Permanent 5: A China talePermanent 5: A China tale
 
Ranma Saotome followed the guide with a dead look on her face, "Here sirs we 
find village of Amazon," said the guide as he pointed at village they were
about to enter. 
"Amazons?" said Genma's sign. Ranma stood staring at nothing; Sitting on her
pack was Mr.P he looked at the village and squealed approvingly. The group
walked on and into the village.
"Very lucky today sirs! They show their strength today," said the guide. Ranma 
snorted as they sat by a large table with a sign on it, she pulled out one of 
the many books she had 'borrowed' from the guide's home and began reading. He
watched her nervously; he did not ever read them himself but felt very
uncomfortable with her taking them like she did. There were thousands of them,
collected over the centuries by former guides and unfortunate visitors. The
girl had only taken about fifty volumes on specific topics, so he let it go.
She had emptied her pack of all but the most essential items to make room and
had around fifteen books strapped on the outside of her bag. "Very strange
young one," he muttered as she ignored the show.
Genma happily chowed down on the food on the table. Until a bonbori smashed it 
into splinters. Ranma looked up from her reading and frowned as a young Chinese 
girl yelled angrily at them in Chinese. "'You there panda girl. Why you steal my 
prize?' she say," said the guide translating the girls ranting. 
Ranma looked at the panda and sighed, she calmly placed her book back into the
bag and lifted it over her shoulder. "Keep him," she said to the girl, with
that she began to walk away.
"Son?" said the panda with a sign.
The girl called after him and followed Ranma with an angry stare. "'Where you 
think you going?' she say," translated the guide again.
"Tell her the animal is not mine," said Ranma. "I'm not responsible for him."
The guide did as he was asked and Shampoo stared at the girl hard for a moment 
before saying something in Chinese. "Only if you give pig as well," said the 
guide.
"No," Replied Ranma never breaking stride as she walked out of the village.
Shampoo growled and charged at Ranma, the red head ducked under the blow and 
rolled away removing her bag as she went. She stood facing Shampoo with a 
neutral expression on her face. Shampoo charged again and Ranma sidestepped and 
kicked under the Amazon's arms catching her in the chin; Shampoo fell back and 
landed on the ground hard.
Ranma stood ready for another attack. Shampoo slowly got to her feet and shook 
her head; She stared at Ranma for a moment and smiled. The red head watched as 
the villagers gasped and the guide looked at him in terror. "He is won!" 
Shampoo walked over to Ranma and kissed her on the cheek. The guide grabbed 
Ranma's arm and ran from the village.
Cologne looked at her Great granddaughter and sighed. "So a foreign girl
defeated you and you gave her the kiss of death," she looked at the young
girl in an almost pitious gaze. 
Shampoo simply nodded in reply. 
"Go then and be quick in your return," said the elder; Shampoo bowed and turned 
away. 
As she emerged from her Great Grandmother's home Mousse ran up to her.
"Shampoo promise you'll marry me when you return!" he cried hugging a nearby
bush.
"Stupid Mousse, I'll never marry you. Not until you defeat me." Shampoo gave him 
a halfhearted blow to the head and the boy slumped to the ground instantly. 
"That wasn't near as hard as she used to hit...I think I'm wearing her down!" he 
thought happily half way to unconsiousness.
"Maybe marrying him wouldn't be so bad," thought Shampoo as she walked away. She 
turned and watched him grinning and drooling in his fantasies on the
ground. "Right, it would be worse," she muttered as she walked on.
Ranma entered a village after a long day of hiking and was attracted to a
large gathering of people. She walked up to a home where most of the village 
waited outside. [What going on?] she asked one of the young men.
The boy blushed at the attention she had placed on him, he winced as his
splint hit the wall jarring his broken arm. [A birth,] he said with a dumb 
looking grin. 
Ranma smiled at the boy and he sighed. "What a loser, I hope it isn't his," she 
thought amused. Cries of pain floated over the crowd from the hut and then the 
cry of a baby. She started to walk away when one of the men cried out in 
anguish. She turned to see a man was being carried out of the hut. She turned 
back to the boy again. [What happen?] she asked. The boy who was now pale turned 
to her. 
[She will not live,] he said sadly, now oblivious to her charms.
Ranma frowned and pushed her way into the hut. 
