Chapter 6: Explanations and confessions

By: Sakura Lilly

A/N and disclaimer: I know I've neglected this fanfic for a a long time so gomen nassai, but 1) I had a writer's block and 2) I was too busy with school and after-school stuff. But anyways here's Chapter 6. And as always I insist, I do not own Mousse, Shampoo, or any other characters of Ranma 1/2. All of them belong to Takahashi Rumiko and co. Mei Kuh aka Makeup/Mei and Loh Xion aka Lotion/Loh are my original charcters if you wish to use them please tell me. Oh and one more thing, this is a SHAMPOOxMOUSSE fanfic so if you hate the idea of these two getting together don't read it and then flame me for it, ok. Also it contains some cursing on this chapter so you decide if you read it or not. Well on with the fanfic already!

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Cologne noticed Mousse was back with that bitch of a sister. I didn't know he'd be back so soon. Probably here again to try and win my Xian Pu, but I won't let him, and I'll make sure that bitch Mei Khu doesn't interfere with my plans either. Cologne had already designed a plan to make Ranma her granddaughter's husband for once and all so they could all return to the village. She was making a potion that would make feel attracted only to Shampoo and she was making one for making Akane attracted to Mousse so they would both leave Shampoo and Ranma alone. But I didn't count on that slutty sister of Mousse's coming here. I may have to do something about her...

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"Hi Mousse! We're glad you're back!" Akane said as Mousse and Mei approached their table. "Yeah, and who is she?" Ranma asked, thinking that Mousse had already found another girlfriend among the Amazons. "Hello, Akane, Ranma. This is Mei Khu, my sister." Mousse answered. "Hi!" Mei greeted. "Welcome to Japan Mei Khu! Ranma and I hope you have a good time here." Akane said. "We do?...Itai! Watch out you kawaiikunee tomboy!" Ranma yelled as he felt Akane steping on his foot. "Ranma no baka!" Akane said as she took her mallet again and sent Ranma flying out of the Neko Hanten. Mousse just rolled his eyes and thought: Nothing has changed here. Mei just giggled at their actions.

"Are they always like that Muu Tsu?" Mei asked. "Yeah, you get used to it after a while." Mousse answered. Ranma must love Akane a lot if he's still hanging around her. Just like my brother still loves that slut Xian Pu, while back at the village almost every girl wants him. Mei thought as she sighed.

After a few minutes Ranma returned to the restaurant and sat down next to Akane again. Mousse and Makeup had joined her already and both girls were chatting amiably. "Say Akane, Shampoo hasn't come back with our noodles, has she?" Ranma asked. "No, I wonder what's keeping her." Akane replied and turned back to her conversation with Makeup.

Ranma sighed and turned to Mousse. "Your sister's japanese is really good, did you teach her?" Ranma asked him. Mousse nodded. "I tried to teach Xian Pu too, but she always rejected my offerings." "Oh, I see. Why did you come back here Mousse." Ranma asked bluntly. "Well, you know, for Xian Pu as always. The village elders are giving me one last chance to win her heart or I must forget about her forever." Mousse said sadly. "Oh, well Mousse, you know I don't love Shampoo, and Shampoo, well probably she'll never admit it to you but she has missed you a lot Mousse. Akane and I didn't know she cared that much for you. Probably she didn't know it either, until you left her. She thought you might never come back and she was so used to have you always near her." Ranma said in an unsual fit of thoughtfulness.

The four remained talking for a long time and Shampoo never came back. It was getting late so Ranma and Akane headed back home, and offered them a place to stay at their house. "If you don't mind sleeping on the living room, you can stay at my house." Akane said. Mousse and Makeuo looked at each other and shrugged. "Sure, domo arigatou Akane-san." Mousse answered, once again showing them his almost perfect grasp of japanese. "Ok, so it's all set, let's go home now or my dad and Kasumi onee-san will get worried." Akane said and then they all went over to the Tendou dojo.

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Shampoo was sitting by the river, near the bridge, her eyes swollen and red from crying, her pride hurt for it. How could she have cried over Mousse yet again? She didn't understand, she just knew she cared for him a lot more than she had known. And she still couldn't believe it, she had to marry the strongest man available, and that was Ranma, but she had fooled herself thinking she loved him and until now she found out she wasn't interested in Ranma in the least, except as a friend. Over the past 3 months she had come to see Ranma as a friend and to respect Akane, even started making friends with her. All that while she had been thinking about Mousse and her feelings for him.

