Mousse lay against the cement wall with his head down, as Ranma smirked in his victory. A purple blur dashed by him, snapping him out of his defeat. He stood up from where he sat in glee at the sight of his beloved.
"Shampoo!" shouted Mousse as he ran, stopping dead in his tracks when he realized she was clinging herself to Ranma. She looked completely unimpressed that he was there.
Shampoo glared at Mousse. "Mousse, what you still doing here? Shampoo with Ranma now. Stupid Mousse supposed to be going back to China. Go away." she spat coldly.
Mousse looked incredibly defeated, all of his previous confidence washed away. "Shampoo, it's just...I...I-"
Shampoo cut him off. "Go home, Mousse. Shampoo not want you around anymore. Bye-bye." she spat cruelly, grabbing harder onto Ranma's arm. The motion made Mousse's gut twist as if someone was stabbing him.
"Hey, didn't you get enough?" Ranma spat defensively as Mousse approached him.
To his surprise, Mousse didn't attack him. He took off his glasses, his deep blue eyes full of sadness. "She's all yours, Ranma Saotome."
"Mousse?" said Shampoo in surprise. She had not expected for Mousse to ever say those words.
"It's over. I'm giving her up, going back home, and getting on with my life." Mousse said with despair, staring at the ground.
"You're going all the way back to China?" asked Ranma, somewhat confused.
"Don't try to stop me." said Mousse.
"Oh, we no stop you. Have safe trip, okay? Sayonara!" Shampoo said nonchalantly, waving goodbye to Mousse. Those words hit Mousse like a kick in the gut, and it showed on his face.
"Well then, I'll be going." Mousse said. Ranma had never seen such a look of defeat on the man's face before. This was Mousse - the guy who didn't know when to quit!
"Okay! Bye bye!" Shampoo said as she waved, unaffected whatsoever by the fact that Mousse was leaving.
Ranma felt himself taken aback at the sorrow on Mousse's face. "Wow...drop us a line, huh?" said Ranma, but Mousse didn't reply.
"Bye bye!" said Cologne and Shampoo together as they waved. Mousse turned away, looking back in longing, and began to walk down the alleyway, holding his head down in defeat.
There was a moment of silence. "Well...I guess that's it then." said Ranma, scratching the back of his head. However, Mousse stopped in his tracks, and sharply turned around, staring Ranma straight in the eye.
"No! No, that's not it!" said Mousse sternly, furrowing his eyebrows. "Listen, Saotome, you better treat this lady like a queen. Because you, my friend, you found yourself the perfect woman."
"Look, Mousse, I think you've got the wr-"
Mousse was now face to face with Ranma, holding his shoulders as he desperately tried to say what he needed. "You are a lucky man, Ranma Saotome. If I was ever so lucky to find the perfect woman, I'd give her flowers every day. And not just any flowers, okay? Her favorites are orchids. White. And breakfast in bed. Two slices of wheat toast, with butter on both sides. Plum jelly, the way she likes it."
Shampoo stared in awe at Mousse as he spoke from his heart. She had never seen Mousse so assertive in her entire life. Ranma also seemed shocked at Mousse's sudden dominance, and Mousse was desperately gripping onto Ranma's arms as he spoke.
"I'd be her shoulder to cry on and her best friend. And I'd spend every day thinking of how to make her laugh. She has the most, most amazing laugh," Mousse paused, gazing tenderly at Shampoo. "I mean, that's what I would do if I were you. But I'm not, so you do it." Mousse said, emphasizing those final words. Mousse let go of Ranma, tucked his hands inside his robes, and turned back down the alleyway. This time, he didn't look back as he walked away.
Ranma, Cologne, and Shampoo stared at Mousse as he walked off. There was a deep silence as a crowd of girls slowly congregated behind them. They stared for a moment until a voice spoke from the group of girls.
"That...was beautiful!" said one of the girls, and the group gazed at Mousse in awe as he walked away.
Shampoo stared at Mousse as he walked away, his hair blowing gently in the wind. His words had taken her off guard, and hit her deeper than she had ever expected. For the first time in her life, she found herself feeling regret at the way she had treated her friend.
"Well, now that's settled, I better get a move on," said Cologne without concern. "Don't forget to lock up tonight, Shampoo. I won't be back tonight until late. I'm sure you'll spend the night in good company at the Tendo home." Cologne winked.
Shampoo nodded. She had forgotten great-grandmother would be running some errands that evening. Indeed, with Mousse gone now, she might as well spend the night with her future husband.
"Well, I look forward to seeing more of you, son-in-law," said Cologne happily. "You two have a splendid evening." Cologne vanished with a 'swoosh' of her staff. Ranma sighed in relief.
