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Ranma 1/2: New Challenges
Minor Disturbances
Chapter 11
"Excuse me, can I speak to you for a second?"
"Like, what do you want?" the girl asked. "I'm like, so busy,
right now."
The man smiled. "Ah, but I believe I have some information you
might want to know. It concerns a certain boy you like." He flashed a
picture.
The girl studied it. "Like, I'm so over him. He was like,
really in love with another girl."
The man's smiled increased, even as he fought to contain his
laughter. "What if I told you that he was longer in with her? That, in
fact, if you were to make the right moves now, you could have him?"
The girl sighed, then remembered how kind the man she had loved
had been to her. Maybe, if there was a chance... "Like, whatever. Why
not? What did you have in mind?"
If possible, the man's grin increased.
"Shampoo?!"
Mousse nodded. "Something is happening to her. I-I don't know
what, but I have to save her!" He glanced toward the second hole in the
wall Shampoo had made upon her exit. "I'm sorry, I have to go after
her!"
"Mousse, wait!" Akane called, but it was too late. He had
already doused himself with cold water and flew out the hole after the
woman he loved. Akane glanced at her unconcious iinzuke and sighed.
"Great. You're out cold, so I guess that means I'm on my own."
Akane quickly deposited Ranma in his room, then took off after
Mousse. Leaping to a rooftop, she easily spotted the duck flying in the
sky and went to follow him. As she began to catch up to the rapidly
flying duck, she noted with some pride that a year ago she would never
have been able to move this fast.
A smile flitted onto her face as she ran and jumped from roof
to roof. Rarily had she had to time to really open like this and it felt
great. She had always loved physical sports because of the rush it gave
her whenever she performed at her best and pushed her body to the
limits.
Now, she was thankful for the speed training Ranma had given
her, as it allowed her to catch up to Mousse. Still, it took her nearly
five minutes to do so, and in that time she had discovered where they
had ended up: The Nerima Zoo.
Akane leapt to the ground inside the gates and cautiously
approached the small forested park where Mousse was circling. She
wondered why he didn't land, then discovered the reason. The ticket of
trees was home to the zoo's tiger exhibit.
She entered the viewing area and looked down into the large
pit. At first she didn't see anything through the trees and bushes, but
then she began to make out a few sleeping forms near a rock formation.
Akane thought disgustedly. She looked some more.
A quacking beside her got her attention. "Mousse?"
The duck produched a hot water kettle and a set of robes, and
once more Mousse was human. He went to the railing and scanned the
interior for himself.
"Mousse?" Akane asked again, walking up beside.
"She's in there, I know it," he said softly. "I saw her go in
there."
Akane sighed. "Are you sure, Mousse? You don't exactly have the
best eyesight you know."
"I know that!" he turned and yelled at her. "I know I'm a
useless, blind idiot! But I just know Shampoo is in there!"
Akane took a step back from his vicious outburst. "O-okay.
Well, there's nothing we can do now, except wait for her to come out."
Mousse angrily swept his gaze away from her and back to the
tiger pit. "No. I'm going in there. She needs my help and I am not going
to let her down!" He leapt off the railing.
"Mousse!" Akane cried. "Get back here! You'll get torn to pieces
in there!"
But he ignored her as he searched the grove. Akane half-sighed,
half-growled in frustration as she debated whether or not to go after
him. On one hand, her last encounter with a tiger nearly killed her. On
the other, she knew she had to do everything in her power to help, even
if she knew Shampoo wouldn't likely do the same for her.
And then there was Mousse. Poor, blind Mousse. Shampoo had
rejected him time and again, yet he never gave up. He would do literally
do anything for her, even if if cost him his life.
Akane realized suddenly.
Akane sighed... and jumped into the pit.
The
distraught girl clutched her head.
Her eyes snapped open when she felt her ears. They were larger
than normal, furry and pointed. In fact, the entire side of her face
felt furry, as well as her hands. She brought them up looked at them.
She could scarely believe what she saw. Her hands were
covered in dark bluish-purpish hair, her fingers ending in sharp claws.
"No..."
She looked down her body, and was horrified to discover that it
was covered in the same dark bluish-purplish hair. The tattered remains
of her clothes covered only barely covered her chest and groin.
"What... happpening... to... Shampoo..."
Her body shaking with fear, she spotted a small lake not far
away and crawled over to it, gazing into the still waters. She barely
managed to avoid recoiling in shock as the unknown visage stared back at
her.
Her mane of purple hair was still there, but darker hair had
lightly covered her face. Her sharp ears pointed out of her hair. A
small set of fangs protruded from her open mouth, and tears streamed
down her face.
She covered her face with her
hands, sobbing into them.
(We will soon be together.)
Feral-Shampoo looked up. "Who... say that?" But no one could be
seen. That's when her face dropped again, coming back to rest upon the
crystal-clear waters. This time, she did recoil in shock, as the face
that appeared was not her own, but another she had come to hate.
"You!" She pointed to the pool. "Mao Mao Lin! Ghost cat!" Her
initial shock and fear changed into anger, an easier emotion to deal
with. "You do this to me!"
(Correct, my lovely Shampoo,) the voice echoed inside her head,
she realized. (We belong together, don't you see? You are perfect for
me, since Jusenkyo has marked you with a feline curse.)
"NO!" she hissed. "You... never have... Shampoo!"
A low rumbling sounded behind her, and she turned and leapt
just as a huge black and yellow striped tiger tried to pounce on her.
She landed in a crouch, hissing back at the attacking tiger, even as it
continued to growl at her. Somehow, she knew that it had only come to
defend it's territory against another feline, but now was trying to kill
her for food.
She screamed and pounced, the animal rage within her burning
out any concious thoughts. Only the need to kill the tiger in front of
her burned in her feral blood.
The tiger met her half-way with it's own attack, but Shampoo
easily slashed it's paws aside with one clawed hand, and slashed it's
face with another. The tiger went down, but she was on it a second
later, vicously biting and clawing.
She halted the ravaging attack and looked up, sensing more
movement around her. Several more tigers had emerged from the green, and
she was now surrounded. The pack growled at her as they closed in.
Somehow she knew she would not escape this, but her animal instinct was
raging beyond the control of any logical thoughts.
Shampoo assumed a crouching four-legged stance and prepared to
defend her kill, hissing and growling. Eventually, one of the tigers
sprung to attack, but the feral girl lanced out with her claws, stopping
the attack in much the same way as she did with the other tiger now dead
at her feet.
However, while she was occupied with this, several more tigers
attacked. One slashed her side, while another bit her leg when she went
down. Shampoo screamed and lashed out with her claws, detaching the one
on her leg. She managed to roll away and leap to her feet, though she
stumbled when she attempted to put weight on her now-injured left leg.
