------------------------
The Perfect Warrior
Chapter 6: Beginning's End
------------------------

	For Shampoo, as the following months passed, they seemed to blur 
into an endless streak during which the only meaningful thing she ever 
did was train.  She had also reached the age where she could learn some 
of the more advanced Amazon lore, and often she spent her afternoons 
mixing herbs or studying Amazon history.  Training was still most 
important, but it tended to be kind of dull; ever since the Musk 
ambush, no children were allowed outside the village perimeter.
	
	Every spare moment seemed to be devoted to training, but while 
she often complained to her mother and her friends about this, in 
reality she was perfectly happy with it.  It helped her to focus, and 
even though she knew in the back of her head that one day she would 
have to do battle again, it was a thought that rarely occupied her 
conscious mind.

	In addition, the number of patrols had been increased and so her 
mother tended to be gone more often.  This left her home alone with 
Ranma, and the two used the time to spar and train.  Occasionally they 
practiced separately, but more and more often the two found it best to 
spar together.  Ranma was always the better fighter, but it seemed to 
her that she was closing that gap, slowly but surely.

	As for Ranma himself, he remained as cold and aloof as always, 
except for rare moments in which a flash of kindness or warmth would 
show through.  She noticed that such moments were more common if she 
was the only person around, while around groups of people he remained 
his usual quiet, distant self.  The most vocal he usually got was to 
complain that staying in the village was boring, and that he would 
prefer to be out killing the Musk.  When this happened, Ruby would 
usually smile tolerantly and reassure him that his time would come soon 
enough.  Still, it was quite obvious that he was restless.  Having been 
a wanderer for most of his life, it seemed as though he had trouble 
adapting to a life where he stayed in one place the entire time.

	Shampoo's relationship with Ranma was definitely an odd one.  
They weren't quite friends, and they didn't go out of their way to be 
nice to each other, but they did manage to respect each other.  From a 
practical perspective, they were nothing more than sparring partners, 
but ever since she had saved his life in battle it seemed like they had 
a deeper relationship than that.  He knew things about her that no one 
else knew, and he owed her in a way that no one else did, and so in 
turn was occasionally willing to push aside his normal cold exterior 
and try to act like her friend.

	Not that any of this ever made it past her thoughts and into the 
open.  His cold, unfeeling attitude still angered her an uncountable 
number of times, and they fought frequently.  Yet in a life where her 
most important activity was training, the role of sparring partner was 
an important one, and often Ranma was the person who filled it.

	As the months stretched into years, she settled firmly into this 
routine of virtually non-stop training.  Even though she worked hard, 
it was still a time in which her worries seemed far away, and she was 
relatively carefree.  The time when she would have to join the Amazon 
patrols was still a long way off, and except for the ever-present 
restrictions on movement outside the village, she was free to enjoy 
life to the fullest.  Even Mousse seemed to ease off on his constant 
pestering of her, and while he still showed up to annoy her 
occasionally, she was finding those visits at least marginally 
tolerable.  He still got on her nerves, but at least he no longer 
seemed to pursue her with the same hysterical vigor that he had in 
years past.

	Overall, life was simple and life was good.  It was a time when 
the most stressful thing she had to do was help to train the young 
children who had just joined her mother's class, but even that was fun 
in its own way.  At times she almost forgot that they were a village at 
war, but then her mother would go off on patrol.  While she believed 
her mother would return safe from harm every time (after all, she 
always did) she often felt doubt and fear lurking just at the edge of 
her thoughts.  But she was largely successful in pushing those far to 
the back of her mind, and concentrating on the here and now.  Life was 
training, training was life, and she enjoyed almost every moment of it.

	Not all the Amazons would have agreed with Shampoo's view of 
those years.  Cologne was among them, and as the months passed those 
around her noticed that she increasingly began to show her true age.  
In reality, the war was not going well for the Amazons, and as Chief 
Matriarch, the stress took its full toll on her.

	The Musk tactics had continued to change since the ambush on the 
students, and quite often she was hard pressed to formulate an 
effective defense for the village.  The number of Musk raids had 
increased, and it was only the sheer determination of the individual 
Amazon warriors and the Matriarchs' near-brilliant tactical planning 
that kept the Musk raiders out of the village itself.

