COS47-50
"A Change of Scene"
August, 1998, June "KaraOhki" Geraci
The characters from Ranma 1/2 in this fiction are the
creations of Rumiko Takahashi, and borrowed without
her permission.
This story was written for non-commercial purposes only.
Chapter 47
Ranma moved his head and winced. He opened his eyes to discover the source of his discomfort.
Akane was holding onto his pigtail.
Ranma chuckled, remembering Akane's fear of him disappearing while she was asleep. Was this her way
of making sure he stayed put? He gently disengaged her fingers, and padded into the bathroom. When
Ranma returned, Akane was curled up on her side of the bed, sleeping peacefully. Ranma lay down
close to her, and went back to sleep.
The first thing Ranma saw when he opened his eyes was a pair of brown eyes looking back at him. He
smiled, and reached out to caress her cheek.
"Good morning, Akane. How long have you been up?"
"About a half hour."
"Why didn't you wake me?"
"I didn't want to, Ranma, I was too busy looking at you."
"Looking at me?"
"You're still here."
Ranma put his arms around Akane, and held her close to him.
"I told you last night, Akane. I'm not going anywhere. Do you believe that?"
Akane's kiss was all the answer Ranma needed. His senses were filled with the feel of her bare skin
against his, and he knew that he had to speak now, before he couldn't.
"You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, Akane, and I should have told you that a long time
ago."
"Ranma..."
Ranma put a finger to Akane's lips.
"Shhhh. Let me finish, Akane. You know I'm not good at this kind of stuff! I just wanted to tell
you how much I love you, and that I'm not going to let anyone or anything get between us, not ever
again."
Ranma concluded his little speech with a passionate kiss, one that left the both of them breathless.
He opened his eyes to see tears on his wife's cheeks.
"Akane?"
Akane's laugh was a little shaky as she wiped her eyes.
"I'm okay, Ranma."
"Is this that thing about girls crying when they're happy?"
Akane sniffled, and nodded.
"I am happy, Ranma. And I love you too, more than I can say."
An eager look sprang into Ranma's eyes, and he stopped talking.
*****
The sound of the door woke Akane for the second time. She sat up, to see Ranma putting a tray on
the table.
"Breakfast is here, Akane."
Akane looked down at the floor, saw the puddle of midnight blue, and retrieved her nightgown. She
was very aware of Ranma's intent gaze as she got out of bed, and put it on.
"I think I like this", Akane thought, as she joined Ranma on the floor.
*****
It was mid-morning in Nerima when Soun finally made his way to the breakfast table. He accepted
some aspirin from Kasumi, and she poured him some tea.
"Did you bring breakfast up to Akane and Ranma, or are they coming down later?"
"They're not here, Father."
"What do you mean, not here?"
Kasumi poured herself some tea before responding.
"They left last night, Father. Ranma said he was taking Akane up to the mountains."
Soun looked rather disappointed, but then his expression cleared.
"I guess I can't blame them, Kasumi. After what went on here yesterday, I wouldn't have wanted to
stay, either."
*****
Shampoo put on her coat and boots, and left the Nekohanten. The snow had finally stopped, and the
sun was shining.
Shampoo wiped the tears from her cheeks. The glare of the sun on the snow was making her eyes
water.
"No!", she thought. "I will not lie to myself." Shampoo's eyes were not tearing, she was still
weeping for Ranma. She'd hardly slept the previous night, one which had been very confusing for
her. Shampoo had wanted to wallow in her misery, to immerse herself in grief, but something kept
getting in the way. That "something" was the memory of Shiro's kiss.
That memory, and the knowledge that someone cared for her, had prevented Shampoo from being totally
desolate. Maybe it was time to try to forget Ranma, and move on.
Cologne was waiting when she returned.
"Where have you been, Shampoo? You've been wandering off too often."
"Just for a walk, Great-Grandmother."
"Sit down, we have to talk."
