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Finally ready to send this:

Path of the Warrior
(A Quantum Destinies Side Story)
Chapter 2



Any and all C+C is appreciated. You can contact me at
sommer@3rdm.net.

Angcobra is now storing all of my fics at
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Standard disclaimer:
I don't own any of the folks from Ranma 1/2. Quantum Destinies is a universe
that belongs to Jurai-Knight, and he has been kind enough to let me play in
it a few times.

Jurai-Knight's homepage with the most up to date Quantum Destinies chapters
is
http://home.earthlink.net/~sthesken/fanfics/qd.html

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So where is he?"

"He'll be here, child. Calm yourself."

Shampoo continued shuffling her feet in impatience. A tiny oval stone found
itself too close to her foot, and it ended up getting kicked far enough to
bounce off the trunk of a tree near the edge of the village. The display was
a clear sign of just how frustrated she felt. She hadn't done such a
childish things in years, yet she could not help herself. She needed to
move, to get going, before her mind began reconsidering her decision.

Likewise, Cologne also picked up on the signs. She looked at the sun, which
had broken the horizon a full half hour earlier and was continuing its
inevitable rise through the sky. "Perhaps he will be slightly late after
all. I heard others say he was last seen with Rei Za at the feast. I also
heard it said they retired early. Most likely they were so intent on
enjoying each other's company that Jaddo forgot the time. It's been known to
happen."

The information was a surprise to Shampoo. Rei Za was over twice her age and
would never have been considered attractive, even without the disfiguring
burns to the right side of her face that had resulted from an accident in
her childhood. Rei Za tended to be bitter and short-tempered with most
people, though Shampoo supposed it had to do with her appearance and the
hardships that came with it. Even with Jaddo's own decidedly none too
appealing features, he could have chosen much better than Rei Za. Women
outnumbered men nearly two-to-one in the village, and many were eager to
gain the attentions of any male outsider that came by. Likewise there were
some men who journeyed to the village for that very reason. Some even found
the courage to visit again.

"Perhaps you would like to say farewell to your parents again?" Cologne
offered. "I can wait here for Jaddo, and we can pick you up when he finally
arrives."

Shampoo shook her head quickly. She had already made her farewells in the
privacy of her home. It had been a good choice, since she had shed several
tears as she bid her parents farewell, something she had hoped with all her
heart she would not do. She was too old for that sort of thing. If she
returned to say goodbye one last time, there was a good chance she would
break down outright, and she needed to be strong. The time for tears had
passed, replaced with the need for the resolve necessary to endure the
hardships that were to come.

Surprisingly, it was her mother who had also cried over her impending
departure, while her more openly emotional father had been very stoic and
supportive of his daughter's leave-taking. Coming from outside the village,
and knowing what the rest of the world was like firsthand, might have had
something to do with the ease that he had displayed at his only child
leaving their home for the first time. Oddly enough, Shampoo found his
confidence more reassuring than anything her great-grandmother had told her
the night before to bolster her courage. It was part of his self-assurance
that calmed her so that she did not cry anymore and was able to leave home
with her head held high.

Just as Shampoo was about to complain about Jaddo's tardiness again, the man
himself appeared from within the heart of the village, a pack slung over his
back as he headed towards the pair. Shampoo silently noted that he was
indeed coming from the general direction that Rei Za's home lay. Thoughts of
what her new mentor might have been up to during his stay in the village
were quickly pushed from her mind as the reality of the situation was truly
setting in. This was it. She was about to leave home for the first time in
her life, and it could be years before she would have the opportunity to set
foot in it again. The enormity of it was overwhelming, and she was
considering voicing a protest when Jaddo finally arrived at their side.

The man looked even older to Shampoo than he had the day before. Despite his
dark skin, she could still make out even darker rings under his eyes, and
she could have sworn there was the faintest hint of alcohol hanging in the
air. His clothes were a marked contrast to the man in that, despite their
semi-worn state, they did not appear anywhere near as disheveled as the
person that was wearing them. Considering the late start they were getting,
and that Shampoo had already been up for two hours, there was no excuse for
him to be so late, especially since he was the one that had insisted on the
early departure in the first place.

If Jaddo noticed her displeasure, he gave no indication of it. Instead, he
looked expectedly at Shampoo, his voice carrying a bit more accent than it
had the day before. "You sure you're up to this?"

The doubt in his voice angered Shampoo, and her uncertainty was quickly
forgotten. "Of course I am."

Jaddo seemed unmoved by the declaration. "Just making sure. It wouldn't be
the first time I had to hear some hotshot say how they thought they were
ready to take on the world and then they quit at the moment of truth.
Nothing I hate worse than someone making me waste my time training them and
they bail out the instant things start to get tough. Now I'll ask you again,
are you sure you're ready to train with me and make a run for the top?"

Outrage made Shampoo scowl at the man. It took all of her self-control to
keep from snapping at him. How dare this stranger cast such accusations at
her! She had never given up at anything in her life. Even if it had not been
the decision of the council, she would have gone anyway. Her
great-grandmother was right. She needed to leave and discover what it was
that was missing from her life. And here was this man, practically telling
her he thought she would be unable to handle the course laid out before her.
Quit? There was no one outside of the elders that would be powerful enough
to stop her now.

"I am ready," Shampoo all but snarled.

Slowly, Jaddo nodded his head in something resembling the faintest hint of
confidence. "Maybe you are at that."

Watching the exchange with a close eye, Cologne kept her thoughts to
herself. The way the man made his insinuations was somewhat insulting to
Shampoo, but for the first time since the young girl had been informed of
what was expected of her, Shampoo seemed eager to set out on her journey.
The elder wondered if Jaddo was skilled enough to have detected the doubts
and said the very thing necessary to prod Shampoo in the direction she
needed to go, or if he had just been extremely lucky. Cologne was leaning to
the former, but it would not be the first time she had overestimated someone
concerning such matters.

With the business concerning whether Shampoo would be coming along
satisfied, Jaddo moved on to other matters. His eyes strayed to the twin
packs the young Amazon carried with her. Noticing a handle sticking out of
the top of the larger of the pair, he cocked his head and pointed. "What's
that?"

It took Shampoo a moment to figure out what he was referring to. "My
bonbori."

