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Bert Miller
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Subject: [FFML][Ranma][Fanfic]The Tempest
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The Tempest
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic by HK Miller
31 December 1998 - FFML draft
Major characters copyright Rumiko Takahashi and licensees:
Shogakukan in Japan and Viz Communications in the USA.
No disrespect is intended by my unlicensed usage.
Lemon-scent warning: adult themes suggested.
This is set after Volume 38 of the manga and is the eighth story in
the mini-series "Much Ado about Ranma". The earlier stories
were "Much Ado", "As You Like It", "A Comedy of Errors", "Midsummer
Days", "Midsummer Nights", "Measure for Measure", and "A Spring Tale".
All these stories are posted at http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Dojo/5058.
Previously:
Akane and Ranma are now married, as Tendos. Ukyou has been
adopted as a Saotome son, and, with Akane's agreement, is
also Ranma's mistress.
Ranma, Akane, Ukyou, and Shampoo have all learned Happosai's
ki-recharge technique, involving intimate contact with the
opposite sex. Ranma is able to simultaneously recharge
from direct contact with Ukyou, Akane, and Shampoo.
Ranma, Akane, and Ukyou now each possess personal 'rensus',
small magical jewels which glow when in contact with them, but
are dark otherwise, and painful for others to touch. These
allow the wearer to understand any language, spoken or written,
and to speak to another person in that other person's native
language. The rensus also allow Ranma, Akane, and Ukyou to
converse telepathically. They may possess other attributes,
as yet undiscovered. Another technique they've learned is
invisibility and its counter, taught them by Chingensai,
the founder of Okonomiyaki martial arts and Ukyou's new
mentor.
Ranma, Akane, and Ukyou have been working for about a year as
security personnel disguised as caterers for receptions and
conferences, working for two government security men, Sumizu
and Jounsu, who work for the Imperial Household Agency.
Shampoo was added to the team for one of these, a
Japan-China summit meeting, at which four Musk Dynasty and four
Phoenix Mountain terrorists attempted the assassination of the
Premier of the People's Republic. Ranma, Akane, Ukyou, and
Shampoo prevented this. This incident was televised, but the
government officially branded the responsible caterers as
"typical uninteresting officeladies." Nabiki helped develop a
new anime series, "Typical Uninteresting Officeladies", with
animated but recognizable versions of Onna-Ranma, Akane, Ukyou,
and Shampoo as kimono-clad heros who combat demonic evil.
During the fall of Ranma, Akane's, and Ukyou's senior year at
Furikan, Cologne summoned Shampoo and Mousse back to Joketsuzoku,
due to increasing trouble at home. No word has been heard from
the three since, even by Shampoo's father, left behind to run the
Nekohanten by himself.
Following Ranma�s and Akane�s wedding, they and Ukyou were
assigned a "simple" courier duty by their superiors as a
honeymoon vacation: just fetch one item from Hong Kong.
Despite extraordinary difficulties, including Akane and Ukyou�s
being recognized on the street by Hong Kong anime fans, the
three brought back their cargo intact.
Time: A few weeks after Ranma, Akane, and Ukyou's graduation
from Furikan High School, Ranma and Akane's wedding, and
"A Spring Tale."
Conventions:
private thought: o O ( )
shared thought (i.e. telepathy): o O > <
spoken Mandarin: < >
spoken English: " "
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Prelude: A black void into which several disembodied voices speak.
Voice: o O >Our enemies� plan is proceeding. The stresses generated
are necessary, and will be sufficient. The fourth candidate, my
student, will be ready and available soon.<
o O >(bitter) I am sacrificing much; more than any of you, more
than I ever anticipated. I have tried my best to save as much as
I could...<
Voice: o O >Ha! But where's our fifth candidate? Not ready yet?
Hardly
showin' the sense Kamisama gave to monkeys...<
Voice: o O >Such a pretty child...<
Voice: o O >My humble apologies. Unlike some of us, I have other
responsibilities. I have not been able to spend enough time with
my protege.<
Voice: o O >Enough recriminations. Our plan requires five. What shall
we do? Have we any alternative candidates?<
There is a period of silence.
Voice: o O >(cackling) Well, how about another of my favorites?<
Voice: o O >(surprised) That one? Are you serious?<
Voice: o O >Every now and then, that one shows signs... surprisingly
fast
reflexes... a good mind...<
Voice: o O >If we have no other possible candidates, I will arrange for
a
test. I still believe my protege will be ready faster than this
one, however.<
Voice: o O >We shall see.<
End prelude.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Tendo-ke, downstairs, mid-day.
Akane: (glowing blue) UKYOU!
Ukyou: (nimbly dodging mallet) Akane, all I said was...
Akane: (approaching with mallet raised) UKYOU NO BAKA!
Ukyou: ...that I volunteer to cook dinner for Ranchan when he gets
home tonight. Where's the harm in that?
The phone rings. Akane abruptly calms.
Akane: (picking up phone) Moshi-moshi. Nani? Sumizu-san?
(pause) Of course we can meet. Ranma should be home late
this afternoon. You can come here this evening.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Later. The dojo. Male-Ranma, Akane, and Ukyou are sitting cross-legged
on mats. Sumizu is standing in front of his portable whiteboard.
Sumizu: Jounsu-kun will be here in a moment. We'll be briefing you on a
mission we'd like the three of you, and one other, to undertake,
into China. Your performance in Hong Kong impressed several
people, including our boss, Retired Admiral Hainsu, enough so
that we will be using you for more complex duties than routine
security in the future.
Ranma: o O (Yatta! We�re gonna be real spies at last! Cool!)
Ukyou: Ohhhh! China!
Akane: (grumbling) o O (What's so great about China?)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Upstairs. Nabiki's room. Nabiki is seated at her desk, headphones on,
several computer monitors active all around her. There is a knock at her
door.
Nabiki: Come in. o O (One other? Shampoo's still in China.)
Jounsu: (entering) Tendo Nabiki? You're under arrest.
Nabiki: (looks up in shock) Nani?!?
Jounsu: ...for espionage, a capital crime. Specifically, for providing
psychological profiles of government employees to foreign agents;
for eavesdropping and planting listening devices in government
offices; for leaking the details of confidential missions to non-
Japanese parties; and for publicizing the likeness of Japanese
agents, your relatives, worldwide.
However, I have an offer to make you...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The dojo. Nabiki and Jounsu are now present, Jounsu standing. Nabiki is
sitting cross-legged next to Akane, fuming. Ranma, Akane, and Ukyou are
staring at her.
Jounsu: We will overlook your activities, some of which have placed your
sister and brothers-in-law in danger, I might add, if you
agree to accompany the three of them on their mission.
Nabiki: (grinding teeth) Do I have a choice?
Sumizu: (hard look) That or jail. If it were up to me, it would be
jail.
Nabiki: Okay, okay, I'll go. Where to?
Sumizu: The Qinghai province of China. As you may or may not know, the
Chinese government has placed the entire province off-limits to
foreigners and the press. There has been no reliable news from
Qinghai in months. We want to know what is going on there, and
we're sending the four of you to find out. Actually, you two...
(nods at Ranma and Akane) are the only people we have who�ve been
there.
Jounsu: (pointing at flipchart) Let�s recap what we do know about the
situation: you three, plus Shampoo-san, stopped two separate
assassination attempts against the Chinese premier last summer,
by two separate terrorist organizations, both of which you, and
our investigators, placed as being from Qinghai province. Under
questioning, both groups mentioned that there is at least a
third rival organization. Last autumn, Shampoo-san abruptly left
for home herself, after her great-grandmother summoned her.
