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Chapter Four: Indecent Proposal
Gil interrupted, completely and utterly at a loss. "Okay, so let me see if I follow you. Shampoo comes after Ranma with the Heart of the Demon, which at the time was thought to be the Phoenix Eyes; she does so as a last-ditch effort to win his heart. However, Akane stops this with a bottle of water. Unfortunately, Ranma, when splashed with water--"
*Cold* water," Mousse amended.
*"--cold* water, changes into a girl, along with Shampoo, who becomes a cat. Ranma then panics and takes off because he, um, she has a phobia about cats, but Shampoo's still holding on to him...her. Immediately after, Akane, who about an hour or two before is trying to pound the hell out of him, leads a group of friends to help him out. Meanwhile, she--meaning Ranma--leaps over a tall stone wall, and Shampoo falls off the redhead, but in the process, the red gem ends up around Ranma's throat. Anyway, he...*she* ends up in Tate's yard, and then has to run again because he--Tate, this time--is in love with Ranma's girl identity. However, Ranma gets captured by an unknown band of psychopaths from Vietnam, who handily defeat Akane's rescue party and nearly destroy Tokyo in the progress. In retaliation, Akane goes catatonic for two days, then tries to kill Shampoo when she comes to apologize. In the end, though, they call a truce and then begin plans to assemble an army to get Ranma back."
"Yep, that's absolutely correct," Shampoo said.
*"And this was the norm for you guys?!?"*
"Well, usually it was Akane who got kidnapped," Mousse explained, "and usually we didn't require an army--just the usual gang. Ranma's case was an exception."
"I'm completely confused." The young man began to shake his head in dismay, then raised it and said, "Does *anybody* understand *any* of this?"
Maria calmly replied, "So far it all makes sense." This made everybody other than Maria and the Asians groan; when *she* understood things clearly, it was pretty much time to throw in the towel.
"Just let me continue, guys." Ranko was clearly at the end of her rope, really annoyed at the constant disruptions. "I said it'll all make sense at the end, and I'm *never* gonna get to the end *if you keep interrupting!!!"*
* * STORY * *
Ranma woke up in the most luxurious bed she'd ever slept in. Downy pillow, mattress as soft as a cloud, sinfully pleasant silken sheets. She wriggled around in them in a both in the fact that she always slept in late, and also a state of guilty pleasure. A moment or two later, the redhead then had a thought to match the sensuality of the current sleeping arrangements: {{I really wish Akane was here. I'd show her how much I love her, then.}} A wide smile crossed the girl's face; she might be outwardly female at the moment, but in her heart she was still the male she was normally, with all the love, devotion, and (mostly repressed) sexual attraction that Ranma had for his fianc�e. {{I have to admit, though: she's right. I guess I am a prude, sometimes. We've been together long enough, and have seen each other's bodies plenty of times. So I su--
{{Hold the wild horses. Where on earth am I?}} She sat up in bed, then looked around the room, and found that she was nowhere near where she thought she was. She was in a huge room designed in a style to match that of a chamber in the Forbidden City (she remembered seeing a picture or two of that in her Chinese language book), made of crystals of different colors and sizes, shaped into different things. The canopy bed she was sleeping on, designed in a pseudo-Mandarin style, was not black-lacquered wood as thought, but in actuality polished obsidian. The floor was a polished jade, covered by luxuriously ornate rugs. The walls were made of an opaque white quartz. Everything in the room was a crystal object designed to look like the materials normally used: the table (a set of clothes were neatly folded on it), the dresser, the doors to other rooms, the windowpanes (and of course the windows), the writing desk, the chairs. The nightstand, the girl--
{{The *girl?*}} Ranma covered herself up with the sheet, but not as fast as a true girl would; this was a learned action for her, not an instinctive mechanism. The redhead stared at the young child. She looked to be about twelve or thirteen, of unidentified origin--her skin looked like Rouge's or someone from Africa or southern Europe, but the girl also had silver-white hair and the most amazing green eyes Ranma'd ever seen. She had a small blue-colored triangular tattoo on her forehead, with two similar ones on her cheeks. She wore a smile indigo-blue dress of western design, with soft brown and yellow tiger-striped collar and cuffs. She wore a pair of soft gray moccasins on her feet. She dressed far older than what she appeared to be, and it was obvious that she was some attendant of some kind. She was carrying a tray with covered bowls on it. She was apparently bringing lunch for Ranma.
After a second or two, the girl spoke, metered measurements of a soft, yet clear voice. She spoke in a halting Japanese, though better than Shampoo's level. "Good; you're awake. I was beginning to get worried."
Ranma thought about what to say, then decided to let whatever came to mind come out. She answered, "Worried about what?"
"You've been asleep for close to two days, my Lady. I don't believe that's normal."
{{*TWO DAYS?!?!?!?!?!?*}} The alarms in Ranma's mind went wild. "Where the hell am I?"
"You're in the Crystal Temple, home of my lord Nguyen Tran Loc, master of these lands, and the mightiest martial artist in history. These lands you are in are called the Valley of the Secrets, and it is located somewhere between the villages of Dong Van and Ha Giang, and the borders of China and Nekonron." She walked in to the room, set the tray and its contents (more crystal; surprise, surprise) on the bed next to Ranma, and said, "Please eat. You've been out for two days, and you must be hungry."
