Continuing now, here is chapter 9. C&C welcome.
- Grayson Towler
http://www.talesfromthevault.com/relentless
=========================
RELENTLESS
A Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction
By Grayson Towler
=========================
-----------------------------------------------------------
CHAPTER NINE:
Challenge
-----------------------------------------------------------
The students of Furinkan High School were beginning to realize
that something strange was going on.
The two members of the Bowling Club moved into position, giving
a brief glance and nod to the other martial artists and students
circling their adversary. They'd planned this attack out the
night before, practicing against target dummies until they got
the timing right. An upperclassman with a pair of nunchaku
gave the cue, and the students charged.
The first student hurled a pair of bowling pins at Tendou Akane,
while his counterpart charged with an underarm swing. With a
sweep of her left arm, Akane swatted the heavy pins out of the
air, deflecting them with uncanny accuracy towards the tennis
player who was charging her flank. One of the pins ripped
through his racket strings and thumped into his forehead, while
the other spun hard into his midsection. The tennis player
dropped like a sack of hammers.
Akane met the swinging bowling ball with an open palm well
before it connected with her chin. The heavy sphere stopped
cold with a meaty smack, sending a shudder of backlash through
the bowler's arm. Akane simply pushed, and the boy stumbled
away from her, the black ball bouncing painfully off his chest
as he fell.
By this time, the three martial artists who had positioned
themselves behind her were attacking, hoping that the other
students had distracted her sufficiently to create an opening.
The upperclassman with the nunchaku spun his weapon and aimed
a blow at the back of Akane's head. Without turning to look,
the Tendou girl shifted her position slightly, then reached up
over her shoulder with her left hand and caught the weapon a
few centimeters before impact. With a twist, she wrenched it
easily away from the grasp of her attacker.
Akane pivoted and intercepted the staff of another attacker.
The chain of the nunchaku wrapped around the wood of the staff,
killing its momentum instantly. She swept the nunchaku in a
shallow arc, tearing the staff out of the student's grip and
clocking him in the jaw with one end of the flailing weapon.
She cast the two weapons aside into the gut of the
upperclassman, who sprawled to the ground. Her final attacker
in this group was a member of the sumo team, who charged in the
wake of his fellow students with a 315-pound bull charge. An
elbow to the temple, and he was down.
Sensing a break in the action, Tendou Akane stepped clear of
the prone forms of her fallen foes, then waited for the next
attack.
The remaining love-struck boys of Furinkan regarded one another
dubiously. Something was not right here. It wasn't that they
were getting beaten by Akane - that happened every day, they
were used to it. Some of them even liked it. But the Akane
they knew was a fierce fighter, a piston in a school uniform
who charged, ducked, and weaved through their ranks with
delightful savagery. As good as she was, there was always
the feeling amongst Akane's unconventional suitors that she
could be beaten. Sure, it was unlikely, but they knew she
left openings. If the right guy could get into the right place
at the right time... well, it could happen. It would be like
winning the lottery, but it seemed remotely plausible.
Today, though, was different.
She hadn't thrown a single kick. The bookbag which she'd used
to batter them with such masterful skill in the past
hung quietly at her side in her right hand. She barely even
moved to dodge their attacks, hardly even looked at them when
they charged, yet none of them had landed a single blow.
The surging wave of fury which had carried her like a human
tornado through their ranks was gone, replaced by a composure
that was almost clinical in its coolness.
She'd defeated half of them with only her left hand, and she
wasn't even breathing hard yet.
The students of Furinkan High were gluttons for punishment, but
they knew futility when they saw it. They'd recognized it when
Ranma first arrived, knowing that they'd just be spinning their
wheels if they tried to challenge him over Akane. Now, looking
into the eyes of Tendou Akane, they began to realize the game
was over. They'd never beat her now.
The students began to lower their weapons and back away.
"At last, these lowly curs see that they are unworthy of thee!"
A small grin flickered across Akane's features as she turned to
face Kunou.
The kendo artist, secure in the mysterious belief of his own
invincibility, advanced with his wooden sword in one hand and
a single red rose in the other. He was the sort of person who
always heard his own soundtrack in his mind, and who could
practically feel the epic prose being written whenever he took
a step. He had failed to pick up on the change in Furinkan's
most popular girl that the other students had detected.
"So fair, yet so fierce," Kunou exclaimed. "Truly, this age is
blessed to be witness to such loveliness!"
Akane simply waited.
"And even more blessed am I!" Kunou announced. "For once I
defeat thee in honorable combat, my beloved Tendou Akane, thou
shalt be mine forever. Come, my love! Lose with all thy
might, so the yearnings of thine heart might finally be
satisfied! Yaaah!"
The last exclamation accompanied Kunou's charge. Akane held
her ground as he approached, bokken raised above his head to
strike. As the wooden sword descended towards her, she reached
up with her left hand and met the blade in the midst of its arc,
pinning it in her grasp. A murmur rippled through the crowd.
"Before we start this, upperclassman Kunou," Akane said, "I want
to tell you something."
"Very well, fairest maiden," Kunou acquiesced nobly. He tried to
pull his sword free of her grip, but was surprised to discover
the weapon would not budge. "Uh... speak what thou would!"
Akane nodded and looked gravely into Kunou's face. "Now, you've
said this yourself and heard it from my dad, but you've never
heard it from me. Upperclassman, if you defeat me in combat
today, I swear that I will date with you."
Kunou beamed with joy. "Ah! Such devotion! Truly, this is the
finest of days, that my love would declare herself to me!" He
attempted to make a dramatic gesture, but he still couldn't work
his sword free of her grasp. It felt as if the weapon were
imprisoned in solid stone.
"But I'm warning you, Upperclassman Kunou," she continued, "I'm
going to fight my hardest. You'll never win if you go easy on
me. So if you want to date me, you have to give me everything
you've got."
"Of course, my beloved!" Kunou sang. He gave another futile tug
on his sword.
"Your best fight, Upperclassman Kunou," Akane reiterated, staring
hard into his eyes. "I want your very best fight."
The intensity of her gaze seemed to penetrate Kunou's cocoon of
self-importance for a moment. He sucked a sharp breath through
his teeth, composing his features for battle. "I understand,
Tendou Akane. I shall attack without reservation!"
Satisfied, Akane opened her fingers and released Kunou's weapon.
She set down her bookbag and dropped into a combat stance. The
students of Furinkan backed a little farther away - her battle
aura was practically palpable.
