Demon From Japan by Gregg Sharp ===== pond by R.Takahashi ripple interpreted by Greggsharp i don't own these char, i'm just borrowing them. ===== 1a: Here's Happosai ------------------------------------------ "They call him the 'world's most evil martial arts master' and the 'demon', well, I say he's pretty pathetic. I am an expert on the subject, and he's NOT evil. Vindictive, yes. Perverted, yes. Lecherous, defininitely. Evil?" Toltiir listened to Set rant. Set did a lot of this. But then, so did a lot of the various dark pantheons. It was a release valve. "I'm just saying one simple change here," Set gestured and the timeline flashed back to a point early in Happosai's career. "Here is his first attempt to summon a demon for greater power, and it is here that he learns to tap into his lust in order to recharge and power his ki." "Ok. Lots of things can go wrong with a demon summoning." Toltiir nodded. Only three powers-that-be had manipulated this instance before. One, the Japanese god of Earthquakes, had Happi point up instead of down at a critical juncture and had summoned Raideen. Raideen had responded to his cameo by having Happosai mess up one of the containment lines. Finally, a Hindu river goddess (who asks that her name be withheld) had Happosai instead learn the dreaded shiatsu lust spot. In THAT reality, Happosai had died a young man... Set caused the young Happosai to stumble over one key phrase. Of course, in this sort of thing, they were ALL key phrases. ------------------------------------------------- Happosai braced himself against the cold wind that suddenly blew from the center of the pentagram. The sickening stench of a butcherhouse in summer filled the small hut and the noise of something like rice hitting the floor could be clearly heard in what was otherwise eerie silence. Happosai looked down and realized that all the "rice" were actually the insects that had been in the air a moment ago. Now they were merely shriveled husks. "Uh-oh." Happosai was a mere lad of twenty years, not experienced in this sort of thing at all. Still, he knew from the description in the scroll that this was NOT supposed to happen. Likewise, the candles that lit the points of the pentagram should not have flared abruptly then gone out. The lines of the pentagram should have remained white, not turned blood red. "I think...maybe...I gotta go!" Happosai made a blur for the door, only to find it wouldn't open. "Aw, shit!" "Ahem." Happosai, still facing the door, straightened. That hadn't been his voice. His voice wasn't nearly so deep, not nearly so menacing, and didn't make ANYONE'S spine go all prickly as if the flesh were trying to seperate away and get the heck out of here. "Excuse me, mortal." "Who, me?" Happosai slowly looked around. There was a well dressed middle-aged man who looked exactly like you would expect an executive accountant to look like, in 1785 terms. "Uhm, are you..." "Oh no. Not him, you're not nearly THAT important. I'm merely a go-between, if you will." "I see...well...nice meeting you, but I've really got things I should be doing." Happosai tried the door again. "Now, now, Happosai. Let's get to the brass tacks, shall we? You get three wishes, or to ask me three questions. If I can't grant the wish, or answer the question, you get to go free. If you can't stump me, then you're ours. Understand?" "What kind of questions?" "First one. Any kind of questions." "No," Happosai turned completely to face the demon. "I didn't mean..." "Happosai. EVIL. Remember. We play by the rules. Fairness or what is right, that's not part of the deal." "I wish to have more power than you do!" Happosai chuckled. He stopped when he heard the demon laughing back at him. "One more," said the demon, wiping tears the color of ash from his face. "One more to try to get out of this. And I had heard that mortals could at least be clever." "I wonder why..." Happosai kept it from being a question. He thought he had it. He hadn't specified what KIND of power. "I wish that my soul was safe from you and your kind!" "Oh, granted. Very entertaining," the demon's attire changed slightly. Happosai tried to take a step back. It wasn't an accountant. It was...a LAWYER! "First, you may indeed have more power than me. Every act of depravity, every act of evil, every crime you commit that blackens your soul, will increase your power. You will learn martial arts, you will learn magic, and no matter what befalls you, you will not die. You will be a demon in human guise, Happosai, only a tiny little corner of your mind will remain your own to see the hell you bring along with you. You will crave death, but be unable to die except from the hand of an innocent. After all, you want to be safe from MY KIND." With a laugh the demon vanished, to report back to his master Set the Serpent. --------------------------------------- "No, you can't!" Genma stepped back, fear written on his face. "Oh? Can't I, Genma?" Happosai chuckled. His gaze flicked back and forth from the mother to the father, finally settling on the four-year old boy. "Do you remember? Remember what you promised