COS82-84
A Change of Scene, Chapters 82-84
by June "KaraOhki" Geraci
December 28, 1999
Ranma 1/2 and its characters were borrowed from Rumiko Takahashi. This story was written for noncommercial purposes only.
Chapter 82
Professor Negita looked up from his notes and surveyed his students. They had spent the day digging up medicinal herbs and peeling bark from trees, but their enthusiasm had carried them through. Now all of them were tired, dirty, and hungry.
"I'm very proud of you all. You did a wonderful job. From this point on you're no longer students, but tourists."
Everyone broke into smiles, except Shampoo. Since she wasn't one of the students, she had observed from a short distance while everyone else worked. Professor Negita had looked her way now and then as she kept her husband company, noting that Hayasuka had a very pretty wife. Now she was coming toward him with a serious look on her face.
"Excuse me, sir. There is a plant you did not show the students."
"There is? Please show me."
Shampoo turned around, gesturing for the professor to follow her. She led him down to a stream, and pointed between the rocks on the edge of the water.
"This is a very important plant."
Shiro and several students had followed the pair. He picked one of the plants and looked at it doubtfully.
"It's got to be one of the ugliest things I've ever seen."
Professor Negita chuckled when Shampoo glared at her husband. His smile grew even wider when her Japanese slipped because of her annoyance.
"Husband should not laugh! This very important plant! Can cure burns and rashes. Can stop bleeding. If you bleeding to death, you hope this plant nearby."
"Sorry."
Professor Negita interrupted the pair. "Let me see that plant, Hayasuka." Shiro handed it to him, and he broke off one of the plump leaves. A thick, bright yellow gel oozed out of it.
"Very interesting. What is it called?"
"I don't know. Great-grandmother never mentioned a name. It always grows near water. We have a lot of it by the spring that flows through our village."
"Where is that?"
"Joketsuzoku."
The professor looked at Shampoo with new respect. "That is your home? I received much of my training there many years ago. It was extremely hard to get permission to stay in the village, but I had heard a great deal about the medicinal herbs of the area and I was determined to learn."
He stopped, and chuckled. "Good thing they didn't consider me husband material, or I may never have been able to go home."
Shampoo shrugged. "Sometimes my people are more interested in a man's strength than whether or not he is intelligent. Perhaps they made a mistake when they let you leave."
"Perhaps. My wife would have been upset if I hadn't returned home. I am still very grateful to the woman who taught me. Perhaps you know of her, although I doubt she is still living. Her name was Cologne."
"Cologne is my great-grandmother, and she still lives. She is waiting for me at home."
Shampoo glanced at her husband, who looked back somewhat nervously. "I must introduce my new husband to my family."
Professor Negita understood Shiro's nervousness. A village full of Amazon women could be very intimidating.
"Please give her my regards when you get home."
*****
"Saotome, wait a moment!"
Ranma stopped with his jacket half-buttoned. One of the pharmacists was running down the hallway toward him.
"Yes?"
"Can you give me a hand with these boxes? It'll just take a minute."
"Sure."
The "minute" turned into fifteen, and then twenty.
*****
"Akane, would you mind locking up tonight? I'm meeting my husband for dinner."
"Not at all. Mine should be here soon. Have a lovely time."
Akane was putting the last of the toys away when she realized that it was getting late, and Ranma hadn't yet arrived. She was beginning to worry when the phone rang.
"Honey, I'm sorry. Something came up and I got stuck here. I'm on my way now."
"That's okay. At least you remembered to call me this time!"
Ranma recognized the reason for the reproach. Akane had been very worried about him on New Year's Eve when he'd come home so late.
"Uh, yeah. See you in a few minutes."
"I'll call Mishi and tell her we'll be late."
Akane disconnected Ranma and phoned the library. The line rang and rang, but no one picked up.
*****
The library was locked up for the night, but Mishi was still there, standing in the glassed-in area between the entrance doors and the doors leading into the library itself. She never heard the phone ring.
A few minutes later she shrugged, and muttered to herself.
"I don't need to be walked home!"
She started across campus, passing several people she knew. Then she rounded the corner by the gymnasium, and two pairs of hands grabbed her. Her cry of alarm was quickly smothered by one of her attackers.
*****
Akane let the phone ring for a long time. Mishi always waited for her. Where was she?
"I'll bet she started home without us," Akane remarked aloud as she grabbed her coat.
Akane passed the library, which was dark, and kept moving. She used the route that she and Ranma normally took when they walked Mishi home, and passed a couple of her friends.
"Have you seen Mishi?"
They pointed past them. "Just a second ago, going that way."
"Thanks!"
Akane took off at a run. She was nearly to the gymnasium when she heard a faint cry, which seemed to be cut off. She flew towards the sound and found herself behind the gym, where she skidded to a stop, unable to believe what she was looking at.
There was a man holding Mishi down and covering her mouth while another used a knife to cut off her clothing. Her shredded coat was already lying to one side, and Mishi struggled desperately as she became more and more exposed. Akane gasped in horror, and both men turned around and saw her standing there. Their looks of surprise changed very quickly when they realized who she was.
"Look who's here!" one of them said in a tone of voice that made Akane feel dirty. "Little Sailor Mercury came to join Mars."
His grip on Mishi loosened, and she sat up.
"Run, Akane! RUN!!"
The man sitting on Mishi slapped her, pushed her back down, and held the knife to her throat.
[I can�t risk trying to get close to them, or he might kill Mishi,] thought Akane. [Thank goodness Ranma taught me this.]
Akane planted her feet, summoned up all of her confidence, and held up both hands, palms out.
"Close your eyes, Mishi!"
Then Akane�s confidence fizzled, because both men started to laugh. In fact, the one with the knife was laughing so hard he nearly dropped it.
"Look at that! Is Sailor Mercury going to bubble blast us or something?"
Akane struggled to get a handle on her concentration. She needed to be in complete control for a moko takabisha to work. Unexpectedly, Mishi's attackers gave her the motivation she needed. They stood up, still laughing, and pretended to be afraid.
