Swirling images. Dark.

Silence.

Daytime? Nighttime?

Should I be somewhere?

Eyes, opening. Darkness still.

It must still be early morning, Shampoo thought to herself. Plenty of time to sleep, to rest, to ...

That dream! The Amazon could only recall bits of it, fragments of memory as if it took place eons ago, the way dream memories usually are. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the images that floated behind her closed lids and drift back to the sleep from which she had awoken. A dream about her and Ranma together back in Nychiezu, happy and in bed…

But the visions insisted, nagging.

Streetlights, glaringly bright. Then the dark pavement coming up to meet her. Did she trip? No, that was impossible. She never tripped…

But if it was a dream, why did she remember being so afraid before falling?

And why was she suddenly aware of the distant sting in her palms, scraped as she reached out to catch herself on the rough, dirty pavement?

Shampooo opened her eyes to the blackness, stared around realizing that even the usual dim outline of her bedroom window, which faced the street, was black. She sat up slowly; wincing as her tender hands slid across the hard, rough bed.

“Great-grandmother?” She asked, knowing the old woman should be next to her.

The silence that answered her, the vague realization that her bed should be neither hard nor rough and the soft sound of metal broke through her foggy consciousness simultaneously. As she twisted her head around, seeking some source of light, some bearing of direction, she felt the hard collar at her throat. Her hands reached up to feel what was resting on her neck and found a smooth band of metal. It was snug, but not tight. It had warmed to her skin temperature, but felt cold nonetheless.

Still groggy and not yet panicked, Shampoo ran her hands around the collar seeking some method of removing it. Toward the back, a little to one side, she felt a protruding ring, and her fingers discovered what must be a chain attached to the ring. She fumbled to find the catch, pulling and twisting, trying in vein to open the band. Unsuccessful, she gave up for the moment and instead took hold of the chain. She turned the collar on her neck so that the chain was at her front. She had to shift her body somewhat to accomplish this, since the chain was apparently stuck on something close by. She tugged, but couldn't get it loose.

A chain on a collar around her neck…both of which she was unable to break. Realization was starting to creep through her confusion, but panic hadn't yet arrived. Her rational mind was doing its best to maintain that this all was a dream. It just didn’t make sense. 

The motion of turning her body made her again aware of the surface she sat upon. Shampoo let go of the chain and with her fingertips tenderly felt around the area where she sat. The surface was hard, but not cold. Concrete. Not bare -- covered with some kind of material. It was rough and thin, just the lightest of barriers between her naked body and the hard cement.

Naked…body?

Her hands moved from the rough fabric to the slightly cool skin of her thighs, then slid up to her hips and belly, and then on to her bare breasts. From there her hands once again found the metal collar that encircled her throat. She tugged at the unyielding band with one hand, while her other found the chain and pulled. She turned over onto her knees and crawled toward whatever it was stuck on. She walked one hand along the chain, using it as a guide in the blackness. She didn't have far to go. In just a few feet the chain ended abruptly against a cool cement wall. There was another ring attached to the wall where the chain ended. It was low, close to where the wall met the floor. She pulled once more, still confused, but somehow accepting the illogical conclusion that she was no match for the thin chain.

Her fingers, inquisitive seemingly of their own accord, felt outward in all directions from the ring on the wall. Lines. Squares. It was a brick wall. No, a cinder-block wall. Moving as far as she could to both the right and to the left, she felt no other break on the surface aside from the regular lines of the mortared bricks. She felt the urge to slam her fist into the stone to break it, but a small voice at the back of her head advised against it. If the wall shared the unnatural resistance of the chain, she would break her hand.

Shampoo got up, her knees crackling as they straightened. The chain was just long enough to allow her to stand. Stretching up as far as her fingertips could reach she again encountered nothing but the even surface of the cement cinder blocks.

Unnerved and slightly scared, the Amazon turned her back to the wall, leaned against it, and slowly slid down to a squatting position. Her rear and shoulders were abraded by the slightly rough cement surface, but she didn't take notice. 

"Ni Hao?" she said very quietly. The softly spoken word sounded loud in the thick silence. Her voice was somewhat rough. She cleared her throat and spoke again. "Someone here?  Where…am I?..."

There was no answer. There was no echo. The surrounding space and thick blackness seemed to absorb the sound like a sponge as soon as it passed her lips. A tear welled from one eye and fell down her cheek and onto her thigh. Only a few times in her life had she felt this terrified, during those special training session endured back at Nychiezu. She wondered numbly if this was perhaps a test placed by her Great-grandmother. Or was it maybe a punishment? Had the Council of Elders decided the chase for Ranma had taken too long? Had they taken her back home? Was this her penance for failing again?

Shampoo sat all the way down and brought her knees up to her chest, clasping both arms around her shins, hugging her legs. The collar was a noticeable weight on her neck now, and the chain lay cold on her shoulder. She propped her chin on her knees and stared into the darkness, crying silently.

She flinched violently when the sound of metal on metal resounded in the darkness. Desperation and sadness shoved violently down by the instincts of a hard trained warrior.  Shampoo rose to her feet and stared blindly towards the source of the sound.

