Shampoo followed the only trail available to her - the Nokuy River. According to the map, it would lead where she needed to go, yet it was far from simple as following the water.
The farther she followed the river, the harsher the land became. The air became colder, the temperature dropping almost by the hour. The vicious wind blew nonstop, chilling Shampoo to her very bone -and it only got worse. Her winter parka helped some, but the horrible wind seemed to cut through her clothes like a thousand bees. It was almost too much to bear. Shampoo could barely feel her hands and feet through the unforgiving wind.
And so, Shampoo crawled her way up the map towards the vicious northern borders. Through whiteouts and winds, where Shampoo could barely see her own hand in front of her face, up steep mountain slopes and wide open tundras. Wherever the river went, she followed.
Out here, under an open sky... Shampoo felt a cold she'd never known. Growing up under the laws of the Amazon tribe, Shampoo had learned to obey their voices. Tonight, she would begin to hear her own.
Shampoo had come to a fork in the frozen river. She gazed to the right, and to the left. Not a bridge or adequate crossing in sight. The map was no help, for it was hundreds, maybe even thousands of years old. It could be hours, even days before finding a way across. She didn't have that kind of time. Shampoo grabbed a large stick, and taking a deep breath to hide her own fear, stepped out onto the frozen ice.
Shampoo used the stick to prod the ice in front of her before stepping. It was the only way to be sure it was stable enough to walk on. The coursing waters beneath could shift the ice at any moment, but Shampoo had no choice. Time was of the utmost essence, and this was the fastest way across. Shampoo continued to slowly cross the frozen ice, listening intently for any crack or pop that would indicate a weakness in the surface.
Shampoo had made it almost halfway across the frozen river - she started to feel more confident. That is, until she felt the ice shift under her feet, sending a web of cracks in it's way. Before Shampoo could react, her entire body fell through the ice into the frigid water below.
The sheer cold took her breath away. Not only that, but Shampoo cried out as her body turned into a cat as the cold water surrounded her. The stick she had been using was the only thing she could sink her claws into. Her saturated fur clung to her delicate frame, chilling her even more. She sputtered, crying out for help that would surely never come. The current ripped at her body, and Shampoo could hold on no longer as the ferocious river swept her under the ice.
Shampoo scrambled her paws against the ice surface underwater, but she was no match for the current. It swept her away like a ragdoll. Yet again, Shampoo found herself facing death again - only this time, she would have no savior. The breath escaped her tiny cat body as she tried in vain to break the ice above her head. Blackness had begun to envelop her, the shapes in her vision almost impossible to discern. Before Shampoo blacked out completely, she saw something red coming towards her, grabbing her cat body around the torso. Shampoo tried to fight back, but all the power was gone from her body. The red figure dragged her along the current until they exploded to the surface into the brilliant sunshine.
Shampoo was torn out of her near blackness, gasping for breath as she clawed the snow and ice beneath her. She had no idea what had just happened. She coughed and sputtered the water that had entered her lungs, and once she could hold her own weight up again, she looked around.
There he was. Or she, to put it more precisely. Soaking to the bone, Shampoo stared in the eyes of her rescuer - it was Ranma! He picked up Shampoo's soaking cat body and began to run to the edge of the stream.
"Ukyo, I've got her! Stoke up that fire!" shouted Ranma as he leaped to the river's bank, holding Shampoo's frozen cat body against his bosom.
Shampoo watched in her half-awake state to the riverbank before passing out completely. When she awoke, her head was pounding. She reached a hand up to her forehead and realized she was human again, covered in dry blankets as a fire crackled near her. She looked around, and met the concerned face of Ranma, who was in male form again.
"Hey, Shampoo!" said Ranma happily. "How're ya feelin'?"
Shampoo groaned as she tried to move - every single muscle felt stiff and sore. She remembered falling through the ice to her certain death, and remembered that somehow, Ranma had pulled her from the river. But how was that possible? She had traveled alone. Perhaps she was having some kind of dream.
"You took a real fall out there, sugar," spoke another voice. Shampoo's gaze met a brown-haired woman who offered her a plate of steaming hot food. "Eat up darling. You need it." Shampoo finally recognized the face of Ukyo. Ukyo was here too?
"Hey guys, give her some space!" came another familiar voice, and Shampoo saw brown eyes meet her. It was Akane. "She just woke up, let her get her bearings first!"
Akane was here too? Shampoo groaned and gazed around, and realized another figure sat by the fire. Shampoo recognized the yellow and black headband - Ryoga was here too!
"What...how..." Shampoo stumbled with her words, shivering a bit. Akane placed another blanket over her with a kind smile.
"We followed you here, Shampoo," said Akane kindly. "We...we heard about...about Mousse." Akane said, sadly averting her eyes.
"We came to your village as soon as we heard," said Ukyo. "Mousse was our friend, too. We wanted to pay our respects and...and see how you were faring."
"Aiyah?" spoke Shampoo in confusion. The events of the last 12 hours seemed almost impossible to comprehend.
