DISCLAIMER: I do not own or really have anything to do with Ranma ½. All characters, trademarks, copyrights, etc, are the properties of their respective owners. I only wish I owned Ranma ½. I'm just a humble fanfiction writer.
Key:
sound effects
"Spoken words"
Thoughts
"Words with stress or emphasis on them, like threats or teasing"
-----
"What's wrong with Akane?"
"I'm not sure, Nabiki, she's been like this for a couple of days now," answered Nabiki's elder sister, Kasumi.
"Ranma, you have any idea? Did you say something to her?"
Ranma looked up from his breakfast, trying to keep an eye on his food to keep his pop from stealing any of it. "Mmm," he grunted, shaking his head.
"Ranma, I believe that's the longest conversation we've had in a month," Nabiki said, trying to prod at least another sound out of Ranma. Her answer from the pig-tailed boy was a shrug. She began grinding her teeth as he turned his attention back to his food, and started pounding his father's head, as half his rice had vanished. A quick flip and a splash later, and a panda was joining them for breakfast.
[That wasn't very nice, boy!] declared a sign.
A non-committal shrug was all he got.
[It's all training! If you aren't…] flip […fast enough to keep your own food…] flip […how are you going to fight?]
CRACK! CRACK! CRUNCH! WHAP WHAP WHAP WHAP WHAP!
A badly mutilated panda was left whimpering in pain at his two newly dislocated arms, several large bruises, and a broken sign over his head. [Oh, I see…] signed the panda before collapsing. Ranma finished his food, and began eating his father's.
"Oh, Ranma, would you please make sure Akane is awake, and bring her down for breakfast? I don't her to go hungry."
Ranma looked up at Kasumi, then shrugged. He put down the last of his father's food, and headed for the stairs.
"What is wrong with him?" muttered Nabiki.
"I'm sure he just has a lot on his mind, Nabiki," came her father's reply. "So, Saotome, shall we visit Dr. Tofu this morning, or do you want me to pop your arms back in for you so we can get back to our game of Shogi?"
[Please!]
"Father's right, Nabiki. He's probably just thinking."
"Kasumi, Ranma isn't exactly the thinking type, and he's been like this for three months. There's something going on, and I want to know what it is."
"Don't worry about it. He'll be back to his normal self before you know it." Still, Kasumi took a worried look at the stairs before returning to her tea.
-----
In her room, Akane was sitting on her bed, lost in thought. Why is he going to visit my mother's grave? It's where I was going, but… she's my mom! Why has he been going to her? And why should he care about whether or not he hurts me? And keeping Kuno off of my back for me? Why? It's not like he cares about me… right? Or maybe…
knock knock from her door.
Akane looked up at her door. "Come in."
The door opened, and Ranma stood in the doorway, looking at her.
"Ranma! Hi!" said a startled Akane. Is he here to talk? Please let him at least say something to me! She jumped to her feet."Um, please, come in! Sit down!" Why am I so enthusiastic about this?
Akane watched as Ranma's eyes widened, then a blush ran over his face as he spun around, facing the hallway.
"Ranma?"
"B-breakfast, Akane," he said quickly, before shutting the door.
Akane blinked, surprised. He said something to me? Why was he blushing? All I did was ask him to come in. Why would that…? Akane frowned, wondering what about being asked in had caused him to break a three month stretch of silence at her. I'll have to think about that. I'd better go down and get breakfast, or Kasumi will start to get worried. Now, what should I wear today?
Wear?
Akane looked down, and realized what about the invitation into her room had so startled Ranma. "Eeep!"
She was still only wearing a towel from her morning bath.
-----
"Perhaps, Saotome, it is time we tried something to get the two to talk to each other."
"Indeed, Tendo. The way things are going between them, the schools will never be joined. Maybe a training trip with only the two of them would at least get them talking again."
"You may be right, Saotome. And once we get them talking, we can try other ideas to see if we can finally get them-"
shkk "Leave them alone."
Genma and Soun turned to find themselves facing an irate Nodoka with her sword pulled three inches out of its sheath. They paled, cringing.
"P-perhaps, Tendo, we should leave them alone."
"I-indeed Saotome. They know what's best for them, right?"
"You may be right, Tendo. A-after all, it's probably just s-something kids go through!"
They both visibly relaxed as Nodoka sat back down and resumed drinking her tea.
