When I wrote this chapter I was motivated, so it really came out fast. Also it has a special part of the main story. Just keep reading and you'll find out!
Now, the reply to reviews!
KiminaSaotome: I completely agree with you. I started working on a FF that was basically your idea. And…Please read the beginning for the other thing. (grin)
Ss4-link: One thing is sure. This is NOT the end. I think there will be some danger ahead and then it will truly be the end. About your remark, I thought so but I got a bit confused when thinking about the next line and it got out like that. I'll try to fix it as soon as possible.
L33t Ninja Boris: W00t W00t? What in monkey's hell is that?
Chapter 21:The Basics of Life
Hairy. That was what it felt like. Hairy and a bit wet. He opened his eyes to understand why it was so strange and he froze. A pink cute cat was in front of him. And also, when he looked at his arms, where Shampoo's clothes were, he noted he was no longer a "he", he was a "she".
He felt a loud sound passing by them but didn't realize what it was until now. A car had passed them at top speed and simply HAD to splash them from the water in the small puddle that was a couple of meters besides them.
"C-c-c-cat!" She shouted like maniac and scrammed in some direction. Shampoo grabbed of Ranma's chest because of the wind. The current was so strong; it didn't let her get off from that place.
Finally, after some hours of running, Ranma finally fell down. Completely wasted. She was lying down on the streets with the pink cat on top of her, yawning. Both fell asleep in a different way. Ranma from the lack of energy and Shampoo because it felt too good.
"Oh. Look at this girl! She'd be great for the master!" An old man said. He was holding a cane besides him and was wearing a blue robe. At the middle of the chest on the robe, a golden dragon was designed. He had white-grey hair mixed with a face that would scare anyone. Not for being ugly, it was for the eyes. They were intimidating black.
"Could be…What are we going to do with the cat?" Another man asked. This one was younger, possibly in his late twenties or early thirties. He had the same robe with the dragon, except his was deep blue, almost black.
"Sie, Sie, Sie…When are you going to learn?" The old man said shaking his head in disbelief. "You can see that the cat is attached to the girl. If we take only the girl, she'll be sad because she may think her cat is lost. But, if we take the cat too, she may be normal and could think reasonably when the Master asks her to be his bride."
"I understand, master Karo" Sie said bowing a bit in respect. "How do we carry them?"
"Same as always." Karo replied, producing a stretcher from inside his robes. "Lucky we have this folding stretcher." Karo pointed with a smile. Sie lifted Ranma with Shampoo on top of her and placed on the stretcher. "Now, hold on, young one." Karo placed a hand on Sie's shoulder and both disappeared, leaving a small smoke cloud behind.
"Oh…God…" Ranma whined putting her hands at her temples. "I feel like my head's going to split in half!" She exclaimed and opened her eyes. In that moment, she realized she was no longer in the Nerima's streets.
She was laying a pretty comfortable-looking bed. Four posts supported a small bed roof (Don't remember the name of it). Its dark brown colour showed the day-a-day polish. She stood up just to get her feet on a fine-class red rug that covered the whole floor.
There was a window at the wall left of the bed and a unique door to leave the room was opposite of the window. In front of the bed, a large closet occupied most of the wall. Its design of dragons wasn't lost in Ranma when she passed her hand over them
"Wow…Nicely done…Probably hand-made…" She valued. She approached the window to look at the surroundings and her breath was taken. The look was beautiful. A small prairie with flowers and trees in a perfect harmony and symphony of colours and shapes made that place one of the most amazing and gorgeous places she had ever seen. "Where am I?" She asked to no one.
"Meow…" That sound made her shudder from head to toes. Shampoo had woken up and was approaching Ranma. She just froze there in front of the window. When Shampoo pushed a bit of her leg with her head in a playful way, Ranma jumped.
"AAHHHHH!" She screamed in terror. The door burst open and immediately. Sie entered.
"What's wrong, Lady?" He asked gently. Ranma pointed at Shampoo.
"C-c-cat!" She stuttered and Sie clutched Shampoo with one hand.
"Oh. This is the problem. We don't like cats anyway. We'll have it sacrificed…" He said matter-of-factly.
"N-N-NO!" Ranma acted on instinct and jumped grabbing Shampoo from his hands. "I-I-I L-L-Love this c-c-cat very much…" Ranma pointed, thinking instinctively too. On the contrary for her, Shampoo was thinking a bit normally. Still shocked from hearing that she was going to be killed, then hearing that Ranma loved her.
"MEOW!" Shampoo exclaimed blissfully and as she could, she hugged Ranma on her chest. Ranma shuddered again, but this time it was a bit less significantly. Guess this fear is running o-out… Ranma thought looking at Shampoo with a difficultly noticeable blue shade.
"I-I love you, g-girl." Ranma assured. Mostly to herself. Shampoo just looked up. Her eyes looked remarkably alike to a pair of puppy eyes. There was little doubt that if both were in their human form, she would be kissing him until she was in the brink of dying of suffocation. "Y-You s-see…" Ranma started but kept looking at Shampoo "I-It's a s-she…" Ranma explained and looked at Sie.
"Oh. I understand. If you need anything, don't doubt to ask." He said and turned around to leave.
"Hey." Ranma called and Sie looked at her "Two things. What's your name and WHERE THE HELL AM I?" She fumed. Sie wasn't taken aback by her burst.
"My name is Sie. And this is the base of the Kokuryukai. My master will explain further your current status with us." Sie finished and cut every end that could mean a way to take information from him. "Is there anything you need?" He made emphasis in that word for obvious reason.
