Disclaimer: I don’t own Ranma one-half. Here’s the third and final one-shot, which actually became a two-part story. When it comes to pairings in the story I’m a Ranma/Akane fan all the way. I also think Mousse and Shampoo belong together and wrote this story to address that.
Part One
“Welcome to- Ranma!” Shampoo glomped Ranma as he and Akane walked into the Cat Café. Akane glared at the Amazon while Ryoga (as P-chan) snickered into the crook of her elbow.
It had been a week since Akane discovered Ryoga’s secret. With this knowledge, she observed how Ranma and Ryoga acted toward one another with new eyes. Some comments Ranma made to Ryoga had been so obvious, Akane couldn’t believe how oblivious she had been. She did, however, act like she usually would have. She knew she would have to tell Ranma she knew the truth eventually, but for now she was having too much fun.
When Shampoo finished glomping Ranma, she led them to a table where she eagerly awaited their orders. Ranma sensed that Shampoo would ignore Akane’s order if he went first so he said, “Akane, go ahead and order first.”
Akane was surprised at Ranma’s generosity. She suspected the reason behind it was to make sure Shampoo didn’t ignore her order. She put her order in. While Shampoo was writing down Ranma’s order, Akane asked, “Do you know where Mousse is, Shampoo?” The Hidden Weapons Master was usually near Shampoo.
“Shampoo no care where stupid Mousse is,” she replied. “I place orders now.”
As Shampoo headed for the counter, she frowned thoughtfully. She hadn’t seen Mousse for a few days. She knew he hadn’t given up pursuing her. What was he up to?
&&&&
Mousse stared at the countless springs before him while a guide stood behind him. “Jusenkyo,” he said softly.
“Is sir sure he want to do this?” the guide said.
“Oh, yeah,” he answered. “Just lead me to that spring and I’ll take care of the rest.”
As he was carefully lead across the grounds (he had his glasses on properly), Mousse prayed this plan worked. If it did, he would finally win Shampoo’s love! I wonder if Shampoo has noticed I’m not there.
“Here sir is the spring you seek.”
“Excellent.” Mousse reached into one of his voluminous sleeves and pulled out a box the size of a shopping basket, already stamped and addressed. He handed it to the man.
“When I surface, put me in this box and mail it.”
“I no understand sir, but I do it.”
“Good.” Taking a deep breath, Mousse jumped into the spring before him.
&&&&
Three Days Later
“Excuse me, miss.”
Shampoo looked up from behind the counter to see a mailman on the other side, a box in his hands.
“This package is for you.”
“Thank you,” Shampoo replied, taking the box. The man bowed and then left the café.
The Amazon looked at the package. The return address said it was from China. A package from her tribe, perhaps? Intrigued, she took it into the back and opened it.
Sitting inside the box was a handsome white cat with deep blue eyes. A combination of adoration and irony washed over her. On one hand, the cat was adorable. On the other hand, receiving the cat was ironic because her cursed form was a cat. Nevertheless, she exclaimed, “Oh, you is the cutest!”
In response, the cat lowered its head in the box and came back up with a note. She took it, opened it, and read.
My dearest Shampoo,
Please accept this cat as a token of my love. I hope to visit you soon.
P.S. The cat’s name is Moonbeam. He is well-trained.
Hmph. I knew he still love me. Seeing as how the cat had delivered Mousse’s note, it was obvious he was well-trained. As she stared at the note, a wonderful idea came to her: Moonbeam could be the café’s mascot. Surely, people would come to the restaurant to see the white cat.
Reaching under the table, she pulled out a camera and held it up to her face. “Moonbeam, Shampoo want to take pictures. You pose for me, yes?”
Moonbeam saw the camera, leaped out of the box, and struck a pose. She snapped a picture and the cat struck another pose. A total of six pictures were taken before all the film was used up.
Shampoo stroked his head. “Good boy,” she praised. “You stay here. Shampoo go back to work.” Moonbeam obliged by going under the table and curling up for a nap.
&&&&
As soon as Shampoo’s footsteps had faded away, Mousse cracked open an eye. His plan was working so far! Shampoo had fallen for his cat form. Everything was going smoothly.
He had heard rumors that each Jusenkyo spring could curse more than one person at a time. That was why he had tried to splash Ranma with water from Spring of Drowned Duck. This rumor gave him the idea that maybe he could rid himself of his current curse by jumping into a different spring. This prompted him to seek out Spring of Drowned Cat.
He figured if he had the same curse as Shampoo, she would eventually love him. Apparently, his idea had worked. He had jumped into the spring and he came out as a cat and not a duck. Truthfully, he loved his new curse. His vision was several times better than when he was human or a duck. His hearing wasn’t too bad, either. He didn’t understand why Shampoo hated her curse.
