It was finally over. Shampoo breathed a sigh of mixed sorrow, relief, and happiness, watching as Ranma and Akane were pronounced husband and wife, managing to actually get through the complete ceremony this time. My life's over, she thought bitterly, wiping away tears that she hoped everyone would mistake as a sign of joy. At least Ranma's happy, she mused, sadly, as she toyed with a strand of her soft purple hair. The culmination of four years down the drain; she was a failure at twenty.
She knew this would happen, of course-so many of Ranma's and Akane's would-be suitors had long since fallen by the wayside. The first, four years ago, was that Daikoku girl that Akane'd told her about. Then about two years ago, after the incident that caused Ranma and his cursed companions to be cured forever, Kuno called it quits, eventually liking up with Nabiki, of all people! Ryoga and Akari got married last year, then moved to Kobe to start life anew. Ukyo's close friendship with Ranma and Akane forced her to give up; even through her personal tragedy, she held on and persevered. Even Kodachi gave in, eventually-Shampoo tried to remember her new flame's name...Sanzen-something-or-other.
Shampoo, however, never gave up. Her duty as a Chinese Amazon had become true love; she didn't want a choice, even though she didn't have one. She wanted Ranma. She'd never give up.
Until this moment. Until Ranma and Akane kissed as a happily wedded couple. Suddenly, Shampoo's life changed, in more ways than one: she couldn't live here in Japan, not this way. She couldn't return to China in disgrace; her life would be forfeit. There was just no simple way out of this, no more hope of seducing Ranma, no more simply challenging Akane, Ukyo, and everybody else for his heart. Now, this facet of her life was over, forever.
Fortunately for her, she was a bit of a realist; even though she hoped against the inevitable; she'd set up a plan, not the most honorable plan, but a plan nonetheless: she was lucky enough to be twenty years old (having reached that peak two months ago), a college student (and an exceptionally bright one at that); and a ton of cash she'd saved up from working at her great-grandmother's Cat Cafe. She'd have to rush, though: the new semester at the transfer college she'd been accepted at started in three months; hardly enough time to get a new life started.
I'm such a fool, she mentally laughed. I had a life before Ranma; I can certainly have a life after. Yes, she would do it. Her great-grandmother would certainly be mad as a demon at her for it, but it was her life; she'd best get started on it. Making her apologies to the Saotomes, the Tendos, the Hibikis, the Onos, the Xiaos, and all her friends, she left before the post-ceremony celebration could begin.
After all, she thought, if I'm gonna make new life for myself, I'd best get started now.
Two days later:
"So you're really going to do it, Shampoo?" Nabiki asked, looking at the young girl as if she'd gone totally off the deep end. "Listen, I think you're taking the wedding just a little too hard."
"Shampoo, please don't think that you have to leave because of Akane and Ranma," Kasumi added. "Besides, where you're going...it's not safe for a girl to be going by herself."
The three of them, along with Ranko, were having lunch at Ukyo's restaurant, which she'd closed for the week due to the wedding. It was a bright sunny day-at least outside. By the looks of the people present, you would have thought that a tsunami was moving at full speed along with an earthquake and Mt. Fuji erupting to boot. In short, disaster; in other words, just another day in Nerima.
"No, not that at all," Shampoo lied uneasily. "Under Amazon Tribal Law, Shampoo not allowed go back to Joketsuzoku second time in disgrace. At best, Shampoo exiled permanently. At worst, Shampoo..." She didn't even bother to finish her sentence; the rest was plainly obvious. She heaved a sigh. This wasn't going well at all. She wanted all of her friends here for this. Unfortunately, Ranma and Akane had left on their honeymoon immediately after the ceremony; Ryoga was supposed to meet them here, but hadn't shown up (he'd probably taken a wrong turn that would probably end in Egypt), and Akari was also absent. The youngest Saotome sibling, Shiva, was babysitting Sakura at the dojo. Kurumi had some other business to attend to in Yokohama. Natsumi and her lover, Mai were back at the dojo training their martial arts classes. Her fellow Amazons Ling-Ling and Lung-Lung were running errands for her great-grandmother. Even that stupid Mousse wasn't here-one time when she actually wanted him there! Her great-grandmother wasn't there either-Shampoo didn't want her to know about her plans, as what she was about to do would disgrace the family name even further.
"But, Shampoo," Ukyo commented, "San Francisco? America?" The Chinese girl nodded in agreement.
