Mousse and Ryoga walked to the park as fast as they could. As they arrived there Ryoga noticed that his companion kept glancing over his shoulders.
"What are you doing?" he asked exasperated.
"I'm just making sure she is not following me" Mousse replied a bit nervously as he straightened his glasses.
"Who?"
"Shampoo."
"What?" Ryoga's eyebrows rose questionly.
"Well I know it sounds kind of strange."
"Uh yea. Considering she's missing," Ryoga said crossing his arms.
"No she's not" Mousse retorted.
"Yes she is" Ryoga insisted.
"No. She's not. She's back at the Cat Café."
"Well how can that be? Since yesterday she was missing."
"Well she's not. I saw her this morning."
"Now wait a minute" Ryoga stopped him, "Shampoo was missing and she shows up and then last night Ukyo she" he couldn't finish the sentence, "Mousse can I ask you a question?"
"Uh huh" Mousse nodded.
"Has Shampoo been acting weird by any chance?"
"Well now that you mention it. She has been extra lovey dovey with me lately. I mean she has been sweet. Kind" he smiled slightly, "She hasn't hit me once."
"Well usually she despises you and does hit you" Ryoga nodded the palm of his right hand under his chin as he thought.
"Hey!" Mousse started to protest but he saw Ryoga's look, "Yea all right" he lowered his head.
"And Ukyo was trying to come onto me last night. She was all over me."
"Ukyo? But she's in love with Ranma."
"I know. So is Shampoo normally. Okay that settles it. Since Ranma is apparently under some kind of spell. It's up to the two of us to find the girls."
"What are you saying?" Mousse replied confused.
"I'm saying that the Shampoo that you have been with is not the real Shampoo and the Ukyo that I have been with isn't the real her either. They're fake."
"Then where is my Shampoo?" Mousse asked bitterly.
"That's what we have tofigure out. We have to find them."
"But Ryoga. You and I aren't good at that stuff."
"I know. But we have to be this time. Let's see think. I got it!" Ryoga clapped his hands together, "We'll use a Ranma method."
"Huh?"
"I have a date with Ukyo tonight."
Mousse looked at him quizzically and Ryoga shook his head exasperated again.
"The fake Ukyo" he added.
"Oh" Mousse nodded, as he understood.
"Why don't you bring the fake Shampoo and we'll make it a double date. And then somehow along the way we'll try to convince them to tell us where they are?"
"That's your plan? Are you sure that will work?" Mousse replied doubtful.
"Look it's all we got right now" Ryoga shook his head angrily, "Without Ranma, I can't believe I am saying this, we don't have a chance in hell. We're running out of options.
Mousse nodded as if he were onboard. Neither of them noticed at tiny little man jump onto Ryoga's head carrying a large sack, and knocking him over completely.
"What a haul! What a haul!" Happosai squealed as he dashed away.
Ryoga raised his hand up menacingly aiming it towards the little man. "Why that little" he grumbled but then he stopped and his eyes became wide, "Wait a minute" he smiled as he managed to stand, " I got an idea. An even better one. Let's follow him! Hey old man!" he shouted as he ran after him.
"Follow the old letch?" Mousse frowned crossing his arms.
"Come on Mousse!" Ryoga yelled, "Get the lead out!"
"Okay. Okay. I'm coming" Mousse grimaced as he sprinted after him.
(Next Scene)
"Kiana?" Shampoo and Ukyo said together.
"Yea. Do you remember Shampoo we decided to stay in Jusenkyo a little bit longer?"
"Mhm" Shampoo nodded, "But you were the one who suggested we stay there longer Akane."
"Yea. That was because I knew that the Ranma we were with wasn't the real Ranma."
"How did you know?" Ukyo asked.
"I just did. It was his demeanor."
"Was he nice to you?"
"Too nice" Akane nodded, "Very Un-Ranma like. But there were other things. One night he got me alone and he tried to, well he came onto me quite strongly."
"Ranma!" Shampoo exclaimed.
"Not Ranma" Akane replied angrily, "The fake Ranma."
"Oh right. Fake Ranma" Shampoo nodded sheepishly.
"Anyway" Ukyo shook her head at her stupidity, "How did you stop him?"
"I knocked him out with a log. But that's not the point. The point is I had to find the real Ranma. But I didn't find him until five days later."
"How you find him?" Shampoo asked.
"And more importantly how did you ditch the other Ranma?" Ukyo added.
"Well I. I sort of convinced the others to keep him busy for me."
"You mean me?" Shampoo pointed.
"Uh huh."
"Oh" Shampoo grimaced, "Shampoo can't believe she say such nice things to fake Ranma" she squealed again.
"Like that really is the issue here!" Ukyo shouted back, "Go on Akane. What happened after that?"
"Well like I said it was five days later. I walked around looking for him and I finally spotted him by the river."
"The river?"
"Yea. He was scooping water into a bucket. I ran over to speak to him but he didn't even look at me."
"Ranma did say he lost his memory" Ukyo nodded.
"Well he ignored me completely. So I decided to follow him wherever he went. Hoping that I would find out what happened to him. He led me down to these caves. And it was there I saw her. The woman who had imprisoned him. The woman who had bewitched him and made him forget everything he had ever known. He was totally doting on her too, like he was some sort of servant."
"How did you gethim away from her Akane?" Ukyo asked astonished.
"Well it wasn't easy" she admitted, "When she found out I was his fiancée, she had me go through all these tests and then when I passed almost every one of them, she gave me one last test."
"What was the test?" Shampoo asked now interested.
"It was" Akane said a little nervously, "A little more difficult then the other ones. Basically I had to find a way to pull him out of his spell."
