Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma or Inu yasha.
Chapter 22Ranma had decided already that today was just not going to be his day. Which was too bad because it had started off so well….
He sighed inwardly and sized up his opponent. Shampoo didn't seem to be in top form: her stance was almost reluctant, and she was without her usual limitless energy. He was glad to see she didn't have her arrows, but their absence combined with Shampoo's countenance was kind of unsettling. Akane shifted into a defensive stance beside him and then Shampoo attacked.
She made a wide, clumsy sweep with her bonbori and Ranma and Akane leapt easily out of its path. His eyes caught Akane's confused ones and they both wondered what was going on. For her part, Shampoo didn't seem to mind that she had missed; she only whirled around and continued to attack them, her dulled eyes following their movements listlessly. Ranma shrugged mentally as he and Akane led the demon hunter outside and continued their lazy battle where a loose pattern began to develop.
Shampoo attacked whichever one of them was closest, and they would dodge. Sometimes one of them would get in a hit – more often Akane than Ranma – but each hit weighed heavily on their consciences. It felt wrong – too easy, like attacking a child. Ranma dodged a swing half-heartedly, and Shampoo turned and swung again. He found himself pitying her, although he had no idea what was making her act this way, and he was fairly sure that Akane felt it too. She had altogether stopped trying to attack and only dodged, watching Shampoo with sad eyes.
"Ranma."
His head snapped up at the sound of his mother's voice to see her standing in the brand new doorway Shampoo had made her. It made him uneasy that he never knew what to expect from her. Nodoka would never be just his mother. There was always an element of control. He couldn't relax when she was around; he had to be a 'man amongst men' for her. And he hated it, but he could not hate her.
"Deal with her."
Ranma's eyebrows shot up. Did she want him to…
"I didn't ask you to kill her. Just take responsibility."
Ranma frowned thoughtfully, dodging yet another of Shampoo's strikes. If she had heard what Nodoka said she gave no sign of it. Responsibility?
"Uh, Shampoo?" asked Ranma tentatively. The demon hunter had just made a swipe at Akane and was now turning to him.
"I kill," was all she said. That was all she said to any of either his or Akane's following verbal prompts. If she responded at all, that is.
"I guess we should just try and knock her out," he said to Akane, landing next to her for a split second. "I don't know what else to do."
Akane just nodded and ducked Shampoo's bonbori. She swept Shampoo cleanly off her feet with a low sweep-kick and leapt away. Shampoo picked herself up slowly and, as if nothing had happened, swung at Ranma. He leapt over her regretfully and sent a sharp, swift blow to the back of her head. Shampoo dropped like a stone to a blow that normally would have only staggered her. He turned to see Akane kneeling at her side and checking her pulse.
"I think she'll be alright…" she said quietly. She turned to Ranma and sighed. "But I wonder what happened to her…"
"So do I."
Ranma and Akane both turned to Mousse in slight surprise. He was downwind of them a short distance off and coming closer. There was no anger in his eyes, only concern as he bent down next to the fallen Shampoo.
"You mean, you don't know?" Akane asked. Mousse brushed Shampoo's hair from her closed eyes gently as he shook his head.
"I can guess, but it's no concern of yours."
Ranma noticed Akane's slight frown and stubborn expression, and knew she was about to protest. "He's right," he said, with a meaningful glance in her direction. Akane 'hmphed' but didn't pursue the subject. "We don't need to know what happened, but we would like her to stop trying to kill us. Maybe you could take her back to China…"
"Back to China…" Mousse echoed thoughtfully. His eyes moved from Shampoo's face to Ranma's. "You are acquainted with a miko by the name of Kagome Higurashi, are you not?"
Ranma and Akane glanced at each other doubtfully. What could he want with a miko, of all things? Sure, Kagome was powerful according to Doctor Tofu and Kasumi, but… it didn't make sense. Akane was the one to voice their shared thought.
"Why do you want to know?"
"I want her help," he said flatly. His blank expression told them he wasn't about to explain himself.
"If we take you to her," Ranma began slowly, watching Mousse for his reaction. "Then you can take Shampoo back to China?" Mousse paused, his eyes on Shampoo, before he nodded. "Then we'll take you to her, as long we can come too."
"Don't trust me?" he asked, his lips twitching upwards. Ranma shook his head.
"Not particularly, no."
"I don't blame you," said Mousse as he began to scoop up Shampoo's limp form. "I accept your offer. When should I return?"
"Uh, tomorrow I guess," Ranma said, scratching the base of his pigtail. Mousse nodded and turned to go.
Ranma would never know what made him ask the next question. Maybe it was the way Mousse looked then, with Shampoo's slightly battered body in his arms, her limbs dangling like her long purple hair in such a way that it was impossible to tell whether he was her savior or the bringer of her death. Or maybe it was because here was a man who was possibly more troubled than Ranma himself. Or maybe it was plain curiosity that led him to ask: "Why do you love her?"
Mousse turned his head just enough to give Ranma a surprised glance from the corner of his eye. "I enjoy the challenge," he said, never fully turning around. Then he was gone, leaving Ranma to doubt whether or not that was the whole truth.
The sound of a single person clapping brought him back to reality and he looked up to see Nodoka watching him.
"Well done," she said, and she looked pleased. She's praising me… Ranma noted with surprise. He was more surprised to find that her words didn't mean much to him, than by the fact that she actually said them. He studied her face for a moment before realizing that they were meaningless to him because they were meaningless to her as well.
"Thanks…" he said hollowly, and felt Akane move a little closer to him. Ranma offered her a smile, helping her up from her knees. They both looked around the yard for a moment, as if another person might be hiding in wait to surprise them, before heading back to the house. Ranma glanced at the rather large circular hole in the wall. "I guess I'll have to fix this."
"Only if you want to."
Ranma turned to his mother. "What do you mean?"
Nodoka didn't answer right away, instead she gestured for them to follow her into the house. Ranma met Akane's eyes for a brief moment before following his mother. They trailed her through the living room, and down the hall to her own bedroom. She slid the door open without pause, and turned around to face them, her frame blocking the entrance.
"Wait."
With that she closed the door behind her leaving Ranma and Akane alone in the hall. He glanced at her and could tell that she was just as confused and unsure as he was. They didn't have time for conversation though, because Nodoka returned shortly, and gestured for them to follow her.
Her bedroom was fairly unimpressive. It was no better or worse than any of the other bedrooms in the house. There was only one difference, and that was the dark passage behind a false set of drawers. Nodoka looked back at them once to see of they were following and entered the passage, the lights winking on and off as she passed beneath them. Ranma stared after her, at the entrance of the hall, and followed with Akane close behind him.
The passage was short and nondescript, and it seemed to lead them underground. It ended at a pair of doors that were equally unimpressive. Nodoka, however, seemed to treat them with reverence as she paused in front of them.
"This is the heart of our clan."
The doors opened.
A/N: I don't know why, but I don't really like this chapter… oh well… I got this out fast, right? 2 chapters in one day… actually I wrote this one faster cuz I didn't like the last one either…uh…I think I'm making this story much longer than it has to be… anyway, I might write a sidestory about Shampoo and Mousse sometime after I finish this, so tell me if you're curious because their story won't be explained in this fic. Well, just let me know what you think, ok? In other words REVIEW! Ok, thanks for reading. Bye, now.