Ranma ½ and it’s characters are the
creation and property of Rumiko Takahashi-sama and various other entities, none
of whom happen to be me. I’m
simply using them without permission, but I promise to put them all back when
I’m done, except possibly for Shampoo;)
My other works can be found at https://www.angelfire.com/anime5/ficaleb
Feedback may be sent to caleb_david@angelfire.com
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Shampoo’s Chance:
Spirit of the Law
By: Kaleb
Chapter 10
Who’s ya Sensei Showdown
“SHAMPOO BATTLE DRESS, MAKEUP!”
“What the hel…” Ranma’s
charge suddenly came to a halt as Shampoo twirled around and tossed her waitress
outfit up into the air, leaving her completely naked and her now unconfined
breasts free to follow those movements. Blushing,
Ranma looked away, “Quit screwin’ around and put some clo…”
“Ranma, look out!” warned Akane.
Diving for cover, then rolling to his feet, Ranma barely avoided
Shampoo’s lunge attack. Both
combatants whirled around to face each other, Shampoo now dressed in her
clans’ full battle regalia; complete with bracers, battle bra, and bonbori, or
rather, one of her bonbori. Shampoo
looked at it, appearing confused, while Ranma eyed her warily, determined not to
miss her next move. “Now where I
leave other one?” wondered Shampoo aloud.
Suddenly seeming to remember, Shampoo snapped her fingers,
“Oh yeah,” *KA-KLONCK* “Was
in waitress dress,” declared Shampoo smugly as her second bonbori dropped atop
Ranma’s head, dropping him to the ground.
Clutching her bonbori in both hands for more power, Shampoo lunged like
lightning again, prepared to pulverize Ranma where he lay.
“HIYAA!”
[I can’t lose this quickly again!] thought Ranma desperately through
his hazy head. Ignoring the ringing
in his ears, Ranma grabbed Shampoo’s other bonbori.
“Thanks for the weapon!” shouted Ranma as he returned it to its owner
with a full force throw, forcing an early swing on her part to deflect it.
Now that she couldn’t counter, Ranma sprung forward on his hands,
catching Shampoo in a scissor lock, which he quickly reversed into a scissor
suplex, slamming her to the ground hard enough to send her body bouncing.
“You overcommitted your final strike Shampoo,” scolded Ranma over his
shoulder as he followed through on his momentum, flipping back to his feet.
“How…?” groaned Shampoo from where she lay, holding her head with
one hand and propping herself up on the other elbow.
To Ranma’s dismay she quickly got back on her feet, appearing only
slightly dazed. From her dropped
bonbori and the dents in her bracers, it appeared she’d been quick enough to
curl her head and cover with her arms, taking the brunt of the suplex’s force
on her forearms. “Can’t believe
Ranma recover so quick.”
“I could say the same about you,” complemented Ranma as he pressed
his current advantage, unleashing a barrage of strikes at Shampoo before she
could fully recovered. “I also
can’t believe how stupid that cheap opening of yours was; Shampoo Battle
Dress, Makeup!” mocked Ranma in falsetto.
“I thought it was quite stylish,” commented Nabiki from the
sidelines, “and an ingenious technique. Throw
a guy off guard by twirling around naked, then take him out while he’s
distracted.”
“If Akane hadn’t interfered Ranma would no still be standing,” said
Shampoo as she gave ground, concentrating on blocking Ranma’s attacks while
she waited for her head to completely clear.
[That’s no empty boast] worried Ranma.
[I know she can win with one clean shot, but if I don’t let her…
Whoa! Barely avoided that counter.
Damn! She’s really good.
And fast. Can’t let my
guard down for a second].
“What are you doing here?” Akane asked as she turned to her sister.
“It’s not a proper fight without a Greek chorus,” explained Nabiki.
“And you can’t very well be a chorus by
yourself, now can you?”
“What the hell are you talking about?!”
“Anyway, this looks like it’s going to be good.
Shampoo’s starting to put Ranma on the defensive and make him give
ground. Looks like he may have met
his match,” said Nabiki slyly, watching Akane out of the corner of her eye.
“Don’t underestimate Ranma,” huffed Akane defensively.
“Even when outmatched, he’s surprisingly resourceful.