"Oh dear! Don't hurt us!"
The two had no idea what they had done. Akane's expression went from nervous to furious in an instant. No one was going to mock her skills. She concentrated, and drew her hands into fists. A glowing ball began to form between them. The laughter suddenly stopped as Akane screamed, and threw the biggest chi ball she'd produced since Ranma had taught her the technique. As it reached the rapists, the one with the knife dodged behind his companion. Then they both collapsed.
*****
The head of campus security sat in the cafeteria with the chief of the Ube Police Department. The two men had a map of the campus spread out between them.
"These are the areas that worry me. There isn't enough lighting, and we don't have enough manpower to cover every corner of campus."
His friend nodded. "I think I see what you're talking about. Take me around and I'll make some recommendations. I can assign some of my people to help you out."
The two men left the cafeteria and started walking across campus, taking note of areas that needed more lighting. Then the night sky lit up, followed by a huge explosion.
"What the hell was that?"
*****
The door to the day care center was locked, and all of the lights were out.
"Damn, she left without me!"
Ranma took off for the library, found it closed, and kept running. He was almost to the gymnasium when the sky turned red and he heard an explosion. Ranma's heart was pounding in his chest as he ran toward the source of the blast. Akane wouldn't be using chi attacks unless there was real trouble.
He rounded the corner and found Akane on her knees supporting a nearly naked Mishi. A few yards away an unconscious man lay on the ground, his clothing smoldering. What horrified Ranma was that Akane was too busy trying to soothe her hysterical friend to notice the peril she was in. A second man armed with a knife was coming up behind her.
Ranma tried to run faster, yet felt that he was moving in slow motion. He screamed out a warning as he launched himself at his wife's attacker. "Akane! Look out!"
Akane whirled, automatically putting out a hand in defense. She saw the light reflect off the knife�s blade just as Ranma flew forward and grabbed her assailant by the wrist. There was a cracking sound and a loud cry as the knife hit the ground. Ranma growled, and each word he spoke was punctuated with a blow.
�DON�T. TOUCH. MY. WIFE!�
By the time the fourth blow was struck Akane's attacker was unconscious. Ranma didn't even notice, and would have continued hitting him had not Akane grabbed him. He froze, one hand still holding up the unconscious man. Akane was holding onto his other arm with both hands, desperately trying to get his attention.
"Ranma! Stop!"
"What?"
"You're going to kill him! STOP!"
Ranma looked from his wife's terrified face to the limp man he was holding, and dropped him. What had he nearly done? Ranma wrapped his arms around Akane and held her close.
�Did he hurt you?�
�He never touched me. �
Ranma just held Akane tighter. �Thank goodness.�
�What is going on here?�
When Ranma and Akane looked up they found a policeman and a member of campus security staring at them. The policeman had his hand on his gun, but took it away when he saw there was no need for it. It was pretty obvious that the young couple were holding onto each other for comfort.
The policeman knelt down next to Mishi and removed his coat, but when he tried to put it on her she shrank away. Akane pulled herself away from Ranma and took the coat.
�Let me.� Akane knelt next to her friend and helped her into the coat. �It�s okay, Mishi. No one is going to hurt you.�
Mishi continued to shake, and Akane held her, murmuring soothing noises. The chief of police motioned to Ranma, who followed him a few steps away.
�What happened here?�
Ranma gestured at the unconscious men. �Those two were going to r-rape my wife and her friend. The one with the knife tried to kill my wife. I think they�re coming around.�
Ranma was right. Both of Mishi's attackers were beginning to come to their senses, although neither of them were in any shape to sit up, let alone attempt to escape. Even if they had been able to move, the noise had attracted so many people, many of whom were campus security, that they would have had no opportunity to get away. An ambulance soon came for them. Ranma and Akane rode to the hospital with Mishi in the chief�s car.
*****
Shampoo touched her husband's arm. "Stop here."
"Why?"
"We'll walk the rest of the way."
Shiro shrugged, and pulled the car off the road. He and Shampoo got out their packs and began to walk. The sun was setting when they walked into Joketsuzoku, and the only people in sight were some children chasing each other around. One small girl stopped to see who was coming, broke into a huge smile, and threw herself on top of Shampoo, hugging her fiercely.
"Cousin!"
Shampoo lifted the child and spun her around.
"Henna! You're so BIG!" She hugged the little girl, set her back on her feet, and gestured to Shiro.
"I want you to meet my husband. Shiro, this is my cousin Henna."
Shiro got down to Henna's level and smiled at her. "Hello, Henna. Nice to meet you."
Henna giggled. "He talks funny, Cousin Shampoo!"
Shampoo laughed. "Shiro is just learning to speak our language. In Japan, everyone thinks I talk funny."
She hugged Henna again, and patted her cheek.
"I'll see you tomorrow."
A few minutes later Shampoo and Shiro walked up to a small house. They were nearly to the door when it opened and Cologne appeared in the entry.
"Welcome home, child."
*****
Ranma paced back and forth outside the treatment room. Mishi had been clinging to Akane with such ferocity that the medical personnel were forced to allow her to accompany her inside, and Ranma hadn't seen her since. A policewoman had gone in to see them and take their statements and Ranma rushed over to her when she emerged from the room.
"Are they coming out soon?"
"As soon as they find something for Miss Akamoto to wear."
The policewoman excused herself, and Ranma kept pacing. A minute later he was joined by the police chief.
"Can you spare a minute, Saotome?"
Ranma looked surprised. He'd already given his statement. The two of them sat down on a bench in the hallway.
"Your statement said when you got to the scene, you saw one man on the ground and the other going after your wife. Who knocked out the first man?"
"Akane did." It was impossible to miss the note of pride in Ranma's voice. "She used a chi-blast on him."
The chief looked skeptical. "Yeah, sure she..."
He trailed off when he saw the glow between Ranma's palms.
"It's really quite simple once you learn."
The chief wisely ignored Ranma's comment and went on.