The tigers circled closer and prepared to attack again. It was
clear to all present, that she wouldn't last another attack.
"SHAMPOO!"
Several chains flew out of the sky and grabbed two of the
tigers. A yank on the chains sent the two big cats sprawling along the
ground to crash into each other. Mousse landed where the tigers once
stood, flinging a couple boomerangs out of his sleeves. They impacted
the head of another tiger, sending it dazedly to the ground.
One of the big cats leapt at him from the right, and Mousse
barely managed to put up a large shield out of his robe to block the
attack. Still, the force of the impact knocked him to the ground, even
as he disgarded the shield and tossed a wire bola that tied his
attacker's legs up.
Another of the beasts was on him a second later, it's mouth
aiming for his neck. Mousse quickly pulled out the only thing he could
think of at the moment, a wooden bo staff, and forced it into the
tiger's mouth. The tiger bit down hard on it and the staff began to
crack under the pressure.
The Amazon male knew his life was over if the staff broke.
"Tora Dokiken!"
Akane's golden jump-kick knocked the tiger away from Mousse.
She flipped off the cat and came to her feet, charging back into the
fray to ward off the last two beasts; the one who had recovered from the
boomerang attack, and the one that had chewed through Mousse's bolas.
She kept the Tiger's Wrath Attack up, knowing that if she
dropped it, she was dead. Still, she really didn't want to kill the
tigers, since this wasn't really their fault. She dodged several claws
and jumping bites, managing a hit or two after each pass. The tigers
were persistant creatures, but eventually they gave up and ran away when
they sensed it was a losing fight.
Akane allowed the golden aura to vanish, even as she dropped to
her knees, exhausted.
Shampoo, however, wasn't finished. The smell of blood was in
the air and the animal instinct was still dictating her actions. She
sniffed the air, then growled as she paced back and forth.
Mousse sat up. "Shampoo? Are you alright?"
The feral Amazon girl turned and pounced on Mousse, knocking
him back onto the ground. She stood on all fours above him, growling
deep in her throat. She then then moved her face down and prepared to
crush his neck with her jaw. Mousse, unwilling to hurt the woman he
loved, simply lay there.
"Shampoo, don't!" Akane called, dragging herself to her feet and
breathing heavily.
Shampoo turned to hiss at her, as if warning her to back off.
"No, Akane, it's alright," Mousse said from the ground. "If you
really want to kill me Shampoo, then go do it. To stop you, I would have
to hurt you, and that's something I won't do anymore."
He could feel her teeth on his neck, her warm breath on his
chin, and he anticipated the crushing blow that would end his life, but
it never came. Shampoo slowly raised her head, then sniffed him.
Both Akane and Mousse were puzzled by this behavior and
wondered what she was up to. Her attitude seemed to change.
And then she licked his cheek.
Mousse froze, unsure of what to do. The next move was
Shampoo's, however, as she backed off of him, the change intensifying.
She slowly stood up on two legs and Akane noticed the glimmer of
intelligence return to her eyes. The feral Amazon glanced disbelievingly
at her hands, then shared that gaze between Akane, Mousse, and the dead
tiger.
She backed up even more, coming to rest against the rock
formation.
"Shampoo?" Mousse asked again.
"Stay... back," she commanded, fear evident on her face.
Akane took a step foreward. "Are you alright? How did this
happen to you?"
Shampoo shook her head slighty. "Not... know."
"What's the last thing you remember?" Akane prodded, trying to
get Shampoo to calm down.
The feral Amazon girl paused for a moment while she thought,
though it was tough to think on anything at this moment. What had
happened to her? Didn't she remember asking herself that before? And
what had been her answer?
Shampoo's head came up in realization. "Bake... neko."
Mousse blinked. "The ghost cat? He's back?" His visage turned
angry. "I'll kill him for what's he'd done to you! I swear it!" He
looked around, brandishing twin claws on his hands. "Now where is he!?
Come out, you coward!!!"
The cat-girl's body began to tremble, even as Shampoo
remembered something else. The trembling increased.
"Shampoo, what is it?" Akane asked, seeing the increased fear.
Shampoo raised a shaky, clawed hand, and pointed a finger at
herself. "Here."
Akane gasped. "He's inside you!?"
"That's riiiight!" a familiar voice echoed. "I've modified the
New Year's eve curse. When Shampoo's transformation is complete, she
will become my bride!"
"Shampoo!" Mousse cried. "No! Get out of her, you monster! Face
me, if you dare!"
"Uh uh!" the Bake-Neko's voice echoed. "I can't defeat you, but
I've read Shampoo's mind, and I know you won't dare hurt Shampoo. So
there's nothing you can do."
Mousse snarled loudly and slashed a nearby tree with his right
claw in anger, cutting the large pine tree down.
Akane smiled. "Mousse may not be able to hit you, but I can!"
She walked slowly foreward. "One good punch and you're out of there!"
Shampoo recoiled and hissed at her.
"Oh really?" the ghost cat taunted. "Do you think Mousse will
stand by and let you hit his love?"
"I did it before!" Akane countered. "If you've read Shampoo's
mind, you should know that!"
"But that time was a matter of Amazon law," Bake-Neko retorted.
"Now, there is no such law protecting you!"
Akane stopped and turned to look at Mousse, who was clearly
fighting some internal battle. Then he straightened and took a position
between the two girls.
"Akane, he's right," he said at last. "I... can't let you do
it."
"Mousse, listen to me!" Akane pleaded. "If I don't do this,
we'll lose Shampoo! Don't you see? It's either I hit her, or the Bake-
Neko marries her and takes her away!"
Mousse stiffened, then slowly turned around to face the woman
he loved, who was still crouched in a menacing defensive pose. "Shampoo,
please fight it! I know you're stronger than this! You're stronger than
a stupid ghost!"
Shampoo's eyes changed slighty for a moment, back to the ones
he recognized. "Am... trying... So hard... Sorry... Mousse..." The eyes
changed back to the more feline ones.
The mypoic Amazon growled in frustration, then spoke in a low
voice to the person behind him. "Do it."
Akane nodded slowly, knowing just what it must've cost Mousse
to give his okay for what she was about to do. "I just need to hit her
once."
Shampoo hissed some more, claws brandishing menacingly, while
Akane struck with lightening speed. The rock face cratered with her
punch, but Akane's target had leapt away.
"Fool!" the ghost-cat's voice called. "What makes you think you
can touch me? I control Shampoo's body!"
Akane sprung forward again, aiming a jump kick at her target.
Shampoo leapt aside as Akane expected, so she sent a series of
incredibly kicks to her right as soon as she landed. Shampoo dodged them
all, then struck back with her own kick to Akane's midsection. The
youngest Tendo grunted, then rolled away.