	The fact was, that in conditions like these, Shampoo and Ranma's 
easygoing life could not last for long.  It is possible, in fact, to 
pinpoint the exact day it ended.  It happened exactly one month shy of 
Shampoo's fifteenth birthday, and almost two and a half years after 
Ranma first was adopted into the village.  It was on a dismal, overcast 
afternoon, during a rare break in training, that Cologne showed on 
Ruby's doorstep and brought their world crashing down around them.

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

	"Good afternoon, Matriarch."

	Cologne walked through the door with her cane in her hand.  "Good 
afternoon, Shampoo," she replied.  The old Matriarch smiled at the 
sight of her great-granddaughter; she was growing quickly and it would 
not be long before she would be a woman.  Still, now that she was here 
looking at the girl, she once again felt herself doubting the wisdom of 
her decision.  She quickly pushed such thoughts out of her mind, 
though, and reminded herself that what she was doing was necessary.  
She had to put the needs of the village above the needs of individuals.

	She looked over toward the kitchen, where Ruby was busy, and 
walked over.  "Ruby, I have to talk with you.  It's extremely 
important."

	The urgency in the Matriarch's voice caused Ruby to look up with 
a worried expression.  She turned to the Matriarch and bowed before 
voicing her concern.  "Is something wrong?"
	
	"That depends on your outlook, Ruby.  But yes, I believe you 
would probably view this as 'something wrong'."

	She bent down and rinsed her hands off in a small pan of water.  
"Would you like a cup of tea, grandmother?"

	"No, thank you.  Please join me in the living room immediately."

	The tone of command was unmistakable.  Whatever the Matriarch was 
here for, it was serious.  Ruby grabbed a towel and quickly dried her 
hands as she walked out to where Cologne was already seated.  She 
turned to her daughter, who was still standing by the door, unsure of 
what to do.  "Excuse us for a moment, would you, dear?"  She sat down 
across from the Matriarch.  "Why don't you go find Ranma?"

	"Actually, I'd prefer if she stayed."  Cologne tapped the ground 
next to her with her staff.  "Please join us, Shampoo.  This concerns 
you as well.  I'm sorry Ranma's not here, but I do not have a lot of 
time, so I will leave it up to you to tell him what I am about to say."

	"Very well, Matriarch."  The girl walked over and sat down, 
brushing a strand of hair out of her face as she did so, and looked at 
the two older Amazons with a hint of nervousness.  She fidgeted 
briefly, but composed herself and waited for Cologne to speak.

	The Matriarch gazed steadily at each of them for several seconds, 
then cleared her throat and began.  "Last night at the Council, we 
discussed ways to combat the increasing number of Musk raids."  She 
turned her head to address Shampoo, who looked at the Matriarch and met 
Cologne's gaze for a few seconds before turning away uncomfortably.  
"The simple fact, as Ruby well knows but you may not, Shampoo, is that 
we do not have enough warriors to maintain the necessary vigil around 
our borders.  We believe we have come up with a solution that will 
alleviate this problem."

	She hesitated, and in the silence, Ruby inhaled sharply.  Cologne 
looked over at her granddaughter.  Ruby's fists were clenched, and she 
was glaring at Cologne though narrowed eyes.  Mentally, the Matriarch 
gave an exasperated sigh and braced herself for the oncoming storm.  
She should have realized that her granddaughter would quickly guess 
what she was hinting at.  This wasn't going to easy.

	Seeing no need to dance around the issue anymore, she began 
speaking again, this time putting additional firmness into her voice to 
make it clear that she would not waver from her course.  "In two 
months," she explained, "the minimum age for going on patrol will be 
dropped from sixteen to fourteen.  At that time, all Amazons fourteen 
and older will be expected to fulfill their duty as Amazon warriors and 
fight for their village."

	No one spoke for a minute.  Shampoo remained calm, but Cologne 
saw the fear in her eyes.  Her mother also seemed calm, but it was 
clear she was barely restraining her anger.  It was Ruby who broke the 
silence first.  Her voice was remarkably calm, but underneath it 
Cologne heard the anger.  "Shampoo, will you excuse us, please? I need 
to talk to your great-grandmother privately."

