Leifker presents...

     Shampoo walked out of the restaurant in a daze, unable to react to
the sights and sounds around her.  Her ears were ringing; what she had
heard would not yet be accepted by her mind, and really didn't want to
be.  Slowly, though, the information seeped in, its inexorable slide
turning her stomach upside-down.  

     She stumbled over to her bike leaning against the wall.  Like her,
the bicycle was a finely-tuned machine, well-oiled and maintained.  Such
maintenance was a matter of survival; her life forced her to use her
abilities to the utmost, and a slip of the gears could prove fatal.  She
picked up the pink bicycle, and twirled the pedals once before pushing
off.  

     It had been said by some that she rode like a demon on her routes. 
This was not too far from the truth.  Her routes were a way for her to
escape everything, to lose who she was in the rush of speed.  Nothing
would keep her from her appointed rounds; her duty. learned from years
as an Amazon, was sacrosanct.  Obstacles were overcome, and opposition
pushed aside or defeated.

     What they never bothered to tell her was that there were some
obstacles she couldn't overcome.  

     Shampoo gritted her teeth, and bore down on the upcoming hill.  If
she built up enough velocity, she could fly over it, and sail on without
any trouble.  This was her clan's teachings in action, telling her to
push farther and faster, damning the consequences that others may face. 
This was her life, and her answer to every problem.

     She was a fool, she decided.  She could not honestly say if she was
always a fool, or had only become one recently.  Whatever the cause, her
folly was going to cost her dearly.  She flew over the hill, reveling in
the wind flying through her hair, and continued her breakneck trip.  

     This was life; this was power.  Everything else in her life was
beyond her control.  But this... her body and her bicycle were the only
things under her command, and she she enjoyed extending her will out to
this bit of life.  

     Shampoo increased her pace, taking the bicycle to speeds far beyond
what it should go.  She was beyond caring; if she crashed and killed
herself, she would consider it no great loss.  Better to die in some
accident, with honor and soul intact, than to face... She shook her head
from such thoughts.  She was trying to forget that, and this was the
best way.  She kept on pedaling, pushing herself to the edge, trying
with what life remained in her to outrace her own fate.

*************************************************************************

Leifker Presents...

Borrowed Time

Part one of four

A Ranma 1/2 work by Nicholas Leifker

All Ranma 1/2 characters created by Rumiko Takahashi.  All rights
reserved.  I ask that you not do anything with any part of this work
without permission.

Stuck between a rock and a... you mean that's been done?  ^_^

*************************************************************************

     "Shampoo, we must talk."  

     The young Amazon stopped her table-busing, and looked over at her
great-grandmother.  Cologne stared back at her with a neutral gaze, soft
but giving away little of what went on in the mind beneath.  The aged
woman sat at the counter, busy with the day's receipts in the lull of
the afternoon.  Shampoo walked over to her.  

     "Yes, hibachan?"

     "Come to the back.  What we discuss must be said in private."  

     "Okay."  Shampoo shrugged, and followed Cologne into the kitchen.  

     Cologne turned around, licking her lips as she did so.  Shampoo
frowned; she knew her great-grandmother's habits, and understood when
the old warrior was nervous or upset.  Cologne fixed a sad gaze on her,
one Shampoo hadn't seen since... she couldn't remember when.  

     "Shampoo, the time for games has passed."  

     Shampoo furrowed her brow.  "What you mean, hibachan?"  

     "Don't play dumb with me, child.  You know very well what I mean." 
She looked down, then added in Mandarin, "The time of judgement has
come."  

     "You don't mean..."

     "I do mean."  The wrinkled mouth twisted to a scowl.  "You have
failed in your promises to the village.  As such, it is time for you to
return to face your punishment."  

     Shampoo took a step back, terrified.  "No!  Please... just give me
more time!  I'll get Ranma to marry me, you'll see!"  

     The old crone shook her head in response.  "You know that's not
true.  Ranma's attracted to that Tendou woman, and there is no force
outside death which could separate them.  We have tried everything else,
granddaughter - and there is nothing left."  She pursed her lips
slightly.  "You have until Saturday.  By that time, you will have to
fulfill either of the promises made concerning Ranma Saotome... or take
his place in punishment."  

     Shampoo stepped back into the dining area, uncertain of her feet. 
She could hear her heartbeat in her head, pounding steadily like a
death-nell.  The few customers there faded out of her existence, her
present vision focused on something far away and inexorable.  She
staggered out the door, using the frame as a brace as she left.  

*************************************************************************

     After about an hour, Shampoo stopped her bicycle, and looked up to
the heavens.  It was approaching late afternoon; the sun was still
prominent in the sky, but was sinking fast toward the concrete horizon.  

     She had to admit that much of what Cologne had told her was
correct.  There was almost no way that Ranma would marry her.  He loved
Akane.  That much was spoken by the way the pair held hands, and the
looks they gave each other in quiet moments.  Since their return from
Mount Phoenix, the two had been inseparably close.  As Hibachan had
said, only death would tear those two apart.  She had thought about
telling Ranma what was to happen to her, but she thought better.  That
wasn't love; that was blackmail.  

     Also, she had been stalling for time.  She didn't want to leave
here.  The warriors gathered here under the shadow of the tower were
like none she'd ever met in the village.  These were people who _lived_
honor as best they could, and gave meaning to the words friendship and
love.  For the first time, she'd met people who were more than a match
for the village's finest warriors, and she reveled in the challenges,
both physical and spiritual, that they laid at her feet.  

     And now, because of her love for these people, she was condemned. 
Hubris was her companion in her youth, and she was now going to die for
that hubris.  

     She couldn't see an option.  She had failed in two promises - the
Kiss of Death and the Kiss of Marriage - and the penalty for two such
disastrous failures was certain.  When the sun set at the end of the
week, she would be dead, one way or another.  She couldn't run - the
Nyuchiezu had never let anyone escape their judgement - and she couldn't
fulfill her duties.  She could not marry Ranma, and she would kill
herself before laying a finger on him.

     In other words, she was going to die, and there was nothing she
could do about it.  

     A soft rumbling came from the sky, and she turned her head
eastward.  A storm was approaching the city - a wicked storm, with
clouds rolling in like horses and lightning flashing the sky with its
brilliance.  She'd have to find shelter, and soon.  She couldn't go back
to the Nekohanten - she wasn't ready to give in to the tribe's will, not
yet.  Moreover, she didn't want to go to Ranma; she didn't want him to
see her yet... not like this.  Shivering at the cold air coming through,
she wondered if perhaps she should let the storm take her...

*************************************************************************

     It wasn't often that Ranma Saotome was at peace.

     The young man sat on the porch overlooking the Tendou backyard,
silently watching the storm come in, its rolling currents and
spectacular lightshow a marvelous sight - from a distance.  His stomach
was full; Kasumi had outdone herself as usual, with a marvelous stewed
daikon recipe she's learned from his own mother.  He would miss the
young woman when he left for college... but there was one person he
would make sure not to miss: the raven-haired beauty snuggled in his
arms.  

     Two years ago - heck, even a year ago - he would have never dreamed
of a scene like this.  He was so determined to retain his freedom that
he failed to realize that true freedom was here, next to her, without
the pride and frustration that previously kept the two apart.  That
freedom was a hard-won thing, especially with his family and friends
trying to influence their relationship one way or another.  At least
most of those battles were over, and they could get on with their
lives.  It would be years before they were married - their insistence to
their parents had seen to that - but they would be married, someday.  He
could already see their children in her eyes...

     He heard the telephone ring, but decided to ignore it.  Better to
let Kasumi get it, rather than spoil the moment.  

     "Ranma!  Telephone!"

     Damn.  "Be there in a sec!"  He bent down, to whisper in Akane's
ear.  "I'll be right back."

     "Okay."  The hoarse whisper sent tingles down his spine.  He eased
himself away from Akane, and headed to the phone.  

     "Hello, Ranma here."

     *Son-in-law.*

     Ranma's blood went cold.  "What is it, old ghoul?"

     *Pardon me, but by any chance have you seen Shampoo?  She went out
on her bicycle some time ago, and she hasn't come back since.*

     Ranma's eyebrows raised slightly.  "Can't say that I have.  Do you
want us to go looking for her?"

     *There's no need for that.  She's a smart girl; she knows enough to
stay out of the rain.  Also, she was rather upset when she left this
afternoon; I imagine she's probably at some coffeehouse right now,
thinking about what's happened.*

     "What happened?"  

     *Oh, nothing you should concern yourself over.  Just some tribal
problems.*  

     "I... see."  Despite Cologne's reassurances, Ranma was somewhat
concerned.  Shampoo wasn't the type to brood over something; her
emotions were usually mercurial in nature.  Moreover, Cologne had a
habit of trivializing important matters - when it suited her, of
course.  "Do you want us to call you if we see her?"

     *Yes, please.  Thank you for your troubles, Ranma.*

     "That's okay.  Talk to you later, old ghoul."

     *Goodbye, son-in-law.*  Ranma hung up the phone slowly.  

     "What's wrong, Ranma?"  Akane stood at the doorway, her concern
mirroring his own.  

     "Shampoo's missing."  Ranma looked over to the side for a moment. 
"Apparently, she went out for a bike ride, and didn't come back."  

     "That's odd.  So... when do we go out to find her?"  She turned to
the closet, and removed her raincoat.  

     "We don't," Ranma said, his face showing his puzzlement.  "The old
ghoul wants us to stay put, as far as I can tell." 

     "Good."  Akane reached over, and wrapped her arms around his neck. 
"It's going to be a cold night, after all..."

************************************************************************

     Shampoo huddled in the cold room, watching as the rain poured
down.  She had managed to find a temple nearby, and ran into the grounds
before the rains came.  She could feel the chill of the air, cutting to
the bone, seeping the life from her...

     Perhaps this was for the best, she decided.  In time, Ranma and the
others would forget about her, and go on with their lives.  Ranma and
Akane would get married and have lots of noisy, stubborn kids, and would
eventually grow old together.  Pig-boy was already living the good life
with some farmer, and it wouldn't be long before Spatula Girl found
someone to share her life with.  They didn't need some stupid Amazon
interfering with their lives, especially after all the troubles she put
them through.  

     If only saying goodbye to them didn't hurt so much.  She didn't
bother to dry her tears; someone had to cry over her grave, after all,
and who better than herself?  

     Enough, she thought.  This crying is not befitting an Amazon, nor
is it befitting a woman.  If she was to get out of it, such thinking
would have to go.  She was an Amazon, born and bred, taught to fight and
to press and to never give up.  And she wasn't about to give up - not
here, not now.  She valued her life too much; she'd only let it get out
of her hands.  

     It was time she took control of it again.  She would die on her
feet, like a true warrior would, rather than on her knees like some
begging dog.  A warrior's pride was hers to command, and she knew how to
wield it now.  War was coming, and she needed to prepare.  She knew her
chances; no one had ever successfully escaped from the Nyuchiezu.  

     She didn't give a damn about the chances - not anymore.  She
*would* survive.  

     Her ego restored, she let her mind drift back to some of the events
of the past few years.  She remembered the fight on the platform, and
the fast-as-lightning woman who knocked her from it.  Other times came
to her, the events in Nerima, a place she had come to accept as home. 
It was here that she had ceased to be a spoiled little warrior, and
developed into a woman, proud, but honorable as well.  She had faced
dangers here, to be true, but somehow, she'd made her way through them.

     There was one incident which haunted her nightmares, simply because
the thoughts of what-might-have-been tore at her to the core.  The
Bakeneko had captured her, and was intent on taking her for his bride. 
He sought to use magics to change her forever into her cat-form, a slow,
terrifying process that she had to endure almost to its end.  It was 
only by luck and friendship that she came out of the incident unscathed.  

     And it was Ranma who had come to her rescue; Ranma, who was deathly
afraid of all things feline, and had to overcome his fear to face the
Bakeneko.  He was unconscious by the time it was over, but it was
enough.  He had come to her.

     She liked that memory a lot.  She let the smile spread across her
face and, despite the tears, chuckled to herself.  

     For the first time, she knew what to do.  

************************************************************************
     
     Cologne was alone in the little restaurant known as the Cat Cafe,
enjoying a small cup of tea in the dining area.  Mousse had gone back to
China, to prepare them for what was about to happen.  Shampoo was off
who-knows-where, perhaps making final plans to woo Ranma over to her, or
wondering how far she could run before her heritage caught up with her.

     It was nights like this, when she had to be an Amazon first, that
made her feel her age.  As one of the village elders, she had spilled
the blood of villagers on several occasions.  It was never a pleasant
business to prematurely snuff the life of another, and the look of
outrage, of _injustice_ on their faces haunted her dreams at night.  