You three heard at the time that the latter was having political
problems at home. That coincided with the first riots in Xining,
Qinghai's capital, which was followed by martial law.
Sumizu: Your mission is to make it to Xining, ascertain conditions, and
report. You may then proceed beyond, either to Golmud or to
Joketsuzoku, as you prefer. (smiles briefly) We want the
additional report from the countryside; where does not matter.
Jounsu: We are aware that your former teammate, Shampoo-san, has been
away for months. We sympathize with your desire to find her.
You have some leeway in your mission parameters for this, as long
as you achieve your primary mission: reporting on current
conditions in Qinghai.
Nabiki: (face changing from angry to crafty) Anou... You work for the
Imperial Household Agency, right? Why are you interested in
Qinghai? Surely the royal family isn't going there?
Jounsu: You didn't *really* think that the 1100 employees of the Imperial
Household Agency only worked on protocol and etiquette, did you?
Obviously we have a more serious mission. In addition to
protecting the Imperial family, we are concerned with helping in
one of their traditional duties: protecting Japan against
supernatural threats. We gather intelligence about demonic and
other magical threats which may become a menace.
Nabiki: (surprised look) ....
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Two days later. Beijing. Through several panels, we see Ranma, Akane,
Ukyou, and Nabiki get off a JAL 747; check into a 5-star hotel dressed
as Japanese tourists; sneak their luggage out the service entrance and
check into a flophouse, now dressed as poor urban Chinese.
Finally we see Ranma, Akane, and Ukyou lying asleep while Nabiki, wide
awake, tiptoes out of the room and finds a pay phone in the lobby.
Nabiki: Moshi moshi. Let me speak to Lu Wen.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
An hour later, Nabiki tiptoes back into the room. Just as she's
settling down to sleep, Akane opens her eyes.
Akane: o O (Oneechan? What was she doing out of the room?
No! There can't be any truth to what Sumizu and Jounsu were
saying, can there?)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Several days later. Otoko-Ranma, Akane, Ukyou, and Nabiki are sitting in a
passenger train, in third class, making its way through the Chinese
countryside. The four are now dressed much like every other Chinese
peasant
on the train. They speak to each other quietly so that the other
passengers
cannot easily overhear.
Ranma: We'll be in Lanzhou this evening. Normally we could continue to
Xining from there by train, but we heard in Beijing that train
service into Qinghai is restricted to the military. We'll have
to walk or hitchhike in from Lanzhou.
Akane: Ranma, Nabiki-oneechan...
Ranma: ...is non-combatant, and not in shape for the walk. I know.
(turning to Nabiki) Nabiki, you�re just going to have to make it
to Xining. Once there, we can hide you away somewhere with the
communications equipment while we scout the city.
(snaps finger) Ah! I know! The Jusenkyo Guide has a cousin in
Xining. Oyaji and I stayed with him one night on our way back to
Japan. Maybe he can put you up.
Ukyou: If we walk, we have to divide up the equipment and carry it in...
Ranma: I know. (thinks rapidly) Nabiki, we'll give you less to carry,
but you'll still have... sixteen kilos... to carry.
Nabiki: o O (All three of them are speaking fluent Chinese to everyone we
meet, even with local accents and dialects. And they won't tell
me anything. They couldn't have just learned it! I'm sure it
has something to do with those jewels Ranma conjured up during
the wedding. How can I get my hands on one of those?)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Later, on the same train. Ranma and Ukyou are dozing.
Nabiki: Akane, suppose we find Shampoo, and she wants to come back with
us?
Akane: Then we�ll take her back with us, I guess. Why?
Nabiki: Didn�t you tell me, a year ago, that you wanted Shampoo to return
to China and stay there?
Akane: I guess I did say that, but... (flash of anger) I�ve changed my
mind, okay?
(sadder tone) Shampoo did go back, and she�s been gone for
months,
with no word. I just miss her.
Nabiki: You realize she'll go right back to chasing your husband.
Akane: I know. I suppose she might even catch him one day.
Nabiki: ...and doesn't that bother you?
Akane: (calm smile) Not really. I know what I mean to Ranma.
A sudden, quick gleam appears from beneath the sleeve where Akane wears her
rensu.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Next day, Lanzhou. Ranma, Akane, Ukyou, and Nabiki are walking through the
market. The four draw few glances, and most of the glances are for Akane
and Ukyou�s untypical reaction to some of the items for sale.
Akane: o O >Ewww! Live snakes! That�s so gross!<
Ranma: (low voice, to Nabiki) We haven't found any transportation going
all the way to Xining. We can take a bus part of the way, then
it
looks like we'll have to walk across the border. It's about 250
kilometers from here to Xining, so we'll walk as little of it as
we can, but be prepared.
Members of the crowd nearby murmur and turn their heads to look in one
particular direction. A pair of western reporters, one blonde, female, and
not overly dressed, and a large, well-muscled cameraman, move through the
crowd. Most of the crowd stares at the blonde woman. Those nearby reach
out and touch her hair as if to check if it�s real.
Woman: "...Let�s set up over by the meat section, Roy. And try to get
that temple over there in the background. That�ll be exotic
enough."
Ranma: o O >Heads Up! Weren�t those two reporters back in Kyoto?
Akane, Ucchan, don�t get too close! She might recognize you!<
Akane, Ukyou, and Nabiki, like many of the women present, are looking at
the cameraman�s rear end. Ranma notices.
Ranma: o O >And what�s he got that I ain�t got?!<
Ukyou: (snickers) o O >Tight pants, for one thing...<
Akane: (glancing angrily at Ranma) o O >Oh, and I suppose you�re NOT
ogling that gaijin woman with her big...<
Ranma: (angry look back) o O >I�m not, okay! �Sides, my own are almost
that big, unlike some girls...<
Akane clenchs her fists and starts to glow blue. Ukyou suddenly spins
around and puts one hand on Akane�s shoulder. Nabiki glances back and
forth, taking in the changes of expression between Ranma and Akane.
Nabiki: o O (I could almost write their dialog for them in this scene,
and they�re certainly acting as if they�re both saying their
lines, but they�re not speaking in ANY language. Do those jewels
give them telepathy as well?)
Woman: (into camera, holding microphone) "...The streets of Lanzhou,
normally a quiet industrial city of three million, are more
crowded these days. Refugees from fighting in Qinghai province
have settled in the outskirts of Lanzhou..."
The woman reporter turns and gestures at a lined-up group of
ragged-looking Mongolian herdsmen.
Woman: "...Normally, these people herd sheep, goats, horses, and yaks
on the windswept high plains of Qinghai. But their livelihood
has been interrupted, and they have been forced to flee, by
devastating fighting going on right on their doorstep..."
Ukyou: Poor guys...
Ranma: o O >C�mon, guys, let�s get out of here before she has a chance
to recognize you two...<
Ranma turns and takes a step, but almost immediately collides with a woman
and knocks her down. The fallen woman is surrounded by three other women,
all bearing arms.
Ranma: o O >Oh, no! Heads up, guys! I just knocked over an Amazon, and
she�s got friends!<
Amazon: (getting up, putting hand on head) <Ow! You! Puny man!>
One of the other Amazons puts a hand on the arm of the first.
Amazon 2: <No! Do not challenge this one! I recognize him from our
newspaper a while back; it is the Japanese husband of the cursed
Shan Pu!>
All four amazons spit at the name, to the astonishment of Ranma, Akane,
and Ukyou.
Akane: <Do you know where Shan Pu is now?>
Amazon 1: <Dead, we hope, along with her traitor great-grandmother!>
The four Amazons turn and stride away angrily.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
That night, a Lanzhou flophouse near the bus station. Ranma, Akane, and
Ukyou appear to be asleep. Nabiki tiptoes out.