This time Jaddo shook his head in disapproval. "Leave them. You won't need
them. Weapon fighting is at an all-time low in popularity. You're going to
be fighting exclusively in hand-to-hand. You've got a long way to go, and we
can't afford to waste any time lugging around a pair of giant metal
beachballs. You need to travel light. Take only necessary things and a
handful of light momentos if you have to. You'll be making plenty of new
memories on the way to keep you busy."

"I did take only necessary things," Shampoo protested.

That made Jaddo snort. "Typical woman. I have yet to meet one of you who
could only pack necessary things on a trip."

A growl escaped Shampoo's lips. She was about make a very explicit retort at
the insult to her gender, but was brought up short when Cologne cleared her
throat. One look reminded the young girl that she was supposed to be showing
this man the same respect she showed her elder, even if the old bastard
wasn't making it easy.

Rather than argue further, Jaddo simply adjusted his pack and began to head
towards the road that led from the village and towards the south. "We'll see
if you're right or not. Let's get going."

The sudden change in attitude startled Shampoo as she handed her bonbori to
Cologne. "We're leaving?"

Still heading in the same direction without pause, Jaddo answered by casting
a glance over his shoulder. "Given that I'm walking away from the village
rather than towards it, it would appear that way, wouldn't it?"

Annoyed at the sarcasm and that her new trainer kept on walking, Shampoo
replied with a dirty look and picked up her packs. A moment later they were
resting over her shoulders as she began walking briskly towards Jaddo. She
gave one final farewell to Cologne, then hurried to catch up to his side. It
only took moments to get there; the man's limp kept him from traveling too
fast. The weight on her shoulders was barely noticeable. It was just as she
thought; the packs were perfectly fine. Taking too much indeed. She could
have handled five times the weight and not been bothered by it. The arrogant
man was underestimating her. She would show him exactly what she was capable
of, in time.

Cologne watched as the two headed off until they got to a bend in the road
and traveled out of sight. Just like that, it was over. Shampoo was gone,
and if the gods were willing, the next time Cologne would see her
great-granddaughter would be on television, triumphing over a multitude of
opponents from all over the world.

What had just happened also served to raise her opinion of the Jaddo, which
was high to begin with. He had deftly manipulated things so that Shampoo had
departed with a minimum of fuss and recriminations. Once the young girl
settled down, such doubts would reappear, but they would be lessened with
the distance between where she was and her home. Cologne was certain beyond
a doubt that Jaddo had intentionally done that as well. It appeared she had
made the right choice concerning the man upon whom the hopes of the village
would lay upon as heavily as Shampoo.

Cologne was not na�ve. Only with proper training in the ways of Japan and
the Arena would her great-granddaughter have any chance of success. She had
to learn the language, the customs, and a host of additional skills from one
who had spent nearly his entire life involved with the people and the
conditions Shampoo would live in. He was the only one that met her standards
and had any hope of success.

And now came the hardest part of all for Cologne. Not as arduous a task as
Shampoo's, to be certain, but one that was, in many ways, more frustrating
for someone the elder's age since she had spent so much of her life,
especially in these later years, doing it.

Now it was time for the waiting to begin.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The weather was pleasant for traveling. The skies were clear, and the
temperature just a touch on the cool side, which served the travelers well
since they were exerting a great deal of energy with the pace they were
setting. With the road as in good repair as it was, the duo made good time
over the rolling hills the path crawled upon, only standing to the side when
heavy, oxen-pulled wagons bearing crops went past on their way to the
nearest town for sale.

Shampoo found it easy to keep up with Jaddo, due in no small part to the
limp he sported. Still, the disability did little to hamper their progress
as they made their way overland. Eventually, they crossed a bridge over a
river that Shampoo recognized. That the landscape was still familiar helped
to ease the growing discomfort that was making its presence known since she
had finally managed to quell her ire. The anger had been useful in
distracting her from the true source of her concerns, but even the
irritation had to eventually give way to the reality: she had now departed
home and would not be returning for several years time.

Deciding a distraction from such depressing thoughts was in order, Shampoo
considered striking up a conversation with her mentor. They had gotten off
on the wrong foot, and it was time to set things right. If they were to
spend so much time together, they were going to have to get along, lest they
be at each other's throats within a week. Shampoo took it upon herself to
resolve the situation. Who knew, perhaps under that gruff exterior was a man
she could look up to and eventually call a friend.

The only problem she found was where to begin. Jaddo was an outsider, and
she knew little of the outside world. Within the safe boundaries of the
village, such knowledge meant little. But now that she was all but cast out
and on her own, Shampoo found herself wishing she had gone on at least one
of the trips her great-grandmother had taken to Kwanglong, so she would have
some experience with such places. It was only a city populated by fifteen
thousand or so, but it was still closer to where she was going as opposed to
where she had been.

Finally choosing something that had occurred recently as the best way to
start things off, Shampoo mentioned in an almost teasing tone, "I heard you
kept busy last night while I was preparing for our journey."

Jaddo paused and looked at Shampoo, one of his narrow eyebrows arcing
slightly in question.

Now her voice was completely teasing, and she added a wide smirk to it.
"With Rei Za. I heard others say you were enjoying her... hospitality."

"Oh," Jaddo's voice took on the knowing tone of a question being answered.
"Yah, we were fucking until the wee hours of the morning. That's why I was
late showing up. She was reluctant to let me go, and I was none too
enthusiastic to head out either."

Shampoo was taken aback by the man's openness towards the question. She had
expected embarrassment at the least, if not outright denial. But instead she
was getting a rather explicit explanation as to what he had done to keep
himself entertained during his stay in the village.

"Gal was just full of energy. Definitely one of the best lays I've had in
way too long," Jaddo remarked with a thoughtful grin on his face. "Sweet
thing too. I had her pegged for a screamer-"

Far too explicit for Shampoo's liking. "I don't need to hear this."

Jaddo's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, just enough for Shampoo to notice.
"If you don't want to hear the answer, don't ask the question."

"I didn't ask a question."

A snort of derision met that. "Of course you did, girl. The only reason you
made that comment was to know if I was banging the night away. You probably
thought I'd be too embarrassed to answer or get flustered, and you'd figure
it out from my reaction. I caught you off-guard by telling you exactly what
happened."

"You didn't need to be that detailed," Shampoo muttered, somewhat abashed,
mostly because he was right.

