**********
Day 1:
**********
Mousse walked over to the small house on the street, his feet carrying him with quick, sniper like precision. His hands were shaking as he carried the small bundle in his hands. He could only stay a moment, but he had to know what the boy wanted. His hands fingered the slip of paper intently as he came upon the small house, it's door slightly ajar. He pushed on it and looked inside, seeing two figures sitting in the early morning light.
"Gosunkugi? Are you here?" Mousse called out as he stepped inside of the small room.
"Yes. I'm here. Please, come and sit." Gosunkugi answered, waving at Ukyou Kounji and the empty chair that sat beside her. Mousse walked inside and sat down next to the slight, girlish figure that was staring intently at Gosunkugi. The ghoulish, yet now more strikingly powerful boy stood and walked around the small desk, sitting on the front of it, his hips and butt resting lightly on the edge.
"I know both of you have to go to school, so I'll keep this brief. You both brought the papers I sent you?" Both of the martial artists nodded and showed the small bit of paper they were sent the night before. Gosunkugi nodded and reached inside his desk and withdrew a small bottle containing four pills. "I assume both of you read the paper's contents and are willing to deal with me?"
"I am." Mousse said strongly, his hands gripping the paper strongly, rumpling and texturing the delicate sheet in his own china white, silky and work-hardened palm. Ukyou didn't answer but shook her head softly in assent to the boy, her school clothes looking oddly ill fitting and maladjusted that day. "I will do anything to find my love's heart."
"And both of you are assuming that the match you've made with your, ...desires, we'll call it... both of you assume that this is the best and most applicable choice for you?"
"My Ran-Chan is the best for me and I'm the best for him. I have no doubt in my mind that he is." Ukyou said softly, her eyes dropping slightly yet still holding their burning intensity. "I have no one else."
"Nor do I," Mousse repeated sternly as his own eyes took on an intense, almost desperate glare.
"Then the spell I'm going to give the both of you is a spell used to reveal your own attractive qualities to the person you're most compatible with. It will enhance and intensify your natural charm to almost 3 times its normal luster. But be warned: the spell works for whom you're the most compatible. If it's not the people you're going after, it will have no effect." He looked at the both of them with a hard expression, his face set like stone yet compassionately lined with the markings of hope. "Are you both willing to take that chance?"
Both of the martial artists nodded their heads bobbing and weaving in the winds of change. With that, Gosunkugi popped the top of the pill bottle and gave each of them one pill. "Swallow the pill, stand and close your eyes while I cast the spell. Then go and do what you need to do." They swallowed the pills very fast and stood along with Gosunkugi as he bowed his head and began chanting in Latin. Soon he finished and touched both their hands.
"It is finished. Go and handle your business. But be sure to come back this evening around 9 so I can recap things with the both of you." With that he smiled and stepped around the desk to sit back down. Both the martial artists left, leaving Gosunkugi alone with his thoughts and his notes, the papers strewn messily around the desktop. His voice dropped to a reverent, almost hesitant whisper as he sat back to think.
"So it now begins..."
---
Mousse walked back to the Nekohanten, his heart shining and glowing with the hope that only comes from a lifeline being tossed from the ship of destiny to someone's shipwrecked and aching heart. His mind was racing so fast and so free that he barely noticed the people he knocked over in his eagerness to get to the store. He came upon the storefront, his eyes locking on the purple hair so prominently displayed therein.
As he entered the restaurant, his eyes noticed that Shampoo was sitting next to Ranma, yet her eyes were crying and tears were staining her cheeks. Mousse's sharper then normal hearing instantly picked up the sounds from their table.
"You no go on date with Shampoo?" The purple haired Amazon asked, a choking sob resounding in her words.
"No, Shampoo. I told you. I'm going out with Akane tonight. She and I are going to have an evening when we're not fighting for once." Ranma's normally boyish voice was subtly softened as he tried to break the news to her as gently as he could. "I'm sorry, but I don't like you like that."
"Shampoo...understand." At that she started sobbing and laid her head into her hands, crumpling into a heap onto the Formica tabletop. The room reverberated with the sounds of her wailing and Ranma made an attempt to move over and comfort her, but was stopped by a slim hand on his shoulder. His eyes scanned up and he saw Mousse standing over the table, his eyes grim and pale.
"Please leave, Saotome. She needs to be alone now, even without me. And especially without you. I'll make sure she's ok, but you have school. Now please go." Ranma paused for a moment, measuring the strength in the Chinese boy's face, then slowly nodded and stood. He left in a great hurry, the bells on the door jingling softly as he exited.
Shampoo saw none of this as her sobs began to grow and grow, till she finally topped out and stopped crying. She looked up to see that she was alone in the restaurant, empty and sitting at a table stained with tears, a small teapot and a cup of steaming tea with a small note attached to the cup itself. She leaned over and read the Chinese script with blurry eyes:
***
Xian,
Drink this tea and set up for the days work. I'll be in the back doing the morning Ramen if you need to talk. I'll be here for you.
Muu Tsu
***
Shampoo took the cup of tea and drank it down in a rush, her throat burning as the hot liquid slid down her throat. She sighed and walked into the kitchen, her eyes blurry and red. She saw Mousse standing next to the great pot of ramen slowly stirring the mass of gluten to the proper degree of doneness.
"You no come for me, Mousse?" Shampoo asked acidly as she stared hard at the boy, her hands crumpling his note. "Shampoo think you happy that Ranma turn Shampoo down."
"How can I be happy with anyone who hurts my friend?" Mousse answered while keeping his eyes on the great pot. The steam swirled around his face and eyes, shading the extreme amount of silent tears that flowed. "You're my friend. Why would I be happy seeing you in pain?"
"Shampoo...no understand..."
"I didn't think you would. So I'll make it clear. I'm not going to try and hurt you while you're being hurt. You need space, and we need to get the work of the day done. So I'm doing both for you." Mousse raised his head and looked over at Shampoo, his face oddly appearing calm and contented to the Chinese girl. "Besides, if you still like Ranma there is no real point for me to hold your hand and be your friend when all you'll do is hurt me. When you're ready, I'll help you."
"Ok." With that, Shampoo disappeared into the dining room, leaving Mousse to stand next to the cooking pot and feel the beads of cold sweat roll down his cheek. His mind was reeling as he realized he passed up a golden opportunity, to make points with Shampoo as a lover...but he gave her what she needed as a friend. It was too strange a contradiction for him to figure out, but his brain echoed the sentiments of denial in his heart.
Mousse was scared to face what he had done.
---
Ukyou walked along the early morning streets, her books firmly gripped in her hands, her eyes clear and bright. She couldn't explain it, the feeling of peace and hope she felt after she left Gosunkugi's presence. She knew in her heart that everything was going to be ok. She just knew it. Suddenly a voice interrupted her musings and forced her to focus back into reality.
