Subject: [FFML] [C&C][Ranma] Path of the Warrior Chapter 6 PartB (A Quantum Destinies sidestory)
From: "Ragun P. Moody" <Kichigai@tds.net>
Date: 8/23/2001, 4:00 PM
To: "FFML" <ffml@anifics.com>, "DB Sommer" <sommer@3rdm.net>


	$And here we go...

	<snip>

The adjunct suddenly seemed a bit hesitant. "Well, do keep in mind this
is
only information heard secondhand. It's from the roommate of the head
secretary for the branch of Otani Media Conglomerate."

"Secretaries are like janitors. No one ever notices they're there since
they're considered unimportant as individuals and the jobs they do are
seen
as dirty or meaningless. One secretary in the pocket is worth two
corporate
spies, as the saying goes."

"There's an actual saying about that?"

"There is now. I just made it up."

"Very good, sir."

"Quit sucking up and spit it out, man! What have you heard about
Shampoo?"

	$Now there's a turn of phrase for you.

Sensing Beef was no longer in the mood for trivialities, the adjunct did
as
he was told. After hearing the information, Beef immediately told him to
contact his chauffeur and to get his car ready. Beef was going to the
arena
personally to deliver the message to Jaddo and his prot�g�. The matter
was
too important to leave in the hands of underlings.


	<snip>


Silently, Shampoo watched as Snakebite returned to the fighter's area,
victorious. He did not look like the winner, not with his face a mass of
bruises and swellings and his right arm dangling limply at his side. It
had
been a hard fought contest, the best of the night so far, and had ended
with
the death of his opponent: a masked man that had called himself 'The
Tokyo
Bullet.' It was an appropriate name, given the fact the man moved with
the
speed of one. He had made Snakebite look like he was fighting through
molasses with the way he darted around the veteran, raining in blow
after
blow, giving five for every one he received. In the end, it was only
superior strategy that had saved Snakebite from another loss as he
feigned
an injury that made the Bullet go in for a lightning quick finishing
charge.
Instead, Snakebite came out of his crouch early and lunged forward,
catching
the Bullet off-guard and clotheslining him in mid-stride. The velocity
the
Bullet had built up was too great as the blow snapped his neck with a
loud

	$great and the blow

pop that could be heard throughout the arena. It also succeeded in
pulling
Snakebite's arm out of its socket. It was the most grueling match of the
night so far.

Pink was at his side the instant she was allowed, giving him words of
comfort as her eyes threatened to tear up. In a way, her concern for her
boyfriend would probably serve her opponent well, since that meant she
would
be in a hurry to finish him and return to Snakebite rather than toy
around
with the new guy as she worked the crowd. That was unless the newbie was
as
skilled as the Bullet, in which case perhaps it would be Pink who fell.
Shampoo had her doubts about that, even if the newcomer had a trick or
two
up his sleeve. Pink was easily the second best fighter in the arena,
after
herself, and it was a close second. One of these days Tetsuo would allow
them to fight to prove who the hottest commodity in the arena was. Now
that
was going to be a fight to remember.

Pink's contest was just beginning as Beef finally arrived at the
fighter's
area. His face had turned tomato red and he was huffing and wheezing as
hard
as Snakebite had after his battle. The large man drew everyone's stares,
including those of Jaddo and Shampoo. He waved to them and moved fast,
despite his previous run and his tremendous bulk. Once at their side,
Shampoo attended him while Jaddo looked curiously on, leisurely resting
against a wall.

"Beware the one foe we can never best: cholesterol," Beef gasped out.

	$As I still eat good Southern cooking on a regular basis, yeah.

"We can beat it if we watch what we eat," Jaddo said. "And time is the
one
foe we cannot best, not cholesterol."

"You have your sayings, I have mine," Beef said.

	$I like Beef's better.

"Yes, but yours are stupid and mine are cool. I could probably write
greeting cards, if I wanted to."

	$Nah, Beef's are better.

Shampoo shot Jaddo a warning glare that told him to curb his tongue.
Once
again she attended Beef. "Did you come down personally to watch me
fight?"

"I wish that was the only reason for my presence here tonight," Beef
said
much more clearly, having regained some of his wind. "I have important
news
for you, my dear. Something you might be unaware of."

"What?" Jaddo said, his posture much straighter with the declaration.
Beef's
accent was slipping and carrying more than a hint of its usual English.
That
only happened when he was distracted or concerned. In either case, Jaddo
sensed it promised trouble.

"I'm afraid that your rather arduous match tonight is for more than the
simple entertainment of the masses. Apparently it is going to serve as
something of a test for you. You see, from my various confidential
sources,
I have gathered that our friend Tetsuo was requested to give you a
chance to
showcase your talents. It appears you have managed to catch the interest
of
the head of western operations for Otani Media Conglomerate."

"So?" Shampoo asked.

Jaddo's reaction was much more severe. His eyes instantly darted up to
where
the most expensive box seats lay, his gaze searching until it fell upon
the
one that he believed was owned by the Otani Media Conglomerate. His hand
came up to his forehead to shield out the glare of the lights hanging
nearby
as he stared at it closely. The distance was too great to make out
individual faces, but it appeared that there might be more people in it
than
usual. It was difficult to say, since he had never taken the time to
count
them before.

"Is this head important?" Shampoo asked her mentor.

	$Insomuch that if you cut it off it causes problems, yeah.

Jaddo turned his worried gaze away from the box. "Hell, yah. That's the
group I try to sell all my fighters' contracts to. They're straight
shooters
and will treat you right. What I can't understand is why the head would
be
here."

Pride was clear in Shampoo's voice. "Maybe he wants to sign me after my
match."

"Don't be stupid!" Jaddo shot back. "There are plenty of go-betweens
that
take care of trivial matters like signing on fighters."

"My contract is not trivial," Shampoo said in a huff.

"To you, no. To people that control the flow of billions of yen and
whose
individual decisions routinely affect thousands of people every day,
it's
about as interesting as the toilet paper they use to wipe their butts.

	$And when it's bad, they don't notice it near as quickly.

 I
doubt if the head gets more than a quarterly report on fighter
acquisitions.
I can't imagine why he'd want to see you fight. He's never attended the
matches before, from what I understand. Never heard him having any
interest
in them. Is it the same head as before? Otani's bastard kid?"

	$Ah, interesting note.  I'll pay attention to that.

Beef held up a pudgy finger of warning. "Now, now. You know that no
official
declaration was ever made and it's just speculation. And yes, it is
still
him, at least as of this morning."

Jaddo ran a hand through the hair that lay so close to his scalp.
Shampoo
had rarely seen him so nervous, and certainly not over a matter as
trivial
as this. "This complicates things."

"No, it doesn't." Shampoo stated bluntly. "I'm going to defeat my
opponents
and show these men just how good I really am."

"You got three fights in a row coming up, and the guys you're going to
fight
didn't look like saps to me," Jaddo warned.

Shampoo nodded solemnly, "I know. None of them looked appealing to me,
so
have no fears that I'll be distracted by a handsome face. I have no
intention of marrying any of them."

"And they were in previous fights, though only the first one appeared
the
least bit winded from it." Beef pointed out, having watched them on his
limousine's television on the way over. "My advice to you is to forget
about
playing the crowd for a change, at least in the first two fights.
Winning is
far more important than impressing some stuffed shirts high overhead. If
they both go quickly and well, and after you've worn down your last
opponent, use your judgment if it's worthwhile to expend some energy to
work
them up a bit."

"Always save the best showmanship for last. That's what will stick in
their
minds the most after a fight: the last thing they see, not the first,"
Shampoo quoted.

"Absolutely correct. You've trained her well," Beef told Jaddo.

"Her head's not filled completely with rocks, no," Jaddo reluctantly
agreed.

	$Jaddo: The rest is air.

A loud cheer erupted from the crowd. The trio looked down to see that
Pink
had finished off her opponent in near record time. She remained around
only
long enough for an official to raise her hand in triumph before she
ripped
it out of his grasp and headed directly for the infirmary.

The ring introduction for Shampoo began. Jaddo and Beef gave her a nod,
and
she made her way to the center of the floor. It was uncommon for them to
introduce the top draw first, but then it was more unusual for the top
draw
to fight three people in one night.

As Shampoo entered the combat floor and came into view of the crowd, she
gave them a jiggly little bounce. On this night she had chosen a one
piece
green and brown outfit that hugged her in all of the right places while
still allowing her complete freedom to fight. The outfit itself was just
a
touch on the short side, barely extending downward enough to keep from
showing a scandalous amount of bottom when she leaped or kicked. It was
intentional though, since the audience tended to react more strongly
with
the more she showed. Once she had established a large fan base, she
could
probably wear more conservative items, according to Jaddo, but for now
she
had to be flashy so that it was her name on everyone's lips as they left
the
arena and went back to their lives.

Once in the center, Shampoo blocked out most of what the ring announcer
was
saying, which was in essence the same thing he always said. From the
dingiest dog pits to the classiest of arena, the words might have been
different but the meanings remained the same: here are two people that
are
going to beat the living hell out of one another for your viewing
pleasure.

	$Some things are hardwired into the brain, ever since the first monkeys
sat around to watch a young male take on the alpha for breeding rights.
Oddly enough, I don't think much has changed.

Unlike the night of her arrogant challenge in the dog pit, it had been
arranged that after Shampoo disposed of an opponent (assuming she did)
she
would be given an extended five minute rest period while her next
adversary
was introduced. Not a great deal of time, but enough to make the
difference
in a close fight.

The first of her opponents to be introduced was the victor of the first
contest of the evening. His name was Kai-Lan No, and was at best a year
older than Shampoo. He was the fighter that had a great deal of
difficulty
in his match. Shampoo marked him as the least likely of her opponents to
give much trouble, but trouble he could still be, especially since she
had
two fights after him.

