn't want to rock the boat.
Her hand went to the chest, grasping the Phoenix Eye beneath her shirt. She'd no idea why she'd been doing that a lot in the last couple of days. It had certainly become a habit, and she was not normally a creature of habit. But it seemed that every time she touched it, she felt a release, like a substance addict's next hit. Whenever she grasped the Phoenix Eye, she could picture herself floating on a calm, warm body of water-just herself and a zen-like state of peace. Oh, the water did look a bit like tomato juice, or blood, but it calmed her so much... And when she couldn't have her peace, her mind went so mad with rage. And she didn't know why or how or anything, for that matter, except that the Phoenix Eye just made everything better...
She was in a dazed state when Mousse put his hand on her shoulder, making her jump with surprise. "Hey, you okay?"
"Uh, um, yeah. Just, um, thinking of, uh, well, you know." She looked into his eyes, then smiled. "I'll be, that is...I'm okay. Really."
"Well, don't fall asleep on me," he joked, "I ran out of pillows." He moved from behind the counter and towards the door, when he turned to her and said, "I'm running down to Sam's Ice Creamery for a shake. Want one?"
"Yeah!" she said, eyes gleaming. "Butterscotch, in the 'Monster Barrel' size."
"Okay, the usual, then. I'll be right back." With that, he headed out the door.
Ran-chan smiled as he left. Mousse was such a good friend. More than anyone else in the world, he and Shampoo deserved each other. She sighed. Now only if she could find somebody in her own life, if she wasn't such a loner.
[bUT you CAN HAVE him,] a voice at the back of her mind said, a voice sounding not at all like Ranma's or the earlier voice. [aLL you HAVE TO DO IS take him FROM her.]
Her eyes began to glow as red as a supernova.
Mousse was strolling away from the Magic Duck, down the stairs towards the food court. Something was definitely wrong with Ran-chan today. For one, her battle aura was working overtime when he tapped her on the shoulder. Second, he surprised her. The Ranko Saotome he knew was never caught off guard by such things. Third, she was trying to hide something-and not being very good at it either.
Maybe she's just depressed about home again, or about the fact that none of the newspapers have called to set up a job interview yet, he reasoned. Can't say I blame her. I've read her work-both her Japanese articles at the Daily Asahi and her English at the Japan Times, and I have to say she's honestly a good writer. Maybe that was her editors, though. What do I know, I'm just a martial arts magician with a store.
He was so lost in his thoughts that he was caught off guard, nearly knocking over the other people nearby. "What?!"
"Sorry." Libby flashed a disarming smile. "You were so out there in dreamville that somebody had to wake you up. Fantasizing about Shampoo again?"
"No," he admitted. "Actually, I was thinking about Ranko. Tell me, Libby, do you think she's been acting weird lately?"
"She has been trying to adjust to living here, still," Libby commented as the pair got in line for Sam's. "She may play it tough, but she's a fragile little thing inside. She cares about everyone and everything, and being away from home for the first time scares her a bit, if you ask me."
He gave her an odd look. "That doesn't sound like her."
"Trust me. You're a guy, so you don't see these things the same way." She tapped her head. "It's all in the woman's mind, believe you, me."
"If you say so..." He shrugged his shoulders and turned to the vendor. "Hiya. I'll have a small pistachio shake, a Monster Barrel butterscotch shake-"
"For the Japanese redhead upstairs, right?" The clerk, a young woman, grinned. "She goes through four or five a day and doesn't gain a bit of weight! How does she do that?!"
"If I knew, I'd tell you. Fast metabolism, maybe." He turned to Libby. "What would you like?"
From their advantage post on the roof, Jade, Kaguro, and a group of ninjas sat and watched as the blonde woman and the Chinese man headed away from the ice cream store, the woman carrying a small drink, the man carrying a small and a drink approximately two liters in size. They were headed up towards the store that the gentleman owned. Both Jade and Kaguro were dressed for combat, wearing ninja clothing-Kaguro's midnight purple, Jade in black with green and red slashes.
"Now, remember," Jade warned. "I don't want Ms. Roppongi hurt, nor do I want the others killed. Do whatever you have to do to subdue her, but do not attack."