Shampoo walked alongside Ranma for some time as they headed back to the dojo. The sight of the broken-hearted Mousse walking away was still fresh in her mind, refusing to stop replaying itself. Shampoo felt a tightness in her chest at the memory, remembering Mousse's final kind words. Why was she feeling like this about stupid Mousse, of all people? For crying out loud, Mousse was gone, and she was with Ranma. This was exactly the way she had wanted it. And yet, she didn't feel as satisfied as she thought she would. Shampoo came to a stop, holding her hand up to her chest.
"Ranma?" said Shampoo.
"Yeah?" Ranma replied as he stopped.
"Do Ranma...do Ranma know what Shampoo favorite food?" Shampoo asked inquisitively.
"Uhh..." replied Ranma nervously, scratching the back of his head. "Course I do! It's..." Ranma stumbled with his words. "Dim sum?"
Shampoo sighed in disappointment. Her favorite food was pork buns. For some reason, her heart sank at the fact that Ranma didn't know such a minuscule detail about her. After all, Mousse knowing all those specifics should have been easy...right?
"Do Ranma know what color Shampoo eyes are?" Shampoo asked with great anticipation.
"Uhh...of course I do!" replied Ranma, looking at Shampoo's eyes, but she had shut them. "They're...they're...uhh...brown?"
Shampoo opened her eyes, disappointed yet again. "Shampoo eyes red," she stated. Ranma was her rightful husband, yet he couldn't answer such a simple question. "Ranma...do Ranma know what Akane favorite food?"
"Oh yeah, she's crazy about chicken teriyaki," Ranma replied nonchalantly, stretching his arms behind his back. Shampoo grumbled to herself.
"Do Ranma know what color Akane eyes?"
"Of course, they're brown," replied Ranma. "Why you askin'?"
Shampoo sighed to herself. "No reason. Shampoo...Shampoo just wondering," Why did it bother her so much that Ranma didn't know the answer? "Shampoo...Shampoo think go home now. See Ranma later, okay?" Shampoo waved goodbye to Ranma as she made her way back to the Cat Cafe, feeling far more downtrodden than she had intended.
Shampoo unlocked the front door of the Cat Cafe and slowly entered the darkness. She reached for the light switch and turned it on, illuminating the hallway. The restaurant was eerily quiet. Shampoo remembered great-grandmother would be gone until late. She was completely alone. Normally she'd have heard the scuffling of Mousse as he worked at the sink, or need to smack him within 2 minutes of walking through the door because he had yet again tried to declare his love for her. Now, there wasn't a sound inside the vacant building. Shampoo walked through the hall and turned on the lights in the dining room, grumbling at the mess. There was a lot of work to do. She was about to yell for Mousse to help her, only yet again to realize that he wasn't there.
She had taken the fact that Mousse was an extra worker for granted. It took Shampoo more than twice as long now to get her work done. Between busing tables, clearing plates, and washing the dishes, the task seemed almost overwhelming. Shampoo stood at the sink in silence as she washed, her thoughts wandering. Normally Mousse would be standing next to her right now, chattering away like a monkey in a tree while she grumbled at him to shut up. Now the time seemed to just drag on, and Shampoo found herself giving up before she was done. Dishearteningly, she dried off her hands and made her way upstairs above the cafe. She walked into her bedroom as she usually did, gazing around the quiet room, reaching to turn on the lamp by her bed.
Shampoo stopped dead in her tracks when she gazed at her nightstand. She had never really paid much attention to the flowers on it before. They sort of just faded into the background like everything else. It was only when she actually took the time to look that Shampoo realized what kind of flowers they were - white orchids.
'Mousse' Shampoo thought to herself, remembering how Mousse had known they were her favorite. She reached out to touch one of the beautiful flowers, and a petal fell onto the night stand. It had never occurred to her before now, but Mousse must have been putting the flowers in her room every morning. 'I'd give her flowers every day. And not just any flowers. Okay? Her favorites are orchids. White.' Shampoo remembered Mousse saying. He hadn't just said those words - he meant them. Her heart sank when she thought of him - all the cruel things she had said, and the kind, considerate things he had before leaving.
Shampoo stared at the ceiling as she lay on the bed, lost in her thoughts. She chuckled to herself when she imagined Mousse fumbling around setting up the flowers, only to feel her heart sink again when she remembered his words in the alley. 'And I'd spend every day thinking of how to make her laugh. She has the most, most amazing laugh.' Mousse always made her laugh. She'd never admit it, but most of the times his antics were far more humorous than annoying. She laid there in bed, staring into the dark, recalling more of the times Mousse had done something silly or ridiculous, and it brought a smile to her face as the memories played out. It was nice having someone from her village around while in Japan. Although she'd never admit it to anyone else, she got quite homesick sometimes. She felt safe in the company of Mousse. Just knowing that he was down the hall was a comforting feeling - a feeling which she had not become aware of until he was gone.
