The Desire Doll - Chapter One
At the Tendo Dojo in Nerima it was a bright and sunny day with not a cloud in the sky. There was a peaceful calm hanging in the air about the home; the birds were singing cheerfully and no evil menaces were lurking about the corners or down the street ready to destroy that peace. Ranma was sitting on the roof just looking up at the sky and the clouds enjoying the rest. Today was ending up being a good day. School had gone great and other then the usual hassle from Kuno, nothing had happened. No new enemies or fiancées had shown up. It hadn't rained at all today. No cold water had found its way onto him; in fact he hadn't changed at all today. Akane and he hadn't gotten into a fight either. She was actually nice to him.
Something was wrong. He snapped out of his daze and looked around. He saw nothing out of the ordinary. Something was definitely wrong. He rose to his feet and hopped down off the roof landing neatly in the front yard. He rose straight and looked around; still nothing. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had such an uneventful day. Something was absolutely, undeniably and utterly wrong.
"Hi Ranma!" Akane blinked. Ranma had just disappeared on her. She looked left, then right and finally up. There he was hanging from the side of the roof. She frowned at Ranma and folded her arms across her chest. "What are doing up there, Ranma! Get down here this instant!"
Ranma sighed and dropped down, landing in front of Akane easily balanced on the balls of his feet. "Sure thing Akane, what's up?" Ranma asked Akane but she only smiled at him and turned to head inside.
"Follow me." Akane called back over her shoulder. Ranma blinked but followed her, curious as to what was on Akane's mind. She was up to something...either that or the day was. He shrugged though for his curiosity was far greater than his caution, until he saw where she was headed. She was headed straight for the kitchen.
Oh no! No! Please! Say she didn't cook something! PLEASE! Today was turning out to be a great day too. Ranma thought to himself as his danger sense kicked in and warned him, a moment before his nose caught the smell. He stepped into the kitchen and there was Akane. She stood by counter upon which rested a plate. It had food on it. Hot food, just having been cooked food, and most importantly, food which Akane would expect Ranma to eat.
"Surprise! I cooked you a snack Ranma, since you didn't get in a fight with me all day." Akane beamed a smile at him and he felt his stomach twist in time with the quiet wrenching of his heart. He couldn't stop himself and a soft groan of anticipation escaped his lips. "What's wrong Ranma?" Akane took a step towards him, her face showing concern. Maybe he was sick. Maybe that's why he acted so strangely on their porch.
"Oh nothing...I had just hoped today would remain a great day that's all." Ranma muttered staring at the plate of food in dread.
"What do you mean? Ho has today gotten bad all of a sudden?" Akane asked, her look of concern giving way to a sinking suspicion.
"Well it was a good day and now…" Ranma's eyes never left the plate and his voice trailed off. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. It looked…sort of edible. He thought maybe it was a salad, because after all most of it was green. But not much of it looked like it was lettuce. Akane followed his gaze to her plate of carefully prepared gyudon and had her fear confirmed.
"Ranma! Don't you want to eat my cooking! I made this especially for you!" Akane growled out as she leveled her best glare at him.
"It's not that I don't want to eat your cooking Akane. I just don't want to be sick the rest of the day!" Ranma retorted taking a step back as Akane took one towards him.
"Ranma! You will eat my cooking! I worked on it since we got home from school for you!" Akane seethed and her hands clenched into fists several times. On the third time her right hand clenched and closed around the handle of a long wooden mallet. Ranma took several steps back seeing the mallet appear in her hand.
"Oh come on Akane! Be reasonable here. The old man has me on some new training diet y'know. At least tell me what it is. Uh…it's a salad…right?" Ranma asked, hoping he was right, hoping Akane would calm down, hoping he wasn't about to get hit.
"Rrrrrraaaaaaaannnnnnmmmmmmmaaaaaaaa!" Akane's scream of rage was heard throughout the entire household and in the dojo behind the house. Soun and Genma who were out in there, ostensibly for the purpose of 'sparring' decided to remain there for a while. Best not to tempt Akane's wrath, they thought. Kasumi was doing laundry and at the sound of flesh meeting wood made a mental note to call those nice young contractors whom Nabiki had hired to be on call for their household repairs. Nabiki ignored it all as she tapped away at her laptop computer, though the corner of her eye did catch the form of Ranma outside her window as he fly through the air trailing bits and pieces of their roof.
While this was occurring at the Tendo residence, at the Nekohanten a different event was taking place. Shampoo was sneaking down the stairs into the restaurants main area her eyes alert for any danger, which would namely be in the form of Cologne. The restaurant was closed for some remodeling so no customers were around. Mousse however was off to one side fixing a large hole in the wall, through which the kitchen could be seen. Cologne was no where to be seen and Shampoo grinned at her good fortune.
Good. Great-grandmother is not around. Only Mousse is here and he has no power to stop me from getting what I need to make Ranma mine. Shampoo thought to herself as she crept to the bottom of the stairs. She sneaked quietly away from the stairwell and across the floor of the restaurant. She weaved silently between the tables as she headed for the kitchen. She moved along with a cat-like grace her body moving as if made of liquid…until she made to pass by Mousse and enter the kitchen. It was at that moment that Mousse turned and reached a hand out for a long slat of wood from a pile he had laid to rest against the wall. What his hand found was considerably rounder and softer than a slat of wood.
That's odd. Was the only thing Mousse had time to think of before he found his head smashed through a nearby table.
"Mousse I kill!" Shampoo screamed at him twice as angry as she should have been. Not only had he grabbed her but now he knew she was there. He was such a stupid blind fool, Shampoo wondered for the hundredth time why her Great-Grandmother even kept him around at all.
"Shampoo my love! I'm so sorry; please forgive me I didn't know you were there! Did I hurt you my dearest!" Mousse asked as he pulled himself from the wreckage of the table and fell at her feet.
"As if Mousse strong enough to hurt Shampoo." Shampoo muttered to him as she wondered how to distract him, or just plain get him out of here. An idea came as she frowned down at him, able to see his eyes clearly now because he had no glasses on. She spoke to him again and this time her voice was sweet and coy. "Moooousse? You go on errand for Shampoo yes?"
"Really Shampoo! You need my help!" Mousse looked up at her, his face a picture of rapture, his search for his glasses momentarily forgotten.