Ranma: o O >She's left the room. Let's go.<
Akane: o O >I can't believe it! My own sister! Who is she betraying
us to this time?<
Ranma, Akane, and Ukyou follow Nabiki silently through the streets of
Lanzhou. Nabiki looks frequently down at a paper in her hand, and pauses
frequently at intersections to study street signs. She gradually makes
her way into a light industrial district near the train tracks.
Ukyou: o O >What could she want here? If she's meeting someone, why
not closer to the hotel?<
Nabiki finally selects a factory, knocks at the door, and says a few words
in a low voice to whoever answers. She goes inside. Ranma, Akane, and
Ukyou leap to the roof of the factory.
Ranma: o O >We'll have to get inside and find out what she's up to.<
Akane: o O >Maybe she still hasn't told whoever she's reporting to
about our mission. Maybe there's still time to stop her!<
Peering over the edge, Ranma finds an open window and lowers Ukyou to it.
Ukyou climbs inside.
Ukyou: o O >It's a catwalk, and it's completely dark up here. Come on
in.<
Ranma and Akane follow Ukyou in. The three silently sneak towards the only
light, which is coming from an office. Dim voices come from under the
door.
Male voice: We can do; you no worry. Perfect copies.
Nabiki: I'm not worried. You did good work on the earlier job. Your
organization has my complete confidence.
Male voice: What about distribution?
Nabiki: I'm handling that myself. I have people working on it.
Akane: o O >Oh no! Nabiki-oneechan is a ringleader! What'll we do?<
Ranma: o O >We have to go in, grab Nabiki, and get out of here. We can
question her later to see how far her involvement goes.<
Ukyou: o O >Ranchan, all may not be as it seems...<
Ranma breaks down the office door before Ukyou finishes. Akane and
Ukyou quickly back him up, standing in the doorway. Inside, Nabiki and
an elderly Chinese man look at the doorway.
Nabiki is holding up a brand-new "Typical Uninteresting Officeladies"
t-shirt. In a corner is a big stack of Topless Ranma-chan napkins.
Nabiki: Can't a girl get a little business done without you three
breaking and entering?
Ranma, Akane, and Ukyou give her the flat-eyed look.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Days later. We see Onna-Ranma, Akane, and Ukyou, all with large backpacks,
easily walking uphill through a spruce forest. Nabiki trails, carrying a
much smaller backpack, sweating profusely and breathing hard.
Nabiki: o O (I'm going to BANKRUPT those two clowns when I get back to
Japan! ...just keep repeating that to myself... Keep putting
one foot in front of the other...)
Akane: (glancing back) o O (She looks so tired. But at least she's
thinking about something other than making money off of us...)
Ranma: Time to break for lunch. We're coming up to a stream. We can
have cold baths if you want.
Nabiki, exhausted, drops her back by the edge of the stream and just lies
there. Ranma, Akane, and Ukyou gleefully strip and jump in.
Nabiki: o O (Nice body for a moment there, before the water touched
him...
...what am I thinking? He's still the same arrogant,
know-nothing,
jock-jerk he's always been...)
Akane and Ukyou team up to dunk onna-Ranma. All three are laughing.
o O (The three of them get along so well. I can't
imagine ever being part of such a closely-knit team.)
The three stand still in the middle of the stream, waist-deep, hugging.
o O (...but why aren't they cold? That water must be freezing.
...speaking of mysteries...)
Nabiki's eyes stray to the piles of clothes. A faint gleam catches her
eye. She crawls over.
o O (Can't hurt just to touch one... Wonder if it'd work for
me?)
A raw scream shatters the forest. The three bathers leap out of the water
to Nabiki's side. By her face, she's in agony. Her outstretched finger
is no longer quite touching Akane's rensu.
Akane: Oneechan, you can't touch our rensus when we're not wearing them!
You could kill yourself!
Nabiki: (weakly) ...now you tell me...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Dusk. Onna-Ranma, Akane, Ukyou and Nabiki have dropped their packs in a
meadow by a stream. Suddenly three dozen Chinese army soldiers rise from
cover in a circle around them, pointing Chinese-made AK-47s at the four.
Ranma, Akane, and Ukyou promptly vanish. Two soldiers grab Nabiki,
one pointing his rifle at her head.
Soldier: <I'll shoot if your companions don't surrender!>
Nabiki: (white-faced) HELP!!! RANMA!!! AKANE!!!!
Ranma: (invisible, standing close to Nabiki)
o O >Akane, Ukyou, you two make your way to the outside and
circle, taking them out one by one. I'll make sure no harm comes
to Nabiki.<
o O (Most of these soldiers look as young or younger than we
are.)
As the soldier guarding Nabiki looks around, the barrel of the gun pointing
at Nabiki's head slowly squeezes shut, then the barrel begins to bend a
little.
Akane: o O >Ukyou, start out 180 degrees around from me.<
Ukyou: o O >Okay, I'm now outside the furthest sentry. He's
unconscious... Now!<
On the outskirts of the group of soldiers, sentries, one by one, develop
large lumps on their heads and fall asleep.
Nabiki: o O (WHERE ARE THEY? DID THEY LEAVE ME ALL ALONE? I CAN'T EVEN
TALK TO THESE SOLDIERS!)
Commander: (to Nabiki, menacingly) <TELL YOUR COMPANIONS TO SURRENDER
NOW!>
Nabiki: I DON'T UNDERSTAND! I DON'T SPEAK CHINESE! PLEASE DON'T HURT
ME, I'M HARMLESS! Uhhh... Nihao! Shieh-shieh...
o O (C�mon, I know more Chinese than that! My life�s on the
line!)
(looks at commander with bambi-eyes, hands clasped under chin)
Wodan airen! Wo ai ni!
While his attention is distracted, the commander's side-arm levitates out
of his holster. Bullets are removed, then the gun is replaced.
Soldier: Wei? <Hey! Our sentries are out cold!>
Commander: <What? The other three must still be here!>
All soldiers still on their feet start to look nervous or outright scared.
Ukyou: o O >I'll try spooking them.<
<BOO!!!> (quickly leaps over heads of nearest soldiers)
A few soldiers fire bursts at where Ukyou's voice came from. Two soldiers
are hit by friendly fire, one faints.
Commander: <Be careful! Don't shoot unless you're sure you won't hit any
of us!> (pulls sidearm and goes over to Nabiki)
<THE HOSTAGE DIES ON COUNT OF THREE IF YOU DON'T SURRENDER!>
Akane: o O (Nabiki-oneechan... Can't let it distract me, Ranma said
she'd be safe...)
Two more soldiers drop unconscious.
Commander: <Everyone! Close in tight, by me! We can fire safely then!>
<I'M SHOOTING THE HOSTAGE IN THE FOOT NOW!>
(pulls sidearm, aims, pulls trigger. Nothing happens)
One dozen soldiers are left now, clustered closely around Nabiki and the
commander.
Commander: <Sweep the area with short bursts. We'll get them yet!>
Ranma: o O (That's enough of this. I can finish this off with
shiatsu.)
The remaining soldiers appear to faint in a wave. Within two seconds all
are asleep.
Ranma: (reappearing) Nabiki, are you all right?
Akane and Ukyou reappear.
Akane: Nabiki-oneechan? (sniffs air) What's that smell?
Nabiki: (collapses to knees) Anoo... sumimasen... I need to change my
shorts and panties... I've had an accident.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Xining, capital of Qinghai province. Street scene. People of many
different ethnicities mix on the streets: Mongols, Tibetans, Uighur, Hui
and Han Chinese. Ranma, Akane, and Ukyou, still dressed as Han Chinese
peasants, walk down a commercial street lined with shops on both sides.
