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Cure Lost, Love Found:
A Tale of Ranma
-- Ok, my little rant will open and probably close this chapter. The reason you're hearing from me now is so I can clear up any confusing bits about dialogue before you guys get lost. This chapter is basically Ranma fighting with his inner self (selves) to decide what he's going to do. Ok, well, there is only one way I can explain this that will make sense. You know how, in t.v. shows, when someone has to choose between good and evil, they have a little Angel pop up on one shoulder and a little devil pop up on the other? Well, this is the same idea, but it's not a fight between good and evil. All I want to get into right now is the technicalities of this chapter. First and foremost, there will be 3…count them 3 versions of Ranma present. The focus of our story, the Ranma who's making the big decision will be called RANMA (how simple?). The second Ranma, will be the little voice in Ranma's head (or on his shoulder if you prefer visuals) will be a male Ranma called RANMA-KUN (once again, simple). The third of our Ranma trio, will be the voice telling Ranma to keep his curse and memories, this voice of reason will be known as RANKO! Hey, she had to show up sometime didn't she…I couldn't just kill her! Anyway, I hope you don't get confused with all the different Ranma's talking to one another, and I can almost promise you that I will screw up in naming somewhere along the line, but, as always, review or e-mail any questions you may have. So…that's all, for now, and I hope you enjoy!
Ranma left the cave after the arrangement was made. Shampoo was going to go first, then Genma, then Mousse, and finally Ranma. Mousse really wanted to go last, but Ranma knew that he would need time. Shampoo was going to go today, but it was already night when she went down the long dark corridors of the cave, so Su-Lin said that she would cure the men the next day. This is when Ranma went out side.
There were no city lights to obstruct the view of the stars. It was a perfect place for Ranma to think. He sat down and let his legs hang over the edge of the cliff, while he lay on his back, his hands supporting his head like a pillow. The sky was a perfect midnight blue and the stars were perfect little sparkles, it was the perfect night for a hallucination. Ranma couldn't say that he was surprised when he heard the voices on his head. Frankly, it was one of the least crazy things that ever happened to him.
"You can't do it!" Ranko wasn't Happy about what Ranma was doing, and it wasn't because she was going to be gotten rid of, but because she'd have to take Ranma's memories with her.
"He HAS to do it! He needs to be a whole man again!" Ranma-kun was ever vigilant.
"What about the memories? What about Akane!? Don't you care about her?!" Ranko pulled the Akane card.
"Hey! You know I care about her! But we're going to see her again. It'll be better this time around. She wont be mad because of the girl thing and we'll be able to have a better relationship. Think of it this way, she's going to be really nice this time around and, if you recall, we liked her right away anyway." Ranma-kun thought he'd won.
"No we didn't!" Poor Ranma can't even admit it to himself.
"Come on Ranma. We're you. We know everything. We even know about the kiss. We're just here to help you make the right decision. Which is to keep your memories!"
"See, don't you want to get rid of her?" Ranma-kun stuck his tongue out at Ranko.
"Hey! It's not like this is my fault! And it doesn't count if Akane is acting all weird towards us. We like her because she's a tomboy."
"She'll still be a tomboy, just a nicer one." Ranma-kun was walking over to the shoulder that Ranko occupied.
"Do you really want her to act differently towards you? Don't you think it's unfair that she'd know you but you wont know her?" Ranko was pulling a Ranma's heart strings. She knew that Akane was her strong point. She knew that Ranma wouldn't mind forgetting some of the things that has happened since he got the curse, but Akane was the real fight in all this. Ranko had to convince Ranma to keep his memories. Ranma-kun wouldn't win this fight.
"I made that tape for a reason, if anyone acts differently I'll know."
"Yeah! We'd know." Ranma-kun already saw that Ranko was ready for another argument.
"Will you? If you don't have your memories then you could be led to believe that someone was acting on the video. How do you think you'll be able to tell someone is acting, when you don't even know them?" Ranko was really proud of herself. She was almost positive she was going to win this argument.
"I don't know what to do. I want to keep my memories, so I can remember her, but I also want to be a whole man for her and myself. Why does everything in my life have to be hard?" Ranma-kun and Ranko looked at each other and for the first time in that conversation they agreed on something.
"It just is." They replied at the same time. Then they disappeared into the air.
Su-Lin came out of the cave. She looked at Ranma and could tell that he was thinking about his cure. She was only able to cure a few people, but he was the only one who had such a hard time with his decision. Most people either jumped at the chance or only hesitated for a while. This Ranma was very different. According to what Shampoo had said before she was cured, Ranma had the best time of his life after he became cursed. For the first time in about 10 years he was settled and living in one place. He had a fiancée and he had a lot of friends. Su-Lin could tell that Ranma was having a hard time giving all that up. She approached Ranma.
"May I sit here?" Ranma opened his eyes and sat up.