It had stopped, followed almost immediately by the distinct sound of a bolt-lock being turned and opened. A searing bolt of pain flashed through her head as the door directly in front of her was suddenly opened. In the instant it took for her to squeeze her eyes shut the bright light stabbed her like a knife. She covered her face with her arms, a bright rectangle of light burned onto the inside of her eyelids. She felt wetness on her cheeks and thighs as her eyes immediately began to tear.

“Sorry about that…” A familiar voice said, sounding amused rather than regretful. “It’s kind ‘f dark in here, isn’t it?”

“A…Akane?” Shampoo ventured, still unable to see. “What…where is we?”

“I can’t tell you that. But it’s a safe place. For me, anyway.”        

Her eyes slowly adjusted to the light and she squinted at Akane. Shampoo stared at her for a long time. Gone was the ugly uniform she always used.  She was wearing a brilliantly polished dark blue one-piece leather dress that ended just below her knees. On her feet were laced a pair of glossy, black, leather knee high boots with 5 inch stiletto heels. There was a tight, black, leather corset over the outside of the dress (or the corset was a part of the dress, she couldn't tell for sure) that narrowed Akane’s seemly square waist down to an impossibly petite size. And her breasts, usually hidden under layers of cloths, were proudly displayed over the black material.

But what stunned Shampoo the most was the expression on her face and the fire on her eyes...She felt strangely vulnerable under that burning gaze, so unlike the gentle eyes of humble stupid Akane…

The Amazon’s face hardened suddenly.

“Who you? What you did to Pervert Girl?!”

Akane’s eyes grew wild and the small smile on her face tightened into a neurotic rictus. Her lips parted slightly, revealing a set of perfect white teeth. Shampoo swallowed, realizing the woman in front of her was probably insane. She stood and settled into a fight stance. Perhaps the chain could withstand her strength, but she was the Champion of Nychiezu, defeated only once by one of her own generation…

“You little bitch have been insulting me, and bullying me and trying to take MY FIANCEE away from me for far too long…” Akane growled.

“Feh!” Shampoo snorted. “I going make you regret doing this to….Aiya!!!”

Akane had cut the distance between in a second. Grabbing Shampoo by the throat, the tomboy slammed the Amazon hard against the wall and then threw her to the ground. Shampoo grunted and struggled to get back to her feet, but Akane twisted her arms so that she was forced to lie flat, her front pressed onto the cold concrete floor.  Then she felt Akane’s weight settle on her back. She was straddling her body and sitting on her…and there was nothing she could do!

“Wha…why I no can lift you?!”

Shampoo wailed, starting to hyperventilate as Akane took hold of both her arms and twisted them at her back. She felt something wrap around her wrists and tighten.

“Oh, just a little trick Mr Happy taught me a few months back! Zapped all the strength out of you!”

Shampoo heard a soft 'click', then Akane got off of her and moved to one side.

The Amazon tried to bring her hands to her front, but  they were bound together behind her. She wiggled and squirmed on the floor until she was able to roll over onto her side and work her way into a sitting position. It didn’t matter how hard she strained against her bindings, they would not break. Tears of fear and despair gathered in her eyes and she looked up at Akane, now standing above her with a triumph smirk on her face.

“What you do to me?!”

“Oh, calm down! It’s reversible. But if I do this right, once you get all of your nasty strength back, I’ll still be able to wipe the floor with you.”

It was comforting to know whatever was done to her was reversible. And the fact Akane planned on reversing it in the future helped even more. Her threats, however, were harder to digest. They did confirm her suspicion that this girl just wasn’t who she seemed to be. But how that realization made the situation any better escaped her.

Well, when one was defeated, the only thing to do was to recapitulate…and then get revenge once things were favorable again.

“What you want from Shampoo?”

Akane-or whoever was impersonating her- grabbed the chain attached to the collar around her neck and yanked it firmly. Shampoo was forced forward inches away from the tomboy’s leering face.

“I’m sure you’re familiar with the old saying ‘if you can´t beat them, join them’, right?”

“Uh…yes?”

“I can’t get rid of you…so I’ll make you part of the family.”

Akane leaned forward, her lips brushing slightly against hers. Shampoo moved by instinct, forced into action by years of hard training. Like a hound to blood, she leapt at the opening and tried to bite hard the lips of her captor. Akane pulled sharply back…and laughed.

“I’ve always admired you, you know?” She said.  “You’re beautiful and fierce and wild…You’re everything I’m not…”

A dark pain flashed through her eyes of Akane and Shampoo wasn’t sure if she was a fake or not again. Life at Nychiezu was hard and madness would more often than not, claim the sanity of many experienced warriors. But Akane was a pampered child from a tranquil suburb of Japan….What could have pushed her over the edge?

Akane licked her lips. She was staring at her…hungrily.  Shampoo was suddenly very aware of her nakedness and she lifted her legs to hide as much of her body she could from those avid eyes.

“You’ll be mine and Ranma’s little kitten.” Akane assured her with a sinister smile, before turning and walking away.

“Wait!”

Shampoo rose to her feet and ran after her. The chain attached to the metal collar around her neck jerked taunt and forced her to a painful stop. Gagging and sputtering, Shampoo fell on her ass, hurting her bound hands. The door closed, taking the light away and submerging her in darkness. She cried desperately for Akane to return, but there was no answer.