Despite the now-obvious fact that she was a prisoner, Ranma smiled at her keeper; whoever she was, the girl seemed to be an innocent in this matter. Still flashing a sweet grin, she thanked the young girl: "Arigato gozaimasu." She then grabbed the chopsticks and popped open the covers, mouth instantly watering from the wafting aroma of the delectable-looking mixture of Chinese and Vietnamese foodstuffs in front of her. The girl went to get a chair, to sit beside the redhead as she began to gobble down the food as only a Saotome would.
"Oh!" The look on the girl's face expressed concern. "You've been starving. I'm terribly sorry; I've been such a dreadful caretaker. Perhaps you'd like more?"
"Sure!" Ranma was actually loving it, but reminded herself that not only was she a prisoner, she was also beginning to act just a bit too much like her father. So, she stopped. "Let me go."
The girl, who had closed her eyes for a second and whispered subvocally, opened them and replied. "I can't. You're the One, my Lady, and eventually you'll be told of that fact and all that it means by Lady Mango. But until then, my La--"
"Ranma. Saotome Ranma."
"Until then, Lady Ranma, I cannot tell you. I don't know any of the information anyway. Please accept my apologies."
"Kid, just call me 'Ranma'. No 'Lady' or other honorific, please; believe me, I'm no Lady--even less so than others who would use those words." Ranma smiled sweetly again; whatever was going on, Ranma was pretty sure that this kid had nothing to do with it. Actually, there was something about this girl that told Ranma she'd found a friend, if not an ally. "And your name is?"
The girl brightened instantly, as if the Japanese girl'd been the first person on earth to ever ask her this question. "My name is Shiva."
"Just 'Shiva'? No family name?"
"No *family*, La--um, Ranma. I don't know who I am, or where I came from, only that I've been here my entire life. The closest thing I have is Lady Mango and the other elites, but they scare me, sometimes."
"Okay, Shiva it is, then." She didn't know quite how to deal with the child's other remark; parents and guardians had different ways of raising their charges. {{Some are good at it, and then some are like Pop, *or worse....*}} Ranma brushed it off, though; she had other concerns at the moment. "So, Shiva, tell me about yourself."
The kid really beamed, beginning to act as if Ranma was her only friend and confidante; unfortunately, the words she spoke were dark and pained. "I'm just one of the elite soldiers of my Lord Nguyen, one of the martial arts masters sent to 'discipline' the villages that defy his will. I don't understand why we hurt those people, though; they don't seem like they're dangerous or anything. Lady Mango tells me that it's none of my business. But do you want to know what the worst is?"
"Um, sure. Go ahead and tell me." {{Even though I have a funny feeling I don't wanna know.}}
"The worst part is when they tell me to execute those people. I especially hate it when I have to kill. I really can't sleep well when I do that, but Lady Mango tells me to grow up and shrug it off. She said either I do it, or I become like them. Mistress Rain says she'll make sure of that. I just don't like to do it at all, not one bit."
"I can't say I blame you, not in the least." Ranma kept her vocal tones steady, even though she wasn't sure of how to interpret this situation. {{Hmmm...she kills people, but she says she's been forced to; has even been threatened by her guardians! What have I gotten into this time?}} Ranma had the feeling that whatever it was, it had nothing to do with whatever Akane was mad at him for two days ago. {{Two days ago--Akane and the others must be worried sick about me. I don't know where I am, except that the names sound only vaguely Chinese; I know I'm not in China, from what Shiva's comments sound like. I could be thousands of miles away from her. Oh, Akane....}} Since the sheets were slipping, she readjusted them, and in doing so, felt the pendant.
She took it off and looked at it. It was a glowing stone, with obvious magic locked within. Ranma after a second recognized it as the talisman that Shampoo tried to use on him to gain his love. {{Shampoo, I hope someday I can just get you to understand that you're just a friend. Uc-chan has a better shot than you, and *she* has *no* chance. I love Akane; I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I'd just like to take five minutes to sit down and make you listen to me. Then again, if I took those five minutes to tell Akane that I love her, then maybe things wouldn't get so out of hand; maybe I'd have a relatively normal life with the folks.}} Momentarily depressed by thinking of her friends and family in Nerima, the young woman let out a wistful sigh...
...which did not go unnoticed. "What's wrong, Ranma?" the girl asked, looking at her as if she was concerned.
"Just thinking about my family, that's all. I'm kinda sure they're worried about me." {{Especially Father Tendo. He's most likely causing flooding with his histrionics,}} Ranma mused as she replaced the talisman around her neck. {{Sure, he's a bit melodramatic, but he seems to be a better father than my own. Not that Pop is all bad--he occasionally has his good points--but he definitely needs improvement. Especially since he has another chance coming up....}}
The girl immediately proved how truly innocent the young can be. "What's having family like?"
"I'm scarcely more of an expert on it than you are. I haven't had a family--a real family--for that long. Sure, my only companion for years was my father, and although two makes a family, the bigger the better. When we finally settled down in Tokyo, I wasn't sure how to react--I mean, for years, all I had was Pop, and I hadn't seen Mom in just as long. But, despite all the adventures I had and all the challenges laid before me, I ended up with a larger family than I'd ever dreamed possible--Mr. Tendo, Kasumi, Nabiki, even Natsumi and Kurumi as they joined us.
"But the most important family member to me is my fianc�e, Akane--the nicest, sweetest, kindest person you'll ever meet. Then, there are my friends, like Uc-chan, Ry--"
"What are friends?" the smaller girl asked, the look on her face both beguiling and beguiled.