"Ukyou??" Akane called out as she walked up the street towards her, her own face bright and shining. "Are you going to class?"
"Yes, Akane. Where's Ranma?" Ukyou answered as she let the youngest Tendo daughter come up to her.
"He had to take care of something before class this morning. He'll be by shortly." The two girls walked up the street, Furnikan high becoming closer and closer. It's high roof becoming visible in the far distance of the Tokyo skyline. "We have a few loose ends to tidy up before our date tonight."
"Date?? What date?" Ukyou exclaimed, her voice staying surprisingly level and calm, despite the cold horror she felt in her heart.
"Well, I finally beat Ranma in a fight," Akane explained, "and as part of my demands to him was that he take me out. He kind of surprised me by telling me that if he was going to take me out he was going to make sure there were no outside interferences."
"Like me?" At those words, Akane stopped and looked at Ukyou, her eyes hard and cold. They matched the pain and calm in Ukyou's pupils and this didn't register the type of reaction it normally would have. For a long moment the girls looked at one another, measuring the strength and fire in each other's expressions. Or, in Ukyou's case, the lack of any fire.
"Ukyou, I think it's time to be honest. I...I really like Ranma. And I think he really likes me. I want a chance to make it work without everyone in my way." Akane's voice was flat and toneless, yet the unshed tears in her words resonated like a shotgun blast.
"I understand." Ukyou's face contorted into a gentle smile, nearly belying the almost believable qualities in her expression. She nodded her head as if she was almost expecting Akane's words. "I don't think I've been that much of a friend to Ranma to even put up a fight..."
"It isn't about fighting. I just want one date with him to see if it works between us. If not, everyone else can have him. But I've been patient too long with him and with everyone else." Akane kept her face firm while trying to figure out Ukyou's sudden change of tone. It unnerved her that she was so calm, so ethereal, so unmoved. She turned and walked towards the school, her footsteps swift and efficient on the slowly warming sidewalk.
"I only hope you two are happy." Ukyou added as she walked along with Akane. For a long while, neither girl said a word as they neared the gates of the school. Both looked silently for Ranma while keeping a mask of calm on their normally animated faces. Neither noticed the lack of Gosunkugi in his usual hiding spot, a detail they normally never missed.
"Akane? Ukyou?" Both girls turned around to the sound of Ranma yelling at them and running, his motions smooth yet halting.
"Good morning, Ranma. Akane was just telling me about your date tonight," Ukyou called out, a surprisingly broad smile on her lips. Both Akane and Ranma blanched equally as they watched her speak, their lips merely moving in unison, no sound emerging from their throats. "I'm just glad that you both decided to stop fighting for once. I'll be out of the city this evening, so you'll both need not worry about me."
"Ukyou, you're not an annoyance," Ranma waffled, his voice halting out while he dismissed Akane's icy look towards him.
"Well, be it as it may. I'll leave you alone today, Ran-Chan. Good day." With an icy calmness, Ukyou turned on her heels leaving the two fiancées to their own devices. Her thoughts blocked out the small-scale argument that erupted in her wake between Ranma and Akane, and she was glad for it. The smile that plastered itself on her lips could only hold back the pain inside her heart for a little while. She stepped inside the school and made her way to the nearest bathroom, slipping inside and making a beeline towards the farthest stall.
She sat down on the toilet seat and curled her feet up into a mock fetal position; her smile still prominent on her face, her rocking back and forth only coming after a small laugh escaped her lips. The laughing increased in pitch till it morphed into a sobbing cry, soft and delicate though it was. Her face, so serene and calm a moment before, had morphed and twisted into a snarling, tangled mess of emotions. Loss, anger, detached aloofness, and a lack of desire all tangled up inside of her, pushing the tears she had been holding back all morning out of her eyes. The tears were an early summer rain on the barren field of her emotions.
---
"Mousse?"
"Yes, Cologne?" Mousse answered as he dried his hands and put down the rag he was wiping tables with.
"Please make a delivery to the high school and give this package to Ranma. I would send Shampoo to do it, but as you can tell she's in no condition to do anything more then cook the ramen." Cologne passed the small, plainly wrapped box to the Chinese boy and he slid it into some unknown and sublimely safe place on his body. "He should be going to lunch soon, so you'll have to hurry."
Mousse nodded and turned to leave but was stopped as he heard Cologne's voice again. "Boy, did Shampoo tell you what was wrong with her? Did you cause this?" He looked at the elder with surprisingly little emotion and sighed softly.
"Honored Elder, I saw everything. I watched Ranma Saotome turn her down and send her into this sadness."
"And you did nothing," Cologne said flatly.
"No. I sent him away and gave her some tea. She didn't need to see him then, and I didn't want him to hurt her more." Mousse turned and walked out, leaving the now thoughtful Cologne in his wake. He walked to the high school, his mind a mosaic of thoughts and images. Soon he found himself standing at the school gates, wondering why he was giving a lunch to a man he had no respect for. With a smooth motion he tossed the box lunch into the bushes and turned to walk off. All of a sudden he saw a distraught Ukyou walking out of the school, her eyes red and puffy.
"Ukyou?" Mousse called out, his feet carrying him towards her. She looked and saw the Amazon boy advancing towards her. Her heart suddenly began to rise up as she peered into his eyes. "Why do you look like you've been crying?"
"Because I have," she answered shortly, her sense of determination coming back in a flash. "Ranma and Akane are going out on a date tonight and there is nothing I can do about it."
"I know."
"You do?" Ukyou asked, her face beginning to show signs of confusion at Mousse's words and demeanor.
"Yes. Ranma came in and told Shampoo to not bother him this evening while he was on his date. She didn't take it well. She still isn't, as a matter of fact." Mousse stood still a few feet away from Ukyou, noting her tear stained face begin to brighten and glow a little as she looked at him. He smiled at her without thinking and stepped closer. "I guess the spell that Gosunkugi gave us failed."
"I think so. I was colder to Ranma this morning then I've ever been before. I even congratulated them," Ukyou moved even closer to Mousse, feeling the aura of his personality wash over her. "Though, I'm not that angry at Ranma. Just disappointed. I could be better for him then Akane."
"As I could be for Shampoo, though I know why she hates me. Why Ranma would pass up on you is beyond me, seeing you are rather cute," Mousse said with a smile.
"You're just saying that," Ukyou replied, her cheeks reddening and flushing over slightly. "But the same could be said for Shampoo denying you, I guess."
"Thank you. I always knew you knew quality." Mousse could see the tears beginning to run away from her eyes and they stepped even closer to each other. The world began to slip away from their view as they inched closer and closer together, their hands nearly meeting, their bodies nearly rubbing together. It was almost as if an inner desire was pulling them together but almost as soon as they seemed to come close to the point of no return their sense of reality kicked back in and they pulled back from each other with a deep blush.
"Um..." Mousse said softly, his feet sliding back to a more neutral position.
