Send C&C to: oddball22@hotmail.com Find my stories at: www.geocities.com/kaiphantom2000 Ranma 1/2: New Challenges The Phoenix and the Dragon Chapter 6 Mousse looked up as Shampoo returned, passing by him without giving him any sort of acknowledgment. Even when she took her place on the opposite side of the fire, her gaze never pointed his way. It was if he didn't exist to her. Not that he blamed her. In his own eyes, he had proved himself unworthy of her, when he lost his temper and struck her. Of course, he knew all along that she never considered him worthy; at best, he was just a childhood friend to her. As he studied her half-human, half feline form, he reflected that once upon a time he might have had a chance with her. His gaze returned to the fire. There was no use thinking such thoughts now. All that was left to him was to complete his training. But then what? His fist clenched slightly as he discovered once possible goal: The defeat of Ranma Saotome. Oh sure, Mousse might not hate the pig-tailed artist as much as he used to, but the male Amazon did have his pride. Ranma had beaten and humiliated him on more than one occasion. With his new skills, Mousse felt it was time for some payback. If only Fen Wu would give him the final mastery test! As if summoned by Mousse's own thoughts, the elder weapons master arrived at the open fire and sat down cross-legged to one side of Mousse and Shampoo. When his master didn't say anything for awhile, Mousse grew impatient and spoke, not caring if Shampoo heard. "Master, it's been over a week. When will you give me the mastery test?" Fen Wu appeared mildly amused. "What makes you think you are ready?" "I've learned everything you have to teach me, why shouldn't I be ready?" Mousse countered. In the corner of his eyes, he could see that Shampoo's gaze still hadn't left the fire. It was if she couldn't care less about what was going on.. "So, the chick claims to be more knowledgeable than the rooster?" Fen Wu asked in a rhetorical voice. His eyes met his students, and Mousse forced himself to remain strong under the piercing gaze. "Yes," Mousse spoke the single word with a steady and confident voice. He had been fighting the elder weapons master for a long time, and had mostly assured himself he could counter every trick Fen Wu pulled. In fact, if he used tricks he had learned when fighting Ranma, he felt he could wear the old man out. He could beat Fen Wu! The weapons master studied Mousse for a few moments, then smiled. "Very well. If you wish to prove your mastery of the Hidden Weapons style, you must face the final challenge." Despite his nervousness, Mousse felt his heart become elated. However, what Fen Wu said next, was definitely not what Mousse expected. Fen Wu pointed to Shampoo. "You must challenge and best Shan Pu in combat." "Lord Herb, I beg you to reconsider!" Sage implored the Dragon Prince. Herb shrugged him off as he donned his ancient armor. "I have made up my mind. I must depart at once. As long as the wall holds, the Musk Citadel will be safe. In the meantime, I must gather information, and I believe I can repay my debt at the same time." "But, the Rogue army is just outside!" Sage continued. "Even you can't take them all on." "I do not plan to," Herb replied. "Besides, if they are really after me, they will leave the castle. The mages will be able to make their escape if they want to." Sage sighed. "At least take Mint and Lime with you." Herb shook his head. "I am the only one could can get over the wall. We both know it how greatly it weakened Tojiko to put it up. He would be unable to raise a second one, so we cannot afford to bring down the one we have. No, Mint and Lime will be better off here, protecting the castle and the mages." Sage was silent as he followed his Lord to the top of the castle. He had offered all possible arguments, and now was unable to think of anything else that would keep his young Master from this obviously foolish course of action. As they climbed the final set of stairs and entered into the cool night air on top of the tallest battlement, the deep resounding bang of an object striking the rock wall could be heard. It had started a couple of days ago. Every several hours, the Rogue army would launch something at the wall that would impact with tremendous force. While the solid rock wall held, it was being weakened, little by little. "How long?" Herb asked with a heavy voice. Sage sighed. "By my calculations, five days. Six at most. Tojiko's wall won't last much longer than that. The only other earth mage is a but a young apprentice, and he is unable to do much to reinforce the wall. Tojiko is still unconscious and we have no clear sign as to when he may revive. He apparently put his life at great risk, by channeling enough energy to shield us from harm." Herb stepped out onto the edge. Squinting, he could just make out the large wall standing not more than one hundred feet from the outermost castle walls. It wouldn't hold out forever, and then the Rogue army would no doubt attack. The mages had already explained that their magic was of little use when used directly against the attackers, and that only left a small handful of the Musk to ward off almost a thousand men. The