Mousse yawned and fell asleep, dreaming of Shampoo being his fiancée.
&&&&
Shampoo worked until mid-afternoon when another waitress came on duty. Then she grabbed the camera (noting that Moonbeam was asleep) and raced to a one-hour photo lab. After that long hour, she received the pictures. She opened the packet and admired Moonbeam’s pictures, which were right on top.
As she walked home, admiring the pictures, an idea came to her. An idea that involved Ranma. It was known that Ranma was afraid of cats, a true stumbling block for her because of her curse. However, she did occasionally use her curse to punish Ranma when he was mean to her.
Her idea was to use Moonbeam to punish him instead of herself. Since the cat was well-trained, he would listen to her. She just had to make sure Moonbeam didn’t push Ranma over the psychological edge because then only that girl, Akane, could bring him back. She didn’t want to push them even closer together.
Shampoo hated the idea of Akane being Ranma’s fiancée. She had tried several plans to drive them apart. But they all failed because Ranma would rescue Akane or vice versa. This new idea, however, was perfect.
Shampoo marry Ranma, she vowed. No matter what.
Part Two
Mousse licked the envelope flap before sealing it and dropping it in the mailbox. It had been a week since arriving in Japan as Moonbeam. He had just mailed a letter to Shampoo so she wouldn’t get suspicious of not hearing from him after his gift.
He reflected on the situation. Two days after taking his pictures, the purple-haired girl selected the best picture of him and printed a whole batch of fliers with that picture. He had glimpsed a look and felt lucky that he turned out to be a white cat. He had chosen his alias beforehand, so it was indeed luck.
Mousse congratulated himself on coming up with the well-trained part. It would cover any odd things he was caught doing (i.e. appearing to read a newspaper). Most of the time, Shampoo caught him and simply said, “Silly Moonbeam.”
He was so far happy with being Shampoo’s pet and the café’s mascot. Hopefully, he would soon be able to change in front of Shampoo without her rejecting him. Speaking of Shampoo, he better change and head back before she noticed him missing. He dashed into an unused shed, discarded his clothes, changed forms, and headed for home.
He strolled through the cat flap that connected to the living quarters in time to hear Shampoo say, “Now where that cat go?” Curious, he looked into the dining area and saw his beloved looking under the table.
“Meow,” he called. Shampoo turned around at the sound and smiled.
“Oh! There you is.” Shampoo scooped him up and took him to her bike where she placed him in the basket. He spied a metal box sitting on the back of the bike. Shampoo hopped onto the bike and took off.
“Moonbeam come with Shampoo on deliveries,” the girl explained as she rode. “This order special, though. I bring lunch to fiancée, Ranma. He no say he love Shampoo yet. I have plan, though. Ranma no like cats. If Shampoo threaten Ranma with Moonbeam, he do what Shampoo ask.”
Mousse inwardly frowned. He didn’t like the sound of that plan one bit. He didn’t want Shampoo to marry Ranma. However, Mousse had vowed before arriving in Japan that he would obey Shampoo’s every instruction- even those he didn’t like.
Shampoo parked at the Tendo’s gate, put down the kickstand, hopped off, and grabbed the box. “Come, Moonbeam. We deliver now.”
Mousse leaped out of the basket and followed the girl. It took Shampoo no time at all to find everyone, seeing as it was lunchtime. They were all grouped around the table.
“Ranma!” Shampoo exclaimed, wedging herself between Ranma and Akane. Mousse remained on the porch outside. Shampoo plunked the box on the table in front of Ranma and slid the front panel up. “Shampoo make lunch for you. You will eat, yes?’
“Uh, yeah. Sure.” Ranma looked rather uncomfortable to Mousse and a quick glance to Shampoo’s right explained why.
Akane was glaring at the Amazon intensely. It was no secret that Akane and Ranma really liked each other despite their verbal fights. It was a perfect match to Mousse. Now if only Shampoo loved me and not Ranma.
At that moment, Akane turned and spotted him. She smiled and held out her hand, waggling her fingers. Mousse walked over and slid his chin into her hand. He felt her fingers stroke his chin before moving up to a cheek, and then his head. He purred contently.
He’s just as handsome as his pictures, Akane thought. And friendly too, considering his owner.
Out loud, she said, “He’s gorgeous.”
Shampoo nodded. Like any pet owner, she accepted all compliments, no matter who said it.
Ranma eyed the cat nervously. Cats scared him and, as usual, it was all his dad’s fault for not reading the warnings in the Cat Fu manual. Ranma had tried everything he could think of to cure himself of his fear, but to no avail.
