All Hearts Can Be Broken
Author's Note: Sorry again for the wait! I had two major projects due this past week!! Sigh, if only I could write all day instead of going to school… oh well, my summer vacation starts in a bit more than a month… then I can write all day… whee… ANYWAY, this fic will probably end up being very long- 20 chapters maybe- because most of the excitement hasn't even started yet! Muahahahaha… read on!
Kodachi ran back into the elevator, with Shampoo following close behind, trying to catch up with her. Once in the elevator, Kodachi turned to the wall and covered her face with her hands. Shampoo frowned, confused by Kodachi's behavior.
"What have I done?" Shampoo barely heard Kodachi mumble.
Shampoo looked at the floor. She didn't know Kodachi very well, but she did know that what Kodachi had just said to Akane was very unusual for her. Kodachi, who was well mannered, polite, and courteous- threatening to murder Akane? It seemed very strange… of course, Kodachi had a right to be furious at Akane- Shampoo was furious, too- but…
"You okay?" Shampoo asked.
Kodachi sniffed. "No, I'm not. I just can't handle this…" she looked up at Shampoo to reveal a face covered with tears. "Akane is so selfish…"
Shampoo waited for Kodachi to explain.
"I've tried to be strong and not let things bother me… but this is too much!" Kodachi faced the wall once more. "You know what I want more than anything else in the world? I want to love a man who loves me back. I don't want to have to tear him away from somebody else. I want that feeling of belonging and unconditional love, that feeling of comfort that I've… I've never had…"
Kodachi sniffed again. "My parents died when I was only a child. They left Tatewaki and I a great amount of money… but they couldn't leave us the thing that we needed most from them: love. Tatewaki took care of me… but I always felt so… lonely. I taught myself to be brave and independent, because I didn't have anyone to fall back on… to help me…"
"Akane has so many things that I can never enjoy. A loving father… two caring sisters… my brother's honest love… and the love of Ranma." Kodachi sighed. "No one loves me. No one thinks that I need loving… but my heart is not as strong as they think it is… all hearts can be broken…"
~*~
Happosai was snoozing in the lobby chair, dreaming of girls… when he felt a tap on his shoulder… who would be bothering him during this wonderful dream…?
"Excuse me, I was wondering if you had seen anyone suspicious looking leaving the hotel? It's very urgent."
Happosai opened his eyes to see a small man in a suit staring down at him. "No, I'm sorry, I don't believe I have," Happosai said absentmindedly. "May I ask you who you're looking for?" The man's question had made him quite curious.
"A man named Mousse. It's very important that I find him."
"MOUSSE?!" Happosai cried.
The short man faced him with new interest. "Yes- Mousse! Do you know him?"
"Know him? I know him better than I want to," Happosai muttered angrily.
"Tell me," questioned the short man, "Is this Mousse person a troublesome fellow? He has something that I must get back from him as soon as possible. Do you know what he likes? I believe that bribing him may be the only way to get it back."
"I think he likes, err, attractive ladies," Happosai answered.
The short man sighed. "Ahhh, then I can do nothing there. You see, I am a butler of a very rich man here on Catalina. Many years ago, he built a grand mansion here on the island, hoping to surprise his fiancée with it once it was completed. But the process of building it took much longer than planned, and his fiancée got impatient and married another man." The butler stared into space. "My master was heartbroken. He hates women now. Hasn't let a lady enter his home since his marriage was cancelled." The butler turned to Happosai again. "Actually, he is planning to auction off his home shortly and return to his home country. That is why I must find this Mousse; he has one of my master's most important possessions, and I must get it back before we leave."
Happosai was still comprehending the man's interesting tale.
"Can you do me a favor?" the butler asked Happosai. "If you see this Mousse person, tell him to come to my master's home. It's called the Look Out Cottage- he should be able to find it." And before Happosai could ask any more questions, the man had left.
Happosai was thinking over what the man had told him when he saw someone familiar… deciding that he would be a man of his word, he ran up to…
"Mousse!" Happosai shouted.
Mousse turned around and looked at Happosai with a curious expression. "Do I know you…?"
Happosai realized that Mousse was wearing a pair of glasses. "Take off your glasses and then see if you recognize me!" Happosai commanded.
Mousses took of his glasses, and then put them back on, smiling with embarrassment. "Oh… Happosai… hehe, I'm sorry about earlier… you see, I couldn't see that well, and…"
"I understand, I understand," Happosai cried impatiently. "You see, I just talked to this man, and he is looking for you- it seems to be very important. He says that you have something of his master's-"
"Who is he?" Mousse inquired.
Happosai shook his head. "I don't know his name… but he was very short, he was wearing a black suit, and I think he had a brown briefcase…"
Mousse grumbled. "He won't get these glasses back! He said that I could have any pair, any pair at all! And I chose this pair!" Mousse stormed off.
