Since it's been several months since chapter seven, I
suppose a quick reminder of what has happened
so far.
1. Mousse's unknown baby daughter appeared.
2. A small amount of hijinks ensued.
3. A group of people looking for a magic item (a
figurine supposedly able to lift shapechanging curses)
they believed to have been left in Mousse's possession.
4. To ensure Mousse's cooperation they kidnapped
Akari (whom they believed to be Mousse's girlfriend),
Mousse's daughter and, for some reason, Nodoka.
5. Mousse and co. retrieved the figurine, only to get it
stolen by the other group.
6. Meanwhile, the hostages befriended Zelda, the intended
recipient of the figurine's cure.
7. Someone told Mousse and co. where the hostages were.
If anyone would like to read the earlier chapters in
their entirety, they can be found here:
http://www.angelfire.com/anime3/gundampalace/home.html
and here:
http://www.angelfire.com/md/MousseShampoo/layout2.html
http://pub61.ezboard.com/fmousseandshampoofrm1
Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and co., and
there's nothing I can do about it. I don't make any money on this and
if anybody does, don't. Unless you actually have the rights to Ranma
1/2, in which case there's not much I can do to prevent it.
Please C & C.
DUCK AND PEACHES AT THE FOOT OF FLOWER MOUNTAIN
CHAPTER EIGHT
By Hans Holm
"So, this is Super Fun Crazy Happyland", Genma said. "I think I can safely
say that this is one of the least scary places I've seen somebody hide out in."
"It's pretty depressing, though", Ukyo said, looking at the pad-locked gate.
"All boarded up and covered in tarpaulins."
"I'm still surprised you came with us, Mr. Saotome", Mousse said.
"My wife is in there somewhere, Boy. How could I stay away?"
"Don't say a word, Ranma", Akane hissed.
"I was just going to say that it would have been better if Ryoga had been
here too", Ranma muttered.
As if on cue, the call of the wild Hibiki echoed down the road.
"Speak of Devil", Shampoo said. "Shampoo go get him here."
* * * * * *
A quick explanation and a torn off padlock later, they entered the theme
park.
"Where to we go now?", Ukyo said. "This place is huge...It'll take _days_
to search through every building."
"We don't have to", Genma said. "Most of them are too small. They're
going to be in one of the bigger ones."
"There's still a lot of them...", Akane said.
"We'll find them faster if we split up", Ranma said.
"Is that really smart, Ranma?", Mousse asked. "They could pick us off one
by one..."
"Come on! You've beaten that Wu Jing guy at least twice and we had no
problem with them at the shrine", Ranma said. "And this place isn't so big
that we won't hear if anybody needs help."
"Small groups better", Shampoo said. "Come, Mousse."
Shampoo started dragging Mousse towards the closest of the larger
buildings.
"Do you think she noticed that she's going to the Tunnel of Love?", Ukyo
asked.
"Hard to tell these days", Ranma said. "Ucchan, you and Pops keep an eye
on Ryoga and go that way. I'll go this way with Akane."
* * * * * *
Ukyo was beginning to doubt the wisdom in splitting up. She had looked
away for a moment and both Ryoga and Genma had disappeared...
The place was huge and a maze, at one point, she had _knowingly_ walked
in a circle without ending up where she started. A sound caught her
attention - someone was beating out an odd rhythm on something metallic.
As she turned a corner she saw the person - the gas-mask wearer Cologne
had referred to as 'Raggedy Man or his successor', leaning back in a folding
chair in front of one of the larger buildings and absentmindedly striking two
metal sticks against each other. He looked up.
"Ah, Ms. Kuonji.", he said, standing up. "I've been waiting forr you. I
bellieve this is what you'rre llooking for."
He indicated an almost invisible door on the wall behind him.
"You're not going to fight?"
"No. Therre's no rreason forr me to fight you. Alll you have to do is go
thrrough this doorr."
"And then?"
"Eventuallly, you'lll get to wherre the hostages arre."
"Why are you doing this?"
"As I said, therre's no rreason forr me to fight you. I don't parrticullarrlly
llike the boss anyway."
He stepped aside as Ukyo hesitantly peered into the gloom behind the door
and stepped in. The door slammed shut behind her.
A muffled *poff* told Lumpen Ukyo had set off the first of the traps.