Akane: o O >Ranma, we�re at 2200 meters altitude here, if I remember
the map. Will Nabiki-oneechan be okay?<
Ranma: o O >She should be. She says she�s been up to the top of
Fujiyama
without any trouble. Course we�ll be goin� up a lot higher than
that on our way to Joketsuzoku...<
Ukyou: o O >We shouldn't have any trouble getting information about
conditions elsewhere in Qinghai; just look at all the refugees!<
Ukyou mentally points out several groups: Mongolian herdsmen, Khamba
horsemen, a group of Nichiezu, three Musk Dynasty men conversing with
a short Tibetan monk.
Ranma: o O >Let's go talk with those Nichiezu. Maybe we can find
out how Shampoo is.<
Ranma, Akane, and Shampoo approach the Nichiezu.
Ranma: <Pardon me. Are you from Joketsuzoku, by any chance?>
Nichiezu: <Arrogant ma...> (takes closer look at Ranma's face)
<Oh, you are the husband of that Joketsuzoku warrior. No,
we are from a neighboring village.>
Akane: <Are you here in Xining because you are fleeing the fighting?>
Nichiezu: (looks offended) <FLEEING the fighting? Who do you think we are?
The cowards who attacked our village waited until we were away
before they struck. When we returned, nothing was left but ruins
and bodies.>
2nd Nichiezu: <It was the army! We will hunt down the commanders who
gave such coward orders and kill them!>
3rd Nichiezu: <Or maybe it was those Musk who fight the army! Either
way, we will find those responsible!>
1st Nichiezu: <As soon as we can find some food or money to buy food!>
Ukyou: <Do you know if Shan Pu is at Joketsuzoku now? And if she's
well?>
1st Nichiezu: <I did not know Shan Pu or any of her family, and know
nothing of where she is now.>
(to Ranma) <How did you come to get separated from your wife?
She will punish you severely when she finds you.>
2nd Nichiezu: <It is said that many of Joketsuzoku now hate the name of
Khu Lon and all of her family. Maybe you will not see her
again.>
Ranma: <Thank you for your help and information. Will you permit us to
express our gratitude?>
Akane is just handing over a little money when the sound of an explosion
occurs down the street. Ranma, Akane, and Ukyou turn to look. The three
Musk Dynasty men are running away from the explosion, towards Ranma,
Akane, and Ukyou; a crowd of bystanders is pointing at them.
Bystander: <Stop them! They blew up the Bank of China!>
Ranma leaps to intercept one of the Musk. Dodging his blows in mid-air,
Ranma lands two precise strikes, and his target collapses to the ground
in a heap. Seeing this, the other two stop, turn around, and run the
other way. Ukyou and Akane give chase. The two Musk leap a wall; Ukyou,
Akane, and Ranma follow. They land in the courtyard of a large Chinese-
style mosque. The Musk, cornered, prepare to fight.
Musk 1: <Men who defy the People's Liberation Front will die!>
Musk 2: <Death to the tyrannical oppressors of the people, unless
they're women!>
Musk 1 approaches Ukyou wielding twin staves. She parries with hand
spatulas, then side-kicks him in the crotch. He collapses.
Musk 2 hurls knives at Ranma, who catches them all. Akane catches him
from the side, unprepared, and smashes him into the pavement, cracking
it.
Ranma: I hope the locals don't mind if we damaged their mosque a bit.
A small bald head peaks around a corner. It is followed by the body of
an eight-year-old boy dressed in the maroon robe of a Tibetan Buddhist
monk.
Akane: (to boy) <Don't worry, the fight's over. It's safe now.>
Ukyou: <Weren't you talking to these three earlier? Were they
holding you hostage?>
Boy: <Errr... Hostage? What's that? Those men were mean to me.>
Akane: (bending down to look at boy) <What's your name?>
Boy: (cute smile) <My name is Da Wa. What's yours?>
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Xining. A windowless room. Nabiki is sitting at a table playing with
communications equipment.
Nabiki: o O (Hmmm... encrypted voice and fax via a satellite link, for
communicating from here to Tokyo. Encrypted frequency-shifting
short-range radio for communicating with Ranma. Not bad.)
Voice: Not the assistance I might wish for, but you'll have to do.
Nabiki whirls. There in the room is Cologne, looking much the same as
ever.
Nabiki: (eyes narrowing) And just what do you want, old woman?
Cologne: (whaps Nabiki on head with stick) Keep a civil tongue when
speaking to me, child! Are son-in-law and his Japanese wives in
the area? I need their assistance to free Shampoo.
Nabiki: Ranma, his *wife*, and his *brother* Ukyou are out in town,
reconnoitering. I might be able to reach them...
Cologne: Girl, this is neither the time nor the place to be trying to hold
me up for money. It's important that I reach son-in-law, to warn
him. The Chinese government is reaching the point where they're
seriously considering the use of atomic weapons.
Nabiki: (turning white) WHAT???
Cologne: (impatiently) Girl, you must have looked at a map before
coming...
Nabiki: (interrupting) Of course. Beijing has to hold on to Qinghai at
all costs. If Qinghai secedes, the Chinese will never be able to
hold on to Xinjiang or Tibet, since Qinghai forms most of the
land border. If all three go, Beijing will have lost almost half
its territory. The political leadership would never survive
that.
Cologne: And right now, they're rapidly losing Qinghai. Hotheads among
the Musk, the Phoenix, and my own people have been foolish enough
to provoke the central government, and to display our real power
in open combat. I have it on good authority that Prince Herb and
the baby Saffron have each been provoked into destroying whole
tank
battalions.
Nabiki: (slowly) But I thought you all wanted to avoid notice by the
authorities...
Cologne: (shaking head) I don't know how it happened. It's almost like
there's someone else at work. There've always been hotheads
among the young of all our peoples, but recently things have
escalated uncontrollably. 'People's Liberation' parties, of all
things! What nonsense! I returned to try to calm things down
among the Nichiezu, at least, but it seemed like passions flared
every time I looked away, every place I wasn't looking. If they
weren't fighting the government, it was the Musk or the Phoenix.
And nobody wanted to hear the voice of reason; 'traitor', they
called me, for talking to those they wanted to fight.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Xining. Ranma, Akane, and Ukyou are sitting in a side-street restaurant
with Da Wa, the boy Tibetan monk, who is eating lychees with evident
delight.
Da Wa: <I never had these in Tibet. They're good. My daddy is a monk
like me, but my mommy is from Chengdu. She cooks Szechuan food.
She cooks real good. She taught me to cook, too. I wish I was
home right now.>
Akane: <Is your family still in Tibet?>
Da Wa: <Mommy and my sisters live there. My daddy's gone.
Chinese soldiers came and took him away the day before my
birthday. I came here looking for him.>
Ranma: <Looking for him? Do you mean you left home and came all the
way here?>
Da Wa: <It took all the money I had saved, but I gotta find my daddy.>
(trembling lower lip) <It's my duty as the only boy.>
Ukyou: <You're a brave boy. I'm sure your daddy would be proud of you.>
Da Wa: <Where do you guys come from? And how can you jump so high
and stuff?>
Akane: (smiling) <We come from Japan. Have you heard of it?>
Da Wa: <Uh uh. What part of China is it in?>
Ranma: (frowning) <Japan isn't part of China. It's a group of islands
east of China. Some of the best martial artists in the world
live in Japan.>
Da Wa: (huge appealing smile) <Really? Are you guys martial artists?
