Shampoo was going to follow her friends, but looked back at the Ronso uncertainly.
"What's wrong, Shampoo?" Ranma asked. "You coming?"
"Shampoo... just have bad feeling. As if something bad would happen. And Ronso taught me much, especially Kimahri... Shampoo wants to make sure they are okay. What Shampoo means... she wants to stay behind and help them fight off pursuers."
"Well, if that's what you want," Ranma said. "But, what if we find a way to return to Nerima, and can't come back to fetch you?"
Shampoo smiled. "Airen... Ranma no worry. Shampo think she has decided to stay here anyways."
"But why?" Akane asked. "Wouldn't you miss your Great-grandmother... or your friends from the Amazon village?"
Shampoo shook her head. "Had really no real friends. Akane, Ranma and Ukyo were first persons she could call friends... and Great-grandmother always makes Shampoo do as she says. And... if Shampoo doesn't return with Ranma... Shampoo will have to be punished. Not really love Ranma anyways, so Shampoo stay here and find her real Airen." She smiled. "Have still to give him Kiss of Marriage, no?"
Akane smirked. "Well, I can see you have your reasons. Good luck to you then, Shampoo! I hope he really is your true love."
Ranma nodded. "Yeah! Go help the Ronso, and afterwards, find that guy. I'm sure you'll do fine."
Kimahri smiled at Shampoo. "Kimahri proud of having friend like Shampoo. It was honor for Kimahri travelling with you."
Suddenly, Lord Kelk came up to them and said: "True. Kimahri knows you better than I do, but I think I rarely met someone as brave and wise as yourself, Amazon Shampoo. From this day on, know that you will be seen by Ronso tribe as an equal. Hear that, Ronso: Amazon Shampoo will be welcomed anytime she visits sacred Gagazet."
And like before, the Ronso shouted: "Shampoo! Shampoo! Shampoo!"
Shampoo nodded. "Shampoo is honored, Elder Kelk. She tries her best to live up to your expectations."
Ukyo just watched Shampoo uncertainly. She knew there was someone out in this world that was important to her as well, but... could she just abandon Ranma and the others?
Then she decided. "Shampoo," she shouted. "I'm staying here with you."
"You too, Ucchan?" Ranma said surprised. Ukyo nodded. "I'm with her. I'll help defend Gagazet from our pursuers, and afterwards, I'll go and search for Clas-chan. You always were right, Ranchan: There was more between him and me, but we didn't want to admit it."
Ranma put a hand on her shoulder and smiled. "Well, then say 'Hello' from me when you see him the next time, you hear?"
And after a quick farewell, the pilgrimage group finally got ready to climb the heights of Gagazet.
----
"We truly are weird, aren't we, sugar?" Ukyo asked Shampoo with a smirk. "First, both of us were determined to make Ranchan ours, and we really didn't care much about his or Akane's feelings. Besides, I think both of us didn't really love him... I just felt betrayed because of my family honor, and you had to follow your tribe's rules."
Shampoo nodded. "Yes, we were two fools, were we? But, no worry, Ukyo: There are two guys out there waiting for us... so we have to win this fight. Ready?"
Ukyo smirked. "Ready as ever."
And when the Guado troops came storming up the mountain trails, they joined the Ronso in defending their holy ground from Seymour's followers.
----
Rikku and Ranma were following their friends in a little distance while walking up the snowy path that lead up the steep mountain. "Zanarkand's on the other side, you know?" Rikku sighed.
"I know," Ranma replied.
"Yunie's gonna get the Final Aeon soon, you know?" she added.
"I know," he replied.
"Are you sure we will think of a way to save her?" The young Al Bhed girl looked at Ranma with hopeful eyes.
"Hey, it's okay," Ranma said reassuringly. "I promise, when it's time, we will have thought of a way. I can tell you: Yuna won't die. And we will defeat Sin. And he won't come back."
"I really don't know how you manage to be so confident," Rikku sighed.