"You're joking, right?" The girl shook her head, and the redhead thought sadly, {{Poor girl. Doesn't even know what a friend is, either. If she's telling the truth, then my childhood was a walk in the park compared to hers!}} "Well, friends are best described as a person that you know, like, and trust. Kinda sorta family without the relation, although that's not necessarily true."
"Oh." There was a loud knock at the door, like the tinkling of a symphony of glass bells. "I'd best get that, Ranma. I'll be right back." Shiva walked up to the door, opened it...
...then yelped as a large woman in army clothing began to shake the little girl, screaming, *"There you are, you little brat! You're late for training again!"*
"I'm sorry, Mistress Rain! I'm sorry!" the girl squealed. "I was just--"
"Sorry isn't gonna cut it this time, you little shit!" Rain growled. "And don't make any excuses, either!"
*"I'm not making any excuses!"* Shiva shouted, clearly afraid of the older woman.
"Yelling at your elders, huh? This'll teach you, ya little strumpet!" With those words, Rain backhanded the smaller girl across the face, the sound echoing unpleasantly throughout the room, the force of the blow drawing blood.
Tears immediately poured from the girl's face as she sobbed, "Don't hit me again, Mistress Rain! Please, please, please...."
*"Telling me what to do, huh?"* Rain roared, a sociopath's smile rising on her face--she was enjoying this! *"Maybe you deserve another one!"* The paramilitary fighter cocked her fist back as she began to charge with ki, then swung.
It never connected.
One moment, Rain held the frightened Shiva, her fist inches from impact; the next, she was slammed hard enough against the wall that she'd cracked the crystalline structure of the surface, the wind knocked out of her. She was also having a difficult time breathing. That had to do with the fact of the vise grip of the hand firmly clamped around her throat. The hand belonged to a nude Japanese teenage girl with fiery red hair and sky-blue eyes. Said redhead was aflame with a blinding red battle aura and a temper to match. The girl's pendant, resting easily within the swell of her breasts, burned like a fireball on a tether.
The girl spoke in a commanding tone. "Strike that child once more and I'll put you into the stratosphere!"
"Whoever you are, you've made a fatal mistake. I'll kill you where you stand."
"No, you mean you'll attempt to...and fail. Now, if I ever hear you've so much as breathed in the same direction as Shiva again, I'll make sure you'll be spending Christmas on Mars," the ruby-maned demon spat.
"You and which arm--" Rain immediately shut up as she suddenly remembered her post-operation brief, the one that detailed the skills of this apparent martial arts juggernaut. {{*No way* could she be that...}} "Hah!" she snorted.
*"Does the term 'escape velocity' mean anything to you?"* the redhead said, voice as cool as an iceberg, anger as fiery as the surface of a star. She then placed a ki-powered fist in front of her face, and Rain could feel the intense power, see the bursting energy that danced playfully on the knuckles. *"Would you care to find out what it means?"* Ranma turned to Shiva and smiled. "Open the door, if you please."
With no argument, Shiva did as requested, pausing for a split second to run her hand across her nose, wiping away the red fluid that began to congeal there.
Ranma did one of her best kawaii smiles, then just as sweetly said, "Remember what I said. Touch her again, and it's 'To the moon, Alice.'" She shoved the woman out forcefully, then slammed the door shut.
The woman was thrust against the wall across from the door, creating the same effect as the wall within the bedchamber. Rain rubbed her back, and muttered, "I'd best report this to Mango. She'll want to know about this new development. I'm sure that Lord Nguyen will be quite surprised." The woman took two steps before passing out from the nerve pinch that Ranma applied as she "took out the trash".
Once the door was shut, Ranma kneeled to take a better look at the girl. "Hey, don't cry, Shiva. You're safe now."
The girl sniffled once more, then sobbed, "But she'll get me later! Mistress Rain is always like that!"
"No she won't. I promise. Pinky swear?" Ranma took the smaller hand in hers and showed her the old schoolchild motion. The girl, fascinated to be taught something new, began to grin once again.
"I'd better get going," she said, a little happier now, as Ranma wiped the tears from her eyes. "Would you...mind if I came to visit, later?"
"Not at all," Ranma said cheerfully. {{Hey, if I'm going t' be here until I think of something, at least I should have company.}}
The girl stepped towards the door and opened it, but before leaving, scampered back to Ranma and gave the teen a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek. "My friend," the girl said, a note of happiness in her voice, absolute music to Ranma's ears; it was all she could to do to return Shiva's embrace. The girl detached herself from Ranma, then skipped merrily outside, softly shutting the door. You could hear the girl humming as she walked into the distance.
Ranma stood up, hand softly brushing the spot where Shiva had kissed her a second before. She smiled, a sunny grin from ear to ear. She knew that in order to escape, she'd need an ally, someone willing to do so. In searching for one, Saotome Ranma found something much more important, an asset far greater than any ally.
She'd found a friend.
* * *
Twenty minutes later:
Mango had heard what had occurred in the bedchamber that held the little red-haired minx. Guards on routine patrol had discovered Rain in her reposed condition, and had taken her to the infirmary. There, she called Mango and gave a detailed account in regards to this Saotome woman. It seemed that the Rain couldn't stop this girl; she was far too fast and strong for the African warrior. However, this girl was not as ultimate as Nguyen had expected. She had obvious faults--she cared about people, for starters, and not just people in plural, but "people" as in the abstract. If there was one thing that the ex-Amazon couldn't stand, it was a bleeding heart type. Mango cared about only two people in this world: herself and her Nguyen.