Stupid Mousse. Rock has more sense. Shampoo thought to herself before speaking to Mousse in that same cute voice as she thrust a piece of paper with a few straight lines slashed across it in pencil. "Of course Mousse. You go and get these things for Shampoo yes?"
"Yes of course Shampoo but...I need to find my glasses first." Mousse did not like admitting his weakness of vision but it was well known and if he was going to help Shampoo he'd make sure he didn't mess it up. Shampoo silently slid her slippered foot across the wooden floor to where Mousse's glasses lay and nudged them several feet away under another table.
"You no want to help Shampoo? Shampoo needs those things before sun sets Mousse. Shampoo be very grateful if Mousse went right now." Shampoo pouted and lightly traced a spiral on the front of Mousse's robes with a fingertip. It was laughably easy to crumble his resolve.
"Of course I shall help you! I will get what you need and return as soon as I can my love!" Mousse turned and ran across the room, knocking a table out of the way and tripping over a chair in the process. He also ran completely into the doors before he got them open and vanished outside. Shampoo allowed herself a laugh as she slipped into the kitchen and over to the door to Cologne's back room. She knocked quietly and called softly for her Great-Grandmother, but no one answered.
She grinned and quietly opened the door then slipped inside. Inside was a candlelit room of fair size with a table in the middle and a couple smaller ones off to the sides. This room was lined with shelves on which sat hundreds of bottles which contained liquids and powders. Also on the shelves were scrolls as well as items of jewelry and other strange looking artifacts. Shampoo looked around and spied what she had come there for.
She rushed over and hauled the old looking wooden trunk out from underneath a table, removing the dusty blanket which had covered it. She looked at the brand new padlock on it and frowned a bit. She paused for a moment in brief consideration and then with a curious motion she suddenly held a large sword in her hand. She struck precisely with the blade and cleaved the lock off. She smirked and opened the trunk.
Her smirk vanished at the sight of another trunk just inside; this one was smaller and metal with a bigger lock. She growled and pulled that trunk out then proceeded to assault the lock on it for five minutes with various tools of destruction. Finally she got it off and opened that trunk. Inside was a small wooden box with a magical ward upon it. Also upon the box were many warnings about the contents in more languages than just Chinese. She smiled and reached down to carefully peel off the magical ward. She set it aside and opened the box.
She reached inside and carefully picked up the doll that lay within. It was a wooden doll...light in weight as it was hollowed out. It was very old looking and exquisitely carved and most noticeably it was fragile looking. It wore old looking doll clothes, a cheongsam its dark hair fashioned into two round orbs with ponytails that trailed from each. The dress it wore was embroidered with several Chinese symbols on it. As she picked the doll up its eyes opened and she smiled and leaned in close to the doll. She whispered something into its ear and its eyes glowed briefly. With the doll cradled in her arms she left the back room, kitchen and the restaurant completely.
"Now Shampoo just need to find husband." No sooner did she finish speaking then she heard Ranma's scream moments before he crashed to the ground right at her feet. He groaned and sat up slowly as he muttered to himself and worked out the pain of the landing.
"Stupid violent tomboy! She didn't have to hit me so hard. Huh, Shampoo?" Ranma blinked and got to his feet as he dusted himself off.
"Nihao husband! You come to date Shampoo yes?" Shampoo asked as inside she felt like bouncing for joy. Her luck was running very good today.
"Uh...not...exactly Shampoo. Hey where'd you get the doll? I didn't know you liked playing with dolls." Ranma chuckled at the image of Shampoo holding that doll in her arms like a baby. Shampoo was a Chinese Amazon Warrior and one of the most dangerous women he had ever met and to see her playing with a doll was just so…so girly!
"Silly husband, this magic doll. Shampoo got it from Great-Grandmother!" Shampoo beamed a smile at Ranma, even though a part of her was shamed at her lie, she forced that down telling it that she had got it from Cologne, it was just that Cologne didn't say she could have it.
"The old ghoul! Better set it down okay Shampoo? You don't know how dangerous that thing is. It could turn you into a doll!" Ranma had quickly retreated a good ten feet from Shampoo on hearing of the dolls origin. He had been through enough of Cologne's tricky traps and schemes to have a healthy distrust of anything that came from her.
"Silly airen. This is no like that doll. This special doll what is known as 'Desire Doll.' Shampoo want to show you what it do." Shampoo walked to Ranma as she spoke, hopefully convincing him that the doll is harmless.
"It's called a Desire Doll? What's it do?" For the second time Ranma's curiosity was getting the better of him and like the first time, the results were not going to be favorable.
"According to Great-Grandmother it grant desire in your heart. Can take you place you most want to go. Even to future or past or even other worlds." Shampoo said and held the doll in both hands facing Ranma so he could see it.
"Other worlds? Is that even possible? I mean I see stuff like that on the science fiction channel but is it real? How's it work?" Ranma asked, leaning down a bit to look at the dolls face. It seemed to have a slight tan because of the age of the wood but the eyes that were in it were made of precious stones and such; ivory, jade and obsidian if Ranma was correct, but the really eerie thing was how real those eyes looked.
"Is simple. Watch. Desire Dolly take us to future where Shampoo is happy." Shampoo commanded the doll and the two wait for a few moments but nothing happens. Ranma blinked and scoffed. He had a feeling this was too good to be true.
"This is so lame. It doesn't even work." Ranma muttered to himself because if it had worked he could have used it to go back in time and stop himself from ever getting cursed in the first place.
"Oh Shampoo almost forgot!" Shampoo suddenly exclaimed and rested the doll in her arms and then placed her palm on the dolls chest and moved her hand in a slow circular motion. The doll's eyes opened and glowed green while sparks of blue and white crackled all around the doll. There was a sudden flash of bluish-white light and when it faded Ranma and Shampoo were gone.
On the same street in the same place there was a flash of bluish-white light and Ranma and Shampoo appear, the doll cradled in Shampoo's arms. She took a quick look around and easily noticed that even though it was the same street it was different than the one they had left. She grabbed Ranma and dragged him over to the alleyway by the Nekohanten. Moments later they peered around the corner covered in large black cloaks. They looked around at the street and let the changes sink in more clearly. Everything looked newer and cleaner and many of the shops they remembered were no longer there. They had been replaced with others. Even the Nekohanten looked different, the large sign proclaiming it was replaced with some kind of a TV monitor which was showing continual advertisement for the menu inside. They both ducked back into the alleyway out of sight.
