The New Beginning
Which is also part 3 to Best Ending to a Chaotic Mess (saved under Best
Ending in the Ranma RAAC mirror), but can be read on its own too (I guess).
By Adrian Wong
<7ahw@qlink.queensu.ca>
This fic is actually kinda a follow up to its sappy part 2. Somehow, it
had turned somewhat lime-ish this time . . .
All characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi and some others. The song in
this fic is actually based on an actual hymn, even though I've changed
the words quite a bit.
All my fics are stored in
http://www.tass.org/fanfic/
My other fanfics, like Poison, Darkness and Light, Village Tale(Prelude
only), Post Manga, and The Difference can be found on the same page.
########################################################################
Over the rooftops of Nerima, two martial artists were fighting with
extraordinary skills as they leapt from roof to roof while exchanging blows
with each other.
"Aiya!" Shampoo cried out as she narrowly leapt over a slashing sweep
from her attacker's kick. "What Ranma think doing ambushing Shampoo?!"
"Sorry, Shampoo." Ranma replied as he pressed his attacks. "But I won't
let ANYONE best me in a fight! I'm here to prove that I'm the best once
and for all. . ." another kick from him put a gash over Shampoo's Chinese
mini-skirt, ". . . I'd get engage to you again if only to win you in
battle!!!"
"What with you men?! When Shampoo advance, you flee! When Shampoo
resist, you chase! That's it! Shampoo have enought!"
The girl snarled as she counter-attacked, driving the boy backwards for a
while. But this time, without preparing any tricks before hand, fighting
someone as skilled as Ranma had become a lot less easy than it was at the
Dojo's Tournament. However, just when she was sure that she'd be creamed,
the gash on her skirt fell open, causing Ranma's eyes to budge out at the
fact that even her panties have been cut off by Ranma's kick. Always one
to seize the opportunity Shampoo stretched her legs and nailed Ranma
against a wall by a foot to his neck. Swiping off her sweat, Shampoo
regained her breath and spat:
"Stupid Ranma! If you won, Shampoo swore get Hiba-chan give boy kiss of
love to re-regain honor!"
Ranma paled fearfully as he ceased struggling.
Just then, however, two haggard looking figures appeared out of nowhere,
and were staring at Shampoo from right beneath her now panty-less skirt.
"Look! A girl don't have that thingy down there!" The larger one exclaimed
with a look of wonder on his face.
"Yeah!" The smaller one gasped. "Instead, they have that -"
Neither of them got to finish the sentence as both were demolished
instantly by a burning Amazon within 1/10th of a second.
* * * * * *
Back at the Nekohanten, which had been closed up for quite some time now,
Shampoo was now bandaging up the two animalistic boys, both of whom looking
sheepish as the blushing girl glared at them.
[You two are Herb's servants, aren't you? What brings you two here to
Nerima again?]
At hearing that, the two boys started to cry, much to Shampoo's puzzlement.
[Prince . . . Prince Herb . . .] The smaller wolf boy tried to speak up,
but ended up crying instead. The larger, muscular tiger boy chided him as
he pressed down his own tears.
[Stop crying, Mint! We have to tell Shampoo what's going on as quick as
possible or all will be lost for our Prince!]
[Prince Herb . . .] Shampoo's sentence trailed off as she tried to
imagine how he would look in his boy-form. If his female form is any
indication, then surely he must be a stunner despite what Ranma, Ryoga and
Mousse had said on this issue (sometimes, boys are even more jealous of
good looks than girls).
[So what happened? You two seemed to be in really bad shape . . . even
before I beat you two up, I mean.]
[We had followed our Prince back to Japan in search of yet another relic
that had long since been stolen from our tribe by a clan of devious ninjas:
the magic soup-pot. We all knew that we'd be facing formidable opponents
on this journey, since the emperor had told us that the clan is still
standing today, and is now the puppet master of several Mafia gangs of
Japan. But one day, at an inn, Prince Herb was just bathing in the
artificial hot spring . . . when . . . when]
[When what?] Shampoo asked anxiously
[When thunder roared in the water!]
Shampoo was confused. [What do you mean?]
[I mean . . . thunder . . . in the water!]