Shampoo sat down, and poured herself a cup of tea from the pot Cologne had waiting for her. Cologne
looked rather solemn.
"It's time to decide what our next move is, Shampoo. Do you intend to reclaim your husband from
Akane Tendo?"
Shampoo flinched. Cologne's words were too close to what she had been thinking about during the
night.
"No, Great-Grandmother. She is Akane Saotome now. I...I will not interfere."
"You said last night that you helped them to marry. What were you thinking of? You gave Akane the
Kiss of Death a long time ago, and you should have followed through on it."
"No! I will let Akane live."
Shampoo's eyes teared up, but she still looked defiant.
"If I hurt Akane, I'll hurt Ranma. I can't do that!"
Cologne rose from her chair, and started toward the kitchen. After three steps, she turned around.
"All right, Shampoo. If that's what you want, that's how it will be. Remember, though, that you
will be the one who bears the responsibility for the consequences."
Shampoo picked up her apron and got to work, wondering what those consequences would be.
*****
Akane stood to one side of the pond, watching Ranma. He had gathered all of the children that were
playing there, and was dragging them in a long line behind him.
After being snowed in for two days (and the two not minding it in the least), the weather had
finally cleared. The newlyweds had decided to go for a walk, and had discovered a group of children
sliding around on a frozen pond. Ranma had immediately pulled Akane onto the pond with him, and
joined the children.
At first, the children were rather surprised when they were joined by people they considered to be
"grown-ups", but they soon found that Ranma and Akane were just two big kids, intent on having fun.
After watching Ranma for a few minutes, Akane removed her camera from her pocket and began taking
pictures of him and the children. He soon stopped pulling them around, and took the camera from
her. Ranma took several pictures of Akane, and then entrusted the camera to one of the older
children so that they could have pictures of the two of them together.
The children soon tired of racing, and decided to try out another game. Ranma had his back to them
when something hit him. He turned in time to duck a second snowball aimed right at his face.
Akane grabbed Ranma's hand, and pulled him off the pond. She didn't want to have to explain to the
innkeeper why she was returning with a woman.
"Thanks for playing with us, kids. See you later."
Akane shivered as she spoke, and Ranma put his arm around her.
"Are you cold, Akane?"
"A little."
Ranma changed direction, and started back toward the inn.
"Let's go back, and get warm."
Akane caught Ranma's grin, returned it with one of her own, and walked a little faster.
*****
Three days later, Ranma and Akane packed their bags. When Akane was done, she walked to the window
to take in one last view of the mountains they'd been exploring and Ranma joined her, putting his
arm around her waist.
"I can't believe how fast the days went, Ranma. I hate to leave."
"We still have a few hours before we have to get to the train, Akane. There's one more place I want
to take you."
They left their bags with the inn's owner, who handed Ranma a small knapsack, which he put on before
taking Akane out of the inn, and up a trail they hadn't been on before.
*****
Akane looked back down the trail. They'd been climbing for a while, and she was beginning to worry
that they wouldn't be able to get back in time to catch the train.
"Ranma, where are we going? Haven't we climbed far enough?"
"We're nearly there, Akane. Just up to that stand of trees."
Akane wondered what was so special about that particular group of trees, but chose to wait and see.
Ranma reached them, and took off the knapsack, resting it on a large boulder.
"Come look, Akane."
Akane joined Ranma by an old tree, and looked where he was pointing. There were carvings in the
bark, and as she examined them more closely she understood why they had come.
"Your parents, Ranma?"
Ranma kissed Akane's cheek, and removed a knife from his pocket.
"Yes. They spent their honeymoon in these mountains, too. I want our names up here, next to
theirs."
When Ranma had finished with the carving, he and Akane opened the knapsack, and removed the lunch
he'd arranged for with the inn's owner. The pair sat together on the boulder, quietly eating.
Akane looked very thoughtful as she re-packed the knapsack, and turned around to look at the tree.