And now he was back again, but this time he had found someone else to love, or so she thought. She didn't even imagine the girl she saw him with was his sister Mei Khu. After all this time of him loving me, and suddenly come with another girl, just when I realized that I really loved him... Shampoo thought as she felt the tears start to flow yet again. I won't cry, not again, I'm an Amazon, I must not cry, I have to be strong... she thought in vain, not being able to hold back the tears. Oh, Muu Tsu, please come back to me, wo ai ni... Suddenly she heard some noises and looked up the bridge, just to find Mousse and the others walking by in the Tendou Dojo direction.

Mousse, who for once was wearing his glasses, happened to look down the bridge as they passed by, when he saw what he thought was Shampoo, he stared at her and realized it really was her. He turned to the rest, "Hey guys I feel like going a little while to the river, I need to sort things out. Could you please take Mei to your house, Akane?" Mousse asked. "Uh, sure Mousse, suit yourself. I'll take your sister to my house, you know the way to the dojo, right?" Akane said. "Yeah, don't worry about me, I'll be back soon." Mousse answered. "Just be careful of not getting lost." Ranma said. "Ranma no baka! He's Mousse, not Ryouga, how disrespecful of you!" Akane yelled as she kicked Ranma and sent him flying. "Come on Mei, let's go to my house." Akane said as she lead the way to her house. Makeup just sighed and walked besides Akane. Wow, that guy Ranma can be a real jerk, Muu Tsu and Akane are right. But he's cute anyways... she thought with a smile.

A/N: Whenever Mousse, Mei, and Shampoo talk together the conversation is in chinese. I case you wonder about Shampoo's broken japanese/english, and why I use their chinese names.

Mousse jumped from the bridge and landed in front of Xian Pu. "Xi-Xian Pu..." he said softly as he looked at her, for once in his life not mistaking her from another person or object. "M-Muu Tsu, why?" was the only thing she was able to say to reply as she saw him. Muu Tsu removed his glasses, "Why what Xian Pu? What do you mean?" he asked, confused by her attitude. She hadn't sent him flying into the air yet, as she always had done whenever he approached her.

"Why did you stop loving me Muu Tsu?" she asked, her tears never having stopped. Muu Tsu felt even more confused, Is my Xian Pu really crying because of me? I don't think so, something must have happened to her, if that bastard Ranma dared to do anything to her, I'll... I'll kill him. he thought indignated. "I never stopped loving you Xian Pu, I still love you with all my heart and soul, but what happened to you? Why are you crying? Did Ranma did anything to hurt you?" Muu Tsu asked. "Bu-but if you still love me, who was that girl you were with when you entered the restaurant, and right now at the bridge?" Xian Pu asked, ignoring all of Muu Tsu's questions. Muu Tsu was totally confused now, "The girl that was with me? Oh, you must mean my sister Mei Khu. Don't you remember her?" he answered.

Xian Pu looked up at Muu Tsu, her tears finally stopping. "Your sister Mei? I do remember her, I guess I didn't recognize her." A small smile appeared in her face and she suddenly glomped him, in the way she used to glomp Ranma. "Oh, Muu Tsu! Wo ai ni!" she said as he returned her embrace with one of his own. "Xian Pu! You don't know how I longed to hear you say that! Wo ai ni. You don't know how much I still love you! But what has brought this change on you Xian Pu? Even though I still see you as the strong Amazon warrior, I feel that something inside you has changed since I last saw you." Muu Tsu observed as he enjoyed feeling her in his arms at last.

"Oh Muu Tsu, you have no idea of how much I missed you! It was then when I finally realized that I loved you and not Ranma." Xian Pu answered. "Xian Pu, I-I had no idea. B-but what did your great-grandmother say to that? Hasn't she tried to get Ranma to marry you again?" he asked. "N-no, I haven't said anything to her, yet. But she's too smart, she probably knows it all by now, and she probably has a plan to get rid of you too! I know her too well." she answered.