Unfortunately, while Genma's and Soun's plans had been crashed, there were other plans about bringing Ranma out of his silent state already being worked on. One was upstairs in Akane's room, the other across town, in the Nekohanten.
-----
Shampoo was scurrying about the kitchen of the Nekohanten, trying to find her great-grandmother's hidden stash of Amazon spices. She knew that the Elder had some, but she could never find them.
"Shampoo need spices for ramen for Airen," she muttered to herself. "Where great-grandmother hide from Shampoo?"
She was so busy crouching on the floor digging through some cupboards, she didn't notice Mousse enter and start wandering through the kitchen, trying to find himself some breakfast, until he tripped over her.
crash Shampoo found herself flipped over on her back, with a pair of legs over her stomach. She smacked them off, and sat up. "Stupid Mousse."
Mousse jumped to his feet. He reached his hands out, and encountered a handful of hair, not far off of the ground.
"Elder Cologne! So sorry about that, I didn't notice that you were there!" Then he muttered under his breath, "Dried up mummy that you are."
Shampoo brought a fist down over his head, sending him crashing back to the ground. "Stupid duckboy! Put glasses on!"
Mousse jumped back to his feet, slipping his glasses over his eyes. "Ahh, Shampoo! Where did Elder Cologne go?"
Cursing the Amazon boy's horrendous eyesight, Shampoo ground her teeth together, and ignored the question. "No matter! Mousse help Shampoo find great-grandmother Amazon spices!"
"What do you want them for?" Mousse had seen and heard of several of Shampoo's attempts to 'help' Ranma marry her with some assistance from the very things she sought, and as such, wasn't sure he wanted her to get a hold of them.
"Shampoo…" she considered, then decided that lying would probably get his help better than the truth. "Shampoo want know how Aire- how Ranma feel about Shampoo. Want to feed Ranma truth-telling spice in ramen."
"Really?" Mousse seemed beside himself at the thought.
"Really! Mousse help Shampoo to find?"
"Of course, Shampoo! Hold on!" Shampoo watched as Mousse started digging through his own clothes, throwing out chains, daggers, several small bombs, a mannequin, and what looked suspiciously like his own underwear before he simply started shaking his sleeves over the floor. Shampoo watched as a familiar carved wooden box flew out of his sleeves, clutched in the hands of-
"Ryoga?" asked Mousse.
"NOW WHERE AM I?!"
"Pig-boy give!" Shampoo snatched the box out of the Eternally Lost Boy's arms.
"Violent kitchen destroyer house that way! Go!" She shoved Ryoga out, not even noticing as he set in off in the completely wrong direction. He was last seen running away from drug lords somewhere in Columbia, with neither himself nor his pursuers understanding a word the other said, but both were convinced the other was there just to make their life difficult.
"Do you need any help, Shampoo?" asked a gleeful Mousse.
Shampoo smiled evilly at the thought of Mousse helping make this batch of ramen. "Shampoo need to get all spices ready. Mousse make ramen for Shampoo?"
"Of course, Shampoo! I'll get right to it!" The grinning Mousse quickly ran around the kitchen, grabbing at everything in sight, before setting the ramen to boil. Meanwhile, Shampoo set out everything she needed from the spice rack.
"Shampoo! Shampoo! Where are you?" Cologne's voice wandered out from the lobby of the Nekohanten.
"Aiyah! Great-grandmother no need see this!" Shampoo ran out into the lobby, trying to keep the elder Amazon from discovering Shampoo's work. "Shampoo here, great-grandmother!"
Mousse, on the other hand, was watching the ramen, gleefully thinking to himself of what he hoped would be Ranma's forced and honest rejection of Shampoo. His glasses fogged from standing near the boiling water, and he pushed them up to the top of his head. Mousse turned, and finally noticed his obsessions' absence.
"Well, I may as well finish the ramen for her! The sooner Ranma Saotome eats it, the better!" The now half-blind Amazon boy ignored the ingredients set out by Shampoo, and grabbed what he thought were the right spices from the rack. It never even occurred to him to put his glasses back on to check before he started adding them to the ramen.
-----
"Aiyah! Great-grandmother so close to finding what Shampoo doing!" It had taken every inch of willpower and cunning the Amazon possessed to keep the Elder from pogo-sticking her way into the kitchen.