If there’s a way to win, he’ll find it, and if there isn’t, he’ll
keep fighting till he makes one up. Besides,
I think he’s just trying to avoid getting in real close with Shampoo; she
could slip in one of her debilitating pressure point attacks real easy then.
He’s just giving ground to keep her at arms length.”
“Your faith in your fiance is commendable.
What say we put it to the test? How
much you willing to wager Ranma wins this?”
“W-what? … I’m not
going to bet with you Nabiki! You
always cheat and screw me over somehow!”
“My, _someone’s_ bitter
about _always_ being got the best
of,” laughed Nabiki. Then
speaking loudly while watching the combatants out of the corner of her eye, “I
guess that shows who you think is really going to win.
Poor Ranma, his fiance doesn’t even believe in him enough to place a
harmless little wager.”
[Akane?] Ranma’s train of
thought was abruptly derailed as Shampoo smacked him in the torso and upside the
head with a double roundhouse. Stumbling
back, her narrowly evaded her finishing hook kick and follow through sidekick.
Regaining his focus, he still couldn’t help but glance over at the
girls on the sideline one more time.
Akane embarrassedly looked away. “Guess
I can’t blame you after seeing how sloppy Ranma just was,” said Nabiki. “At this rate Shampoo will have him in no time.”
“Shut up Nabiki. Who knows what you learned from that day with Shampoo that
your keeping to yourself.”
“Well, I did learn
something,” admitted Nabiki, “but nothing that’ll give me an edge here,
and not for lack of trying. Still,
_I’ve_ got enough faith to bet on Shampoo, even though I honestly
don’t know how this’ll turn out. I’d
forgotten how exciting it could be to have things uncertain.
Your missing one of your best chances Akane; it’s rare for me to go on
instinct instead of insider information.”
“Fine, I’ve got 500 on Ranma,” said Akane determinedly, despite
never having won a bet against Nabiki, or perhaps because of it.
“500? _That’s_ the extent of your faith?
Please Akane, lets make this worth our time. I’ve got 5000 on me which I’m willing to put on
Shampoo.”
“5000?! I thought you were
near broke a couple days ago. Where’d
you get… never mind. I don’t
want to know. I’ll bet 2000 that
Ranma wins, you can take it or leave it.”
“Deal,” said Nabiki with a smile as she and Akane shook on it.
“All right! Go get him
Shampoo! If you win this we’ll
celebrate with some drinks from my winnings!
Of course I’ll expect you to make up for skipping out on the tip last
time!”
“Would give that rest already?! Still,
drink really hit spot after get done here,” said Shampoo as she casually wiped
the sweat from her brow with one hand and blocked Ranma’s punches with the
other. It irritated Ranma, but
Shampoo didn’t feel quite as confident as she was acting.
Against opponents who she didn’t take down immediately, she usually was
able to pick up on patterns in their fighting style by now.
Everyone had attacks and defenses that they unconsciously favored, and
once she detected them, she could very quickly end a match.
But Ranma seemed to be stringing his moves together completely randomly,
yet not haphazardly, it was too damn effective for that.
There seemed to be an almost poetic method underlying the madness, but
for the life of her Shampoo couldn’t read or anticipate it.
That wasn’t keeping her from launching her own offense though, as
evidenced by her turning her sweat wiping into a knife hand counter. Shampoo was sure she had him, but at the last moment he
ducked, not enough to evade the blow, but a knife hand was designed to either
break the neck or rupture the carotid artery; at this level her hand merely
bounced off his head. [Ow!
Thick skulled idiot! How I
keep missing ? Had several strikes
already should connected cleanly! Like
he dodging by sheer force of will to no lose, where his power come from?
Got to get guard down somehow.] Turning toward the girls on the sideline, Shampoo asked
sweetly, “Where Akane going to treat her knight to date if he win her
winnings?”
“W-what, that wasn’t part of the bet!” exclaimed a
blushing Akane. “T-the jerk would
probably lose rather than have to date me.”
“Eyes front you cocky bastard. Let’s
see you block all these! TENSHIN
AMAGURIKEN!” Ranma unleashed the
first technique taught him by the Amazons; a burst of speedy movement capable of
unleashing hundreds of punches instantaneously.
They were far to fast for the girls to follow, but before they were
finished Shampoo was knocked off her feet and then sent flying across the yard.
