------------------------
The Perfect Warrior
Chapter 3: Shadows of the Future
------------------------

	Ruby pulled open the shade of her window and yawned.  The day was 
cool and overcast, and it looked like it was threatening to rain.  It 
was not the sort of day to foster a good mood, but then she remembered 
what day it was and was immediately in the best mood she'd been in for 
weeks.

	She was whistling as she came into the living room.  Ranma was 
sitting on his mat, reading a Chinese book that Cologne had given him.  

	"Finished your morning workout already?" she asked as she 
practically danced into the kitchen and began making breakfast.

	Ranma looked up from his book.  "Yes, I woke up earlier than 
usual today."  Ruby was amazed at how fast Ranma had picked up 
Chinese.  He had gotten to the point where he and Ruby could carry on 
simple conversations, despite his heavily accented speech.  Also, when 
he spoke he tended to sound stiff and formal.  She wondered if that was 
a result of his still learning Chinese or it was simply his 
personality.  Neither answer would surprise her, but she was frankly 
too happy to care about that at the moment.

	Ranma cocked his eyebrow.  "You seem cheerful this morning."

	Ruby nodded.  "Yep.  It's the last day of the month.  My daughter 
is due back from her training trip today."  She looked over her 
shoulder at him.  "She's your age, and you two have a lot in common.  I 
think you'll get along."

	Ranma returned to his book.  Without looking up, he asked, "When 
is she getting back?"

	"Hopefully, early this afternoon.  It looks like it may rain, 
though, which might slow them down."

	"Who's 'them'?"

	Ruby paused for a moment before she understood Ranma's question.  
"On basic training trips like these, it's generally two or three 
instructors and anywhere between five and fifteen students.  It used to 
be that a matriarch would go as well, but that doesn't happen much 
anymore."

	Ranma shrugged, indicating he didn't care enough about the trips 
to continue the conversation, and went back to his book.  Ruby 
internally sighed, as she realized that the main reason she and Ranma 
only had simple conversations was that Ranma never kept a conversation 
going for more than five minutes.  Ranma might be a great martial 
artist, but he was a terrible conversationalist.  Now that Cologne had 
told Ruby a little more about Ranma's past, she could understand his 
cold demeanor a little better, and she was willing to tolerate it, but 
she still wished she could do something about it.  In this case, 
though, there was very little she could do about it.  Being friendly to 
Ranma would be the most likely thing to help him open up, but it was 
far from certain that it would.

	She cursed Ranma's father for the millionth time in her head.  
Ranma had acquired incredible martial arts skills from his father, 
true.  It seemed, though, that those skills had come at the expense of 
Ranma's soul, and in Ruby's mind, that was simply too high a price to 
pay.

	The noise of boiling water snapped her out of her train of 
thought.  Must focus on the present, she thought.  And presently, I am 
only a few hours away from once again having a family.  She was cheered 
by that thought, and by the time the noodles were done, she was 
whistling again.

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

	Despite Ruby's excitement, before afternoon there must come 
morning, and morning meant training.  On this particular morning, 
training meant unarmed sparring between her students.  Such sessions 
had been difficult, at best, since Ranma's introduction into the 
class.  There were hard feelings between Ranma and some of her 
students, which meant that sparring could get a little too serious.  It 
was compounded by the fact that Ranma tended to take sparring too 
seriously in the first place, and so Ruby had to closely watch any 
sparring match that involved him in order to make sure no one got 
hurt.  Actually, mainly just to make sure Ranma's opponent didn't get 
hurt.  There were only two or three students even near Ranma's skill 
level, and one of them, Pepper, Ruby absolutely refused to let spar 
with Ranma.  The first time, it had been quite clear she was out for 
blood and it had taken Ruby physically intervening between the two 
students to get them to stop fighting.

	Luckily, the morning's session passed without incident.  Ranma 
proved once again that he was the best student in the class.  Well, 
technically, she proved it.  During sparring sessions, Ranma fought in 
his Jusenkyo cursed form.  All Amazon warriors were female, since only 
women were considered strong enough to take on the role.  Ranma's 
arrival had the potential to overturn a long-held Amazon matriarchal 
tradition, and so whenever Ranma was put in the position of fighting 
other Amazon women it was required that Ranma also be a woman.