"Mousse, Shampoo, help me!" Akane commanded. "I can't do this
alone!"
"I can't, Akane!" Mousse cried. He remembered the only time he
had attacked her, when Zhoa Len had been manipulating her. That time,
Shampoo was distracted and he was able to just chain her up without
attacking her directly. Still, it had torn him up to do that much. "I'm
sorry, I just can't hurt Shampoo!"
Shampoo's anger increased, as her eyes changed back. "Stupid...
Mousse! Stupid, weak... Mousse! You pitiful excuse... for Amazon. You
never... never fight Shampoo! Never win! Mousse is only... weak male.
Shampoo never want weak Mousse! Stupid!"
Mousse was speechless. While he had heard those words, in one
form or another, from her before, there was more venom and disgust this
time, and it tore at his very soul. "...Shampoo... I love-"
"Shut up!" Shampoo screamed. "Shampoo.. no love Mousse! Is
stupid... and weak!"
Akane took the oppurtunity to attack again, but Shampoo was
simply too fast. She decided she just might have to risk using the Tora
Dokiken again, when Mousse exploded.
"WEAK!" he yelled. "Don't you get it! I just don't want to hurt
you! What's stupid and weak are those Amazon rules and pride! Why can't
you just let that go!?"
"Amazon rules is no weak!" Shampoo yelled back. "They make
Joketsuzoku strong for three-thousand year! You weak! You no learn this!
You never have Shampoo!"
Akane stopped, astonished by the heated exchange the two
Amazons were having. Shampoo's face was contorted with anger and
loathing. Akane could see Mousse's head was down, his hands trembling, a
vein throbbing on his forehead.
For years, frustration had built up inside the myopic Amazon,
ever since Shampoo first rejected him. With every subsequent rejection,
that frustration had steadily turned into anger that Mousse kept bottled
inside, with no release. A temporary release was found when her followed
Shampoo to Japan and fought Ranma, but that didn't help the source of
his frustration and anger, and he hadn't fought with Ranma in awhile.
Now, together with the fear and anxiety that came from
Shampoo's predicament and hate-filled outburst, those emotions were
passing the boiling point. They began to spill out, bypassing the `I
don't want to hurt Shampoo' directive, fueling his rage.
"FINE THEN!" Mousse screamed, flinging his arms up and sending
weighted chains at the feral girl.
"Like, this better work," the girl said.
"It will," the man replied. "Just follow the directions on the
note."
The girl nodded, then rang the doorbell, as the man faded back
into the shadows. In no time, a little man dressed in black answered the
door.
"Yes, who is it?" Sasuke asked.
"Like, I'm here to see Kuno Tatewaki!" Mariko Konjo answered,
with a big smile on her face.
Sasuke's eyes grew wide. "Uh, this way, Konjo-san."
From the shadows, Kenji watched with a grin as Mariko entered
the Kuno estate.
Akane's jaw dropped as she beheld Mousse actually attack
Shampoo. The feral girl still managed to dodge the chains, but more
followed and Shampoo was forced to weave through them with as much
agility as he could muster. When the distance was closed, Shampoo
attacked with her claws at close range.
Mousse brought up his own steel claws to block. There was a
flurry of movement, then one of Mousse's claws went flying away. Shampoo
raised her hand to strike again, when Mousse pulled a staff out of his
robes and thrust it foreward. The feral Amazon doubled over as the
strike impacted her midsection. Rage still burning through him, he
brought the end of the staff up and clocked her chin, snapping her head
back.
Shampoo managed a fierce three kick return to Mousse's own
midsection, but the blows were lessened by the chain mail he was
wearing. He knocked her leg away with the staff then twirled it around,
hitting stomach, shoulder, and head all in turn. He then dopped low and
swung the staff around, sweeping Shampoo's legs out from underneath her.
With a *whump*, she hit the ground on her back, while Mousse
pointed the staff at her throat.
"How about that!" Mousse yelled. "This weak Amazon beat you! I
could always beat you! I just never wanted to..." All the color drained
from Mousse's face, and he continued in a small voice. "...hurt you..."
He dropped the staff as if it was burning hot, while Shampoo
stared up at him in disbelief.
"What have I done?"
"What's going on here?" Nabiki demanded as she entered the
foyer.
In the middle of the room, a girl she remembered as Mariko
Konjo was liplocked with Tatewaki Kuno. Her arms were around him and her
head was tilted back. He was holding her tenderly and kissing her
upturned lips.
A few minutes earlier...
Kuno had just entered the room to see what Mariko wanted, but
found out when she glomped onto his arm and blinked her eyes prettily at
him.
"Remember me, Tatewaki-chan?" she asked in a sultry voice. "I
once said that I loved you and that you could have your way with me."
She licked her lips. "It's still true and that offer still stands..."
Kuno gulped, even as he felt his heart start to pound. He
remembered the kendo match, and how great he felt when both Mariko and
the pig-tailed girl fought over him. He did have some feelings for her,
until she left and he went back to Akane and the `pig-tailed girl'. "I
believe I also said I would reward your noble spirit with a kiss."
A small sound was buzzing in his brain, saying something about
this was wrong. But the willing girl in his arms, her pretty face, and
her red, luscious lips, helped drown that little voice out.
She smiled, turned her lovely lips up and closed her eyes.
Excitement and tension building within him, Kuno bent his head down and
began to kiss her, but that was when Nabiki had walked in.
Suddenly the little buzzing made sense.
Mariko released Kuno's lips. "Like, who is this little tramp,
Tatewaki-chan?"
A vein throbbed once on Nabiki's forehead. "Look
who's talking."
"Like, whatever. What's your problem?"
"Nabiki-kun!" Kuno finally managed, dropping Mariko. "This is
not what it appears to be!"
Nabiki took a deep breath, fought down the feeling of betrayal,
and half-smiled. "It's okay, Kuno-baby, really. Apparently I've
interrupted you at a bad time. We can discuss accounts another time."
She turned around. "Enjoy yourself." With that, she walked out the door.
Kuno tried to go after him but Mariko was attached to his leg.
"Nabiki-kun! Pray tally here but a moment longer!" .
"Tatewaki-chan..." the cheerleader complained. "I like, totally
thought you weren't dating anyone? Who was she?"
"You are mistaken," Kuno told her. "I am dating with Tendo
Nabiki. Please do not refer to me as `Tatewaki-chan'."
Mariko was aghast. "But..." Her face turned from shock to
anger. "Oooh, that boy! He like, totally told me you were not interested
in that pig-tailed girl anymore!"
Something that passed as a grimace, flitted across the
upperclassman's face. "That is correct, but I am dating Tendo Nabiki.
Now please leave."