[You can't go in there!] called the boy chasing after her.
[Let her go boy, and forget any ideas you had about her,] said one of the
elders standing at the door. 
[She spoke to you?] asked the boy.
[No, but I recognize some of the books she has on that bag of hers; you do not 
want to anger someone like her. She will not harm anyone, quite the opposite.]
[What?] said the confused boy, just then a bright pink light emanated from the 
hut. The woman inside began screaming again in pain, only this time it was far 
worse than before. A few moments past and some of the men ran from the hut in 
terror. The boy looked to see the old man was laughing heartily.
The girl emerged from the hut and started to walk away. [My village is
grateful to you great mage,] said the old man placidly.
[Not great...not yet,] said Ranma without turning as she walked away calmly 
towards the edge of the tiny village.
[What did you do to my sister?] said the boy angrily as he walked over to
Ranma. 
The elder stiffened and sucked in a quick breath, [Quiet boy! Show some respect, 
she is the reason your sister lives now!] he snapped. [Do you wish to anger 
her?]
Ranma turned and stared at the boy with her piercing blue eyes; The boy
faltered. [Is OK. I show,] she turned to the boy and
smiled [This really hurt.] She grabbed his arm with blinding speed and he
yelped in surprise and pain as her hands glowed pink again. He felt his arm burn
in pain as if his bones were on fire inside. He began to scream in agony and
fell to his knees as she let go; he clutched his arm and rocked back and fourth 
slowly. He stayed that way for a moment and tried to catch his breath as the 
pain died down. [That what do to sister,] she said with a smile. The boy didn't 
know what to say he simply stared at his arm in disbelief, it was no longer 
broken. Ranma walked out of the village with her animals following close behind 
her.
Ryoga sat in the corner of the abandoned hut. He glared as Ranma sat sleeping 
into a corner. Genma watched her with an angry stare. He was still quite upset 
about what Ranma had done at the amazon village. The guide had abandoned them a 
few days ago because of the so-called 'Kiss of death'. Ranma had neither seen 
nor heard anything about the amazons since; that had been a week ago. 
Ryoga walked over to the pack and rummaged around for a moment; a few seconds 
later he emerged with a small curved knife in his teeth. 
"Ranma, girl or not you die for what you've done to me!" thought the piglet 
angrily; that was when he saw a shadow loom over him, he turned and saw a small 
delicate looking foot come towards his face. He squealed in fear and pain as it 
landed on his head squashing him flat. 
Shampoo cursed as she felt her foot hit something soft and round, it squealed 
loudly and scampered away. Ranma woke with a start and charged at the Amazon. 
Shampoo jumped up barely avoiding Ranma. She flipped over her and came down 
slashing at Ranma's back with her sword; Ranma screamed as the Amazon made a 
long shallow cut along her back. The pigtailed girl rolled and scooped up the 
pig and her bag before leaping out the window and disappearing into the night. 
The panda watched this wide-eyed from the corner and did not move; Shampoo 
snorted and walked out angrily chasing after Ranma.
It was almost five a.m. before Ranma finally lost her. He had retreated into the 
woods and found refuge in a tree. Her clothes were slashed and she bled
from several small wounds. She held the pig in her arms and drifted off into
sleep. 
Ryoga squirmed out of Ranma's arms and glared at her. He had not liked the
ride she had given him last night. Snorting angrily he moved into the small
space between her and the tree. He began to push her as hard as he could off
the branch. After a few moments she budged, Ryoga snorted and moved over to her
side. He put his head against her belly and shoved as hard as he could. Ranma's 
eyes shot open and she scooped him up. He squealed in terror as she jumped up to 
the next branch. He looked down to see that the space he had been in was covered 
in shruken. He shook in fright as the adrenaline rushed through his veins. Ranma
dropped through the branches occasionally dodging another projectile from the
ground. Finally she landed on the ground facing a furious Shampoo; the girl
decided she had enough of the Amazon. 
"Ranma I kill!" Shampoo spat holding a spear against her side. She pointed it at 
Ranma and stabbed, Ranma dodged and did a hooking crescent kick at the young 
Amazons head, Shampoo blocked and slashed Ranma across the stomach ripping a 
long gash across it and tearing her shirt. Ranma fell to her knees and rolled
as Shampoo attempted to stab her while she was down. Ranma took the
opportunity to uppercut her and send her flying into a nearby tree. The girl
cried out as she felt her back slam into the tree. She slumped unconscious. and
Ranma looked at her a moment before walking away.