"Between the two of you, it looks like they're going to be in the hospital for a while. Then I hope to put them away for a long time."
He paused, and Ranma wondered what was on the man's mind.
"I know you were defending your wife, but how many times did you hit the guy after he was out?"
Ranma just stared at him, and didn't respond. He was certain he was about to get arrested.
"Don't worry. I'm not going to charge you. Not this time."
"I don't know. Akane stopped me."
"Did she? Good girl. I don't want either of you getting into trouble by taking the law into your own hands. Leave the rest of this to us."
Ranma nodded.
"Okay, but Akane and I didn't really have a choice at the time."
The chief nodded grimly. "No, you didn't." He stood up. "I've got to get going. As I said before, I hope to put those two away for a long time."
Ranma looked skeptical. "On rape charges? I don't know much about this stuff, but Akane says rapists get off easy most of the time. She showed me an article about one guy who got sentenced to clean streets once a month."
"The system is too easy on sexual offenders, Saotome. But attempted murder? That's another story." He looked at his watch. "I'm late. We'll contact you if we need anything."
He walked away, leaving Ranma staring. Attempted murder. If the Nerima police had arrested everyone who had gone after him or Akane the jail would have been stuffed, and he would have been there too for his part in the mayhem. The authorities, however, had always seemed blind and deaf to their activities. Ranma chuckled when he thought about the way some of them turned pale when they saw him coming.
Then Ranma's amusement disappeared. Akane had nearly gotten herself killed because she'd turned her back on an enemy. How could she have been so careless? The more he thought about it, the angrier he got at her.
*****
"You're sure you want to go home?"
"Yes! I don't want to stay."
"I don't think it's a good idea--"
"I want to go HOME!"
Akane's frustrated gaze went from her friend to the counselor, who had been trying to get Mishi to stay overnight. "I guess we'll take her home, then."
The counselor reached into her pocket and produced a card, which she handed to Akane. "Hold onto this for her. Just in case she needs me."
Akane helped Mishi into what was left of her coat and led her out to the hallway. Ranma was pacing back and forth. He rushed over to them immediately.
"I thought they'd never let you out!"
Mishi just looked at the floor. Akane put a protective arm around her friend.
"It's okay, Mishi. Ranma's just worried about you." She looked at her husband. "I promised Mishi we'd take her home. Can we get a taxi? Mishi's coat isn't going to keep her very warm."
The ride to Mishi's apartment was a quiet one. Mishi seemed too shaken to want to talk, and Akane was totally absorbed in looking after her. Ranma was still quietly smoldering.
When they arrived Ranma exited the cab first and helped Akane out. He went around to the other side of the cab, opened the door, and reached for Mishi. She jumped, cried out, and moved further into the cab.
"Mishi?"
Akane pushed her husband out of the way and got back into the cab. Mishi was curled up into a ball, sniffling. Akane put her arms around her and hugged her.
"It's okay, Mishi. Nobody's going to hurt you."
It took a little bit of persuasion to get Mishi out of the cab, after which Akane took her purse and located the key to the apartment. She and Mishi disappeared into the bedroom while Ranma waited in the kitchen. A couple of minutes later Akane opened the bedroom door and came out.
"I want to make sure she eats something before we go."
She looked in the refrigerator and cupboards and fixed a simple meal for the three of them. Akane left Ranma in the kitchen with his dinner and brought hers into the bedroom with Mishi's. She was gone for a very long time, and Ranma was beginning to wonder what was going on when she finally returned.
"I'm sorry it took so long. I wanted to wait until Mishi went to sleep before I left her. She's still awfully shaky."
"Can we go home now?"
Akane looked at Ranma in surprise. He seemed rather impatient.
"I'd like to wash the dishes first."
Ranma got up to help Akane, but she soon made him sit down again. He was in such a hurry she was afraid he'd break everything. A few minutes later they shut the lights and left.
*****
The moment they got outdoors Ranma snatched Akane off her feet and took to the rooftops. He traveled at such a rate of speed that all Akane could do was hold on and try to breathe. Minutes later they landed on their roof. Ranma opened the kitchen window and practically tossed Akane inside, then followed. Before she could even unbutton her coat he grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her against the wall.
Akane looked at the fury in Ranma's eyes and experienced a split second of fear. Then it left her. No matter how angry Ranma was, he would never hurt her.
"How could you do something so STUPID, Akane!"
"What--what? What did I do?"
Ranma face went from furious to incredulous, then back to furious. "YOU DON'T KNOW? You turned your back on an enemy! You let that guy sneak up behind you!"
"I--I thought he was out cold! I was trying to take care of Mishi!"
Ranma dropped his hands from Akane's shoulders and spun away from her. He paced around the room, trying unsuccessfully to calm down.
"That has got to be the dumbest thing you've EVER done! Never assume an enemy is out, even if he's down! NEVER!"
Normally, the use of the word "dumb" would have enraged Akane. Not this time. She was uncomfortably aware that Ranma was right.
Knowing it and admitting it were two different things. Akane just stood there. Ranma waited for her to say something, feeling more and more frustrated when she remained silent.
"Damn it, couldn't you even sense that the guy was there?"
Akane shook her head. Ranma threw his hands up in the air and started pacing again. His father-in-law had really neglected Akane's training. He forced himself to calm down and think before he said anything more.
Akane watched apprehensively as Ranma continued to pace. She hadn't seen him this angry in a long, long time, and the fact that he was angry at her made it worse. When he finally stopped pacing and looked at her she was very relieved to see that he appeared to be calmer.
"Take off your coat, Akane. Come sit down."
Once they were seated, Ranma sat quietly for a minute, looking down at the table. Then he took a deep breath and began.
"What happened tonight made me think. There's lots of stuff I learned that you ought to know. I can't figure out why--maybe your Dad didn't teach you because he doesn't know it, or because he just stopped teaching for so long. So I'll teach you."
