That redheaded witch! That damned pigtailed trollop! How dare she? How
dare she steal away the loving attentions of not only my darling Ranma-
sama, but also the Amazon beauty.
Ah, sweet Shampoo. Magnificently strong, unsurpassably skilled, yet so very soft and feminine. And that hair! The girl has hair the like of which the Black Rose has never seen. So long, and thick-so rich a shade of purple. Yet she wears it in such adorable buns and tails.
Everything about her is a contradiction. So strongly determined in her pursuit of dear Ranma-darling, yet I can see a hopelessness in her beautiful eyes that belies her seemingly unflappable confidence. Though otherwise unalterably ruthless, she appears to melt for Him. The mere mention of his name brings a light to her eyes, a smile to her lips, and a spring to her step-transforming her already unearthly beauty to the divine light of a warrior goddess.
Poor, darling Shampoo. I see the conflict in her life, even when others do not. Bound by the laws of her village to marry whatever man is skilled enough-or lucky enough; her skill knows no bounds-to defeat her, only good fortune allowed her to be chosen by Ranma-sama.
And yet, even as she is bound by the ties of both her law and her heart to her future husband, still does she find herself most cruelly seduced by that horrid red-headed whore of my brother's. I have seen her, chasing after the girl, calling for her to stop, to wait for Shampoo. She spends the day running after the minx, only to return home, dejected and exhausted, hours later.
And now-Now, after we rescue him from an obviously detested marriage, poor Ranma-sama is being prevented (no doubt by the combined efforts of the Tendo witch and her family) from even contacting us to register his gratitude. And the lovely Amazon suffers from it.
I am conflicted. I now see that my foolish brother was not entirely melodramatic in his sufferings over the choice between Tendo Akane and the pig-tailed girl (though, of course, neither of them truly want him). It is so difficult to know who I should be pursuing: my strong, handsome, loving Ranma-darling, or my strong, beautiful, passionate Shampoo. I have no doubt that I shall one day free them both of their torments, and we shall all live happily ever after.
I can just imagine it:
-----------
It is raining. Lightning forks, splitting the sky into myriad fragments of nearly-black cloud. Thunder shatters the otherwise peaceful sound of the falling rain.
In an upper room of the Nekohanten sits Shampoo. She is staring disconsolately out of the window, unaware of her surroundings. Slowly, a lone tear forges a path down her cheek, leaving behind a damp trail. A tray of food sits uneaten on the table by her bed. There are dark circles 'neath her eyes, and she looks as though she hasn't eaten or slept in days.
A soft, light tread sounds on the stair, but she ignores it. Even when the door whispers open, she doesn't turn. The intruder moves to stand behind her; still, she makes no move. Long, graceful white arms enfold her gently, and she starts. A cultured voice whispers lovingly into her ear.
"We have come for you, dear heart. It is time for you to leave this place." Long fingers wipe away her tears, and the breath of her rescuer warms her cheek.
Another, more muscular, pair of arms joins the first, enclosing them both securely. "Come with us, Shampoo, and be happy," the second voice adds.
She turns, an expression of mingled joy and wonder lighting her face. Can it be? Indeed! It is Kodachi and Ranma, newly returned from their honeymoon.
Hesitantly at first, then with growing strength, she smiles and returns their warm embrace.
"Will you come to live with us?"
"Will you allow us to rescue you from this squalid, miserable life?"
She nods, and tears of joy stream down her face as her radiant smile lights the room. Outside, the rain slows, then stops, and the sun peers out through a break in the clouds.
-----------
Yes. That is how it shall be, someday. Someday. I can afford to be patient, until then. The reward, the love of the two most magnificent people in all of Japan-no, on all the earth-will be well worth waiting for.
Ah, sweet Shampoo. Magnificently strong, unsurpassably skilled, yet so very soft and feminine. And that hair! The girl has hair the like of which the Black Rose has never seen. So long, and thick-so rich a shade of purple. Yet she wears it in such adorable buns and tails.
Everything about her is a contradiction. So strongly determined in her pursuit of dear Ranma-darling, yet I can see a hopelessness in her beautiful eyes that belies her seemingly unflappable confidence. Though otherwise unalterably ruthless, she appears to melt for Him. The mere mention of his name brings a light to her eyes, a smile to her lips, and a spring to her step-transforming her already unearthly beauty to the divine light of a warrior goddess.
Poor, darling Shampoo. I see the conflict in her life, even when others do not. Bound by the laws of her village to marry whatever man is skilled enough-or lucky enough; her skill knows no bounds-to defeat her, only good fortune allowed her to be chosen by Ranma-sama.
And yet, even as she is bound by the ties of both her law and her heart to her future husband, still does she find herself most cruelly seduced by that horrid red-headed whore of my brother's. I have seen her, chasing after the girl, calling for her to stop, to wait for Shampoo. She spends the day running after the minx, only to return home, dejected and exhausted, hours later.
And now-Now, after we rescue him from an obviously detested marriage, poor Ranma-sama is being prevented (no doubt by the combined efforts of the Tendo witch and her family) from even contacting us to register his gratitude. And the lovely Amazon suffers from it.
I am conflicted. I now see that my foolish brother was not entirely melodramatic in his sufferings over the choice between Tendo Akane and the pig-tailed girl (though, of course, neither of them truly want him). It is so difficult to know who I should be pursuing: my strong, handsome, loving Ranma-darling, or my strong, beautiful, passionate Shampoo. I have no doubt that I shall one day free them both of their torments, and we shall all live happily ever after.
I can just imagine it:
-----------
It is raining. Lightning forks, splitting the sky into myriad fragments of nearly-black cloud. Thunder shatters the otherwise peaceful sound of the falling rain.
In an upper room of the Nekohanten sits Shampoo. She is staring disconsolately out of the window, unaware of her surroundings. Slowly, a lone tear forges a path down her cheek, leaving behind a damp trail. A tray of food sits uneaten on the table by her bed. There are dark circles 'neath her eyes, and she looks as though she hasn't eaten or slept in days.
A soft, light tread sounds on the stair, but she ignores it. Even when the door whispers open, she doesn't turn. The intruder moves to stand behind her; still, she makes no move. Long, graceful white arms enfold her gently, and she starts. A cultured voice whispers lovingly into her ear.
"We have come for you, dear heart. It is time for you to leave this place." Long fingers wipe away her tears, and the breath of her rescuer warms her cheek.
Another, more muscular, pair of arms joins the first, enclosing them both securely. "Come with us, Shampoo, and be happy," the second voice adds.
She turns, an expression of mingled joy and wonder lighting her face. Can it be? Indeed! It is Kodachi and Ranma, newly returned from their honeymoon.
Hesitantly at first, then with growing strength, she smiles and returns their warm embrace.
"Will you come to live with us?"
"Will you allow us to rescue you from this squalid, miserable life?"
She nods, and tears of joy stream down her face as her radiant smile lights the room. Outside, the rain slows, then stops, and the sun peers out through a break in the clouds.
-----------
Yes. That is how it shall be, someday. Someday. I can afford to be patient, until then. The reward, the love of the two most magnificent people in all of Japan-no, on all the earth-will be well worth waiting for.