Kaguro bared his teeth, not as a grin, but as a shark awaiting its prey. "So this Akemi Roppongi knows no martial arts, huh? What about her significant other? Or the blonde?"
Jade commented. "According to my sources, Muu Tsu Jiang is a simple magician, that's all. Liberty Windham-the blonde-will be the challenge; she's a shinobi at the same level as you, a scion of the Windham ninja clan."
"Windham." Kaguro spat the name. "They are, along with the remnants of the Ghost Wolves, the mortal enemies of my clan. We'll take such delight in executing her."
She shot him a virulent glare. "You'll do no such thing. She is bait to use against Lao. I want her alive." She paused, stared at his teams that were scattered throughout the area, then looked at him directly. "Are your forces ready?"
"Black team is behind you," Kaguro replied. "White team is in various stores, posing as customers. Gray team is on the roof of the store, with Indigo team behind them. Gray will attack first, followed by Indigo. White will move in to complete the job, while my Black elites will stand by in the event of unexpected intervention."
One of the Black ninjas, a woman with binoculars, said in Japanese, "They're at the store, Kaguro-sama. Shall I direct Gray to attack?"
"Yes," he replied in the same tongue. "Do so."
From their vantage point, those assembled saw a duo of ninjas dressed in gray swoop down and nail the pair from behind. So much for the competition, Jade noted, a tug of mirth appearing on her lips.
The smirk vanished when a red blast of ki energy slammed into the two ninjas, tossing them back over the second floor's railing. She could see that Jiang and Windham were still down.
Who the hell...?! "Begin the attack!" Kaguro shouted, as nearly 30 ninjas descended on the Magic Duck.
She couldn't stop the voice in her head. [fOOL! iF you HADN'T LET sanzenin OUT OF your GRASP, you WOULD'VE HAD him. tHAT BITCH kodachi AND her PARTNER natsumi WOULDN'T HAVE MADE A FOOL OUT OF you. bUT INSTEAD, they ALL HAVE! akane, ukyo, EVEN your "BELOVED" BROTHER HAS TURNED his BACK ON you!]
Leave me alone! she mentally screamed, as a fog of red began to twist around her soul, her control slipping. Go away!
[eVEN YOUR so-called BEST FRIEND LAUGHS AT you. she HAS A BOYFRIEND, AND STILL WANTS your BROTHER. nOW, IS THAT FAIR?]
The voice won, completely taking over Ranko's mind. [tHERE. i SHALL MAKE you SO GREAT, IF YOU WOULD LET me. i WOULD GIVE you ALL, AND i ASK FOR SO LITTLE IN RETURN. jUST A SMALL PRICE...]
Her aura charged up to stellar intensity, as she put her hands together. [hERE COMES her PARTNER IN CRIME ALONG WITH "your" MAN. nOW, ARE you GOING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT OR NOT?]
Somewhere inside the body of the Japanese redhead, Ran-chan screamed, a dirge of madness singing through her mind. As a pulse of energy began to coalesce in her hands, from somewhere within, she sobbed, I'm sorry.
Libby and Mousse came into the store. "Ran-chan! Ready to go to lun-" They stopped and looked at her. Her eyes were twin stars and her aura was blinding. She held a ki blast in her hands and wore a demonic smile. The Phoenix Eye glowed like Chernobyl. They thought they heard her murmur, "I'm sorry," but weren't sure.
Mousse and Libby had no time to react. They dropped the drinks and shielded their faces, even as Libby screamed, "Ranko! Nooooo!"
She thrust her arms out. "MOKO-"
(Un)fortunately, the ninjas attacked a defenseless Mousse and Libby from behind. Two hands grabbed a head each and slammed them forward, Libby's into the door frame, Mousse's through the door window. The two stood there, momentarily composing on how to capture what would be a panicked and frightened Akemi Roppongi.
"-TAKABISHA!" A ki beam tore from her hands and slammed into both, launching them over the second floor railing as it shattered their ribcages, the shockwave detonating the storefront windows. The ninjas landed on top of Adam's Lazer T-shirts, shattering the kiosk and leaving a spray of blood everywhere.
