Her feet slammed against the ground. She knew she had to hurry.

Her goal was in sight, she stared straight ahead in determination.

Nothing could stand in her way, there it was! She barged into the building. No time to introduce herself, she needed to reach it! Any in the building would have seen a blur, she finally reached her goal!

Then she skidded to a stop, seeing that the last person she had wanted to see was there!

"Oh, Good Afternoon Akane." Kasumi said, wearing an apron. "Don't you worry, I got this under control. You just get ready for the Saotome's, they'll be over in an hour or so."

The kitchen having, once again, been stolen from her, Akane fell to her hands and knees in defeat.

The Most Beautiful Woman in the World

Part 7: Don't Cry China Boy

"So this Ranma's house?" Shampoo asked. The two were standing in front of the Saotome residence. "Old home in Nǚjiézú bigger."

Ranma rolled her eyes, "Well, you know, there's a lot more space out there then Tokyo. Plus this isn't even a crowded part of the city. I could be living in a tiny apartment."

Shampoo made a face, "Have cousin who live in Beijing. Too too crowded when Shampoo last visited."

Ranma opened the door, "Hey, I'm home!"

Nodoka was there in a minute, "Oh welcome back Ra- Shampoo?"

"Nihao Mrs. Saotome!" Shampoo waved and gave a bright smile. An instant later Nodoka grabbed her and gave a very tight hug.

"It's so nice to see you again." Nodoka said, "Come in dear. Oh this is great! Genma! Guess who showed up?"

Genma peered out of his room, "What's going on?"

"Nihao Pops!" Shampoo said cheerfully.

Genma's eye twitched. Back when Shampoo had first started learning the Saotome School, she didn't know much Japanese at all. When studying under Cologne she didn't refer to her as her Great-Grandmother, but rather as "Teacher." Thinking that this was the same for Ranma, she had assumed that "Pops" was what you called your teacher in Japanese. Even after learning otherwise it stuck. "Well it's good to see you again Shampoo. You haven't been slacking off right?"

"Never!" Shampoo said, grinning.

Genma grunted, "Good. Didn't want to waste time on you."

"Come sit down, I you have to tell us what you've been up to." Nodoka had pulled out the tea set, setting it down on the table in the living room.

Soon enough the Saotomes were gathered around the table. Nodoka poured everyone gathered a cup of tea, Ranma poured hot water on himself.

Shampoo looked around, bouncing in a bit of excitement.

"So, how have you been dear?" Nodoka asked.

"Shampoo getting married!"

'What?" Ranma asked, "Seriously?"

"Aren't you a little young for that? You're only nineteen." Nodoka said, frowning.

Shampoo shrugged, "Technically Shampoo not have to get married right away. But want to get it done." She clenched her fists at recalling the reason she wasn't married.

"Wait, is there a reason you have to get married?" Nodoka asked.

"Well…"

The realization clicked in Ranma's eyes. "Wait, is this about that law? Where if a guy beats you you gotta marry him?"

Shampoo nodded.

Ranma's eyes narrowed, "Who? Do I know the guy?"

"It Mint, remember him?" Shampoo asked.

Nodoka frowned, "Mint? Oh! Him. That young man that was with the larger youth that accosted me back then… Lime, right?"

Ranma nodded, scowling. "The hell was he doing back there?"

Shampoo smiled, "Well, Shampoo can tell story of how it happened."

Nabiki Tendo stepped into the house. It was nice to be back for the weekend. It had been a while since she had seen her sisters and dad. College life was fun, but getting to have Kasumi's cooking again was going to be the highlight of the weekend. Plus, it would be good to hear about the gossip at Furinkan straight from the biggest source of it, her dear little sister.

Stepping into the living room, she saw Akane talking with a handsome looking guy. Even the thick glasses on his face didn't distract from that cute face.

"Well hello there Akane." Nabiki sat down next to her sister, looking across to the new guy. "Well, I can tell you what, you definitely won on the rebound." She gave him a flirty smirk.

"N-Nabiki!" Akane stammered. "What?"

"E-Excuse me?" He said.

Nabiki laughed, "Well, you bring home a hunky new guy to a family dinner, right?"

The guy blushed, "It's… it's not like that Miss. Akane is assisting me, we just met today."

Nabiki grinned, "So that means you're single?"