	The other students were leaving as Ruby decided that with Ranma's 
unarmed fighting skills so superior, it was time to set him at work at 
something that he was not quite so good at.  "Ranma, I need to talk to 
you for a minute before you leave."

	Ranma paused, one foot out the door.  She turned around and 
walked back to Ruby.  "Yes?"

	Ruby looked at him thoughtfully.  "I think it's about time we 
started you with weapons training."

	Ranma frowned at this news.  "If there was one thing Genma 
actually taught me, it was that weapons are a weakness.  They limit the 
number of ways you can attack and defend, and reduce the ways in which 
you can outsmart your opponent.  Plus, if you're not carrying your 
weapon when you need, then you are stuck, but with unarmed fighting 
that's never a problem.  I'd really rather stick with unarmed fighting."

	Ruby nodded.  "I understand, and agree with, what you said.  In 
the ideal martial arts world, we would not need weapons.  The reason we 
teach both unarmed and armed fighting styles is so that students can 
defend themselves without their weapons if it is necessary.  Also, like 
you said, unarmed fighting varies the ways in which a martial artist 
can attack and defend.  Unfortunately, the plain fact is, we are at 
war."  Ruby walked over to the corner of the room, where a sword lay in 
its scabbard, and drew the sword.  "A sword, or a bonbori, is a far 
more effective way to injure- or kill, if necessary- your opponent."

	She sighed, studying the blade.  It was nicked in several places, 
and Ruby wondered if it was from training sessions or from battles.  
What she was saying to Ranma, about the need for killing, pained her to 
say, but ultimately it was the truth.  She hated it, but that was 
life.  She was an Amazon warrior, fighting to defend her village and 
her family, and if that required her to kill, then so be it.  That 
still did not make saying it any easier.  "The unpleasant reality is 
that we are warriors, and ultimately our job is to kill our enemies 
before they kill us.  And a weapon is far more effective at killing 
than fists or feet."

	Ranma walked over to her and took the sword, hefting it one 
hand.  She took a couple practice swings.  It scared Ruby, for it 
almost seemed as though her eyes were alight with a bloodthirsty 
delight at the possibility of wielding such a weapon in battle.  She 
pushed those thoughts to one side. "Ultimately, it is up to you what 
weapon you choose.  You should choose one that meshes well with your 
unarmed style, so you can switch back and forth between the two 
easily."

	Ranma put the sword down and nodded.  "All right, I'll choose 
one."

	Ruby forced a smile onto her face.  "Good.  Feel free to come in 
here and practice anytime with different weapons.  Let me know soon, 
and we'll start your training."

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

	True to Ruby's predictions, it did rain that afternoon.  Ranma, 
having no interest in switching genders again, stayed inside, and since 
Ruby had little idea of when or from what path her daughter would 
return, she had reluctantly stayed inside too.  She sipped at a cup of 
tea as she studied an old book of Amazon battle techniques.  More and 
more, Cologne had been letting Ruby have access to older and deep 
secrets in the Amazon library.  Cologne had said that the book Ruby was 
reading now had probably not been opened for thirty years.  Ruby hoped 
that Cologne continued to expand the access she was allowed to the 
library; some of the reading was particularly fascinating, as it 
contained not only techniques and strategies but also stories of past 
Amazons and past battles.  For her, at least, it was fascinating, to 
the point that she almost didn't notice the door open and a young girl 
step in, dripping wet and looking relieved at finally being able to get 
inside.

	Ruby was off the floor in less than a second, wrapping her in a 
hug and ignoring the fact that she was soaking herself in the process.  
"Hello, honey!  I'm so glad you're home!"  She held her daughter at 
arm's length, looking her over.  She ran a hand through the child's 
long violet hair, squeezing a steady stream of water from it in the 
process.  She quirked her mouth in a wry smile.  "Goodness, you're a 
mess.  Why don't you go dry off and change into some dry clothes."  She 
paused, and then remembered what she had forgotten.  "By the way, 
this-" she pointed to Ranma, "is Ranma.  Ranma, this is my daughter, 
Shampoo.  Now go dry off and change, dear, and I'll make you some tea.  
We have a lot to talk about." 