* * * * * *
Ranma and Akane soon found themselves in front of a large building whose
fading sign named it as the House of Fun.
The door opened on its own as they came closer.
"Shall we?", Akane asked.
"They're expecting us. It would be impolite to let them wait", Ranma said.
A short pause.
"When did you start caring about being polite?", Akane said.
"Ah, let's get going!", Ranma replied, going on ahead.
"RANMA!"
He turned around just in time to see Akane disappear down a trap door.
Before he could reach it, barbed wire masked man he'd fought at the shrine
dropped down from the ceiling, grabbed him by the throat and threw him
onto the vibrating floor.
The King of Pain wasn't just playing with him this time.
* * * * * *
Ryoga managed to lose his guides almost immediately and found himself
looking down on an hexagonal arena. The PA system crackled to life.
"L...die... ...n... gent...emen an... chil...n ...f all age... Toni...ht we
ha...e a ...ecial tre...t ...or y...!"
The announcement was followed by badly recorded cheers from a crowd.
The voice became clearer as a spotlight switched on and blinded him..
"...n thi... corner, the Hero - Rryyooga Hibiki!"
The recorded cheers grew more enthusiastic.
"And sneaking up behind him, with a stealth and speed that belies his
incredible bulk - JAGANNATH!"
Something very large crashed into Ryoga from behind and they tumbled to
the ground.
The recorded crowd went wild.
* * * * * *
As he fell behind Ryoga and Ukyo, Genma suddenly noticed the smell of
food. Food meant people, and in this case people had to be those who had
kidnapped Nodoka! The kids had already disappeared from view, so he had
no choice but to investigate on his own.
A few twists and turns later, he found himself face to face with an,
apparently only recently, abandoned fast food stand. It had to be a trap...
And he shouldn't be thinking about food at a time like this...But he hadn't
eaten for _hours_...
A sound caused Genma to look up from his third helping. Two arms were
reaching through the wall behind him. As he turned around one of them
formed a fist and punched him, sending him flying through another wall.
As he got back up his opponent faded into view - a youngish African man
with a white eyepatch, spotless white suit and a white top hat.
Ananzi smiled, tipped his hat, turned around and entered a building
proclaiming an exhibition of exotic arthropods, beckoning Genma to follow
him.
* * * * * *
Akane landed relatively softly on a pile of cushions, rags and mattresses in a
dimly lit tunnel. As she clawed her way out, she saw someone approaching.
A pale girl dressed like the goth assistant of a stage magician obsessed with
skeletons was slowly walking down the tunnel. As she saw Akane she
stopped and went into a clawhanded stance.
Once Akane had finished disentangling herself, Graveyard Sammi howled
and charged.
* * * * * *
"Something's wrong", Shampoo said, sniffing. "All this smoke..."
"It doesn't _smell_ like smoke", Mousse said. "But I'm sure someone's
here..." He trailed off as he glimpsed a female silhouette down a corridor,
it seemed familiar somehow...
"Mousse! Wait! Where are you going?", Shampoo called, as Mousse
charged down that corridor. "Wait for me!"
When Mousse reached the door at the end Shampoo was nowhere in sight.
But the girl who opened the door for him was familiar...
* * * * * *
Shampoo could only watch as Mousse disappeared down the smoky
corridor. It was as if the smoke was holding her back.
"Tsk...I'm really disappointed in him", a disembodied voice said. "A
female silhouette in the distance and he runs off after her."
The smoke coalesced into the thin girl with greyish-purple hair.
"I think I'm starting to understand why you keep denyi..."
"MOUSSE IS NOT MY BOYFRIEND!"
The other girl blinked.
"Ah, well...Anyway...I'm supposed to keep you busy, so you don't
interfere, 'kay?" A long knife appeared in her hand.
* * * * * *
The hostages were facing a crisis of their own, as Hairspray reacted to the
situation not only by crying but also by going through the limited supply of
diapers with alarming speed.
"Hairspray? Please stop crying", Akari tried. "Daddy'll be here soon...I
promise...And we'll all get to go b-back h-home..."
"Ssooonerr than yoou think", Zelda said, appearing in the doorway. Yoourr
frriendss arre herre too ssave yoou."
"They're here?!", Akari said.
"How did they find us? I thought...", Nodoka began.