"Shampoo! Where...where are we! That's the Nekohanten but everything looks different." Ranma asked Shampoo his eyes wide, not with fear but with confusion.
"Silly airen we in future! You follow Shampoo yes? We see future!" She moved down the alleyway to the side window in the Nekohanten. Ranma sighed but followed and they both stopped below the window to the kitchen. Suddenly Shampoo's voice came from inside the kitchen. It was obviously Shampoo's voice but it was just as obviously different.
"Airen! Hurry up! If you don't make the deliveries on time Great-Grandmother will get angry with you again!" The other Shampoo inside the restaurant spoke to her airen.
"Oh Ranma is me. Speak better Japanese too." Ranma nodded and they both leaned up on their tiptoes to peak inside the window. Inside was Shampoo, looking in her late 30's, though still drop dead gorgeous. She's wearing a cheongsam similar in style to the one the doll wore and over that was a frilly apron. She was tending to a large pot and was obviously the cook now for the Nekohanten.
"Wow Shampoo it's you; and you're old." Ranma whispered staring in awe at how good she looked even in the future.
"Is not old Ranma, is experienced." Shampoo slid her eyes over to him as she whispered a hard steel edge to her voice. Inside the restaurant the older Shampoo turned to the stairs once again, holding the ladle she had been using to stir the soup like a weapon. In her hands, Ranma thought, it likely was.
"Airen! Hurry!" She snapped towards the stairs and then turned back and continued to stir the pot with a smile to her face. She muttered to herself and shook her head but Ranma and Shampoo were close enough to hear clearly. "Silly airen is still getting into trouble with Great-Grandmother. At least he's not so weak now since he had his surgery."
Ranma and Shampoo both blinked and looked to each other as they mouthed the word 'Surgery' to each other before they looked back in the window. Suddenly down the stairs came Mousse without his glasses. He was dressed much as he usually was in his white robes and black pants. He smiled and walked right up to Shampoo pulling her around to face him before he gave her a long kiss.
This would normally have resulted in Shampoo killing him but the young Shampoo was too stunned to speak and the older Shampoo kissed back. This caused a little area in the back of Shampoo's mind to explode with two emotions at once. One of these was jealousy, though if you asked her about that you'd wind up nearly as bad as Mousse would. The other was anger which she wanted to release on Mousse but the shock of the sight kept her rooted and unable to act. That is until Ranma spoke up.
"Whoa. I didn't think he had it in him." Ranma whispered and whistled softly to himself. The young Shampoo stared at the scene before her and anger suddenly won the war over jealousy. The first symptom of this was a slight twitch in her left eye. The second was her slow turn and the lifting of the doll to stare into its perfectly carved face. The third and final one was her voice raised in a shriek of rage.
"Stupid doll! You take Shampoo and airen to wrong place! Doll I kill!" "She then raised the doll above her head and was about to smash it on the ground when Ranma plucked it from her grasp, picked her up under his arm and started to run. Shampoo beat lightly against his chest with her fists as her legs kicked trying to get free. "Airen let Shampoo go so Shampoo can kill stupid doll!"
"Not now Shampoo we gotta get out of here. Here make the doll work and get us gone. I don't want to think how much better that us that Shampoo and Mousse are." He said to her and shoved the doll into her grasp as he kept running. It was then Shampoo heard the two voices just behind them as they left the alleyway.
"Airen! Look its Ranma and...me? What's going on?" The voice of the older Shampoo was confused and angry.
"Saotome! He must have come back with another clone to try and steal you from me again. Come my love we shall defeat him once and for all!" Mousse's voice was determined and more to Shampoo's surprise, he sounds serious and deadly.
"Aiya! Desire Dolly! Take Shampoo to place where is happy...but not married to Mousse!" Shampoo commanded the doll and rubbed the dolls chest through the fabric of its dress as Ranma ran and carried her taking to the rooftops with ease. Sparks began to form about the doll and its opened eyes glow a deep green and then in mid jump the two were engulfed in a flash of bluish-white light leaving nothing behind.
Up on the rooftops of the houses a flash of bluish-white light flashed and deposited Ranma and Shampoo on a roof. Ranma quickly got his bearings and saw the Tendo's rooftop just a couple houses away. He set Shampoo down and headed that way, Shampoo having little choice but to follow. Upon landing on the roof they saw the back yard had a large group of people and it seemed like something was going on. They quickly hide themselves from view and then peer over the top of the roof to see what's going on. Everyone down below seemed to be very formally dressed. There were many seats below in the yard split into two groups of chairs with an aisle going up the middle.
At the end near the dojo was a man in a tuxedo standing by an altar and a priest. Genma was pigging out at the buffet table while Nodoka was trying to make him use manners and eat respectably. Ranma and Akane were sitting in a pair of seats and actually having a normal conversation with each other it seemed. Ranma occasionally stole angry glances at Ryouga who was sitting on the other side on him. Ryouga was doing much the same to Ranma but he had a smug smirk on his face. He was doing this during the brief lulls in the conversation he was having with Ukyou who is sat on his other side. Instead of her normal spatula she was wearing a katana that Ranma noted was very similar to Nodoka's.
Ryouga and Ukyou's conversation soon got into a heated argument and a man and woman, both wearing a yellow and black-spotted bandana, who sat behind Ryouga and Ukyou began to add their opinions to the debate. Both were quickly shouted at and silenced by both Ryouga and Ukyou. On the other side sitting discreetly was Mousse and an unknown, to Ranma, Chinese girl; the two were behaving rather affectionately to each other. Off to the side, merely watching with a smile on his face was an old man wearing the garb of a sixteenth century warrior. The outfit was not complete for it was without the armor and had the addition a yellow and black-spotted bandana as well.
Nabiki was smirking and taking the presents from the few guests just arriving, as well as a great deal of their money. Kasumi was watching and sitting beside a nice looking gaijin fellow with blonde hair. Soun was crying at the whole scene but they were tears of joy this time for he was smiling broadly.
"Psst. Shampoo where are we now? I mean...uh...when are we now?" Ranma asked in a very soft tone, barely audibly to even Shampoo who was right beside him.
"Shampoo not sure but Ranma this look like...wedding. We see Shampoo marry you airen." Shampoo whispered back in the same low tone but there was excitement etched across her face. Ranma gulped softly and looked out at the scene, feeling like he was down there waiting to be chained to one woman forever. It was then he noticed himself, down in a seat talking to Akane.