As the announcer left the combat floor, Shampoo finished mentally
preparing
herself for the fight, plotting out specific techniques and styles she
might
use. Her planning was interrupted as No was quick to strike, testing the
young Amazon's defenses with a series of blows. With surprising ease,
Shampoo warded off each of the fists and kicks. There was little behind
the
blows and certainly nothing that could get through to her. No trouble
yet.

Seeing a wide opening left in the middle of his strikes, Shampoo decided
to
chance ending the fight early by going for a finishing attack. There was
some risk involved if the opening was a feint that left her open to a
counterstrike, but she thought it unlikely No was capable of that level
of
deception.

Her kick hit him squarely in the side and under his arm, lifting him up
in
the air. Shampoo managed to change his trajectory by unleashing another
lightning fast kick under his back and forced him into a mid-air spin,
and
sustaining his act of defying gravity for another moment. The additional
time was sufficient for Shampoo to reset herself, so that the instant No
landed, her fist met his mid-section. His body went limp.

	$No problem, eh?

The crowd gave its loudest roar yet at the spectacle. Shampoo had
finished
off her opponent in under thirty seconds, and in spectacular style. It
had
barely qualified as a warm-up for her. No had been pure sap. Somehow,
Shampoo doubted she would be so lucky with her second opponent.

As No's unconscious form was carted off, Lung 'The Thunderer' was
introduced
next. He was built like a tree stump, with shoulders nearly as wide as
he
was tall, which was several centimeters shorter than Shampoo. His face
said
that he was older, and she would have wagered he was close to the
twenty-three year age limit for their fight class. His battle had lasted
only slightly longer than Shampoo's just had. Judging by his stance and
the
careful, yet confident way he watched her, the young woman would have
guessed this fight was going to be somewhat tougher.

"You can come on over if you like." He curled his finger toward her in a
gesture that was directed more to the crowd than herself. Not a complete
buffoon, then, since he seemed to know his way around a ring.

Accepting his offer, Shampoo probed his defenses first and opened up
with a
barrage of blows. He deflected many of them, and the few that managed to
get
through did no apparent damage. During the assault, he launched several
tentative blows of his own that were easily thwarted. So far he had
shown a
good technique, but nothing that could really harm her unless she
behaved
stupidly.

Within a minute she saw what appeared to be an opening to his chest that
he
could not deflect or avoid easily, especially with his bulk. A two fist
combination met his solar plexus, blows that should have knocked the
wind
out of him and would give the Amazon the advantage in the fight.

Instead, Lung struck the spot she had hit himself. "Nice try, but you'll
have to hit harder than that."

Images of the Northman danced before Shampoo's eyes. Anger coursed
through
her, and rather than be surprised, by the Thunderer's durability, she
attacked right above the spot she had struck before, this time
unleashing
her full might. Fists that could have shattered concrete met flesh and
the
Thunderer, for all of his toughness and mass, was staggered. He took
several
steps back before coming to a complete stop. Outwardly he appeared
physically unharmed, despite the force behind the potent blows. However,
he
made a face and felt the area that had been struck and looked down at it
in
confusion. There was surprise in his voice. "You've overcome my Stone
Style
technique."

	$He later added 'Ouch' for good measure.


	<snip>

"I would not expect someone as spiritually deprived as you to appreciate
the
nuances of my people, Mr. N'Digi," the man answered in a deep voice that
reverberated throughout the area.

"So says the man who has a dead peacock sitting on his head. Yes, very
spiritual indeed."

"It is a peacock which I can remove. You, however, will look ugly no
matter
what. Have you ever considered wearing a mask?"

	$Yeah, but he's no more likely to remove the peacock than Jaddo is to
wear a mask.

	<snip>


It was at that moment that Watambe's mysterious trainer clinked his
bracelets together, producing a single high-shrilled jingle that could
be

	$Hmm, if it's single, a jingle really wouldn't be appropriate.  Perhaps
'a single high-pitched ring'.

heard even through the crowd's approval at Shampoo's display.

The sound caught right at the edge of Shampoo's hearing, but she paid it
little mind. She was just turning around to regard her opponent, who had
remained where he was during her entire demonstration, and looked him in
the
eye--

--only to have his fist connect solidly with her face a moment later.

The crowd roared as they watched Shampoo get hit. Jaddo too, was caught
off-guard by the blow landing. He watched it happen again, and was about
to
curse how Shampoo was getting sloppy when he suddenly recognized the
style
that Watambe was using, and why Shampoo was allowing herself to be hit.
It
was also at that moment that he recalled where he had seen similar
bracelets
before. He looked at the man next to him over. Many years had passed,
and
the skin color was much darker than before, but he always had been a
tricky
devil. Perhaps the trickiest of them all. "You're Dhalsim?"

	$Figures.  He ran into Sagat, he had to know the rest.

Peacockhead laughed. "Hardly. He has used disguises in the past, but I
am
not him. He was my master, and I was one of his pupils, even as Watambe
is
one of mine. You are an old acquaintance of my master, I believe."

"We fought a couple of times, yah. Tricky fellow. All headgames and
thinking, not much for interest in the actual fight. In my younger days
I
traveled to India and tried to get him to show me some stuff when I was
preparing for entering the fighting circuit, but it wasn't meant to be.
We
didn't view the world through the same eyes. He was an optimist. I'm a
realist."

Peacockhead returned his attention to the fight, but kept talking. "Yes,
in
the end, the spiritual aspects of his teachings eluded me. However, I
learned the physical ones well enough, before I left, as you can see."

	$enough before I left, as you can see."

"Your boy probably should have won all his fights then, if he was any
good,
Peacockhead. You had him intentionally tank some?"

"I had him hold back his true abilities, waiting for an opportunity such
as
this main event. Now in one night he will beat the current hottest
commodity
and become the hottest fighter around without having to wait months to
soar
through the ranks. It was a gamble, but one that is about to pay off.
With
the skills I have learned and passed down to one of Watambe's physical
abilities, there is no limit to what he can accomplish, including
becoming
the number one warrior after only one fight."

"You should have paid closer attention to that Zen babble Dhalsim used
to
spout off, as you're about to learn. " Jaddo looked back out at his
prot�g�.

	$What, don't count your chickens before they've achieved enlightenment?


Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Shampoo reeled from the blow. It had been as unexpected as Pink's sucker
punch on the first day she had visited the arena. Luckily, there had not
been much force behind it, or else Shampoo would have found herself just
as
out of it as way back then. Resetting herself, she turned to see that
Watambe had cut the distance between them to half. His posture was
completely different now, holding a confidence that had not been present
before. So, he had been playing a game and making her look the part of
the
inexperienced fool. That was a mistake that he would pay for, starting
with
the next blow.

Just as she charged forward, his foot seemed to extend, meeting her
chest
long before she could land her own punch.

	$Shampoo:  I know his type, this won't be any problem.  Just another
Stretch Armstrong wannabe.

 Again caught off-guard by the
bizarre attack, Shampoo fell backward.

Still better than five feet away from his opponent, Watambe changed his
technique in way that reminded Shampoo of the manner in which Snakebite
would do the same. The dark-skinned man was moving in snakelike fashion
with
how he undulated his body back and forth. The baggy clothing he wore
only
added to the effect, making it difficult for Shampoo to center in on
where
his body actually was.

Bringing his arms forward, hands pointed at Shampoo, Watambe began
making
small circles with his arms, the concentric rings on the sleeves
confusing
Shampoo's perceptions further. Again his arm seemed to extend inhumanly
far
from the folds of his sleeve and connected solidly with her jaw. The
slight
tang of blood danced on her tongue from her lip being split open. Angry
that
he was making her look foolish before everyone, and that he was somehow
winning with a painfully ridiculous technique,

	$Emphasis on the pain, eh?

 Shampoo went on the attack,
suffering another kick and punch before closing the distance between
them.

Once he was within her reach, Shampoo began to attack in full force.
However, she was quick to discover that her blows, while being directed
right at Watambe, seemed to only end up connecting with the baggy
material
of his voluminous robe, that now somehow appeared to be three times as
large
as before.

	$robe, which now somehow

 There were a handful of instances where she thought her fist
brushed against his body, but by using his ever-shifting snakelike moves
he
danced out of the way, letting her do nothing more than pound away at
his
fabric.

Frustrated by being outmaneuvered, Shampoo found herself momentarily
blinded
by a sleeve slapped across her eyes. When her vision cleared, she saw
that
Watambe had once again created a fifteen foot gap between them.

This time she was ready for the unorthodox fists and kicks directed at
her
by falling into a completely defensive posture. The first series of
blows
she managed to deflect; however, every now and then a few trickled
through
and found their mark. There was no way to avoid them no matter how hard
she
tried; the method of their delivery defied reality as Shampoo knew it.

Sensing his attacks were not going to stop, and knowing she could never
win
being on the defensive as she was, she charged close in again, suffering
two
more blows before arriving next to him, and still failing to connect
with a
solid punch before he repeated his strategy and gained some space
between
them again.

For only the second time in her fighting career, Shampoo was on her way
to
losing her fight and her single status.

	$Does she consider him handsome?

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"My man appears to be winning."

"Only because he is," Jaddo mumbled. "I was sort of hoping she might
figure
it out on her own, but it doesn't look like she's going to before it's
too
late."

"Figure what out?"

Jaddo continued onward. "I guess I shouldn't be all that disappointed.
It
took me a while to figure it out. I shouldn't have expected her to do
any
better."

"Figure out what?" Peacockhead asked again.

"Still, she's so much better than I was at her age. I was kind of hoping
she
would exceed my expectation there, too. Well, she's almost close enough
for
it."

The man that refused to give his name laughed. "I see. This is one of
your
infamous headgames. Your fighter is clearly outmatched, yet you insist
on
making me believe you have a technique that will allow her to counter
Watambe's. It won't work. I know my master defeated you in every fight
you
had. You cannot-"

Now that Shampoo had drawn near enough, Jaddo shouted at the top of his
lungs, "HEY, LARD BUTT. HE'S NOT REALLY HITTING YOU FROM FAR AWAY. IT'S
AN -

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"- ILLUSION HE'S PROJECTING MAKING YOU THINK HE'S FAR AWAY, AND HIS ARMS
AND
SKINNY LEGS ARE STRETCHING. DON'T LOOK AT HIM HEAD ON. USE YOUR
PERIPHERAL
VISION!"