{{But that's something that I can use against that little upstart. All I have to do is place Shiva in some kind of danger, as a trap, and Saotome will come to her rescue. Then I can slay her where she stands.}} Mango allowed for a slightly predatory smile to cross her lips. The fool Saotome allowed her weakness to shine forth like a beacon, and that would be her downfall. These Japanese women were obviously weak and could never be effectively trained as samurai or ninja; only her way--her independent style--would be supreme.
Mango continued this line of though in her mind as she met with the girl's captor. The pair sat in the Amazon's office, overlooking the jungle, its lush majesty unfolding before the crystal window. In front of that huge panoramic pane, was her second in command and fellow outcast, the former Kaguro ninja known only as Roland. She didn't know much about Roland; only that he called himself that, taking his name from the old Browning poem, "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came" (a favorite of his). She also had a feeling that he was a serious outcast from the Kaguros, one that had penalties carried for his death--why he was most likely disfigured, instead. It could mean, of course, that he'd been expelled from the inner family, rumored to be a line of so-called noble samurai. She could ask, but it'd be useless; he'd never tell. Additionally, it was the agreement between them as outcasts; the agreement that made them work so well together.
After all, she was an outcast just as he was. Expelled from the village at the age of 17 by that damnable ghoul, the village elder Lao K'o Lon, then shunned by her family, she fought her way to the jungles of northern Vietnam. She'd been jumped by a contingent of Nguyen's fighters while he looked on. To his interest, she decimated them all within a minute and a half. Impressed by her skills, he offered her the position of General of his troops, executing the previous commander on the spot. Impressed by his appreciation of her skills, she accepted. Two days later, she accepted the collateral position of his mate. And that's the way it had been, ever since. Still, she wished that someday she'd be able to return to the village, if only to kill Cologne and that damnable offspring of hers, the current champion of the village, Lao Shan Fu. {{I would've been the champion, too, if it wasn't for that twelve year old brat. I hate that little kid, not only for her audacity in challenging me in the tournament, but in humiliating me as well. I would've killed the little shit on the spot, if it wasn't for her dear great-grandmother. Someday I'll kill that little girl Shampoo; my blades will gut her from head to toe. Someday....}} Once again, a dangerous rictus formed on her face.
This time, Roland did comment. "Say, that's twice you've smiled today. Which village are you planning to punish?"
"Actually, none; not anytime soon, at any rate--do it too much and you risk rebellion. So says the works of Sun Tzu."
"Odd; I don't recall reading anything of that sort in _The Art of War_."
"You've never read the original manuscript. I have his handwritten copy of it in my personal chambers, if you'd like to read it someday." She laughed, almost for a second looking like a normal woman, instead of the vicious vixen that she was. "Just a little parting gift from my home village that they're not aware of. I'll bet they wonder where it went."
He templed his fingers together, remarking, "Perhaps; it does sound fascinating. But I surmise that you've called me here for more than just a simple case of literary debate."
"Absolutely. What I want is your analysis on that red-haired woman, Saotome Ranma. I take it you've heard what happened to Rain."
"Serves her right, if you ask me. She's quite the sadist. Not that I care about that little brat Shiva any more than anyone else does, but Rain is a person barely in control of her fighting passions. I surmise that had the Saotome woman not been there, she would've beaten Shiva to death this time. She's come fairly close before; for example, when she almost broke Shiva's arm last month because she refused to kill that girl's puppy in Gia Vang. As it was, we lost Shiva to her cast for two weeks, and only that short because she apparently heals rather rapidly."
"I'm not concerned about that now; as long as Shiva's able to fight, and that pervert Jack keeps his hands where they belong, then I don't care what happens to her. Again, I'm more concerned about Saotome."
"Think she may pose a problem?"
"She *is* a problem. She saved Shiva from Rain, and now our little girl thinks of that woman as her personal hero. The woman, from her fan's speech, is an old-school martial artist--firmly believes in that 'martial righteousness' bullshit that they tried to instill in me in Joketsuzoku. If it keeps up, we'll have two of that type running around here."
"So that little punk found somebody who likes her. Saotome will learn our ways soon enough. If not, Lord Nguyen will drill it into her."
"Something tells me otherwise. This leads to problem number two: she is as physically powerful as advertised. The medic informed me that Saotome had her hand clamped on Rain's throat tight enough to leave very visible bruises. Rain is strong, but she couldn't break Saotome's grasp. Also, Rain is very fast, and the fact that she was caught in a hold at that angle indicates that she was caught off-guard--"
"--which would indicate that this woman Saotome moved faster than Rain expected or could counter," Roland finished. "I pretty much figured that out for myself. I also know that she's a fully accomplished ki master. She had already begun to charge up for a ki-powered attack when I nailed her. I'll also be truthful--I think I got lucky in taking her out. You saw what she was about to do when we arrived--she was about to take on a kendo master, a gymkata fighter, two shotokan blackbelts, one Okinawa karate master, one karate style which I can't describe, and two ninjas...and one of them was a Ghost Wolf!"
{{A Ghost Wolf? They still live? If so, they know we exist, and will want justice. I'll have to stop them, and soon.}} "I wasn't aware of the Ghost Wolf," Mango replied nonchalantly. "I'll have to investigate."
"I believe Nova fought the ninja and defeated her handily; he can give you the details. But I digress. This Saotome woman had to be top-notch to do so. Either that, or suicidal. I'd rule out suicide as a thought--she looked like a woman with power to level a hill. I can interrogate Rain once she comes to; I'm sure we'll get all the details we need, along with a few of Rain's choice profane and sadistic comments that serve as her method of cunning analysis.