As the fugue from hell cleared from her mind, she noticed a few changes in the scenery. The front of the store looked as if the Army had test-fired a new laser cannon through the front door. The door itself was broken in two, blood pooled on the surface. The storefront looked completely demolished. On the floor were the remnants of a small pistachio shake, a small vanilla, and a Monster Barrel butterscotch. That was not even the least of her concerns.
She saw Libby crumpled on the floor, her body appearing twisted and broken. Mousse was lying outside, a small puddle of blood beginning to grow from the sizable gash on his forehead. She called out for her friends, but that wasn't the worst.
The worst was when about 30 ninjas, dressed in gray or indigo, boiled into the store from the door or the broken windows. They were armed to the teeth. It was obvious they were after somebody.
She pointed at them. "You hurt my friends! Not a brilliant career option."
She went into an offensive stance, and a couple ninjas laughed. The foremost one called to her and said in Japanese, "Come now, Roppongi Akemi-san. Do you think we are afraid of you? We are the ninja of clan Kaguro."
"Oh, you'd better be afraid, if you had any brain cells," the redhead snapped. "And who's Roppongi Akemi? My name is Saotome Ranko."
The ninja's eyes grew wide in fear, stepping back. He'd heard the name "Saotome" before. "Attack!" he shouted.
She blew them a kiss, as her battle aura kicked into warp factor nine. The ninjas rushed towards her. She just smiled coyly, tossed her head in that so-so way, and attacked.
"Kacchu Tenshin Amaguriken!"
From outside the store, it looked like the ninjas were moving in for the capture. What happened? Jade thought. Another chi master in there? I didn't see any customers... Her answer came as about a dozen ninjas were tossed back out, propelled by a powerful blow. A blur of red, black and blue launched out, tight-rolled in mid-air, landed and then propelled herself off the remains of the railing by a finger, then leapt to the ground below. Two people followed her, a gray ninja and a man in a business suit-one of the white ninjas, Jade guessed, only to be propelled by some kind of rising windmill punch. The girl moved like a bullet, taking out five more ninjas before one could draw a bead on her.
From where they stood, Kaguro detailed half of his elite Black ninjas to move in. The one with binoculars grumbled a name in Japanese, his voice a mixture of determination, abject hatred, and fear: "Saotome desu!"
"Nani?! 'Saotome desu?!'" Kaguro spluttered. He ordered the remainder of his men into the fray, then prepared to move in himself, only pausing to say to Jade, "I thought you said she was named Roppongi!"
"That's what the file said!" Jade shot back. "Would you care to tell me just what the fuck is going on here?!"
"You bit off far more than you can chew this time, Jade," he said grimly. "That's no 'Akemi Roppongi,' that's a Saotome. If we don't stop her, we're all dead." He watched as the girl nimbly danced out of range of a white ninja's sai attack, then leapt over him and threw a punch that may have snapped the ninja's neck, caught the sai as the ninja fell, slashed another ninja, then embedded the sai into the shoulder of a third.
"I don't understand. Is a Saotome a type of rival ninja?"
"If it were that easy. They're a family that are, quite simply, the best kenpo masters in the world. I had the opportunity to see the current head of the family, Saotome Genma, at a tournament in Australia three years ago. He was unbeatable. His children are said to be even better."
Kaguro and Jade watched as the young woman took out three more of his ninja with a rapid punch attack that was so fast they barely saw her hands move. "If I recall, the son, Ranma, is the calm and cool one, fast and agile, extremely strong, and unpredictable. So that must be Ranko, the daughter. She's the wild one, faster than her brother, just as agile but not as strong, and even less predictable. There is a third, Shiva, but not much is known about her; that is most likely not her because she is reportedly an adopted child not of Japanese origin.
"The Saotomes would make excellent shinobi if it weren't for their inane sense of honor, chivalry, and nobility."
Roppo-no, Saotome quickly caught one white ninja's nunchaku in mid-swing, ripped it from her hands, then used it on her. She used them on three more combatants before breaking one on a fourth's head. She flung the remains at a fifth, and as he ducked, Saotome powerslid, knocking him in the air for a second long enough to execute another of her windmill punch attacks. So far, she'd downed 32 of the Kaguro ninjas without being injured herself.
Now she would be facing the elite Black ninjas; ninjas who were in actuality, shinobi, "Shadow Dancers"-ki enabled ninjas.