	The young girl didn't miss the anger in her mother's voice, 
either.  She quickly got up and bowed, then left the house, the sound 
of the door closing echoing loudly in the silence that pervaded the 
room.

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

	Shampoo walked into the training hall, shutting the door behind 
her.  There were only a few people there, but as she had expected, 
Ranma was one of them. He was performing a fast kata that concentrated 
on defense, and as she approached Ranma paused and looked at her 
briefly before continuing.

	She smiled, recognizing the ritual, and moved forward to attack 
him.  In a single smooth motion, Ranma altered his kata to fend off her 
flying kick, and shifted to an attacking form that drove her back 
against the wall.

	As her back hit the wall, she jumped up and over Ranma's head, 
who turned and jumped into the air after her.  The two clashed in 
midair briefly, and then landed facing each other in stances that were 
exact mirror images of each other.

	She attacked, and threw a punch at his right shoulder.  He 
countered it easily, and as they continued their sparring she asked, 
"Are you ready to begin patrolling?"

	He aimed two fast kicks at her, then followed it up with a punch 
combination.  "You came here to ask me that?"  He raised an eyebrow.  
"We aren't even due to start for another year."

	She shook her head as she moved to his side, blocking another 
series of fast attacks.  "Cologne came by to tell us; we'll be starting 
in two months."

	His ever-present neutral expression faltered for a brief second.  
Sensing his distraction, she attacked, scoring a hit before he 
recovered and counterattacked.  He scowled as they continued to fight.  
"You'd never have gotten that hit in if you hadn't startled me."

	 "Says you," she shot back.  "Distractions are a part of life.  
You have to learn to ignore them.  Or did you forget that?"

	Ranma smiled wryly, ducking under an attack and launching a 
series of punches that she barely managed to block.  "Of course not- 
you just caught me by surprise for a second."  He spun and launched a 
kick that caught her hard in the stomach, and she staggered backwards.  
"Why did it change to two months?"

	"Apparently, the matriarchs decided to lower the minimum age from 
16 to 14."  She shrugged.  "Something about needing more warriors in 
the field.  The change takes effect in two months."

	"Good.  All this sitting around in the village is making me 
restless.  It'll be nice to see some action again."  Ranma looked at 
her questioningly.  "Anyway, you know perfectly well that I'm ready.  
I've been ready for years."  Then he frowned, almost imperceptibly.  
"What about you?"

	She was caught off guard by the question, but after a second 
regained her composure, and attempted to shrug the question off.  
"Yeah, I think I'm ready," she said, speaking with a confidence in her 
voice that she didn't really feel.  "I'm good enough to handle any Musk 
warriors that come my way."

	Ranma looked at her oddly, but said nothing.  After a brief pause 
he asked, "You want to keep sparring, or did you just come here to tell 
me the news?"

	She considered it briefly.  It was either stay here with Ranma 
and spar, or go back home to her mother and Cologne.  "Yeah, I'll 
spar.  Weapons or no weapons?"

	"Let's do it with weapons this time."  Ranma walked over to the 
wall, where a rack of swords with dulled edges specifically for 
training stood.  "We'll be using them for real pretty soon."

	She winced but said nothing, instead walking over to a rack of 
bonbori.  Grabbing a pair and hefting them to get a feel for the 
balance, she walked over to where Ranma was already waiting.  The two 
faced off against each other, and after a moment the battle was joined.

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

	"Oof!"

	Shampoo exhaled hard as she hit the wall.  She struggled to get 
her breath back, quickly moving away from the wall into a ready 
position with her bonbori.  It aggravated her that after training with 
him for so long, he could still get hits in as easily as he did.  She 
had improved to the point to the point where she was better than or as 
good as almost everybody in their class, but Ranma still defeated her 
regularly.  Part of it, she reflected, was that he was too 
unpredictable- with everyone else she fought with, her main concern was 
her opponent's weapon- counter the bonbori or sword, then find the 
openings and attack.

	Ranma, on the other hand, was a weapon unto himself.  She had to 
watch his hands, feet, head, elbows, knees, plus whatever implement he 
happened to be holding in his hands.  Most people, when given a weapon, 
would fight only with the weapon.  That was the problem with weapons in 
general; they restricted fighting styles, attacks, and defenses.  Ranma 
held himself to no such restrictions, and while it was an unorthodox 
fighting style that Ruby occasionally frowned upon it was also very, 
very effective.