"I'm an up front person, girl. Others might say I'm a bit abrasive, which is
a nice way of saying they think I'm an asshole. Personally, I think it's
closer to being perfectly honest with others, something few people in this
world are. You'd better get used to that real fast, or you're going to be
miserable for awhile, 'cause I'm too old to change, and I'm certainly not
going to make the effort because some hotshot girl thinks she can head
straight to Japan and win herself citizenship while coasting along in her
sleep."

Shampoo felt her teeth grind. "My name is not 'girl'. It's Shan Pu."

"Not anymore. You're going to have to get used to being called Shampoo. It's
going to be your handle."

"I will not!" Shampoo shouted. "And what do you mean handle?"

"Name you'll go by in the Arena."

That made Shampoo scowl. "I shall use my real name, not this ridiculous
doorhandle."

"I said 'handle'. Not doorhandle, girl! Pay attention because this is the
jargon you're going to have to get used to once you get on the fighters'
circuit."

"I will use my real name!" Shampoo insisted. "And people are right! You are
an asshole!"

Oddly, all that made Jaddo do was chuckle. "You'll be calling me worse names
than that before we're through with one another," he promised with his hand
held high, as though he was swearing to the gods above. "Get this. The only
reason you're going to go by the name of Shampoo is 'cause on the offhand
chance you can scrape by and somehow make it into the Arena itself in one
piece, I guarantee those morons in the press will bastardize it into
Shampoo. Japanese can't pronounce Chinese names worth a shit, and they don't
give a damn one way or another about it. They want the world to conform to
their standards, not the other way around. And with the way things are going
in the world, it looks like they're going to get their way."

"I... see," Shampoo said reluctantly, now at least understanding why Jaddo
had been so insistent on doing such a stupid thing. Still, Shampoo hated the
very idea of her name being mispronounced in such a manner. Unfortunately,
like her tribe, she was going to have to conform to certain ideals held by
their conquerors. If the mispronunciation was one of those things, then so
be it. She would just have to put up with the outsiders' stupidity. No doubt
she would have to put up with worse things as time went by.  Still, it was
not something she was looking forward to. Not at all.

With their first 'discussion' over, the two resumed their walk, continuing
in silence for some time. The exchange had not gone the way Shampoo had
thought it would when she first started up their conversation. Certainly her
great-grandmother had been correct, as usual, when she had described Jaddo
as a bit gruff. She had met sandpaper with a less abrasive personality.
Luckily, having to deal with Mousse and his annoying attentions for over
half her life had given Shampoo a tremendous tolerance for dealing with
people that annoyed her. Jaddo was better than Perfume, for that matter. The
young warrior had dealt with worse, although she did lack the option of
belting Jaddo as she often had with her would-be paramour.

Still, the exchange had gleaned a little bit of the man's personality
firsthand. Shampoo needed to learn more of what he was like so she would
have some idea of what was to happen in the upcoming months and how to deal
with it. Hopefully, managing it would not involve either screaming or
ignoring him most of the time.

Shampoo forced herself to ask more questions so that she could get to know
Jaddo better. She decided to go back to the original topic, preparing for
the worst. "Why her?"

Without turning around, Jaddo said, "I thought you didn't want to talk about
it."

Shampoo let out an exasperated sigh. "I don't want to talk about the
details. I'm just curious as to why you chose Rei Za." The topic was making
Shampoo uncomfortable. She hadn't had any experience concerning sex yet, and
felt awkward discussing the matter so openly with a man who was practically
a stranger.

For a moment, Jaddo seemed to consider the request, then shrugged. "Why not?
She's a woman, ain't she?"

Shampoo shifted uncomfortably. "Well, she's... umm.

"Unattractive?"

Again Shampoo was stunned by the man's bluntness. Of course, he was right,
but still, it was rude to be that forward. At least to one who was not your
enemy. "Women outnumber men quite badly at home. You are obviously strong,
despite your age. No one knew your personality. You could have chosen
someone else."

"You mean someone prettier," Jaddo corrected. "I've got news for you,
Shampoo," he emphasized the use of her name, making her scowl at the
deliberate mispronunciation. 'Girl', was looking better all the time. "Looks
are a fleeting thing. You think you're hot shit now with your bouncy tits
and long legs. Wait twenty years down the line when age and gravity take
their toll. We'll see how many guys you can entice with that chest of yours
when your knockers are hanging down around your knees and you got vericose
veins that no pantyhose on Earth can hide."

"That's not true!" Shampoo countered with ferocity. "My mother still looks
very young. Many people think she is my older sister when they see us
together. And her chest does not sag. I'll look like her when I get older."

Jaddo chuckled. "Then you'll look like your great-grandmother a few years
after that."

That one made Shampoo cringe. Perhaps there was something to what Jaddo was
saying. She just prayed he was wrong. This was definitely not the sort of
thing she wanted to think about.

Seeing the effect on his new charge, Jaddo seemed to soften slightly. "You
can't judge people by looks, girl. Seeing someone with a nice rack or cute
butt is okay, but it's like leather bucket seats on a car. They're a nice
addition, but just extras. It's the stuff underneath that's important. You
gotta make sure the engine works fine and it gets good mileage if you want
to buy it, know what I mean?"

"No. I've never been in a car before."

That Jaddo kept from ramming his head into the nearest tree was a testament
to his willpower. After working his jaw back and forth a few times to regain
enough control to speak clearly, he said, "The point is, it's what the
person's like that matters in the long run, not how they look. Rei Za's a
perfectly nice gal that's kind of soft and gentle beneath that not so pretty
exterior of hers. And she doesn't like playing games when she sees a guy
she's interested in. I hate teases. Anyway, those are the sort of qualities
that I look for in a woman. Besides, I'm not exactly the cock of the walk
myself." He rubbed the stubble along his jaw as if to emphasize the point.

Shampoo conceded him that. He was not a particularly attractive man,
especially with that nose. There was no way to hide that characteristic
either, not with how flattened it was. What he was saying was true. Looks
were superficial. It was a far better thing to be attracted to the inner
qualities of a person than the outer ones. That Jaddo was not so shallow
made Shampoo feel much easier about leaving her fate in his hands. It seemed
that despite the fact he was bastard on the outside, there was a good man
lying underneath.

A sly smile crept across Jaddo's features. "Besides, ugly chicks don't get
much attention. Throw a little their way, and they'll spread their legs for
you in a heartbeat. Oh yah. Hehehehe-"

Jaddo's giggling stopped abruptly when a thrown rock connected with the back
of his head.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So my first fight will be today?"

