Author's Note: Here you go, next chapter! Sorry it took so long, but I am busy getting myself ready to move, so I've been doing tons of packing and what not. Enjoy! I will hopefully be able to update more on time next week. :)

Worlds Fall Apart

Chapter 11-Shampoo's World

As Ranma landed several feet away from where she had just been standing, she couldn't help but wonder how these sorts of things always happened to her. One second she was happily (well, maybe not HAPPILY, but at least relatively acceptable) out of Dr. Tofu's clinic, the next, a blur with an obvious intent to harm was flying at her. Ranma barely had time to see it out of her peripheral vision before she dove out of the way. What on Earth was that?she wondered. But her question was answered almost instantly when a second attack was launched, this time accompanied by an awfully familiar, "Ranma! I kill!"

She then dove out of the way of a flying bonbori thrown by a seemingly agitated Shampoo. She barely had time to think before the second one was thrown rather violently in her direction.

"Shampoo!" Ranma shouted as the furious Amazon lunged at her, "What the…"

"Die, Ranma!" Shampoo shouted, and pulled a sword off her back and lunged at Ranma. Oh man! She's bringing out real weapons! What's going on? Ranma thought as she dodged again.

"Hey! C'mon, Shampoo! What'd I do?" Ranma said in confusion, dodging a swing of her sword and leaping over her head, managing to knock the sword from her hands as she did.

Shampoo didn't miss a beat, and she quickly picked up her dropped bonbori and began to swing violently at Ranma, who was sent into a quick backstep.

"Shampoo! C'mon! Quit it! Just tell me what I did!" Ranma said in desperation as she stumbled backwards.

"Die!" Shampoo said, and gave a hearty swing of her bonbori. Ranma jumped up, hands on some railing and caught the bonbori between her feet. She had to struggle to keep Shampoo from overpowering her, but she had to know why Shampoo suddenly decided she had to die.

"Look, just tell me what I did!" Ranma said.

"If Ranma girl, then Ranma must die!" Shampoo said, swinging at Ranma with her other hand.

"So, you're mad at me for being a girl then, is that it?" Ranma asked, ducking under the swing.

"No, not mad," Shampoo said, "Is not matter of anger, is matter of honor,"

"Honor…you mean…" Ranma said, beginning to understand.

"Shampoo give Ranma kiss of death," Shampoo explained, stopping her attacks only for a second, "Shampoo no kill because Ranma boy, so she marry instead. If Ranma no boy, Shampoo cannot marry, so Shampoo must kill!"

"Gee, I'd hate to be your ex-boyfriend," Ranma said sarcastically, then was forced again to dive out of the way.

"Die!"

Shampoo! Stop! Please!" Ranma said as she ran from the enraged Amazon.

"No stop until DEAD!" Shampoo shouted.

"So that's it, huh?" Ranma said, "If you can't marry me, then I have to die?"

"No can defeat Kiss of Death!" Shampoo shouted.

"I see how it is!" Ranma shouted, turning around to look Shampoo in the eyes as she launched herself onto a wall, "You never did love me in the first place, it was all rules with you, huh?"

Shampoo stopped, bonbori in mid air, and stared at Ranma from the ground. Her eyes got big and wet with tears as she stared at her, the face of a woman. She stared into Ranma's eyes, the eyes that still looked so like the eyes of the man she loved…eyes that would never again be attached to the handsome face of a fierce male warrior…eyes that now belonged to a beautiful young girl…a girl who Shampoo was required by law to kill, but whom Shampoo was doomed by fate to love.

"Ranma…" she whispered, then launched herself onto the wall, letting her weapons clatter to the floor as she wrapped her arms around Ranma and began to sob, "Wo ai ni!"

"S-shampoo…" Ranma breathlessly, thoroughly startled, and almost losing her balance, but then Shampoo pulled her tighter into her embrace, and Ranma wouldn't have been able to fall if she had wanted too.

"Ranma! Shampoo no can kill you! Shampoo love you!" Shampoo wailed, "I no care if you girl or boy, Shampoo love you anyway, Shampoo still be with you, Shampoo always be with you,"

"Wha? N-now hold on a minute," Ranma said, "I'm…I mean…I'm a girl now, Shampoo…and…and you're a girl…"

"Shampoo no care!" Shampoo wailed, clinging to Ranma.