when I took you in, so that you could serve me?" "No...I..." "Your son, Genma. I have already claimed the life of Soun Tendo's dear wife, and have seriously undermined his sanity. Do you want to see what I can do again? The power I possess? Did you really think that sealing me in that cave with dynamite would stop me?" Happosai walked over to Genma, glaring down at the shorter man. "I...am...power, Genma. I know martial arts manuevers that could burn this town to a cinder." Nodoka silently drew her sword, and prepared to rush forward while this beast's attention was on her husband. "I don't think so," Happosai said, noting the faint movement. A single gesture and the light in the area seemed to dim and flicker briefly. "I can't affect an innocent, my dear, so I wonder what you've done." Happosai addressed the unhearing Nodoka then flicked his eyes back to his former pupil. "Nice, isn't it, Genma? A priceless marble statue of some samurai woman. Ought to fetch a good price, eh?" "No-chan?" Genma's face was ashen. "Oh, get up, you blithering idiot. I'm taking the boy, as promised. I've got some friends over in the Jusenkyo region who'll have a use for him when he gets older, and will make different use of him until then." "Jusenkyo?" Genma blinked. "Yes, dolt!" Happosai sighed. "They just don't make cringing minions the way they used to. You might want to put your statue with the one that Soun has. I've even put two triggers on it that'll break the spell. If I die, they'll turn back to flesh. If your son returns and marries, oh, say a princess- then your wife will return. If your son manages to return and marries one of Soun's daughters, then their mother will return to flesh. The other statue will crumble away in either case." Happosai grinned down at the cringing Genma. "Just makes it interesting, don't it? I've already explained to Soun about HIS wife's trigger." ------------------------------------- Ranma, an eight year old boy now, was tired but wouldn't give up. The massive wheel was used for drawing water up from an underground source, and produced the spray from many fluted fountains as well as the irrigation water for the crops. Other slaves worked the crops. THEY were those who had failed to push the wheel. As a result, they had been taken to Jusenkyo. Now they were women who served the Musk Dynasty in a number of ways. Ranma's life was the Wheel. On occasion, the duties were also extended to the Pit, where he was being trained for battle. Speed was essential there, where strength and stamina were honed on the Wheel. Lessons in how to fight, where to strike, and how to disable were followed by the threat of the water if he tried to disobey. He'd fought back, once. The man who'd slapped him around afterwards had thought it was funny. Then there was Garlic, bringing by his son Herb, showing off the slaves that his deals with the monster Happosai had brought him. A creature of great power, greater even than those of the Musk. Ranma gritted his teeth and ignored the comments about him, as if he were some animal. "We need more slaves, I think. What do you think, father?" "Don't worry about that, my son. As the farmgirls get...used up, we shall find more." "That won't be necessary, Garlic, Herb." Ranma tried not to flinch, knowing who that voice belonged to. "Years ago, I visited a village near here. I found it very idyllic, with many beautiful maidens." "The amazons?" "Yes, I slew a number of them. They were rather upset that I raped one of their number, and...I was rather reckless in those days. I stole many of their treasures, stole the virginity of a dozen more of their number, and killed a fair number of them." Happosai watched the muscles twitching in Ranma's back and smiled. Such a squeamish boy for Genma's son. He'd have to do something about that. Ranma caught a glimpse of the powerful figure speaking with Herb and Garlic. If anything, he looked taller and stronger than ever. Happosai truly looked as if he massed four times the biggest soldier of the Musk. Then Ranma's view was cut as the Wheel continued to move. "So, what are you planning then?" "Simple, little prince. Tomorrow your father will ready his forces, then the battle with the amazons shall commence. At that time, I will enter the battle. Then we will have enough slaves for the Musk for years to come." "Many would rather die than submit," Garlic pointed out. "Leave that to me." Happosai thumped himself on the chest, bowed and left. This...could be interesting. Particularly if the boy's locks should somehow come undone tonight. He was just in this for the entertainment value, after all. ------------------------------------------------- "Why should we believe him?" One of the matriarchs glared at him. "He's only a little boy, and he admits he's from the Musk." Ranma, in chains, tried to glare back. His reward for escaping and warning these amazons, seemed rather...underwhelming. "He admitted that his escape was surprising, even to him." Another elder watched Ranma carefully. "Though why the Musk would let him escape is beyond me. Even if they intend to attack, giving us any sort