permanent part 7: The Hunt.

++++++++++

Ranma rose from her bed and looked at her father. She snorted in
silent disgust at the lazy beast he had become, in more ways than one. She
kicked him awake because of his performance during practice that morning
and walked to the bathroom to bathe and change for school. She stopped as
Akane met her in the hall. "Good morning Ranma," she said still half
asleep as she walked into the bath. Ranma smiled as she realized that
Akane had been watching the 'secret practice' she had every morning with
her father again.

Ranma waited patiently for the bath and sighed as Akane emerged
and she entered. "I'm going to have to accept this sooner or later, this
is getting ridiculous, I'm gonna be late for school," she thought as she
washed herself. She froze and looked in the mirror with a look of sheer
terror in her eyes. A sad smile crossed her lips. "Another promise to you
broken." she watched her reflection for a moment and stood from the furo.
"Acceptance is not an option." she reminded herself.

++++++++++++

Mousse looked out the window and held his bag gently. He was aware
that they were trying to find him, but he could not be found until his
task was complete. The women had searched his resting-place and tracked
him well, but not well enough. "They'll see how weak I am now Shampoo," he
said into the bag in his hands with a small laugh.

++++++++++++++

In the abandoned home the two girls looked at each other with
mixed emotions, they were speaking in Mandarin and searching the building.
"Look here. Its obvious he still has it, the sick
bastard," growled one of them, She had short cut dark green hair and a
small scar on her cheek. "My greatest rival deserves more respect than
this," she said coldly.

"Sister Talcum you are right, I can only hope she is still intact.
Mousse must be caught before he can do further damage," said the other
girl; she was taller and had long red hair that went past her waist. She
was also carrying her spear in a much more relaxed position.

"Heh, she can't even use one of those," noted Mousse mentally from
his place in the shadows. The pair would not spot him, he knew they were
young and relatively inexperienced hunters. The hag had chosen them for
their skills in battle, and not for their tracking abilities.

"Sister Ko li, I do not think he can be helped, He is beyond
reason," said the red head as she observed his living conditions.

"We must return to Mistress Cologne and report, she will want to
know this," said Ko li.

+++++++++++

Kuno had wandered the streets of Nerima for some time now. He was
dressed in normal clothes. A shirt and slacks, not all that unusual
really. He had just discovered that he had been wearing his kendo uniform
far too much. "I thought it made me look, regal," he thought a little
smugly. "I suppose it does, if I wear it during a match."

It had been a week since Ranma had cast his spell on him. Kuno had
spent many boring hours watching blank televisions and trying to read his
favorite books; only to find nothing there. "He has done this terrible
thing to me, and yet I cannot bring myself to hate him. Why?" he asked
himself many questions as he walked.

"Perhaps because you needed it," came the mental reply.

"Quite so," he replied curtly. Honesty was annoying, he hoped she
would remove his curse soon.

++++++++++++

Ranma turned the corner and ran into Kuno, literally. The pair
collided and Ranma was sent sprawling to the ground on her ass. He looked
up to see Kuno looking dazed from the impact. The boy looked at Ranma and
started to help him up freezing in terror as Ranma glared at him. "I could
be like this forever if he's mad!" he thought in a panic.

"Hello Kuno," Ranma said as he stood. His voice seemed strained.

"I-I wish I could say I was sorry," he tried to apologize but the
words seemed to die in his mouth.

Ranma smiled. "You can fool. I said you couldn't hear or see lies.
I didn't say you couldn't lie."

"What?" said Kuno in shock.

"You've behaved yourself pretty well, I guess I can remove the
curse tomorrow afternoon," said Ranma looking thoughtful, more to annoy
the boy than anything else.

"Why tomorrow?" asked Kuno looking stunned.

"Well, I'm not gonna do it here. I don't exactly want people
around here to know about this; ya know?" replied Ranma with a small
smile. "Besides it isn't going to feel good. I thought you might like to
prepare for the shock. You'll probably be bed ridden for a few days
afterwards," said Ranma as he turned away.

"What?" said Kuno with a large sweat drop forming on his head.

"Never mind, I forgot I couldn't tease you in that condition, I
have to look up the spell Kuno," said Ranma with a frown.

"That was not funny," said Kuno bitterly. "You weren't supposed
to think so," said Ranma as she walked away.

++++++++++++++

Cologne sat with the two amazon warriors at a small cafe. "Tell me
what you have found," she inquired calmly.

"We could not find Mousse," said Talcum bitterly.

