Akane felt the breeze once more as she did when Shampoo and Ukyo first appeared. She looked to her left and noticed the final name appear. Her eyes became wide and Ukyo stared at her nervous expression.
"Akane? What's wrong?"
"Nabiki" Akane muttered.
Shampoo and Ukyo looked at each other and then the list. Ukyo nodded fervently and placed her hand onto Akane's shoulder.
"What do you want me to do?"
"The mirror" Akane answered simply.
"Hmm? Mirror?"
"Walk in that direction" Akane pointed straight ahead, "It dead ends into a mirror. That's where you will find Nabiki."
"Mirror?" Shampoo said surprised.
"Okay" Ukyo nodded again standing up, "I'll get her for you. Wait right here" she walked into the haziness of the mist that had started to surround the area.
Akane sighed and stared at the ground hopelessly.
"The list is complete now" she replied bitterly.
"Huh?" Shampoo's eyes became wide, "What you mean?"
(Next Scene)
At the same moment Ryoga and Mousse had followed Happosai as far as they could. When they reached an alleyway they found the old man face down in ground, muttering over and over.
"Pretty" he said at first, "Pink."
"Pretty?" Ryoga said crouching down.
"Pink?" Mousse added, scratching his head.
"Oh no" Ryoga stood up, "Where did they go?"
"They couldn't have gone far," Mousse said adjusting his glasses to see better.
"Hey old man!" Ryoga shouted at Happosai, "Where did they go?"
"Pink" Happosai muttered again.
"Yes" a voice called near a bunch of boxes.
Ryoga and Mousse looked at each other and walked over to them and were surprised to see the two fakes standing rigidly still, their eyes staring straight ahead.
"Here they are" Ryoga replied.
"Why aren't they moving?" Mousse asked.
"I don't know. Ukyo" he waved his hand in front of her face, "Ukyo. No response. You try."
"Shampoo" Mousse did the same, "Shampoo. Nothing."
"They're like robots. But not robots" Ryoga added quickly when he saw Mousse's doubtful look, "I wonder why they are not moving?"
"But didn't one of them speak?"
"Yea. I think it was Ukyo who said yes. But I don't know why she said it. Hmm?" Ryoga placed his hand under his chin to think again.
"Well what are we supposed to do now?" Mousse asked bitterly.
"I don't know!" Ryoga yelled exasperated, "If I had any idea why they were like this, I would let you know!"
"Hey calm down. Don't get me mad at me."
"I can't help it. We were so close" he sank to the ground and placed his hands onto his knees, " So close to finding Akane and the others. So close to finally solving the stupid mystery of the little pink book."
"Yes" Shampoo and Ukyo said together.
"What?" Ryoga looked up.
"I didn't say anything."
"No. No. I know. But they did" he rose back up, "Ukyo."
"Yes master" she replied looking straight at him.
"Huh? Did she just call me master?"
"Uh yea."
"Why did she do that?"
"I don't know. But they both reacted at the same time."
"Yea. It must have been something I said. But what did I say. I said a lot. But the word that must have triggered them to speak must have been in my sentence somewhere."
"Well what did you say?"
"Um. I said something along the lines that we were so close to finding Akane and the others" he looked at the girls but they stood still.
"Nope that wasn't it" Mousse shook his head, "What else did you say?"
"Uh something about the little pink book."
"Yes" the girls, said again facing him.
"That's it Ryoga" Mousse replied excitedly, "It was in that sentence."
"But which one was it?"
"It had to be something in the last part of that sentence. They didn't react till you said those last three words."
"Okay. I'll give that a try. Uh Little" he replied but no response, "Um book" again no response.
"Try the last one" Mousse nodded.
"Okay. Pink."
"Yes" they both replied again.
Ryoga smiled.
"That's it. Pink."
"Yes" they repeated once more.
"Great now we know what makes them react."
"Yea" Mousse agreed, "But what makes them not react?"
"Huh?"
"Why were they standing still?"
"Good question. Let's think about that" Ryoga closed his eyes and thought for a few moments. Suddenly he opened his eyes completely sure. "Because we didn't give them any instructions. They keep saying yes every time I say the word Pink."
"Yes."
"So" Mousse said, "The obvious thing to do is to give it a test run."
"Right. Ukyo."
"Yes master" she replied turning to him.
"Hop up and down on one foot."
"What?" Mousse eyed him quizzically, "Why would you go and make her do a stupid thing like that?"
"I couldn't think of anything better than to. What?" he looked at him curious by the look on his face.
"Look" Mousse pointed.
Ryoga looked in the direction and was amazed to see the fake Ukyo hopping up and down on one foot flawlessly, just as Ryoga had requested of her.
"I don't believe it" he gasped, "It worked."
"I want to try" Mousse said eagerly.
"What? Try what?"
Mousse walked over to Shampoo. "Shampoo. Kiss me."
Shampoo remained still and Mousse scratched the back of his head, while Ryoga rolled his eyes and crossed his arms just like Ranma did.
"How come it isn't working?"
"You didn't say the magic word."
"Oh yea. Shampoo" he began.