"Your great-grandmother is really interested in getting you married to Ranma, isn't she?" he asked sadly. "Yes, but she doesn't care how she gets what she wants, even if it involves hurting you, or Akane, or Ukyou. She's not interested in who or what I care for. She just wants 'what is best for the tribe'. She doesn't care for my feelings, or yours, or Ranma's. And she doens't see that is unfair to treat men as slaves! Even if she did succeed in marrying me to Ranma, she would never succeed in 'taming' him." Xian Pu said, letting the frustration she'd felt towards her great-grandmother's manipulative ways finally pour out of her, leaving her empty, but not really feeling any better. She felt her legs give up under her, sliding from Muu Tsu's grasp, feeling so tired all of a sudden, her tears starting once more.

Muu Tsu knelt down next to her and embraced her once again, laying her hear in his chest. She hugged him tighter, her tears soaking his robes. "Xian Pu, that's I returned here, so I could rightfully, through all the laws of Joketsuzoku, claim you as my wife." Muu Tsu told her all about the challenge set upon him by the elders of the village, but excluding once again the part of not being able to return if he failed, but somehow, he got the feeling he wouldn't be alone if he did fail.

"Muu Tsu, are you still willing to fight for me? After all I've done to you, after all the pain I've caused you?" Xian Pu asked, still not able to believe that Muu Tsu had returned to her side. "I do, as I've told you before, I love you with all my heart, and I would sell my very soul to be with you. Hell, I would even die for you. There's no other woman for me, you're the only one. While I was at the village, some of the girls tried to seduce me, but I was not interested in any of them, you're the only one I have loved, and the only one I'll ever love." he said.

She looked up at him, getting lost in those deep, sapphire blue eyes. "Muu Tsu, I..." she said softly and trailed off as his face started descending on hers. She closed her eyes, as did he. God how he had longed for this moment during all his life. Their lips touched, in a soft kiss, that slowly became more passionate. All the love he had amounted during all these years finally found an escape in that kiss. He opened his mouth and slid his tongue into her warm mouth, she accepted him and he pressed her tongue to his. She introduced hers in his sweet mouth, twining with his own, both of them moaning in pleasure. Finally they had to break their kiss to catch their breath.

Both stood up, still clinging on each other. "Wo ai ni, Muu Tsu, airen." Xian Pu said, a tear of happiness slid down her cheek. Muu Tsu brushed the tear away softly as he replied, "Wo ai ni, Xian Pu." They stayed like that for a long time, their arms around each other. Finally Muu Tsu gave her a last, soft kiss, as he started to leave towards the Tendou's. "Bye Xian Pu, I have to go to the Tendou's before they start looking for me. Besides your great-grandmother must be waiting for you. I see you tomorrow, love." he said as he started to walk away. "Good bye, Muu Tsu, my airen." she whispered as she saw him walking away, but this time, feeling a hapiness, knowing he would be there for her now, even more because he still loved her and was willing to face anything for her. She sighed happily as she started to walk back home, neveminding it was starting to rain and was now a small, lilac cat.

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Back on the Tendou dojo, Mei was starting to get worried about Muu Tsu, she knew he could take care of himself and that he knew the way to the dojo (Akane and Ranma had told her that he always came here to fight Ranma), but still, what if Khu Lon or Xian Pu had found him and were doing something to him. If those bitches dare to do something to him, I'll have to...

She was stopped in midthought by a quacking sound in the window. She opened it and let Muu Tsu inside. She brought him some clothes and a pot of hot water. He changed back to human and got dressed. When he finished he went over to his sister. "Did you have dinner already?" he asked. "Yeah, but Akane's oldest sister left some food for you." she answered. "Where's everyone?" Mousse asked. "Akane's and Ranma's fathers are playing shogi, one of Akane's sister is sewing or something, her other sister is studying, and Ranma and Akane, you don't wanna know what they're doing, I don't wanna know what they're doing." Mei answered. Muu Tsu shrugged and went into the kitchen to eat whatever Kasumi had left for him.