[Huh?]
Meanwhile, Mint, whose crying had died down, spoke up again. [Stupid
Lime, that was an electric current in the water!]
Shampoo's eyes widened. [Electric current?!]
[Yes!] Lime continued. [Women . . . women in ninja clothes, put wire
into the spring that Prince Herb was bathing in, and he passed out!]
[Afterwards,] Mint added as he roughly wiped off his tears, [those women
dragged our prince out of the water and put him on that mental bird thing
that city people have . . .]
[It's called a helicopter!] Lime said.
[Yes! Helicopter! Those women put our prince into a helicopter and
abducted him!]
[Why didn't you two stop them?!] Shampoo asked, [from what Mousse had
told me, you two are supposed to have the unnatural strength of ferocious
beasts!]
The boys both looked shame-faced and hopelessly miserable at this point.
[One of them undid their top, we stared . . . ]
[. . . and another one of them threw a bomb at us and left with the
helicopter.]
Shampoo didn't know whether she should laugh or cry at this point. But
then again, the Musks had always been a critical party of the amazon, just
like the Amazons. While their views differ greatly, they were still of the
same people of Jusenkyo. And if these outsider Japanese were trying to
harm the Musk Dynasty, the Amazon Tribe will be honor-bound to help.
Composing herself, she asked. [Any idea on WHICH clan of ninjas we were
dealing with, and WHY were they kidnapping a Chinese warlord?]
Mint spoke up timidly, [We saw a sigh on the women's outfits that looked
like a piece of heart-shaped flower petal pieced by a short sharp dagger .
. .]
[A sakura petal pierced by a kodachi?] Cologne asked.
[Yes, that's it . . . um, how did you just appear like that, honored
Amazon Elder?] Mint and Lime asked in union as they sweated.
Cologne smiled. [Amazon secrets, children. Besides, you've all been too
focused on recounting the abduction of Herb to feel my presence.] Her
expression turned deadly serious as he eyes narrowed. [Anyway, I think
I've a pretty good idea as to WHO was behind this.]
[Really?!] The boys, as well as Shampoo, looked expectantly at Cologne as
the old woman sighed.
[Don't get too cheerful now, children. What has captured Prince Herb will
possibly be the most dangerous clan of martial artists in Japan: the Kenzan
Kunoichi Clan.]
[Kenzan . . .] Shampoo said
[. . . Kunoichi?] the boys echoed.
Looking back into the distant past, the old woman spoke up in a crackling
voice that sounded even older than usual:
[When the world and I were young, a clan of female ninjas came to our
village for a little 'friendly sparring', as they called it. The name of
the clan was Kenzan. Anyway, they simply showed up at our village, and one
of them challenged the winner of the maiden tournament to a battle of life
and death, to see which clan of woman warriors was the strongest.
[I, who was already the leader of the village at the age of 18, had
forbidden the young maiden winner, who couldn't be more than 15, to take
such a bet. We Chinese Amazons, at that point, still believed that there
was no honor in death.
[The champion of the Kenzan clan, a girl ninja with a coolly arrogant
expression, began taunting our champion with words vile enough to enrage
any living person, let alone an Amazon. The people of the village were
angered by the kunoichi's words too, and urged our champion to take on the
challenge.
[Our champion had already gone through 100 matches that day just to get to
become the winner. Exhausted, and no longer thinking clearly, the girl had
a hard time with the kunoichi. Eventually, both were knocked off of the
battle log under a simultaneous attack.]
[After that, all hell broke lose as a savage battle broke out, in which
the Amazons and the Kenzan Kunoichi went all out against each other. By
the end of the day, we won. But both sides had been pretty beat-up. A
grudge between us were formed.]
Turning to her great-granddaughter, she stared into the awed, young eyes
with her own ancient ones.
[That was the day when the law regarding the Kiss of Death was written.
And Shampoo, you were the first to ever use it after that battle.]
Shampoo was speechless at the revelation from her great-grandmother. Her
taking up of the law, her failing in using the law . . . a law made
because of the doings of a Kunoichi Clan?!
Just then, however, new voices joined into the fray, cutting off her train
of thoughts.