"What is it, Akane?"
"Maybe some day our son will come here with his wife to add to the carvings in the tree."
"I hope so."
Chapter 48
"Shiro?"
"Shiro!"
Shiro jumped, and looked up. His mother was standing beside his worktable, arms folded, trying to
look stern. She couldn't hold the expression long, however, and smiled fondly at her son.
"Sorry, Mom. You were calling me?"
"Several times. Mai should be here soon. Come get cleaned up."
Shiro reluctantly left his orchids behind, and followed his mother back to the house. He'd barely
finished washing off the dirt and changing his clothes before his sister arrived, with her husband
and baby.
Mai watched Shiro as he sat on the floor, playing with his nephew. Shiro hadn't said much to her or
her husband, but had instead opted to crawl around with Nojiri. She let him get away with it for a
while, and then picked her son up and handed him to her husband. When Shiro refused to meet her
eyes, she grabbed his arm and dragged him out to one of the greenhouses.
"Okay, Shiro, tell me about her."
"Sis?"
"I've seen that look on your face too many times not to recognize it. Did you meet her at school?"
"Not exactly, Mai. Shampoo lives in Nerima."
"Shampoo? What kind of name is that?"
"Chinese."
Mai listened carefully as her brother described Shampoo, and explained how they had met. He
deliberately withheld the fact that she was cursed, not knowing how his sister would handle the
information. When he'd finished talking, Mai grinned at him the way she always did when he told her
he was in love.
"And how long is this obsession going to last, little brother?"
"Forever, I hope."
Mai's grin faded, and she felt her brother's forehead.
"Well, you're not running a fever, so I guess I should take you seriously. Can you have Shampoo
come up to visit?"
"I wish I could, Sis, but her great-grandmother doesn't want me to see her. We've been
corresponding in secret, and meeting when we can. We went to my roommate's wedding together."
Mai sat down on the nearest bench, and began laughing.
"Shiro, you are well and truly hooked! She must be very special."
"Yes, she is."
Shiro sat up late that night, writing to Shampoo. She'd surprised him at Ranma's wedding, first
when she got in Kuno's way, and then by her quiet acceptance of the marriage. Shiro hoped this
indicated she was transferring her affection to him, but was afraid to hope too much. Because he'd
never taken any past romances seriously, he didn't know how to handle this one. Was he going too
fast? Was he pushing too hard? Sometimes Shampoo was hard to read.
*****
Shampoo had both hands full. She was busy carrying a stack of freshly ironed tablecloths into the
dining room when Mousse entered the Nekohanten. Cologne was out, and Shampoo had been expecting
problems.
In the days that had passed since Ranma's wedding, Mousse had been taking advantage of every moment
they were alone to try to win her over. This time thinking that Shampoo's full hands would put her
at a disadvantage, Mousse tried to embrace her. Shampoo didn't let that handicap her, however, and
used a foot to trip Mousse, sending him crashing to the floor. She then quickly put her burden down
and took a defensive stance.
"Mousse, I have work to do. Go away."
"Shampoo, don't be so shy. You should know by now how much I love you."
Shampoo didn't bother replying, stomped into the kitchen, and checked on her cooking.
Refusing to be discouraged, Mousse trailed after her.
"Ranma is married, Shampoo. How long do you intend to mourn?"
Shampoo lifted her eyes from the stove and withered Mousse with her glare.
"I don't want him, Mousse. He's happy with Akane. But I don't want you either! Go away!"
Mousse smiled at Shampoo, but it was not a loving smile, or even a kind one. Meaning to repay her
for her coldness, he deliberately made his words cruel.
"Who else would want you, Shampoo? At least I understand and accept your curse."
Shampoo flinched. Then she thought of Shiro.
"Maybe you'd be surprised."
Mousse became enraged, and stepped toward Shampoo, who backed up to the sink. She quickly turned on
the cold water and aimed the sprayer at him, but did not press the trigger.