She stood facing Kunou for a long, tense moment. The wind
twirled a handful of dry autumn leaves between them. The crowd
of high-schoolers didn't dare breathe.
A harsh battle cry ripped its way from Kunou's throat, shattering
the silence. He advanced in a blur, swinging his bokken in a
savage arc directly towards Akane's head. The air whistled in
protest from the speed and force of the blow.
Akane didn't even flinch.
Kunou checked his swing a hair's breadth away from Akane's skull.
The crowd let out a collective gasp - several of Akane's friends
almost fainted. Kunou himself seemed surprised that he hadn't
been able to follow through with the attack. Akane was the only
one who acted as if this is what she'd expected to happen all
along. She relaxed her stance and let out a sigh.
"I... I apologize, Tendou Akane," Kunou said formally as he drew
back his blade. He bowed his head in shame. "Though I know you
desire my love above all things, it seems... that I cannot
bring myself to strike you."
"That's okay, Upperclassman Kunou," she said, patting him on
the arm. "I thought this might happen."
"I have failed you, my dearest love," Kunou opined, with genuine
distress.
"Oh, don't let it get you down," Akane said cheerfully. "In a
way, it's kind of sweet that you couldn't bring yourself to do
it."
"S... sweet?" Kunou repeated in a whisper, his eyes lighting up.
He turned, gesturing to the crowd with narrative flourish.
"And thus she saw the nobility of his heart, even in the midst
of his greatest failure. And thus she knew his love was true.
His failure became his success, his defeat transformed to
victory! The storm broke, and the golden sunlight poured onto
a shining world of bliss! A glorious new love was born!" Kunou
charged, arms spread wide for a passionate embrace. "Come
date with me, my darling waaaaaagh!"
The last sentence was abruptly ended by Akane's traditional
Uppercut Launcher, which sent Kunou hurtling away to the
distance. Some things, she reflected, never changed.
The show was over - the bell was about to ring, and another
day of classes would begin. Natsume and Kurumi congratulated
Akane briefly as they passed her on the way in. Akane
considered the morning's events as she traversed the hallways
towards her first class.
She was going to have to find some other way to test herself.
- - - - - -
Ryouga jerked his hands out of the flames, scattering hot acorns
across the ground. He grit his teeth against the pain and
flexed his singed hand. <A little more than half of them this
time,> he thought. <I'll master this yet... if I live long
enough.> He lowered his hand into the bucket of cool water
carefully, making certain he didn't splash or tip the pail.
The Lost Boy sighed with relief.
"Ain't you gonna be glad when you don't have to do that
anymore, sugar?"
Ryouga looked up at Ukyou as she approached. "Do what?"
"Be so careful around water. Once you get cured," the
okonomiyaki chef said with a smile.
"Oh. Sure... if it works."
"What do you mean?"
Ryouga shrugged. "I've had cures dangled in front of me
before," he explained gloomily. "Something always goes wrong."
"Oh, don't be so negative," Ukyou chided. "It'll work out.
You'll see."
Ryouga just grunted irritably. In his experience, things NEVER
just "worked out."
"As a matter of fact, I was thinking of something about those
springs," Ukyou said.
"Hmm?"
"How about we try to find a spring that would let you turn into
something really strong?" she suggested. "That way, when you
fought the Reikoku again and it tried to splash you... WHAM!
It's in for a big surprise! Chalk up another victory for the
boy in the bandanna." She looked very pleased with the idea.
Ryouga was considerably less enthusiastic. "What kind of spring
are you thinking of?"
"Well, I don't know them all, do I?" she said. " Maybe that one
that Tarou fell in would do the trick, though."
"Feh," Ryouga sniffed. "I think I'd rather die than turn into a
monster like THAT."
"Are you sure about that?"
The Lost Boy nodded and stared into the fire. "I'm enough of a
freak as it is. How would you like to turn into some hideous,
deformed monster every time it rained? What if you're in a
restaurant and someone spills a glass of water? The whole
place is destroyed and everybody's screaming in terror, looking
at you like you're some kind of demon from the pits of hell.
Some life that would be. Even being a piglet isn't as bad as
that."
Ukyou bit her lip and frowned. "Well, there's bound to be
another spring that wouldn't be SO bad, isn't there? And
besides, you could always get some of the water you need for
the cure, too. Then once you win the fight, you can turn back
to normal."
"I don't know," Ryouga muttered. It sounded like a reasonable
enough plan on the surface, but he had his doubts all the same.
Jusenkyou was an unlucky place - he didn't really believe the
cursed springs could ever be used to save them.
"Or maybe," Ukyou suggested, "we could dump some water on the
Reikoku. Turn it into something we could handle."
"I wonder if that would work?" Ryouga mused. Maybe the thing
was too powerful to be affected, but would it hurt to try?
"It might turn into some sort of demon animal or something.
I wonder if it would be easier to fight a demon-pig, or a
duck, or a cat..."
"Anything but a cat," Ukyou said. "Ranma would never be able
to deal with it."
"Oh, yeah."
The young chef cocked her head. "What IS his problem with cats,
anyway? Do you know?"
Ryouga shrugged. "Some stupid training thing is father tried
with him when he was little. He threw him into a pit full of
starving cats. I can't guess what it was supposed to achieve."
Ukyou fumed at this. "I can't believe what an ass his dad is.
It's a miracle Ranma came out as well as he did."
Ryouga considered saying that Ranma hadn't come out very well
at all in his opinion, but found that he didn't really believe
that so strongly anymore. Sure, he could still be an irritating
bastard, but compared to his father and his former "Master"...
"He's not such a bad guy, sometimes," he muttered. Ryouga glanced
towards Ranma's dark corner of the campsite. The pig-tailed martial
artist had gone to bed earlier once again, as part of this dream-
training experiment he refused to explain. "I bet he's already
asleep..."
Something stirred in the darkness.
"Ranchan...?" Ukyou called nervously. Her hand edged towards
her battle spatula.
They heard the barest hint of some strange noise coming from
Ranma's sleeping bag. It sounded like some kind of
animal's growl. The two teenagers scrambled to their feet and
stared wide-eyed into the blackness.
"Ranma?" Ryouga called. "Is that you?"
A pair of eyes peered at them from the shadows, reflecting red
in the firelight. The eerie yowling intensified.
"Stop that right now, Ranma!" Ukyou shouted, her voice hitting
a nervous high. "This isn't funny!"