of warning seems foolish. Whatever I may think of Happosai, he is not a fool." Ranma blinked. There had been a lot of reaction to that name. The elder who had said it made it sound like the very worst sort of insult. Ranma listened with half his attention, especially as many were talking Chinese so quickly that he couldn't quite follow it. His eyes swept the crowd, taking in the various women, and stopped when his eyes came to one of the younger ones there. She was about his own age, with long purple hair, wearing baggy shapeless clothing. She was staring at him, but turned away with her nose up when she noticed he was returning her gaze. "ENOUGH!" The woman who had spoke of Happosai earlier slammed her cane to the floor to punctuate her statement. "This argument is pointless. The only way the Musk could profit from..." The old woman came to a complete stop, then glanced at Ranma. "So... Quickly now! Scatter!" "Elder? What?" "Don't you see, fools, they let the boy escape to gather all the elders into one place!" "Ah, Cologne, you have learned wisdom. It is too little, too late, but you have learned since we last met." Ranma tried desperately to slip out of the chains holding him to the peg in the floor. It had been expertly done, however, and wasn't that easily thwarted. There was no further speech as Cologne and the assembled elders launched attacks at the nine foot tall apparition. Said apparition merely smiled and held up a coin. "Happo fifty yen satsu." -------------------------------------------- Ranma turned his attention back to the Wheel, not feeling the lash whipping him on to greater speeds. He'd lurched into the giant, and three of the elders had escaped as Happosai stumbled. Then Happosai had taken a few moments to kick Ranma around, the chain and peg making it a game of tetherball. More had escaped as a result. The amazon villages had some warning, but not much. An odd mist had swept through almost immediately after, and many of the warriors had fallen, their strength seeming to flow away from them. At the heart of the mist had been Happosai, using a gem, a hoop, and a cry of "Musk Circlet satsu." He'd drained them, and the Dynasty had come and stacked proud warriors up like cordwood to be hauled off. Ranma took some satisfaction in knowing that some had escaped, the look that had passed between that one Elder and Ranma had indicated that she knew what he had done, and what he fully expected his punishment to be. He just hoped he could somehow die before that happened. -------------------------------------------- "Aren't you going to punish him?" Garlic was interrupted by another coughing spasm. "That boy ruined your surprise. Some of the amazons have fled the region." "A bare handful," acknowledged Happosai. "It was my intention anyway. Simply enslaving them all at once would have been boring. Let them gain some powerful allies, bring them here, and then all and sundry shall be breeding stock for the next generation of Musk warriors." "But if..." Garlic stopped at the look in Happosai's eyes. There was to be no questioning of his decision. "Besides, Genma's son is not quite old enough, give him a few years. He will fail in the arena, or fall at the Wheel, then I shall dunk him in the Spring myself and then ravage Genma's new daughter a thousand times worse than I did to that idiot Cologne." "We aren't really equipped for this sudden influx of slaves," Garlic tried to change the subject. "Already taken care of. You have some new statuary, as well as a number of dolls around. I was quite creative in how the excess was stored." Happosai smiled. He would be sleeping with a number of amazons tonight, breaking them in. Then when they were of no use to him, he would turn them over to general use, perhaps transform a few into "pets" or just come up with something on the spur of the moment. He could only hope the rest of his plans went as well. --------------------------------------------------- Ranma collapsed on the threadbare blanket that was his bed. His back was aflame from the lashings he'd taken, his muscles sore, and he moaned slightly as the twitching sensation from overstressed muscles gradually decreased. When someone rubbed his aching calves, he briefly stiffened, then forced himself to look back at the one doing it. Reddish eyes met his without any apparent emotion. "You tried," came a soft voice. "They got you too? Oh man." Ranma slumped back. "I thought you got..." Those hands clamped down hard suddenly. She squeezed twice more. "So they got the kids too," Ranma finished. She didn't want him to say that she was at the meeting? Surely Happosai would have seen her... "Yes. You're a kid yourself, eh? Your name?" "I am Ranma Saotome." "I am Shampoo. It looks like we will be sharing a cell, Ranma. Do not get any funny ideas." "Huh?" Ranma tried to move but he hurt too much. "What do you mean?" "If you do not know now, then I will not tell you. You are working at the Wheel? I am to clean and polish the floors, as well as...the new statues." "New statues?" "Don't worry now. Sleep. We watch out for each