Shampoo sighed and crawled out of bed, walking down the hallway. She entered Mousse's empty bedroom, breathing in the deep scent of musk. She closed her eyes - it was extremely comforting for just a brief moment to imagine Mousse was still here by his scent. She opened her eyes and gazed around the room. Normally there would be assorted weapons on the tables and bedspread that Mousse had not hidden in his robes. The hollow feeling of the room made Shampoo feel incredibly downhearted. She sat down on the empty bed, running her hand over the mattress. If it weren't for the remnants of Mousse's musky scent, it would have been like no one had even lived here at all. She would never see her kind, gentle Mousse ever again. And it was all her fault.
Shampoo went back to her bedroom and leaned against the window, looking up to the heavens. The moon was full tonight, basking the landscape in gentle ambiance. 'I'd be her shoulder to cry on and her best friend.' Shampoo gazed up at the moon longingly, wondering if Mousse could see the very same sight in the starry sky. He had always been there for her, whenever and wherever, no matter what. She'd taken it for granted, because he was always there. Now that he wasn't, she felt barren and empty.
Mousse's speech before his departure was beautiful, just as the bystander had said. Shampoo had never heard such heartfelt, true words spoken in her entire life as Mousse did earlier that day. Shampoo was certain that Mousse probably knew every intricate detail about what she liked and how she liked it. How had Mousse known all those little things about her? Ranma wasn't able to answer any of those questions when Shampoo asked him, yet Mousse knew intricate details about her that were special. Shampoo realized why Mousse knew all those things. It was because he loved her.
Shampoo climbed into her bed and curled up under the covers with a deep heartfelt sigh. It was hard, but she eventually drifted off into sleep. Her dreams were filled with memories of Mousse - the good times growing up together, and the cruel way in which she spurned him that day in the cafe when he asked her to come back to China and marry him. She dreamed of what was, and dreamed of what might have been.
Cologne finally arrived back at the restaurant after running her many errands. She turned on the light, clearing away the last of some dishes Shampoo had not gotten to. She wasn't angry about it - after all, her great-granddaughter was probably in a rush to finish up and head back to the Tendo home to be with Ranma.
Cologne continued to put some of the last things away when a feeling came over her - a bad one. Something was not right. Cologne was over 300 years old, and knew better than to question her gut when it told her something was not right. She looked around the restaurant, unable to find anything out of order, and yet the feeling would not leave. Suddenly, she felt it - a great rumbling that shook her to her very core. Before Cologne could react, she was thrown back by a powerful force, her ears deafened by the loudest sound she had heard in her entire life.
Cologne had no time to react, but it was clear what had happened. One of the gas tanks had exploded, and the surrounding area was now engulfed in flames. There was no time to assess the damage - Cologne coughed as she pulled herself to stand, rushing towards the door to escape the blaze. There was no one else inside the house, as Shampoo would have been at Ranma's. Cologne bolted out the door, and could feel the raging heat behind her as the building went up in smoke
Shampoo was jerked awake by the deafening sound from the floor below. She had never heard a sound so loud in her entire life. Shampoo could smell smoke, and had no time to react. The smoke alarms were blaring their sirens, and Shampoo knew she had to find great-grandmother and get out, and fast. Shampoo ran to the stairs where she met a creeping wall of fire, causing her to loose her footing, falling head first down the stairs. Shampoo banged her head on something hard, and she remembered no more as a great blackness engulfed her.
Mousse walked along the railway clutching his bag, his eyes distant and glazed. He had missed the train headed out of town that evening, and would have to wait until tomorrow for the next one. He didn't really care where he ended up anyway. He had said to he would go back to China, but that was a lie. Going back to China would only serve as a constant reminder that he had lost his beloved Shampoo. It didn't matter to Mousse where he went now - he would have to simply start over somewhere new, and try to forget. Yet deep down, he knew he could never forget the love of his life. Perhaps going far away where no one knew him would be best.
Mousse walked step by step over the railway ties, holding his head down in sadness as he wandered into an uncertain future. That is, until a loud sound woke him out of his trance. The sound was extremely deafening, and Mousse looked up over the horizon, noticing a cloud of smoke from a distant source, and he knew at once something was wrong. Mousse's heart sank immediately - that was the part of town where the Cat Cafe was. Before he could even think or reason, Mousse dropped his satchel and bolted towards the smoke, as if possessed by something greater than himself. His legs carried him faster than ever in his life, and he could hear sirens beginning to blare as he got closer and closer.