"In any event, she is up and running, and Lord Nguyen must surely know. So, what do you plan to do?"
"She plans to have her see me within the hour," a new voice boomed.
At the sound of Nguyen's voice, the pair stood up and crossed their left arm over their heart, fist clenched--Nguyen's idea of a salute. The warlord returned their salute, then stared at Mango.
{{When did he come in? she thought wildly.}} Looking into his always expressionless eyes, at first she thought he came by for some "personal time" with her. She then thought about his words and realized that a little pillowing was not only out of the subject, it would forever be so. She did, however, realize that from his tone of voice, he was growing impatient. So she'd have to be careful, lest the consequences be a bit unpleasant for her.
After a second, he spoke. "I have heard that my bride is awake, and proving why she is suited to be my mate. I have waited for nearly a half-hour for her presence. Why have you not arranged it? I would like an explanation," he growled at the pair, violet eyes blazing, "and I desire it *now."*
"My Lord," Roland replied smoothly, "Lady Mango and I were discussing when would the most suitable time to have her come see you. We did not want to disturb you at an inappropriate time. Now that you are here, perhaps you can tell us how you would best prefer us to handle it, Lord. We can have her see you within the hour, but you know how women are. I'm sure she'll want to look her best for you."
Nguyen, remembering exactly how Mango tended to be towards her Lord and lover, laughed softly. "Of course, you are correct, Roland. See to it that she will come to see me when she is ready to see me. But not too late. I am not a patient man." Nodding to Mango, he replied, "I can see that you have picked a capable subordinate, Mango. Keep him well treated, my General."
"I intend to, my Lord," Mango replied, a hint of honesty in her voice. "He definitely has his uses."
With that, he did a flourish of a turn and strode out the door, his blood red cape swirling and folding in the turn, not unlike a spray of blood or something even more sinister--a shade holding for safety onto something even darker than it.
Before Mango could ask, Roland explained. "Don't ask. I know what you're up to. You want to keep your position as General and as his bedkeeper. I, in turn, wish to keep my place as your subordinate. I do not have the leadership skills that you do, and if I were thrust in the spotlight, the Kaguro clan would find me and resume their blood hunt."
The former Amazon nodded. "Agreed. Then you must help me find a way to dispose of the Saotome woman."
He brought two fingers to his right temple in a gesture of a salute. "It is done, then. In turn, I wish to be protected from any of the Kaguros or Ghost Wolves in the event they come after me. My personal little agenda to get my revenge upon them is almost complete, and I do not wish to be derailed by their 'most holy vengeance.'"
"Okay. I dislike the idea of the pair getting closer together, but inform Shiva that she must have the Saotome woman ready within the hour. Once that is over, Lord Nguyen can assign her a new assistant, and we can put the fear back into our little prodigy." She leaned forward once more. "There seems to be something else disturbing you."
"Quite so. Has anyone watched the news lately? We have truly stirred up a hornet's nest. The whole planet is searching for this place, and the nuclear powers of the world intend to drop a few bombs on top of our heads in order to remove a potential global threat."
Mango scoffed. "Feh. This palace is magical. It can withstand any weapon thrown at it, and return the action tenfold."
"I am quite aware of that. I just do not like the concept of attention. Too many reconnaisance satellites searching will mean that somebody is bound to see us, sooner or later. The CIA, KGB, MI-6, Mossad--it doesn't matter."
"I still think you are too paranoid. Nothing can find us. But if you wish, send out a few of our intelligence personnel. They can snoop around and see what is going on. Perhaps there may even be information that will pique the Warlord's interest."
"Done, then. I shall go to pick the men, at once." Roland bowed slightly and stepped out of her chambers.
Mango resumed her thoughts regarding their new resident at the Crystal Temple. {{When I kill the red-haired whore, Shiva will be the first to know. Nothing hurts more than having your only ally in the world killed. Then I'll give Rain twenty minutes with the girl to teach her respect. I may even give Jack ten minutes.}} Mango grinned the smirk of a maniac. This was her world, and she was not about to let the pigtailed redhead teen destroy it.
* * *
{{Oh, this is great,}} Ranma thought as she hopped into the luxury of the hot-water filled tub. The tub was a crystal furo, brownish in color, and shaped to look as if it were wood, a little odd but somehow normal--just like everything else in this room she was in. But that didn't matter to the redhead; she wanted a nice relaxing soak--and some time to think. Of course, she did her best thinking as a guy, and the only way to do that was to....
The minute she became immersed in the liquid, she felt the disorientating sensation that accompanied the transmutation of gender. Body parts grew and shrank, the curvature of the bodyframe giving way to curves of a different nature. Muscles changed, organs transformed, minor body functions disappeared or resumed their presence. Estrogen magically converted into testosterone. Red hair changed to that of raven black.
Within three seconds, the change was complete, and the young man continued to soak in the bath. He, however, did not relax entirely; now that he was back to normal, he needed a plan for escape. {{For starters, I'm not breaking out of here as a girl. That dress they left me to change into is way too ornate and billowy to effectively fight my way free; it looks tight enough for me as a woman; no way am I gonna move around in it as a guy! Also, they're expecting a girl, so that can go either way: if I fight as a guy, I'll be taking out opposition meant for a girl.}} Ranma took a second or two to run the plan through his head, then frowned as he realized something new. {{However, they can just as easily decide that I'm here to rescue the pigtailed girl, and they'd try to kill me in a heartbeat. Since that one guy took me out without even a fight, it's safe to assume they're good. *Really good.* Which means that I need to think strategy, and fast.