The glowing eyes grew closer as the figure in the darkness began
to move. Ukyou fought against the urge to scream and clutched
Ryouga's arm.
A sudden, jarring clatter emerged from Ranma's sleeping area.
It was followed instantly by the unmistakable noise of
splashing water. Ukyou let out a little screech of surprise.
Ryouga jumped back, startled, and nearly tumbled into the
fire.
They heard Ranma spluttering. "Wha... where? Huh?"
"Ranchan!" Ukyou shouted. She and Ryouga advanced to get a
better look.
Ranma-chan sat beside an empty bucket, which was affixed to
her ankle by a long rope. It became clear to the two fighters
that Ranma had set the bucket up in the tree above her sleeping
bag, and tied this rope to it so it would fall and douse her if
she awoke and began moving about.
"What the hell were you doing?" Ryouga demanded. He wrinkled
his nose as he smelled the campsite. "Ugh... and again you're
sleeping with dead fish."
Ranma-chan got to her feet and looked around. "I was makin'
weird noises and stuff, wasn't I?"
"You scared the heck out of us!" Ukyou snapped accusingly.
"What's the big idea?"
"Then... I did it!" Ranma-chan punched triumphantly at the
air. "Ha! I did it!"
"Did what?" Ryouga demanded.
"You'll see," Ranma-chan told them. "It'd take too long to
explain. But if we get in a tight spot with that monster,
I've got an ace in the hole."
- - - - - -
"Don't worry, my darling Shampoo!" Mousse declared bravely to
the fire hydrant. "You needn't trouble yourself with this!
Whoever this challenger is, he'll have to go through ME if he
wants..."
A bonbori smacked into the back of Mousse's head, cutting off
his soliloquy rather abruptly. Shampoo absently snagged the
weapon out of the air on the rebound, ignoring Mousse as he
crumpled to the sidewalk. Sometimes, it was just a lot more
expedient to knock Mousse cold than to try to explain anything
to him.
"What's this about a challenge, great-granddaughter?"
Shampoo pivoted to face Cologne as the elder Amazon emerged
from the restaurant. She unfolded the letter she'd received
that morning and extended it towards the old woman.
"Great-grandmother. Look at this!"
Cologne inspected the letter thoughtfully. "A challenge letter
indeed... but not signed. How very odd. Do you have any idea
who this might be, Shampoo?"
The long-haired girl shrugged. "Shampoo not know. Someone
who want to marry Shampoo, maybe?"
Cologne frowned. That was always a possibility - by now, word
of Amazon law had gotten around in Nerima, and Shampoo was the
sort of girl who attracted attention. She'd bested several
challengers seeking her favor back home before she met Ranma.
It wasn't unreasonable to assume that the locals here would
eventually try their luck, especially with Ranma gone for so
long. But somehow, she didn't think that was what was
happening here. The wording in the letter was terse and
hostile - not at all what you'd expect out of a suitor.
It sounded much more like the challenge of an enemy.
"Well," the matriarch said with a sigh, "we shall see soon
enough. The time dictated in the letter is almost upon us."
Shampoo smiled confidently and went back to her warm-up
exercises. Cologne took up a seat on the prone Mousse's
head and simply waited.
"Shampoo!" called a strong, female voice from. The two
Amazons pivoted towards the sound, squinting at the figure
silhouetted against the setting sun.
"Who that?" Shampoo shot back.
"It's time we settled things once and for all," the figure
shouted. She advanced towards the restaurant, striding with
fierce determination.
"A... Akane?" Shampoo said in disbelief. The tension went out
of her stance and she rolled her eyes. "Oh, it only you. What
you doing here, stupid girl? Come to ask for date with Mousse?"
The Tendou girl seethed and clenched her fists. A sly smile
crept across Shampoo's lips - it was so easy to make Akane
angry. The more enraged she got, the easier she was to deal
with. Not that the short-haired martial artist could offer
much threat to Shampoo anyway, but it never hurt to gain every
advantage over an adversary.
"It's past time we ended this, Shampoo," Akane declared. "This
is a fight to the finish."
Shampoo shook her head and sighed. "What got into Violent Girl
today? Why you in such a mood?"
Akane took up a fighting stance ten meters away from Shampoo
and glared angrily at the Chinese girl. "This fight settles
everything between us. Whoever loses suffers the consequences."
Shampoo gave her a dubious look. "So much crazy talk today.
What consequences you talk about?"
"Do I have to spell it out for you?" Akane growled. "If you
lose, you admit you've lost Ranma forever and take your
punishment for failure. If I lose, you make good on that
Kiss of Death you gave me. Now do you get it, Shampoo?"
Shampoo sucked air through her teeth and winced.
"Great-granddaughter!" Cologne gasped. "Do you mean to tell
me that this girl defeated you in combat once before?"
The Amazon girl waved her hand dismissively and forced a grin.
"No... no. Shampoo not give real Kiss of Death. Just trying
to scare Akane, that all."
"Shampoo!" Cologne scolded. "I taught you better than that!
Using Amazon laws and traditions in such a deceptive way is
disgraceful behavior. How could you?"
Shampoo bowed deeply by way of apology, trying not to gnash
her teeth. She'd never imagined that Akane would go and bring
that up in front of her great-grandmother. The stupid girl
deserved a good beating for that, if nothing else.
"I don't care if it was a real Kiss of Death or not!" Akane
shouted. "This challenge is for real! Now are you ready to
fight me, Shampoo?"
The young Amazon composed herself and glared irritably at
Akane. The child had no business making death challenges to
real warriors - she was completely out of her depth. Shampoo
was quite aware of the difference between threatening to kill
someone to intimidate them and actually getting the blood on
your hands. Akane would have been dead long ago otherwise.
She had no idea how much forbearance Shampoo had accorded
her.
And this time would be no different. Shampoo didn't understand
what had gotten into Akane today, but all that would be required
was to give the girl a sound thrashing and send her slinking
home. Since Ranma wasn't around, she didn't even have to hold
back as much as she had in the past. A thorough, embarrassing
beating should be enough to teach Akane not to make death
threats.
Shampoo stood up straight, lifted her chin slightly, and gave
Akane a curt nod. "Okay, Violent Girl. Shampoo accept
challenge."
"Shampoo! Your weapons..." Mousse cried out, gesturing to
the bonbori on the ground. It seemed he had regained
consciousness again - he always did, eventually.