"There's a girl he likes Nabiki, that's why he's here." Akane said dryly. "Mousse, meet my other older sister, Nabiki. Never ask for anything from her without a couple hundred yen."

"You wound me Sis." Nabiki said. "So what's the story behind this guy then?"

Akane launched into an explanation of Mousse's circumstances. Nabiki noticed the flash of panic once Akane got to the part about this Shampoo girl "marrying some pervert."

"Once Aiko comes over we'll fix things up quickly." Akane said, finishing the story.

"That's… that's really weird." Nabiki said. A tribe of crazy warrior women? "So how tough is this Shampoo girl anyways."

Akane let out a grin, "She was pretty good. She was making pull out some of the tougher techniques by the end."

"Wow, high praise." Nabiki said. "So this other guy is tougher? Think your new friend can take him?"

Mousse coughed at that, "Well, uh, not quite. Ordinarily Shampoo would have won, but circumstances…"

Akane frowned, "You said accidental defeats count, right? So what's the story behind that?"

"I suppose I should start with when the three showed back up…" Mousse muttered.

When word got out that Herb was going to be visiting again, the people of Nǚjiézú reacted as expected of an ancient and powerful tribe expected.

Namely, they dragged the two members of the village who caused so much trouble the last time he showed up, and made sure they knew exactly what would happen if they caused trouble again.

Shampoo's protests that "they started it!" fell on deaf ears. Prince Herb had come to Nǚjiézú for help. He got beaten up and had a mountain dropped on him. That sort of lack of hospitality could lead to trouble, especially if it meant handsome wandering martial artists no longer came to the village to marry their daughters for fear of mountain drops.

So, naturally, Shampoo and Mousse were the ones who were going to greet him and his two followers.

Wrapped in cloaks, the three Musk travelers arrived in Nǚjiézú with little fanfare. However, the leader of the three stopped upon noticing Shampoo and Mousse. Herb let out a little smirk, lowering his hood. "Well, hello again."

Shampoo, actually facing Herb, bowed towards him. (Mousse bowed at a tree.) "Welcome to Nǚjiézú, Prince Herb."

Herb nodded, returning a much smaller bow. "Thank you, Madam."

"Lime! It's her! The woman who touched you!" The smaller of Herb's two companions, Mint, whispered.

"Wow, it is. She's as pretty as ever." The larger one, Lime, whispered back. "I wonder if I could get her to touch me again."

"Maybe you'll be able to touch her breasts this time!"

"Wow I bet that'd be a lot less painful." Lime said, as the last time Shampoo had "touched" him it had been from her punching him in the face repeatedly until he was knocked unconscious

That's when Herb turned around and shot a burst of ki at the two, knocking them into the air. "Can you two not embarrass me for five minutes!?" He turned back to Shampoo, "Forgive my subordinates rudeness. They are as… as…"

"Stupid? Shampoo suggested.

"Yes. Stupid as ever." Herb muttered.

Gravity took over, and Mint fell down from the air, landing on top of a small bench set up by one of the houses at the entrance of the village. This bench had a bucket of water on it. Mint landing knocked the bucket into the air. Sailing through the sky, it landed right on top of Herb's head, drenching him with cold water.

Then Lime landed next to Herb. "Your Majesty! You became a woman again!"

Shampoo sighed, "Well, then, I'll go check up on your other subordinate."

Herb pulled the bucket off her head. "Wait, where's Saotome?"

"Ranma?" Shampoo said, "He and his family went back to Japan three weeks ago."

"Herb very disappointed when learn you gone Ranma." Shampoo threw in.

Ranma scowled. "Great. You didn't tell him where I was, right? Last thing I want is that guy blowing up my house to find me for revenge or something."

Shampoo shook her head, laughing, "Herb not seem mad. Just want to see you again." Here a sly grin sprouted, "Maybe he want to make babies with girl-type? Musk no have problem with that."

"Gacck! Don't even joke about that Shampoo!" Ranma shouted.

Mint had landed headfirst, he was still upside down when Shampoo went over to check on him. "Are you OK?"

Mint peered up, still upside down, at Shampoo. "Wow! Women's underwear sure is different than mine!"

Shampoo kicked him in the face. "Don't look up women's dresses!"

Mint righted himself. "Huh? Why?"

