Chapter IX

"Special delivery!" A man wearing a mail carrier uniform walked into the Cat Cafe, he had a small box. "This package is for…"

The late evening crowd was small for the Cat Cafe tonight, so the delivery was well timed.

Shampoo was collecting a payment from a customer sitting at a table near-by when she turned after hearing her name. She went to the mail carrier and accepted the package.

The carrier tipped his hat and then left.

Shampoo turned the small box in her hand, and brought it back to the serving corner at the back, where Cologne, her great-grandmother, was preparing a meal for a customer.

Cologne looked at Shampoo. "What did you get in the mail, child?"

"Too, too, very long service," Shampoo said. "Ask for this long, long time ago."

"What is it, Shampoo?" Cologne asked.

Shampoo opened the box. Inside, securely wrapped in hay, was a small bottle of water. "This very special water, great-grandmother," Shampoo said. "A very special ask from Woman Amazon Tribe back home. Told to be careful when collecting it. Not fall in to spring."

"Not fall into spring?" Cologne repeated. "Is that water from Jusenkyo?"

Shampoo looked at it in the light. It was crystal clear. "Yes, but more important, water from Drowned Man spring. Will give to Ranma, so he no change no more."

Cologne looked perplexed. "Order up! Two orders of wanton soup!" she said. With Mousse out on a delivery, the Cat Cafe was short staffed. After Shampoo dished out the order, she returned. "Shampoo, that's not even a mouthful to drink. For the curse to dissolve, Ranma would have to be completely immersed in the water to take effect."

"True," Shampoo said, "but I learn secret. But test will tell. This water special, refined."

Shampoo handed over a letter to Cologne that was inside the box. She read it, and it explained how to use it, and that it had gone through a process of renewal—everything explained. "If this is true, Shampoo," Cologne said, "then my future son-in-law won't hesitate to marry you if he wants the curse lifted. You should tell him that he has to marry you to get the cure."

Shampoo mused to herself for a moment. "Wonder if Ranma use cream yet? Told him would cure Jusenkyo curse, instructions must be followed closely."

"What cream?"

"Salesman in town claim cream could cure curse of Jusenkyo. No funny business, I ask. Told me guarantee to work. Checked out, authentic item, had seal of approval on tube. Thought use on self, but instructions too too unsure. Gave to Ranma, as gift of love."

"You better hope he hasn't used it yet, Shampoo," Cologne insisted. "Get it back, or you'll lose the opportunity of a lifetime to make Ranma your husband."

"Would not think he use," Shampoo said. "Tube too small for male size, maybe for girl? Male body has too many muscle, like on Ranma. But if he ask, I would spread on him."

Shampoo blushed.

Cologne withheld a smile, then said, "Nevertheless, rope Ranma in with this. If he ever wants the curse to be lifted, he'll marry you. Persuade him this is his best chance."

"Oh, Shampoo don't need much to rope in Ranma with womanly charms," she said. "But Ranma don't like cats. How cure me? Stupid me. Only asked for small amount from Drowned Man spring. Should've asked for water from spring of Drowned Woman."

"You can deal with that later, Shampoo," Cologne said eagerly. "Get the cream back from Ranma, claim you were deceived, then after, use it on yourself."

Shampoo smiled. "Good plan, great-grandmother," she said, looking down at herself, and thinking that the tube of cream probably would work on her. "If Ranma want cure, will have to give me trade. And will make offer Ranma can't resist."

"That's my grand-grandchild," Cologne said. "Extort Ranma for all he's worth!"


Ukyo wondered about Ryoga. She hadn't heard back that the order she asked him to delivery had been intercepted, so she figured everything was okay.

She had heard there were a band of the thieves who liked to target food delivery carriers. Her business had not been targeted to date, but some of her competitors had been. And there was some bizarre description of the thief—an animal of some sort: small, dark fur, with a long tail, and flurry, white ears. Some said it was some kind of exotic cat. But not Shampoo.

Ukyo began to clean up. Today's take was a good one. Since moving to Nerima, and setting up shop, her Okonomiyaki business had soared. Good food and service, the reviews said. She had a long list of returning customers and the phone kept ringing for deliveries.

As she was tallying up the day's sales, someone walked through her curtain. She had been so emerged in counting that she had forgotten to lock up first. "I'm sorry, but we're closed for the day," she said. "You'll have to come back tomorrow."