     Even worse, the one she was called to kill was her own flesh and
blood, a woman she'd taught and guided from infancy, and loved like a
daughter.  Shampoo was guilty of no great crime; her pride had gotten
the better of her, and she had made a serious mistake as a result.  None
of them could have guessed the obstacles that formed along Shampoo's
sworn quest.  Unfortunately, the rule of law prevailed.  If she did not
bring the child to justice, a precedent would be set, and other men
besides Ranma would try escape from the laws of her people.  

     She would have to snap Shampoo's neck, then cry over her body.  

     Truth to tell, she'd never met anyone, man or woman, with the
_will_ Ranma had.  The boy was a marvel, destined to be one of the great
ones.  He picked up techniques and skills with remarkable efficiency,
and fought with tenacity against the finest this world had to offer.  He
would have been a fine addition to the village... if only he could have
been tamed.  

     She took another sip of her tea.  It was easy to think about what
might have been; unfortunately, real life pressed in, forcing her to
view the situation as it was.  At the moment, she had a great-grandchild
gone rogue, and no sign of any reprieve from the battles to come.  She
was only glad Mousse was sent back to China; the fool would have made
things difficult.

************************************************************************

     Shampoo woke up to a ray of sunlight, and squinted at its
intrusion.  The storm was done, leaving the air charged with its
energy.  The Amazon rose from her sleeping position, and took in a deep
breath.  It was time to begin the day, and she reveled in the idea.

     If there was one thing Shampoo liked, it was a challenge.  She may
not have Ranma's tenacity, or Akane's fury, or Pig-boy's strength, but
she had enough of each - enough to get through this.  It still hurt,
knowing what she was leaving behind, but she could see no other option. 
It was either die as a submissive Amazon (a contradiction in terms, to
her), or live as a renegade.  She knew the chances of victory; also, she
knew how to improve them.  

     Let them come, she thought.  She'd be ready - one way or another.

************************************************************************

Hello.  

Thanks to Bateman, Gaffney, Lawson, Reeves, Sandborn, Weinberg, and
Wilde (and B-ko!) for their help with this.  Part 2 is currently being 
worked on, and should be out within two weeks.

Nicholas Leifker
nwl9354@unix.tamu.edu
http://people.tamu.edu/~nwl9354
February 11, 1998

***

     The morning light shone down on Ranma Saotome, glistening
against his midnight-black hair and shadowing the muscles of his
torso into sharp relief.  He stood in a ready martial-arts stance,
his blue eyes seeming to stare right through the stone fence and to
the world beyond.  A tiny scowl formed on his face, a moment before
he became a blur of motion, his hands carving poetry into the air
around him.

     Martial arts was his life and career, and had been his only
comfort for much of his eighteen years of life.  Fathers, friends,
and fiancees might try to influence his actions, water may come to
wash his manhood away, but the Art... that was his, and it would
always stay with him.  Whenever he felt like the world was getting
out of hand, he would come back here, to his spiritual home, and take
shelter in an intricate kata.  He performed an aerial kick, a feral
grin painted on his face.

     Not that he needed much shelter anymore, of course.  After he
and Akane had worked out their arguments and differences, things had
settled into a semblance of the word 'peace'.  He wasn't sure it was,
as he had been given very little experience with the state of being,
but it sure felt like it.  Ryouga had found himself a life with
Akari, the Kunous rarely came around anymore... heck, even Ukyou
seemed to have the fight taken out of her.  He had finally succeeded
in building a shelter beyond his Art, using something he had once
found uncomfortable: love.

     Ranma punched twice, then sweep-kicked an imaginary adversary,
glorying in the control his body offered.  There were rumblings in
the distance of his mind, troubles that threatened to bring it all
crashing down, and he needed to think.  Shampoo was coming over, and
her tone was... strange.  She had apparently left the Nekohanten for
awhile (the caller ID told him as much), and wished to talk with the
entire clan.  He hoped that fact was a good sign, but it still
brought with it problems.  Shampoo was never one to give up; neither
was her great-grandmother.  Something was building, and Ranma didn't
like it one bit.  He leapt from the kick and moved back closer to the
pond, stopping his kata.  

     Truth to tell, because of all that had happened to him, his life
was... interesting, to say the least.  While he frowned on the
tactics the other fiancees used in their endeavors, he did enjoy
their company and friendship, even if they wanted more from the
relationship.  He so rarely had companions his own age while he was
on the road; it was still a treat for him to be able to see a
friendly face every day.  Unfortunately, he feared that the bonds
would not last beyond the engagements, and he would have to deal with
mortal enemies from then on.  

     Ranma whispered a small prayer, wiped the sweat from his brow,
and walked back into the house.  Shampoo would be coming shortly, and
he had to get ready.  

*********************************************************************


Leifker presents...

Borrowed Time 

Part two of four

a work of anime fanfiction by Nicholas Leifker

All Ranma 1/2 characters created by Rumiko Takahashi.  All rights
reserved.  I ask that you not do anything with any part of this work
without the author's permission.  

Serving top-quality fanfiction since 1996

*********************************************************************


     Shampoo knew what the words 'on trial' meant.  

     She just never thought she'd know what it felt like.  

     The warrior sat on one side of the low table in the main living
room, her eyes cast to the floor.  In front of her was a tribunal of
sorts, as all of the members of the Tendou household bore their eyes
into her, some accusingly, others with less venom.  The pregnant
silence was broken by Kasumi, the only one of the group smiling.  

     "So... what brings you to the dojo?"  

     Shampoo blinked, and looked up at the housewoman.  Although
Kasumi's face didn't show it, her eyes held a wisdom, an
understanding of what Shampoo was going through.  At the moment, she
was the only one on Shampoo's side, and they both knew it.  

     Shampoo hoped that would change with her next statement.  

     "Shampoo wish to discuss terms of breaking engagement."  

     For a second - one agonizing second - she could hear the crowd
around her blink.  Then the reactions came, one by one.  The foolish
old men started to dance, their celebrations drowning out Kasumi's
gracious comments and Ranma's questions.  Ranma clobbered his father
to get him to shut up, and turned back to Shampoo.  

     "Shampoo... what's going on?"  The tone held urgent concern, as
Ranma rubbed Akane's hand in his own.  

     Shampoo looked Ranma in the eye.  It was hard to say goodbye...
but she would not cry.  "Shampoo wish to renounce claim of marriage
on Ranma... in exchange for shelter and protection."  

     Akane still glared at Shampoo, her eyes accusatory.  "Why should
we let you in?  You've broken into our house on numerous occasions,
wiped my memories, tried to feed who knows what kind of potions to
Ranma... Why should we trust you?"  

     Shampoo mustered what control she could to meet Akane's gaze. 
"If you no help Shampoo, Shampoo die.  That simple."

     The purple haired woman relaxed her stance at Akane's reaction,
and sighed.  "Shampoo no bring Amazon law book.  Book state that if
warrior refuse to uphold tradition by enforcing law, then warrior
fall under punishment of law.  Shampoo no can marry Ranma, and no
want kill Ranma.  So, Amazons kill Shampoo." 

     Ranma opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Akane.  

     "So you're telling me that, because you didn't marry Ranma, that
the other Amazons are going to come after you?  That's crazy!"

     "That law," Shampoo replied softly.  

     Akane relaxed slightly, then shook her head.  "I'm sorry,
Shampoo, but I have to say no.  I... No offense, but I can't trust
you under this roof.  You've done too much."  

     Ranma tried to interrupt.  "But Akane, I -"

     "No buts, Ranma!"  Akane positively snarled at Ranma.  "For the
first time in our lives, we're free.  We don't have our fathers
breathing down our necks, we don't have everyone trying to fight us
over one thing or another... we're free.  And I don't want to lose
that."  

     While Ranma searched for an answer, Shampoo slowly walked away
from the table and out the door.  It seemed that she'd tried to woo
Ranma one too many times, and was paying the -

     "She can stay in my room."  

     Everyone turned around at Kasumi's words.  Her smile was gone,
replaced by a concerned gaze.  

     "No, Kasumi!  You've seen what she can -"

     "Akane, may I speak to you in private?"  The group swallowed at
the look Kasumi gave Akane.  Akane followed Kasumi out of the room,
steam rising from her hair.  

     For a full two minutes, an awful silence held the remaining
people in place.  No one dared move; even breathing seemed a
violation.  It was an awful feeling, Shampoo thought, like waiting
for an execution.  

     After what seemed an eternity, the two women came back out. 
Kasumi was smiling, which seemed a good sign.  Akane grudgingly
walked over to Shampoo, and glared.  

     "Shampoo, we accept your offer, under three conditions."  

     Shampoo tried to speak, but still felt it inappropriate. 
Somehow, it had worked, and she still didn't know how to respond.  

     "One: You will earn your keep around here.  You will help Kasumi
with the chores, or you will get a job to help support the family. 
In exchange for this help, you will be staying in Kasumi's room, both
for your protection and ours.  Make no mistake, she's about the only
reason why I'm accepting this, and doing anything while she's around
would be a bad idea."  

     Shampoo nodded.  She wasn't going to mess this up.  

     "Two: You will not cause anyone in this family harm in any way. 
If you try to poison us, hypnotize us, or anything like that, it
won't be the Amazons you have to worry about.  If someone does come
after you like you say and you know who it is, you will tell us
EVERYTHING you know about this person, so that we can better defend
ourselves."  

     Another nod came from Shampoo.  This time, the faintest traces
of a smile appeared on her face.  

     "And three: Ranma is my fiance.  You will not interfere with
that engagement in any way.  If you so much as touch Ranma, I _will_
kill you."  Akane eyed her adversary warily, and stuck out her hand. 
"Do you accept these conditions?"  

     Shampoo looked at the hand for a moment.  Accepting the hand
meant that she could never go back.  Ranma would be lost to her
forever, and the coming days would be a fight for her life, as her
former sisters would come after her one-by-one.  She would have to
learn what it means to _go_on_, and put her past life behind her.  

     She grasped Akane's hand, and gave a slow smile.  "Shampoo
accept."

*********************************************************************


     Shampoo walked slowly away from the dojo, her eyes glancing
around to the nearby roofs and walls.  She had never had much
experience with paranoia, but the recent events were starting to
teach her.  She growled and forced her attentions forward, increasing
the pace of her step as she did so.  

     The shops and restaurants of Tokyo looked different from this
side of life.  Most of Shampoo's teenage life was spent at top speed,
rushing to get from one order to another.  She didn't bother to look
at the local populace; the Amazons taught her that most outsiders
were weak and contemptible, and should not be bothered with.  

     Now, she got a better idea.  She stifled a giggle as a woman
tried to keep two of her children in line, one arm holding onto each
of them.  The welcoming calls from the vendors made her turn her
head, and she delighted in their friendly smiles and cheerful eyes. 
Occasionally a man in a suit would hurry by, grab some quick food to
eat, and head back to his place of origin without a second thought. 
Shampoo looked at these people from human eyes for the first time,
and decided that maybe they weren't quite as bad as her elders said. 
She smiled, and walked into a restaurant that was at least familiar
to her.  

     "Irrashai ma... What do you want, Shampoo?"

     "Hello, Spatula Girl."  Shampoo's smile widened.  "How you
today?"

     Ukyou glared at her evenly.  "I *was* fine... Now care to tell
me what you're doing here?"

     The former Amazon walked up to the grill and sat down.  "Shampoo
look for job."  

     Ukyou looked at her as though she'd grown cat ears.  "You're
looking for a job?  Here?  What makes you think I'd even consider
hiring you?"

     Shampoo snuck a glance over to Konatsu, quietly wiping up
tables.  "School break end next week.  Pervert boy have trouble with
business, yes?"

     "That's not the point, Shampoo, and you know it.  Why would I
consider hiring someone who's still going after Ran... after Ranma?"

     "That exactly it."  Shampoo's smile faded, to form a long scowl. 
"Shampoo live at dojo now, but not as Ranma's airen.  Shampoo
condemned by Amazon tribe.  Tribe say, 'Marry Ranma, or kill Ranma'. 
Shampoo no can marry Ranma, no can kill Ranma.  Shampoo live at dojo
under protection, but have to support own way."  

     "Waitasec."  Ukyou waved a hand in the air.  "You're telling me
that you've been condemned by your tribe because you haven't killed
or married Ranma?  That's nuts!"

     Shampoo shrugged.  "That tribe law.  No can let man cheat on
wife.  Wife must kill man as example to others.  It no make sense -
not to outsider.  But... it law."  

     "So now your tribe's going to be hunting you down to kill you,
and you went to Ranma for help."

     "Is true.  Can call Ranma up, if like.  Even got approval from
Not-nice Girl, even if was stubborn about it."  