"It's rude!" Shampoo said.

Mint blinked. "Why?"

Shampoo pressed her forehead into her hand, she could feel the headache coming on. "Would you like if if Lime suddenly started grabbing you and staring at you?"

Mint frowned, "No…."

"When what makes you think a woman would like it?"

"Uhh… women are different?" Mint suggested.

"We're not that different." Shampoo said, "Is Herb any different when his curse makes him a woman?"

"He gets breasts!" Mint said excitedly.

There it was. That splitting, unbearable pain from the back of her head. "Does he act any different?"

"...nooo…" Mint admitted. "But…. but I want to touch them!" He whined.

"You can't just touch a woman out of the blue!" Shampoo snapped, "If you're interested in a girl, you need to ask her out on a date, get to know her, see if a relationship works! Then you can touch her if she says you can!"

Mint froze, and took in that information. He then reached out and grabbed Shampoo's hands. "Oh! In that case can I go on a date with you?"

"Eh?" Shampoo said.

"Uh, you know, whatever a dat-" Mint didn't get to finish that sentence, as he had to dodge a dozen spears thrown at him.

"How dare you…" Mousse growled.

Shampoo groaned, "Wonderful. Now he puts on his glasses."

"Huh? I was asking her out a date! She suggest-" Mint jumped over the spinning axe.

"Stay away from Shampoo you pervert!" Mousse shouted, swords and chains flying out of his robes.

Mint drew his swords, deflecting the dozens of weapons tossed at him. "Hah! I won't lose to you this time!"

The two fighters bounced around the village entrance, weapons flying everywhere, while Shampoo and Herb gazed on in horror.

"Uh…" Lime looked over to Shampoo, "Does that mean that we're going to fight again?" Then a big smile formed on his face, "Oh! does that mean Your Majesty is going to fight the short girl with the really big-" Shampoo and Herb punched him in the head simultaneously.

"What's your problem!" Mint shouted.

"My problem is that you were coming on to Shampoo!" Mousse shouted back.

"Is she your girlfriend?" Mint asked, ducking under a giant flail hurled at him.

"Th-that doesn't matter!" Mousse threw out several chains, trying to wrap Mint up. "I won't let you harass her!" Mint dodged the chains, but was hit by a large mallet in the gut. He was sent flying and impacted one of the nearby houses. "Take that! Now remember to leave-"

Shampoo punched Mousse in the head, sending him into the dirt. "Mousse you idiot! Why the hell are you embarrassing me like this!?"

"B-but Shampoo! He was-" Mousse began.

"He was being stupid, yes! I know. But I could handle it!"

"He… he asked you-"

Shampoo's eye twitched, "Yes Mousse. He asked me on a date."

Mint, meanwhile pulled himself up, groaning in pain. "Oww…" He glared at Mousse, remembering the last time he had lost to him. "I can't…" he picked up the mallet, "lose this time… not when a girl actually spoke to me!" He threw the mallet, aimed straight at Mousse's head. Unfortunately, there was another head in the path to Mousse's.

Shampoo, meanwhile, was continuing to berate her childhood friend and teenage annoyance. "In fact, I think I'll say yes!" She jabbed her finger into Mousse's chest, "Because, Mousse-"

"Shampoo!" Mousse saw the flying mallet and pointed behind her. Shampoo just grabbed his hand and pulled it down hard.

"Don't interrupt me! It's none of your business who I date!" Shampoo said, "I am sick of your constant harassment of any boy who has ever so much as talked to me! God, you wouldn't stop attacking Ranma for a half a year!"

"There's-"

"And before that, remember Jan Sung? That nice boy? He was cute! But noooo you had to scare him off and now he's in Taiwan!"

"Shampoo behind you!" Mousse shouted.

"What's behind me!?" Shampoo turned around, "If this is some cheap trick to turn me around so you can run I swear I'll-" She turned around, just in time for the mallet to be within range of her face. "Oh."

Impact occurred.

"And… and that's how it happened." Mousse finished his tragic story.

Akane frowned, "That… um…"

"So let me get this straight." Nabiki said, "The guy shows up, he hits on this Shampoo chick. You then attack the guy out of the blue, and she gets hit as collateral."

"Uh… when you put it that way…" Mousse said sheepishly.

