Seven years later, in the vicinity of Gerudo Valley...

"Just great..." the Zora groaned as she wrung out her Hylian clothes. "Just before we enter Gerudo Valley, it had to rain!"

"Be thankful for rain, Airen," Shampoo told her fiance. "In hot desert, there will no be any rain. It is rare gift for desert dwellers like Gerudo."

"That's just it," Ranko sighed as she pulled out a thermos flask. "The more of this hot water we waste, the less water we have left when we're wandering the desert. And I can't possibly go to that hot, dry pile of sand when in my Zora form. You remember what happened to me at the volcano, right?"

Shampoo suddenly realized how dangerous this trip was going to be for Ranma. Jusenkyo turned its victims into water magnets, and if Ranma was splashed by only a bottle full of water, he would turn into a Zora... which could have fatal consequences.

"Airen... maybe you better stay behind..."

"Don't start that now, Shampoo!" Ranko said. "I've decided to do this, and you know there's nothing more stubborn than a Saotome who's made up his mind. I know it's gonna be dangerous, but... I can't let you go there by yourself! I just can't! It's too dangerous!"

Shampoo sighed. "Shampoo know, but... is bad enough that Shampoo risks her life, yes? Airen should not risk his own, too..."

Ranko grabbed her fiancee's shoulders. "Shampoo? It's either both of us or neither of us! You go there, I'm going with you! The only way you can make me stay out of the desert is by deciding you don't want to go. You made up your mind to save the old gh... your great-grandmother, so we go. Easy as that!"

Shampoo realized once more how fortunate she was to have such a loyal and courageous man on her side. She smiled. "Okay, Airen... we do this, together!"

Ranko nodded and just wanted to pour the hot water from the thermos flask over her head, when something small collided with her chest.

"Oooof..." a high-pitched voice mumbled from inside the depths of Ranko's bountiful breast valley. "I still have to train landing..."

Ranko blinked. "What's that?"

"Is small fairy-girl?" Shampoo wondered. "Is not fairy from fairy-boy or spatula girl... but there no live fairies in desert. Is too too hot!"

"That voice..." the fairy muttered. "Shampoo? Is that you, my beloved one?" And the winged girl seemed to embrace Ranko's breasts even more. "Oh, what a joy, to meet you here! I thought I'd never see you again."

Ranko had never dealt with a fairy before that was groping her chest, or that was confusing her with Shampoo.

"Um... that's Shampoo, over there!"

The fairy looked up and blinked. She then lowered the glasses she had been wearing on her forehead and looked through them. Ranko thought it was pretty strange that a fairy was wearing glasses...

"You are not Shampoo... you're a Zora!" she realized. "But I've clearly heard her lovely voice... where is my beloved Shampoo?"

Shampoo groaned. "Shampoo now know who fairy is... Mousse, you were stupid enough to get curse of drowned fairy?"

The fairy turned around. "Shampoo!" she shouted happily. "I've found you!"

"Is... that a friend of yours?" Ranko wondered.

"Is Mousse..." Shampoo grumbled. "Stupid, nearsighted carpenter boy. He half Gerudo, but not really member of tribe... but last time Shampoo met him, he no have Jusenkyo curse."

"It is true, I was unfortunate enough to acquire this curse while I was searching for you, my darling," Mousse sighed. "I think I was so blinded by my love that I didn't see the springs when I stumbled down that hill..."

"You always were nearsighted," Shampoo shouted. "Wear your glasses next time... and Shampoo not your 'darling'!"

"So, you've got a fairy curse, eh?" Ranko asked. "Could have been worse... I mean, at least you can fly, right?"

"Be quiet!" Mousse grumbled. "You don't know the horrors of this curse... too many people tried to put me into a bottle... oh yes, only those that are Jusenkyo-cursed themselves know the true grief..."

"But I am cursed," Ranko said. "See?" And she poured the hot water over her head and turned back to Ranma. He grinned, then offered the thermos flask to the small fairy. "You need some as well?"

"Who... are you?" Mousse wondered.

"The name's Ranma Saotome... ya want this water, or not?"

"Huh? Oh yes, gimme gimme gimme..." Mousse pleaded. The sooner he could leave this weak, little body behind, the better...

Ranma poured a small bit of hot water onto Mousse's head (which completely soaked the small fairy and the makeshift dress she was wearing.

And when Mousse turned back to normal, he remembered that he didn't have any clothes, except for his glasses, which had grown to fit his nose, thanks to the magical dust.

"Here, I've got some spare ones," Ranma said and threw the nearsighted boy some of his clothes.

Mousse quickly put them on. "You are a decent guy... did Shampoo hire you as a bodyguard?"

"Shampoo no need bodyguard!" the proud Gerudo shouted. "She is strong warrior herself!"

"Ah, okay... then as an errand boy?"

Ranma frowned. "Hey, she's my fiancee!"

The young carpenter blinked. "F... fiancee...?"

"That right, Ranma is Shampoo's Airen!" Shampoo grinned and glomped onto Ranma's right arm.

"Wh-wh-whaaaat?" Mousse gasped. "That can't be... you are..." He then angrily glared at Ranma. "I see now, you're that rebel boy who seduced my beloved Shampoo! It was you who put her into all this danger, who made her an outcast..."

"What? What the hell are you talking about, man?" Ranma asked.

"Those were Shampoo's decisions," she shouted. "Shampoo met Ranma after running away as a young child. Came back to him after finding out that Ganondorf is tyrant... Ranma never put me in any danger. He always protects me!"