Cologne threw herself onto the ground once she had escaped the building, coughing from the smoke as she tried to catch her breath. The explosion had been so sudden, she had not had time to react to it. The shock was difficult to bear, and Cologne could only look on as her restaurant disappeared into a red fiery wall. Shampoo had to have been at Ranma's - at least, she had been sure of that before. As she watched the flames crawl higher and higher, Cologne's heart was filled with dread at the fact that she wasn't entirely sure if Shampoo was there or not.
Cologne heard footsteps rushing towards her, and looked up. To her great surprise, she met a bespectacled face - it was Mousse! Certainly the man was on his way back to China, yet here he was, despite the fact.
"Cologne! Are you alright?" shouted Mousse as he approached, and she nodded. "Where's Shampoo?" he asked frantically, but Cologne weakly coughed and shook her head.
"I can't find her!" shouted Cologne. "I don't know if she's in there or not!"
Maybe Shampoo had been out on a delivery, or off to Ranma's house - just maybe, she wasn't in there. For Mousse, maybe was not good enough. He tore off a piece of his robe and wrapped the makeshift mask around his face, bracing himself to enter the fiery building. "I can't leave Shampoo!" he shouted.
"No!" shouted Cologne, grabbing a hold of Mousse's robe. "Mousse, you can't go in there!"
Mousse ripped himself away from Cologne's grip as he braced himself to the direction of the door. "Shampoo might be in there! I have to go to her!"
"No, Mousse!" cried Cologne "It's too dangerous! Mousse!" she yelled, but he didn't hear her. Before she could stop him, Mousse bolted into the blaze, vanishing among the flames.
Shampoo groaned in agony as she awoke, the searing heat surrounding her almost unbearable. She opened her eyes, but her vision was clouded by a thick black smoke, and a wall of flame on each side of her. She coughed weakly, unable to lift herself off the floor. The sounds and smells were so strange. She didn't know what they were. If you've never heard or smelled something, how can you understand it?
Shampoo knew she had to get out of there, but her body was too weak to stand, her head pounding. Shampoo curled herself up as the blaze engulfed her, prepared to face the certain death that awaited her. Yet before she could give in to the blackness, Shampoo heard a voice shouting her name. Her eyes fluttered open, and she weakly lifted her head.
"Shampoo! Shampoo, where are you!" shouted the voice. Shampoo tried to reply, but her throat was seared and dry, and only a weak cry came out. The man's voice continued to call for her, and she could hear someone sifting through the building frantically. Suddenly, a figure burst through the flames, his face covered by cloth, with only his glasses visible.
"Mousse..." cried Shampoo weakly, reaching out an arm, unable to get off the floor.
"Don't worry Shampoo, I'm here!" shouted Mousse through the roaring sounds around them. He swept Shampoo into his strong arms, and took the makeshift mask off his own face, placing it on hers. "I'm here Shampoo," he coughed "You'll be okay. I won't let anything happen to you."
Shampoo faded in and out of blackness as she clung to Mousse's chest as he darted through the flames to the outside. Through her squinted vision she could see the safety of the outside when a thunderous crack came from above them as the ceiling began to cave in. Without hesitating, Mousse flung Shampoo's body out through the door to safety, before the flaming building collapsed on him in a flash of embers.
"Mousse!" cried Shampoo as she landed on the ground, witnessing the flames engulfing Mousse's body as the wooden doorway collapsed. Shampoo tried to get up, but her body was too weak to move. She continued to cry out Mousse's name in vain, trying to pull herself towards the flaming building until a hand stopped her.
"Shampoo!" shouted the voice of Cologne with a cough. "Great-granddaughter, are you alright?"
Shampoo coughed, her entire face covered in soot. "Great-grandmother! Mousse still inside!" she spluttered, trying in vain to pull her body off the ground before Cologne blocked with her staff.
"There's nothing we can do, Shampoo! It's too dangerous!" wheezed Cologne, her eyes squinting in the searing heat and smoke. It was then that the sirens were heard as several fire trucks pulled up to the flaming building, and the firemen rushing with hoses to try and put the fire out. One of the firefighters came to where Cologne and Shampoo lay.
"Are either of you hurt?" asked the masked man, offering a hand to Shampoo so that she could sit up. Shampoo nodded and coughed, frantically trying to speak.
"Please! Mousse still inside!" wheezed Shampoo, pointing to the collapsed area engulfed in crimson fire. The firefighter motioned his hand to one of his comrades.