"B-B-But…" Ranma started, then gave up, and simply slouched down, unable to free herself from Shampoo's death grip. Oh great, as if I don't have enough problems…this is just like before, and I still don't know which is worse, having her try to kill me or kiss me…Now what am I gonna do?

Finally, Shampoo freed herself from Ranma and looked up into her face. She brought herself close, way too close, too close for comfort, as she used to do to the male Ranma, and whispered, "Woda…Ranma…Shampoo must go now…"

"Okay," Ranma said, and Shampoo came close and kissed her on the cheek, then dropped her and ran off. Ranma stood there for a second, looking after her in bewilderment before she realized she had been about to lose her balance and was teetering rather dangerously on the edge of that wall.

"Woah! Woah! Woah no!" She said as she flailed uselessly and fell backwards. Luckily, her fall was rather conveniently broken by Ryoga who just happened to be passing by underneath.

"Hey Ryoga," Ranma said, "What'cha doing on the ground?"

Ryoga jumped up violently, sending Ranma flying into the air. Ranma flipped herself around and landed on the ground in front of him, but she lost her footing and stumbled backwards into the wall.

"Pathetic," Ryoga said, shaking his head at Ranma and continuing to walk along.

"Hey, you shut up!" Ranma said, "So I'm a little distracted! So what?"

"Yeah, well, I have a lot to distract me too, but you don't see me tripping over my own two feet," Ryoga said infuriatingly.

"Whatever it is that is bothering you can't possibly be as serious as my problem," Ranma said, not realizing how rude she was being as she sunk back and leaned against the wall, thinking of Shampoo's latest…weirdness.

"What do you know!" Ryoga shouted, "You know, I am getting really tired of your high and mighty attitude. So you have some problems, so does everyone!"

"You would be upset too if you were magically dismembered!" Ranma shouted, "And if Akane wouldn't even talk to you, and Nabiki thought you were a dress up doll, and Shampoo…" She stopped and looked down.

"And what?" Ryoga wondered.

"Nothin'" Ranma said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Ryoga looked at Ranma then broke out into a huge grin, "Shampoo's…she's still after you?

"I never said that," Ranma said gruffily.

"She is! Isn't she? Ha ha!" Ryoga laughed, almost manically.

"Look, it ain't funny! It was bad enough when I was a guy, but now I'm a girl, and I don't know how I feel about…that stuff yet…you know?" Ranma said.

Ryoga nodded, but then was unable to contain himself and burst out laughing.

"Shut up, Pig Boy!" Ranma said, but when Ryoga failed to contain his mirth, Ranma stood in a battle stance and said, "Man! I oughta toss you into the river and turn you into…er…a soaking wet…martial artist….heh heh,"

"What?" Ryoga said in confusion.

"Hi Ryoga," Akane said from behind him, and Ryoga nearly jumped a mile in the air. He had been so busy laughing he hadn't even heard her coming. He stopped laughing, mostly because Ranma had had the decency to keep his secret, even while he was laughing at his misfortune.

"Hi…Akane…" Ryoga said, blushing.

"I was just looking for you," she smiled, "I made some cookies and I was wondering if you maybe wanted some,"

"I…uhhh…sure…" Ryoga said, trying hard to look grateful and not terrified for his life.

"And Ranma…" Akane said, turning to Ranma and looking down awkwardly. Ranma straightened and looked at her in surprise. Is she…speaking to me…? "I was wondering if…could we maybe talk later?"

"Wha…uhhh…sure," Ranma said bemusedly.

"Good," Akane said, then lifted her eyes a little, "I'll…see you later…"

"Uhhh…bye…" Ranma replied dumbly.

"Bye Ryoga," Akane said as she turned and walked off.

Ryoga and Ranma both stood there, mouths agape, staring at Akane's receding form.

"Great," Ryoga said in annoyance.

"Here," Ranma said, misinterpreting him and reaching to grab the sack of cookies and toss them into a nearby trash can.

"What do you think you're doing?" Ryoga said angrily.

"What? You wanna eat them?" Ranma asked raising an eyebrow. Ryoga just stared, so Ranma finished the toss.

"Well, thanks a lot," Ryoga said angrily and began to stalk off in a depression.

Ranma sighed, "Awww, man! Even when I don't do nothin' I do somethin' wrong! What's the matter now?"