Recognizing her mentor's voice, even above the roar of the crowd that
was
urging Watambe on, Shampoo processed the information. How could anyone
do
what Jaddo implied?

	$No comment.

Another stretched fist, only partially deflected, struck Shampoo in the
head. She hoped for her sake Jaddo was correct, because she could not
come
up with a better plan to counter Watambe's technique. Turning to the
side so
that she could only see her opponent out of the corner of her eye, she
tried
to fight sideways. At first she thought Jaddo was full of it, as Watambe
appeared to be just as distant as before. However, after only a second,
Shampoo could have sworn he seemed to flow up next to her. It was
difficult
to tell by only looking out the corner of her eye, but it did appear
that
way. Jaddo was right!

Her happiness was short-lived as two more blows caught her in the kidney
and
beneath her left breast. She started to turn to face him, but then the
illusion fell back into place. Again she shifted to the side, and again
the
brown blur that was Watambe seemed to be right next to her. She tried a
slow
attack that was immediately blocked, then she suffered another couple of
blows. She had fared better trying to counter the technique head on. She
would never win at this rate.

"It's not working!" Going completely on the defensive, Shampoo managed
to
blunt the next couple of strikes and tried moving sideways to get some
distance from her opponent.

"Use the technique you learned when I used to whip rocks at your head
from
beside or behind you!" Jaddo shouted.

"That was not a technique! It was a way for you to take cheap shots at
me
because you thought I wasn't paying attention to you when I really was!"

	$Genma: Ah, Jaddo is wise in the way of the martial arts trainer.

"It was a subtle training method! You were able to catch the rocks after
a
while! Now think of his fists and kicks as rocks and counter them!"

Obeying her mentor, Shampoo fell into the same mental state she had used
during those times from months ago. Watambe's next two fists and kick
were
blocked effortlessly. Sensing an opening out of the corner of her eye,
Shampoo lashed out with the limb that had just blocked a fist, using a
ridge
hand to strike the unsuspecting Watambe right in the sternum. The blow
knocked him backward, the pain momentarily crossing his eyes.

"He's lost his concentration! Hit him head on and don't let him get it
back!"

Shampoo obeyed, turning to face an opponent who was within easy striking
distance and whose robes did not appear anywhere near as voluminous as
before. Her first fist was parried, but a second connected cleanly with
his
chest and an elbow met squarely between his eyes.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

"Reestablish concentration! Focus your chi! You can do it, Watambe! It's
only pain!" Peacockhead shot Jaddo a nasty look.

Jaddo's return glance was smug. "Just because I lost to Dolly doesn't
mean I
didn't learn a counter to some of his techniques. Like I said, he was
tricky."

There was a cruel smile on the other man's lips. He clinked his
bracelets
together and shouted out, "Phyrious!" to his man.

Again Jaddo felt an uneasiness creep up his spine. He would be ready for
anything.

	$That last bit needs reworking.  It sounds wrong to me.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Watambe was a decent hand-to-hand fighter, but decent translated into
being
able to survive minutes instead of seconds to a warrior of Shampoo's
caliber. She continued with a relentless assault that had Watambe on the
verge of defeat, her steady stream of attacks wearing him down and
preventing him from coming close to reestablishing his illusions again.

And then Watambe heard his mentor's order. All but running backward, he
distanced himself from his opponent again. Shampoo, wary of him trying
to
use his illusions, stood sideways and used only her peripheral vision to
counter what was to come.

Instead of trying to raise his fist or feet, Watambe began swaying,
bending
deeply at the hip and making circles. Shampoo remained back, wondering
what
bizarre technique he had come up with, though with how deep the bends
were,
she wondered if it was a reaction to the pain from one of her blows.
Actually, she thought it was probably just that since it looked like he
was
on the verge of throwing up with how much his cheeks were bulging. She
began
to charge forward, continuing to move sideways and avoid direct eye
contact.

"GET DOWN!"

Shampoo reacted instantly to Jaddo's command. Just as she started to
head
face first into the ground, she saw a mist of spray shoot outward from
Watambe's bulging cheeks towards her. Just as the cloud was released, he
brought his arms forward and struck his bracelets hard, causing a spark.

The instant the spark hit the spray there was a tremendous roar as the
droplets caught on fire, creating a huge ball of flame that struck where
Shampoo had been less than half a second before.

	$Not to mention all over his wrist and hands, immersed in the spray as
they would have to be to make the spark.

 Face down on the ground,
she felt the heat lick her lower back, caressing it delicately as would
a
demon lover's touch. She cringed and prayed that the flames would go no
lower, for there was nowhere left to run.

The heat was gone in a moment and the roar of flames expired, Shampoo
looked
up to see Watambe holding his mouth, as though he were in tremendous
pain.

	$Heh, poor guy.  He should have trained by eating lots of habanero
peppers.

With the heat she was still feeling radiating from her back, she would
see
to it the pain he was currently in would not come close to preparing him
for
what was about to happen. Shampoo had seen burn victims before, during a
huge fire in the village that had claimed the lives of a couple of
families.
Seeing the ravaging pain that the survivors had been left in, Shampoo
had
long ago decided that massive burns was one of the rare cases where
dying
was preferable to having to live with the unrelenting pain.

	$Right up there with eating Akane's cooking, listening to Minmei's
singing, and reading Oscar's fanfics.

 And it was a
fate Watambe had just tried to inflict upon her. He had failed. Now it
was
her chance to return the favor.

She sprang to her feet just as Watambe recovered enough to shut out the
pain
and looked right at her crimson eyes. Shampoo could see his lips were
puffy
and swollen, either a drawback to the move or a testament that he had
used
it improperly. She smashed him with a right to the face that he could
not
come close to blocking. She then used a left on the other side, sending
him
reeling the other way. There now, both sides of his face would match the
current condition of his lips, and that was just the opening move.

The burning sensation from Shampoo's back continued to grow, even though
at
the time it had felt like the flames had barely touched her.

	$Her outfit, I presume that it's silk?

 Watambe was
really going to pay for that. She picked him up by the arm and held him
high
enough to kick him repeatedly in the stomach. Convinced he would not be
regaining his breath for about a month, and would not be trying to burn
her
again, she struck him in the elbow and saw the appendage twist oddly in
her
hand. As his sleeve fell back and revealed the limb, she could see that
the
joint had been knocked out of place, and where the end of the bone
threatened to poke through the skin. Seeing the actual physical damage
from
her assault, her desire to inflict pain departed as quickly as it came,
despite discomfort from the heat radiating from her back. She ended
things
with a quick strike to her helpless captive's head, rattling the
contents
within hard enough to send him into unconsciousness.

It was just as she released his body and let it slump to the ground that
she
managed to catch something Jaddo was shouting to her. It was difficult
to
hear over the crowd that was cheering wildly at her third victory in a
row.
They were more agitated than usual, almost as much as Jaddo, screaming
and
pointing at her.

"What?!" she shouted at him, cupping her ear and trying to pick his
voice
out from that of the crowd.

"You're on fire!" she finally managed to make out. That seemed an
unusual
thing for Jaddo to say. Was he proposing she have another fight?

	$That seems odd.  I'd expect her to think that it was a compliment.
Sorta like being 'In the zone'.

That would
be stupid. Watambe had been dangerous, and inflicted a serious amount of
damage to her. Not lasting, thankfully, but she was worn out and had no
desire to fight for the next several days, especially with how her back
was
feeling. If anything, the sensation of heat was creeping up her spine
now.
And then there was the smell of something burning, even though
nothing...
was... burning?

	$Shampoo:  *sniff* *sniff*  Mmm...  Roast pork.  *drool*

"Ahh!" Shampoo shouted as the true meaning behind Jaddo's warning
finally
sunk in. Apparently a small lick of flame had touched her, and had
caused
her outfit to smolder until it combusted properly. Now she understood
what
was going on. Thankful that she had worn a rather skimpy one-piece
outfit
that could be removed quickly, she grabbed it by the bottom of the hem
and
threw it over her head. She was fast enough that the flames, which were
only
now truly starting to grow, didn't touch her as the outfit was tossed
far
away to the side.

	$Much to the audience's delight, of course.  Fanservice.

Shampoo let out a sigh of relief. That had been close. Had the dress
remained on her a moment longer, she would have suffered some degree of
burns. But now she was safe, her fiery clothing tossed off to the side.
And
of course, since her clothing was tossed off, that left her standing in
front of tens of thousands of people clad in nothing but her athletic
bra
and a pair of panties.

	$Instantly insuring that that fight would live forever in the hearts of
her fans.

It was turning out to be a night of surprises.

As she remained standing motionless, cursing her luck, Shampoo could not
help noticing the crowd, especially the men, were cheering harder than
they
had ever before in her life. Making the best of what she considered a
humiliating situation, she played up to the crowd, raising a triumphant
fist
and planting her foot firmly on her unconscious opponent, making sure to
grind her heel in a sensitive spot as repayment for the situation he had
placed her in.

Despite her annoyance, Shampoo kept on smiling as she slowly made her
way to
the exit, rotating so that everyone in the arena would get at least one
good
eyeful of her. She was a professional now, and had to play the game by
the
rules winners played. Besides, it could have been considerably worse;
she
could have had a body the crowd did not want to see.

	$Naked Northman.  AHHHH!

As she arrived at the exit ramp, where she would finally be out of sight
of
everyone, she blew a final kiss to the wildly cheering masses, then
turned
around and sauntered off, exaggerating the wiggle to her behind as the
final
thing the crowd would see. She was delighted to find that Jaddo had
prepared
for her return by grabbing a sizable towel that would cover her from the
top
of her breasts to the bottom of her derriere. Barely, but enough to get
the
job done.