"Hurry! Over here! There's still a man inside!" shouted the firefighter to the other as he drug the hose from the truck, dousing the fiery debris with the powerful water spray. The flames hissed as the water doused the wood, and when the fire was somewhat at bay, the two men rushed forward to the collapsed doorway, hauling the charred wood with all their might.
"Joe, get over here!" shouted the firefighter. "There's a man over here! I need help!" Shampoo and Cologne could only sit and watch as the men dug through the charred debris in a cloud of smoke and steam.
Finally, one of the firefighters shouted. "I found him! Over here!" The firefighters flung the debris, and through the smoke Shampoo could see them hook their arms around the torso of a man as they pulled him out of the pile and out to safety. Shampoo's heart sank as she recognized the figure.
"Mousse!" shouted Shampoo, still unable to move her body from where she sat, coughing from the inhaled smoke. The firefighters drug Mousse's mangled body out and lay him on the ground, kneeling down and putting an oxygen mask on his face. Even through the smoke, Shampoo could see that Mousse was very badly burned, his skin blistered and red, his face covered in smokey residue.
"Get the ambulance!" shouted the firefighter "We have a man here! He's badly hurt!"
Shampoo pulled her body with all her might, dragging herself to where Mousse lay, and she gasped at the sight. Up close, it was clear how badly hurt he really was. His skin was scorched, red, and broken. She could barely recognize his face between the oxygen mask and the black soot. Shampoo reached out to his shoulder, his skin hot to the touch.
"Oh Mousse..." whispered Shampoo at the sight of her friend. He had risked his own safety to ensure hers, and now he lay on the ground fighting for his life. It seemed like an eternity before he was loaded into the ambulance, and Shampoo refused to leave his side as they headed towards the hospital, and Shampoo prayed it was not to late to save him.
Cologne watched as the ambulance pulled away. Mousse had saved her beloved great-granddaughter, risking his own life to do so, even though she had shouted at him not to go into the fiery building. Shampoo would have surely perished if Mousse had not gone in after her. "Oh, Mousse..." whispered Cologne as she closed her eyes in sadness. "For once, I'm glad you didn't listen to me."
By the time Mousse and Shampoo had arrived at the hospital, Ranma, Akane, and the others were already there waiting. Cologne had also been brought in, but had only minor injuries. Shampoo only had some minor scrapes and smoke inhalation as well.
"Mousse...Shampoo must make sure he okay," Shampoo said to the nurse. "Please, take Shampoo to him."
The nurse smiled kindly. "Of course, dear. They'll take care of him. The doctor will be here to see him soon. Now let's go find him."
The nurse gently led Shampoo down the hall to the trauma bed. Mousse lay covered from the neck down, and a tall man was looming over him.
"Looks like hypovolemic shock. Prep the OR immediately. This man needs help fast." said the stranger, and he noticed that the nurse and terrified young woman had entered.
"Nurse, we need to take her friend to surgery. Let her say goodbye to him before the OR calls," said the man. "My name is Dr. Soare, and we're going to take good care of - well, what is his name?"
"M-Mousse," Shampoo trembled. "His name Mousse."
The doctor smiled at her kindly. "We'll take care of Mousse, my dear. He's hurt very badly, but we're going to help him. I'll give you a minute before we take him."
Shampoo nodded, and the nurse led her to Mousse's side. Mousse did not move or make a sound, and Shampoo brought her face to his, noticing with fear how labored and noisy his breathing was.
"Please be alright, Mousse," Shampoo wept. She kissed his cheek softly, and before she knew it, his stretcher was being taken away by strangers, and her hand slipped from Mousse's. Shampoo was left to watch him wheeled away, and she collapsed on the floor in tears.
It was several hours before Shampoo saw Mousse again. She had curled up on a small cot while she waited for him to return from surgery. Exhaustion had finally caught up with her and she entered a dreamless sleep. She awoke to the sound of the nurse gently tapping her awake.
"Wake up, dear," said the nurse kindly. "Your friend is back from surgery. They've taken him up to intensive care. Your friends are waiting as well. I'll take you there." Shampoo nodded as the nurse gently took her hand and led her to the elevator and up to the intensive care unit. She was led to a room, and saw Mousse lying in bed attached to several machines. He looked incredibly pale and weak, and Shampoo felt her heart sink at the sight. The nurse squeezed her hand reassuringly.
"Dr. Soare will be in to talk to you soon, alright?" Shampoo nodded at the kind nurse. She moved a chair over for Shampoo next to the bed from the corner. "You should talk to him, dear. He might seem unconscious, but he can still hear you."
"Thank you," said Shampoo to the nurse. "Thank you for everything." The nurse smiled and gave Shampoo a reassuring hug before silently departing the room. It was only then that Shampoo noticed that Cologne, Ranma and Akane were there as well.