"No need weapons for just Akane," Shampoo purred. She didn't
even bother with a formal fighting stance as she strode calmly
forward and took up her place in front of her rival.
True to form, Akane pressed her attack with reckless
enthusiasm, shouting her battle cry as she lunged towards
Shampoo and let fly with a roundhouse kick. The Amazon girl
ducked away from the blow and the follow-up. It seemed Akane
had been training - she was definitely faster, and her balance
had improved. Not that it really mattered.
Pressure points, Shampoo decided, were the best way to deal
with Akane. Though Shampoo knew she was stronger and faster
than the other girl, it still wouldn't pay to sit there and
exchange blows and give her foe a chance to get lucky. With
a few precise hits to the right nerve clusters, she could
render Akane all but incapable of fighting back. She wanted
to inflict a little punishment too before she let the silly
child off the hook, maybe even make her beg for mercy a
little bit. <But first things first,> she thought.
Shampoo spun away from one of Akane's punches and twirled
gracefully around behind her adversary's back. She lashed
out with extended fingers towards the Tendou girl's exposed
neck...
Akane shifted her stance in defense. Shampoo's fingers
glanced uselessly off the girl's hard-muscled shoulder.
The Amazon frowned and danced away from Akane's counterattack.
Her opponent really had gotten faster, she reflected. Maybe
it wouldn't be so easy to disable her as she'd thought.
That was okay. She'd just have to wear Akane down a little
bit first. Shampoo moved in close to her adversary, searching
for openings. She threw a few kicks towards Akane's midsection
to little effect, then missed with a combination to the head.
The Tendou girl's counters came closer to their marks than
Shampoo would have preferred.
She didn't like the look on Akane's face. Shampoo could tell
that the short-haired girl's confidence was improving as the
fight went on - she was in control of her rage, keeping her
wits about her. She had reined in her instinct to lash out
in anger and was starting to attack with a calculated
aggressiveness that was a lot more dangerous.
And she was stronger than Shampoo expected. She just about
tagged Shampoo with a vicious axe-kick - when the Amazon girl
crossed her arms above her head to block, she could feel the
shock of the impact right down to her bones. If Akane started
landing clean hits, Shampoo knew she'd be in trouble.
It was time to start taking her seriously. Shampoo waited for
her foe to throw another kick, then dropped down and spun with
a sweeping counter. She took Akane's feet out from under her
and sent her sprawling to the asphalt. She waited a split
second until the girl was in the midst of trying to rise to
her feet again, and then launched into a savage three-kick
combination. The first kick lifted Akane off the ground,
the second swept aside her defense, leaving her wide open and
helpless for the third. Shampoo's foot slammed into Akane's
temple at full force. She didn't hold back an iota of
strength this time.
The impact of the kick sent Akane tumbling, bouncing across
the hard asphalt until she collided noisily with a brick
wall. The mortar gave and the wall caved in, burying Akane
under a cascade of rubble. Plumes of dust rose around the
wreckage. Shampoo's foot went momentarily numb from the
impact - Akane had a head like a chunk of granite - but it
was a small price to pay.
"That should do it," Shampoo stated with grim satisfaction.
A second later, the bricks shifted. Shampoo gaped in
astonishment as Akane rose from the rubble, shaking the dust
out of her hair. She should have been out cold - she should
have been pulverized. That kick should have put the miserable
child in the hospital. Instead, Tendou Akane was laughing.
"Ryouga was right," she laughed. "Just like a baby's kick."
Shampoo backed away as Akane advanced. It was obvious what was
happening now - she cursed herself for not realizing it before.
No wonder Akane had gotten so confident and decided to
challenge Shampoo. The answer was so simple.
"What you do this time, Cheating Girl?" Shampoo spat. "Eat
magic noodles again? Maybe you wearing magic outfit?"
Akane's grin just widened. "Not on your life, Shampoo.
You just can't take the truth, can you?"
Shampoo vaulted away from her approaching adversary and landed
next to her bonbori. She snatched the heavy maces off the
ground and glared with loathing at her adversary. "Stupid girl
have no honor. Find some way to cheat. Shampoo not go easy
on you anymore!"
"Give me your best shot, bimbo!" Akane snapped back.
The Amazon warrior felt a genuine rage building up inside her,
and stoked it to fuel her strength. The lying little sneak -
what trick had she found this time? She was the sort who
always looked for the easy way out, always thought that there
was some nifty secret that could make her unbeatable. Well,
those sorts of tricks always had their drawbacks and
side-effects. Akane might have gotten some kind of temporary
edge from whatever she'd done, but it was no substitute for
real combat expertise. Shampoo hefted her weapons and
marshaled her resolve. There would be no mercy for Akane
this time.
Shampoo charged. Akane held her ground and waited.
"You still don't get it, Shampoo," she snarled as the Amazon
girl approached. "This is our last fight. You can't beat me
this time!"
Shampoo leaped into the air and descended towards Akane,
letting out a ferocious battle cry. She swung her weapons
towards her enemy in twin, deadly arcs with bone-crushing
force. At the last instant before impact, Akane lashed out
with both hands, meeting each bonbori with a single, extended
finger.
"BAKUSAI TEN-KETSU!" she cried.
The bonbori exploded.
Shampoo tumbled to the ground, dazed from the concussive force
and shrapnel. She lurched and tried to regain her balance, her
mind reeling from pain and shock. That technique... it wasn't
possible! How had Akane learned... how could she have possibly
have endured... how could she... how could she...
A powerful hand closed like a vice on the front of Shampoo's
blouse. The stunned Amazon felt herself hauled into the air.
She struggled and kicked out at her foe, but she had no leverage
and barely any strength. Akane lifted her high in the air and
brought the proud fighter crashing down to the asphalt. She
hauled her aloft again and slammed her once more against the
street.
"Shampoo! No!" Mousse cried out. Shampoo could barely hear
him over the ringing in her skull.
Akane lifted her once more and tossed her into the air like a
softball. Shampoo descended, unable to even twist in the air
to defend herself. "The final strike!" Akane trumpeted. "Megaton
punch!"
The roundhouse blow connected at full force. Shampoo's body
skipped like a stone across water as she tumbled away, limp as
a rag doll. She finally came to rest in front of the
restaurant.
Somehow, she found the strength to hold on to consciousness.
Her quivering limbs felt like bundles of dry straw, but still
she managed to haul herself to her feet. She stood there
trembling, the world a fuzzy blur around her, waiting for the
next attack.