Is that how you could jump so high? I've always wanted to be
a martial artist! Do you guys know lots of magic, too? Those
things up your sleeves, are those magic?>
Ukyou: (patting Da Wa on the head) <There are lots of magic things
where we come from, a part of Tokyo called Nerima. Maybe
someday you'll get to go there.>
Da Wa: (big grin) <Maybe! But first I have to find my daddy!>
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Xining. Ranma, Akane, and Ukyou are again walking down a busy street.
A very short man with a wide straw hat approaches them.
Ukyou: o O >Ranchan, I'm worried about that kid. Maybe we should've
gone with him.<
Ranma: o O >Well, we do have the mission to handle...<
Man: <Hello? Is it you?>
Akane: <Oh! Hi! Ranma, look! It's one of the Nikuman men!>
The short man removes his hat and bows, Japanese fashion. Sure enough,
his head is shaped and colored like a pork bun.
Ranma: <What are you doing in Xining? I thought you lived much further
east.>
Nikuman: (confidingly) <Scouting. There's a lot going on here in
Qinghai.
I've figured out some of it. It's all part of a big conspiracy.
I may even get a dragon hair out of it if I play my cards right.>
Ukyou: (skeptically) <A conspiracy?>
Nikuman: <Sure. You see, there are beings in the universe many, many
years
older than any of us. Once, long ago, they walked the land like
giants, vast and timeless. They taught the younger generations,
explored beyond the rim, created great empires... But to all
things
there is an end. Slowly, over many, many years, the First Ones
went
away. Some passed beyond the veil, never to return. Some simply
disappeared.>
Ranma: (blinks) <I'm sure this is all very interesting, but what does
any of this have to do with the situation here in Qinghai?>
Nikuman: <Not all of the First Ones have gone away. A few stayed behind,
hidden or asleep, waiting for the day when they may be needed...
when the Enemy comes again.>
Akane: <The Enemy?>
Nikuman: <I have no other name for them. The Enemy were old when even
the Ancients were young. They battled one another over and over
across many, many years. The last great war against the Enemy
was many years ago. It was the last time the Ancients
walked openly among us. The Enemy were only defeated, not
destroyed. Afterwards, the Enemy returned to their
places of power, rebuilt them, and began to stretch forth their
hand. Before they could strike, they were defeated by an
alliance,
and the few remaining First Ones who had not yet passed beyond
the
Veil. When they had finished, the First Ones went away... all
but
a few.>
Ukyou: <There're still a few of them left. Where?>
In answer, the Nikuman says nothing, but points at an approaching Cologne,
accompanied by Nabiki.
Cologne: There you are, son-in law! We must depart for Joketsuzoku
tomorrow to go rescue your original wife. I have made
arrangements
already for the five of us to hitchhike with a truck driver as
far as the Bayankala. Barring accidents or trouble, it usually
takes two days to cover the 500 kilometers. From there,
(she leers at Nabiki) we walk.
Ranma: (giving Nikuman the flat-eyed look) <You said "Ancients...">
Nikuman: <She IS ancient. She's at least 300 years old!>
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Next day. Ranma, Akane, Ukyou, Nabiki, and Cologne are seated on top of a
pile of cargo in the back of a truck.
Ranma: Nabiki, you�ll probably experience shortness of breath today.
Let us know immediately if you get a headache, though. It might
mean altitude sickness. We�ll be up above 4000 meters in just a
few hours.
Hours go by as the truck drives slowly up onto the high plateau. Later
the truck levels off, more or less, and crosses a barren plain. In the
distance herds of yaks, sheep, and goats can be seen. From time to time
the truck passes small groups of refugees, walking towards Xining,
carrying all of their possessions. As the day progresses, two low
mountain ranges are crossed.
Akane: You can see so far here! Those yaks must be 10 kilometers away!
Ukyou: This isn't anything like I pictured Qinghai. Somehow, whenever
you or Shampoo talked about the mountains around Jusenkyo or
Joketsuzoku, I always pictured steep, mist-covered, green
mountains, like on a scroll painting, not these flat gray
landscapes.
Ranma: There aren't any mountains like on scrolls around here. There
are some in southeast China, just a day or so from Hong Kong.
We could've gone on the honeymoon.
Akane: ...if we'd had any time free...
Time passes. The landscape changes only slowly.
Akane: Oneechan, are you cold? How about the altitude?
Nabiki: (huddled in a blanket, miserable voice) ...I'm okay...
More time passes. Ranma and Akane doze off.
Ukyou: Are you sure you're okay, Nabiki-chan? You sure look miserable.
Nabiki: (pauses, looking at Ranma) Ukyou, do you think I could ever
learn martial arts like you guys?
Ukyou: (looks startled) Umm, sure, if you work at it. What brought
this on?
Nabiki: Nothing bothers you guys: not cold, not thin air.
Ukyou: I think some of our resistance is due to a special technique
Ranchan learned from Happosai. The little lech claimed we'd
be highly resistant to harm from now on.
Nabiki: Is that why you guys all glow a bit when you're touching each
other? I see; I'd have to join Ranma's harem too, is that it?
Ukyou: (uneasy) You're not thinking of trying, are you?
Nabiki: I've never cared all that much for Ranma. But I don't think I'll
ever marry anyone else, either. Japanese men are still too
chauvinistic for me.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
That night. Everyone is in sleeping bags, still lying on the back of
the truck.
Nabiki: o O (I'm freezing! How can they all sleep comfortably like
this? I'm wearing everything I brought, and I'm still
shivering too much to sleep!)
Ukyou: (stirring) Nabiki? Are you okay?
Nabiki: (teeth chattering) N-n-no, I'm c-c-cold...
Ukyou: (looking closely at Nabiki) Nabiki? You actually look blue.
We've got to warm you up! Here, I'll zip my sleeping bag to
yours...
Shortly Ukyou's and Nabiki's sleeping bags are zipped together. Ukyou
puts her arms around Nabiki to try to warm her up.
Nabiki: I think that's a bit better...
Ukyou: Your skin feels ice-cold. (Puts ear to Nabiki's chest)
And there's a sound in your lungs I don't like. Have you had
a headache today?
Nabiki: Well, yes... most of the day.
Ukyou: Ranma warned you to tell us if you had a headache! You're
suffering from the altitude in addition to the cold!
o O >Ranma, Akane! Wake up! Nabiki's in bad shape!<
Akane: (waking up) Oneechan?
Ukyou: Akane, zip your sleeping bag to ours. We've got to warm Nabiki
up.
Ranma and Akane zip their bags to Ukyou's and Nabiki's, with Nabiki lying
in the middle and Ranma on top of her. All three have their arms around
Nabiki, trying to warm her up.
Ranma: Okay, I'm going to try a Tibetan technique I studied once...
Nabiki: Huh? Ranma, you're... hot? How in the world? You're giving
out waves of heat...
Akane: He generates it inside his body. You'll be warmer without the
insulation between his skin and your own. Roll up your shirts.
Shortly Ranma and Nabiki are chest-to-chest. Nabiki loses her blue color.
Her eyes droop as she stops shivering.
Ukyou: She's still suffering from the altitude.
Ranma: I can try some Reiki, ki healing; maybe that'll help. Better
charge up first.
Ranma starts to glow a bit, as do Ukyou and Akane.
Ranma: o O >Nani? I'm getting a ki charge from Nabiki in addition to
the two of you! It's quite weak, but it's there.<
Akane: (hits her forehead) o O >We never thought to try it with
Nabiki!<
Ukyou: o O >Maybe if she learns the technique it'll get stronger?<
Ranma: o O >Maybe, but for now we need to keep her alive. I'm ready
to try the Reiki now...<
Akane: o O >When did you study Reiki, Ranma? I didn't know you knew
any.<
Ranma passes a flat, open-fingered hand over Nabiki's chest and head,
pausing above her lungs.
