"Of Loss, Life, & Love"
Chapter 7
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic by Luna12


Author's Note:

This tale I tell is dedicated to you, the readers. Your kind, encouraging reviews and 'Favorite Stories +' requests keep me going.

My apologies for the long wait. Since my last update (in 06-22-05!), I've graduated college, grieved the loss of several dear family members, finished my master's degree, changed jobs, moved to 3 different states, got married (to a black belt martial artist, seriously), and bought a house. I hope the added life experience helps me to enhance this story.

A great big thank you and warm welcome to my new beta-reader, the talented Angela Jewell. Read her stories, people. Some of best Ranma/Akane fics ever written.


Nabiki took in the three pairs of suspicious eyes pointed in her direction. This was certainly going to be an interesting gathering.

Mousse nervously wiped and readjusted his spectacles, but managed to remain calmly seated on Nabiki's bedroom floor. Gosunkugi was to his left, pale, sweating and fidgeting with some worn, old books in his lap.

Konatsu sat seated under Nabiki's open window, clad in his ninja garb. He was quiet and unnaturally still. Only his shifting eyes gave evidence to his discomfort.

Nabiki cleared her throat and began. "I want to thank you all for coming on such short notice." Nabiki gave her best reassuring smile, a look she practiced to mimic innocent Kasumi's face, and passed a tray of tea and cookies. It was a clear peace offering.

When handed the tray, Mousse refused to accept. He kept his arms crossed and guarded. "Lets dispense with the niceties, Nabiki. You always have some hidden agenda. Just come out with it."

Nabiki's mask of friendly reassurance morphed into her trademark smirk. Mousse was always more clever than he appeared behind those dim, foggy eyes.

"Then I'll be blunt. I want Ranma's fiancées to be his ex-fiancées, and I'll need your help to do it."

Mousse was on his feet in an instant. "If you are planning anything that would harm my precious Shampoo-"

Nabiki rolled her eyes and gave a condescending flick of her wrist, motioning for Mousse to resume his seat. "Mousse, I'm not an idiot. Directly harming Shampoo would probably mean my own death, and that of my family."

Mousse wasn't sure if he should be calmed at how quickly she dismissed the idea of harming Shampoo, or to be enraged over the implied admission that she had already considered it.

Gosunkugi raised his hand, too nervous to speak directly. Nabiki had to hold in a snicker. "Yes, Gos-kun?"

Gosunkugi gulped several times before being able to speak. "I, well, I think we're all wondering... why now? You make money selling off dates to Ranma. You never seemed to care what dear Akane-san wanted. Don't you make more money stirring up trouble?"

Konatsu and Mousse nodded in avid agreement.

For a moment Nabiki wondered what card to play. It was instinctual for her to manipulate, to feed half truths and flattery. However, they were too suspicious of her to play the "I want my sister's happiness" excuse, and there was no way to argue profitability by getting Ranma hitched to Akane. If it was only Konatsu and Gosunkugi, she would have been able to bluff her way through, but Mousse was staring at her, as if his poor eyes were trying to bore into her soul. He had spent most of his life surrounded by lying and scheming women. Nothing but the truth would work here.

"The truth?" Nabiki found her palms sweating and made a visible show of wiping them on her pants. If she had to show her vulnerability, she would make it count. "I'm terrified of more Shampoo-Ukyo-Kodachi craziness."

Mousse's hostile posture faded away. He had observed Nabiki-the-manipulator in action before. This was something else. His vision was horrible, but his sense of hearing was sharply acute. Gone was the sickeningly sweet voice of empty promises, nor was it replaced by false tears or fake distress. Her tone and inflection was something he had never heard from her before. It was a voice that spoke raw truth and genuine concern.

Mousse resumed his seat, taking a less guarded stance.

"Ano..." Kontasu politely interposed, bowing at Nabiki before resuming. "I understand why you brought Mousse into this, uh, conspiracy, but why us?" Konatsu motioned at Gosunkugi and himself. "I want nothing more than Ukyo-sama's happiness, even if that means marrying Ranma. And Gosunkugi-san has a crush on Akane-san, neh?"