other, yes?" ------------------------------------------------- Ranma's fighting training increased daily, and the reason was soon apparent. If he failed to perform, not only was he punished, but his cellmate would be punished as well. Happosai never took a direct hand, but was constantly monitoring Ranma's progress. He took some pride in the fact that the son of one of his pupils would actually turn into a decent fighter. Of course, decent by Happosai's standards was incredible by anyone else's. Once Happosai demonstrated on an amazon he'd tired of, just what would happen to Ranma's "friend" if Ranma failed to perform at his best. A splash of water turned the woman into a cat. The warning was that if Ranma did it a second time, the change would also be mental, the third disobedience would bring out an object that would lock the subject forever in cursed form. "A living death," Happosai called it. Soon a third joined them in the cell. A recent acquisition who did not speak the language. The girl was to be one of the cooking staff until she was old enough to be bred, and the silent understanding was that here was another leash to hang on Ranma. It took several days for them to get the story from her due to the language barrier. Though Ranma knew he was Japanese, he didn't speak much of that language. Apparently her father had met with Happosai, during one of the trips into Japan. He saw the little girl cook, and killed the father. Casually, as if the act took little effort and no consideration. He wanted to take the eight year old, and so he did. Her name was Ukyou. -------------------------- The breakfasts were done, the laundry was drying, and now Kasumi moved to the next step on her daily schedule. She bowed once. "Hello mother." The statue did not move, did not react in any way. It remained a statue. Though Kasumi had never received any indication that her mother could still hear her, she took the time and it was now a ritual, tending a small flower bed that surrounded the statue, and speaking to her mother. She was in the same position as she had been since Happosai threw the curse at her, and had told father and children exactly what was necessary for her mother to return to normal. He also mentioned what the cost would be. For her mother to live, someone else would die. She didn't feel right about it. Not one bit. She dearly wanted her mother to return, but she didn't want to see someone else die to accomplish it. She had talked to her mother about it many times. It was sad that two friends, who had endured the hell of serving under Happosai, now periodically were bitter enemies before they inevitably reconciled and began the cycle anew. "Well, mother, Akane and Nabiki are doing well in school," Kasumi continued with the small talk as she weeded, watered, and checked the flowers for the signs of any of the harmful insects that might come. "There seems to be a lot of talk about a rice shortage. I hope the price doesn't go up as much as the last time." The statue of her mother, still in mid-step, naginata in hand, continued to look in the direction of the dojo as she had for years. It had been too unnerving to have her continually looking towards the door to the house, and so she'd been moved just a little. "Well, mother," Kasumi said, wiping sweat off. "I think that about does it for our time together today. I must get a little shopping done before I start dinner." Kasumi bowed again, then ran off. She had her duties, at least until her mother returned. She refused to think of it as a permanent vocation, she was just filling in for her. Ranma had gotten a LOT better in the years since Ukyou and Shampoo had joined him. Now all three fourteen year olds sparred under the watchful eyes of Musk Warriors. They always had three more stationed than the group could handle. Ranma had been winning pit fights and arena battles for three years now. His only loss had seen Shampoo splashed with cursed water. Now Shampoo spent most of her time as a cat, unless she was cleaning the statues or something else that required hands. Now the day had come all three had dreaded. They were to fight one of the better warriors, being considered adult for purposes of the arena. To make it interesting, all three were to take on Mint. If they failed, but did a good showing, Happosai proclaimed that Ranma would receive the "Kiss Of Jusenkyo" but no other punishment. If they failed to put on a good performance, well, Ukyou, Shampoo, AND Ranma would be passed around the encampment, after Ranma had gotten his Jusenkyo bath. This led to a number of shouted suggestions and comments from the audience that all three tried to ignore. Mint lasted about five minutes. ---------------------------------- "It's not fair." "It's the Musk Dynasty, Ukyou. Fair does not enter into anything." Ranma just stared at the wall, trembling slightly. Shampoo sat next to Ranma, not sure what to say, what to do. Hesitatingly, she reached out to touch Ranma, who flinched at the contact. "Don't touch me." "Ranma, it's okay." "Damn it. We fought. We fought well, and we beat the damn guy. That ought to count for something." Shampoo