Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Ranma ½ or Fruits Basket.

A/N: This is a Fruits Basket/Ranma ½ crossover. Please don't read if you haven't seen the Ranma ½ Ghost Cat eps. I know Shampoo uses personal pronouns ("I" and "my") several times, but I didn't want her sounding like a complete moron - I'm trying to give her a little more depth here. Updates will be frequent. Enjoy!

To Bell the Cat

Kyo cast a nervous glance at the sky as he hurried through the suburban streets. It was definitely going to rain. He could smell damp earth and grass on the breeze. Tohru always said how much she loved that smell, but Kyo hated it. It meant weakness. Already, he could feel the lethargy seeping into his bones. He hoped it would be a brief spring shower that would blow over quickly. He had ignored Shigure's advice to take an umbrella as he left the house – he was too frustrated with that damn Yuki to pay attention. He had to get out right then, after yet another failed attempt to teach the stuck up rat a lesson.

"Damn." He swore under his breath. He wasn't going to make it back to Shigure's in time. Kyo looked around frantically as the first few drops of rain started to fall. Like most cats, he disliked getting wet, but he disliked the feeling of weakness caused by rain even more.

A brightly painted sign above a shop across the street caught his attention. The sign proclaimed the establishment to be the "Nekohanten." The Cat Café. Kyo's mouth twisted at the irony, but nonetheless, he hurried across the road and into the café.

Shampoo looked up in surprise as the bell above the door to the entrance of the café jangled harshly. A red headed boy staggered in as the shower of rain that had been threatening all day began to fall. Shampoo had hurried back from her last delivery to avoid the rain. Tying an apron around her waist – she would not be able to do any deliveries while the rain kept up – she went over to the table where the boy was slumped.

"Good afternoon and welcome to the Cat Café! Would you like to order anything? We have specials today that are too delicious!"

Kyo raised his head to look at the pretty waitress. Her accented Japanese suggested she was not from around here. He doubted her cooking could be as good as Tohru's, but he may as well order something. It was only fair – he was taking up table space - and he had no idea how long he would be stuck here. He dug through his pockets to see how much money he had with him, and then picked up the menu to give it a cursory glance. It contained mostly Chinese cuisine, but there was a Japanese section too. Kyo was in no mood to be adventurous, so it was this column he studied.

"Onigiri." He finally decided. It made him think of Tohru, and how she could find the most ordinary things – such as rolling a riceball – amazing. He snorted again at the thought of anyone actually doing riceball training.

Shampoo bustled off to the kitchen to fulfill the boy's order. Her Great Grandmother assured her she had everything under control in the kitchen, so she returned to the front counter. It was quiet in the café – clearly everyone else had headed home to avoid the rain as well. The only customer was the orange haired boy. Shampoo studied him. She didn't know why, but she felt drawn to him. Not the same way she was drawn to her tall, strong husband Ranma – her lips curved into a soft smile as she thought of him. She was sure he would tire of Japan and his other fiancées and agree to come back to China with her soon. Her cooking was superior to that of Kodachi, and Shampoo could easily defeat her in serious challenge. Ranma viewed Ukyo simply as his childhood friend, despite Ukyo's best efforts to change that perception, so that meant that Shampoo's remaining obstacle was his inexplicable attachment to his reluctant fiancée Akane. Shampoo frowned. She could not understand what Ranma saw in that short tempered, violent, awful cook of a tomboy. Come to think of it, Ranma doesn't seem to know either…

A thud drew her attention back to her surroundings, as the boy pitched face first onto the table for no apparent reason. Shampoo hurried over in concern. Unconscious customers were bad for business! That's what she told herself, anyway.

Kyo had run through his mental vocabulary of insults and curses on whichever of his ancestors had offended whoever had cursed them, and the entity who cast the curse. He had now moved onto whatever god controlled the weather as his head slipped off his hand and thudded onto the table.

"Excuse me? You okay?" The waitress was back, mere inches from his face as she bent over him in concern. Ruby eyes met cerise.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit tired." he replied, a little groggily. His mental rant against the weather gods intensified.

"Must be the weather." Shampoo agreed readily, and was surprised when the boy started violently at her words.

"I hate the rain. Don't you wish snow would disappear and spring would come straight away without slushy thaw period between?" She continued, more to hide her own confusion and fill up the silence than anything.

Again, Kyo thought of Tohru, and her belief that melted snow became spring. She had the strangest ideas sometimes.

