(Look around...)

Good! The course is clear. Ahem! Ya! Sure! Ranma 1/2 belongs to me!

*A phone rings nearby.*

Hello?

"I heard that! That's going to cost you four hundred thousand yen." Nabiki's voice sounded over the phone.

What?! How could you possibly know?! And you raise the copyright cost!!

"Don't underestimate me, I have secret cameras everywhere."


* Indicates dialogues spoken in Mandarin Chinese.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

                         'Guo Qu Zhi Suo'
                         (Key to the Past)
                        ==================
                      Chapter 2: The Key Stone
                      ========================


About a hundred years ago in China...

   The tear-stained twelve year old girl ran all her might, her silky black hair flying wildly behind her. Her white Chinese clothes were already brown red with mud and blood, torn at various parts by the thick picky bushes she had ran through. But she didn't stop; she didn't dare to. The men were getting nearer. She could hear their pounding footsteps and shouts growing louder...

   Nearer...

   No! They were surely going to find her if this continued! The girl made a sudden turn around the trees and ducked into the thick bushes. Desperately trying to smoothed her loud panting, she hurdled herself in the center of the bushes, ignoring the pain from the numerous scratches on her. {Quiet! Quiet!} Maybe they won't find her here...

   The voices grew louder. *Where is that brat?!* a low rough voice yelled over the hedge she had hide. The girl clasped her left hand over her mouth just in time to stop herself from screaming.

   He was so near!! Just a few feet behind her!! Her heart began to pound her chest so loudly that she feared that the nearby man could hear it.

   *Sir! We can't find her, sir!* reported one of the men.

   *No!!!! This can't happen to me!! Oh, woes me!!* the man with rough voice squeaked in frustration, then he stopped after seeing the wide disgusted stares he had gotten from his men. *Ahem! I mean, WHAT?!!! There's no way she could escape that fast! Search every single place, leave no stone unturned, no bush unchecked. Find her!!! And the -Key Stone-!! Kill her if she cause any trouble, it's the stone the Lord wants.*

   *Yes, sir!!*

   Through the small holes from the bush, the girl counted twenty men searching high and low for her and their leader, who was the one with the rough voice, was still standing near her unmoving. His eyes narrowed sharply, scrutinizing the area.

   {Twenty-one men,} the girl hurdled herself tightly in fear, praying that the men would not hear her uncontrollable low gasps. {How am I going to out run twenty-one men? They'll find me for sure... soon...}

   Her gaze traveled down towards the white clear big marble-like stone she held in her right hand. Such a beautiful stone, yet, all the troubles it had brought to her... and her family... a family, which was no more. {Why do they want this do much? What's so special about this stone that they've to kill... papa and mama for it...}

   Her parents... They had been so mercilessly slashed, killed... just to get this stone. The vivid memories were so unbearable. The agonizing scream... the splashing scarlet red... all the blood... all over... splattered over her pure white clothes, staining them deep red... all happened so fast before her very eyes, the eyes of an innocent, unknowing child.

                          ~~~~~~~~~~~
   *Run! Run, daughter... Don't ever let them have that stone!*

   *Papa! Mama!!!!*

   *That brat! She's got the stone! After her!*

   *Run!!!*

   *Papa... mama... I love you...*
                          ~~~~~~~~~~~

   {All because of this stone! This stupid stone! Papa and mama have to die protecting it! This stupid stone!} The girl trembled uncontrollably. The evoking memories ware so intolerable that she didn't notice that she was sobbing loudly.

   *Ah ha! So here you are! You brat!* Part of bush was forced apart by two huge burly hands, and a square mean face with cold dark eyes looked at her.

   The girl screamed. She couldn't run away, her legs were too numb to do so.

   *Hand over the Key Stone,* the leader breathed, mentioning his men to come forward. *And I promise not to torture you before your death.*

   {The stone!} The girl glanced down at the white marble. Her father's last words rang in her ears.