The cheerleader stood up and angrily stalked to the door. "If I
ever see that boy again..." She fixed Kuno with an angry gaze. "And you!
Leading me on like that! I am like, so totally through with you!" She
turned and stomped out of the house.
Kuno sighed and called for Sasuke. Something told him he'd be
needing a large amount of flora for a certain short, brown-haired Tendo.
On the ground Shampoo's eyes were wide. Then she convulsed and
screamed, part in fear, and part in pain. A white glow coalesed around
her, then floated out of her to land a few feet behind her. Akane, still
frozen in utter disbelief, watched as it materialized into the Bake-
Neko.
He was holding his nose and stomach. "Ow ow ow! Why'd you have
to go and do that? I was almost there! Now I'll never find a bride!"
A question implanted itself in Akane's otherwise empty mind at
the moment. "Why do you want to be married anyway?"
The ghost cat looked up at her with a sad face. "I can't break
the curse and move on until a woman consents to be miyah bride." He
looked down again. "Miyah late wife cursed me 500 years ago. She trapped
me in that bell, where I waited, until you let me out last year."
Akane spared a glance at the two Amazons, but they hadn't
budged an inch from where they were standing. Both seemed to be in
complete shock from what had just happened. Mousse was standing over
Shampoo, his body trembling slightly. She was still on the ground, her
physical body still unchanged.
"Hey!" Akane exclaimed. "How about changing her back now!"
The Bake-Neko looked over at Shampoo with a confused expression
on his face. "I... don't know how."
Akane blinked then stomped up to the ghost cat and grabbed a
handful of fur. "WHAT!?"
"AH! Don't hurt me! I just don't know! The man who helped me
with the new curse didn't say how to reverse it and I didn't ask! His
name is Dor-something." He closed his eyes. "I don't remember!"
*POW* The ghost cat ended up in a tree.
"Shampoo... stuck like this?" she asked quietly, her eyes
shimmering with both fear and sadness.
"I... I... I'm sorry," was all the Bake-Neko could say.
That's when Shampoo began to laugh.
"Nice night, eh?"
The voice caught Nabiki off-guard, but she recognized it and
continued to walk. "Leave me alone, Soyokaze. I'm not in the mood."
Kenji pushed off the wall from where he had been leaning and
began to follow Nabiki from a few feet behind her. "What's wrong?"
Nabiki laughed, once. "As if you didn't know." She half-smiled.
"Nice one, by the way." The smile
disappeared. "Now get lost."
Kenji stopped and watched Nabiki walk away. He had done it, or
at least that's what it looked like.
So why did he feel so bad?
Akane blinked, not really expecting that reaction.
"Ha Ha, Mousse... beat Shampoo! She stuck... like monster!
Mousse win monster, not proud Amazon warrior!"
"Shampoo..." Mousse said quietly.
The maniacal laughter faded, even as she turned on him. "Shut
up! This all... Mousse fault!"
"But..."
Shampoo yowled in anger, then sprung up, knocking him down in
the process. Akane brought her arms up just in time to block, but was
still hit hard by the charging feral Amazon and landed on her back,
hard. Shampoo leapt out of the pit, then was gone.
"Shampoo!" Mousse stood up and went after her.
Akane tried to follow, but with the wind temporarily knocked
out of her, she couldn't get up. By the time she was able, she didn't
bother, knowing they were long gone. She glanced over to see the ghost-
cat still sitting against the tree.
"What are you still doing here?" Akane asked disgustingly. "Or
aren't you though srewing up people's lives?"
"I just wanted someone to love me..." he said in a weak voice.
"Well that's not the way you go about it," Akane told the
spirit.
"I deserve to be cursed..."
Akane sighed. I might as well ask. "What did you do to be
cursed anyway?"
"I... cheated on my wife."
She crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes. "Why
doesn't that surprise me?" She looked at the pathetic picture the Bake-
Neko was currently presenting and sighed. "Well, I suppose if I were to
help you break this curse, you would stop making trouble?"
The ghost-cat looked up, hope on it's face. "You'd become miyah
bride?"
Akane frowned. "I am NOT marrying you! I have a fiance I love
already!"
"You wouldn't have to actually marry me," he said slowly. "Just
be miyah bride!"
She blinked, realization setting in. "Wait a minute. Just what
does being your bride entail?"
The bake-neko eagerly brought out a small bell and tossed it to
Akane, who caught it. "Just accept that bell and kiss me!"
"Then what?" Akane asked nervously.
"That's it."
Akane blinked. "That's it?"
"That's all that was required for couples to be engaged in miyah
old village," the ghost cat explained. "The actual marriage ceremony was
also short. A priest would just declare two people to be miyah-arried,
but we don't need one if you're just going to be miyah bride." He
paused. "Then I should be able to pass on."
Akane debated with herself for a moment, then looked at the
eager look on the spirit's face. "Then after you're gone, I don't have
to do anything else? Nothing happens to me and I'm not cursed or
anything?"
The ghost cat eagerly shook it's head. "For awhile I wanted
someone to love me, but if I can at least end this curse, that's good
enough."
Akane took a deep breath. Truth be told, she had always kinda
felt sorry for him. And if she could end his curse, it would be the
right thing to do. "Then I accept this bell."
Gathering her courage, she took two steps over to the ghost cat
and kissed him lightly, then took a step back. For a moment, nothing
happened.
"MAO MAO LIN NO BAKA!" a Chinese female voice yelled in
Japanese.
*WHAM!*
Akane blinked at the glowing mallet embedded in the ghost cat's
skull, as well as the beautiful, white glowing woman holding it.
"It's about time!" the woman exclaimed, removing the mallet. "I
was getting bored, waiting for you."
"I'm sorry it took so long, dear," the ghost cat replied, only
it wasn't a ghost cat anymore. The image had disolved to be replaced by
a glowing, handsome man with short dark hair.
The woman turned to Akane. "Thank you. My husband has redeemed
himself by earning your kiss of compassion." Her face darkened. "But if
you think you're getting anything else from him..." She hefted her
mallet.
Akane waved her arms in fron of her. "No! That's okay! I'm
already engaged to someone else! You can trust me!"
The woman chuckled. "Sorry, just joking with you. I'll be
returning to the afterlife now, and taking my husband with me. He has
1000 years to make up to me."
The former ghost cat looked down. "Yes, dear."
She grabbed his ear, then waved at Akane. "Thanks you again! As
for you, I hope your fiance will be faithful to you. Give him that bell
when you two are married, and happiness will be yours." The two forms
began to dematerialize.
"Thank you, Akane..." the man known as both the Bake-Neko and
Mao Mao Lin said as he disappeared.
Akane sighed, looked at the bell in her hand, then started for
home.