"When we got to the village, we searched for Cologne," said Ranma. "She told us...about what happened. About the devil cat..." Ranma chocked on his words. "And...about Mousse."
"We asked where you were, and that's when Cologne told us about where you'd gone," said Akane, placing a reassuring hand on Shampoo's shoulder. "Right there and then, we all decided we had to come and help you."
"You...you come help Shampoo?" Shampoo exclaimed, still unable to believe that all four of them had followed her through the unforgiving terrain. "But...but Shampoo not understand..."
"Look, Shampoo," said Ryoga. "I know we've all had our issues between each other. But the fact of the matter is, I see you guys as my friends. And friends stick together. It doesn't matter how much rivalry we all have. You needed help, and here we are."
"No one can make this journey alone," said Akane tenderly. "Not even an Amazon."
"This here looks like the meanest track of land the gods ever laid out. We couldn't let you do this alone. If Mousse's life is hanging by a thread, we're going to be by your side. If all us guys stick together, we're sure to get there." said Ukyo with a wink.
Shampoo felt tears forming in her eyes. Her friends...yes, friends - for rivals would not have risked life and limb to follow her into such unforgiving wilderness just to find a treasure that may not even exist.
"But...is dangerous," Shampoo spoke with fear. "Shampoo can no let any more friend get hurt because of Shampoo."
"We're coming with you, Shampoo, whether you like it or not," said Akane with a smile. "Mousse would have wanted it."
Shampoo nodded in understanding, yet her heart sank as she recalled Mousse yet again. How dearly she wished she could have told her friend all the things she never got to say. For now, there was nothing left to do, but continue on the journey to try and save him. And so, the group dried off, and continued on across the frozen wilderness, to an uncertain destination for an uncertain treasure.
Shampoo had thought perhaps the worse of her journey was over, but it was far from it. Somehow, the conditions grew even worse than before.
The cold was almost too much to bear. She could barely feel her hands and feet through the unforgiving wind. And so, Shampoo and her comrades crawled their way up the map towards the vicious northern borders. Through whiteouts and winds, where Shampoo could barely see her own hand in front of her face, up steep mountain slopes and wide open tundras. Wherever the river went, that is where they followed.
At one point, the group found themselves at a sheer cliff dropping to the other side. It would take them over a day to try and find a way around, so one by one, Ranma and Ryoga wrapped a rope around each person's torso and lowered them down.
"You're a heavy one!" shouted Ranma through the wind as he lowered the Ryoga down the incline.
"Yeah, like you aren't any lighter!" shouted Ryoga with a laugh. Slowly they descended the height of the cliff until they were level with the river once more.
As the trees opened up to a vast empty plain, the conditions reached their absolute worst. The whiteout was so severe that Shampoo couldn't even see her own nose. Even Ranma and Ryoga had a hard time standing against the endless wind, their feet grabbing the ice as they were pushed side to side. The group huddled together step by step in order to provide more resistance to the wind. Shampoo was sure that by now they were hopelessly lost, but by some unseen miracle, they were able to stay in the vicinity of the river, gasping in relief at the sight once the whiteout subsided.
As night fell, the group found shelter behind the stump of an ancient tree. This spot blocked the wind well enough for them to start a fire, but when Shampoo went to reach inside her pockets for a match to light it, she realized, in horror, that she couldn't feel her fingers. She stumbled, trying to fish out the matches, but it was no use. She shook her sleeves, and eventually the matches fell out.
Ryoga managed to fish a match out with his teeth, and bracing the book against his frozen hands, he lit the match against the small twigs, lighting a small flame. As the fire grew and the warmth spread, Shampoo tried to take off her gloves, but they were frozen to her hands. After sitting by the fire for a while, she was able to peel them off, but not without excruciating pain. Akane looked at Shampoo's mangled hands and winced.
"Oh my," said Akane, wincing at the sight. "Your hands have turned to ice. That's frostbite. The crystals will cut you like knives...you need to get warm."
Shampoo winced as she tried to move her fingers, but they were stiff and blistered. Ryoga and Ranma fared the same way. Akane heated up warm water in a pot, filling a bowl for each of them to soak their wounded hands.
Shampoo clenched her teeth at the pain, but the warm water soon began to soothe her frozen hands enough that she could move them again. She was able to then warm her frozen feet as well. Akane and Ukyo helped bandage up Shampoo's blistered, red hands and feet, as well as those of poor Ryoga and Ranma.
"I've never known a cold like this, not in all my travels..." sighed Ryoga as Ukyo bandaged him.
"That's why we're here, sugar," said Ukyo, turning also to Shampoo. "We can make it there if we work together. No one should have to make a journey like this alone."
Shampoo nodded as Ranma spoke. "So Cologne said this treasure was protected by some kind of monster. Any ideas as to what that is?" Shampoo could only shake her head.
"So you don't know what this thing actually looks like?" said Ryoga with a sigh. Shampoo simply shook her head again.
