Well, live and learn, I suppose. Seeing as I got nearly as many emails
from people about not sending so many chapters at the same time as I
did comments and criticism, I will assume that at least half again as
many people who read what I posted were annoyed by it. Erego, I would
like to apologize to those people. Truthfully, the thought of mailbox
flooding had not crossed my mind, though in retrospect, fifteen
chapters was a... tad... extreme. Still, it is better to have made the
mistake and learned from it, than not to have tried at all. ... I
think. I guess. Yeah. That sounds pretty good.

Hence, I will skip right to chapter 29 (which I just recently
finished.)
Of course, comments and criticism on any past chapter or chapters or
on any topic is much appreciated. Those back chapters can be found
here:
http://www.wpi.edu/~jbw
or
http://users.wpi.edu/~jbw

(One links right to another)



__________



Ranma 1/2 was created by Rumiko Takahashi and its characters belong to
her, and her alone. I'm just kinda borrowing them. A few others are
mine. The story below is for entertainment purposes only, and not to
be used commercially. ...Obviously.


"Learning Curve"
        Part XXIX

by:   J. Wagner  


Deep in the heart of China, in a land seemingly forgotten by the
modern world, Kuonji Ukyou dried her hair to the soft hum of an
electric generator. Not far off, she could easily hear a multitude of
male voices, laughing, boasting, and talking, all in the thick
regional Chinese that the Musk people spoke. The only thing between
them and her was a thin sheet of black silk, and yet Ukyou felt
absolutely safe, totally secure. The relaxing soak in a hot spring was
a great boon for everyone, and a golden opportunity to unwind without
worrying about being stared at and drooled over.

Not that her self proclaimed mate and husband didn't try anything
perverted. Herb had out and suggested they bathe together 'as man and
wife' when camp had been made and again proportioned her to 'bear his
heir.' At least that last request was something he brought up less
often: only once since his last fight. She'd clonked him on the head,
and he'd gone off to sulk about it. The stupidly sad look on his face
made her smile involuntarily, and Ukyou blushed when she realized it.

"That baka." She whispered, softly. Herb was a confusing man. He
respected her fighting skills and prowess, and yet he treated her like
virtual property, because she was a woman, and because he wanted her.
For her part, she'd come to realize that while Herb was no one to pick
a fight with, and had a nasty temper, he would never hurt her. He
never fought back, never raised a hand against her, and at most would
be content to argue a little and call her stubborn. Around her, with
her, he was about as violent as a puppy dog.

Yet...

Ukyou remembered Mount Phoenix. She remembered Herb, a vicious smile
on his face, swiping his arms and slicing a Phoenix warrior in half at
mid-torso. She remembered the spray of blood, the fire in his eyes,
the terrible purpose and efficiency behind every strike. She
remembered, just as well, Herb testing her by mock ordering his
General, Sumac, to kill another Musk, to see if she would intervene or
not. The fact that he had ordered such a thing paled, though, compared
to the fact that Sumac was willing to follow through. Still, she
remembered him, most recently, striding out of the battlefield of
Xaodin, flames lapping up from the burning outpost fort, the
shriveled, broken body of Lai Zhol held high with his right hand,
proudly displaying the trophy to his cheering Musk warriors.

"Do you see? Do you see, my men, my servants, my Musk?" Herb laughed,
slowly waving the burned and bloody corpse in the air, his voice deep
and mesmerizing. Enchanting. "Do you see the victory in sight? This is
only the beginning! Only the Beginning!!"

Ukyou shuddered at the memory, trying to reconcile that Herb with the
one who held her, and talked to her, and treated her so softly. So
gently, and for the first time, made her feel like an actual woman.
The one who said he loved her as much as any Musk could, and whose
eyes begged for the same. Those deep, sad eyes, and the eyes of the
demon she had seen that day... Just as surprising, just as terrifying,
she had found herself excited by his words. She had felt her blood
boil.

Enchanting.

Blushing deeply, she remembered how those eyes had both terrified and
excited her. How, when he had strode up to her, tossing Lai Zhol's
corpse on the ground, a savage primal smirk had graced his face, and
those eyes had fallen on her alone. Lust. Hunger. Companionship. She
had seen and felt and echoed those feelings he had projected through
sharp green eyes, if only for a painful instant.

And then: Control.

Herb had turned away, and addressed his men who were standing over the
old Amazon's body, his voice cold as glacial ice. "Impale her on a
pike. Let the birds ... pick... at her bones."

And that was it.

They had resumed the march onward after staying at Xaodin for only
three days. Only long enough to replenish their supply train, root out
any Amazon sympathizers, and install a Musk Overseer. By the end of
the week, after two days of bad weather (though thunder in the
distance made her worry they weren't through it all), scouts had
reported nearing a small hot springs, and Herb had decided to make
camp to rest and build morale in the Musk ranks while awaiting reports
from Sumac and Clove, who commanded the rest of the Musk Armies. It
was just as well: they all needed a good clean, even Ukyou herself,
though she had avoided getting into any serious fighting since the
incident at Mount Phoenix.

Guiltily, she looked around at all the things Herb had brought for
her. The electrical generator she had for personal use was just the
tip of the iceberg. Laid out for her use were a plethora of exotic
scents and soaps and perfumes, most of which Ukyou had no idea what to
do with. She was a fighter, and for most of her life, she had
renounced her femininity training to defeat her then-enemy Saotome
Ranma. For kami's sake, she even had two handmaids to help her 'with
woman things' (as Herb had put it), though she'd quickly dismissed the
two village girls, not feeling comfortable being waited on or slaved
over.

Finished drying herself off, Ukyou slipped on a green and blue silk
robe, and brushing aside a corner of the blinds, stepped out of the
steamy area. It was summer, still, but the nights were rather cold.
Immediately, she sensed a strong presence to the side, and saw Mint
take a step forward, at attention.