   ~*Don't ever let them have that stone!*~

   The girl clasped the stone towards her chest. *No!*

   *Then prepare to die, brat!!!!* The man bellowed, raising his fist that as if it could break her neck as easy as breaking a twig.

   The girl squeezed her eyes, and screamed.

   That moment, the stone began to glow, releasing sharp blinding white beams that dazzled the eyes of the attacking man.

   "AAAAAARRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!"

   A pigtail boy in red Chinese clothes shot out from the stone and collided with the man head to head. Then behind him, out came a Chinese girl with purple hair and a cloth with a lot of unrecognisable stuffs.

                                 ---

   "Ouch! That hurt!" uttered the boy, rubbing his sore head as he squinted his eyes against the bright afternoon sunlight. "Huh? Where the hell am I now?! No! That's Ryoga's line. What trouble am I into now?!!" Ranma shouted as he stared out into the forest he was in.

   "At least here not spinning or dark," pointed Shampoo.

   "Yeah! You're right!" Ranma said as he placed his hands behind his head. "Ahhh! Wildlife, jungle, and all the fresh air out here, this is life!"

   "And Shampoo here with Ranma. Shampoo so happy!"

   "Uh... now, that's a problem," Ranma murmured thoughtfully. A huge finger tapped him hardly on his shoulder. He turned angrily. "Hey, what do you think you're doing! It hurt, you know!"

   The leader with a huge lump on his head and twice the size of Ranma in terms of height and breath loomed over him. *Who are you?! How dare you attacked me -- Shinfu, the famous great warrior of China!* he yelled in Chinese. Behind him, his men murmured quietly to themselves at his 'great warrior of China' statement.

   Ranma could only stared back at him blankly. "Huh?"

   *You dare mock me! Take that!!* Shinfu swung his huge arm at Ranma.

   This, Ranma understood. He leaped backwards, avoiding the blow. "What're you doing?!" he yelled.

   "Man name Stupid want to challenge future husband," Shampoo translated.

   "Wait!" Ranma held both his hands forward in protest. "I don't want to fight! I don't even know where I am!" He was answered by a series of punches. "Ok! If that's how you want it... Hya!"

   Ranma ducked below and scissored the man's huge leg, tripping him. Shinfu fell to the ground heavily, and before he could get up, Ranma landed his version of Chestnut fist on the fallen giant.

   "This, is how you are supposed to do with multiple fist."

   *Grrr... You're good!* Shinfu muttered angrily, struggling painfully onto his feet. *But let's see you handle twenty men! Men, attack!!!!*

   *Sir...* a small voice addressed him from behind. Shinfu turned, and his lower jaw fell to the ground. *What... What happen?!!!* He screamed, eye-widened. His men... all twenty of them were all bruised, plastered and all badly beaten up!

   *I, Shampoo, have beaten all of them. They are of no challenge at all,* answered Shampoo in fluent Chinese, cracking her knuckles. *This'll teach you to mess with Ranma and the Amazons.*

   *You... you'll pay for this!!* threatened Shinfu. Then he made a hundred eighty degrees turn and scampered fearfully away with his men.

   *Ah! Ha! Ha! Ha! Come back if you dare! Now you know the price of messing with this brat! Serve you -so- right!* A proud superior voice called after Shinfu.

   Ranma looked down at the twelve year old girl who was now standing boldly in front of them, laughing as if she was the one who had defeated Shinfu. "Who is she?" He pointed to her and looked at Shampoo.
The purple-haired girl just shrugged.

   "The name is Cologne. As for saving me, arigato!"

   "Oh! You speak Japanese. Great! I'm really getting groggy with all the Chinese language going around- WHAT?!!! COLOGNE!!!!!"

   "Grandmother?!"

        #          #          #          #          #


   The group stared wordlessly at the silent, unmoving stone, still shock by the sudden incident. Mousse was the first to break the silence. "Shampoo!!!!!!!!" he yelled, rushing towards the stone.