"Hey Shampoo look. It's me. I'm not the one getting married. I wonder who is." Ranam peered curiously at the groom far below and didn't notice Shampoo's frown. The man at the altar turned around as a soft music began to play and the crowd settled down and quieted. Ranma blinked seeing who it was that was about to get married. "Dr. Tofu!" Ranma whispered harshly but luckily nobody heard him. They were too enraptured looking at whoever the bride was but Ranma was just feeling confusion because he saw Kasumi with some gaijin below. He'd always thought Kasumi would marry Tofu, in any world.
"Stupid doll. You suppose to take Shampoo to place where she happy. I no see self here." Shampoo was whispering angrily at the doll and not paying attention to either Ranma or the scene below. Ranma's gasp suddenly drew Shampoo's attention and she blinked a bit at his shocked expression.
"Sh...Shampoo…look!" Ranma whispered in a stunned tone and Shampoo followed his gaze down below. She saw herself walking slowly up the aisle dressed in a white dress that seemed so white and pure, and she was headed for a widely smiling Dr. Tofu. She was getting married in this world and she was happy, if the look on her own face below was any indication.
"Aiya…" Shampoo whispered softly and both she and Ranma remained quiet unwilling to break up their view of the romantic sight below them. The wedding of Dr. Tofu to Shampoo went off smoothly and with dignity and the two watched the whole thing before leaving, a soft smile on each of their faces. It was quite a sight to see how happy the two were and no one was interfering with that happiness. Silently Ranma wished for something like that as they two left and found a suitably quite place to use the doll once again.
Back in the present time which Ranma and Shampoo had left Akane was pissed off. After disposing of her dinner for Ranma in the garbage she went up to her room and changed into her gi. While she did that Kasumi entered the kitchen and removed the half full garbage bag from the can. She took it quickly out to the front of their home and placed it into a large metal can. Then she returned to the kitchen to put a new garbage bag in the can, smiling softly to herself. Akane was always so enthusiastic about cooking. Akane when she had changed headed out to the dojo and set up three cinder blocks. Without pausing to prepare herself she slammed her fist down through all three blocks effortlessly.
"How dare he say that about my cooking! He didn't even try it that jerk!" She pulled back her fist and brought it down on the new blocks she had set up. Three more cinder blocks ascended to cinder block heaven. She began to set up more blocks as she vocalized her anger about Ranma's earlier actions. She paused for a moment feeling a light tingle in the back of her mind. The one that warned her danger was about to occur. She growled as her anger beat that sense to a pulp and she went back to destroying cinder blocks. Let danger come and it would know the wrath of Akane Tendo!
A bluish-white flash of light deposited Ranma and Shampoo in a tangled heap on the ground. The two quickly untangled themselves and Shampoo sat on the ground while Ranma laid back. Shampoo glared evilly at the doll. The both of them looked in fairly bad shape covered in scratches their clothes and cloaks tattered somewhat.
"Are we done yet Shampoo? Can we go home now? I'm getting tired of sliding to all these worlds. Haven't you shown me what the doll can do enough?" Ranma asked feeling very tired and very bored. They had been to so many worlds in the span of the last few hours that he had completely forgotten about using the doll to cure his curse.
"No! We keep on trying. Stupid doll! I never marry Mousse! Or stupid Ataru letch!" She sighed and growled at Ranma and the doll both. She had had enough of the doll taking them to the wrong places. So far they had seen Shampoo marry Mousse, Dr. Tofu, Ataru Moroboshi, Kuno, Shinnosuke and Sasuke. She had wound up being the familiar of Gosunkugi who had finally learned real magic, had been the Queen of a race of bugs-like creatures and seemed to worship a very weird guy that laughed funny all the time, had become one of the many concubines of Prince Toma, had become a goddess and gone to live with Kirin and the rest of the Seven Lucky Gods but the worst of all was Happosai. Cologne had gone senile in that world and had allowed Happosai to raise Shampoo as his daughter. They had also, accidentally, landed in a few other worlds that had nothing to do with Shampoo's happiness. These worlds had only succeeded in nearly getting them killed either by ugly mutant like creatures, giant robots or by the very world itself.
"Hey! You there! Behind the bushes! Show yourself you cowards!" A voice cut through the silence of that brief moment just as Shampoo had been about to issue another command to the doll. Ranma and Shampoo blinked and then they both sighed and slowly stood up and turned to face the voice. Standing about ten feet away was Ryouga and he looked ready for a fight. He wore a red silk training gi emblazoned with a gold dragon design. Standing a few feet behind him was Shampoo also in battle stance and off to the side was Cologne perched on her staff. At the sight of Ranma, Ryouga reacted predictably enough that Ranma almost could have mimicked him word for word.
"Ranma! How dare you come here and invade my adopted home just to seek revenge on me! Prepare to die!" Ryouga growled and put his hands together in front of him beginning to gather his chi, which immediately began to manifest between his hands.
"Aiya! Stupid pig-boy no hurt airen!" Shampoo quickly hand one of her bonbori in hand and threw it. It slammed it into Ryouga's face as he wasn't paying attention to her because he was watching Ranma for any attacks. He collapsed on the ground and the other Shampoo rushed to his side and then glared at the real Shampoo.
"Shampoo no know who you are but Shampoo not let you hurt her airen." She got up and had a sword in her hands as she moved in front of Ryouga's fallen form to protect him. Cologne had simply been watching, seeing how her son-in-law would deal with Ranma and this other Shampoo. Her eyes soon fell upon the doll in Shampoo's arms and Cologne frowned at seeing it.
The Desire Doll! Hmmm...it appears these two are from one of the multitude of other worlds out there. I can not let that doll remain here. One existing in this world is enough. Cologne thought and then she cleared her throat and called the attention of her Shampoo to herself. "Shampoo. Take son-in-law home for now. I'll deal with this." The Amazon Matriarch then used her staff to pogo over to the two who did not belong on her world. Her Shampoo glanced to Cologne and then nodded and with great care she picked up Ryouga and ran off quickly back to the village nearby.
"Shampoo no marry stupid pig-boy! Never!" Shampoo asserted as she watched another version of herself run off.