"Ranma, I don't need--"
Ranma's shout stopped her mid-sentence. He was furious again, and she could tell that he was fighting hard to maintain control of himself.
"Don't argue with me! That's one of your problems, Akane. You argue and get mad when you need to be cool! If you get mad you lose your concentration. You NEED to learn, and I'm going to teach you. Got it?"
The intensity of Ranma's tone and the look in his eyes had Akane convinced, even if she had to smother the desire to hit him. That didn�t mean she wasn�t going to yell back.
�Look who�s talking! You would have KILLED that guy tonight if I hadn�t stopped you!�
Ranma deflated. He was yelling at his beautiful wife, the one he loved more than anything in the world. And he was yelling at her because she'd scared him to death. She was looking at him, eyes wide in a pale face.
�I thought you were going to die.�
The entire scene behind the gymnasium played out in Ranma�s mind again. If he'd been a second later he might not have a wife to yell at. The concept overwhelmed him, and he began to cry. He tried desperately to stop, but was unable to. Ranma tried to suppress the crying by getting his anger back, but he was only able to bring it up to a very low level. He pushed back his chair, got up, and pulled his startled wife out of her seat and into his arms, practically crushing her against his chest.
"Damn it, Akane, don't DO that to me again! I thought--it was just like--Saffron..."
Ranma trailed off, unable to express what he was thinking, but what he'd said was enough to make Akane understand what he was trying to say. Ranma had thought her dead in Jusendo. She'd come close to being killed tonight. And he was crying.
That was when the fear Akane hadn't felt at the time of the attack hit her. At the time she had felt concern for Mishi, and fury at the men hurting her. Now that it was all over and she was safe at home with Ranma all the fear she should have felt when she was in danger washed over her like a tidal wave. Akane began to shake. Then she burst into tears, clutching Ranma as hard as he was holding her.
It wasn't long after she began to cry that the absurdity of the situation struck her. Why was she crying now, especially when she was in the safest place in her universe--Ranma's arms? Akane relaxed her grip and her crying slowed down.
By that time Ranma had regained control, and his hold on Akane went from a death grip to a gentle embrace. He picked Akane up and settled her in his lap, wrapping his arms around her. Akane leaned against him and closed her eyes. They remained that way for a long time before Ranma stood up, Akane in his arms, and carried her off to bed.
Chapter 83
Shiro woke early to the sound of singing. Shampoo slept on while he quietly got out of bed and went to the window. There was a group of women walking by the house. They were singing a song he couldn't quite understand, but that didn't matter to him. What entranced him was the beauty of their voices. He watched them until they were out of sight, and their voices faded. Then the song began again, but from inside the bedroom.
Shampoo smiled at her husband when he turned around to look at her, and she continued to sing. He sat on the bed, entranced, and listened intently until she was finished.
"I've never heard you sing before. That was beautiful. I didn't get all the words. Was that a morning song?"
"Yes. That was the first song my mother taught me when I was very small."
"I love it. You'll have to teach our children to sing it."
"Oh yes, I will. But first I will teach it to you."
*****
Downstairs, Cologne listened to Shampoo singing as she prepared breakfast. She hadn't heard her great-granddaughter sound so happy in a long time.
[I only hope that Shiro will make a good impression here. He is a nice young man, but they were expecting Ranma. What will they think of Shiro? He's not the warrior they were looking for.]
"You look worried, Grandmother."
Cologne jumped. She'd been so busy thinking that Shampoo's father had been able to enter the kitchen without her noticing.
"I am, Li. I want Shiro to be accepted, but I'm afraid he isn't the kind of husband the village expected Shampoo to bring home."
Li nodded. "Don't worry about it. Shiro and I had a talk last night, and I gave him some advice. I like him better than Ranma, although I never did get to know Ranma very well before I came home." Li paused, and smiled. "Shiro and I have something in mind that should make him very welcome here."
Cologne looked curious. "What would that be?"
"Oh, no. Telling would spoil it. Just sit and watch."
*****
Shiro looked in the mirror, and combed his hair again. When Shampoo's family had come to the house to meet him the previous night he had been nervous, but their warm welcome had made him feel very much at home. This was different. He was on his way to meet the Elders, and Shampoo's description of them made him extremely uncomfortable. In his mind, he saw several duplicates of Cologne, only these women were unfriendly, unreasonable, and dangerous. Now that Shiro had come to know Cologne better, he had dropped the �unfriendly� and �unreasonable�, although he would never lose the feeling that she was dangerous. The only ammunition he had was the information he'd been supplied by his father-in-law.
"Do I look all right?"
"You already asked that. You look very handsome, Husband, but that is not important. Our Elders will want to know what you can contribute to our village."
"I know that."
When Shampoo began to look worried, Shiro enclosed her in a hug.
"Don't worry about it. Your father and I have it all figured out."
As Shiro left the house with Shampoo he tried hard to be as confident as he had sounded.
*****
The Elders were waiting for him. They were seated behind a long table, which held a teapot and several cups. There were other women present, including Cologne, seated around the edges of the room. One of the women poured Shiro and Shampoo tea, and welcomed them.
"Welcome home, Shampoo. Please introduce us to your husband."
"Elders, this is my husband, Shiro Hayasuka."
Shiro inclined his head. "Pleased to meet you."
The oldest-looking woman gave a brief nod. "That remains to be seen. I am Lili, this is Hyacinth, and this is Mai."
Shiro smiled. "I have a sister named Mai."
"That is unimportant right now.�
Shiro bit his lip. He�d deviated from the plan Li had laid out for him, and it had backfired in his face.
�We want to know about you, not your sister,� continued Lili. �What is it that you do in Japan?"
"Right now I am a student. I am in my first year at Sanna College."
"A student?"
"Yes."
Lili frowned. "And what can you as a student contribute to our people? The man Shampoo went to Japan to marry was a warrior. He would have added strong children to our village."
Shiro nodded nervously. "That would depend on what you would need from me. I am studying botany."