   Cologne knocked him on the head with her staff. "Calm down, Mousse. That stone might start acting up again, stay away from it!"

   "But Ranma and Shampoo are trapped in there, you saw it!" shouted Akane.

   "No! Don't get near that stone! It might still be dangerous. Do you want to get suck in too?"

   "Cologne is right. Let's just wait. Maybe they'll find a way to come out, soon, I hope..." stated Nabiki.

   "While waiting, could you tell us something about that stone?" Akane asked, turning to Cologne. The old woman closed her winkled eyes as if in deep thoughts, then she spoke up in a soft faraway voice.

   "The first time I saw the stone was when I was twelve years old. One day, my parent suddenly rushed towards me, placed it in my hands and told me to run for my life. And the next thing I knew, a sword pierced through my mother's body, splashing her blood all over me... There were men, lots of them, surrounding us, demanding for the stone, this Key Stone."

   Cologne paused, and at that moment, grief seemed to linger upon her winkled face, camouflaging the aging lines, making her seemed almost like a sad twelve year old again. Akane shot a quick glance over at the clear white stone and back again at Cologne. "What happen next?" she asked softly.

   "My father fought them, luring them away from me so that I could run away with that stone. He too was killed. Then the men realising that the stone was not with him, began to chase after me..."

        #          #          #          #          #


   "And then the men ran here, and I ran to the right. Then they come to the left and I ran to the right again. Then they climbed up a tree and I hid behind a tree, then they..." the girl babbled on about every single detail of the chase to Shampoo and Ranma.

   "Hey! Are you guys listening?"

   "Ya! Ya! Ya! Whatever..." grumbled Ranma. {Me and my big mouth! Why do I have to ask her what happened?}

   "Ok! As I said, I hid behind this tree and then the men..."

        #          #          #          #          #


   "And the men caught me..."

   "What happen next?" asked Akane in breathless anticipation. Never had she thought Cologne would met such... incident. She had almost never talk about herself. This was out of expectation.

   "Ah..." murmured Cologne, getting the listeners full attention. "And what happen next..." her voice trailed off again.

   "Yes? Yes?" Akane urged, moving closer to the old woman. Mousse adjusted his spectacles tensely.

   "And what happen next, I don't remember."

   Everyone except Kasumi fell head first towards the floor.

   "Oh my!"

        #          #          #          #          #


   "And that, was the whole story," finished the girl as she turned towards her saviours. "Any questions?"

   A loud snore answered her. Ranma was fast asleep on the grass with some saliva drooling over his mouth.

   "Ai ya! Ranma wake up! Listen to Grandmother!" Shampoo shook him violently.

   "Huh? Wha? Oh! You've finish? Good! Uh, sorry about that, I mean, the way you talk sounds a lot like our teacher, Miss Hinako. I always felt sleepy during lessons, especially -History- class."

   "What does that have to do with my story?!" young Cologne yelled. "It's not -that- boring, is it?! Is it?!!"

   "No! Of course not, Grandmother," assured Shampoo, trying to cover her yawn.

   "And stop calling me 'Grandmother'! I'm Cologne! I'm younger than you are! How could I even be a grandmother?"

   "Ok. Co-chan, let's get this straight. You are twelve years old? And this... is China?"

   The girl nodded, eyeing Ranma in confusion.

   The pigtail martial artist slapped his head. "Boy, am I ever in trouble."

   "What? Ranma?" Shampoo asked.

   "Shampoo, haven't you realised? Somehow, that stone brought us back to the past! We're both trapped here in the past, here in China, about a hundred years ago where your grandmother was... no.. -is- just twelve years old! We've got to find a way back!"

   Shampoo stared back at Ranma. Then folding her arms, her eyes flickered thoughtfully towards the Key Stone laid on the green grass before them. Then she got up and walked towards the largest boulder in sight. Heaving the huge rock over her head, she staggered towards the Key Stone.