"Permanently?" She nodded again. "But you'll be away from all your family and friends!"
Ranko disagreed. "Personally, I think it's a great idea. She needs time to restart her life, and a change of scenery would do her a world of good." At that commentary, Shampoo perked a little. One good thing about Ranma is that he was always there for her...even if he physically wasn't. At one time, Shampoo wanted to kill girl-type Ranma; ironically, she'd provided the catalyst that finally separated the Saotome siblings and ended most of the curses. In retrospect, it was a blessing that she never got the chance to destroy the redhead, since Ran-chan had become her best friend. The red-haired girl turned to her. "Shampoo, go for it. This is the greatest opportunity for you to start over."
"But she doesn't speak any English!" Ukyo protested.
"She didn't speak any Japanese when I, uh, he, um, we, that is...Ranma first met her. Now she's been here for four years, and speaks like a native; her accent's barely noticeable. She'll pick up English in no time flat, same way." Everybody laughed at Ran-chan's unwitting joke; Shampoo's mastery of Japanese was horrid at best. "Listen, I've known Shampoo longer than any of you-well, sort of, anyway-and, though Ranma never admitted this before I was around on a regular basis, he was always impressed by her tenacity. If she says she's gonna do it, then she can and she will."
"Thank you, Ranko," Shampoo said, "but Shampoo mind made up. Besides, flight in eight hours." They were all surprised; no one expected that. "Backpack that Shampoo carry in, all Shampoo luggage." She paused for dramatic effect. "Shampoo going, that final." At the look of determination in her eyes, everybody backed off, except for Ran-chan, who never had a problem with her leaving...and like her brother, never backed off from anything.
"But what about your education?" Ukyo, showing true concern for her friend, was not about to give up easily at this insanity. Shampoo had pulled some wild stunts over the years and always had a trick up her sleeve, but this was too much. "Aren't you even concerned about that?"
"Ukyo no worry." Shampoo produced a letter from her bag. "Shampoo accepted at UC Berkeley. Full scholarship, with place to live and all. Culinary sciences major." She smirked; this was a major accomplishment for her.
"Well, if I can't talk you out of it..." Ukyo threw her hands up in mock desperation. In actuality, she was happy for her friend. "Just promise me you'll come back and visit, okay?"
"Only if Ukyo-and girl-type Ranma and everybody-come visit Shampoo." She winked. Perhaps this would work out after all. "Okay?" Ukyo and the others agreed; Nabiki had already begun to figure exactly how much a romantic vacation to the States was going to cost Kuno.
"Well, we can be sure of one thing," Nabiki commented. "Shampoo will fit in perfectly there."
"Well, I hear that San Francisco has a large Chinese population," Kasumi, ever the cheerful one, noted.
"Not what I meant, sis." Nabiki rolled her eyes. "For years, Shampoo's been living in Nerima, one of Japan's strangest wards. Moving to California shouldn't be much of an adjustment."
The group continued to reminisce about old times, adventures (plenty of those), fights (even more of those), and misunderstandings (only a few; they didn't have time to go over all of that particular issue). They chatted about all their future plans, little secrets they all had about Ranma (Kasumi made Nabiki promise that she wouldn't use it for her usual schemes-especially the ones Ranko was chatting about), and anything else. They tried for hours to make up for all the time that they would no longer have.
Then at last arrived the time that she was to leave. They all stood at the door, hugging each other, and not a single dry eye. Throughout the years, despite the arguments and fights (physical and otherwise), they'd become Shampoo's de facto extended family; this had become, by far, the hardest thing she'd ever had to do.
"Please take care, Shampoo," Kasumi said. "If you need anything, please call us." She held the younger girl while managing to stay calm and sunny as ever. "We'll always be here for you if you need us."
"Thank you, Kasumi. You always been good friend to Shampoo." She smiled, in order to let the older girl know she'd be okay. She pulled two envelopes from her bag and gave them to Kasumi. "Please give to Ranma and Grandmother." Kasumi nodded her solemn promise.
"Good luck," Nabiki said as it was her turn to say good-bye. "If you need any money for your new restaurant, let me know." She tried to smile. "Hey, I'll even make it interest free." Everybody looked at her like she'd lost her mind. "What'd I say?" she replied, a smile clearly plastered on her face. "In any event, take care, Shampoo."
"Thank you, Nabiki. May you live well and wealthy." Shampoo winked as another tear fell from her eye. "Shampoo bet you will, anyway."