Moaning, Shampoo crawled back towards the wall and sat against it. She had to lean on her shoulder as to not press against her bound hands. It was not fear what she felt. A Nychiezu warrior could not be afraid of some mad Japanese child…But whatever it was she was feeling was definitely unpleasant. She lifted her legs against her chest and rested her chin on her knees. Maybe this was just a dream, some weird nightmare. Maybe she was back at home and this was punishment. Maybe that wasn’t Akane after all…

And again she wondered how that possibility made the situation better.

Akane’s façade dropped as soon as the door was closed. She shuddered and covered her face in shame. It had been pretty hard to act so lofty and cold in front of a naked Shampoo. It was even harder to stay indifferent at the sight of her tears and wide scared eyes. But it was for her own good…or so Cologne said.

The old woman approached her from the other side of the room, balancing perfectly on a long pogo staff. Ranma stood next to her, looking slightly intimidated.

“Very good, child! That was impressive!”

“Yeah, well…how long do we have to do this?”

The old woman fetched a parchment from somewhere between her cloths and offered it to her.

“You should know that by now, child. Study the words of this document carefully.”

Akane grabbed the parchment and nodded. She had been studying all week to be ready for that short encounter with Shampoo. The way to speak, to look at her, to move and bound her…it had all being carefully studied and practiced. It’s being a hard work and she knew the difficulty of this mission would only increase. Ranma came to stand next to her. He smiled and that lone reassuring gesture was all she needed.

Cologne’s looked on sadly at them. Akane noticed and she felt a pang of compassion. Since Ranma and she had married, the old woman looked as fragile and old as she was. Gone seemed to be the spirited and urban matriarch they had both come to respect and even care for.

“I can’t say how much I appreciate this, Akane, Ranma. If you had refused, I’d been forced to take my Shampoo back home in disgrace and to a life of misery.”

“Yeah…how’s being a sex slave any better?” Ranma asked, scratching at the back of his head.

Cologne smiled.

“This’s just formalities. I know…you two will treat her kindly. In Nychiezu…” She sighed and her smile disappeared. “We are, I’m afraid, a cruel breed. She will not survive slavery back at home.”

Ranma sighed and looked away. Akane asked excused herself.  She picked her uniform from the ground and walked to a small bathroom at the back to change. On her way, she placed the parchment in her bag and patted it softly.

Cologne had lived more than a hundred years. She had survived heart-breaks, the loss of loved ones, the dissemination of families and three different wars. There were little things that affected her anymore. Sadly, the hurt anger of her Great-grandmother was one of them.

"It is behind my power."

"I did everything you ever asked of me!" Shampoo wailed, flailing her arms wildly about. "I bled and sweated! I broke my bones over and over again! And I never complained. I've always trusted you! How can you do this to me!?"

"Because I lack the power to protect you."

"No! You don't!"

A sharp blow to the head was the standard punishment for such stubbornness, but the old woman couldn't bring herself to apply it. She had finally informed Shampoo about the Council's sentence. She had failed to wed Ranma Saotome in the speculated time. As she was unfit as a warrior both in the battle field and in the bed, Shampoo would have to be 'fixed' and 'readjusted' into the passive ways, so she could be useful to the tribe as a slave.

And Cologne had already traded her.

Shampoo had not taken that well, of course. Cologne had let her futilely yank the chain that secured her to the wall for a good thirty minutes. She allowed her to scream. She even let slide a few insults directed at her persona. She was willing to let the prolonged tantrum run its natural course, but delusion could not be permitted.

"I am but one of the Council, Child. What could I do against the rest? Even with Ranma  and Akane and you and Ryoga and Mousse at my side.It would be war. It's that what your freedom's worth? The death and pain of the tribe and your friends?"

"But why them?!" Shampoo wailed brokenly. "Why them?!"

"Ranma has killed a God, Shampoo, and it was felt all over Nujiezu. The Byankala trembled to its foundation and a rain of fire fell into every valley. All of our people combined possess greater power, but as individuals few equal it and fewer of us exceed it. The Council was willing to offer Ranma a Nujiezu warrior of his choosing."

Shampoo opened her mouth to protest but Cologne raised her hand. The girl, even sunk into a swirling of emotions, settled to listen.

"He, of course, refused. I delivered his decision and the Council warmed Akane would be killed. And if Ranma decided to try to avenge her, he and his family and her own family would be executed as well."

Shampoo stared skeptically at her. Cologne sighed, realizing she had made yet another mistake while raising the child. She had sheltered from the cruelest side of human nature. And most importantly, of Nujiezu itself. Joketsuzoku was seated in a secluded corner of broad China and its small population usually kept for themselves. But the moment they were disturbed, like a hive of bees, they would lash out with everything they got to submit the world, if necessary, to their Laws and archaic ways. 

"Ranma's skill made him worthy as an ally. So I proposed the Council Ranma and Akane proved their willingness to serve Nujiezu.by breaking you."

Shampoo's face twisted in anger and sorrow. She kicked sharply the tray Cologne had brought to her, sending a steaming bowl of chow mein, a teapot and a cup crushing to the ground. She turned her back on the old woman, facing sullenly the wall.

"I offered the only solution to avoid a painful.series of events. I.wish there'd been another way."

The old woman stared dully at the mess the girl made. Outstretching her thin arm, Cologne fired a small chi ball. It engulfed the spilled food and devoured it in seconds. Then she closed her hand and the blue flames danced into thin air, disappearing. Shampoo did not turn.  She sighed and picked the broken pieces of glass and porcelain, gathering them in the tray and walked back to the opened door.

