Neko Love 24. Desperately Seeking Shampoo

Author:

Disclaimer: I don’t own Ranma!

Apologies! I didn’t mean for this to be so late, but then again considering the amount of real life stuff that has been happening with me then it’s not surprising.

Special Dedication: To my Nana, whom I’ll miss dearly and because she always had a great sense of humour.

Chapter 24

Desperately Seeking Shampoo

The thunder rumbled and both Ukyo and Ryoga paused. They had swallowed the first mouthful of the tonic laced stew. It was strong enough to send them into an instant trance.

“Wow, it worked on the first bite!” Ranma said.

“Ranma don’t do anything perverted. It’s just to let us get some time alone.” Akane warned. She didn’t feel good doing this to Ryoga it was breaking the trust he had for her.

“Trust me, Akane” Ranma giggled. He was having too much fun. He cracked his knuckles as behind him the thunder rumbled. “Now everytime you hear that noise Ryoga, Ukyo. You will fall into each other’s arms and go somewhere private far away from anybody else.”

“Ranma!”

“It’ll be okay, I’ve been watching them. They’re a perfect couple.”

“They’re always fighting.”

“So all the good couples fight.” Ranma shrugged.

“This isn’t a manga.” Akane sighed, though sometimes she doubted it.

Ranma looked at the dazed pair. They seemed slightly out of it but with any luck, he thought it would be the best way to bring his two friends together. “Now off you two go. You make a great couple”

Ryoga grabbed Ukyo still in a trance and ran off into the woods. While Ranma began laughing

“It’s not funny Ranma.” Akane said. “They could do something they regret!”

“Aw it just feels so good finally having my own back.”

“When has Ukyo or Ryoga done anything to you?” Akane asked.

“Plenty of times, it’s just now I finally get to do something about it and make them have a happy ending!”

“I guess, now we’re alone…” She blushed as she realised what this meant.

“So what where you trying to say before?” Ranma asked blushing as well. He didn’t want to think about what it could be. But now they where really alone, there weren’t anyone else for miles around.

“Well you see, you know we did naughty things.” Akane gulped and held all her attention to the picture she was drawing in the dirt with a stick. She was too scared to look Ranma in the eyes.

“Eh… yeah.” Ranma gulped as well, who also avoided eye contact.

“I think our cat selves where really naughty Ranma.” Akane stuttered. “I- I seemed to have lost my virginity, there was blood in my panties; I guess that’s what happens when it’s just out of animal lust. It just happened maybe a bit too quickly, I wasn’t ready.”

“Akane…” Ranma reached out to comfort her. He awkwardly offered his arm to hug her.

She shook her head and continued determined not to look at him. This wasn’t as hard as she thought it would be but she was still dying of embarrassment. “I didn’t want to loose my virginity like that. A first kiss you can forgive, strangely my first kiss was from your cat self so I guess it would be only natural that I would loose my honour to it. I just wanted the happy ever after. To get married to someone I loved and now I’m ruined.”

The way Akane worded her speech it sounded to Ranma like she had somebody else in mind for marriage. ‘Someone that’s not a freak.’ “I’m sorry,” he sighed.

“Don’t be stupid,” Akane hissed. “We both didn’t have any control over our Neko sides. So there’s nothing to be sorry about!”

“I’m just saying sorry for ruining your wedding plans!” Ranma hissed back. “Man, you can be really uncute sometimes.”

“Is that suppose to make me feel better you jerk?”

“Yeah, it is you’re suppose to be all cute and tell me you feel alright!”

“Well I don’t feel alright!” Akane snapped. “I had sex when I’m possessed with the Neko-Ken and I don’t remember anything about it. On top of that it could have been anyone that your cat side had sex with!”

“Now you’re really being stupid!”

“Dummy! Who are you calling stupid!?”

“You! You’re too thick to realise my cat side only goes to you!”

“Does not!”

“Does too!”

Akane fell silent as she heard the news even though she couldn’t believe it. How could his cat side only go to her? “That doesn’t make sense,” she whispered after a while still not believing him. “Cats always have more than one partner.”

Ranma turned his back to her flushed. “Well… I’m slightly different. My cat side it- it goes to you only. You’re the only one who can calm me down, not Shampoo Ukyo or even Kasumi. It’s you Akane, every time!”

