Civil War (formerly Enslaved)

by Gregg Sharp

-----------------

setting and major char by Rumiko Takahashi

add'l char & situations by Gregg Sharp

webpage: http://members.aol.com/MetroAnime/main.html

hey people, i DO listen. some of you really hated
this stuff, some liked parts of it. here's an
attempt to take the ideas you liked, dump ones
that you didn't and combine them. enjoy.

--------------

        chap 1a: Rewriting History

--------------

        Grey(1) looked at what appeared
to be a large lump of translucent spaghetti.
"THAT is a mess. You always start with a
simple thing, don't you, Toltiir, and then
it just continues to pile up."

        The black cat blinked. "Well,
I suppose it certainly fits my label as
'Sower Of Chaos' but it lacks a certain
aesthetic quality..."(2)

        Grey waited.

        "OK, it lacks a LOT of aesthetic
quality." The black cat briefly shifted to
previous incarnation forms, becoming a
roguish looking elf, then a coyote, then
a glowing geometric shape before reverting
to the cat. "What you gonna do now, Brian?"

        Briefly checking to see if there
was actually anyone named Brian around (you
could never tell when Toltiir was involved),
Grey pointed out that at least some of the
timelines should have faded. Instead nearly
all of the timelines altered during the course
of the Bet were doing quite well.

        "So if I twist, and kick, and push,"
Toltiir did so, moving strands and watching
the configuration change. "Oh my."

----------------------------------------------

        Cologne faced her biggest challenge
as a newly appointed Elder of the tribe. Mascara
was a tough and saavy fighter, old even when
Cologne was young. Mascara also held to the
old roles that had been necessary in the past,
if not terribly beloved.

        The role of the Nichieju as assassins.
Slayers who came unarmed in the night, using
styles like Hidden Weapons and the Chestnut
Fist to enforce terror on those who would not
leave the amazons alone, or who had things
that the amazons wanted.

        On occasion an amazon would become
a spy as well, something that Mascara had
engineered a few times. The beautiful if headstrong
girl that captured the heart of some general or
government official, who used her influence and
position for the good of the tribe, it was sneaky
and it was underhanded, but even Cologne had to
admit that it HAD worked in the past.

        The Nichieju were at a crossroads now
due to the actions of one man who had come to
live near the village briefly. One man who had stolen
from the tribe not only treasures, but secrets. A
man who had even managed to touch Cologne's
heart by showing a piece of his own heart that
had not completely been corrupted.

        Happosai. Cologne had argued against
pursuing the man, to the ends of the Earth. He could
hide just too well, a specialty of his "Anything Goes"
school was removing himself from potentially lethal
encounters. Then the Musk had come in another of
their little skirmishes.
---------------------
        "Ah," said Grey, "so Mascara had died in
the battle with the Musk in the original timeline."

        Toltiir's tail flicked back and forth. He
wasn't happy. Mascara had no sense of humor.(3)
----------------------
        Cologne stood at one end of the Challenge
Log. Mascara on the other. Strength was one of the
underlying principles of the Nichieju. "Strength, Courage,
Honor To The Tribe" read the engraving on the floor
of the Audience Hall. To prove whose ideas were the
stronger, to prove whose philosophies would take the
elders forward over the next century, might have taken
place in a Greek style debate. Instead it was to be by
combat.

        Cologne fought and fought hard. She saw
that while assassins and spies might be necessary, to
actively continue this role would eventually bring down
the wrath of the outside world upon them. That with
devices such as rifles becoming commonplace, that
a quieter image would be needed. She also didn't want
to see the amazons become the very sort of organization
they had escaped centuries ago: cruel, vindictive, and
repressive with no value for human life or dignity.

        Mascara fought for her own ideals. She
fought to keep the tribe alive by any means necessary.
If that meant killing a few outsiders here and there, and
making sure that to kill one amazon brought massive
collateral destruction to those who had ordered it, so
be it. The end justified the means, ANY means.(4)

        The fight was short, nasty, and saw ki
blasts taking out some nearby roofs.

        Cologne lost.

        Spies were sent to Japan, waiting for
evidence of Happosai's whereabouts to come.
He hadn't stayed still long enough to be given
a Kiss Of Death, but he would be treated as
such. Happosai, and any who stood with him,
would die.
--------------------------
        Kasumi hid in a cupboard, trying to
avoid making even the tiniest noise. Akane had
whimpered and they'd pulled up the floorboards
until they'd found where her mother had hidden
Akane and Nabiki.

        The strange women had come and
attacked, without warning, without mercy. Now
her father was backed into a corner by really
tough looking women, who kept asking Soun
Tendo a number of questions about a man
named "Happosai."

        He wasn't talking, and Kasumi
made an involuntary noise when she heard an
amazon swear, followed by a loud thump as
something (her father as it turned out) hit the
floor.

        Commands were given in an odd
language. There was the sound of running,
then nothing. Kasumi waited, then the seven
year old peeked out the door.

        No one was visible. She snuck out,
and immediately went to where her mother lay.
She knew the head wound was bad, and she
knew she had to call for help.

        She smelled the smoke first. The
front room was engulfed already and the
flames were spreading through the house
rapidly. Kasumi whimpered and ran back
to where her father was.