"I guesss they had hellp", Zelda replied. "Ssince everryboody iss bussy
fighting them, yoou shooulld take the ooppoorrtunity too esscape. Herre,
Akarri."
She handed Akari a small, vaguely humanoid figurine made of flint.
"Wait! This is that stone you were talking about, isn't it?", Akari said.
"Yess", Zelda said.
"Y-you're giving it to us?", Akari said. "B-but I thought _you_ needed it."
"I think yoou knoow ssoomeoone whoo needss it moorre...I can wait",
Zelda said. "_And_ I ooverrhearrd what Ssimoon iss pllanning if it
dooessn't woorrk...Yoou doon't want too knoow."
* * * * * *
Coughing and cursing, with smoking and torn clothes, Ukyo burst through
the final door and landed, sprawling face down on the muddy ground.
"Ah, Ms. Kuonji", Lumpen said. "You made it thrrough...I bllame the
materrialls and llack of time to prreparre things prroperlly..."
"It takes more than a few firecrackers to stop me", Ukyo hissed as she
reached for her giant spatula. "Now it's my turn..."
The sound of an explosion distracted her.
"Tsk, tsk", Lumpen said, looming over her.
Then the trenchcoat flew open revealing the yawning void inside. Ukyo's
scream was cut off before it even began.
* * * * * *
Ranma stood up gingerly. This vibrating floor was shaking way too much...
No wonder this place was abandoned. The King of Pain waited at the edge,
knowing better than to venture out on that floor.
Ranma tried to charge, only to fall on his face at the first step. After a few
moments thought, he carefully made his way to the opposite edge.
The King of Pain shrugged and lumbered across the vibrating floor without
effort. Ranma met him with kick, staggering him. He quickly recovered and
tackled Ranma through the nearest wall.
The room behind it was filled with machines and contraptions decidedly
inappropriate for a House of Fun pounding and crushing. The King of Pain
stood up, grabbed Ranma by the hair and pulled him along towards the
nearest machine. He paused for a moment to show Ranma what the machine
would do and made what sounded like a low, rasping chuckle. As he
changed his grip, Ranma twisted loose and aimed several punches at his
opponents face, staggering him again. The King of Pain's right hand was
caught in the machine as the crushing weight came down...
The *squelch* was followed by an audible ripping sound as the King of
Pain tore loose and connected with a wild swing with the stump. Ranma
dodged the follow-up and barely connected with a half-hearted kick to the
stomach, unnerved as much by his opponents lack of reaction to his injuries
as the curious lack of blood. They continued trading blows for several
minutes, the King of Pain returning to his behaviour in the earlier fight of
refusing to stay down. Then, suddenly, he dove for Ranma. Ranma dodged
and the King of Pain landed in one of the machines. Before Ranma could
react, there was another *squelch* .
Ranma spent the next several minutes being violently sick before
staggering to his feet to look for the others. As he did, an explosion was
heard in the not to far distance.
* * * * * *
Ryoga found himself face to face with the disturbingly serene face of the
Indian giant, caught in a bear hug and cursing himself for getting caught.
The girl on the PA system chattered incessantly - a barely intelligible
stream of consciousness ramble with occasional imaginative insults and
colour commentary interjected.
With little choice, Ryoga head-butted his opponent. Jagannath's expression
didn't change, but his grip loosened for a moment. Encouraged, Ryoga head
butted him again and managed to wriggle one arm loose. A third head butt
and the second arm followed. He clapped his hands over Jagannath's ears.
Jagannath, his expression unchanged, dropped Ryoga but immediately
reached for him again.
The sound of an explosion interrupted the fight. There was cursing over the
PA system. A midget popped out of her hiding place and leaped onto the
giant's shoulder. Then Jagannath turned and ran towards the nearest exit.
Ryoga warily followed.
* * * * * *
The building was full of terrariums with spiders, scorpions, centipedes and
other arthropods. No trace of Ananzi.
"Coward!", Genma called. "Show yourself!"
"Why?", Ananzi's voice replied. "I'm no martial artist. A fight between us
wouldn't be fair and would make neither of us any happier. Besides all I
have to do is keep you busy so you don't interfere..."
