Fight Me By S. Mark Gunther Shampoo watched as Mousse joyfully swept his way across the floor of the Nekohanten. It was a very warm spring day and everyone that came into the Nekohanten was in good spirits. Except for Shampoo. She had been slapped away by Ranma for the fourth morning in a row when she tried to deliver him breakfast. Her jaw still hurt from Akane's mallet to the face that she received, and her mind reeled at the thought of Akane finally standing up about Ranma. But what really set her off was the fact that Mousse didn't even glomp or fawn over her today. At all. All he did was work his long, menial hours with an ever-present smile on his face. Not a word did he say, not an utterance to her greatness did he squeak. All he did was exist in that space, at that particular time. She was baffled at the change in Mousse. Shampoo didn't like not being paid attention to, and it hurt that her lapdog didn't want to follow her around and bark anymore. "Great-grandmother?" Shampoo asked as she continued to eye the young Amazon. "Yes??" Cologne replied while wiping her hands on a dishtowel. The elder Amazon had also seen the change in Mousse but had not wanted to comment on it as she had more pressing issues on her mind. "Why Mousse act so strange today??" "I don't know, child." Cologne came over to Shampoo and the pair watched as Mousse began to mop the floor. They marveled at the speed in which he worked, the precision of his effort, and the silence in which he went after the task he was assigned. Finally the Amazon elder spoke, her voice dazed as she noticed the change in Mousse. "I have no idea why Mousse is like this. It worries me a little. We can't lose a good worker like him. Has he tried to talk to you today??" "No. He no say anything to Shampoo. He only work with stupid grin on his face. Stupid Mousse...." "You're not....falling for him, are you??" "No!!!!" Shampoo turned and stared her great-grandmother deep in the eye. Cologne could see that something was concerning her about Mousse's actions, love or not. "Shampoo just want him back to normal...." "He will be, child. Just give him time...." she mumbled as her mind darkened. She had a sneaking suspicion that Mousse's condition, whatever it was, would not change as time went on. And she was right, for Mousse's condition was not a physical or mental ailment of any sort. It was a feeling of unbridled euphoria that surged through the boy as he did his job. Mousse was on top of the world. And he had no clue as to how high he could go.... Mousse swept and mopped the floor as his trained ears picked up the entire hushed conversation between the elder and his love. His smile grew exponentially at the thought that he was causing pain and worry, and he put even more effort in his job to conceal his internal joy. All through the day he couldn't stop thinking about why he was so happy. Why his life gave him now so much purpose and hope. Why his life didn't seem like a consolation prize anymore. He was in love. Mousse was in love, but his love was not to Shampoo anymore. He still was fond of her but his new love had a hold on him that couldn't be pried off with a crowbar. Not that he wanted to be separated from the object of his desires. The woman that made his life better than it had ever been. The woman that made him train harder and longer than he had ever trained before. The woman that had set off the man inside of him. Mousse was in love with Kodachi Kuno. And as the blind Amazon thought about how he had become involved with the black rose in the first place, he couldn't help but smile at the way things turned out. He had fallen in love with a woman that was viscious, mean, vindictive, and belligerent to him. A woman that also gave him all the love, affection, and acceptance he would ever need or want. Kodachi had grabbed a hold on his heart and he wanted to submit to her ways fully. To become her's forever because he already knew that she was his for life. But as Mousse reflected on how he had become involved with Kodachi in the first place, he had to laugh out loud at the fact that Shampoo of all people had set the wheels in motion to bring them together. His former love had inadvertently set his soul free from the old Amazon ways, all the while thinking that she was defending her own honor. And it had all started simply with just a single show of affection.... ********** It all had started innocently enough on the Nekohanten. Mousse had just finished his long day of work and as he sat down to take a rest, he thought about what he could do for Shampoo to make her happy that day. His mind rested on several options, but he finally decided on his old tactics. give her flowers and compliments, and hope she didn't kick his ass for them. He began to wait with a prayer in his heart. Finally, Shampoo came in the door with a pissed off expression on her face. She had been beaten to the punch again by Ukyou and her food, and Akane wouldn't let her get anywhere close to Ranma. She was angry and she wanted someone to take it out on. Suddenly, she saw Mousse standing there with a bunch of flowers in his hands. A smile creased his lips, and his hands shook with anticipation. An evil idea crossed her mind like a shot from a cannon, and she found her punching bag. "Mousse??" she gently lilted as she took a step forward towards the boy. "What is it you bring me??" "Fl...fl..owers," he stuttered as he watched Shampoo encounter him. He had never heard Shampoo be this sultry and....and downright sexy as she walked and it unnerved him to no end. "For me??" "Y..Yes..." "Shampoo so happy!!!" She took the flowers in her hands and caressed the blossoms with her slender fingers. As she breathed in their aroma, Mousse could feel his cheeks beginning to redden and glow with anticipation. Could it be the day?? "I picked them for you....I love you...." Mousse said softly as he watched her face light up from the gift. What he was next made him want to jump for joy as she began to smile at him and reach her hand out to his face. He shivered at the touch which mad him let down his guard. Then.... ....without warning she slammed her knee deep into his waist, forcing him to bend over in extreme pain. Mousse's eyes came up in shock as he watched Shampoo's face turn from joy to extreme malice. Her fist slammed into Mousse's head and he staggered forward into the doorway. All he could think of was getting away from the attack he was now under. "WHAT MAKE YOU THINK YOU CAN BE NICE TO SHAMPOO LIKE THAT????" She screamed as she kept smacking him in the back of the head. "My love is only for airen!! Only him!!! You stupid duck....you never have me!!! Go!!!! Leave!!!!" Finally she ended the carnage by smashing her bonbori into Mousse's rear and sending him skyward in no particular direction. Shampoo watched as the young Amazon sailed through the air like a satellite, and she smiled an evil smile as she realized the anger she had just let off her chest. With a sweep and a turn, she disappeared back into the cafe. Mousse's flight carried him high into the air, his body being carried on jets of air to wherever they felt like settling him. Finally he began to fall down, and he landed hard in an