     Ukyou sighed.  Part of her wanted to help, but... "Shampoo, I'm
sorry.  Right now I can't afford any more help.  I'm trying to pay
Konatsu what I can, and it's probably lower than anyone else's pay
rate in town."  

     Shampoo nodded sadly, and began to walk away.  "Understand. 
Thanks, Spatula Girl."  She was halfway to the door when a hand
grabbed her by the arm.  

     "What... you aren't going to eat anything?  If you're going to
be living like a refugee, you might as well have something to eat." 
Ukyou smiled, and put another okonomiyaki on the grill.  "Besides,
you can tell me what's been happening."

     Shampoo looked over at the grill, her mouth watering.  "Okay. 
Shampoo accept."  

*********************************************************************


     Cologne watched from the rooftops of the dojo, her passionless
eyes locked on the purple-haired figure below.  The girl was humming
a soft tune to herself, barely heard on the wind, a lullaby she'd
sung to the child when she was an infant.  She could see the spring
in the child's step, and the enthusiasm she had on leaving the
healer's abode.  

     Surprisingly happy for a dead woman, Cologne thought.  

     Unable to help it, the old crone smiled.  Shampoo had learned
her lessons well - almost too well.  She knew not only how to fight,
but how to *survive*.  There was a subtle difference; true survival
required much better skills than the average Amazon was capable of. 
The former required discipline; the latter required strategy.  

     Truth?  Shampoo was the best Amazon of her generation, bar none. 
None of the youngsters in the tribe showed even a glimmer of the
skill she did.  At the same time, Ranma was the best *warrior* of
that generation.  None of the warriors they were sending would stand
a chance if they faced Ranma one-on-one.  

     And, as a result of the laws designed to ensure Amazon survival,
the tribe had made enemies of them both, and sought to kill them. 
There were times when she wondered if the ancient ones had used too
much opium back then, and this time was one of them.  

     She kept her eyes on her great-granddaughter for as long as she
could, cherishing the sight of the girl in sunlight.  Tomorrow,
Mousse would come back to Japan, and bring some of her fellow
tribeswomen with him.  

     The moment that they arrived, Shampoo would cease to be an
Amazon.  She would become one of the hunted, an enemy of the tribe to
be killed.  When that moment came, Cologne would not be able to show
any love for her flesh and blood again.  

*********************************************************************


     Shampoo whistled softly as she entered the Tendou home.  After
her visit to Ukyou, she had stopped by Dr. Tofu's clinic, to see if
she could get her old job back.  To her surprise, the doctor had
accepted, at a rate slightly higher than what she had received
before.  She didn't know if it would be enough to appease the Tendous
but, if not, she had other ideas to help.  She took off her shoes,
and padded over to the living area.  

     In the middle of the backyard porch, two figures sat quietly,
their forms silhouetted by the setting sun.  Their eyes focused down
on an old wooden board between them, the playing field where go
marbles rested and challenged for supremacy.  The bandanna-clad man
would occasionally pick up a white stone and place it on the table,
then stare almost-gloatingly at his friend.  This friend would then
stroke his mustache, pick up his own stone, and lay a counter to the
first man's move that left him sputtering for control.  The first
man's frustration increased as the game wore on, his brow becoming
increasingly furrowed and his mannerisms more furtive, until the
second man merely smiled after a particularly cunning move.

     "Admit it, Saotome.  You can't win."  

     Genma Saotome squinted at the black-dominated board, and shook
his head.  "True enough, Tendou... true enough.  Another game?"

     "Of course."  Soun smiled, and began picking up the pieces.  

     "Um... pardon."  Shampoo coughed to get their attention.  

     The two stared at her curiously.  "What is it, Shampoo?" Soun
asked her.  

     Shampoo walked over to their board, then pointed to the dojo
outside.  "Shampoo wonder.  This dojo, right?"  

     The fathers beamed.  "Of course!"

     Shampoo frowned.  "Then why there no students?"

     She regretted the question the moment she saw their reactions. 
Soun began to weep bitterly, while Genma put his hand on his friend's
shoulder for support.  

     "Shampoo... I'll talk to you about it in a minute.  Okay?"  

     The former Amazon nodded.  "Shampoo go to dojo.  Talk there?"  

     Genma blinked at her for a moment, then nodded.  "Yes.  In fact,
that would be perfect."  He motioned for Shampoo to leave while he
tended to his friend.  

     Shampoo walked out of the house and toward the dojo.  Truth to
tell, she never liked the Tendo training hall very much - the air
smelled of death, and she preferred the outdoors for training anyway. 
The walls were mostly barren in the place, as though ghosts spoke to
the warriors from the other side.  

     She paused for a moment as her eyes drifted to the one
noticeable feature - the 'iroha' sign on the opposite wall. 
Something made her smile at the word, as it referred to something she
had forgotten in her madness.  

     Once upon a time, she had actually viewed her tribe as a good
thing, a bastion of feminine strength in the face of Confucian ideals
and womanhood's passivity.  To those ends, she saw the rules as
necessary to the life of the tribe.  A man who disobeyed his wife
deserved to die, as his disobedience could not be tolerated in a
woman-dominated environment.  A man strong enough to defeat an Amazon
had to be caught, as his strength was a boon to the tribe.  In other
words, what the tribe wanted, it got, because it had to survive as a
place where women were strong and not submissive to their husbands.  

     That changed when she came to Japan.  Here she found a second
bastion, one even more amazing than the one she left - one where
women and men were equals on the battlefield, and oftentimes the
women were winning.  Even the seemingly-passive Kasumi was
frighteningly powerful; her own father would not challenge her if she
desired something in their family.  This 'Nerima' was a place where
women were strong, without the crutch of Amazon law.  

     Ironically, the call to subservience to another power did not
come from these Japanese... but from her own tribe.  They called her
to be subservient to their law, and to give her life as punishment.  

     She was raised better than that.  Her basic law, her 'iroha',
was one where she was strong and feminine above all else.  Nobody
would take that away, especially not the people who had given the
lesson to her.  

     "So... what do you think of our dojo?"  

     She turned around, expecting to see Genma standing there.  She
didn't expect to see Soun, still puffy-eyed from his crying session.  

     "It okay.  Prefer outdoors, though."  She idly fingered the
paper of the sign.  

     Soun walked over to her, a sad smile on his face.  "I'm sorry
for my reaction before.  I... what you asked touched an old wound."  

     His hand reached up to the sign, his fingers hovering over the
brushstrokes.  "Once, I was just like you kids.  I had dreams and
hopes for the future.  I had a lovely wife, easily my equal in the
Art, and far more intelligent than I could ever hope to be.  We
taught classes in here together, raised our children in the Art, and
dreamed of a day when we wouldn't have to teach any more.  She, along
with our children, was the only joy that I would ever need."

     Shampoo looked up at the older man.  He was having trouble
breathing, the result of powerful emotions.  "One day, after our last
teaching class, I noticed my wife was exhausted.  I asked her what
was wrong.  She said that it was nothing, that she probably just had
the flu.

     "We found out two weeks later, after the 'flu' didn't go away. 
She had ovarian cancer, in an advanced stage.  I... the doctors tried
everything they could... but..."  Gentle tears, a far cry from the
torrents of sobs he normally let out, rolled down his cheek.  He let
out a deep breath, and gave a sick, faltering smile.

     "When everything had settled down, I resumed classes.  We had a
lot of bills to pay, after all.  I tried to teach just like before,
with a gentle, patient hand... but it felt so empty in the dojo.  It
wasn't fun anymore.  Each day of teaching was an agony for me.  I
would sleepwalk through the day, and cry myself to sleep at night.

     "After the bills were paid, I let the last class run its course,
and stopped taking new students.  I started focusing on training
Akane, as she had shown an enthusiasm for the Art, but decided not to
teach anyone else again."  

     He turned to face Shampoo, a sad, yet determined, look in his
eyes.  "My dreams have nothing to do with me anymore, Shampoo.  I
want to live long enough to see Akane and Ranma enjoy what I had for
those few short years.  I want to see Nabiki go off to college and
get a successful job.  I want to see Kasumi and Ono get married next
summer, and have beautiful children together.  I am an old man, and I
don't give a damn about anything else anymore."  

     The older man's dark eyes bore into Shampoo's.  "I apologize for
my rudeness at times, Shampoo, but I must protect my family.  If you
harm any one of my children, including Ranma or Ono, there will be no
safe place on Earth for you."  

     Shampoo swallowed.  "You know they come here eventually, yes?"  

     Soun nodded.  "I know.  I have faced you and your
great-grandmother enough to know the trials we have in store.  Such
trials are a martial artist's duty.  Besides, we knew this day would
come."

     "You know?"

     The patriarch of the Tendou clan gave a bitter chuckle.  "I knew
from the moment you returned to Japan.  Your tribe would not give up,
and we would not give up.  In the end, such things lead to bloodshed.

     He closed his eyes for a moment, and let out a long sigh.  "What
must we do to be ready for them?"

     Shampoo took a deep breath.  "Be ready for surprise.  Also, no
one go alone.  They ambush and kidnap, if let them."  

     The pursing of Soun's lips let her know his anger.  "They would
resort to such dishonorable techniques?"  

     Shampoo shook her head.  "They not dishonorable.  They
misguided.  Like Shampoo was."

     "But you aren't now?"

     She shrugged.  "Shampoo not know.  All Shampoo know is that she
no want kill anyone."  

     "Death is never a pleasant experience, especially when it
happens to the young."  Soun turned away, and started to walk toward
the door.  "I'll let the others know what you told me." 

     "Wait."  

     "What is it, Shampoo?"  Soun turned back around.

     "Have question.  Can Shampoo start teaching class?" 

     Soun Tendou stood there for a moment, simply gaping at her.  An
eyebrow arched curiously on his forehead, as he looked at her with an
appraising stare.
 
     "Tell you what, Shampoo.  I've got a better idea.  Come on
inside and we'll discuss it."

*********************************************************************


     Cologne sipped her tea in silence, and looked morosely at the
walls around her.  She had kept the restaurant closed today, partly
in reverence for the visitors coming, partly in mourning.  Right now
she preferred the solitude of empty tables and darkened rooms to the
happy, jovial people around her.  

     Death had a solitude all its own - a silence that spoke of
tragedy and pain, of hopes and generations destroyed.  Strange that
it took her a century to find such a truth.  She knew everything that
could be known about her tribe's history, wisdom, and sciences, yet
nowhere in its texts did it mention the tragedy of death, or the
scars put on the world with such killing.  Despite this wisdom, or
the position she held as village elder, there was nothing she could
do.  She had killed others who had defiled their wisdom, and her
child would soon be among their number.  

     There was a knock at the door.  She didn't bother to open it;
Mousse had a key if they needed to get in, and she didn't feel like
moving.  She took one last sip from her cup, and set it down on the
table.  

     The restaurant's door flew open.  How arrogant, Cologne thought;
they came in like warriors, ready to pillage what they could.  She
looked at the half-dozen women who stepped inside, purposely ignoring
the silly man coming in behind them.  

     "Greetings, Elder."  A broad-shouldered warrior - Lan Yap,
Cologne remembered - stepped forward, and bowed slightly to the old
woman.  "We have come for Shan Pu.  Where is she?"

     Cologne sighed.  "She has defied us.  She seeks to avoid
punishment."

     Lan Yap's eyes narrowed.  "She seeks to run?"  

     Cologne almost laughed.  "She's not running.  If you wish to
face her, she is at the Tendou home."  

     The other warriors blinked.  "She wishes to meet us in combat?"

     "Does anyone wish to fight?"  Cologne shook her head.  "No.  She
wishes to go on with her life, if she can.  You may try to defeat
her... but you may find it more difficult than you think."  

     "I... see."  The giantess held out a hand to the crone.  "Will
you join us in the hunt, then?"  

     Cologne's eyes closed in mild frustration.  "Not this time, Lan
Yap.  However, I will give you this warning: make sure you know which
person you're trying to kill.  If you kill the wrong person in these
parts, you will cease to be hunters... and become the hunted."  
     
     The laugh coming from the others sent fury down Cologne's spine,
a cold, liquid anger.  "Don't worry, Elder.  We can handle any
obstacles that come our way."  

     A second later, Cologne brushed some dust from her cane, while
standing over Lan Yap's prone form.  "Listen to me, Lan Yap.  Shampoo
said the same thing when she left.  The warriors here are just as
good, and just as loyal to each other."  Cologne looked over to the
others.  "Do your duty.  But do it carefully.  If any of the others
around her die, than so will all of you."  

     The other girls, seeing the harsh look in Cologne's eyes, nodded
hastily.  "Understood, Elder.  Will you lead us to the hunted?"  

     Cologne pointed to Mousse, who chose that moment to cower in the
corner.  "This idiot will lead you to the place.  I'm out of this."  