“Hah! How’d you like
that! You fly a lot further than
Ryo… *gasp*” Ranma’s taunts
were cut short as he went down on one knee and clutched the bottom of his
ribcage.
“Both of them? Good thing
I had you bet on Ranma winning. Even
if it’s a draw, I win,” said Nabiki.
“Would you shut up about that! I
think Ranma’s choking!” said Akane as she rushed toward Ranma’s side.
“Shampoo must have traded with him and struck his diaphragm.
If she paralyzed it he won’t be able to breathe!
God, I hope that idiot didn’t knock her out.
She might be the only one who can release it in time!”
Realizing the situation was serious, Nabiki ran over to check on Shampoo.
“Ranma! Are you okay?
Can you breathe?! Say something!” implored a panicked Akane.
“And *gasp* how the hell *gasp* … would I do that if I was *gasp*
choking,” said an annoyed Ranma through labored breathing. Fortunately he was too short on breath to add an insult
questioning his fiance’s intelligence, or he really would have been finished.
“Oh right, you’d need air to…
Then you are alright!” said Akane thankfully.
“Of course I am…” said Ranma as he pushed Akane away. “I was able to twist enough… to throw her aim off…
it’s just cramping a little… Now
get out of the way!” snarled Ranma, “…I’ve got a fight to finish…”
“Damn,
Shampoo thought finished you there,” spat the amazon as she rose too her feet,
looking a little worse for wear. “Still,
only matter of time before Ranma falling,” declared the amazon as she wasted
no time charging back in at him. “Was
waiting for Ranma use that technique,” taunted Shampoo as she and Ranma
rejoined their hand to hand melee. “When
focus on such excessive punching, leave small but perfect opening for
Shampoo.”
“Yeah, too bad you blew it. I’d
say you got the worse of that exchange,” boasted Ranma as he regained his
breath. “Sure it hurts a
bit to breathe in, but that’s nothing I can’t ignore now that the cramping
has stopped. Face it, your fancy
little pressure point attacks are worthless as long as I keep in motion.
Your good, extremely good in fact… for a girl; but you can’t beat me
without the weapons, cheap shots, and tricks you amazons use to compensate for
being weaker than men.”
“Really? Chauvinist pig
boy just keep trying convince self that as long as able.
Martial art lot more than raw strength; not how hard or how much, but _how_ hit that matter,” lectured Shampoo as she slipped a hook past
Ranma’s guard. “And I knowing
how do more damage!” twisting her knuckles, Shampoo shredded Ranma’s inner
cheek against his own incisors.
“You’d been better off rechambering that attack quickly,” countered
Ranma as he grabbed her wrist, “than risking an opening just to add that
spiteful injury!” Using the
momentum he already had from the amazon’s blow, Ranma yanked Shampoo off her
feet, over his head, and slammed her straight on her back.
Expecting a follow up throat strike, Shampoo wildly lashed out with a
pressure point counter, but Ranma knew better to stay in close with the amazon.
Withdrawing into a crane stance, he then launched an ax kick, dropping it
straight at Shampoo’s raised head. “TAAAH!”
Flattening her head against the ground and catching Ranma’s heel in her
palm, Shampoo was able to bring it to a stop right before it impacted her face.
Bringing her other hand up, she shoved back, throwing Ranma off his feet.
[Shit, that too close!] thought Shampoo as she scrambled back onto hers.
[Can’t believe let sexist fools trash talk make Shampoo so careless!
That supposed be my game!] Panting,
the two tired warriors turned back toward each other.
Without giving either of them time to catch their breath, Shampoo resumed
her assault. “Might think have
advantage as man,” warned Shampoo, “but if Ranma no start taking seriously
and stop pulling attacks, won’t stand chance!”
“Huh? I’m not…”
“Don’t jerk Shampoo round! I
felt! With ax kick, and Tenshin
Amaguriken, was slight, but didn’t put full force behind,” suddenly bringing
her arms back to help brace her stomach, Shampoo let Ranma’s sucker punch
connect. “See?!” accused the
amazon as she locked her indignant eyes on Ranma
“You holding back!” Her
angry counter punch knocked a surprised Ranma for a loop.
[She’s right!] realized Ranma as he got back on his feet.
[It was almost imperceptibly slight, but I did pull that punch at the
last moment. But why?