"I hope you die a bad death, Great-grandmother."

Cologne winced but kept walking and did not turn again. The door closed and light was gone. Feeling safe alone in the dark, Shampoo finally let go of the raging emotions swirling on her chest, and wept brokenly.

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

Akane ate the wanton mee in silence. Next to her, Ranma was devouring a third dish. The food was delicious, but it was free. The boy's behavior was blameworthy. Even more so under the current circumstances.

Cologne had closed down the Neko Hanten. The tables and chairs were piled up against the walls and their workers had started to abandon the sinking ship. Mousse, travelling on white wing, was probably reaching the Sea of Japan by now. He would shake off the effects of the Xi Fa Xiang Gao sometime, but likely not in the near future. Cologne would carry his things, along with hers, in the plane. In a one-way flight she would take by end of the month

Akane swallowed, thinking of the faith of the third member of the peculiar group. Cologne had told them, during their training, that Shampoo was informed of the situation. She didn't take it well and the effects of the hard encounter could be clearly seen on the old woman's eyes and posture.

""We can always come after lunch." Akane offered. "I.feel bad, always coming and eating for free."

"I need to get rid of the stock." Cologne said dully. "It is no problem. Besides, it helps save time."

"I'm glad to help." Ranma said, snatching a meat bun from the center of the table and eating it whole. Akane glared at him. "What?"

"Please, finish, Akane." Cologne urged her wearily. "I trust you studied the Book?"

"Yes."

"The Payin Xion Yu..." Cologne spoke grimly. "The Book of the Principles of Ying and Yang, ancient even when Nujiezu was founded. It holds, however, wisdom and knowledge. Its principles will help you, Akane and Ranma Saotome, develop the nature of Yang and impose the nature of Ying into Shampoo:

"K…n K?nghŠ: the nature of Yang is to impose and the nature of Ying is to accept. Yang is light and Ying is the darkness that recoils from light. Yang moves the Ying, because Yang is energy and Ying is all which holds still. Yang gives when needs to and takes when wants to.  Ying must give and takes what Yang wishes to give.

Di…nyu n H‚ ZŤ: Yang's every word is Law. Ying's every action must have reward or punishment.  If punishment was promised, it must be applied. If reward was promised, it must be given. Thus Yang's words will equal action. It is truthfulness of word and fairness of action, and not wanton cruelty, Yang's true nature. 

LŤli…ng H‚ Sh?nt?: Honey can catch more flies than vinegar. A whipping hurts for a month and the victim recoils at the sight of the lasher. The memory of overwhelming pleasures lasts a lifetime and the victim yearns for them.

B— D…f?ng, G?ngpˇng: Compassion does not equal absence of cruelty. Cruelty only leads to self-destruction. Discipline and practicality precedes all else."

Cologne stopped talking. Akane release a breath she didn't realized she was holding. Ranma sucked in the noodles that had been hanging from his mouth since the short lesson started and glared at the old woman.

"That's some fucked up shit."

"So it is, boy." She agreed dryly. "And still, you shall live the rest of your life by its precepts or suffer the consequences."

"I still say we should fight."

Cologne realized Shampoo was not the only teenager around blinded to the realities of the world. Ranma had been raised under the tutelage of a lowed moral opportunist, travelling around most of Asia. It was not naivety that kept him from understanding the real predicament of their situation, as it was with Shampoo. His was mere arrogance, sculpted by a lifetime of impunity and tuned by overwhelming skill.

"Ranma, your fight with Saffron was impressive, or so I'm told. But, you were not the first to fight one of his incarnations. Nujiezu had lived at the foot of their mountain for thousands of years as a free nation, despite the fertility of our land."

Ranma sighed and slumped in his chair, refusing to comment. Cologne turned her attention to Akane, ironically the most sheltered of the three and who had the clearest understanding of the whole problem.  

"I suggest we get started with today's lesson." She said and the girl swallowed nervously and looked up to meet her eyes. "Are you ready?"

"I.I am ready."

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

Shampoo felt the veil of sleep starting to lift. She blinked awake and thick tears, cupped in her eyes from the previous night, fell free. She caught them with her tongue in an unconscious attempt at moistening her dry mouth. She wiped her nose with the back of her hand. It was a highly insufficient way to relief the tension built at the brick of her nose. She grabbed the sheet that covered the floor and blew her nose on it. She let go of the stained sheet and scooped a little to the side.

Sudden light ripped the darkness and Shampoo cried out in pain, covering her eyes with trembling hands. It seemed the faint sound of metal against metal that dragged her from sleep had not been part of some fleeting dream. The door had opened, but briefly. There was the clicking sound of heels on cement and the door slammed shut again. Shampoo opened her eyes and almost screamed at the sight of darkness.   

"Close your eyes, Shampoo."

Shampoo squealed and jumped to her feet, forced back slightly by the pull of the chain fixed on the wall and the collar around her neck. She stared blindly ahead, her ears straining in anxious wait for any sound.

"A.Akane.?"

"On five, I'll turn the light on. One."

Shampoo hesitated. Disobedience was a clear sign of rebellion, but the warning was meant for her sake.  She closed her eyes as Akane's voice intoned the number 'four' and opened them a few seconds later. Her eyes resented the early exposure to the light.  Shampoo accepted the searing pain just to be guarded against this stalking intruder.