     "Come on, you."  The women dragged their unconscious leader and
their guide out of the restaurant, leaving Cologne alone once more.  

     Which was precisely the way she wanted it to be.

*********************************************************************


     Akane had learned to dread the words "family meeting".  

     The first time she heard the words was a tear-filled night, one
where the rain seemed to come down forever.  She had been a child of
eight then, and couldn't even understand the concept of death.  Her
first lesson in mortality began that night as she cried in her
mother's lap, asking why Mommy had to go to the hospital, and that
she didn't want to lose her.  She never forgot her mother's soothing
touch that night, even after her mother's face faded from memory. 

     Years later, another family meeting was called, on a day when
the showers were intermittent and kept her from enjoying the outside. 
This one had started out innocuous enough; two of Father's old
friends were coming over.  That soon changed, though, when the
sisters heard *why* Genma and Ranma Saotome were coming over.  

     At any rate, especially with what had happened in the most
recent family meeting, Akane had reason to distrust what was about to
happen.  Family meetings were called when someone was up to
something, and that usually put her on her guard.  She walked in the
living room, and took a moment to look around.  

     Father was, as usual, at the head of the table, his stern face
calmly gazing back at her.  The Saotomes were at one side of the
table, while Ranma was at another, his eyes almost *asking* her to be
by his side.  Shampoo leaned against one wall, while Kasumi flittered
to and fro, making sure there was enough tea and snacks at the table. 


     If Kasumi was concerned that much about the snacks, this was not
going to be a good meeting.  She sat down next to Ranma, trying to
forget her anxieties in his arms.  

     "Ranma, Akane... I have a question for you.  I hope you will
consider how important it is to your parents before you answer, and
how much we dream of you saying yes."  

     Ranma shivered next to her.  "You haven't rented another banquet
hall again, have you?"  

     Soun held up his hand defensively.  "No, no, nothing like that. 
What we were wondering is... would the two of you, with Shampoo's
help, be willing to teach a class here at the dojo."

     Silence hung around Akane for a few seconds as she contemplated
her father's offer.  Sure, she wanted to teach in a dojo... but now? 
So soon?  She coughed once, and tried to find her voice.

     "Er, Dad... isn't it a bit early?  I mean, Ranma and I are going
to be gone in six months."  

     Her father nodded.  "We are aware of your situation, Akane.  We
just want to give you a taste of what it's like to teach before you
go off to college."

     "But what about the class?  I mean... who will continue it once
it starts?"  

     A stern nod came in reply.  "Shampoo will, if she is still
here... as will Genma and I."  

     Akane heard a gasp from behind her - Kasumi's, most likely. 
"Father, does this mean..."

     The smile the girls received in response spoke volumes.  "Yes,
Kasumi.  I don't know if I'll be able to, but I've been idle for too
long.  I have to try."  

     Kasumi smiled, and sat down at the opposite end of the table. 
"Good for you, Father!  It's time we had students at the dojo again." 


     "But Dad, it's been -" Akane's words stopped at a gentle squeeze
from her fiance.  He could feel the heat of his breath against her
ear, and a deep-throated whisper play like a cello.

     "Akane... I think we should do it.  Together."

     She looked back at him, mildly surprised.  There was a glow to
his eyes, one she rarely saw except when some challenge was placed in
front of him.  She knew that this was a challenge for him, like
facing against a top martial artist like Cologne or Saffron, but
better; this was what he wanted to do with his life.  Moreover, he
wanted her to share in it, as partners... as equals.  She bit her lip
in anticipation, and turned to their parents.  

     "Okay, Dad... what do you have planned?"  

*********************************************************************


     The young Amazon leapt to the roof of a nearby house, her battle
senses on full alert.  She glanced around for any witnesses, then
silently lay her longbow and quiver next to her, in a way so that
they wouldn't slip.  After getting into a proper crouch position, she
picked up two arrows and the bow, and readied them for use. 

     There were times when she wondered why she had been chosen for
this mission.  She was only sixteen, still a youngster my much of the
tribe, and yet they had given her this 'honor'.  Of course, at the
time, it had seemed a routine assignment: give an Amazon an honorable
death.  Nobody had expected the warrior to resist, let alone resist
in such a suicidal manner.  

     She looked around.  The other warriors were all in place; two
were posted at each gate, to make sure that anyone who tried to leave
was killed.  They would have posted two snipers, but Lan Yap had been
stupid enough to disobey the elder, and was still recovering under
that fool Mousse's care.  

     No matter, she decided.  One would be enough.  

     She put the arrow into position, pulling it back into firing
position.  The sniper's position was a strange one, she decided, not
for everyone.  A sniper could see all and know all, but could never
be a part of the world below - not until the world below was scarred
forever.  If she had known what a human target was like from the
other end of the arrow, she would have specialized in swordplay.  

     Still, there was no time for regrets.  She could clearly see Sh-
the target, casually talking with her warders.  She looked like she
was honestly enjoying herself - there was a smile on her face, and
her movements were pleasantly animated.

     Foolish warrior.  The land had clearly left her soft, and dulled
her battle skills.  In other words, she was going to pay for her
folly - pay dearly.  The sniper watched as the arrowtip pointed just
above the target's heart.  Her fingers extended, and she heard the
whisper of arrowflight.   Instinctively, she brought the second arrow
in her hand into position, and had it ready.  

     The time for regrets was over.  The hunt had begun.  

*********************************************************************


Nicholas Leifker
nwl9354@unix.tamu.edu
http://people.tamu.edu/~nwl9354
March 9, 1998



Leifker presents...

     Kasumi's scream was the first thing Soun heard, a pain-filled
cry that sent his paternal instincts on edge.  He looked over to his
eldest child, and blanched at the arrow stuck through her arm.  Blood
- too much blood, Soun thought - gushed from her arm, staining the
wooden floor below.  

     Soun's first instinct was to help his daughter, to ease her pain
and to make sure she was comfortable.  He moved to get up - then
stopped as an arrow flew past him, clipping his hair and embedding in
the table between him and his child.  He glanced at Kasumi long
enough to see Nodoka take her, then bounded from the house and into
the backyard.  

     The rational father that had casually raised his children was
gone by that time.  Someone had made the mistake of hurting one of
his babies, and for that they were going to die.  They would know a
moment's pain before he sent them into the next world; that Soun
Tendou swore.  He leapt from the ground to the roofs above, using the
wall as a stepping stone to his prey.  

     It wasn't difficult to see her once he made it to the roof.  His
target was only a slip of a girl, a couple of years younger than
Ranma or Akane, clad in the quirky style of clothing common among
natives of Mandarin China.  The girl had an arrow aimed straight at
his heart, and another waiting in case the first one missed.

     Soun didn't care.  

     He charged at the girl with animal ferocity, not caring what her
arrows could do to his flesh.  The first arrow clipped his arm,
cutting enough to draw blood, but nothing more.  He could see his
target readying the second arrow, and knew that she would be too late
- much too late.

     The sniper tried to back off as she saw Soun charge, using the
bow and arrow as melee weapons to guard her retreat.  Soun knocked
the bow from her left hand, and ignored the arrow's cuts as he
grabbed her right.  The Amazon tried to struggle - a struggle which
stopped as Soun grabbed her by the throat, a muscle spasm away from
justifiable homicide.  

     It was in that agonizing moment, as the world stopped, that Soun
got a look at the sniper's face.  For all the girl's skill with the
bow, for all her warrior's intentions, she was still just a child.

     A child, much like the three that he had raised, who didn't want
to die.

     With an anguished cry, Soun cold-cocked the warrior to keep her
from struggling, and carried her back to the house.  As much as he
wanted to kill her, the time for fighting had finished, and there was
business to sort out back at home.

*********************************************************************

Leifker presents...

Borrowed Time

Part three of four

A work of anime fanfiction by Nicholas Leifker

All Ranma 1/2 characters created by Rumiko Takahashi.  All rights
reserved.  I ask that you not do anything with any part of this work
without the author's permission.

Heh... damn, this feels good.

*********************************************************************

     When Soun returned to the Tendou home, he found that things had
taken a turn for the worse.  Kasumi's injury was the most obvious, as
Nodoka wrapped his daughter's arm in gauze; unfortunately, she was
not the only one hurt.  Shampoo placed an icepack on Akane's head,
even as her own wounds bled.  Ranma was busy tying up an unconscious
Amazon, and Genma held the Saotome honor sword, a blade he was wiping
clean of blood.  All of their expressions, while no doubt mirroring
his own, still shocked him; he never thought he would see familiar
faces so profoundly furious.  

     "What happened?"

     Ranma finished the knots that bound the other attacker.  "They
rushed in from both sides.  We were lucky; Kasumi's screams warned us
of the attack.  We managed to knock one of them out and stab another
before they ran off."  His eyes instinctively shifted to Akane, and
he moved to cradle her in his arms.

     Soun's eyes moved over to Genma.  "Stab?"

     His old friend nodded.  The blade quivered in his shaking hands. 
"I... I saw her go for Nodoka, and I reacted instinctively.  I... the
wound wasn't immediately fatal, but it'll keep her out of action for
awhile."  He sheathed the sword, and purposely placed it as far from
himself as he could.  "She ran off, but I don't know how far she can
go."

     Soun heard a moan, and looked down at the girl in his arms.  He
unceremoniously placed her on the floor, and started to bind her. 
Once finished, he moved almost blindly to the table, his hands
seeking the comforting wood.  

     "Ha... have the police been notified?"

     "Yes.  They'll be here in a few minutes.  I also called Dr.
Tofu, and he's on his way."  Nodoka walked over to Soun, and started
to look at the cuts on his arm.  "Are you okay?"

     Soun just stared out into space.  He could feel the tears
threatening, along with a primal scream that begged to be released,
but he couldn't - wouldn't - release them.  Not yet.  "I... My eldest
daughter was just shot with an arrow.  My youngest daughter was
knocked unconscious, and could've been killed if..."  He shook his
head, trying to block out the recent events from his mind.  "I... am
most definitely not okay, Nodoka."  

     Nodoka grabbed him by the shoulders, and gently began to knead
his tense muscles.  "Just calm down, Soun.  Everyone came out all
right.  Kasumi's fine, Akane's fine, we're all fine."  She got up,
and headed to the kitchen.  "Let me get some tea ready to calm
everyone's nerves."

     Soun stared at her for a moment, almost like a man drowning. 
"Yes, Nodoka... that would be perfect.  Thank you."  He could feel
the table's wood splintering in his grip.  His eyes turned to
Shampoo, who was helping Ranma tend to Akane's injuries.

    "Shampoo, what do you know about the warriors who attacked us? 
The police will be here any minute, and they will want to know as
much about the attackers as possible."

     Shampoo bowed her head.  "They five warriors from village.  Mai
Lin shoot Kasumi with arrow.  Lon Kai Ranma knock out.  Lon Wu one
with stab wound, and others are Li Jin and Xian Den."  Her voice
turned low for a moment.  "There more out there.  There at least six
in hunt, and Hibachan help."  

     "Do you think they would be at the Nekohanten?"  Soun fixed a
stern gaze on the expatriate Amazon.

     She nodded.  "If not at restaurant, Shampoo not know where."

     "Okay."  Soun let out a gentle sigh.  Perhaps with the police's
help, this could be ended quickly.  "Thank you for your help."

     "Shampoo grateful for shelter."  She lowered her head to the
ground.  "If want Shampoo leave, Shampoo understand."  

     "No.  We made a promise to protect you, and we will not break
that promise."  He looked over at the entrance, to see the police
enter, and sighed.  They weren't going to like what he had to tell
them.

*********************************************************************

     An Amazon does not fear death.  An Amazon accepts death as a
part of life, and yearns for the most glorious, honorable ending
possible - preferably while defending her sisters in battle.  As
such, there are few things that an Amazon truly fears; after all, if
they stood together, there was nothing which could stand in their
way.  

     One of those 'few things' was silently sipping tea in the
Nekohanten, looking at Li Jin and Xian Den through angry, smoldering
eyes.  The elder woman could not speak; it was clear that her
emotions had temporarily taken the words from her.  She poked at the
two still standing with her walking staff, her eyes the only method
by which she could communicate.  

     After a moment, she backed off, her eyes still aflame.  "I told
you!  I warned you of what could happen!  You were explicitly told
not to harm any of the others in the house!  Now, why did you disobey
my orders?"

     Li Jin found the courage to speak up, her voice stammering. 
"El-Elder, we didn't see anything wrong with-"

     Cologne rapped her over the head.  "You didn't see anything
wrong?  You were at the tournament two years ago; you saw how easily
Ranma took Shan Pu apart.  Now imagine a household of such people. 
And you claim you didn't see anything wrong?" 