"Oh I'm sorry...I didn't know we were..." Ukyou seemed to blush with an even greater intensity as Mousse backed away, her head dropping slightly to her chest. "I.... I think I'd really like to go to lunch with someone..."
"Someone like..."
"Someone like you." At that, their heads moved up and they looked at each other for a long moment. Mousse could only nod his head in assent as they turned and walked towards Ucchan's. A tree rustled softly in the morning air and the sun shined down upon them with a smile. Neither martial artist noticed or heard the shutterbug in the tree observing and photographing them in motion. A small chuckle came from the tree as they passed out of the range of the photographer. With a slither and a slink, Gosunkugi dropped from the tree and walked towards Ucchan's being careful not to have either of them notice his footsteps.
'It's working. The spell is working. But I must be patient,' he thought as he reloaded his camera and planned. 'I need something else. Something more.' Suddenly he stopped and walked back into the school, knowing whom he had to see and what he needed to acquire.
---
"Damn Ukyou! Did you have to get us kicked out of that club?" Mousse giggled as they began to walk down the crowded mid-evening street. Ukyou clung lightly to his arm and their laughter made other people turn and watch them. "I was actually liking the music they played!"
"You should! You're the one who was singing that American singer with a pair of panties on your head!" Ukyou gasped, her smiles and joy evident as she kept on laughing.
"It was a karaoke bar! I was totally in my right to do that! And besides that Tom Jones is a fine singer!" Both youth laughed until their sides ached, their walking bringing them right into the side of a brick wall. Mousse slumped against the wall bringing a partially inebriated Ukyou along with him. The people passing the pair looked on in mock concern as they passed but made not a move to speak to them. Mousse couldn't stop laughing as he realized where they were and he struggled to lift them both up.
"Oh damn! What have we done, Ukyou?" Mousse wheezed as he got back to his feet, a sloppy Ukyou clinging to him like a spar. "First lunch, then a movie and now all the drinking at the Karaoke Bar.... what were we thinking??"
"That we're both tired.... of being good..." Ukyou replied slowly, her own tongue finally becoming thick with the drink they had both imbibed.
"Maybe..." Mousse smiled and put Ukyou back upright. They began to walk unsteadily down the street, their laughter erupting again as they continued to talk. "I'm just so glad that we decided to get drunk together..."
"Well, maybe it's the alcohol, but I.... I think you're really cute and a fine catch, Mousse," Ukyou replied slowly as she stepped in front of Mousse. They stood still in the sidewalk, looking intensely at one another. Time began to slow down and nothing else seemed to register in their minds. Their eyes sparkled with the alcohol and a new sense of affection and togetherness that had finally risen up to the surface. Ukyou leaned up as Mousse leaned down and they kissed. It was soft and hard, tender and savage, both of their hearts responding to the closeness of their bodies. For a long moment they held their first kiss amidst the seas of people walking to and fro. And then came a voice...
"Ukyou??" At that strident call the two youth flew apart and turned to the source of the sound. It came from behind Ukyou's back. They focused in on the sight and saw that it came from Ranma Saotome. He stood with Akane, a shocked expression on both their faces. Ranma's expression echoed disbelief while Akane's echoed wonderment. "What are you and Mousse doing??"
"I.... I.... Ranma.... I...." Ukyou stammered as she tried to explain herself. She could feel her eyes locking in on Ranma's stunned expression and her heart began to break all over again. "I.... Mousse and I were out on a date. We were walking home and well...things got interesting." Ukyou felt disconnected; her voice was cold and distantly controlled as her emotions began to both crystallize and liquefy. She felt as if her love for Ranma wasn't real anymore and yet she was still drawn to him. Then her eyes looked up at Mousse's and found strength in his large dark green pupils.
"Yes. We didn't meant to start making out in the street," Mousse continued, "But I kind of just happened..."
"I see." Ranma said, his face beginning to break into an intense smile. "Well, I hope you two are happy together."
"As do I." Akane said, her own eyes locking down on Ukyou's face, a relieved expression permeating every fiber of her skin. Ukyou saw this and felt the tears beginning to rise up again. With a strong grasp, she pulled Mousse forward and they walked past Ranma and Akane, neither saying another word. Her heart and mind began to blank out as she tried to keep the tears back. As soon as they were clear of the other pair hearing, Ukyou started to speak.
"It didn't work..." Ukyou said, her sadness making her voice less shaky.
"What didn't work?" Mousse asked, his own voice slow and steady.
"That damn spell. That damn spell that Gosunkugi had us take. It didn't work. I shouldn't have been like that to my Ran-Chan! I shouldn't have kissed you..." She trailed off and continued to walk forward but was stopped as she felt Mousse's body lock into place. She let his arm go and looked up at his face, gasping at the intense anger that seemed to radiate from the boy. Mousse could only look off into the distance; his own heart beginning to scream out in feelings that he couldn't define.
"So that kiss meant nothing to you?" Mousse asked softly.
"I...I mean.... I...." Ukyou stammered, her anger halted slightly by Mousse's apparent hurt. "I...I meant that I was supposed to be..."
"With Ranma?" Mousse interrupted, his voice slicing through the last line of her defense like a hot knife through butter. She hung her head in shame and seemed to visibly crumple like a flower. She felt Mousse's hand on her shoulder and looked back at his face, the skin now stained with a patina of tenderness. "I can't blame you for feeling this way. I didn't think of Shampoo at all today...not the way I've been thinking of you..." both youth blushed at his words, Ukyou slightly more then Mousse.
"I think we need to see Gosunkugi..." Ukyou said softly.
---
Gosunkugi sat back down on the small couch, a large tumbler of sake firmly in his hand. He took a sip and looked down on his wrist. The watch read 8.45 and a yawn escaped from his lips. He sighed softly and took another sip, placing the glass down on the small table in front of him. He looked around the warehouse and smiled; Nabiki had made a great choice for his new place of work. And considering the rent was so cheap it had afforded him a bit of leeway in choosing the little amount of furniture he put inside. Though most of it was functional and with a defined purpose, specifically the drafting table and supplies, some were merely for his whims. He had to smile at the gentle lighting he had purchased, the throw rug he had found in the old man's garage. All of it made this tiny cramped warehouse look more like a workspace then a dingy abode.
The smell of oil from the refinery across the water was not strong enough to cause discomfort and yet it gave the entire room a unique aroma. Gosunkugi got up and walked over to the desk. He lit the last candle on the desk and blew out the match, the sulfur scent adding itself to the patchwork of smells. He turned to the door just as it resonated with the sound of someone knocking. It was hard, intense knocking. The kind of knocking that makes mortal men jump out of their skin and small girls shiver with fright. And yet, Gosunkugi merely walked over to the couch and sat back down.