"Nabiki! He was... um… just trying to help her from that pervert!" Akane had to admit, when Nabiki put it that way it sounded bad. "But come on! Having to marry him because of that! It's awful!"

Mousse nodded, "Exactly! I have to save Shampoo!"

"So how exactly are you planning to do that?" Nabiki asked.

Akane and Mousse erupted into t5he explanation of the loophole that Aiko would soon be filling.

"OK… and you sure your friend can beat this guy?" Nabiki asked.

Mousse snorted, "Shampoo only lost to him by a fluke in the first place. Saotome will crush him."

Nabiki frowned, the entire thing just seemed too neat and tidy, "You sure there isn't any complication involved? Some other loophole that can ruin your plans?"

Mousse shook his head confidently. "Nope! The law is quite clear on this. A sibling or proxy can challenge the prospective groom to annul the engagement."

With a shrug Nabiki stood up, "Well good luck,"

Shampoo groaned as consciousness forced itself back into her mind. It had just been a moment, but as any trained fighter knew, even a moment of being knocked out was enough to count as a defeat. Mousse and Mint were both looking down at her with concern.

"Are you alright Shampoo?" Mousse asked.

"I'm fine." Shampoo grumbled, she glared at Mousse, "You… do you know what you just did!?" She hissed at him.

"N-no…" Mousse recoiled from her glare, "I'm sorry you got caught up in-"

"Yes I got caught up in another stupid fight you started for no reason Mousse!" Shampoo shouted. She stood up, brushing the dirt off her clothing. She turned to Mint, who instantly recoiled.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry!" he bowed repeatedly.

"What is going on here!?" Cologne hopped into the scene on her staff. Weapons and chains scattered everywhere, more than a few villagers had been taking bets.

"Uh… hello Great-Grandmother…"

Cologne looked between the contrite Mousse and Mint, the unconscious Lime, the amused yet female Herb, and finally Shampoo.

"He started it!" Mint and Mousse said simultaneously.

Cologne sighed, "Shampoo, what happened? You were asked to say hello to them."

Shampoo frowned, "Well…" She looked around, examined Mint. She realized that, if she said nothing, then life would go on as if this knock out never happened. It was so accidental that none of the people who had been watching would be bothered by her not telling her Great Grandmother. "You see… um…"

Mint wasn't bad looking, Shampoo thought he was kind of cute. A lot of his more… annoying traits, namely his utter stupidity around women, could probably be hammered out of him with exposure and time. After all, Herb wasn't an utter moron and he was a Musk.

And if it turns out badly, I can just write to Ranma. Shampoo nodded, "Well, Mousse started attacking Mint after he asked me out on a date." She rubbed her head, it still hurt. "I intervened to stop it…" She looked over at Mint, he was confused while Mousse was turning a pale green. "And Mint knocked me out in the crossfire."

The crowd gasped.

"I see… so you're sure you lost to him?" Cologne said, ignoring Mousses increasingly loud shouts of "No!"

"Yes."

"Well then." Colonge said to her heir and prized student. "I suppose we shall have to write to the family and arrange things." She glanced at Mint, looking him up and down. "Well, not bad, could do worse Shampoo."

"Huh…?" Mint blinked, "Uh, what happened?"

Herb smirked, "Congratulations Mint, you found yourself a fiancee."

Shampoo noticed that as she finished the story, Ranma's fists were clenched.

"So that stupid little…" He looked up at Shampoo. She saw concern and anger in his eyes. Nothing else. "Is there any way you can get out of it!?"

"Yes, well..." Shampoo explained the way out of this particular obligation, should she want it.

Ranma instantly stood up, "Sorry Mom, Pops, I'll have to be making a trip back to China."

"No!" Shampoo grabbed his arms. "Ranma, don't."

"Huh?" Ranma's face snapped to confusion, "But Shampoo! You're being forced to-"

"Shampoo not being forced!" She shouted.

"What? But he…"

Shampoo shook her head, "Ranma, can we talk private?"

Ranma frowned, glancing back to his mother, her expression concerned. "Sure…" he said.

"So this is your room?" Shampoo said, switching back to her native tongue once they were alone. Genma was the one who always insisted she speak Japanese in the Saotome home, after all. Ranma's room wasn't very large. There was a futon in the corner, a desk with some books on it, and a closet.

"Yeah."

