Ryoga was able to recall the situation like it was yesterday:
"Hi Ryoga-kun, welcome to the Tendo Dojo! Are you here looking for Akane?" Kasumi spoke with her always cheerful attitude. Ryoga shook his head which managed to shock the brunette. "Oh, well then are you here for Ranma?" Ryoga nodded which worried the young adult. "Ryoga, if you and Ranma spar, please avoid the koi pond. I can't go another second having to try and scoop up the fish that fly out." Ryoga looked sheepishly at the tall girl and smiled.
"I'm not here to fight, he just wanted to talk to me about something," Ryoga pulled out a letter from his pocket and skimmed it over, "It doesn't say about what, but he seemed kinda urgent." He didn't take his eyes from the paper.
"Well, he ought to be in the kitchen. Hopefully, it's good news!" Kasumi said, letting the boy pass, while continuing to sweep the side of the street.
Ryoga entered the quaint house and was greeted by Nabiki doing her usual ritual of watching TV. She looked up at Ryoga and gave a sly wave before calling out, "Ranma!" She turns to Ryoga, "The bandana is here to see you." Just then, a ginger popped out of the kitchen, trying to stuff some takoyaki in her mouth.
"Oh, Pork Ribs, good to see ya!" Ryoga grumbled to himself due to the insulting nickname, but Ranma was being nice in her own—rude, stupid, and insensitive—way. "Nabiki, can you record that on the VCR? I wanted to look at that show too."
"You, the 'Men of all men' wanted to look at this fashion show?" Ranma blushed to herself.
"I-I like the tuxedos they have," she defended herself, causing Nabiki to fake surprise.
Nabiki turned her head to the boy, "Hibiki, can you believe this guy?" She pointed her thumb at the flustered red-head behind her.
"Never have in my life." He caught a glance at the TV and saw a male model posing in a banana yellow tuxedo. Hm. That's not half bad.
...
Ranma, now in his male form was sitting on the kitchen counter, while Ryoga chose to sat in a chair. "So? What's up?" Ranma said nonchalantly, still snacking on the same takoyaki Ryoga saw him eat prior.
"I think that's my question." He pulled out the letter and pointed at it. "So, you mind telling me what this 'news' is or are you gonna just keep stuffing your face?"
Ranma looked at the letter and dreaded his next words, carefully swallowing the snack that he barely chewed. "Uhh..." he started, "Well, Akane—don't get mad—and I: I think we're um..." Ryoga twirled his hand, gesturing him to spit it out. "We're planning to...—and you better not get mad Ryoga!—get serious with each other." Ryoga stared at him lifelessly and in the blink of an eye he unsheathed his umbrella from his backpack. "Dammit Ryoga, I told ya not to get mad!" Ranma extended his finger to the tip of the beet red canopy and lowered it, quickly raising up his hands. "Alright, take a few deep breaths man, just hear me out!"
"The only thing I'm hearing is your last breath Saotome!" Ryoga made a brutish tackle towards Ranma, but he jumped over him and halted the boy.
"Aw, here we go again..." Ranma shook his head exasperatedly, "Ryoga, you better not throw me in the koi pond, Kasumi will get mad at us!"
He put a hand to his chin, "Hmm," he chirped. "I have a resolution to that then." He grabbed Ranma softly and abruptly chucked him into the kitchen sink, causing the faucet to break upon impact. Dazed, Ranma got up and shook the jetting water off of him. Much to Ryoga's confusion, the water didn't turn him into the pigtailed red-head.
"I was just washing the dishes, so the tap is still warm." He sighed, and sat back on the counter. "Listen to me: I know this is hard, but...like...do it for your buddy?" The boy shrugged into a sheepish smile.
"We are NOT buddies!" He sneered.
"Aw, c'mon Ryoga, we're good friends! You're just too afraid to admit it!" He gave Ryoga, a rather friendly noogie, which was also disguised as several hard punches to the skull.
"Hey—Let go of me!"
"Not until you calm down!"
"You think trying to dig into my skull is helping?!" Ranma was contemplating an answer, while still ruffling Ryoga's hair.
"It's not like you got that much in there, so I wouldn't worry about it!" Ranma knocked on Ryoga's head causing him to growl like a dog and Ranma to guffaw.
"If you wanna fight...then you got one!" Ryoga drew back a punch, but was halted by the opening of the front doors. He could hear the faint voice of a navy-blue haired girl and her eventual footsteps into the kitchen, where she then greeted herself in front of the pair.