     "No, I didn't, Elder.  There were a couple of capable warriors
in the house; however, our reconnaisance showed only two warriors who
would be a problem.  Beyond that, all we saw were old men and weak
Japanese women."

     "In other words, you saw NOTHING."  Cologne spat at Li Jin's
feet.  "When an elder offers you advice, you listen.  You don't go
off half-cocked, expecting that 'Amazon strength' will overcome;
that's silly propaganda brought on by people too immersed in the
past.  This is the present.  And these people are a serious threat to
us, if we anger them."  

     Cologne turned away from them, her anger deflating.  "What
happened to Mai Lin and Lon Kai?"

     The two Amazons looked at each other.  "We don't know.  We think
they were captured, but we can't be certain."

     Cologne propped herself up next to the injured body of Lon Wu. 
"They will no doubt be secured by the family, long enough for them to
be taken in by the authorities.  Once that happens, they are out of
our reach - and worse than dead.  Beyond that, we can't stay here
long - the police will be here soon looking for us, and we must avoid
such legal entanglements."  She looked down at Lon Wu's resting form. 
"Can you walk?"

     The injured woman nodded, and felt the bandages around her
stomach.  "Yes - for awhile, anyway."  

     Cologne nodded.  "Good.  We have to move quickly.  Take me to
where Mu Tsu and Lan Yap are resting.  The restaurant is no longer
safe.  Let me get some important things, and we'll be off."  Before
heading into the kitchen, she flashed the pair an evil smile.  "By
the way, I touched a pressure point known as the 'full-body cat's
tongue' on each of you.  It isn't a problem for you - provided you
never acquire a Jusenkyo curse.  If you disobey me again, though, it
will be the last day you spend as a human being."  

     The two uninjured Amazons looked at each other, then at a
touched point between the chest and stomach.  They thought of the
magic of Jusenkyo, and inwardly vowed never to disobey the elder
again.

*******************************************************************

     Ranma knelt in front of the toilet, letting the day's lunch
escape him, along with a small portion of his anxieties.  Fight or
no, vomit still tasted like vomit, and he grimaced as he wiped his
mouth.  

     He stared at the lunch floating in the toilet, his mind flying. 
He never got this nervous about fights before, not even during the
fight with Saffron.  Of course, that was before he had a lot to lose. 
He'd been a loner for so long that even losing his life in battle
would be no great tragedy.  

     When Kasumi screamed and the Amazons rushed into the room,
Ranma's nerves turned ice-cold.  His mind took a back seat as he
fought the other Amazons, not trying to kill them, but not holding
back either.  That was when he was at his finest, when the Art flowed
through him without any effort.

     In the instant that Akane was knocked out, that changed.  He saw
the Amazon raise her sword over Akane's prone form, about to finish
her off, and Ranma's blood boiled.  He had never really attacked to
kill before; in that moment, the Amazon he fought understood the true
horror of the Musabetsu Kaketou Ryuu.  He pummeled her mercilessly,
and probably would have killed her if the others hadn't run off.  

     After it was all said and done, after the police had shown up
and he could relax, he found himself here.  This wasn't like his
earlier fights.  Those were one-on-one, with their best warrior
matching his skills against himself.  This fight was a war, with
families and loves on the line on both sides and neither side giving
a damn about who wouldn't be walking away from it.  There was no safe
zone - indeed, the safe zone had just been violated - and much of the
comfort of his life had left him as a result.  

     Ranma flushed the toilet, and staggered back outside.  The
police and medics were still there, asking questions and making sure
that everyone was patched up.  The scene seemed so unreal, so...
mortal.  They had always handled such emergencies in-house.  He had
never imagined that they would need to seek outside assistance.  

     "Where's Akane?" he slurred.  

     Soun looked up from his questioning.  "She's resting in bed."

     Ranma nodded and walked upstairs, purposely ignoring the
policemen there.  There was only one place left where he felt truly
safe.

     He knocked on her door softly.  "Akane?"

     "Come in, Ranma," came the muffled reply.

     Ranma slid the door open.  Akane was curled up in a ball on her
bed, sobbing quietly.  A bandage was around her head where the blow
had left a small cut.  Ranma sat down next to her on the bed, and
quietly ran his fingers through her hair.  

     "Akane, I..."  

     "Ranma, I... I'm sorry I'm such a klutz."  She banged a fist
against the bed.  "Why did they have to come?  We were happy before
this!  If only Shampoo hadn't..."

     Ranma lay down next to her, and held her in his arms.  "Akane,
you know better.  You're not a klutz; she just took you by surprise. 
And as for why... you know why."

     Akane shook her head.  "But now... with Kasumi... can't we
just..."  She shook her head, apparently knowing how her protests
sounded.  "Sorry.  It's just... Just hold me, Ranma."

     Ranma tightened his grip around her, and whispered into her
hair.  "I'll never let you go, my kawaiikune fiancee."  He kissed her
on the forehead just below her bandage, and rubbed his fingers
against hers.  "I swear it."

*********************************************************************

     There are some events that reflect a change in a person's life,
Mousse reflected in between sips of water.  His journey to Japan
could be considered one.  It was a boy who first left the village in
search of his childhood love and to kill the warrior who had taken
her from him.  It was a young man who had faced down Herb's minions
at Hourai, and a slightly older young man who had watched Shampoo
fall in Kiima's eggspell.  He had taken a large step when she had
emerged from the egg that second time; he had begun to let go and
allow her to find her own path - even if that path didn't include
him.

     Now, it looked as though his 'letting go' was about to be
complete, and with it would go the last of his childhood.

     He took another sip of his water, and looked over at the
entrance.  Someone was trying to get in; one of the other Amazons,
most likely.  He didn't feel like getting the door for them; he was
tired, in a way he'd not felt before.  He was weary in the soul. 
Mousse wiped some moisture off on his blue jeans, and waited for the
door to open.

     His instincts had been correct.  Cologne walked in, soon
followed by three of the others.  Curiously, two of their number -
Mai Lin and Lon Kai - were absent.  His emotions warred inside, as it
meant that maybe, just maybe...

     "What happened?"

     Cologne flashed him a deadly look, then turned to the others. 
"These fools didn't bother to listen to me.  Mai missed and hit one
of the Tendous - Kasumi, by the description.  They should have
retreated then, but they decided to attack instead."  Cologne shook
her head.  "We have to settle things quickly.  Mai and Lon are
probably in police custody by now, and it won't take long for them to
find out who they are and where they're from.  If our government
hears about it and the entire village is implicated, it could mean
disaster for all of us."  

     "Can't we break them out?" 

     "Have you figured out how to dodge bullets, Xian?"  Cologne
turned to the person in question.  "Honestly, we could, but not
without making more of a mess than things already are.  They'd have
every policeman in Tokyo after us."  Quite suddenly, the matriarch
turned from the group and over to Mousse, switching her language to
Japanese to get his attention.  "Mousse, come here."  

     Mousse blinked.  "Me?"

     "Yes, you!" she growled.  "We need you right now."

     He set the cup down and walked over to her.  "What do you want?"

     Cologne's dark eyes seemed to stare right through him.  "I need
you to go over to the Tendous to talk to Shampoo.  She won't listen
to me; she might listen to you.  Convince her to come back and face
judgement, to avoid further bloodshed."  

     "What makes you think she'll listen to me?"  

     The smile that formed on Cologne's face was almost guileless. 
"Didn't you know?  She has more feelings for you than you realize."  

     Mousse's anger rose at that statement.  "If you're trying to
convince me that Shampoo loves me, don't.  That won't work anymore."

     "I wasn't," Cologne said evenly.  "She views you as a friend. 
Right now she probably feels that everyone else from the village has
betrayed her.  That leaves only one person to try to convince her to
come back.  If she doesn't, there's a good chance that a number of
Tendous and Saotomes will die."  

     "You don't mean to..."

     "I don't want to."  The growl from Cologne's throat sent chills
down Mousse's spine.  "But the combatants are too good to allow one
side to hold back.  Ranma can beat *me*, under some circumstances.  A
number of people are going to die if this doesn't stop, and if you
can convince her to come back, then all that can be avoided."

     "Not all," Mousse replied evenly.  

     "True.  Very true."  Cologne rubbed her fingers against her
lips.  "But enough that she might want to give herself up.  Now, will
you do that?"

     Mousse nodded.  "Of course.  And what will you be doing?"

     Cologne sighed.  "Going to an alternate plan - one these fools
should have tried before."  She turned around, and gave Mousse a
deadly glare.  "Go.  And hurry."

     Mousse sighed, and finished his cup of water.  He wiped the
moisture from his lips, and looked down at the sheen of water on his
hand.  Fate had given him one last moment with Shampoo - a chance for
him to save her soul, or perhaps just to say goodbye.

**********************************************************************

     Shampoo stared out the window of Kasumi's bedroom, watching the
night stars as they shone down on the earth below.  Truth to tell,
she missed the sight from the village; in Tokyo, the lights from the
city drowned out all but the brightest stars.  In the village, she
could see a vast sea of stars, so many that even thinking about
counting them would be impossible.  The stars seemed so lonely in the
city, she thought... drowned out in a false darkness.  

     "Shampoo?"

     She turned to the door.  "Not-ni... er, Akane?"

     Akane walked in the room, and took a position next to her at the
window.  "I was wondering if we could talk."

     "Understand."  Shampoo took another glance at the sky.  "What
want talk about?"

     Akane let out a long sigh.  Her face was tense; her lips were a
thin, bloodless line, and her eyebrows furrowed to a point.  "Why are
the Amazons like this?  Why are they hunting us like this?  I'd like
to think it's just because of that stupid law... but there's more to
it, isn't there?"

     Shampoo nodded sadly.  "Amazons have much pride.  It effort to
get past pride.  Amazon have law, and law most important.  Lose law
mean lose pride."  She spouted some lines in Chinese, in an effort to
convey what she couldn't in Japanese.

     "Pride too dangerous thing, Akane.  Pride make person do thing
that person normally not do.  It also make person feel good.  Pride
no let person ask questions to self.  If no doubts, there no
problems, no guilt.  No worries.  But person miss out on truth, make
person not see.  You once have pride with Ranma, yes?"  

     Akane nodded slowly.  

     "And now much better because you give up pride, yes?"

     Akane's face flushed beet red.  

     "Amazons no realize this.  They have much pride, and not see
better thing."  

     "Are they ever going to give up?"

     Shampoo shook her head.  "Not ones on hunt.  They die before
give up.  If can defeat and kill or capture, then Shampoo safe. If
no, then..."

     "Why did you come to us, anyway?"  

     Shampoo turned from Akane's gaze, and looked to the outside. 
"There some things that Shampoo never give up.  Shampoo give up on
Ranma, because Ranma no Shampoo's to have.  Shampoo no give up on
life, because this life Shampoo's.

     "Amazons have much pride.  Shampoo, too, have pride.  Shampoo
want live.  Shampoo no can defeat Amazons alone.  Shampoo need help. 
Shampoo need friends."  

     Shampoo reached over, and grabbed Akane's hand.  "A... Akane,
Shampoo want say something.  Shampoo not know if she get chance
again."  

     She tightened the grip on the hand for a second.  "When Shampoo
first come to Japan, Shampoo think all women outside of village weak,
subservient to man.  That why Shampoo support village so much.  Women
must have power to choose own life, and not have to answer to man.  

     "Akane and Ukyou help change that.  They not slave to man; they
equal to man.  Shampoo not know that exist away from village.  It
help Shampoo make choice.  It show Shampoo what important."

     An uncomfortable silence hung over the two at the end of
Shampoo's words.  Akane stood there, uncertain, while Shampoo waited. 
Before a response could come, another knock came from the bedroom
door.  

     "Shampoo!"

     "What want, Ranma?" Shampoo shouted back.  

     Ranma opened the door.  "Mousse is downstairs.  He wants to talk
to you."  

     Shampoo glanced from Ranma to Akane and back.  "What he want?"

     Ranma shrugged.  "Dunno.  He wouldn't tell me."  

     Shampoo paused for a moment.  "What he wearing?"  

     "Um... T-shirt and jeans, I think."  

     Shampoo nodded.  "Okay.  Shampoo talk."  She followed Ranma down
the stairs and into the dining area.

     A small part of Shampoo ached at the sight in front of her. 
Mousse was so changed in the past two years... both for the better
and the worse.  He wasn't a warrior any more; while he still
practiced his martial art, he didn't go around with a robeful of
knives like he used to.  The handsome but annoying young boy had
traded in his belligerence for some peace - a peace Shampoo knew she
would never find.  He waved quietly at her entrance.  

     "Shampoo."  

     "Mousse."  Shampoo's words came out as a whisper.  She bit her
lip, then started to speak in Mandarin.  "What are you doing here?"

