Shackled

Explanation: This is part of a bigger story I want to write later on. Consider it a teaser or sumtin. And nope, I don't own Ranma 1/2, or the lyrics to "Shackled" performed by Vertical Horizon.

Honor of the Unloved: Shackled

He stood facing her, his heart in his throat, his fists clenched. She was beautiful. She was always so beautiful, so perfect. Her hair fluttered in the wind, and her clothing clung, as always, close to the curves of her beautiful, fit body. She was strong, independent, and exquisite in every way. The only thing marring her perfection was the angry scowl on her face as she faced him.

"What are you doing here, Muu Tsu?" she asked, her voice a low growl as she spoke their native tongue.

'My beautiful prison.' his brain whispered as he met her eyes, a determined, dark look on his face.

This was the end.

"I have come to challenge you for your hand, Xian Pu of the Amazons." he said formally, also speaking Chinese.

Her eyes narrowed more, and she said nothing, falling lightly into a defensive position. She had nothing to say to him. She couldn't refute his right to fight her for her hand in marriage; he was truly no longer part of the tribe. This was his chance to win her for his own. He'd trained so long for this moment, he had to succeed.

Mousse fell into a defensive position and the two circled each other for several minutes. He made the first strike, a neat roundhouse kick once he was within range, and she blocked it easily as he knew she would. There was a flurry of movement as he flipped backwards, barely missing a thrust of her bonbori, and turning in a flash to throw a heavy ball on a chain at her. He had trained so hard to have no mercy for her, but he still felt a twinge of agony as he sent a projectile in her direction specifically to harm her. But he did it.

For so long my life's been sewn up tight inside your hold
And it leaves me there without a place to call my own

I know now what shadows can see
There's no point in running 'less you run with me
It's half the distance through the open door
Before you cut me down
Again
Let me introduce you to the end

The ball nicked her foot as she jumped easily towards the rafters, and knocked her sideways. She jumped to her feet nimbly, belying the pain she must have been feeling in that ankle, and kicked off the heavy ball, leaping towards him, trying to get inside his long range to strike at him. He twirled around, meeting her with a solid kick in the chest. She staggered back, but caught her breath quickly and swung her foot and a bonbori around quickly, and he caught both blows in the side of his head. He stumbled, fell to one knee, and met her attempted thrust at his face with a flurry of knives. Several of them nicked her, leaving trails of blood dribbling down her arms and cheeks, and he knew, with despair that he had pulled his punches for her again.

And I feel the cold wind blowing beneath my wings
It always leads me back to suffering
But I will soar until the wind whips me down
Leaves me beaten on unholy ground again

Vowing to hold his emotions for her for the rest of the battle, he used her moment of surprise at being cut to hit her with three quick blows – one with his fist, a second with another chained ball, and the third with one of his duck potties. She stumbled backwards and fell into a sitting position on the floor. She met his charge at her with two feet firmly in the stomach and, flipping backwards, she threw him hard against a stone wall bordering the alley where they were fighting. The breath was knocked soundly out of him and he gasped for air, aware of her charging towards him, her bonbori swinging, her hair blowing in the wind, her blood-streaked face a mask of anger and disgust that he had never seen the equal of.

He knew in that instant that the image would never leave him – and that nothing was the same anymore. It hit home with a sickening dizziness in his head so powerful that he didn't feel it when she started kicking him and beating him as he lay on the ground, screaming at him to get up. Nothing was the same. He could see no love in her face as she came towards him, and he no longer cared.

His will to fight was gone.

So tired now of paying my dues
I start out strong but then I always lose
It's half the distance before you leave me behind
It's such a waste of time

He was so tired, and he wanted to go home. Home…and home was at Ucchan's, with Ukyou. Shampoo's blows continued to rain down on him for several moments before she stopped and gave him a disdainful prod with her foot.

"Get up duck-boy." she said angrily, her voice barely above a whisper, and then her voice rose "Get up and fight me, stupid, get UP!" she screamed, punctuating each word with a vicious kick.