Akane's heel clicked loudly in the floor as she came to stand in front of her.  She was wearing the same leather dress and shiny latex boots of last time, but two things had been added to the outfit:  a shiny black leather belt that wrapped around her waist and a wicked looking bull-whip, strapped to it.

Shampoo swallowed at the sight of the whip and looked up at Akane. The girl was smiling coldly and her deep dark eyes gleamed maliciously. She couldn't help cowering under that burning gaze.

Akane's self-control almost slipped as Shampoo backed away against the wall. The angry fire of defiance she had seen burning on her eyes in their first meeting was gone. Her eyes were bleary and tearful and squinted wearily at her.

"Cologne told me about the little conversation she had with you last night." Akane said, ignoring the sudden dryness of her mouth. "I hope it'll help save time."

"Time for what?"

A new urge to comfort Shampoo after the croaked question was quickly suppressed. Cologne said the harder it was at first, the easier it would be in the long run. Akane straightened, the tight dress secured around her body creaking. The leather felt like an armor of sort and she took deep breaths to catch its soothing smell.

"This's all very simple, Shampoo. You're used to getting everything you want. Well, now that's changed. You'll only do as you're told. The sooner you get that, the easier this's all going to be."

Shampoo looked down at her bare feet. The dead weight of the chain and collar was suddenly overwhelming. She had hoped so bad that the 'evil Akane' was just some sort of demon playing with them. She had imagined Ranma or Great-grandmother- even stupid Mousse- crushing through the door to save her. But then Cologne had come calmly through the door and rammed reality down her throat.   

"I bet you're hungry. I brought you this. "

Shampoo looked up, a little startled by the gentle tone of those words. Akane had a bowl of steaming dan hua tang on her hands, and was offering it to her. Fighting down the avid urge to take it, Shampoo glanced uncertainly at the girl's face. There was no smile to soften the cold haughty expression, but the ice seemed to have melted from her brown eyes. Considering the offer was safe, Shampoo took the bowl and chopsticks in silence and knelt down to eat.

Akane turned from the Amazon and paced casually around the room. It was not a necessary part of the act. It even risked it. But it was all she could do not to snap. The lessons of the last two months regarding domination and submission rushed into her mind one after the other. Even though disturbing, Akane had come to like the BDSM Martial Arts style. She even felt a gentle tingling of excitement at the prospect of applying some of the learnt technics. But now, in front of the unhappy naked Shampoo, her will threatened to crumble.

The sound of porcelain clicking on cement signaled the end of the meal. Akane turned and faced Shampoo with her carefully studied expression. The girl trembled visibly under her gaze and pulled her hands back towards her body, leaving the empty bowl neatly on the side. Akane glanced to make sure all the soup was gone.

"Stand up, Shampoo."

Shampoo stood up reluctantly and Akane felt a weakening relief washing over her. If there was no defiance, there had to be no punishments. Perhaps Shampoo was not as stubborn and difficult as her Great-grandmother wanted to believe. Or perhaps, she was just doing that good of a job.

There was an old saying in Nujiezu: If the Gods thought the human body was something shameful, then people would be born with cloths on. In that regard, they were a liberal race. Men and women would bathe together and in hot days, most of them would walk about the village naked. Cloths also made noise when wiped by the strong wind of the mountains and could get hooked in the branch of trees and bushes, so it was normal practice to oil their skin and ventured into the woods at night with only a dagger in hand to hunt.

Shampoo, like any Nujiezu, had done those things and more. But now, under Akane's hungry gaze, her nakedness was making her uncomfortable and she yearned for cloths. 

"Step forward a little."

Shampoo stepped forward. There was a slight pressure on her throat as the chain pulled taunt. Akane continued to inspect her like some piece of meat dangling from a hook at a butcher shop. Shampoo closed her eyes. Forced thoughts of revenge and retaliation flooded in her mind to issue some manner of comfort. They were interrupted. Her eyes snapped back open. Akane was moving to her back. Shampoo half turned in trepidation and cold strong hands grabbed her head on both sides. Her breath caught on her throat and she froze.

"Head and eyes straight forward. Straighten your back."

Akane released Shampoo. The compliance of the command was reassuring and Akane felt more secured in her role. She was feeling admiration and a healthy dose of envy at the sight of Shampoo's shivering body. The girl's creamy skin was flawless; the few moles that did exist always seemed to be in the perfect position. She was strong and fast, she knew that, but actually seeing her muscle tone took her breath away (*). Her rear was round, small and firm. Shampoo was physically perfect.

Akane frown a little, realizing her crotch was getting wet. It was not an alien sensation. She had been having sex with Ranma regularly since their marriage and previous role-playing was a must. But the reaction of her body at the moment felt highly inappropriate. This was not a game aimed to pleasure her. It was a struggle of wills of which outcome depended the lives of friends and family. Hoping the reminder set her body straight, Akane reached out and brushed Shampoo's ass with her fingertips.

Shampoo took in a deep sharp breath and arched her back slightly. Thoughts of revenge and retaliation fled, abandoning her to deal with confusion and trepidation.  She refused to believe this assertive commanding person was the same shy and humble stupid Akane she knew. The Council was playing with her. Her mind latched desperately at the memory of Jusenkyo, and the spring of Drowned Akane. Figures the bitch would be the only person going to the springs and cursing it further, instead of getting cursed...