"What did you do?" Ukyo said intrigued.
"I uh" Akane replied sweating a little, "I really don't want to say this in front of you two."
"How come Akane?"
"It's embarrassing" her face became flushed.
"Oh Okay. Then just tell us how it ends."
"Well I got him out of the spell and we dashed out of there. I mean we were free to go but uh apparently, she's a very sore loser and wanted revenge. And now she's getting it."
"How?" Shampoo asked.
"First of all she imprisoned me here and took my place. And second her and her henchmen are gathering girls to take back to Jusenkyo."
"Girls?" they both exclaimed.
"Yea. Look to your left, on the side wall" she pointed.
They both did and noticed the large list that was staring them right in the face.
"They have a list and everything," Akane added.
"That's what the list is for?" Ukyo replied, "That's why Shampoo and I are here. We signed that list. I mean our names are on that list."
"What do you mean?"
"Well apparently, Ranma was correct. It has everything to do with that little pink book."
"Pink book?" Shampoo said, "You mean the one Ranma give Shampoo?"
"Yes."
"Why did Ranma give Shampoo a book?" Akane asked quizzically.
"We'll tell you everything later Akane. But is there anything else involved with this plan of hers?"
"Yes" Akane nodded bitterly, "The last part of her plan is the worst. If it goes through, I won't make it."
"What?" Ukyo's eyes became wide.
"If she gets Ranma to say something then I will die."
"What does Ranma have to say?" Ukyo almost didn't say it.
"I do."
Shampoo and Ukyo looked at each other confused and then turned back to the terrified girl.
"She's planning on marrying Ranma."
"What?" the two girls exclaimed.
(Next Scene)
Meanwhile Akane and Nabiki were shopping downtown when the older sister stopped who she thought was her younger sister.
"Uh Akane. Not that I don't enjoy shopping but what are we doing down here?"
"There's just this cute little place I want to show you Nabiki" Akane replied taking her arm playfully, "It has my wedding dress."
"Okay. But not too long. I got a lot of things to do."
"Of course you do. No problem" she grinned, "Follow me."
Akane led her to a nearby alleyway where there was a small shop near the end. The door had a nicely decorated welcome sign. Inside as they opened the door, Nabiki noticed that it was just a tiny bridal shop, that despite it's appeal looked pretty deserted. An older plump little saleswoman came out of the back.
"Can I help you?" she asked her glasses shimmering, "Oh Miss Tendo. You're here for your wedding dress right?"
"I just wanted to show it to my sister" Akane smiled back.
"It's right in the back waiting for you."
"Thanks" Akane said with a nod as she took Nabiki's hand and led her to the back, "Well here we are," she said.
"Correct me if I'm wrong" Nabiki replied, "But is this a new place? I don't remember it being here."
"Uh it must be" Akane said taking the hanger of the dress, "I'm gonna go try this on. Why don't you look around" she walked to the back.
"Yea sure" Nabiki nodded as she walked over to the mirror and looked, "Wow. Clear mirror."
As she stared at it, the mirror suddenly reflected Akane's face.
"Huh? Akane?"
"Nabiki!" Akane called.
Nabiki screamed as she was pulled into the mirror. A couple moments later another Nabiki stepped out from the mirror with a grin. Akane came back with the wedding dress on.
"Well Nabiki" she smiled evilly, "Are you ready to plan my wedding?"
"Of course Akane" Nabiki grinned back menacingly, "I live only to serve you."
(Next Scene)
At the same moment Ryoga and Mousse were sitting at the table. Their double date had lasted for at least an hour at this point. So far they had been unsuccessful on retrieving information from the two. They just kept staring at them nervously, while the two fakes looked at them lovingly.
"Okay this is giving me the heebie-jeebies" Ryoga grumbled to himself.
"What are we supposed to do?" Mousse whispered as the two girls excused themselves to go to the ladies room.
"I don't know" Ryoga whispered back, "I have no clue. We need to get them outside in order to have the old man do his part though. Hey" he grinned when he saw them come back, "Do you think that, maybe now that we've had dinner" he said "That we can take a walk somewhere?"
"That sounds like fun" Ukyo agreed with a nod.
"Shampoo all for it."
"Great" Ryoga stood, "Let's go Mousse."
"Okay" he nodded uncertain but he took Shampoo's arm nonetheless.
When they arrived outside they walked a little further from the restaurant until suddenly Ryoga noticed something strange. All around them were several young girls walking around like they were all sleep walking.
"Look at this" he replied confused.
"What's going on?" Mousse wondered aloud.
"Mousse?" Shampoo looked at him quizzically.
"All these girls" Ryoga indicated, "They're acting kind of strange."
"Nothing look strange to me" Shampoo replied, "You Ukyo?"
"Nope. Everything looks normal to me."
Ryoga and Mousse looked at each other as Happosai finally appeared. "Shampoo Baby!" he shouted jumping into her chest.
"Ahh!" she screamed moving away after having hit him away, "Scary little man!"
Ukyo screamed too and then the two of them took of running as fast as they could. Mousse and Ryoga looked at each other again, shook their heads, and then took up the chase.
(Next Scene)
Meanwhile all over town in various homes there were many empty beds. On a hill stood two figures with dark wings sprouting from their backs.
"It's almost time" the brunette smiled while the blond chuckled evilly.
(Till Next Time)
Authors Note: Okay that's it till Friday! See you then!
Next Chapter: The Wedding
Ryoga and Mousse finally find Akane and others. The fake Nabiki has planned the wedding and it is upon them. It's a race against time and Akane's life. Find out what happens next time!