"Lady Ukyou?" he asked, his young voice always surprising her. Mint,
too, had killed at least one other warrior at Phoenix Mountain, yet he
was still a teenager, barely more than fifteen. Though Ukyou herself
was only eighteen, it was hard to believe that the wide eyes and
almost innocent seeming Mint was still Musk - still a warrior, and the
one servant Herb insisted she keep nearby at all times. Though Herb
had disbanded the twenty man strong Royal Bodyguard, calling the task
unnecessary, and reassigned them to the Armies, he had expressly kept
Mint around to be her personal bodyguard.

"Hello, Mint." She liked the boy. Most Musk were serious fellows, or
at least much larger than herself and darkly imposing. The others,
like Mint's brother, and Herb's half brother, gave her a chill when
they walked by or had business to discuss. Sumac, in particular, made
her feel uncomfortable; unable to shake that feeling she'd had when
she first saw him, ready to kill a defenseless companion, simply
because he was ordered to. Mint was almost the exact opposite of his
older kinsman. He was kind, outside of battle, helpful, and seemed to
exude a sort of youth and warmth.

"How was your bath, Lady?"

He also spoke excellent Japanese, for which Ukyou was thankful.

"Very nice." Ukyou ran a hand through her long hair, causing Mint to
blush and look away nervously. The two walked in silence away from the
springs, Ukyou leading, Mint following, as in the distance, the heavy
footfalls of fully armored Musk were the only sound breaking the early
evening chorus of insects. It seemed to juxtaposed she realized,
seeing their shadows pass by in the distance, the peacefulness of
where they were, and the destruction of that peace, wherever they
went.

"Mint?"

Hearing his name, he looked at her. "Yes, Lady?"

"Do you mind if I ask you something?" Ukyou asked, though she knew his
answer already.

"Of course not. It would be an honor."

She smiled wanly. Mint didn't really talk that much, and he was
usually soft spoken when he did. Most of the time, he was perfectly
content to be quiet, seemingly without any need to make conversation
to fill time. Or maybe he was just shy. Then again, she *knew* he was
shy, so that definitely played a part in it. Still, they didn't talk
much, beyond simple formalities. Maybe he could help her understand
something.

"Mint. How do you feel about what we're doing?"

"What we're doing?" He asked, a little defensibly.

"Here. To the Amazons. What we did to those Phoenix people." She
clarified. "Do you think its right?"

His young face became sterner, and he looked forward, avoiding her
eyes. "We are doing the duty of all Musk. We are following the orders
of our Great Dragon Lord."

"But do you think it's right?" She asked again. "Morally right?"

"I don't... follow." Mint replied, after a moment. "What do you mean:
is it morally right?"

Ukyou seemed surprised by this answer. It was unusually insightful for
such a young man. "Well..." She tried. "Something is morally right
when... when you would like others to do it to you."

He thought about that for a little while.

Far off, another thunderclap sounded.

"But Lady Ukyou," he finally said. "If I were doing the wrong thing,
and wanted no one to stop me, then would it be morally right to follow
my wishes, and let me continue doing wrong?"

"That's why we have justice." Ukyou answered quickly. "Justice makes
sure that those who do wrong are stopped."

"Which is also doing wrong? Or is it not?" He asked, softly. She could
tell that she was losing him in this, because his voice was dropping
off.

"It isn't wrong to stop ...wrong," she decided on saying. Looking at
him, Ukyou could see he was trying to digest what she's said into his
Musk view on things.

"But... but like I said... who says what is wrong in the first place?"
His reply was unusually firm and resolved. "Lady Ukyou, I think I know
why you're asking me this. But I am Musk. My Dragon Lord is my
justice. He is my law. He says what is wrong and what is right."

"No one san say what is wrong and what is right..." She started to
say.

"Then how did your morality develop, if not from men?" Mint frowned,
and reached to his side, settling his hand on his sword. "Did not,
long ago, some man say that it is wrong to kill... unless under these
circumstances or the next? Was that not how it began? So is it for the
Musk. Since the days of the First Dynasty, under the rule of The
Grandfather, our ways have been like this. The blood of that great
ancestor, of Ma'at, flows through the Dragon Lord's veins."

"That doesn't make him infallible." Ukyou warned. "Herb isn't some
kind of god."

"No." Mint spoke with a touch of sadness. "But he is our King. Now.
That is enough."

Ukyou sighed. Such was the Musk mentality. Of all the Musk she had
met, from the wizened Borage, to Herb, to Taro, to even Mint, there
was a sort of fatality mindset. They were just extensions of the past,
following roles set for them, unable to change. In all their history,
no Musk had ever decided not to be Musk, save Saffron. In all the
millennia, none had ever become more than pawns and knights of the
Royal bloodline. Even if she did stay here, and even if she did marry
Herb, what would her son be to those around him? What would Mint's
child be, but a slave to her own?

He is our King. That is enough.

'It was enough. Enough for Mint to kill in Herb's name.' Ukyou had
thought that they acted without care for consequences, or perhaps out
of bloodlust. Certainly, the Musk acted the former, and displayed the
latter. Musk warriors would boast about slaying foes, comparing them
to stalks of grain, or animals put to slaughter, or with exaggerated
human attributes. Obviously, they did care and know that they were
killing other human beings. And while Musk certainly possessed a
strong bloodlust in battle, they were tempered by an iron discipline.

He is our King. That is enough.

So it was, she realized, how the Musk Way had survived, almost without
change, for over ten thousand years. They were built to accept the way
of things, kind of like animals, and readily accepted the niches into
which they were born. Only rarely, from what she remembered from
Borage's lectures, did a Musk Scholar do any real revolutionary work,
or suggest any 'radical' change to the existing order. And looking at
it all, it really fell on those Scribes and Scholars who advised the
King to create change, because the line of the Dragon was just as
opposed to it as any other, if not more so.

Four thousand years ago, Jusendo had been built soon after the
discovery of Jyusenkyou. The King at the time had beena young Herubu
the Fourth, of the Third Dynasty, at the beginning of his reign.
Herubu the Fourth had lived and ruled for a thousand years, from what
she remembered, and done little else of note in all that time. It all
seemed so bleak and depressing, in light of the fast paced modern
world she had grown up in.