"Mousse, I won't say this again. GO AWAY!!!"
Mousse went away, but Shampoo knew that he would return. She sighed with frustration, and
complained to Cologne when she returned from the market. The response she got was not what she
expected.
"We wasted too many years chasing Ranma around, Shampoo. Perhaps we should think again. Mousse is
an Amazon, and knows where he stands in our society. He loves you, dear. Perhaps it's time you
considered marrying him."
Shampoo's eyes opened wide.
"Great-Grandmother! No!"
"I won't rush you Shampoo, but your choices aren't very great any more."
*****
Shampoo sat at her window for a long time that night, deep in thought. She'd loved Ranma for a
long, long time, and had been forced to accept that he loved someone else.
Shiro was another story. They hadn't known one another all that long, yet she felt as if they'd
been friends forever. At this point in her life, Shampoo had few friends, and needed them badly.
Mousse? Shampoo couldn't understand Cologne's attitude toward him at all. It was evident to
Shampoo that Mousse, although aware of what his position should be in Amazon society, felt no
obligation to remain in that position. His treatment of her was evidence of that.
Then she thought again. Mousse's current behavior was only occurring when Cologne was absent. In
her great-grandmother's presence, he was acting in a very meek and subservient manner. She wondered
how long he could maintain this act, and how to deal with it.
Shampoo rubbed her temples. Her problems were giving her a headache.
*****
The next morning Shampoo made an excuse to get out, and walked toward the marketplace. She had the
feeling that someone was following her, and glanced into the shop window beside her, to see Mousse's
reflection some distance behind her.
Mousse was far enough behind Shampoo to think that she wouldn't notice his presence. When she
crossed the street ahead of him, a car momentarily blocked his view of her. When it passed, she was
gone.
Shampoo ran through the shop, and out the side door. She'd lost Mousse, at least for now. Shampoo
quickly left the shopping area, and ran toward the Tendo home. Kasumi was coming around the corner,
and Shampoo nearly ran her down. Kasumi gasped, and caught Shampoo by the arms.
"Look out!"
Shampoo gasped for breath.
"Sorry, Kasumi. Shampoo did not see you. Was coming to your house."
"I was coming to see you, Shampoo. You have a letter from Shiro."
Shampoo nearly snatched the letter from Kasumi's fingers. She smiled at it, and tenderly tucked it
into her pocket. Then, a sudden impulse made her hug Kasumi.
"Thank you."
Kasumi's motherly instincts were awakened by the look in Shampoo's eyes. She'd seen that expression
often enough on Akane's face.
"Come home with me, Shampoo. I'll make tea."
Chapter 49
Kasumi sipped her tea, while Shampoo continued to talk. At first, her words had come slowly, and it
was obvious that Shampoo was having a hard time confiding in her, but soon she was speaking freely.
Shampoo told Kasumi of her struggle to let go of Ranma, and her determination to put him behind her,
and get on with her life. Since Kasumi was already aware of Shampoo's budding relationship with
Shiro, she wasn't surprised when Shampoo told her that Shiro's attentions to her were becoming
warmer. Shampoo stopped to sip her tea, and Kasumi could see that Shampoo was very concerned about
something. Instead of pressing her, Kasumi waited for Shampoo to continue, which she soon did.
"Kasumi, Great-Grandmother think Shampoo should marry Mousse."
Kasumi nodded her understanding, and thought for a moment before responding.
"Shampoo, did Cologne say that you had to marry Mousse, or did she suggest it?"
"Was not an order, Kasumi, but Shampoo expected to be obedient to elder."
Kasumi let her gaze wander to the window. Why were Amazons so rigid? Weren't feelings allowed to
matter at all?
"You don't want Mousse, do you?"
Shampoo's answer was anything but hesitant.
"NO!"
"And what about Shiro?"