alleyway filled with garbage and filth. A crash of bottles, cans and other junk resounded as the Amazon hit the pavement. Mousse laid on the ground for a long moment, then sat up and shook his head to clear the many images dancing inside his mind. The Amazon looked around his surroundings and surmised with great speed that he wasn't in Nerima anymore. With an effort he rose and stood to his feet. Despite the shot to the gut that he took from Shampoo, and the impact that he took from the fall he was in good shape to walk and think. But the only things he could think about was how shampoo had rejected him. Never had he been so soundly put off as he was by Shampoo at that moment in time. His mind reeled as he pondered as to how his beloved could have turned so swiftly from a gentle demure princess, to a raging and angry demoness. Mousse stepped out into the street as he pondered these painful developments. He didn't even see where he was going in his conscious mind as he just let his feet chose the direction in which to go. All he had ever done in Shampoo's name, all he had ever endured for her, all the scenes from his life kept on playing in his mind like a bad film as he walked in the street. Rejection upon rejection, humiliation piled upon humiliation, lie after lie after slanderous lie played out in his mind over the next few moments. It was like reading a manuscript of the wrongs of an entire society over another and it was all about how Shampoo had treated him. Over time, however, he came to the conclusion that maybe the problem wasn't all about Shampoo. He did try to hurt the man she apparently loved nearly every time he was near to him, and he did ruin every plan she tried to snare him into her fold. Maybe she was doing wrong by Ranma with her very ugly and increasingly sinister plans, but whom was he to pass judgment upon another?? He had tried to turn Akane into a duck when she didn't deserve to be put into the rivalry he had with Ranma at all. Mousse began to take inventory on his life and saw that it didn't add up. The love he had originally given had morphed into a form of obsession that he didn't like. He was not an obsessive person in other parts of his life, so why should he be this obsessive over a woman who obviously didn't love him?? A decision began to form in his head. He would go back to the Nekohanten and tell Shampoo he was done being her lapdog. He still loved her with all his heart and soul, but the obsessive behavior would have to stop. Mousse had not a clue how this would go, but he was sure that it had to happen. And soon. He was so deep in thought that he didn't even see where he walked to, and when he finally did look up in conscious thought he noticed that he had walked to a mansion. A very large mansion. A mansion with the name Kuno on it....his eyes trailed up the side of the wall and he saw the gate open and the latch unlocked. His mouth began to water slightly as he realized how for he had really walked in his thoughts. He decided to see if Tatewaki could give him something to drink and a place to rest before he hiked his way home. Mousse walked into the large grounds and quickly found himself engulfed in the large and sprawling gardens of the Kuno mansion. The young Amazon waded through the abundance of plant life around him and quickly got himself lost. All he could see was large trails spilling forth with the blossoms of spring. Trees giving off their blooms as a gift to the one whom inhabited the space. It was breathtaking to see the entire space and Mousse didn't let the fact that he was lost take away from his awe of the scene. As time went on, he found himself in a ring of saplings forming the barrier on a small clearing in the gardens. Mousse sat down in front of a large cheery tree and tried to think about his situation in a clearer light. He was a long way from home, lost in the Kuno gardens, and without a dime to his name. The Amazon didn't have a clue as to how he was going to resurrect himself from this predicament, but he knew that he was definitely on his own now. The thought frightened him a little, but then he relaxed as he realized that now he had the control. He had the power. Suddenly, a banshee's scream rippled through the clearing and the trees began to rustle furiously with the power being brought forth. Mousse immediately sprung forth into battle ready mode as his eyes scanned the area for the scream. His hands shook with anticipation as he gripped his weapon of choice in a deathly vice grip. He didn't have to wait long for the owner of the tortured soul to show herself, as in the next moment Kodachi Kuno appeared in the clearing with her ribbon in hand. She was wearing her trademarked black leotard and her hair was in the ponytail that she had made infamous. Her lips curled into a sardonic grin as she gazed upon Mousse's stance in the clearing. "You. You have interrupted my training space and now you must be punished by the Black Rose!" Kodachi said as she snapped her ribbon in the air towards Mousse's arm. The Amazon knew of Kodachi's prowess with her weapons and deftly moved his shoulder to escape the ribbon. He then in the next moment swung his long staff in a circular arc to show that he was ready to defend himself. "Oh-ho!! You seem to have taken a little fear to my challenge..." she lilted as she gathered her ribbon into her slender hands. Her eyes sparkled with the anticipation of a fight. "You will see that you are no match to the greatest rhythmic gymnast the world has ever seen! Defend yourself!!" "Kodachi, I don't want to fight you...." Mousse started as he edged backwards to get out of the range of Kodachi's deadly ribbon. He could feel that he was going to talk very slick to get out of this new predicament. "I just got lost while looking for your brother...." "And you interrupted me!!! That cannot be forgiven!" Kodachi charged at Mousse with a pin and Mousse was forced to jump backwards to avoid the sleekly moving gymnast. He then flung a series of throwing stars in Kodachi's general direction to slow her down, while he balanced himself on top of the pole he carried. With a push and a lean, he vaulted over Kodachi and landed on her other side with the gracefulness of a cat. Kodachi then did something that even Mousse had to stare in awe about. While still facing away from him, she leaped into the air, and did a double back flip with a twist to land facing Mousse with her pin still in hand. Mousse stared at the girl as she did the same to him, and the pair enjoyed their first truly contemplative look towards each other. Kodachi was slightly sweating as she looked into Mousse's eyes to gauge the prowess that lurked beneath them. "Very good! You surprised me....um....I have seemed to not remember your name. Who are you??" she as she retrieved a hoop from one of her many hiding places. Mousse watched in awe as the hoop appeared with even greater ease than his weapons did for him. "I would like to know whom I'm going to defeat today...." "My name is Mousse, and I'm not here to fight you. I'm simply here to see your brother and try to get home." Mousse took a step forward to try and talk some sense into the younger girl. "Why do we need to fight