I wasn’t trying too…yikes!]
“You find I hard enough knock out as is; so stop playing and give
Shampoo real fight!”
“You tell him Shampoo! Kick
his ass!” cheered Nabiki, feeling
that things were finally turning around.
“You idiot! I thought you
weren’t going to be holding back!” yelled a distraught Akane.
“You make me almost hope Shampoo kicks that chauvinistic ass of
yours!”
“Damn it! Could I please
get a different cheerleader?” Ranma complained while weaving his way around
Shampoo’s ferocious attacks while trying to figure out what in the world was
wrong with his.
“I don’t think he can help it Akane; as long as I’ve known him,
hitting girls hasn’t been Ranma’s style,” Nabiki explained.
“I’ve heard that male wolves are hardwired to be incapable of hurting
the females. Ranma has pretty
entrenched ideas about what is and isn’t proper conduct for a man.
Striking women may be distasteful enough to him that he’s
subconsciously shrinking from it. You can’t expect him to immediately discard something so
ingrained that it’s become an instinct.”
“Oh Ranma… you… y-you dummy!”
“Which means he’s in big trouble,” concluded Nabiki.
“Given Shampoo seems to be real tough and that Ranma’s attacks
aren’t at full strength, I don’t think he can score a KO.”
“Hey, if Shampoo had been just a bit slower reacting, both the suplex
and the ax kick would have been lights out for her,” pointed out Akane.
“_If_ she’d been slower,
but she wasn’t. She’s
incredibly fast, and with a strong defense to top it off.
I don’t think Ranma’s used to dealing with an opponent who doesn’t
give him the speed advantage.”
“We could say the same for Shampoo.
They’ve both got an amazing amount of agility.
I can hardly follow their exchanges; they seem about equal speed wise.”
“For now,” admitted Nabiki. “But
I think I see Shampoo’s strategy. The
longer this battle goes on, the more likely Ranma is to lose.”
“Wha…?” Akane’s
question was interrupted by Ranma’s body crashing between the two girls.
“What wrong Ranma?” Shampoo asked
sweetly as she lowered her foot. “*tsk*
You bit too slow there. Is
the mighty man getting tired?” suggested the amazon as she advanced on her
panting rival.
“She’s wearing him
out!” realized Akane.
“Uh huh,” Nabiki said.
“Intense hand to hand combat can be even more exhausting than all out
sprinting. They’ve been going at
it for a while now, and Shampoo’s been making sure Ranma doesn’t get any
breathers.
“But shouldn’t Shampoo be slowing down too?” asked Akane.
“Not yet. Her everyday
training gives her a definite edge over Ranma here.”
“Daily training?”
“The deliveries…!” realized Ranma as he desperately gave ground,
trying keep his distance from the relentless amazon.
But he was rapidly running out of space to back up into.
“You mean all her biking for the Cat Cafe customers…?” Akane said
in disbelief.
“Yup,” confirmed Nabiki. “Customer
satisfaction is the most important factor in the restaurant business.
Happy customers become repeat customers.
It’s imperative to get their food to them as quickly as possible.
Considering Shampoo’s skill on her bike, the Cat Cafe must have quite
the reputation for delivery.”
“True, true,” chimed in Shampoo as she stepped inside Ranma’s punch
and sent him flying into the wall with a sidekick.
“Our speedy deliveries so popular.
Is insane. At peak time
Shampoo so busy zooming back and forth. Is
much exhausting. But try to stay
fast as possible, get bigger tips then.”
“Everyday Shampoo pushes her lungs endurance to the max trying to get
her customers their dinner piping hot. What
a work ethic! No wonder she’s out
lasting Ranma. Doesn’t help that
he’s got an injured diaphragm either. Shampoo
probably had this planned from the start,” said Nabiki with obvious
admiration.
“And Ranma only helped speed things up with his Tenshin Amaguriken!”
groaned Akane. “Throwing all
those punches so quickly is taxing. He
completely wore himself out that time he kept using them to beat Ryoga’s
bakentetsu endurance.”
“Still think got best of exchange?” taunted the Amazon as she
leisurely advanced on her cornered prey, licking her lips and flexing her
fingers for effect. [Like a cat’s
claws] Ranma couldn’t help but think as he shivered with dread.
There was no mercy in her eyes, only a gleeful sadism. First she’d paralyze, then play with him.