Shampoo shivered and released a breathy whimper as Akane's fingernails ran gently up and down her back. The motion continued for what felt like an eternity.  Just when Shampoo thought she would snap, Akane stopped and moved back to the front.  

Her brow furrowed slightly. Akane-or whoever was posing as her- looked a little rattled. The pale cheeks were flushed and her cold penetrating eyes had grown a little wild.  

"You.you're incredibly beautiful, Shampoo. I.I am.glad you're mine now."

"Aiya.It really you..Akane, how can you do this to Shampoo? We rival but.we friend too. We ally in battle!"

Akane felt her face burning and she turned sharply around. Her treacherous body was throwing her off balance and the Amazon's attitude was not making it any easier. She had prepared for defiance, for insults, for physical violence. But Shampoo's silent compliance and hurt dejected words were unexpected and far more effective than any act of rebellion. She dimly wondered if the Amazon was doing it on purpose. 

"Well.you're my slave now!  And.I'm calling the shots."

She snapped, turning back to glare at her. She had hoped the use of such an ugly word would cool down her arousal.  But instead, it stirred a weird tingling at the pit of her stomach. She decided to change course.

"Do you need to pee?"

"I chain in up wall for hours! Yes, I need go bathroom!" Shampoo snapped, stomping her foot. "And I need shower! And why I no have one lamp!? Why you leave in dark?! No turn you back on me!"

As Akane walked to door to get what was needed, she worked in reigning in her emotions. It took some time to control her breathing and racing heart. At the expense of accepting her arousal, her mind regained focus and the lessons taught were remembered. She picked a plastic bag and walked back to Shampoo. When she spoke again, the quivering on her voice was gone.

"I suggest you get used to all that. You're mine now and I'd with you as I please. Do not speak unless I give you permission to speak. And it's not just 'Akane' or 'Ranma' anymore. Add 'samma' after our names. It is the proper show of respect. Disobey, and you'll be punished."

Shampoo gaped at her in stunned silence. Then an expression of overwhelming hatred and despise twisted her features. 

"This part Shampoo suppose feel intimidated? You always jealous of me. So you let chain in wall and lock up in dark room. Only way you get Ranma! I help save you many time before! This betrayal! I find way out and then you die!" 

"I'll.let that slide because you're angry. But you better shut up now." Akane threw the plastic and it felt heavily at her feet. "Pee. We've got lots of things to do before they day's over."

Akane walked back to the door, wincing every time one of her ankles bent awkwardly, forced off course by the damn high heel boots. The leather corset tied around her torso was not soothing anymore. It was suffocating her.

Akane grabbed the letter bag Cologne provided and moved towards a table set on the wall opposite to Shampoo. It was sturdy and long, the only piece of furniture in the whole room.

The bag was heavy and a strong smell of leather rushed to her face as the zipper was pulled open. The smell and the sight of what laid inside had a strange soothing effect and helped Akane deal with the angry accusations of the other girl. The straps and belts and assorted tools reminded Akane that the power she possessed over Shampoo was all too real.

Cologne had initiated her on the study of the BDSM Martial Arts style three months ago, even before Ranma gave the final okay to the Nujiezu's proposal. She knew the effects being tied in certain positions had on a person. The material used also stirred different reactions. She had watched videos and practiced some things on Ranma and poor P-chan. But they had been willing participants, for even the piglet seemed to have enjoyed it.

Shampoo was the first serious opponent she had to face. As she pulled from the bag some of the things she would need, her fingers closed in the shaft of a riding crop.  In an impulse, she pulled the tool out and hit the open palm of her hand with it. She loved the dry sound of leather striking skin. The memory of Shampoo's perky little butt flashed through her mind.

Akane flushed and put the crop quickly away. It rolled on the table and fell at her feet. She kept rummaging through the bag. Her hands finally found what she needed: two cans of cold soda, the best medicine against a painfully dry throat and the overwhelming heath.

Something bounced off her head, making a dry hollow sound. Akane blinked when a big plastic jar fell on the table and bounced a couple of times before coming to rest near her hands. She blinked, and turned to Shampoo.

"Is you crazy!?" The Amazon snarled, all flushed in her anger. "I no pee in jar! You pee in stupid jar!"

"I can pee in the bathroom." Akane teased and regretted it instantly. She grabbed the jar, several napkins from the bag and approached Shampoo again. She set it all at her feet and showed her one of the two cans of soda between her fingers. "You can pee in the jar now, or right where you stand later, but you're not leaving this room. I won't even look and when you're done, I'll give you a soda. You sound like a dying frog."

Akane did not wait for the answer and wobbled back to the table. She wondered distractedly if the suffocating heath on the room was for Shampoo's sake and concluded that the girl would probably freeze without the heather, naked as she was and unable to do any exercise because of the chain. Akane wished she could be naked too. The leather dress was soggy in the inside- drenched in sweat- but was kept taunt outside by the dry atmosphere. Her eyes scanned the bindings at the table, knowing soon she would need to use them, but uncertain if she had the guts to anymore.

She heard Shampoo opening the jar and grumbling darkly as she peed on it. Then it was closed again and set back into the bag.

Akane turned and swung one of the cans at her. She opened hers and drank avidly. The cold bubbling liquid washed down her parched throat and brought tears to her eyes. Her heart was racing and the heath only seemed to increase.

