Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction / Fan Fiction ❯ Mousse Muad Dib ❯ Looking for help ( Chapter 8 )

Mousse Muad Dib

By

Mari

Co-author by rob

Disclaimer: Ranma ½ is the Ó property of Rumiko Takahashi. Tenchi Muyo-Universe is the Ó property Kajishima Masaki.

Dune is the Ó property of Frank Herbert. Star Wars is the Ó property of George Lucas.

Chapter 08: Looking for help

It was a long and quiet ride but Stilgard and the rest of the Galaxy Police made it safely back to Mousse's home. Sai Yuk was still sounding asleep in one of the officer's arms. Stilgard was still debating about whether or not to tell Mousse about what has happened.

"Officer, please take the Young Emperor to his quarters." He instructed. "I'm going to find the Prince and tell him the whole story."

"Yes Sir." The officer holding Sai Yuk obeyed and left Stilgard.

The other officers stayed behind as Stilgard went off to find Mousse. When he found his room, he heard that Mousse was practicing some katas. "Well he is certainly a fast healer, just like his father." Stilgard mused himself as he knocked the door.

"Come in." Mousse granted permission and Stilgard entered his room.

"Mousse I have some bad news." Stilgard said softly.

"Bad news? What do you mean." Mousse looked anxious, "Is Sai Yuk ok !" He dashed up to the solemn Stilgard.

"No, No." Stilgard replied. "Settle down please. I think you must sit."

Mousse turns and walks to the soft cushion he has on the ground. "OK, what is it?" He asks patiently.

"You know that we went to rescue Sai Yuk from the hands of those bandits." Stilgard started.

Mousse nodded.

"Did you get a good look at who they were?" Stilgard asked.

"I think so . Those two on the boat, the old geezer and the giant." Mousse responded.

"Correct. Now the young emperor is fine, he is being taken care of by some police officers right now." Stilgard continued. "But there was a casualty of the raid."

"Not my mother I hope." Mousse stood quickly and smoothly his muscles rippling in his half open robe.

"No not your mother, your cousin Fai Hung." Stilgard stuttered the last part. "Mousse, she. she . is .um. dead."

At first the shock of the news was too much for Mousse, he acted as if there was nothing wrong, then slowly his face got red and he started to shake. He walked over to the wall and quickly punched it hard, cracking the plaster. Dust reigned down from the ceiling and he finally exploded. "I want to see those two bastards. They will pay for this."

"Um you see." Stilgard started.

"You don't mean to tell me that they got away." Mousse yelled.

"Yes they did. We are still looking for them. But all evidence of their destination was wiped out and there are no clues as to where on earth they are." Stilgard confirmed sadly.

"I see. So let me get this right. They killed Fai Hung, made a laughing stock of the police and got away Scott free." Mousse growled.

"NO!" Stilgard exclaimed angrily. "Now see here young man. Many people risked their lives. And they are very powerful enemies. Your cousin risked her life and gave it because that old geezer as you call him who is a master of the mind, was about to kill Sai Yuk." Mousse started to back away from Stilgards anger. "You don't have the right to sully your cousin's name. She is a hero damn it and you better remember that and honour her or by god I will teach you some manners myself."

"I.. I.. I'm sorry." Mousse apologized with tears flowing from his eyes. "It's just that Fai Hung was the closest I got for a sister." He started to explain for his outburst. "I don't have many friends. Ever since I was a kid everybody always made fun of me because I'm always the weakest in the tribe. Fai Hung used to stand up for me whenever I got picked on. Sure she always teased me but she was practically the only real friend I had." Mousse begins to break down. "Now I'm all alone."

Watching the young Atreides heir like this makes Stilgard heart break. He had no idea that Mousse had such a hard life. His anger subsided and his fatherly instincts took over as went up to him and held Mousse close to him. "There there, my boy." He comforted Mousse. "I promise you that we will get the two culprits that killed your cousin." Then Stilgard made Mousse look at him in the eye. "But remember this, young one." He begins to give Mousse another lecture. "You are not alone. Even those who have the mightiest strength need to ask for help of others."

Sniffle, Mousse wipes his eyes and nods up at Stilgard, his protector and now he is starting to realize as well his friend. "Thank you." He stutters and starts to get up . "I should go see how Sai Yuk is doing."