"Come in," he said loudly, reaching down to pick up the glass on the floor directly ahead of him. But before his hand got there, the glass shattered in an explosion of alcohol and glass. He looked up and saw Mousse in the end of his throwing motion, a very pissed Ukyou Kounji standing at his side. Both carried an expression of extreme displeasure on their faces. Both leveled their gazes at Hikaru's body and seemed to focus in on his person. "I see you've tried to get your obsessions..."
"You lied!! You lied to the both of us!! All you did was take us for our money, you little creep..." Ukyou yelled, walking forward towards Hikaru. Her anger seemed to radiate from every pore on her body. An equally mixed in layer of disappointment seemed to make it known as well and it was at that moment that Hikaru knew that he only had one chance at this and he had to take it. "You told us you were going to make us more attractive to the ones we were truly destined to be with!"
"No. I said I'd make you both more attractive to the ones you were most compatible with. And that I did. Or do these pictures lie?" Gosunkugi said strongly as he rose up and slinked over to the desk. He picked up a large 8 by 10 inch glossy photo of Mousse and Ukyou together earlier in the day. They sat at a table and their hands were clasped together, a soft set of smiles plastered to both of their faces. "I have pictures of the both of you at most of the stages of your day together..."
"What!!!!" Ukyou screamed, charging forward. But just as she was going to leap over the table, a chain caught her hand. She stopped and looked back to see Mousse holding onto the chain and looking stern.
"Ukyou, wait." He walked forward still holding onto the chain. Gosunkugi could feel another aura radiating from Mousse, an aura of extreme anger and frustration. It made him quiver with fear inside all the way to his bones. But he stood firm and looked back at Mousse as strongly as he could. "Hikaru Gosunkugi, you're telling us that you spied on both of our movements and took photos?"
"Yes. In a manner of speaking." Hikaru stepped back and pulled out the chair behind the desk, sliding into the soft cushiony seat with an inaudible sigh. "I had kept an eye on Ukyou because Nabiki Tendo asked me to in the previous evening, but when I realized that the two of you were going off alone together I decided to follow and see what happened. Little by little I took pictures of the both of you and saw both of getting on like truly compatible would. I think that you've both been looking in the wrong place."
"Looking in the wrong place for what?" Mousse asked in a deadly calm voice, his hand still grasping onto the chain that kept Ukyou's hand and arm from moving. The okonomiyaki chef could merely stand and look at the thin boy with a mixed set of emotions swirling in her eyes.
"For the ones you're most compatible and, consequently, should be with romantically. Now Ukyou," Hikaru asked, his eyes locking onto hers, "Didn't you enjoy Mousse's company while you sat at the table and held you as you cried your eyes out? Didn't you smile at his bad jokes and flirt with him?"
"Yes...but..." Ukyou stammered, her anger beginning to recede.
"And Mousse," Hikaru said, interrupting the stammering girl, "Didn't you smile when she proceeded to tell you how handsome you were after the showing of Maison Ikkoku? Didn't you hold her hand a little tighter as you walked onto the karaoke bar?"
"Yes. And I kissed her...later on..." Mousse said slowly, his own voice and arms beginning to drop down as his shame and embarrassment began to rise up in him. "I...I liked her company. I..." He haltingly breathed as he turned Ukyou to face him, "I liked having you with me. I...I like you..."
As Ukyou looked up into Mousse's lustrously animated eyes she felt more tears begin to unearth themselves from her cheeks. She pushed past Mousse and ran out the door as fast as she had come in. "Ukyou!! Wait!!" Mousse called out as he turned to run after her but was stopped as Hikaru's voice called him back.
"Mousse! Take this!" As he turned he threw a small-wadded piece of paper to the Amazon boy. Mousse caught it and opened it warily. "It's my phone number. Call me when you find her and tell me what happened."
"I will." Mousse turned and ran out, leaving a relieved Hikaru to sit in the garage. Mousse tore down the street as fast as he could, hoping to catch the girl before she got to far ahead of him. His fears of losing her were alleviated soon after he began running as he saw her sitting on a bench underneath a streetlight. The streetlight cast a pale light down into the darkness of the early evening, the last streaks of the fading western sun finally beginning to subside. Even before his feet carried him to her, he could hear her sobbing and wailing. His heart ached for her as he knelt beside the weeping girl.
"Ukyou, listen to me. I...I'm glad we got together, even if it was because of Hikaru's botched spell..." Mousse said softly, his hands reaching out to her.
"But what if I still love Ranma?" Ukyou spluttered out, her tears and sobs mingling with her words. "What if I still can't get him out of my mind?"
"Why don't you replace him with me?" At Mousse's words, both their eyes came up and for a moment it seemed as if nothing was going to happen. Ukyou's hiccupping sobs stopped in their tracks and it was all she could do to not run away. Instead, she leaned forward and took him into her arms, her own body being surrounded by his. They hugged as best they could, the bodies twisting and bending and meshing together. She began to cry again as she buried her head in his shoulder. Mousse rubbed her back and sighed as another cog was thrown deep into his life's machine.
---
"So that's what happened?" Prof. Calamity asked Hikaru as they sat across from each other in the instructor's office.
"Yes. Mousse called me 3 hours later and told me everything they did after that. Between the fight that Ukyou and Shampoo had over Mousse and the fact that Mousse was calling from Ukyou's house seems to tell me that they've become something more. If they're not a couple, they're definitely special friends now. I did it." Hikaru said, his own voice beginning to quiver slightly as he breathed a deep sigh of relief.
"Well, you're going to have to keep an eyes on this, you know," Calamity said as he looked over the portfolio of notes, pictures and writings Hikaru had given him. "It says here that you used the combination spell called 'Intense Heat'. Do you know that the lifespan of that spell is less then a week?"
"Yes, but I also added the Cement spell. I used it to bind their threads together and by the time that one wears off nature should have already taken its course." Hikaru looked down at his shoes and sighed. "I know it was a screwed up thing to do, tricking them as I did. But I thought there was no other way to get them together. I figure that between the temporary bracing spells and their compatibility numbers, the chances of them making it as a couple are good."
"Yes, I did notice you had highlighted their compatibility numbers on your stat sheet." A long moment passed before he looked back at Hikaru. "You used the Intergalactic Standard Tabulation Scale in determining these figures?"
"Not only did I use the Scale, but I also used the Astrological table and the blood type workups in tabulating the results. It was a safe bet, Professor." Neither man spoke for a long moment, both deep in thought. Finally Professor Calamity spoke, his voice full of respect and admiration.
"You know, when you told me your ideas I thought they had no credence whatsoever and that they were amateurish and weak at best. I could have never made this combination work using the skills I learned. You have made a great start, young man..."
"Thank you!" Hikaru interrupted, his voice filled with hope.
"...But a good start is all this is. You still have two homework assignments and the final. You have a long way to go, young sorcerer. Now go. You're on the clock for Day 2 already." The being turned in his chair and listened as Hikaru left the room. He smiled softly and rubbed his hands together in anticipation of the next day's results. All was coming along nicely.