"Kenzan?!" Happosai exclaimed.
"Why, that'd be the clan where Konatsu's ugly step sisters came from!"
Ranma added.
"Heh, I know you two would be interested in something THIS big." Cologne
smirked.
"Ranma know Chinese?" Shampoo asked in awe.
[What take Ranma for? Course Ranma speak good good Chinese! Ranma smarty
boy] The boy replied matter-of-fact-ly as Shampoo SWEATED. Turning to the
amused Cologne, he continued on. [Not-nice Dragon boy deserves all boy get
in Ranma's opinion. But Ranma fought -]
A knock to the head from Happosai cut him off, "Speak Japanese, boy! Your
Chinese is worse than Shampoo's Japanese!]
Looking around, Ranma fumed as he saw how Shampoo was rolling on the floor
with laughter, while Mint, and Lime were snickering despite their grief.
"Hey, it can't be THAT bad! Anyway, as I said, I've fought the Kenzan
clan before, and those women's skills were as bad as their looks!"
Cologne narrowed her eyes. "Ranma, the Kenzan clan specializes in
breeding femme fatales. They would train none but the prettiest girls of
their clan in the art of kunoichi. Those that you've just mentioned are
probably among the lowest ranking members of the clan!"
"Well . . . duh . . ." Ranma muttered. "But really, how tough can girls
[trails off as he gained a glare from Shampoo] . . . oh well."
Cologne cleared her throat as she continued on.
"But what really worries me is their motive: what do they want with Herb?
The dragon clan of the Musks is unique in that there is ALWAYS only one
chi-carrying member per generation. The chi was in the form of a
non-extinguishable ball of energy, called the Dragon Pearl, that is being
passed down from father to son at the moment when the son is conceived,
thus sustains the strength of the 'Dynasty' for generations to come. Herb,
obviously the carrier of the Dragon Pearl, processes the power to
self-destruct himself and all that within 2 miles of himself."
"WHAT?!?!?!" Ranma and Shampoo exclaimed in shock, while Mint and Lime
looked at her fearfully.
"Even though that would mean ending the dynasty forever, I'm sure that a
hot-headed lad like him would prefer dying with his enemy than suffer the
humiliations at his enemies' hand. Surely the Kenzan clan wouldn't what to
risk his destructive powers . . ."
Chucking knowingly, Happosai spoke up. "That's where you're wrong,
Col-chan. The Kenzan Clan consists of ninjas of the highest order. As
such, they have ways to control the chi-flow of an opponents's body through
pressure points and all to subdue a boy like Herb, rendering helpess like
an ordinary boy."
Frowning, Cologne spoke, "But that solved nothing! The chi is still
inside his body, and there is no way to dissipate such a strong chi like
the Dragon Pearl without blowing up the boy and all that is within two
miles of the explosion!"
"Please don't say such scary things, elder . . ." Mint whimpered.
Smiling deviously, Happosai replied, "Ah, but there is. As you've said
before, the Kenzan Clan specializes in breeding femme fatales. As such,
the clan members have long since developed a pressure point technique that
can focus the chi of a male victim to his lower anatomy. He will become
unbelievably horny, and long for release! But none shall come to him until
he made it with a partner. And when he does . . . ALL OF HIS CHI WILL BE
PASSED ONTO THE FEMALE PARTNER, MAKING HIS POWER AND STAMINA HER'S!!" The
old man stated dramatically as the others gasped.
"Blast it!" Cologne growled. "The Kenzan Clan is trying to steal the
power behind the Musk Dynasty!! Shampoo! As an Amazon, you must rescue
Prince Herb and stop Jusenkyo's power from falling into the hands of
outsiders!"
"I won't fail, Hiba-chan!"
Meanwhile, Happosai was whispering to his student.
"Ranma! You must go on this mission as well!"
"Of course, a martial artist must help those in need . . . regardless of
how disgusting they are."
"NO! I'm talking about Herb's power! As your master, I order you to go
on this mission and earn it for yourself on behalf of Anything Goes!"
Ranma face-faulted at hearing that.
"You want me to . . . do it . . .WITH HIM?!"