Ranma smiled: "It's easy, you know? Ranma Saotome..."
"...doesn't lose!" Rikku ended his speech. "Yeah, yeah, I heard that before. Well, I guess if I had several powerful Espers backing me up, AND were a strong martial artist myself, I would be more confident as well."
"You really are worried that she might die, huh?" Ranma asked.
"Yeah," Rikku said in a small voice. "Yunie's my cousin... of course I'm worried."
"Hey, there's no way she will die," Ranma said. "Not if Tidus is there to back her up. He doesn't want to let her down as well, right? The star player of the Zanarkand Abes will take care of your cousin."
Rikku giggled. "Star player of the Zanarkand Abes, huh? He didn't tell me that. Well, I think that cheers me up a little. Thanks, Ranma!"
He just nodded. But suddenly, his face took on a serious look.
"What's wrong?" Rikku asked.
"Seymour..." Ranma snarled.
Rikku gasped and turned around. And really, the unsent leader of the Guado and maester of the dying cult of Yevon came walking up the slopes with a confident smirk on his face.
"Quick, run ahead and tell the others," Ranma told Rikku. She nodded and did as she was told.
"So, we meet again, 'Summoner' Ranma," Seymour said in his arrogant voice. "I saw your battle over Bevelle... quite impressive for a fraud like yourself!"
"Hey, who's the fraud here?" Ranma snapped. Seymour chuckled.
"You are no real summoner. You just call your little pets out of your mind and let them attack fiends. But being a summoner is so much more... Only a true summoner can receive the Final Aeon... And only a true summoner can defeat Sin... by sacrificing his life, he saves Spira!"
"Don't give me that," Ranma yelled. "Spira was never saved by the sacrifices of all the previous High Summoners. Sin was only put away for a couple of years, until it rose again."
"True," Seymour agreed. "But the point is: I'm going to change that. With the help of Lady Yuna - my dear bride - I will become Sin myself and bring eternal peace for Spira - by destroying it!"
"You're insane..." Ranma growled. Then, the shapes of his friends appeared behind him.
"Save some for Kimahri," the Ronso warrior growled while brandishing his spear.
Ranma held them back. "Wait a second... let me take care of this. You can help me anytime if I should lose."
"Just like before, eh?" Akane chuckled. "All right, I won't interfere this time... except when he's going to kill you!" She looked darkly at Seymour. "Then I will kill him instead... again!"
Seymour didn't look impressed. "Well, how are we going to do this, visitor from another world? Will we fight with our own powers... or will it be a contest between Aeons?"
'Let me at him, son!' Nodoka told Ranma. 'No one tells my son a fraud.'
Ranma really had to smile now. Poor Seymour, now he surely was doomed. No one that crossed Nodoka Saotome's way before got out of it in one piece.
"You asked for it, Seymour," Ranma shouted. "Call for your Aeon, I'm ready!"
Seymour laughed. "That was your first mistake. I call for the pain in my heart... Anima!"
And once again, the monstrous Aeon got pulled out of its abyss of sorrow by the giant anchor.
Ranma raised his fist. "And I call for..." He hesitated.
'How am I gonna call for my mother and at the same time, sound totally cool and awesome?' he pondered. 'Ah, I know...'
"I call for the ultimate mistress of swordplay and the judge of manliness: Nodoka, matriarch of the Saotome family!"
Seymour sweat-dropped when hearing that. 'Judge of manliness? What sort of Aeon is that?'
And Nodoka appeared, under the same cherry trees that Yojimbo conjures when he is being called.
She raised her sword. "Never underestimate a loving mother!"
Seymour smirked. "Oh, I won't... I won't..."
Then, Nodoka frowned. This horrible Aeon before her... it was sending out mental visions of the past.
And when she realized the truth, she let out a gasp. "This Aeon... this agonized creature... it's his mother!"
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(Posted Fri, 04 Aug 2006 16:57)
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