Shampoo stomped back into the kitchen. Mousse was leaning up against the wall. "Oh, hey Shampoo, the ramen will be done in a minute."
"This good! Mousse find box for Shampoo to carry ramen?"
"Of course, Shampoo! Anything at all for you!" Mousse ran from the kitchen, hunting down one of the Nekohanten's many delivery boxes.
Shampoo smiled. She didn't want Mousse to see what spices she was going to add. He might realize she was not going to add a truth serum. She gathered the bottles she had set out before her great-grandmother had called for her, and started measuring out the exact amounts needed before adding them. She smiled at her work. This will work! She thought in her native Chinese. I just have to make sure I'm the first girl he sees tomorrow morning!
The Amazon bombshell quickly started replacing the spices she used back into the spice rack. She was so caught up in the satisfaction that her plan was going to bring, that she didn't see how many other spices were out of order. "Mousse!" she cried.
"Here, Shampoo! I've got the box!" the blind boy declared as he ran back into the kitchen. "And your bike!" In one hand, Mousse held a delivery carton, in the other…
Cologne was glaring at the blind fool. crack! "Do I look like a bicycle to you?!" Now entirely irritated, the Chinese Elder pogo-sticked back out into the lounge.
Shampoo dragged Mousse back to his feet. "Silly duckboy need be more careful!" She turned, and grabbed the closed spice rack. "Here! Put back!" she demanded. Mousse took the spice rack, and slipped it up a sleeve.
"No wonder Shampoo never find," the Amazon girl grumbled under her breath. "Great-grandmother hide in place Shampoo never go. Who want search Mousse clothes with Mousse still in clothes?" She boxed up the ramen, and began walking outside for her bike. Hopping on, she set out for the Tendo dojo. Mousse followed, jumping from roof to roof. Inside his head, Mousse was practically dancing. Tomorrow, Saotome! Tomorrow, you will tell Shampoo you don't want her! Then I can have Shampoo for myself!
-----
Akane had so far discarded half of her wardrobe from her closet to her floor, and she was still digging. If one had stood anywhere within five feet of her closet door, they would have been found themselves buried within moments under her relentless tossing of rejected clothes. It had taken her the better part of an hour to finally realize why Ranma had been going to her mother's grave, and ever since then she'd been ransacking her closet for something to wear. It was pretty obvious, once she'd thought about it. Ranma was simply looking for someone to talk to.
Flashblack
If he wanted to talk to someone, why not someone here? Why my mother? Why not…
Akane began to work through a list of people Ranma knew.
Nabiki. No way, she'd charge him for every minute he talked, and then sell whatever he told her to the highest bidder.
His dad? Akane groaned at the thought. Genma Saotome's idea of a good talk was lecturing while simultaneously trying to steal Ranma's food.
Ukyo? No, he only forgave her a few days ago. He wouldn't go to talk to her, she'd only want to talk about her and Ranma's 'relationship' and why he hasn't married her yet.
Shampoo? Ugh, no. That brainless bimbo would only latch onto him like a two-armed octopus and wouldn't let go until she got him into her bed. Cologne wouldn't work, either. He'd probably snap after hearing her call him 'son-in-law' a few times.
Ryoga? Ryoga's idea of talking to Ranma is a telling Ranma he's about to die. That wouldn't work at all.
My dad? Visions of Soun Tendo amid waterworks and sprouting the Tendo Demon Head filled her imagination. Never mind.
Aunt Nodoka? More visions, this time of certain signed oaths involving seppuku and of flashing katanas at the hand of Ranma's mother. Scratch that.
Me? Never mind, I'm the one he talks to the least to of all. At least everyone else gets the occasional noise out of him.
Ranma'd go to one of the Kuno's about as fast as he'd wear skirts as a guy in front of his mother.
Mousse? Mousse seemed a reasonable idea. All Mousse really wanted was Shampoo. On the other hand, I'm pretty sure if Shampoo knew Ranma was talking to him, she could pry anything Ranma said out of him, so, no Mousse.
Dr. Tofu? Maybe… but Tofu-sensei would be more likely to try and help too much, and might even come to me with Ranma's problems. And god help Ranma if Tofu-sensei came over to talk to him. A Kasumi-infected Tofu was a dangerous thing.