"SHHH!!" Happosai covered up Ranma's mouth while looking fugitively at
the Chinese gang. "Aren't you a martial artist?! Don't you want to be the
best there is?! As long as you can get him to dump the Dragon Pearl into
your body, you could have his power! While you can do it in either forms,
I'd much rather you do in in female form," a look of glee crossed the old
perv's face, "CAUSE I'LL BE RIGHT THERE WATCHIN MY DEAR RANMA-CHAN BECOME A
WOMAN!!!"
Ranma's reply was a kick that sent the old man flying off the earth orbit.
Meanwhile, Shampoo darted upstairs towards Mousse's room
"Mousse, we facing great battle! Shampoo need . . ."
She froze at the sight of Mousse going smoochy-moochy with Kodachi, who
was leaning against his window from outside. Mousse was gently kissing
Kodachi's forehead as he sang lightly:
"Only you, every thought I ever know, everywhere I go, you'll be ~!"
Looking at him with melting gray eyes, Kodachi sang back:
"All the world is only you and me ~!"
Shivering at the waffiness of it all, Shampoo hastily retreated as she
decided that their group could do with one less help. Anyway, they have to
get moving soon. If the Kenzan kunoichi had succeeded to raping Prince
Herb, then all will be lost!
* * * * * *
Inside a hall at the base of the Kenzan clan, the kunoichis all had looks
of pure lust on their faces as they stared at the sight in front of them.
The, young handsome dragon prince, naked as the day he was born, was
sweating profusely as he withered like a worm in a spider web of ribbons
that held him vertically in midair for all of the clan to see. The leader,
a rather well preserved woman of about forty, chuckled as she groped him
rather shamelessly.
"Give in now, little boy. The more you delay this, the worse you'll
suffer. The only way to end your suffering is by playing with auntie. You
know you want it, little boy."
" . . . never." Herb replied airily. "The prince . . . of Musk Dynasty
will . . . not degrade . . . himself . . ."
"Oh, really?" The woman laughed. "OHohohoho . . . but that's not what
the 'dragon' in my hand is telling me!"
"Ur . .urgg . . . !!" Herb moaned as the woman squeezed him mercilessly.
"Now really, if you'd just submit to the desire -"
Just then, however, sounds of fighting could be heard from outside, thus
interrupting her sentence. A group of underlings ran in fearfully.
"Lady Noako! Our base were under attack by a group of four martial
artists! The final layer of defense had been penetrated. We need your help!"
Noako growled in anger, "You waste of kunoichi! You can't even stop four
people from entering our sacred base?!"
Just then, the fighting outside intensified, as more voices could be heard.
"HIRYU SHOTEN HALL!!!"
"SWEETO! WHAT AN EXPENSIVE BLAND OF BRA THAT YOU GOT UNDER YOUR ROBE!"
"I don't care about your titties! Just give us back our prince!"
"Then stop grabbing her and start fighting, you dork!"
"I don't like hitting girls, so don't push me!"
"Stupid Ranma! This no time to hold back! Watch Shampoo do this: Kachi
Tenshin Amaguriken!!"
Noako's eyes narrowed in rage as she left the tortured boy alone.
"So, those Jusenkyo barbarians are trying to interfere with our plans
again, aren't they. Come, sisters! This will be a fight to the death!"
With that, she along everybody in the hall charged out to face their
opponents, leaving Herb to struggle alone with his ribbons. But with most
of his chi focused onto a non-combat capable organ, he was having a hard
time doing so.
< Oh, deity, I can't take the agorny anymore! Please just let me relieve
myself! I don't care who I have to - >
[Prince Herb?]
Startled, he turned his head, and saw, a VERY beautiful young woman running
towards him, her curves bouncing as she did so . . .
< Relieve . . . >
Seemingly unaware of his state, the girl continued on.
[Listen. You probably won't remember me, but I am Cologne's heir,
Shampoo. Even though you have disrespected her the last time you came to
Nekohanten, she still sent me here to rescue you from the kunoichi. So
you'd better apologize to her after we get out.]
[Help . . .] Herb moaned breathlessly as more sweat poured down his
slender, smooth body, causing Shampoo to blush.