She sighed softly. "What do you want to be when you grow up, Mint?"

"I'd like to be mated someday." Mint smiled a little at the thought.
"No one in our family is, yet, and we have no heirs. In old age, I
think I could be a Scholar, like Borage."

And that was it.

"How about going into space?" Ukyou asked, looking up at the sky. The
stars were faint; not yet out in full glory.

"Space?" Mint snorted disdainfully. "Why would I want to be in space?"

"To see new things! To explore!" She noticed that he was looking at
her quizzically. There was one phrase he'd understand: "For glory."

"I don't see what's so glorious about going into space." Mint
shrugged. Shaking her head sadly, she patted him on the shoulder.

"Maybe you'll change your mind someday."

"Maybe." Mint nervously took her hand off his shoulder, forcing away
the blush on his cheeks. He was the Dragon Lord's chosen mate - there
was really nothing to be gained by arguing with her, even if Mint did
secretly like the sound of her voice.

Finally, the two of them came to the green and blue tent at the center
of the camp, from which all others radiated. Walking inside, Ukyou
looked around, expecting to see Herb, but finding only empty space and
their normal traveling accoutrements. It was hardly extravagant,
beyond its size, and even then only compared to the Spartan living
conditions of the other Musk. Herb traveled lightly, far more lightly
than he had her do. The lights were on inside the tent, and their
stands put up and in place, but no one was present. Something else
seemed to be missing, too: that weird staff Herb had picked up from
the raid on Phoenix Mountain.

"Now where'd that caped jackass run off to?" She fussed, obviously
annoyed, though she didn't quite know why. How many weeks ago had it
been since she simply wanted to escape and go home?

Mint stepped out of the tent, and took a careful look around. Finally,
he pointed to a hill in the distance, where a small silhouette stood
against the backdrop of the Southern Baiyankara Mountains. Ukyou
couldn't quite see him as well as her Musk bodyguard, however. "Are
you sure that's him?"

"Yep." Mint narrowed his eyes.

"I wonder why he's way out there..."

Another thunderclap shook the air.

"Ah." Mint smirked. "He's practicing."

***

The clap of thunder was little more than a faint whisper miles to the
south, near the ruin of Soryn Pass. There, under the shadow of spires
of wood, a prostrate figure groaned, and started to stir. Shampoo had
felt better, to tell the truth, and as she regained consciousness, a
flood of memories returned to her. She had been fighting... fighting
Mousse...

Yes. Mousse had been caught breaking into the Library in the
Joketsuzoku village. He had been selling Amazon secrets to the Musk,
betraying them to their ancient enemy. Then he had fled, and Shampoo
had been recalled from Japan to find and kill him for his crimes. The
marriage laws had been suspended, and all Amazons brought back home in
preparation for war. Out of all the Amazons Nation, Shampoo was the
only one with the expertise to deal with Mousse. Though they had
avoided saying it, she was the only one who could really "deal" with
Mousse when she found him.

Yet...

She hadn't beaten him. Anger and humiliation burned deep inside her at
the realization. Growing up, she had never thought much of Mousse,
beyond his annoying habit of shirking his station as an Amazon male.
Then he had left to train under a wandering master in the Dark Art of
Hidden Weapons, and he had returned emboldened and with enough power
to back up his former intentions. Still, despite his martial prowess,
he had never raised arms against his Amazon sisters - in that respect,
at least, his upbringing had been in line with the norm.

But she had never really, seriously, thought that he had surpassed
her. She was Shampoo, great granddaughter of the Matriarch head of the
Council, of one of the favored bloodlines! She was the greatest
warrior of her generation! Yet, had Mousse not been able to fight
girl-type Ranma where she herself would have been beaten easily? When
Ryouga trained with them - Mousse, Shampoo and Ukyou - hadn't he told
them that he regarded Mousse as his most serious opponent?

Closing her eyes, she could see him fight. She had not held back even
a fraction, and yet he had defied her, and lived! They had danced amid
the ruins of the beached airship on the battlefield of Soryn, trading
blows and strikes. Deerhorn Knives, Clawed gauntlets, throwing stars,
swords, fists and feet and strength and fury, the two Amazons, male
and female, had given it their all. Shampoo had fought for the
Council, for her people, and for her honor. Why Mousse had fought, why
Mousse had betrayed them, she did not know.

'You're the future of the Amazons... Spoiled! Blind! Arrogant! ...
Doomed!'

"Damn... you Mousse." Shampoo shook her head and heard her neck crack
and protest. What had happened? She and Mousse had fallen into...
bones... skeletons of warriors. This was Soryn Pass. The Musk Legion
and Phoenix Tribe had fought here over twenty years ago. The Amazons
had sent aid, but it hadn't arrived until after the battle was over.
She and Mousse had fallen through to this lower level in the beached
ship, and then something had knocked them out.

Struggling to move, Shampoo quickly realized she wasn't getting
anywhere. Tilting her head to look down, she saw thick brown-green
ropes around her torso, arms and knees, pinning her in place.
Channeling Ki desperately, she tried to tear through the bonds, to
little effect. They only seemed to constrict even more tightly. Then,
hauntingly familiar laughter came from behind, along with the sound of
steps.

"Who dares?!" Shampoo roared, rocking back and forth to roll herself
over. "Who dares do this to a..."

Shampoo never finished her sentence. Her muscles spasmed, and voice
seized up, cutting off any rational discourse. Undisguised laughter
from above distantly registered in her mind, but only sunk in after
the shock faded, and the world creased spinning. Looking up, she saw a
face, then double.

"Shan Pu." One of them said, smiling. "You look like you've seen
better days, over."

"It seems our new weapon works much better in this form than as a
cage." The other faded out a bit as it spoke. Then, blinking a few
times, Shampoo realized it was those twins she'd been given as escort:
Cherry and Chain. One was crouched down over her, and the other was
standing up, her arms crossed over her chest.

"What are you fools doing?!" Shampoo tried to scream, but her voice
was still hoarse. "The Amazon Council will have your heads for this!"

"Oh?" The girl who was standing smirked. "You don't say? Don't you
remember us, Shan Pu?"