"That's too bad," the grey-haired, middle-aged man said. "I wanted to enjoy some of your delicious Okonomiyaki."

Ukyo nodded, glad that her reputation was for "delicious Okonomiyaki" was getting around. The rumour mill helped generate sales.

She had cleaned up for the night, but turning away a customer would be bad for business. She smiled, fired up the fry table, and said, "What can I get you?"

The man ordered, and sat down on a bench at the table.

"You don't look like you're around here," Uyko remarked.

"I'm not," he said. "I'm in town for a medical conference at the Tendo Dojo for the next few days. It's being originated for small, rural communities, to exchange ideas for patient care."

"Oh yes, I heard that was happening," she said, to make conversion, prepping the batter.

"I'm a doctor in a small village, and this my first time coming to one these things. I embrace traditional medicine, but I thought it would come see what one of these things was about. I'm quite impressed with what I've heard from other doctors and experts in my field. Even the most minute technique could provide my village with better health care."

"We all want better health care," Ukyo said, flipping his order, after spreading ingredients. "We have a small clinic in town run by Doctor Tofu, he's really good."

"I know, and I met him at the conference," the man said. "He knows a lot for a small town doctor. He even made a speech on bone fractures and ligament repair. But, come to think about it, he kept getting distracted for some reason, and doing bizarre stuff whenever the oldest daughter of the host came into sight. Ah, but I know love when I see it."

Ukyo smiled, but said nothing about it. It wasn't her place. But she knew Dr. Tofu liked Kasumi.

Ukyo heard the conference was going well. When a destination was chosen for a site for conference, it was decided a small venue was all that was needed. And Nermia was chosen. When the Town Council was consulted, the Tendo Dojo was suggested. It would not only boost the reputation of the dojo, but also generate some welcome revenue.

Ukyo was pleased to hear that, because rumour had it that the Tendo Dojo was hitting a rocky spell with students. Ranma was advertising for the dojo himself at school, and they had the occasional member, mostly kids, but it didn't generate enough of a buzz for more students.

The man then sighed. "I just wish my nephew could've have joined me," he continued. "He's a priest, but he also helps me out in my clinic. I guess he had to be somewhere else to be. He never even told me that he was leaving the village. It may have been his best chance at a cure."

"A cure?" Uyko asked.

The man waved his hand. "Pay it no mind, I'm just rambling."

"Oh," Ukyo said.

"I was told that an order was placed by the host, a Soun Tendo, from here," he continued, "but it never arrived. I only had a small portion of Okonomiyaki, the conference is over for today, so that's why I'm here, I really enjoyed it."

"Thank you," Ukyo said.

Ukyo had sent out Ryoga. He was supposed to have delivered the order hours ago. Why hadn't he delivered it? Stupid Ryoga! You're fired!

An order not delivered was bad for her reputation.

A little while later, as the man sat at the fry table, enjoying his order, Uyko suddenly winced.

The man noticed. "Are you okay, Miss?"

Ukyo put a hand to her right shoulder. "I'm fine, my shoulders are just a little sore from working all day. I'm the only one that cooks and cleans. I did have someone helping me out recently, my no-good, unreliable delivery boy, but I'm afraid, eventually, I guess, the strain gets to you." She smiled momentarily. "I can't be too hard in my delivery boy, however. Ryoga gives really good neck massages." She blushed. "He has such strong, magic hands."

The man perked up. "Ryoga?" He mused. "I know a Ryoga who came to visit our village for a few weeks. He was a very helpful lad. For allowing him to stay, so he could gather up supplies, and his strength, after training so long in the wilderness—or so he said—he aided me in helping patients at my clinic. I showed him a lot of things, including a few relaxing techniques, massaging techniques, and other things, for patients who were stressed at their jobs."

Ukyo looked at him. "He wasn't wearing rough clothes, and a yellow, black bandana, was he?"

"That's him," the man said. "He's your delivery boy?"

"In a sense, I found him half-dead on my restaurant door-step a few days ago," Ukyo stated. "He was blocking the entry way, so I let him stay in the back for a couple of days to rest up. He's kind of a wanderer, a nomad. He's been helping me out. I wonder what happened to him? I'm sorry the Tendo Dojo order never arrived. I'll have to ask him about it when he returns."

"I'm glad the rain has stopped," the man said. "The damp weather affects my bones."

Ukyo then had an idea of what may have happened.

To be continued...