A few minutes later Shampoo woke with a start. "Why didn't she kill me?" she 
wondered as she inspected herself. "Maybe she
can't." she smiled at her opponent's weakness.
Ranma walked on and met her father on the outside of the town they had stayed in 
before Shampoo had attacked. Genma ran up to her with a sign that said. "Son I'm 
so glad your safe!" 
Ranma glared at him and turned her back. She walked away with Genma following; 
she neither acknowledged his presence or tried to turn him away. She just walked 
on. She had a long way to go to reach the pacific, and it would be almost three 
days before Shampoo attacked again.
The next day Ranma found herself in a pitiful looking village where people sat 
and watched her and her companions go by. Children scurried away from her as she 
passed through. They watched her as she walked by from around corners and hidden 
in shadows. One boy just sat in the middle of the street and stared off into the 
distance. She walked up to him and looked down; he was pitiful, he just sat and 
stared at nothing. [Hey boy, you get hurt you stay in road,] she said in bad 
broken Mandarin. The boy was startled and cowered in fear; a woman in one of the 
homes started to move towards Ranma but was stopped by someone inside. She let 
out a soft pained cry. She was obviously this child's mother and the boy was 
blind.
Ranma felt her chest become tight. [Stand boy be man,] she pulled the boy to his 
feet and wiped his face; he placed his hands on her face, and gently rubbed her 
features in confusion. [Not how see, I show.] Ranma clutched the boy's head and 
closed her eyes; The boy cried out again in surprise
and fear, he twisted in a vain attempt to break Ranma's firm grip on his head.
The mother finally freed herself from the home and ran towards Ranma. Ranma's
hands glowed bright blue and the boy fell to the ground unconscious.
[You killed my baby!] cried the woman as she held the seemingly deceased boy in 
her arms. [I curse you traveler.] 
[I simply gave him what he deserved,] said the sorceress as she walked out of 
the village with a wry smile on her face. "Now I know that spell works," she
thought. Genma and Ryoga just followed blindly, they had seen this many times
before in other villages.
"You're going soft boy," said Genma's sign.
"Kindness is not a weakness," was her reply.
The boy woke in his mother's arms as the woman wept clutching him tightly. The 
village looked on in anger. [Mom, there is something wrong with my eyes,] the 
boy sounded frightened and weak.
[Yes I know.] The woman pulled away. [What?]
[She did something to my eyes mom!] he said as tears streamed his eyes, he was 
crying in fear.
[You are alive!] cried the woman and she bent down to kiss her son in joy. He 
pulled away reflexively. The woman stopped and stared at him. One of the 
villagers waved his hand in front of the boy's face and he shied away. They all 
looked at the figures that were disappearing over the horizon.
Shampoo stood and watched her prey for a moment as she bought a small meal
from a local restaurant. She smiled as Ranma began to eat. "I won't give you
the pleasure of a meal," she sneered and charged at her.
Ranma looked up from her beef fried rice as the wall of the small restaurant 
crashed in revealing an angry Shampoo. "Ranma I kill!" cried the Amazon. 
Ranma uttered a single curse in frustration at the surprise attack; She quickly 
back flipped over the counter and landed next to the grill as Shampoo dove after 
her. Ranma ducked causing the bonbori to slam into the grill completely 
demolishing it. She rolled between the Amazon's legs and kicked her in the back 
as she flipped back to her feet. Shampoo was thrown against the hot grill; she 
screamed and jumped off with a new rage etched into her features. She dropped 
the bonbori and pulled out a nasty looking sword and turned slashing at Ranma; 
the pigtailed girl ducked and rolled away again causing Shampoo to take a large 
section of the counter off. Ranma leapt over the remains of the counter and 
rolled yet again barely avoiding an attempt to catch her in mid-air. She
dashed out of the restaurant's front door. Once outside and a fair distance away 
Ranma turned toward the restaurant only to see it explode in a ball of fire. 