Kasumi saw that Shampoo found this question harder to answer. She put down her cup, rested her chin
on her hands, and looked out into space. After a while, Shampoo focused on Kasumi.
"Shiro very very nice. But it too soon for Shampoo to answer that question. Shiro Shampoo's
friend."
"And so am I, Shampoo. Don't let anyone - Cologne, Mousse, or Shiro - rush you into making any
decisions about the future before you're ready. You need time. And Shampoo, if you need someone to
talk to, I'm here."
Shampoo turned very red. She'd never, ever expected anyone in the Tendo household to be a friend to
her.
"Thank you, Kasumi. Must go back now. Great-Grandmother must be looking for Shampoo."
*****
Mousse was scrubbing the kitchen floor when Shampoo returned to the Nekohanten, so was too busy to
ask where she had been. Cologne was setting the tables, which was usually Shampoo's responsibility,
and frowned at her when she entered.
"You're late, Shampoo. Where have you been?"
"Walking, Grandmother. Sorry."
"Go change your clothes. It's almost time to open."
Shampoo ran upstairs to change, locked her door, and quickly read Shiro's letter. In it, he
expressed a desire to see her again, and asked where they could meet. She tucked the letter away
with the others she'd received and ran downstairs, wondering what to suggest.
The restaurant was rather busy that entire day, giving Mousse no opportunity to talk to Shampoo
privately. He waited impatiently, and finally got her alone when they were cleaning up.
"Shampoo, where were you this morning?"
"It's not your business, Mousse."
"Shampoo, Cologne approves of me as a husband for you. I have a right to ask."
"I don't agree with that, Mousse."
Shampoo hesitated, and remembered her conversation with Kasumi.
"I need time, Mousse."
This statement took Mousse completely by surprise. It was the first time that Shampoo had not
completely rejected him. He smiled, and nodded his agreement.
"All right, Shampoo. If you need time, you can have it."
Shampoo continued cleaning up, deep in thought. She'd bought herself some time to make her own
decisions.
That night in bed, Shampoo tried to figure out her options. The only one that was never going to
change was that she could never, ever marry Mousse. It was too soon for her to know where her
relationship with Shiro was leading, and she wasn't about to rush it.
Eventually, Shampoo would have to tell Cologne of her refusal to marry Mousse. What would happen
then?
Shampoo turned over, and tried to sleep.
*****
Ranma unlocked the porch door and carried the suitcases in.
"Wait here, Akane. I'll be right back."
Akane waited in the hallway, listening to Ranma's footsteps going up the stairs, and wondering why
he'd asked her to wait. She soon found out when he ran back down and carried her all the way back
up and into the apartment. When he put her down, she gently scolded him.
"Ranma, two flights of stairs?"
"It's a Western tradition, Akane, and why not? You're not heavy."
Ranma carried the bags into the bedroom, and found Akane looking in the refrigerator when he
returned.
"What should I make for dinner?"
"Can't I take you out?"
Akane turned around, and put her hands on her hips.
"Don't start, Ranma! If you keep taking me out to eat I'll never get used to cooking for you.
Besides, we can't afford to go out all the time."
Ranma took Akane by the shoulders, and looked into her eyes.
"Don't jump to conclusions, Akane. It's been a long day, and I was afraid you'd be too tired to
cook."
Akane blushed a little. Her temper had gotten the better of her again. She removed Ranma's hands
from her shoulders, and turned back to the refrigerator.
"I'm not too tired to cook. I want to make something special."
Ranma was glad that Akane's back was toward him. He was having a hard time keeping a straight face.
As long as Akane followed her checklists and relaxed, she did all right. What did "something
special" mean?
Ranma unpacked for both himself and his wife while she cooked dinner. In a shorter time than he
expected, she was calling him to the table. He sat down, looking suspiciously at the serving dish.
"What's that?"
"It's a recipe your mother gave me. She said it was one of your favorites when you were little."