odds weren't good. But Herb wasn't a patient man, and he had no desire to sit and wait. The army was attacking his castle for a reason, and if he found out what they were really after, he felt he may be able to stop the siege. Knowledge was power, and currently his enemies provided too much mystery and not enough information. As he focused his ki energies, Herb's body began to float upwards, outlined by a light green aura. "Good luck, sire," Sage whispered as his master floated to the top of the wall. "You always did remind me of your father: Brash and arrogant, and always quick to do things yourself if you thought it would spare even one of your subjects." His supreme night vision, granted to him by his particular animal bloodline, watched his prince disappear over the barrier. "Let us hope you do not share his fate, however." Shampoo's head snapped up at Fen Wu's proclamation, her eyes wide. Shock and outrage were foremost among her thoughts, and were reflected on her face. Her mouth began to open to protest, but Mousse beat her to it. "You can't be serious!?" Mousse shouted. "Why should I have to fight Shan Pu?" Shampoo found her voice. "Mu Si is right for once. I refuse to be a part of your stupid male rituals." Fen Wu chuckled, then addressed his student. "You were so sure that you were ready for the final test. Are you having second thoughts?" "But-but, I can't fight Shan Pu!" Mousse continued to protest. His face became firm. "I won't fight her." Shampoo turned her glower onto the man who had pestered her since childhood. "Stupid duck-boy couldn't hurt me even if he wanted to. Male Amazons are inherently inferior. Blind boy can't even tell a cow from a broom." Mousse's face began to turn red. In embarrassment or anger, Shampoo couldn't tell which, but suspected the former. Fen Wu chuckled again. "You going to let her treat you that way? Are you really so insecure in yourself and your abilities? Are you only playing at being a warrior, in that you won't fight another martial artist?" Shampoo scoffed. "Mu Si has always been a coward. He thinks nothing of using magical implements like invincible glasses to win fights. A true warrior will fight any opponent, no matter what." This time, it was Mousse's turn to laugh. "Big talk. You were always better than Akane, Ukyo, and Kodachi. My opponent was Ranma, who is better than you any day of the week. He beat you at least twice; three times, if I'm not mistaken." Shampoo's feline face became hard. "Ranma is a true warrior, like me, but unlike you. I'm glad to have lost to him. He was better than you, in more ways than just fighting. Ranma is the only man for me." She may have lost to Ranma, but that didn't mean he dominated her. She only really needed to get him back to the village, then she would have proved who was superior: the woman, naturally. But Mousse, and the rest of the males, didn't need to know this. "And yet he chose someone `weaker' than you," Mousse shot back. "Being a better warrior didn't seem to help you out much there." Shampoo had no direct answer for that, and instead bared her teeth at him. "Come, Mousse. I will show you who the true warrior is, if you dare to face me."\ He may have gotten the drop on her awhile back, but there were extenuating circumstances. Namely, she was disoriented from being possessed and still unfamiliar with her new body. But she had become accustomed to it now. Mousse would be in for an nasty surprise, if he thought her inferior. Mousse was trembling slightly as he dropped his arm, a curved Arabian sword sliding into his grasp. Shampoo was a bit surprised. she wondered. She smiled slightly and licked her lips, savoring the thought of the beating Mousse was going to get. She had pounded him before, but this time she would be doing it while he attempted to prevent it. And he would fail. Then Mousse dropped the sword, as he turned and walked away. "Coward!" Shampoo spat as Mousse disappeared into the darkness. "You are nothing, Mu Si!" Fen Wu merely sat there, a solemn expression on his face, before his gaze returned to the fire. The "Bar-B-Que Eel" was a small restaurant cafe located in Nerima. It wasn't as well-known as Ucchan's or the Nekohanten, but it did serve decent food, by specializing in the western idea of Barbecue. While several other business packed up and left the town not long after a certain panda and pig-tailed girl arrived, Hideko (the owner of the Bar-B-Que Eel) stayed. His efforts paid off, as his profits grew due to less competition. Oh sure, the occasional fight cost him money in terms of property damage, and the weird events that happened quite frequently (such as a large minotaur-like monster with tentacles stalking around, or girls bicycling on the rooftops) scared off newcomers, but Hideko was now mostly immune to these strange events. His new assistant, however, hadn't been in town very long. "What's the matter, Kizaki-kun?" Hideko asked, as he entered the restaurant. His second usually had the process of opening the small eatery started by now. But he was just standing there with a look of helplessness and shock on his face. "Why haven't you gotten the ingredients out yet?" Kizaki waved his hands, obviously at something of a loss to explain. "I