     Mousse cast his eyes to the floor.  "I've come to ask you to
come back, Shan Pu.  To face judgement like an Amazon."

     "Why should I?"  Shampoo crossed her arms defiantly.

     "Because it is the only way, and we both know it."  Mousse
sighed.  "If you go back, you go back with honor, and face death with
honor.  If not, they'll hunt you down and kill you like a dog. 
Worse, anyone who stands in their way will be killed as well.  Do you
really want to put your friends through that?"  

     Shampoo shook her head.  "No, I don't, Mu Tsu.  Unfortunately,
the laws of the tribe leave me no choice.  You say that I would go
back with honor.  You know that's a lie; I would be killed, then
quickly forgotten.  A true Amazon doesn't give up like that, not for
some outdated law.  The people here - my friends - understand that as
well, and are trying to help me live."  

     She sat down, and invited Mousse to do the same.  "Mu Tsu, I am
forced to make a choice.  Either I can remain an Amazon in fact and
sacrifice my warrior's spirit, or I can keep the fighting spirit that
made me worthy of being called an Amazon and fight what my sisters
are doing.  I don't want this.  Nothing would please me more than to
see the rest of the hunters go home and leave me to live my life. 
But I would sooner spit on my ancestors' graves than give up my
warrior's spirit and go back.  

     "Aren't you doing that now?"  Mousse's voice sharpened.  "You're
going against everything our people were taught to believe.  Isn't
that showing disrespect to our ancestors?"

     "The ancestors didn't know better, Mu Tsu.  They could only see
one way, one which involved absolute obedience to the law.  There are
other ways our goals as Amazons can be accomplished.  Your time here
among these outsiders should have shown you that."

     Shampoo got up, and turned away.  "Mu Tsu, go home.  Find a nice
Amazon, get married, and raise fine daughters for the future of our
tribe.  I don't ask for your understanding why I do this."  She
allowed herself one last look at the man, and gave him a sad smile. 
"Sayounara, Mousse."

     Mousse got up, and bowed to her.  "Farewell, Shampoo.  And may
the spirit of the ancestors be with you in your battles."  

     Shampoo fought the tears in her eyes as she watched him walk
away.  She waited until she heard the front door close, then buried
her face in her hands.

***********************************************************************
     
     "... in short, Lockheed Corporation's use of Yoshio Kodama in
acquiring government contracts, while somewhat unethical, was
necessary.  The reason why it became a scandal was because it
involved a foreign company."  

     Nabiki Tendou looked at the last passage, frowning at the way it
sounded.  She didn't want it to appear too cold, but the fact of the
matter was that it was cold... in a businesslike manner.  She had a
good idea as to what the 'real world' was like, thanks to
relationships formed inside the business community; the problem was,
the teaching assistant who would grade the paper likely wouldn't. 
She'd made low grades on a couple of papers for precisely that
reason, and didn't want to jeopardize her grade just because she knew
more than the instructors did.  

     The young college student saved her work on the computer, and
shut the machine down.  College was a waste to her; most of the stuff
the professors taught her was great in theory, but tended to fail
under the stress of practice.  It had gotten so bad that she had
considered switching to engineering, even though it would have meant
a more rigorous courseload.  Fortunately, there were other things to
distract her from her school problems.  She picked up the telephone,
and started dialing.  

     "Hey, Keiko.  Yeah, I finished the paper.  Anyway, I was
wondering if you wanted to do something tonight.  Yeah, the new
Miyazaki film sounds like a good one.  Meet you at seven?  Cool.  See
you then.  Bye."  

     She hung up the phone, and looked over at the clock.  She still
had an hour; enough time for a nice, hot shower.  After her workout
earlier in the afternoon, she desperately needed it.  She gathered
her bath supplies and robe, and opened the door.  

     Before she could even see her attacker, she felt a hand grab her
arm and pull her out.  She got a close look at hard black eyes, then
felt a soft touch on the back of her neck.

*********************************************************************

     "Hello?"  

     "Hello, Akane Tendou."

     At the sound of the gravelly voice, Akane's blood boiled. 
"Whatever you have to tell me, old ghoul, I'm not interested.  Good
bye."  She hung up the phone with a crash, only to have it ring a
moment later.

     "Hello?"

     "I was wondering if you knew how your sister was doing."

     Akane blinked, not expecting to hear such concern.  "Um...
Kasumi's okay, I guess."

     She could hear the old woman breathe on the other end.  "That's
nice to hear.  Unfortunately, it isn't Kasumi that should worry you."

     Akane paused for a moment as her words sank in.  "What have you
done to Nabiki?"

     "Nothing - yet.  However, if you wish for her to remain in good
health, you and your family will meet at the Furinkan High soccer
fields at sundown tomorrow.  Tell Shampoo that she may have the
option of giving herself up, or facing me in combat to the death.  No
police are to be involved.  Understand?"

     "I understand," Akane whispered.  She hung up the phone without
saying goodbye and stood there for a moment, letting her anger slowly
build up.  She walked up the stairs, her anger barely in control, and
knocked on the door for their guest.  

     Whatever time Shampoo had bought herself had just run out.

**********************************************************************

Nicholas Leifker
nwl9354@unix.tamu.edu
http://people.tamu.edu/~nwl9354 (for now)
May 5, 1998


Leifker presents...

     Shampoo started her day before the morning, when the skies were that
strange purple that heralds the coming of the sun.  She wasted no time in
preparing herself, letting a warm splash of water and a fresh set of
clothes rejuvenate her.  She looked out the window at the first hints of
orange, and she quickened her pace.

     As she walked out of Kasumi's room, she paused for a moment to take in
the sounds there.  Genma's bulldozer snore was the most obvious noise,
along with the clanging of pots and pans, a warning to any engaged male in
the house that Akane was cooking.  Behind those sounds, though, were more
natural calls - the mating calls of birds soothed her ears, while the
occasional dog's howl served as punctuational contrast.  She padded down to
the first floor, not wanting to awaken anyone in the house, and slipped out
into the Tendou garden.  

     She smiled the instant she felt the wind caress her face.  This was
why she loved her old home so much - she could touch nature, feel the chaos
building up, ready to go out of control.  Her hands moved to feel the bark
of a tree, the soft bed of grass, the cool water on her fingers... and to
say goodbye to them, letting her touch know them one last time.  She looked
up, saw the brightening glow of the sky, and knew that it was almost time.
With catlike reflexes, she leapt to the roof in one bound, perching herself
there with practiced grace.  

     The yellow-orange glow along the eastern skyline expanded, seeming to
encompass Shampoo's entire vision.  For once, there were no clouds on the
horizon, no scars to mar that perfect shine.  Her eyes narrowed as she saw
the line of pure sunlight, her heart wavering between joy and sadness.
This was what life was all about, the symbol of the land she had come to
adopt as a home, and the dawning of a bright, vibrant future.

     Unfortunately, she knew that she would never see the light again, not
in that perfect newborn gleam she was witnessing.  Even if by some miracle
she survived the coming evening, it would be with blood on her hands -
Nabiki's, Hibachan's... Ranma's.  On that day, knowing that her life had
been bought with such a price, the last of her innocence would die.  

     And with it, the warmth that came with the morning sun would be
forever cold to her.  Her time of sunlight was fading, and it wouldn't be
long before, one way or another, she faded into the night.

***********************************************************************

Leifker presents...

Borrowed Time

Part four (finale)

A work of anime fanfiction by Nicholas Leifker

All Ranma 1/2 characters property of Rumiko Takahashi.  All rights
reserved.  I ask that you not do anything with any part of this work
without the author's permission.

On your mark, itsumo...

***********************************************************************

     Kasumi glared down at the carrots in front of her, her gaze frozen in
grim determination.  She placed two of them in the center of the cutting
board, moved a pair of chopsticks on either side to hold them in place, and
slowly picked up the knife.  Her hand moved painfully slow across the
cutting board, each cut even and careful and not disturbing the carrot one
bit... until a clumsy move pushed the carrots off the edge of the board and
onto the counter - again.  She screamed in frustration, and fought the urge
to impale the cutting board with the knife.  This marked the third slip
she'd made this morning - and all because of her stupid, useless...

     "Kasumi?"

     She whirled around, like a child caught in the cookie jar.  

     "Kasumi, what are you doing out of bed?  I thought I told you to
rest."  

     She raised her eyes up to Tofu's, hoping her feelings wouldn't show
through.  "I was... just trying to cook some breakfast for you."

     Tofu scratched the back of his head.  "Er... well... much as I
appreciate the offer, you still need your rest."  He moved his hands across
her shoulders to guide her into the patient's room - a movement which
inevitably brought her hands into contact.  She tried to fight down the
revulsion inside of her; her right hand felt so cold, so rubbery...

     "Kasumi?"

     Kasumi took a deep breath, and looked into his brown eyes.  They were
so beautiful... and... and... "Tofu, we need to talk."

     "About what?"  

     Part of her hated his professional 'bedside manner' sometimes... it
kept her from getting too emotional during their 'discussions'.  "I... I
think we should call off the engagement."

     Tofu looked at her for a long moment.  His eyes, once so inviting,
slammed down with a chilling coolness.  "It's about the arm, isn't it?"

     "No... Yes... I... It's a part of it!" she yelled, gesturing with her
good arm.  "I... I tried cooking breakfast for you, but... When I got the
pots down, I accidently dropped one on my foot.  When I got the vegetables
out, it took me ten minutes to slice one carrot.  I... I can't cook
anymore.  I'm worse than Akane or Nabiki..."

     "Kasumi..."

     "And the worst thing is that this shouldn't bother me!  I mean, my
family's being attacked by Amazon monsters, my younger sister might die if
Shampoo doesn't show up... and here I am, worrying about not being a proper
wife to you."  She threw her good arm up in the air.  "Some wife and sister
*I* am..."

     "KASUMI."  Her love... her doctor just *looked* at her for a long
moment, with that strange blinking expression that hovered between
bewilderment and disbelief.  "You mean to tell me that, just because you
*think* you can't cook anymore, that you're no longer fit to be my wife?"

     "I... There's more to it than that, but yes."  Kasumi looked down, her
eyes shied carefully away from her right side.  She didn't react when he
put his arms around her.

     "Kasumi-chan... you will always be a proper wife to me.  Besides, I
fell in love with you before you learned how to cook."  

     Kasumi winced.  "Oh, you're not going to remind me of that stewed
daikon again, are you?"

     Tofu grinned.  "No, I'm not.  I don't have to.  You found a way to get
better after that - and you'll find a way to get better after this, too.
After all, aren't you Tendou women known for your stubbornness?"

     She couldn't help the giggles that were coming out.  "I think you have
me confused with Nabiki and Akane."  

     Tofu smiled.  "And, speaking of Tendou women, aren't they frequent
visitors to my clinic?  Keep this up, and I may have to examine you
again... in my private examination room."

     "Tofu!"  Kasumi sounded scandalized, then sobered.  "Okay, I'll go to
bed... but we still have a lot to talk about."

     Tofu nodded, knowing that was about as much as he'd get from her.
"Fair enough."  He took her in his strong arms, and led her out into the
patient's room.  "Don't worry.  It'll come out all right in the end.   I
promise."

***********************************************************************

     It was midmorning before Ranma arose from his slumber.  The previous
day had been traumatic for everyone, and the daily routine had been put
aside to allow everyone to recover.  There would be time later in the day
for practice, and in this case rest was needed far more. 

     The young man moved his hand outward, and was disappointed at the cool
emptiness he found there.  He remembered the feeling of warmth in his arms,
as Akane's small body shivered in his grasp, and he yearned to know that
feeling once again.  Words began to form in his mind as he left her bed,
something comforting and non-threatening, but still raw... still Ranma.  He
could hear the clanging of utensils from the kitchen as he made his way
downstairs, as a wicked smile spread across his face.  

     Ranma padded over to the kitchen's entryway, and leaned against the
doorframe.  Watching her cook was about like watching her break masonry or
perform a kata; it wasn't particularly graceful or feminine, but it was
still a joy to see.  He knew he wouldn't get much enjoyment out of the
likely outcome, so he waited at the entrance, watching her scurry from one
disaster to another.  

     After several minutes, he got tired of watching.  He walked over to
his fiancee, and wrapped his arms around her slim waist.  "Good morning,"
he whispered softly, his breath blowing across her ear.  

     "It's not a wise idea to surprise me in the kitchen," Akane chimed, a
smile clear in her voice.  "You never know what I might be doing."  

     Ranma glanced at the burned fish on the counter.  "Um... sometimes I'd
rather not know."

     Akane's knuckles turned white as she gripped the knives.  "Ranma, if
you're going to insult my cooking, please leave."  