"Hush child. Come here." Cologne said as she narrowed her eyes and waited for Shampoo to obey. The closer she got with that doll the better Cologne could feel the discord coming off this Shampoo and the doll.
"Uh...what...just happened?" Ranma asked looking to Cologne and Shampoo the confusion written plainly on his face.
"Nothing of importance young Ranma, you need not worry. So Great-Granddaughter it appears you used the Desire Doll to come here with Ranma. Why?" Cologne spoke to Ranma in a clear tone and then turned to speak to Shampoo in a soft whisper.
"Oh Great-Grandmother, Ranma beat Shampoo so Shampoo must marry Ranma. He always refuses so Shampoo use Desire Dolly to take him to future where we married so he see how happy it is." Shampoo said softly and deferentially to Cologne, afraid she would be taken to task for using the doll when it had been forbidden.
"I see. A very clever plan but you seem to be having trouble getting to the right world. I shall help you in this child. Tell the doll this and it should work." She then leaned in a whispered something in her ear very softly.
"Shampoo will do this. Thank you Great-Grandmother!" Shampoo said and hugs the elderly woman before rushing back to Ranma.
"Good luck on your journey child." Cologne said before she turned and hopped off towards the village balanced upon her staff. She left unsaid the thought that Shampoo would need luck for the Desire Doll was not in the habit of granting true desires, just what had been asked for in the easiest way possible. That was why it was so dangerous an artifact. Cologne truly found it unsettling that she would have allowed, even the her in another world, Shampoo to use it.
"Okay Ranma. One more try. Desire Dolly take Ranma and Shampoo to future where we happy and married and living at village." Shampoo gave the command and then rubbed the doll's chest in the same circular motion she had before. Its eyes opened and glowed deep green while sparks began to form around the doll. A flash of bluish-white light engulfed the two and they were gone.
In what appears to be the exact same spot they just left Ranma and Shampoo appeared in a flash of bluish-white light and quickly hid in the bushes. The two people near by which caused them to hide so quickly seemed not to notice at all. They slowly peaked through the bushes and saw the backs of those people as the two sit together. One was a fairly large person with long purple hair and the other was a smaller form with a head of bright red hair in a pigtail. Shampoo grinned and giggled a bit before she glomped onto Ranma's arm beside her.
"Look Ranma. Is us. Aiya see Ranma? We so happy!" Shampoo whispered to Ranma as the red headed form put its arms around the purple headed form.
"Shhh! I think they're talking." Ranma said and strained his ears to try and hear them. The red head's voice slowly became audible and recognizable as Ranma's girl form.
"...tell you how much I love you Shampoo. I've never been happier than I am right now. I love you Shampoo." She turns and smiles happily up at the Shampoo beside her, her eyes glistening with tears. Shampoo sniffled softly and watched the scene hopefully. Finally all her hard work was going to pay off. Ranma was shocked…more than it was him and he was actually crying than over the fact that this other he loved Shampoo. Though as he watched the other Shampoo turned and leaned down then kissed the other Ranma gently. When that happened Ranma forgot all about the tears and thought that maybe, just maybe, Shampoo had been right. Maybe he really would be happier with her than with…someone else. The two broke the kiss and the other Shampoo reached a hand up to touch the other Ranma's face.
"I love you too my sweet little Ranma-chan." The other Shampoo said in a distinctly and unmistakably male voice.
"WHAAAAT!" Both Ranma and Shampoo shouted out as they jumped to their feet and stared at the two other versions of themselves. The other Ranma and Shampoo jump to their feet as well and face the normal Ranma and Shampoo. The other Ranma wore a Chinese battle dress and moved lightly behind a very male Shampoo who blinked in shock. He wore a similar outfit to Ranma's normal clothes but the shirt was a deep purple instead of red. The male Shampoo was very large and muscled and he looked to be stronger than Ryouga, and he glared at them.
"What's the meaning of this! Who are you two and why are you spying on us." The male Shampoo demanded as he raised both his hands in preparation for an attack.
"Aiya! Shampoo...is...man." The female Shampoo stuttered out as she clutched the doll to her and looked ready to just burst into tears. Even with help from her Great-Grandmother the doll still would not work!
"What...what's going on Shampoo? Who are these people and why does that man look like my cursed form?" The female Ranma asked, a bit of fear coloring the anger and confusion in her voice.
"Cursed...form? That's it I've had enough of this! Okay you stupid doll listen up. You take me and Shampoo..." Ranma paused for a moment in thought remembering he had a chance to fix his life and rid himself of his curse now. It was right there in his hands. All this jumping around had made him curious however. "Doll I want you to take me and Shampoo to our real future." Ranma rubbed his palm on the dolls chest in the same circular motion he had seen Shampoo do many times.
"Airen no!" Shampoo shouted and tried to stop him from activating the doll. It was too late however and the doll's eyes opened and began to glow as sparks began to form around the doll. There was a flash of bluish-white light and they were gone leaving the female Ranma and male Shampoo to just stare in shock.
In an abandoned alleyway there was a flash of bluish-white light and after it disappeared Shampoo and Ranma were left in its wake. Ranma looked around a bit curiously but Shampoo only sighed. She didn't want him to go to their real future in case... She couldn't finish the thought not even in her own mind. But if he didn't see anything he couldn't make any judgments on the future and nothing would be set in stone within his mind.
"Ranma you give Shampoo doll and we go back home yes?" Shampoo put on her best cute face and turned it on Ranma, but he failed to be affected by it as he headed for the rooftop.
"Sorry Shampoo but I want to see what my future is like. Wow this place has really changed." Ranma said as he stood on the rooftop, doll in hand and looked around. Ranma yelped in surprise and vanished from Shampoo's view. Shampoo immediately leapt up onto the rooftop and found Rana staring at a large billboard which rested on a rooftop several building away. What was written on the billboard was still easy to make out. It had a large picture of Genma dressed in a suit and smiling broadly. Beside the picture were the words "Re-Elect Mayor Saotome!"
" Ranma is not that...Ranma's father?" Shampoo asked and stepped up beside Ranma, staring at the image.
"Yeah...it is. Wow! Pop's gonna be mayor! Maybe he'll stop being so cheap. Come on Shampoo let's check out the Nekohanten and see how you are in the future." Ranma said with a wide grin before he leapt to the next rooftop and headed to the Nekohanten, as his tattered cloak billowed behind him. Shampoo sighed sadly before she too headed off after him.