“Ranma…” Akane gasped she hugged her knees unable to say anything more. It was too much of a shock. The cat side she had always assumed would go to anyone cute enough. ‘I never really thought about it. Does this go for my cat side as well?’

“Heh, funny I never thought it was going to be that about the sex y’know.” Ranma said nervously. “I had all sorts of horrible situations going on in my head. Like I dunno you wanted to break up or something, it’s hard to explain what I was thinking, I mean I guess, if you’re okay with it I’ll marry you.”

“I don’t want you to marry me out of pity.”

“Who would marry out of pity?!” Ranma shouted, ‘How stubborn can this girl get?’ “I just told you my cat side likes you and you go about accusing me of pity!”

“Marrying me because you couldn’t control your cat side is marrying out of pity!” Akane cried. “I want someone to marry me because they want to! I don’t want it arranged by our fathers or tricked into it. I want to marry for love!”

“So you don’t love me is that it?”

“I never said that!”

There was more silence as Ranma looked up in shock at Akane who had tears in her eyes. “Do you mean that Akane?”

“What? That I never said I don’t love you?”

Ranma nodded.

Akane shrugged her face bright red. “Yeah I mean it.” She said in a hushed tone and wiped her eyes.

Ranma smiled, he liked the round about way Akane had said it. Though it wasn’t the words he wanted to hear, they neither had enough courage to say it. She shuffled closer to him and leaned her head against his shoulder finally accepting the hug. Ranma stiffened slightly but slowly moved his arm around Akane, making sure he wasn’t touching anything she would consider perverted.

Akane’s eyes where watering uncontrollably but it was only from plain relief that she had finally been able to tell him. After all her frustration and interruptions she had told him what had happened and Ranma seemed happy about it. If anything leaning up against him as he cuddled her tight was the most restful thing she had ever done.

“Can we stay like this for a while?” Akane asked.

“Well maybe from the safety of the tent.” Ranma answered as he saw the clouds beginning to threaten a downpour.

“Shouldn’t we go look for Ukyo and Ryoga?”

“Nah give it a few more minutes.” Ranma sighed as he hugged Akane tight. “Let those two love birds be.”

***

Ryoga stopped running and he put Ukyo down beside him. As she touched the ground the spell was broken and her once blurry eyes stared sharply back at Ryoga.

“What the hell have you done?” She shouted.

Ryoga rubbed his head he was feeling dizzy but strangely, as he rubbed his stomach not sore there. ‘I think that stew was quite good.’

“Hey answer me, where are we?” Ukyo yelled. She was more than annoyed Ranma had tricked her! Again! ‘I thought I was the cute fiancée?’

Ryoga looked around. “Eh… where are we?”

“That’s what I’d like to know!”

He looked down at the mountainside into a bubbling hot spring. “Um… I think we’re nowhere near Ranma and Akane.”

“What the heck happened anyway, one minute I was eating stew the next I’m here.”

“It’s all Ranma’s fault!” Ryoga yelled. “I knew it was too suspicious to hand over Akane’s cooking like that!”

“No, it had to be Akane!” Ukyo hissed unable to believe Ranma had done anything. “There’s no way he would want to be alone with her! She must have put something in that stew.”

“Akane is not devious like you, leave her alone!” Ryoga snapped.

“Me devious?” Ukyo scoffed. “I don’t trick a girl into thinking I’m a pet pig and then snuggle up to her at night!”

“Hah! Well at least I don’t set bombs and try and get other people to fall in love under an umbrella!”

“How do you know about that?”

“I know many things.”

“Yeah well not much by the looks of it. You’ve got us lost and who knows what could be happening back at the campsite!”

“Just wait Akane I’ll save you from Ranma.” Ryoga said.

“First thing’s first Ryoga honey, where are we?” Ukyo asked as she looked down at the pool. “Is this the hot spring five miles from the campsite?”

“Um… I think so,” Ryoga answered. “From what I remember of the place it seems familiar.”

“Aw crap,” Ukyo cursed, “Let’s get back as fast as possible. Who knows what dangers they’re putting themselves in!”

Straight up above them the lightening shot down and the thunder boomed in ominous unison. The pair leapt into each other’s arms suddenly in the trance again. They both fell over into the hot spring but they cuddled close as they took off their clothes to get closer.