Day 1:
**********
Mousse walked over to the small house on the street, his feet carrying him with quick, sniper like precision. His hands were shaking as he carried the small bundle in his hands. He could only stay a moment, but he had to know what the boy wanted. His hands fingered the slip of paper intently as he came upon the small house, it's door slightly ajar. He pushed on it and looked inside, seeing two figures sitting in the early morning light.
"Gosunkugi? Are you here?" Mousse called out as he stepped inside of the small room.
"Yes. I'm here. Please, come and sit." Gosunkugi answered, waving at Ukyou Kounji and the empty chair that sat beside her. Mousse walked inside and sat down next to the slight, girlish figure that was staring intently at Gosunkugi. The ghoulish, yet now more strikingly powerful boy stood and walked around the small desk, sitting on the front of it, his hips and butt resting lightly on the edge.
"I know both of you have to go to school, so I'll keep this brief. You both brought the papers I sent you?" Both of the martial artists nodded and showed the small bit of paper they were sent the night before. Gosunkugi nodded and reached inside his desk and withdrew a small bottle containing four pills. "I assume both of you read the paper's contents and are willing to deal with me?"
"I am." Mousse said strongly, his hands gripping the paper strongly, rumpling and texturing the delicate sheet in his own china white, silky and work-hardened palm. Ukyou didn't answer but shook her head softly in assent to the boy, her school clothes looking oddly ill fitting and maladjusted that day. "I will do anything to find my love's heart."
"And both of you are assuming that the match you've made with your, ...desires, we'll call it... both of you assume that this is the best and most applicable choice for you?"
"My Ran-Chan is the best for me and I'm the best for him. I have no doubt in my mind that he is." Ukyou said softly, her eyes dropping slightly yet still holding their burning intensity. "I have no one else."
"Nor do I," Mousse repeated sternly as his own eyes took on an intense, almost desperate glare.
"Then the spell I'm going to give the both of you is a spell used to reveal your own attractive qualities to the person you're most compatible with. It will enhance and intensify your natural charm to almost 3 times its normal luster. But be warned: the spell works for whom you're the most compatible. If it's not the people you're going after, it will have no effect." He looked at the both of them with a hard expression, his face set like stone yet compassionately lined with the markings of hope. "Are you both willing to take that chance?"
Both of the martial artists nodded their heads bobbing and weaving in the winds of change. With that, Gosunkugi popped the top of the pill bottle and gave each of them one pill. "Swallow the pill, stand and close your eyes while I cast the spell. Then go and do what you need to do." They swallowed the pills very fast and stood along with Gosunkugi as he bowed his head and began chanting in Latin. Soon he finished and touched both their hands.
"It is finished. Go and handle your business. But be sure to come back this evening around 9 so I can recap things with the both of you." With that he smiled and stepped around the desk to sit back down. Both the martial artists left, leaving Gosunkugi alone with his thoughts and his notes, the papers strewn messily around the desktop. His voice dropped to a reverent, almost hesitant whisper as he sat back to think.
"So it now begins..."
---
Mousse walked back to the Nekohanten, his heart shining and glowing with the hope that only comes from a lifeline being tossed from the ship of destiny to someone's shipwrecked and aching heart. His mind was racing so fast and so free that he barely noticed the people he knocked over in his eagerness to get to the store. He came upon the storefront, his eyes locking on the purple hair so prominently displayed therein.
As he entered the restaurant, his eyes noticed that Shampoo was sitting next to Ranma, yet her eyes were crying and tears were staining her cheeks. Mousse's sharper then normal hearing instantly picked up the sounds from their table.
"You no go on date with Shampoo?" The purple haired Amazon asked, a choking sob resounding in her words.
"No, Shampoo. I told you. I'm going out with Akane tonight. She and I are going to have an evening when we're not fighting for once." Ranma's normally boyish voice was subtly softened as he tried to break the news to her as gently as he could. "I'm sorry, but I don't like you like that."
"Shampoo...understand." At that she started sobbing and laid her head into her hands, crumpling into a heap onto the Formica tabletop. The room reverberated with the sounds of her wailing and Ranma made an attempt to move over and comfort her, but was stopped by a slim hand on his shoulder. His eyes scanned up and he saw Mousse standing over the table, his eyes grim and pale.
"Please leave, Saotome. She needs to be alone now, even without me. And especially without you. I'll make sure she's ok, but you have school. Now please go." Ranma paused for a moment, measuring the strength in the Chinese boy's face, then slowly nodded and stood. He left in a great hurry, the bells on the door jingling softly as he exited.
Shampoo saw none of this as her sobs began to grow and grow, till she finally topped out and stopped crying. She looked up to see that she was alone in the restaurant, empty and sitting at a table stained with tears, a small teapot and a cup of steaming tea with a small note attached to the cup itself. She leaned over and read the Chinese script with blurry eyes:
***
Xian,
Drink this tea and set up for the days work. I'll be in the back doing the morning Ramen if you need to talk. I'll be here for you.
Muu Tsu
***
Shampoo took the cup of tea and drank it down in a rush, her throat burning as the hot liquid slid down her throat. She sighed and walked into the kitchen, her eyes blurry and red. She saw Mousse standing next to the great pot of ramen slowly stirring the mass of gluten to the proper degree of doneness.
"You no come for me, Mousse?" Shampoo asked acidly as she stared hard at the boy, her hands crumpling his note. "Shampoo think you happy that Ranma turn Shampoo down."
"How can I be happy with anyone who hurts my friend?" Mousse answered while keeping his eyes on the great pot. The steam swirled around his face and eyes, shading the extreme amount of silent tears that flowed. "You're my friend. Why would I be happy seeing you in pain?"
"Shampoo...no understand..."
"I didn't think you would. So I'll make it clear. I'm not going to try and hurt you while you're being hurt. You need space, and we need to get the work of the day done. So I'm doing both for you." Mousse raised his head and looked over at Shampoo, his face oddly appearing calm and contented to the Chinese girl. "Besides, if you still like Ranma there is no real point for me to hold your hand and be your friend when all you'll do is hurt me. When you're ready, I'll help you."
"Ok." With that, Shampoo disappeared into the dining room, leaving Mousse to stand next to the cooking pot and feel the beads of cold sweat roll down his cheek. His mind was reeling as he realized he passed up a golden opportunity, to make points with Shampoo as a lover...but he gave her what she needed as a friend. It was too strange a contradiction for him to figure out, but his brain echoed the sentiments of denial in his heart.
Mousse was scared to face what he had done.
---
Ukyou walked along the early morning streets, her books firmly gripped in her hands, her eyes clear and bright. She couldn't explain it, the feeling of peace and hope she felt after she left Gosunkugi's presence. She knew in her heart that everything was going to be ok. She just knew it. Suddenly a voice interrupted her musings and forced her to focus back into reality.