   "Shampoo! What are you doing?!"

   "Shampoo want to destroy Key Stone. No Key Stone, Ranma no go back to Akane, then Ranma and Shampoo together."

   "Aghh!!!! Shampoo! Don't you understand the situation we're in now?!"

        #          #          #          #          #


   "Ranma!!!!! What are you and Shampoo doing inside that stone!!!!" yelled Akane standing over the stone with a huge boulder from the pond preparing to throw at the Key Stone.

   "Now, Akane, calm down," advised Kasumi.

   "How can I calm down!!! It had been ages! Who knows what they are doing inside that... That stone!! That baka!" Akane shouted back. "And Cologne can't even remember anything about this stone!" She glared at Cologne, who was trying to look as innocent as possible.

   "Now, how can you blame an old forgetful old woman?" Cologne shot back, toying mindlessly with her index fingers.

   "Shampoo!!!! I'll rescue you!" shouted Mousse into Soun's face, who turned the blind boy towards the right direction.

   "Akane, just wait a little longer," smoothed Nabiki.

   "Wait a little longer, and we'll all become old ladies!!!" yelled Akane impatiently.

   "Ok, go ahead, destroy the stone. Then Shampoo'll be more than happy, since she'll have Ranma all to herself," comment Nabiki.

   "... ..." Akane paused, then the stone abruptly flew back outside. "Aghh! My hands slipped! Well, I guess that baka's lucky this time."

   "Ya, sure."

   "Shampoo!!! I'm coming!!!" cried Mousse as he ran and smacked into a wall. Usually, even without glasses, he could at least see the wall in front of him. But this time, his desperate, strong concern for Shampoo or the fact that he had been turned around in circles by the bored panda beside Soun had made him totally blind.

   "We can't sit here forever waiting for them to come out," said Kasumi.

   "Yeah, I think we better do some research on this particular stone. Maybe we'll be able to find something," Nabiki suggested. "Cologne, you said you had the stone when you were twelve. How long ago was that?"

   Cologne crossed her hands, annoyed. "Never question a woman's age. Don't you know it's a woman's secret?"

   "Cologne! Please! This is an emergency!" pleaded Akane.

   The old woman shook her head stubbornly.

   "This is getting us nowhere." Nabiki began to walk towards the door. "Come on Akane, don't brother to ask her. We'll just look for information three thousand years ago, I bet she around that age."

   "Hey! I'm just a hundred over!! I'm not that -old-!!!" Cologne yelled back angrily at Nabiki, then a drop of sweat drip down her head as she saw Nabiki's lips turned up in cunning victory. {Great! I had just said aloud my age! Way to go, Cologne!}

   "I know!" Kasumi exclaimed suddenly. "I'll go Dr. Tofu's. Maybe he has gotten some books about that stone."

   "Great, sis! I'll go with you," said Nabiki.

   "Cologne, can I go over to Nakoten? Maybe there's something there that may help us," Akane asked politely.

   Cologne nodded and motioned her to follow as she hopped on her staff and out the dojo.

   "Wait." Akane bend down and picked up the Key Stone before anyone could protest. Everyone jumped back and stared eyed-widened in shock at her, expecting something to bad to happen.

   But, nothing did.

   "I'm bringing it with me, in case they find a way to come out," she said looking down at the stone. {Ranma... Please be safe...}

   "Shampoo!!! I'll save you!!!" yelled Mousse somewhere at the background.

        #          #          #          #          #


   "Dammit! I said bring us back to our time!!!! Are you deaf or something! You stupid stone!" yelled Ranma stamping, jumping and shaking the Key Stone like mad.

   He was mad. He had been ordering the stone half an hour to send them back home, yet the stone remained stoned. "Ahh! What's wrong with you!!!" The angry boy threw the stone towards the ground in frustration.

   "Aw, don't go back into that stone! You've just arrived! Stay and protect me!" pleaded Co-chan, shaking Ranma back and fro.