The Amazon narrowed her eyes.

"I guess not, over." The crouched girl stood up, and mirrored her
sister, minus the cocky smile. The other one shook her head.

"Maybe this will help your memory. 'Wind Direction okay!'"

Shampoo's eyes widened. "You!"

"And me." The other girl said, plainly. "Lin Ku."

"And Pin Ku." The cocky one laughed. "Chain and Cherry were just
aliases. Honestly, I'm surprised you forgot about us so quickly. But
it has been about eight years or so, hasn't it? Since the last time
you beat us up, that is."

Pink stomped her foot on something, and Shampoo felt the binds around
her constrict, before exploding in pain. Whether it was poison, or
electricity, or some combination of the two, Shampoo neither knew nor
cared. Then, with a shutter of tortured muscle and sinew, the
sensation and pain were gone.

"Don't worry, Shan Pu." Pink assured her, voice totally confident. "We
won't kill you. Not like this. We're just going to have a little
payback for the pain you caused. Then we'll toss what's left of you
off the cliff. It'll look like an accident, in case anyone cares to
check, and we can blame it on that traitor, Mu Tzu."

Shampoo groaned. "Mu Tzu..."

"He's right here." Pink stepped to the side, and motioned to another
body on the ground, partially obscured by darkness. "He'll die too, of
course."

 "Pin..." Link seemed to caution her sister.

"But we have no plans to torture him, if that concerns you." Pink
'hmfed.' "But he just can't be allowed to wander around."

"Pin Ku. Lin Ku." Shampoo gulped and licked dry lips. "Listen. You
don't have to do this. At least not now..."

"Not now?" Pink rolled her eyes. "Why not? I think now is the perfect
time, over!"

"Bu... aaaARGHH!!" Shampoo gritted her teeth at the assault. It seemed
to drag on, unending, unceasing, before Pink raised her foot off the
base of the plant, and its tendrils' power died down. This gave some
respite for the proud Amazon, though Shampoo knew it was fleeting.
Pink was enjoying this too much to not do it again. She could tell by
the gleam in the other girl's eyes, if nothing else.

"Lin Ku?" Pink invited her twin sister to have a turn. Shampoo braced
herself, and after a few tense seconds the pain ripped into her body
for a fourth time, though not nearly as long.

"Shampoo." Link spoke up, her words slow and precise. "You'll be sorry
you ever met us. Over."

Pink let out a sharp laugh. "That's an understatement, over!"

"Let me tell you something else..." Pink leaned over, dark black eyes
mirthful. "Your Great Grandmother...Khu Lon..."

 "Great... great grandmother..." Shampoo squeezed her eyes shut,
overcome by shame. How could this be happening? What would her Great
grandmother think?

"She'll be joining you in the afterlife, soon." Pink's voice haunted
her, brought tears to her eyes. "The Musk Prince... if he doesn't tear
her heart out... we will. Soon, the Council of Elders, the Matriarchy,
the Amazons Sisterhoods..." Shampoo could also hear Pink smirking.
"They'll all be dead, Shampoo! They'll ALL be dead!"

"Better dead than a Musk concubine!" Shampoo snapped, shaking tears
from her face.

Pink gave a pitying look, and stood up again, looking to her sister.
"She really has no clue, does she, over?"

Link shook her head. "No. None at all."

"Well!" Pink clapped her hands together excitedly and looked down at
Shampoo again. "I'm going to pick out my very best Mandragora spores
for later. A little sprinkle, and we'll wait a few days to see how it
grows. But I have a feeling, Shan Pu, that you'll make wonderful
fertilizer."

Pink winked, and left, Link following right behind like a second
shadow. Alone, again, Shampoo felt the weight of Pink's words burn
into her mind. High above and around, dark spires of broken wood, the
grave markers of uncounted warriors and peasants, cast long terrible
shadows. Far off, the scurrying of tiny feet, rats, made her skin
crawl. Giving one last futile struggle against the living cords
binding her, Shampoo felt something coming up, like vomit, but dry.

Unable to hold back the sob, a gasp of total despair and hopelessness,
Shampoo bit her lip and tried to fight back the tears and noise. She
was an Amazon! She was stronger than this! She was... was...

"Oh... oh gods..." Burying her forehead in the ground, Shampoo lost
this fight, just like all the others it seemed she'd ever been in, and
cried. Crystal tear after tear fell from her face, into the dry, dirt
encrusted ground; down her cheeks, stinging and burning away her
pride. How long she was like this, Shampoo didn't know - didn't care.

"Shan..."

Shampoo barely heard her name.

"Shan... Pu..."

Blinking, she turned her head to the side, nose catching dirt on the
tip. "M... Mu Tzu?"

 "Hey. Shan." Mousse narrowed his eyes slightly from where he lay,
obviously trying to find her. His glasses were gone, and she could see
his eyes reflecting some light from an unknown source. Maybe, she
wondered, it was his soul shining through. In his hair, two mashed up
flowers seemed oddly out of place. He smiled, wanly, and with great
effort inched towards her. He was just as tightly bound as she, if not
more so, but managed the task in near silence, working his way towards
her.

"Mu Tzu..." Shampoo watched him with a mixture of sadness and hope.
"Stupid Mu Tzu..."

"I'm glad..." He inched a little closer, and then stopped, breathing a
little heavily. "I'm glad you think so highly of me." Seeing no
response from her, he continued, glibly. "It's a shame being exiled
from the Tribe isn't the same as being an Outsider. Maybe then you'd
have to marry me, too."

Still nothing.

"Thinking about it... sharing you with Ranma wouldn't be so bad. His
girl form's easy on the eyes."

This, finally, seemed to do the trick, and Shampoo shook her head
weakly, a tiny smile appearing where there hadn't been a trace of one
before. "You're too stupid for words, Mu Tzu."

"So..." Mousse's mood sobered more than a little. "I take it those two
companions of yours..."

"Traitors..." Shampoo hissed the word like a curse. "Pin Ku and Lin
Ku..."