"My name's Shampoo. What's yours?" She queried, to keep the conversation going.

"Sohma Kyo." Came the gruff response. He wished she would stop asking him questions – even talking was an effort right now - but months of living with Tohru had taught him not to say so straight out in case he hurt her feelings, so he attempted diversionary tactics.

"Shampoo is a rather unusual name. You have a nice accent too. Where are you from?" He was rather surprised to find he meant the compliment. Her voice wasn't as soothing as Tohru's, but it didn't grate on his ears like some girls' did. (Namely, the Prince Yuki Fan Club.)

"From China –"

Was as far as the waitress got before being interrupted by a cry of

"Get away from my beloved Shampoo, you scoundrel! This is the last time you come between us, Saotome!"

Kyo blinked in surprise as the table in front of his nose disintegrated under a weighted chain. Adrenaline momentarily drove away his rain induced weakness, and he leapt to his feet, ready to meet the next attack. His assailant was slightly taller than him, but shorter than Yuki, and had flowing black hair, cut straight across. He wore some sort of Chinese robe with wide, billowing sleeves. Then his brain finished processing what the stranger had said, and his defensive stance lowered slightly in his confusion.

"Saotome! What the hell are you talking about? I'm Sohma!"

At his words, the stranger paused and pulled out a pair of thick lensed glasses and squinted through them at Kyo.

Shampoo clearly had a better grip on the situation than the two males, because she wasted no time on confusion. Picking up a chair, she brought it down hard across the stranger's head. Kyo winced in sympathy as the guy hit the floor hard. Clearly, Shampoo was not as sweet and dainty as she seemed. She didn't look sweet now. She looked furious.

"Mousse! How many times have I told you no attacking customers! Is bad for business! And you destroy table too!" She scolded. The boy – Mousse – raised his head blearily. "But Shampoo –" Was as far as he got before she interrupted him.

"No buts! If you have nothing to do, there plenty of dirty dishes in kitchen! Go! Now!" She ordered the hapless Mousse as he staggered to his feet and wove his way towards the kitchen.

"Stupid duck." Shampoo fumed under her breath.

"Sorry. Mousse is Chinese like me, and his Japanese is no very good. Perhaps he misunderstand something." She apologized to Kyo. "Would you like to sit at another table?"

Kyo was surprised at how composed she was. She acted like it was almost commonplace for people to be attacked while minding their own business. Maybe it's normal to have café brawls in China? And maybe 'stupid duck' is more insulting in Chinese than Japanese?

"What does 'Saotome' mean then? It sounds Japanese?"

Shampoo snorted. "Saotome Ranma is my husband … to be." She added, as his eyes flew to her left hand.

"Aren't you a little young for that?"

"But we are in such love!" She exclaimed rapturously, starry eyed.

"He is so strong and handsome! He easily beat Shampoo!"

"Wait, this guy fights girls?" Kyo didn't like that. He had a private code of honour which included his own brand of chivalry. This was why he always let Kagura beat him up, or attempted to run instead of confronting her.

"Shampoo from Amazon village in China! Ranma was lost and starving in wilderness, and came across Shampoo's food! He ate it, and I challenged and attacked him, thinking he was another girl!"

"Hang on! Am I supposed to look like this Saotome? Cause I DO NOT look like a girl!" Kyo interrupted. Now I know how Yuki feels sometimes with his girly face.

"Oh, no! Ranma sometime have red hair you see – darker and longer than yours. But Mousse has very bad eyes, and does not always use his glasses. Mousse is Shampoo's childhood friend, but thinks he in love with Shampoo. But Ranma defeat Shampoo in challenge and by Amazon law Ranma and Shampoo must marry. Mousse no beat Ranma. If he no beat Ranma, he no marry Shampoo."

Kyo felt a twinge of sympathy for this Mousse character. He knew how it felt to be on the outside looking in, and unable to defeat your greatest rival, no matter how hard you tried. His sympathy was short lived as he regarded the splintered remains of the table he had been sitting at. That didn't give anyone the right to go around attacking random strangers!

"I will go see if your onigiri is ready yet!" Shampoo announced cheerfully.

Shampoo entered the kitchen where her great grandmother, perched on her gnarled walking stick, presided over several bubbling pots and a very sulky Mousse was drying an enormous stack of dishes.