   "Shampoo agree with Grandmo... no, Co-chan. Why not stay? Shampoo like here with Ranma," the Amazon sulked.

   "Are you crazy? We can't stay here!" shouted Ranma.

   "Why not?" the two girls countered back together.

   "Err... because... because..." Ranma knew exactly why he didn't want to stay -- his heart had told him so -- but there's no way he was going to say that out. "Because we don't belong here! This isn't our time. And don't you think the others back home would start getting worried if we don't return?" {Especially a particular -uncute- girl if he doesn't return soon...}

   "Shampoo never mind. Shampoo grandmother here."

   "Where?" Co-chan looked around in search of an old lady, but she found none.

   "Shampoo! She doesn't even -know- she has a granddaughter!" Ranma yelled. "I don't care! I'm going back. You can stay if you want to, Shampoo."

   "No, Shampoo go where Ranma go."

   "Ok! We must have said something that activated this stone before it started sucking the hell out of us. So all we have to do is to say the magic words and snap! We're back again!" Ranma concluded, sitting crossed legs in front of the Key Stone. "Let's try to remember what we have said before."

   "But so long ago, Shampoo not remember."

   "We must at least try. Here goes! ARGHHHHH!!!!!"

   "Iiiiiiii!!!!!"

   "Shut up, Co-chan. This is not a game."

   "Hey! I just want to help!" sputtered the girl.

   "Ranma said, 'I love Shampoo'!!"

   "Shampoo! I didn't say that!"

   "'Shampoo!!! That stone! It's not rubbish...'" shouted Shampoo as she recalled Cologne's entrance.

   "That's after the stone had glow! Uh...  'Akane! You uncute tomboy!'"

   "Open Sesame!"

   "Shut up! Co-chan!"

        *          *          *          *          *


   *WHAT?!! What do you mean you didn't get that Key Stone?! I heard that a little girl had it after you killed her parents! All you've to do is to get it from her! Is that task too difficult for you?!* A loud voice boomed at the nervous burly man kneeled down at his feet.

   *No, my lord. But she has helpers -- helpers that came out from that stone! They are very skill in martial arts, even I and all my men are defeated easily.* Shinfu stated. *Their names are called Ranma and Shampoo.*

   He looked up hopefully for forgiveness from Zheng, the lord, the ruler of their part of China, and who soon would be the conqueror of the whole world.

   Zheng stepped out from the heavy curtains between them, his purple eyes staring straight at Shinfu, who shifted uneasily at his lord stony gaze.

   Was his lord going to kill him for failing his orders? He hoped not. He, after all, had a good reason to fail, right?

   *Your men. Hmph! They can't even defeat a baby even if their lives depend on it. You are all useless! And I don't care who the enemies are!* Zheng shouted in anger. *I ordered you to get me the Keystone and you failed me. You and your men are of no use now!*

   Zheng drew his long sword.

   *No! Please, my lord, give me another chance!* Shinfu broke into a desperate plead. *I'll defeat them this time, for sure!*

   Zheng's sword slid towards his head, unaffected by his pleads. Shinfu squeezed his eyes shut. He hoped it wouldn't hurt much... He just hope...

   *Wait a moment, my lord.*

   A voice called out. Shinfu opened his eyes in surprised and his hands flew towards his throat instinctively. Then he let out a heavy breath he never knew he was holding. Still here, his head was still there... Good.

   He turned to face the speaker, who voice had just saved his beloved head. He recognized the voice of course, but it was the fact that he had never expected to hear it that made him curious.

   A middle age man in dark brown Chinese cloths and dark black trousers entered the room. The man cast a quick glance at Shinfu before he kneeled down before Zheng to speak up again.

   *What is it, Po?* Zheng asked sliding back his sword back into the sword sheath. Apparently he lost his interest in executing Shinfu.