"Just when Akane starts to notice me, you gotta swoop back in and take her for yourself!" Ryoga said angrily.

Ranma laughed, "What, you think I want her? Besides, we're just gonna talk!"

"You don't want her?" Ryoga asked hopefully.

"I…no…" Ranma admitted, "Before everyone broke into the dojo that day…my mind reached clarity…I…I have no romantic feelings for Akane…I love her, but only as a friend…"

"Oh…" Ryoga said, unsure how else to respond. On one hand, he felt bad for Akane. On the other hand, he was glad to hear that because then that meant Akane's feelings for Ranma were unreciprocated, and then…Maybe I have a…oh, come off it! Even if she ever did like me…would I even…Ryoga shook his head to clear the thought. He was feeling more and more unsure about Akane as time went on…he couldn't help but worry that maybe she was only…habit…

"Yeah, you hear that, so if she really is starting to like you, she's all yours," Ranma said simply.

Ranma also thinks Akane might be starting to notice me? I never said that to her, I wouldn't dare even venture to think that to myself…but if Ranma notices it…then maybe…Ryoga thought.

"Well, I gotta head home, later P-Chan," Ranma said.

Ryoga stopped his thoughts in order to fume at Ranma and shout a variety of curses at her receding, still overly cocky form.

"What on EARTH is THIS?" Ranma said in confusion and annoyance as she walked into her room.

"I thought you might want your room to be a little, you know, more feminine, so I just added some little womanly touches," Nabiki said with a smile, "Don't worry, it's on me, I won't charge you, besides, it's mostly stuff I had lying around,"

Ranma stared in horror at the embroidered pink blanket folded on top of her futon, the dainty vase on the dresser filled with pink and white flowers, the poster of…she shuddered, a unicorn. It was so…she has to be stopped…before she kills me…Ranma thought desperately, but the smile on Nabiki's face was just so…she seemed so happy that…But there is NO WAY I am living with this stuff!

"Nabiki!" she said, trying hard to sound pleased, "It's…really nice of you…but…ummm…I have to share this room with Pop, you know, and well…he really hates these kinds of things…and, I mean, I love it, but…"

"Oh…I see…" Nabiki said, "Well, I understand, your Father has a say in the decoration too, of course,"

Ranma nodded and wondered why on Earth she was being so damned polite. The old Ranma would have been ripping that poster to shreds by now!

"Yeah, I'm sorry…" Ranma said.

"No, problem!" Nabiki said with a smile, and Ranma breathed a sigh of pure relief as she moved to remove the "improvements".

"Here, I'll go put this blanket back in the closet," Ranma said, eager to remove the pink monstrosity from her room.

"Thanks!" Nabiki said, all smiles, as she left the room with poster and flowers in hand.

Ranma began walking into the hallway, and was just putting the folded blanket into the hall closet when she heard Kasumi say, "Oh, hello Shampoo!"

"Hiya! Ranma is home?" Shampoo's voice asked from the hall.

"Yes, she was just upstairs with Nabiki, go on up if you like," Kasumi said.

Shampoo thanked her and jogged up the stairs and into Ranma's room, but she was nowhere to be seen. She wandered through the halls, calling out to her, but to no avail. Ranma, of course, only heard this, as she was stuffed rather swiftly into the linen closet, praying that Shampoo wouldn't search too thoroughly.

"Ranma!" Shampoo called, "Ranma! You come out and date with Shampoo, hiya!"

"Shampoo!" Akane said, and Ranma held her breath as she realized that the two girls were standing right outside the closet.

"Akane!" Shampoo said, and Ranma could almost hear the tension in her voice. The two girls had been enemies for so long, all because of their rivalry over Ranma…she waited on pins and needles to see how this turned out.

"Are you looking for Ranma?" Akane said sweetly, "She just ran out, said she needed something from the store,"

Alright Akane! Ranma thought happily.

"I go find then!" Shampoo said happily, and Ranma heard her burst out of the house. Possibly literally.

A second later, the door to the linen opened up, and Akane was looking in at Ranma who was suspended from the ceiling, expertly putting pressure on the edges to stay near the top.

"Hi," she said awkwardly.

"Hi," Ranma replied, and somehow, she knew that this was the beginning of a long conversation, one she hoped would solve all the problems between them.