"Pin Ku and Lin Ku?" Mousse was quite for a few seconds. "Ah... Them.
Well, it seems as if someone's been holding a grudge for a long time.
Three someone's really, since I'm sure that if you knew who they were
you'd beat them into the ground on sight."

Shampoo gave him a sharp look. Mousse had never been one to criticize
her before. But he had changed, not just since returning to China, but
months before. When he started to work closely with Ukyou. This new
Mousse, however, was a very different animal from the one she knew. In
a way, Shampoo wasn't quite sure how to deal with him, outside of a
mortal one-on-one death match, of course.

"I... suppose I would have." She finally admitted. He was right about
it, and there was little point getting angry at this point. "Can you
escape?"

"I've been trying to since I woke up."

Shampoo felt suddenly ashamed. "When... when was that?"

"I heard you crying, Shan Pu." He looked at her, but not with pity.
Concern.

Concern for her.

"Mu Tzu." She was about to argue, half heartedly, before realizing the
futility of it. "Mu Tzu. I can't get up."

"Me either." He admitted, and pursed his lips. "These bonds... they're
too tight. Too strong. Like nothing I've ever been in before."

Shampoo sighed. "Maybe... Tso Pu will..."

"Tso Pu?" Mousse growled. "Don't expect any help from her! She's the
one who set you up!"

"What?" Shampoo's eyes lit up, finally, with anger. "Tso Pu?
Impossible!"

Mousse's eyes were half lidded, as if he was unsurprised by her
outburst. "Yeah? I suppose its coincidence that you're traveling with
two of your mortal enemies? And that they happen to strike only after
you found me?"

"I... They called themselves Cherry and Chain. I don't think anyone
knew who they were," Shampoo said it, but hardly believed it. Her
older sister had suggested and recommended Pink and Link (under their
aliases) assist her in tracking down Mousse. Really: how much had Soap
known? How much did Mousse know?

"Uh huh. Lemme spell it out for you." Mousse's tone was horribly
condescending. "Tso Pu sent you out here to die, Shan. Just like she
branded me a traitor to cover up for herself."

"No." Shampoo shook her head. "No...That's..."

"Tso Pu was the one raiding the Amazon Village Library... I did break
in," Mousse admitted, voice sincere. "But when I looked around, I
discovered things were missing. Information on Musk strongholds and
territory."

"Why break in, in the first place?"

"Ok. Let me start from the beginning." Mousse sighed and started to
wearily speak, "After Ukyou and I won that Hot Springs race back in
Japan, we decided to go to Jyusenkyou and bring back cures for
everyone. Ukyou in particular wanted to bury her grudge with Ranma,
and even I felt a little sorry for him. Ryouga, we both consider a
good friend, and you... well, Ukyou always thought of you as a friend.
And seeing you cursed was never one of my little joys in life, to say
the least. Old man Saotome... well, we were thinking about leaving him
a panda, but decided that even he deserved a break."

"So we went to Jyusenkyou." He continued, getting back to the point.
"Took the plane to Hong Kong, and from there to China - first by train
to Xining, then the rest of the way we went by bus, and then finally
on foot, into the Baiyankara Range. Things were going perfectly until
we found Jyusenkyou."

"Ukyou wasn't cursed, was she?" Shampoo was actually surprised by her
concern. She'd blamed what she's heard of Mousse's betrayal on Ukyou,
who Cologne had suspected of siding with the Musk. It felt like a
double betrayal, really, because Shampoo actually like the spatula
girl and thought the feeling was mutual.

"No. But we did bump into Prince Herb and the Jyusenkyou Guide."
Mousse frowned deeply. "The bastard hit me with a Ki attack, knocked
me half way across the valley, and ran off with Ukyou. Which brings us
to the near present. I returned to the village and broke into the
Elder's Library to find out where the Musk Strongholds were. Everyone
knows Musk territory is up in the northern expanse of the Baiyankara
range, around Mount Kensai, but without a map it'd take months of
wandering and a whole lot of luck to find out where Ukyou's being
held."

"I also ran into Tso Pu around that time, because she'd been lurking
around Jyusenkyou along with Mir Ru and Plun Gu. After breaking into
the Library, I ran into her again, and in between exchanging blows, we
had a little talk. She knew that the scrolls were missing, and she set
me up to take the fall. Of course I ran for it - who'd believe me, of
all males, over everyone's favorite Amazon: Tso Pu?"

"It makes no sense." Shampoo turned away from him, and looked up at
the dark sky of wood above. "Why would Tso Pu do such a thing?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Mousse asked. "Hasn't it been obvious since we
were children? Even I could see that Tso Pu hated that you, her
younger sister, had been picked over her for Khu Lon's special
training. Tso Pu always had to be in charge, in command... always had
to be the hero and the one everyone looked up to. She still does!
She's working with the Musk, working FOR the Musk, because she wants
to destroy the Council of Elders!"

Shampoo weakly denied it. "No... no, you can't know that..."

"I do." Though he didn't say exactly how. He owed the Guide a great
deal, and wasn't about to expose the fact that the older man had
sheltered and helped Mousse out so long as Pink or Link might be
listening. "Shan Pu, she wants to destroy the Council of Elders
because she wants to take over. She wants to be Queen, I'm sure of
it."

"There hasn't been an Amazon Queen..."

"In over two thousand years. Not since the Forgotten King was
murdered. The King whose name was erased by the Council, but whose
legacy, whose blood, survives in you, Shan Pu. You, Khu Lon, and Tso
Pu. Only one of you three would have the proven lineage to take the
title."

"But... to align with the Musk..."

"She struck some kind of deal. I can't say I blame her." Mousse
smirked a little himself. "Tso Pu was never really happy with the way
things were. To be blunt, the Amazons are going to lose this war
anyway. Herb wants revenge... revenge because the Council of Amazon
Elders betrayed his father, here, at Soryn. He won't stop, and he
won't be satisfied, until they lie broken at his feet. You must know
that the Musk and their Allies have already struck the Phoenix and
crippled them badly, plunging them into civil war. That was just the
set up, just the excuse, for his campaign against the Amazons and the
Council."