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

	Shampoo walked back into the living room, feeling much 
refreshed.  Her mother handed her a cup of tea, and she sipped it, 
allowing the warmth to slowly spread through her body.  She sighed in 
relief.  As she sat down and the tea drained the last vestiges of 
chills from her body, she turned to study the boy sitting with them.  
At a glance, he looked to be about her age.  When she studied his face 
and his eyes, he seemed older- she couldn't exactly saw how, but there 
was something haunting in his eyes that hinted at experience, and pain, 
far beyond his years.  She wondered who he was- she certainly didn't 
recognize him from the village.  She realized he didn't look even 
Chinese; was he a foreigner?  An outsider?  The thought disturbed her.

	She realized her mother was talking.  It sounded like she had 
said he would be staying with them.  No, that couldn't be right.  She 
looked back at her mom questioningly.  "What?"

	"I said Ranma will be staying with us for a while," her mother 
repeated.

	She glared at Ranma, then at her mother.  "He's an outsider, 
isn't he?"

	Ruby shook her head.  "Not anymore.  The matriarchs made a 
decision to adopt him into the tribe."

	"Why?"

	The boy apparently decided to take over her mother's end of the 
conversation.  "Because they want me to be an Amazon warrior."

	Shampoo felt a little more relieved.  Obviously, he was lying.  
"Liar.  You can't be an Amazon warrior.  You're the wrong gender."

	Ranma just smirked.  He got up, went over to the door, opened it, 
and keeping his hand on the doorframe, leaned outside into the rain.

	Shampoo gasped.  He was a... he was... a she.  Where that had 
been a young boy, there was now a young girl.  The girl calmly walked 
back over where she had been sitting, sat in the same position, and 
cocked an eyebrow.  "Happy now?"

	"You've heard of Jusenkyo curses, Shampoo.  Well, Ranma has one, 
so the council decided to make an exception for him even though he's a 
male."

	Shampoo nodded.  Yeah, she had heard stories about Jusenkyo.  She 
had dismissed it as a tale told by the older Amazons to scare the kids, 
but apparently that wasn't the case.  She might have realized that this 
was Jusenkyo on her own, but the shock of seeing it happen had scared 
her out of her wits for a moment.

	Jusenkyo.  Well, just because there was a logical explanation 
didn't mean she had to like it.  "What's so great about Ranma that made 
the council decide to train him, anyway?"  She looked at the 
boy-turned-girl in front of her and laughed. "I bet I could beat him- 
her- whatever."  Maybe 'it'? she thought to herself.

	Ranma just smirked again.  "How about we spar and find out just 
how good I am?"

	Shampoo was about to respond, but her mother intervened first.  
"I really don't think that's a good idea.  I don't want anybody getting 
hurt."

	"That's all right, Mom.  I won't get hurt.  I want to spar."  
Shampoo smiled.  All she had to do was beat this upstart, and then her 
mother and the matriarchs would obviously have to admit that Ranma 
wasn't good enough to adopt as an Amazon warrior.  She knew she was a 
pretty good fighter, but she also realized, even as young as she was, 
that the Council was breaking and bending a lot of rules to adopt and 
train Ranma as a warrior.  If he could be beaten by her, then maybe 
they would see Ranma wasn't worth the trouble.

	Her mother opened her mouth to protest, but Shampoo was already 
halfway to the door.  "C'mon, let's go to the training hall."

	"Wait."  Ranma said.  "You've been traveling all day.  You're in 
no position to fight me at your full potential."  Ranma smiled, but 
there was nothing friendly about the smile.  It was a predatory smile 
that said, I'll wait for you to be at your best, and then I'll wallop 
you anyway.  "How about we spar tomorrow, when you've recovered?"

	Shampoo was suddenly unsure about sparring at all.  But she 
quickly recovered her self confidence.  "Fine."  She returned Ranma's 
smile with one of her own that was equally unfriendly.  "Tomorrow, 
then.  I look forward to it."

	Her mother frowned, but said nothing.

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

	The next morning, Ruby nervously watched Ranma and her daughter 
face off against each other.  Except for the two Amazons and one 
pseudo-Amazon, the training hall was empty.  Ruby had finally agreed, 
albeit reluctantly, to let the two of them come in before the rest of 
her students arrived so they could have a sparring match.  As nervous 
as she was about Ranma fighting her daughter, at least if she was 
around she could intervene if Shampoo looked to be in danger of being 
injured.  She would rather have them spar under carefully supervised 
conditions than somewhere alone where things could get out of control.