Find my stories at: www.geocities.com/kaiphantom2000
Ranma 1/2: New Challenges
Minor Disturbances
Chapter 11
"Excuse me, can I speak to you for a second?"
"Like, what do you want?" the girl asked. "I'm like, so busy,
right now."
The man smiled. "Ah, but I believe I have some information you
might want to know. It concerns a certain boy you like." He flashed a
picture.
The girl studied it. "Like, I'm so over him. He was like,
really in love with another girl."
The man's smiled increased, even as he fought to contain his
laughter. "What if I told you that he was longer in with her? That, in
fact, if you were to make the right moves now, you could have him?"
The girl sighed, then remembered how kind the man she had loved
had been to her. Maybe, if there was a chance... "Like, whatever. Why
not? What did you have in mind?"
If possible, the man's grin increased.
"Shampoo?!"
Mousse nodded. "Something is happening to her. I-I don't know
what, but I have to save her!" He glanced toward the second hole in the
wall Shampoo had made upon her exit. "I'm sorry, I have to go after
her!"
"Mousse, wait!" Akane called, but it was too late. He had
already doused himself with cold water and flew out the hole after the
woman he loved. Akane glanced at her unconcious iinzuke and sighed.
"Great. You're out cold, so I guess that means I'm on my own."
Akane quickly deposited Ranma in his room, then took off after
Mousse. Leaping to a rooftop, she easily spotted the duck flying in the
sky and went to follow him. As she began to catch up to the rapidly
flying duck, she noted with some pride that a year ago she would never
have been able to move this fast.
A smile flitted onto her face as she ran and jumped from roof
to roof. Rarily had she had to time to really open like this and it felt
great. She had always loved physical sports because of the rush it gave
her whenever she performed at her best and pushed her body to the
limits.
Now, she was thankful for the speed training Ranma had given
her, as it allowed her to catch up to Mousse. Still, it took her nearly
five minutes to do so, and in that time she had discovered where they
had ended up: The Nerima Zoo.
Akane leapt to the ground inside the gates and cautiously
approached the small forested park where Mousse was circling. She
wondered why he didn't land, then discovered the reason. The ticket of
trees was home to the zoo's tiger exhibit.
She entered the viewing area and looked down into the large
pit. At first she didn't see anything through the trees and bushes, but
then she began to make out a few sleeping forms near a rock formation.
Akane thought disgustedly. She looked some more.
A quacking beside her got her attention. "Mousse?"
The duck produched a hot water kettle and a set of robes, and
once more Mousse was human. He went to the railing and scanned the
interior for himself.
"Mousse?" Akane asked again, walking up beside.
"She's in there, I know it," he said softly. "I saw her go in
there."
Akane sighed. "Are you sure, Mousse? You don't exactly have the
best eyesight you know."
"I know that!" he turned and yelled at her. "I know I'm a
useless, blind idiot! But I just know Shampoo is in there!"
Akane took a step back from his vicious outburst. "O-okay.
Well, there's nothing we can do now, except wait for her to come out."
Mousse angrily swept his gaze away from her and back to the
tiger pit. "No. I'm going in there. She needs my help and I am not going
to let her down!" He leapt off the railing.
"Mousse!" Akane cried. "Get back here! You'll get torn to pieces
in there!"
But he ignored her as he searched the grove. Akane half-sighed,
half-growled in frustration as she debated whether or not to go after
him. On one hand, her last encounter with a tiger nearly killed her. On
the other, she knew she had to do everything in her power to help, even
if she knew Shampoo wouldn't likely do the same for her.
And then there was Mousse. Poor, blind Mousse. Shampoo had
rejected him time and again, yet he never gave up. He would do literally
do anything for her, even if if cost him his life.
Akane realized suddenly.
Akane sighed... and jumped into the pit.
The
distraught girl clutched her head.
Her eyes snapped open when she felt her ears. They were larger
than normal, furry and pointed. In fact, the entire side of her face
felt furry, as well as her hands. She brought them up looked at them.
She could scarely believe what she saw. Her hands were
covered in dark bluish-purpish hair, her fingers ending in sharp claws.
"No..."
She looked down her body, and was horrified to discover that it
was covered in the same dark bluish-purplish hair. The tattered remains
of her clothes covered only barely covered her chest and groin.
"What... happpening... to... Shampoo..."
Her body shaking with fear, she spotted a small lake not far
away and crawled over to it, gazing into the still waters. She barely
managed to avoid recoiling in shock as the unknown visage stared back at
her.
Her mane of purple hair was still there, but darker hair had
lightly covered her face. Her sharp ears pointed out of her hair. A
small set of fangs protruded from her open mouth, and tears streamed
down her face.
She covered her face with her
hands, sobbing into them.
(We will soon be together.)
Feral-Shampoo looked up. "Who... say that?" But no one could be
seen. That's when her face dropped again, coming back to rest upon the
crystal-clear waters. This time, she did recoil in shock, as the face
that appeared was not her own, but another she had come to hate.
"You!" She pointed to the pool. "Mao Mao Lin! Ghost cat!" Her
initial shock and fear changed into anger, an easier emotion to deal
with. "You do this to me!"
(Correct, my lovely Shampoo,) the voice echoed inside her head,
she realized. (We belong together, don't you see? You are perfect for
me, since Jusenkyo has marked you with a feline curse.)
"NO!" she hissed. "You... never have... Shampoo!"
A low rumbling sounded behind her, and she turned and leapt
just as a huge black and yellow striped tiger tried to pounce on her.
She landed in a crouch, hissing back at the attacking tiger, even as it
continued to growl at her. Somehow, she knew that it had only come to
defend it's territory against another feline, but now was trying to kill
her for food.
She screamed and pounced, the animal rage within her burning
out any concious thoughts. Only the need to kill the tiger in front of
her burned in her feral blood.
The tiger met her half-way with it's own attack, but Shampoo
easily slashed it's paws aside with one clawed hand, and slashed it's
face with another. The tiger went down, but she was on it a second
later, vicously biting and clawing.
She halted the ravaging attack and looked up, sensing more
movement around her. Several more tigers had emerged from the green, and
she was now surrounded. The pack growled at her as they closed in.
Somehow she knew she would not escape this, but her animal instinct was
raging beyond the control of any logical thoughts.
Shampoo assumed a crouching four-legged stance and prepared to
defend her kill, hissing and growling. Eventually, one of the tigers
sprung to attack, but the feral girl lanced out with her claws, stopping
the attack in much the same way as she did with the other tiger now dead
at her feet.
However, while she was occupied with this, several more tigers
attacked. One slashed her side, while another bit her leg when she went
down. Shampoo screamed and lashed out with her claws, detaching the one
on her leg. She managed to roll away and leap to her feet, though she
stumbled when she attempted to put weight on her now-injured left leg.
