Disclaimer: This is inspired by the work of Takahashi Rumiko. All
characters (that I have not created or borrowed from other sources)
belong to her. This is a fanfiction, and is not intended to violate the
rights of those who hold control over the Ranma series. The same can be
said of the X-men: Evolution series and those who create it.

I have no money for legal problems and would very much appreciate
it if no one tries to sue me. Thank you very much. Some of the first
part of the fic was written by the Author at the Anime Adventures. They
are...Demonhawk01, Philip Weigel, Dr. What, the person who suggested
Kuno's power and others. Plus Jim Bader and Don Depresor for Mousse's
powers suggestion. Thanks.

C&C welcomed at

(An: I'm experimanting with giving Rogue a southern accent.
Bear with me)

Ranma X
Chapter Eight
Japanese

Things had been quiet for the last few days as Rogue went through
her school days. Things were normal at home. Ranma was a major presence
as he used the Danger Room for constant pratice. He was getting better
with his mutant powers. He was also putting them through a strict martial
arts boot camp. Some of it was harsh. Hitting boulder's swinging at them
in a certain spot. Catching chestnuts off of a hot roasting fire. Extreme
exercise. It was wearing them out.

Then there was the thoughts that Ranma brought up in her. She had to admit
that she was falling for a hunky guy like Kitty had. But there was something
more. He seemed to hold mystery and secrets in his nature. Things they had
yet to find out, even with what Ranma told them. He was something deeper than
the egomaniac martial artist that he presented to the world. Or that was what
Rogue thought.

But know she was torn between two men. Something Kitty might have done. Two
men of mystery that had attracted her fancy. Ranma or the unknown Acolyte Remy.
Both were powerful personalities with a great sense of self. Both had potent
mutants powers and skills in the martial arts. Both of them sexy in their
own kind of way.

Both driving her crazy as she tried to make up her mind to figure out who she
wanted to be with.

Rogue sighed as she thought over with boy to attract. 'At least things canna
get any worse."

Then a purple haired whirlwind burst throught one of the outside door. She
was holding an order of food of some type. She wandered up to a group of students
and asked them in a perky tone, "Have you seen Ranma Saotome. I have an order for
Ranma Saotome."

The boy's stared at the perky waitress as she seemed to bounce. Her body didn't
seem to upset them. The girls also stared at her, or more exactly glared at her.
They didn't like the look of this competion. One girl answer, "There's no Ranma
here. Are you sure that you have the right place?" Her voice implied that the girl
was a bimbo or an airhead.

Rogue looked at the girl and tried to figure out how she knew Ranma. She was a
very sexy young woman with purple hair and reddish eyes. Rogue wondered if she
was a mutant. Maybe one from Japan that knew Ranma. Maybe this girl could tell
Rogue more about Ranma. "Ah know Ranma," she called out.

The girl was instantly at her side and asking. "Do you know where Ranma is? I
haven't seen him on the school's grounds."

"He doesn't go to this school. He goes to the Charles Xavier Insitute for the
Gifted, like me." Rogue told the girl, adding "Mah name is Rogue."

"I am Shampoo. It is a pleasure to meet you." Shampoo said, shaking Rogue's
gloved hand.

"So how do you know Ranma?" Rogue answered innocently.

"I was and still might be his wife." Shampoo added with an equally innocent smile.

Dead silence hit the hall way.

"Say what?" Rogue said, shocked at the news that Ranma might be married. It
would certainly change her social life. This was something that Ranma had not
told them. Fiancees, yes. Wife, no.

"He defeated me in honorable combat, and barring a certain condition, according
to Amazon Law I am stilled married." Shampoo told her, cheerfully. "Can you take
me to Ranma? I like to discuss things with him." Shampoo hoped that her new friend
would be able to help her with the crisis that was effecting her marriage to Ranma.

"Excuse me, but that sounds a little crazy." Rogue said, not sure what to make of
this new issue in Ranma's life. This was something important. The Professor and Ranma
should be told of this. "Ah'll tell you what. Ah'll take you to the manor after school.
Ah just have to make a call first." Rogue told Shampoo. "Ah'll meet you here after
school."

"Okay. I'll meet you back here then." Shampoo said as she left the building. She
had left behind a great impact. "I'll be bringing my Great Grandmother too.

Rogue ran to a payphone to tell the Professor and Ranma of the visitor that she
would be bring to the manor. 'Ranma has to know about that... that... woman.' Rogue
thought as she moved to warn him.

Later...

Ranma thought over what was happening at the moment. His old rivals were coming back,
powered by the forces of Magneto. He seemed to be losing his touch. Now some of his old
fiancee problems were coming back. That had been a surprise.