"Oh, they'll hurt the Musk alright." Mousse continued quickly. "Once
the Amazons mobilize and organize a real resistance, they'll bloody
his nose. But Herb won't let that stop him. The Musk have been
fighting the Phoenix for three generations. The Amazons haven't fought
any real battles in almost three hundred years. Tso Pu knows this, as
well, if not better, than I do. She probably figures, rather correctly
actually, that the only way to save the Amazons is to reform their
ways, and to give Herb what he really wants, the death of the Amazon
Elders."

"You're taking her side in this?" Shampoo sounded indignant.

"In a way." Mousse scowled. "In a way, I want to see the Council pay
for enforcing a status quo that keeps my brothers and kin in a state
of bondage and servitude. I want to see and end to the double standard
where strong outsider males are rewarded and native ones punished. I
want the men and boys of the Amazon lands to be free to be what they
want, do what they want... and leave if they want! Yeah, Shan... yeah,
I do sympathize, and I do understand what Tso Pu is trying to do. I've
put a lot of thought into it."

"...But!" He added, sharply. "I don't condone her methods... I can't.
I'd like to believe there's a better approach, a kinder solution...
Tso Pu was willing to let her own sister die to achieve power. Not to
mention me. I can't help but wonder how far she's willing to go, who
else she's willing to sacrifice, and what kind of Queen she'd be if
she succeeded. I can't help but think she wouldn't be one I'd like to
live under."

Shampoo grimaced and let the side of her face fall to the ground
dejectedly. "What does it matter, Mu Tzu? We won't live to see any of
it."

"Don't say that, Shan." Mousse inched a little closer. "Don't give up
hope. We will get out of here somehow. And then..."

"And then?" She asked.

"And then... I don't know. I haven't thought that far ahead."

Shampoo big sweated, which felt especially weird when in a horizontal
position. "Stupid Mu Tzu."

"What do ya' say, Shan Pu? Are we going to get out of here?"

She looked up at him, into his eyes. That spark was still there, that
light, that part of him she's never seen, or never cared to see,
before. After a few seconds, she slowly smiled. "Yeah. We'll get out
of here. And we'll have a rematch... cause I still think I could beat
you."

He smiled back, and settled his head forward a bit. "It *was* a great
fight."

"The best." Shampoo did the same. This close, she could feel his
breath. Blinking, she licked her lips, realizing they were still dry.

"Shan Pu...?" He asked, as if sensing something in her.

"I'll..." She leaned in a little closer. He gulped, clearing his
throat, lips parting just a fraction.

"I'll kick your ass... Mu Tzu..."

And then, Shampoo leaned in and her lips met his. Mousse struggled
against the cords around his body as the Amazon girl's kiss deepened.
Overwhelmed, he felt himself respond with panic instead of bliss -
this was far from how he'd imagined things ever developing. She was
aggressive, he was confused, and she didn't seem to care. Finally,
Shampoo's lips left his own, leaving Mousse breathless.

"S... sha.... sh..." He mumbled, lips tingling and slow to respond to
his mental commands.

"Mu Tzu." She cut him off, her voice, for once, soft. "Tell me you
still love me."

'After all you've done to me?' His mind raced. 'After all these years
of rejection? After... after I thought I'd started to get over you?
After finally thinking that maybe, just maybe, I could start over? How
could you ask that?'

'You really love her, don't you?' Ukyou had asked, months ago, though
now, it seemed like forever.

'I... I...' He had stopped, surprised by his hesitation. He did love
Shampoo, didn't he? He'd loved her ever since they were children, when
no one else was interested in doing much with a male who wanted to
fight, and train. Even then, he'd know it was love, right? They'd
grown up together, but they'd never grown closer, together, in all
that time.

Never.

'Yeah, I love her,' he had finally said, matter-of-factly. Why:
because he hadn't wanted to talk about it. He hadn't wanted to think
about it. He still didn't. What did he really love about her? Was it
her warrior spirit? Her stubborn persistence? Her beauty (though with
his eyesight, most people looked like blurs)?

"Shan Pu..." He began to say, and looked into her eyes. He knew then
what she wanted to hear, and what he had to say. "In a way I don't
think you'll ever understand... I will always love and treasure
you..."

"I want to live, Mu Tzu." She blinked, tears again in her eyes. "I
can't die here."

"You won't." He hoped his voice sounded surer and more confident than
his thoughts. "I promise."

Leaning towards each other, their foreheads touched gently, human
contact keeping them both grounded in sanity, reality, and the chance
of freedom. As Shampoo drifted off to sleep, Mousse steeled his
thoughts. He wasn't ready to die here, either, and he'd wasted enough
time running to the hills and hiding from Amazon retribution. The time
for action was fast approaching, when words and thoughts would mean
far less than deeds.

It was time to take a stand, and stick with it.

***

The shadow of the great Mount Kensai cast long shadows over all of
northern Baiyankara, more so now, it seemed, than in the past. Tallest
and widest of all the peaks in that Range, its height was only
approached by Mount Phoenix to the south, and even then not nearly in
the girth of its base. In its western extension the surviving heart of
Musk power was sheltered: the hidden veil of Sach Khandu, ancestral
home of the seventh, eighth, and eleventh Dynasties. Just past its
chill northern slopes lay those sparse and hard lands and people that
have paid tribute to the Musk, amid the rocks and mountains, since the
time of their settling.

And in its southern shade, stretching long and broad, Mt. Kensai
watched over the lowlands that ran though the region, and briefly
split the Baiyankara range. In mid summer, as was the present season,
Kensai's eternally snow capped peak stood in stark contrast to its
mottled summit, and the now-flowering lands that existed in its view.
In this place, a lone figure walked through the shadow of the night,
hooded and caped in black.

Beneath his feet, wildflowers were crushed.