Gosunkugi's pale complexion managed to blush heavily. Konatsu continued, apologetically. "It is known gossip in Nerima, Gosunkugi-san. You are hardly the only male at Furikan High to want to date Akane-san."

Nabiki's mouth flattened to form a mischievous poker face. "I want you, Konatsu, because you'll keep us honest. I don't have any grudge against Ukyo. If Ranma and Ukyo both love each other, then I will do all I can to dissolve Ranma's other engagements, even the one to my sister."

The looks around the room revealed mixtures of bewilderment, disbelief and renewed suspicion.

"What is your true goal, Nabiki?" Mousse demanded.

Nabiki answered immediately. "My family's safety. I don't really care who marries Ranma. I just want all these women fighting over Ranma to stop threatening my family. Or did you forget the exploding Modern-Yaki?"

Konatsu had the grace to look embarrassed. "I tried to stop Ukyo-sama, but she was very upset."

Nabiki continued. "Not to mention how 'upset' she and Shampoo were when they destroyed the Saotome home looking for that engagement ring? Do I need to go on?"

Everyone shook their heads in acknowledgment.

"That still doesn't explain the pale boy's presence," Mousse motioned towards Gosunkugi.

Gosunkugi clearly looked uncomfortable. "I can leave-" he began.

"Sit, Gos-kun." Nabiki interrupted, her voice firm but friendly enough to ease the boy's nerves. "I invited him for various reasons. One of which is his knowledge - although limited - of the supernatural. Can either of you claim the same?" The challenge was clear. Nabiki wanted him there, so the others would just have to go along with it.

Nabiki straightened her back and opened her notebook, in full control once more. "If I can, I want to peacefully divorce Ranma and Shampoo. Is that possible, Mousse? Can Amazons get divorced?"

Mousse scoffed openly. "You think I haven't thought of ways to separate them? Rarely, a Council Elder, such as Cologne, may force a divorce if the union is disruptive to the tribe's harmony."

Nabiki's eyes brightened with hope.

Mousse noticed, and sighed. "Countless times I have argued that Ranma's unworthiness and chaotic nature would bring disaster to our tribe... but Cologne has refused to hear me. The only other way is for Shampoo, as the Amazon wife, to willingly leave her husband. Even then, she has to have probable cause. Ranma would have to be shown to be too weak to join the tribe, or, ahem..." Mousse trailed off, a little embarrassed, "... infertile."

Gosunkugi chuckled, and tried in vain to keep his laughter discreet behind his hand.

"I don't think we want to go down that route," Nabiki smiled mischievously. "But Ranma's not just male - he can turn female. Wouldn't this give him full rights?"

Mousse looked surprised for a moment. "I see. That is a most unusual circumstance...however, Ranma is still considered an outsider. His rights are limited and it would take a Council Elder to approve the divorce."

Konatsu chimed in. "What about the laws on lesbian pairings?"

Gosunkugi eyes went wide. Nabiki almost laughed at the innocent and straight forward way Konatsu asked.

Mousse looked puzzled. "Les-i-bian?" Despite Mousse's well pronounced Japanese, it was becoming clear that he was lacking some vocabulary. Suddenly, he blushed. "Oh, you mean the -" Mousse pronounced something unrecognizable in the tonal sing-song of his Chinese dialect. "Yes, it happens, but it is not considered marriage. Both members are still expected to take on a husband and bear children to strengthen the tribe."

Nabiki nodded thoughtfully. It was the reversal of a long, unspoken tradition in Japan; gay lovers were tolerated, as long as sons did their duty to produce an heir.

"But if you try to argue Ranma has full rights as a female..." Mousse continued, half thinking aloud. "It also means Shampoo will have to kill him for the Kiss of Death." Mousse looked wistful.

Nabiki frowned. Yet one more potentially life-threatening issue to resolve. She sensed there was something else missing, something perhaps even Mousse didn't fully realize. "Why hasn't Shampoo tried to just kidnap Ranma?"

The room became dead silent. They all knew Cologne and Shampoo were more than capable of such an act. With their wide array of potions and spells, it would be child's play to drug Ranma and sneak him out to remote China. Yet, the Amazons had never tried to seize Ranma by force. They tried again and again to trick him into loving Shampoo, to bribe and seduce him to have sex with her, but that was all.