Stilgard nods and smiles sadly, everyone at one time or another has to learn how to deal with loss. Without that understanding, when times get rough a person can break down and forget how to cope with the here and now. He is happy to see that after trying to deal with the pain, Mousse's first response is to see how his friend and companions are doing. This just lends more strength to Stilgard in realizing that there are depths and feelings more than just on the surface of his prince. "I'll come with you my prince." He says as he catches up to the young Atreides heir.

Meanwhile, the escape pod holding Ojino and Shinju land outside a small village in Japan. The hatch doors open slowly and the sounds of metal pinging as it cools can be heard in the night air. The giant Shinju gets out first, blaster rifle in hand to make sure that the coast is clear for his master. "It seems to be clear master what should I do with the ship?" Shinju asks.

"Well I think you should program it to bury itself near that large elm. I will go get us a room ." Ojino commands as he walks quickly away, whistling and swinging the cane that he uses to make others think him slow and doddering. 'After all ,' he thinks to himself , 'when people think you are handicapped they tend to be more helpful and understand of idiosyncrasies."

Shinju did as his master told and set the program of the ship to self-burial. It quietly hovered to the large elm tree and tilted itself to a vertical position. Then the ship quickly drilled into the ground keeps on going in deep. The ship is now completely buried into the ground. "That should about do it." The giant servant commented and quickly joined up with his master.

Not too far away was Beikng-Pan and Ayeka who, some how, managed to followed them all the way to Japan without being noticed.

"Any sign of them?" Beikng-Pan asked apprehensively while sitting in the back of a hover cycle that Ayeka requested permission to borrow from a random citizen.

"I thought I saw that hulk that was fighting Fai Hung in that park, but it was very dark, and I could have been mistaken." Ayeka responded.

"This town is familiar somehow." Beikng-Pan exclaimed. Snapping her fingers she finally says, "This is the town my son grew up in."

"Maybe we can get assistance then from his former friends." Ayeka exclaims excitedly.

"Yes and maybe I can get that amulet back for him, I'm sure his father left him something on it." Beikng-Pan.

"So where to." Asked Ayeka.

"The Tendo Dojo Anything Goes School Martial Arts." Beikng-Pan exclaims. "It is where several of his friends live." With that the two head into the city.

At the school bedlam arises as Ranma is again fighting with his father.

"But pop." He exclaims twisting around in a circle to evade the staff a giant black and white panda is swinging at him , Ranma backs up a bit and jumps high into the air, kicking out with his legs as the staff try's to contact his body, deflecting the blow with the bottom of his foot.

"Come on Ranma , stop kidding around and just try to beat him." Yelled Akane holding onto a bowl of noodles.

"Nice coaching there, Akane." Nabiki contemplated lazily while reading one of her mangas and eating some rice cakes.

"Oh shut-up Nabiki." Akane took it as offense. "If he were a real martial artist like he claims to be, then this would've been over by now."

"If you say so." Nabiki concluded as she took another bite of her rice cake.

Kasumi was in the kitchen making some tea for the family when she heard a knock on the door. "Oh my, I wonder who could that be." She asked herself and went to answer the door. When she opens the door she sees two women standing outside the entrance. One had about deep purple hair in two ponytails at the nape of her neck and wearing an officer's uniform. The other woman had about slight same resemblance as Mousse and was wearing somewhat formal Chinese clothing. "Hello." Kasumi greeted the visitor with a respectful bow. "May I help you two?"

"Yes is this the Tendo Dojo of Anything Goes School of Martial Arts?" Ayeka smiles.

Kasumi smiles and looks deeper into Beikng-Pan's eyes. "You share a common trait with your son ma'am."

"Yes he does have my eyes doesn't he." Beikng-Pan Smiles. "May we come in, we have some things to discuss with you and your family."

"Oh do forgive me, yes. Please come in . You must have come along way, may I make some tea, are you hungry?" Kasumi babbles.

Ayeka smiles, "Why now that you mention it, we haven't eaten in what feels like days."

Kasumi starts to lead them into the kitchen, but the sounds of battle intrigue the two women and they look into the dojo to see a giant black and white panda using a quarter staff to attack a young male.

"Come on pop, can we stop now, I'm hungry." Ranma complains dodging another strike.

The panda holds up a small sign that reads NO. Dropping the sign he lunges with his paws wrapped around the staff and smartly wraps Ranma on the wrist. Ranma dodging most of the blow starts to windmill his fingers to work out the sting of the blow. "OW! That hurt." He growls. "O.K. You asked for it." Reaching into his clothes he pulls out a couple of darts and toss's them at the belligerent panda. The panda deflects the blows of the darts with the quarter staff and in turn lunges closer smiling. A sharp glint in its eyes. Pushing down on the floor the panda puts his weight into the thrust and Ranma not noticing until it was too late that the attack wasn't on his feet but the floor he had stood on. For as he comes down from the jump that had gotten him away from the blow he found the floor no longer there and fell into the whole the panda had created with his attack. A collective groan rises from the group watching.