A soft knock was heard at the door. Dr. Soare entered and looked at the group, sensing their uncertainty.
"Please," spoke Cologne to the doctor, sadness palpable in her voice. "I am the leader of this man's village. Tell us straight out what is happening to him."
Dr. Soare took a deep breath before speaking, as if unsure how to give such grim news to the friends and family of the severely injured man. "His burns were incredibly severe by the time he came to us, despite intensive care and skin grafting in surgery. There's been tremendous damage internally, and his organs are beginning to fail. We will likely need to put him on life support, but I do not think it will change the outcome. There's nothing else that we can do, but wait."
"So there's no hope for Mousse now?" said Akane as she gripped Ranma's hand.
"I simply cannot say. We've done everything in our power. The rest is up to him now. I just want you all to be prepared that he likely won't make it through the night."
The group stood in silence at this revelation. What could they possibly do for their friend now? All that was left was to wait until morning, and pray that it was not too late. All the others had left their friend to rest in quiet, except for one. Shampoo sat at his bedside, and had not said a word since the doctor had left.
"Are you doing okay, Shampoo?" asked Akane with concern, softly touching her shoulder.
Shampoo sat in silence, looking down at the floor, her hair covering her eyes.
"Mousse cannot die..." she said softly, her voice somewhat trembling. "If Mousse dies, Shampoo will never forgive him."
Ranma and Akane looked to each other in silence, unable to find words.
"We'll come back later, and give you some time alone." Akane replied with a reassuring squeeze to Shampoos hand. She nodded silently.
The evening continued on, and Mousse's condition only worsened. Shampoo stayed by his side all night, holding his hand comfortingly. Feeling sorry for him softened her. Ranma and the others came by the next morning, yet there was no good news awaiting them. The doctor simply shook his head, addressing the fact that Mousse's burns were very bad, and despite intensive care, his prognosis was extremely poor.
Shampoo helped the nurses place cool cloths on Mousse's burned skin as his body jerked in reflex to the pain. Shampoo ran a hand along his cheek to try and comfort him, yet it did not seem to ease his suffering. The pain medication and fluids continued to infuse into his body as the time passed, yet the severity of Mousse's condition was becoming more and more clear. His chances of survival, were slim to none, at best. The doctors and nurses had done everything in their power, and could do nothing more, but wait.
Mousse's breath rattled weakly as he exhaled. His skin was turning cold, and his body giving up. He was suffering, his life slipping away. His cheeks were shallow, his chest barely rising with each weakened breath. Each time the nurses came in to treat his burns, Shampoo could see the sympathy in their eyes, and the harsh reality of what was likely to happen.
Shampoo would hold Mousse's large hand in her small one, entwining her fingers with his. If only he had been awake, the man would have been absolutely ecstatic...yet now he lay in silence and pain, unaware that his beloved was near. "You must get better, Mousse," Shampoo cried softly as she looked at his unconscious body. "Mousse is strong, and must not give up." Shampoo stayed that way for hours and hours, refusing to leave Mousse's side despite Ranma and the other's offer to stay with him.
"Please do not die, Mousse," Shampoo softly cried as she squeezed his lifeless hand "Shampoo need you."
Shampoo ran through the thoughts in her head - her last words to Mousse had been anything but kind. Despite all of those things, Mousse had come to her side when she was in trouble, because he simply loved her that much. Shampoo had told Mousse she didn't want him around anymore - the gravity of those cruel words sank inside her heart, and she didn't know how to remedy it.
"Mousse...you shouldn't have believed Shampoo! Whatever Shampoo say about that - it not true!" Shampoo took a deep breath as she spoke to the unconscious Mousse. "Mousse...Shampoo was wrong. Shampoo wrong about everything. With Mousse gone, Shampoo not feel free at all. Shampoo just..." she paused, choking on her words, her eyes welling up with tears. "Shampoo not free. Without Mousse, Shampoo just alone."
Shampoo stayed with Mousse as the day passed, and there had not been any change in his condition. Despite the best efforts of the medical team, Mousse was facing incredibly odds, and Cologne knew there was only one last effort to try and help the man from their Amazon tribe. Cologne came by that evening with a wooden flask, showing it to Shampoo.
"Great-grandmother, what is that?" asked Shampoo.
"It's an ancient remedy from our tribe, Shampoo," said Cologne as she held up the flask. "He might be unconscious, but we may be able to get him to drink some. It has tremendous healing properties. It's our last hope for him, and we have nothing to lose."