There was silence, and Shiro began to worry. According to his father-in-law, that statement should have triggered some sort of reaction. He was beginning to sweat when one of the women in the room cleared her throat.
"May I speak, Lili?"
"Yes, Lilac."
"We are experiencing difficulties with one of our crops. I would like this young man to come with me to the fields. Perhaps he might recognize the problem."
Lili gestured from Shiro to Lilac. "Go with her. We would like to see what you know."
Lilac rose and left the room with Shiro and Shampoo following her. She led them out of the village to a field. It was too early in the year for anything to be growing, but the stubble of the previous year's crop was still there. Shiro knelt down and began digging in the earth to dislodge the roots of the dead plants.
"I've seen this before."
He gathered several samples, examining the roots and the dried stems.
"I didn't know the blight had reached China. It appeared here and there in Japan, but there is a way to deal with it."
Lilac's serious expression turned to one of relief. "We lost most of the crop last year. I didn't know what to do."
"The first thing I need to do is call my mother. She can get the powder air freighted to us within a day or two. I'll show you how it should be applied. How many fields do we need to treat?"
Lilac and Shiro walked the fields, examining their condition. Shampoo followed, doing her best to stay out of the way. Lilac might not be an elder, but she was older than Shampoo and therefore deserved a measure of respect. Shiro made some notes, and they headed back to the village.
"Should I go back to the Elders?"
"No, make your phone call first."
Shiro phoned his mother, and then Lilac and Shampoo brought him back to the Elders. They didn't seem to have moved at all since his departure.
"Lilac, has the young man given a satisfactory answer?"
"Yes, Lili. He identified the problem, and knows what needs to be done."
"And that is?"
"There is a treatment that needs to be sprayed on the fields. We will have it within a few days."
Lili raised an eyebrow.
"And how much is this going to cost us, young man?"
Shiro allowed himself to get indignant, keeping in mind what his father-in-law had said: "Show some spirit, but don't be disrespectful."
"Nothing! As Shampoo's husband that makes me part of her family. I wouldn't charge my family for any help I gave them."
Shampoo nodded, and made her own contribution. "My husband is quite wealthy, Lili. He can afford to do this."
Lili finally relaxed.
"Welcome, Shiro Hayasuka. You are not what we expected, but you have proved yourself respectful and useful. Shampoo, have you chosen a place to build your home?"
"We are not staying. I came to introduce my husband to you, and to visit my family. We will be returning to Japan."
Lili looked at Shiro. "And why is this?"
"Elder Lili, I must return home. My mother needs me."
"Tell me about your mother."
"She is a widow, and lives in the house Father built for her, which is next to our family business."
"Family business?"
"Yes. Hayasuka Florists grows flowers and exotic plants, and sells them throughout Japan."
"And who owns and operates this business?"
"Mother does." Shiro carefully refrained from telling Lili that his mother had never taken interest in running the business until after his father's death.
Mai spoke for the first time: "A respectful boy, showing proper honor to his mother. I like him."
Hyacinth nodded. "As do I."
Lili looked at her fellow elders, then turned back to Shiro and Shampoo.
"Then you must return home. I do ask, however, that you visit as often as you can. I would like you to share what you are learning with Lilac and her assistants."
"With pleasure, Ma'am."
Lilac nodded enthusiastically and grabbed Shiro by the arm. "I want to take you around the entire farm and show you the greenhouses."
She dragged him out the door before he could say yes or no. All Shiro had time to do was look back at his wife and shrug his shoulders. Shampoo began to follow but Lili called her back.
"Shampoo, wait a moment."
Shampoo turned around, trying to suppress her nervousness.
"Yes?"
"I like your husband. Why did you marry him in place of the Saotome boy?"
"Ranma was honor-bound to marry someone else. Besides that, he loves her."
Then Shampoo laughed. "I don't think he would have made a very good husband. He is too proud, stubborn and independent to be happy living here. But that doesn't matter one way or the other. I didn't marry him." Then she grew serious. "Shiro is a good husband, and I think you will appreciate him more when you get to know him better."
Lili frowned. Shampoo's response was very close to being disrespectful. Then the truth of her statement sank in. The last thing they needed was a young man among them who wouldn't listen to authority.
"We will see. You may go now."
*****
Li looked up from the book he was reading when Shampoo came in.
"Where is your husband?"
"Touring the farm with Lilac. She'll probably keep him busy for hours."
"Good. I wanted to talk to you alone."
Shampoo immediately became very concerned. She sat next to her father and held onto his hands so hard that he winced.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing! Nothing at all! In fact, I wrote to you a few days ago but you were already gone. I have very good news for you."
He reached down, picked up a small bag sitting on the floor, and handed it to his daughter. When she looked inside she found a change of clothes and a towel. Her expression turned from expectant to completely confused.
"I don't understand."
"Plum was here a few days ago. She wanted you to know that the springs came back."
"WHAT?"
"She and her father thought they'd made a terrible mistake when they drained the lake and nothing happened. Then a little bit of water started to appear in a couple of the springs, but they weren't the ones we'd be interested in. Not unless you wanted to become a mouse or a snake. It took months for the rest of the water to return. Now all of the springs have been restored."
"So that means...that means..." As the impact of what Li had told his daughter hit her, Shampoo reeled.
Then she jumped to her feet, hugging the bag against her. "Tell Shiro I'll be back soon. Don't tell him where I've gone--I want to surprise him!"
Seconds later Henna looked up from her play and tried to stop Shampoo as she ran by. Shampoo nearly ran her down and then turned around.
"I'm sorry! Are you all right?"
Henna looked a little shaken but she still smiled at her big cousin. �I'm okay. Will you play with me?"
"I can't right now. I have to go away for a while."
"But you've been away for ages! Play now!"
"I can't. I promise I'll play with you later."
Shampoo sped off leaving Henna with a very frustrated look on her face, one which quickly turned to rebellion as she ran off after her cousin.
*****
The springs were just the way Shampoo remembered them before the flood, except for one thing. Someone had put up signs next to many of them, so that she could see what they were.