Kasumi? Akane paused for a moment on her eldest sister. Kasumi, she knew, would patiently listen to Hitler's problems. Although… she's so trusting, she would tell the first person who asked her about it.
Akane never considered Happosai for moment. And his friend's at school would only pester him to death with questions.
In the end, Akane realized that Ranma only knew one other person in the city. Someone who could not tell him to go away, wouldn't blackmail him, wouldn't hit him or hit on him, and could not tell anyone his secrets, and at the same time, was practically family.
Her mother.
End Flashback
A depressed sounding groan came from the depths of Akane's closet. "Don't I own anything… attractive to wear? I am not going to Nabiki for clothes!"
Why not? she thought at herself.
Because she'd probably make me pay a rental fee!
So just take something. She's taken your clothes without asking so many times, it's only fair that you get to do it too!
But… Nabiki's taller than me! Her clothes wouldn't be tight enough to fit properly!
What's the problem? Isn't that what you're looking for? Something so horribly distracting, that Ranma is forced to say something?
Well, yes, but… but I don't want something that makes him act like a pervert! I want him to speak to me, not stare at me! Not that I'd mind him looking a little bit… Ack! What am I thinking?! We're looking for clothes! Clothes!
And so Akane went to search her sister's closet.
-----
Ranma was out for a walk, silently considering what he was doing. Annoyingly, Nabiki was following him. She kept bugging him with questions like, "Why aren't you talking to Akane?" "Where do you go in the morning?" and the one which he was sure was just to get on his nerves "Is your girl side having PMS or something?" Ranma was doing his best to ignore her.
Everything I say to Akane seems to either get her mad or make her cry. He thought. I thought she'd be better off if I just stopped talking to her, and I know she'd kill me if she was the only one I didn't talk to. She'd just think I was ignoring her, and mallet me into the next city. I can't say I miss talking to pop, and it's a relief not having to deal with Nabiki's scheming. And seeing her face getting red with frustration since she can't figure out how I'm leaving is payback for all those damn photos she sold to Kuno!
ring ring "Hey Ranma," said Nabiki.
I never really talked to Kasumi much, but I feel kinda bad about not at least thanking her for the great food…
ring ring again. "Ranma…"
But why… why do I feel so bad about not talking to Akane? Why do I miss it? It's not like I have feelings for her? Right? Just because I want to keep her safe, and would do anything for her (well, maybe not eat her cooking), and would die to save her-
RING RING "You might want to move or something…"
- and I'm doing this just so that I don't hurt her, and I would have actually married her if it wasn't for everyone… interrupting… and always… getting… in the… way…
Do I… like her?
CRASH
Ranma's train of thought was severely interrupted by a slight distraction. Something that had become a familiar feel by now. Shampoo had once again landed her bike on Ranma with a precision any paratrooper would have been proud of.
"Nihao Ai- Ranma!"
Ranma straitened, feeling the bicycle fall from his back. "You," he said in the coldest voice he could muster. Nabiki cringed at that tone of voice.
Shampoo winced. What no one other than her and Ranma knew was that the next night after the failed wedding, Shampoo had attempted to crawl into Ranma's room and force herself on him while he slept. Only panda-Genma pitching about in his sleep from a nightmare (involving a certain pact with his wife) had stopped the plan, as he had lashed out at Ranma's head and woken him. Ranma had, for once, lost his temper, and had dragged Shampoo out of the house, and told her never to set foot in the Tendo house without his permission. She'd then tried to ambush him on the way to school a few days later, and had taken the wrong route to apologize.
She'd tried to treat him like an Amazon male.
Furious at having Shampoo tell him he should apologize for kicking her out and for not sleeping with him when she wanted to, he'd come close to bludgeoning her with her own bicycle, only to miss because he pulled to one side once he realized what he was doing, and Cologne showing up and yanking her out of the way. Ranma had been just able to hear the old ghoul's hissed warning at Shampoo-
"Foolish girl! Are you trying to destroy us?! You are provoking a blooded warrior whose first kill was a god! Saffron died at his hands! He could break us both before we could so much as raise a hand to defend ourselves!"
Ranma had forbidden her from seeing him on the way to or from school from that moment, and had then forced her to stop calling him 'Airen.' He had never called her by name since, calling her "You" or, if Shampoo tried glomping him, "the Amazon girl."
"Shampoo want make apology."