can't, sir." Hideko blinked. "Why not?" Instead of answering, Kizaki pointed to the door. Hideko cocked his head as he contemplated the freezer. Due to the large amount of meat the Bar-B-Que Eel served, they maintained a larger walk-in freezer then most other restaurants. Hesitantly, Hideki grasped the handle and opened the freezer door. He blinked at what he saw inside, then closed it. Taking a deep breath, he opened it again. Yep, she was still there. "Young lady, I'm afraid you'll have to leave now," Hideki told the girl inside. "We need to open the restaurant now." Nearly blue, a grinning female Ranma stepped out of the freezer. "Hey, are you alright?" Hideki asked. He almost thought she was cackling in glee through the chattering teeth, but decided it must have been his imagination. Ranma ignored him, however, as she left the restaurant. Hideki scratched his head. The restaurant had showed no signs of break in, so she must've snuck in yesterday, he deduced. Had she hid out in the freezer just as they closed and been in there all night? He shook his head and turned to Kizaki, who was staring after the girl with exceptionally large eyes. "Knock it off," Hideko told his second. "And get back to work!" "Well, did you find anything?" Ukyo asked as Konatsu walked up to the rest of the group. Behind her, Yuri looked on anxiously. "Kenji-sama was here," Konatsu replied. "We know that!" Yuri nearly snapped. "The captain told us as much." They were now in China, having boarded the same boat that they believed Kenji had. The captain had recognized his photo, as a boy who had stowed away on board, and found in mid-transport. He had forced the youth the work hard as payment for the trip, or be tossed overboard. Konatsu looked down ashamedly. "Yuri, cool it!" Ukyo snapped back at the ninja girl. She knew Yuri had been getting closer and closer to either a breakdown, or to totally blowing her top. Ukyo turned back to the male kunoichi. "What is it, Konatsu-chan? There's something else, isn't there?" "There is a report, from the local law enforcement," he explained. "Apparently, Kenji-sama assaulted an elderly gentlemen and tried to take his horse west of here, not far out of town. The authorities from the surrounding area have been on the lookout for his description." Yuri looked down, trembling, fists clenched. "Does that mean Kenji-chan has been possessed again?" Selah asked, worriedly. Hikaru glanced at the young water mage, but could think of nothing to say, as he really didn't know the person this group was searching for. He had asked himself numerous times why he was even doing this, but then the image of a young girl lying comatose in a hospital came to him, and the words of a stranger, and old man, whispered in his ear: "If you wish to find the cure for Ariko, seek the Mage clans." When Hikaru asked where he could find them, the old man had told them following one mage may lead to more. Would this really work, though? Was he on the right path? He didn't have any answers. After all, he was now in a totally different country, and far from home. He was beginning to feel lost. "Wait a minute, you said Kenji `tried'," Ukyo pointed out. "That implies he didn't succeed." Yuri's head came up, hope and disbelief in her eyes. "Um, I think so," Konatsu replied. "He is wanted for assault only, not theft." Ukyo turned and smiled at Yuri. "Then there's still a chance. Kae may not have taken him over completely." She was gratified to see a smile in return, if somewhat hesitant. Emotionally, Yuri seemed to be at least temporarily back together. "Okay, everybody. Let's get going and see if we can pick up his trail. We're getting closer, and we'll find him soon. Come on!" The group start walking down the street, heading west. "But where is he going?" Selah asked. "Selah-sama brings up a good point," Konatsu added. "If we can deduce where he is headed, we can get there much faster." "But what could he be after in China?" Yuri wondered aloud, absently activating the amulet she carried. It still pointed west. Ukyo furrowed her brow in thought. The only one thing she could think of was... "Jusenkyo." "Of course!" Yuri exclaimed, having heard the details from Ukyo and Akane. "He said it was a Jusenkyo curse! Can he be cured there?" Ukyo hesitantly nodded. "I think so. Ranma was always after some Nannichuan to cure his. He seemed to think it would. But there is a problem." Yuri cocked her head. "What?" Ukyo met her eyes. "It seemed as if the only thing which broke Kenji free of his possession, was the activation of the curse. If he gets cured now..." The blood drained from Yuri's face. "We won't be able to free him." She picked up her pace, beginning to outdistance the rest of the group. "Well, come on! The sooner we get to Jusenkyo, the sooner we can save him!" The group lapsed into silence then, as they exited the village and entered the Chinese countryside. Each wondering what awaited them. Pu Yon glanced over her shoulder, frowning, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. She shook her head and looked forward, urging her horse a bit faster, from a walk to faster trot on the nearly invisible forest trail. she decided. As opposed to most of the women in her village, Pu Yon wasn't