Shampoo was coming here after school, looking for him. She said that she had an
important matter to discuss with him. What could it be? It couldn't just be their hunt
for him to fulfill his 'marriage' with Shampoo? They would have just sprung that on him.
They had some issue with him.

"So what do you think, Professor?" Ranma asked the man that he was coming to respect.

"I think that it might be helpful for you to discuss this issue with your life before
the institute. It is part of your life. You have to face it. But you don't have to face
it alone." Xavier told him as they sat and waited for Cologne and Shampoo. "In fact, it
is part of my job to help my students to face the troubles that will be affecting their
lives. Not just deal with their mutancy."

"I'm just glad that Rogue gave us the heads up before she came over with Shampoo. At
least now that I can think about what I'm going to say to her about the 'marriage'. I
had alwasy thought of her as another fiancee. But now I know that they are determined
to have me wed Shampoo. Even if it meant crossing continent." Ranma said, adding "I just
have to make sure that they know that I'm no longer interested in marrying Shampoo."

"But what about Mousse? Should we tell them about him?" Ranma asked, curious at the
actions they should take with their amazon prisoner.

"I think it would be best for now to avoid telling them about him. We don't know what
their reaction to him might be yet. Plus we know that Mousse has been brainwashed to
bring you in to Magneto. We don't want to give him help." Xavier said. "I'm still
gathering info from Lodestone about his master. Something useful might fall out of his
head.

"I just hope that they get here soon." Ranma said.

Then there was a knock on the study door. The doors opened to reveal an old small woman
and attarctive teen lead by Rogue.

"Matriarch Cologne and Miss Shampoo, Welcome to the Xavier Institute for the Gifted. I'm
the headmaster, Charles Xavier. And this is my student, who you know as Saotome Ranma. May
I ask for the reason of the visit?" Charles asked the newcommers.

"We are here to discuss Ranma's marriage to Shampoo." Cologne said as she pogo into the
room. Shampoo followed. Rogue stood by the door waiting.

"Rogue, I think that it might be best that you work on your studies at the moment." The
professor said as he welcomed the ladies into the room for some tea.

"Yes, Professor." Rogue said as she closed the door. But she didn't leave the hall, as she
listened into to the action in the study.

"So you're here to discuss the marriage that Ranma entered into with you're great
granddaughter Shampoo?" Charles asked.

"Yes, an important issue came up that must be answered." Cologne said as she took a
cup of tea.

"Well, no matter what you say, Elder. The answer is no. I am not going to marry Shampoo.
I'm not ready for marriage yet. And she has proven herself to be untrustworthy." Ranma said
harshly. He even choked out the word elder. He was more use calling her Old Ghoul.

"Ranma, how can you say that? I'm trustworthy. I'm just as good as any of the other
fiancees. Even better in some cases. You can trust me." Shampoo said as she tried to
convince Ranma that she was a good fiancee and wife.

Ranma was shocked at how well Shampoo was speaking English after speaking poor Japanese. But
he answered her. "Maybe I could, if you didn't try to force my love with potions and red
threads of love. You just don't get it. Never have, never will!" Ranma was upset at the Amazon.

"But this brings up that we have been talking about. We must ask. Are you a mutant?" Cologne
asked, not liking how this was going. It didn't looked like this was going to end happily for
her great granddaughter.

"What does that have to do with anything? Is it against Amazon law to marry a mutant?" Ranma
was surprised by the direction the conversation had taken. He coated himself with his aura of
darkforce. "I happen to be a mutant. What do you think about that?"

"This changes everything." Cologne said softly.

"Why? Does your tribe have problems with mutants?" Xavier said, adding "Ranma, I think that's
enough for now." Xavier gave a look to Ranma that told the boy that Xavier had let him go this
far and not any further. Ranma released his aura.

"No. Power bloods as we call them are highly respected and welcomed into the tribe with great
joy and hope. We believe that their powers would enhance the tribe as a whole." Cologne said.
Ranma was upset at that note as he figured that it was a sure thing that the amazons would
still be after him.

"So we will have to...release Ranma from the vows of marriage." Ranma was about to say
something, but his face froze. Cologne continued, "Our respect for the Power bloods prevents
us from 'encouraging' them into marriage. From now on it will be up to Shampoo's charms only."

'As unlikely as that will be from the reaction of son-in...Ranma.' Cologne thought as she
assessed the situation. 'Still, there were others in the school that might fall for Shampoo's
various charms. Or they might know those that might fall for her.' Shampoo looked depressed at
Ranma's reaction to her.

"I think that it might be best for us to move along. We will be in the neighbourhood.
Shampoo!" Cologne called, as she got up to move. Shampoo slowly followed, the two amazon left.