Jaddo opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Shampoo beat
him
to it. "I know what you're going to say. You're right. I should not have
taken Watambe so lightly. Even though I pressed an early advantage, I
should
have waited until I knew for a fact that he was too beaten to present a
threat to me before playing to the crowd. I should have been able to
figure
out that he was using a technique that relied upon illusion and come up
with
a way to counter it, as well as employing that anti-stone throwing
technique
you subtly taught me. I nearly lost. I am sorry."

"Actually I was going to tell you you did a pretty good job. He sure had
me
fooled with how good he really was. I fell victim to that self-same
style
years ago and had my head handed to me. And the anti-stone throwing
technique was subtle, which was why you didn't think to use it. Even I
didn't realize he was going to use that combustible bile trick until it
was
almost too late. And that was real smooth the way you played the crowd
after
tossing away your outfit, instead of covering up and acting all
embarrassed.
You really scored some points with them and assured your main event
status
for at least the next two cards. I'd say congratulations are in order."

"Oh." Shampoo was at a loss. Jaddo had never been this conciliatory
before.
She was uncertain of how to react.

	$Chicken Little ran screaming by.

Jaddo was actually filled with a bit of trepidation as he said, "A bit
of
the bottom of your hair got singed there. Looks like you're going to
have to
cut off about three centimeters or so to even it out."

Shampoo fingered the burned locks. "I was thinking of shortening it a
bit
anyhow."

Jaddo looked at her in near open mouthed wonder. "A woman that isn't
perpetually worried about her hair. Will wonders never cease?"

	$It's fiction, relax.  Never happen in real life.

Shampoo gave him a more than friendly rap on the shoulder for that,
which
Jaddo accepted humorously.

Seeing that the teacher-student conversation was over, Beef walked over
and
said, "Wonderful fight. People are going to remember that one for a
while.

	$Especially the men, especially at night.

And I daresay Otani Media would be fools if they didn't give you a fat,
juicy contract."

"Oh, right." Shampoo had completely forgotten about them after her third
fight took a turn for the worse. She looked to Jaddo, who seconded
Beef's
opinion.

"We should go out and celebrate," Beef declared. "Let's go back to the
restaurant. Open bar and food. I'll even hire a couple of escorts for
you,
Jaddo. And you too, if you want, Shampoo. There's this upscale brothel
called 'Celestial Bodies' that's run by this former nun I once knew from
way
back when.

	$Beef: In fact, I'm the reason she's a 'former' nun.  I guess the taste
of heaven I gave her was more fun than her idea.

 They offer a fine selection of talented men and women and are
very reputable. I always recommend them to out of towners that can
afford
it."

"No thanks," Shampoo said, though the idea of simply engaging in a one
night
stand was not quite as unappealing as it had been when she had still
lived
at home. No doubt it was because so many of the fighters she spent time
with
lived life in the fast lane and promiscuity tended to be a bit high as
blood
and passions ran fast and free.

	$And Pink limps by.
      Pink: Oww.  Oww.  Oww.

 Regardless, she was still saving herself for
a man that truly interested her. Then she would give free reign to the
ever
heightening desires her body seemed to be longing for, ones that were
becoming increasingly more obvious with each passing month. She hoped
she
found the right man soon.

To her surprise. Jaddo said, "No hookers for me either, though I'll take
you
up on your offer of free booze." When Shampoo looked at him in surprise,
he
said, "Want to keep my energy up for proper negotiating. It'll probably
be
tomorrow evening or afternoon, and I want to be at the top of my game."

"I'll watch myself too," Shampoo assured him. Tomorrow was going to be
one
of the most important days of her life, and Jaddo wasn't the only one
that
wanted to be fully aware of everything that was about to happen.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You ready for this?"

"It's just another big building to me."

"Yah, I guess it would be." Jaddo pulled at the collar of his suit. "I
hate
dressing up like this. Especially since I know my best outfit isn't
going to
be anywhere near what they're going to be wearing. I might as well wear
a
sweatsuit by comparison."

"I don't think I've ever seen you this nervous before." Shampoo
remarked.
Ordinarily, watching Jaddo squirm would have been amusing. But today her
contract was on the line, and she needed Jaddo thinking clearly, not
fretting about his appearance.

"Never met the head of western operations. Never even met the guys three
tiers below him. I still can't figure out why in the hell he's dealing
with
the matter personally. It makes no sense. He has bigger things to deal
with
than this piddly-ass little matter."

"Please don't refer to my future as 'piddly-ass'," Shampoo huffed.
"Maybe
he's become a fight fan and wants to start dealing with contracts
personally."

"I hope that's it." Jaddo tried stifling his worry under a mask of
professionalism, but Shampoo's time with him allowed her to detect the
tell-tale signs of worry at the corner of his eyes. It was hidden well
enough to the casual observer, or so she hoped.

Trying to keep from worrying excessively herself, Shampoo stared out the
plate glass window that made up the side of the elevator and gazed out
at
the world as it became increasingly smaller. Their vantage point
afforded
Shampoo an unbelievably wondrous view of the city of Hong Kong. Almost
everything outside of the corporate sector looked insignificant,
especially
from amid the jungle of skyscrapers themselves. From this high up she
could
even see the arena in the distance, which made it look as small as a
dingy
dog pit. It was a very impressive sight to anyone visiting the building
for
the first time.

The building they were currently in, the headquarters of Otani Media,
resided in the corporate sector, and like all of the other buildings in
the
area it reeked of opulence and excess. It was third tallest in the
corporate
sector,

	$Coincedently, it was also the third newest.

 and the floor that was their eventual destination was located in the
middle of the skyscraper, near where the business areas ended and the
residential part of the building began. Even the elevator's speakers
played
a symphony that sang of wealth and success. Every part of the elevator
was
painted in gold and polished to a bright shine that allowed Shampoo to
see
her reflection as though the surface were a mirror. There was even a
tiny
mini-bar located in one side of the car.

"Wouldn't want them executives to get thirsty if the elevator broke
down,"
Jaddo said as he caught her looking at it again.

"It's too much," Shampoo said disdainfully.

	$I guess opinions differ on the matter.  Personally, I think every
elevator should have a minibar.

"Most of them ain't like this. This is some sort of executive elevator.
And
before you ask, I don't know why they wanted us to use it, other than it
takes us directly to the boss's offices. This deal gets weirder every
time I
think about it."

The elevator finally stopped some seventy floors above the street. The
voice
of a woman speaking Japanese informed them this was their stop as the
elevator doors parted and allowed them to enter the building proper.

As they exited the elevator, Jaddo turned to Shampoo and quickly warned
her,
"They only speak Japanese in these buildings. It's sort of to remind
them of
home or where their true loyalties lie or something. So that means you
don't
say anything unless you are directly spoken to."

"Why?"

"Because it'll probably cost me several thousand yen if they find out
you
sound like a five year old that needs a 'Hooked on Phonics' game."

"What 'Hooked on Phonics'?" Shampoo asked in Japanese.

	$Heheh.  I should have saw that one coming.

"Just don't do what you did right there!" Jaddo insisted.

Shampoo huffed, but remained silent. He was such a silly man. She had
used
her Japanese with others before and no one complained about it.
Frequently
the men thought the way she spoke was cute and told her so. Obviously
that
meant she could speak it well and Jaddo was just using her so-called
lack of
language skills as an excuse for her to not talk to the men. She would
appease him this time, but Jaddo's continued derogatory comments about
her
Japanese were becoming very annoying.

As they exited the elevator, they were immediately greeted by a woman
dressed in a business suit that, despite appearing quite masculine,
worked
well with her short hair and sharp features, giving her a serious
demeanor
while still showing her obvious femininity. In fluent Japanese, she
informed
them that they were to follow her to their meeting. Shampoo noted that
Jaddo
did not look twice at the attractive woman, a testament to just how
distracted he was by the upcoming engagement.

The woman preceded them into the room, opening the doors for them.
Rather
than the cavernous meeting room that Jaddo had told her to expect, they
were
instead conducted to a small and very personal office. It was large
enough
to accommodate eight people comfortably, but still had a very personal,
rather than sterile, businesslike, feel to it. There were pictures of
family, friends, vacations spots, and even a pet or two set out in the
open
for everyone to see.

	$All of them rented for the weekends, of course.  The modern executive
is simply too busy for a full time family.

Currently, there were two occupants in the room that were obviously
waiting
for Jaddo and Shampoo. The first was seated behind the desk that
dominated
the room. He was dark-skinned with long black hair, tied back in a
ponytail,
that glistened under the lights of the chamber.

	$Hmm...  dark-skinned, with long black hair tied in a ponytail that
glistened under the lights of the chamber.

 Shampoo estimated his age to
be in his late twenties to early thirties, which according to Jaddo, was
remarkably young for a man in his position of power and influence. His
skin
was very dark, as though he was perhaps native to India, but his
almond-shaped eyes belied his Japanese ancestry. A half-breed, from what
Beef had told Jaddo about the man. The nameplate on his desk indicated
he
was exactly who Shampoo had thought he was: Indra Kiber, head of western
operations of the Otani Media Conglomerate.

There was a second man in the room, sitting off in a corner behind
Kiber.
His position was ideally suited for watching events unfold in the room
while
being able to remain apart from them. He appeared to be full-blooded
Japanese, slightly younger than Kiber, and somewhat on the small side,
with
a style of haircut that was much shorter than his companion. His looks
were
average, and he was unremarkable save for the style of suit he wore,
which
probably cost as much as a small house back home.

	$Really?  I had no idea amazonian real estate was going so high.

 Shampoo thought there
might have been an odd sort of resemblance between him and Kiber, but it
was
so subtle Shampoo thought she might have been imagining it. Their
difference
in skin color really threw off her judgment.

The other man said nothing as he sat slouched in his chair, almost as
though
he would fall out of it if he relaxed any further. He had a hand propped
under his jaw and an amused expression on his face as his eyes darted
between Jaddo, Shampoo, and Kiber.