"Sure." Su-Lin sat down next to Ranma, letting her legs hang over the side.
"I don't usually ask but, what is your curse?"
"Why are you asking me?"
"Well, I've never seen anyone this hesitant. I mean, I am aware that you are giving up but…well, I don't usually talk about the people that I've cured, but…the young man who I cured last was telling that he despised his curse. That it only caused him misery and pain and that it kept him away from the one he loved. He said he would do anything to get rid of it. Then I told him what he'd have to give up. He wasn't happy. He said that this girl was his only love, that she was the only woman who ever liked him. He didn't want to give her up. He also thought that if she ever knew about his curse, she'd hate him. So the young man decided that the law of averages would catch up with him one day and she'd find out. He decided that it was better to have loved and lost, and he got cured. His curse was bad, but along with the fact that the girl thought his cursed form was his pet, well…it was interesting. So, is your curse something you can continue living with or will it hurt you in the long run?" Ranma looked at Su-Lin. He could still see pain and hurt in her eyes, but he also noticed some curiosity.
"That story you told us earlier, about your fiancé, it was like a tragic love story. Kind of like Romeo and Juliet, but instead of a crappy ending, you changed it around and made something of it. See, what I'm going through is kind of the same thing. My fiancée, Akane, and I, well our fathers engaged us. See, we always fight and she's always hitting me and we just don't get along." Ranma paused.
"What are you trying to say?"
"I call her names like tomboy all the time and she calls me an idiot. I have other fiancées after me and she has a few suitors of her own. We always call the engagement off only to have it re-instilled by our fathers. It's a never-ending cycle of fighting. Yet, I don't want to forget a second of it. All the fights, all the name calling, all of it. I don't know if I can just give it all up." Su-Lin looked up at the stars and then back at Ranma.
"Well, I have two questions for you. Firstly, can you live with your curse?"
"Sure, I mean I've practically gotten used to it."
"Ok, can you live without the memories?" Ranma looked up at Su-Lin and then over the edge of the cliff. Su-Lin began walking back into the cave.
"Go to sleep Ranma. You will have plenty of time to think about this tomorrow."
"I'll go to sleep in a while." Su-Lin nodded towards Ranma and went back into the cave.
Ranma didn't sleep that night. All he could do was contemplate on what he should do. He didn't even realize that the sun was rising. It seemed as though no time had passed. Ranma didn't even realize that Mousse was standing next to him, until Mousse started speaking.
"Su-Lin says that Shampoo has woken up. It's been less then 24 hours. She said that if Shampoo recovered so quickly, then your father and us should be much quicker. You could be home in a couple of days Ranma. Are you excited?"
"I guess, I mean, I haven't really been gone that long so it's not like I miss anyone and by the time I get back I wont know anyone. How could I not be excited?"
"Ranma, you may forget Akane but you'll get her back. She knows how she feels about you and how you feel about her. Shampoo finally feels for me the way I feel for her and I lose her and then I lose my memory of her loving me! Ranma, you've had a hard life, we all know that, but you're not the only one! Think of it this way, you had a rough childhood and you have it rough now…but why is it rough for you now Ranma?"
"Cause I have all these people trying to attack me all the time, and people are always trying to kidnap my fiancée, the fact that I have more then one fiancée."
"Exactly! Do you know how many guys would kill to have your life! To be one of the top martial artist, to have women crawling all over you, pining for you, fighting for you! Ranma, you're the lucky one."
"That just goes to show that looks can be deceiving. I wouldn't wish my life on my worst enemy."
"That's what everyone says."
"Well I mean it Mousse. Sure it sucks that you and Shampoo are going to forget your feelings. But is there going to be anyone you don't remember trying to hunt you down for things you don't remember? Think about it, I go back to Nerima the Kunos will be there. I'll have Kodachi chasing after me and I wont know why. Then I'll have Kuno trying to kill me for stealing away Akane and the "pig-tailed" girl who wont even exist at that point. How am I supposed to deal with that? Even with the tapes, my memory wont just come back to me Mousse." Mousse looked at Ranma. Then looked towards the horizon.
"So are you going to do it?" Ranma stood up, stretched, and then headed for the mouth of the cave.
"What choice do I have? I have to be a man amongst men." With that Ranma walked back into the cave.
"You already are Ranma."
As Ranma walked back into the cave he noticed that his father was being led down into the depths. He also noticed that Cologne was missing.
"Su-Lin, where is Cologne?" Su-Lin turned towards Ranma.
"I believe that she is visiting with her grand-daughter. If you'd like to see her as well follow me. Bring Mousse along too." Su-Lin then resumed her journey down the tunnel paths.
"Hey Mousse! You wanna see Shampoo?" Mousse was next to Ranma in a flash, nodding his head. The two young men followed Su-Lin down the seemingly endless tunnel. It was a straight passageway, with no paths to either side of the main one.