Ranma only raised an eyebrow.
"Shampoo very sorry for what Shampoo did. Knew Ranma was blooded warrior-" She didn't see Ranma wince. He didn't like to be reminded that he had killed someone, even if he didn't have a choice. "-but treated like weak Amazon male. Made ramen for Ranma, hope Ranma begin forgive Shampoo." She set the delivery box down next to Ranma, and picked her bike up. She jumped on, and turned back to the Nekohanten.
Now, I wonder exactly what she's apologizing for, and what she meant by treating Ranma like a weak Amazon male… thought Nabiki. "Excuse me for intruding on this," she said. "But you didn't put something… weird in that food, did you?"
Shampoo turned, and looked at Nabiki. "Shampoo no make that ramen. Mousse make."
"How do we know that?"
"She isn't lying, Nabiki Tendo. I made it." All three of the people on the ground looked up to see Mousse sitting on the edge of the roof.
"See? Ramen safe. Mousse make. Is apology." Shampoo started pedaling as Mousse started his rooftop journey back.
"Good start."
Shampoo stopped, turning to look back. "What Ranma say?"
He still had his back to her, but said, "Good start for an apology." He paused, then, "Shampoo."
Brightening considerably at the use of her name, Shampoo paused, then said "Thank you, Ranma," before she began pedaling home.
Ranma sighed as Shampoo left. Well, he thought. I am kinda hungry.
Nabiki blinked, surprised. Alright, what pieces of this puzzle am I missing? She watched as Ranma picked up the bowl of ramen from the delivery box, and jumped up onto the fence.
"Are you really going to eat that, Saotome? There could be something in it."
Ranma sighed. Well, he thought, I should at least explain why I think it's safe, otherwise I'm going to hear her questioning me about it forever.
"Mousse made it, but Shampoo delivered it with him watching. Should be safe."
Nabiki goggled at what was, in recent terms, a speech from her sister's fiancée. She tried to see if she could get another couple of sentences from him. "Ok, but how good a cook is Mousse? Have you had his cooking before? For all you know, he could be as bad in the kitchen as Akane."
Ranma shrugged, and Nabiki ground her teeth as Ranma's silent treatment resumed. She glared at him as he brought the first of the noodles up to his mouth, and devoured them so fast, she wondered if he even chewed his food. The bowl dropped from his hands, falling into the water on the other side of the fence, as Ranma himself fell forward onto the sidewalk.
"Hey, are you alright? Ranma? Say something!" Nabiki shook the martial artist by his shoulders.
"P… p… paint thinner?"
Nabiki groaned. "It wasn't drugged, but you should have known that someone who can't tell a mailbox from man without his glasses would be a disaster in cooking. At least you don't seem to have the cramps that come with Akane's cooking."
"G… gasoline?"
-----
Akane looked over the outfit laying across her bed. It was all Nabiki's clothing, and she had picked out the clothes she thought would best suit her plan.
What am I doing? Am I really going to wear this? For Ranma?! No, no, I'm not wearing it for him, I'm wearing it for me. So that I can get him talking to me again! Ugh, this is stupid, just because he actually said something this morning because he saw me dressed in a towel… A blush rose to her cheeks at the thought. In just a towel doesn't mean he'll start talking because of one outfit. Even if it is a little… well, revealing. But it's the only idea I've got.
Oh, now that's sad, when the best idea I've got is parading around in skimpy clothes for Ranma. But… I want the old Ranma back, even if it takes… this.
Gathering her nerve, she hung the outfit up in her closet. Tomorrow. Tomorrow is when it's going to happen, Ranma.
-----
Across town, Shampoo sat in the Nekohanten, waiting. The potion she had made (though she did not know if it's current nature) would take effect as Ranma slept. And when he saw her in the morning…
Tomorrow, Shampoo thought to herself. Tomorrow is when it happen, Airen.
-----
A/N
Sorry it took so long to get chapter 2 out. I have very little personal time, and when I get time to myself, I try to relax, and sometimes forget about writing. I'll have chapter 3 out as soon as I can, k?
This is my first fanfic (ever) so please read and review for me, let me know how I'm doing
Updated:
I reposted the chapter with some corrections to some spelling and grammatical errors. Nothing new added.
8-2-04
Reposted chapter 2, let me know if I missed any mistakes.