Shampoo smiled, "It's nice." She sat down on the futon next to him.

"So… what's up with this? Why the hell are you going along with it?"

"Why are you so worried about it?" Shampoo asked.

"Of course I am! That law is stupid!" Ranma snapped. "Marrying some random guy because he beat you in a fight? Come on! That's stone age crap!" He was upset, and worried about her. Anger and concern were all that Shampoo could see.

"Ranma. I'm fine. I've been engaged. I'm getting married now because I want to." Shampoo shook her head, smiling. "I glad you're worried about me. But if I really didn't want it, I could have gotten out of it at any time." Her smile became sly, "Unless you think that Mint is too much for you?"

"Seriously? I could kick that scrawny puppy's butt in my sleep!" Ranma said, "No trouble at all!"

Shampoo laughed, "Good to hear. So you get that I'm fine with this?"

Ranma slumped over in defeat. "Yeah, I get it."

"So then… tell me about Akane." Shampoo asked.

"Akane?" Ranma looked up, "Man that's, uh… complicated."

"Try me."

Ranma scratched the back of his head. "Well, it's like… man. Remember the entire reason I was there? Back at Nǚjiézú?"

"Mr. Saotome would teach me his style and in return your family got a home, you got training from Great-Grandmother, and a lead for a cure to your Jusenkyo curse." Shampoo said.

"Yeah, I got one alright. Akane's the key to that."

"...and how does pretending to be a women help with that?"

"That's a bit complicated." Ranma said, and then explained the basics of why "Aiko" had come into being, "So since I needed to get to know her to get my cure, I introduced myself as a girl and am planning on having her get to know 'me' later…"

Shampoo tilted her head, "OK. What exactly do you need from her for this?"

Ranma blushed, "She needs to... kiss me… and I'll be cured."

Shampoo took that in, she noticed the look on Ranma's face, and a smile sprouted on her face. "Ohhh I see." Shampoo said, leaning in close. "You need her to want to kiss you for the cure. Buuut I bet you want her to keep kissing you after that!"

"W-what! I never said that!"

Shampoo laughed, "Come on Ranma, I've never seen you so nervous about just kissing a girl. You've repeatedly flashed people to get an edge, and you're freaking out about a kiss?" Shampoo poked him on the forehead, "It's so obvious you like her."

Ranma turned away, his face reddening. "Damn it Shampoo…" He muttered.

Shampoo just kept on poking him, "Come on Ranma… I won't tell anybody." She cooed into his ear, snickering.

"..fine damn it! I like her OK! I don't know how the hell I'm going to get closer to her when she just knows me as a girl got it?" Ranma snapped.

Shampoo smiled as Ranma snapped at her. "More like it. It's about time you got interested in a girl, honestly with how popular you were I'm shocked you never had a girlfriend."

Ranma groaned, "Come on Shampoo. I knew I wouldn't be there forever."

Shampoo rolled her eyes, "Really? I thought you might want to stay after getting cured. Even if you didn't think you'd be there forever, what's wrong with a casual date or two?"

"Well what about you?"

Shampoo frowned, "Come on Ranma, I'm engaged now. It's not like I wasn't interested in some guys… But Mousse, well, he was difficult at times."

Ranma laughed, "Yeah he was a bit crazy at first."

Shampoo groaned, "That's an understatement, I'm still shocked that you managed to make friends with him.

"And that's when, to my and Saotome's shock, Shampoo sprouted cat ears!"

"Really?" Akane asked.

"Well yes, he was a cat ghost after all. How else would make her his bride?"

It had started with Akane, realizing that Mousse had known Aiko much longer than she had, asked him if there were any interesting stories he could tell. Mousse had decided to tell the story of the first time the two had worked together to save Shampoo from an unwanted marriage.

"So wait, didn't you say that the only way to get her out was to kiss her before the New Year's bell finished ringing?" Nabiki asked. "How'd that go, did you kiss her?" A smirk, "Or, perhaps, Saotome did it?"

Mousse blushed, "N-nothing like that, actually." He admitted, "Uh… me and Saotome managed to break open the cage…"

"And then what?" Kasumi asked.

"Err…" he laughed a bit awkwardly, "Shampoo beat up the ghost and he decided to go find, in his words, a 'gentler bride'."

A short pause.