The cat looked in his direction and hissed hatefully at him. Ranma shrank back slightly. What was with this cat? Did he like only girls?
Shampoo looked back and forth between Ranma and Moonbeam before hitting a fist into her palm as if remembering something. “Oh, that right. Ranma no like cats. That too bad. Ranma no want Moonbeam too close, yes?” Shampoo held Moonbeam up by the scruff of the neck and almost in Ranma’s face.
The raven-haired boy backed up to the far wall of the room. “K-keep it away from me,” he practically whimpered.
“Okay,” the girl answered in a cool, sly tone. “Shampoo keep Moonbeam away, but Ranma have to marry Shampoo. If you don’t…” She held up the cat again.
Akane had watched the entire exchange with silent escalating fury. At last, she could keep silent no longer. “I don’t believe you, Shampoo! You would stoop so low as to blackmail Ranma into marrying you!”
“It not blackmail,” the Amazon shot back. “It a cunning plan.”
“Oh, sure. Cunning. Cunning as a cat. Considering your cursed form, it’s actually appropriate.” With that pronouncement, Akane pulled out a bucket of water and threw it on Shampoo.
The changed girl shook the water off herself before growling as the smug Akane. “I kill violent girl,” she snarled. “I give Kiss of Death again and hunt her down!”
“Don’t Shampoo! Please!” cried Mousse’s voice from behind her.
“Mousse?” She looked behind her, but only saw Moonbeam. “Mousse? That you?”
The blue-eyed cat dipped his head. “Yeah. It’s me.”
&&&&
Akane smirked at the wet cat before her. That girl had it coming to her. It made her furious whenever someone tried to take Ranma away from her, even though she would openly deny it.
As she looked down at the cat, she thought, Let’s see her try to kiss Ranma now.
Akane’s smirk didn’t waver as Shampoo growled and snarled at her. She merely rolled her eyes as she thought, Please. As if an angry cat scares me.
An alarmed meow from Moonbeam drew Shampoo’s attention as well as everyone else’s.
“Meow, mreow, rwr?” said Shampoo.
Moonbeam looked down. “Rwr,” he said.
“I wonder what they’re saying,” Soun Tendo said.
Shampoo picked up her clothes in her teeth and left the room. She returned several minutes later, human, with a towel and a pail of hot water. She strode over to her “pet”, dumped the water on him, and quickly threw the towel over him.
Mousse had barely enough time to tie the towel around his waist before Shampoo towered over him, fury crackling around her body.
“I no believe you, Mousse! You dare trick Shampoo!? I no thought you sink so low! Stupid, stupid Mousse!” Shampoo huffed, turned, and walked to the other side of the table.
Mousse sat and stared at Shampoo’s back in shock. Though he was practically blind without his glasses, he could still make out her outline and therefore, her position. He hung his head, letting his hair obscure his face.
Ranma had watched the entire incident, confused. Since when did Mousse start changing into a cat? Determined to get some answers, he walked over to Mousse. The boy’s head was down and his shoulders were shaking slightly. Oh, man, Ranma thought. Is he…crying?
Ranma crouched down and laid a hand on one trembling shoulder. “Why, man?” he whispered. “Why did you do this?”
Mousse looked up at him, his eyes dry of tears. “I never planned to trick her. I love her and I thought if we shared the same curse, she would finally love me. I did plan to show her eventually. I never thought it would go all wrong like this,” he whispered back.
He did it for love. Ranma felt touched by Mousse’s reasons. Shampoo needs to know this.
Ranma stood up, walked around the table, and stood in front of Shampoo. “Shampoo, you need to talk to Mousse.”
“Shampoo no want to talk. Mousse trick Shampoo. Shampoo hate Mousse.”
Ranma decided to switch tactics. “Don’t you think it’s odd that Mousse was a cat?”
“What you talking, Ranma? Oh, wait. Mousse was duck before. Why he switch curses, though?”
“He did it for you. He loves you.”
Shampoo looked over at Mousse who was looking down again. He loved her enough to replace one curse with another instead of curing himself? She felt her heart melt at this thought.
Slowly, she approached the dejected boy. She crouched down and cupped Mousse’s chin before tilting his head up so he was looking at her.
“Oh, Mousse. You love Shampoo enough to be a cat?”
“Yes,” came the soft reply.
“Hmm.” Shampoo tapped her chin for a moment. “For that, Mousse deserve Kiss of Marriage.”
Mousse’s eyes widened as Shampoo brought her lips down on his. If he had been in cat form, he would have purred. At long last, he had won Shampoo’s love.