"First one of this kind for you. First of many, if you're any good."

Shampoo found herself growing increasingly excited at the idea of finally
getting a chance to be productive and fighting. A week of traveling
overland, paying for food as they drifted from small town to even smaller
village, sleeping under the stars rather than trying to find a room in order
to save money, had slowly worn away her patience. Her whole purpose for
leaving her home was to fight, not play campout on a cross-country journey
with an outsider. Especially one that was difficult to get along with at
times. Well, most of the time. It wouldn't have been so bad if he had simply
lacked a personality.

After that first day, Shampoo was more cautious in her talks with Jaddo. No
matter what else she thought of the man, he was exceptionally bright. She
found that he was a bit reluctant to get into specifics about the Arena,
which was disappointing to her, as well as confusing, since the entire
reason she was traveling with him was to work her way there and become
victorious. What he did talk about were generalities in life, like their
conversation concerning Rei Za on their first day.

During the week, Shampoo learned much about the man, not all of it pleasant.
There were times when she would not speak aloud for hours for fear of
attacking him after he made some pointed comment about her or her outlook on
life. He was unlike any man she had met. Very forceful, blunt, rude, and
disrespectful a great deal of the time. Most of the men in the village were
nowhere near as outspoken as Jaddo, even if they felt passionately about
something. Shampoo had a feeling that if he had remained at Joketsuzoku for
any real length of time he would have ended up offending at least half of
the elders within the first month, if not first five minutes, after he met
them. Only the gods above knew why her great-grandmother had not pounded the
man for the attitude he displayed almost all the time. Luckily, Shampoo was
more tolerant than those elders, or at least that was what she told herself.
She needed Jaddo, though exactly for what was quickly becoming a mystery
since he didn't seem to be doing anything to help her, other than walking
all day and building up her endurance.

By the fifth day Shampoo had started to adjust to his presence, learning to
accept, or at least how to co-exist, with some of his less tolerable traits.
It was also about that time she suspected he was probing her for information
as much as she was him. Whether that was a good sign or not, she was
uncertain. He was too unlike anyone she had ever met to draw a comparison.
Still, his tongue did not bother her so much, and at times she found herself
agreeing with him, even if it was somewhat reluctantly.

Then the good news finally arrived. They were in a small town (small in the
sense that it was easily six times bigger than her village) when Jaddo said
he contacted a friend in the next town by telephone to inquire about a match
for his new fighter. The man said there were more than enough extras on hand
to add another match to the program and that room could be made for Shampoo.
It wouldn't be the main event, but it was a start for her.

Shampoo was ecstatic. Finally, she could get down to business and start
working on her citizenship. Amazingly, she found herself more excited about
the fight than entering the tournament back home. She suspected part of it
had to do with the unknown factors involved. In the village it was all the
same, and she knew what to expect. But here everything was different: new
opponents, new people, new places to fight. It was intoxicating and
thrilling, and she had not even been in her first fight yet.

It was right around noon when they finally arrived at their destination. It
was a town a third the size of the last one, much to Shampoo's surprise. She
had expected something larger if it was somehow connected with the massive
Arena her great-grandmother had described. The place was small and dirty,
and Shampoo took an instinctive dislike to the town. It had an empty feel to
it, and there were far fewer people present than there should have been on a
Saturday. Or so she thought, since she had never been to such a place. There
were far too many unknowns to her liking. She hoped she would learn more
about the outside world quickly.

Most of the people that could be seen were women, all of them scattered
about and not a single one a warrior. There was a handful of men too, and
taking a close look at them, Shampoo was struck by the differences many had
to most of the males of her own village, not the least of which was how so
many of them were openly leering at her. She was not surprised by their
reaction, given the pick of women they apparently had to choose from. It was
small wonder they found her fascinating. Even the least of the warriors of
the Joketsuzoku would shine brighter than any dreary woman that resided in
this empty town.

The only similarity the town seemed to have with Shampoo's own home were the
children. They were frolicking loudly in clusters in that manner unique to
those so young and without a care in the world. They were identical to the
children of her village in every way that mattered. Dirty, loud, happy, sad,
all the same. That knowledge made Shampoo feel an odd sort of comfort. She
planned on raising a family someday, and there was something reassuring that
no matter where she might end up, the children would remain the same.

They were about halfway through the para-ghost town when a faint roar rose
in the distance. Shampoo noticed Jaddo's head jerk at the sound and heard
him mutter a curse under his breath. Suddenly, he was hurrying through the
small town, almost at a run, forcing Shampoo to do the same in order to stay
at his side.

Within minutes, they had cut through most of the town, the noise growing
continuously louder the farther they went. Just as they reached a final line
of buildings that seemed to signify the end of the settlement, Shampoo
spotted an odd, flat area lying just beyond the edge of the town. What had
been built there was the cause of her curiosity. There was a set of low
wooden stands, conspicuous in their placement so far from any other
structures, that were completely filled, or at least Shampoo assumed so
since she could see the backs of many people standing at the top of it.

On either side of the nearest stand were two other sets of which only the
ends could be seen, though there were just as many people crammed into them
as well. Given the placement of the stands, Shampoo was certain there was
another set directly across from the one that was visible to her. Together
they formed a ring of sorts around the area between them. It was from there
that Shampoo could distinguish the roar that had drawn them close: the sound
of a crowd cheering in approval at what was occurring out of sight from
within the circle of humanity.

Jaddo seemed to relax once within sight of the stands. More slowly he
approached them, his limp becoming slightly more noticeable from his
impromptu run. As they drew closer, Shampoo's evaluation of the structures
went down dramatically. At the nearer range she could make out how worn the
stands were, obviously from years of frequent use and being subjected to the
elements. They were at least a dozen years old, if not more. It was quite
possible they were older than her. She gazed at the pitiful sight with a
disapproving eye. Jaddo had been unusually direct in telling her why they
were here, yet this did not look like any sort of an arena to her. What were
they doing here?

Jaddo kept walking, moving to the open area between the stands that allowed
people to enter and view what was happening inside. He stopped behind a
crowd that was composed mostly of men that stood between the stands and
milled about, jostling with each other to see what was happening inside.