Over hill and dale he walked, with great speed and inhuman stamina,
until at least, he came to a small farmhouse, long deserted. The home
itself was minimal and ramshackle, its fields left fallow and untamed.
Pushing aside the door without hesitation, the cloaked figure stepped
inside. No sooner had he done so, however, than he was forced into
sudden and spectacular motion. Stepping to the side as sharpened steel
sliced through the sir, then once more at the blade's lunge became a
swipe, the cloaked man replied equally, a weapon of his own suddenly
in hand. With apparent ease, and a feminine yelp from his target, he
knocked aside his attacker's spear, and took down her legs, sending
her to the ground.

"Ah-hahah." Sumac chuckled deeply, his rich bass voice reverberating
off the walls of the small building. "Still as slow and sloppy as the
day we met, eh, little mouse?"

In the low light, the gleaming metal edge of Sumac's pudao flashed
only twice. Once when his weapon had been drawn, and once when it came
to a stop, less than an inch from his prone target's throat. On the
dusty ground, the other figure caught her breath, inhaling sharply and
not moving.

"Then again... I'd expect little more from a Joketsuzoku whore."

"Musk Pig..."

"That's no way to talk to your husband, wife." Sumac smirked, and his
weapon flipped around and away. Holding out his hand, Soap seemed to
hesitate a moment before taking it, and letting him help her up.
Faking calm, she brushed the dust off her traveling cloak.

"Still alive and unscarred I see." She frowned. "Pity."

Sumac laughed again, heartily. "Wouldn't you weep for me, woman, if I
did die?"

"If I cried, it would be because I need you." She snorted
dismissively. "Not because I want you."

"Ho ho! You've still got some backbone!" Sumac's right hand snapped
out like a snake and roughly cupped her chin, and his large fingers
easily reached to her ears. "Good. 'Cause I'm in the mood for some
real fun tonight."

"Business first... Husband." Soap said through clenched teeth.

Sumac narrowed his eyes just enough to silently warn, before smiling
and letting go. "Of course."

"Here." She reached into her cloak, and took out a scroll. Unrolling
it and laying it on a ramshackle wooden table, she waited for Sumac to
set up a light for them to see by, in the form of a small oil lantern.
He turned then to the unfurled paper, and saw a map of the region in
detail. Well marked out were both Musk strongholds from the past, and
Joketsuzoku camps and fortifications.

"Well?" she asked, leaving it to him to make the first move.

"Herb's taken Xaodin in the south. He'll be passing through the Seven
Gates in a few days." Sumac pointed to the area just north of
Jyusenkyou, past three well-defined and named mountains, and just west
of the northernmost one. The three were part of the so-called Seven
Mountains, or Seven Gates, that sheltered Jyusenkyou from all
approaches except the southeast, leading all the way south to Mount
Phoenix and Jusendo.

"I know about that." Soap nodded. "He killed Elder Lai Zhol. Do you
know which gate he will take?"

"You'd think he'd take Soryn. If only for the irony." Sumac then point
to the well-marked Soryn Pass southwest of Xaodin. "But you'd be
wrong. I know for a fact he's going to take the shortest route: the
Seventh Gate, here in the southern slop of the Northpass."

"He'll be marching single file for weeks..."

"Except for the Seven Lucky Gods." Sumac interrupted. "Herb already
ordered Bishamonten and Kirin to pull back from the southern line
against the Phoenix, who have their hands full now fighting each
other, to his area. He'll cross the Seventh Gate with his lightest and
fastest infantry, while the assault troops and baggage train go by
airship. Herb will be through the mountains in three days, leaving his
medium troops in a defensive position."

"With the Amazons consolidating their forces around here..." Sumac
pointed to east and northeast of Xaodin, close to where they were
meeting, in the shadow of Mt. Kensai. "To deal with my army, Herb will
sneak around, and strike at the defenseless underbelly of the Amazons
before they can finish any defensive preparations. He'll have nothing
but open land and a few tiny hamlets to march through, before they're
at the gates of the Amazon village itself."

"The Elders assumed he'd be splitting his forces." Soap shook her
head. "But they didn't plan for the airship. I was told to expect Herb
to send half his army through the pass to draw attention from the main
push in the north."

"Except Herb doesn't care about gaining territory or seizing
villages." Sumac's voice seemed rather approving. "This is about
revenge. Besides: cut off the head of the snake, and the rest will
die. Destroy the Amazon village, and all the neighboring areas will be
thrown into chaos and submit... which is where you come in."

"Except I'd prefer if the Amazon village was not destroyed. Only the
corrupt Council of Elders." Soap huffed. "This isn't good. I'm too far
north to get involved."

"Your turn, little mouse." Sumac motioned to the map.

She scowled, but complied, pointing to a town just to the east. "My
forces are stationed here, but the bulk of Amazon resources here are
either defensive, or mustering here, further to the south, for a
counterattack."

"Ah." Sumac's eyebrows went up at that news. He took off his hood, and
she could see that he still shaved his head, except for a long
horsetail of exotic blue hair. "Now things are getting interesting. Go
on."

Soap took off her own hood and let her long teal hair down from the
bun it'd been in. She didn't miss Sumac taking his eyes off the map to
watch her, and she definitely didn't misdiagnose the look of hunger in
his gaze. She realized with depressed certainty that he wouldn't be
denied tonight. Sighing, she went back to the map.

"Most of the Elders are meeting here in two days." She pointed again
to the area a fair ways east of Xaodin. "Along with the most of the
Amazon Legion, border forces from the far east, and conscripted women
from every nearby town and village. Their goal is to retake Amazon
lands and prevent any further Musk advance, so if Herb is moving
quickly through the Seventh Gate, they'll move to retake Xaodin and
threaten your southern flank and supply routes."

"I'll have to draw them out first, then." Sumac paused. "You said most
of the Elders. Which ones are staying behind? And how big a force are
we talking about here?"

"Po Shin the Elder is in the Pheonix lands, evaluating the situation
there for the Council. The ranking Matriarch, Elder Khu Lon, also left
recently. She comes and goes as she pleases, but I suspect she's
either heading to Japan to get help - Shampoo met and supposedly
befriended numerous powerful Japanese martial artists on her trip
there - or there is some other pressing business in the east. Oui Ru
is still overseeing things from the Amazon village."