     Ranma gently kissed Akane at the base of the neck, then reveled in her
shiver.  "I'm sorry, Akane.  Can I make it up to you later?"

     He couldn't see, but he knew her eyes were dazzling.  "Well, Mr.
Saotome... I'm sure I can think of something for you to do..." Akane chose
that moment to move away from him, leaving him suspended in mid-seduction.
He blinked out of his fantasies, and moved his eyes across the room, his
mind going to more practical matters.  

     "So... have you seen Shampoo lately?"

     "Why, are you more interested in her than me?"

     "Of course.  After all, if she runs away, then my love tryst with
Nabiki is gone..."

     "Baka!" Akane hit him on the shoulder, her eyes nearly in tears.
"That's not something to joke about!  If she runs away, then my sister
is..."

     "Shhh, Akane.  I'm sorry.  You know me; when there's a crisis, I let
my mouth talk before my brain does."  

     "I know.  That's one of the things I love about you."  She kissed him
on the cheek.  "Anyway, I think she's outside practicing.  I saw her out
there about an hour ago."  

     "Well, she's not out there now.  In fact, I haven't seen or heard her
anywhere in the house."  

     Akane's eyes widened in worry.  "You don't think..."

     Ranma held up a finger to pause her.  "Just a sec.  I'll look."  Ranma
left the room in a flash, and moved as fast as he could around the grounds,
his heart sinking at each empty discovery.  His worry was driven to a peak
by the time he reached the dining area.

     "She left a note," Akane whispered.  "In Chinese.  If she left us..."

     "I'll find her," Ranma promised.  "You go to Tofu's and get that
translated.  Warn the others if it's trouble.  I'll be back as soon as I
can."  He paused long enough to give her a hard kiss, an empty, desperate
treat before bounding over the fortress' walls.  

***********************************************************************

     Nabiki Tendou opened her eyes, and squinted at the electric-blue
fluorescent glow above her.  A dull pounding throbbed in her head, begging
her to go back to slumber, but her natural instincts refused; something was
*very* wrong here.  She could smell the rotting-organic stench of
fertilizer, and wished for a place to vomit.  Unfortunately, there was no
moving on her part; she could feel the electrical wire chafe against her
legs and wrists, keeping her immobile and helpless.

     Well, at least *physically* helpless.  

     "Nice to see you awake, Ms. Tendou."

     She turned her head over to the side.  "Hello, Cologne.  I knew the
Nyuchiezu were somewhat ruthless, but I never imagined kidnapping..."

     "It isn't something we enjoy, believe me.  Unfortunately, there was no
other suitable remedy to the situation."  While Cologne's face remained
stony, her eyes spoke more to Nabiki's trained eye.  There was no anger
there, but there was sadness... and a touch of guilt.  "I trust your family
told you about the... living arrangements involving my
great-granddaughter?"

     "So you decided to trade my life for hers."  Nabiki sighed in
exasperation.  "I should have guessed something like this."

     "Yes, you should have."  Cologne rubbed a thumb against her staff.
"By the way, if you plan on calling for help, don't bother.  This is a
somewhat run-down section of the city, and your chances of being heard are
slim."

     Nabiki remained silent.

     Cologne sighed - an outward show of emotion that surprised the young
woman.  "Nabiki, for what it's worth, I apologize.  I... I intend to make
it up to your family somehow, if I can.  Unfortunately, in the end, the
rule of law must prevail."

     "Even a law so out-of-date as that one?" Nabiki quipped, then
regretted it.  This was a clash of wills.  Losing her temper was a fast way
to lose the fight.  

     Cologne's eyes turned stone cold, black orbs with no light, no fire.
"There are reasons for our laws, Ms. Tendou, reasons that someone outside
the village would not understand.  Our tribe has had to deal with errant
males before, usually in the company of other errant men who sought to use
us just as every other male tries to use a woman: as a slave, someone who
can cook, clean and be a pleasure toy.  If the laws were not there, if we
weren't able to stand solidly alongside each other, then our way of life
would have vanished long ago."

     Nabiki looked her straight in the eye.  "No man owns me - not now, not
ever."

     Cologne merely looked back at her with mild bemusement.  "For now,
perhaps.  But you're going to be an 'office girl' in a couple of years,
aren't you?  What then?  How long can you keep your freedom?"

     Nabiki glanced down at her slim, well-shaped body.  Truth to tell, she
didn't know; there may come a time when someone might use her, and twist
her just as she manipulated others.  It was a subtle game sometimes in the
corporate world; it was difficult to tell who used who sometimes - and
oftentimes it was mutual abuse among co-workers.  Losing control, losing
whatever bite she had to keep the fools and perverts at bay, was one of her
greatest fears about her coming life.  

     Fortunately, none of that mattered - at least, not in this argument.
"If I do give up my freedom, it will be my choice to do so.  You aren't
giving Shampoo a similar choice.  Are you saying that defending a society
like yours is worth killing Shampoo for?"

     Cologne blinked - about as close to a wince as she'd ever get.  "Yes.
Shampoo must be put to trial, either by combat or judgement, to answer for
her crimes.  These were the laws she accepted - and the laws that she must
live up to."

     Nabiki shook her head.  She had Cologne right where she wanted her.
"As... as you wish, Cologne. Just remember this: Nothing I did in my life,
not the buiness deals with my classmates nor the photos of family members I
sold, has ever left me awake at night regretting what I'd done.  If you do
this, if you take your own flesh and blood's life, there won't be any peace
for you - ever."

     Cologne looked downward, presumably to fight coming tears.  "It has
been a very long time since I have been at peace, Ms. Tendou.  Shampoo's
ghost will be only the last of many that will haunt my dreams."  She began
to walk away slowly.  "Ms. Tendou, I apologize if I must leave early, but
there are some things that I must attend to.  I recommend you not
antagonize the women guarding you; they are extremely short-tempered, and
do not take kindly to anyone manipulating them."

     Nabiki locked eyes with her one last time.  "You know damn well she
doesn't have to die, Cologne."  

     Cologne remained silent, and shuffled out of the room.  Nabiki looked
at the guards, and sighed in defeat.  All were about as muscular as Ranma -
and probably about as thickheaded too, if the other Amazons were any
indication.  She tried speaking to them in Japanese, but only got
threatening grunts. 

     There was no doubt about it anymore.  Shampoo was going to die -
unless she ran, which would probably result in her own death.  Nothing
would stop these warriors; they were a classic example of uncritical
loyalty, unwavering and impossible to deter.  She herself *might* be able
to talk her way out of it, if Shampoo ran; however, her chances, as she saw
it, were unlikely, 

     Closing her eyes, Nabiki sighed, and began to plan her verbal attack.
She never imagined she'd have to defend her own life, and she needed as
much preparation as possible.  

***********************************************************************

     Ranma ran from rooftop to rooftop, his eyes darting furiously for the
runaway Amazon.  He really didn't believe that Shampoo had run away again,
despite her past; unfortunately, the possibility remained... and that
possibility left a low, twisting feeling in his stomach.  Ignoring his
fatigue, he ran toward the edges of Nerima district, hoping she hadn't left
the area.  

     A speck of lavender hair danced at the edge of his vision, and he
involuntary turned to the source.  Shampoo sat alone in a temple's grounds,
her eyes closed, her body apparently lost in meditation.  He changed course
to join her in the courtyard, his mouth suddenly going dry as he
approached.  

     To describe her as a vision was an understatement.  When she had
thrown herself at him repeatedly in the past, he couldn't help but
acknowledge her beauty; now, as he watched her contemplate life and death,
that beauty came out tenfold.  The wind tugged slightly at her hair,
shrouding her matured, unnaturally-serious face in purple mist.  Despite
the circumstances, she didn't twitch in the slightest; her soft, pouty lips
were opened just slightly, almost subconsciously inviting a kiss, and her
eyes were closed and cast to the floor, like a newlywed bride.  Not wishing
to disturb her, Ranma took a position opposite her, his eyes etching every
line into his brain.  He watched a tear roll down her cheek, the only
obvious sign of activity from her.  His eyes drifted down to her hands,
instruments of destruction capable of demolishing whole buildings, now
folded in quiet prayer.  He waited, his eyes wanting to meet hers when she
chose to end her meditations.

     It didn't tale long for her to finish.  Her eyes opened suddenly, and
widened in surprise at his presence.  "Ranma..."

     It took a moment for him to find his voice.  "Hello, Shampoo."

     Shampoo smiled ruefully.  "Ranma make great Amazon, if things
different.  Good hunter."  She gestured to her surroundings.  "Shampoo find
place when leave Nekohanten.  It shield from rain, and keep Shampoo dry."

     Ranma nodded, noting the cherry trees around him as though they were
new to his eyes.  "It's very peaceful here..."

     "Very peaceful," Shampoo agreed.  "Shampoo need time to think."

     Ranma traced a line in the ground with his fingers.  "So... what were
you thinking about?"

     The Amazon sighed, and looked at her surroundings.  "Shampoo wrong.
Shampoo endanger lives of friends.  Shampoo... give up self to
great-grandmother, to save Nabiki."

     "What?"  

     Shampoo gave a faltering smile to her onetime love.  "Ranma, Shampoo
want live.  But Shampoo not want cause death of anyone.  If run, Nabiki
die.  If fight and beat Hibachan, she die.  If Shampoo dead make everyone
happy, then Shampoo do it."  

     "No!"  Ranma struggled to find the words.  "Shampoo... seeing you die
would make *me* unhappy.  I... I know we couldn't be a couple... but I
always wanted us to be friends.  I was hoping that this would eventually
lead to that."

     "Ranma, Ranma, Ranma..."  Shampoo shook her head.  "You so naive,
sometimes.  You see good or bad, black or white.  Shampoo stuck in gray,
and no can get out without death."  

     Blue eyes flared at that comment.  "Shampoo, I may not be the smartest
man on earth.  Kami knows how many times I used my fists to get out of
problems when my mind was better suited to it.  But I do know this,
Shampoo: I *never* give up, not when there are lives on the line.  I press
the situation until an answer presents itself.  And if you do the same,
we'll all get out of this all right."  He swallowed hard.  "I promise."

     Shampoo smiled at Ranma.  "Shampoo thank Ranma for concern.  But
Shampoo no can see solution.  Shampoo either fight, die, or run.  All three
kill someone.  And Shampoo no live on blood of another."

     "But the old ghoul's trying to kill you!"

     "She also raise me!" Shampoo cried.  "Mother die in birth.  Hibachan
take and raise as daughter.  She teach Shampoo how to be strong woman, how
to fight and live and work hard.  Shampoo... owe Hibachan life.  If come
choice between life of Shampoo and life of Hibachan, Shampoo choose
Hibachan - every time.  

     Ranma backed away.  "Have you ever thought of asking her if she
*wants* to take your life?"

     Shampoo shook her head.  "Hibachan no want to take life.  She have to
take life.  Is law."  

     Ranma got up, and took a deep breath.  "Ask her, then, when the time
comes.  You never know if she might change her mind."  

     "Shampoo will," she whispered, a fragile smile on her face.  "And pray
that answer is no."  She looked up at the sun, as it began its descent from
the sky.  "Come.  We not have long."

***********************************************************************

     "...that's good.  About what time do you two plan to be back?  Isn't
that cutting it a bit close?  Okay, okay, I'll trust you.  See you soon,
Ranma.  Bye."  Soun put the phone on the hook, his moves slow and
deliberate.

     "Was that Ranma?" Nodoka asked.  

     Soun nodded in reply.  "He found Shampoo in a shrine at the edge of
Nerima.  They'll be back in an hour or so."  He shuffled past Nodoka on his
way to the backyard porch.  

     "Soun, what's wrong?"  

     The older man shook his head in reply.  "I just have some things to
think about, Nodoka."  He sat down at the porch's edge, drew in a deep
breath, and concentrated on the still life in front of him.  

     Until today, until he saw what his house had become, Soun never
thought of himself as a failed parent.  Sure, he'd had his problems after
Akiko died, but he never thought that they'd affected his daughters in a
bad way.  

     At the moment, his eldest daughter was sharing some time alone with
her fiance.  She said they needed to spend some 'quality time' together, to
discuss their relationship.  When he tried to get details, she was
surprisingly reticent.  His middle daughter... he didn't want to think
about what was happening to her.  He had failed in his most basic duty -
protecting his child - and left her to the tender mercies of barbarians.
His youngest daughter was out on the town, shopping and blowing off steam.
When he'd asked why she wasn't working out to relax, she replied that she
needed some time away from the house.  

     In the end, he'd failed in one of the most painful ways possible.
He'd driven them all away.  

     Akiko... there were still nights when he dreamed of her, sharing a
night together with the kids they should have raised together.  Fate and
illness had conspired against them, and taken her away long before her
time.  