Kiber rose to his feet, and Shampoo thought him remarkably tall, if a
bit
lanky, under his suit. He was at least four centimeters taller than
Jaddo,
who was no small man to begin with. Kiber bowed in greeting. Shampoo and
Jaddo did likewise, Shampoo noting out of the corner of her eye that the
other room's occupant stood and gave a brief half-bow before returning
to
his previous relaxed position.

"I've heard a great deal about you. It is an honor to meet you at last,
Mr.
N'Digi." Kiber said

	$N'Digi," Kiber said

and indicated the two should be seated. Once the duo
were sitting comfortably, their female escort exited, closing the door
behind her.

"As you may have guessed, I am indeed the head of western operations,
Indra
Kiber. The man seated behind me," Kiber turned slightly and indicated
the
fourth occupant in the room. "Is Masahiro Otani. He's the chief heir of
Kyosuke Otani, the head of OMC and will no doubt be my boss at some
point in
the future."

"Well, someone has to reign you in or you'd either have us owning half
of
Asia or selling everything we have to pay our debts," Masahiro said

	$Awkward.  Suggest: reign you in.  You'd either have us owning half
of...

humorously, then gave a somewhat lingering nod to Jaddo and a brief one
to
Shampoo before returning his attention to Jaddo. "It's an honor to meet
you,
Mr. N'Digi. I've heard a great deal about you as well."

"You have?" Jaddo asked hesitantly

	$hesitantly.

"Indeed." The amused look on Masahiro seemed to grow.

Shampoo noted the worry lines around the corners of Jaddo's eyes
increasing
yet again.

Kiber stared at Jaddo for a few moments with an unreadable look in his
eyes.
Jaddo shifted uncomfortably under the gaze. It appeared Kiber was going
to
continue to do nothing but stare until a light cough came from Masahiro.
That seemed to startle Kiber out of his reverie and back into the
present.

"Oh yes. My apologies. Let's get on with the dealings." Kiber pulled
several
official-looking document from one of the desk drawers. His demeanor
completely changed to that of a deadly serious businessman, and Shampoo
could almost feel a presence suddenly fill the room. If there was an
equivalent to a hot commodity in the business world, this man was
unquestionably it. Suddenly, Shampoo switched from expecting to hoping
that
Jaddo would be able to wrangle a good deal for her.

Kiber opened the discussion while Jaddo listened. "It has come to our
attention that Miss Shampoo is, simply put, one of the hottest
commodities
to hit the arena circuit in quite some time. After personally seeing her
in
action the other night and the performance she gave, I became convinced
she
is the sort of fighter we need to have. With her history, fighting
ability,
looks, and that whole 'Marry the man that defeats me' thing going for
her, I
am convinced that with the proper marketing that only Otani Media
Conglomerate can provide, we can make her a household name and perhaps
the
most famous arena fighter since Niles Vorherer."

	$Who?

"She could be bigger than that," Jaddo said, his bargaining skills
finally
being awakened now that he was in the midst of negotiations, even if it
was
with a man who made more in a year than he would see in five lifetimes.

"Jun Fan Li?" Kiber asked.

"Before he started making the movies, yah, I think you could.
Marketing's a
lot better now, and with you guys giving her the right push, you could
really roll in the dough with all the merchandising you could do with
her."

	$Heh, with Shampoo they wouldn't even have to change the old Barbie
doll molds to get the measurments correct.

"At least until she loses and stops being 'the untamed warrior' that
every
man fantasizes they could best and make their own," Masahiro said from
hi
position in the corner.

	$his position

"True," Kiber acknowledged, his eyes all but gleaming as he kept his
attention focused on Jaddo.

The aborigine shook his head. "Assuming she does lose, and you saw her
fight
and know how good she is, so that is in question, you would still be
able to
clear millions within your first few months easily. And I'm sure between
you
and the Impies in the Arena, you could find ways to drive up marketing
distributions as well as ratings. Ever since she started headlining
fights
in Hong Kong, ratings here are up. She's hot and marketable. There's
never
been an easier fighter to add to your prestige. The big annual
tournament's
about to get underway in Japan, meaning she won't be in it for almost a
year. You'll have all that time to milk every cent you can out of her."

	$And with udders like that...

Kiber smiled. "Actually, I came to the same conclusions as well. Anyone
could rake in the money with her, which is why we want to be her
sponsor.
Now, you've had dealings with us before, and you know we always deal
honestly and treat the fighters we have under contract well."

"Yah. It's why I always try to come to your guys first once I think one
of
my fighters is ready to make his run in the big time. I know you're
straight-shooters. I wouldn't deal with you otherwise."

Kiber seemed genuinely pleased by the statement. "How very protective of
you. An admirable quality in trainers. I know there are more than a
handful
that would sell a fighter's contract for a quick buck without any regard
for
their welfare afterwards. My opinion of you has increased considerably,
and
it was already high to being with."

"I... see," Jaddo said, absolutely uncertain of what to make of the
almost
gushing statements about him. If they were trying to butter him up to
let
Shampoo go for less than she was worth, they should have known better.
Any
one of the normal negotiators would have told them that. Somehow he
couldn't
see men of this importance stooping to such blatant tactics to save a
few
yen, when a scratch in the expensive chair Kiber was sitting in would
probably cost as much as any money they could save. And why was that
layabout in the corner smiling so much? After Kiber's bit of flattery,
the
smile grew even wider, and Jaddo would be damned if he could perceive
any
humor in the situation, unless he was being set up. If that was the
case,
head of western operations and future head of the ziabiatsu be damned,
Jaddo
would give them a piece of his mind.

If Kiber was aware of the thoughts being directed to him, he gave no
sign of
it as he continued radiating his pleased smile. "Anticipating this
attitude,
I have personally come up with what I think is an agreement you'll find
satisfactory."

The documents Kiber had previously pulled from the desk were pushed
forward
and into Jaddo's reach. The aborigine looked the papers over and paled.
Shampoo felt her heart lurch. It appeared she might not be selling her
contract after all. It was too bad; she had wanted to get this over
with.
Perhaps Jaddo could wrangle a better deal out of them, but it was
looking
worse by the moment. No doubt they would have to go somewhere else,
judging
by his reaction.

"This much?" Jaddo said.

"Tell me, does she facefault into the floor often?" Kiber asked.

Jaddo looked down at the floor to see the fallen Shampoo. "Quit horsing
around, girl, This is serious business."

Shampoo shouted "Then why stupid old man turn so pale over being offered
so
much money? Is stupid reaction!"

	$Quick as a wink, Jaddo used every martial arts skill he could and
scribbled his name on the contract in record time.  "Deal," he said,
clutching it protectivly.

Jaddo winced as each word left Shampoo's mouth. He turned to see both
Kiber
and Masahiro looking at Shampoo curiously. Perhaps they had failed to
notice
anything out of sorts.

"Does she always talk like that in Japanese?" Masahiro asked.

"Does Shampoo talk like what?" Shampoo asked.

"She's such a kidder," Jaddo chuckled. "Always speaking in that pidgin
talk
because she thinks it's cute. Right, Shampoo?"

"What does stupid old man mean pidgin talk? Shampoo does not talk like a
bird."

"Oh dear god," she heard him mumble under his breath.

	$Technically, there should be a comma after Oh, but in this case I
think it can slide.

Kiber's response was to say, "I think it's rather cute. And more
importantly, I think most of the fans will too. Keep it."

There was a note of finality in the statement for which Jaddo was
eternally
grateful. However, despite the lack of damage from Shampoo's little
'speech', there were still other matters that needed taking care of.
"This
offer is a bit much, I have to admit. I'm afraid I have to ask what the
catch is."

"No catch," Kiber said, carrying an almost imperceptible hint of what
might
have been hurt in his voice. "Consider it part of our appreciation for
the
years of service you've given us in training top-ranked fighters for our
organization. Under my management, everyone that works earnestly and
hard
for the betterment of OMC will be rewarded."

"This is quite a reward. I could probably retire comfortably on this,"
Jaddo
muttered.

"If you so chose, no doubt," Kiber said, sounding pleased despite the
amount
of money that was involved. "And you'll notice Shampoo will be making
triple
the standard rate for each victory, as well as the standard clothing and
food allowances. Rest assured she'll be taken care of as well."

"I'll say," Jaddo agreed as he continued looking over the contract,
trying
to find a catch. "What's this part on the end of her payment schedule?"

"Oh, just a little something I threw in to help motivate her for any
extra-curricular activities we might encourage her to participate in,
though
there is no requirement that she do so. We are not in the habit of
coercing
our employees into activities they do not want to do. She is a fighter
first
and foremost, and that is our primary concern. The rest is just icing on
the
cake, if I might use the old clich�."

"One half of a percent of all merchandising profits?" Jaddo nearly
shouted
as he arrived at that part.

Shampoo frowned but kept her opinions to herself this time lest she did
cause damage to her bargaining position. Still, to be offered nothing
more
than half a percent was insulting.

	$Sure looks like that, no?

At least they were paying her three times
more per fight. She could live with that.

"Given what our marketing experts predict, I assure you that is nothing.
If
our analysis of the market is correct, so long as she is not defeated
within
her first month in the Imperial Arena, all of our initial investment
will be
covered. You can assure me she won't lose in the first month, correct?"

"Not a chance. She ain't that soft."

Kiber seemed pleased by the assurance. "As I thought. Upon watching her
last
night, I believed much the same thing. Now all you need to do is sign
the
contract."

Jaddo's hand was nearly trembling as he placed his signature on the
document. He had Shampoo sign it as well, showing where she had to write
her
signature. Learning how to write her name in Japanese had been easy. She
was
good enough to read and write Japanese without a problem. Her writing
skills
were better than her spoken fluency in the language.

Once Kiber placed the documents in an official-looking folder, he gave
Jaddo
a satisfied smile. "Well, that's settles it. I must say, it's been a
pleasure doing business with you. You are a tough negotiator."

	$And Jaddo keels over in faint.

A snicker rose from the corner where Masahiro sat.

	$Close enough.  Heh.