< Wow, what a hot bishonen. If only I had seen his boy form earlier on, I
might not have wasted all that time on Ranma. >
[Please . . .] Herb's eyes were melting as he pleaded.
[Well, okay,] Shampoo said as she began to untie the knot at the edge of
the ribbon "web", [don't worry, Hiba-chan knows the counter to the pressure
point techniques being used -]
Her sentence was cut off as the ribbon abruptly snapped out of her hand.
Landing lightly on to the floor board, Herb started a strange,
chi-exercising arm-dance which somehow caused the thick lengths of ribbons
wrapping around his body to came alive like a nest of twisting tentacles,
causing Shampoo to turn away and flee at full speed.
[AIYA!! A SPIDER DEMON!!]
Sitting in a lotus position, the dragon prince had a possessed look on his
face as his arms twirled around in a complex stance, driving the multitude
of ribbons around his body to snake out at the fleeing girl. Just right
before Shampoo could have made a flying leap out the opened door, three
ribbons snapped onto her body, dragging her back towards Herb. With a
flushed, but still beautiful face, Herb looked into Shampoo's frightened
eyes with his own determined one.
[ All that I have . . . it's all yours. ]
With that, he embraced Shampoo and kissed her passionately, while the
multitude of chi-induced ribbons snaked around them until they all braided
against each other to form a cocoon, encasing the couple within its silky
cell.
* * * * *
Outside the hall, the battle was finished. Once Cologne had captured
Noako, all the other members of the clan surrendered themselves peacefully.
"Really, you girls," Ranma said, "if you're so keen on stealing male chi,
why not try it on the old perv instead of Herb? At least this one would
have enjoyed it."
"Well," Happosai began to drool lecherously as the defeated kunoichis all
turned away in disgust.
"I wouldn't sleep with THAT for the power of a god," Noako spat, "even us
kunoichis have taste, little boy."
"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Cologne replied. "As I dare recall,
the leader of your clan at the time DID sleep with Happi in hopes of
getting him on their side on the day that they challenge our village."
Glaring at Happosai, she continued on. "In the end, the honorless cur
simply stood back and watch while our clans fought against each other like
dogs, then cleaned out the valuable of both sides during the height of our
battle!"
Noako was shocked at hearing that.
"That was Happosai, the deadly seducer that grandmother had told me
about?! The man who had prompt her into developing the chi-stealing
technique to punish all the men in the world? But he . . .he's hideous!"
Everybody laughed as Happosai fumed.
"Hey, people grow old, you know! You ain't exactly a blossom yourself!"
"Enough of this," Cologne said. "Either way, no one is going to steal
more treasures out of Jusenkyo, not Happosai, not you, not anyone. Our
land is sacred. As such, its powers are not for those easily corrupting
amateurs of the outside world to toy with.
Happosai sighed as Noako gritted her teeth in anger. Ranma was smiling
to himself. He had already earned two techniques out of the old ghoul:
something that she can't take back.
Cologne was also smiling to herself. Already, she had ordered the newly
improved bland of memory erasing Shampoo from her village. While allowing
Ranma to keep the Tenshin Amaguruken as a souvenir, she would make sure
that the boy lose all memories and intuition in exercising her Hiryu Shoten
Hai before she and Shampoo has to head back to China.
"Let's go check on the Prince," Mint suggested.
"I'm worried about the future of our dynasty," Lime added.
"Don't worry," Noako said tiredly, "he won't die from the pressure
points. Just aroused, that's all."
Cologne chuckled as she went into the Kenzan's meeting hall.
"I hope Shampoo won't be too embarrassed by the situation . . ."
The old woman trailed off wordlessly as she saw the cocoon of ribbons it
the center of the all. The others gasped as well as they entered.
"What is that?" Ranma asked cluelessly, totally unaware of how Cologne's
eyes had gone even wider than usual.
"I'll be goddamned!" Happosai said as he leapt forward and undid the
cocoon, revealing the naked couple within it. Both were sleeping
peacefully, with their luscious, untied hair falling over each other's
beautiful bodies in sheens of exotic colors. Noako lowered her head in
defeat as Happosai exclaimed with horror.