	She faced Ranma, and shifted to a defensive stance, inviting him 
to make the next attack.  His stance shifted subtly, and she watched 
him carefully for his next move.

	He gave away nothing.  His eyes were fixed and cold, his 
expression was unreadable, and the first sign he gave of his attack was 
his dull-bladed katana flying toward her head.  Cursing, she moved to 
counter, barely blocking his attack in time.  That was another thing 
that made fighting Ranma difficult; it was virtually impossible to 
predict his moves.  All fighters tended to telegraph their movements in 
some way or another, but Ranma managed to keep it to a bare minimum.  
He had an annoying habit of shifting his attack pattern in the midst of 
executing it, and would relentlessly take advantage of any holes left 
in his opponents' defense, no matter what the circumstance.

	She had tried to learn some of his unpredictability and tactical 
skill.  When it came down to it, it was largely a matter of instinct.  
Luckily, instinct could often be developed where there was none or 
little to begin with, and she was continuously doing so.  It was the 
only way she could possibly keep up with him.

	Parry.  Block.  Dodge.  Slide.  Kick.  Swing.  As they fought, 
she felt her developing instinct take over- no longer was she fighting 
with conscious thought.  She was thinking about the battle, but the 
individual moves and counters were done without thinking- she grinned, 
reveling in the sheer exhilaration of it all.

	They clashed in midair, and her exhilaration was suddenly 
interrupted as she took a hard kick to the side.  She adjusted her 
position, and when she landed, she wobbled on her feet for less than a 
second before facing her adversary again.  She paused only a moment 
before attacking.

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

	"Why, Cologne?"

	Cologne winced internally.  This would not be pleasant.  Ruby was 
calm outwardly, but with those two words her tone of voice had conveyed 
enormous anger, bitterness, and- perhaps the most condemning of all- 
disappointment.  "It was necessary, Ruby.  The Musk have us 
outnumbered, and we must get more warriors out into the field or we 
will be overwhelmed."

	Ruby met Cologne's gaze evenly, her eyes giving away no sign of 
the anger that was boiling within her.  "That does not justify this 
decision.  You have to think of another solution."

	"Ruby, you have seen how badly the war is going.  If there had 
been another way, I would have gladly chosen it."

	"I watch these children train every day.  They are not ready for 
battle.  If you send them out, Cologne, it will be slaughter."

	"I understand your concerns, granddaughter," replied Cologne.  
"That is why we will accelerate the students' final months of 
training.  They will go through the Bakusai Tenketsu and Amaguriken 
training before they begin to fight, in addition to increased sparring 
and weapons training.  As a teacher, you will shoulder part of this 
responsibility.  If you still feel they are not ready after two months, 
I will take it into account."

	"I can already tell you now that two months is not enough time," 
the younger woman retorted.  "I cannot make warriors of these children 
in the timespan you have given me."

	"I know that's not true, Ruby, just as well as you do.  Look at 
Ranma, who is one of the most powerful fighters in the village and yet 
is still very young.  Your own daughter is promising to be one of the 
strongest warriors produced by the village in years.  Many of your 
students are already more than a match for all but the strongest Musk 
soldiers in a fight.  It should be simple to prepare them for this."

	"Yes, they know how to fight," Ruby conceded.  "I didn't say they 
weren't fighters.  I said they weren't warriors.  Except for Ranma, who 
is an entirely different matter altogether, these kids are not ready 
for the psychological stress of true battle.  One of two things will 
happen, Cologne.  First, they might be killed within minutes.  If that 
doesn't happen, and they survive, it's impossible to say what will 
happen once they've killed somebody themselves.  They may snap, they 
may seize up altogether, they may become physically ill.  Fighting a 
war, and killing, is not an easy act, and if you deny that then you've 
forgotten what it's like to be a warrior."  Her voice took on a 
pleading tone.  "If you cut short these children's training, they will 
lack the necessary physical and psychological preparedness to function 
well in battle.  Please, Cologne, you must not do this."