"You can count on it."
"Be right back," Ukyo said, as she ran back into the restaurant. When she returned, she gave Shampoo a red book. "This is my cookbook," she spoke softly as she hugged her friend. "I've already got all the recipes memorized, so I don't need it. I'm sure you'll need them for all your new customers." Crystalline tears welled in Ukyo's face. "Please come back soon, Shampoo. I don't know what I'll do without you here."
"Shampoo be here," she whispered. "Shampoo always be here if Shampoo needed." It was all she could say.
Last up was Ran-chan. "We've been through a lot, you and I, and if it wasn't for your Phoenix Eye, Ranma and I would've never survived Vietnam. I wish there was more that I-" the redhead started to say, but was silenced as she bear-hugged Shampoo. "I-I'm really gonna miss ya," she sobbed. "Come back soon. After all, who am I going to go on trips to China with? Not to mention shopping, skiing, concerts, nights out in Roppongi..."
"Shampoo miss girl-type Ranma, too. Very much." Shampoo detached herself from the smaller girl and held her at arms' length. "Shampoo never said before, but Shampoo declare kiss of death over. Shampoo no want to kill best friend." At this, Ranko broke down into tears, and had to be gently pulled away by Kasumi.
After what seemed like an eternity, Shampoo opened the door to the cab and climbed in. Waving to her friends, she said her final good-bye. "Shampoo miss you all already. Shampoo never forget any of you, all Shampoo's family. Shampoo promise." With that, she closed the taxi's door. Shortly thereafter, the cab drove off, carrying her away from the past.
As the cab got on the Narita expressway, Shampoo felt a simultaneous tightening and loosening of her heartstrings. She was finally free. Her great-grandmother would never forgive her, but she had to start to live her own life. After all, her great-grandmother would want it that way...if after the fact.
As she boarded the plane, though, a thought suddenly came to mind, a thought that she'd probably never admit aloud:
I wish Mousse was here.
A tear-stained Ukyo walked to the back of the restaurant and pushed away a curtain. "Okay, you can all come out, now," she sniffled.
Out stepped an unhappy Ranma and Akane, a solemn Cologne, a pair of melancholy Amazon twins, and an anxious Mousse. Kasumi handed the two their letters. "You may want to read them a little later, after we've taken care of the rest of our good-byes."
Unbeknownst to Shampoo, Cologne had discovered her plans, and made a few of her own. "I never thought that she actually would go through with this, Son-in-l...I mean, Ranma," Cologne corrected herself. "Maybe I won't ever get the chance to say this to her in person, but I'm proud of the fact that she is becoming her own woman. I'm not proud that she chose to give up on her airen," the elderly woman glanced at him, "but I suppose it was inevitable."
Ling-Ling turned to cry on her sister's shoulder. "I'm going to miss her," she sobbed mournfully. Lung-Lung could do nothing but stare helplessly at the place where the girls' "big sister", Shampoo had been only minutes ago.
Akane looked downcast. "This is all my fault. If I didn't...if I wasn't..."
"Don't, love," Ranma assured her. "If there's anyone to blame for this, it's me. I'm glad things turned out the way they did for us, but I still wish she hadn't left."
Cologne disagreed. "There is no blame on anyone here. She chose to do this, both out of love for you, Ranma, and for her own freedom." She looked out the window, towards the distant skyline, the skyscrapers of Shinjuku in the distance. In the faraway skies, a jumbo jet was passing, a symbol of her great-granddaughter's choice. "This was entirely her choice."
Kasumi, looking at no one, commented, "A correct one too, I might add."
Ranma looked puzzled. Akane asked, "How so?"
Cologne commented on Kasumi's remark. "From the moment Shampoo met Ranma, her destiny was set. She may be a Chinese Amazon by birth, but I don't think she was truly meant to be one. The fact that she's changed so much in the four years that she lived here in Japan has proven that Joketsuzoku is too small for a person like her. She needed to get away, to find out where in this world she truly belongs."
Meanwhile, Ranko was on the phone with Ryoga. She turned to Mousse and said, "Ryoga says your flight to San Francisco will leave an hour after hers does. He and Akari'll wait at the terminal, so he won't take another day and a half to find it." There was a steady, harsh stream of words directed at Ran-chan coming from the phone. "Okay, okay, I was only joking, can't you take a joke? Jeez," she retorted back. "He says he didn't take that long-only 15 hours."