She found herself poking around the remains of the business an hour later. None 
of the customers had survived the attack. She looked at the remains of the grill 
again. When Shampoo had hit it with her bonbori she had damaged the tank which 
held the fuel. The owner had been using one much too large for the grill and it 
had exploded the moment the gas came in contact with the pilot flame. "She isn't 
here," muttered Ranma after searching the rubble and turning a few bodies; 
Shampoo had escaped.
Ranma took her things and walked towards where she had left Mr.P and her
father on the outskirts of town. She had learned the other day that bringing
animals into villages where people were starving was dangerous, especially for
the animals.
Shampoo smiled as she watched Ranma walk on from her perch in the trees. She 
would kill her yet. She knew where she was going and that was enough for now.
About a day later Ranma walked along a path that led through some woods. She 
walked silently with the pig on her back who secretly plotted her death, and a 
panda behind her who sulked from being ignored. Ryoga had managed to get a 
good-sized rock onto the top of the bag. He laughed his little pig laugh as he 
pushed it towards the edge towards Ranma's head. The top of the bag was about 
two feet above Ranma's head and she would definitely feel the blow. Ranma 
stopped and ducked suddenly and Ryoga looked over the edge of the stone to see a 
branch swinging towards him. He squealed and jumped into the air leaping over 
it. It knocked the rock neatly off the pack and it rolled into the bush. He 
landed back on the pack and looked at the branch in terror as it swayed from its 
momentum.
Ranma walked until she felt something against her shin. She looked down and saw 
a thin line that stretched across the path. She ducked and felt something go 
over her head. She also felt something fall of her back. "Mr.P!" she cried and 
turned to see the branch swinging in the air. It was covered in spikes. She 
tensed up and looked to the ground and hoped she didn't see what she thought was 
there. She heard a soft squeal from behind her and saw the pig
hyperventilating on her back as he stared at the spiked branch. She sighed in
relief and cautiously continued on her path. She considered going back but she
couldn't be sure how many traps she had missed, so she pressed on and uncovered
several other lethal traps including one who had caught an unfortunate traveler. 
She looked down the pit and saw a bag that had red spikes protruding from it 
with arms and legs also impaled on spikes jutting from the sides. A few minutes 
later Ranma nearly killed herself by walking into some nearly transparent wire 
that cut her cheek and arms when she walked into it.
A few hours later Shampoo attacked again. Ranma narrowly escaped again barely 
avoiding the girls blades by getting on a small boat and floating away in
piranha ridden waters, and so it went for seven months. Shampoo setting traps
when she could and ambushing Ranma at every turn, night and day. Ranma resting
only when she had to and most of the time only barely surviving the attacks and
traps. 
Until one day...
Ranma desperately ran up the side of the mountain and weaved around the
trees, she didn't know how far the Amazon was behind her. "Doesn't she ever
give up?" she thought as she ran. She felt something in the air around her and
jumped straight up in the air. As soon as she was clear two logs slammed into
each other beneath her. She landed on them as they collided and jumped off to
the side as a third log came down from above. She continued running until she
reached the top, when she reached it she could only stop and stare at her 
precarious situation; She had come to a cliff looking down Ranma saw fog below 
her about four hundred feet down. The ground was who knows how far below that. 
She turned to see a battle scarred and tired looking Shampoo standing below her 
about twenty yards away.
Shampoo's body was covered in almost as many scars as Ranma's was, she looked 
crazed and angry as ever.
"Why you no die?!!!" she screamed as she charged Ranma.
The girl dodged and weaved from Shampoo's blows trying desperately to find a way 
to escape. Ranma realized that she was trapped, there was no where for her to 
run to this time; she had to fight or die. Glancing around desperately she hoped 
she missed something, any escape she might try; unfortunately, there was none. 
She turned and stared down the Amazon who stalked at her with cold, crazed, 
determination; She glared at Ranma with the vacant
eyes that only the insane could posses. It was obvious that Shampoo could see
the fear in Ranma's eyes. "No where run now coward, I kill now." said Shampoo
with and evil grin. Ranma punched at the Amazon who grunted and slammed her in
the face with her bonbori. Ranma fell to her knees...and something happened to 
her. She felt something snap. She yelled in an inhuman battle cry and tuned on 
Shampoo; the Amazon didn't even get a chance to react. She fought as best she 
could but was easily over come by the enraged Ranma. Shampoo fell to her knees 
after a devastating blow to her face. She felt the bonbori slip from her hands. 