"Why? It seems foolish to keep Khu Lon and Oui Ru where they are.
Those are the two Elders Herb wants to kill the most."

"They don't want to draw him out or goad him into an attack. At least
not yet. Remember, Xaodin was a trap for the Musk Prince, and we both
know how that went."

Sumac shrugged. "Continue."

"Regardless, the force the Council of Elders has called to arms is
impressive. Virtually every able bodied Amazon woman has been called
up from the south, and while I know you don't have much respect for
their abilities..." She paused and Sumac dryly spat is undisguised
disdain. "They are well trained, well motivated, and most are willing
to follow the Council even if it means death. The conscripted women
from nearby villages are, naturally, not nearly as effective, but
probably fear the Council of Elders almost as much as the Musk, and
won't run until things really get hairy. The supply train is mostly
male laborers. I'd expect them to be overjoyed at your approach,
provided your boys show restraint and don't run them down with the
women."

Sumac barked out a laugh at that.

"Number wise... the expected totals are somewhere around a two
thousand cavalry, all Amazon horse archers and light lancers. There'll
also be roughly a thousand conscript women, well armed with bow and
sword in equal number, mildly well trained and motivated, and a
thousand spear wielding fodder to shore up the flanks, given normal
Amazon doctrine of punching through the center and flanking-from-
within. Expect about five hundred real martial artists to be escorting
the Council of Elders, and half that number again in surprise troops:
probably poison and fire-users. The Elders aren't fond of firearms so
don't expect any, but then again neither are the Musk."

Sumac smiled knowingly. "The purpose of war, and battle, is to resolve
conflict and establish dominance. Dominance of people over other
people, ideals over other ideals, religions over other religions...
the purpose is the same. Dominance, and proof of superiority. That can
only be resolved through true combat, physical combat, decided by
skill and strength and honor and courage. Any true warrior would
sooner hold a good three feet of steel than some western machine gun."

Soap smiled coyly. "I seem to recall more than a few fine Musk
warriors gunned down in the last Phoenix War. I also recall hearing of
the last King Herb using artillery as well..."

"A true warrior..." Sumac smiled more broadly, displaying sharp
canines, longer than any human's, the legacy of his lupine ancestry.
"Also keeps his options open."

"And you, dear husband," she spat out the word. "Have you trained your
guns, yet?"

"Prince Herb believes our larger artillery pieces would only slow the
advance. I agree with his decision. The larger pieces are rather
cumbersome, and not entirely necessary." He scratched his chin and
looked away. "The smaller ones, however, suit my purposes..."

"So what are you planning?" She asked, face impartial.

"Hmm..." Sumac's hand left his chin and floated over the map slowly,
as if trying to feel out some course of action. Finally, after a few
seconds, his pointed down to a spot between Mount Kensai and the area
where the Amazons were gathering. "Here."

"That's an Amazon Fort. Mai Ska Ra." Soap raised an eyebrow at his
choice. "Named after a former Matriarch."

"Yes. But look: it guards the main road between the northeast and
northwest territories, that forks down, south, all the way to the
Amazon Village itself." Sumac explained. "Not only does the main road
connecting those villages to the Amazon heartland make it a prime
target, the reason they built the fort in the first place, but the
southern portion of this road is the main means of supply for the
village where the Amazons are gathering their forces. It would also be
the only means of retreating in good order should their offensive
fail. If I advance my Army and threaten the fort, the Elders will, I
have no doubt, recognize the threat. They won't be able to make any
offensive moves, anywhere, without leaving an avenue open for retreat
and re-supply."

Soap saw it now. "They'll have to attack, to either defend or re-take
Mai Ska Ra."

"Drawing them in for the kill." Sumac started to laugh, low in his
throat. Soap watched him with more than a little fear. This Musk was a
man who would kill without hesitation, torture without pause, and
enjoy every moment of it. She hated him, but knew that, at least for
now, she and he were, indeed, bound as tightly as husband and wife.

"You'll be outnumbered. Badly." She reminded him.

"Clove's forces are still being held in reserve to the north. He's
awaiting the order to move south in case of any attack, while I hold
my position. However, if he were to move his heavy troops south now,
in all due haste, he could shore up my flank, just as the battle is
joined. My men are the best... their zeal for combat, their skill in
maneuver and attack unmatched... we'll be able to handle the Amazons
until Clove's advance troops come to assist. Especially if we take the
fort and hold it for ourselves."

"Imagine it." He continued, eyes sparkling. "A thousand Musk warriors,
decked in heavy assault armor, charging down at almost fifty
kilometers per hour ... Unstoppable as the sea, Invincible as the
mountains... Beautiful. We'll trample them into nothing... nothing but
a bloody smear..."

Soap looked down at the map and frowned. "So long as the Elders
themselves are killed, you can do as you please with their defenders.
If the teeth and claws of the Amazon people must be sacrificed to save
the heart and soul, so be it."

"Oh, they will be." Sumac took in a deep breath, excited by the
prospect. "I promise you that. This battle will make you Queen, and
me, King! Once, of course, the Amazons submit to the Musk, and Prince
Herb's vengeance has been meted out in full. All you have to do is
play the hero. Take your raiders to the general area, put up a token
fight, and then withdraw in the face of superior numbers. If you ride
hard, you can make it to the Amazon village just as Herb breaks
through into the area. Let the diehards defend the village itself,
while your raiders take to the countryside. When it burns, and the
Council is no more, you should be more than able to seize power."

Hearing him, Soap got the feeling he was hiding something from her,
some element of his ambition that went unsaid. However, she knew
better than to ask. She didn't trust him anyway - if he was up to
something, only she would be able to figure it out, and hopefully,
find some countermeasure. As it was, she was already contemplating
measures to deal with the future Amazon King most finally.

"Now..." Sumac's tone changed; became more husky, and Soap felt his
hands on her, strong and unbreakable in their embrace. "Take off your
clothes, little mouse. Your husband wants something to remember you
by..."

Eyes closed, Soap slowly complied.

For some part must always be sacrificed.

So that the rest may live to avenge it.







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