Jade's order not to injure Saotome still stood. But they were given a little leniency to do what they had to do to subdue her. There was always the chance that she would be uninjured. As Jade watched Saotome execute another rapid punch attack that took out three more white ninjas, the possibility that she would remain unharmed was beginning to be a certainty.
Ran-chan moved her hands back from the Chestnut Punch, and moved into a defensive position, taking a second to relax. So far she seemed to have defeated several ninjas-about 35, by her count-but they kept on coming. This was not good. She leapt back up to the second deck, several feet away from the shattered Magic Duck, racing towards it. Her heart raged, not like an inferno, but oddly enough, with an oddly clean, if still wild, sense of fighting. Not like her at all-usually she took the time to make sure that the opposition couldn't counterattack.
No time for that now. I don't care if they regroup and come after me-and why are they coming after me, anyway? She sped on past people, and the occasional ninja-whom she'd just shove through a storefront window-to get to Libby and Mousse. Please, let them be alright, she prayed as she ran. From what she saw in the half second before the fight began, they looked seriously injured-or worse. Please don't let them be dead. She'd seen enough death when all of her friends took on Nguyen's troops and when she and Mikado had to rescue her mother from a ninja cla-
That's where I've seen these lunatics before! They were hired by that ass Ishihara Shinago! Clan Kaguro, eh? Hafta pass that on to Ranma, Pop, and Uncle Tendo later. Finally, she arrived at her two friends' side. She checked Mousse first, checking his pulse, eyes teary with relief that he was still alive. She then ripped the sleeves off her sweatshirt and bandaged his head, stopping only to gently rest him in a prone position. She then raced to Libby, checked her, and did the same, the blonde girl appearing to only have a concussion. She debated abandoning the fight and trying to get them to medical attention.
That hope was lost when a piercing whistle rent the air, as if signaling incoming objects. She grabbed her friends and leapt from the second deck as a machine gun effect of small black ki spheres ripped the floor apart. She hit the ground, put the pair down as quickly and gently as she could, and turned to face the second wave.
Ten shinobi leapt at her, ki-balls at the ready. She didn't even take the time to announce her attack, as the norm. She just took out all ten with a massive burst of ki energy that set her opponents ablaze.
Ran-chan was about to pick up her friends and head towards the sound of the sirens racing her way, when she heard a clapping sound. She looked up, and saw what must be the master ninjas, a guy who looked kinda like Paolo, after a fashion; and another, a woman who looked like a green-haired Shampoo with Nabiki's haircut. She also looked like the more dangerous of the pair.
"Excellent work, Saotome-san. Or is it Saotome-chan? Or would you prefer, Ms. Saotome?" the woman called.
"I'd prefer you get down here so I can put you six feet under!" Ran-chan snarled back.
"My, my, what a temper. Perhaps this will calm you. Turn around, please." The woman snapped her fingers.
Ran-chan turned to see two ninjas, holding her friends like rag dolls, daggers at their throats. Three more stood behind holding ki balls, ready for her attack. "All right, you have the upper hand for now. What do you want?"
"Simple, Ms. Saotome. I want your power-and your soul." With that, the woman placed her hand out palm up, and closed it.
Ran-chan's heart suddenly tightened. As the woman closed her hand tighter and tighter, she felt her breath disappear and her vision tunnel. What was happening to her? Why was she having a heart attack? She knew that she had to stop this woman before the woman's power killed her. She called into her inner well of ki, focusing it on her heart and into an energy charge that she would launch at her opponent. She'd have a split-second to move and rescue Mousse and Libby...if her body would let her. She tried to take a deep breath, but couldn't. Her heart felt like it was going to rip out of her chest. Just a little more ki, and I can make my move. Just hold...on...a second...more...Ranko...
"My, you are stubborn," Jade laughed. "I can't have you cause me any more trouble." She raised her hand, and a huge ball of cascading force appeared in her hands.
Suddenly, Ran-chan's inner energy disappeared, sucked into the woman's hand. She looked up, face blanched in shock, then turning slowly blue as her heart refused to work.
"BLOOD CHI!" Jade screamed, loosing a red bolt of chi lightning at the Saotome woman.