But before he could continue Ryoga heard someone coming from further up the alleyway. He grabbed Ukyo's hand nervously.
"Somebody's coming. Uh" he looked to his left where he saw an empty side alley, big enough for the four of them to hide in, "Shampoo. Pink" he ordered, "Come with me" he ran into the alleyway, as Shampoo agreed and followed, with Mousse in the rear.
Ryoga leaned against the wall close to the edge as he saw two familiar faces appear. "Akane?" his eyes became wide.
"I want all the preparations done by tomorrow Nabiki. The ceremony will be in the afternoon. I know I can count on you."
"Ceremony?" Ryoga's eyes became wide as he remembered what Ranma had told him earlier that day, "I'm getting married" Ranma's voice echoed in his head, "Oh no" he thought, "We're running out of time."
"Is there anything more you expect of me?" the fake Nabiki replied.
"No" Akane shook her head, "Just take your place as the new Nabiki Tendo. By now all the other girls have been gathered and my two associates will transport them to the world where I have hidden the original. Once Ranma Saotome says I do, it'll all be over for her" she laughed evilly making Mousse's hair stand on end, and Ryoga's knees buckle with fear.
The two girls walked away from the alley and Ryoga slowly slid out and stared in their direction.
"We don't have much time left" he replied, "Just like Ranma said."
"That definitely wasn't Akane right?" Mousse said coming out with Shampoo and Ukyo who were now following Ryoga like puppy dogs.
"No. That was not my dear sweet Akane. Mousse we got to work fast."
"What are we going to do?" he asked.
"I think since we can control these two using that special word, they can come in real handy. So I will ask the fake Ukyo to lead me to the others."
"And what am I supposed to do?"
"You are going to do everything to stall that wedding."
"What? I can't do that" Mousse protested, "I want to help you find Shampoo."
"There's no time. Someone has to do it. Besides if the fake Shampoo doesn't show up at the wedding, then Akane will be suspicious. The fake Akane" he added.
"But. But."
"Just take her with you" Ryoga pushed Mousse forward, "Do what you can to try and stall the wedding, until I can find Akane. The real one."
"O okay" Mousse finally agreed.
"All right. Ukyo. Pink."
"Yes master" she nodded.
"I want you to lead me to the other world" he said remembering what the other Akane had said.
"Yes" she nodded and took off running down the long alleyway.
"Good luck Mousse!" Ryoga yelled as he took off after her, "And stall as long as you can!"
"Okay" Mousse sighed heavily, "Let's go Shampoo" she didn't move, "Oh shoot I forgot. Shampoo. Pink."
"Yes master."
He sighed again and took her hand wearily. "Let's go."
"Okay."
(Next Scene)
Nabiki embraced Akane tightly as she knelt down in relief.
"Are you okay Akane?"
"How did you get here Nabiki?" she asked.
"I'm not sure. But I guess I didn't play my cards so well."
"What?"
"I knew something was wrong with you, from the beginning" Nabiki admitted, "I wasn't sure what, until recently. I would spy on the other you when she would make mysterious phone calls. I guess I kind of hoped that she would lead me to the real you, but I let my guard down, not realizing I was in a trap."
"Oh Nabiki. It's all right" Akane nodded, "But what's more important now is to save Ranma."
"Hmm?"
"She's right" Ukyo agreed, "And you too Akane. Huh?" she felt the breeze, "What's going on?"
"It suddenly got so windy" Shampoo observed.
"And it's getting stronger" Akane frowned, "That means" she looked behind her.
The other three girls did the same and they noticed a large birdcage appear. Inside were twelve other girls all unconscious. Akane stood up and shook her head scared and her eyes completely.
"It's beginning. The list is complete."
(Next Scene)
Meanwhile Ryoga followed the fake Ukyo all the way down the alley. She made a turn to the left and they oddly enough came to another alley. Finally she stopped in front of a door that appeared to lead to somewhere vacant.
"Is this it?" he asked almost to excited to bear.
She nodded and opened the door, leading the way in. He took a deep breath and followed the mysterious duplicate into the dark, foreboding place.
(Till Next Time)
Authors Note: I know, these are a day late. But you will get both of them today. Oh I also decided to change the next two chapter names, because I really didn't like them, so that altered the story line a bit. So I hope you enjoyed it!
Note One: If there are any questions about the situation that the duck and the pig face, here is my theory:
I believe that in this type of situation Ryoga and Mousse typically lack the skills to seek out someone and help them, namely because Ryoga has no sense of direction, and Mousse is always losing his glasses, but in the case of this chapter they don't have the one who usually handles this type of problem, because he unfortunately is under a spell, so the one with no sense of direction has to step up, one because in a lot of ways I think that Ryoga is smarter than Mousse and two I like Ryoga much better than Mousse and I want him to shine in the way that Ranma usually does. So this is Ryoga's big heroic moment in the story! My tribute to everyone's favorite little black pig!
Next Chapter: The Wedding Crashers
Ryoga finds the real Ukyo and the two of them race against time to find a way to stop the wedding of Ranma and Kiana! Will they make it in time to save Akane's life? Find out next time!