The tigers circled closer and prepared to attack again. It was
clear to all present, that she wouldn't last another attack.
"SHAMPOO!"
Several chains flew out of the sky and grabbed two of the
tigers. A yank on the chains sent the two big cats sprawling along the
ground to crash into each other. Mousse landed where the tigers once
stood, flinging a couple boomerangs out of his sleeves. They impacted
the head of another tiger, sending it dazedly to the ground.
One of the big cats leapt at him from the right, and Mousse
barely managed to put up a large shield out of his robe to block the
attack. Still, the force of the impact knocked him to the ground, even
as he disgarded the shield and tossed a wire bola that tied his
attacker's legs up.
Another of the beasts was on him a second later, it's mouth
aiming for his neck. Mousse quickly pulled out the only thing he could
think of at the moment, a wooden bo staff, and forced it into the
tiger's mouth. The tiger bit down hard on it and the staff began to
crack under the pressure.
The Amazon male knew his life was over if the staff broke.
"Tora Dokiken!"
Akane's golden jump-kick knocked the tiger away from Mousse.
She flipped off the cat and came to her feet, charging back into the
fray to ward off the last two beasts; the one who had recovered from the
boomerang attack, and the one that had chewed through Mousse's bolas.
She kept the Tiger's Wrath Attack up, knowing that if she
dropped it, she was dead. Still, she really didn't want to kill the
tigers, since this wasn't really their fault. She dodged several claws
and jumping bites, managing a hit or two after each pass. The tigers
were persistant creatures, but eventually they gave up and ran away when
they sensed it was a losing fight.
Akane allowed the golden aura to vanish, even as she dropped to
her knees, exhausted.
Shampoo, however, wasn't finished. The smell of blood was in
the air and the animal instinct was still dictating her actions. She
sniffed the air, then growled as she paced back and forth.
Mousse sat up. "Shampoo? Are you alright?"
The feral Amazon girl turned and pounced on Mousse, knocking
him back onto the ground. She stood on all fours above him, growling
deep in her throat. She then then moved her face down and prepared to
crush his neck with her jaw. Mousse, unwilling to hurt the woman he
loved, simply lay there.
"Shampoo, don't!" Akane called, dragging herself to her feet and
breathing heavily.
Shampoo turned to hiss at her, as if warning her to back off.
"No, Akane, it's alright," Mousse said from the ground. "If you
really want to kill me Shampoo, then go do it. To stop you, I would have
to hurt you, and that's something I won't do anymore."
He could feel her teeth on his neck, her warm breath on his
chin, and he anticipated the crushing blow that would end his life, but
it never came. Shampoo slowly raised her head, then sniffed him.
Both Akane and Mousse were puzzled by this behavior and
wondered what she was up to. Her attitude seemed to change.
And then she licked his cheek.
Mousse froze, unsure of what to do. The next move was
Shampoo's, however, as she backed off of him, the change intensifying.
She slowly stood up on two legs and Akane noticed the glimmer of
intelligence return to her eyes. The feral Amazon glanced disbelievingly
at her hands, then shared that gaze between Akane, Mousse, and the dead
tiger.
She backed up even more, coming to rest against the rock
formation.
"Shampoo?" Mousse asked again.
"Stay... back," she commanded, fear evident on her face.
Akane took a step foreward. "Are you alright? How did this
happen to you?"
Shampoo shook her head slighty. "Not... know."
"What's the last thing you remember?" Akane prodded, trying to
get Shampoo to calm down.
The feral Amazon girl paused for a moment while she thought,
though it was tough to think on anything at this moment. What had
happened to her? Didn't she remember asking herself that before? And
what had been her answer?
Shampoo's head came up in realization. "Bake... neko."
Mousse blinked. "The ghost cat? He's back?" His visage turned
angry. "I'll kill him for what's he'd done to you! I swear it!" He
looked around, brandishing twin claws on his hands. "Now where is he!?
Come out, you coward!!!"
The cat-girl's body began to tremble, even as Shampoo
remembered something else. The trembling increased.
"Shampoo, what is it?" Akane asked, seeing the increased fear.
Shampoo raised a shaky, clawed hand, and pointed a finger at
herself. "Here."
Akane gasped. "He's inside you!?"
"That's riiiight!" a familiar voice echoed. "I've modified the
New Year's eve curse. When Shampoo's transformation is complete, she
will become my bride!"
"Shampoo!" Mousse cried. "No! Get out of her, you monster! Face
me, if you dare!"
"Uh uh!" the Bake-Neko's voice echoed. "I can't defeat you, but
I've read Shampoo's mind, and I know you won't dare hurt Shampoo. So
there's nothing you can do."
Mousse snarled loudly and slashed a nearby tree with his right
claw in anger, cutting the large pine tree down.
Akane smiled. "Mousse may not be able to hit you, but I can!"
She walked slowly foreward. "One good punch and you're out of there!"
Shampoo recoiled and hissed at her.
"Oh really?" the ghost cat taunted. "Do you think Mousse will
stand by and let you hit his love?"
"I did it before!" Akane countered. "If you've read Shampoo's
mind, you should know that!"
"But that time was a matter of Amazon law," Bake-Neko retorted.
"Now, there is no such law protecting you!"
Akane stopped and turned to look at Mousse, who was clearly
fighting some internal battle. Then he straightened and took a position
between the two girls.
"Akane, he's right," he said at last. "I... can't let you do
it."
"Mousse, listen to me!" Akane pleaded. "If I don't do this,
we'll lose Shampoo! Don't you see? It's either I hit her, or the Bake-
Neko marries her and takes her away!"
Mousse stiffened, then slowly turned around to face the woman
he loved, who was still crouched in a menacing defensive pose. "Shampoo,
please fight it! I know you're stronger than this! You're stronger than
a stupid ghost!"
Shampoo's eyes changed slighty for a moment, back to the ones
he recognized. "Am... trying... So hard... Sorry... Mousse..." The eyes
changed back to the more feline ones.
The mypoic Amazon growled in frustration, then spoke in a low
voice to the person behind him. "Do it."
Akane nodded slowly, knowing just what it must've cost Mousse
to give his okay for what she was about to do. "I just need to hit her
once."
Shampoo hissed some more, claws brandishing menacingly, while
Akane struck with lightening speed. The rock face cratered with her
punch, but Akane's target had leapt away.
"Fool!" the ghost-cat's voice called. "What makes you think you
can touch me? I control Shampoo's body!"
Akane sprung forward again, aiming a jump kick at her target.
Shampoo leapt aside as Akane expected, so she sent a series of
incredibly kicks to her right as soon as she landed. Shampoo dodged them
all, then struck back with her own kick to Akane's midsection. The
youngest Tendo grunted, then rolled away.