	She stepped in between the two combatants.  "All right.  Normal 
sparring rules apply.  If one of the combatants asks to stop, then the 
match stops.  If I intervene, then the match stops.  If an injury 
occurs, then the match stops.  First one to three points wins."  She 
took two steps backwards and help her hand up.  "Begin!" she brought 
her hand down in a chopping motion, then quickly retreated backwards to 
a safe distance.

	The two circled each other warily, each unwilling to make the 
first move.  Finally, Shampoo stepped forward, throwing a punch at 
Ranma's left shoulder.  Ranma didn't seem to make a move- but just 
before it looked like the first point would go to Shampoo, Ranma almost 
blurred.  He ducked right, and came up on her now-unprotected side.  
Shampoo turned, but too late- Ranma got a quick jab in to her ribs.  
There wasn't much force behind it- the fact that Shampoo didn't 
immediately double over in pain assured Ruby that Ranma was playing 
with her rather than fighting her.

	"Point."  He smiled.

	Shampoo frowned.  They went at each other again, but this time 
for several seconds they jabbed, parried, and kicked at each other 
without either scoring a hit.  Ruby watched it and frowned, unsure what 
Ranma was trying to accomplish.  She knew he was much faster; she had 
seen it with her own eyes.  Still, whatever he was doing, it was 
fascinating to watch the two of them as it seemed that their styles 
seemed to mesh together seamlessly.  Then, it ended.  Ranma blurred, 
ducked under a punch from Shampoo, and caught her in the side with a 
punch of his own.

	"Point."

	Ruby could tell her daughter was getting very frustrated- she 
could almost see Shampoo's battle aura.  The young Amazon charged at 
Ranma again, and this time, Ranma didn't play.

	He was a virtual whirlwind, fighting at the same speed that he 
had fought that first night when Ruby had defeated him.  The only thing 
that kept Shampoo alive was that his punches and kicks were still 
extremely light.

	He easily dodged her futile attempts to block and counterattack, 
and his voice was almost mocking as he scored hit after hit.  "Point.  
Point.  Point.  Point..."

	Ruby decided enough was enough.  "All right, Ranma, you've 
already scored more than three points.  The match is over."

	Ranma didn't stop for another couple seconds.  Finally, he backed 
away from Shampoo and watched her evenly, waiting for her reaction.

	If looks could kill, Shampoo could have slaughtered the entire 
Musk army with the glare she had fixed on Ranma.  She rubbed a spot on 
her right shoulder where Ranma had hit her particularly hard and 
continued to glare at him.

	Ranma's expression was harsh and cold.  "I believe I demonstrated 
why I'm here.  Now, I hope in the future you don't go around 
challenging people and just assuming that you can beat them.  If you 
ever challenge somebody for real, make sure you have a chance of 
winning first.  One day, you might fight someone who doesn't pull their 
punches."

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

	Shampoo nursed her injured shoulder as she glared at the boy who 
had just defeated her.  His last words to her were like salt rubbed in 
the massive wound that her ego had sustained.  The silence continued as 
she continued to stare defiantly at the boy, who returned her stare 
coolly.  Turning away before he did would be an acknowledgement of her 
defeat, an acknowledgement that this outsider was superior to her.  It 
would add a mental defeat to a physical one, and she was determined not 
to let that happen.

	A voice called out. "Shampoo!"  The boy turned toward the 
direction of the sound, and Shampoo felt relieved.  At least that 
humiliation had been spared her.  Then the door opened, the source of 
the voice walked in.  In Shampoo's mind, relief died, to be replaced by 
complete and utter depression.

	"Mousse, what are you doing here?  This isn't a place for males, 
it's a place for warriors.  Go away."

	The robed, bespectacled boy who had just walked in seemed to not 
hear her statement.  "I heard that you had returned from your training 
trip!  I would have come yesterday, but I had to work in the fields.  
Forgive me for my tardiness in welcoming you home."  Shampoo was about 
to say a few choice words about that, but he suddenly noticed she was 
rubbing her shoulder.  "You're hurt!" he cried, and in an instant was 
by her side.

	Shampoo immediately took her hand from her shoulder and attempted 
to smile reassuringly.  "No, I'm fine.  You can go now- really."