Ranma: o O >I think it's working... Actually, I never studied it, but I
watched a guy demonstrate it once on TV.<
Akane and Ukyou give Ranma the flat-eyed look.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Late the next day.
Cologne: We've arrived at the truck stop village of Xumatang. Son-in-law,
I assume you remember the way from here?
Ranma: Sure! About three days hike.. (points west and uphill) ..that
way!
Cologne: Good. (leers at Ranma) Your first meeting with Shampoo
stuck in your memory, I see.
You four go on alone. I must scout the Phoenix and Musk.
I'll catch up to you at Joketsuzoku.
Cologne bounds off in a different direction. Ranma, Akane, Ukyou, and
Nabiki
shoulder their backpacks and start walking.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The next day, mid-day. Ranma, Akane, Ukyou, and Nabiki are walking
through a forest.
Voice: <Wind direction, okay!>
A cloud of yellow pollen drifts downwind to engulf the four. Ranma,
Akane, Ukyou, and Nabiki take two more steps before they're engulfed
by writhing, entangling vines.
Ranma: o O >Stop resisting for a moment and let them show themselves!<
The vines raise the four up off of the ground, apparently defenseless.
Two gloating, identical women step out from behind a tree, each with
one finger upraised in an mirror image of each other.
Akane: <Pink and Rink! Why did you attack us?>
Rink: <We are the leaders of the Qinghai Popular Liberation Front!
Pink: Perhaps you've heard of it?>
Ranma, Akane, and Ukyou look at each other.
Ukyou: (tentatively) <Let's see, there's the People's Liberation
Front, we've heard of that one, it's some of the Musk Dynasty.>
Akane: <...and the Phoenix also have one, the Front for the People's
Liberation or something like that...>
Ranma: <Yeah, and they said there was a third group! I guess that's
you?>
Pink: (indignant) <Those other groups are amateurs. The Popular
Liberation Front is the one which shall liberate Qinghai from
the tyrant communist male oppressors!>
Rink: (smirking) <And we've certainly had our revenge on your wife,
Shan Pu, at long last! Many of her Joketsuzoku sisters are our
comrades. We have exposed the peace-making efforts of Khu Lon
and Shan Pu as the capitulations to tyranny that they are,>
Pink: <as well as bringing to light their efforts to communicate with
the male chauvinist Musk and the patriarchally oppressive
Phoenix.>
Rink: <Shan Pu and Khu Lon are now outcasts among the Nichiezu!>
Pink: <Coming here was a big mistake on your part. You have no allies
in Qinghai!>
Rink: <You will serve as the first test subjects for our new ultimate
weapon!>
Pink: (looking into woods) Si Mo!
Ukyou: o O >"Thinking mushroom"?<
At Pink's call, a giant plant staggers out into the clearing. The plant's
intended function is clear from its gaping maw filled with sharp teeth.
Plant: <Feed Me!>
Rink: <Si Mo, eat these prisoners!>
Tendrils slither down and enfold Nabiki, the nearest.
Akane: (panicking) Oneechan!
Ranma starts to flex his muscles, then prepares a chi attack.
Plant: (lifting Nabiki up to inspect her)
<You expect me to eat this scrawny thing? What, can't a plant
get a little nourishment around here? How about some meat
with a little juice on it? I tell ya, I don't get no respect.>
The plant flings Nabiki away in disgust.
Plant: (inspecting Akane) <Now, this one looks tasty. Kinda
reminds of a yesterday's midafternoon snack. Just a dab of
soy sauce... scrumptious!>
The plant extends a pair of tendrils towards Akane.
Ranma: <That's it, fungus!>
Ranma bursts free of the plant's tendrils and fires a Mouko Takabisha
at its head. Ukyou frees herself, produces her blue glowing battle
spatula, and begins cutting tendrils.
Ranma: o O <Ucchan, Akane. I've got the plant; you guys take out
Pink and Rink!>
But Nabiki has already snuck up behind the two and hit Pink over the
head with a thick branch. Rink, seeing this, retreats, but not before
throwing a bag labeled "Rapid-Gro Plant Food" at Si Mo. Akane joins
Nabiki on the ground while Ukyou continues to help Ranma with the plant.
Nabiki sees a face peering around from behind a tree.
Nabiki: Who's that?
Akane: <Da Wa? Is that you? What are you doing here?>
Da Wa walks out from behind the tree.
Da Wa: <Umm... They waylaid me on my way home. I was a prisoner, like
you, and only just got free.>
Nabiki: Akane? You know this child?
o O (What's he doing here? This is WAY too convenient)
Akane: We met Da Wa in Xining, oneechan. He's okay.
Da Wa: (pointing behind Akane and Nabiki) <Do your friends need any
help?>
Indeed, the extra plant food has stimulated Si Mo to grow new tendrils
faster than Ranma and Ukyou can destroy them. The fight is currently
proving inconclusive.
Da Wa: <Let me help.>
Da Wa produces two cleavers from behind his back and flourishes them.
In a display of cooking speed that impresses even Ukyou, he slices and
dices the central part of Si Mo and has it all stir-fried by the time
Ranma and Ukyou, assisted by Akane, fight their way free of the dying
tendrils.
Da Wa: (holding up platter) <Szechuan Kung Pao Man-Eating Plant!>
Ranma: (shouldering pack) <Looks like Pink and Rink are long gone.
Da Wa, why don't you come with us?>
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Two days later. Ranma, Akane, Ukyou, Nabiki, and Da Wa walk into the ruins
of a village. Houses are burnt. A few dozen bodies, mostly women, lie on
the ground in every direction. A large log, broken in two, hangs suspended
by ropes from several large posts
Ranma: Oh no...
Akane: What is it?
Ranma: This is... was... Joketsuzoku...
Ukyou: This village? But it's completely destroyed!
Akane: We've got to find survivors! We need to find out what's happened
to Shampoo!
Ranma: Okay, spread out a bit and search. Stay in touch with each
other.
The five spread out and check bodies.
Ukyou: This woman's still breathing, but just barely!
Akane runs up. The woman's eyes flutter open.
Woman: <Who?>
Ukyou: <We are friends. How are you? Is anything broken?
What happened to the village?>
Woman: <It was the Musk. They attacked without warning...>
Ranma: o O >I've found Mousse!<
In another part of the village, Ranma kneels over Mousse, checking
him over. Mousse's face is heavily bruised and he is not wearing
glasses.
Ranma: <Mousse, how are you? Is anything broken? Do you know
where Shampoo is?>
Mousse: Ra..Ranma? What are... you doing here?
Ranma: Just rest for now. Do you know where Shampoo is?
Mousse: Shampoo... being held... Check cell huts, that way...
Ranma: o O >Akane, Ukyou! Mousse says Shampoo was being imprisoned
in some huts over your way. Can you check them out? Mousse
is too badly hurt for me to leave him just yet.<
Ranma begins trying his Reiki technique on Mousse, open palm out, fingers
spread.
Akane and Ukyou, leaving Nabiki to watch the woman they found, dash off
towards a few still-standing huts on the edge of the village. Akane tears
each door off as she comes to it. Finally:
Akane: <Shan Pu?>
Light from the door illuminates a heavily-chained, filthy figure, which
looks up at the voice.
Shampoo: Akane? What you doing here?
Ukyou and Akane hurry inside and surround Shampoo, hugging her in relief.
Akane is crying.