"Well, that's not quite as romantic as I expected when you first started telling the story." Tofu said.

"I like it." Akane said, "Would have been dumb if something as tough as Shampoo really needed someone else to save her in the end."

Mouse smiled at Akane, "True…" He sighed, "She was always like that. When Saotome showed up she well… she was a little upset at first."

"Hmm…? Why is that?" Akane asked. But before Mousse could answer, the doorbell rang. "I'll get it!" She stood up, heading out to the front door.

Just as expected, the Saotome family was at the front gates.

"Hello Akane." Nodoka said brightly. Standing beside her was Genma, with Aiko trailing a bit behind with…

"Oh, Shampoo." Akane said.

"Yeah.. uh… you don't mind? I mean, she's staying with me but we couldn't just leave her alone…"

"No, it's great. She can come in." Akane said, "I got a really big table out of the attic so don't worry about seating, and we have plenty of food."

Akane noticed that Genma and Aiko perked up at the mention of food, Shampoo quietly chuckling in their direction. Pleasantries were exchanged and Akane lead the guests into the house.

But then they entered the living room, and it was like the air seemed to freeze up.

"Oh, uh, hi Shampoo." Mousse said, nervously.

"What he doing here?" Shampoo asked coldly.

"He, uh, told me about what's going on, how you're getting engaged against your will." Akane said.

"Oh Mousse say that?" Shampoo said, her fists clenching.

"Shampoo please-" Aiko began.

"Stay out of this!" Shampoo snapped at her, "This between Shampoo and Mousse." She took a few deep breaths. "Shampoo no ruin Akane's hospitality, so no start fight here." She pointed at Mousse, "Mousse not tell whole story, no? Not tell about how Shampoo not forced? Shampoo end engagement if Shampoo want."

"Mousse say he love Shampoo, but always think of Mousse first!" Shampoo snapped, "Shampoo… Shampoo loved someone who not loved them back, so Shampoo let it go! No obligation, no promises, no laws held Shampoo. So Shampoo didn't try! Not like Mousse who ignore rules and feelings!"

Everyone was staring now, Akane looked down, her face flush with embarrassment. But if Shampoo noticed, she didn't care.

"Wait I mean…" Mousse tried to defend himself.

"I'm not that surprised." Nabiki said dryly.

Shampoo turned around, "Sorry for ruining gathering." She muttered, "Shampoo go find food somewhere else."

"Mousse, you moron." Ranma said, sitting down next to her shellshocked friend.

Nodoka was running damage control, apologizing to Kasumi. Soun and Genma were, both being a bit less emotionally sensitive, quickly getting over it and bonding over some sake. Dinner wasn't quite ready yet, thankfully. Akane had run out after Shampoo.

"Look! I can't just… Saotome…" Mousse growled, "I can't let her get stuck in-"

"You can't what Mousse? Look man, if Shampoo asked me to stop it I would I'd kick Mint's butt any day of the week! But she told me no, she wants to at least try."

A blade jutted out of Mousse's sleeve, "You think you know her that well!" He shouted.

Ranma crouched into a fighting stance, "I did spend two years with her, being her goddamn friend yeah!"

"Mousse." Nodoka suddenly put her hand on his shoulder, "You're not going to disappoint your mother by starting a fight in someone else's house, are you?"

Mousse glared at Nodoka for a moment, before the tension left his body and the blade vanished back into his robes, "No Mrs. Saotome."

Nodoka put her hands together, smiling. "Good. Now I'm sure this mess will be resolved soon, right? I'd hate for the nice dinner the Tendos prepared to be ruined." With those words she headed back to chat with Kasumi and Tofu some more.

Ranma glanced over at Mousse again, a smirk forming. "You heard her Mousse, don't want to disappoint Mom."

Mousse slumped down against the wall, staring out into the backyard. "Like I haven't already disappointed everybody. I know I'm a joke."

Ranma sat down next to Mousse, "Come on man, it's not that bad. It's just… I mean, you've really been focused on Shampoo as long as I've known you."

Mousse laughed bitterly, pulling out the bells which Ranma recognized as being jewlery Shampoo wore often. "Loved her since I was a child." Mousse explained, "You've ever been in love, Saotome?"

A flash of laughter and a smile popped into Ranma's head. "Don't know."

