Faded Away

Ranma got Ryoga to let him stay at his house. They figured that Cologne might know a spell that will reverse this memory loss and are presently on their way to the Cat Café after a brief encounter with Mousse.

Memory Five: Give It up Ranma!

"Old Ghoul!" Ranma shouted bursting into the Cat Café that night. Ryoga kept walking past the café, and Ranma was forced to turn around and grab the direction-less boy's sleeve. With a quick tug the two teenage boys were standing in the restaurant with intimidating looks on their faces as Cologne watched them as if they were insane. "What is the meaning of this?" She questioned as Ranma walked forward.

"Tell me" Ranma, said leaning on the counter with that same old sly, and cocky look on his face. "Do you Amazons have a cure for selective memory erasing? Y'know like that shampoo stuff, but for more people. Like a powder or somethin'" Ranma asked. "Hmm. Let me see." Cologne stated as she moved to the back of the store and looking into her cabinets. "Of course you know that you will have to give me something in return right boy?" Cologne questioned as she looked over her shoulder to Ranma.

Ranma nodded his head and prayed that it was a reasonable request she would give him. The old woman began a search of her cabinet of special potions and the like. She stops and stares at an empty space on the shelf within the cabinet. "That's odd."

"What is?" Ranma asked. "The powder to erase memories is gone, as well as it's cure." She explained looking on curiously as Ranma became angry. He jumped the counter and looked into the cabinet as well. "You're kidding me right hag?" Ranma asked searching frantically. "No." She replied simply. Ranma stopped and turned to stone and broke apart when Ryoga came over and tapped him. "Pathetic." Ryoga commented as the boy/girl fell apart.

* * *

An hour later Ranma had pulled himself back together and Ryoga and he were eating a bowl of ramen as the old ghoul sat on the end of her staff watching the two. "So you're saying I used to know you then?" Cologne questioned. Ranma nodded and continued eating his food. "Yeah." Ryoga commented stuffing his face as well. "Now only I remember him. Why's that?"

Cologne turned away and closed her eyes halfway and thought about the situation. "The powder that was in that cabinet can make a whole town forget something. If you were unaffected by it" She explained and turned around pointing to Ryoga. "You either used the potion or were out of town at the time." She stated. Ranma glanced at Ryoga.

Ryoga took a defensive posture. "You don't seriously believe I'd do such a thing Ranma?" He questioned. "I wouldn't put it past 'ya." Ranma commented enraging Ryoga. "However" Ranma continued causing Ryoga to halt his rage building. "You're not the type to try something like this. So who still remembers me besides you?" Ranma wondered.

"If you can beat the one who used the potion you may get the cure for it. Otherwise you'll have to get all the ingredients to make another." The old Amazon stated. Ranma's face brightened up. "I don't know who did this, but I know I can get that cure." Ranma said standing up. "Except that half of the ingredients no longer exist." The ghoul commented.

Ranma broke apart again in statue form. Ryoga sighed and the ghoul went about sweeping him into the corner with her stick. Ryoga went back to eating and Cologne went to the kitchen.

Ranma and Ryoga left the Cat Café by eleven that night because Ranma was having trouble getting back together. Ranma was distraught and was cursing everything around him (Even the little puppies) Eventually the two came to the street leading to Ryoga's home and that's when they stopped. They glanced around themselves looking for something that couldn't be found.

As they began their trek again a pair of chains came down upon Ranma, but he dodged out of the way. "What the? Mousse!" Ranma snapped his head to the wall a block down where Mousse had been perched. He jumped from the wall to the ground and smirked. "Ranma why don't you just give up?" Mousse stated with a laugh.

"What's that s'ppose 'ta mean?" Ranma yelled back as he broke free from Mousse's chains. "You should just give up whatever it is you're trying to do Ranma. You've been beaten by the best." Mousse said with a smirk. Ranma scoffed in reply. "Does that mean you're the 'best' Mousse?" Ranma asked sarcastically. "Heh. I've always been better than you Ranma." Mousse said with a devilish smile.

"Huh? Th-then you are the person" Ranma stammered. "Who erased the memory of you?" Mousse questioned even though he knew the answer. "Of course. You were always in my way Ranma, but you aren't any longer. Shampoo will be mine and you can't stop it." Mousse bragged. Ranma sighed and then became angry.