"NO! The Amazon girl has taken all of dragon boy's power for herself!
But still . . . the sight of Shampoo darling naked more than makes up for -"
Before he could have finished his sentence, Cologne had tossed him away
with her staff as she quickly redid the ribbons around the couple's bodies,
making them decent. Turning back to the group, she said.
"We have to go back to Nekohanten at once! If Shampoo doesn't take the
birth-control herb at once . . . I'm afraid she would be impregnated by Herb!"
Ranma's eyes were wide as well.
"What are we waiting for?! Let's go! Any moment later and Shampoo will
get knocked up with the jerk's baby!"
Mint and Lime's eyes went wide at hearing that.
"Herb has become a father? By lying naked with a girl?" Lime asked no
one in particular.
"But that's so icky!" Mint said, never taking his eyes off the scantly
clad Shampoo.
"Stop drooling at her and let's go!" Cologne barked.
* * * * * *
Two days afterwards, at the Nekohanten . . .
"Would stupid boy stop pestering Shampoo?!"
"But my queen, you've already received my Dragon Pearl. You're the future
of our Dynasty now. I'm honor bound to be around you always!"
Groaning, Shampoo said.
"No, Shampoo not queen! Is good thing Hiba-chan give Shampoo birth
control herb right after deed, or Shampoo get stuck with dragon baby."
Wailing, Herb exclaimed. "But how can I go back to my kingdom without the
bride who is now carrying the Dragon Pearl? You have to take
responsibility -"
Before he could have gone on any further, Shampoo silence him with a
bonbori to his face.
"In case you no remember, Dragon boy the one rape Shampoo, no other way
around! Shampoo no be responsible for Herb's mistake!"
Prying the bonbori off his somehow uninjured face, the prince protested.
"But you enjoyed it so much in the our love's cocoon that we ended up
doing it again and again! You did take the initiative starting from the
second round, exhausting us both to the point of passing out! That's love,
I'm telling you!"
"SHUT UP!!"
Ranma, Akane, Kodachi and Mousse smiled at them as Mint and Lime, both in
waiter outfits, served them noodles at their table.
"Oh, a marital spat! Isn't that cute, Ranma?" Akane said, finally
convinced once and for all that Shampoo won't be after Ranma anymore.
"Well, it ain't like we don't have enough of it ourselves." Ranma said
nonchalantly as he continued to stuff face.
Smiling at Kodachi, Mousse whispered gently.
"Oh, my precious rose, dumping that slutty girl for you is the best thing
that has ever happened to me in my life -"
Shampoo's bonbori cut off his sentence immediately, while Kodachi took the
opportunity to revive him with mouth to mouth.
Hopping up to her great-grand child on her staff, Cologne laid a hand on
her should and said.
"While I would very much like you to keep Herb's power for yourself, I'd
have to agree that as long as you're carrying his Dragon Pearl, you're
honor bound to take him as your mate. It isn't right to take advantage of
a man, then dump him like yesterday's newspaper."
Herb beamed as he ignored Cologne's appearance and hugged her to his chest.
"Oh, honorable Hiba-chan-in-law! How wisely you speak!"
< Hmmm . . . nice chest the lad has. Shampoo would be sorry if she let
herself miss THIS one. > Cologne thought to herself.
Sighing, Shampoo weighted the boy in front of her in her mind, and found
that there was indeed nothing in him that she can genuinely despise. Sure,
he used to have a hot temper. But with his Dragon Pearl gone, it HAD been
lessened up rather drastically. In fact, if he hadn't surprised her on
that first night with the ribbon trick, she might have given herself
willingly do to his attractiveness.
But still, there's no point in appearing overtly eager. If there's
anything that Shampoo had learned from being with Ranma, it's that in order
to truly catch a man's heart, a woman needs to do some resisting, while
making herself as attractive as possible at the same time. Tossing her
luscious hair over a shoulder, she turned rather coolly towards the boy
(while offering him the best angel of her face) and said:
"There still much packing to do. Stuff's a mess in basement. While
Shampoo strong, she exhausted from battle days ago . . . think Herb want
make self useful and help Shampoo?"
THE END
Oct 3rd, 1998.