The crowd, now that they were right on top of it, roared as loudly as a
raging river. Jaddo finally stopped and gave a wave of his hand in the
direction of the stands. He waited for things to quiet down before
announcing. "Welcome to your first dog pit, girl."

"What?!" Shampoo shouted in obvious surprise. "I'm supposed to fight in the
Arena!"

That declaration, and the way it was delivered, made Jaddo laugh. It was a
bitter thing, unlike his usual laugh, full of ridicule and scorn. Still
shouting loudly to be heard over the crowd, he said in a biting voice,
"Don't be na�ve, girl. In order to prove yourself worthy of performing
before the entirety of the Empire, you must first learn how to bleed in the
dust and rock in pits alongside the dogs of the Empire."

This was outrageous! Surely Jaddo was pulling some sort of joke on her,
perhaps to see what her reaction would be. This was not a time she would
leave him wanting. "I am a warrior of the Joketsuzoku. A champion among a
people born to be warriors. You make it sound like I'm some sort of
entertainment for these people. I am above this sort of base fighting. It is
for lesser warriors."

Jaddo shook his head tiredly at that. "That's what everyone thinks of
themselves. No one ever believes all they're fit for are the dog pits, but
I've got news for you: this is where you have to start out. Oh, there's a
handful of actual Citizens that get trained over in Japan and perform in
lots of tournaments to prove their abilities. Some of them even win enough
and have enough money and connections to get them in the Arena right off the
bat. But for the rest of the pack, folks like you and me, the bloodletters
and bonebreakers, this is the only path to the Arena. You fight in backwater
little shitholes like this for next to nothing, all for the entertainment of
a bunch of screaming morons that don't know a round kick from a round
wheel."

"There has to be another way," Shampoo insisted, fearing the truth in his
words.

"Nah." And with the finality that lay in that one word, Shampoo knew this
was no joke, at least not one created by Jaddo. He was telling the truth.
The horrible, unrelenting truth: she would be all but degraded, wasting time
fighting inferior challengers for the entertainment of a bunch of faceless
spectators that cared nothing for honor or the art of the fight. Had she a
choice in the matter, she would most likely have left at that moment rather
then be humiliated in such a fashion. But her orders were specific, and she
had made her vow. There was no choice in the matter. It was time to swallow
her pride and put up with this ridiculous farce, as much as she loathed to
do it. It was all so beneath her. She was a champion of the Joketsuzoku, and
should have been treated as such. She was not some novice that had yet to
earn the right to wear her hair in an odango. She was far, far better than
this.

Shampoo looked to the sky in silent appeal to the gods. If they heard, they
did nothing to change her fate. But then, they never did. All they had done
was allow her to be born with the skills that could take her from this
place. Reluctantly, she came to accept her fate and moved on to the matter
at hand. "Why do you call this a dog pit?"

The crowd roared again at that point, forcing Jaddo to wait until he could
be heard. This time the crowd remained louder than before, and the older man
was forced to shout, "Come with me and you can see for yourself!"

They pushed their way through the row of men in front of them. Several dirty
glares were exchanged in challenge to their forcefulness, but Jaddo, with
his piercing gaze, won all of the matches.

As they made their way to the front of the crowd, Shampoo got her first
clear look at the battlefield that lay in the area ringed around by the
stands. It was an unimpressive sight: a shallow pit no more than six feet
deep and with a forty foot radius. It was all packed earth, dirty brown and
worn flat by the thousands of footsteps that had traveled along its surface.
The sides of the pit were similar, with nothing along their length save for
a few dark rocks poking out periodically at regular intervals. The only
unusual feature was a small ramp leading down into the pit, one that was
currently blocked off by a chain link door that was braced into position. To
Shampoo's eyes, it appeared to be the only way into the pit without jumping
down. An easy enough feat for anyone who chose to do so, though with the
residents currently in the pit, it was unlikely anyone would have such
desires.

The occupants in the pit were two dogs whose breeds Shampoo had never seen
before. One was smaller, no more than forty pounds, with deeply set eyes,
and covered in brown with a white underbelly. It was small and tightly
compacted, with a low center of gravity and a small snout. The other was
much bigger, black and brown but more lanky than the other despite being a
few pounds heavier. It had a long pointed snout and a row of vicious-looking
teeth. It was a type of animal Shampoo was more familiar with, since there
were several dogs in the village that looked similar to it, save they were
not quite as large.

The pair of animals were locked in a life and death struggle, snapping and
tearing at each other with both tooth and claw, each jockeying for a better
position to permanently eliminate its rival. Red blood and vicious growls
mixed to fill the pit with a miasma of unforgiving violence, bilious hatred,
and unrelenting pain. The world around the two animals ceased to exist as
they continued to snap and bite at one another with no quarter given.

The larger dog had obviously taken the worst of the fight, with one of its
legs bleeding badly and several patches of flesh missing on its snout and
flank. Both of its ears had been torn off, and Shampoo thought she spotted
at least one of them laying a handful of feet away, next to a darker spot of
earth that she recognized as blood having been spilled. Undiscriminating,
the ground soaked it up just as it would the rain that fell from the sky.

Jaddo nodded at the scene of savagery that lay before their eyes. "It's how
they warm up the crowd. They toss a couple of nasty dogs in there as
preliminaries. People bet and cheer as they watch two animals rip each other
to shreds for the right to go on living for another day. Stakes are a bit
higher for the beasts than for the people. At least most of the time."

The smaller dog, sunk its teeth into the leg of the taller one again,
drawing blood from a new wound before the larger animal could get its leg
away.

"It's barbaric," Shampoo said softly, her comment being disagreed with by
nearly a thousand screaming people that fought each other for the right to
see what was about to happen next.

Despite the cacophony, Jaddo heard Shampoo's comment all too clearly. "It's
what you're going to be doing."

Shampoo looked at him in open shock.

Jaddo waved his hand at the statement. "Perhaps not as bloody and vicious as
what's going on down there, though I have seen some close fights take that
nasty a turn, but don't blind yourself to the reality of why you're here."

The larger dog lunged, and this time was rewarded with the ear of his rival.

"This is just a more primitive form of what you'll be doing, even if you
make it to the upper levels of fighting. The Arena is no exception. Even at
the top of the mountain, where the surroundings look prettier and the
clothing you wear are made of the finest silks in the world, it's all just a
pretty window dressing. The basics are the same at every stage of the fight.
Your personal motives mean nothing to anyone but yourself and your fellow
fighters, and sometimes not even then. You can fight for glory, honor,
prestige, or for God and Country all you want, but the only reason they're
putting you on display in these battlegrounds is for the people to watch
you."