        He wouldn't wake up. Kasumi ran
to her mother, maybe she could wake her
up. They could then get her father up.

        Kasumi tried, but she wasn't very
big, she wasn't very strong, and she was, after
all, only seven years old. She was holding on
to her mother and crying as the flames cut the
kitchen off from the rest of the house.

        She screamed as the ceiling crashed
down on her and her mother, the burning, the
pain, the feeling of ribs cracking, then passing out
from the smoke she had inhaled.

        A hand reached out and plucked
her out of the house. "<My, my, child. It's a
good thing we were checking on the other
strike team and came by here.>"

        "<Cologne, she is the enemy.>" One
of the others said, holding a spear as if to cast
it at the little girl.

        "<She is a CHILD, a child. Bad enough
we must do this deed, but to kill children? This
is against everything we hold dear. I will NOT
tolerate this sort of thing.>" Cologne gestured
back at the now burning house. "<Now come on,
the police and fire crews will be hear shortly.>"

        "<Mascara has already taken the
other two daughters of the Happosai disciple.
She states they will be made examples of, slaves
of the tribe.>"

        "<Feh. Isn't that what we have males
for?>" Cologne tried to remember the name of the
outspoken warrior. Oh yes, Lilac, one of those
who supported Mascara's policies. "<If that is her
order, then I shall make her the personal slave of
my granddaughter. That should be symbolic
enough, even for Elder Mascara.>"

        Lilac wasn't satisfied, but Cologne saw
a wink from So Pu, one of those who supported
Cologne's views. While everyone knew that Cologne
did not agree with Mascara, they also knew that
Cologne would not dispute the other Elder's
authority. This would be seen by many as a
gesture of conciliation to Mascara.

        So Pu came over to assist with binding
the wounds of the little girl enough for her to be
taken away from the compound. She noted aloud
the damage and labored breathing of the child,
and ignored Lilac's comment about simply throwing
the child back into the fire.

        "<She IS almost Shampoo's age.>" So Pu
noted. "<Maybe two or three years older?>" In a
quieter voice that only Cologne could make out, she
continued. "<I hope you know what you're doing,
Elder.>"

        In an equally quiet voice, Cologne answered.
"<So do I, child, so do I.>"
-----------------------------------
        "<EXILE!?>" Shampoo blinked. "<BUT I
ONLY...>" She quieted at Cologne's gesture and
listened to her great-grandmother, who had often
been cruel in public, but who still cared deeply about
her granddaughter to those who could tell. Other
than Shampoo, that only consisted of five others in
the village who were trusted completely.<5>

        "<Child, what you did was publicly challenge
Mascara's authority. She has gotten even more mean
spirited than she was five years ago when we raided the
houses of those two disciples of Happosai. Now she
may call for YOU to be made an example of. What I'm doing
may seem harsh, but it isn't nearly as bad as what THAT
woman would do.>"

        "<But Great-grandmother!>"

        "<Hush child. Listen to me, as your mouth is
what has forced this issue. You are being sent into a
TEMPORARY exile. You can come back when you have
turned sixteen to fight to re-establish yourself in the
Tribe. In the meantime, you are going to accomplish a
couple of very important tasks for me. I will send So Pu
after you later, when I can get over my anger at you
for challenging the authority of an Elder.>" She winked
at Shampoo. "<That gives you seven years to establish
yourself as a skilled fighter. You are to take your slave
with you.>"

        Shampoo cheered up. "<Lipstick can come?>"

        "<I have placed in your pack an address, that of
the other disciple's wife. She knows more of what is going on
here, as I had a 'talk' with her while Lilac thought we were
interrogating her. Explain who you are, and that Lipstick is
actually Kasumi Tendo, the daughter of an old friend of hers.
She should take you in.>"

        Cologne thought for a moment, speaking aloud
so that she could show Shampoo how much confidence
she had in her great-granddaughter. "<So Pu will be sent
out of concern to check on you, then she'll find some
excuse to challenge and be beaten by some strong fighter
in the area. She's seventeen now, so everyone will just
put it down to raging hormones. She'll then settle down
where she can keep an eye on you as well as being one
of our spies.>"

        Shampoo nodded. She liked So Pu, they had a
lot in common despite the age difference.

        "<I can't do anything about Scarlet, as
Mascara has personally training the youngest of the
three Tendos as her personal 'Enforcer'. As you have
seen, she would harm her blood-sisters without a
second thought if it meant recognition from Mascara
and her clique. Gloss has been a frequent visitor to my
place, supposedly because I like her cooking, so if
she spends more time there doing duties that your
slave took care of, then it might not arouse too much
suspicion.>" Cologne noted the approach of someone
who was being careful to sneak. "<Sorry about this,
Shampoo, but we will be overheard if we continue.>"

        Shampoo nodded, understanding her role
as her great-grandmother gave her a public tongue
lashing that sounded completely sincere.
---------------------------------
        Nodoka looked from one of the little girls
to the other. A twelve year old with purple hair, and
a fifteen year old with brown hair, both dressed in
Chinese clothing. She had listened to the story of
the purple-haired girl, well remembering that night
when armed amazons had overrun her house.

        She remembered Cologne especially well,
and she suspected she owed her life to the older
woman.