	Cologne felt her irritation grow as she listened to Ruby speak.  
What right did this young woman, her granddaughter no less, have to 
lecture her, a matriarch, on battle?!  "I understand your concerns, but 
they cannot be helped!" she almost shouted.  "These children will one 
day have to face the reality of war, and we have simply chosen to make 
that day sooner or later."

	The Matriarch turned away, then stood up.  "I am forced to 
question your priorities, Ruby.  Are you doing this because you truly 
believe the children are not ready, or simply because you want to keep 
Shampoo protected?"  She paused to let her words sink in.  "Your love 
for your daughter is admirable, but I wonder if you are letting your 
feelings for your daughter take precedence over your duty as an Amazon."

	There was a deathly calm, and when Ruby spoke, it was a whisper, 
but her face was contorted in anger and her eyes blazed with a fire 
Cologne had never seen in her granddaughter.  "On the contrary, 
Matriarch; it is not my priorities that are need of questioning."  Her 
voice wavered, but only for a moment, and this time there was 
definitely a shimmer at the corner of her eyes.  "You have let your 
supposed sense of duty overrule your better judgement!"  Ruby stood up, 
towering over the Matriarch.  "These children will either be 
slaughtered or scarred for life, Cologne.  I cannot stop you, 
grandmother, but know this.  If any of my students are killed because 
of what you have decreed here, I will hold you personally responsible."

	"Granddaughter, be wary.  Your tone is bordering on treason," 
said Cologne.  She picked up her staff and hopped up onto it, bringing 
herself nearly eye-level with Ruby.  She spoke again, and this time 
there was genuine pain in her voice.  "Be assured, though, that this 
decision is not easy for me.  If any children are killed by my 
decision," she turned away, "I will hold myself personally 
responsible."

	She hopped to the door, then turned and faced Ruby again.  "I 
know you do not approve of my decision, Ruby, but I must know.  Will 
you do as I asked, train these children in the secret techniques, and 
do your best to prepare them children for the day they will have to 
fight?"

	Ruby sighed, closing her eyes.  "You asked nothing, grandmother," 
she replied softly.  "I will do as you have directed, though."  She 
turned away and headed back into the kitchen.  "After all, what choice 
do I have?"

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

	Shampoo and Ranma left the training hall as the light of day was 
slowly fading to the twilight of evening.  She had sustained more 
injuries than usual during the training, and was nursing several 
growing bruises on her arms and legs.  Still, she was pleased to note 
that Ranma had not escaped unharmed, as evidenced by a slight limp.  
She looked to the West and saw that the clouds had finally parted, 
allowing the sunset to throw a dazzling display of color on the 
clouds.  She paused for a moment to enjoy it, but was suddenly snapped 
out of her reverie by a loud, unwelcome voice.

	"Shampoo!"

	She grimaced in frustration as she saw Mousse running toward her, 
smiling broadly.  "It is good to see you again, Shampoo."  He glared at 
Ranma briefly before deciding to ignore him, then turned his gaze back 
to Shampoo.  "I trust your training has been going well."

	"Yes it has, Mousse," she replied, glad that the boy seemed to be 
acting civil towards her.  As long as he wasn't being annoying, she had 
found that she could usually be polite to him.  "Today was particularly 
hard, though.  Ranma and I were just on our home to rest a bit."

	"So I see," said Mousse, looking down at one of the bruises on 
her legs.  "What have I told you about hurting her, Outsider?"

	Ranma opened his mouth to speak, but Shampoo interrupted him.  
"I'm not some fragile, breakable toy, Mousse!  Unlike you, I am a 
warrior!"  She glared at him, pleased to note that he was cringing 
slightly.  "You insult me by suggesting that I need to be protected... 
especially by you."

	She moved to walk past him, but Mousse suddenly stepped in front 
of her.  "I'm sorry, Shampoo, but I just don't want to see you getting 
hurt!  Particularly by someone like him!"

	She was about to retort, but this time Ranma stepped in between 
them.  "She said she doesn't need your help, Mousse," he stated 
calmly.  "On top of that, you have insulted her, and you have insulted 
me.  Now leave, or I will hurt you.  Badly."

	Mousse said nothing, but instead lunged forward to attack.  Just 
as he did, Ranma stepped to the side.  Ducking under Mousse's arm, he 
spun and kicked him hard in the back, sending him sprawling to the 
ground in front of Shampoo.  She had been rendered speechless by 
Ranma's sudden intervention, and simply watched the unfolding scene in 
dumbfounded silence.