Shampoo numbly took the flask from Cologne, and lifted Mousse's chin as she tried to give him the water. "Come on, Mousse," Shampoo begged as she brought the water to his lips. "Mousse must drink it...come on..." After trying in vain, Shampoo was able to get a small trickle into his mouth, with Mousse's reflexes causing him to swallow.
Cologne stared for a moment in silence as Shampoo continued to hold Mousse's hand in her own. "We've done all we can do, Shampoo," said Cologne softly as she touched Shampoo's shoulder. "Let's hope it does him some good. You should go on to bed now. I'll stay with him tonight. He may need some help."
Shampoo shook her head. "Shampoo not leave."
Cologne nodded in understanding. "Very well, great-granddaughter." Cologne placed a reassuring hand on Shampoo's shoulder before leaving her alone with Mousse.
"My poor Mousse," whispered Shampoo as tears ran down her face. "My kind, gentle Mousse..." she cried into his chest, her tears soaking the front of his gown. She curled herself beside him, holding his body close to share her warmth. Despite the burns, his skin felt like ice. His life was slipping away. His cheeks were shallow, his chest barely rising with each weakened breath.
"Come back to me, Mousse," Shampoo cried in vain into his chest. "Please, Mousse...don't leave Shampoo. Shampoo not mean all horrible things Shampoo every say about Mousse. Come back, my Mousse..." she sobbed into the darkness - crying and wishing for what now, seemed impossible.
"Shampoo love you, Mousse." She wept "Shampoo never want to live without you," Shampoo cried "If you get up, Shampoo will marry you. You must get up, Mousse!" Shampoo sobbed into Mousse's chest until it finally hit her, like a kick in the guts, that her Mousse would not wake up. Not now, nor ever again. The kind, brave, gentle Mousse who had given his life so that she might live. The man who loved her - more than his honor, more than life itself.
Darkness. Darkness and searing pain. That was all Mousse could feel and see. The last thing he remembered was flinging Shampoo's body out of the collapsing, fiery building...then, he recalled no more. His thoughts wandered in this dark, cruel place, unable to find anyone, or anything familiar. Only the burning pain and sensation of sweat and water were felt, and the muffled sounds that he could not discern.
The drying sweat and water ran a chill down to his bones. In the darkness, Mousse felt only pain. He wanted to cry out, but words would not come from him. "It hurts..." he tried to speak, but all that came was silence in his dark world. Every little muffled noise from the outside was torture.
Mousse wanted to give in to the great darkness around him. To put an end to this suffering and endless pain. He wanted to go towards the soothing light, and in it's glow he could feel the pain lifting away. He allowed it to envelop him, to erase the agony of his wounds. That is, until he hear a voice. A voice...yes, a woman's voice. It sounded far off, and yet familiar. It grew louder and closer as Mousse started to become self aware again.
That voice...it woke him up. He knew that voice. It was Shampoo.
Shampoo cried into Mousse's chest as she gripped his gown, her tears soaking the fabric. She would have given anything to hear his voice again, to tell him all of the things she never got to say.
Mousse slowly opened his eyes, completely unaware of where he was, let alone how he got there. He figured he must have died. Mousse looked next to him, and was convinced he had died, and was now in heaven.
Shampoo lay curled up against him in the dim light, her head on his chest. Her body was soft and warm, and he could feel her heartbeat. Mousse could hardly believe what he was seeing. 'So I really am in heaven!' he thought. He vaguely remembered being encompassed in blackness, Shampoo proclaiming that she loved him.
However, Mousse moved his free arm and groaned in pain. Surely heaven had no place for pain such as this. Only then did he realize he was, in fact, actually alive. His moved his bandaged free arm to touch her hand, lightly squeezing it as he entwined his fingers with hers.
Shampoo jerked at Mousse's touched, and looked up from his chest. Her eyes were glowing red from crying. For a moment, she simply stared in shock as Mousse's deep blue eyes met hers. Then, before Mousse could react, Shampoo had flung her body against his, small but incredibly strong arms surrounding his torso, sobbing into his chest.
"Mousse!" Shampoo shouted as she clung herself to Mousse like a tree frog. "Oh, Mousse! You here!"
"Of course I'm here, Shampoo," said Mousse with a confused (albeit blissfully happy) expression. "What on earth-"
Shampoo continued to sob into his chest, soaking the front of his gown with tears. "Shampoo thought you leave, Mousse! Stupid Mousse make Shampoo think he die!" Her body was trembling as she pressed herself against him.
Mousse began to gently stroke her hair, speaking to her softly as Shampoo clasped herself harder against him. "It's alright, Shampoo. I'm sorry. I'm here now." With his good arm, he lifted Shampoo up with a single motion and sat on the edge of the bed. He began to gently stroke her hair. Shampoo nuzzled against his chest, breathing in his musky scent. It felt good to be held in Mousse's strong embrace, to hear his heartbeat, his voice rumbling deep within his chest as he calmed her.