The crowd cheered twice as loud as the smaller dog snapped repeatedly at the
larger dog, whose front leg was dragging behind it as it tried to flee its
rival.

"Whether it's for the millions worldwide that watch you in the Arena, or
just several hundred like in this cesspool, it's always for their
entertainment, never your own. You get hurt, you bleed, you break, they
might shed a tear at your passing, but another fighter will come along five
minutes later, and you're forgotten faster than you can bleed to death."

Shampoo stared wide-eyed, both at the words as well as the scene before her.
The wounds of the larger dog had taken their toll, and the smaller one
finally got a deathgrip on its opponent's neck. It locked on tight, refusing
to release its hold as the larger dog tried to use what remained of its
strength to shake free of what it knew to be a fatal strike.

The crowd's cheering reached a crescendo as it bore witness to the killing
blow.

Jaddo looked over his young ward closely as she stared at the sight before
her. "You still feel up to this? Won't be the first time someone opened
their eyes to see what was really going on and walked away before they got
in too deep."

What a question he had posed before her. Would she like to be thrown into a
pit with dogs that walked on two legs instead of four? To bite and claw and
kill her way to the top while being urged on by a ring of equally barbarous
beasts that cared nothing for her, save that she would either draw blood
from her rivals or bleed for them herself? To be treated like an animal,
only to be given its freedom if it could break all of the opponents that
fought it for the same prize that she herself strove for?

"Let's quit talking and get to it. I'm ready."

There was no trace of humor in Jaddo's voice as he said, "Maybe you are,
young warrior. Maybe you are"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Who is my opponent again?"

Jaddo nodded over to where a man in his early twenties paced eagerly back
and forth, threatening to run a furrow in the dirt. "That one over there.
His name is Fong Wu Shen."

Taking a closer look at her upcoming opponent, Shampoo shook her head. "He
holds himself sloppily. He is too at ease, and what little movement he shows
is not fluid or graceful. He doesn't have the body, look, or eyes of a
fighter."

"You mean not a very good one," Jaddo corrected. "You're right. He's meat."

"Meat?"

"Slang for dog meat. People call them that 'cause that's what they'll end up
being in the pits. Nothing but meat for the other dogs," Jaddo nodded to the
young man. "His kind are the ones that most populate this circuit of the
competition. He's why they need this stuff to winnow out meat from the
dogs."

"Oh." Evidently there was still a great deal for Shampoo to learn about her
new environment. Hopefully, Jaddo would be more forthcoming with information
about the way the Arena fighting worked after this match.

Shampoo waited eagerly as Jaddo lounged against a wall of the small area the
fighters had been given to wait and prepare themselves for their upcoming
matches. Shampoo would have wagered at one time the structure was a stable,
and had been converted to use for the dog pit. It was all open air with only
a flimsy roof with numerous holes throughout it. There were no walls on the
inside, just sets of low wooden barriers that separated individual fighters
from one another. All the warriors could see one another, unless they sat
down behind one of the walls, which some of them did.

There were forty of them, not including the trainers or friends that
accompanied each fighter. Shampoo learned from Jaddo that most of them were
there for a small battle royal (which her mentor derisively referred to as a
'Gang Bang') that involved a small purse for the last one standing. Jaddo
remarked to Shampoo that only a fool entered such things, where one very
strong person could be outnumbered and quickly put down by several lesser
fighters. And then there was trying to protect oneself when among so many.
It was too easy to be caught unawares and suffer from a blow that otherwise
could be easily blocked. Shampoo found herself agreeing with his assessment.
There would be no battle royals in her future.

Jaddo turned Shampoo's attention back to her opponent. "He's a journeyman.
>From what the guy running this thing said, Fong's been in less than ten
fights, and hasn't won half of them. He's got no rep, and nothing to show so
far."

"I should be fighting someone better. Someone with some actual skill, though
I don't see anyone like that here. Not even those two men who are supposed
to be in the final match."

"Main event. It's called a main event, girl," Jaddo explained. "You got to
get used to using the language if you want to be taken seriously. Only lazy
people or the really stupid don't bother to learn how the system works.
Neither lasts long here."

"Main event," Shampoo echoed in a tired voice. "Why can't I be in the main
event?"

Jaddo forced himself up from the wall he was lounging against, standing at
his full height as he confronted Shampoo. He held up several fingers,
ticking one off as he began. It reminded her of the conversation she had
with her great-grandmother the day before she departed her village. "First,
you start small and work your way up. Only an idiot tries to jump in with
both feet first and hopes nothing goes wrong." He ticked another finger off.
"Second, this is the first time you've ever been in a real fight like this.
You got no rep, and no reason to be qualified as a main eventer. You're
going to have to earn your way to the top, just like everyone else in the
dog pits does. Third, one of the top guys is a local boy. This is your first
time out, and I don't want you to have to deal with a hostile crowd."

"It wouldn't bother me," Shampoo bragged.

"Yah, but that doesn't matter. I still don't want you to have to deal with
one in your first fight. You're going to have enough on your hands as it
is."

"The dog meat will be easy," Shampoo assured him using the jargon he wished
her to speak.

"Good, I want him to be. And you don't have to say the whole thing. Just say
'meat', and people will know what you mean."

"I want to be tested," the young Amazon complained.

Again the old Aborigine laughed, and this time it was the humorous one
Shampoo had grown used to during their week together. The one he used when
telling a particularly ribald tale. "You'll have more tests than you can
handle on the road ahead. Be happy you're getting some meat now. If you're
good enough to make it to Hong Kong, you'll find out just what it means to
confront some real challengers."

With a confident smirk, Shampoo said, "I could handle it now. We should go
there as soon as we can."

"No, you aren't ready. Not for the style of fighting, and more importantly,
you haven't got the faintest idea on how to fight the way you'll make
yourself successful."

That made Shampoo cock her head quizzically. "What do you mean? All I need
to do is win, right?"

Jaddo suddenly became uncomfortable, as though he had said too much and
wished to take back what he said, no matter how impossible it was. "There's
no time for this. Your fight is up next. You just concern yourself with your
opponent."