   Po smiled, revealing a set of dirty brown teeth with a gold tooth, which gave off a small 'pink' of reflected light, in front. *I beg you, my lord to spare his life.*

   *Po!* Shinfu lunged at him and hugged him gratefully with all his might. Happy tears began to pour down his square face uncontrollable.

   Po was crying too. His body was giving strange popping, crunching sounds under Shinfu's grasps. His face was a reflection of pure, wordless agony and disgust. That second, he regretted his actions. Maybe he should just let Zheng killed him after all...

   *Spare his life?* Zheng raised his eyebrow in surprise. *I never expected those words coming from you, Po. This isn't like you after all! Why do you want the life of such worthless man?*

   *Because... my.. lord, he'll be... perfect..* Po gasped, still struggling against Shinfu's clutches. *As a specimen... for my newly invented pills...*

   Instantly, Shinfu's grateful tears stopped. He let go of Po, and left his hands swinging weakly by his side. So this was what the 'rescue' was about -- he, as Po's guinea pig.

   *Oh really? You mean it's ready?* Zheng leaned forward in interest.

   *Yes, my lord.*

   *Good. Let Shinfu try it.*

   *NOOO!!!!!!* wailed the petrified brute. His face was filled with tears once again, this time, fearful ones. He remembered clearly the rumors about Po's inventions.

   Lot's of people were force to try them and were never seen again. Maybe they were dead, or maybe as some others say, became something else... something much more horrible. No! If this was the case, he rather died under Zheng's sword. At least, he would die as he himself, not in the form of any ugly creatures...

   *No, please, my lord! I beg for forgiveness!* Shinfu cried desperately. Po took the chance to grip him from behind. The brute yelled fearfully as he did so. He raised his huge fist as a symbol of threat. *Let go of me, you useless professor!!*

   *According to my calculations, you can't reach me from behind,* Po said proudly. *Your hand is not long enough-*

   Before he could finish his explanation, Shinfu took him out of cold by a backwards punch over his shoulders. Then he began to run for the door.

   Zheng narrowed his eyes. His battle aura flared.

   In a flash, so fast that before one blink, Zheng appeared in front of Shinfu and gave him a blow in the stomach with his sword back. Shinfu's eyes bugged out in shock and fell onto the ground unconscious.

   *Let him have the pill,* Zheng command calmly, returning to his seat.

   *Yes, my lord.* Po took out a bottle about the size of a baby's milk bottle from his shirt's sleeves and forced the whole bottle of pills into Shinfu's mouth. Then he poured a huge bucket of water down his throat. Done, he stepped back beside Zheng and watched.

   Moments later, Shinfu's body began to shiver, shook and sweat. Slightly at first, then more and more vigorously. The man began to toss and turned, squeezing his eyes in hard concentration.

   *It's beginning to react,* cackled Po to himself as he rubbed his hands in pleasure.

   Zheng smiled. *Maybe, for the first time, you'll succeed.*

   *No...* Shinfu whmpered. *No... No mum, I don't want to go to school. And I don't want your milk either!!!*

   *He's sleep talking,* voiced Po flatly.

   Zheng closed his eyes in irritation. *Wake that dream boy up.*

                                  ---

   At the tap on the head by Po's small toy hammer, Shinfu shot up, awake. He blinked, staring hazily down at his huge hands. He didn't say a word.

   *How do you feel, Shinfu?*

   Shinfu's lips curved.

   *Strong,* he said. Deep within, his eyes glowed in dim red. *Perfect. This power within me that I feel... so strong...*

   He suddenly punched his fist into the wall. The wall cracked and came tumbling down, leaving a hollow at the place where he had strike. *Just perfect.*

To be continue...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Done! Aghhh... I stay up till 3.30 a.m. for this one. You guy must be grateful. Really! So C&C back! Remember!

Hmm... going for holiday on the 9th, so the next Chapter may come later. No, maybe an interlude of Sing and Su Kiong will come first. Those who don't know about these two please read chapter one again. I've changed quite a few things in my Revised Version.

Well, see ya!

Yucca


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