"Well, here's your chance, Mousse," Ranma said. "She's a special girl, and you only find one like that in a lifetime." He put his arm around his bride for emphasis. "You and Shampoo were made for each other. Go to her." Ranma stepped up and shook his hand. "May you finally get what you've been wishing for."
Akane smiled, then kissed Mousse on the cheek. "She's waiting for you, Mousse."
"Go get her, champ!" was Ranko's reply as she hugged him. Then in a softer voice, "Promise me you'll take care of her. She's my best friend, and I want the best for her."
"You have my word, Ranko," Mousse said, meaning every word of it.
"I hope you find all that you're looking for," was Kasumi's farewell.
The twins had to be pried off him as they gave him their good-bye hugs-they had just lost Shampoo, and they weren't going to give up their only other connection to their homeland, except for Cologne.
Ukyo gave no speech, only hugging Mousse and wishing him well.
"Thank you all, my friends," Mousse softly spoke, a note of eternal gratitude etched firmly in his voice. "I can never repay you for all you've done." With a joyous vigor, Mousse went through the good-byes to his friends; true friends that would help him realize his greatest and only dream.
Nabiki shouted from outdoors: "Your cab's here, Mousse."
Before he sprinted to the cab, Cologne stopped him, and handed him a box, and a letter. "This is for Shampoo. Give it to her when the time is right. I trust you to know; however, she must read the letter, first." She then handed him a sizable billfold stuffed with $100 bills. "This is the money from the sale of the Neko Hanten. It's for you and my great-granddaughter."
Mousse was aghast. "You sold the Cat Cafe?!"
"My job here is done. She's an adult, now, and she's moved on. I'll be staying at here for a few more weeks, then returning to the village for good. Don't worry about the twins-the Saotomes have generously offered them a place with them in Osaka. And as for the Cafe, well..."
Ukyo winked. "Well, I was considering moving to a bigger place, and..." A conspiratorial look was shared between Ukyo and Cologne. "Besides, the old owner is planning to teach me all of her skills so the Cat Cafe can prosper. Besides, it couldn't hurt to have someone help me watch my daughter, ne?"
Cologne smiled, a look that, for once, made the "old troll" look absolutely like an angel. "Shampoo needs someone in her life, someone to make her happy. I thought that it would be Ranma. I saw as she pursued him with all her heart. But I never really noticed that someone else pursued her equally as hard." She hopped on her cane and stared at Mousse eye-to-eye. "Since your childhood together, you have always been there for her, even when you were the least person she wanted around. She's spurned you, mistreated you, and taken you for granted, even chasing other suitors in front of you. But in the end, she truly loves you, even if she won't admit it-not even to herself."
The cab honked its horn, and Nabiki called out, "C'mon, Mousse, or you'll miss your flight."
Mousse couldn't help smiling as he got in the cab. Cologne, so long against, finally admitted the inevitable. The last words he heard as the taxi drove off confirmed it: "Go to her; she needs you now more than ever, Mou...I mean, Son-in-law."
The sun may have been shining in Nerima that day, but its brightness paled in comparison to the joy in Mousse's heart.
The remaining group, looking at each other, didn't know what to say. A shared part of their lives, a pair of people who had become family, were now gone. As the sun set, an uncomfortable silence surrounded the group, and minutes dragged as each of them searched for the right words.
It was Akane who finally broke the silence. "How do you think that little tale will end?"
"Married, for sure," Ukyo stated as she went to the kitchen to begin cooking dinner for the group. "Despite what we all went through, our lives and loves were already set-you and Ranma, Ryoga and Akari, and Shampoo and Mousse. The rest were just the trials and tribulations that have made us as close as we are." She neglected to mention her lop-sided relationship with Konatsu and how it tragically ended, but no one mentioned it.
"Well, if that's the case, Mousse is in for a lot of bumps and bruises before she'll finally cave in," Ranma noted, then looked fondly at his bride. "Not unlike another girl I know."
Akane tenderly held on to him. "But in the end, it was worth it, wasn't it? And, I believe it was you that was the stubborn one, dummy." She used the last word as a term of endearment.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. On both counts. But," he smiled, "I still think that you are soooo uncute."
"Ranma, I truly love you, and nothing will change that." She kissed him very lovingly. "But why do you have to be...such...an...IDIOT!" With that, she backhanded him through the nearest wall.
Ran-chan looked at her brother and sister-in-law, then shrugged. "The more things change, the more they'll always stay the same."