        There were a few things that didn't make
sense to her, though. "If she's supposed to be your
slave, why are you the one carrying the backpack and
satchel?"

        "Pardon me, Mrs Saotome. It is because
of injuries I sustained the night of the attack, I suffer
from shortness of breath and a weak constitution."

        "Is so." Shampoo nodded at Kasumi's
confession. "We make sure many know Kasumi
not very strong so Kasumi stay with Great Grandma
most of time. Was necessary."

        "I see." Nodoka nodded. "How old are
you two?"

        "Shampoo nine year old. Kasumi twelve
year old," Shampoo nodded vigorously.  "Is OK.
Shampoo and Kasumi both very skilled at many
things. Shampoo good hunter, trained as warrior.
Kasumi good cook, know many Secret Amazon
Cooking Techniques."

        "Secret Cooking Techniques?"
Nodoka watched Kasumi blush.

        "Is so." Shampoo grabbed her
friend's shoulder. "Great grandma-ma not
able to teach Kasumi any fighting technique,
she say that just not way Kasumi ---"

        "She said that my orientation
wasn't as a warrior, but as a 'nurturer',"
Kasumi bowed her head slightly.

        "Is so." Shampoo grinned.
"Amazons very big on strength, but
Kasumi Shampoo's friend! Even though
have to act like hard worked slave around
others. Kasumi nice girl! Shampoo is
warrior enough for both! Kasumi help
Shampoo with not-fight things, Shampoo
help Kasumi when need fight or strong
hands!"

        "I see," Nodoka smiled at the
two little girls. "Well then, we'll divvy up
the chores based on that. In the meantime,
we'll see what we can do about getting you
settled in."

        "<She seems nice,>" Kasumi
remarked.

        "<She is a warrior though, I can
tell. As the daughter of a friend, I expected
her to take you in. If I am allowed to stay,
then this is just...how you say, sauce for
the noodles?>"

        "<Uhm, something like that.>"
-----------------------------



(1) = yes, Grey is a self-insert char, he just appears
as part of the framing mechanism. i just used him
instead of some big shot fanfic writer or anime char
because i wanted to say "biiiiidah" to a few people.
To the more civilized and mature among you, my
apologies at this flagrant self-insertion. He will
cease appearing in this fic, by the end of this very
chapter.(6)
(2)=Toltiir is NOT a self-insert. Toltiir is meant to
represent a not entirely malicious god of primal
chaos, mischief, and practical jokes that changes
names/appearances/and modus operandi every
few centuries or so just to be different. He is NOT
omniscient, because "omniscience is boring."
(3)= Toltiir largely judges a person on how good
a sense of humor they have. A thoroughly evil
amoral person who loves puns would be more
to his liking than a humorless paladin. On the
other hand, he does have some appreciation for
paladins as the "straight man" useful for any
number of comic situations.
(4)=I've known a few people like this. End
justifies the means, morality is a crutch for the
weak, anything you can get away with is
acceptable behavior. Fortunately, most grow
out of this stage...
(5)=Mousse would NOT be one of these. While
loyal to Shampoo, he's too easily tricked. So Pu
(Soap) is the only one detailed out so far.
(6)=No, Grey has not forgiven Toltiir for turning
him into an incubus. Grey is not Tarou, Toltiir is
not Happosai. Direct and hostile confrontation
with someone who can change your molecular
structure including genetic code with a glare
is not a good idea.

Amazon names: won't be used for the most part,
though Mascara's group will refuse to use the
character's proper names. Shampoo always refers
to Kasumi as Kasumi from now on except in
flashbacks. There would be some backsliding
from Kasumi/Nabiki as use of their REAL names
would have been punished outside of Cologne's
private residence.
Kasumi > Lipstick (Shampoo's personal valet/slave)
Akane > Scarlet (raised personally by Mascara to be
        a personal Enforcer/assassin)
Nabiki > Gloss (village slave, more on her later.)

Ranma 1/2: Civil War (The Bet)
        chap 2a:Here's Ranma...
---------------------------
setting and major char by Rumiko Takahashi
add'l char & situations by Gregg Sharp
webpage: http://members.aol.com/MetroAnime/main.html
chapter 1: Rewriting History, gives the basic setup
chapter 2: Here's Ranma, introduces remainder of major char
this is mainly a rewrite of "Enslaved" based on C&C.
----------------------------
	Her name depended on who you
asked or where she was at the time. Here in
the Valley, or if you were speaking Mandarin,
she was Xian Pu. In Japanese she was mainly 
called Shampoo, which she didn't mind that much.
Some Japanese referred to has as "that Chinese
bimbo" sometimes with additional terms such
as "hussy" or "barbarian" thrown in. She didn't 
care for those, but they were still preferable 
to some terms.

	Scarlet sneered at her. "<You foul little 
worm, how dare you show your face here among 
your betters?>"

	"<Ah, Village Enforcer Scarlet,>" Shampoo 
forced a pleasant tone into her voice. No matter how 
tempted she was to reply that she hadn't met any of
her betters yet. "<You look quite well. As you
know, I am now sixteen and can legally petition for 
readmission to the tribe as my exile was not specified 
as permanent.>"

	"<You're soapscum, you know that, 
don't you.>" Scarlet made a fairly obscene gesture 
and continued with some anatomically unlikely 
suggestions about what Shampoo could do with
that legal petition.