	Once again, he ignored her.  "Who did this?" he asked angrily. 
"Who would dare?"

	When she didn't respond, he seemed to suddenly notice Ranma 
standing off to the side.  He turned and stood, facing him.  "You did 
this, didn't you?"

	Ranma's response was flat and emotionless.  "She challenged me to 
a sparring match.  I defeated her."

	Mousse, on the other hand, was furious.  "How dare you hurt 
Shampoo!"  He barked a short laugh, as though he suddenly understood 
everything that was going on.  "I've heard about you, Outsider," he 
said scornfully.  "Allow me to welcome you to the Joketsuzoko!"  From 
his robes, he suddenly produced a knife and sent it flying at Ranma.

	Ranma tilted his body to the left, allowing the knife to pass 
less than a centimeter from his ear.  When he finally spoke, his voice 
was quiet, yet hard as rock.  "Make another move like that, and I'll 
kill you."

	Ranma's words seemed to startle Mousse for a second.  He 
recovered though, and continued his tirade.  Shampoo noticed, however, 
that he made no more attempts to attack Ranma.  "Yes, I heard about 
you.  Staying under the same roof as Shampoo, even!  Hah."  He 
sneered.  "The only reason you're here is because Cologne is a complete 
moron with no respect for Amazon traditions."

	At this point, Shampoo was ignoring both of them.  Maybe they'll 
fight and end up destroying each other, she thought hopefully.

	"All right, Mousse.  That's enough.  I want you out of here, 
now."  It was her mother who spoke up this time.  "You will leave my 
daughter, and Ranma, alone.  It is not your place to question the 
Council, and my daughter does not welcome your advances.  You can leave 
willingly, or you can leave with my assistance."  Somehow, Ruby's voice 
made a clear that 'with her assistance' meant something quite a bit 
more drastic.  Mousse looked like he might argue with her, but he 
walked to the door.  He stopped in the doorway and turned back to 
Shampoo, who avoided his gaze and massaged her temples with one hand to 
try to soothe the headache that had suddenly come on.  "I love you, 
Shampoo!  I will let nothing keep us apart!"

	Ruby began walking toward him, but he quickly left the building, 
shutting the door behind him.  Shampoo looked up at her mother.  
"Thanks, Mom.  I wish he'd just leave me alone and find someone else to 
constantly pester."  She sighed.  "Now I remember why I was so eager 
to go on that training trip."

	Her mother just laughed at that.  "Don't worry, dear.  He won't 
be a bother forever.  Now would you like to go home and rest for a 
bit?  I don't mind if you're late for training."

	She almost accepted the offer, but realized every minute she 
didn't train and Ranma did allowed him to get even better than she was, 
and she resolved to not let happen.  She would train her heart out, 
catch up to Ranma, and beat him.  Feeling stronger and more refreshed 
now that she had a clear goal, she smiled and shook her head.  "That's 
all right, I'm fine.  Now let's get training."

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

	"Shampoo, before you leave, come here.  I want to talk to you."

	She took her hand off the door handle and looked over to the 
kitchen, where her mother was calling from.  It was late afternoon, and 
she had been hoping to go to the training hall for a couple hours of 
practice outside the normal hours of training.  She frowned at this 
latest distraction, and with a child's typical stubbornness, stayed 
right where she was.  "What do you need?"

	Ruby, in the manner of a typical mother, put her hands on her 
hips and frowned, glaring sternly at her daughter.  "Shampoo, I said 
come here.  I need to talk to you."

	Shampoo sighed and trudged over to where her mother stood.  She 
had a bad feeling that the subject of the conversation would entail 
Ranma, who she really didn't want to talk about at the moment.  Ranma 
had disappeared about an hour ago, probably to go off and train, and 
she had been enjoying the peace and quiet.

	She kept her gaze carefully pointed at the floor.  "Yes?"

	"I want to talk to you about Ranma."

	Shampoo grimaced.  She hated it when she was right.

	"Didn't Ranma prove to you this morning that he is a fighter 
worthy of being an Amazon?  Why are you still upset at his being here?"

	She sighed, knowing she could give her mother a response, but 
that it wouldn't satisfy her.  She decided to stay quiet, hoping her 
mother would continue without an answer.