"It's like, half of what I can think about is her. Her smile makes me feel joy just seeing it."

"You can see people's smile?" Bop. "Ow!"

"Be serious here Saotome." Mousse grumbled, lowering his fist. "I just feel this insane need to be with her, to be near her, to hear her talk and laugh and just be."

Ranma frowned, his mind drifting to Akane, "You know, Mousse, if you really love Shampoo… shouldn't you want her to be happy? Even if it's not with you. So, you've tried to get her to date you, she just doesn't feel the same. She said that herself and all. Which would you rather have, her being your friend, or her hating you?"

"There you are." Akane dropped down from the fence, walking over to the shore of the canal where Shampoo was sitting.

"Why you follow?" Shampoo asked.

Akane sat down next to her, "I wanted to help you, you're Aiko's friend after all."

Something about that made Shampoo laugh, "See why you liked." She looked back at the water.

"Sorry, Mousse… didn't tell the whole story."

"It fine. Stupid Mousse always like that. He always go crazy with Shampoo." Shampoo said, "You not know."

"You don't sound mad anymore." Akane said hopefully.

"Shampoo just tired of him. Shampoo like someone before Mint. But they no like Shampoo, no matter how hard Shampoo try and get them to like Shampoo." Shampoo explained, "Realize over them now, so glad for that."

"So what… So you can marry this guy who beat you by a fluke?" Akane asked.

Shampoo let out a snort. "Not many fighters who can beat Shampoo in fight other than fluke." She said, "It's… it's different. Shampoo raised on romantic stories of strong women meeting strong men and getting stronger together. Many Nǚjiézú girls go to Martial Arts tournaments to try and find dates and husbands."

"Ah." Akane said, it suddenly making sense to her. "So, kind of like how a lot of girls here dream of handsome princes?"

Shampoo giggled, "Nǚjiézú girls like princes too."

"So, what, it's… just a tradition where you live? Guys meet girls by beating them up?"

Shampoo shook her head, "Not like that. Usually they formal challenges. Start of courtship or end."

Akane clenched her fists, "I just… I met my ex-boyfriend through something like that. He challenged me to a little sparring class, and I said I'd go on a date with him if he won… and he did. But ever since then… there have been guys who keep thinking that if they beat me I'll date them!"

Shampoo stared at Akane, processing this. "They challenge you often?"

"Every day I go to school."

"And always lose?"

"All of them. At once" Akane muttered

Shampoo frowned. "In Nǚjiézú is girl gets challenged by weak guy enough then usually village come together and beat up boy until he get point."

"What about Mousse?" Akane asked.

"Mousse Nǚjiézú. Rules about engagement fights not apply. Also Mousse only beat up boys who he think like Shampoo, which not against rules." Shampoo pinched her nose. "Should have known something was up when he stopped picking fights with Ranma."

"Huh?" Akane asked, "What was that last sentence?"

"Nothing, just thinking." Shampoo said back in Japanese.

There was a pause as the two stared at the canal flowing.

"Do you really have to… hurt Mousse though?" Akane asked.

"In Old Days, Mousse's parents would have been one to put him down. To show that family mean Shampoo's family no harm." Shampoo said seriously, "Though… mother dentist and father florist. So Shampoo no know how that would work."

"Martial Arts Dentistry." Akane said.

"...Akane joking, right?" Shampoo asked.

"No."

"World is amazing place." Shampoo muttered. "Still, if Mousse stop being stupid and give up, which be miracle, then Shampoo accept apology and forget this ever happen."

"Well, you can't do that if you don't come over and have dinner with Aiko. This might be the last time you see her for a while, you know!"

Shampoo sighed, "Yes, see why you liked." She let out a smile, standing up. "OK, Shampoo see if Mousse convinced."

"Back!" Akane declared as she entered the house. "And I brought Shampoo with me."

"Oh how wonderful, and dinner was just about to start." Kasumi said.

"Where… Mousse?" Shampoo asked.

"Oh I think he was talking with Aiko out on the veranda." Kasumi said.

"Thanks." Akane said, the two stepping past her father laughing at some story Genma was telling.

Sitting out there, staring at the koi pond, was Aiko. All alone.

"Hey." Akane said, "Err, Kasumi said Mousse was here."