     And with it, took him away as well.  He was not the same man who
braved Happousai's training, nor the one who raised three little girls;
that man had followed his wife to the next world.  In his place had come a
clown, someone only capable of extreme showings of emotions: the bear-hug
of devotion, or the rivers of tears, or the demons of anger.  He never
asked them what they were feeling or how their day went; these were things
his wife specialized in learning, and which he had never mastered.  He
didn't want to come out of his clown act; doing so meant opening wounds he
didn't want to show, not even to his own children.

     What his daughters needed was wise, harmonious moderation - something
he lacked.  He had distanced himself from them with his disorderly antics,
leaving them to fend for themselves - one with motherly caring, one with
mercenery business acumen, and one with a fighter's anger.  They'd learned
to live on their own for so long that they had outgrown their father's
usefulness.  

     His own daughters were strangers to him now.

     He looked up to Amaterasu's light, and made a promise to no god, but
to a man and to his family.  He would show his daughters love - not the
extremes of emotion that he'd shown them before, but strong, tempered,
human love.  He *would* know how they felt about life, about their
relationships and about their dreams.  He promised himself to ask Akane and
Kasumi about their school and marriage plans, and to ask Nabiki about her
friends at college.  He would know the women his girls had become; this he
swore.

     If only they would come home...

     "Soun?"

     The gentleman turned around, to face Nodoka.  "Yes?"

     "Would you like a pot of tea?  I thought you might need it."  

     "Thanks."  Soun looked at the cup of tea offered him, then managed a
deeper bow.  "Thank you very much."

***********************************************************************

     Cologne stood impassively on the battlefield, the wind blowing through
her stone-gray hair and green tunic.  There was no need to search the
surroundings; she knew every actress' place on this stage.  She could feel
the greedy impatience of Lan Yap and Xian Den behind her, their disgusting
urge to see her heir's entrails strewn across the sporting field.  On the
school's tower, Nabiki Tendou stood, held a step away from the precipice by
Li Jin, a knife so close to her throat that it drew blood. 

     She didn't want to think at the moment.  Thinking was a dangerous
thing; it would cause her to feel far more pain than she wanted to.  She
knew what she had to do, and why.  She would have to fight Shampoo, with
only one of them walking away from the field.  There was no getting away
from that; she had tried everything short of rebellion to get her child out
of her crimes, with this ending the closest escape she could manage.  If
Shampoo somehow emerged victorious, giving her release from this world,
then few among her tribe would have the courage or rank to face her.  That
clout, along with the people accompanying her, might be enough for Shampoo
to survive.  

     She heard a rustling of grass, and opened her eyes.  Her friends and
adversaries had entered the area exactly as she had hoped - as a family,
ready to fight alongside each other to the death.  The front line held the
young blood of the clan: Ranma, Akane, and her... her Shampoo.  Behind them
were the grown-ups, those who had raised her child's friends.  She noted
impassionately their reactions to Nabiki's predicament: shock, worry...
fear.  

     "Take her down," she boomed across the school.  As instructed, Li Jin
backed away from the tower's edge, and moved Nabiki into the building.  She
watched as the adults moved toward the school.  

     "Come here, Shampoo."  The teenagers made their way from the front
entrance to the soccer field where she stood.  She noted the masks of stoic
grimness on each of their faces; all three knew what was at stake, and the
cost of showing emotion.  As she watched, she noted the instructions
Shampoo gave her seconds, and their obedience to her commands - precisely
the loyalty the Amazons engendered, without the costs involved.  

     Her legs felt like rubber as she walked to the center of the field.
Without a word, Shampoo mirrored her action.  

     "Have you made your choice, Shampoo?" she spoke in Mandarin.  

     Shampoo kept her face neutral.  "You will make sure that my friends
aren't harmed when this is done, correct?"

     Cologne nodded.  "Revenge is a useless gesture, Shampoo - especially
in times like these.  Now, will you fight me, or accept judgement?"  

     Shampoo stood up straight and proud, her bearing looking every inch an
Amazon's.  "I am an Amazon, great-grandmother.  I will never willingly give
up my life for any outdated law.  I will fight - always."  

     Cologne's voice cracked ever-so-slightly.  "As you wish, my child.
Defend yourself."  She brought her staff up to ready position, while
Shampoo moved into a fighting stance - the tiger stance, by the look of it.

     Cologne snorted at the choice of stance, then moved in.  Shampoo leapt
above her foot sweep, then launched a fist at her head.  She merely dodged,
then touched a point on Shampoo's head, sending her flying.  Her child
landed on her feet, then rolled into a crouched guard position.  They
paused for a moment to share a glance, then leaped back into the fray,
Shampoo opening up with a roundhouse kick.

     The old woman blocked the kick, then raised her staff skyward as if
for a strike, leaving a wide-open target for her child.  To her surprise,
Shampoo didn't capitalize on the opening; rather, she took the feinted
strike, then tried a half-hearted counter.  The two traded blows for a good
minute in close quarters, with results about the same.  Occasionally one or
the other would get a good hit in, but neither capitalized on their
success, letting the other escape from an easy kill.  

     "Stop," Cologne whispered after her child let her go.  She moved away
from Shampoo, and took a cautious position on her staff.  Though the two
circled each other like warring panthers, there was no malice in their
eyes.  

     "Shampoo," she whispered in Japanese, "if you wish, I will leave you
an opening."  

     Her great-granddaughter shook her head.  "No want kill Hibachan."  

     "One of us will not leave this field, child.  You must kill me."  

     Shampoo stopped pacing, and let her guard down.  "No.  Make end quick,
please."

     Cologne took a deep breath.  "Are you sure?"  

     After what seemed an eternity, Shampoo nodded.  

     In that moment, Cologne became a blur.  She watched as the world went
by her in slow-motion - the look of shock on Ranma's face, Akane trying to
hold him back, the confused looks of her countrywomen... and the peace in
Shampoo's gaze.  Cologne moved to Shampoo's side, touched a point at the
back of her child's neck, and closed her eyes.  

     She didn't want to look.  If she didn't know, then there was a chance
that she'd done it wrong, that by some miracle her flesh-and-blood had
survived.  She didn't want to see the baby quietly nestled in her arms, the
toddler in front of her asking for a sweet, the child trying to master her
first kata, the teenager casually mowing through colleagues at the
tournament... 

     "The hunted is dead.  Let us go home to celebrate."  She heard the
preparations of phlegm in someone's mouth, and she acted instinctively.  A
reassuring resistance was felt from her staff, as well as a dull thud some
distance away.  

     Crying came to her ears - crying?  What use was there for crying among
Amazons?  She opened her eyes for the first time.  Ranma sat on the ground,
holding her... Shampoo's body in his arms.  She couldn't ever remember
hearing tears so bitter, nor screams of anguish so potent.  Still, there
remained things to do if... if Shampoo's death was to mean something.  

     "Ranma," she croaked.  

     The blue eyes that met hers burned with unfulfilled anger.  "What?"

     Her own anger began to seep through.  "Your family has a lot to atone
for, son of suet.  Remember that.  And also... remember that so do I."  She
looked over to Nabiki and the others, who were making their way toward the
crowd.  "You will hear from me soon, Ranma."  

     Calling on majicks learned from mother to daughter for generations,
Cologne summoned what power she could.  More than ever, she wanted to
disappear, to be as if nothing had ever existed to create her shadow.  She
let the wafts of smoke billow around her, forming her trademark illusions
and tricks, then flashed away from the crowd, her heart taking her as far
away as it could muster.  

***********************************************************************

Epilogue

     "May I be excused?"  Ranma politely set his chopsticks on his
half-eaten rice bowl, his eyes cast to the floor.  He didn't want to see
the others, didn't want to know their sympathetic gazes - or, in the case
of one, an unrepentant stare.  He purposely ignored the animal slurps as he
turned away from the table.  If his old man wanted his food, fine; he'd get
little else from his own son. 

     Sighing, Ranma walked away, to the edge of the koi pond.  The water
beckoned, pleaded to him to jump in and feel its changing magic.  He was no
man, not in the sense his mother or his love would have wanted; Shampoo's
death had only been proof of that.  The effects of his curse were only a
reflection of what was the truth inside, and he deserved it perhaps now
more than ever.  He reached his hand down into the water, feeling a tingle
as his fingers passed through, then shivered at cold hands touching the
back of his neck.  

     "Ranma?"  Akane sat down beside him.  Part of him ached for her touch,
to feel her warmth against his, but he knew better than to enjoy it.  He
didn't deserve to be content, not at the cost of so many others.  

     "Talk to me, Ranma.  You've been so silent lately."  

     Ranma continued to brush his hands through the water, each pass going
just a little deeper into the pond.  He twitched when he felt Akane tighten
her grip around his waist.  

     "Ranma, you have to stop blaming yourself for what happened.  It
wasn't your fault."

     The words started to flow then; he knew better.  "Then whose fault was
it?  Face it, Akane, I screwed up.  Shampoo's dead.  Cologne's worse;
everything she knew is falling apart.  How... how can I atone for that?"

     Akane leaned against his shoulder, in a way that gave him goosebumps.
"You do what Cologne said.  You *live*.  You're not living now."  

     "Do I deserve to live?"

     Akane brushed up against his cheek.  "You deserve to live more than
you deserve to die, Ranma.  I... we'd miss you too much.  I... I don't want
to lose you, and it looks like..."  He could hear the sobs forming from
her, sending a low feeling inside his stomach.  

     "A... Akane, you won't lose me.  I... I just don't know how to handle
this.  I can barely even look at my father anymore without throwing up.
I... can barely look at myself in the mirror.  Because of my mistake,
Shampoo had to die - by her own great-grandmother's hand, no less.  How do
I handle that?"

     "Baka," Akane whispered.  "Cologne said it best in her letter.  Live
for her."

     Ranma looked down at himself.  "That still doesn't answer the
question, Akane."

     Akane smiled, and teasingly rubbed her fingers along his back.  "It
means that we try to do what she would have wanted.  Do you think she'd
want to see you moping around, doing nothing?  That isn't the Ranma Saotome
I know, and it certainly wasn't the one she knew either."  Her voice became
low, almost sultry.  "Remember that teaching idea she had?"  

     Ranma's eyes lit up.  He had such dreams then... "You mean running a
beginner's class at the dojo?"  He felt Akane nod on his shoulder.  

     Ranma swallowed hard.  He could taste bitter herbs in his mouth,
partly from the cooking, but partly from his own pride.  He wasn't sure
what to make of the idea, but as he thought about it, it started to take a
life of its own... youngsters at attention, all listening to his every
word... His hand, guiding them through each drill... Akane's smiling face
as they worked together, correcting a student's stance or helping them
perfect a technique... 

     It was his dream come true.  It felt a little empty without Shampoo
there, but it was still his dream.

     Their dream.

     "Akane?"

     "Hmmm?"

     Ranma gave a soft grin, one tempered with life's tears.  "When do you
want to start?"

     Akane looked up at him, her tear-glossed eyes wide, her pouty-lipped
mouth open in surprise.  He instinctively reached a hand up to her cheek,
caressing her face through his callouses.  Realizing she wasn't capable of
speech, he smiled, and tried to fill in the words.

     "Does three weeks from today sound all right?"  

     Akane nodded, shimmering tears falling down her cheeks.  "I love you,
Ranma Saotome."

     He brought her in to his chest, whispering nothings into her black
hair, letting the touch of his hands on hers communicate his love.  He
eased them back down onto the grass, letting the two share the feel of the
life beneath them.

     Maybe, just maybe, he could prove himself a man after all.  He owed
the woman next to him - indeed, all those he had slighted in his folly - at
least that much.  He slid his arms around hers and pulled her in close,
letting her know that, no matter what, he wasn't letting go.

***********************************************************************

Well.

Getting this last part right was tough as anything.  Then again, endings
usually are.  

This idea seriously mutated from its original form.  The original idea had
Shampoo in a similar fix, but with a very different ending: her effectively
'hiding out' by living in her cursed form.  Needless to say, the idea
changed a lot from there.

It's interesting how life can seriously affect what you write.  This was
primarily written during my last semester at college, when I myself was
operating on "borrowed time", both in terms of individual projects, as well
as the fact that I was soon to leave someplace I'd called home for the past
five years.  Also, the actions of various players in this story,
especially the Amazons, were influenced by my Engineering Ethics course
this semester, in particular its teachings on critical vs. uncritical
loyalty, impediments to responsibility, and methods of protest.  

Thanks to all those who gave their help and advice on this, esp. Lawson,
Zen, Gaffney, and Weinberg.  Also, thanks for taking the time to see this
through to the end.

Nicholas Leifker
nightelf@thekeep.org
June 27, 1998