	"Well, I can guess.  First, he's invaded your space.  Three 
people living in this house is going to be harder on all of us, and so 
you're upset that you weren't consulted about a decision that affects 
your life so much.  Now he's defeated you in combat, and that just 
makes you feel worse."

	Shampoo knew there was no denying what her mother had said.  She 
nodded.  "Yes."  Then she looked up angrily.  "And it makes me mad that 
you just seem to be going along with it, not thinking at all about what 
I want.  Like he's more important to you than me!"  She felt her eyes 
water, but made no move to blink back the tears.

	Her mother sighed, and knelt down so she could look Shampoo 
directly in her eyes.  "I'm sorry if it's seemed that way, dear.  I 
really am.  I want you to know that that's not true at all- I love you 
more than anything in the world."  Her mother put a reassuring hand on 
Shampoo's shoulder.

	"Sometimes, we have to make sacrifices for the good of the 
Amazons.  Cologne, and the rest of the matriarchs, decided that Ranma 
is a good fighter- so good, that he may help us win the war against the 
Musk Dynasty.  And sometimes, what the Amazons need come above what 
people like you or me want.  I know it's tough, dear, but I will always 
love you- and I will always listen to you."  Her mother reached out her 
other arm to embrace her in a hug, and she returned it reluctantly.

	Then her mother held her at arm's length, and looked her in the 
eye.  "For better or for worse, Ranma is here for the sake of the 
Amazons.  And I really wish you two would get along- having Ranma here 
will be a hassle, but it will be much less of a hassle if you two are 
at least civil to each other.  I know I can't ask you to like him, and 
you don't have to.  But at least you two should at least respect 
other.  We're going to have to live with him, and the better we get 
along the easier it will be.  Do you understand?"

	Shampoo sniffed, and wiped a tear from her eye.  "Yes, Mom."

	Her mother smiled.  "I love you, dear."

	"I love you too, Mom."

	They hugged briefly, one last time, before Shampoo was out of the 
kitchen and to the door.  "Can I go train now?"

	"Of course, dear.  Just be back by sundown."

	Shampoo grinned.  "Sure thing!" and was out the door, running to 
the training hall.  She could learn to live with Ranma, she decided, 
but that didn't mean she would tolerate his being so much better than 
her.  That was something she intended to do something about.

	Her plans suffered a setback, at least her immediate ones, when 
she entered the training hall and found Ranma already there working on 
a kata.  The hall was large, more than large enough for two people to 
practice in, but Ranma was bouncing all over as though he were a 
hummingbird that had gotten into the Amazon healers' stash of 
energy-inducing herbs.

	"Ahem," she said, trying to get his attention.  Ranma kept 
kicking and flipping, oblivious to the world.  She inhaled 
deeply and waited for his kata to bring him closer to her, and when he 
gotten close to where she was standing she yelled at the top of her 
lungs.  "Ranma!"

	He stopped what he was doing and glared at her.  Shampoo was 
taken off balance by his reaction, and a few seconds of silence passed 
before Ranma finally sighed.  In an irritated tone of voice he asked, 
"What did you want?"

	She quickly regained her composure, returning his glare.  "I was 
hoping could stop hopping around like a hyperactive insect and let me 
use half of the floor in here."

	Silently, Ranma walked to the far side of the dojo.  He got into 
a loose offensive stance and was about to go back to his kata when he 
suddenly looked back at Shampoo.  His gaze had softened, and he looked 
at her questioningly.  "Is that enough room?  I can move over more if 
you need it."

	She was shocked.  Ranma was actually being nice?  It was the 
first hint of kindness she had seen him show anybody since she had met 
him.  "No, that's fine, thanks," she said quickly.

	Her mother's words came back to her.  If they were on better 
terms with each other, then living in the same house would be a lot 
easier.  She turned- good, he hadn't started his kata.  She took a deep 
breath, steeling her nerves for what she was about to ask.  "You wanna 
spar?"

	Ranma turned to her and shook his head.  "No, that's all right.  
I'd rather do this alone."  Without waiting for a response, he resumed 
his kata of hyperactivity.