{{I can count on at least a couple of things: first, I can bet that Ryoga and Uc-chan are looking for me; also Natsumi, Ku-chan, and Shampoo as well. Second, Akane's probably a bit concerned as well--and I'm underestimating that concern; she's probably more than a bit distraught. If they've mounted a rescue attempt--and we've all got some expertise on this at some point--I hope they leave her behind; despite as many jokes as I make, she's strong and can probably handle them...but I'm concerned about her safety. He closed his eyes, and silently began to think again. I truly wish that I would get the chance to see her again. If I ever do, I'll say it: "Akane, I love you." I do; I know we'll be married soon enough--successfully, this time.}}
Idly, he opened one eye and peered down at the ruby pendant, hoping that it would answer his wish--Shampoo did say that it was magic; maybe it would be the key to freedom. He looked down...
...only to notice that the pendant sat there on his chest, a bit wet, but nothing else. It didn't even glow softly as it had earlier when she had held it while Shiva was in the room. By all means, at the moment, it was an unusually cut ruby with a leather strap wrapped around it, a simple piece of jewelry.
{{Damn,}} he thought, leaning forward, his arms resting on the edge of the pseudo-wood. {{It's useless, probably as worthless as all of her previous items. Well, so much for Plan One. I guess I'll have to use Plan Two, and that means involving Shiva. That's a whole new problem--}}
There was a startled gasp, and he immediately looked up to see a shocked Shiva carrying the dress into the bathroom. She tossed the dress to the side, then immediately grew angry. *"Who are you and what have you done to Ranma?!?"* She thrust her arms down, and a massive golden aura engulfed her. A split-second later, a daisy-chain of fireballs with various kanji and other symbols on them danced and pirouetted around her, and she looked very much the killing machine that she'd claimed to be earlier. *"Okay, I'll ask you once more: where's Ranma?!?"*
"I know you're not going to believe this, Shiva, but *I'm* Ranma." {{How am I gonna convince her of that?}} he wondered. {{Well, I can change again, but I'd rather not, at least not in this situation. Jeez, is this gonna be embarrassing....}}
*"YOU'RE LYING!!! RANMA'S A GIRL, JUST LIKE ME!!! TELL ME WHERE MY FRIEND IS, OR I'LL BURN YOU TO A CRISP RIGHT WHERE YOU STAND!!!!"*
{{I guess I'll have to show her, then. Oh, well; maybe it's better that I stay in girl-type form, anyway, until I find out more about where I am.}} "Look, I'm telling you the truth," he replied, quickly grabbing one of the towels--real cloth, thankfully, not modified crystal--and shoved it into the water, tying it around his waist. "I'm getting out of the water--"
"Don't take one step near me," she warned, as her halo of fireballs glowed all the brighter--and more menacingly.
The youth climbed out of the furo and walked over to the shower--control knob and fixed head made of crystal, of course--then turned to her and calmly said, "Shiva--and did you stop to think how I know your name?--you're about to be surprised by what you'll see. Please stop your fireballs so you don't hit me with one. I promise I won't hurt you." He stared plainly at the young girl. "Please trust me, Shiva. You said I was your friend."
"I never said I was *your* friend, I said I was *Ranma's."* Shiva said this last comment, the venom clear in her voice. Still, she kept her fireballs at the ready until she noticed the talisman around the man's neck. "Ranma's...pendant...." she breathed.
That was his cue. He turned the cold water knob, letting the water flow through the shower head and down in a cascade of aquatic beauty. The water drops fell to the ground, each drop sparkling like the rest of the crystals in the room. Some water fell and impacted against the jade floor, rolling into the drain at Ranma's feet; others hit the young man, making miniature splashes as it did so. Each drop fell farther and farther to impact against human skin, until three seconds later, it had leveled out and hit the young woman at the same height as water had always hit her.
"Ranma!" the girl chirped happily, then immediately stopped. She stared at where the pendant was. Just a moment ago, it lay prone and lifeless on the chest of the black-haired man. Now, it nestled, glowing, against the breasts of the young woman who was her friend. She backed off, confused and uncertain. "Ra-Ranma?" she pleaded, her eyes looking very hurt and wondering.
Ranma-chan turned to Shiva. "I wish there was an easier way to explain this Shiva, but there isn't. You'll have to trust me, if you really are my friend. I'm cursed with a spell that changes me whenever I get wet."
"So you're a girl that magically changes into a man?" Shiva was really confused.
"No, I'm a *guy* that changes into a *girl.* What you saw me as earlier, the black-haired man, is what I really look like." She then sat the younger girl down and explained his training trip to China and the tragic results of that trip and all the problems that it had caused for her over the past two years, up to and including her current relationships with the rest of the gang in Nerima.
Twenty minutes later, Shiva was inexplicably aghast. "But I thought we were friends!"
"We are, Shiva. Friendship doesn't matter if you're a boy or a girl. My closest friends in the world are Ryoga, Ukyo, and my fianc�e, Akane. Ryoga's a guy, just like me; Ukyo and Akane are girls. It doesn't make a difference to me. Does it to you?"
"But I thought when a guy and a girl, er, then they have to...um, well, you know." The girl began to blush, and Ranma instantly felt empathy for the girl--he certainly knew what it was like to be placed in her position, although she was twelve or so, and he eighteen. "That's what Spring-Heeled Jack always tells me."
"That's different. When two people are like that, they're called fianc�es. Akane is my fianc�e, while Ryoga and Ukyo are my friends."