The compliment unnerved Jaddo again, as did the look of intent interest
he
continued receiving from Kiber. He felt like every one of his molecules
was
being dissected and analyzed. That it was coming from a man of such
importance made it even more uncomfortable to an old, unimportant (at
least
to someone like Kiber) trainer like himself. And then there was the
perpetually smiling Masahiro.

	$Shampoo: What are you grinning at?

	Masahiro: Ah, that is a secret.

 As much as Kiber's personal involvement was a
curiosity, Masahiro's presence was even more so. He had taken no
official
part in the proceedings, and actually seemed to prefer watching events
unfold from his corner. The relationship between him and Kiber seemed
too
casual for it to be Masahiro observing or evaluating the man that would
be
one of his most trusted subordinates when he took over the company,
assuming
Kiber still held the position at that time. And there was the inordinate
amount of attention he was directing to Jaddo as well as Kiber, and how
very
little attention he was paying to Shampoo, presumably the reason they
were
here. The situation was too peculiar to deal with. Now that the generous
contracts had been signed, it was time to leave.

Jaddo rose to his feet, indicating Shampoo should do the same. "It's
been a
pleasure, gentlemen. Now I'm afraid I have to begin an early evening
workout
for my student. After all, I want to make sure she's in top shape for
you."

Kiber shot to his feet in a rush. Even Masahiro seemed caught off-guard
by
the suddenness of Jaddo's desire to leave.

"Actually, I must ask that you stay for a moment," Kiber said.

"Oh, why?" Jaddo asked, wondering what they were trying to pull now.

Before answering Jaddo, Kiber pushed an intercom button on his telephone
and
said, "Mari, send her in now." Turning his attention to Jaddo, he said,
"Now
that our business is concluded, there is someone I would like you to
meet."

"Someone you want me to meet?" Jaddo did not bother trying to hide the
suspicion in his voice.

"Perhaps, I should say, someone I would like you to meet again," Kiber
corrected.

Realizing there was no easy way to back out of the situation, Jaddo
prepared
for the worst. He hated surprises.

	$They do tend to bite.

The doors to the office parted once again for the woman who had escorted
Jaddo and Shampoo to the room. Jaddo's first reaction was to say he knew
damn well who the woman was, then he saw the other person that the woman
had
opened the doors for.

"Kyoko," he whispered softly enough for everyone in the room to hear.

	$And all is explained.

Shampoo looked at the woman that had been ushered into the room and that
her
mentor almost seemed to be staring in awe at. She was short, no more
than
five feet tall, if that, and Japanese. That was easy to tell both
through
her bearing and demeanor. She appeared a bit on the plump side, though
the
white kimono she was wearing, with its obi wrapped around her
midsection,
hid her figure somewhat. However the round face with its chubby cheeks
poked
above the outfit, and from that it was easy to tell the days of being
slender were far behind. There was gray shot through her hair, which was
wrapped in a tight bun on the top of her head. Her features might have
been
attractive at one time, but age had taken its toll, and Shampoo would
not
have thought of her as anything other than matronly now. Not a very
attractive woman, which made Jaddo's reaction even more peculiar, since
he
seemed almost in awe of her.

Shampoo noted the other men in the room watching with a rapt attention
that
had been absent earlier in their conversation, especially on Masahiro's
part. There hung in the air a feeling of expectation. Silently, Shampoo
decided to watch the events unfold with a close eye.

Kyoko moved daintily into the room to stand before Jaddo. He seemed to
tower
over the short woman, although there was no question that she now held
the
advantage. Softly, almost melodically, she spoke. "It has been many
years."

The voice seemed to snap Jaddo out of his stupor. "Indeed, it has."

With the tension somewhat broken, Kiber stood and gave the deepest and
most
formal bow yet. Masahiro did likewise, saying "Greetings, Mother."

Kiber said, "Forgive me for not mentioning Mrs. Otani's presence, or her
desire to meet you again, earlier, but I did not want it to affect our
dealings. It was a case of business first, then pleasure. I hope you
understand."

Shampoo certainly did, and was incredibly grateful for it, given the
fact
her mentor still seemed to be in awe of the diminutive woman before him.
Given his current state of mind, had he met this Kyoko earlier, he
probably
would have signed Shampoo over to slavers without a second thought.

There was an enigmatic smile on Kiber's face as he said, "I'm sure you
two
would like to reminisce over old times. Since our business is concluded,
feel free to take a walk through the gardens and enjoy yourselves. There
will be no one to disturb you at this time of day. It will give you the
privacy you no doubt would like."

"It would be pleasant to speak of the past, would it not, Jaddo?" Kyoko
said.

Shampoo thought she detected a trace of hope in that voice, as though
afraid
that he might refuse the offer. There was hardly a chance of that. With
the
way Jaddo was behaving, Kyoko could have asked him to lead her through
the
pits of Hell, and Shampoo doubted he would have cared.

Jaddo answered as though he were still dazed. "Yah. Talking would be
very
nice. Which way is it?"

"This way," Kyoko said, and offered her arm to lead the way. After a
moment's hesitation, Jaddo accepted the arm and matched her steps with a
practiced ease, despite her short stride. They walked quickly, leaving
the
room, and were out of sight within moments.

Shampoo just stared at where her mentor had disappeared, knowing full
well
her presence would not be wanted. Someone offering Jaddo a free
briefcase
full of ten-thousand yen bills would not have been wanted. Not knowing
what
else to do at this unexpected turn of events, Shampoo merely remained
where
she was, wondering what to do next. She just hoped these two men didn't
have
someone from her past to meet. Knowing her luck, it would be Mousse or
something.

Kiber started to say something to Masahiro when the latter cleared his
throat and nodded in Shampoo's direction. She noted Kiber, the man who
minutes earlier had spoken so highly of her that he offered a great deal
of
money to put her under contract, almost seemed irritated by her
presence.

There was a finality to his voice as he said, "You can go now. There's a
guest's lounge located on the floor below us. Go to the office at the
end of
the hall and tell the secretary there to give you directions."

Kiber's attitude was that of talking to a lowly subordinate, one that
had
just been dismissed. Shampoo knew better than to protest, and instead
pondered what the sudden change could mean as she followed his orders
and
headed down the hall.

Once out of sight and the doors closed behind her, Kiber again switched
back
to his thoughtful expression.

Masahiro said, "So, big  brother, what did you think of him?"

	$big brother

Kiber was pensive, though a small smile played across his face. "He was
a
most... interesting man. He had a very unique presence."

"He's a very unique character, all right." Masahiro agreed, even more
amused
than before. "For a moment there, I thought you were going to hug him."

"I'm fairly certain he'd have cracked my skull open if I tried something
like that." Kiber laughed at the picture he visualized in your mind. "I

	$In my mind?  How can he see into my mind?  Suggest you change that to
'in his mind.'

admit, I liked him. I liked him a lot. Even more than I thought I
would."

"Going to arrange another meeting?"

"I'll think of some excuse or other. I can throw some money at him for
some
inane project or something I'd like him to do for us," Kiber said, a
thoughtful gleam in his eye. "But for now, it's their moment. I wouldn't
take that from them for the world."

Masahiro nodded in approval. "It was nice to see mother so happy. She's
been
a bit down lately. I thought this might cheer her up. Father did not
mind
when I approached him with the idea, so I didn't see any reason not to
bring
her along. Since you were intent on meeting him anyway and thought the
time
was good, it seemed an ideal opportunity. "

"Indeed. I'm sure mother is grateful for this chance to talk with him
after
so many years," Kiber agreed as he continued staring at the doors they
had
exited just a few minutes before.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jaddo walked through the gardens of the OMC building, which were more
like a
small park than any garden he had seen. It took up nearly the entirety
of
the floor, and served as the line of separation between the business
floors
below them and the executive residents' quarters that were above. It was
this sort of opulence that made the corporate sector the envy of Hong
Kong.

There were small groves of trees scattered throughout, each carefully
maintained without a branch out of place. Thousands of flowers of nearly
every species imaginable lay in beds spread throughout the gardens,
displaying a carefully crafted plethora of colors that were
aesthetically
pleasing to the eye. Paths bisected the gardens, allowing the visitors
to
draw close to any kind of flower they wished. The paths were composed of
dirt, giving one the feel of nature beneath their feet despite the fact
the
entire 'park' was surrounded on all sides by glass and concrete, even
from
below. Or perhaps that was why they were there, to help people forget
for a
brief while that they were living on the most industrialized island on
the
planet.

Kyoko seemed to read his thoughts. "It is quite impressive. Perhaps one
of
the finest tended gardens in the Empire."

"And about the only place a gardener can get a job in Hong Kong."

	$*rimshot*

That elicited a soft, girlish giggle from Kyoko. One that sounded out of
place on a woman of her years. "You always had such a sense of humor. I
think that was one of the things I've missed the most about you."

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence on his part. After the
silence
became almost unbearably thick, it broke with Jaddo's carefully chosen
words. "I missed a lot of things about you, too."

A bit of sadness seemed to overwhelm Kyoko's features, but it quickly
passed
and her soft, pleasant smile returned. "There were many things that each
of
us liked about the other. I'm sure that as much as we have changed over
the
years, those things remain the same."

Jaddo chuckled. "Actually, I've probably become sarcastic and cynical
since

	$become more sarcastic  Would probably be better.

then."

"Dear Jaddo, you were always sarcastic and cynical. You're probably just
worse now."

Jaddo gave a start, then saw the little glimmer of mirth in her eyes.
"Yah,
I guess I was. And you're right. I am definitely worse."

The jest seemed to ease the existing tensions between the two. Both
became
more relaxed and comfortable with one another.

In much brighter spirits, Jaddo said, "You haven't changed much over the
years. I knew it was you as soon as you walked through the door."

"Did you? I hadn't noticed," Kyoko said, not even bothering to hide the
deception. "It is nice of you to say such things. After all, I have put
on
some weight since the last time you saw me."

Jaddo blinked and seemed to look her over again. "Yah, you're right.
Well,
you had several kids, so it's to be expected. But honestly, I didn't
really
notice it until you said it just now."