"Duck, Panda, Monkey, Man. Man! I have to get some jugs!"
Shampoo kept walking and reading. There was no sign for Spring of Drowned Girl. Then she heard a voice calling her.
"Shampoo! I didn't know you were home!"
Plum was running up, a huge smile on her face.
"I came to visit with my husband."
"Husband?" Plum opened her mouth to ask, then hesitated. It wasn't likely that Shampoo would have married Ranma. Or was it?
"Why didn't you bring him with you?"
"Shiro is busy helping Lilac. I can't find the Spring of Drowned Girl. Do you know which one it is?"
"Oh yes, I'm helping Father map the springs."
Plum walked around the edge of the springs, and pointed to one. "This is it."
"You're sure?"
"Yes."
That was enough for Shampoo. She took off her shoes and jumped in. From behind a bush not far away, Henna watched. Why was Cousin Shampoo taking a bath in a spring? With her clothes on? She observed as Shampoo got out, pulled off her wet clothes, and toweled off. Her curiosity finally got the better of her, and she decided to see for herself what was so special about this place. She was getting close to one of the springs when there was a scream from behind her.
"HENNA! NO!!!"
Henna stopped short. Obedience to one's elders was something drilled into the children of her village, and this time it averted disaster. A half-clothed Shampoo dashed over to Henna, picked her up, and carried her well away from the springs.
"This is a very dangerous place! Why did you follow me?"
The little girl began to sniffle. "I missed you. I wanted to be with you."
Shampoo's expression changed from fright to affection, and she gave Henna a hug.
"I understand that, but this is not a place you should be. These springs are cursed." She turned to Plum. "Which one is that?" she asked, pointing to the spring Henna had been approaching.
"That is the Spring of Drowned Fox."
"Do you know what would have happened if you would have gone into that spring?"
"No," was Henna's whispered reply.
"You would have turned into a fox, and you would have been cursed to be a fox any time you were hit with cold water."
"Then why did you go into a spring? I don't understand!"
"Can you keep a secret?"
Henna nodded enthusiastically. "Yes!!"
"I had a curse. I just cured it."
"Honest? What would you become?"
"A cat. But I will NEVER be a cat again."
Little Henna just grinned. Shampoo patted her head, and finished dressing. Then she got three jugs, filled them with water from the Spring of Drowned Man, and started the walk back to Joketsuzoku. Henna walked with her, carrying one of the jugs.
*****
Akane was seated in her usual place when Ranma arrived in the cafeteria for lunch. He knew something was wrong when she didn't greet him with a smile.
"Something wrong, Akane?"
"Yes. I haven't seen Mishi all morning. I don't think she came to campus. I think I'm going to skip culinary arts and go check on her."
"Want me to come along?"
A hint of a smile came to Akane's face.
"Please."
Akane had to ring the doorbell a couple of times before she heard the footsteps coming. Mishi opened the door a crack. She still had the security chain on, and Akane could see through the crack that Mishi was in her bathrobe, her hair uncombed. When Mishi saw that it was Akane standing there she undid the chain and opened the door wider. Then she spotted Ranma, and her expression changed. The Saotomes watched in shock when Mishi turned pale and backed away from the door. Akane pushed Ranma further back into the hallway and entered the apartment by herself.
"Mishi, it's just Ranma. You've known him as long as you've known me. He won't hurt you."
Mishi just stood there. She was shaking so hard Akane was afraid she was going to fall down, so she took her friend by the hand and led her to the living room where she seated her on the couch. Akane sat beside Mishi and pulled her friend into her arms, gently patting her back. Then Mishi began to cry.
"Don't cry. It's all right. Nobody's going to hurt you."
"I know, I know."
"They're going to jail, Mishi. Do you believe that?"
Mishi nodded, and continued to sob.
Ranma listened to the sobbing from the hallway and decided it was time for him to come in. He entered the apartment, locked the door behind him and walked into the living room. Mishi jumped when she saw him but forced herself to acknowledge Ranma with a nod and half a smile. Ranma was encouraged to see that and knelt down next to her.
"Mishi, it's me. I came to help last night, remember?"
He didn't get a reply, but was glad to see Mishi look a little calmer.
"Why are you scared of me?"
Akane answered for her.
"Is it because he's a guy?"
Mishi looked at the floor. When she picked her head up she looked very embarrassed.
"Yes," she whispered.
"Well, I can fix that." Ranma walked into the kitchen, where the girls could hear him at the sink. When he returned he was female. "Is that better?"
The reaction he got wasn't what he expected. Mishi stared at him, and then began to laugh. It wasn't a hysterical laugh, but a genuinely amused one. Then she reached out and hugged him.
"Oh Ranma, you're SO funny! I know it's still you!" She laughed a while longer, and then wiped her eyes. "But that was so nice of you!"
"Hey, you're my friend. I don't like becoming a girl, but if it'll make you feel better I will."
Mishi's response was to go into the kitchen and put on the teakettle. "You did. Thank you."
"But what about other guys? You can't stay in here forever--OOF!"
Akane's elbow in the ribs cut Ranma off. "Dummy!" she whispered. "How could you say something like that!"
"But you asked her if she was scared at me �cause I'm a guy!"
"Just let me talk to her, okay?"
Akane entered the kitchen and opened her purse. She took out the card the counselor had given her at the hospital, and put it down on the kitchen counter. "I really think you should make an appointment to see her, Mishi. You need to talk this out."
"Okay." Mishi handed the teakettle to Ranma, picked up the card, and called the hospital. When she got off the phone both Ranma and Akane gave her smiles of approval.
"Do you feel up to coming to campus this afternoon?"
Mishi shook her head. "I'll come tomorrow."
"Do you want us to come walk you there?"
They watched as Mishi considered the offer. Then her head came up, and the pride and independence Mishi had always shown was there--at least a little of it.
"No. I have to do this myself. If I need you I'll call."
"You can count on us."