"Do I have to be your fianc�e?" she asked, hesitantly.
"No. You're, what, twelve--"
"Thirteen last month," she said, a bit defensively.
"Doesn't matter. You're too young to have one, and I've already been through that mess. When you're a little older, you'll get to choose your own," Ranma explained. "Do you understand?"
"I think so." She paused for a second, then bowed deeply. "I'm sorry I threatened you, Ranma." Shiva then went over and hugged Ranma tightly.
The redhead easily returned her embrace. "It's okay, Shiva. You didn't know it was me. Besides, the fact that you were willing to fight to help me tells me that you're my friend."
"But I don't wanna hurt anybody!" she said. "Especially not you."
"I know, I know," she answered. "But you should never kill unless it's to help your friends, and only if there's no other way. It's a code of honor that all martial artists must live by."
"I'm glad you're not mad at me."
"Naaah. Not in the least." Ranma paused and threw away the wet towel, swapping it for a dry one. "So, Shiva, why are you here? I know you were supposed to visit me later on, but I thought it would be tonight."
Shiva diligently began to pass her the available clothing. "I've been sent to come get you. Lord Nguyen has summoned you for an appearance."
Ranma put on the underwear, bra, and then slipped into the dress. {{Kinda nice, actually. I'd try to keep it and give it to Akane, but she'll have to lose a few pounds,}} she thought clinically, then instinctively ducked, wincing from the blow. When the aforementioned hit didn't come, she breathed a sigh of relief. Then she remembered why, and became downcast for a second, missing her occasionally jealous and violent lover. {{Oh, Akane, I'd put up with a million hits upside my melon--almost--if it meant being with you again.}}
"You look so sad, Ranma," Shiva said. "You're missing your family again?"
"Yeah. Primarily Akane. I never get to tell Akane that I love her. I hope I get another chance to."
Shiva smiled as she maneuvered to the door and showed her the way. "I'm sure you will, Ranma. Besides, as nice as a guy that you seem to be, I think she already knows."
"Thanks, Shiva. You really know how to cheer a guy up." She smiled, a dazzling, toothy smile, which Shiva returned. Taking Ranma's hand, Shiva led her out the door, and the pair went down the hall, onto Ranma's meeting with the head goon of this bunch of demented mobsters.
* * *
It was twenty minutes later when the two finally met. The location was the throne room, and it was amazing that the whole scene didn't end up looking more comical than had been expected. Nguyen sat on his throne, looking anxious for once, as if someone was bringing a little boy his first pet, Mango thought. That pet was a rivalry that must be eliminated.
Mango and her group, plus a few of her soldiers were in full regalia in the room, not only to show honors to Lord Nguyen's prospective mate, but also to protect him from what had already labeled someone as potentially strong as he was. That was impossible, of course; only a few had even seen his Lordship's full power, but it was also said that the ruby-maned Japanese beauty in the room was certainly as close to his equal in power and strength as the female body would allow.
Spring-Heeled Jack whispered to Janeiro, "I'd say she's quite the handful in bed, wouldn't you, ol' bean?"
"Is the dirty dance and the horizontal bop the only things you think about, Jack?" an irritated Janeiro shot back. {{I don't see how he manages to get through a day without succumbing to his lustful inner nature,}} the Brazilian thought. {{He has not learned the way of the Dance, and how to control it, rather than letting it control you.}}
"Just think of it as *my* dancin', matey." {{'Course, what I do to them afterwards is a testament to the original Jack, me idol, dontcha know. Such a shame that they have to die, but at leas' ol' Jacky's had his fun.}}
Nova, however, did not take part in his associates' bickering. He was concentrating on the young woman in the dress. {{I sense a duality about her, something that says she is far more than a simple master of martial arts. I sense that she has the potential to be far more powerful than Lord Nguyen. I sense a highly masculine edge to her, as if it is boiling just beneath the surface. She could be the unweaver of all our plans. She must be controlled or destroyed. I must speak to Mango on this.}}
In the interim, though, the person of whom Nova was mentally ruminating about was currently involved in a defiant argument with Nguyen: "I said release me. If you don't, I'll simply burn the place down to the ground." She shook her fist at the behemoth in the throne. "Listen, buster, I don't know what you and your goon squad have planned but I don't want a single bit of it."
This however, was not what was going through her mind. {{Man, this guy's built! He's got ki off the scale, and looks like he could destroy Taro, Rouge, Herb, and the Orochi with one blow! Screw being *worried* about Akane...I'm severely *panicked* that she--and the rest--are mounting a rescue attempt. He'll eat 'em for breakfast!}}
Unaware of Ranma's analysis, the warlord continued his diatribe. "But, my dear," Nguyen boomed, "you are the prime part of all this. You should realize that escape is impossible. You have a grand role to play in this. You should be honored, Saotome-san. You have been selected for this honor because you are the finest female warrior that ever lived."
{{I got a *bad* feeling about this.}} "Selected for what?" she asked, not really wanting to know the answer.
"Why, selected to be my mate, of course. You will become the Empress of the World, and bear my children. You are perfectly suited for the job because of your talents." He sounded like a man just in control of his anxiousness. "Admittedly, you're a bit young, but nothing is perfect in this world...yet. You're of childbearing age, and haven't yet reached your peak in power. You'll definitely do."
{{He wants...*me*...to *WHAT?!?!?!??!?!?*}} The redhead had to stifle a laugh. Instead, she turned and walked away, saying, "Buddy, I'll be a monkey's uncle before I'm *anybody's* mother. Get yourself another nubile nympho." She headed towards the foyer.