Ukyou: <Oh, sugar, we've found you at last! We were so worried!>
Akane gently holds Shampoo's head up. She has a black eye, bruises all
over
her body, and she's been wearing the same rags for weeks. Her hair is
uncombed and unwashed. Two lice crawl out of it.
Shampoo: Is... is Ranma here? Shampoo no want Ranma to see her looking
like this...
Akane and Ukyou, with considerable effort, break the chains binding Shampoo
and help her to stand.
Akane: <Then let's get you cleaned up a little before Ranma gets here.>
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Later, the ruins of Joketsuzoku. In addition to Mousse and Shampoo, four
other women have been found alive and are now sitting in a group, huddled
under blankets, casting suspicious looks at Ranma and his friends. Two
surviving men run around doing chores for the women.
Ranma stands with one arm around Shampoo, who has changed clothes, washed
and brushed her hair, and looks somewhat better, though still bruised.
Shampoo is also showing a slight limp. Akane and Ukyou stand facing the
pair, smiling. Mousse in standing nearby also, looking miserable as he
can't look away from Shampoo. Nabiki is looking around suspiciously.
Shampoo: ...after Hibachan leave, other Amazons accuse Shampoo as traitor.
Short trial make mockery of Amazon traditions. Shampoo allow
self to be shackled, think maybe sanity return later if Shampoo
no provoke rebels, but they keep Shampoo locked up for weeks.
Ukyou: Looks like they beat you a bit too, sugar.
Akane gives Shampoo another hug, laying her head on Shampoo's shoulder.
Akane: ...we're just glad to have you back, Shampoo...
Ukyou: It'll be nice to have you come home with us to Nerima.
Shampoo: (shaking head, eyes moist, but smiling)
Shampoo have nowhere else to call home now...
Nabiki: I hate to break up this mutual admiration party, guys, but just
where did Da Wa get to?
Ranma: (looking around) Huh? I thought he was right behind us?
Mousse: (relieved for an excuse to get away)
The child Tibetan monk? I'll go scout for him.
Nabiki: I know you guys think that kid is okay, but look: we don't
know what he was doing hanging around two self-confessed
leaders of a terrorist organization. I think his movements
call for some explanation, at least.
Akane: Oneechan, we talked with Da Wa for a long time when we met
him in Xining, and he's...
Voice: (interrupting Akane) CCAAWWW!!!
A young man with wings, dressed in furs, and bird claws for hands and feet,
swoops past Akane, claws extended. His claws draw blood. Akane falls to
her knees, one hand covering her stomach. Blood trickles between her
fingers. Bone shows through another gash on her leg.
Ranma: (looking up) Phoenix attack! Six of them, plus crows!
Ukyou and Shampoo produce weapons and leap. Ranma fires Mouko Takabishas
with each hand at two separate targets. Nabiki runs to Akane's side,
gathering pebbles with which to drive the crows away.
Nabiki: o O (Ohmigod! This wound looks serious!)
Within fifteen seconds all six Phoenix are unconscious or driven off.
The crows fly away randomly without intelligent direction.
Ranma: (running up) AKANE!!!
Nabiki: Maybe you'd better try that Reiki again...
Akane: (gritting teeth) ...I'm okay...
Akane slowly stands. Ranma, one arm around her shoulders, spreads the
fingers of his other hand, trying to summon his ki for healing.
Shampoo: (worried tone) Akane not try to stand. Wounds very serious.
Shampoo takes Akane's other side, supporting her.
Nabiki: o O (How the HELL can she stand at all?)
Ukyou, with a worried look at Akane, continues trying to question one of
the prisoners.
Ukyou: <Why were you attacking us? Or was it this village?>
o O >TALK, you Phoenix scum!<
Unnoticed, Ukyou's rensu shines a bit brighter. Nabiki, looking angry,
walks over and kicks the soles of the prisoner's feet.
Nabiki: Talk, damn you!
Phoenix: (glassy eyes) <We are... Qinghai Front for the People's
Liberation...>
Nabiki: o O (Huh? Is he actually talking? Why?)
o O (Ukyou's jewel: it's glowing brighter than usual.
Is she influencing him somehow?)
Ukyou: <Talk! You hurt Akane! WHY?>
Phoenix: <...instructed to come here... to meet liaison...
but liaison not here, and you are... so we attacked...>
Ukyou: <Liaison?> (turning to Nabiki) He says they were
here to meet with a liaison and only decided to attack us
when their liaison wasn't here...
While Shampoo holds Akane, Ranma desperately uses both hands to try t
o
heal Akane's wounds, but she's still losing blood...
Ranma: (desperately) o O (AKANE!!)
Voice: ...I could show you how to do that a bit better, son-in-law...
Shampoo: Hibachan! Please help Akane!
Cologne, suddenly standing next to Ranma, holds one hand a bit
differentlythan the way Ranma is holding his, and closes her eyes in
concentration.
Her hand glows and the leg wound she holds it over visibly heals.
Ranma: Old gh.. I mean, thank you!
Ranma modifies his gesture and continues to try on Akane's stomach wound.
Cologne: ...soul of ice... ...focus, concentrate... No, focus your
ki only on healing; cleanse your mind of thoughts of revenge...
That's it... that's it...
Finally Ranma's hand is glowing the same way Cologne's did. Akane's
stomach wound heals within seconds.
Ranma: (turning to Cologne) Thank you very much... mother-in-law.
Cologne smiles. Akane gives Cologne a deep bow.
Nabiki: o O (The other Joketsuzoku amazons don't seem at all pleased to
see Cologne.)
Cologne: Now that you're all well enough to travel, we must leave
immediately for the Musk Dynasty citadel. The authorities
are planning "a few nuclear tests" in this area, within
the week, if we can't stop the violence. Our best hope to
do that lies in direct negotiations with Prince Herb.
(turning to the Phoenix prisoner) <We will release you if you
pledge your word to warn both your fellow 'freedom fighters'
and Lady Kiima of the danger. We will all die in a nuclear
holocaust if we don't stop the violence within the week.>
The prisoner grudgingly nods. After gauging him carefully, Cologne nods
to Ukyou, who cuts him free.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Hours later. The group: Ranma, Akane, Ukyou, Shampoo, Nabiki, Mousse,
and Cologne, are walking through a narrow defile in a rock cliff.
Mousse, morose, brings up the rear, directly behind Nabiki.
Shampoo is chatting with Akane and Ukyou and laughing.
Nabiki: (tentatively) You didn't find any trace of Da Wa?
Mousse: (staring despondently at Shampoo) None at all.
(after a pause) ...I haven't seen her this happy since...
...before we left Nerima...
Shampoo: No! Akari having baby? Really?
Akane: (giggling) That's right; Ryouga-kun's going to be a father!
Akari-san says he fainted when she told him!
Ukyou: (giggling) Ryouga-chan won't let her walk anywhere now; either
he carries her or she rides Katsunishiki.
Abruptly Cologne's and Ranma's heads perk up.
Cologne: Army patrol. Six. Rifles only.
Voice: <STOP WHERE YOU ARE! HANDS UP!>
Ranma: o O >Two each at 9, 12, and 3. Akane, 9; Ucchan, 3; Shampoo,
up, distract them.<
Shampoo jumps straight up twenty feet, opening her blouse top and smiling.
Akane leaps left, Ukyou right, Ranma straight ahead, flat to the ground.
Twelve young male army eyes track Shampoo as their owners lose
consciousness,
Akane hitting her targets in the groin, Ukyou uppercutting the chins of
hers with the flats of her hands, and Ranma pressing their shiatsu sleep
spots.
Akane: o O (Male perverts! If they hadn't been ogling Shampoo I
couldn't
have taken them by surprise like that!)