"Ukyou??" Akane called out as she walked up the street towards her, her own face bright and shining. "Are you going to class?"
"Yes, Akane. Where's Ranma?" Ukyou answered as she let the youngest Tendo daughter come up to her.
"He had to take care of something before class this morning. He'll be by shortly." The two girls walked up the street, Furnikan high becoming closer and closer. It's high roof becoming visible in the far distance of the Tokyo skyline. "We have a few loose ends to tidy up before our date tonight."
"Date?? What date?" Ukyou exclaimed, her voice staying surprisingly level and calm, despite the cold horror she felt in her heart.
"Well, I finally beat Ranma in a fight," Akane explained, "and as part of my demands to him was that he take me out. He kind of surprised me by telling me that if he was going to take me out he was going to make sure there were no outside interferences."
"Like me?" At those words, Akane stopped and looked at Ukyou, her eyes hard and cold. They matched the pain and calm in Ukyou's pupils and this didn't register the type of reaction it normally would have. For a long moment the girls looked at one another, measuring the strength and fire in each other's expressions. Or, in Ukyou's case, the lack of any fire.
"Ukyou, I think it's time to be honest. I...I really like Ranma. And I think he really likes me. I want a chance to make it work without everyone in my way." Akane's voice was flat and toneless, yet the unshed tears in her words resonated like a shotgun blast.
"I understand." Ukyou's face contorted into a gentle smile, nearly belying the almost believable qualities in her expression. She nodded her head as if she was almost expecting Akane's words. "I don't think I've been that much of a friend to Ranma to even put up a fight..."
"It isn't about fighting. I just want one date with him to see if it works between us. If not, everyone else can have him. But I've been patient too long with him and with everyone else." Akane kept her face firm while trying to figure out Ukyou's sudden change of tone. It unnerved her that she was so calm, so ethereal, so unmoved. She turned and walked towards the school, her footsteps swift and efficient on the slowly warming sidewalk.
"I only hope you two are happy." Ukyou added as she walked along with Akane. For a long while, neither girl said a word as they neared the gates of the school. Both looked silently for Ranma while keeping a mask of calm on their normally animated faces. Neither noticed the lack of Gosunkugi in his usual hiding spot, a detail they normally never missed.
"Akane? Ukyou?" Both girls turned around to the sound of Ranma yelling at them and running, his motions smooth yet halting.
"Good morning, Ranma. Akane was just telling me about your date tonight," Ukyou called out, a surprisingly broad smile on her lips. Both Akane and Ranma blanched equally as they watched her speak, their lips merely moving in unison, no sound emerging from their throats. "I'm just glad that you both decided to stop fighting for once. I'll be out of the city this evening, so you'll both need not worry about me."
"Ukyou, you're not an annoyance," Ranma waffled, his voice halting out while he dismissed Akane's icy look towards him.
"Well, be it as it may. I'll leave you alone today, Ran-Chan. Good day." With an icy calmness, Ukyou turned on her heels leaving the two fiancées to their own devices. Her thoughts blocked out the small-scale argument that erupted in her wake between Ranma and Akane, and she was glad for it. The smile that plastered itself on her lips could only hold back the pain inside her heart for a little while. She stepped inside the school and made her way to the nearest bathroom, slipping inside and making a beeline towards the farthest stall.
She sat down on the toilet seat and curled her feet up into a mock fetal position; her smile still prominent on her face, her rocking back and forth only coming after a small laugh escaped her lips. The laughing increased in pitch till it morphed into a sobbing cry, soft and delicate though it was. Her face, so serene and calm a moment before, had morphed and twisted into a snarling, tangled mess of emotions. Loss, anger, detached aloofness, and a lack of desire all tangled up inside of her, pushing the tears she had been holding back all morning out of her eyes. The tears were an early summer rain on the barren field of her emotions.
---
"Mousse?"
"Yes, Cologne?" Mousse answered as he dried his hands and put down the rag he was wiping tables with.
"Please make a delivery to the high school and give this package to Ranma. I would send Shampoo to do it, but as you can tell she's in no condition to do anything more then cook the ramen." Cologne passed the small, plainly wrapped box to the Chinese boy and he slid it into some unknown and sublimely safe place on his body. "He should be going to lunch soon, so you'll have to hurry."
Mousse nodded and turned to leave but was stopped as he heard Cologne's voice again. "Boy, did Shampoo tell you what was wrong with her? Did you cause this?" He looked at the elder with surprisingly little emotion and sighed softly.
"Honored Elder, I saw everything. I watched Ranma Saotome turn her down and send her into this sadness."
"And you did nothing," Cologne said flatly.
"No. I sent him away and gave her some tea. She didn't need to see him then, and I didn't want him to hurt her more." Mousse turned and walked out, leaving the now thoughtful Cologne in his wake. He walked to the high school, his mind a mosaic of thoughts and images. Soon he found himself standing at the school gates, wondering why he was giving a lunch to a man he had no respect for. With a smooth motion he tossed the box lunch into the bushes and turned to walk off. All of a sudden he saw a distraught Ukyou walking out of the school, her eyes red and puffy.
"Ukyou?" Mousse called out, his feet carrying him towards her. She looked and saw the Amazon boy advancing towards her. Her heart suddenly began to rise up as she peered into his eyes. "Why do you look like you've been crying?"
"Because I have," she answered shortly, her sense of determination coming back in a flash. "Ranma and Akane are going out on a date tonight and there is nothing I can do about it."
"I know."
"You do?" Ukyou asked, her face beginning to show signs of confusion at Mousse's words and demeanor.
"Yes. Ranma came in and told Shampoo to not bother him this evening while he was on his date. She didn't take it well. She still isn't, as a matter of fact." Mousse stood still a few feet away from Ukyou, noting her tear stained face begin to brighten and glow a little as she looked at him. He smiled at her without thinking and stepped closer. "I guess the spell that Gosunkugi gave us failed."
"I think so. I was colder to Ranma this morning then I've ever been before. I even congratulated them," Ukyou moved even closer to Mousse, feeling the aura of his personality wash over her. "Though, I'm not that angry at Ranma. Just disappointed. I could be better for him then Akane."
"As I could be for Shampoo, though I know why she hates me. Why Ranma would pass up on you is beyond me, seeing you are rather cute," Mousse said with a smile.
"You're just saying that," Ukyou replied, her cheeks reddening and flushing over slightly. "But the same could be said for Shampoo denying you, I guess."
"Thank you. I always knew you knew quality." Mousse could see the tears beginning to run away from her eyes and they stepped even closer to each other. The world began to slip away from their view as they inched closer and closer together, their hands nearly meeting, their bodies nearly rubbing together. It was almost as if an inner desire was pulling them together but almost as soon as they seemed to come close to the point of no return their sense of reality kicked back in and they pulled back from each other with a deep blush.
"Um..." Mousse said softly, his feet sliding back to a more neutral position.