*"NO ONE WALKS AWAY FROM ME!!!!!"* he roared, and in a demonstration of power, he snapped his fingers. A sizable section of the floor next to Ranma exploded in a burst of orchid-colored energy, sending miniature slivers of crystal flying in all directions. A larger, jagged piece of the floor fragment struck Ranma in the face, cutting a gash across her left cheek.
She turned back to face him, the blood oozing down her cheek. She looked ready to maim as her battle aura roared to life. *"I didn't appreciate that one damn bit! HIRYU SHOTEN HA, HORIZONTAL!"* To everyone's shock, she punched forward. The wind vortex surged forward, the energy dragon at its center. The Ascending Dragon punch slammed into Nguyen at full power, throwing him back, shattering the throne, and pulsing him into the wall behind, cratering its facade. Not wasting a minute (and knowing her limitations in the dress), she charged an energy blast within her hands, screaming, *"Who's next?!?"*
To her shock, Nguyen got up and began to laugh a deep, hearty bellow. "I have...not...had such a spirited challenger in quite a while! My dear, you have wholeheartedly confirmed why you are the one!" He looked to the left, then to the right, then faced her again saying, "But enough of this. I will make you mine, regardless of what it takes."
{{What the...? *He got up!* It didn't faze him!}} Ranma was absolutely stunned. The Ascending Dragon usually took out all but the strongest opponents, and those it didn't down it left dazed. But not Nguyen, apparently. He stood there, shirt damaged from the impact, but not much else. However, a sound immediately caught the woman's attention.
There was a stifled cry to her right, and Ranma turned to see Shiva, held at knifepoint by some grinning English maniac. "Me lassie, Ol' Jacky'll cut her a new space o' two if ye ain't too careful." To demonstrate this, he cut a few buttons off her dress, then stuck the knife inside as the girl winced. "O' course, I could always tip the lassie. Almost of age, she is, and right enjoyable she'd be, I wager."
*"Don't you dare touch her, you bastard,"* Ranma seethed, refocusing her attention on Jack. Jack saw the rage in the sky-blue eyes, and decided to pull his knife out of her dress top and settle it across her jugular, lest he set off the red-haired nuclear bomb.
"I will make you a deal," Nguyen said smoothly. "A child for a child. I will spare the child if you'll bear mine."
"And if I refuse?"
"You'll hear the screams of your dear Shiva as Jack--and then my army--have their way with her." He floated--*floated*--out of the chair and over to Shiva. With one swipe of the air, not even near her, the front of her dress was torn away. "I'm sure you get the idea, my dear lady." He leered at the silver-haired girl. "I'd say she'll grow up to be a beauty...if she lives that long. Some of my men, I've heard--" he glanced briefly at Jack, "--have, well, *unusual* appetites and desires. It wouldn't do to traumatize the poor child...if not worse."
Ranma looked at the terrified girl. Jack, emboldened once again by his lord's presence, brought the tip of his blade to rest on the tip of Shiva's left nipple. "Let her go," she said, staring at Jack that made it clear that if she had the chance, she would blast him into oblivion.
"What was that?" Nguyen feigned disinterest, pretending to be far more occupied by the Englishman's form of "recreation".
"Let her go. If you do, with a promise of no one to touch her, and she to be my personal servant..." she paused.
"Take her here and now," Nguyen leered.
"NO!" Ranma shouted. "Leave her be, and I-I-I'll marry you. I'll...have...your...child." Ranma slumped to the ground in defeat. Her pride and honor wouldn't allow anyone to suffer because of her predicament, no matter what happened; any attack on this guy would be useless and worse, might cause a backlash on Shiva. {{Dear, sweet Akane, I love you, but I can't let Shiva be mauled by that...*thing.* Forgive me.}}
Shiva ripped herself from Jack's grasp and held protectively onto Ranma as Nguyen roared a laughter of triumph. Taking the redhead's hand, the young girl walked out of the room with an air of hatred for her partners as they joined in their master's victory, every note of joy a sliver of sadness in the girls' ears.
The last thing that the pair heard as they exited the room was Nguyen's call, a humiliating, taunting cry of, "You have five days to make yourself ready, my love. I promise it won't hurt."
* * *
Once they were free enough from the throne room, Shiva held onto Ranma, weeping. "You didn't have to do that, Ranma. I would put up with whatever Jack was going to do to me."
"And I wouldn't let you. You're my friend. I won't let you suffer for my sake; I refuse to let that baka Ingurisujin lay his hands on you." Ranma snapped to her old personality, declaring, "I don't intend for Nguyen to get his hands on me, either. We're busting outta this place." She then thought for a second, realizing that she had a limited number of options, as well as time. But as Ranma tended to do, she threw it out. "Well, at least we have a timetable to work with. Five days."
"Five days for what, Ranma?"
"Five days to plan my--*our*--next move." She looked intensely at Shiva. "Shiva, I need you to get me some clothing that will fit my other form. I'll have to change back if we're going to break out."
"Break out?"
"Escape. We're going to leave this place."
"Leave?" This frightened Shiva; this was the only home she'd ever known, and while she detested it here, it was still home.
"We have to. It's the only way to save us." The redhead hugged Shiva close to her. "We'll plan to do it in two days. We'll be fine, I promise."
Mango, who trailed behind the duo, managed to catch Ranma's last words. {{I wouldn't make promises like that, Saotome,}} she thought wickedly, {{in light of the fact that you won't be alive in two days to fulfill them.}}
