Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½.

Cure Lost, Love Found:

A Tale of Ranma

Ranma figured that they were more then half way to China. Cologne's bird flew really fast. Ranma was trying to avoid the thoughts in his mind, but when neither Mousse nor Shampoo were talking and his father and Cologne were playing shogi, it was had to do. He really wanted his cure, but he really wanted his memories. Since he heard about the cure his mind has been racing back and fourth. He was tired of it. Ranma decided that he would make his final decision when he got to the cave and not a second sooner.

Shampoo was being awfully quite. In fact, she hadn't talked at the entire trip. Ranma noticed that she was writing in a journal, but when he tried to read over her shoulder her noticed that she was writing in Chinese. Ranma looked over at Mousse. He was lying in the farthest corner from Shampoo looking up at the sky. Ranma decided to break the silence.

"So Mousse, what are you going to do when you're cured." Without looking away from the sky.

"Nothing. I won't even realize that anything happened. Maybe if it's hot I'll go swimming, but I did that even with my curse."

"Ok, what are you going to do Shampoo?" Shampoo closed her book at looked towards Mousse.

"Last thing Shampoo remember before getting cursed was that girl type Ranma and boy type Ranma were the same. Shampoo thought that it no fair that person she love and person she hate were the same, and that person she love was a woman. Shampoo wanted to train so love never hurt her again. Shampoo was training for heart of ice. Shampoo will continue training." Mousse looked towards Shampoo. Ranma noticed this and decided he would help. Ranma's idea of help wasn't really helpful at all though.

"Why don't you take Mousse training with you? I mean, you could practice on him, he's a pretty good fighter, and no risk of love hurting you there. Mousse would never hurt you." Mousse grunted at Ranma's statement.

"Even if she did remember you saying that Saotome, it's out of the question. Shampoo couldn't use me in the heart of ice training. It'd be better if she took someone she liked and trained herself to hate them. If she took me she wouldn't do much training." Shampoo was really mad and hurt by Mousses statement. Sure she said that she hated him a few times, but he should know that she didn't mean it (AN: I'll explain this theory at the end of the chapter.). She was so enraged that she began yelling at Mousse.

~Mousse! You know that isn't true! You're my friend, you have been since we were young!~

~Well you never show it! All you ever do is degrade me and say how good Ranma is.~

~It's not my fault you love me! And it's not my fault I love him!~

~Shampoo, what would you do if Ranma treated you the way you treat me. Sure you can't help loving him, but he doesn't love you. You're his friend Shampoo nothing more. What if he made you feel like you were less? What if you were always being compared to Akane? What if he turned your love for him against you? No one can help loving someone else Shampoo, but you can help the way you treat them!~ Mousse looked towards the sky again. Ranma was really confused and wasn't too happy with the words that he recognized. He knew that he heard his name, Akane's name and the word love quite a few times. Ranma decided that he'd be safer watching his dad and the old ghoul play shogi, but they had stopped when the yelling started.

After a few minutes Shampoo stood up and walked over to Mousse. She leaned on one knee, grabbed Mousse by his collar, and asked him a question.

~Why do you love me?~ Without any hesitation Mousse answered.

~I don't know. I just do.~

~That's not an answer.~

~Why do you love Saotome?~

~Because he bested me in combat.~

~Is that your reason, because of that stupid law?~

~It was the reason I became interested in him. I grew to love him when I got to know him. Now why do you love me?~

~When you got to know him! What do you even know about him except that he studies martial arts? Do you even know his favorite color? His favorite food? His favorite anything?~

~You don't need to know that to love someone. You just need to know them. I'll ask you one more time, and if you don't answer me I'll throw you off this bird. Why do you love me.~

~Because I know you Shampoo. I know everything about you. That is why I love you and I'll always love you. In spite of everything, you're still you Shampoo and I will always love you.~

~Why do you have to say the right thing at the wrong moment. I wont remember this Mousse.~

~You don't have to remember it. It'll always be true and if anything was meant to be between us, you'll know one day.~ Shampoo removed Mousse's glasses and looked into his eyes. She never noticed how entrancing and clear they were. Mousse was a little uncomfortable with the position he was in. Shampoo was holding him by the collar and was looking him in the eyes. They were also a little close. Mousse grabbed Shampoo's hand to remove it from his collar when she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him, knocking Mousse onto his back. Mousse was a little surprised at Shampoo's actions, but was even more surprised by what she was whispering, so only Mousse would hear.

~Wo ai ni.~ Mousse couldn't believe that she had said this. He also couldn't believe that it happened at this place and time, but it was just his luck.

From what Mousse could tell they were about a half-hour away from their destination. He could have stayed in this position with Shampoo the whole time, but there were three other people staring at him, and the old ghoul didn't have a friendly expression on her face. Mousse decided that he would cover for Shampoo, as much as he didn't want to do it.

"Yes, I will miss Ranma too Shampoo, but don't you think it would be smarter if you cried on his shoulder." Shampoo looked up at Mousse and noticed that his attention was directed at the other passengers.

"Haha, Mousse right. Shampoo so silly. Ranma you I miss!" Reluctantly, Shampoo pulled away from Mousse and glomped Ranma.

AN: I just realized that I am a really big liar. I tell you people that this chapter is going to be about one thing and then I go and make it completely different. Oh well, I got it posted within 2 hours of the last one, I think I should get some points for that. As for the whole "Sure she said that she hated him a few times, but he should know that she didn't mean it" thing…you know how when you're joking around with your friends you say that you hate them….or is that just me? Either way, I believe that Shampoo just does this to the extreme. If she really hated Mousse as much as she acts like she does then he'd be long gone by now. Another thing: the under dog is always my favorite character and I love giving them what they want and since I can't (well not can't, but wont) give Akane to Ryoga, I have to give Shampoo to Mousse. I know…it happened rather quickly, but they're pressed for time, and they've known each other since childhood so add those years in. Questions to ask yourself about the next chapter: What is Cologne going to do about Shampoo? Is Shampoo going to go along with Cologne's original plan? And, most importantly, is Ranma going to go through with the cure? I promise you on my manga collection that the next chapter is going to be the arrival in China and Su-Lin's (that is what I named her right, it's been so long I can't remember) official entrance. We are going to learn her history and what her little potion is made of (hopefully I'll remember). Until next time, Enjoy your reading and please review! Bye!