"See I told you he wouldn't win." Nabiki exclaimed putting down her manga and standing up to brush off the rice cake flakes.

"Ranma are you O.K." Akane rush's over and looking down the hole.

GET SOME BANDAGES the panda's sign reads.

Beikng-Pan and Ayeka stare in wonder. "That's. That's the boy's father?" Ayeka stares in wonder.

"Ah you are not familiar with people who are cursed by the Jusenkyo Springs are you." Kasumi smiles, "Come I will explain all about it to you."

The three women head to the kitchen as Akane finally pulls a dazed and sore Ranma from the hole in the floorboards. "You knucklehead, why can't you watch where you're landing huh?" Akane frowns.

As the tea is poured around Ayeka frowns and looks at the assembled family unit. A father who smokes a pipe in a Japanese kimono, a friendly but haggard mother type making food and drink, several quarrelsome girls and a giant panda. This indeed is the strangest family unit she has ever encountered. "I still can't believe this tale about the cursed springs." She responds finally.

WILL SOMEONE GET ME HOTWATER PLEASE? The panda sign reads.

Kasumi smiles and hands over the teapot which is nearly empty but has a small amount of hot tea left. Ayeka stares in awe as the panda pours the contents on his head and a blink of an eye later there sits a bald headed man with spectacles and a white gi. "I'm glad to finally get to meet Mousse's mother." Genma, Ranma's father, greeted Beikng-Pan.

"It's very nice to meet you." Beikng-pan returned the greeting. "My name is Beikng-Pan. You must be the friends my son has been talking about."

"Well it is an honor to have you in our house Ms. Beikng-Pan" Soun, Kasumi, Nabiki, and Akane's father, was being polite. "Forgive me for intruding, but may I ask what business brings you ladies here?" He asked as courteously as he could.

"Very well since you asked kindly." Ayeka volunteer to answer. "It all started when we were following two dangerous criminals who kidnapped the son of the Chinese Emperor." She begins telling her tale.

By the time she was finished, everyone else has this certain shock on their faces.

"What is it we can do to help you?" Ranma inquired.

Akane nodded and looked around the room at all the stern faces. "I'm sorry about your niece, my sympathies to you and your family."

"Thank you my dear." Beikng-Pan smiled sadly.

"So where do we go from here ?" Ranma's father inquired as well, trying to keep the conversation on track.

"Well ." Ayeka said. "First of all we must find Ojino and Shinju and find out what they are doing here, Second we must do our best to capture them if possible."

"Plus I need to talk to this young woman Shampoo, it seems she has a family heirloom of ours that I need to retrieve." Beikng-Pan glanced at her watch. "We must go find an inn as it's getting late and we don't want to keep you nice people any longer."

"Nonsense. You will stay here." Soun exclaimed. Kasumi and Nabiki nodded as well.

"I will make up some spare beds for you, and tomorrow we will help you scour the city." Akane said, bouncing up and heading into the main house.

Ranma's face held a deep concentration. "If Shampoo and her crazy great-grandmother are involved it's not going to be easy."

"What do you mean?" Beikng-Pan said.

"They are very powerful martial-artists and love to cause trouble." Ranma replied remembering all the trials and tribulations he had , had to go through because of the marriage/death kiss .

"Well I must still talk to her and find out how she got it, and if she will return it to me. I hope my son is ok. Is there a phone I can use to call China? I will reverse the charges." Beikng-Pan asked.

"Of course.. come with me." Akane's father said, standing and showing Beikng-Pan to the main foray.

"Here is the phone. Just ring 0 to get the operator and they will help connect you."

"Thank you." Beikng-Pan bowed slightly

Ranma looked at his father. "This doesn't look good pop's, maybe I should go over to the Cat Cafe and check it out.?"

"Be careful Son. Those two culprits that Ms. Beikng-Pan described sound dangerous." Genma responded . Picking up he tea he headed to his room.

Ranma jumped up and headed out the side door and jumped up onto the fence top and balancing along the fence he ran quickly. The night air cool on his skin, his eyes constantly roving the night looking for signs of intruders or strangers. As he got closer to Shampoo's noodle shop the Cat Café he slowed down, pacing himself. Getting closer to the building he noticed that it was as busy as usual.