	"Ouch," muttered Mousse as rose to his feet and turned to face 
Ranma, "you'll pay for that."  He dropped into a fighting stance, but 
just as he did he suddenly collapsed to the ground.  "Agh!" he cried as 
he collapsed to his knees, clutching his back with one hand while he 
propped himself up with the other.

	"I hit you pretty hard there," explained Ranma, "in a rather 
vulnerable spot.  You might want to have someone take a look at it."  
He turned to leave.  "You coming, Shampoo?"

	She snapped out of her shock to look at Ranma, then at Mousse.  
"Yeah," she answered slowly, "I'm right behind you."  As Ranma turned 
to leave, she turned to Mousse.  "Are you all right?  Do you need help 
getting home?"

	"Don't worry about me," he cringed as he stood up again.  "I'm 
fine.  I won't let that Outsider humiliate me that easily."  He turned 
to face her, and when he spoke there was real concern in his voice.  
"He's dangerous, Shampoo.  Be careful around him."  He turned and began 
to stagger away.  "I just don't want him to hurt you."

	"Don't worry," she whispered to his retreating back.  "I'll be 
careful."

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

	"You didn't have to hurt him quite that badly," she said as she 
caught up to Ranma, who had stopped to wait for her.  "I'll be the 
first one to admit he's a nuisance, but seriously, you didn't have to 
go quite that far.

	"Don't worry about it," he replied.  "He'll be fine.  It's not 
like I did anything permanent."

	"That's not the point!" she retorted angrily.  She sighed, 
kicking at the ground as they walked.  "It was a pretty vicious thing 
to do.  There were other ways to get rid of him."

	Ranma turned his head and glared at her.  "How was that vicious?  
Didn't I warn him, 'leave or I'll hurt you'?  He decided to attack 
anyway.  If I hadn't hurt him, Mousse would have decided that I don't 
follow through on my threats and taken it as a sign of weakness."  He 
turned back to the road.  "Next time I tell him something, maybe he'll 
actually listen.  What I did may have hurt him, but I still think it 
was the best thing I could have done."

	What he was saying did make sense, she thought.  Still, something 
in her gut told her it was wrong.  "Maybe it was," she replied.  "It 
still seemed pretty brutal, though."

	He paused for a second before answering.  "We're warriors," he 
said.  "It's our job to be brutal... and in two months, we're going to 
have to be a lot more brutal than I just was to Mousse."

	"Don't remind me," she muttered.  "I don't want to think about 
it."

	She was staring at the road, so she didn't see Ranma turn to look 
at her, his usual cold expression briefly hidden by the concern that 
was easily visible in his countenance.

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

	"May I speak to you, Matriarch?"

	Cologne looked up from the map she was studying, and saw Ranma 
standing in the doorway.  "Hello, Ranma.  Yes, I can speak with you, 
but not for too long.  I need to finish this for the council meeting 
tonight."

	"I have a request to make," he said.  "When Shampoo and I start 
going on patrol in two weeks, I want you to place us in the same 
patrol, so we can fight together."

	Cologne raised an eyebrow, frowning at Ranma's unusual request.  
"I don't usually honor requests like that, Ranma," she told him.  "Why 
is it that you want to be with her?"

	"We have been sparring together for years now, and our fighting 
styles complement each other.  We know each other's weaknesses and 
strengths.  I believe that the two of us would work well together in a 
patrol, having worked together so often in the past."

	Cologne stared at him for a long moment, trying to read into his 
impenetrable expression.  As usual, she failed.  "I'll see what I can 
do, Ranma.  I can't promise anything, though."  She pushed the map 
aside, and smiled.  "Forgive my rudeness- it's been a hard day.  I 
haven't seen you in a while... how's your training coming?"

	"Very well, Matriarch.  The routine of training has been getting 
boring, though.  I'm looking forward to finally going on patrol."

	"Yes, I would imagine you are," she replied.  "Don't look too far 
ahead, though.  Some of your hardest training of all will be coming up 
in the next few weeks, between now and then.  You have weapons 
techniques to perfect and secret techniques to learn before you will be 
deemed ready for the dangers of patrolling."