A dry clank was heard behind her. Akane glanced at the opposite wall and found the metal band previously attached to Shampoo's neck clacking to a stop in the floor. The can of soda drew a wide circle as it rolled, forgotten, on its side.

She had lived two years with people that simply changed bodies the moment warm or cold water spilled on them. The connection was made quickly. Akane scanned the room with her eyes, her heart accelerating its racing pace. Every lump and crease on the long sheet covering the hard floor looked threatening.

"Shampoo?" She called meekly out. "I.you better come out right now.!"

The faintest sound of claws scratching wood was heard. Akane whirled around. She saw a small white cat crouching on the edge of the table, before the animal blurred into motion. She screamed as searing pain shot through her neck. She grabbed the cat nailed to her throat and tried to pull her off, but Shampoo had nailed the claws of her front paws under the skin. Her hind legs kicked frantically, covering Akane's naked breasts in angry red cuts. A shrill wail left the girl's throat as the raze-sharp claws grazed the hardened nipples.   

And above the noise of her screams and the searing pain, Akane heard Shampoo's purring.

Her ears started ringing. An intense pressure built at the back of her eyes and everything went red. Akane snarled fiercely as she snatched the cat off and whirled around to slam it against the ground.  The small animal bounced away in the hard cement and came to rest limply a few feet away. 

Panting for breath, Akane took a trembling hand to her neck. She fingered the deep cuts and teeth marks. They were bleeding badly. A cold fear gripped her heart and she stumbled to the bag. Her hands rummaged furiously through it. Crisped fingers grazed a smooth metal surface and then closed tightly around it.

Akane pulled out a small thermos from the tangle of straps and whips. She examined the bleeding perforations at the center of her throat and the deep cuts on the sides over its shiny surface. She looked down then, and stared at her ravaged breasts. Gritting her teeth together, Akane snatched some of the straps on the table and stormed towards the cat sprawled in the ground.

Shampoo purred pitifully. Her dazed mind was attempting to put together all that had happened. Hot water washed on her head and her body changed. She barely noticed.  Nothing made sense. The bite was applied on the right spot and the proper angle, why was she sprawled and hurting in the ground?  Akane should have choked to death in her own blood.

Shampoo grunted when a sudden weight fell on her back, forcing her flat on her stomach. Her arms were grabbed and forced back roughly. Something was wrapped around each wrist and tightened. Coming to grips with the absolute failure of her attack, Shampoo started struggling.

"Don't fight Shampoo. Just take it."

"Get off cow!"

Akane's weight on her back shifted and the painful grip on her hands switched to her legs. Shampoo tried to move her arms back to the front, but her wrists were fixed together somehow. She kicked desperately, trying to keep Akane from doing the same to her legs. It was useless. In a minute, her ankles were efficiently strapped together.

Akane cinched tight the last belt of the leather cuffs encircling Shampoo's ankles and secured the lock. She stared a moment at the small, well-tended feet. In an impulse, Akane brushed her fingernails along the pinky sole. Shampoo squealed and jerked. Akane hesitated a moment, before repeating the motion steadily along the sensitive skin, coming quickly to enjoy the buckling and squealing of the girl under her.  After a while, Shampoo let out a particularly shrill wail and Akane stopped. Feeling a little guilty for getting carried away, she gently lowered the trapped feet and stood up.

Akane watched the shivering girl in the ground a moment and grew quickly alarmed at the sight of blood staining her arms and legs. But then she remembered whom the blood belonged to.

The bitch had gone right for her throat.

Akane walked back to the table. A faint thought of protest flashed through her mind as her hands, as if with a mind of their own, took hold of a tangle of straps and buckles. She stormed back to the struggling Amazon, noticing how she flinched each time the heels of her boots clicked on the concrete floor. She rolled her into her back. Shampoo's eyes grew wild as she straightened the belts on her trembling body.

"What you doing?!"

Akane didn't answer and aligned the straps in place. The body harness was a simple device. It had two central iron rings kept together by a leather strap that laid across Shampoo's stomach. One of the rings Akane placed under her breastplate and the other under her belly. Each ring had three more straps attached and all of them were to be cinched tight.    

The one on the top was different from the others. It ended in a wide and plain-looking choker.  Shampoo shuddered violently as Akane fastened it snugly around her neck.

".A.Akane.?"

"Shut up, Shampoo."

".what you doing.?"

The other two straps of the upper ring went under Shampoo's breasts and Akane slipped them under her arms and rolled the girl on her stomach again. She fastened the belts at her back. She cinched them tight, mindful of not restricting her breathing.

"Akane, please, stop! I sorry about bite! I no never ever do again!"

"I told you to shut up!"

Akane's hands were trembling badly as she fastened the belts that encircled Shampoo's hips and lock at her lower back. She stopped only a moment to appreciate the gentle curve formed by the ending of her back and the beginning of her tush. Akane's eyes were driven to the gentle mound and she allowed a wandering hand to caress it gently.  It felt as good as the videos made it look. She bit her lower lip and smacked one of the precious cheeks.

"Aiya!" Shampoo squealed. "I going kill you, Akane!!! You see!!"

This time, it wasn't a playful smack. Akane slapped as hard as she could without risking an injury. Shampoo screeched loudly. No more comments followed. Satisfied, Akane turned her attention back to the business at hand. And for the first time since the attack, her hands wavered.