anyway?? What have I done to you...." "You interrupted my training! No one interrupts me at all or they die by my hands." she paused as a thought of recognition passed through her. Then her lips curled even deeper into the ghoulish grin that already unnerved Mousse's psyche. "And you are the one that always has to attack my Ranma-sama!! I remember where and how I saw you now. You always leech off that horrible Chinese girl and attack Ranma to get to her. No one hurts my Ranma-sama, so now I have all the reason I need to defeat you and end your treachery!" Without any other preliminary, Kodachi charged with her pin and her hoop and began to fight the Amazon male. Mousse quickly realized that he was not going to get out of this without knocking Kodachi out, so he decided to fight her with great hesitancy. His charge into her was in the same fashion, but with much more trepidation and worry. Thus began the greatest single fight that either would ever take part in. Mousse and Kodachi fought each other with the fire and the eagerness that the Nerima scene would behoove them to do. The pair of martial artists ripped into each other with complete abandon and total dismay for their own safety. At first Kodachi had the upper hand as the gardens were hers and she knew the lay of the land. Also her broad array of close range fighting skills and her ingenious methods of attack gave her an edge over the taller, slower Mousse. Over time, however, Mousse grabbed the upper hand with his majestic jumping ability, deep range in fighting, and ability to take a ton of abuse in defense. Each fighter absorbed what they learned about the other and used it as they went along to continually challenge and enrage the other. The fight raged on throughout the wide grassy spaces of the Kuno gardens and each had moments where they nearly lost it all. Mousse was already tired from his long day of work and thinking and there were times where he blacked out in his fighting. But he pulled it together as he kept on Kodachi's tail and forced her to break her style of fighting to just be able to keep up with him. The pair moved as a well oiled fighting unit, almost as if they had choreographed their movements but in reality it was simply the fact that they both thought very similarly as fighters. This translated in the way that they attacked, counter- attacked, parried and dodged each other. Blood began to fall from the small cuts and bruises that they inflicted upon each other. Mousse tried to constantly stop the fighting in his pleas but the black rose kept on coming despite his words. So Mousse had to keep fighting, and as he did he began to analyze the girl he was fighting. He couldn't help it, but several times during the fight he noticed that his nose was bleeding slightly and he knew that he hadn't been hit in the face by any of her attacks. The Amazon was slowly being thawed internally by the sight of Kodachi's lithe body, twisting and gyrating to attack him. Her curves were well portrayed in the tight leotard that she wore, forcing Mousse to battle both her attacks and her subtle sexuality. Finally, they reconvened in the clearing where they had started their fight. As Mousse took his stance to attack, he could feel his frustration begin to rise anew. All that time had been wasted on fighting someone that he didn't even like at all. He should have been home already, and this shrew was keeping him away from his goals. All this made a new battle aura rise off his slender, sweating skin. Light it may have been, but it was still there and he felt the heat envelop him like a blanket. "You are very skilled, Mousse. I have not been this challenged in a long time," Kodachi breathed as she unearthed another ribbon from one of her hiding spots. Her breath came in gasps as she built up the strength to attack the boy one last time. The sweat dripped off her body, showing the exertion that she had put forth in trying to defeat the boy she now viewed from afar. "But now I must end this....you are nothing to me! You cannot defeat me because you are less than nothing! I own you...." "Then shut up and fight...." he replied in a dead voice. He was tired of listening to someone tell him that he wasn't worth anything at all. He made a decision right there that this fight was going to end at his hands, even though what he was going to do sickened him to the core. As he watched Kodachi charge at him for the final time, his heart began to turn into ice, and his eyes darkened with the power that now surged underneath his exterior. "Forgive me....Ko-chan...." he muttered softly to himself. With a scream that shook the young girl to her core, Mousse charged into Kodachi. Deftly he avoided the swing of her ribbon and kept charging into her. He grabbed her arm with a vice grip and leaped into the air, carrying the young girl with him as he rose. Higher and higher they soared, finally reaching their apex 20 feet off of the ground. Mousse then swung Kodachi's light body over his head and as he fell he slammed her into the soft ground with the force of a atom bomb hitting the earth. The shockwaves of the slam rippled throughout the garden like a knife through a piece a paper as Kodachi made a deep indentation in the ground. Mousse landed and picked up the girl from the crater that she had created, looking her over with wary care. She looked bruised, and beaten, but there was nothing that a good night's rest couldn't cure. He saw her eyes fluttering open as he held her upright, their luster being slowly recovered as she regained her equilibrium. Kodachi opened her eyes to see the man that had defeated her looking her over as one would look over a dog they had just run over. A decision formed in her only slightly rational brain. "You....you are so....." she started to whisper as her lips struggled to form the words she desperately wanted to speak. As Mousse pulled her closer so he could hear, her attacking spirit rose again and she mega glomped the young man with the force of a panda bear. She could feel Mousse's surprise as she hugged the young man, and that only made her cling tighter to the man that defeated her so soundly. "....you are so wonderful. Thank you...." she hissed as she leaned into him and planted the deepest, most sexually charged kiss she knew how to give. the pair locked lips as the birds began to sing and the flowers turned their faces to hide themselves from the setting sun. Mousse could feel the kiss but was powerless from shock to stop it at all. A few moments he simply submitted to Kodachi's will and kissed the young girl back, his tongue running into the mouth he now found sweet and inviting. They kissed and tugged at each other with a fervor that neither had ever felt before and would ever feel again. Seconds passed and the young pair felt no inclination to let up on their loving of each other. Each explored the each other with the a combination of the eagerness of youth and the libido of mature adults ready for love. Finally Kodachi pulled away from Mousse and looked into his confused eyes with shining eyes of her own. Her face was flushed from the dual effects of the battle and the kiss and she looked as if she needed a glass of warm milk