"Shampoo!" Mousse wailed. She thought she saw him rushing to
interpose himself between her and Akane, but it was hard to tell
when the world dipped and twirled so much...
"That's enough!" Cologne called out. "That's quite enough,
Tendou Akane. The fight is over."
"Great... grandmother..." Shampoo whispered. Suddenly, her
knees gave way. Mousse caught her before she hit the ground.
Akane stared at her rival, barely able to believe what she was
seeing. Had she really done it? After all this time, had she
really beaten Shampoo? Her heart thundered in her chest.
"It's over, my dear," Cologne said to her great-granddaughter.
"Mousse, please take her inside."
"The... engagement?" Mousse asked tentatively.
Cologne shook her head slowly. "Take her inside and see that
she is prepared."
Mousse seemed like he was going to utter another protest, but
the old woman's voice brooked no argument. He steered the
dazed and battered Shampoo through the door, back into the
restaurant. Akane and the matriarch watched them until they
vanished from sight.
The venerable warrior pivoted slowly on her staff and peered
thoughtfully at Akane for a long, silent moment. The Tendou
girl held her ground and tried to control her trembling. Her
blood was full of adrenaline now, her mind reeling with the
implications of what she'd done. She was giddy with triumph,
flushed with the red fury of battle, and sick with fear of the
consequences. Yet she kept her silence - there were a
thousand things she wanted to say, but it was Cologne's
place as an elder to speak first. Akane held her tongue while
her nerves screeched a discordant symphony and her stomach
tied itself into knots.
Cologne simply watched her for a long while, listening to
the girl's staccato breathing.
"You surprise me, Tendou Akane," the matriarch finally said.
"I didn't think you had it in you to complete such rigorous
training. You used the method I employed to train Ryouga?"
Akane just nodded and made a little affirmative noise.
Cologne closed her eyes and almost smiled. "That must have
been quite an ordeal for you."
"Yes," she whispered.
The Amazon elder let out a long sigh and scratched her chin
thoughtfully. "Such determination. And you chose to test your
strength by challenging Shampoo?"
"It had to happen someday!" Akane blurted out. "Your laws
left no choice. A fight like this was inevitable, wasn't
it?"
"Hmm. Perhaps," Cologne muttered. "I certainly never thought
it would happen this way, though."
"I'm sorry," Akane whispered.
"So, you've admitted your feelings for Ranma, then?" Cologne
asked.
The Tendou girl swallowed hard. "I... I did all this so I
could be strong enough to follow him. To help him. I know...
there has to be some way I can save him."
"Yes. I thought as much. And you came here thinking that
Shampoo would kill you if she won," Cologne observed. "Do
you know where that leaves her, now that you've defeated
her?"
"I'm sorry," Akane said again. "But they aren't my laws.
I never wanted this to happen. She left me no choice!"
Cologne shook her head wearily. "I see. So that's your stand
on things."
"And... Shampoo?" Akane hazarded nervously.
"There is a penalty for failure in such a matter," Cologne said
gravely. "It falls on me to carry out this punishment, though
it grieves me to do so. You knew this would be the case."
"Yes," Akane agreed in a small voice. "I did."
"I guess I'll be needing a sharp blade," the withered Amazon
muttered to herself. "Mousse should have one - that boy's
always stocked with weapons, at least."
Akane gasped, her eyes bulging wide. Cologne gave her a
measured, unreadable look.
"Tendou Akane, your actions will have consequences that you
have not foreseen," the old woman asserted. "This restaurant
will be closed tomorrow, and we will return home to China. Be
here tomorrow morning, my girl. There are many things that
we must discuss."
The old woman turned away from the young martial artist and
disappeared into the restaurant. Akane stood alone on the
sidewalk - watching, listening, thinking - as the sun crept
over the edge of the horizon, and the stars began to appear
in the sky.
- - - - - -
He found them just before nightfall, when the first stars
began to materialize across the darkening panorama of the
Chinese sky. He spotted their flickering campfire at a distance
and flew in low to investigate. His acute hearing caught the
sound of their voices on the wind - there was no mistaking who
they were.
<Well, well,> Pantyhose Tarou thought as he landed and
transformed himself back into his human shape. <They managed
to survive after all.>
The Chinese martial artist crept through the darkness of the
forest towards their encampment, moving through the sparse
undergrowth as quietly as a cat's shadow. It would be
interesting to see what sort of shape they were in after
their trip through the Himalayas... and whether or not all
of them had survived. Though he would certainly shed no
tears if the Reikoku had managed to claim one of them, he
preferred the idea that they all still lived.
He very much wanted them to witness his triumph.
When the campsite came into view, he clearly saw all three
figures - fem-boy, pork chop, and... her. He couldn't be
absolutely certain about their physical condition from this
distance, but they did seem to be healthy and energetic.
That was a bit of a disappointment - he wouldn't have minded
seeing some limps or signs of broken bones. <Oh well,> he
thought. <Time enough for that later.>
Tarou considered retreating back into the darkness, but as he
turned to go, the campfire suddenly winked out. He peered back
through the evening gloom curiously.
Saotome knelt in front of the smoking remains of the campfire
with the other two watching him intently. He held up a
pinecone in his left hand and regarded it for a moment.
Then, the pig-tailed martial artist thrust his right hand
into the kindling. In an instant, a blazing flame leaped
to life.
<Oh,> Tarou thought. <Battle aura control. An amusing but
futile exercise, given the circumstances.> That fem-boy
could generate that much heat with his aura was mildly
noteworthy, but what did he hope to achieve with it? It
was obvious that there was nothing to be gained by burning
the Reikoku.
He realized, though, that Hibiki and Kuonji weren't looking
at the fire - their attention was focused on the pinecone in
Saotome's hand. They seemed rather impressed by it, and for
a moment Tarou couldn't fathom why. <I see,> he thought.
<The pinecone isn't burning. Well.>
That was, he had to admit grudgingly, a more substantial feat
of aura control. The little cross-dresser had learned to focus
his aura to the point he could raise the temperature in just
one of his hands high enough to combust wood. It was something
to watch out for if he ever decided to fight the insufferable
pervert again - hot-handed punches would be painful and hard
to block. Nothing Tarou couldn't handle, of course, and
certainly nothing that would faze the Reikoku...
But Saotome wasn't finished. This time, he poured a measure
of water into his cupped right hand, and thrust his left hand
into the bright heat of the campfire. With a loud whoosh, the
flames vanished, as if blown out by a sudden arctic wind.