But just as soon as the thunder had boomed the spell was broken again and Ryoga and Ukyo looked at each other in shock as they saw they where both half naked in a hot spring.

**

Mousse looked up at the temple as storm clouds spiralled over the middle tower.

“What the heck is going on Granny?” He yelled over the noise.

“We’re too late boy,” Cologne sighed. “If only we’d gotten here sooner.”

“SHAMPOO!!” Mousse ran in, unafraid of any consequences.

He was thrown back by something a viscous growl could be heard.

“Dear Ancient ancestors no!” The Elder Amazon gasped.

Mousse got up unperturbed by getting pushed back so easily. “SHAMPOO!”

“Mousse stop!” Cologne shouted but the boy had already ran into the temple again. Howls could be heard around the forest and the Amazon clutched onto her staff. This was a not good omen. ‘Oh my child what have you done?’

Mousse managed to get past the door somehow the growling had stopped. “Shampoo where are you?”

He saw the extinguished candles surrounding the main rooms’ statue but all that remained was a broken platform and some rubble.

A sparkle on the floor caught his eye and Mousse brought it closer to his eyes to examine the object. It was one of Shampoo’s bells that she wound in her hair. The boy clenched his fist closed over the bell.

“Shampoo…” He whispered.

“We’re too late Mousse,” Cologne sighed as she hopped in behind him. “There is no hope to save the girl now. Her soul is practically lost to the beast.”

“What are you saying you old ghoul?” Mousse shouted turning to face the old woman. “Shampoo is going to be fine! I’m going to save her!”

“Keep the noise down, the beast is slumbering.” Cologne hissed. “How do you think we were able to enter? It wants us to see this so we will give up on her.”

“I’ll never give up on Shampoo!” Mousse yelled.

There was a low growl and Cologne stiffened. “You’ve done it now!”

“Come and face me monster!” Mousse demanded. “I won’t let you have my beloved.”

The silhouette rose behind the paper wall. Mousse could clearly see the outline of his love. This time he wasn’t mistaken, it was the woman he wanted to call his.

“Shampoo!”

“Mousse go home…” The girl whispered her voice hardly audible.

“Shampoo!” Mousse repeated as he walked forward to slide back the door.

The young girl looked back at him sadly, tears where streaming down her eyes. “Please Mousse it is coming.”

“Mousse do as she says come back here before…” A growl stopped Cologne from saying anymore. Shampoo’s eyes where now a bright yellow and she curled up her lip at them both. She raised her hands out to the side and the growl became louder, almost rumbling the building with the tone. “Oh my granddaughter is Ranma really worth this?”

There was no answer from Shampoo she seemed lost in the spell.

“Is this a dog equivalent of the Neko-Ken?” Mousse asked as he backed up next to his Elder.

“No much worse,” Cologne sighed. “If we’re lucky we’ll make out of this place with our souls.”

Shampoo’s hair flowed up in the air as her eyes continued to glow and the growl got louder and louder. A scratching noise could be heard, like paws walking across a marble floor.

“We have to get out of here,” Cologne hissed.

“I will never leave you Shampoo!” Mousse urged. “I want you to stop this, come back home with us to the restaurant.”

There was no answer from the girl but her whole body was now surrounded by a silver aura. The atmosphere started to crackle with energy and an overriding smell of wet dog overpowered their senses. Mousse tried to ignore this and went forward and grabbed Shampoo’s wrist.

“Stop this Shampoo!”

The aura flared up and Mousse was shocked by the energy. He collapsed at her feet. The howling outside intensified. Cologne hopped backwards on her stick. In all her years experience she had never thought she would see the day when an Amazon woman let her become so lost to a spell because of a man. This was powerful dark magic, summoned by a girl desperate for a way out of the laws that she honoured. The old woman perhaps knew that one-day she would either have Ranma as a son-in-law or Shampoo as a dishonoured Amazon. But she assumed that they would be able to work around the laws when that time came. Till then this was just some good entertainment, that was keeping her amused. It had turned a lot darker and it looked as though instead of gaining a son she had lost her daughter.

“Shampoo please try to control it!” Cologne implored.

The girl cocked her head and a small smile swept across her lips. The paw-steps got louder and Cologne could sense that the beast had finally arrived. The large shadow loomed in the temple; it was at least over 7ft tall.