	"I look forward to the challenge," he said, a cold gleam lighting 
up his eyes.  "Sparring with Shampoo is fine, but it's been a while 
since I truly pushed my limits."

	"In that case, Ranma, you will enjoy the next few weeks."  She 
chuckled.  "The Bakusai Tenketsu training, in particular, will push you 
to the edge.  I guarantee it."

	"Good," he answered calmly.  After a second of silence, he spoke 
again.  "Will you do what you can to ensure that Shampoo and I can 
fight together?"

	"I will try," she sighed.  "Ruby may protest, though, seeing as 
you're both young and inexperienced.  She may request that both of you 
be teamed up with more experienced warriors."

	"Both of us are capable fighters," Ranma countered.  "Besides, I 
can already fight better than most of the warriors who are in the 
field.  If protecting her daughter is what Ruby is worried about, then 
I could protect her better than almost anybody."

	Cologne smiled slightly.  Could it be that that was really why 
Ranma wanted to fight alongside Shampoo... to try and protect her?  
That prospect was certainly intriguing.  Maybe there was hope for the 
boy, after all.  "You have a point, Ranma," she said.  "I will see what 
I can do."

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

	Just outside the village, in a rocky area near the mountains but 
well away from Musk territory, lay a training range dedicated 
specifically to teaching young Amazons the Bakusai Tenketsu.  What had 
been developed as a mining technique had quickly been recognized by the 
matriarchs as excellent endurance training for aspiring warriors, and 
the so-called "Breaking Point" had soon become one of the most 
important techniques learned by young Amazons.  The suffering and 
dedication required to complete the training had also turned into it 
something of a rite of passage, something separating the older, more 
experienced students from their younger, immature compatriots.

	Three large wooden frames had been erected to facilitate the 
training.   In each frame, several students could be trained 
simultaneously, suspended in midair by ropes from one side while 
several boulders were raised up onto the opposite side and swung toward 
the students.  The ropes attached to the rocks were then manipulated 
via simple pulleys to terminate at a single platform located midway 
between the rocks and the students.  Here the teacher stood, yelling 
furiously at the students as she pulled the ropes necessary to trigger 
each boulder, inflicting the maximum pain- mental and physical- on the 
helpless students.

	When the students had successfully mastered the technique, they 
would find themselves tougher, both mentally and physically.  Their 
minds would be clearer, they would be more in tune with their bodies 
and their spirits, and they would carry with them a greater 
understanding of the world around them.

	It was a cool, cloudy day in early winter that Ruby brought her 
students to the Bakusai Tenketsu training range for several days of 
intense training.  During the training, the students would camp in the 
nearby forest and fend for themselves, in order to keep their minds 
focused and free of distractions from the outside world.

	She turned to face her students.  Usually, she tried to be 
encouraging and somewhat compassionate toward her students.  She always 
put their well-being ahead of their training, at least as much as was 
permissible when training warriors.  However, that philosophy 
conflicted with the very nature of Bakusai Tenketsu training.  For the 
next few days, she would be a different sort of teacher, hoping that in 
the end all her students were better because of it.  Teaching the 
Bakusai Tenketsu had never been particular easy for her, but it was 
made worse this time by the fact that her own daughter was in the group 
of students she would be training.

	She pushed those thoughts out her mind, and turned to face her 
students.  "This is the Bakusai Tenketsu training range.  For the next 
few days, this range and the forests nearby will be your home.  You 
will eat, live, and breathe training.  You will suffer, and when it 
seems like the pain has ended, you will suffer more, because this is 
the nature of the Bakusai Tenketsu.  If you make it through the 
training, you will be virtually invincible.  If you give up, then you 
will never be an Amazon warrior."

	In reality, very few students failed the Bakusai Tenketsu 
training, and if they did, they would be given the opportunity to try 
again.  The students had already been trained and conditioned for years 
with the intent that when the Bakusai Tenketsu training came, they 
would be ready for it.  None of Ruby's students had failed the training 
in over two years, and it was a statistic matched by several other 
Amazon teachers.  Still, because of the matriarchs' recent decree, some 
of the students were unusually young, and that worried her.