"Ryoga! It's been a while, huh?" She entered the kitchen giving the boy a soft look, unbeknownst to her, Ryoga went stupid after seeing her cheery smile.
"O-oh, h-hi Akane..." he trailed off, still in Ranma's passive aggressive headlock.
She looked at Ranma, then back to Ryoga in quick succession and gave a strong glare to the boys. "You better not be fighting! You know I hate when you both do that!"
Both boys straightened immediately. "Y-yeah, of course Akane! Me and ol' Ryoga were just pallin' around!" The pigtailed boy glanced at his rival, expectantly, "Right Ryoga?" Ryoga could feel the malice coming from his voice and nodded.
"Aw yeah, of course! Me and my BUDDY!" Ryoga ribbed Ranma harshly, resulting in him hunching over. "Oops! I guess I don't know my own strength!" He tried nonchalantly.
"It's alright, PAL!" The was a swift bop on Ryoga's head. Ryoga only reacted with a fake smile, though Ranma put a hand over his mouth, faking surprise, "Oh no! Did I hit you too hard?" Ryoga teared up slightly, but shook his head.
"I'm fine Saotome! I'm just glad to have a great friend like you!" He hissed violently, causing Ranma to retaliate.
"Yep, nothing could be better!" He put a shoulder around Ryoga's arm and the two started laughing heartily, both amusing and scaring Akane, who stood there partially unsure how to react.
"..." She looked at the pair that looked back at her with the same wide, cheshire, smiles on their faces. "...Yeah...I'm going to go work on my homework now..."
...
Both boys were heavily bandaged and bruised when they sat in Ranma and Genma's room; Ranma opted for a more civil conversation, so after a scuff, both were now calm enough to talk it over.
"So yeah, I think she's starting to take a liking to me and I think I'm doin' the same..." Ryoga sat there with his arms folded and a childish pout on his face, obviously not wanting to listen, but Ranma ignored it. "You're the first person I consider to be an actual friend Ryoga, so c'mon, please just reason with me here."
"I am reasoning, and I just can't support it. I'm sorry Ranma." He felt a twinge of pain in his heart as Ranma kept trying to tell him about the ongoings concerning his and Akane's relationship. He shook his head as he saw Ranma's face slightly downcast, "You know how I feel about her."
"I know Ryoga, but it was bound to happen eventually." Ryoga looked down at the floor and sighed.
"I guess you won Ranma."
Ranma backpedaled. "Don't think of it like that!" His eyes darted around the room, hoping to think of an easier way to say it, but nothing came to mind, causing Ranma to sigh again. "Err...well...There's plenty of fish in the sea! I mean there's Kodachi, Nabiki, some of Akane's friends...and—and I think even Kasumi expressed a little interest before!" Ryoga looked at him with a 'seriously?' expression. "The old ghoul?" He tried.
"I'm not laughing," he paused for a moment, looking out the tiny window wistfully, "I appreciate it Ranma, but Akane is who I had my heart set on."
"I know man, but I'm legally engaged to her." He shifted close to him and put his arm around him, "You can be best man at the wedding!" Ryoga socked him the face. "Right, too soon."
"I'm leaving."
He threw up his hands in desperation, "Come on, Ryoga, don't be that way, you know I hate seeing you all mopey like this." It was no stopping him, he wordlessly grabbed his travel pack and hopped through the window, leaving the dojo heartbroken.
"...and that was about two months ago." Ryoga finished, shaking his head. "I think I just gave up trying." Shampoo sat in silence, trying to process the heartbreaking information. "There's no telling what they could be doing right now, but really, I just lost hope. I think it's better to do that anyway."
"No! Shampoo don't believe it!" Her voice breaking, Ryoga attempting to comfort her. "A-Airen...why...Shampoo do so much, but it useless...it hopeless!" Her soft sniffles turned into harsh bawling; she curled into herself and turned away from Ryoga. Shampoo hiccupped during her sobs, making the boy feel progressively worse.
"Shampoo?"
"What?!" She howled, but it was mostly muffled due to her folding within herself. She looked up at Ryoga, who held out his hand and bore an understanding smile. In his hand was the last bandana over his head—his hair drooped in front of his face messily. She grabbed it carefully and dapped her eyes, attempting to return it, but he pushed her hand back, causing her to then blow her nose into it.
Well this is a bandana she can certainly keep.
Shampoo's crying hushed, in favor for the occasional whimper or whine, but after a few minutes it all stopped entirely. Silence filled the cave, but it wasn't the silence either teen wanted. It was uncomfortable.
It was lonely.
"Why so nice to Shampoo?" She whispered.
