Chapter VIII

The rain had stopped. Water dripped off the edges of the canopy.

Once the weather had changed, the foursome of Ryoga, Ranma, Akane, and Mousse, eventually left the safety of their temporary shelter on the construction site.

Mousse returned to collect his clothes left just at the edge of the property that had fallen off him when his curse activated and returned Ryoga's pants. He then decided to head back to the Cat Cafe and hoped that he wouldn't get trounced by Cologne from the whole affair. He knew it would get back to Shampoo's great-grandmother, so it was better to get it out in the open.

Mousse bid farewell, and left.

Ryoga's gear was at Ukyo's, so he followed Ranma and Akane back to the Tendo Dojo.

To their luck, the conference had ended for the day, so no one saw them sneak into the house and up to Ranma's room where Ranma got dressed properly. He gave back Ryoga's shirt.

It was then the issue about Brimstone resumed, and they had planned to do about him, but after a short while, little was resolved. Brimstone would obviously return to attack Ryoga again, and everyone had to be ready.

Soon after, Soun Tendo knocked, and then opened Ranma's door. "Akane? Ranma? And Ryoga? I thought I heard voices. Ranma, what happened to my order from the Cat Cafe?"

Ranma looked at Ryoga, opened his mouth to say something, but then Ryoga spoke up. "It's my fault, Mr. Tendo. I was on the war path again with Ranma and it fell into the canal."

Soun rolled his eyes. "That's good money down the drain, son," he said.

"I'm sorry, I'll work it off, somehow," Ryoga said. "I always repay my debts. I was at Ukyo's delivery carrier for an order, too," he added. "I lost that, too. She's going to kill me."

"I won't think Ukyo will go that far, but I understand that she will be upset," Soun said. "A restaurant's reputation precedes it, and if an order doesn't arrive on time, and in good order, well, it gets around that the restaurant is unreliable, despite the food being very good."

"Luckily, we're not the kind of people to badmouth anyone, isn't that right, Dad?" Akane said.

Soun nodded. "However, it's more money lost, and I'm not a piggy-bank. You two have to stop fighting every time you see each other," he said to Ranma and Ryoga collectively. "Those orders were for the medical conference the Tendo Dojo is hosting, and they are paying a lot of money for these three days. I'm disappointed in you boys. This is important to me. The dojo needs capital. Thanks to Kasumi, she was able to ration things until the end of the day. But this better not happen tomorrow. Or I will be very upset."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Tendo," Ryoga said. "Truly, I am."

"He can't take all the blame, Mr. Tendo," Ranma said.

"Damn right!"

"Look! Akane already gave us a stern lecture. We have bigger things to think about now."

"Like what? What's more important?" Soun demanded.

"We were attacked, Dad," Akane spoke up, "by some weird priest with an axe to grind with Ryoga. This priest also said that was attending the medical conference."

Akane explained further and Ryoga filled in any gaps.

Soun Tendo mused. "A priest?" He shook his head. "I haven't seen a young priest with red-hair anywhere at the conference. He would most certainly be noticed."

"He lied to us?" Ranma said.

Soun looked at Ryoga. "I met an older gentleman with grey hair from a distant village, who demonstrated the 'Hellfire Technique' you described, Ryoga. It was quite remarkable. He said it's only used for medicine. He did explain it was derived from an old martial arts that was once used to kill, but that was a long time ago, and now it has been adapted to save people."

Ryoga gasped. "He's here at the conference?" He looked at Ranma with confusion.

"Then what the hell is Brimstone so pissed off about?" Ranma said, grumbling. "He put us through hell." He punched a fist into a palm. "If his uncle is alive…he has some explainin' to do!"

"Unless Brimstone isn't who he claims to be?" Akane speculated. "Maybe he's been lying about everything the whole time? Plenty of people have both a grudge against you Ranma, and Ryoga, for different things…"

Ranma punched a fist into his palm right side up. "Well, he aint leavin' town without tell him why he attacked us."

"Claiming I killed his uncle? Now I've been proven innocent." Ryoga breathed out a sigh of relief. "I was worried there. Now I want answers. No one accusesRyoga Hibiki of such a thing! I'll pay Brimstone back ten fold for this outrage!"