Ranma looked at her and turned away she began walking along the edge of the 
cliff towards the river where Shampoo had ambushed her and her animal 
companions.
Shampoo looked at her hands and watched them shake in terror and shocked rage; 
finally she screamed, she had lost. She rose to her feet and pulled a small 
knife from her robes. She looked at it and then Ranma, finally she screamed 
again and charged at Ranma; She would win or die. The pig tailed girl turned 
towards Shampoo's anguished yell and sidestepped as the young girl charged her. 
She suddenly remembered where she was and grabbed Shampoo's arm as the Amazon 
tumbled off the edge of the cliff.
Ranma clung to Shampoo and felt herself being drug off the edge as well. She 
looked into Shampoo's eyes and saw fear. Shampoo's nails dug into Ranma's arm as 
she clung desperately to her arm with her hand; her other arm flailed about 
trying to find some purchase in the rocky cliff side; Tears fell from her eyes 
as she looked down and felt the hand of death in her heart. 
"Give me your other hand!" said Ranma as she reached for the other arm. 
Shampoo's expression changed in a split second, she smiled evilly as Ranma 
reached lower in order to save the young Amazon; just low enough.
"Die!!!" screamed Shampoo as she slashed at Ranma's throat with the knife she 
had in her other arm. Ranma backed her head away and Shampoo's slash missed by a 
hair. Shampoo flailed and stabbed Ranma's arm angrily. Ranma cried out and
felt her hand go. Shampoo fell from her grip. "Dieeeeeee!" screamed Shampoo as
she fell; the look of rage never left her face.
"Noooooooo!" screamed Ranma as she reached for the Amazon's fading figure.
Shampoo's last words were a curse to Ranma; she watched as the Amazon fell 
seemingly hanging in the air for hours before she finally vanished into the fog 
below.
Exhausted the sorceress lay on the ground and wept for a moment. She looked at 
the knife in her arm for a moment before she pulled it out slowly and screamed 
in pain. She flipped it over in her hands and looked at it before placing it in 
her shirt and standing shakily peering over the cliff in silent mourning.
Ranma staggered into the small makeshift camp. The animals looked at her as she 
walked up and sat down tired and weak. "Its over...she is gone." That was all 
she told them; with that she collapsed against he father's fur coat in tears. 
Ryoga walked over and sat on her lap, he looked into her eyes and sighed as best 
as he could. She settled and went to sleep there.
Ryoga never tried to kill Ranma again after that day.
"...and that is the story of Shampoo," finished Ranma as she sighed deeply in an 
effort to control her emotions. "After that I found my way back to Japan
without much incident." Ranma flipped the knife over in her hands playing with
it idly as she spoke.
Akane stared at Ranma with tears in her eyes. She said nothing. "Ya, know it's 
funny, even after every thing she did to me I still felt
terrible about her death. I never knew how hard it was to kill someone." Ranma 
lay back in her chair and closed her eyes.
"You didn't kill her; she died because she stabbed you." Dr. Tofu was still a 
bit shocked about the whole thing.
Ranma rubbed the scar on her arm absently. "No...I could have held on to her and 
pulled her up, the reflex I got from the stab was to squeeze tighter. Sure my 
arm would have been cut a little from that Psycho. I made a conscious
decision to let her go," Ranma looked reflective, "I remember that decision
more clearly than anything else." 
"Ranma...If it helps...you did the right thing." said Akane quietly as she 
grabbed her around the neck, Ranma was flustered for a moment and recovered when 
she was released before the girl noticed. 
"I admire your strength to keep from doing it for so long." Tofu frowned and 
looked away from the two girls for a moment, "Even if I don't agree with your 
decision." 
"Dr. Tofu?" Akane was shocked. 
"I am a doctor Akane. I value all life. Even though I admit I would not have 
been that strong myself." said Dr. Tofu deep in his own thoughts.
"What am I going to do about Mousse?" thought Ranma as she drifted off to
sleep again.
Well, that's chapter 5. I hope it shed some light on Ranma's trip and why
she is the way she is now. 
C&C to carrotglace@juno.com
 
            undefined


            undefined
            More...


            undefined
            [Close]


            undefined
            [Close]