"Shampoo, the onigiri is ready. Tell the customer we'll give it to him for half price to make up for Mousse's behaviour. Mousse will make up the difference, as well as the cost of the table." Cologne informed her.

"Hiya! Shampoo will, Great Grandmother!"

Shampoo returned to Kyo's table a few minutes later, expertly balancing a tray which she set down in front of Kyo, who was once again slouched over the table, fighting gravity. Kyo's mouth watered at the delicious smell emanating from the covered tray. Shampoo whipped the cover off with a flourish.

"Thanks." He managed.

"Go on, eat up! Too delicious!" Shampoo urged. She didn't like how feeble he seemed. Perhaps he is faint with hunger? Whoever he lives with mustn't feed him properly!

Cologne hopped out of the kitchen to the front counter to observe their only customer. It was unusual for Shampoo to spend so long in conversation with a customer, even one whose feathers had been ruffled by Mousse. Normally, she would have returned to the kitchen to berate then pointedly ignore the hapless duck by now.

Besides, there was something that Cologne had overheard during the ruckus that was ringing faint bells in her long memory. She was sure that the boy had shouted "Sohma" while being attacked by Mousse.

She studied him. Hair that could be described as red or orange, depending how kind you were. Unusual, but not outstanding. Her Future-Son-in-Law had red hair when in girl form. Just above average height. Well built and developed – he probably does some form of martial arts then, Cologne noted approvingly. She had to stifle a gasp when he lifted his eyes from his plate in response to something said by her great grand-daughter. They were a deep crimson.

Quickly, she checked his aura. Wild and untamed, with plenty of raw power. Some elements of control showed he studied martial arts, but was not learning a style suited to him. Once he learned control and how to channel his ki, he would be formidable. Not in the same league as her Future Son-in-Law, but easily better than Mousse. He had the potential to match her Future Son-in-Law's sparring partner and rival, Hibiki Ryoga.

But there was a dark shadow that almost enveloped his aura.

It was entwined yet distinct from the boy's aura. He did not accept it as part of him, but he could not escape it. He was clearly fighting its influence, which might explain his weakness.

Cologne narrowed her eyes, unsure if age was finally catching up with her. The overlying shadow aura was demonic with pronounced … feline elements.

Cologne turned from her observation of the pair, and hopped back into the kitchen, past Mousse and his mountain of dishes and into the furthest storeroom. She tapped her way among the rows of boxes muttering to herself. Finally she found the box she wanted. She rummaged through it for a few minutes before emerging with the item she sought. Careful not to touch it with her bare skin, she examined its gleaming surface.

Kyo, gradually thawing and responding to Shampoo's determined attempts at small talk, became aware of a sharp, rhythmic tapping noise that seemed to be getting closer. Looking past Shampoo towards the front of the cafe, he saw a wizened old crone perched on an equally gnarled cane hopping towards them as if she were mounted on a pogo stick. She wore a green robe with a yellow symbol on it, and a red band held her hair back. Her large eyes regarded him intently, as if she could see things others could not. This made Kyo feel vulnerable, which in turn triggered his temper. He opened his mouth to ask the old hag what she was staring at when he was interrupted by Shampoo.

"Great Grandmother! Did you want Shampoo to do something?"

"No, dear, everything's fine. I just came to check on this young man after Mousse's atrocious behaviour."

Shampoo scowled at the memory.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Kyo said, around a mouthful.

"You like cats, don't you?" Cologne demanded.

Kyo started again and inhaled violently at the non sequitur, with the result that he began choking. Shampoo had to thump him on the back several times to dislodge the riceball. She then solicitously offered to fetch him a glass of water. While she was away from the table, Cologne handed him the object in her sleeve. Kyo turned his attention to the small golden cat bell strung on a chain she had just handed him.

"That's the bell of Mao Moo Rin. It's supposed to bring luck in love to those who love cats."
"Well, that's all well and good, but who says I love cats?"

Kyo felt himself pinned by the old woman's stare.

"Four thousand years of Chinese Amazon history, and the fact that you're a red eyed Sohma."

Kyo paled. Chinese Amazon?The curse is Chinese! What does this woman know about the Sohma Family and its secret?

Shampoo was disturbed to find upon her return with a glass of water that the boy – Kyo – was looking extremely pale. Perhaps he was ill?

Without being conscious of what he was doing, Kyo put the bell in his pocket, his gaze still locked with the old woman's.