"Oh I'm sorry...I didn't know we were..." Ukyou seemed to blush with an even greater intensity as Mousse backed away, her head dropping slightly to her chest. "I.... I think I'd really like to go to lunch with someone..."
"Someone like..."
"Someone like you." At that, their heads moved up and they looked at each other for a long moment. Mousse could only nod his head in assent as they turned and walked towards Ucchan's. A tree rustled softly in the morning air and the sun shined down upon them with a smile. Neither martial artist noticed or heard the shutterbug in the tree observing and photographing them in motion. A small chuckle came from the tree as they passed out of the range of the photographer. With a slither and a slink, Gosunkugi dropped from the tree and walked towards Ucchan's being careful not to have either of them notice his footsteps.
'It's working. The spell is working. But I must be patient,' he thought as he reloaded his camera and planned. 'I need something else. Something more.' Suddenly he stopped and walked back into the school, knowing whom he had to see and what he needed to acquire.
---
"Damn Ukyou! Did you have to get us kicked out of that club?" Mousse giggled as they began to walk down the crowded mid-evening street. Ukyou clung lightly to his arm and their laughter made other people turn and watch them. "I was actually liking the music they played!"
"You should! You're the one who was singing that American singer with a pair of panties on your head!" Ukyou gasped, her smiles and joy evident as she kept on laughing.
"It was a karaoke bar! I was totally in my right to do that! And besides that Tom Jones is a fine singer!" Both youth laughed until their sides ached, their walking bringing them right into the side of a brick wall. Mousse slumped against the wall bringing a partially inebriated Ukyou along with him. The people passing the pair looked on in mock concern as they passed but made not a move to speak to them. Mousse couldn't stop laughing as he realized where they were and he struggled to lift them both up.
"Oh damn! What have we done, Ukyou?" Mousse wheezed as he got back to his feet, a sloppy Ukyou clinging to him like a spar. "First lunch, then a movie and now all the drinking at the Karaoke Bar.... what were we thinking??"
"That we're both tired.... of being good..." Ukyou replied slowly, her own tongue finally becoming thick with the drink they had both imbibed.
"Maybe..." Mousse smiled and put Ukyou back upright. They began to walk unsteadily down the street, their laughter erupting again as they continued to talk. "I'm just so glad that we decided to get drunk together..."
"Well, maybe it's the alcohol, but I.... I think you're really cute and a fine catch, Mousse," Ukyou replied slowly as she stepped in front of Mousse. They stood still in the sidewalk, looking intensely at one another. Time began to slow down and nothing else seemed to register in their minds. Their eyes sparkled with the alcohol and a new sense of affection and togetherness that had finally risen up to the surface. Ukyou leaned up as Mousse leaned down and they kissed. It was soft and hard, tender and savage, both of their hearts responding to the closeness of their bodies. For a long moment they held their first kiss amidst the seas of people walking to and fro. And then came a voice...
"Ukyou??" At that strident call the two youth flew apart and turned to the source of the sound. It came from behind Ukyou's back. They focused in on the sight and saw that it came from Ranma Saotome. He stood with Akane, a shocked expression on both their faces. Ranma's expression echoed disbelief while Akane's echoed wonderment. "What are you and Mousse doing??"
"I.... I.... Ranma.... I...." Ukyou stammered as she tried to explain herself. She could feel her eyes locking in on Ranma's stunned expression and her heart began to break all over again. "I.... Mousse and I were out on a date. We were walking home and well...things got interesting." Ukyou felt disconnected; her voice was cold and distantly controlled as her emotions began to both crystallize and liquefy. She felt as if her love for Ranma wasn't real anymore and yet she was still drawn to him. Then her eyes looked up at Mousse's and found strength in his large dark green pupils.
"Yes. We didn't meant to start making out in the street," Mousse continued, "But I kind of just happened..."
"I see." Ranma said, his face beginning to break into an intense smile. "Well, I hope you two are happy together."
"As do I." Akane said, her own eyes locking down on Ukyou's face, a relieved expression permeating every fiber of her skin. Ukyou saw this and felt the tears beginning to rise up again. With a strong grasp, she pulled Mousse forward and they walked past Ranma and Akane, neither saying another word. Her heart and mind began to blank out as she tried to keep the tears back. As soon as they were clear of the other pair hearing, Ukyou started to speak.
"It didn't work..." Ukyou said, her sadness making her voice less shaky.
"What didn't work?" Mousse asked, his own voice slow and steady.
"That damn spell. That damn spell that Gosunkugi had us take. It didn't work. I shouldn't have been like that to my Ran-Chan! I shouldn't have kissed you..." She trailed off and continued to walk forward but was stopped as she felt Mousse's body lock into place. She let his arm go and looked up at his face, gasping at the intense anger that seemed to radiate from the boy. Mousse could only look off into the distance; his own heart beginning to scream out in feelings that he couldn't define.
"So that kiss meant nothing to you?" Mousse asked softly.
"I...I mean.... I...." Ukyou stammered, her anger halted slightly by Mousse's apparent hurt. "I...I meant that I was supposed to be..."
"With Ranma?" Mousse interrupted, his voice slicing through the last line of her defense like a hot knife through butter. She hung her head in shame and seemed to visibly crumple like a flower. She felt Mousse's hand on her shoulder and looked back at his face, the skin now stained with a patina of tenderness. "I can't blame you for feeling this way. I didn't think of Shampoo at all today...not the way I've been thinking of you..." both youth blushed at his words, Ukyou slightly more then Mousse.
"I think we need to see Gosunkugi..." Ukyou said softly.
---
Gosunkugi sat back down on the small couch, a large tumbler of sake firmly in his hand. He took a sip and looked down on his wrist. The watch read 8.45 and a yawn escaped from his lips. He sighed softly and took another sip, placing the glass down on the small table in front of him. He looked around the warehouse and smiled; Nabiki had made a great choice for his new place of work. And considering the rent was so cheap it had afforded him a bit of leeway in choosing the little amount of furniture he put inside. Though most of it was functional and with a defined purpose, specifically the drafting table and supplies, some were merely for his whims. He had to smile at the gentle lighting he had purchased, the throw rug he had found in the old man's garage. All of it made this tiny cramped warehouse look more like a workspace then a dingy abode.
The smell of oil from the refinery across the water was not strong enough to cause discomfort and yet it gave the entire room a unique aroma. Gosunkugi got up and walked over to the desk. He lit the last candle on the desk and blew out the match, the sulfur scent adding itself to the patchwork of smells. He turned to the door just as it resonated with the sound of someone knocking. It was hard, intense knocking. The kind of knocking that makes mortal men jump out of their skin and small girls shiver with fright. And yet, Gosunkugi merely walked over to the couch and sat back down.