Ryoga turned to look at her, slightly confused. "Why shouldn't I be?"
"Because..." She stifled another sob. "Because Shampoo failure. Couldn't even get Ranma's love," Shampoo sat closer to Ryoga. "She doesn't deserve kindness after what she tried to do to him. Shampoo recall all time she tried to hurt or abuse Ranma...the red string, the fake nannuicihian, hurting Akane. Shampoo just stupid."
"You're not stupid, you just wanted someone to love you as much as you did. Besides, you deserve better anyway."
She wiped her eyes and sniffled. "Thank you." She gave a warm smile and hugged him softly, but a moment after she broke away from the hug and turned away with a huff. "Ugh! You do too much for Shampoo! Shampoo want feel strong, not weak!"
Ryoga was taken back a little, "Shampoo, I'm doing this because I care about you." He could hear the confusion in his tone.
"Why?! Like seeing Shampoo vulnerable?!"
"No, because I know what you're dealing with!" He raised his voice slightly, which made the girl silence. "How did you think I felt when I lost Akane? Unlike you, no one even heard me, or cared!" She slapped him.
"Don't be arrogant! Shampoo just no want your help!"
Ryoga was starting to lose his cool, "Why do you not want me to help you?! Even when you were a cat, you were hurt several times, and I tried to make things easier for you—for the both of us, but now you're dismissing it like it's my fault?!"
There was a long pause that followed.
"Shampoo no want to be weak," is all she said, before standing up and eventually walking elsewhere, "Please no follow."
"But Shampoo, we can barely see each other, I don't want us getting separated!"
"Too bad!" Ryoga groaned, trying to follow her by barely making out her still damp and shiny hair. Shampoo could hear wet footsteps behind her and she turned around quickly, "No follow Shampoo! Want to forget about Ranma!"
"Then just talk to me! I'm NOT him!" Shampoo turned around quickly, which gave Ryoga the reassurance he needed to continue. "What has Ranma ever done for you anyway?"
"What has Akane done?" She rebutted, Ryoga's feelings—and pride—getting hurt.
"He only sees you as annoying!"
"She afraid of your strength!"
"He's afraid of your cursed form!"
"You her perverted pet!" Ryoga lit up.
"You can't even return to your hometown without being shunned, because Ranma isn't in love with you!" Ryoga held his mouth, slightly shocked at what he said, while Shampoo already felt an onslaught of tears parading down her face. She wiped them immediately and took a stance. "Sh-Shampoo? I'm sorry! I went too far! You know, I was just hurt and-and, I was being irrational, of course I didn't me—"
"Shut up." Her voice colder than any water he's been splashed with. "Fight Shampoo."
Ryoga blinked, "W-what?"
"Fight me!"
Ryoga sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Shampoo...you should know I don't fight girls. It's against my code."
"Forget code!" She rushed at the boy with a battle cry and started to punch his broad shoulders, which ultimately did nothing other than tickle. Shampoo kept throwing wild punches, one after the other, yet nothing ever changed. Why did Great Grandmother have to teach him the Bakusai Tenketsu...?
She kept going at it for a while.
"It's not working." She didn't relent; her pride was on the line and nothing would be able to stop her. "Look," He blocked both of Shampoo's hands causing her to kick his chest which also did nothing but dirty up his upper body. He grabbed one of her legs with his underarm and looked at her. "I'm not fighting you Shampoo. It's not going to change anything." Left defenseless, she loosened her body, making Ryoga softly set her on the ground. Shampoo seeing this as an opportunity, she sneakily kicked the back of Ryoga's head causing him to stagger backward. "Shampoo!" He growled. He grabbed her shoulder, which made her writhe with pain, collapsing to the floor. "*gasp* Shampoo!"
He got down to her level and moved her hair away from her body, he closely inspected her shoulder and touched it again to get the same effect of Shampoo yelping in pain. He touched it softer, which still made her flinch. "Your shoulder is seared really badly Shampoo. We need to patch it up..." But I still don't have enough ki to replace my bandanas.
"Ryoga..." she said painfully, "You too strong, be softer please...!"
"Huh?"
"You grab Shampoo shoulder too hard! Touch Shampoo softer!"
He blushed sheepishly, "You know I didn't mean to do that, but at least you stopped hitting me." Ryoga smiled to himself pridefully, "I guess I won then!"
"Fine! Shampoo defeated, by stupid strength!" As Ryoga was laughing to himself stupidly, she paused. "Sh-Shampoo d-defeated...Uh-oh."
"What's uh-oh?"
"No worry about it. Let's just leave cave, please?"