Mousse was the first to respond. "I...I don't really know. It has been something I have dreaded. I simply assumed Cologne didn't want to go to that much trouble."

"But she'll waste her magic potions, secret herbs, money, and nearly 2 years for all those other crazy schemes?" Nabiki challenged.

Nabiki jumped out of her seat. She was on the tip of something essential, she could feel it. She had half-guessed it before, but slowly her guesses were starting to solidify into facts. "Mousse, I know you've tried, but is there any way we can convince Cologne to initiate a divorce?"

Mousse scowled. "Cologne wants Ranma's children for the tribe, preferably with Shampoo's bloodline. It is why she has so shamefully encouraged my beloved Shampoo to reveal her precious body to temp that scoundrel."

"So, she just cares about getting her specially bred-grandchildren?" Nabiki asked, eagerly. She was pacing in the small space left available in her room. The amount of energy she radiated increased her resemblance to Akane.

Mousse sighed. "Yes..." He began to prattle off about the agony of love rebuffed due to the injustice of his poor vision and supposedly inferior genetics, but Nabiki was tuning him out. The threads of a scheme were knitting together in Nabiki's mind. It was more than a little crazy, but it was her best shot.

"Nabiki-san?" Konatsu asked politely for the third time. Nabiki jerked her head out of her thoughts, a wicked smile gracing her lips.

"I have a plan."


Ranma sat at the stoop of the dojo entrance, enjoying a moment of quiet relaxation, watching the sunset. He sighed. Today was the last day of Nabiki's arranged armistice with Ukyo, Shampoo, and Kodachi. All last week he got to experience something closer to normalcy. As long as he had been on the Tendo property or accompanying Akane, no one had bothered him. He had experienced a life where his biggest worries weren't feuding girls, magic potions, bicycle crashes, or drugged foods - just teaching.

Teaching; it was more tiring than he imagined it would be, but not in the physical sense. It was painful having to work so slowly, to be unbearably patient with his students. It took a lot of yelling from Akane in their side-lessons to understand that rolling his eyes and making cocky, insulting comments didn't work for most people. Sheesh. It was how Pop had trained him, why was everyone else so touchy about it?

Positive word of mouth had spread around town and even more students had enrolled. With the school year approaching, he and Akane had decided to open an additional evening course. It was partly why he was out here at this hour, still in his gii. They had finished teaching their first evening class, and Akane was in the bath. This time Ranma was determined to avoid walking in on her. You'd think after the first disastrous walk-in it wouldn't happen again, but like his bad luck around cold water, it was an all too frequent occurrence.

It had been years since he had associated with merely average or hobbyist martial artists. Working with the so-called advanced black-belt students was becoming an eye-opening experience. He knew he was the best, but he was starting to realize how far apart "the best" was from everyone else. Other than Ryoga and some of the Amazons, there was no one at his level. The experience was changing how he viewed Akane's skills, too. Sure, she was still behind him in abilities and speed, but she was definitely ahead of the advanced students. She also learned a lot faster than they did.

More than that, Akane was good at teaching, a talent he had to painfully admit he was lacking. As quick as Akane was to anger when her feelings were hurt, she was naturally a patient listener with the students, able to find a different way to explain what he thought was obvious, but never could explain in words the way his students required of him. It was only with Akane's help that he was finally able to impart his skills to others. Teaching at the dojo was becoming a true partnership, something he had never experienced before - and it felt good.

* CREEEEEEEEK *

The high pitched sound stopped Ranma's thoughts. It sounded like it came from the dilapidated door to the back of the Tendo house, but no one in the family liked to use it. It was normally locked.

Curious, Ranma walked over to take a look. His eyes narrowed in suspicion as he saw the culprit.

What the hell was Duck-face doing around here?

Ranma calmly stepped between Mousse and the gate to leave the Tendo residence. His arms were crossed as he glared at the bumbling Amazon.