The old Amazon looked across at the beast that had taken Shampoo as it stood beside her. The glassy eyes stared back at Cologne uncaring for her thoughts. All it wanted was death, carnage and chaos. It was a beast straight from hell and was using Shampoo as a link to this world. A demon capable of untold suffering and anguish.

“Yip!” The little Pekinese dog barked menacing.

“Oh dear Ancestors!” Cologne wailed as she looked directly at the small white dog. There was no hope for survival, no hope at all.

Cologne leapt away as fast as she could manage. Her staff could move her quicker than any other Amazon running but this time it was different. She was outrunning the demon dog she had feared had been released.

The scampering noise of the claws against the marble told her it was right behind her. She was too old to die like this. When Cologne wanted to go she had hoped to see Shampoo happy with her life and leader of the village. After passing on all her knowledge to her sisters. She had wanted to leave the Amazon tribe with a good legacy behind her. Knowing that her lifetime of hundreds of years had been worth it.

She didn’t want to die here!

“Yip yip yip yip!” The hellhound cried out.

“I have to escape!” Cologne gasped to herself. But suddenly she saw people up ahead. ‘People, what the hell are they doing here?’

“And now ladies and gentlemen we come to the climax of our haunting tour, this is the forgotten dog shrine of the white beast. Legend tells us of a hound 7ft tall with sharp teeth and claws that would terrorise the nearby village. All the while the beast was under command of a shrine maiden that was always chosen from the community to try and keep the beast contained in his statue. It is a chilling tale that has left the locals in fear for 2000 years. Unfortunately when the local girl guarding the temple died in tragic circumstances no other volunteer came forward. Eventually they all moved away to the big city after the war. No-one has been back since in terror of the beast resurrecting. That has once destroyed entire towns in one night.”

“Run you fools!” Cologne yelled as she moved past them to the exit.

“Ah a ghost!” A female tourist screamed.

“Aw my gosh what a cute little doggie!” One tourist squealed in delight as she saw the little Pekinese. “Here, doggie, doggie.”

“Rrrrr yip!”

“I really hate little dogs,” one man said.

The Guide picked up the furry white dog by the scruff and looked at its furious eyes. “I’ve never seen you here before.”

“YAP!” the demon dog barked loudly.

Cologne looked back as she made her escape, “Run you fools run!”

But it was too late for the ill-fated tourists Shampoo had stepped out from the dark shadows her eyes still glowing.

The beast had started to attack the bemused tourists. The shrill yip echoed across the temple as it whirled round in a fur ball of teeth and claws. The screams from the people as the creature got close to them. The cries of help echoing across the hall. When it attacked there was no blood or ripping of flesh. There was only the empty stare of the victims as they collapsed an empty shell. The soul consumed by the small beast.

It was too fast for Cologne to follow the movements of. But she had no intention of staying to watch. Her gut told her Mousse would be okay; somehow Shampoo had managed to make him unconscious before the dog demon emerged. If this was true maybe there was a chance.

But it was a slim one and the only thing the Elder of the Amazons could hope for if by some weird coincidence Ranma and his friends where somewhere in the area.

For a woman that had lived as long as she had she never believed in coincidences but she did believe in the tied fate that all the youngsters shared. They would be close by; they had to be. Otherwise Shampoo and Mousse would surely be lost to hell through the beast of the temple.

**

Author’s Notes: Now did anyone expect it to look like that? Little dogs are to be feared don’t you know! I hope the suspense worked as I piled it up and brought it down in that one ‘yip’ like moment. Well it made me laugh writing it so I hope you all did.

It was based (very loosely) on an old tale I’d heard about a white dog and a temple maiden. Incidentally it turns out the same legend that inspired Inyhasua, not that I’ve seen it. Yeah I’m a Rumiko Takahashi fan and I still haven’t seen her most recent Anime. That’s what I get for living in the UK, no Adult Swim channel. (I’ll immigrate one day! *Shakes fist*)

Yes, and finally Akane managed to tell Ranma what happened! I bet you all thought she would never do it! I wanted it to be nice and low key because in the end it’s going to make a big difference to the outcome of the story.

Anyway I’m jabbering again so I better let this note end.

Next chapter we find out if Ukyo and Ryoga get further apart or more together because of the spell and the tiny canine terror is loose in the woods!