as much of a warrior. Oh sure, she learned all the basics and could defend herself from any normal attackers, but she wasn't near the level of Cologne. As a result, her skills had diminished a bit in her 64 years. Now, she played the less exciting, but just as vital, roles of negotiator and intermediary between her village and the rest, as well as the Chinese government. She helped arrange trade, to bring in needed supplies and export the services of trained fighters. As a result, she had learned several languages: several dialects of Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Russian, and even quite a bit of English. With the exception of the last, she could speak them all fluently. She tended to teach the children some of the languages, though they mostly preferred to learn the fighting techniques. And there was one other function she served, the one currently she was traveling to fulfill. Fortunately, this would help kill two birds with one stone, as Shampoo was currently staying with Fen Wu. She had found a possible cure to Shampoo's condition. As her mount crested the next rise, she realized she was almost there. It took almost a day to reach Fen Wu's remote mountain cabin, and Pu Yon knew she never would have made it on foot. Within a few years, she figured she might need to pass this task down to someone else, but as long as she had the strength, she would serve her fellow Amazons in her unique capacity. The cabin slowly came into view, and Pu Yon was greeted with the site of a young boy in a white robe working out, running through some sort of sword drill. He stopped when he glanced her way, pulling out a pair of glasses to wear. She heard him call out for his Master, and smiled as Fen Wu appeared in the cabin doorway, dressed in a similar white robe. As usual, his face betrayed no emotion, but Pu Yon could read him better than most. "Mu Si, don't just stand there," he barked to his student. "Take care of our guest's horse." "Yes, Master," the boy replied, trotting up to her. Pu Yon allowed him to take the reigns, as she dismounted. She fixed Mousse with an appraising stare. "My, you've certainly turned out well, Mu Si. If I wasn't so old, I'd snatch you up myself." She was pleased to see Mousse blush in embarrassment. "How have you been?" "I'm well enough, Elder," he replied in a neutral voice. "Is that so," she replied, raising an eyebrow. Fen Wu barked out something that Pu Yon knew to be a laugh. "You never change. Why have you come to torment me today, woman?" Pu Yon feigned shock. "What? No kiss hello? I thought you would be pleased to see me." "I'd be more pleased to see a hundred arrows headed in my direction," Fen Wu grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. Mousse heard everything as he tied the horse to a nearby tree and set a bale of hay for the animal to eat, as well as a bucket of water. As he finished, he turned back to study the two. "Why, I've only come to see Shampoo," Pu Yon replied. "You know I'd never willingly come to see your utterly detesting mug." She glanced behind Fen Wu, to see Shampoo standing in the doorway. "How are you, child?" Shampoo smiled. "I am well, Elder. Have you have found a cure for me?" Pu Yon chuckled. "Straight to the point, I like that. In a word, possibly, but there is no guarantee. There is no real record of a person getting stuck half-way in a Jusenkyo curse, but I believe if you were to bath in the waters of the Nyannichaun, you might pick up a drowned girl curse. Or it could just cure you fully, turning you back into a normal girl." She tapped her lip. "Then again, it might just jar your situation back to your cat curse." Shampoo eyes, which had begun to show excitement, turned into frustration. "Elder? Is there no way to be certain?" Pu Yon shrugged. "Sorry, kiddo. The risk is up to you, however. Jusenkyo isn't known as the `Pools of Sorrow' for nothing." Shampoo sighed, then bowed. "Thank you for your assistance, Elder. I shall take the risk, even if it means going back to the way I was." "Is that it?" Fen Wu said gruffly. "Is that all you came here for? If so, you can leave now." "My my, a little touchy today, aren't we?" Pu Yon joked. "It's been awhile since we saw each other last, and I only just arrived. Don't you want to offer me at least a little hospitality?" Fun Wu expressionless expression didn't waver. "Not particularly." "Master?" Mousse asked. "I didn't know that you knew Elder Pu Yon." Pu Yon turned to him, while laying a hand on Fen Wu's arm. "Well of course he knows his wife." "WIFE!?" came the stereo reply from both Shampoo and Mousse. Fen Wu flinched back. "Ex-wife. Emphasis on the `Ex'." Pu Yon tsked. "Well, we were married for a good five years, and you did give me three strong daughters. Speaking of which, is Mousse ready? Because I believe you can expect Lu Fa by the end of next week He seems to be showing all the signs.." "Master?" Mousse asked again, not liking what he was hearing. "What is she talking about?" "That's what I want to know!" Shampoo added sternly. "Lu Fa is a mere male, no older than 12 summers. Why would he come here?" "Oh, you didn't tell them?" the Amazon elder asked her ex- husband. "Shame on you. Do you want to tell them now, or shall I?" Fen