*****
The walk from Jusenkyo to Joketsuzoku was a long one, and Henna was tired by the time she got there. Shampoo would have carried her had she not been carrying two jugs of water.
"I hope your mother isn't looking for you, or we're both in trouble."
Henna shook her head.
"Mother is busy today. She's teaching."
Shampoo looked relieved. Her aunt was one of the martial arts teachers, and hopefully had been too busy with her students to notice her daughter's absence. The sky was darkening with the threat of rain when they returned, and Shampoo was very thankful to discover that Henna hadn't been missed. Henna's arms were beginning to hurt from the weight of the jug, so Shampoo took it from her.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Henna. Then we can play."
"Thank you! Bye!"
Henna ran off, and Shampoo hurried to her father's house. The door flew open as she approached, and Shiro ran out. He took two of the jugs, and led her inside.
"Where have you been? Your father wouldn't tell me."
Shampoo set her jug down on a shelf, and gestured to Shiro to put his beside it.
"Come, husband."
She led him back to the door and opened it. It had begun to pour, and Shiro thought his wife had gone mad when she dragged him out into the rain, grabbed him, and kissed him thoroughly. When Shampoo finally let go of her soaked husband and began to laugh he was completely confused.
"What's going on?"
Shampoo pointed up at the sky, and at herself. "Look at me! I'm NOT a cat!"
"You're not a..." Shiro left the rest of the thought unfinished, grabbed his wife, and picked up where they'd left off.
*****
�I wish you could stay longer. Are you sure you can�t?�
Cologne looked rather sad as she asked the question.
�I�m sorry, Great-Grandmother. Shiro needs to get back to school. Won�t you come home with us?�
�Not yet. I want to spend some more time with my family.�
�I think we can stay one more day.� Shiro paused, and looked at Cologne a little nervously. �I�ve been doing a little thinking. You�ve introduced me to a lot of people in the family. Are most of them in on the equal partnership between spouses thing?�
Cologne looked at Shiro curiously. Why was he bringing this up?
�Yes, most of them. Why?�
�How much of the population of the town do they make up?�
Shampoo took a sharp breath. She was beginning to see what her husband was getting at, and watched Cologne intently as she replied.
�About 45 percent...oh my...are you thinking?�
�Yes. If it was just one or two families, I�d say to keep it a secret, but there are a lot of you. I wonder how it would affect your people if you went public.�
�That is a very good question, and one I can�t answer immediately. This is something we�ll have to meet on.�
Cologne gave Shiro one of her rare smiles.
�I like you better every day.�
Chapter 84
Akane was having an early morning cup of tea in the cafeteria when Mishi walked in. It was the first time she'd ventured onto campus since the attack. She looked around nervously, spotted Akane, and ran over to sit with her. Mishi sat down, opened her mouth to speak, and turned pale. Akane had a purple bruise on her cheekbone.
"What happened? I don't remember you getting hit the other night?"
Her friend grinned sheepishly. "Actually, that's Ranma's fault. Does it look that bad?"
She hadn't counted on the violence of Mishi's reaction. "What do you mean it's Ranma's fault! He HIT you?"
Mishi was on the point of rising from her chair, intent on finding Ranma and giving him a piece of her mind, when Akane patted her hand.
"Don't misunderstand, Mishi. We were practicing, and he got a good hit in."
"Wait a minute! You said Ranma never hits you when you practice."
"That was before. We started a whole new training program yesterday."
Akane took a sip of tea and giggled. "You should have seen his face the first time he hit me. I thought he was going to be sick. As it is, I can tell he pulled the punch."
"He's pulling his punches and you're that bruised?"
"Ha! You think that bruise is bad? You should see the ones on my arms and legs. Trust me, Mishi, if Ranma ever used his full strength, there wouldn't be enough left of me to sweep up."
�Eep,� was all Mishi had to say when Akane finished her statement with a laugh and a shrug.
�The bruises don�t bother me. What bothered me was when Ranma wouldn�t fight me. Now that he�s made up his mind that he�s going to be my sensei, he has to treat me like he�d treat any other student, whether I�m a girl or not.�
�What does that have to do with it?�
�Ranma has this thing against hitting girls. Especially me.�
Akane looked at her watch and pushed her chair back. �I�m going to be late!� She would have run off, but Mishi grabbed her arm.
�Please walk me to my class.�
*****
Akane waited until she and Ranma were finished with dinner before she brought up the subject that was worrying her.
�I hope Mishi�s appointment with the counselor went well this afternoon. When I walked her to her first class she jumped ten feet any time a guy came hear us.� Akane got up from the table and started to put the leftovers away. �She�s so nervous. Do you think a little martial arts training would make her more confident?�
�That�s not a bad idea,� responded Ranma. �Why don�t you suggest it to her--but be sure to say you�ll teach her. Right now I don�t think she�ll want a guy to do it.�
�Right.�
Akane stacked the dinner dishes and walked them over to the sink. Ranma followed, doing his best to distract her.
�Cut that out! I want to get this done so we can study!�
�Why don�t we just skip the dishes and the studying?�
Ranma stopped Akane halfway back to the table and pulled her close for a kiss. She started to melt, but then pushed him away.
�I hate waking up in the morning to greasy dishes in the sink.� Then she looked up at him and batted her eyelashes. �If you help I�ll get done faster.�
Akane washed, Ranma dried, and they were done quickly. Then the phone rang. Ranma tossed the dish towel onto the counter and picked it up. Akane listened curiously to Ranma�s half of the conversation.
�Hello. Shiro? Where are you calling from? Oh! Yes, I�ll be home tomorrow afternoon, why? Okay, see you then. Right.�
Ranma hung up, and laughed. �I can�t believe he called from China. For some reason, he wanted to be sure I�d be home tomorrow afternoon.�
�I wonder why. Too bad I have to work--I�d love to see Shiro and Shampoo.�
�I kinda get the idea Shiro won�t have Shampoo with him when he comes tomorrow.�
�Oh, really? What makes--� The rest of Akane�s sentence was cut off as Ranma scooped her up and carried her off to the bedroom.