	Shampoo smirked. She wasn't a child 
anymore to be so easily manipulated. This was 
how she'd gotten exiled, after all, Scarlet raging 
at her until Shampoo had gotten fed up and had 
started yelling back. "<Scarlet, today is the day
of the big tournament, isn't it?>"

	Scarlet frowned. "<It has been 
cancelled.>"

	"<Cancelled?>" Shampoo frowned. 
The Tournament was not only tradition, but 
an important part of the amazon lifestyle. Much
of the time of the young amazon women of the
village was spent in preparation for a good 
showing at the Tournament.

	"<Rather, it was postponed. We have 
an execution scheduled for today...>" Scarlet 
made a gesture and a dozen of the warrior women
started fanning out around Shampoo.

	"<You're charging me?>" Shampoo 
blinked. This was going way too far. What had
happened in her absence? "<I haven't even been
in China!>"

	"<No, not you, we had a slave trying 
to kill one of her mistresses, after a little lesson 
in control and dominance.>" Even Scarlet looked
like she had a bad taste in her mouth regarding this. 
"<The execution is of the one named Gloss, we
just want to make sure you've got a good seat...>"

	Shampoo frowned. "<I demand, on my
heritage, to be allowed to be reinstated as a warrior
of the tribe. THAT is my first priority.>"

	Scarlet wasn't fooled. "<A delaying 
tactic until you can scope out the situation? It 
won't be without cost. Since we will shortly be 
without a slave, maybe you should take her place
if you lose? Mascara has always stressed the
importance of an example...>"

	Shampoo glared at Scarlet, and had
she known the manuever, would have unleashed
an Ascending Heaven Kick right into that 
wagging jaw. Unfortunately, So Pu hadn't taught
her that manuever.

	Scarlet waved it off. "<Well, I suppose
it is your right, and seven years is enough time for 
your exile. We'll need to make some preparations, 
of course.>"

	Shampoo looked up at the challenge 
log and wondered what preparations Scarlet would
be making.
-------------------------------
	Cologne concentrated, drew a deep breath
from her pipe, and blew a linked chain of smoke rings.
She was bored. She needed an excuse to get out of this 
duty, guarding Jusenkyo- like anyone was fool enough 
to come here of all places. No, this was just to get her
out of the Village for some reason.<1>

	If someone wanted to experience old world
magic, there were better sites. If someone wanted to
get cursed, there were easier ways of doing it. If 
someone wanted to seriously inconvenience their
life, there were FAR better ways of doing so.

	Cologne blinked two strangers, both 
wearing the gi favored by some martial artists,
carrying heavy backpacks, had just come in from
the road. How...interesting.

	<"Halt."> Cologne watched the two
continuing to get closer to the pools. She 
switched to Thai, then Korean, and finally 
Japanese. THAT one they understood. 

	"Pardon me, but is this Jusenkyo?"

	"Jusenkyo is closed for repairs."
Cologne said with a no-nonsense tone. "You
can't use it just now."

	"What? And after we came all this
way?" The older of the two exclaimed, then
looked the place over. "I don't see any signs
or anything..."

	"What are you here for?" Cologne
saw the guidebook then. "Ah, so you are
martial artists, seeking new techniques and
training grounds? Excellent! Oh, I know of
a most excellent place for such things, and
it is the PERFECT day for such an expedition."

	"They got anything to eat?" The
younger of the two martial artists said, looking
a little interested in spite of himself. He'd 
perked up a little when he'd heard "new 
techniques."

	Cologne smiled at the two, silently
thinking that these two were probably a few
bricks shy of a load, but you take what the
gods give you. And these were an excuse to
check up on the village.
-----------------------------
	Shampoo watched Scarlet's eyes,
and found sufficient warning. Her bonbori
made a "ting" noise as something small 
and metallic was blocked by it. A sudden
sting indicated that it was not the only
"insurance" the other girl was taking.

	Scarlet crossed the space
quickly, her tonfa twirling in a rapid
beat. The clatter of armored hardwood
meeting Shampoo's bonbori took on
a more and more frantic pace.

	The two were closely matched,
Scarlet being somewhat stronger, Shampoo
being somewhat faster. Scarlet was superior
on the offense, Shampoo superior on the 
defense.

	Finally, though, the dart made
the difference. The spreading numbness
of the poison, slowed Shampoo just enough.

	"I fight to win..." Scarlet said as
she drove home the final blow. She turned
to face the audience. "Shampoo has been
defeated. Let all who witness this know that
she has fought well, and will be rewarded
with life in service to her community."

	Scarlet turned back to the fallen
warrior. She spoke quietly, addressing the
paralyzed Shampoo. "You always had to be
so damn good at everything. Prettier, a 
better cook, a faster martial artist, well I've
gotten you now, oh high-and-mighty 
princess of the Nichieju." Now if she could
just figure out why this didn't overjoy her
the way she'd always dreamed it would. 
-----------------------
	"Gloss," Cologne called to the
slave. "Come here, girl."

	The slave known as Gloss
looked around nervously to see if anyone
was paying attention to her. Everyone was
paying attention to something at the 
challenge log.