"I don't care about Shampoo!" Ranma shouted. "But if you only wanted Shampoo you should have just kept the memory loss with her and the ghoul. You didn't have to erase everyone's memory!" Ranma roared as he lunged at Mousse who jumped away before Ranma connected. The ground explodes where Ranma punches as Mousse tosses a claw on a chain at Ranma. Ranma blocks the weapon with his upper right arm and plows forward despite having the claw embedded in his arm.

"There is no honor in what you've done!" Ranma yelled as he hit Mousse in the face sending the duck boy back towards the wall. "But you never had much of that in the first place." Ranma stated, as he took the claw from his arm leaving a few bleeding gashes that weren't as bad as Ranma thought. Ranma clenched his fists and his aura became large. "I thought you'd have learned by now not to mess with me! Arrogant Tiger Blast!" Ranma let's loose his chi blast that Mousse just dodges in time. The wall behind the Amazon is destroyed sending pieces of it about the street. "Ranma don't you think you're taking this a bot too far?" Ryoga questioned. Ranma glanced at the lost boy with malice filled eyes that told him to back off. Ryoga shrugged and moved back away from the pigtailed boy trying not to get involved.

"So give me that cure Mousse!" Ranma demanded turning his attention back to the other. "Pheh. Why would I ruin what I have going for me?" Mousse questioned. Ranma drew in a breath and exhaled. "Mousse in the time that I've been gone, and forgotten has Shampoo even given you the time of day?" Mousse stood there not reacting and silence took the street for a minute or so. "So that's a no I take it?" Ranma asked with a smirk. "She does love me though!" Mousse roared. "Jeez. Just accept the fact she may just never like 'ya Mousse." Ranma said with a slight laugh. Mousse became enraged and clenched his fists in anger. "Ranma!" Mousse moved his arms flinging throwing knives at Ranma who was taken by surprise. Ranma let go of his leg muscles and dropped to the ground just in time to dodge the knives.

"What the hell?" Ranma yelled as he jumped to his feet. "This isn't any reason to kill me over idiot!" Mousse laughs maniacally and draws a small bottle full of a yellowish powder from his sleeves. Ranma looked at it and to the Amazon. "That's the thing that will make people 'member me? Give it to me!" Ranma lunged for the bottle, but Mousse jumps away causing Ranma to stop and snarl. "Stop playing around!" Ranma jumped at Mousse and punched the other boy on the nose with a full force punch. Mousse stumbled back wiping the blood from his nose. Upon seeing it on his sleeve he became even angrier. "Bastard."

"That's nothing much. I haven't even started." Ranma said with a smirk drawing his arm back to attack once more. Just before Ranma connected with any part of Mousse the duck boy placed the potion in front of Ranma's attack. Ranma's punch was coming at full speed and too late to stop. Ranma connected with the glass bottle shattering it and sending it's contents about the street in a cloud. Eventually the cloud dispersed and it left Ranma frozen in his spot as Mousse stared and slowly gained a broad smile. "Heh. That was the real one by the way." Mousse added as Ryoga came forward and punched the Amazon across the town. The boy wearing the bandana turned to the other.

"It's" Ranma swallowed. "Gone." Ryoga looked at Ranma and followed by whacking him over the head. "What'd you do that for pork-butt?" Ranma yelled rubbing the area Ryoga hit. "I have never seen you give up so easily before Ranma." Ryoga said disgusted by Ranma's forfeit. "What can I do if I don't have that cure? Nothing so it's over." Ranma said as he sat on the ground in anger. "You can start over again y'know?" Ryoga mentioned. Ranma scoffed and looked away. "Stupid idea." Ryoga clenched his fist and hit Ranma with a good punch this time. "Idiot! I gave up on Akane because I knew she was yours!" Ryoga roared. "If you give up that means I was stupid for doing that. I mean yeah Akari is a great girl, but I still get that weird feeling when I look at Akane. So I guess you wouldn't mind if I went back to the Tendo home and asked her out." Ranma stared at him a second and scoffed again. "Its not like you would find it, and you'd chicken out." Ranma murmured.

"Still" Ryoga began. "Akane is free to be mine." Ranma stood up and looked at the other boy. "Shut up." Ranma said and ran off in the other direction. Ryoga stood staring after. "Wasn't my house supposed to be the other way?"

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Just don't mention that it could have been better because I know that.

Thanks to:

Thanat0s

gyuumajo