"That was interesting." Xavier said, turning to Ranma. "It looks like that you are free from
one engagement. Still, it might be disconserting for you to still be living in an area with a
woman that is still interested in you even if you are not."

"Plus, I didn't think that you had to reveal your powers in such a drastic manner. It was a
little extreme and I was a little disappointed with you. But I could see that this upset you.
I'm just think that you could have handled it better." Xavier said.

"I know, but this has been weighing on my mind for a while. And I will handle being in the
same city as Shampoo. I'll try to do better." Ranma said as he headed for his room.

Xavier watched after him and thought what to do next. Ranma seemed to be an important
figure in the conflict between himself and Magneto. Magneto was even gaining stronger followers
from the collection of those that had been after Ranma. Each one with a strong mutant power.

He dreaded to think what was next.

Somewhere in China...

Pantyhose Taro sat and talked with the feral stranger. They had originally fought, with him
in his cursed form of the minotaur like monster that he become under cold water. It was harsh
battle, but I was one that he couldn't believe that he had lost. Curse that hot springs! But
it seemed that the man had been looking for him to give him an offer for more power.

Taro's life had been tough. He had been forced to fight for everything that he had gained in
his life. All because of one man that he couldn't beat with all of the power that he had
gathered for himself. He had to live in shame. Shame due to his name! What kind of life
could he have with the name of Pantyhose!

But here he was being offered more power in exchange for working for this man. A man that
wanted him to fight with a man that he knew well. To fight Fem-boy!

Somehow Fem-boy had gained new powers as one of these mutants that he had been hearing rumours
of from the cities that he passed through. Beings that held great powers. Powers that could be
his. Powers that he could use against the old man to gain a new name that would fit him better
than the name that he had been cursed with.

"So all I have to do is agree to fight Ranma and I will get this power?" Taro said, looking at
the man.

"That's what I said. Magento's willing to 'improve' you if you fight this Ranma kid."
Sabretooth said, with a toothy grin.

"Sign me up!" Said Taro as prepared to fight for his right to get a better name.

Back at Xavier's...

"Rogue, wait up." cried out a voice as they walked in the hall. Rogue stopped and turned
around to look at the face of Ranma. The young man stopped and said, "I like to thank you for
telling me about Shampoo. It really helped me with dealing with her."

"It's no problem. Ah just can't believe that you were married to her due to some crazy laws."
Rogue told him. She couldn't believe the strange laws that had bound Shampoo to Ranma. How
could anyone expect to marry someone who beat them in combat?

"Luckly, it was those some said laws that let me out of the marriage with her. Who knew that
being a mutant could be so handy." Ranma said. "Still I like to thank you for the help after
all of the trouble that had been happening to me after all of this time. Aand I think I know
a way. If it works."

"What do you mean?" Rogue asked, not realizing what Ranma was planning. He had the look of
someone with a crazy idea in their head. Like he was going to try something that was most
likely dangerous. Rogue was a little nervious.

"Just this." Ranma said as his dark aura flared to life covering him from head to toe. Then he
leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

After the kiss, Rogue jumped back getting ready to feel the power surge in her as she
normally did as her powers activated. But instead she felt nothing. No new memories, no
new powers. She felt nothing. Her powers hand't work. "How?" She cried out in shock.

Ranma returned his aura back inside him. "I figured that it took skin to skin contact for
your powers to work. Clothes blocked it, so I figured that my forcefield could also block it
out. I just figured that you might like to have a chance to be able to feel something."

Rogue stood in shock at the sensations that she was feeling. She could feel the ghost
sensation of something touching her cheek. It ws more like a pressure than anything else. But
it was something that was tangable. All of a sudden her world had changed from one were she
could never be touched and would be alone. Now there was a chance that she could touch someone
without draining them of their memories and powers. It wasn't much of a touch but it was
something more than nothing.

"Rogue, are you alright?" Ranma asked, as he watched her react.

"Ah fine. It's just that Ah have a lot to think about. Could we talk more later?" Rogue asked.
She need to get somewhere else to think about the effects of Ranma's kiss had on her life.

"My door's always open. See ya later." Ranma said as he left for the main room.

Rogue stood in the hall for a little while thinking of what had happened. Or the effects that
it had on her love life. Torn between two men, it now became more interesting. Before they were
evenly match as she couldn't touch either of them without her powers getting in the way. Now
one of them had the power to foil her powers. A least for a little bit.

Could her future be with Ranma? What kind of future could they find together? And if she
decided to go after Ranma, how could she do it without seeming like Shampoo or one of his
other fiancees that he had been running way from.

What should she do?