Chapter One: The Switch
By: Winkipinki
Note: Words in italics indicate a character's thoughts.
Shampoo came to Cat Café with an exasperating expression. She sat down ponderously on the chair, putting her head down. Cologne came to comfort her great-granddaughter.
"Shampoo, what's the matter?" Cologne asked softly.
"Ranma not come to the date! He said he come but…" Shampoo almost burst into tears just thinking about it.
"It's not the first time he had done it, you should know him by now," Cologne said.
"But Shampoo tired of Ranma not come! Shampoo feel terrible, great-grandmother!" Shampoo replied, "Got do something to make Ranma date Shampoo, but what?"
Cologne sighed, worried about her great-granddaughter's future.
Later, Shampoo rode her bicycle out to transport the food. Suddenly, a mysterious man passed by and asked, "Is something bothering this beautiful young lady?"
"Not your business!" Shampoo said angrily, continuing to ride her bicycle and ignored this man.
"Perhaps I can help you, boyfriend did not come to the date?" he asked.
"How you know?" Shampoo stopped her bicycle, looking back at the man.
"I know all things, I can tell that in your expression." The stranger said, smiling.
"How you help? Who are you?" Shampoo asked, anxious to know the solution.
"You don't have to know me, what matters is that I know how to solve your problem." The man said.
As she's having dialogues with this stranger, Akane was far away, just coming back from tennis practice and on her way home. Shampoo stared at her with rage, believing that Akane was the cause of Ranma's absence for her date.
The stranger looked towards Akane's direction, still smiling, "You know that girl by any chance?"
"She, Akane, my love's fiancée." Shampoo said, still glaring at her.
"Perhaps she could use a little help, ask her to come over." The man guided.
"Why? She Shampoo enemy!" Shampoo yelled.
"Do you want your boyfriend to come back or not?" The stranger said.
Shampoo nodded and asked Akane to come, although she was reluctant to do so.
Akane slowly walked toward Shampoo, "What do you want, Shampoo?" Akane asked, looking her straight in the eyes.
"Now what?" Shampoo asked the mysterious guy.
All of the sudden, the guy mumbled unknown words and lied his hands on the girls' shoulders. Meanwhile, Akane unwittingly suspected the whole situation, "What's the big idea?" she struggled to get out of the man's hand, but he was too strong, she was unable to move away from his hands.
Then, the man seemed to put a spell on the two girls, he played with his magic, neither Shampoo or Akane know what's going on.
"What you doing?" Shampoo asked, she realizes that her voice unexpectedly changed, and it seemed like…Akane's voice!
"Ahhh!!!" Shampoo yelled, not willing to know what was happening to her.
"What?" Akane asked, move to take a look, and she found that she's looking at...herself!
The two girls looked at one another, they found that they switched bodies by the tricks of this stranger.
"Change us back, you pervert!" Akane looked around, but the guy disappeared.
"Shampoo, what's going on???" Akane asked Shampoo, "It's all part of your plan, isn't it?"
"No!! Shampoo no idea he switch us!" Shampoo said in Akane's body.
"Now what do we do? We got to find that guy!!" Akane said.
"How? Shampoo not know him!" Shampoo pointed out.
"What??? How…" Akane didn't even finish her sentence because Shampoo interrupted her.
"It late now! Dawn already! Let find him tomorrow." Shampoo suggested.
"But you are in MY body!!" Akane yelled loudly and furiously.
"We no tell others about switching, just pretend be Shampoo for while." Shampoo said.
Akane, looking helpless, 'What would happen if our family finds out?' she thought, slowly walking to Tendo's residence, then remembered, 'Oh I forgot, I'm suppose to take Shampoo's place for a day…if we couldn't find the man, then...'
They walked separate paths. Shampoo approached toward the Tendo's residence happily, she longed for being with Ranma, and now her wish came true, 'Hmm, Shampoo in Akane's body now…and Ranma and Akane's engaged…that must mean Shampoo be with Ranma everyday!' Shampoo did not want to change back now, she knew that she could be with Ranma and marry him easily, unlike being the real Shampoo, whom Ranma didn't want to be with her, she's in charge of Akane's body, doing whatever she wanted because she could always be with Ranma from now on.
But what would Akane do? She didn't want to take Shampoo's place, if they couldn't find the mysterious man, then…
To be continued…
What do you think? The story is kinda confusing at first, but you will see why in later chapters. This is my first attempt in writing a Ranma fanfic, so it might be a little different from the original, I would make improvements if necessary. Thanks for reading!
-Winkipinki