Chapter 4: Shampoo's Mistake
It was the morning after Naru had arrived. She and Akane got up early for a morning run. When she got back, Ranma and his, or should I say her, father where well into their morning sparing session. Naru stopped to watch.
"He.no, she? What do you call him when he's a girl?" She asked.
"She, I suppose." Akane shrugged. "It never seemed to be an issue before."
"Well, your life is weird enough to make you forget about such trivial things." Her eyes were still on Ranma, and the look in her eyes was thoughtful.
"What were you going to say about him, no her?"
"I was going to say that she's pretty good."
"Yeah. Ranma's the strongest around. Never loses a fight. She's the best." Only Naru could hear the note of pride and admiration in her voice.
"Never loses a fight, hmm." Naru smiled. "That can be changed."
"She doesn't fight girls." Akane's voice held a rueful note.
"Then how did she fight, and beat, Shampoo?"
"That was a different circumstance." Akane sighed. "You heard what happened."
"Yeah. Well, maybe if I threatened to do to him what I did to his father if he didn't agree to fight." Naru trailed off, a wicked gleam in her eyes.
Akane laughed. Ranma and Genma had finished their fight by now, so the two of them went inside to get ready for school.
For once Ranma and Akane were not late for school. There was some confusion over who was going to walk on the fence as they began, but it ended with Ranma being the gentleman and conceding to Naru while he walked beside Akane on the ground. Nobody noticed the satisfied smile that Naru wore.
At school, the boys stared at Naru. They asked Ranma if he had managed to find a way to split his girl side off. This, of course, did not make Ranma or Naru happy at all. By the time school was out for the day, Naru had managed to become the most sought after girl in school, apart from Akane. Also, Kunou had issued his, "if you wish to date her, you must defeat her" challenge, and Ranma and Akane were laughing their heads off at her predicament.
"It's pretty annoying, but you should be able to handle it." Akane smiled. "After what you did to our fathers, I have complete faith in you."
"Hey, thanks for giving him what he deserved, finally." Ranma grinned. "I've wanted to do that for so long."
"Why don't you?" Naru asked.
"I can't do that."
"Why not?"
"Well, because, he's my old man. I can't do that." He sounded unsure.
"What do you think I'm going to do to my old man when I catch up with him." Naru smiled evilly.
Ranma shuddered. "I get the point. Where did you learn martial arts? Your pretty good."
"It runs in the family apparently." She shrugged. "Mom taught me the basics, but mostly I taught myself."
"Same here." Akane and Ranma said at the same time. "Except it was my dad instead of mom." They glared at each other as they finished speaking.
Naru nodded. "That's usually what happens with the best martial artists. Hey Ranma, would you ever consider a fight with me?" She grinned.
"I don't." He stopped. *If I say I don't fight girls, she would pound me for thinking girls were weaker than boys. If I say I will fight her, I would have to fight for real or else she would beat me up for letting her win. If I fought for real, I might hurt her.*
"You don't what?" Naru asked sweetly, perfectly aware of what he was thinking.
"I don't know. I kind of get tired of fighting all the time. I don't really want another challenger." He hoped that would work as an excuse.
"I suppose you're right. That would get annoying." Naru gave the appearance of understanding.
Ranma laughed inwardly in triumph. He had won.
Little did he know that no matter how long it took, Naru always had the last laugh.
Shampoo was in the Cat Café when Naru stopped by to say hello. Shampoo greeted her friend enthusiastically.
%Hi Naru. Did you have a good day at school?%
%Yes and no. You know Kunou?%
%The idiot. Yes. Why?%
%I am now on his 'girls to date' list.% She rolled her eyes. %And I have to fight the entire male population of Furinkan High before school every morning. Did you ever hear about how it was for Akane before Ranma came?%
%Poor you.% Shampoo suddenly got serious. %Speaking of Ranma.%
%Oh no. I have absolutely no desire to chase after him. He's not my type.% She said, correctly guessing what Shampoo was going to say. %Maybe one of the other boys. Ryoga perhaps, or maybe Mousse. He's pretty cute without his glasses.%
%You can't have Mousse either.% Naru was taken aback by the anger in her voice.
%Calm down. It was just a thought. Besides.% And here she shot Shampoo a sideways glance. %I thought you didn't like Mousse.%
Shampoo didn't say anything. Naru smiled, and changed the subject.
It was after Naru had left that Shampoo began to wonder what Mousse was doing. She hadn't seen him almost all day. Frowning, she went in search of him.
She found him in his room, packing.
%What are you doing?% She asked.
%Packing.%
%I can see that, but why?%
%You can rejoice. I'm leaving. I've given up.% Mousse looked at her sadly. %That's what you want, isn't it.% I wasn't a question.
%No.% The force of that word surprised them both.
%Why not? You don't care about me. All you care about is Ranma. I'm just a tool you can use in your scemes to trap him into marrying you.% He stood up, anger in his eyes. %Well I won't bother you or him ever again now. Goodbye.% He strode out the door.
%Mousse, come back here.% She ordered him. He kept walking. %Mousse, please come back.% She whined. He did not even hesitate. %Mousse, don't go because you love me.% She pleaded softly.
He stopped, but he did not turn. %Yes, I love you. But you don't love me. That's the problem. Go chase after Ranma. I wish you luck with him.% He finally turned to look at her briefly. %As long as he makes you happy, I am happy. I will not ever stand in your way again.% He turned and left.
Long after he was gone, Shampoo stood in his room, tears running down her face, though she could not even understand why she was crying.
Naru saw Mousse leaving, and knew there was going to be trouble. She ran into the café and found Shampoo still crying.
%Come with me Xian Pu. I know a place where we can talk.% She led Shampoo to the top of Furinkan High School and sat her down.