"Don't be so upset dear, I was not expecting you to, Mousse is a
most skilled warrior and hunter. That you even returned alive is a great
comfort to me," replied Cologne.

Somehow Ko li did not feel any better. "We also discovered that he
still has her," she said with a frown.

"Shampoo deserved more respect than that," said Cologne with a
heavy sigh. "Are you sure child?" she pressed.

"We found...evidence," replied Talcum.

"I see, he must be punished then," said Cologne with another
resigned sigh.

"Why are we doing this for her?" growled Talcum.

"You know why," replied Cologne flatly.

"But..." started Ko li.

"No, it must be delivered, I can take my time and force her to
take it from me, but she must receive it or it holds no power. I know that
you wish revenge for your comrade but we must remember the consequences of
your actions. If it is not delivered then the entire village will lose
their trust. It may also bring their wrath upon us. After she receives it
we can continue with our plans for Ranma," said Cologne with a bitter
smile.

++++++++++++

Mousse began a hunt of his own. "Ranma you will suffer so at my
hands, he laughed. "But not before you feel my torment." The laughter of
the insane floated across the rooftops of Nerima for a long time that
night.

+++++++++++

At the dojo Ranma walked out into the night.

"Where are you going?" asked Akane as she chased after her friend.

"I'm looking for him, he's been quiet for far to long and I doubt
seriously that he has given up, said Ranma calmly. "It is something I must
face."

"But, why?" pleaded Akane.

"Because her memory will haunt me until this is resolved, replied
Ranma as she walked away into the darkness.

++++++++++

The next morning Akane found Ranma sleeping soundly in her room.
She put Mr. P on the floor and he scampered over to Ranma and looked her
up and down. He had taken to sleeping with Akane and as a result became
sort of her pet and confidant. Akane was spending a lot of time with him
and he seemed to enjoy her company. Akane felt this was strange for an
animal. The person she spoke most often to him of was Ranma. She felt
afraid of her, but she also liked her a great deal, it was strange really.

Mr.P growled as he looked Ranma up and down and sat next to her. I
was obvious she had been running around all night. "That jerk! If that
Chinese guy shows up now He's dead!" thought the pig. "Damn you Ranma how
can you be so stupid and smart at the same time?! Without you I can't
survive like this!" thought Ryoga bitterly. He hated to remind himself
that he needed Ranma around, but he was past denying it.

+++++++++++++

A short time later Kuno arrived. "I have come as you requested,"
he said looking embarrassed as Ranma answered the door.

"What's the matter? Afraid of getting help from a girl?" asked
Ranma.

"We both know my answer to that," snorted Kuno.

"I kind of like having someone who knows for once," said Ranma
with a smirk.

The pair walked out into the dojo and sat together in the room.
"Will you be removing my curse?" asked Kuno after a few minutes of sitting
impatiently.

"Kuno you don't even want to think about what could happen if I
screw up," said Ranma coolly.

Kuno growled and kept silent. Ranma began to chant and a white
light began to form around Kuno. Just as it started to flare the worst
possible thing happened. "Ranma Saotome prepare to die!" cried a voice
from above.

Kuno looked up with Ranma as Mousse jumped from the rafters and
fell towards Ranma with a pair of clawed shoes. Ranma slid out of the way
and Mousse landed creating a hole in the floor. He jumped out as Ranma
kicked at him and smiled. "Well, Ranma it looks like I have you cornered,"
he said with a laugh. "Now die!" he yelled as he flung his weapons at the
girl. Ranma was about to dodge when a brown blur shot in front of the
chains. Kuno stood in front of Mousse with his bokuten drawn pieces of
chain and scattered weapons littered the floor around him. "You will not
harm him until my curse is removed," said Kuno defiantly.

"Kuno back off you don't stand a chance," said Ranma calmly.

"I will not spend my life like this," said Kuno holding up his arm
to reveal a clawed hand. It was covered in scales and had a few dark
feathers growing from the base of the elbow.

"Mousse interrupted the spell," gasped Ranma.

"No one will keep me from our revenge!" cried Mousse.

"Our revenge?" asked Kuno.

"My beautiful Shampoo," said Mousse in answer.

"I had no choice she had to die, it was her or me," said Ranma
angrily. Kuno looked at her in shock. "You killed her?" he gasped.

"Heh, that she did, I will have my revenge for it!" cried Mousse
as he pulled the bag off his back. He reached into it and grit his teeth
in anger. "For this you die."

TbC...