Disclaimer: I still don't own Ranma1/2.

Summery: Ryouga VS Shampoo. Place your bets here.

[Sign]

(Thoughts)

*SOUNDS*

++++++++++>Flashback<++++++++++
<Chinese>

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Unlikely Couple

Part III

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It was a beautiful day in other Nerima, the birds were signing and everything seemed calm. This was one of those areas of Nerima that wasn't a center for weirdness everyday. One where people would still stare when something strange happened. Of course the residents of this part of Nerima had heard of the weirdness that happed in the other end of the city part. But that didn't concern them; the weirdest thing around here was the Hibiki family. But you could get used to the odd person walking out off you closet or bathroom at all times of the day. Maybe it was therefore that not many of them were prepared for the sight of a solid brick wall blowing up as a boy stormed right through it, even less prepared for a girl that screamed murder in Chinese following him.

A white and black Dog popped up in the hole left in the wall and barked as the dust cloud formed by the fighting teens moved further down the street. Some, Shirokuro had the feeling that she would be seeing a lot of stuff like that in the future. No matter where A Hibiki went, something strange always happens. She knew, when her master had been young and she had to follow him around, they had run into a one more insane and unlike thing after another.

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Ryouga cursed loudly as he bolted down the street. Maybe he shouldn't have run through the wall around his parent's house, maybe he should have let Shampoo cool down before questioning her *WHAM* Maybe he should pay attention to the rampaging girl wielding the weapons. All these thoughts went through his head as another wall crumbled from Shampoo's attack.

"Shampoo, stop it!!"

Shampoo ignored Ryouga as he yelled at her and made another attempt to pound his head into the pavement. Of course she missed, as the lost boy turned a sharp left and smashed through another wall "Lost boy fight Shampoo or else!!"

Ryouga gulped at the heavy layer of death those words were wrapped in. Turning around, Ryouga blocked a few strikes and fired off another cures at the lack of his umbrella "Look, can we talk about it?"

Snarling the purple haired girl jumped back and threw her bonboris aside "No talk, fight or die" Ryouga gulped as Shampoo pulled out a sword from nowhere, a very large sword.

Taking a step back he looked around the backyard they were in for a weapon, anything that could be used to block a sword. The only thing he could see was an old grill, a garden hose and a Ladder. The garden hose was completely out of the question. P-chan wouldn't stand a chance against Shampoo's cat form when she was that angry. Pulling the ladder in front of him Ryouga was rewarded with nothing as the sword reduced it to little chunks. The grill proved more effective as the angry Amazon had to duck to avoid getting hit by it, which gave him some time to put some more distance between him and the angry girl.

Shampoo blinked as Ryouga once again ran away. Swinging the sword behind Ryouga's back and cursing Shampoo scowled. He was supposed to fight her and give her an honorable death. Not run away. Didn't he realize that when an Amazon challenged you? You either fight or die?

In the other end of Nerima, Cologne sat tapping her staff at the hard metal of the counter in the cat café. The lights were turned off and the door closed. It had been ever since the messenger of the elders had showed up. How she had hoped that Shampoo wouldn't have done something stupid. She may have been cast out of the Tribe. But so had Cologne when she was younger and, she had still made it back into the Tribe by proving herself worthy of being an Amazon. All Shampoo had to do was prove herself worthy somehow.

Mousse had been grinning like an insane all the time. Another way Shampoo could become an Amazon again was to marry into the Tribe, and Mousse was the only male Amazon in the neighborhood. All he had to do was find her and tell her about it.

For Mousse and Cologne there was only one problem. Shampoo had gone missing right after the symbol of the outcast had been handed over to her.

Mousse put the last of his weapons into his robe and opened the window. Looking out into the sunny day he jumped out and hit the ground running. He would find Shampoo and tell her the good news then they would marry and return to the Amazon village as wife and husband.

Cologne sighed before she jumped on her staff and pogoed out off the door. She would find her Great Granddaughter before she did something stupid. The Amazon law was harsh and becoming an outcast was a shame worse then death. But she would be damned if she was just going to let her granddaughter suffer. She would help, her even if it meant losing her status as an elder.

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Ryouga took the chance and looked over his shoulder and spotted Shampoo running after him. They had managed to cross almost half of Nerima and she still hadn't cooled off "Shampoo, would you please stop and listen"

"Lost boy shut up and fight Shampoo!" Shampoo was growling, he was supposed to fight her, not run away like this. If she didn't get to fight soon, he would end up running away from her and her muscles still didn't feel like they were in 100% operation condition.

Growing impatient, Ryouga ducked to the left and ran through another garden wall. As the chunks of concrete flew through the air Ryouga pulled off one of his bandannas "I didn't wanna fight you Shampoo, but you give me no choice"

*BUZZ* Shampoo blinked as something yellow whizzed past her *CLANG* followed by a clanging sound. Slowly she looked down at her hand to see only the hilt of the sword and a small potion of the blade. The rest lay on the ground "You broke Shampoo's sword!!" Picking up the blade Shampoo growled and stared at Ryouga "That family hair loom, you no get away with braking"

Ryouga held his head as he felt a migraine forming "Look will you forget about the sword" Shampoo cracked her knuckles and shook her head. She had finally cornered him, now all she had to do was to get him angry enough to forget that he was fighting her instead of Ranma. Now how was it her Arien had always gotten the lost boy angry "Stupid Pig boy fight back or Shampoo tell violent Gorilla girl who Pig boy turn into."

The day dirked as Ryouga stumbled back under the insult. (I won't fight her, I won't fight her, dammit I want to break something) Ryouga closed his eyes and counted to ten, He made it as far as 3 before he roared in anger and punched his fist into the pavement. Sinking his hand into the hard surface and through it. "I WON*T FIGHT YOU NO MATER WHAT YOU SAY OR DO!!"