	Gloss scurried forward. "<Mistress?>"

	"Oh, excuse me," said Cologne with a
sigh. "These two do not understand Chinese, and
Gloss here is Japanese but is not allowed to speak
in that language."

	"Whatta ya mean not allowed?" The
youth sounded puzzled.

	A few minutes of conversation from 
the Jusenkyo Valley to the Nichieju Valley had
given Cologne some insight. The boy was a
fair martial artist, but had little in the way of social
skills. The father, well, her opinion of him had
sunk quite a bit from a low first impression.

	Especially as said father had made a
beeline for the First Prize table, laden with food
for the tribal champion's banquet. A tap with 
her cane had stopped the youth from joining
his father. Cologne believed the young man 
salvageable.

	Cologne spoke briefly to an ally,
Shu Ga, who would inform one of Mascara's
lieutenants that Cologne had brought two 
would-be Jusenkyo victims here and would
be returning to Jusenkyo immediately.

	That done, Cologne could 
concentrate on the meeting between the
slavegirl Gloss and her fellow countryman.

"She is a slave of the village, and will 
soon be slain..."

	"WHAT!?" Ranma's alarm
was quite evident.

	Cologne smirked. In a game
of poker she'd have this boy owing her
his future children in a few hands. 
Hmmm. No, Shampoo would never go 
for it. "Tell me, young one, have you
ever heard of the Code of Martial 
Artists, such as the Chinese Shih?"

	"Ah, yeah, I have."

	Cologne smiled, sure that
the last name of these two was NOT
a coincidence now. And if this one
understood personal honor... "A pity
isn't it? She hasn't done anything to
deserve this fate, but has been enslaved
and will be beheaded anyway. What
a pity that I can't do anything about
it, but I've got to return back to my post
anyway, leaving the poor thing without
a guard. WHAT THE ?!?!" 

	The crowd had parted and
the unconcious figure of Shampoo, 
being fitted for a slave collar was clearly
visible. Cologne controlled her temper,
for she was not ready to move just yet.

	Gloss and Ranma looked at
her, startled by her outburst. Gloss 
followed her gaze and gasped herself
at the sight.

	"What's going on?" Ranma
began.

	"<YOU, WHAT ARE YOU 
DOING THERE?!>" Scarlet was striding towards
the old man surrounded by empty bowls
and the remains of a meal. While there was
still quite a bit of food, the amount Genma
had put away was staggering.

	"She's angry that your father
is eating the tournament prize," supplied
Cologne. 

	"So if I win this Tournament?"
Ranma asked, confident of his talent. 
"There'll be no problem, right?"

	"<This warrior wishes to prove
his skill in the Tournament, and settle the
dispute in combat.>" Cologne said to 
Scarlet. To Ranma, she merely nodded.

	"<An outsider male? Pah,
when I defeat him, I'll make a bird feeder
from his skull.>" Scarlet cracked her
knuckles. Today showed every sign of
getting better and better.

	Scarlet ignored the warnings,
she'd show them, she'd show them ALL!
She could win against a mere male without
problem, she always had before.

	A swift kick later, and Scarlet
had cause to regret the decision to fight
without cheating.

	"<Hoho,>" Cologne said loudly
enough for her voice to carry across the
plaza. "<Defeated by an outsider male, so
you must give Kiss Of Marriage and take
him as a husband. Even more interesting,
this male wanted to join the Tournament,
I wonder how many such a strong fighter
might have defeated...>"

	Scarlet snarled and grabbed a 
sword from one of her supporters. "<NO WAY! 
I WILL NOT MARRY THAT JERK!>" 

	Ranma needed no translation to
understand what the dark-haired girl was
intending. He took a step back at the hatred
that his opponent was showing.

	"You might want to consider
escape," Cologne advised him, "the girl
with the purple hair and the slavegirl I
introduced you to would make excellent
guides as the region can be quite dangerous."

	"Huh?" Ranma took another step
backwards as Scarlet advanced with the sword.
He idly noted that his father was already running.

	Facing an entire village of armed and
hostile warriors was a bit much, even for Ranma's
confidence level. He did a quick legsweep, knocking
down the sword wielding girl, slung the purple haired
girl over one shoulder, and RAN. The slavegirl kept
pace with him.

	Cologne wiped all traces of a grin from
her face, and went to report that after rescuing some
travellers from Jusenkyo, she was returning to those
duties. Oh yes, and Scarlet was breaking the law
regarding bringing new blood into the tribe...
----------------------------------
	"Oh shit, it's those out-of-order 
springs." Ranma stumbled only to find Gloss
helping to support him.

	"Oh, master. Very bad, do not fall in..."

	"<DIE, BOTH OF YOU!>" Scarlet's
sword swipe came very close to seperating Ranma
from a good part of his ribcage. He dodged. Gloss
was still holding onto him.

	Ranma hit the water, Gloss still holding
onto him, though the girl he was carrying was 
thrown clear as he twisted. There seemed to be
an odd twisting sensation, as if he were a piece
of paper and someone was making origami.

	Scarlet stared at the two who stood
up in the Cursed Spring. The silence was broken
a moment later. "BWAH HA HA HA HA, oh 
that's rich. You two fell in Nyanichuan, Spring 
Of Drowned Girl. Whoever fall in spring turn into
young girl. This is perfect, now that you're an
outsider woman, I can kill you WITHIN the law."