Tarou watched as Saotome tipped his right hand and let the
water trickle out - it was still liquid, unaffected by the
cold aura he'd used on the campfire. His friends congratulated
him enthusiastically.
Tarou didn't want to admit it to himself, but he was a bit
shaken. A display of aura control like that... it required
more discipline than he would have imagined Saotome could
achieve. He gnashed his teeth irritably as he looked on, his
loathing towards his rivals growing.
Suddenly, Saotome and the others seemed to sense something.
They began to scan the forest with wary eyes, their bodies
tensed for combat.
Tarou swore silently and backed slowly away. They'd sensed
him somehow - he must have gotten careless. Being pursued by
the Reikoku had sharpened their senses and put them into a
continual state of hyper-alertness, it seemed. He focused
on masking his presence from the three martial artists as
he crept away from their campsite. Only when he'd achieved
a safe distance did he allow himself to relax and think.
<Forget about fem-boy's new parlor tricks,> he told himself
sternly. <Focus on your plan. Think about the looks on their
faces when they finally realize what you've achieved.>
That was a satisfying image. Tarou smiled to himself.
It was obvious that those three were heading back towards
Jusenkyou, most likely to find a cure. He hadn't expected
that, but it really did fit into his plans perfectly. It
meant he wouldn't have to look far to find the Reikoku.
Without Tarou's wings to carry them, those idiots couldn't
make very good time over land. The Reikoku was surely not far
behind - it wouldn't take him very long to trace back the trail
and find the creature. He felt in his pack and double-checked
to see that his bottle of Chisuiton water was in its place.
With that water, he could expect to best the Reikoku again
without much difficulty. And then, he would execute the final
phase of his plan. Once he did, nothing - not even the
Reikoku - could stop him.
He fought against the desire to laugh out loud. When Saotome
and his foolish friends arrived in Jusenkyou, they'd be in for
a big surprise.
- - - - - -
Akane shielded her face and squinted painfully as the light of
the rising sun stabbed ruthlessly at her tired eyes. She made
her way down the walk and out to the street mostly by instinct.
Her vision was not adjusting very quickly to the piercing glare
of the morning. The cruel sunlight amplified the throbbing
ache in her head, bringing what was previously background pain
into sharp relief.
It had been a long, sleepless night for the youngest Tendou.
She'd spent the evening thrashing and tossing; her bed had been
like a sweat-soaked prison of sandpaper. No matter how much
her weary mind and body had craved sleep, it had continued to
elude her. No sleep for the victor, no rest for the
triumphant. No peace for the one who had sent a girl to
her death.
But the dreams had come, even while she was awake. Nightmarish
visions had danced around her whenever she'd closed her eyes.
She'd seen Shampoo shattered and broken before her on a bed of
scarlet liquid, jagged edges of her ribs jutting through the
fine Chinese silk of her blouse. She'd seen Cologne with a
long, glittering blade, stalking towards her with a face full
of pity and grief, the knife never wavering in her wrinkled
hand. She'd imagined Mousse crashing through the glass of her
bedroom window, his face streaked with tears as he screamed
Shampoo's name over and over, lunging towards her with sleeves
that bristled with razor-sharp weapons...
She kept trying to convince herself that it wasn't her fault,
but she couldn't make herself believe it.
<All right,> she thought, <fine. I AM responsible. I did it.
I made a choice, and I did it. I knew what would happen to
her if I beat her, and I did it anyway.>
Did that make her feel any better? She couldn't tell. The
ache in her head was just as strong.
Might there have been another way to make Shampoo give up on
Ranma? Akane didn't know, didn't understand the Amazon laws
well enough to be sure. Shampoo and her stupid "fake Kiss of
Death." Akane had always thought that someday the girl would
try to follow through with her challenge, that if she really
did get Ranma to marry her she'd attempt to finish what she'd
begun that day at Furinkan so long ago. Amazon laws were
strange enough without that lying bimbo confusing the issue
with her stupid head games.
Even if there was some sort of clause or loophole in Amazon
law that Akane could have used to make Shampoo go away
peacefully, who would have told her about it? Certainly not
Shampoo or her great-grandmother... but Mousse might have.
Maybe she should have asked Mousse before she issued that
challenge.
Maybe she could ask now. It was too late, but it might do
her some good to know for certain.
Tendou Akane approached the Nekohanten with a heavy heart and
confused mind. The Amazons had removed their signs and
decorations on the building where they had once served the
finest Chinese food in Nerima. A notice indicating that the
location was for lease was affixed to the door. Silence
enfolded the street, save for the soft sound of the wind
rustling the leaves. Had they already gone? Had she come
too late?
Something jabbed Akane in the back, and she nearly jumped out
of her skin.
"Ho ho ho!" Cologne cackled from behind.
"Elder Cologne!" Akane gasped indignantly as she whirled to
face the Amazon matriarch. "Do you HAVE to do that to
people?"
"A lady has to have her fun, child," Cologne answered primly.
"You're looking somewhat unwell, dear. Did you sleep poorly?"
"Did I..." Akane stammered. "Wha... what do you think?"
"There are some soothing teas you could try," the old woman
suggested. "It is important for a young lady to get her rest.
You have a long journey in front of you."
Something was odd here - Akane would never have suspected
Cologne to be so cheerful this morning. "Did you..." she
started, then swallowed hard. "Was there something... you
wanted to talk to me about this morning?"
"Mmm... indeed. But first, someone else would like to have a
word with you." The old woman gestured towards the restaurant
with her staff just as the door slid open.
Akane flinched as Mousse emerged, but the long-haired boy did
not lunge at her shrieking for vengeance as he had in her
visions the night before. He was fairly composed, though
he did seem a bit apprehensive. Another figure followed him
out of the restaurant, walking with a stiff air of dignity.
She wore plain, coarse clothes, simple sandals, and a few
bandages on her arms and her ankle. At first, Akane didn't
recognize her.
"Sh... Shampoo?" she whispered.
The Amazon girl turned to face Tendou Akane, the sunlight
glinting off her freshly-shaved scalp. Every strand of her
luxurious hair was gone from her head without a trace.
"This is her punishment?" Akane demanded incredulously as she
turned back to face Cologne. "You shaved her head?"
"It is part of a year of penance she must now endure," the
elder explained in an academic tone. "She must live simply,
without rank or privilege in the community, performing menial
work and daily rituals of purification. Through this, the
Amazon girl learns humility and is reminded of her
responsibilities to her clan and village."