As if on cue, the closest terrariums shattered and their inhabitants advanced
on Genma. Not really much of a problem, except the impracticality of
crushing scorpions underfoot without shoes. Genma turned around only to
find that the door had disappeared.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Mr Saotome", Ananzi's voice said. "It wouldn't be much
point in this if I didn't remove the door, would it?"
A few more terrariums shattered for added emphasis. Genma brushed away
the closest spiders and scorpions with his feet. Most of them vanished into
thin air.
"Illusions?!", Genma gasped.
"Even if a single one is deadly enough, one has to consider the visual
element", Ananzi's voice said. "An army looks better than a single
spider...And is harder to keep track of."
The final terrariums shattered. Then came the sound of a not too distant
explosion.
"Now, _that_ did not sound like a part of the plan", Ananzi's voice said
with weary cheer. "I guess you're free to go."
The exit re-appeared as the illusionary arthropods faded and the others
scurried off.
* * * * * *
Akane barely dodged Sammi's first attack, more because of surprise than
any skill or speed on Sammi's part. The second attack tore open Akane's
gi jacket as she stepped aside and then caught Sammi's arm. Akane
followed up with a couple of knees to the chest and stomach and then
threw Sammi to the ground. She stayed down. After watching her for a
minute or so, Akane decided the fight was over and turned to leave.
She had only taken a few steps when she heard Sammi getting back up.Her
battle-cry was abruptly cut off as Akane spun around and met her with a
foot to the face. For a moment Sammi stood up with the smug smile of
someone who has just outsmarted her opponent. The smile faded as
realisation set in and she toppled over.
Her lack of reaction to being tied up with rags seemed to indicate her being
truly unconscious this time. Still, Akane kept expecting her to reappear
while she continued to look for an exit. Just as she found it a slightly
muffled explosion could be heard somewhere above.
* * * * * *
Kemuri dived forward, slashing towards Shampoo.
"Hey! Watch it!", Shampoo said as she dodged. "If you just to keep me
busy why need knife?"
Kemuri rolled to her feet and paused.
"Hmm...Because since Mousse's availability seems to depend on you
getting around to decide if you want him or not?...If you're not around
anymore...", she said.
"That...That is silliest thing ever heard! What make you think he then
choose you?"
"Well...Why not? Can you think of anyone better?"
"Hmm...Well...He always teaming up with Akane...And since Hairspray
show up he spend lot of time with Akari...Ukyo is interested now...I guess
...Nabiki..."
"Hey! Wait a minute! I need to write this thing down!"
*Blink*Blink* Well, at least the ninja-girl was distracted...
When Kemuri looked up after locating a pen and a piece of paper, she was
met by Shampoo's fist.
It sounded as if someone else was approaching. Mousse? No...Too many...
As she readied herself a robed figure came around a corner followed by
Nodoka, Akari and Hairspray. She ran up to them.
"She's OK", Akari said, as Shampoo almost tore Hairspray from her arms.
"Just running a little low on diapers."
"Y-you didn't happen to see Mousse...or any of the others?", Shampoo
said.
"I'm ssurre Ssimoon willl wait foorr him in the Halll oof Mirrroorrs", Zelda
said. She was beginning to say something else when the sound of an
explosion interrupted her.
* * * * * *
All Mousse could do was stare and stutter at the girl standing before him.
"Moussie! You're finally here!, Tao Tao cried throwing herself around his
neck.
"I...I thought you were dead", Mousse said. "The letter..."
"You know how Shenbao is, Moussie", Tao Tao said. "She's always
misinterpreting things and exaggerating."
"B-but how? What are you doing here? What about Hairspray? Akari?
Mrs. Sao..."
"Don't worry, Moussie. You're here, that's all that matters to me. You'll
get to see them soon...Follow me."
"Where?"
Tao Tao didn't answer.
Something wasn't right...What was Tao Tao doing here?...She didn't look
as if she'd been held prisoner...And if she had they wouldn't have needed
him to get the stone...And if she hadn't, why did she know where the others
were?...She wasn't acting quite like herself...Shouldn't she be more
worried about her daughter...And...Moussie?...Tao Tao used to call him
Mu Mu...Yes! That was it!
"You're not Tao Tao!"
"Very clever, Mousse", "Tao Tao" said as she morphed into Wu Jing.
"I guess I'll have to use another approach", he said as he morphed into
Shampoo and attacked.