and a long nap. "Thank you. Thank you for giving me what no man ever could." she said softly as her eyes began to flutter once again. "Now would you take me back to my house?? I'm feeling a bit sleepy....it's just past the large....cherry......tree......" At that Kodachi passed out onto Mousse's chest, her pretty hair surrounding her face like a cloud of darkness. Mousse could feel her heavy breathing on her chest....her soft breasts pushing into his body....and a small trickle of blood re-erupted from his nose and spilled onto her hair. Mousse was now faced with a problem. A very large problem. A problem with a brother that didn't take kindly to people hitting his sister at all. His mind raced over his options. He could have left her here and hope that she was going to be alright....and lose the only way out of this madness that was the Kuno gardens. And still have Tatewaki hunt him down for hurting his sister. He decided to bring her to the house and pray for the best.... With a heave, he picked up the young girl and slipped her over his shoulder. His mind reeled at how little there actually was to Kodachi's figure and he could feel a collective shudder as he reflected on what he could have done to her if his attacks had been at full strength. He found the trail that she was referring to and quickly followed it to the side of the Kuno Mansion. his eyes bugged out as he took in the grandness of the Kuno Mansion from inside it's perimeter. Mousse climbed the small hill to the front door and gently knocked on the door. The door opened and there stood Tatewaki Kuno with a slightly concerned look on his face. "Mousse, what has happened to my sister??" Tatchi asked as he took the young girl from the Amazon's shoulder. "We got into a bit of a scrap....and we got into a bit of another scrap after that," Mousse said as he stepped behind Tatchi into the large house. "She's alright but asleep. I didn't hurt her...." "I can see that quite clearly. Go into the living room and sit down. I'll talk to you after I bring my sister to her bedroom and tuck her in. It's just down the hall. You should see a large open door with a wood panel. Go right in." At that the elder Kuno walked up a large set of stairs and disappeared into the large stately house. Mousse watched him as he scaled the stairs, and then decided to take him up on his offer to talk. The young Amazon walked down the hall and found the living room. It was large like everything in the Kuno mansion, and it had a set of eggplant colored crushed velvet chairs and sofa surrounding a large fireplace. There was no fire in it, but the light from the massive, picturesque picture window cast a light on the room that could not be equaled. The sunlight glanced off the massive bookshelves, and danced across the long Persian rug that lay in front of the chairs. Mousse made his way over to one of the chairs and heavily sat down in it. He tired to think about what had just taken place, but the chair was just too comfortable and the tension on his body was just too great for him to bear. His eyes began to dip and droop as sleep began it's slow ooze over his body. His heart began to slow and his mind blurred to the point of unconscious thought. Mousse finally decided to let sleep fully take over his body, so with a fold of his hands he let his eyes close. The last thought that ran through his conscious mind was of Kodachi's lips caressing his....loving his....kissing his.... ********** Mousse awoke several hours later to find that he was still in the large comfy armchair that he fell asleep in. The whole look of the room had changed from when he saw it last. The sun had set and the fireplace was roaring with the energy of a large blaze. Flickering lights danced off the wide and spacious room filling the area with images that disappeared at a moment's hesitation. Sitting across from him was Tatchi Kuno, his features being accented by the soft light from the fire. He sat with a book in his hands and his eyes locked on the young Amazon. "So. You have finally awoken....and you seem like you had a restful sleep. Tea??" he said as he slid over a small rolling table with a tea service placed on the top. Mousse quietly accepted the offer and prepared his tea. A small sip was taken as he used the liquid to ease and soothe his parched throat. "Thank you." he rasped as he held his cup. "You're welcome. Now, would you please tell me how you came to carry my sister home bruised and beaten??" he asked in a neutral voice. Mousse didn't trust how calm and level Tatchi's voice was, so he decided to tread with caution but not fear. "This all happened because your sister had an issue with me encroaching on her training space...." At that Mousse explained the entire sticky episode to the kendoist. Tatchi didn't stop Mousse in his narrative except when to ask a question or clear up an unclearly stated point. This allowance of expression helped Mousse to open up to Tatchi and the story tumbled out with ever increasing readiness. The minutes passed as the young Amazon told his story to Tatchi, surrounded by the surrealistic atmosphere of the Kuno mansion. "So," Tatchi began as Mousse finished the story, "You came into the mansion looking for me, and my sister attacked you. Instead of knocking her out and running for your life, you defeat her and bring her here. Have I got this right??" "Yes. That's all that happened...." "Is that so?? Then why did my sister tell me to tell you that she needed to 'taste you more', in not so many words??" Tatchi gently inquired. Mousse's gasp told the kendoist all that he needed to know and the boy felt no need to beat around the bush any longer. "You were intimate with her, weren't you??" "I was.....We were......I didn't have sex with her...." "I know....trust me, I know." Tatchi looked deep into Mousse's eyes and saw that he wasn't lying to him at all. "Mousse, I'm only asking this because there are a few things that I think you need to know. My sister is a very special person to me. She's the only link I have to the former life we led together...." "Wha....???" Mousse's head swam like the fish that he served to customers at the Nekohanten as he took all this new information in. He was trying to comprehend the fact that Tatchi wasn't trying to kill him for harming his sister, and even looked like he was slightly calm. It all didn't add up and it all made him very uneasy. Like the kiss.... "Just let me speak," Tatchi said as he set down his cup. "Kodachi and I suffer from living the life we've lived as the oddest people in a world full of oddities. But my sister is not crazy, despite what many in Nerima might say. She has a lot of issues, many of them unchangeable because they weren't hers to begin with. To say that my sister is....shall we say 'slightly imbalanced' is to nearly understand the root of the problem. "My sister and I were normally very happy children living in Nerima for many years before this all happened. When my mother left us because of my father's insanity and then he left us for America, all within a few weeks time, it devastated both of us. I know I was never the same after that, and Kodachi felt as if her world fell down around her feet. She began