"You... you..." Akane spluttered. "You made me believe you
were going to... to..."
"I made you believe something?" Cologne responded in an
innocent voice. "I did nothing of the sort. You came to
your own conclusions, my dear."
"But yesterday you KNEW I thought she would be... that you were
going to..." Akane clenched her fists angrily. "You let me
keep believing she would die!"
"Did I?" Cologne mused. "Hmm. Perhaps I did, at that. And
now, this morning, you know more than you did before."
Akane was fishing for a suitable response when she felt a hand
on her shoulder. She pivoted, and found herself face-to-face
with Shampoo. The Amazon girl no longer wore the sly, confident
smile that Akane was so used to seeing on her perfect features.
Shampoo's visage was stoic, but her eyes were full of fire.
Akane took a step back and kneaded her hands nervously.
"Shampoo?" she said in a small voice. "Um... are you... okay?"
Akane could hear Shampoo's breath hitch just a little, but the
Amazon held onto her composure with an iron grip. "Akane must
promise Shampoo something."
"Er... okay," Akane said warily. "What is it?"
"Akane must marry Ranma," Shampoo stated flatly.
"Excuse me?" Akane gasped.
"You heard Shampoo," the Amazon girl said. "Akane must
marry Ranma."
Akane fidgeted, completely unprepared for this conversation.
"Listen, Shampoo... that's kind of... I mean..."
"Akane must promise," Shampoo insisted. She pursed her lips
together to keep them from trembling.
"Well... I mean, what if he doesn't want to get married?"
Akane suggested nervously. "And besides, there's this thing
with the monster and all. We need to concentrate on that
first, don't you think? This isn't the time to be distracted
by..."
"NO! NO excuses!" Shampoo shouted, her voice cracking. She
sucked a deep breath through clenched teeth and glared at
Akane. "Akane stop making stupid excuses now!" she demanded
in a more controlled tone.
"Shampoo..."
The Amazon girl slowly clenched and unclenched her fists at
her sides before speaking. "Shampoo endure great, great shame
now. Akane not understand how much shame. Shampoo... cannot
tolerate it if Akane give up on Ranma. Is only way. Akane
MUST marry Ranma now that Shampoo has to give him up!"
Akane just gaped at her formal rival.
Shampoo took a step closer. Her eyes blazed with emotion as
she fought to keep the tears from forming. Her voice dropped
to an intense whisper. "You promise Shampoo now, Akane. You
promise. You promise."
Akane closed her eyes and dropped her head. She took a deep,
shuddering breath and felt her own eyes beginning to sting.
"All right, Shampoo. I promise."
"Akane will marry Ranma?" Shampoo asked.
"Yes," the Tendou daughter said. She could barely hear her
own voice over the sound of her pulse pounding in her ears.
"Yes. I will. I promise."
The tension went out of Shampoo's stance as she finally lowered
her gaze. She let out a little strangled sob and wiped her
eyes with the backs of her hands. "Is good," she muttered
softly, nodding to herself. "Is good."
Akane tried to swallow, but her mouth was bone dry. She
wobbled dizzily, leaning against the wall of the restaurant
for support.
Shampoo reached into her tunic and produced a small bundle
wrapped in ornate red-and-gold silk. She bowed to Akane and
presented it to her like a gift. Akane reached for it
tentatively. "What's this?"
"Is for you," was Shampoo's only reply. Still bowing, she
backed away from Akane with dainty steps, until she stood at
a respectful distance.
Akane stared blankly at the silk package, too disoriented to
think clearly. <I just promised to marry Ranma,> she thought
through her daze. And then: <My headache... is gone.>
"Feeling better, dear?" Cologne asked.
Akane nodded and turned back to face the elderly Amazon. "I
think so."
"Good. Then it's time I told you of your responsibilities,
Tendou Akane."
"My... responsibilities?" Akane asked warily, dreading the
possibility of another tangle with Amazon laws. "Aren't things
settled between me and Shampoo now? She doesn't have to give me
the Kiss of Death or anything now..."
The great matriarch studied Akane's face impassively.
"Does she?" Akane squeaked.
"No," Cologne finally said. "I believe we've had enough of that
around here, haven't we? The Kiss of Death was never meant to
be used to punish a woman just because she was merciful, and
chose not to slay a fallen foe."
Akane breathed a sigh of relief.
Cologne regarded her great-granddaughter thoughtfully. "In
each generation, those who would lead must learn to understand
the meaning of our laws, rather than just following them to the
letter. It can be a difficult lesson."
The Tendou girl blinked in surprise. "Do you mean to say...
that you once spent a year of penance too?"
The old woman gave Akane a shocked look, then threw back her
head and laughed. "My, my, my! Now that IS an impertinent
question!"
Akane blushed. "I... I'm sorry."
"Never mind, never mind. Now, about your responsibilities,
girl. You have mastered one of the elite Amazon martial arts
techniques. These are secrets which are not usually shared
with outsiders. I realize the circumstances are a bit odd -
after all, you did manage to teach yourself the technique
without my direct help. Nevertheless, there is a price to
be paid."
"What kind of price?"
Cologne took a step closer. "It is not your place to train
other outsiders in the techniques you have learned, Tendou
Akane. The Amazon elders must grant you permission to share
the knowledge of our secret skills. Do you understand?"
Akane nodded. "Yes."
"Good. There is more," the withered warrior continued. "In
the future, women from the Amazon village may come to you.
They will seek training in the techniques you have learned."
"But... but why not train them yourselves?"
Cologne smiled. "We have our reasons, my girl. In any case,
you are never to refuse such a request from an Amazon warrior.
When asked, you will teach her the bakusai ten-ketsu... as
well as any other applications of that technique which you
might have come up with on your own."
Akane considered this, then shrugged. "I don't get it, but
I guess it's no problem. Is there anything else?"
"Yes," Cologne responded in an ominous voice. "You must
deliver unto the Amazons your firstborn child."
"WHAT?"
"Ho ho ho ho!" the old woman cackled. "I'm only joking!"
"Honestly!" Akane fumed. "Was that really necessary?"
"I'm afraid so, dear," Cologne answered, then laughed again.
Akane sighed and rolled her eyes. The old woman had a weird
sense of humor. "Um... did you tell Ranma this when you taught
him all those techniques?"
"No, I didn't," the old woman said. "As Shampoo's fiancee,
Ranma wasn't considered an outsider when I trained him. It
would have upset her if I made him follow an outsider's rules.