"Mousse, Shampoo, help me!" Akane commanded. "I can't do this
alone!"
"I can't, Akane!" Mousse cried. He remembered the only time he
had attacked her, when Zhoa Len had been manipulating her. That time,
Shampoo was distracted and he was able to just chain her up without
attacking her directly. Still, it had torn him up to do that much. "I'm
sorry, I just can't hurt Shampoo!"
Shampoo's anger increased, as her eyes changed back. "Stupid...
Mousse! Stupid, weak... Mousse! You pitiful excuse... for Amazon. You
never... never fight Shampoo! Never win! Mousse is only... weak male.
Shampoo never want weak Mousse! Stupid!"
Mousse was speechless. While he had heard those words, in one
form or another, from her before, there was more venom and disgust this
time, and it tore at his very soul. "...Shampoo... I love-"
"Shut up!" Shampoo screamed. "Shampoo.. no love Mousse! Is
stupid... and weak!"
Akane took the oppurtunity to attack again, but Shampoo was
simply too fast. She decided she just might have to risk using the Tora
Dokiken again, when Mousse exploded.
"WEAK!" he yelled. "Don't you get it! I just don't want to hurt
you! What's stupid and weak are those Amazon rules and pride! Why can't
you just let that go!?"
"Amazon rules is no weak!" Shampoo yelled back. "They make
Joketsuzoku strong for three-thousand year! You weak! You no learn this!
You never have Shampoo!"
Akane stopped, astonished by the heated exchange the two
Amazons were having. Shampoo's face was contorted with anger and
loathing. Akane could see Mousse's head was down, his hands trembling, a
vein throbbing on his forehead.
For years, frustration had built up inside the myopic Amazon,
ever since Shampoo first rejected him. With every subsequent rejection,
that frustration had steadily turned into anger that Mousse kept bottled
inside, with no release. A temporary release was found when her followed
Shampoo to Japan and fought Ranma, but that didn't help the source of
his frustration and anger, and he hadn't fought with Ranma in awhile.
Now, together with the fear and anxiety that came from
Shampoo's predicament and hate-filled outburst, those emotions were
passing the boiling point. They began to spill out, bypassing the `I
don't want to hurt Shampoo' directive, fueling his rage.
"FINE THEN!" Mousse screamed, flinging his arms up and sending
weighted chains at the feral girl.
"Like, this better work," the girl said.
"It will," the man replied. "Just follow the directions on the
note."
The girl nodded, then rang the doorbell, as the man faded back
into the shadows. In no time, a little man dressed in black answered the
door.
"Yes, who is it?" Sasuke asked.
"Like, I'm here to see Kuno Tatewaki!" Mariko Konjo answered,
with a big smile on her face.
Sasuke's eyes grew wide. "Uh, this way, Konjo-san."
From the shadows, Kenji watched with a grin as Mariko entered
the Kuno estate.
Akane's jaw dropped as she beheld Mousse actually attack
Shampoo. The feral girl still managed to dodge the chains, but more
followed and Shampoo was forced to weave through them with as much
agility as he could muster. When the distance was closed, Shampoo
attacked with her claws at close range.
Mousse brought up his own steel claws to block. There was a
flurry of movement, then one of Mousse's claws went flying away. Shampoo
raised her hand to strike again, when Mousse pulled a staff out of his
robes and thrust it foreward. The feral Amazon doubled over as the
strike impacted her midsection. Rage still burning through him, he
brought the end of the staff up and clocked her chin, snapping her head
back.
Shampoo managed a fierce three kick return to Mousse's own
midsection, but the blows were lessened by the chain mail he was
wearing. He knocked her leg away with the staff then twirled it around,
hitting stomach, shoulder, and head all in turn. He then dopped low and
swung the staff around, sweeping Shampoo's legs out from underneath her.
With a *whump*, she hit the ground on her back, while Mousse
pointed the staff at her throat.
"How about that!" Mousse yelled. "This weak Amazon beat you! I
could always beat you! I just never wanted to..." All the color drained
from Mousse's face, and he continued in a small voice. "...hurt you..."
He dropped the staff as if it was burning hot, while Shampoo
stared up at him in disbelief.
"What have I done?"
"What's going on here?" Nabiki demanded as she entered the
foyer.
In the middle of the room, a girl she remembered as Mariko
Konjo was liplocked with Tatewaki Kuno. Her arms were around him and her
head was tilted back. He was holding her tenderly and kissing her
upturned lips.
A few minutes earlier...
Kuno had just entered the room to see what Mariko wanted, but
found out when she glomped onto his arm and blinked her eyes prettily at
him.
"Remember me, Tatewaki-chan?" she asked in a sultry voice. "I
once said that I loved you and that you could have your way with me."
She licked her lips. "It's still true and that offer still stands..."
Kuno gulped, even as he felt his heart start to pound. He
remembered the kendo match, and how great he felt when both Mariko and
the pig-tailed girl fought over him. He did have some feelings for her,
until she left and he went back to Akane and the `pig-tailed girl'. "I
believe I also said I would reward your noble spirit with a kiss."
A small sound was buzzing in his brain, saying something about
this was wrong. But the willing girl in his arms, her pretty face, and
her red, luscious lips, helped drown that little voice out.
She smiled, turned her lovely lips up and closed her eyes.
Excitement and tension building within him, Kuno bent his head down and
began to kiss her, but that was when Nabiki had walked in.
Suddenly the little buzzing made sense.
Mariko released Kuno's lips. "Like, who is this little tramp,
Tatewaki-chan?"
A vein throbbed once on Nabiki's forehead. "Look
who's talking."
"Like, whatever. What's your problem?"
"Nabiki-kun!" Kuno finally managed, dropping Mariko. "This is
not what it appears to be!"
Nabiki took a deep breath, fought down the feeling of betrayal,
and half-smiled. "It's okay, Kuno-baby, really. Apparently I've
interrupted you at a bad time. We can discuss accounts another time."
She turned around. "Enjoy yourself." With that, she walked out the door.
Kuno tried to go after him but Mariko was attached to his leg.
"Nabiki-kun! Pray tally here but a moment longer!" .
"Tatewaki-chan..." the cheerleader complained. "I like, totally
thought you weren't dating anyone? Who was she?"
"You are mistaken," Kuno told her. "I am dating with Tendo
Nabiki. Please do not refer to me as `Tatewaki-chan'."
Mariko was aghast. "But..." Her face turned from shock to
anger. "Oooh, that boy! He like, totally told me you were not interested
in that pig-tailed girl anymore!"
Something that passed as a grimace, flitted across the
upperclassman's face. "That is correct, but I am dating Tendo Nabiki.