to change a lot after that. Light days, dark days, black days. She went through them all, and I held her hand through it all. I still do. She looked up to my mother as a goddess, because she was so divine to both of us. And when she left us, Kodachi lost the best thing in her world." "That's.....that's terrible. It all makes sense now...." Mousse said as he refilled his cup. The lines in his forehead wrinkled in recognition of what Tatchi had just laid on his mental plate. He had always heard stories about Kodachi's craziness, but he never believed that they were true. And now that he saw the evidence for himself, and heard the cause of it, he finally saw the pieces falling into place. It made him think hard. "But the family we've been saddled with is not the biggest issues with my sister and I." Tatchi continued speaking a voice that was much older than his years. "We had been commissioned from birth to seek out the best in what ever we go after. Whether it is to be martial arts, business, or even love....we were told from the womb to actively seek out the best. And it's becoming apparent to me that Kodachi sees you as her new 'best'." The kendoist shot a deep glare towards Mousse's heart and it pierced the distanced calm of the boy like a dagger. "I'm her 'best'??" "Mousse, why do you really think Kodachi went so hard after Ranma?? It's not because she's attracted to him...." Tatchi spat. "It's because she showed something better to her. His demeanor, his fighting skills, his all-around persona was better than she could muster. At least until now. And even with Asuka...." "Asuka!?? The 'White Lily'??!! You don't mean...." "What that my sister's bi-sexual?? Yes. Yes she is." At the boy got up and pulled a small photo album from the shelves of books across the far wall. He flipped through the pages as if he were skimming for a emotional Rosetta stone. When he found what he was looking for, he handed the book to Mousse. The Amazon found himself looking at a set of pictures featuring Asuka and Kodachi in several intimate positions. Some semi-nude, some totally clothed. From what Mousse could ascertain, the pictures were of Kodachi and Asuka in love....or at least a reasonable facsimile. "How long ago was this??" "They ended their 'relationship' shortly before Ranma Saotome first came to Nerima. Asuka was my sister's first significant other, and she was different from Ranma. Same concept, different feelings. Kodachi really loved Asuka with her heart and soul, and Asuka strung her along until she was ready for a man. They've been enemies ever since. But at the beginning, she became interested in Asuka because the white lily beat her in a match. The pair began to spar, one thing lead to another, and well...." "So how did you get these pictures??" Mousse asked, warily cocking an eyebrow at the kendoist. "Nabiki Tendo." Tatchi dryly answered. "She was the one who first discovered them together in the park. When she gave me the pictures, I was a little shocked but Ko-chan seemed happy, and I wanted her happy. And when Asuka broke her heart, and left her crying and unable to go on, I held her hand through all that shit. You don't know how it affected me...." Tatchi returned to his chair and sat down deeply in the soft cushions. Mousse couldn't help but think that Tatchi had aged over 10 years in just the conversation that they had. The kendoist had an other-worldly expression on his lined face as he stared at the fire that raged in the room. All his pain and worry had risen like cream in a milk jar, and the expression he gave showed not a love struck young man but a worried older brother with a serious axe to grind. "Mousse, I tell you all these things because I know that Kodachi has taken a serious fancy to you. She likes you a lot, and she's not going to stop until you hear her out. You are not Ranma Saotome, and you can't stop her like he does. So don't even try." "Who said I was going to try and stop her??" Mousse replied testily. He felt offense that Tatchi could see all that was going through his mind, and the feeling only intensified as he went over the evidence put before him. "Who do you think you are that you know what I'm going through right now?? I know nothing of who I am or what it is that I want for myself, let alone what I feel for your sister. You don't even know if I have feelings for her like that...." "Yes, I do know that you have feelings for my sister, because I'm somebody that has the same affliction as you, Mousse. I know where you are because I'm there too," Tatchi replied calmly. "Shampoo has a grip on your heart so heavy that it would take more men than necessary to release it. So too does Akane Tendo and Ranma's girl side evoke these emotions to me. It's hard, but it's real. So just deal with it." "You know about Ranma??" Mousse asked in amazement. "Of course. You didn't think that Ko-chan was the only bisexual inhabitant of this house, now did you??" A small, but unavoidable smile began to crease the lips of the kendoist as he continued. "Like I said before, I look for the best. Simply the best. Akane is the best in many ways to me, and Ranma is the best to me in others. I foolishly thought I could have them both. I now realize I can never have either of them because I never even made myself a friend to them first. My arrogance to Akane shattered any possibility of a friendship, and Ranma's internal issues prevented me from getting close to him at all." "Then why continue the chase??" "We all play a part in a serious friendship that all of us in the Nerima scene inhabit. We'll never admit it, but we all have a role to play. Even I." "Makes sense...." Mousse mused as he thought about the crazy relationships that made up the tapestry that he lived in. They were all friends, but none would admit it because of the fragility that always existed. He took a sip of the now Luke-warm tea before he spoke. "Then you are telling me that I should go out with Kodachi??" "I'm simply saying that you need to look at yourself and decide if you want to keep playing the game until it ends in the inevitable heartbreak over Shampoo...." Tatchi croaked as his voice quavered with wisdom beyond his years, "or you can look at other people and try a new route. I know it's hard, but as Kami as my witness I'll try to do it if you will. I've watched you get your heartbroken for nearly 3 years and I'm tired of it. I know you must be too...." The room fell silent as the boys pondered over the agreement that laid on the emotional round table they shared. Each had a large stake in this agreement and Mousse was not going to agree to something like this without knowing all the wrinkles that laid within. "Tatewaki??" the Amazon asked softly. "Yes, Mousse??" "Do you have someone you want to move on to?? Someone that has an interest in you??" "For the record, please call me Tatchi. It's less stiff that way. And yes, yes I do. She's someone that has defied all my attempts to understanding this shit I deal with. She's a woman who I hate more than anything in this world, but if I were to lose her all my world would fall down in front of me. I want to be with Nabiki Tendo, and I want her to be with me...." "...." Mousse was speechless as he digested the fact that Tatchi's love was in fact the woman who sucked so much money and grief from him. It was a far stranger concept than he could deal with, so he decided to move on to the main issue. "I'll say this to you Tatchi: I won't discount Kodachi as someone to feel feelings for. But for right now, I'm still too strange even to myself to make any promises. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt....if you tell Nabiki how you feel about her. Deal?" "Deal." The pair shook hands as Mousse stood up to leave. Tatchi and Mousse talked of trivial matters as Mousse prepared to go to his house. The walk of 20 square blocks to the Nekohanten would take the better part of an hour, so Tatchi decided to give the boy enough money so that he could take the train and not have to walk so far. They parted company with a strong handshake and a generous smile to one another as the Amazon male stepped into the clear night air. Intense feelings of new beginnings floated through the air as he walked, and Mousse felt the tide begin to change in his favor. As Mousse walked the short distance to the train station, his mind drifted on the conversation that he and Tatchi had conducted. He still couldn't believe that Kodachi apparently had an interest in him. It seemed that the young girl took an interest in whatever she could not control, and he was dammed if he was going to let this girl control him. And yet, Mousse couldn't stop the feelings of sensuality from sweeping over his body like a tidal wave. she was so soft, so gentle, so curvy, so.... ....so much like Shampoo. And that was the crux of the matter that laid in Mousse's mind. He just couldn't get his purple haired obsession out of his mind. No matter how hard he tried to block her from his thoughts, she just kept on coming back. Mousse had found something different, something unique, something very attractive in Kodachi Kuno. And he just couldn't stop thinking about Shampoo and how much he still cared for her. The train he boarded rolled quickly to the terminal closest to the Nekohanten, forcing him to become lost in his thoughts as the internal war raged on within him. On the one hand he had Kodachi, a girl with many arms clinging to whatever love she could find. A sexy girl with a method for her madness that made him scared. But on the other hand was the woman he had spent over 10 years chasing after. The one whom he was inspired to honor and respect by giving his life for. While she didn't love him, he knew that the house she laid her hopes on was made of sand and she would need someone to help her put it all back together when it finally crashed. It was his hope that he could do that for her. The internal war raged on as he walked from the train station to the Nekohanten. Members of his own internal senate made eloquent oratory from the floor of his mind as he climbed into his own bed at the cafe and tried to get some rest for his exhausted mind. His body may have gotten a bit of a rest, but even in his dreams Mousse was confronted with the fact that he needed to make a decision about whom he wanted to care about. He was going to be dammed if he was going to turn into a Ranma Saotome over the women in his life. Mousse felt deep inside that this was a situation that was far to insane for him to control but he had to try. He had to. Mousse spent hours tossing and turning in his futon, but it all came to no avail. Bad dreams and disturbing fights on the floor of the mental senate allowed him no emotional rest, and he looked as if he had run too far, too fast. He rose for work the next morning feeling the effects of a day previously spent in deep emotional turmoil. Shampoo's droning lilt and Cologne's grunted commands were nothing but chattel in his mind as he went about his work. It almost seemed that the turmoil in his mind muted all the normal insanity that raged around him. Customers were being rude, Shampoo was acting sticky sweet to Ranma and vicious to Akane, Cologne was evil and uncaring to him....and it all could have been a warm pile of dog shit to Mousse. He just didn't care anymore. The first few hours of the work day passed without incident, but just as he sat down in the cafe to take a break from his day, Shampoo came walking into the main dining room. She held a large box in her hands and a puzzled expression hung tightly on her smooth face. "Here," she said as she passed the box into Mousse's hands. "It for you. Left on back doorstep just now. Your name on it, I no open." "Thank you...." he mumbled as he took the box into his large slender hands. Shampoo skipped off to plan her newest stalking of Ranma leaving Mousse all alone with the box spilling forth a sweet, fresh scent from it's interior. His curiosity was piqued as he looked at the smooth white box, it's sides adorned with and secured by a large red ribbon tied in a knot. He untied the ribbon and pulled back the cover of the box carefully. Inside were 2 dozen roses, in black and white with their blossoms spilling forth a delightful scent of spring. The petals were slightly opened, and the colors were bright but gentle as they shone from the bed. Mousse couldn't help but feel pampered as he looked at the impressive spread laid out before him. At the bottom of the stems was a small envelope with his name on it. He sat the box down on the table, and opened the letter with great interest. ******* Mousse-sama, You will come to me at 1.00 pm this afternoon in the gardens where we first met. You will bring all your weapons as this will be our rematch, and you will fight as if your life depended on it. Because if you don't come to me, I'll come to you. And Shampoo will not like it at all. You are all mine now, Mousse.... @---}--}-- Kodachi P.S. You are mine....but if you want me, I'm yours. You just have to come and get me....^_^ ******* Mousse stared at the creamy paper with the words scribbled on them in a bemused state of shock. All the neurons in his brain were running at full speed and standing stock still at attention, all at the same time. Never had he received such a clear symbol of....of something. He didn't know what this was truly saying, but he knew that for Kodachi to send this to him was a large step indeed. she wanted him for something and she was going to try her dammedest to get it. All the thoughts in his brain began to filter down to one single transmission. Go to her.... He folded the paper into it's original state and tucked it into his pocket. With a creaking set of joints screaming their disapproval, he rose and brought the flowers to his room. Mousse then walked out the door with all his weapons in full armament, towards the Kuno mansion. The trip took less than twenty minutes to complete as Mousse used a speed he wasn't well known for to carry him to the mansion. His feet carried him up to the gateway and took him inside the gardens where he had trod before. Soon Mousse found himself in the garden, his hands lightly holding a small staff. The foliage looked even fuller and lushified than before and it sang with the nasal twang of a forest truly alive. Mousse could feel the ground alive beneath him as he walked, almost as if he could feel the heartbeat