	Shampoo was mad for a few seconds at his rejection of her offer, 
but decided it was what she had expected from him.  She was utterly at 
a loss as to how to deal with Ranma.  Sighing in exasperation, she did 
some breathing exercises before starting her own kata.  She tried to 
not be sidetracked by Ranma, but it was difficult.  Finally, she turned 
and watched him.  He had slowed considerably now, but she was amazed by 
the skill and coordination of his moves.  He moved fluidly from one 
move to the next, and she realized that she had a long way to go if she 
ever wanted to challenge Ranma in a fight.  Well, she thought, all the 
more reason to start practicing now.  With that thought, she began.  As 
the moves got more difficult, she concentrated harder on what she was 
doing and was soon deep in her kata, lost to the rest of the world.

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

	Lilac looked up and greeted the entering figure.  "Hello, 
Mousse."

	Mousse closed the door to his great-grandmother's hut and looked 
at her.  Lilac was one of the most powerful matriarchs on the Council, 
which under normal circumstances would have made an ordinary male like 
him uneasy in her presence.  There was something else, though.  He 
could never shake the feeling that she was constantly plotting some 
malicious scheme.  Despite their family ties, he couldn't bring himself 
to trust her at all.  Not that he would let her know that, of course.

	He bowed respectfully to her.  "Hello, matriarch."

	She closed the old book she had been reading and looked up at 
him.  "Did you talk to Shampoo today?"

	He fidgeted uncomfortably.  "Well, technically, yes, but it 
didn't go too well.  It's quite clear she doesn't welcome my advances."

	Lilac shrugged.  "That's all right.  Marriage in the Joketsuzoko 
was never about love anyway.  It's about the survival of the fittest, 
and it's about power."

	"I just don't understand what that has to do with Shampoo and I.  
I will admit that I have strong feelings for her, but my chances with 
her are virtually nothing.  Especially without Cologne and Ruby's 
approval."

	"Child, if you can defeat Shampoo, then it doesn't matter whether 
or not they approve.  By Amazon law, you will be entitled to marry her."

	"As you say, great-grandmother."

	Lilac's eyes narrowed, making Mousse begin to sweat under her 
intense gaze.  "I sense that you don't entirely want to participate 
in what I have planned for you."

	"That's not true, great-grandmother.  I have the utmost respect 
for your plans for my future, and I will do what you wish me to do."

	Lilac got up from where she was sitting and approached him.  
"Yes, I know you will.  But that's not what I said.  I think that you'd 
rather give up on Shampoo and find a different warrior to marry."

	Mousse decided the best course of action was just to stay 
silent.  Lilac seemed to be getting it right without his help.  The 
real question was, what would she do about it?

	"I haven't come as far as I have without learning a few things 
about how to read people.  You're an open book to me, great-grandson.  
I know what you feel, but if you value your family's honor then you 
will continue your pursuit of Shampoo.  You need only prove yourself to 
her, and she will be yours.  I have watched Shampoo.  She will be a 
great warrior, and if she is your husband than you will share in her 
glory, and in her power."

	Mousse bowed.  "As you wish, great-grandmother."

	"Don't worry, child.  One day, your struggles will pay off."  Her 
voice, for the first time in the conversation, sounded almost kindly.  
She paused.  "You may go now, Mousse."

	"One other thing, great-grandmother.  Do you intend to do 
anything about the Outsider?"

	"Did you meet him today?"

	"Yes.  Not only is he living in Shampoo's house, his speed and 
fighting skills are great.  He is very dangerous."

	Lilac rubbed her chin thoughtfully.  "From what I have seen of 
him, he is not the type to get too close to people.  I do not believe 
he will be a rival for your love of Shampoo- he is too cold and distant 
to get involved in a relationship like that.  No, he poses no danger at 
the moment.  If that changes, then I will deal with him."

	Mousse nodded.  "Very well."

	"You may go now, Mousse."

	The boy bowed again.  "Good night, great-grandmother."  The boy 
turned and quickly left the hut.

	Lilac frowned as the door shut.  The boy was incompetent, but if 
what she suspected of Shampoo was true, then one day she would be the 
village champion.  Because Shampoo was Cologne's great-granddaughter, 
it would be a great power boost for her, and the best way for Lilac to 
counteract that would be if Mousse was Shampoo's husband.  And if 
Mousse could defeat her, then her own power on the Council would be 
increased greatly- perhaps even enough for her to wrest control of the 
Council from Cologne.  Family ties were not taken lightly by the 
Joketsuzoko.  Yes, Mousse would take work, but with enough persistence 
and patience then anything was possible.