Happosai thought about calling after Mousse to try and make him change his mind, but he didn't. Still… the butler's story had been so intriguing…
Author's Note: Sorry again for the wait! I had two major projects due this past week!! Sigh, if only I could write all day instead of going to school… oh well, my summer vacation starts in a bit more than a month… then I can write all day… whee… ANYWAY, this fic will probably end up being very long- 20 chapters maybe- because most of the excitement hasn't even started yet! Muahahahaha… read on!
Kodachi ran back into the elevator, with Shampoo following close behind, trying to catch up with her. Once in the elevator, Kodachi turned to the wall and covered her face with her hands. Shampoo frowned, confused by Kodachi's behavior.
"What have I done?" Shampoo barely heard Kodachi mumble.
Shampoo looked at the floor. She didn't know Kodachi very well, but she did know that what Kodachi had just said to Akane was very unusual for her. Kodachi, who was well mannered, polite, and courteous- threatening to murder Akane? It seemed very strange… of course, Kodachi had a right to be furious at Akane- Shampoo was furious, too- but…
"You okay?" Shampoo asked.
Kodachi sniffed. "No, I'm not. I just can't handle this…" she looked up at Shampoo to reveal a face covered with tears. "Akane is so selfish…"
Shampoo waited for Kodachi to explain.
"I've tried to be strong and not let things bother me… but this is too much!" Kodachi faced the wall once more. "You know what I want more than anything else in the world? I want to love a man who loves me back. I don't want to have to tear him away from somebody else. I want that feeling of belonging and unconditional love, that feeling of comfort that I've… I've never had…"
Kodachi sniffed again. "My parents died when I was only a child. They left Tatewaki and I a great amount of money… but they couldn't leave us the thing that we needed most from them: love. Tatewaki took care of me… but I always felt so… lonely. I taught myself to be brave and independent, because I didn't have anyone to fall back on… to help me…"
"Akane has so many things that I can never enjoy. A loving father… two caring sisters… my brother's honest love… and the love of Ranma." Kodachi sighed. "No one loves me. No one thinks that I need loving… but my heart is not as strong as they think it is… all hearts can be broken…"
~*~
Happosai was snoozing in the lobby chair, dreaming of girls… when he felt a tap on his shoulder… who would be bothering him during this wonderful dream…?
"Excuse me, I was wondering if you had seen anyone suspicious looking leaving the hotel? It's very urgent."
Happosai opened his eyes to see a small man in a suit staring down at him. "No, I'm sorry, I don't believe I have," Happosai said absentmindedly. "May I ask you who you're looking for?" The man's question had made him quite curious.
"A man named Mousse. It's very important that I find him."
"MOUSSE?!" Happosai cried.
The short man faced him with new interest. "Yes- Mousse! Do you know him?"
"Know him? I know him better than I want to," Happosai muttered angrily.
"Tell me," questioned the short man, "Is this Mousse person a troublesome fellow? He has something that I must get back from him as soon as possible. Do you know what he likes? I believe that bribing him may be the only way to get it back."
"I think he likes, err, attractive ladies," Happosai answered.
The short man sighed. "Ahhh, then I can do nothing there. You see, I am a butler of a very rich man here on Catalina. Many years ago, he built a grand mansion here on the island, hoping to surprise his fiancée with it once it was completed. But the process of building it took much longer than planned, and his fiancée got impatient and married another man." The butler stared into space. "My master was heartbroken. He hates women now. Hasn't let a lady enter his home since his marriage was cancelled." The butler turned to Happosai again. "Actually, he is planning to auction off his home shortly and return to his home country. That is why I must find this Mousse; he has one of my master's most important possessions, and I must get it back before we leave."
Happosai was still comprehending the man's interesting tale.
"Can you do me a favor?" the butler asked Happosai. "If you see this Mousse person, tell him to come to my master's home. It's called the Look Out Cottage- he should be able to find it." And before Happosai could ask any more questions, the man had left.
Happosai was thinking over what the man had told him when he saw someone familiar… deciding that he would be a man of his word, he ran up to…
"Mousse!" Happosai shouted.
Mousse turned around and looked at Happosai with a curious expression. "Do I know you…?"
Happosai realized that Mousse was wearing a pair of glasses. "Take off your glasses and then see if you recognize me!" Happosai commanded.
Mousses took of his glasses, and then put them back on, smiling with embarrassment. "Oh… Happosai… hehe, I'm sorry about earlier… you see, I couldn't see that well, and…"
"I understand, I understand," Happosai cried impatiently. "You see, I just talked to this man, and he is looking for you- it seems to be very important. He says that you have something of his master's-"
"Who is he?" Mousse inquired.
Happosai shook his head. "I don't know his name… but he was very short, he was wearing a black suit, and I think he had a brown briefcase…"
Mousse grumbled. "He won't get these glasses back! He said that I could have any pair, any pair at all! And I chose this pair!" Mousse stormed off.
Happosai thought about calling after Mousse to try and make him change his mind, but he didn't. Still… the butler's story had been so intriguing…