%Now tell me exactly what happened.%
It was the morning after Naru had arrived. She and Akane got up early for a morning run. When she got back, Ranma and his, or should I say her, father where well into their morning sparing session. Naru stopped to watch.
"He.no, she? What do you call him when he's a girl?" She asked.
"She, I suppose." Akane shrugged. "It never seemed to be an issue before."
"Well, your life is weird enough to make you forget about such trivial things." Her eyes were still on Ranma, and the look in her eyes was thoughtful.
"What were you going to say about him, no her?"
"I was going to say that she's pretty good."
"Yeah. Ranma's the strongest around. Never loses a fight. She's the best." Only Naru could hear the note of pride and admiration in her voice.
"Never loses a fight, hmm." Naru smiled. "That can be changed."
"She doesn't fight girls." Akane's voice held a rueful note.
"Then how did she fight, and beat, Shampoo?"
"That was a different circumstance." Akane sighed. "You heard what happened."
"Yeah. Well, maybe if I threatened to do to him what I did to his father if he didn't agree to fight." Naru trailed off, a wicked gleam in her eyes.
Akane laughed. Ranma and Genma had finished their fight by now, so the two of them went inside to get ready for school.
For once Ranma and Akane were not late for school. There was some confusion over who was going to walk on the fence as they began, but it ended with Ranma being the gentleman and conceding to Naru while he walked beside Akane on the ground. Nobody noticed the satisfied smile that Naru wore.
At school, the boys stared at Naru. They asked Ranma if he had managed to find a way to split his girl side off. This, of course, did not make Ranma or Naru happy at all. By the time school was out for the day, Naru had managed to become the most sought after girl in school, apart from Akane. Also, Kunou had issued his, "if you wish to date her, you must defeat her" challenge, and Ranma and Akane were laughing their heads off at her predicament.
"It's pretty annoying, but you should be able to handle it." Akane smiled. "After what you did to our fathers, I have complete faith in you."
"Hey, thanks for giving him what he deserved, finally." Ranma grinned. "I've wanted to do that for so long."
"Why don't you?" Naru asked.
"I can't do that."
"Why not?"
"Well, because, he's my old man. I can't do that." He sounded unsure.
"What do you think I'm going to do to my old man when I catch up with him." Naru smiled evilly.
Ranma shuddered. "I get the point. Where did you learn martial arts? Your pretty good."
"It runs in the family apparently." She shrugged. "Mom taught me the basics, but mostly I taught myself."
"Same here." Akane and Ranma said at the same time. "Except it was my dad instead of mom." They glared at each other as they finished speaking.
Naru nodded. "That's usually what happens with the best martial artists. Hey Ranma, would you ever consider a fight with me?" She grinned.
"I don't." He stopped. *If I say I don't fight girls, she would pound me for thinking girls were weaker than boys. If I say I will fight her, I would have to fight for real or else she would beat me up for letting her win. If I fought for real, I might hurt her.*
"You don't what?" Naru asked sweetly, perfectly aware of what he was thinking.
"I don't know. I kind of get tired of fighting all the time. I don't really want another challenger." He hoped that would work as an excuse.
"I suppose you're right. That would get annoying." Naru gave the appearance of understanding.
Ranma laughed inwardly in triumph. He had won.
Little did he know that no matter how long it took, Naru always had the last laugh.
Shampoo was in the Cat Café when Naru stopped by to say hello. Shampoo greeted her friend enthusiastically.
%Hi Naru. Did you have a good day at school?%
%Yes and no. You know Kunou?%
%The idiot. Yes. Why?%
%I am now on his 'girls to date' list.% She rolled her eyes. %And I have to fight the entire male population of Furinkan High before school every morning. Did you ever hear about how it was for Akane before Ranma came?%
%Poor you.% Shampoo suddenly got serious. %Speaking of Ranma.%
%Oh no. I have absolutely no desire to chase after him. He's not my type.% She said, correctly guessing what Shampoo was going to say. %Maybe one of the other boys. Ryoga perhaps, or maybe Mousse. He's pretty cute without his glasses.%
%You can't have Mousse either.% Naru was taken aback by the anger in her voice.
%Calm down. It was just a thought. Besides.% And here she shot Shampoo a sideways glance. %I thought you didn't like Mousse.%
Shampoo didn't say anything. Naru smiled, and changed the subject.
It was after Naru had left that Shampoo began to wonder what Mousse was doing. She hadn't seen him almost all day. Frowning, she went in search of him.
She found him in his room, packing.
%What are you doing?% She asked.
%Packing.%
%I can see that, but why?%
%You can rejoice. I'm leaving. I've given up.% Mousse looked at her sadly. %That's what you want, isn't it.% I wasn't a question.
%No.% The force of that word surprised them both.
%Why not? You don't care about me. All you care about is Ranma. I'm just a tool you can use in your scemes to trap him into marrying you.% He stood up, anger in his eyes. %Well I won't bother you or him ever again now. Goodbye.% He strode out the door.
%Mousse, come back here.% She ordered him. He kept walking. %Mousse, please come back.% She whined. He did not even hesitate. %Mousse, don't go because you love me.% She pleaded softly.
He stopped, but he did not turn. %Yes, I love you. But you don't love me. That's the problem. Go chase after Ranma. I wish you luck with him.% He finally turned to look at her briefly. %As long as he makes you happy, I am happy. I will not ever stand in your way again.% He turned and left.
Long after he was gone, Shampoo stood in his room, tears running down her face, though she could not even understand why she was crying.
Naru saw Mousse leaving, and knew there was going to be trouble. She ran into the café and found Shampoo still crying.
%Come with me Xian Pu. I know a place where we can talk.% She led Shampoo to the top of Furinkan High School and sat her down.
%Now tell me exactly what happened.%