Kyoko seemed in shock at the statement, then became amused again. "Oh,
Jaddo. You always were good at flattering me without even realizing it."

"I used to speak my mind around you without being afraid of sounding
stupid," he said plainly.

"I was always more reserved," Kyoko admitted. "My upbringing, I
suppose."

"You'd have been that way even without being raised as a 'proper'
Japanese
noblewoman. It's just the way you are. There's nothing wrong with that,
anymore than I'm naturally brash."

The years between the two seemed to melt away with each word. "How is
the
leg? I never did get a chance to find out how bad the damage really
was."

Jaddo shrugged. "It's not bad, really, unless I do a lot of running.
Then
I'll get a dull ache in it that takes a while to go away, and I can't
run
worth a crap. More like a quick scamper. To be honest, I've gotten so
used
to it I forget I have it. Not like I have to use a cane or something."

	$I would.  Canes are great for hitting people.

"Good." Kyoko paused a moment and detached herself from Jaddo's arm. She
bent down to smell some roses. "The flowers smell especially lovely
here.
But not as nice as my gardens back home."

"They this big?" Jaddo asked, surprised.

Kyoko laughed again, not quite so girlishly this time. "Not at all. The
Otani ancestral home isn't that large, certainly not large enough to
support
this sort of thing. However it's more... natural, for lack of a better
term."

"Yah, there is a sort of artificiality to this place."

Kyoko looked out one of the nearby walls of glass that allowed the
sunlight
to come in and bathe the plants, helping to maintain their finely
cultured
growth. She looked over the majestic view of Hong Kong presented before
her.
"I confess, I never cared much for this island. I want to see the land
and
hear water running through streams and rivers. I want to smell something
related to nature, not just gas fumes, crafted metal, and people crammed
so
close together that they perpetually smell of sweat."

	$*snort*  Everyone I've ever been with while getting 'back to nature'
ended up sweating and stinking like crazy.  It's the lack of AC and
showers.

"Definitely not the place to be if you want that sort of thing," Jaddo
agreed. "I don't mind it so much. I spend a lot of time in the country
now
though, and I grew up surrounded by nothing but the Outback. That can
get
boring pretty fast. I like the feel cities got, myself. Not that I
disagree
about things being too 'civilized' here. You need some open spaces.
Stuff
like on the mainland or back in Japan. I prefer those kind of cities."

"We grow up used to one thing, so when we get older we desire something
else," she said philosophically.

Another length of silence stretched between them. Finally Jaddo blurted
out,
"Are you happy?"

	$Kyoko: Of course!  I've got a subscription for valium, and prozac, and
zanax...

Kyoko smiled at the question. "I wondered how long it would take to get
to
this point. I thought for certain I would lack the patience and ask
first. I
suppose I am more used to small talk, given the various functions I must
go
to and speak mindlessly with mindless people. Never let it be said that
just
because a person has money or influence that it makes them interesting
or
intelligent conversationalists."

"You haven't answered the question," Jaddo reminded her.

"Then I shall: Yes, I am very happy."

A great burden seemed to be released from the older man's shoulders.
"Then I
made the right choice. I kept tabs on you as best as I could, even with
how
far away I was. From what I had heard, you sounded happy. And I saw a
couple
of pictures of you at those functions you talked about, and you had that
genuine smile of yours, not that fake one you put up when it's expected
of
you to smile."

	$DOn't think you need the 'to smile' at the end.

"I know what you mean, though you are one of the few people I ever met
that
could tell the difference." To prove her point, she gave him one of her
sincere smiles.

"I figured if you could smile like that, and more than once, you were
happy.
But every now and then, when I was thinking about the past and called
into
question some of my actions, I'd wonder."

"Then wonder no longer. I am a very happy woman. Not all the time, no
one
can be happy all the time and still be sane, but I am most of the time,
and
for that I am grateful."

"So am I." The conviction in Jaddo's voice could not be clearer.

Satisfied that the truth was known and accepted to him, Kyoko then said,
"And now I ask you the same question: Are you happy?"

Unlike Kyoko, Jaddo considered the question for a moment before saying,
"Yah, though there are still a lot of things I'd like to do. Lots of
goals
to accomplish. A lot of the time I'm more content than happy, and
sometimes
I'm downright miserable, but overall I'm satisfied with the life I
lead."

"Then that is good." Kyoko said. "I never knew how well you adjusted to
the
life of a wandering fight trainer, if you were just doing it to make a
living, or if you enjoyed it."

"Enjoy it, definitely. I'm not one of those people that needs things to
tie
me down to one place, though I don't think I'd object if that happened
one
day, especially since I'm not getting any younger. But I enjoy the
freedom
being a wanderer gives me, and being responsible primarily only for
myself
makes life a lot less stressful. Like being on an extended walkabout, I
suppose."

Kyoko seemed surprised by that. "I would think you would feel some
responsibility for the people you teach."

Jaddo shifted uncomfortably, "Well, I do, but they ain't like kids that
aren't almost grown up already. Except the last one, she's a major pain
in
the butt. She's younger than most of the ones I taught and is always a
real
handful. She's usually brain dead dumb and hasn't got a bit of common
sense.
Wish I'd never run into her, and I'm glad I finally sold off her
contract."

Kyoko smiled. "Jaddo, you're protesting far too much."

"No I'm not."

There was a warning tone in the older woman's voice. "Jaddo, I know you.
You
always tended to complain excessively that you didn't care about people
that
you really care a great deal about, but did not care to admit to it."

It took Jaddo a minute to sort that out.

	$Yah, me too.

 "I always loved the way you'd
string together sentences using a lot of the same words to confuse me."

	$Yeah, it's more fun.

"You always considered that charming, as I recall," she said with a hint
of
a smile. "I tried to do it to Kyosuke, but he never enjoyed it as much
as
you did. I haven't had the opportunity to do it in years."

"I didn't enjoy it that much." And this time Jaddo made certain not to
protest too much.

"But I did," Kyoko said, still highly amused. She settled down a little
as
she said in all seriousness, "Do you think about the past much?"

"Are you trying to ask me if I think we made a mistake?"

She sighed at his ability to cut to the chase when the mood suited him;
a
habit that still eluded her. "Yes."

Jaddo considered that as well. "If you had asked me as many as ten years
afterwards, I would have probably said yes. But an old man like me, that
doesn't have passion flooding his body and screwing with his mind, can
look
at things with a clear eye and see what really would have happened
without
optimism and faith blinding him."

"There is a place for passion in the heart," Kyoko said.

"True," Jaddo conceded. "It gets you to try for things you wouldn't
ordinarily try for and makes you feel good when you achieve them, but it
also has this bad tendency to make you do really stupid things as well
without the least bit of thought. Then you end up causing a bunch of
pain
and misery to those around you. When I think back to that time when I
was
nothing more than an up-and-coming fighter and you were the daughter of
a
minor noble family in an arranged marriage to the first heir of a
powerful
one, I remember what went though my mind and how stupid I was. I was
deluded
to think that I could get us out of that situation simply by winning the
tournament and becoming a citizen. I mean, sure, it sounds all noble and
romantic at the idea of going on television at my moment of greatest
triumph
and declaring my love for you, but after you get a bit older and wiser,
you
come to understand what really would have happened. There would be a big
stink about how some dumb pug that beat his way into getting a
citizenship
thought he was better than a prestigious noble family that heads one of
the
largest zaibatsu's in the empire. There would have been a lot of hard
feelings and rumors because of it. Even if somehow we could have beaten
the
odds and gotten you out of the arrangement, which I doubt, there would
have
been a big stink and plenty of perceived dishonor. Probably a lot of
ostracization too. I would have felt guilty every moment of putting you
through that. Sometimes I thank god Li was able to put me down in the
semis
so that it didn't come to that. No, so long as I know you're happy now,
I
don't have any regrets about not winning the tournament. Dreams might be
good, but if they aren't realistic, you can't feel bad about losing
them."

	$Damn, what a paragraph.

Kyoko nodded demurely. "I remember what it was like back then as well.
Our
love for one another ran so hot that there wasn't a day I didn't think
about
you. Actually, there probably wasn't an hour I didn't spare you a
thought. I
held the same romantic notion that we could somehow ignore the rules and
marry and force the world to change and accept us and our love. I think
perhaps I was more devastated than you when you lost, seeing you lying
in
that bed.  It was then I knew in my heart we'd never be together. I
almost
wished you had asked me to go with you instead of leaving on your own in
the
middle of the night afterwards."

"I knew you'd accept, and after what went on between us that night, I
knew I
couldn't do that to you. I'd have never made you live a life on the run
that
you weren't suited for. I loved you enough to let you go."

There was a bit of moisture in the corner of one of Kyoko's eyes. "I
remember right afterwards cursing you for being a coward and leaving me
behind. I thought you had lied to me and just used me to satisfy your
lusts.
But after my temper cooled, I understood what you had done and why, and
that
you were correct. It was the only real option we had."

Jaddo let out a tired sigh, one that carried the weight of years in
every
sound from being locked away for so long. "I'm glad we finally had a
chance
to talk about this. Almost thirty years is way too long not knowing what
the
other felt."

"Indeed." The moisture was gone from Kyoko's eyes, and there was a look
of
serenity about her that had not been present before.

Jaddo gave her a sheepish look. "I heard you got married a little after
I
left. I admit, I felt a little jealous about that, even though I knew it
was
going to happen."

"Kyosuke loved me, Jaddo, I knew that even before the tournament. It was
not
just an arranged marriage for him. It would have been one based on
love."

"You're an easy woman to love."

	$Figures that Jaddo would love an easy woman.  ^_-

"Flatterer," Kyoko accused again. "He was a good man. Very noble and
caring,
mindful of me, and always trying to make sure I was happy. He knew there
was
something wrong even before that night, but I never had the heart to
tell
him my feelings for you. He knew there was someone else, but he never
tried
to find out. I discovered later that he was determined to be the best
man he
could be to win my heart instead of merely trying to outclass whoever
his
rival was. He felt that if I was to love him, it had to be for what he
was,
not what he could act like if he had to."