Ranma’s instincts were screaming at him to run, and only the knowledge
that she’d pounce if he so much as began to bolt allowed him to hold his
ground. [Get a hold of yourself
Ranma!] thought the Saotome youth as he tried to fight down the irrational
terror taking hold of him and keeping him from thinking straight.
[Don’t let her unnerve you! Think!
There’s gotta be a way to turn this around…!]
“Pathetic,” said Shampoo with amused disgust as Ranma clutched his
trembling and hyperventilating body. “Must
realize useless to try resist. Perhaps
hope I get bored and finish off sooner? Coward
Mouse boy not man at all,” Shampoo said sadly as she prepared her final
pressure point attack.
She never got to deliver it though.
Only her noticing Ranma’s pupils suddenly dilate and her awareness of
his ki field drastically shifting allowed her to put up her defenses in time.
Not that they did her much good. With
a blood curdling “MEOOWWRR” Ranma pounced at the amazon.
Shampoo backed out of the range of his claw swipes, but not far enough to
avoid the powerful ki aura that surrounded the Neko-ken; a ki aura to which
bracers and flesh were hardly impediments.
Shampoo screamed in pain as Ranma converted her forearms into bleeding
scratch posts. Concentrating on
maintaining the ki field around her muscles was the only thing that kept them
from being torn to pieces. Trying
to ignore the burning pain in her arms, Shampoo swatted Neko-Ranma away with a
double backhand, buying herself a moments respite.
“I-impossible,” shuddered the amazon, “Wasn’t pushing Ranma far
enough to make snap…”
“No, unless he deliberately decided to push himself over,” realized
Akane.
“You mean he did it on
purpose?” Nabiki gasped. “I
didn’t think he could do that. His
phobia’s so intense that he always avoids it.
Even when he wanted to use it against Cologne, you had to shove Shampoo
in his face to force his change.”
“Right, but this time he didn’t run.
Instead he faced his terror and embraced it, confronting those traumatic
memories that Shampoo was trying to use against him,” explained Akane.
“Ha! And you thought he
was a coward Shampoo! Who’s getting weak kneed now, neh?!”
“Uh Akane, maybe you should try and calm Ranma down and we call this a
match. If I recall, Ranma can’t
control himself in this form, and he looks like he wants to kill Shampoo right
now. If his moral restraints
aren’t in place…” said Nabiki, only partially motivated by the prospect of
losing her bet.
“No! Shampoo still can
win!” protested the amazon as she steeled herself.
Now that she was facing Neko-Ranma, Shampoo finally understood why
Cologne had thrown in the towel; if she made the slightest mistake she might
very well meet a gruesome death at her former beloved’s claws.
“Ranma make mistake; Neko-ken pure animal offense.
Shampoo can always find opening in attack like that [I hoping], and one
opening all I needing [I really hoping].”
The amazon also didn’t mention the collateral damage she’d have to
take. But it was unavoidable.
Due to its inhuman speed and surrounding ki aura, the Neko-ken was
virtually impossible to dodge. And
the penetrating power of those ki claws made the technique unblockable to boot,
as attested by Shampoo’s shredded and blood stained bracers.
The Neko-ken was a truly horrifying offense.
Still, as long as she could survive it…
Projecting a cat like aura (easy considering she was intimately familiar
with being one) toward the hissing Ranma, Shampoo intended to set off his
territorial instincts and make him attack in a rage…
End of Chapter 10
Why? Because
I’m evil. Bwhahahahaha!
And as any fan of Shonnen knows, a good fight is more than an episode
long. This won’t turn into Dragon
Ball Z though; I promise to wrap the duel up next chapter.
Will Shampoo get horribly mauled? And
just who is gonna win anyway? You’ll
have to tune in next time to find out. Don’t
miss it!
Chapter 11
Who’s Ya Sensei Showdown: Sudden Death Overtime
>Shampoo:
Why I no liking next chapter title?
>Author:
It’s a figure of speech.
>Shampoo:
Sure, like you never playing with double or more meanings.
>Author:
Uh… no comment.
>Shampoo:
Let Shampoo see that script! *snatch*
AIYAH!
>Author:
Um… it’s not quite done yet… [maybe I should just shut up and sneak
out of here before she gets to _that_
part]