	Ranma looked down at her chest,
noting the way the gi had partially opened, 
revealing...breasts? "Ahhhhhghhhhh!"

	Gloss pulled at him, "Come on,
sir, it not that bad. Your father just fell in
Spring Of Drowned Panda anyway. His
case much worse."

	"B-b-but I..." Ranma dodged as
Scarlet thrust forward with the sword again.
Survival instincts took over. She ran.

	Scarlet recovered from 
overextending herself and ran forward.

	"Ranma, prepare to be punished!"

	There was a crack as two people,
running in an area where such a thing was
NOT a good idea, attempted to occupy the
same area at the same time. Ryouga got a
good look at Scarlet as he fell. Scarlet got
a good look at the impudent male who had
gotten in her way during her righteous
pursuit of vengeance. Both hit the water
of different springs at about the same time.
==================================
cliffhanger, anyone?
nah, just clip the above line to the line in
the 2b file and it'll take up where this left
off. of course C&C IS appreciated, just 
leave the flames at home<2>

<1> "Mascara never admitted that this was
a mistake, just that this was one of the worst
timed events of her life. This refusal to realize
that she'd made a mistake, and learn from it,
continued to cause her problems throughout
the entire war." - excerpt from "My Son Married 
An Amazon"-N.Saotome, 2007, Joketsuzoku 
Publishing
<2> in case you don't have the definitions,
making disparaging remarks about my race, sex,
lack of sex, perceived lack of talent, intelligence
level, heritage, etc- are considered flames. C&C
is where you actually say something constructive.
Simple guideline: if you were sitting next to a guy
who could play the Front Four on an arena 
football team, a flame would be something you'd
say if you wanted a free dental extraction. Sorry
if some of the Established Fanfic Writers take
exception to this, but i don't care to be flamed...

as for everyone else, ja ne, and i hope you 
enjoy!
gregg







Ranma 1/2: Civil War (The Bet)
        chap 2b:Here's Ranma...
---------------------------
setting and major char by Rumiko Takahashi
add'l char & situations by Gregg Sharp
webpage: http://members.aol.com/MetroAnime/main.html
chapter 1: Rewriting History, gives the basic setup
chapter 2: Here's Ranma, introduces remainder of major char
this is mainly a rewrite of "Enslaved" based on C&C.
DARK WARNING: there is a section up ahead which
 deals with an event that has serious consequences regarding
 one of the major characters.
--------------------------------
	Scarlet scowled as she left the
Jusenkyo Guide's hut. This would go down
in her books as an unrecoverably bad day.

	Beating Shampoo, only to have the
girl stolen away, being beaten by a BOY, and
watching as the slave Gloss was also stolen by
said boy. Then, in pursuit, she'd gotten a
Jusenkyo curse.

	"<So, Scarlet, you fell in Spring Of
Drowned Black Piglet. Very terrible tragic story,
isn't it?>"

	"<Shut up, Cologne! This is all your
fault!>"

	"<MY fault? I was to stand guard here
at Jusenkyo and make sure that no strangers 
happened to wander in and get cursed. I even
led those two back to the village.>" Cologne
made an idle gesture. "<Ah, but my efforts came
to naught as they were pursued back right through
this very training ground.>"

	Scarlet brooded over this, she KNEW
that Cologne was guilty, but she needed more
than her own conviction against a Village Elder.

	Scarlet started the long trek back to
her village, she'd need supplies to track down
and slay these interlopers.

	Her mind kept coming back to Gloss.
She'd always been especially harsh when 
dealing with Gloss or Lipstick, she had feelings
for both of those slaves, and had long been 
told by Mascara that any such feelings were
a weakness that must be purged. In her role as
the Enforcer, there was no room for the weaker
emotions. Hate was useful, it made one strong.
Fear kept one alive, so long as the fear did not
rule. Softer emotions needed to be eliminated.

	Scarlet regretted this day, and regretted
her actions this day. It would have been far better
to have defeated Shampoo honestly, she felt. The
victory would have been much sweeter. Instead 
she was still in a situation much like a runaway
train, she could only go forward and was not in
control of the speed or direction.

	Scarlet snorted as she walked. Look at
her, getting all introspective just because she had
had a bad day. Mascara would be disappointed in
her. She would have to do better.
-------------------------------------------
	Ranma lost track of her father shortly
after leaving the cursed springs area. She hadn't
known pandas could run that fast.

	"We lost herrrrr," purred the girl
next to her. "Scarrrlet not purrrsuing us, not
yet, anyway."(1)

	Ranma couldn't bear to look at her.
She was too catlike, not enough to cause her
to run in a panic, but more than enough to cause
that sickening sensation to well up.

	"You can let Shampoo down now."
The girl still slung over Ranma's shoulder announced.
"I think I can stand."

	Ranma carefully complied.

	Shampoo looked Ranma over and
nodded once, satisfied with whatever she had
found. She was still unsteady on her feet, but
could stand.

	Nabiki leapt down from a ledge, the 
increased strength and agility of her cursed
form making what would once have been a
daunting task a snap.