Shampoo continued to sob as Mousse slowly began to rock her back and forth, whispering soothing words as he gently cradled her. "Shh...it's alright, Shampoo. You're safe now. I'm here." Mousse stroked her hair and held her in his strong arms. He wanted nothing more than to hold and protect her, and for a moment he simply cradled her trembling body as she softly cried into his chest. He was shocked at what was happening right now- Shampoo was weeping, for him. Shampoo's sobs slowly began to subside as he heard her sniffle a bit, wiping her eyes with his gown with trembling hands.
"Mousse...Shampoo thought she lost you," Shampoo cried into his chest. "Thought Mousse might die. That Shampoo never see him again." Shampoo paused for a moment before speaking again.
"Mousse..." Shampoo whispered into his chest. "You came back for Shampoo. You save Shampoo life."
"Of course I came back," Mousse whispered into Shampoo's purple hair. "I had to come back. I love you."
"Shampoo thought Mousse was going to die," Shampoo cried, as she replied in Mandarin. "I couldn't let you die, Mousse. I love you."
Mousse was so taken aback at that moment that he couldn't even respond. Did Shampoo just say that she loved him? He must have been hallucinating. Yet there he was. Mousse beamed ecstatically. He had longed to hear those words from Shampoo for so long now, yet it was more important to him that she feel safe and secure. It had been a long journey for both of them, and he simply wanted to hold Shampoo's trembling body until she felt safe again. He wouldn't be able to let those words sink in until then.
Shampoo looked up from Mousse's chest and gazed deeply into his eyes. "Mousse...I was so scared. As an Amazon warrior, I shouldn't have been, but I couldn't help it. I was scared you were going to die when they pulled you from the fire. That I would have to keep on living without you. During everything that happened since you rescued me, I was scared."
Mousse held her body closer as she wrapped her arm around his shoulder. "Shampoo, I never knew," He caressed her cheek with his hand and wiped a stray tear away from her eye. "I'm not going anywhere. Not unless you want me to."
Shampoo smiled at him as he caressed her cheek. "Shampoo want you to stay." she said, switching back from Mandarin. Mousse actually preferred when she spoke like that. Before she even knew what was happening, she felt a warm sensation as he gently pressed his lips against her. She felt one of his hands come up to cup her face, the other resting lightly on her arm. She was so shocked that she could not even respond.
More importantly, Shampoo was hit by the passion Mousse was pouring into the kiss. The love he was expressing through it was so strong that it made her heart leap. All of Mousse's proposals and overtures to her had been very childlike, his technique had not changed much since he was six, but now...this was no child! Oh no! These were the kisses of a man, a very, very, in love man. He was putting all his years of longing into it. Shampoo was almost overwhelmed by it all. Then, suddenly, Mousse broke it off. His breathing was heavy. Shampoo's face was extremely red from the blush that was in her cheeks, when Mousse spoke again, and braced himself for the beating he was sure to receive.
"Don't hate me, Shampoo. You don't know how long I've waited to do that. How very long."
"Mousse..." Shampoo stuttered, utterly speechless from the passionate kiss, blushing profusely. She brought him to face her. "Oh Mousse, you stupid duck! Don't you know anything? Shampoo love you. Shampoo want to marry you."
He looked at her with slight confusion written on his face. As he opened his mouth to speak, she held up a hand to stop him. Was this actually happening?
"Mousse," she said, leaning towards him, "Shut up and kiss your wife."
Still a little shell-shocked, he held her face in his hands and searched her eyes. She smiled and let him see what was there. Finally, he nodded and joined their lips in a sweet kiss. Slowly, at first, he brushed her lips with his and caressed her face with his fingers. A little impatient, she grabbed his head to hold him still and caressed his lips with her tongue. Suddenly, he exploded and thrust his hands into her hair, pulling Shampoo into his lap. He kissed her deeply and explored her mouth with his tongue, his breathing growing ragged with passion.
It excited her to feel his need for her in his kisses. She kissed him back with all the ferocity of an Amazon woman, running her hands through his thick, ebony locks and down his strong back and chest. Mousse pulled away from her briefly, said the words she longed to hear.
"I love you, my Shampoo," Mousse smiled. "Let's go home. Together."
Eventually, after some more kissing, the two fell asleep in each other's arms, knowing that whatever trouble the next day would bring as a result, they would grin and bear it together. As Shampoo lay with her head pillowed against his chest, Mousse fell asleep with the largest grin of his life plastered on his face. His journey was now complete.