Outside the Nekohanten an older Mousse stood his glasses covering his eyes as he swept the front walkway of litter and leaves. Directly across from the restaurant Ranma and Shampoo land and quickly hide behind the sign of the shop. The peered out from around it and watched as Mousse did the chore before him. Shampoo gritted her teeth and prayed she wasn't married to Mousse. An older Shampoo, again no less beautiful, emerged and bashed Mousse upside the head with a bonbori before she pointed out a wrapper he had missed as she yelled at him for being so lazy. Oddly they both smiled during the whole exchange, which Shampoo noticed from her hiding place and growled to herself. Ranma snickered lightly at the treatment Mousse received and then he noticed another familiar person who was headed down the street towards the two Amazons.
"Look Shampoo it's Ucchan." Ranma whispered and pointed her out. Shampoo nodded and frowned at the okonomiyaki chef.
"Hmm? Shampoo wonders what stupid spatula-girl want?" Shampoo murmured to herself and the two watched carefully. As Ukyou neared the restaurant a mailbox suddenly tried to attach itself to Ukyou with a pair of arms it seemed to grow from its sides. Ukyou nonchalantly knocked it into a wall across the street with her mega-spatula and put the weapon into its holder on her back smoothly. She smiled and waved then at the older Shampoo and Mousse who did the same back.
Once she got closer Ranma and Shampoo saw that age had only made Ukyou more mature looking but she was still beautiful if not more so from her added years and experience. Her hair, as well as the older Shampoo's, hung down to almost their knees now and while Shampoo's was loose Ukyou's was braided and threaded through with a few white ribbons. Ranma and Shampoo looked to each other and then at the group down below as they listened carefully to the conversation.
"How are you feeling, Ukyou?" The older Shampoo asked as she placed a hand on the other's shoulder.
"I'm fine Shampoo but..." Ukyou trailed off with a heavy sigh and looked down at the sidewalk.
"No luck with Kodachi huh?" Mousse said with a sour twist of his lips.
"No! That...bitch has still got my Ranchan under some sort of drugs or something. She just has to! He...he wouldn't act like this. I'm going to get him back from her no matter what it takes!" Ukyou snapped fiercely and looked up as she did at the two before her. Shampoo moved and hugged Ukyou for a moment before she stepped back and nodded her agreement.
"We know you will Ukyou. You know we're there to help if you need us and so is Akane." Shampoo said with a warm and hopeful smile.
"Thanks guys, I know she is. I'm heading over to the Tendo's right now in fact. You guys want to come with me and say hi?" Ukyou said smiling now, almost all traces of the anger and sorrow gone from her face. Even from the rooftop however Ranma could tell she still felt it. Before either Shampoo or Mousse could reply, from inside the restaurant came a loud crash of dishes breaking followed by the crunch of wood splintering and the screams of people in fear for their lives.
"Lotion! Perfume! Settle down in there! Quit attacking the customers! Sorry Ukyou, we would love to but we have to mind those two or we wouldn't have a restaurant to come home to. Maybe we can meet up another time?" Mousse said with a rueful chuckle as from within the restaurant the sound of two teenage voices rose in unison.
"Yes father!" The two voices, one male and one female, chorused in reply to Mousse admonishment of them.
"That's okay you two, it's no trouble. How are those two anyways?" Ukyou asked with a broad smile.
"You know how they are. They haven't changed a bit since last week Ukyou. It is terrible to be a parent to children who act just like we used to, but we manage somehow. I just wish Great-Grandmother was here to see them. We'll see you later then and good luck with Ranma. Remember if you need anything...don't hesitate to call us." Shampoo said in a mock stern tone of voice.
"I'll ask I promise Mom! Thanks again. See you guys later." Ukyou gave them both a hug before she set off on her way down the street. The older Shampoo smiled until Ukyou vanished around a corner and then she looked at Mousse with a worried expression on her face. Mousse nodded and the two turned and went inside.
"Kodachi! I'm under Kodachi's influence. What the hell is going on here? Ranma whispered to Shampoo even as he shuddered at the thought of being under Kodachi's will.
"Aiya. Future not look good for Ranma. You want go rescue you self Ranma?" Shampoo asked her concern for Ranma's future outweighing the thought of them not having a future together for the time being.
"What? No...I don't think we'd do any good. Especially against a future me that has about 15 more years of training. Come on let's follow Ukyou. I gotta find out what happened to Akane and the Tendo's." Ranma said and then he turned and leapt off the rooftop to another as he began to follow Ukyou. Shampoo followed closely behind him, also curious as to what had happened. Akane and Ukyou were both admirable opponents to her, but Kodachi was not for she used tricks and concoctions to win her battles.
Ukyou walked down the street to the gates of the Tendo's home and entered into the front yard. She headed for the front door and knocked before she entered. Ranma and Shampoo landed on the wall and quickly leapt off it into the yard behind some bushes where they listened carefully. The only thing they could hear was humming from the open kitchen window. Suddenly in the kitchen window the source of the humming became apparent as Akane stepped into view and, like the others, she was also in her early thirties. Her hair was long again and tied in the back with a yellow ribbon. She was smiling and happily cooking something which, to Ranma's surprise, actually smelled delicious.
"Hey Akane-chan! What're you cooking? It smells good!" Ukyou called out as she entered the kitchen.
"Oh hi Ucchan! I'm just cooking dinner. It's nothing special really. So how've you been?" Akane asked, looking over her shoulder as Ukyou stepped up next to her.
"I've been doing okay. So have you...heard anything from Nabiki...concerning Ranchan?" Ukyou asked, trying to sound casual about it but it was obviously not a subject she had gotten used to yet. Akane paused and set her spoon aside as she turned to face Ukyou, who was just barely visible from the hiding place Ranma and Shampoo had chosen.
"Actually Ukyou I have. It's not good news however. She managed to find out what's wrong with Ranma. She got her hands on the medical records of the private doctor the Kuno's use; I didn't want to know how though. He's poisoned Ukyou. It's mercury poisoning, and that's why he started acting strange all those years ago and why he started getting worse and worse in martial arts. It's affecting his mind and body, deteriorating both.