"Mh…" Ranma smirked. "Could you bring me some hot water and a bag of tea? Separately, please." Ranma asked and Sie bowed before leaving. First thing, change back to our former selves… Ranma thought looking fondly at the still attached cat on her chest. "And you, miss, are starting to really intimidate me." To this, Shampoo looked up and jumped down on the floor. She looked at Ranma with a bent head.
"Meow?" She asked and Ranma shivered.
"Y-You're l-l-looking f-for a p-punishment-t." She stammered. Shampoo bent her head even more. Looking even cuterthat it was almost illegal.
"Mew…" Shampoo replied with a hurt look. She went to the bed and snuggled into her clothes that somehow got there with Ranma. She sighed looking taken aback and simply went back to the window and stared at the picture.
Not three minutes later, Sie was back with a tray. "Miss. Here's what you asked for." He informed leaving the tray next to the door. To this, Shampoo jumped down from the bed and rushed to the kettle.
"Shampoo. Stay back. Y-You c-can't use that k-kettle with p-paws…" Ranma pointed and Shampoo slumped her head in defeat but understanding. "J-just get to your c-clothes." Ranma said while she approached. The cat gnawed the clothes from the bed and left them at the floor. She playfully entered the inside of the clothes and awaited. "K-kay, y-you f-first…" Ranma pointed. He was trying to get that fear of cats out of him, at least for now.
"Ranma!" Shampoo growled with her arms crossed and her back turned to him. Both had already turned back to their normal selves.
"Look, Shampoo. I know I said punishment, but I meant this!" He exclaimed and turned her around from her shoulder. Before she could squeak in surprise, she was lip-locked with him. She reacted quickly, though, by rounding his neck with her arms. Action that he replied with the same.
A feeling that was kind of new to Ranma travelled all the way through his spine. From toes to the very end of every of his hairs. His eyes remained closed for what looked like complete and eternal years. Even so, if felt like heaven had claimed him before time. Not that he was complaining it was the other way around. He was fighting WITH the current. For once, things started to look good for him. I think I've waited long enough to say this words. Enough to make my heart crush in pain.
"What's going on here?" A voice shouted. The two lip-locked couldn't care less about their surroundings. They only were interested in making the kiss longer and more passionate every second. "Sie! Karo!" The voice shouted again.
"Yes, Master?" Both appeared two seconds later. The moment they were in front of their master, they prostrated.
"I said RED! RED, YOU DUMB IDIOTS! WHAT ARE YOU? DALTONIC?" This time light poured through the window and the Master could be seen in perfect. He was in his middle twenties, possibly before. A mane of spiky red hairand a few strands of yellow covered his head. A face that showed experience guarded a pair of brown eyes that sparkled like a fire. He was wearing black armour with the design of the golden dragon on the chest.
"I'm sorry, Master Rae. But we brought a lady and a cat." Karo pointed out. Rae glared at him. Fire burning from his eyes, real fire. Karo made a step back how he could.
"DO YOU SEE A WOMAN AND A CAT? I SEE A COUPLE OF LOVERS COMPLETELY ENTRANCED IN KISSING!" Rae shouted at his face. He was utterly furious with the pair of incompetents that were their subordinates. Rae placed a hand on his face and let out a desperate sigh. "What am I going to do with you two…I asked a simple errand and you blow it. What part of "Get two bags of sugar" was too difficult for you to understand?" By this time, the three were out of the room and the door was closed. He may be the leader of the Kokuryukai, but he had common sense. And that sense told him that he better leave those two alone, at least for now.
"Boy! Don't they need to get some air?" Sie asked in a whisper from the torn door. An hour had passed and the couple was still lip-locked. Nevertheless, they showed no sign of stopping soon. Probably even going further, for what the two looking form the door noted.
"Looks like naught. Are they human at least? Or maybe they breathe from their hands, like the Peupeneuts." Karo replied. He was a book full of knowledge, but most of the time, he was rambling about strange things. Like UFOs or stuff like that.
"There we go again…" Sie sighed. When Karo started, there was nothing to stop him. The old man stared at him, dumbfounded. Sie just rolled his eyes. Some movement called their attention to the inside of the room. The pair changed positions now.
Instead of being kissing, they were hugging deeply. Like reuniting their souls after a long time they haven't seen each other. Both were beaming like there was no tomorrow. How I longed to kiss him again for a long time…But this time…it was the best ever. Must be because the feeling we now share. Shampoo thought fondly. Even so, she melted in Ranma's arms.
Surprises haven't ended there. Ranma smiled even deeply if that was possible. There was something that needed to be done. Done before he would chicken out and he would have to work a long while to say it. So there was no chance he was going to screw this up.
"Shampoo…" He whispered and she got back a few…centimetres and looked at his blue eyes. Again, blue met green. This time, both eyes sparkled like they never had. "I…need to tell you this now…" He followed and caressed her cheek with a hand. She bent her head towards the hand. "Wo ai ni, Shampoo. Wo ai ni..." He finished and not a second later, they were again lip-locked. This time, more concentrated, if that was possible too.
SO! What do you think? I WANTED to make Ranma admit his love in the 21ST chapter. It has a good meaning, probably something to do with esoterism or stuff like that. I think… Whatever. I wanted to make it in this chapter. AND I wanted to make the readers think that they had kissed before. THING THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN! MUAHAHA:P
Anyway, Story Resume! Ranma FINALLY admitted his love for the purple-haired "Amazon". And, they were in for another session of at least hour-long kissing. In case you ask, Ranma was "Kidnapped" for a change, and the red that Rae said when shouting at his idiots, you'll find out in next chapter! You know the drill! Review! Comment! Give Ideas! Flames! Whatever, Just SEND ITTTTT!