Wu finally threw up his hands and turned around. "I don't care. Just tell them and be done with it. Then you can leave." Pu Yon chuckled again, then turned to the two Amazon teens. "You see, occasionally we get males like Mousse, who are unhappy with Amazon life or at the thought of an Amazon woman rejecting them, since they are barred from learning anything more advanced then basic self- defense. So, we created a little arrangement with Fen Wu, and a few other dissatisfied males who learned to fight on their own. We send a young man like Mousse to Fen Wu for training, they teach them to fight, and then the male comes back and claims an Amazon wife by combat. In this way, the tribe is assured of getting strong children." "But I wasn't sent!" Mousse protested. "I found Fen Wu by myself! I heard stories of a weapons master, and found him myself!" Pu Yon smiled. "And who do you think spread such rumors? And has Fen Wu told you of your mastery test yet?" Mousse's jaw went up and down, his brain cells shorting out over the idea that he had been manipulated. Shampoo recovered her own wits. "But Elder, I don't understand. What do males like Fen Wu get out of this?" "Why, the pleasure of giving males a backbone," Pu Yon declared. "Isn't that right, Froggy?" Despite themselves, Mousse and Shampoo began to snicker. Fen Wu turned back on his ex-wife. "Don't call me that! Unless you want me to call you P-mmmpph!" Pu Yon frantically slapped her hands over her ex-husbands mouth. "No no! That's okay! I'm sorry!" Fen Wu grabbed her hands and removed them. "Okay, you win." Pu Yon breathed a big sigh of relief. "I won't call you Poopsie." Pu Yon screeched in horror, while Mousse and Shampoo could contain themselves no longer, and broke out laughing. Fen Wu even cracked a grin. "You big meanie," Pu Yon huffed. "I'm glad I divorced you." Fen Wu chuckled. "Actually it was I who left you. I-" He suddenly froze as he glanced over Pu Yon's shoulder, then quickly grabbed her and pushed her aside. Pu Yon screeched she fell, but she heard something go *thunk* just before she hit the ground. With a sickening chill, she realized what it was. Her suspicion was confirmed when she sat up: the back end of an arrow protruded from Fen Wu's chest. Her martial arts instincts taking over, she rolled to standing position, then sprinted over to her ex-husband, grabbing him, and pulling him inside the cabin as another arrow missed her by mere millimeters. Shampoo and Mousse ducked inside a moment later, and the door was slammed shut, to the tune of several more arrows lodging themselves in the thick wooden door. "How is he?" Mousse asked worriedly as Pu Yon laid Fen Wu on his back. "I can't tell, but I don't think the arrow hit anything vital," Pu Yon replied, producing a knife and cutting the robe away from the wound on his upper right pectoral. "Did anyone see who attacked us?" Shampoo asked, peeking her head up to look through a window. At first, she didn't see anything, but then a dozen shadowy forms began to appear from behind trees. She shivered and rubbed her shoulder, where an arrow had just grazed her. It might have hit, if not for her new enhanced hearing and reflexes. Mousse came up beside her. "No. Do you see anything?" He cursed his eyesight, not able to much outside, except for vague shifting forms. "I count about twenty so far," Shampoo replied. "And it's a good bet they have us surrounded," Pu Yon added, not taking her attention away from helping her ex-husband. "Well, if it's a fight they want," Mousse snarled, producing two crossbows from his robes. He handed one to Shampoo, along with a quiver of bolts, then moved to the window on the other side of the door. "Then that's what they're going to get." "That's strange, why aren't they coming any closer?" Shampoo asked. "They should have charged the cabin. They might have been able to overwhelm us." Mousse traced the crossbow back and forth, looking for a target. "I don't know. Perhaps they-" "We have you surrounded!" came the declaration from outside. All inside recognized it as a young male's voice, though Shampoo felt she had hear it somewhere before. "We would rather not have to come in and kill you all, but we will if we have to," came a second voice, almost identical to the first. Mousse definitely recognized this one. "That's right," the first voice replied. "Remember us, Mu Si and Shan Pu? It's your old friends, Zin and Zan!" Mousse and Shampoo traded surprised looks, having nearly forgotten the pair that attacked them a couple of weeks ago. "If you and Mu Si come out and surrender to us," the voice Mousse recognized as Zan, the one he fought previously, explained. "We will leave the old man and woman alone. They will be safe." "You have one hour to decide," Zin added, a sinister undertone to his voice. "Then we shall kill all of you." Later that night, a solitary figure touched down on the western shore of Japan, but not from the ocean. He checked the sword attached to his belt, checking to make sure it was secure and steadying himself for the task ahead. He was looking for a particular someone, and nothing was going to get in his way. After resting for a few moments, he re-sheathed his sword and jumped into the sky, flying inland.