"Oh one thing, Akane said that tomorrow was her turn to make breakfast and dinner." Mei said. Muu Tsu choked on the rice ball he was eating. "Wh-what? Akane will cook? Er, Mei, it's not a good idea to eat Akane's cooking." he said after he recovered, remembering when he once tried Akane's cooking, despite of all of Ranma's warnings. "It can't be that bad." Mei said. "I'm telling you Mei, we should cook tomorrow, and tell it's a proof of our gratitude rather that eat Akane's food." he insisted. She sighed, "Ok, Muu Tsu, but I think you're a jerk by saying that about Akane. But you're right, we should show the Tendou's our gratitude in some way." He let out a breath of relief, there was no way he was going to eat Akane's food if he could avoid it without hurting her feelings. Unlike Ranma, Muu Tsu was more sensitive and hated to hurt girl's feelings. Even if his had been hurt countless times in the past.

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Shampoo ran back the Nekohanten, for the first time in her life feeling genuinely happy. She entered through the cat door in the kitchen, her great-grandmother has insisted that because of her curse they should have one, as well as keep clean clothes in the kitchen, in case something like this happened, which with Nerima's weird climate was very often. She changed back to human and put on her clothes, humming a song happily. By this hour the last clients were leaving or had already left. She went into the restaurant to help clean up. It was already empty and closed. She started going to get the broom and mop to clean up when she saw her great-grandmother.

"Great-granny, I-I'm sorry I went away like that." she apologized before Cologne. "You caused me a lot of problems during the evening-rush hour, Xian Pu. It's good that there's someone like me to run the restaurant. By the way, you didn't happen to go to see that idiotic bastard that answers to the name of Muu Tsu. I hope that you at least spent your time trying to get Ranma to date you." she replied, somewhat angry at her great-granddaughter. She'd never been able to get really angry at Xian Pu, she was usually a good Amazon.

"Uh, no granny. I went for a walk, but I didn't happen to meet either of them." Xian Pu lied. "I see, well you may help me to clean up all this." she said as she went into the kitchen. That girl is lying, she DID see him, I just know it. I was so happy he had left, why did the bastard and his slut of a sister have to come here. I suspect Xian Pu has feelings for him, but I'll make sure to get him, his sister, and all of Ranma's slutty "fiancées" out of the way. Even if I have to do it alone... she thought.

Xian Pu sighed as she swept the restaurant, once again her worries returning when she saw Cologne. I don't think great-granny believed that one, she must know I saw him, she must know that I love him. And I'm sure she has a plan to marry me to Ranma. Poor Muu Tsu, I'm sure she'll hurt him and Akane, and wouldn't be able to stand losing him again. And Akane, she doesn't have the fault of anything, she'd just be an innocent victim as well as Ukyou. No, I can't let great-granny hurt anyone. Many have already been hurt because of me, so this has to stop... she thought as she fought the tears back, not wanting Cologne to see her crying.

Xian Pu quickly finished her duties and went to say good-night to her great-grandmother. "Good-night, great-granny. I'm tired so I'll go to sleep now." Xian Pu said. "Good-night Xian Pu." Cologne answered. Xian Pu went into her room and changed to her nightknow. She lay on her bed for a long time thinking about Muu Tsu, Mei Khu, Ranma Akane, and herself. But most of all in the kiss she and Muu Tsu had shared that afternoon, wanting to feel those strong arms around her again, those warm and sweet lips over hers again.

Oh my pretty, pretty boy I love you
like I've never, ever loved no one before you.
Pretty, pretty boy of mine
Just tell me you love me too...

She remebered the few dates with Ranma and the few kisses she had stolen from him, but nothing of that compared to what she had felt when Muu Tsu kissed her. With Ranma it has just been the attraction to his power and the law that bound them. With Muu Tsu it was a true, deep, intense love, combined with a flaming passion. And those eyes, how she loved those eyes, even though he couldn't see very well with them, she felt she could look into his very heart through them. How she wished she could be next to him in this moment.

Oh my pretty, pretty boy I need you
Oh my pretty, pretty boy I do.
Let me inside,
make me stay, right beside you.

At last, after a long time, she was finally able to fall asleep, whispering the words, "Wo ai ni, Muu Tsu...", a single tear sliding down her cheeks. Little did she know of what her great-grandmother was up to, working out a plan to get Ranma, but this time not for Xian Pu, but for herself.

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A/N: Well, that it, another chapter of this fic. This one was a bit longer than the last one because I felt rather inspired after months of not working on it. I hope you liked it. The lyrics are from the song "Pretty Boy" by M2M. I plan to write the next chapter really soon, so be waiting for it. Meanwhile please review this fanfic, or I won't write any more! j/k