of Kodachi throughout it. His mind quickened as he walked into the small clearing. There was no one there, and the air whistled around his legs as he walked to the center. When he got there, he found one black duck's feather with a small note tied to the end. it simply said, "I knew you'd com to me...." Kodachi's yell then enveloped itself across the clearing as she charged at the Amazon male. He saw her out of the corner of his eye and jumped backwards to avoid her. She changed directions and kept charging, swinging her pins in front of her to distract and befuddle the young man into stumbling. Mousse did just that, falling backwards onto his ass as he tried to run. With a sick laugh, she leaped high into the air and descended onto the young Amazon with the raw enthusiasm of a tiger on the kill. She landed on him and pinned him on the ground with her eyes glinting in the light. "I knew you'd come back to me....and now I'm never letting you go," she whispered sexily as she lowered herself further onto Mousse. But the Amazon surprised her by swiftly clamping his arms around her and enveloping her in a glomp that stopped the world. His strong leg and thigh muscles easily gave him the leverage he need to turn him over to a position of power over Kodachi's lithe frame. "You don't own me....no one owns me...." he hissed as he clung himself tighter to Kodachi. She smiled evilly as she saw the determined look in the young boy's eyes. He was finally her's forever. She just knew it. "Good...." Kodachi then pulled Mousse's head down and pressed her lips against his. Her own arms surrounded Mousse's limber frame as they passionately kissed each other on the soft grass. Their bodies gyrated, twisted, turned and pulled at one another in their efforts to heighten their feelings towards each other. Mousse began to suck hard in Kodachi's mouth, sending incredible feelings of sensuality coursing through them both. The pressure between the two built itself to the point that it almost overloaded the neurons in both their brains. Finally, Mousse pulled back from Kodachi's lips, breathing a sigh of relief all the way. His nerves felt fried after the passionate encounter with the woman that laid beneath him and he could hear his own heart beating a staccato rhythm inside his chest. He looked down at Kodachi and saw that her eyes were shining with new love as they peered back at him. A gentle expression graced the lips and face of the woman who had loved him so absolutely. He slid his hands down to hers, and as he sat up on his knees he pulled her up with him. She fell into his lap with a soft thump, and the pair laid in the afterglow of their first real kiss. Kodachi gently pulled herself into a better position in Mousse's lap, gently pulling against the young man who had so deeply satiated the need raging inside of her young body. Her whole being shone with love and passion, passion that she hoped Mousse could feel. "Was that good, Mousse??" she gently asked while wrapping her hands around his soft waist. "It was wonderful...Kodachi-Chan. You are wonderful," he answered as he pulled her even closer to him. "But we can't keep this up...." "Why??" "Because I'm not in love with you...." "Because I'm not Shampoo..." she softly whispered, her voice cracking as she spoke. Then, in a show of great tenderness, Mousse tipped Kodachi's chin so she could look into his eyes. The gymnast gasped at the pain that raged through the young Amazon's eyes. Pain that only came from unrequited love and deep mental anguish. A pain she knew all too well.... "Kodachi, I'm not sure who I love. And I spent all night thinking about this....Whether it is Shampoo, you, or whomever, I'm just not sure at all. Period. But I do feel an attraction to you. That much is true. And so is this: I will never hurt you as long as I live. Never. But you must promise me that if you feel the way I do, you will be real with me and never lie." "I promise....I need to have you, Mousse-kun." "Then can we see where this leads?? Just you and me??" "Yes." With a smile of joy, Kodachi began to kiss the base of Mousse's neck. Her full lips caressed Mousse's soft skin as she loved her new man. Mousse's contented moans ran through his throat and vibrated across Kodachi's lips like breakers on the ocean. But she needed more of him, so with a gentle grip she began to bite him on the middle of throat. At the feeling of her teeth sinking into him, Mousse pulled back a bit with a look of shock on his face. Kodachi just smiled and winked at Mousse challenging him with her eyes. Mousse just smiled back and deftly flipped her over in his lap with her ass high in the air. Her skirt had flipped up as he turned her and the pulled the tops of her panties down exposing her soft rear. He brought his hand down to the soft flesh and began to spank her. Hard. His hand became a blur as he punished the young girl for her biting, but the punishment soon enthralled Kodachi to the point that joyful tears began to fall from her eyes. Soon, Mousse wanted to feel more of his new girlfriend, and with a slight of hand movement so swift it couldn't be seen he unearthed a bottle of lotion from his sleeve. His spanking stopped and he applied a soothing massage to her ass and thighs. Kodachi's moans intensified as she felt the Amazon's skilled hands rub her most private places with the cool lotion. In time, she felt his fingers grazing her pussy so she scooted backwards on his lap to cup his hand in her sweet groove. His anxious eyes met her's and she granted his permission with a wink and a smile. Mousse took that as a sign from the one he loved, and his finger disappeared into Kodachi's wetness. She moaned as if her deepest nerves were stimulated by the greatest vibrator ever built. Mousse kept fingering Kodachi until he could feel her getting too wet for comfort. At that he flipped her back over, sliding down until she was laying on the ground and his head was between her legs. The tongue that had previously explored the back of Kodachi's mouth now explored her still virginal honey pot. Kodachi gripped the back of Mousse's head, pressing him to all the spots that she wanted him to explore. The Amazon male complied with her unspoken wishes, and his tongue wrapped around her pussy lips with a confidence befitting the greatest Casanovas of their time. The oral ministrations kept on until Kodachi could take it no more. With a soft gasp and a gentle rise in her back she let go of her juices and moaned through her first orgasm. Mousse licked her to get all of the sweet honey as it flowed from her, thrilling as to how tasty the young girl could be. He knew then that even if they didn't work out as a couple, they would have encounters that would be like nothing that they had ever been in. He pulled his head up to breathe as his face dripped with pussy juice and he saw the woman he now cared so much for looking at him with a predatorily gaze in her eyes. Kodachi leapt from her position on the grass to slam Mousse's torso onto the turf with astonishing force. She swiftly moved down the Amazon's body to reach the penis of the man she loved. The tie in his pants swiftly came undone and his pants slipped off his hips with