"Shampoo, how could you have listened to his lies?" Mousse ranted. "He obviously talked you into believing that. He used your silly little childhood crush to confuse you..."

"Is no 'silly little childhood crush'!" Shampoo insisted. "Is true love! Ranma is only man for Shampoo! Is strong, loyal, brave, handsome, a good martial artist and a princess on top of that!"

Ranma sweatdropped. "Shampoo, you could have left that last part out..." he muttered. Being a princess didn't really help to make him sound like an ideal man...

"A... princess?" Mousse grumbled. "So... does that mean you're a crossdresser on top of everything? Then I guess having a female Zora body must be like a true blessing to you."

Now Ranma was getting angry. "To your information, it does!" he shouted. "Having become a Zora girl turned out to be the best thing that had ever happened to me... right after having met Shampoo!"

"I knew it..." Mousse said. "You disgust me, Saotome! I bet you're spending all day in front of the mirror, looking at your female body, thinking how pretty you are, right?"

"Shut up! I'm not doing any of that stuff!" Ranma growled. "I'm the best martial artist there is!"

"I'm not buying it, Saotome. Didn't Shampoo just say you're a princess?"

"You be quiet now, Mousse! Ranma makes good Zora princess. She once wore royal dress for ceremony, and she looks much better in dress than you!"

"YER NOT HELPING, SHAMPOO!" Ranma yelled. She had to bring up that horrible day, shortly after his 18th birthday... his mother had insisted Ranko would attend that ceremony, a festival that was held for every noble Zora that comes of age. And she had her wear that stupid dress...

"At least I'm not embracing my female side like you do!" Mousse said. "I'm proud to be a man!"

"So, are you?" Ranma grumbled. "Are you sure you haven't joined the other fairies during their annual spring dance festival? Lemme guess, you were crowned the beauty queen of the fairies, right?"

"That's it, Saotome!" Mousse roared. "DIE!!" And he reached for his hidden weapons.

Only to find out that his current outfit didn't have any wide sleeves to hide weapons in. He also remembered that all of his tools had been taken away when he was caught by the Gerudos.

"Oh yes," he grinned sheepishly. "My weapons are all back in Gerudo Fortress..."

"What a way to back out of a battle..." Ranma grumbled.

"You were in fortress?" Shampoo gasped. "You saw mother? Or great-grandmother? Or Auntie..."

It didn't happen too often that Shampoo was so eager to talk to him, so it was no surprise that Mousse was a bit befuddled when she stormed at him with all of her questions.

"W-well, I didn't see any trace of your aunt... but I've met the old bat. She's a grumpy as ever..."

Ranma nodded. "Yeah, sounds just like Cologne."

"I also talked to your mother, Shampoo," Mousse explained. "She also wanted me to tell you one thing..."

"What? What did mother want?" Shampoo asked.

Mousse looked at her sadly. "She said that you should never come back to the fortress if you value your life. I'm sorry, Shampoo..."

"Why... why would she say that?" Shampoo sobbed.

"She obviously wants to protect you, Shampoo," Ranma said. "I've never really met yet Mom, but you told me quite a few things about her... and if she really loves you as much as I've always felt, I'm not surprised that she doesn't want you to come back."

"And she's right," Mousse insisted. "Going back now would be too dangerous... I mean, it's obvious that it's all Ranma's fault, but try to explain that to Elders Koume and Kotake! In their eyes, you're a traitor, and there is nothing that can be done to change their mind. And even if your great-grandmother would support you, there's always Ganondorf... and we all know what he does to traitors." Mousse made a short gesture with his thumb across his throat.

"Shampoo no care!" the purple-haired Gerudo shouted. "Shampoo will go and save great-grandmother from evil twin witches! Ganondorf no is here, he in his castle in Hyrule, he no can do anything to stop Shampoo and Ranma!"

"What can he do against Ganondorf's monsters?" Mousse grumbled. "I've seen the beasts that are guarding the Spirit Temple... also the magic of the Twinrova Elders is way too powerful. No martial artist could ever hope to win against them!"

"That's not true!" Ranma proclaimed. "There has to be a way. I will protect Shampoo from harm, no matter what happens!"

"And Shampoo will protect her Airen," she added, smiling at her pig-tailed boyfriend adoringly.

"I say it again, you meddled with her mind," Mousse grumbled. "You two are crazy when you believe that you can just go in there... and besides, Elder Cologne doesn't want to leave. I've talked to her... she's completely loyal to Ganondorf and his cause!"

"Shampoo no believe that," Shampoo said. "Shampoo knows there is good left in great-grandmother... and she will make her see the truth."

"And who knows," Ranma grinned. "Maybe you need to be a bit crazy to do just that."

"Tingle tingle, kooloo-limpah, tingle tingle, kooloo-limpah..."

Ranma, Mousse and Shampoo looked up when they heard how someone sung this strange song.

Above them, a small man, eccentrically clad in forest-green clothes, floated over their heads, carried by a big, red balloon.

"Ah, yes, the blowing winds..." Tingle muttered. "They are carrying me wherever they want... back into good, old Gerudo Valley, I see. Oh my, that is always an interesting place to visit. People say you would have to be crazy to go there... but, hey, who isn't? And who knows, maybe I'm going to meet some more fairies there. Tingle tingle, kooloo-limpah..."

The red balloon disappeared behind a rocky cliff.

Ranma blinked several times.

"Did you all... see that just now?" he then blurted out.