Shampoo accepted that. It was a time for action, not words. "Well, you're my
trainer. What advice do you have for me?"

Jaddo placed his hands on her shoulders and looked downward, deeply into
Shampoo's eyes, as serious an expression as she had ever seen on his face.
Talking to the young warrior as a teacher would his student, he said in cold
tones, "Here's the best advice I've ever heard in my life. It applies to
every fight you can ever be in, including this one. Follow it, and you'll
always be victorious no matter how difficult the struggle is."

Shampoo was practically on her tiptoes, eager to receive this key kernel of
knowledge. "Yes, what is it?"

"Never let your opponent win."

Shampoo hit him in the head with a rock.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Shampoo stretched out one more time as she heard the announcer in the pit
call out the name of Fong Wu Shen. There was a resounding cheer among the
crowd, which surprised her since the man was supposed to be an unknown.
Despite the cheers for Fong, the lavender-haired girl didn't mind being
introduced second. Her opponent didn't stand a chance of victory. The only
thing that mattered was who ended up being the last one standing.

All too soon, the gate that had hidden her from the crowd's sight moved to
the side and allowed her into the pit. She walked down confidently, full of
pride and assurance. She would show all of these people how a Joketsuzoku
warrior fought. But in spite of what Jaddo contended, she would not show
them how she bled. At least not at this buffoon's hands.

Now in the bottom of the pit, Shampoo understood why the town had seemed
deserted before. She had seen beforehand that the stands, which at close
range did not appear that large, were full, but only standing in the middle
of the pit did she truly grasp just how many people were attending the
fight. Not only were the stands full, but so were the places in-between.
Dozens of people jostled for a better position to see the action in the pit.
They were mostly men, though there were many women in the crowd as well. All
of them cheering and watching intently as Shampoo slowly walked into the
center of the pit. For the first time since she had arrived, she felt a bit
of trepidation at fighting before so many strange eyes.

The announcer was a small man whose booming voice stood in stark contrast to
his diminutive form. "And presenting Shen's opponent, she hails from the
hinterlands of the village known as Joketsuzoku, the amazing fighting
wonder, Shampoo."

Shampoo cringed at hearing her name bastardized in her own language. Even if
Jaddo had told her to get used to it, there was no reason it should be
mispronounced by those that spoke her own tongue. She would have words with
her somewhat dubious mentor when this was all over.

Almost as soon as the last word left the announcer's mouth, catcalls and
taunts began to float down from the crowd.

"I want to see a real fighter, not some girl."

"Fighting wonder? It's a wonder someone that young can fight."

"I think Fong's a lucky guy. I wouldn't mind wrestling that hot little
number."

"Hey pretty girl, with those sort of looks, you're better suited for
fighting in a bed instead of a ring."

"Put me down there, and I'll make it a doggie style pit. Hahahaha!"

Every cutting remark, every insult, every slur made Shampoo's temper boil
with a rage she had rarely felt. How dare these fools insult any Joketsuzoku
warrior in this manner, let alone their champion. Surely they were suicidal.
Had this happened in the village, she would have challenged each of them to
a duel and shown them how a 'little girl' could fight. They would have been
the ones who bled, and they would have done it in copious amounts for their
outrageous behavior.

It was still difficult to believe so many of these outsiders were unaware of
the power of the Joketsuzoku. While it was true her people had intentionally
laid low for a number of years in order to avoid gaining the Empire's
attention, lest what happen to the Musk also happen to them, but there was a
time when they were a major power in this region. Obviously, it had been too
long since the Joketsuzoku had left their homes to show these insulting
slugs just what abilities they still possessed. Well, that was going to
change, at least in some small measure, starting tonight.

All but snarling, Shampoo turned to face her opponent. She was rewarded by
the smirk that Shen had worn right up to that moment disappear when he saw
just how angry she was. However, his surprise passed quickly as he brought
up his hands and spaced out his legs in order to prepare for an attack.

The announcer left the pit and headed partway up the ramp. Just as the gate
was about to close, he shouted at the top of his voice. "Let the fight...
begin!"

Shen decided to play it safe and move in slow, faking a punch at Shampoo to
try and gauge just how tough she was. True, she was nothing more than a
little girl, and a damn pretty one at that, but she might have a move or two
that could surprise him. He had been caught underestimating his opponent in
two of his defeats; mistakes he had no intention of repeating. No way would
he get overconfident again, though he did make a mental note not to hit her
in the face if he could help it. That way, after he defeated her, he might
get lucky when he asked her out. And she just might show her appreciation
for his chivalric attitude towards her. Perhaps she would even be very
appreciative in a physical way. Or so he hoped. Hope sprung eternal in the
hearts of young men, after all.

Fantasies with wrestling Shampoo between the sheets were quickly ushered out
of Shen's mind as he regained his focus. All that was left now was the
fight. He had trained hard and gotten a lot better since the last time he
stepped into a pit, and here was where he got to show his newly gained
talents to the rest of the world as he began the slow and arduous climb to
the top. After tonight, no one would ever refer to him as 'meat' again.

Cautiously, Shen came in with a slow right, ready to see how fast Shampoo
would react to the blow. He was fully prepared to block or retreat from the
expected counterattack. Then he would reevaluate how much force would be
required to deal with his attractive opponent.

The punch had not made it more than six inches from Shen's body when
Shampoo's foot came up blindingly fast in a sweeping arc toward his head.
His arm was already in position to block a blow, but the force behind the
kick was so great it completely overpowered his defenses and drove both her
foot and his own arm into his head. Rendered instantly unconscious, his body
quickly caught up to his mental state by falling awkwardly to the ground.

The sound of Shen's body slumping to the hardened earth was clearly heard
throughout the entire area, the spectators having gone silent to a person
from the what they had just witnessed. Even the announcer was struck
speechless.

Shampoo cast one baleful glare to the crowd before placing one hand on her
hip, almost daring anyone to speak a word to her. No one answered the
challenge.

Satisfied her point had been made, Shampoo left the pit without another
glance to the crowd. It was only after she had left the field of combat that
a slow, almost reluctant applause, erupted from the mass of humanity in the
stands, though it never reached the peak it had for the earlier fights. Not
by a great margin.