Mousse was trying to be stealthy, but he didn't quite make it to the gate. He stumbled first into a bush, then tripped again into the fence. With little light in the backyard and his own poor vision, he hadn't noticed Ranma, either.

Not willing to wait anymore, Ranma called out, irritated. "What're you doing here, Mousse?"

Mousse whipped his head around to face the direction of Ranma's voice. He straightened his back and casually brushed off the twigs that had embedded into his clothing.

"I was invited," Mousse replied, clipped and short.

"Yeah, right." Ranma snorted sarcastically. "That why you're sneaking out the back?"

Mousse bristled. If only Ranma knew his real reason for being here covertly, but that fool had no idea how much trouble he caused those around him, all because he was too much of a playboy to pick one girl and stick with her. It made Mousse sick. Still, the last thing he wanted was to jeopardize Nabiki's plan so early in the game.

"That's none of your concern, Ranma."

Ranma felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand to attention. Something was horribly wrong. Mousse wasn't trying to start a fight with him, nor was Shampoo anywhere in sight. So why else would he be here?

"If you're here to harm Akane..." Ranma growled, threateningly.

Mousse threw up his hands in exasperation. "Why by all the Mystic Dragons would I want to do that? Stop being paranoid. I'm not the one who attacks every women in sight for my base desires."

Ranma blazed. "How many times do I have to tell you and the rest of the world: I'm not a lecherous Casanova!"

Mousse's temper was rising to match Ranma's. "You think I could forget how you took advantage of my dear Shampoo when Akane's life was hanging in the balance?" The vision of Ranma on top of his nearly naked Shampoo, her bra clenched in his teeth, haunted Mousse.

Ranma couldn't believe he had to explain himself, yet again. Why was it the world thought him the biggest liar in existence? Just because he was frequently caught in compromising situations, no one gave him a second chance to explain. "You really are a duck-brain, Mousse. I was trying to save Akane's life from that viper you're in love with!"

Mousse was instantly in a battle pose. "How dare you insult my Shampoo!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Mousse had reached deep into his sleeves, launching projectile daggers at Ranma.

Ranma deftly dodged the onslaught, bridging the short distance between them with each move. He wasn't about to let Mousse get away.

There was a blur of motion as Mousse blocked a kick to his head from Ranma, and Ranma counter-stroke with an uppercut to Mousse's jaw.

Mousse wasn't down for long, launching himself fully at Ranma. For a brief moment, Ranma felt an amazing high. He had been holding himself back so much in teaching, that to finally let loose against a worthy opponent was a tremendous release. Still, he didn't want to play with Mousse. He was still angry at his previous comments, and worried about the Amazon's motives for sneaking around the house. It was time to end this.

"I'm tired of trying to get this - * KICK * - through your - * PUNCH * - thick head!" The final punch had knocked the wind out from Mousse, and he was on the ground panting.

Ranma bent over to his fallen opponent. "Your 'precious' Shampoo was about to snap Akane's neck! She was gleefully willing to kill a helpless opponent, who was nothing more than a dying, dehydrated doll." Ranma was breathing heavy, but not from the exertion of the fight. His hands shook and he clenched them, forcing himself to regain control and ignore the painful memory.

After a pause, Ranma continued, his voice low and intense. "Before you start accusing me of defiling Shampoo's honor, remember this: she doesn't have any."

With that, Ranma walked away from the prone Mousse, confident that the Amazon would be staying clear of him and the Tendos for a long time.


A wide-eyed Nabiki closed her bedroom window. Her lips were tight and her brow furrowed. She had overheard the entire confrontation in the backyard. Mousse had certainly edited his brief tale of what had taken place in their Jusenkyo advenure. Ranma's violent and paranoid reactions were making more and more sense. Nabiki's own instincts and recent sense of alarm were justified too.

Shampoo's patience at seizing Ranma for herself was wearing thin, so thin that she had risked directly threatening Akane's life in front of Ranma. A move that had been an unspoken taboo, until now.

The few moral qualms Nabiki felt towards her plan vanished. The Amazons needed to be dealt with; permanently and soon.


Author's Note:

I hope it has been worth the wait! If not, leave a review and tell me how to be better. If you think it has been worth it, tell me why, too.