"Come in," he said loudly, reaching down to pick up the glass on the floor directly ahead of him. But before his hand got there, the glass shattered in an explosion of alcohol and glass. He looked up and saw Mousse in the end of his throwing motion, a very pissed Ukyou Kounji standing at his side. Both carried an expression of extreme displeasure on their faces. Both leveled their gazes at Hikaru's body and seemed to focus in on his person. "I see you've tried to get your obsessions..."
"You lied!! You lied to the both of us!! All you did was take us for our money, you little creep..." Ukyou yelled, walking forward towards Hikaru. Her anger seemed to radiate from every pore on her body. An equally mixed in layer of disappointment seemed to make it known as well and it was at that moment that Hikaru knew that he only had one chance at this and he had to take it. "You told us you were going to make us more attractive to the ones we were truly destined to be with!"
"No. I said I'd make you both more attractive to the ones you were most compatible with. And that I did. Or do these pictures lie?" Gosunkugi said strongly as he rose up and slinked over to the desk. He picked up a large 8 by 10 inch glossy photo of Mousse and Ukyou together earlier in the day. They sat at a table and their hands were clasped together, a soft set of smiles plastered to both of their faces. "I have pictures of the both of you at most of the stages of your day together..."
"What!!!!" Ukyou screamed, charging forward. But just as she was going to leap over the table, a chain caught her hand. She stopped and looked back to see Mousse holding onto the chain and looking stern.
"Ukyou, wait." He walked forward still holding onto the chain. Gosunkugi could feel another aura radiating from Mousse, an aura of extreme anger and frustration. It made him quiver with fear inside all the way to his bones. But he stood firm and looked back at Mousse as strongly as he could. "Hikaru Gosunkugi, you're telling us that you spied on both of our movements and took photos?"
"Yes. In a manner of speaking." Hikaru stepped back and pulled out the chair behind the desk, sliding into the soft cushiony seat with an inaudible sigh. "I had kept an eye on Ukyou because Nabiki Tendo asked me to in the previous evening, but when I realized that the two of you were going off alone together I decided to follow and see what happened. Little by little I took pictures of the both of you and saw both of getting on like truly compatible would. I think that you've both been looking in the wrong place."
"Looking in the wrong place for what?" Mousse asked in a deadly calm voice, his hand still grasping onto the chain that kept Ukyou's hand and arm from moving. The okonomiyaki chef could merely stand and look at the thin boy with a mixed set of emotions swirling in her eyes.
"For the ones you're most compatible and, consequently, should be with romantically. Now Ukyou," Hikaru asked, his eyes locking onto hers, "Didn't you enjoy Mousse's company while you sat at the table and held you as you cried your eyes out? Didn't you smile at his bad jokes and flirt with him?"
"Yes...but..." Ukyou stammered, her anger beginning to recede.
"And Mousse," Hikaru said, interrupting the stammering girl, "Didn't you smile when she proceeded to tell you how handsome you were after the showing of Maison Ikkoku? Didn't you hold her hand a little tighter as you walked onto the karaoke bar?"
"Yes. And I kissed her...later on..." Mousse said slowly, his own voice and arms beginning to drop down as his shame and embarrassment began to rise up in him. "I...I liked her company. I..." He haltingly breathed as he turned Ukyou to face him, "I liked having you with me. I...I like you..."
As Ukyou looked up into Mousse's lustrously animated eyes she felt more tears begin to unearth themselves from her cheeks. She pushed past Mousse and ran out the door as fast as she had come in. "Ukyou!! Wait!!" Mousse called out as he turned to run after her but was stopped as Hikaru's voice called him back.
"Mousse! Take this!" As he turned he threw a small-wadded piece of paper to the Amazon boy. Mousse caught it and opened it warily. "It's my phone number. Call me when you find her and tell me what happened."
"I will." Mousse turned and ran out, leaving a relieved Hikaru to sit in the garage. Mousse tore down the street as fast as he could, hoping to catch the girl before she got to far ahead of him. His fears of losing her were alleviated soon after he began running as he saw her sitting on a bench underneath a streetlight. The streetlight cast a pale light down into the darkness of the early evening, the last streaks of the fading western sun finally beginning to subside. Even before his feet carried him to her, he could hear her sobbing and wailing. His heart ached for her as he knelt beside the weeping girl.
"Ukyou, listen to me. I...I'm glad we got together, even if it was because of Hikaru's botched spell..." Mousse said softly, his hands reaching out to her.
"But what if I still love Ranma?" Ukyou spluttered out, her tears and sobs mingling with her words. "What if I still can't get him out of my mind?"
"Why don't you replace him with me?" At Mousse's words, both their eyes came up and for a moment it seemed as if nothing was going to happen. Ukyou's hiccupping sobs stopped in their tracks and it was all she could do to not run away. Instead, she leaned forward and took him into her arms, her own body being surrounded by his. They hugged as best they could, the bodies twisting and bending and meshing together. She began to cry again as she buried her head in his shoulder. Mousse rubbed her back and sighed as another cog was thrown deep into his life's machine.
---
"So that's what happened?" Prof. Calamity asked Hikaru as they sat across from each other in the instructor's office.
"Yes. Mousse called me 3 hours later and told me everything they did after that. Between the fight that Ukyou and Shampoo had over Mousse and the fact that Mousse was calling from Ukyou's house seems to tell me that they've become something more. If they're not a couple, they're definitely special friends now. I did it." Hikaru said, his own voice beginning to quiver slightly as he breathed a deep sigh of relief.
"Well, you're going to have to keep an eyes on this, you know," Calamity said as he looked over the portfolio of notes, pictures and writings Hikaru had given him. "It says here that you used the combination spell called 'Intense Heat'. Do you know that the lifespan of that spell is less then a week?"
"Yes, but I also added the Cement spell. I used it to bind their threads together and by the time that one wears off nature should have already taken its course." Hikaru looked down at his shoes and sighed. "I know it was a screwed up thing to do, tricking them as I did. But I thought there was no other way to get them together. I figure that between the temporary bracing spells and their compatibility numbers, the chances of them making it as a couple are good."
"Yes, I did notice you had highlighted their compatibility numbers on your stat sheet." A long moment passed before he looked back at Hikaru. "You used the Intergalactic Standard Tabulation Scale in determining these figures?"
"Not only did I use the Scale, but I also used the Astrological table and the blood type workups in tabulating the results. It was a safe bet, Professor." Neither man spoke for a long moment, both deep in thought. Finally Professor Calamity spoke, his voice full of respect and admiration.
"You know, when you told me your ideas I thought they had no credence whatsoever and that they were amateurish and weak at best. I could have never made this combination work using the skills I learned. You have made a great start, young man..."
"Thank you!" Hikaru interrupted, his voice filled with hope.
"...But a good start is all this is. You still have two homework assignments and the final. You have a long way to go, young sorcerer. Now go. You're on the clock for Day 2 already." The being turned in his chair and listened as Hikaru left the room. He smiled softly and rubbed his hands together in anticipation of the next day's results. All was coming along nicely.