"Are you sure, Akane? It looks too weird."
Akane served them, and sat down.
"I know it does, Ranma, but it tastes good. I already tried it."
Ranma looked skeptical, but had to admit that the dish tasted better than it looked.
"I don't know, Akane. This looked bad, but tasted good. Does that mean if you make something that
looks good, it will taste bad?"
Akane chose to ignore the question.
Chapter 50
Ranma heard the sound of water running, and opened his eyes. Akane was not beside him, and he left
the futon to find her in the kitchen. There was a pot of miso soup simmering on the stove, the
washer was running, and Akane was sitting at the table, fully dressed, reading. She looked up when
he entered, closed her book, and got up.
"Good morning, Ranma."
Ranma kissed Akane, and continued to hold her.
"Good morning, sweetheart. How long have you been up?"
"About an hour."
Ranma frowned. This was becoming a pattern. Every day, Akane would wake before him, and wait for
him to wake up.
"Why didn't you wake me?"
Akane laughed, and withdrew from Ranma's embrace.
"Classes haven't started up yet, Ranma. Why not sleep in?"
"We're supposed to go practice."
Akane's hand went to her mouth.
"I forgot. I wonder if they lock up the gym during holidays?"
Ranma shrugged, and went to the stove to inspect the soup. He sniffed it, and tasted a spoonful.
"I think this is ready, Akane. It's pretty good."
"Even without the Water of Life?"
"Even without it."
Akane tasted the soup, and smiled lovingly at her husband.
"Liar."
*****
Miss Murata checked the bottles on the shelf against her inventory list, looking perplexed. She
checked all of the other shelves, hoping to discover that the missing medications had been stored in
the wrong place, but was unable to locate them. She made a note, locked the cabinet, and went to
see her supervisor.
"There's another shortage, Mr. Nagata. Take a look at these numbers."
Mr. Nagata looked over the list, and picked up earlier reports. He made a few notes, and showed
them to Miss Murata.
"See the pattern? I think I know who may be responsible."
*****
Ranma walked his wife to campus, holding her hand. It was nearly deserted, since most of the
students and staff had gone home for the holidays. The doors of the gym were locked when Ranma
tried them, and he settled for a long walk with Akane instead of practicing. When he turned back
toward their apartment, however, she pulled him in another direction.
"We need to go to the market, Ranma. There are some things we'll need for tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?"
"New Year's Eve, silly! I want to get some noodles, to start."
"How about a bottle of champagne, Akane?"
In the empty apartment, the phone rang for a long time. Eventually, it stopped.
*****
Mrs. Takai was watching for the Saotomes' return, and opened her apartment door when they arrived.
"Welcome home. There were some packages delivered for you."
Ranma thanked Mrs. Takai, and carried the boxes upstairs. When they saw that the boxes were from
Kasumi, they quickly hung up their coats and sat down to open them.
The first box contained a letter from Kasumi, explaining that she had forwarded their wedding
presents, which had been forgotten during the madness of their wedding day.
Akane was reading the letter aloud to Ranma, and put it aside to look into both boxes.
There were many envelopes with gifts of money, and packages containing practical things they needed
for their home, but hadn't been able to afford. After looking at everything, Akane returned to her
sister's letter.
Kasumi had written of her talk with Shampoo, and Akane kept glancing up at Ranma's expression as he
listened. When she was finished, Akane put the letter down and waited for him to speak.
"It sounds to me like Shampoo is having a bad time, Akane. I'm glad Kasumi decided to be her
friend, though I have to admit that it surprises me."
"It shouldn't Ranma. You know how softhearted my sister is. What surprises me is that Cologne is
pushing a marriage between Shampoo and Mousse. It's been pretty obvious all this time that Cologne
doesn't think too much of him."
"It must be some kind of Amazon thing, Akane. Maybe it's traditional to marry someone from your
village, unless something weird happens, like a stranger defeating you."
"Maybe."