looked to Ukyou and made a shushing gesture. She turned back to Ranma and noticed the tear tracks on the new girl's face. So like her Ranma, and so different. "He...that monster." Ukyou's fists were clenched. "Making it a choice of accepting the curse or he'd..." "Rape you in the arena to make up for the sport he missed in such a quick battle," whispered Ranma. "I...couldn't let him do that." Shampoo gathered the crying girl into her arms for a hug. She wouldn't lie and say everything was alright. They all knew better. -------------------------------------------------------- It was one of the greatest tragedies she'd ever heard of. Instead of heeding the little boy, they'd argued over what he had said. In other words, they'd done exactly what Happosai had counted on. Cologne faced the brisk wind from the mountains and thought carefully over the consequences of what she was planning. If she failed, her life would plunge into the depths of her own greatest nightmare. If she succeeded, odds are she'd be dead, but she would have spoiled whatever twisted plan Happosai was engaged in. It involved the boy. That much was certain. Everyone else was just something to manipulate the child with. Cologne wracked her brain for the thousandth time in another vain effort to determine what Happosai could be planning. Happosai was evil in the most basic senses of the word. He never did anything that didn't profit him personally, and was morally ambivelant. He felt honor was a meaningless concept, and other people's lives were his to do with as he pleased. She had observed the boy as he was pushing the Wheel, and saw the boy become taller and stronger. Now it was often the young man alone who pushed the Wheel, moving tons of water daily through the system. She saw the boy continue the same pace throughout the entire day, almost as if he were a force of nature. If she didn't know better, she'd have thought he was related to her. Concealed, she'd heard the newest rumors. Ranma had received the curse of the Spring Of Drowned Girl. Worse, she'd just found out from the careless guard's speech that her own Great Grand-daughter and some cook were held in the same cell. The tunnel couldn't be formed using the Breaking Point technique, as the vibrations would be detected. There were other techniques, however, that were less spectacular. Cologne used these and worked on the tunnel that she'd been making for the past three years. Soon, one way or the other, this stage of her life would be over. ------------------------------------------------------------ Shampoo stiffened. This didn't sound at all good. Ranma had been moved from the Wheel, and was now to fight...his two cellmates. Ukyou and Shampoo stood at one side of the arena, Ranma at the other. The barriers had been put in place, and a very select crowd had been let into the audience. "The stakes in this little game are simple." Herb stood and looked down on the three. "With my father dead and Happosai off checking out something, I feel the need for...sport. I have here a little potion from Happosai. It causes the drinker to become the willing slave of the first person they see, one of the most powerful love potions known even to Happosai. The loser will be forced to drink." Ranma's eyes met those of Ukyou and Shampoo. Happosai was gone. Time not to hold anything back. -------------------------------------------------- Cologne had estimated the distance to the cellblock quite well. One group after the other of amazons vanished into the tunnel. One, who had apparently been fed a love potion, had been forcibly restrained from notifying the guards. Forty five amazons, armed with the weapons of their former captors, wanted to die in combat rather than live with the memories. These accompanied Cologne. ---------------------------------------------------- Shampoo rushed Ranma, who grabbed and flipped the amazon, using his strength and her momentum to send her up into the seats overhead. Ukyou landed a moment later. Ranma jumped onto the wall and began the climb up as archers fell past him. Herb had started out as amused. Then when some of his guards had been left in untidy piles, realized that they were actually trying to escape. Standing up, he was prepared to use his chi to fry both of them when a better solution occurred to him. Ranma finished climbing up to see Herb sling the contents of a vial across both of the women as they came closer. "NO!" Herb smirked and ordered the two women to attack Ranma. "Shampoo...Ukyou..." Ranma grimaced as his two celmates turned towards him, wiping the water out of their eyes. He'd grown close to them over the past few years, this was not something he had ever wanted to face. Herb grinned as Shampoo and Ukyou raised the spears they'd picked up from his guards. The look on Ranma's face was a further intoxicant. The grin faded as he realized that they'd turned back to him and struck out simultaneously. "Stupid prince, the potion only works if you DRINK it." Shampoo watched the prince of the Musk fall, Ukyou moving in to crush the prince's skull before some chi suicide attack could be used. "You're