*****
Akane woke and smiled at her sleeping husband. [Another night that we didn�t study...he�s going to fail that English class.] She kissed his cheek, and he immediately responded by wrapping his arms around her.
�No time for that! I�ve got to make breakfast.�
Ranma grudgingly let go of Akane, and headed for the shower. When he got out Akane had breakfast ready.
�I was thinking, Akane. That chi-blast you threw was red, wasn�t it?�
�Yes.�
�Why was it a different color?�
Akane took a few sips of her miso soup while she thought. �I think because I didn�t power it with confidence.� She chuckled, and continued. �Those guys laughed at me, and made fun of me. I got so mad! When I threw that blast, my hands were fists.�
�Wow. Then you need to have a name for it. Moko takabisha won�t fit.�
�You�re right.� Akane thought for a minute. �Nothing. Do you have any ideas?�
�How about ikari kobushi?�
�Yes! �Rage fist� describes it perfectly.�
*****
When they got to campus, Akane sought out Mishi and made the offer to give her some self-defense training. Mishi seemed rather surprised, but accepted the offer.
�I can�t start right away, Akane. I�m going to be seeing the counselor for a while, and that�s going to eat up some of my spare time.�
Akane nodded. �When you�re ready, let me know.� Then the friends separated and went to their classes.
*****
That afternoon, Ranma walked Akane to the day care center and headed for the apartment. He hadn�t been home for more than a few minutes before the doorbell rang, and he ran downstairs to let Shiro in.
Shiro was carrying a large carton, and Ranma carefully refrained from asking what was in it.
�You look great, Shiro. I guess that means the Elders didn�t tear you to pieces.�
�Actually, I think they like me! They wanted me to stay.�
�How did you manage to get away?�
Shiro laughed. �I told them my mother needed me. They thought I was a nice respectful boy who takes good care of his mother.�
�You mean you aren�t?� Ranma had tried to ask the question with a straight face, but he couldn�t help laughing.
�Most of the time...but that�s not why I�m here.� Shiro pushed the box into Ranma�s hands. �Open it.�
Ranma found himself holding a large plastic jug, which appeared to be full of water. He could think of only one reason Shiro would bother bringing him water all the way from China.
�Jusenkyo?�
�Yes. Shampoo�s cured, and now it�s your turn. I�ve got two more jugs at home--one for your father, and one for Ryoga.� Shiro looked at Ranma, who was just sitting there staring at the jug, and began to get a little impatient with his friend. �Hey, are you going to USE that stuff or not?�
He nearly got knocked over when Ranma stood up and dashed into the bathroom. Shiro ran after him. Ranma started to tear off his clothes, hesitated when he realized Shiro was standing next to him, and left his underwear on. [If this doesn�t work, I�m not gonna let Shiro see my girl side with nothing on!] Then he got into the shower stall with the jug.
�Why don�t you let me help? Kneel down so I can reach.� Shiro took the jug and carefully poured the water over Ranma, trying to make sure he didn�t miss a spot. Then they both held their breath as Ranma turned on the cold water.
Ranma closed his eyes as the water hit him, waiting for the familiar feeling of change.
Nothing.
He waited as he grew colder and colder.
Still nothing.
Finally, he opened his eyes and looked at himself. His teeth were chattering, but he was still male. He turned on the hot water for a minute to warm himself up, and then took the towel Shiro was holding out for him.
�Thank you. It�s not enough--but I don�t know HOW to thank you.�
Shiro shook his head.
�Nope, the way I look at it I owed you.�
�Huh?�
�I wouldn�t have met Shampoo if not for you.�
�Where is she, anyway?�
�Grocery shopping. I suppose she�ll be home soon.�
Ranma grabbed his friend by the shoulders and pushed him toward the door. �Go home to your wife. If I know Shampoo, she�s making you something special.�
Shiro lit up. �I�m going to get fat, I just know it. But what a way to go! I�ll bring the water for your father tomorrow. Do you want me to give Ryoga his water?�
�Yeah. I don�t want Akane asking me why I have TWO jugs.�
�Aren�t you ever going to tell her?�
�Not if I can help it!�
*****
Ranma sat down and tried to study. He was having a great deal of trouble with his English course, and had planned to use this quiet time alone to catch up. Now he was too excited to concentrate.
He put the books way and looked in the refrigerator. [Maybe I should cook dinner. That will keep me busy.]
*****
[Something smells good. Did Ranma cook?]
Akane hurried up the last flight of stairs and opened the apartment door. The table was set, something was bubbling on the stove, and Ranma was seated at the table sipping a glass of ice water.
�You cooked dinner! Thanks!�
�I felt like it. No big deal.�
�Did Shiro come over?�
�Yup.�
�Well, what did he want to see you about that was so important?�
�Nothing much,� said Ranma, trying but not succeeding to keep the excitement out of his manner. �Just this.� With that, he picked up his glass and dumped it over his head. He got rather wet, and the ice cubes went skidding across the mats, but nothing else happened.
For a second, it looked like Akane didn�t understand what was happening. Then her eyes widened, her knees buckled, and she sank to the floor. Ranma jumped out of his chair and knelt beside her.
�You okay?�
�You--you--you�re not a girl!� were the only words Akane was able to get out before she threw herself into his arms. She had begun to sniffle and Ranma patted her back while he talked.
�Shiro brought me a jug of water from Jusenkyo. Shampoo is cured too, and Shiro has water for Pop.�
The only answer Ranma got was some incoherent babbling. Then his wife began to cry.
�I�ll NEVER figure out why girls cry when they�re happy!�
Ranma picked Akane up, turned off the stove, and sat down with her in his lap. They began to kiss and caress each other, almost delirious in their joy. Ranma was unbuttoning Akane�s blouse when she stopped sniffling and began to giggle.
�What�s so funny?�
�I just thought of something. I�ve always wanted to walk in the rain with you. Now we can.�
Ranma looked out the window. There was no sign of rain.
�Later.