"Very impressive", Mousse said as he dodged the clumsy attack. "But I
know you're not Shampoo either...And it's clear your masquerade don't
extend as far as actual skill."
"Shut up! I don't need _her_ skill to kill you!", "Shampoo" screamed,
as she retreated towards the Hall of Mirrors. When "she" came to the steps,
"she" bent down and reached for something hidden inside.
As Mousse caught up, "she" morphed back into Wu Jing and pulled out two
smallish crossbows from their hidden compartment. The first bolt hit
Mousse in the thigh and caused him to fall over. Wu Jing was there in a
flash, putting one foot on Mousse's chest and aiming the crossbow at his
face.
"Now, look what you've made me do!" Wu Jing said. "You're about to die
and I've hardly done anything of what I was going to tell you I had done
before I kill you."
"I'm sure it grieves you deeply", Mousse muttered.
"On the other hand, I _can't_ do that to your girlfriend, at least not yet,
because Doctor Blumberg needs her in case the stone doesn't work", Wu
Jing continued. "But I could give you all the details of Tao Tao's death..."
He laughed, and stopped paying attention for a moment. That was all
Mousse needed.
Somebody was applauding.
As Mousse looked up, vaguely noticing that Wu Jing, if nothing else, was
still breathing, he saw a young European in old-fashioned clothes standing
on the steps.
"Very impressive", he said. "A most spectacular display of excessive
violence and righteous anger. Allow me to introduce myself...I am
Doctor Simon Magnus Blumberg. And you are Mu Si, also known as
Mousse."
"Follow me", he continued as he turned and entered the Hall of Mirrors.
Mousse lurched to his feet and, after absent-mindedly pulling the bolt out of
his thigh, limped after him.
* * * * * *
Slowed down by his injury, Mousse soon lost sight of Blumberg, stalking
him by the sound of his voice and expecting an ambush any moment.
Suddenly, he found himself in an octagonal room with no idea how he
got there. No doors, each wall being a large mirror.
"Let's play a game", the unseen Blumberg said. "Each mirror shows the life
of a different Mu Si. There are exits behind every mirror, but only one leads
back to where you came from."
"Different Mu Si? What do you mean? How do I choose? What happens if I
choose the wrong one."
"That's your problem."
As Mousse looked on, pictures slowly started to form in the mirrors.
* * * * * *
A well-dressed Mousse sitting opposite an equally well-dressed Nabiki
at a table, together with a boy and a girl, around eight or nine years old,
calmly having breakfast. A junior high school aged Hairspray, stopped by
long enough to snatch up some random food before running off.
Another Mousse was wearing dungarees, working side by side with a
similarly attired Akari, feeding the pigs. They paused to kiss. In the
background Hairspray, no more than four years old, tried her hand at
wrestling a sumo piglet twice her size.
The next one was wearing his best robe, and dancing with a dress-wearing
Akane in an otherwise abandoned ballroom. The moon and the lights of
Tokyo at night shone in through the large hole in the wall.
The one after that wore all black and no glasses. His eyes glowed red.
A girl with long black-purplish hair and a revealing outfit in red and black
appeared next to him. Behind them, an army slowly gathered - Pantyhose,
the Musk warriors, Wu Jing and the others they had fought at the shrine and
many more whom he didn't recognise.
The next Mousse was sneaking up on an obviously pregnant Ukyo, who
was standing at the grill, with Hairspray in a baby-chair next to it. The
Mousse embraced the Ukyo from behind. She seemed to berate him at first,
but then they kissed until Hairspray threw her ducky at them.
A bleeding Mousse in a torn robe lying in the ruins of a house made of now
mostly broken glass. A less injured but still battered looking Shampoo with
Hairspray in her arms was kneeling crying by his side.
Mousse and Shampoo again - he in a tuxedo, she in a wedding dress. The
rest of the Nerima gang appeared next to them, all of them dressed to the
nines and lined up as if for a wedding photo.
Mousse and Tao Tao, this time. In front of a large and probably expensive
house. He, in his robe with his arm around her, she in jeans and the large
sweat-shirt she usually wore when not working, her dark brown hair now
tied in a simple pony-tail. Hairspray, maybe four or five years old and
wearing robes similar to his, was standing in front of him.
He took a deep breath and made his choice.
The mirror shattered. So did the world...
To be continued...
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