Shampoo felt slightly nervous as she saw the rather large hole that had formed from the punch and that green aura flicking into existence around lost boy was also very disturbing, maybe she should have found another way to have the honorable death she wanted, getting hit by someone that could crumble a Toyota with a simple punch was a very painful death and the chance of anyone knowing it was. "You insult Shampoo!!" Her voice sound a little to high and the

"When did I do that?!" Ryouga yelled back as he stepped towards Shampoo "I just wanted to talk with you!" The green glow increased around him for every step he took towards her "You think it was easy, I spent two hours running through the city before Shirokuro found me and led me to my home. I looked after you when I could have just left you" Ryouga eyes and voice had gained on a maniac edge.

Shampoo growled and held out a bonbori she had pulled out from pocket space "You say Shampoo lie?"

Ryouga nearly cried in frustration "what is your problem. I only asked you a question and you try to kill me" Aura growing even stronger Ryouga glared at the Amazon "if you didn't want to answer it, all you had to do was say so" Aura dying out, Ryouga took a step back "If you don't want any help, then fine by me. I'm going home"

Shampoo still held her weapon as Ryouga turned around and walked away "Where you going?" This guy was unbelievable, one moment he looked like a wandering entity from the hell and next he was just leaving. Damn it, she would not be cheated out of her honorable death by anyone.

Ryouga stopped and half turned to face her "As I said, I'm going home"

Shampoo lowered her weapon "Why you no fight Shampoo?" Her voice sounded desperate and the way she looked at him, said that she was losing faith in what she was doing.

Ryouga looked at her before he spoke in a calm voice "I can't, my honor tells me not to fight girls"

Dropping her weapons Shampoo fell to her knees and covered her eye before sopping loudly and painfully "You think Shampoo worthless just like rest of Tribe" The Amazon part of Shampoo was screaming loudly at this display of weakness, while her other part, the lonely and hurt and mostly forgotten part of her wanted to do something, anything to get rid of the doubt, fear and loneliness.

Looking at the crying girl, Ryouga was at a loss as to what he should do. Here was a girl that had tried to kill him less then a minute ago and now she was crying. Damn his infernal protective nature. Ryouga walked back to the crying girl and sat down. Just how did one comfort someone that was crying in the first place?

Shampoo was still crying when she felt her arms being pulled away. Something soft was pressed into her right hand. Slowly she looked at it, "Ryouga?" Shampoo mumbled as she traced her finger along the yellow-black pattern off the Bandannas he normally wore. Looking up she saw Ryouga sitting on the ground and looking at her, his black hair falling down and halfway covering his eyes now that he was no longer wearing the bandanna "Shampoo…Sorry" It was true, he had tried to help her and she had only yelled at him. Slowly the part of Shampoo longing for someone, anyone to drive away her loneliness took over.

Ryouga blinked as he suddenly held a crying girl in his arms. Totally unprepared Ryouga just held her while she cried against his shirt. Slowly he watched as his hand moved up and stroked her on the head, while he was making shooting sounds. It wasn't long before Shampoo stopped crying and fell into a light sleep. Gulping Ryouga just sat there with a warm female body pressed against his. He had never been this close to a girl before, well at least not as a human and her chest pressed against his every time she breathed. Ryouga whimpered before his head snapped back and a small spray of blood erupted from it.

Shampoo blinked her eyes as she felt her warm pillow disappearing. Slowly she moved her head around before she spotted Ryouga on the ground under her. Blushing a deep crimson she slowly moved back. Slightly worried she spotted the blood under Ryouga's nose "Silly Ryouga" Shampoo held Ryouga in her arms as she started to follow the trail of destruction back to the Hibiki house.

Standing on a rooftop Mousse gritted his teeth as he watched Shampoo carry Ryouga so gently "Shampoo's mine Hibiki, no one will come between Shampoo and me. No one" A knife glinted in the light of the sun as the longhaired man followed after them.

On another roof top an old lady shook her head and pogoed after the three young ones "Kids these days, and just how id that Ryouga boy get involved in all this" Her gaze shifted to see Mousse ready a knife to toss into the sleeping Ryouga held in Shampoo's arms "Oh no Mister part time. We'll have none of that, thank you" Quickly crossing the over to the other roof, she moved up behind Mousse "Hello Mr. Part time job. Is there a reason you're aiming that knife towards my Great Granddaughter?"

Mousse spun around and tossed the knife towards the one who had spoken "Stay out of this" Growling as Cologne deflected the knife up into the air and caught it on the way down "Old Ghoul, I won't leave my darling shampoo in the hands of that pig boy!" Eyes narrowed in anger, Mousse pulled out another knife and turned to aim at Ryouga.

Cologne lifted her stick and twirled it in the air "Mousse, what you do is up to your self, but as long as you put Shampoo is in danger, I won't allow it. Do you understand?" The cold look in her eyes told of the truth in her words.

Staring at the fading figures of Ryouga and Shampoo, Mousse growled and dropped the knife onto the roof "Fine old Ghoul, you win. I can't take you down. But I'll be damned if you're going to stop me for ever" Mousse stepped back and made a back flip over the edge off the roof and landed on the sidewalk calmly "No one will stop me. Shampoo will be mine"

Tbc.

An: Ha, how do you people like that? No winner in the fight at all. I bet no one saw that one coming. I did intend for Ryouga to win but then I changed my mind. Well now Mousse is entering the scene, things can really start.

As for the way Shampoo is acting. Think about it, She had been cast out told she is not fit to be an Amazon. How would you feel if everyone you know just told you didn't fit in with him or her anymore?

Well. Another chapter fixed.

Dak.