"Doctor Tofu says there is still a chance however. If we can get him out of Kodachi's grip soon and get him admitted to a hospital he should be fine after a few months of treatment. He says it's all of Kodachi's drugs that kept him alive this long actually. Without them or proper medical treatment he'd have died. We'll get him back! I was going to call Shampoo and Mousse and the others later tonight." Akane said her voice quiet but full of conviction as she took Ukyou into her arms. The two hugged tightly and in silence for a few moments before they stepped apart and Ukyou took the tissue Akane offered to dry her eyes.
"Thanks Akane you guys are the greatest. By the way, how's Harumoni doing? She looks just like you these days. She acts just like you as well." Ukyou said with a small smile on her face as both she and Akane turned their hands towards the finishing of dinner.
"I know Ucchan. She's out in the dojo practicing as usual. Her father told her if she was able to defeat him in under five minutes he'd teach her some secret technique. Akane said with a sigh and a shake of her head but she smiled proudly at the thought of her daughter.
"Oh? That figures. Speaking of which where is that no good husband of yours? Ukyou asked directly a sly grin towards Akane.
"He is not 'no good' Ukyou. He is the best thing that has ever happened to me." Akane replied and glanced sideways at Ukyou, as if she knew where this was going.
"Well I wouldn't be too sure about that. I mean he's turning your daughter into a real tomboy. Then again like mother like daughter. Ukyou laughed and ducked out of the way of a piece of carrot Akane flicked at her.
"Look who's talking 'Miss I-lived-as-a-boy-for-ten-years-of-my-childhood.' If that's not a tomboy I don't know what is." Akane retorted with a smirk.
"Hmph! I had a perfectly good reason for doing that. You were just born that way so nyah!" Ukyou grinned and stuck her tongue out at Akane and then the two of them laughed. Ranma and Shampoo watched this conversation from their hiding place and turned to each other as Akane and Ukyou continued to make dinner while they talked and carried on with each other.
"Mercury poisoning. I don't believe this. Kodachi's going to poison me and make me lose my edge." Ranma swallowed and felt like he had a stomach full of lead.
"Ranma this is future. Spatula-girl and violent-girl say this start long time ago. Hasn't happen yet with us. We make sure it not happen yes? We stop before cheating-rose-girl hurt you." Shampoo whispered at Ranma who smiled and nodded. He hadn't thought of that. It certainly hadn't happened yet and fore warned was fore armed.
"Yeah! You're right Shampoo. We can just eh…did you hear that? Come on!" Ranma whispered and turned towards the sound he had heard. The two of them crept towards the dojo on silent feet. They came to a stop just outside the entrance and Ranma carefully slid open the door and the two looked inside. Inside they saw a girl of about sixteen years old and she looked quite a bit like Akane except her frame was bigger than Akane was at that age. The girl wore and old gi of Akane's and was practicing a fast complex kata off to one side of the dojo striking out at poles and cinder blocks all around her.
Her fist passed through all of it like it was rice paper to her. Splinters of wood and small clouds of dust and rock pieces rained down around her as she moved demolishing the targets piece by piece all around her. The young girl had short black hair with slightly longer bangs which she kept out of her eyes with the help of a yellow and black spotted bandana. Ranma and Shampoo still covered in the tattered black cloaks, slowly entered the dojo and watched her fluid movements. Both martial artists could appreciate both the power and the grace that was in this girl's movements. The kata ended and she stood with her back to the two intruders as she focused on calming her breathing.
"Wow." That was all Ranma could say about the performance.
"Aiya." Shampoo voiced a similar statement of appreciation. The young girl whirled around and faced them at the sound of their voices. After a moment to take stock of her two opponents she grabbed a nearby staff from the wall and charged at them.
"I don't know who you are but I'll teach you to trespass! Kyaaaa!" The young girl leapt into the air and brought the staff down in an arc towards Ranma and Shampoo.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing? We haven't done anything to you!" Ranma snapped at the girl as he landed in a defensive stance, his hands up before him.
"Aiya! Violent girl is crazy Ranma!" Shampoo said as she too landed in a defensive stance on the other side of the girl. The girl paused and looked from Ranma to Shampoo both of whose cloaks had fallen away from the heads as their faces were clearly seen now.
"Auntie Shampoo! What are doing with this filth!" The young girl asked, directing a disgusted look at Ranma.
"Ranma no filth. It long story. We not from here." Shampoo explained to the young girl who never took her eyes off Ranma.
"Why are you talking like that! Never mind I'll get rid of him and then we can talk! She then turned and charged at Ranma using her staff as a spear as she directed blow after blow towards his body.
"Ah, hey, watch it! Quit it! Damn! Okay doll get us out of here! I want go back to the present, back to where I belong!" Ranma moved and contorted his body to dodge the girl's quick and precise strikes against him. As he did so he brought he hand around and rubbed the doll's chest in a circular motion. The doll's eyes snapped open and began to glow green. The blue sparks began to crackle around the doll
Shampoo moved and leapt into the air, aiming a kick at the young girl who was giving Ranma all her attention. The young girl spun her staff around and stabbed at Ranma twice before she noticed what he did with the doll. She redirected her staff and aimed for the doll to knock it out of his hand. Ranma wasn't paying attention to attacks on the doll, just on himself as he tried to will the doll to go faster. Shampoo flew through the air her foot outstretched to kick Harumoni in the back and knock her down. Shampoo had nearly touched Harumoni whose staff had nearly touched the doll when all three were engulfed in a flash of bluish-white light and vanished from the dojo. A few moments later Akane and Ukyou rushed into the dojo and looked around seeing only the debris from the young girl's practice.
"Harumoni! Harumoni where are you! Harumoni!" Akane called out for her daughter and her voice began to get desperate with worry.
"Come on Akane. Let's go look for her. It might have been Kodachi and Ranchan again. If so we'll find them and make them pay." Ukyou said to Akane who clenched her hands into fists and growled. Both the women turned and rushed out of the dojo.
Back in present day Nerima at the Tendo dojo Akane had just finished setting up the last of the cinder blocks. She was in a calmer mood than she had been and took slow and deep breaths as she prepared herself for the punch. With a deep breath she pulled her fist back ready to bring it down. As she did this just across the dojo a flash of bluish-white light flared up and died away. Akane didn't notice Ranma, Shampoo and Harumoni appear in the same positions they had disappeared at from the future because her eyes were closed in concentration. Momentum took over and Harumoni's staff struck the doll sideways and knocked it out of Ranma's hand and across the dojo. Shampoo continued her kick and nailed Harumoni square in the back. She had been off balance from the transport and continued to fall. She crashed into Harumoni who in turn crashed into Ranma and the three fell to the dojo floor in a heap of limbs. Ranma quickly shook off the crash and looked around to see the doll land neatly on the cinder blocks as Akane's fist cleaved the air towards it.
