Without Ranma: Shampoo's Story
Ch. 1: Shampoo's Misery
Disclaimer: I don't take any credit for the creation of these characters.
It seemed as if she was falling, swirling into endless blackness. The finality of the realization was shocking. It was as if the color from the world was being sucked away and she was trapped in a never ending void of dull nothingness.
For the last couple years, Shampoo's life had evolved entirely around Ranma. What was she to do now? She had wasted all that time actually believing he would end up with her!
Shampoo wiped her face, the unwelcome tears were strange and foreign to her, but she collapsed into them and wept as she never had before. It felt good, showing her emotions, being weak. Overwhelmed with grief Shampoo sobbed violently until she fell into a restless sleep.
Opening her eyes was painful; they felt dry and swollen. They looked dry and swollen. She licked her lips, dry with salt from her tears. It was a nice day. At least it was nice until memories grasped her and dragged her back into despair. Not only was she completely, utterly lost; she now felt completely and utterly stupid for crying. Although no one saw her crying she still felt a sense of weakness and anger for acting so…so… fragile, like a little girl.
Work was like every other day. That is, except she was no longer giddy and filled with fantastic notions of her future life with Ranma. She just couldn't believe that he was he was Akane's now, yet the cold realization was there, hauntingly vague at the back of every thought. She never really loathed Akane, she never really believed she was competition. Even now she could not hate her, she didn't have the spirit or energy to hate anyone.
Days passed. Nothing changed. Why couldn't she find her way out of this… this… endless bout of grief? A part of her didn't want out, it just wanted to lay down and let anguish engulf her forever. Could she do that? She could try. It was as if she had no purpose anymore. That was until 'he' came…
It was like the seemingly endless days before it; She woke up, the sorrow came, she went to work and she went about her daily tasks with a numb mind. Then 'he' walked in. At first he was just another customer and then he looked at her. His eyes riveted her attention, jolting her back into reality and forcing her to forget her own painful despair. He just stood there watching her, watching him and for a few sweet moments it was as if the world had melted away around her and it was only him, no pain or misery. Then she heard her name called and turned in response. When she looked back to the spot 'he' had been all she saw was the door slowly sucking shut, and he was gone. Then the icy tendrils came creeping back and 'he' was forgotten.