okay? It didn't work?" Ranma felt relief shudder through him. "Thank goodness." "I don't feel any different," said Shampoo with a shrug. "We ought to get going." "Neither do I," agreed Ukyou. "Though I DO think I'll take that knife there." Ranma went on to check the corridor as the two began looting bodies. "Shampoo?" Ukyou paused to make sure that Ranma wasn't around. "The same, Ukyou." "I was afraid of that." Ukyou paused and stoppered the flask. There was still a little of the fluid within the container. "Ukyou," Shampoo straightened up. "We are in the mountains. Within the mountains are many streams fed by snowmelt at this time of year." "Yes, Shampoo?" "I think that I am going to 'accidently' fall into each and every one of them that we cross." "Sounds good. Think it'll help?" "If nothing else," Shampoo shook her head, "if nothing else maybe I'll catch a cold. You watch me, and I'll watch you, and maybe this stuff will wear off before we completely lose whatever dignity we might still have." Ukyou couldn't help but agree. ---------------------------------------------- Happosai was in Thailand, currently adding another magical artifact to his arsenal. A swarm of fighters, using that country's martial arts were trying to bring him down. One got in a lucky blow when Happosai was momentarily distracted. Happosai retaliated by forming a blazing pillar of fire and sweeping it around his enemies. As it was hellfire, two of the opponents were in sufficient state of grace (somehow) to resist the effects. These two apparently also had enough sense to lie still while Happosai walked past, his attention on something far away. The slight discordance gnawed at his awareness until Happosai realized what it was. He grinned. The game was truly afoot now. Ranma had left the Musk Citadel, and the next part of his plan was in motion. The friendship of his two disappointing pupils would be ruined, and one would forever walk the path of darkness, becoming his pupil in far more than mere martial arts skills. Happosai blasted the vault open, using chi instead of demonic magic. The Eagle Scepter was his, as if there could have been any doubt over such an eventuality. Flames erupted behind him as he left the compound. Such fun this would be. He just had to visit Nerima one more time, to prepare... -------------------------------------------- Ranma watched as his two friends left, a little shakily, he thought. He felt bad about letting them go off alone, especially when both appeared to be getting ill. They'd also kept falling into what seemed to be the coldest parts of the streams. They had been _very_ insistant. They had to seperate here. After all, Ranma didn't want to be trussed up in chains again, escaping one form of slavery for another... Shampoo in cat form, riding Ukyou's shoulder, finally made it out of sight. With a heavy heart, sure that he'd never see his friends again, Ranma started the long and lonely path to Japan. -------------------------------------------- Hot water was produced at a small smokeless fire, and Shampoo quickly got back into her clothes. "First time I envied you that curse," Ukyou said, still leaning against what had once been a residence in the amazon village. "It did not help as much as you would think," said Shampoo with a shudder. "That was...scary." "You think you had it bad? Thanks for digging your claws in back there, by the way. When he leaned up against that ridge..." "Thank you for carrying me after that one time that he did it..." Both women shook in rememberence. "Any idea how long this potion is supposed to last?" "How in the world am I supposed to know? I'm a cook, okonomiyaki my specialty, or at least it was. Love potions are a completely different story." "So, Shampoo, you drank a love potion?" The two avoided shrieking, though Ukyou was in the process of setting a new personal speed record before she lost her balance on the rubble and took a sudden nap. "Grea...Cologne," Shampoo tried to will her heartrate down to normal levels. "You're...here." "I go through all that trouble to break you and the boy out, and there you go not even using my route. That's gratitude for you." Cologne sat back on one of the blocks that had been from the Hall Of Elders. "Now what's this about a love potion?" Shampoo explained that they hadn't actually drank it, merely been splashed in the eyes, and once they'd realized what had been done, had turned to look at their friend rather than at the prince of the Musk. "So...is this boy your lover then?" "Not before that, we were all worked hard, and...Ranma doesn't have a clue about such things for the most part. Despite being Jusenkyo cursed to turn into a girl, he's just been so focussed and so worn out, that I don't think he's ever even considered it." "But you have." Cologne wasn't asking a question. "Both of us have...discussed it. We both cared deeply for him. He went through so much for our sakes, and he's got this strong but gentle side to him..." "You and this other girl have discussed who would go after this boy? How civilized. And after the potion?" "We seperated from him before either