As Shampoo made her way back into the stable the fighters were housed, she
saw the other warriors back slightly away from her, as though she would lash
out at them for daring to draw too near. The next two fighters were quick to
head for the pit as the recovered announcer's voice called them to begin the
next fight. Of all the people in the building, only Jaddo remained exactly
where he was, once again leaning in the relaxed position Shampoo had left
him in. He feigned being unaware or uncaring of her presence, but she knew
that he was cognizant of her every step towards him.

With a taunting smirk, she approached until she was standing directly before
him. "How was that?"

Jaddo opened a half-lidded eye and stared at her. Once again Shampoo felt
uncomfortable under that penetrating gaze that seemed to look right through
to her soul. Even her great-grandmother wasn't that good with a glare. It
was intense enough to make her shift uneasily.

When he failed to respond to her comment, Shampoo became even more wary.
"Aren't you going to evaluate me? That is what you are here for, isn't it?"

Again, an almost palpable silence hung between them. When it appeared Jaddo
would continue to remain silent, Shampoo considered leaving. She was about
to give him one last chance by speaking again when he finally broke the
silence and said, "I'm just waiting for a moment where you might actually
listen to what I have to say."

Somehow, Shampoo found herself unable to get angry at the accusation of her
close-mindedness. She reassured herself it was because of his gaze, and not
that he might be right. "I am eager to hear your observations."

Jaddo stopped leaning against the wall and turned to fully face Shampoo. His
voice took on an analytical bent that Shampoo had never heard before. "Your
initial evaluation of your opponent was correct. He was far inferior to you
and barely worth the effort. You took him down quickly and effectively,
without any permanent damage, despite the highly angry state the crowd sent
you into. That last is critical, as I would have rejected further training
of you if you had shown any sadistic bent. I teach only warriors, not
butchers.

"The crowd was hostile to you, which is not surprising once you've been in a
few of these dog pits. The majority of them underestimated you because they
had next to no combat knowledge. Once you proved their assumption completely
wrong, they grew quiet. For most, it was a mix of fear and anger."

"Anger?" Shampoo asked.

"Anger at being wrong," Jaddo explained. "That sort of thing will work in
the first three or so fights in your career, but after that you're going to
have to change your attitude. Once your name start getting circulated about
as a winner, both the crowd and your opponents will take you more seriously.
Once that starts, you're going to have the opportunity to use the crowd to
your advantage."

Shampoo held her chin high in the air. "Their opinions mean nothing to me."

Jaddo nodded. "A healthy attitude to have personally, but don't
underestimate what it means to have a crowd backing you. Deep down inside,
nearly everyone wants approval in one form or another, even if it's from
those they got nothing but disdain for. Those handful of fighters that feed
off the anger of the crowd are some of the most dangerous you'll ever meet.
They've got a hate for themselves that they project onto others, usually
those they see as a threat. I expect you to keep your eyes open for that
type, though if I spot them, I'll be quick to point them out to you.

"As to the crowds themselves, you're right to have a bit of contempt for
them, at least at some level. For the most part, there are two basic types
of people that come to these things. First are those screaming, blind idiots
that live vicariously through your feats and accomplishments because they
feel inadequate in what they've done. They're the loudest as they thrill to
what they can only imagine life and death struggles are like, since they
lack the guts to do it themselves. That's the majority of the folks you see
out there. The ones that want to see the blood. If you win them over, it'll
be your opponents' blood they'll want to see spilled instead of yours. I'll
warn you, they do tend to be fickle. They're the ones that will be your
bread and butter, and the easiest to manipulate.

"The other kind are the ones you have to have some measure of respect for,
even if it's only for their control. They're the professionals. People like
us that watch and learn because they know firsthand what it means to live
along the fine edge of life and death. They're rare, but out there. Watch
out for them, because it won't be as easy to win them over. It's okay to
have contempt for them too, but make sure it's because of who they are, not
what they are."

The nature of the conversation was confusing Shampoo. Certainly her
great-grandmother had never talked in this way about people. It all seemed
so basic, almost contemptuous. "Why is winning the crowd so important?"

Suddenly, Jaddo's posture changed. Whereas before it was relaxed, almost
laconic, now it became serious. Deadly serious. It was as if some of his
fighting spirit was showing through, and Shampoo marked that she would
probably not have been enthusiastic about fighting her mentor in his prime,
not if he was still capable of projecting himself so well, in spite of his
limp.

Jaddo was smiling now, a wide thing showing off white teeth that stood in
marked contrast to his ebony skin. "In the twenty years I've been training
fighters, I've had over fifty make it to the big Arena. No other single
trainer's come within ten of that. I had a nine make it to the semis. Three
made it to the finals, but none won the ultimate prize. A little bit of me
died each time, because I know they relied on me to help take them to the
top. Oh, many made their name there, to be sure. Many were able to get good
jobs with the reputations they built in part with the skills I helped imbue
in them. Some of them even became citizens through other means, but none of
them can declare themselves champion.

"Why am I so concerned? Because for the first time ever, I have a fighter
that has what it takes to make it to the top. I can feel it in my bones.
You've the necessary skills. You've got looks. You've got the right
attitude. You need to hone those things to perfect them for Arena fighting,
but that's why I'm here. You aren't ready yet, not by a long shot, but the
basics are there. It'll take a bit of luck, and timing is everything. Hell,
anything could go wrong at any time, but the possibility is definitely
there. Over the next few months you'll learn to curse me, my lovers, hell,
even my mother for bringing a bastard like me into this world, but you'll
learn how to fight for the Arena as sure as I breathe. I'll help you make
yourself into a star that people will be talking about for years to come.

"And God willing, in a year's time, you'll be standing in the winner's
circle, the Emperor himself declaring you a Citizen of the greatest Empire
the world has ever seen."

And Shampoo knew, looking into his eyes, into the depths of his very soul,
that every word Jaddo spoke was the truth. Whatever doubts Shampoo had about
the man's abilities were erased forever. Her great-grandmother had not
simply chosen a great trainer, she had chosen the best.

Shampoo had not just taken one, but in truth, two steps further down the
path of the warrior, and to the ultimate prize that awaited her at the end.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

And before anyone says it, this was planned out long before the movie
Gladiator ever came out. ^_^ You can ask Jurai-Knight if you don't believe
me. I suggested this well over a year before it came out.

Special thanks to Jurai-Knight for looking this over.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     desaix@sysnet.net
Sir Desaix, member # 116 of the Knights of the True Fiancee
              anime  fanfics available at
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