I did tell Ryouga, if you were wondering. That boy has quite
a bit of potential himself, if he can ever get his emotions
under control..." Cologne trailed off, suddenly looking
melancholy.
"Elder Cologne?" Akane asked, concerned. "Are you all right?"
"Both Ryouga and Ranma are hunted by the Reikoku," she said
in a tired voice. "And should you continue with your plan to
follow them and aid them, it's likely that you will be hunted
as well. Such a waste."
"I have to help Ranma," Akane insisted. "I can't just sit
here anymore. I... I kind of have an idea about how we might
beat the Reikoku."
"Oh?" Cologne didn't sound terribly enthusiastic. "And how
would you do that?"
"Well, I was thinking if we could do something to get an extra
edge on it before each fight, maybe one of us could win enough
times."
"Easier said than done," Cologne scoffed. "What kind of edge?"
"Um..." Akane fidgeted. "Well, for instance, we could use
something like the Super Soba noodles on one fight, and then
maybe a magic weapon or something on a different..."
"No, no!" The Amazon matriarch snapped irritably. "I thought
you'd learned better than that by now, Tendou Akane! Do you
think the Reikoku does not have defenses against such a
transparent ploy? If you try to resort to tricks, you will
surely be slain!"
"I just thought..." Akane spread her hands helplessly. "I
thought that if we could do something to bring out Ranma's
full potential... maybe he'd have a chance..."
Cologne's expression went from angry to contemplative.
"Ranma's full potential," she repeated. "I see. That's
actually something worth thinking about."
"Elder Cologne?"
"Hmmph. Probably won't work," the old woman stated gruffly.
"Still... there is a chance. Very well."
"Do you think there's a way...?"
"I promise nothing," Cologne grumbled. "But I will try to aid
you. When are you coming to China, girl?"
"As soon as I can," Akane said. "I just have a few things to
take care of..."
"Waste no time," the old woman commanded. "Come first to our
village once you arrive in China. We shall continue this
conversation there. Do you understand?"
Akane nodded. "Yes. I'll be there."
"Very well, then." Cologne turned to Mousse and Shampoo.
"Are you two ready to go?"
Mousse nodded and began to walk, but Shampoo grabbed onto his
sleeve to stop him. She gave him a flat look. "Mousse," she
said. "You give Shampoo rest of luggage now."
Mousse fiddled with his glasses and looked worried. "But
Shampoo... it's all packed already. I can carry it, no
trouble..."
"Is Shampoo's job now," the Amazon girl insisted.
"But really, Shampoo, you don't have to..."
The young warrior sighed. Then, she grabbed Mousse's ankles
and hauled him into the air, shaking the long-haired boy
upside-down. Several suitcases tumbled out of his robe,
followed by a large quantity of kitchenware. Shampoo gave
a couple more shakes, and looked rather surprised when a
large-screen television, a satellite dish, and a portable
gas-powered generator clattered to the ground.
Shampoo glared irritably at Cologne. "Great-grandmother got
very much addicted to Japanese soap operas while she here."
The old woman looked off at the clouds and whistled innocently.
"Help Shampoo pack this up, Mousse," the bald girl said with
a resigned sigh. Mousse uttered a couple more minor protests,
but he did as he was asked.
By the time they finished, Shampoo's burden towered above her
head, almost twice her height. Her legs trembled under the
immense load as she struggled to keep her balance, but her face
was full of determination. Shampoo took a couple of plodding,
measured steps down the street, then looked back for the
others.
Mousse looked worried, but Akane could tell that Cologne was
proud. The old woman turned to her once more. "We will see
you in China soon, Tendou Akane. Make haste! Time is not our
ally now."
"I understand," Akane called. "I will be there."
It was only after the three had disappeared from view that
Akane thought to open the bundle that Shampoo had given her.
She unlaced the strings and let the fine silk fall open.
Inside, she discovered a long braid of familiar, purple hair,
softer and smoother than the fine cloth which had been used to
wrap it.
Akane clutched Shampoo's hair in her hand and smiled
triumphantly. <I'll save you, Ranma,> she vowed. <I swear
I will.>
- - - - - -
end of chapter nine
-----------------------------------------------------------
AUTHOR'S NOTES
-----------------------------------------------------------
Chapter Nine was actually supposed to include another whole
section, covering the outcome of Pantyhose Tarou's plan, but the
draft was getting rather long. So, we're going to save that for
next chapter, which will hopefully be out pretty soon. Thus,
this part ended up with Akane taking the center stage. More
trials and traumas for Ranma and company next time.
Continuity Note: I'm pretty sure that from the manga, Ryouga
knows about the origin of Ranma's cat phobia (he was there for
the explanation as P-Chan), but has never seen the Neko-ken
in action. Nor has Ukyou. Not sure about the anime, but I'm
taking the manga as the definitive source here.
I think it's kind of telling that Ryouga has never tried
to exploit Ranma's cat weakness.
COMING SOON: Can a mere mortal tamper with the powers of
the gods? Is there a fate worse than death? We shall learn
the answers as the true terror of Pantyhose Tarou's plan is
finally revealed...
REVISION NOTES: "Relentless" was never meant to be a bash on
any character. We all have our favorites and characters that
are less appealing to us, of course, but you can tell the ones
that I am not fond of by the fact that they get little or no
face time in the story.
That being said, some fans have (with some justification)
interpreted the story as being a kick in the face to Shampoo.
This is largely because I took my long, long hiatus before any
of Shampoo's GOOD chapters showed up. Yes, she does get kicked
around here in this chapter... but it wasn't meant as any kind
of character slam. It's just part of the storyline.
Note that some fans have made a case that Shampoo knows the
Bakusai Ten-ketsu herself. It's not an argument I find very
convincing, and obviously in the continuity of "Relentless,"
she does not know the technique.
COPYRIGHT STUFF: All the Ranma characters belong to Takahashi
Rumiko,and are licensed in America by Viz Communications.
GRT - August 1999
MODIFIED - April 2005
thunderstruck_comic@comcast.net
All existing chapters of this story may be found at:
http://www.talesfromthevault.com/relentless
.---Anime/Manga Fanfiction Mailing List----.
| Administrators - ffml-admins@anifics.com |
| Unsubscribing - ffml-request@anifics.com |
| Put 'unsubscribe' in the subject |
`---- http://ffml.anifics.com/faq.txt -----'