Shampoo: o O (What going on? Shampoo hear airen voice in head?)
Mousse: (dramatically raising sleeves) How dare you... Oh.
We won already.
Nabiki: o O (Poor Mousse. He can't even compete as a fighter against
teamwork like that. What's he going to do with himself now?)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The throne room of the Musk Dynasty fortress. Prince Herb, currently
male, sits arrogantly on his throne listening to Cologne, standing
before him. The rest of the party stands behind Cologne, looking about.
Listless, Mousse wanders off towards the door.
Cologne: We MUST find some way to stop all the fighting. I am aware
that you are having little more success controlling your
rebellious
youngsters than I have been having with mine, but we will all
pay the price if we continue as we have been.
Herb: I agree. None of my people will initiate battle henceforth.
Not that we had anything to fear from the ineffective
Nichiezu rebels. (arrogant smirk)
A miniature rain cloud appears over Herb's head and drenches him, now her.
Cologne: (amused smile) ...I see the 'ineffective' Nichiezu rebels have
managed to hit you with the ancient Chinese Amazon Water
Torture...
the usual once a day, random timing?
Herb glowers at Cologne. Cologne just smiles.
Cologne: Can you control the rebels among your people?
Herb: I believe I have brought those fools with their 'People's
Liberation Front' to heel at last. I found a provocateur
behind them, a young Tibetan monk, and banished him from my
domains.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Outside the throneroom, Mousse glimpses a maroon robe on a short
body in a nearby corridor. He investigates.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The throne room. Commotion ensues among Ranma, Akane, and Ukyou.
Nabiki: o O (I knew it!)
Cologne: Hmmm. I suspected a third force behind these events. Could
this 'Da Wa' be behind all three rebel groups? If so,
what does he want?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We see Mousse half-heartedly trailing Da Wa down a spiral staircase
carved out of solid rock.
Mousse: o O (...nothing left for me anyhow... probably hasn't
even noticed I left...)
As he reaches the bottom, Da Wa smiles nastily and
produces his cleavers with one hand. The other holds a glass of water.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Throne room. Cologne is still deep in thought.
Cologne: Could it be? The ancient enemy: the Kagema? Returned at last?
If so, he might be headed... here!
(turning to Prince Herb) The legendary Secret Spiral Path?
Does it really exist?
Herb: (frowning) Old woman, that is one of our most closely guarded
secrets... How did you..?
(visibly changes mind) ...but you may be right. If that child
is a returned Kagema, that would be his objective... Come!
Herb stands and flies over to a curtain on the side of the throneroom and
raises it, revealing a door. He opens it and enters, followed by the
rest of the group.
The party races down a spiral staircase carved out of solid rock.
Periodically, a torch mounted on the wall sheds a dim light.
At the foot, the stairs open out into a tunnel. The group sees
something else at this point.
Shampoo: Aiyaa! Mousse's robe!
Ranma: Da Wa must have noticed he was being followed and laid a trap!
Akane: Where's Mousse?
Ukyou points at the floor.
Akane: Oh no! (starts crying)
Shampoo: (stares) There nothing left of Mousse but...
Ukyou: (grimly) You got it, sugar. Szechuan Duck in Garlic Sauce.
Ranma: (clenches fist, glows angrily) Da Wa will PAY for this!
The group races down the tunnel.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The tunnel opens out into a cavern, artificially improved. The floor is
black and smooth. A large, spiral-shaped pattern is inlaid into the floor
in the center of the cavern, glowing a soft blue.
A figure can just be made out, walking the lines of the spiral. A fountain
of sparks spew constantly from the spiral pattern around the figure.
Ranma: o O (Kind of gives me a tingling chill just watching.)
The figure seems to change shape as it moves, becoming taller.
Akane: Da Wa! Is that you?
The figure reaches the center and is clearly visible. Still recognizably
Da Wa, it is taller now, with hooves, horns, and bat-wings. Da Wa raises
both arms overhead and an eerie laughter comes from his mouth. Da Wa looks
-- Listar MIME Decryption --------------
at the group. Da Wa's laughter ceases. His altered voice rings out
through
the cavern.
Da Wa: Tendo Ranma, behold your nemesis!
Ranma: Who are you? What are you?
Da Wa: You will never know. It is just exactly too late now.
Ranma: I do not understand. What do you mean?
Da Wa: Nerima will be destroyed!
Da Wa vanishes.
Ukyou: What the hell was that?
Cologne: Son-in-law, it is most important that you find out.
Herb: (hoarse whisper) ...a Kagema... The Kagema have come for us
all...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A bit later, same cavern...
Cologne: Now that we're here, we can use the spiral ourselves to return
to Nerima, if you'd rather avoid the overland journey. You
simply
walk the spiral to the center, then wish yourselves home.
This is the Spiral's main purpose: instantaneous transport.
One warning, however: this will be the first time any of you
have walked 'between', and you'll find that you have a tendency
to lose non-animate matter if you're not careful. Your rensus
will be okay, but you are likely to arrive without clothes, so
pick your destination carefully. If you like, I'll take all
your gear with me to the Nekohanten.
Ranma, Akane, Ukyou, Shampoo, and Nabiki traverse the spiral, sparks
jetting up around them as they do. At the center:
Akane: (closing eyes and clicking heals together)
There's no place like home...
Ukyou elbows Akane just before all five disappear. Cologne then walks the
path, carrying four backpacks.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Nerima, the Tendo-ke. We see Nabiki, from the back, appear nude, in the
middle of her room, two inches above the floor. She lands with a soft
noise.
Nabiki: o O (I'm alone. Where are the others?)
A loud THUMP comes through the wall between Nabiki's room and Akane's.
Nabiki: o O (Sounds like they're all in Akane's room.)
Nabiki puts on her earphones and twirls a knob. Voices emerge.
Akane: What a tangle; good thing we landed on my bed!
Ranma: Ummm... whose chest is this in my face?
Shampoo: Aiyaa! Whose hand squeezing me down there?
Ukyou: Oops! Is that what I was squeezing?
Akane: Somebody has my hand trapped between their...
Ranma: Okay, everyone, let's get untangled a step at a time...
Ukyou: Oohh, Ranchan! Do that again! That was you, I hope.
Shampoo: Airen... That feel... very good... Ranma no stop...
Akane: Ranma, ummm... better keep that up... ooohh... if you know
what's good for you...
THE END
Notes:
The 'rensu' is adapted from Dr. Edward E. Smith's "Lensmen" series.
The Nikuman men appeared in manga volume 15. Four short men with heads
shaped like nikuman (Chinese dim sum appetizers) came looking for the
dragon hair which Ranma used to tie his pigtail.
Nikuman scene dialog lifted and paraphrased from Babylon 5, season 2,
episode "In the Shadow of Z'Ha'Dum."
The age Cologne gives in the manga is 100 years; I'm using the anime's
300 as it fits the story better.
Pink and Rink are manga-only characters, from volume 29. They are from
the "herbal village", close to Joketsuzoku, and use exotic plant seeds
in their attacks. They carry a long-standing grudge against Shampoo.
They found Shampoo and Ranma in Japan due to an Amazon newspaper article,
with pictures, of Shampoo "living in Tokyo with her husband".
Si Mo, the "thinking mushroom", the wise-cracking, man-eating plant,
is inspired by Little Shop of Horrors.
The Musk Dynasty and Phoenix Mountain locations, and the characteristics
of their inhabitants, including Prince Herb, are established in the manga,
Volumes 24 and 37.
The cavern scene was lifted from Roger Zelazny, "The Guns of Avalon".