"No. Shampoo just...just..." Shampoo stumbled, almost choking on tears as she gazed at her friends, who were risking life and limb to help her. "Shampoo know this trip crazy, but glad her friends came. Thank you all...but...Shampoo not want anyone else to get hurt just to help Shampoo."
"We're not gonna leave. Not when Mousse's life hangs in the balance. We do care about the guy. And we care about you, too." Ranma said, and Shampoo felt herself blush a little bit.
"Great-grandmother say cave one fears to enter holds the treasure. Shampoo just have the map, and story from Amazon tribe." said Shampoo with a weary voice.
"Then we'll follow where it leads us, wherever that may be," said Akane reassuringly. "We're with you, Shampoo. We'll try our best. All of us."
Shampoo smiled, and began to realize how heavy her eyes had begun to feel. She was fighting to stay awake now - fighting within herself, as every second lost was one more second closer to Mousse being gone forever.
"Listen, Shampoo..." said Ranma. "I know we don't have much time, but we need to rest, just for a while. We're not going to make it a step further if we don't recuperate."
Shampoo nodded, and lay her head back down as she curled under the blankets, where she entered a dreamless sleep, overcome by exhaustion.
After sleeping for what felt like forever, Shampoo awoke, stiff and sore. She sat up, rubbing her head, the pounding headache having eased somewhat. She gazed to the fireside where the lumps of Ranma and Ryoga snored under a pile of blankets. Ukyo and Akane were sitting by the fire's side, and greeting her with kind glances.
"How're ya feelin', sugar?" said Ukyo as she handed Shampoo a plate of hot food. "You gotta eat up. We have a long journey ahead."
Despite her weakness, Shampoo felt anything but hungry. Yet Ukyo had a point, and Shampoo began to eat the savory food.
"So Shampoo-honey," said Ukyo with a curious gaze. "What is your relationship with Mousse anyway?"
Shampoo gazed at Ukyo, unsure of how to answer. No one had really ever asked her this before. Mousse was just the man who chased Shampoo, and most people saw it at face value for what it was.
"I just always thought you hated the guy. He chased after you over and over, and you kept rejecting him time after time. I guess I just thought you didn't have any kind of relationship with Mousse." said Ukyo.
Shampoo averted her eyes. It was all just another reminder of how poorly she had treated her childhood friend. "Mousse...Mousse did chase Shampoo, over and over. Bother her all the time, while Shampoo chase rightful husband," Shampoo glanced over at Ranma as he slept next to Akane. The sight didn't bother her as much nowadays, as current circumstances were far more pressing. "But Mousse grew up with Shampoo. Mousse Shampoo friend...always there, even if Shampoo not want him. Shampoo...Shampoo glad to have friend like Mousse."
"Just sayin', you had a funny way of showin' it," said Ukyo, her voice softening. "I'm not trying to be mean, Shampoo. I know things are awful right now. I just can't help but noticing what I saw in Japan. Anyone could, really."
Shampoo looked down in shame. It was clear to anyone who ever watched her interactions with Mousse that she hated the man. At least, that's what it looked like on the outside. "Mousse annoying, and Shampoo spurn him..." Shampoo choked on her words as tears welled in her eyes. "So obsessed chasing rightful husband, Shampoo not treat Mousse like friend. Mousse always treat Shampoo like friend...no matter how bad Shampoo to him."
Akane placed a gentle hand on Shampoo's shoulder. "He was a true friend, Shampoo," said Akane softly. "Anyone could see that despite his overly ridiculous actions, he loved you. He valued your company, even if you acted like you didn't. He believed in all his heart that you cared for him. He always had faith in you. That's a very powerful thing."
Shampoo thought for a moment on Akane's statement, realizing the truth in it. "Akane...Akane right," whispered Shampoo as a tear fell from her eye. "Shampoo just ashamed. Ashamed that only when Mousse gone, Shampoo realize how much Mousse mean to her. Shampoo never have chance to thank Mousse for being her friend," Shampoo gulped as a tear fell down her face. "For being Shampoo only friend..."
"Well that's not true, sugar. Not anymore," said Ukyo with a gentle smile. "You've got us now. We'll bring him back. No matter what it takes."
Shampoo stared at Akane and Ukyo - her rivals. At least, they had been. Rivals for Ranma's affection, among other things. Yet here were her supposed enemies - risking life and limb, just to help her. Perhaps their relationship had changed more than Shampoo realized. Enemies didn't risk their lives to help you...but true friends? That was easy to figure out. Thinking of Akane and Ukyo as friends - the feeling was all new to Shampoo. She liked it.
"Well, you won't have to regret not telling Mousse how much he meant to you," said Akane. "We're going to get that treasure, and we're going to revive him. I promise you, Shampoo...we're all in this together. We won't let anything happen to him."
Shampoo felt her heart sink at Akane's words, as they were the same she had spoken to Mousse as he lay in her arms dying. She had promised she would not let anything happen to him. Would there be any chance now for that promise to be fulfilled?