The beam smashed Ran-chan to the ground, creating an impact crater. Ran-chan, ever defiant, withstood the blast long enough to stand up again and give the woman a look that said this wasn't over yet. Then she fell to the ground, unconscious.
Kaguro was astonished. He knew his boss was good. He didn't know she had the power to take down a Saotome just like that. Small wonder she didn't take on his true love-she would have killed her.
Jade stood there, a self-satisfied smile plastered on her face. "Have your men pick up Saotome and the others. We still need prisoners, and if Ms. Saotome is as honorable as you say she is, she will provide the means to destroy our dear Ms. Lao."
[aND you WILL HAVE ALL my POWER, AND MORE,] the voice in her head said.
Three hours later, Shampoo, Ronnie, and Tyler descended on a seriously damaged Pier 39. They'd been so busy with one last shot at their search, they hadn't heard the news reports; the only reason they were heading to Pier 39 was because Tyler had to drop off Ronnie for the night shift, then the other two would return to the CAHC. Upon arrival, the three bolted towards the Magic Duck-Ronnie's store was on the end of the facility, and thus undamaged; anyway, that wasn't important right now. The three broke the police lines and leapt to the second deck, not bothering to use the stairs.
The Duck had seen better shopping days. The storefront was obliterated, the interior looked like a small army had fought their way through the Christmas shopping spree. There was blood all over the place, and police tape was abundant. A police officer was putting evidence into bags-Libby's and Mousse's destroyed glasses. There was no sign of any of the three, and the outside deck looked like it was on its last legs. Shampoo, seeing the destruction, and no signs of her friends, didn't look too hot either. Still, she held on, refusing to break down.
Shampoo burst in anyway, looking for the officer in charge. He found the detective, doing forensic studies of the door. "Looks like the Navy fired a laser cannon through here," he muttered.
"You the leading officer here?" she asked.
"Yeah, Detective Hicks, organized crimes division." He glanced at her, offering his hand. "And you are?"
"Shan Fu Lao," she said as she shook his hand. "I'm Muu Tsu Jiang's girlfriend," she said as she shot Ronnie a not-right-now glance. "He owns this store. What happened?"
"Ms. Lao, for starters, I'd like to say, you're one cool customer. Usually, the womenfolk like you-excuse me if this sounds sexist, but I'm an 'Old School' cop-lose it instantly. It looks as if somebody had a grudge against your boyfriend. From how reports go, about fifty ninja types attacked and kidnapped your boyfriend and another person. We have two pairs of gla-"
"I saw your man putting them in bags. Her name is Liberty Windham. She's my roommate and a mutual friend of myself and Mousse."
"Well, from what reports have been taken, those two would be dead if it wasn't for the presence of another ninja, a female with red hair who beat the living shit out of all of them before she was shot and captured."
Way to go, Ranko! Waitaminit. "Shot?" Shampoo's voice cracked.
"Shot with some kind of long-range stun gun, according to reports. Do you know this woman?" Detective Hicks looked at Shampoo, expecting an answer.
Shampoo began to lose her composure. First Mousse and Libby, now Ran-chan? "Her name's Ranko Saotome. My other roommate and best friend. She also works here at the Magic Duck."
"Ms. Lao, I know this might be hard on you, but would you be willing to come down to the station and fill out a report? We could use all your information if we're going to catch these guys."
Shampoo dully nodded her head, the shock sinking into her. Fortunately, Tyler slipped right beside her, and patted her on the shoulder. "C'mon, Shamps. I'll go with ya. Ronnie'll join us as soon as she closes for the night."
"No." Ronnie shook her head. "I'll join you now. There's no sense in keeping the store open, and our friends are more important than my lost sales."
"Okay, then," Detective Hicks said, as he led the trio out of the door. "If you'll just follow the officer there," he pointed as he motioned to the cop, "He'll take you to the local precinct, and get your deposition. Then we'll get you home."
Ronnie told Shampoo, "I'll be behind in the car. Don't worry, Shampoo; we'll get them back."
Shampoo said nothing, only allowing Tyler to lead her to the police cruiser. If anybody had looked at her eyes, they would have noticed, not shock and sadness, but a woman who'd had enough over the last few days and whose frustration and despair was slowly building to an angry crescendo.