"Akane no don't!" Ranma shouted at Akane and while Akane heard the shout she was unable to stop her fist. It slammed into the wooden doll which shattered into pieces and her fist continued on through the three cinder blocks. She stared in shock for a moment at the remains of the doll before she reached down and picked up the unbroken head, which was the only part not damaged by her punch. The doll looked so old and so valuable and she had broken it!
"Oh no! I'm so sorry I didn't mean to! I'll pay for it I promise I will Ranma! Er, wait a minute? Ranma what are you doing with a doll!" Akane blinked and turned towards Ranma to seem him pulling himself from on top of Shampoo and some other strange dark-haired girl. She dropped the head and rose to her feet then stalked over and grabbed Ranma by the front of his shirt. "Ranma what is going on here! Is this where you've been the past two hours, with this Amazon hussy! And who is this other girl! Is she another fiancée of yours that you've picked up! Well answer me!"
"What! Leggo Akane! C'mon it's not what you think, let me explain!" Ranma babbled to Akane and tried to free his shirt from her grip.
"Shampoo is no hussy, violent girl!" Shampoo retorted with a glare and attached herself to Ranma's arm. As the three of them argued Harumoni slowly got to her feet and stared at them and the dojo around them. Where had her cinder blocks and poles gone? Where were the training weights her father had bought her for her birthday? Non of this made any sense and unless Harumoni was going blind she could swear her mother looked years younger.
"Mom! Mom! Mom what's going on! How come you Auntie Shampoo and...he look so young again? Is this one of Happosai's plans again?" Harumoni had to shout to get their attention but once she had she lowered her voice to normal speaking levels. Akane let go of Ranma's shirt and looked towards Harumoni.
"Wh-what did you...call me?" Akane asked, staring at Harumoni in shock. There was no way but…she looked so much like the face she saw in the mirror every day. There were differences but the resemblance was undeniable!
"I called you Mom. What else would I call you? What's going on? One minute I was trying to run that piece of trash out of our dojo and then next I'm here and everything looks so different." Harumoni asked as she gestured around at the dojo before she turned and looked to Akane, to her mother, to make everything all right again.
"Mom! You called me Mom. You're my…daughter? Ranma! Explain!" After speaking softly to Harumoni she turned to glare at Ranma as she demanded an explanation.
"Well Akane...uh...you see Shampoo sort of...used the doll you broke to take me and her to the future and we came back just now with your daughter. Sorry about this." Ranma explained as he lightly scratched the back of his head. Akane growled softly and lashed out, planting her fist square between Ranma's eyes and sending him to the floor.
"Wait, did he say future? What's he talking about? Does this mean I'm in my past?" Harumoni asked as she looked afraid and confused at this.
"Yeah, I guess it does. What's your name? And who's your father? Is it...Ranma?" Akane asked, a small flush coloring her cheeks. Harumoni's cheeks went red as well, but from anger as she snorted in disgust.
"Ranma! If he was my father I'd probably kill myself. I'd never want the blood of a coward running in my veins! And my name is Harumoni."
"I'm not a coward! Geez you almost sound like..." Ranma growled out at Harumoni, he was really beginning to dislike her. He never got to finish his sentence however because another voice interrupted him from doing so.
"Excuse me could you people tell me how to find the Tendo Dojo?" The voice asked and everyone present turned to see Ryouga just looking up from his map at the four of them. He blinked and recognition of the people and the place registered and he grinned darkly at Ranma. At last he had arrived and revenge would finally be his. In fact Akane herself was running towards him with a big smile of happiness on her face and one of his bandanas around her forehead. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him in a loving hug and he felt his soul ascend to heaven, though as it did he saw Akane standing over by Ranma and Shampoo.
That wasn't right at all. If Akane was over there how could she be hugging him? He looked down at the face of the young girl beaming up at him. She wasn't Akane…she looked a lot like her but it wasn't her. So then who was this girl?
"Dad! Welcome back! How was your trip!" Harumoni said and then realized that this wasn't her father, not exactly and quickly stepped back. She watched as he stuttered the word 'Dad' out several times before his eyes rolled back in his head and he fell over backwards to the dojo floor with a thump. She stared at him in shock and took a step towards him but three more thumps caught her attention and she whirled around to see Ranma and Akane and Shampoo all passed out on the dojo floor as well.
"Uh…was it something I said?" Harumoni asked no one in particular and sighed looking around the dojo. She was in the past, her only way home was now broken in the cinder blocks by her own mother but worst of all was that she hadn't even been born yet. How was she ever going to explain this one to her parents when she got home?
End of Part One
Author's Miscellany: Well I originally wrote this a long time ago and it was in script format on my website. Since does not allow that style and I had moved on more firmly into story format by now I decided when I posted The Desire Doll on this site I would do a complete revision of the story and rewrite some elements which didn't mesh as nicely back then as I had wanted. The rest will be coming, have no doubt about that, and you may even see some major story points changing from the way you remember them. I'll even be taking into account some old constructive criticism I was given of this story.
Now comes the part which remains the same from long ago. My thanks and a bit of footnotes. The first person is Van Donovan to whom without I would never have started writing fanfics and who helped me in the beginning stages of this specific fanfic. Thanks a bunch Van! Also to thank Edwin Holmes-Lauder for encouraging me to get part one out.
Special thanks to two great writers John Biles and Mark Latus. The world visited in this fanfic where Shampoo marries Dr. Tofu was created by John Biles in his Else Worlds series, one I strongly recommend. Also the world visited where Ryouga and Shampoo are together come from the mind of Mark Latus in his fanfics "A Shampoo Variation" and "Ryouga: Crossover." These were actually two of the first fanfics I ever had the privilege of reading. They are very well done and quite enjoyable. The two worlds mentioned here are not mine and I make no claim to them. They belong to their respective author's just as the world of Harumoni and others belong to me. Sorry couldn't help saying I own a world!
Thanks for your time and patience. I shall be doing my best to edit and revise Part Two and get it uploaded onto the site as soon as time and life make allowances for me to do so.