She turned around, an uneasy smile on her face. "Oh, yeah he was here. Hey Akane, Shampoo." Aiko looked between the two, "Mousse left. Kasumi gave him a take out-box." She glanced past them. "...why do you have a bunch of take out boxes anyways?"

Shampoo's eye twitched. "Stupid Mousse run again?"

Akane sighed, "Sorry Shampoo, I-"

"Oh, he gave me these before he left." Aiko said, pulling from her pocket two pairs of small bells. "I've seen you wear these a lot Shampoo, they're what he took right?"

Shampoo gawked at it, before holding out her hands and taking the hair ornaments. "Y-yes."

Aiko glanced away, "Mousse said he's going back to Nǚjiézú. Going to apologize to Granny and his parents, then go on a training trip."

Akane caught the implications. Namely, that nobody knew when he'd be returning home.

Yet, Shampoo was smiling. "Stupid Mousse." She said, expertly tying up a pair of buns, letting the bells hang from the bangs now framing her face.

"Dinner's ready." Kasumi announced.

Aiko immediately perked up, "All right!"

Akane and Shampoo laughed.

Dinner passed smoothly after that. Nodoka and Kasumi seemed to get along swimmingly. Shampoo and Ranmatelling stories of some of their past adventures. Overall, Akane would judge the gathering as a success.

Finally, after two hours Shampoo stood up, "Shampoo thank for hospitality, but needs to start heading home now."

"You're leaving now?" Ranma asked, "But you just got here?"

"Shampoo got treasure back, need to head back." She said.

"Oh that's too bad, it was nice seeing you." Nodoka said. "Be sure to send me some pictures of the wedding."

"Will do." Shampoo said.

"I'll see you out." Akane and Ranma said simultaneously, both glancing at each other upon the realization of stereo.

A sly smile formed on Shampoo, "That fine, both can take me out."

They reached the gate, Shampoo stopped and looked up at the night sky.

"It was nice meeting you." Akane said.

"Even if you blew up a couple walls." Ranma added.

"Sorry." Shampoo said, a relaxed smile. "Shampoo just glad to see you, and say goodbye. And… and let things go."

Akane frowned, "Let things go…?"

"What'd you let-" Ranma began to ask, but didn't get to finish that sentence. Because Shampoo suddenly tackled her, embracing the smaller girl, and kissing her.

Akane's eyes exploded, or at least that's how it felt. "Whaaaaaaa….!?"

Shampoo pulled away, a broad smile on her face. "Goodbye Ranma!" She said in her native tongue, "I'm glad we got to meet, even if you never loved me like I did."

"L-love!?" Ranma stuttered.

"A-Aiko's the one y-you…" Akane couldn't get the image out of her mind, another girl had kissed her. Another girl. That was… it was… was there anything wrong with it?

Shampoo just laughed, "Come visit once you get what you need!" She said, before running off into the night.

Ranma was stuttering, her mind unable to process what just happened. "She- she liked me…?"

That's when Mousse jumped out from the shadows and hit Ranma upside the head with a giant paper fan. "Of course she liked you you moron!"

"Mousse!?" Akane said, "You were here the whole time?!"

"Ah, Akane." Mousse said, turning away from Ranma, manly tears streaming down his face. "I couldn't do it. I couldn't face her! I knew for her sake I had to give up on her, but I knew seeing her smiling face would break my will!" He pulled out the now empty take-out box and chopsticks Kasumi had given him, "Plus I couldn't let this amazing meal get cold."

"Also you thought it'd make you look cool." Ranma grumbled, rubbing her head. Mousse hit her with the fan again.

"Seriously Saotome, everybody in China knew Shampoo had a crush on you." Mousse grumbled.

"And.. nobody had an issue with that." Akane muttered.

"No, not really. Shampoo's parents were halfway convinced Saotome would become an in-law." Mousse said.

"They were!?" Ranma said.

"Well except for the Old Monkey, guess she always knew you were leaving." Mousse scratched his cheek.

There was a brief pause.

"You're not going to kiss me, are you?" Ranma finally asked.

"What? No! I'd never ch- err. I'm not over Shampoo yet, and I never was interested in you that way Saotome." Mousse straighted up, "Well, I suppose I should head back now. Farwell Saotome, may our paths cross paths again some day.

Ranma let out half-sigh/half-laugh. "Yeah, see you Mousse."