Night descended on the San Francisco neighborhood of Haight-Ashbury, and all seemed at peace.
Unless you'd walked past the Lao/Windham/Saotome household.
The first sign of something wrong would be the purple ribbon that Maria tied around the sapling newly planted in the front yard to replace the vandalized tree-Gil had explained to her that you tie a yellow ribbon for events like this, to which she replied that she didn't know anything about that, she just thought a bow on the baby tree would be adorable.
The second sign was the SFPD cruiser in the driveway. Detective Hicks was concerned enough about an attempt being made on Ms. Lao's life. Furthermore, when he had discovered that Ms. Shan Fu Lao was also Shampoo Lao, owner of the most popular Asian restaurant in town, he insisted that a police officer stay there the night; Tyler agreed. Shampoo didn't have the strength to argue with either, so she said nothing, letting her friend decide.
Inside, it was just as moody, although the group tried to be cheerful. The stereo was playing the latest CD by the Beautiful South, one of Shampoo's favorite bands. Maria had whipped up a couple of Thai chicken pizzas for everybody assembled. Gil, Tyler, and the police officer were chatting along about the prospects for the Giants making it to the World Series this year; Maria and Ronnie were just chatting along generally about whatever subject they could think of off the top of their heads. They all were jovial-forced cheerfulness, admittedly, but cheerful nonetheless.
Everybody but Shampoo. Everybody but the girl whose slice of pizza and wine cooler went untouched. The only one who said nothing; instead sat on the couch, hugging one of the cushions to her chest as if it were a life preserver. The only one who seemed to be staring into nothingness, as if she were busy playing Zen-connect-the-dots inside her mind.
Maria was genuinely concerned. She'd never seen Shampoo like this before. Shampoo was always the strongest of the group in situations like this, never faltering. If Maria knew anything about her friend, she knew that what everybody thought to be shock and overwhelming sadness was in fact Shampoo's way of keeping her temper controlled before she burst into an absolute frenzy. She knew Shampoo to be the type to break down alone, or in front of Mousse, maybe Ranko, but not anyone else. Still, she knew she had to do something. So she sat next to Shampoo and said nothing, only observing her friend, and seeing if she could perceive an opening into the girl's mind.
Ronnie, to her credit, knew that this was something she'd best stay out of, and went over to the guys to put her two cents in: "Listen guys, you've got it all wrong. The Giants will face off against the Pirates for the NL pennant. It'll probably go to seven games, but if Gonzales keeps pitching that fastball of his, and Smith keeps smacking over the wall, then..."
Maria decided it was time to say something. "Shampoo..." She began. The Chinese Amazon ignored her and continued to sit there in her trance. Maria continued anyway. "I don't know what to say. We'll get them back; you know we will. I'll help you all the way. You know that. But I need you to help yourself." She took the girl in her arms and hugged her to herself. "Shampoo, we're all here for you. Just don't shut us out."
That did the trick. With a half-sobbed cry, Shampoo let go of the pillow and hugged Maria back. Noticing this, all her friends went over for support: "We'll get them back, Shampoo. Just you wait and see...The cops'll get these guys, for sure...Things can only get better, Shampoo."
Then there was a knock at the door.
"I believe that's my cue," the cop said, putting a hand on his gun and answering the door.
There was a flash of lightning, and a clap of thunder-really odd, since it was a cloudless night. Then a voice sang out, "Oh to be at the domicile of the fierce Asian beauty, Shan Fu Lao, to deliver her noble request, even as I hope to see the enchanting flaxen-haired mistress of the Law, Liberty Windham, and even doth I say, perchance that I should see my beloved pigtailed girl? Oh, it is but an honor that few should receive, and only that I, the co-Chairman and co-CEO of Kunotech Industries Inc., the noble Blue Thunder of the Los Angeles Kendo Club, and the repeated Champion of the Southern California Kendo Circuit, would hope to accomplish." Enigmatically, a Japanese man his late twenties, wearing a slate-colored polo shirt, ash-white slacks, gray shoes, and a long carrying case slung over his shoulder, entered the room.
"Sorry I'm late, but you know how traffic is." Tatewaki Kuno smiled.