"I thought Amazons were honorable." chimed a sweet voice from the entrance to the alley. The voice of an angel, Mousse realized, as he looked up and saw a fragmented vision of her through his broken glasses. Her face was tear streaked, but she was dressed in full battle regalia with her spatula on her back. She looked angry and hurt at the same time.

Spirits…he hoped he could make this up to her. He realized things now, with sickening reality, as he lay on the ground with his blood on his clothes and his body throbbing. She had been there for him in a way that Shampoo never had. When he was hurt and alone, she picked him up and made him whole again, and Shampoo could never do that for him…

He felt free.

'Cause my shackles
You won't be
And my rapture
You won't believe
And deep inside you will bleed for me

"What going on?" Shampoo asked, reverting to unfamiliar Japanese, as Ukyou stepped past her and walked over towards Mousse, "You no interrupt fighting, spatula girl."

"This fight is over." Ukyou said, her voice steady and cold. She knelt beside Mousse and started to help him to a sitting position.

"Fight not over until one opponent defeated or give up!" Shampoo demanded stubbornly. Mousse looked into Ukyou's eyes and saw tears shining there, despite her strong front. She was afraid. She didn't want to lose this, too. Ranma had been enough.

"Please…" she whispered.

"I have to do this." Mousse said softly, "I have to be done with this part of my life." Ukyou looked into his eyes for a few moments and then released his hand.

"I trained you for this, sugar." she said quietly, and he watched the hurt well up in her eyes, "Make me proud."

He stood, unable to explain what he wanted, and faced Shampoo. The blows she'd rained on him were taking their toll, but he carefully partitioned off the part of him that felt pain and fatigue and longing to go home, and faced her, fists raised.

So here I slave inside of a broken dream
Forever holding on to splitting seams
So take your piece and leave me alone to die
I don't need you to keep my faith alive

I know now what trouble can be
And why it follows me so easily
It's half the distance through the open door
Before you shut me down
Again
Let me introduce you to the end

They met in midair, flurries of blows passing between them. Mousse dropped to the ground and threw a spiked mace at Shampoo with every ounce of strength in his body. She tried to block it with her bonbori and the head of it broke off, flying backwards and hitting her square in the chest. The mace fell at her feet and she fell backwards, sputtering and coughing, her nose spouting blood. Mousse threw a flurry of knives at her; one buried into her left thigh, another into her shoulder, while her remaining bonbori blocked most of the rest. She struggled to stand, but her left leg wouldn't cooperate. Stumbling, she threw her bonbori at him as a sort of last effort. He blocked it easily with an arm and then stood over her as she fell back with a thud. The look in her eyes was a sickening combination of disappointment and pain.

"I have defeated you in fair battle." Mousse said formally in Chinese, "And there is a witness."

"I suppose you will force me to marry you now." she asked bitterly. It was not a question. Mousse looked down at her as she could no longer meet his eyes, turning instead to the knife in her leg and feeling gingerly around it.

He didn't want her anymore.

'Cause my shackles
You won't be
And my rapture
You won't believe
And deep inside you will bleed for me

"I give you the choice between those who have defeated you." he said quietly, "Will you choose me or Ranma?"

Her face paled and she looked stricken.

Though you know you care

'I rely on your stubbornness, my beauty.' he thought as he watched her trying to decide.

"Ranma." she whispered. He closed his eyes in relief and that seemed to give her strength. It gave her courage that she was still hurting him, that she was still able to hurt him, "I choose Ranma." She said it in Japanese so that Ukyou could hear it too, hoping that it would cause her pain as well. Feeling humiliated on the floor, Shampoo only wanted to cause pain so she could feel powerful again. Mousse forgave her for it.

"I accept your choice." he said formally, in Japanese so that Ukyou could understand, "And I will not challenge you again."

'Cause my shackles
You won't be
And my rapture
You won't believe
And deep inside you will bleed for me

And my laughter
You won't hear
The faster
I disappear
And time will burn your eyes to tears

And he stepped over her, walked to Ukyou, and…they went home.