The third strap of the lower ring was also a bit different from the others. It was thin and locked into itself, bending the tip to join and secure a tether. It looked too short to reach the iron ring on the belt at the waist where it had to be sliced through.  Ranma had never let her use the harness on him and she had found it uncomfortable enough to wear without cinching the strange lower strap. It was time to find out. 

Akane slipped a hand between the captive girl's thighs. She brushed her shaved pussy and Shampoo gasped sharply. Finding what she was looking for, Akane pulled her hand back. The thin leather strap immediately slipped between the lips of Shampoo's sex and buried in the tender flesh.  The Amazon's trembling intensified.

".Aiya..Please, stop. Akane."

"Ask permission to speak, Shampoo. Call me like I told you." Akane commanded in a low, unrecognizable, voice. "Do it and I'll stop." 

"But I Nujiezu warrior." She mumbled to the floor.

Akane pulled the strap sharply upwards. Shampoo arched her back and let out an animalistic how. The thin leather strap strained to reach the ring at the belt on her waist, where Akane secured. All that could be seen now of it was a thin strip of leather emerging from Shampoo's ass crack.

"Why, you.hentai, lesbian freak!" Shampoo screeched at the top of her lungs. Akane could tell she was a bit hysterical. "Ranma find out! He divorce crazy hentai girl and marry Shampoo! Then we both kill you!"

Akane stood up and stared at Shampoo. Her hands were closed into tight fists, reddened by the useless efforts against the stout leather cuffs holding them together. Her legs were going under a similar struggle. The rest of her could not fight the belts biting the flesh. Akane rolled her with a foot into her back to appreciate the effects of the harness in the front. Her mouth watered at the sight of the heaving chest straining against the leather and of her thighs rubbing against each other, distressed by the intruder biting cruelly the sensitive flesh between them.

She looked at Shampoo's face. Tears fell from tightly closed eyes and long mournful moans rumbled on her throat. Akane shuddered and stumbled away, hurrying for the door.

"Wa.wait!" 

Akane's trembling hands managed to unlock the door. She swung it open and struggle with the light switch, forcing it down.

"No can leave me like this! Akane!!"

Akane slammed the door shut and leaned against it. Shampoo's muffled screams filtered through the thick cement and steal between them.  Letting out a shuddering breath, the trembling girl slid down to the ground.

Cologne landed in front of her, perched like a monkey on the long pogo stick. Her big eyes were narrowed, her face darkened by the glare of the light bulb hanging behind her. Her nose caught the heavy scent of leather, sweat and arousal coming from Akane.

"I sent Ranma away." She said. "The screaming made him restless." 

"I don't know if I can do this." Akane moaned. "It was horrible."

Cologne snorted. She jumped down from the staff and buried a hand under Akane's dress to finger her pussy. The girl yowled and kicked in response. The old woman jumped back and landed on a table. She examined the wetness on her wrinkled hand.

"You seemed to have enjoyed yourself."

Akane looked down. It had become increasingly easy to talk about sex and kinky stuff with the old woman. In the last months she had become the guide Akane never had at home. She rose to her feet and released the cords of the corset. The evil thing fell to the ground and Akane breathed in huge gulps of unrestricted fresh air. 

"I.I am a horrible person." She lamented, stumbling to sit in a chair next to Cologne. "I didn't want to believe I..'had it on me' like you said but.I think I do. "

"We're who and what we are, child. Besides, it is fortunate your dormant Yang awakens. You can do what Ranma can't. Our deal must be fulfilled to ensure peace."

"I know that! I.it doesn't make it any easier.or make me feel better..She was begging me to stop and I.I didn't." Tears of shame and regret fell from her eyes. "And not because I had to.I wanted to continue."

Akane stiffened slightly when Cologne placed her slim wrinkled hands on her neck. A strange warmth spread on the sore and irritated cuts. 

"What.are you doing?"

"An old trick with Chi, child." Cologne answered calmly. "I can't heal them completely, but the bleeding's stopped. The skin's closed. Do not feel too bad for what you did to my Great-grandchild. If her fangs were a little longer, this bite would have killed you."

Akane swallowed and looked down when the hands on her neck travelled to her breasts. They glowed in a haunting blue light and the cuts slowly lost their angry red. It was soon replaced by the light natural color of her skin. By the end of the procedure, the only evidence left of the vicious attack was faint white marks on each boob.

"I just tied her up." Akane confessed, massaging her breasts. "Should.have I done something worst?"

"Let her tied up for a few hours and it'll be enough. But you'll need to be stricter on future affronts."

Akane looked up and Cologne decided the girl would definitely benefit from a good herbal tea. Her eyes were a little wild and she was breathing in quick irregular breaths.

"Cologne.I acted without even thinking. It was like.my brain just shut down. All I could think of is how good it felt.What if.something like that happens when I whip her? What if I don't know when to stop up? What if I hurt her?"

"Hurting is the main objective of a whipping, child. But, I understand what you mean. Honey catches more flies than vinegar. Let's go over your lesson about the wonders of human sensitive spots." 

Cologne jumped to perch on her staff and hopped up the stairs and out of the room. Akane glanced once at the steel door on the opposite wall and hurried upstairs after the ancient matriarch.