	One by one, the students secured their harnesses and she raised 
them into position.  She climbed up to the teacher's platform and faced 
them, reading into each of their expressions for signs of weakness and 
nervousness.  Some of the students- such as her daughter- were nervous, 
while others- such as Ranma- seemed focused and determined.  It didn't 
matter.  They would all succeed, no matter how long it look.  "In each 
of these rocks flows natural energy," she began, "similar to the ki 
that flows through your own body.  What you will do is learn to find 
the point that disrupts this natural energy, and exploit it!  To find 
the breaking point in these rocks, you must look not with your eyes, 
but with your mind!  Only by trusting in your mind will you succeed!"

	One at a time, she triggered the boulders, and tried to avoid 
wincing as they slammed into the students.  "Do not use your eyes, they 
will show you nothing!  Only with your mind can you reach out and find 
the breaking point!"

	Again, the boulders slammed into the students.  "To find the 
breaking point, your mind must be clear!  Free yourself from all 
distractions, focus your thoughts, and you will succeed!"

	The boulders drew back, and hit their targets again.  She would 
continue this relentlessly for a few minutes before giving them a 
break.  Yet she would only offer instructions as the rocks were 
swinging, so the students would have to concentrate through the pain to 
understand what they must do.  It would take a while, but as they 
learned to ignore the pain and heard what she was saying, they would 
learn to focus their mind and sense the pattern of energy in the rocks 
to find the breaking point.

	The rocks slammed into the students one last time, and she pulled 
the ropes taut, preventing the rocks from swinging forward again.  She 
remained silent as the students recovered from the beating and tried to 
focus, then let the rocks go again.  "Remember!" she shouted.  "Look 
with your mind!  It is the only way you can hope to find the breaking 
point!"

	She continued the training into the evening, pleased with the way 
it was going.  None of the students' injuries were too severe, and so 
far everything seemed to be going perfectly.

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

	"What did you want to show me, matriarch?"

	Lilac looked up at her protege, smiling.  "I have a gift for you, 
Mousse.  It is something that will help you defeat Ranma and win 
Shampoo's hand in marriage."

	"Really?  What is it?" asked Mousse, his face lighting up in 
anticipation.

	"After you told me of your little fight with Ranma, I went 
looking through some of the older scrolls and books in my collection."  
She sifted through the papers in front of her until she came up with a 
large bundle, and spread them out in front of her.  "Among the things I 
discovered was a set of teachings left behind many years ago by a young 
man who visited our village, and I would like you to study and learn 
them."

	"Great-grandmother, I am already learning many Amazon teachings," 
said Mousse.  "I do not think that trying to learn even more will help 
me much."

	"Fool!" shouted Lilac.  "I already told you, these are not Amazon 
teachings.  These were left behind by someone, an Outsider, who 
defeated dozens of Amazon warriors single-handedly.  He was extremely 
powerful, and his martial arts teachings are written in these scrolls I 
have here.  Master the contents of these scrolls, and your victory will 
be ensured."

	"As you say, matriarch."  Mousse bowed low, and moved forward to 
examine the papers in front of her.  "Who was this man, anyway?" he 
asked.  "Why was he so powerful?"

	"Well, he was very eccentric, and some of his teachings were 
actually forbidden under pain of death."  She chuckled.  "Don't worry, 
child, these aren't them.  The man's name was Happosai," said Lilac, 
remembering the day the strange little man had appeared in their 
village.  "These scrolls detail some of the secrets behind his martial 
arts and the school he founded- a school called Anything Goes Martial 
Arts."

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

Author's Notes: "Bakusai Tenketsu" and "Amaguriken" are the Japanese 
names for the secret techniques, but I am using them here because I was 
not fond of the alternatives- either translating them to Chinese (which 
no one would understand) or using the English version of the names 
(which a lot of people don't really like anyway).  Hence, the names are 
Japanese, despite the fact that the fic takes place in China.

You may notice similarities between the Bakusai Tenketsu training and 
Luke's Jedi training in Star Wars (there were even more similarities in 
the dialogue before I edited it).  This is because ki-based martial 
arts techniques and the Force are both inspired by the same thing: 
Eastern Philosophy and Religion, of which I am no expert but try to 
write about anyway.

Next chapter: Coming of Age.  Hopefully coming in less than six months 
this time.