of us lost control." Shampoo had the grace to blush. "Let me see the potion," Cologne waited until Shampoo had retrieved it from Ukyou. "That's funny. There was only a little bit of it in there before." Shampoo held the half-full container out to Cologne, who merely inspected it without taking it. "Well, put it away now. I'll have to make a positive identification in Japan." "Japan?" Shampoo tried to suppress the little shiver of excitement. "We're...going to Ranma's homeland?" Cologne looked at Shampoo with the air of a teacher facing a slow student. "Why not, Shampoo? We can't remain here, now, can we?" --------------------------------------- "No, Master..." Soun Tendo fell backwards as little pieces of his back gate continued to rain down in the yard. Happosai sniffed. "Corruption? Ah, the sweet smell of greed. Someone here? You!" The bush Nabiki was hiding behind abruptly turned black and withered. Her camera fell from nerveless fingers as she watched the giant striding towards her. "Stand up," Happosai commanded. Nabiki screamed within the confines of her skull, to run, to flee, to get out of the area. Her body wasn't paying attention as it slowly came to stand before Happosai. "Perhaps," Happosai said with an unhealthy gleam in his eye. "The daughter may well be a better disciple than the father." Soun broke in, groveling and whimpering. Happosai turned his attention to the father. "Fool, if you want to act like a little girl, be one!" A cask of water was produced from nowhere and smashed into Soun. A six year old girl was then wailing in a very oversized brown gi. A baseball bat slammed into Happosai's head, followed by a kick to his kneecap. His almost always present smirk faded. A lesson needed to be taught to these two. One was often consumed with anger, the other with greed. Neither was repentant. They could easily be reshaped by his powers. ----------------------------------- Notes on the Demon Happosai plotline. Happosai is really mean and nasty, almost completely evil. Not pathetic, evil. There's a difference. This Happosai never helped Miss Hinako. This Happosai never got into firecrackers. He throws fireballs, what does he need a firecracker for? The clues as to how Happosai can be stopped are all there. Yes, the individual who can actually kill the demon is counted on the side of the good guys. No, it is NOT Ranma. Yes, there's something Cologne knows about the love potion she isn't saying. One thing about it is that the effects should have already worn off. The power of suggestion is really something isn't it? She's not 100% sure that the potion is what she thinks it is, and so is withholding judgement. So Ranma goes back to Tokyo, and thence to Ota (or wherever the ward is that the Saotome household is in), if Juuban Happosai would set off youma alerts if the Senshi are around. He then realizes that Tokyo's wards are pretty big and he doesn't have a clear picture of what he's looking for. Surviving amazons scattering, a dozen coming with the surviving Elder (Cologne) to check out this new "recruit." Some blame him for the Musk attack, so all is not happy in amazon land. There are about a hundred scattered at this point in the story, not counting the statues. The Princess? The Cook? The Cleric? The Financier? The Warrior? Who will Ranma end up with, if anyone? The horrible fate of Nabiki and Akane. Nabiki gets hit with "bimbo-itis" attacks that last for an hour every time she sees her reflection. Akane, I'll leave up to the gentle reader. Two suggestions (considering Happosai's tastes) would have Akane either dealing with the problems of a cup size of 100DDD or with a rash on her skin wherever it is covered with clothing. Either fits Happosai's ideas of revenge. Of course, all either has to do to get out of it is sign a little contract. Just to be sporting, Happi would add other releases to free them from the curse. Joining a monastery is also a likely cure. Some have remarked that the solution to both the statue problem and the Happosai problem are obvious. Good. Both are meant to be, as Happi is trying for both goals. Yes, he wants to be stopped, particularly that tiny corner of his mind that is not possessed, but he's not going to make it easy. Otherwise, he has accomplished his stated goals and spread corruption and suffering. So for Happi this is all a win-win situation. Soun turns into a little girl, physically and mentally, when splashed with cold water. Hot water reverses the change. Genma does not turn into a panda. Ryouga hasn't met Ranma YET. He will, however. He does not gain a Jusenkyo curse, and will become Ranma's rival due to something else entirely. Kuno: not a threat. Mousse: dead, sorry. Threats: they've got plenty, just from various things and people being sent their way by Evil Happi. He wants a good fight, after all, don't make it too easy. He can always come to Nerima and kill a few people just to remind the main cast that he's around... Oh well, remember to look for the Notes & Votes file in a little less than two weeks! note, not on FFML, use Metroanime@aol.com if you want to e-mail me. Ja matta! gregg