"Ranma, don't!" Nabiki warned, knowing it was futile. Anything Goes first rule: accept all challenges, even the dumb ones.
Ranma took a stance. "I am Saotome Ranma of the Saotome School of Anything-Goes Martial Arts. I accept your challenge!"
Nabiki didn't have time to facepalm before Shampoo was screaming a battlecry and charging with two brightly colored maces. She swung the heavy weapons with disturbing ease and made a crater in the dojo floor where Ranma once was.
The unarmed boy frowned and kept his eyes on Shampoo as he rose into the air. OK, she's fast and strong, and jumpin around isn't going to win this.
Spinning as he reached the apex of his jump, Ranma kicked off the ceiling to head to the nearest wall. He kicked off that as well and came in close to Shampoo. As expected, the Amazon champion sidestepped the flying kick, raising one weapon to bring down on him. Ranma registered her disappointed expression -- she thought she had won.
Shampoo stared in shock as her mace came down as nothing but a stick. She turned to face Ranma, who was lightly holding the business end of her weapon. "Do ya yield?" he asked casually.
Shampoo's smile was pure predator as she set herself against another attack. "Shampoo not give up!"
"What is going on in here!?" came Soun's voice.
"Oh my." Kasumi, of course.
"Ranma! What did you do to our dojo!?" Akane.
"That's right, boy! Defend your father's honor!"
Ranma spared the newly arrived peanut gallery a withering look. "Kinda busy here."
Shampoo offered no cry as she exploited the opening, lunging at Ranma and swinging her mace at his ribs. A loud crack sounded at the impact. The spectators gasped in shock and the unconcious martial artist collapsed.
Darkness. Lots of darkness. Pain. Voices. "...is coming around. That weapon of hers can really do some damage..."
"...not that bad...be fine..."
A touch. "Hey. Don't move just yet. You took a pretty nasty hit."
Light. A ceiling. Faces. "Just lie still."
"What...happen?"
"Hey, don't talk just yet." Short blue-black hair. It was Akane. "That mace clobbered you. We moved you into the guest room."
Shampoo levered herself up. "How?"
Akane sat back to give the girl some space. "Ranma kicked it out of your hands when you swung it at him. It landed on your head."
Shampoo winced. "Like when Ranma fight Lost Boy and Violent Girl lose hair."
Akane blinked and filled in the names before answering. "You saw him fight Ryoga?"
Shampoo nodded. "Ranma interesting. Watch long time."
"You said your laws wouldn't let you marry 'Spirit Boy,'" came the icy tones of Nabiki.
Shampoo flinched and nodded. "Ranma seen in China, come and go as please, powerful spirit magic. But not so; Nabiki summon Spirit Girl. Spirit Girl not powerful nature spirit, not burn village. Fair game."
"And now he's defeated you," Nabiki said accusingly.
"Is so. Also defeat panda. Ranma now Airen."
"Not happening, Shampoo."
Shampoo looked around by reflex before the voice registered. "Spirit-Airen?"
"Right," Ranko answered, frowning at Shampoo, arms crossed, and generally being invisibly cross with her. "I don't mind you trying to get out of marryin' oyaji, but if ya think you're getting a chance ta give me that kiss you're crazy."
Desperation bloomed in Shampoo and she lunged at the sound of the voice. Ranko only had time for a squack as Shampoo got her hand around her arm. "Wo de airen," Shampoo cried, her voice a plaintive wail. Her free hand sought out unseen features and to the shock of everyone present she managed to initiate lip-lock with thick air. She let go a moment later and slumped to the floor, tears streaming down her face. "Wo ai ni."
Ranma, Nabiki, and Genma were gathered around the table. The rest of the Tendos were listening in. Shampoo was long gone, stumbling, incoherent, and radiating relief, terror, and shame in equal measure.
"So she told you I was off limits? That must be why she was so interested in my curse."
"Makes sense. If she thought you're jumping here from China was your own power, that would have put you very high up on the nature spirit power scale. Especially if you add subduing the curse by force of will."
"They thought a spirit was more dangerous than me!?" Splash. "Growf!"
"Shut it, oyaji. So what do we do about this?"
"Well," Nabiki mused, "I'm pretty sure she likes me. So maybe we can reach some kind of agreement."
"Why didn't we make her stay an' fill in some of the blanks?"
"Ranma, she's been living alone in a dirty camp in the forest since she got here, worrying over this whole mess. You felt her when she left; she's in no state to have any kind of talk with anyone."
Unfortunately for Shampoo, Nabiki was right. Worse, the Elders really didn't care. Not that they had much of a choice -- the laws were clear. Rapid-fire Mandarin filled the building the Elders had chosen as a base of operations.
"You challenged another male!?"
"This is an outrage. You already have a husband! This new Kiss is void!"
Cologne kept her face impassive. "Child, why did you do this?"
"Ranma defeated his father regularly in their sparring and further evaded many of the ambushes Genma attempted," Shampoo struggled out.
"The fight was not witnessed," Dao Paz snapped. "We cannot blame Xian for wanting to evade her obligations, but even if the Rite of Succession was performed, we have no way of knowing if she truly fought with all her might."
"Look at her," Lo Shun chided. "She can barely stand. Honor was satisfied long before such a blow came to pass. Whatever may have happened, this Ranma defeated Xian in genuine combat."
"Perhaps. But that is only part of the Rite. Has Ranma defeated his father in a challenge for your hand?"
"Ranma regularly defeats," Shampoo began.
"Yes or no!" Dao roared.
"...no," Shampoo whispered, staring at the floor.
The elders traded looks for several seconds. "The Rite was not properly completed," Lo Shun concluded, regret in her voice.
"But we cannot ignore this Ranma," Cologne added. "Surely this council has not missed Pa Fum's husband in Xian's report. The boy is a prize we cannot afford to ignore."
"Perhaps he has talent," Dao admitted. "But he is young. He cannot simply be accepted."
"Of course not," Cologne soothed. "The Rite of Learning will take his measure."
"Oho," Lo Shun added, a small smile appearing. "You would teach the boy?"
"Indeed. And if he learns what I have to teach, he will be worthy of my Xian."
"Perhaps," Dao said darkly. Cologne had brought three of them so they could vote to dismiss the marriage, but it only took two Elders to transfer the oath. "But be that as it may, Xian Pu has bent the law to this end for her own designs. I charge her with abandoning her husband quest."
Shampoo remained silent. This was not unexpected.
"With respect to Elder Ko Lon, I must agree," added Lo Shun.
Cologne sighed. "I give no voice to this motion." Also not unexpected.
Dao nodded solemnly. "Xian Pu, you are sentenced to train at Jusenkyo for one day, to accept the judgment of the springs."
Shampoo hung her head. "Yes, honored elder," she whispered.
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(Posted Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:36)
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