	"Nabiki, why you turn into catgirl?"
Shampoo decided to sit down until she felt
some strength return. This would make it a
good time to find out what was going on.

	Nabiki's eye flicked to the obviously
nervous Ranma then back to Shampoo. "<I'll tell
you, Shampoo, but I'm not ready to tell our
rescuer about this.>"

	"<I'll keep the secret, unless it is
something that will endanger us?>"

	Nabiki sat and unconciously began
to groom herself in a feline fashion. "<No. 
Well, maybe. Last year, ah, something was
done to me.>"

	"<Scarlet DID say something about
you trying to kill one of the other amazons. You
should have known that even if you succeeded,
they would have executed you.>"

	"<I didn't want to live after that.>"
Nabiki noted with gratitude that Ranma had gone
off to a lookout position. Even if Ranma couldn't 
understand what was being said, she didn't want
to say this in front of a stranger. "<Do you
remember Dao Le(Dowel) and Tai Za(Tazer)?>"

	"<Yeah, Dowel is that really huge
woman who uses a spiked club in combat. Tazer
is that tricky girl who usually hangs out with
her.>" Shampoo shrugged. "<I don't know them
that well, just that they're not fond of men.>"

	Nabiki told Shampoo of her ordeal, of
being raped by the two women. How she had 
decided not to live, but to get revenge before she
died. How Dowel had easily beaten her, and that
the punishment had been Jusenkyo instead.

	"<So they kept me in my cursed form
as a housecat in a pen for months. When they
finally let me loose, it was to understood that
eventually they'd kill me, but that they wanted
to break me first.>" Haunted eyes turned to
Shampoo. "<They spent more months doing it,
but now I'm free. Free of everything but the
memories.>"

	Shampoo's anger was rolling off her
in waves, a sufficient battleaura that Ranma 's
attention was drawn from her vantage point.
"<How dare they. Mascara and her 'Examples'
have gone too far. Much too far.>"

	"<Your reaction is similar to your
Great-Grandmother's reaction. She confronted
the other Elders regarding this matter, but
was told to mind her own business. She did
a few things to help me, but seemed limited
in what she could do.>"

	"<Great-Grandma's position on the
Council depends on her walking a thin line,
she wants to return things to as they were 
before Mascara took over, but if there is a
civil war many amazons on both sides die.
Great-Grandma has been trying to avoid that
at all costs, but things like this will force her
to make the decision.>"

	"<It is so.>" Nabiki's eyes flicked
over to her rescuer. "<Anyway, I was
Jusenkyo cursed to turn into a cat, then 
fell into Spring Of Drowned Girl when we
were escaping. The curses mixed.>"

	"<I noticed that this guy somehow
became a girl during our escape.>" Shampoo
damped her battle aura, worried that someone
might detect it before she was ready. "Well,
I've got to go back, that'll lessen the pressure
on both of you."

	"Are you nuts?" Nabiki switched
back to Japanese as well. "They'll just want
to make an example of YOU."

	Shampoo kept walking, getting a 
little more steady on her feet as she did so.
"Nabiki, these are my people, I have to try 
to get them to abandon this course of action."

	"Ranma, stop her!"

	Ranma heard Nabiki's yell and
saw the girl she'd been carrying draw weapons
and charge.She didn't understand, and she
didn't know that Shampoo was actually
trying to intimidate Ranma into getting out of her
way.

	As she stepped aside, a kick slammed
the bonbori nearest her. The next moment the 
kick caught Shampoo's head. "Oops." Ranma
hadn't actually intended to strike her, she was
a girl, after all.

	Nabiki blinked as she watched 
the momentum of Shampoo's rush redirected
into a facial slam with the amazon meeting the
mountain.

	"She's out again," Ranma said,
looking down at Shampoo. "Damn, I s'pose
that means I'm gonna have to carry her 
again."

	"We better get going," Nabiki
managed. The more she talked in her catgirl
form, the easier it was to avoid purring her
"r"s and hissing her "s"s. "Scarlet will be
coming after you, soon."
----------------------------
	Kasumi faced her goal, breathing 
in deeply to focus herself, centering her "wa"
to the task ahead.

	A blur of movement, and the timer
went off. It was done.

	"Amazonian Cooking Final
Attack:  Chocolate Hazelnut Seven Layer
Cake," said Kasumi, half-bowing to the 
audience as the final layer of frosting and
the cherry settled into place.

	The audience applauded. The
other contestants looked alarmed. The
Judges withheld judgement, particularly
after last year's disaster with the "Chic-a-
boom" dish setting off the fire alarms.

	Kasumi caught her breath,
as the last flurry of movement had drained
her reserves considerably.

	Nodoka smiled. From her
vantage point, she'd seen the way
three of the layers had spelled out
a name in chocolate glaze as they
came together. So, despite her frequent
protests about younger men, Kasumi
WAS thinking about Ranma. Nodoka
made a few plans of her own.
--------------------------------
	Ranma stopped abruptly
and lowered the unconcious girl to
the ground. Nabiki partially hid behind
Ranma.

	The squad of amazons
numbered six, with a single male 
bringing the total to seven. All
except the male were quite obviously
armed.

	Ranma took a ready stance.
"It's your move."