"Who attack Ryoga?" suddenly came a voice. Perched on the bedroom window sill was Shampoo. Luckily the window was open or the Amazon would have smashed it to get in.

"Don't you ever use doors, Shampoo?" Akane asked.

"No need, window quicker route," Shampoo said. "Need to talk with Ranma about cream."

"Oh, yeah," Ranma said, momentarily excited. "With all this business with Brimstone, I totally forgot about it. Akane, you still have it, right? Hope ya didn't lose it?"

"Have better solution," Shampoo interjected, she fully stepped in. She reached into her shirt and produced a small bottle secretly nestled between her breasts. "Very best chance to cure curse problem. In bottle, water turns any pool source into instant Jusenkyo. One immersion cures person, for single use only. This water from Spring of Drowned Man."

Ranma's eyes widened with both awe and bewilderment. "Really? Truly?" Then he eyed Shampoo with skepticism. "You're not foolin' me again, blackmailin' me to marry you, huh, Shampoo? Just like some of the other cures you've produced?"

"Like the water proof soap," Akane mentioned.

"Would not lie to Ranma about this," Shampoo said. "Waited months for delivery from Amazon tribe to get, trusted sources. Give cream back to Shampoo, I give you bottle."

"Why?" Akane asked. "Doesn't the cream work?"

Shampoo looked at her. "Silly girl, don't you know anatomy? Ranma too handsome, too muscular for all that cream to work. Instructions say must spread everywhere. Maybe good for petit girl like you, but not for man's-man like Ranma."

Ranma smiled confidently. "Well, I'm can't argue with her there," he said. "From the size of the tube of cream, it wouldn't be able to spread thick enough to cover all of me. I'm all man!" He winked, and stood like a proud peacock with his hands on his hips, and chest thrust out.

"Oh, you're already spreading things out thick enough, Ranma," Akane remarked, "I can pungent smell the ego oozing out of you, as we speak."

Ranma stuck out his tongue at her Akane, mockingly.

"No!" Ryoga jumped in. Everyone looked at him. Akane was the only one in the room that didn't know he was cursed. "I mean, no," he quieted his tone, "use both the water and the cream. Keep it. Think of it as a safeguard if the water doesn't work."

"Listen, stupid Ryoga," Shampoo said, her face folded up in annoyance. "This between me and Ranma, deal with own problem by self."

"Own problem?" Akane said. "Ryoga, are you…"

Ryoga gasped.

Ranma laughed. "Only cursed with hating me," he said.

"T-that's right," Ryoga said. "And if this works, then I get first crack at the new you, Ranma," following through with the lie.

"Sure, pal. But you wouldn't be able to beat me, even in your dreams."

"Your struggle, your own," Shampoo said. "Won't ask Ranma to marry Shampoo. Want Ranma to come to her willingly. But for water of Spring of Drowned Man, will ask for retribution."

"I think you mean restitution, Shampoo," Akane corrected.

Shampoo mused. "Yes, that right. Forgive me. No want to fight Ranma, want to help."

Ranma eyed her wearily, and the bottle. He sighed. "How much, Shampoo? Will it be expensive? I'll do almost anythin'!"

Shampoo smiled. "Almost anything good enough," she said. "But no money, just kiss."

"You want me to kiss you, Shampoo? Sounds awfully expensive to me." Ranma looked at Akane. She was getting angry, her face red. If he did kiss Shampoo for the water, Akane would evoke retribution on him. "C'mon, Akane," he said. "It might be my best chance at a cure."

"Do whatever you want, Ranma! I don't care! Marry Shampoo, too!"

"Don't be that way, Akane. Everything will work out fine, trust me. I have a plan."

"And so do I," Ryoga said, and then plucked the bottle out from Shampoo's hand. "Yes, it's mine! You're right, Ranma. Everything will work out fine, for me."

And Ryoga ran out of the room.

Through clenched teeth, Ranma said, "Come back'ere, you sneakin' little—"

And Ranma ran after him.

To be continued...