'Might as well go in for some Raman and at get a chance to look around.' He thought to himself.

Walking into the restaurant his first glance around showed him nothing unusual or out of the ordinary. Shampoo was serving some customers and her great-grandmother Cologne was bouncing around picking up plates with her usual flair. Cologne seeing young Ranma in his male persona grinned and said "Come in my boy. Do you want something to eat or another lesson."

Waving his arms in front of himself Ranma grinned. "Just Raman noodles please."

Sitting down he smiled up at Shampoo as she glided up and placed a pot of tea on the table for him. "So how are you today Ranma?" Shampoo inquired.

"Not bad , not bad." Ranma smiled. "So seen any strangers around?" He blurted out.

Shampoo looking inquisitive raised an eyebrow, "Why should I?"

"No. no. no." Ranma laughs. " Just curious. It's been kinda dull, and someone said they saw some strange characters skulking around." Ranma lied.

"Oh really?" Shampoo lighted up. "Do tell. I love to hear gossip."

"Well it seems there were two men. One very .." Ranma looked around and spotted Ojino and Shinju. Though never really having seen them before the word portrait that Beikng-Pan used described the two to a T and he stopped.

"Yessss" Frowned Shampoo. Turning she noticed that Ranma was looking at the two new travelers that had recently come in and had passed on the secret signs of the village elders. "You don't mean my grandfather Poon-Chass and his grandson Ah-Soo-Chi?" Shampoo lied smiling at Ranma as he visibly squirmed.

"Hmmm maybe I should be going." Ranma exclaims standing quickly.

"But your noodles? They will be ready soon." Cologne says startling Ranma because he had stopped paying attention to his surroundings .

"Yes. Yes noodles." Sitting down Ranma gulps a cup of tea , scalding his tongue.. "Oww! Oww!" He yells waving his hand on his burnt tongue.

"Here you silly boy." Cologne hands Ranma a glass of cold water.

Gulping the water he sits panting for a second. "Wow that was fresh tea."

Cologne bounces away to deal with another customer and Shampoo stands up , "Don't worry about them. They can't be the ones you had heard were skulking." Shampoo lied smoothly. "They have been here all day."

"I see. Well maybe I was mistaken. Anyway the two I was going to describe don't look anything like those two." Ranma smiled as he continued to change the truth hoping that Shampoo wouldn't notice him blush.

"Let me get your noodles Ranma." With that she got off her chair and went into the kitchen.

Ranma couldn't quite make out what the old man was saying to the giant, but suddenly the giant laughed and the sound was very ugly and harsh. Ranma shivered. Having heard the tales of what had transpired he only wanted to run home and let them know that there quarry was here. But also Ranma was confused. What would Cologne and Shampoo have to do with these two? How is it that they would be HERE in the Cat Café

Shampoo came out with a tray and first went to several different tables, lightening her load as she went. Finally she put Ranma's noodles in front of him and smiled down at him. "Enjoy." And she continued on serving. Ranma had to eat to keep up his pretence of being there, but he kept an eye on the two strangers.

Strangely enough he started to get very tired. And his head hit the table softly. Not knowing that Shampoo was right behind him to hold him up. She tsk'ed and exclaimed. "Can't hold his drink. I will help him out back, Great-Grandmother!" She called to Cologne.

"Yes my great-granddaughter you should let him take a turn on the cot." Cologne smiled disarming the rest of the patrons. Cologne bounced up to Shinju and Ojino. "It seems we have a spy." And she bounced away.

Ranma settled into darkness as he was carried into the kitchen. Shampoo placing him on the cot looked down at his sleeping face. 'Now what would he want with her new contractors.' She puzzled.

Cologne came into the kitchen. "You didn't kill him did you. Genma would be furious."

"No Great-Grandmother he is just unconscious. But i'm curious as to why he wanted info on those two new customers ."

"Maybe we should ask them?" Cologne looked down at the young martial arts prodigy. "After all it would be a shame to waste such talent."

Shampoo fingering her necklace medallion smiled. "Indeed. He brings me plenty of moments of joy and frustration."

Shinju came into the kitchen and looked at the sleeping Ranma, "Who is he?"

What does Ojino and Shinju want do with the two Amazons? Will Ranma ever be rescued? Will Mousse ever come to help out his friend? Will Beikng-Pan have to fight Shampoo do get the medallion back? What kind of secret does the medallion have? Find out in the next chapter of "Mousse Muad Dib"