After walking for about 10 minutes there was a pathway opening to the right. Su-Lin stopped next to the opening.
"The young lady is at the end of this path. When she first woke up, as per her request, I suggested she read her journal. After she read it, she asked to see her grandmother. They are both back there now, but I'm sure they wouldn't mind you two going to visit. You must remember that she has no memory after her curse. Try not to say anything that will conflict with her existing memories." Ranma and Mousse nodded at Su-Lin and then began walking down the pathway.
"Boy, don't you want to say anything to me before I lose my memory?" Ranma turned to his father.
"Yeah pop, how long until we were supposed to go to the Tendo's." Genma smiled at Ranma.
"Ranma! I'm so happy that you're thinking of your engagement! We will go to the Tendo's right after we leave this cave!" Ranma got very angry, as usual.
"I'm not thinking of the engagement! I just want to know when we're going back!"
"I will see you later boy, when I'm once again a human full time."
"Whatever pop." Ranma followed Mousse down the path towards Shampoo and Su-Lin and Genma continued down their own path.
Ranma and Mousse knew that they were coming up on Shampoos room when they heard the screaming in Chinese. Ranma and Mousse looked at each other.
"What is she saying?" Mousse looked crestfallen.
"She's saying that someone wrote in her journal."
"Then it should be ok for us to go in right. I mean she has no reason to blame us."
"If you knew what was written then you'd know that we're the prime suspects."
"What was in there." Mousse sat down and leaned against the wall.
"The whole plan that Shampoo and I came up with. It was perfect Ranma and she put it all in her journal so she'd remember it and I told her that she would lose all her memories and that the journal wasn't a safe bet. She said that she couldn't forget something that important. I guess I was right. Don't you hate it when that happens?" Ranma sat down next to Mousse.
"What was the plan exactly." Mousse looked up at the dark ceiling. There wasn't much light throughout the passage way, just a torch every 30 feet or so.
"It was perfect. Shampoo would get cured, she'd read her journal, we'd talk, I'd get cured, and then we'd leave. It was perfect no confrontation no mess. We even factored in the old hag. It worked out perfectly for us Ranma, we were going to do it, but now it's all over. I don't even see the point of getting cured…maybe I can meet a duck who'll like me." Ranma chuckled a little.
"Don't you think that's a little drastic. I mean, maybe if you talk to her then it'll all come back. And even if it doesn't, you should still get cured." Mousse looked at Ranma.
"Are you going to do it?" Ranma hung his head.
"I don't know. I want to, I REALLY do, but something is holding me back."
"It's her, you know it is Ranma. But if you did do it, then you'd also still have a chance to get everything you lose back. I don't have that chance. If I stay the way I am, then my memories get to live on." Mousse stood up and looked down the passageway towards the room Shampoo was staying in. He could still hear the yelling of the angry young woman and her grandmother trying to clam her down.
"Tell Su-Lin that I thank her for her gracious offer, but some things are too important to lose. And if you see Shampoo, tell her I said good-bye, for good. She'll no longer have to worry about Mousse following her around all the time." Ranma stood up too.
"Come one Mousse, don't be stupid." Mousse looked at Ranma and gave him a genuine smile.
"You know what Saotome, I think this is the first time that I'm being smart. I'm leaving for the greater good. You know, that whole 'if you love someone set them free' thing. I'll stop by Nerima sometime in the future. You won't know it, but I'll be there."
"Come on Mousse. Talk to her before you do this!" Mousse shook his head.
"There's no time for that. Good bye Ranma and thank you."
Mousse ran down the corridor back towards the exit to the cave. The cave that was supposed to save them all had all ready taken 2 lives. Ranma knew that his father had nothing especially important to lose, but there were still some things that were going to be lost. Ranma had a decision to make. He needed to really sit down and think about what he was going to do. Was he going to be like his father and Shampoo and risk everything for a cure? Or was he going to be like Mousse and risk his manhood for his memories?
A/N: Well? Did you guys see that coming? Did you see Mousse's a Shampoo's plan turning asunder and Mousse giving up his cure?! Well if you saw it coming anytime before this chapter then you're a psychic cause I didn't even know it was coming until 4 minutes ago, when I wrote it. Anyway, the eternal question is asked once again…what is Ranma going to do. And I warn you all not to take the title for granted. It doesn't necessarily mean what it appears to mean. What Ranma does is up to you guys. And FYI for anyone who cares…I know the chapters have been coming few and far between, but school will be over on the June 12th so they should come faster after that. Anyway, I hoped you liked this one and I hope that I didn't make the beginning too confusing. In fact, that whole "shoulder Ranma" thing was supposed to be this chapter…as in that was supposed to be the whole thing, but it got too confusing to write, so I expanded. On that note, I will see you soon (if I live through finals, that is) and please REVIEW…you're votes do make a difference. Ja!