the greatest of ease. Soon she was looking at Mousse's manhood as it swayed in the air. Firm, erect, and full of blood, it pulsed slightly with the life flowing through him. she licked the head with a hesitant tongue, as she tried to find out how she was to pleasure him. In an instant, she decided what to do and her lips wrapped around Mousse's cock as a result. Kodachi gently sucked and pulled on Mousse's dick as he lay on the ground, soaking in the feelings of lust that ran through him. Kodachi felt her sex instincts take over and she luxuriated Mousse in an envelope of wetness in her mouth. Mousse moved his hand to the back of her neck to help guide her to the spots he wanted her to hit. The pair writhed on the ground as Kodachi reciprocated the sucking she received back to the man who gave it to her. She didn't know it, but her raw skill had Mousse breaking on the verge of a massive orgasm. Mousse began to feel his precum roll into her mouth and he knew he was almost there. his balls tightened as they prepared to spill forth with their seed. "I'm coming!!!!!" he gasped as he felt the first shots of cum erupt from his dick. Kodachi just sucked harder as she felt the cum fill her mouth and trickle down her chin. He kept on squirting, as he was sexually aroused to a totally new plane. Kodachi gulped down as much as she could, and then leaned over to get everything that she missed. Soon she tucked Mousse's cock back into his pants and crawled back up to his face. She looked into Mousse's eyes and saw that his own eyes were glazed over and lucid from the pleasure they shared. Mousse reached over and took Kodachi's head in his hands, kissing her lips with a gentle touch. They kissed as Mousse ran his tongue around to taste himself on Kodachi's face. Tenderness permeated their embrace, and they melded into each other as if they were fitting into a mold. Kodachi just laid on top of Mousse and let his hands and his tongue go where they wanted to. Eventually she wanted all of the Amazon beneath her and with an audible pop she pulled her lips from Mousse's and looked deep in his eyes. "Please make love to me....I need to have you inside of me...." she whisper pleaded. Her eyes twinkled with the satisfaction that surged beneath her surface. "I'm ready for you...." "I can't...." he said softly as he continued to hold onto her waist. "But I thought after this...." she trailed off. "I don't love you, Kodachi. I like you a lot, but I'm not ready to give my heart to you all over again. And neither are you. when you are ready to give it all to me with no bullshit, only then will I take your virginity." He stroked her bangs with a fingertip as he continued to speak. "Because when you give me your virginity, I'll give you my heart for keeps. Not a moment until then will I enter you." "I....I understand." And it was true; Kodachi did understand why Mousse didn't want to make love to her. She knew that she didn't want to have to use sex as a way to keep Mousse there, and now he put that point out in the open for all to see. She felt light years freer as she realized that Mousse was growing to love her in ways deeper than he had for Shampoo. She could wait. "Will you at least stay with me for a while?? I'm lonely without you...." she horsed with a gentle smile on her face. "Of course. Where else do I have to go??" Mousse chuckled as he hugged Kodachi tighter to him. The pair began to talk about things in their lives. Important things, trivial things, strange things, anything that they could think of. Both had much to learn about the other and they decided to get a head start on their learning right there in the clearing. Mousse and Kodachi found that they liked many of the same things in art, music, food, and reading. Soon the pair began to talk about their histories and relate to each other some of the deepest parts of their souls. Hours passed, and the pair kept on in the clearing. But as the darkness began to fall Mousse decided to leave for home. The pair walked through the paths to the main gate, hand in hand. They were all talked out from their bonding in the garden, so as they walked towards the entrance they let their hearts speak for them. All too soon it came time for Mousse to part and they stopped in front of the gate, the setting sun now just a distant memory in front of them. Mousse leaned over and kissed Kodachi's cheek as he turned to go, but stopped as Kodachi tugged on his shirt. "Please think of me...." Kodachi whispered as she gripped Mousse's shirt even tighter. "I will....and we will be together very soon. Adieu, koibito...." At that he walked away from Kodachi and out the front gate. All Kodachi could see was Mousse walking down the street, back into the cold cruel world he inhabited without her. A small tear ran down the young girl's face, trickling to the ground.... ********** "It no make sense...." Shampoo mumbled to Cologne as they continued to watch Mousse work. All the things they knew about him over the last few weeks couldn't add up to why Mousse was so different, so distant. And so happy.... "Does Mousse ever make sense, child??" Cologne asked of her great- granddaughter with an incredulous voice. "No....stupid duck...." Just as Mousse began to finish the floor he was mopping, the door burst open and Kodachi Kuno walked in. Her hair was flowing down her shoulders and not tied in her normal ponytail, and she wore a soft blouse with a medium length skirt. All her face could reveal was an ardent desire, a desire that she was finally going to get. "Mousse," she said, catching the Amazon male's attention, "Road Trip. You. Now. The car is waiting." Her eyes twinkled with the predatory spirit that she was so famous for. "Are you ready to finally give it all away??" Mousse asked with hope in his voice. "Yes." "Then I'm ready to go." At that he laid the mop down, and walked to his room. Shampoo stared astonished at the gymnast, her eyes bugging out at the idea of Mousse going with her. Kodachi didn't even notice the Amazon's eyes on her, she was so enthused about the idea of spending a whole week with Mousse. Alone. Especially when she was head over heals in love with him. Mousse appeared a few minutes later, carrying a small knapsack on his shoulder. He was clad in a T-Shirt and a pair of jeans. His eyes were covered by a pair of round rimmed sunglasses, and his hair was pulled back in a savage ponytail. In short, the change was astonishing to everyone who looked at him. He walked over to Cologne and bowed respectfully to the elder. "I will be gone for about one week. I will return and work off all the time I missed after I do what I need to do. Good day." At that he turned and walked out the door with Kodachi. The pair entered a large limousine which quickly sped off in the direction of the airport. shampoo just stared at the door in confusion. Then as she looked over at her great-grandmother, she could see that the old elder had a look of contentment on her weather face. "Don't ask." Cologne said, reading the thoughts in the young girl's mind. "Just don't ask. Simply know that this was a case of what they call 'a crazy little thing called love'. Now let's think of a new scheme to get your husband...."