"Pretty smart guy," Jaddo admitted. "I actually looked a bit into his
background when I found out he was engaged to you. Everything pointed to
him
being a typical nice guy. Actually, he seemed a heck of a lot nicer than
most of the other nobility. I hated to admit it, but I would have
preferred
he was a scumbag, then I could have justified doing anything to protect
you
from him. I never would have left you if you were engaged to an asshole.
But
it wasn't that easy. He just had to be a decent guy. Probably better
than me
in some ways."

"He is," Kyoko admitted. "But you are better than him in other ways.
Each
person is unique, and you two are no exceptions."

"Even though I'm an exceptional guy," Jaddo said.

	$Shampoo: He sure ain't talking about his personality.

"Even though you are an exceptional guy," Kyoko jokingly agreed. "After
you
left, I was devastated. I thought I would never love anyone again. And
then
there was an incident, something I did which would have dishonored
Kyosuke
immensely if it had come to light. But instead of being angry or
belittling
me, he proved to me the depths of just how much he cared about me.
Truthfully, even I was shocked by it. When I understood just how deep
his
feelings ran, and what he was willing to sacrifice for me, I felt that
perhaps love could flow both ways between us given time. And it did. By
the
time our son, Masa, was born, I knew I had fallen in love with Kyosuke.
I
still am, even to this day."

That was a surprise to Jaddo. Not that she loved Kyosuke, he knew that a
long time ago from the pictures of her he had seen shining radiantly
upon
his arm. What surprised Jaddo was that Kyoko had done something so bad
as
she described. She had never been anything but the proper noblewoman,
save
when it came to their relationship. Since she did not mention whatever
the
incident was, and that was certainly by design, he respected her privacy
and
did not pry. Besides, whatever it had been was nearly three decades old,
and
did not matter now.

	$Yeah, coincidently just old enough to help run the company.

Kyoko turned the conversation back to him. "And you. Has there been
anyone
special in your life?"

Jaddo shook his head. "Lots of different women, but none I'd want to
settle
down with. I'm not as bad as Beef was, mind you."

"Few people could be. Their libidos don't run that deep," Kyoko said in
only
half-jest.

"True," Jaddo snickered. "Still I never know when the next woman I meet
might be the right one."

"I am glad you are still hopeful. When I found out you were not married
yet,
I feared it was because you still harbored feelings for me. I would have
felt terrible if that was so."

Jaddo shook his head. "First few years that might have been true, but I
got
over it. I mean, I really and truly loved you as much as anyone can love
another, and you'll always hold a special place in my heart that no
other
will ever have, but after a while, I got on with my life."

Kyoko nodded in heartfelt agreement. "The human spirit is a resilient
thing.
Given time, any wound inflicted on it will heal. It's just a question of
how
long. At least that's what I believe."

	$Does depend on the person.

"Yah, same here. I've been around a lot of the world and met a lot of
people
that went through some serious crap in their lives. When they get the
chance, they tend to bounce back. Even a hard-line cynic like me can
agree
with that. And you and me are luckier than most since we're resilient by
nature. Makes healing easier."

"Though not always easy," Kyoko pointed out.

Jaddo nodded in agreement at the thought, remembering his own initial
difficulties, and not just in getting over their relationship. He had
lived
too much of an interesting life to not have felt the abyssal lows as
well as
the mountainous highs that came from being willing to risk his wealth,
heart, and health as often as he did.

Seemingly talked out for the moment, and each having cast off ancient
burdens and uncertainties that had remained shackled to their person for
what felt like an eternity, they strolled around the gardens in silence
some
more. Their walk remained uninterrupted. It was a curiosity, given the
time
of day it was and the number of residents that lived in the building,
but
the pair had the entire floor to themselves. Jaddo suspected this was by
design more than fate. It was one of the advantages to being the primary
owners of the building, he supposed.

Kyoko stopped abruptly and bent down so that she could smell some of the
flowers. It was while she was on her knees, smelling the lilacs and
turned
away from him, that she quickly said, "Jaddo, what did you think of the
men
you met?"

Thinking nothing of how quickly she spoke, Jaddo considered what to say,
or
more appropriately how to say it. This was a bit trickier than the
conversation they had before, given the subject matter. Their past
relationship was easy. When it came to children, now that was hard.
"Masahiro looks good. Looks a bit like you, actually. Reminds me a
little of
your brother. He smiles a lot, though, and it's one of those sly ones
instead of a big bright one. Kind of acts like he thinks the joke's on
everyone else. That can turn people off, but I don't really mind it, as
long
as the joke isn't on me."

	$Ah, but the joke is on him.  That's what makes it funny.

Kyoko's look was unreadable as she said, "Masa does have an unusual
sense of
humor. He finds the most peculiar things amusing. When he was growing up
and
his odd behavior become obvious, I wondered about it. Eventually I just
realized it was part of what made him the unique person that he is. But
you're not the only one to remark upon it. Still, he is a good child. I
mean
man." She gave a soft chuckle that seemed to be directed to herself.
"It's
hard to think of them as being grown up. No matter how old they become,
they
will always be your child to you."

"Wouldn't know about that. Never had any myself, so I'll have to take
your
word for it."

	$Heh.

Jaddo missed Kyoko stiffen slightly. "What did you think of Indra?"

"He seemed okay, but I swear he was looking at me funny the whole time.
I
thought I was the one whose contract he was buying instead of Shampoo's.
You'd think he's never seen an Australian before or something."

Kyoko kept her face turned away from him as she said, "It is important
to me
that you get along with him. He is very close to the family. He and Masa
were raised as all but brothers to one another, and Masa looks up to him
terribly so."

	$All but...  Heh.

"I'd say it's a bit more than, 'raised as brothers', if I was a betting
man,
which I am."

Kyoko turned around, startled. "You know?"

Jaddo gave a slow nod. "Yah, it's a bit obvious when you see them next
to
one another. You can see the resemblance in their eyes and cheekbones.
Skin
color might throw you off a bit, but I meet lots of people with a mixed
heritage. You learn to look past that sort of thing."

The small woman seemed taken aback. "I did not realize you knew. I
assumed
from your earlier statement that you were ignorant of the matter. I
didn't
think you would guess, to be honest. I didn't believe there was anywhere
near enough evidence for you to realize the connection."

"I'm a perceptive guy," Jaddo said with just a hint of cockiness.

	$Oh, wow.  I actually snorted in real life, rather than the mental one
I usually do.

"Much more than I gave you credit for." She saw a bit of hurt on his
face at
the declaration, but it was only momentary. "Now that you know, does
this
change anything?"

Jaddo looked at her, a bit confused. "No. Can't see why it would. But, I
think there's something I should say, and I hope you won't be insulted
or
anything, but I'm only saying it because it needs to be said and I care
enough to say it."

"Yes?"

Jaddo placed his hands on her shoulders, not a romantic gesture, but one
of
friendship. "Even though Kiber is your husband's kid out of wedlock,
don't
hold that against him. I know it's odd to hear me say that about the guy
that was essentially my rival, but it's not Kiber's fault who his
parents
were. And you know with what we... ah shared, it would be kind of
hypocritical to dislike him or his father because of a dalliance he had,
even though he did love you and all. Nobles are sort of like that. It's
kind
of expected of them, almost. Fidelity is defined as 'only sleeping with
the
people you're really attracted to' or something with them. And if he
thought
you still loved me, he might have done it as a way to patch up his own
feelings, or get back at what he felt was a betrayal or something. I'm
not
telling you how to feel about it. It's just my feeling on the matter,
and
you know how blunt I can be, even with you. Why are you snickering?"

Kyoko could not hide her mirth. "Let us just say I have my reasons and
leave
it at that. Suffice to say, I most definitely do not hold Indra's
parentage
against him, and neither do any of his siblings. Have no fears of that."

"That's good to hear. Like I said, he seems like a good guy, except for
all
that staring."

"And Jaddo."

"Yes?"

"I take back everything I said about you being perceptive."

	$Yes indeed, this is another classical example of your style.  Very
nice.

"What? Why?"

"Now if you were perceptive, you would know, yes?"

"Well, yes. I mean no. I mean why don't you just tell me what-"

Kyoko placed a finger to his lips. "I think we have talked enough about
many
things for today. Let us just enjoy each other's company and walk the
rest
of the way in silence.

A sigh escaped Jaddo's lips. He always found it hard to deny Kyoko
anything,
and this was no exception. Deciding her statements were probably just a
case
of her being playful, like she always used to be, he agreed to not say
anything else as they continued their stroll around the rest of the
gardens,
allowing for a brief while to let the cares of world outside of garden
to
melt away as the basked in light radiated by each other's company.

And when Jaddo thought about how he had anticipated the day would go,
and
how it ended up turning out, he was left to admit that even by his
standards, it had proven to be a most interesting day.

And he found himself wishing it would never end.

	$Arg, Groundhog day all over again.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Yes, 'Donna Cheng' is exactly who you're supposed to think it is. I
promised
Donny I'd insert him as a lesbian in one of my fics.

	$More like a mention, but still.

	Well now, I'm glad I finally finished this part.  Was it just me, or
was this one longer than normal?  Not that I mind, mind you, this was
far too enjoyable for that.  Nice chapter, and good to see Jaddo's past
finally explained.

	I'll get to the next chapter as soon as I can.



-Ragun















	     .---Anime/Manga Fanfiction Mailing List----.
             | Administrators - ffml-admins@anifics.com |
             | Unsubscribing - ffml-request@anifics.com |
             |     Put 'unsubscribe' in the subject     |
             `---- http://ffml.anifics.com/faq.txt -----'

	     .---Anime/Manga Fanfiction Mailing List----.
             | Administrators - ffml-admins@anifics.com |
             | Unsubscribing - ffml-request@anifics.com |
             |     Put 'unsubscribe' in the subject     |
             `---- http://ffml.anifics.com/faq.txt -----'