Now please leave."
The cheerleader stood up and angrily stalked to the door. "If I
ever see that boy again..." She fixed Kuno with an angry gaze. "And you!
Leading me on like that! I am like, so totally through with you!" She
turned and stomped out of the house.
Kuno sighed and called for Sasuke. Something told him he'd be
needing a large amount of flora for a certain short, brown-haired Tendo.
On the ground Shampoo's eyes were wide. Then she convulsed and
screamed, part in fear, and part in pain. A white glow coalesed around
her, then floated out of her to land a few feet behind her. Akane, still
frozen in utter disbelief, watched as it materialized into the Bake-
Neko.
He was holding his nose and stomach. "Ow ow ow! Why'd you have
to go and do that? I was almost there! Now I'll never find a bride!"
A question implanted itself in Akane's otherwise empty mind at
the moment. "Why do you want to be married anyway?"
The ghost cat looked up at her with a sad face. "I can't break
the curse and move on until a woman consents to be miyah bride." He
looked down again. "Miyah late wife cursed me 500 years ago. She trapped
me in that bell, where I waited, until you let me out last year."
Akane spared a glance at the two Amazons, but they hadn't
budged an inch from where they were standing. Both seemed to be in
complete shock from what had just happened. Mousse was standing over
Shampoo, his body trembling slightly. She was still on the ground, her
physical body still unchanged.
"Hey!" Akane exclaimed. "How about changing her back now!"
The Bake-Neko looked over at Shampoo with a confused expression
on his face. "I... don't know how."
Akane blinked then stomped up to the ghost cat and grabbed a
handful of fur. "WHAT!?"
"AH! Don't hurt me! I just don't know! The man who helped me
with the new curse didn't say how to reverse it and I didn't ask! His
name is Dor-something." He closed his eyes. "I don't remember!"
*POW* The ghost cat ended up in a tree.
"Shampoo... stuck like this?" she asked quietly, her eyes
shimmering with both fear and sadness.
"I... I... I'm sorry," was all the Bake-Neko could say.
That's when Shampoo began to laugh.
"Nice night, eh?"
The voice caught Nabiki off-guard, but she recognized it and
continued to walk. "Leave me alone, Soyokaze. I'm not in the mood."
Kenji pushed off the wall from where he had been leaning and
began to follow Nabiki from a few feet behind her. "What's wrong?"
Nabiki laughed, once. "As if you didn't know." She half-smiled.
"Nice one, by the way." The smile
disappeared. "Now get lost."
Kenji stopped and watched Nabiki walk away. He had done it, or
at least that's what it looked like.
So why did he feel so bad?
Akane blinked, not really expecting that reaction.
"Ha Ha, Mousse... beat Shampoo! She stuck... like monster!
Mousse win monster, not proud Amazon warrior!"
"Shampoo..." Mousse said quietly.
The maniacal laughter faded, even as she turned on him. "Shut
up! This all... Mousse fault!"
"But..."
Shampoo yowled in anger, then sprung up, knocking him down in
the process. Akane brought her arms up just in time to block, but was
still hit hard by the charging feral Amazon and landed on her back,
hard. Shampoo leapt out of the pit, then was gone.
"Shampoo!" Mousse stood up and went after her.
Akane tried to follow, but with the wind temporarily knocked
out of her, she couldn't get up. By the time she was able, she didn't
bother, knowing they were long gone. She glanced over to see the ghost-
cat still sitting against the tree.
"What are you still doing here?" Akane asked disgustingly. "Or
aren't you though srewing up people's lives?"
"I just wanted someone to love me..." he said in a weak voice.
"Well that's not the way you go about it," Akane told the
spirit.
"I deserve to be cursed..."
Akane sighed. I might as well ask. "What did you do to be
cursed anyway?"
"I... cheated on my wife."
She crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes. "Why
doesn't that surprise me?" She looked at the pathetic picture the Bake-
Neko was currently presenting and sighed. "Well, I suppose if I were to
help you break this curse, you would stop making trouble?"
The ghost-cat looked up, hope on it's face. "You'd become miyah
bride?"
Akane frowned. "I am NOT marrying you! I have a fiance I love
already!"
"You wouldn't have to actually marry me," he said slowly. "Just
be miyah bride!"
She blinked, realization setting in. "Wait a minute. Just what
does being your bride entail?"
The bake-neko eagerly brought out a small bell and tossed it to
Akane, who caught it. "Just accept that bell and kiss me!"
"Then what?" Akane asked nervously.
"That's it."
Akane blinked. "That's it?"
"That's all that was required for couples to be engaged in miyah
old village," the ghost cat explained. "The actual marriage ceremony was
also short. A priest would just declare two people to be miyah-arried,
but we don't need one if you're just going to be miyah bride." He
paused. "Then I should be able to pass on."
Akane debated with herself for a moment, then looked at the
eager look on the spirit's face. "Then after you're gone, I don't have
to do anything else? Nothing happens to me and I'm not cursed or
anything?"
The ghost cat eagerly shook it's head. "For awhile I wanted
someone to love me, but if I can at least end this curse, that's good
enough."
Akane took a deep breath. Truth be told, she had always kinda
felt sorry for him. And if she could end his curse, it would be the
right thing to do. "Then I accept this bell."
Gathering her courage, she took two steps over to the ghost cat
and kissed him lightly, then took a step back. For a moment, nothing
happened.
"MAO MAO LIN NO BAKA!" a Chinese female voice yelled in
Japanese.
*WHAM!*
Akane blinked at the glowing mallet embedded in the ghost cat's
skull, as well as the beautiful, white glowing woman holding it.
"It's about time!" the woman exclaimed, removing the mallet. "I
was getting bored, waiting for you."
"I'm sorry it took so long, dear," the ghost cat replied, only
it wasn't a ghost cat anymore. The image had disolved to be replaced by
a glowing, handsome man with short dark hair.
The woman turned to Akane. "Thank you. My husband has redeemed
himself by earning your kiss of compassion." Her face darkened. "But if
you think you're getting anything else from him..." She hefted her
mallet.
Akane waved her arms in fron of her. "No! That's okay! I'm
already engaged to someone else! You can trust me!"
The woman chuckled. "Sorry, just joking with you. I'll be
returning to the afterlife now, and taking my husband with me. He has
1000 years to make up to me."
The former ghost cat looked down. "Yes, dear."
She grabbed his ear, then waved at Akane. "Thanks you again! As
for you, I hope your fiance will be faithful to you. Give him that bell
when you two are married, and happiness will be yours." The two forms
began to dematerialize.
"Thank you, Akane..." the man known as both the Bake-Neko and
Mao Mao Lin said as he disappeared.
Akane sighed, looked at the bell in her hand, then started for
home.