	"<Hmmmph. I take it you
don't speak Mandarin, do you?>" 
The tall woman looked them over
carefully. "<Gloss, translate for us.>"

	Gloss hissed and drew
back a little further.

	"<Damn. Well, try not to
damage them too much, we've got
enough problems without having to
carry them.>"	
----------------------------
	Where would this go?
KASUMI- Considers her claim to Ranma
to be the best, after all, Nodoka DOES
support her in this.
NABIKI- Finds Ranma VERY attractive,
especially in catgirl-form. (Ever notice
how cats take an immediate liking to the
one person in the room allergic to cats?)
Feels as she has gone through the most
hardship, she deserves the greatest reward.
SHAMPOO- wakes up, finds Ranma has
defeated her, and, well, you know how she
feels about that. "Wo ai ni, etc."
SCARLET- gets a royal dressing-down
from Mascara. She is to either kill or marry
Ranma, and get the slaves back. There is
no other option. Will she discover the feelings
still buried within her for her sisters?
UKYOU- now a completely valid fiancee
(as Genma didn't know a Tendo had survived)
who is brought before the Saotome household
fairly early. She's never been dumped, never 
gone through the vengeance-trip, and never
rejected her feminity (though she is slightly
tomboyish.)
RYOUGA- has vengeance sworn against Ranma
for missing the duel, on the other hand, "Akane
Tendo, prepare to die! Because of you, I have seen
the depths of Hell!"
COLOGNE- joins the cast when her dual roles
are discovered and she flees the Village.
MASCARA-sees all this as the greatest crisis
and the greatest threat the Nichieju have ever
faced, and vows to win this at any cost. 
        the civil war begins to develop, with 
amazons appearing in Japan, claiming refugee
status, and working various jobs in the region.
        other amazons and mercenaries come to
deal with the first group of amazons.
        with all the fighting and word of tough
opponents, other forces gather: street fighters,
news crews, construction contractors, women's
pro-wrestling agents, etc. Each has their own
agenda.
         Ranma having to upgrade his skills as
his opponents go from tough to "you've got
to be kidding me" and are using all sorts of
special techniques.
        oh well, just another "Bet" entry, ne?

(1)= there were a lot of people who liked the
     "All Purpose Mercenary Catgirl Nabiki 
       Tendo" from "Neutral Ground" so, 
       "Cat-spring" + "Girl-spring"="Catgirl-
       spring". which makes a certain amount
       of sense, otherwise Cologne would have
       cured Shampoo of the cat-curse when it
       became obvious that this would be a 
      major stumbling block in the Ranma/Shampoo
      marriage.


Major Amazons of the Civil War storyline
_Mascara's faction___
Scarlet/Akane Tendo, Enforcer
Lao Xin(Lotion), Alchemist
Lo Fat, male amazon, knife specialist
Chu Fat, male amazon, club wielder
Lo Pan, male amazon, Hidden Weapons
Miao Ying, warclaws specialist
Tai Za(Tazer), uses electrified chains
Su Pu(Soup), regards her sister as a traitor
Zao Chen, uncertain of where she fits in
Ko Hi(Coffee), hyperactive
Ting Tang, archer
Sponge, male, grossly obese
Ping, club wielder
Dao Le(Dowel), "that's a woman?"

_Cologne's faction____
Xian Pu(Shampoo), the Princess
Bani Ra(Vanilla), albino 
Koko(Cocoa), idol singer prospect
Tei Ga(Tiger), warclaw expert
Rei Ga(Tiger), halberdier
Shu Ga(Sugar), two handed sword
Rai Za(Razor), male, weaponsmith
Sa Shu(Sash), archer
Ah Lo(Aloe), male, healer, married to
   Lupine
Rai Da(Raider), cute, small, incredibly strong
So Pu(Soap), married to Tofu Ono
Lu Pin(Lupine), grand-dad was a Jusenkyo
   cursed wolf. married to Aloe.
Chain & Dagger, twins

_ Non-Chinese Amazons & Allies of Cologne
    Amazonian Club
Kasumi Tendo, Club Champion (Cooking)
Makoto Kino, student of Amazonian Wu Shu
Megumi Toriyama, student of Amazonian Cooking
Aya Fujishima, student of Amazonian Wu Shu
Keiko Nagai, student of Amazonian Wu Shu
Tetsuo Omikami, who joined trying to get closer to Megumi
Jiro Janpachi, who joined to sample Amazonian Cooking
Kikuko Arashi, student of Amazonian Cooking/Wu Shu
Noriko Hikawa, student of Amazonian Wu Shu
	adults associated with the Club
Tofu Ono, Adult supervisor, amazon by marriage,
  Chiropractor, MD
Nodoka Saotome, Adult Supervisor, kendoist,
  Anything Goes School of Martial Arts
Kensuke Fujishima, big brother of Aya, frequent
  supporter, motorcycle cop
Amano Kanzaka, Kensuke's gung-ho partner
                 other supporters
Ranma Saotome, Anything Goes martial arts
Nabiki Tendo, All Purpose Cultural Catgirl
Genma Saotome, part-time panda
Ukyou Kuonji, chef
Ami Mizuno, cram school student
Doctor Hiroko Mizuno, physician
Tetsuo Tsukiku, dabbler in magic