Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ The Ultimate Challenge ❯ Chapter 7

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

TITLE: Interlude

BY: Jessi

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the R1/2 characters.

NOTE: I realized, just after I posted it, that in chapter 6 of The Ultimate Challenge, I refer to Shampoo as Ranma's wife. This is incorrect, and I must have skipped over it when I proofread! Please ignore that statement!

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Outside, a new day was dawning on Nerima. The sky had turned a pinky-orange color, and the birds were chirping from their perches in the trees. The town was asleep, except for the workers at the fish market, who had gotten an early start that day as they did every other. Most residents' alarms would be going off in approximately an hour. However, a group congregated in the living room of the Tendo household was wide awake.

When Mousse had charged into Dr. Tofu, the doctor had at once realized that he was the key to saving Ranma.

*If we can get this young Chinese man to help us, why, of course we'll be able to save Ranma! He must know all about the Amazons and their curses!* The doctor thought as Mousse helped him to his feet.

"My apologies, sir. But I must banish the evil Saotome to the depths of hell!!!" Mousse yelled.

Dr. Tofu looked at him with wide eyes. *Does this boy not know of what happened to Ranma???*

"Actually, Mousse -- it IS Mousse isn't it?" Dr. Tofu added.

When Mousse nodded, he continued. "Actually, Ranma is not... available at the moment," Dr. Tofu started, before Mousse cut him off.

"THAT EVIL SAOTOME! HE HAS FLED FROM MY WRATH!!! BUT I SWEAR, I WILL HUNT THAT TREACHEROUS FIEND DOWN AND---" Mousse yelled.

Dr. Tofu looked astonished at Mousse's outburst. *This must be another of the people who want poor Ranma dead.. well there isn't much Mousse can do about it now.*

"Mousse, Ranma has not run from anybody. Shampoo and Cologne have cast a spell on him, I can explain it if you would calm down and follow me inside the house. I was planning on going home just now, but I suppose fate has different plans for me!" Tofu said.

Kasumi stood at the doorway, holding the door open for the two and Dr. Tofu did his best to keep his thoughts under control. *I must remain calm, for Ranma's sake. Kasumi needs me to help them. I will not lose control!* He thought to himself.

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Shampoo and Ranma kneeled across the table from the elders. Plans were being finalized for the wedding. "Xian Pu, you agree to marry this man, who defeated you in combat, tomorrow?" Po-Hsin, one of the elders, asked Shampoo. Shampoo nodded.

"Khu Lon, you witnessed the defeat of Xian Pu to this Ranma?" Lo-Hsin, Po-Hsin's sister and fellow elder, asked. Cologne nodded her agreement.

"Very well, we will schedule the wedding for tomorrow, at sunset," Lo-Hsin said.

Shampoo and Ranma left the elder's hut, Cologne stayed behind to speak with her fellow elders.

"Po-Hsin, Lo-Hsin, there is one thing you must know about Ranma Saotome," Cologne started.

The two other ladies furrowed their brows. "Khu Lon, what is it that you speak of?" Po-Hsin asked.

"Ranma Saotome is a victim of the Cursed Springs of Jusenkyo," Cologne sighed.

"There is nothing unusual about that, Khu Lon. Many have fallen victim to the springs," Lo-Hsin said dismissively.

Cologne shook her head sadly; they did not know which curse Ranma held. Sighing again, Cologne hopped from the elders' hut.

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Mousse joined the group sitting in the Tendo living room, waiting for the explanation of what had happened to Ranma Saotome, the fiend! Akane started the story, and others jumped in, one by one, and finished the tale. Mousse sat, bug-eyed, turning the information over in his mind.

"Shampoo and Cologne are gone, they have closed down the Nekohanten, and Shampoo turned me into a duck and beat the stuffing out of me. They have fled.." Mousse said quietly.

"But Mousse, do you have ANY idea where they might have gone? I mean, they had to have a certain place they were planning to go! They had to have a predetermined place!" Ukyo exclaimed.

Mousse looked thoughtful for a moment and then enlightment settled upon him. "China. They went to China. I'm almost 100% sure of it. Ranma defeated Shampoo in battle, and Amazon law requires that an Amazon defeated by a man must marry him. It is a law, as well as a matter of honor," Mousse explained.

Akane looked horror-stricken at the news. She had known, if only in the back of her mind, that Shampoo had likely taken Ranma far away from Nerima, and China was pretty far away from Japan. Besides that, Shampoo's homeland was China, so it all made sense that she would have dragged Ranma there.

Ryoga looked dumbfounded, as did most of the others in the room.

Kasumi got to her feet; it was getting all too tense in the room.

"Please, may we continue this tomorrow? It is almost daylight, and we must get some sleep in order to function correctly. If you would like, I can pull up some spare futons, and you may sleep here," Kasumi offered the guests.

Ryoga looked at Ukyo, but she shook her head. "Thank you for the offer, Kasumi. But we couldn't impose. Ryoga and I will return to Ucchan's for the night, but we will be back tomorrow to devise a plan!" Ukyo said.

"I too, will return home, Kasumi. Thank you for everything," Dr. Tofu said.

Kasumi turned to Mousse, who was staring absently at a bug on the floor,

"Mousse, how about staying with us tonight? You could sleep in Ranma's room, if you like. And I know that, surely, you wouldn't be comfortable in the Nekohanten all alone," Kasumi said.

Mousse nodded his consent, and Kasumi ushered him upstairs to show him his sleeping quarters.

"Well, folks, I'm off to bed. I've had a fabulous evening cracking the "Where the hell is Ranma?" case, but I must get to bed," Nabiki said sarcastically. The others nodded their goodnights, and Nabiki ascended the stairs to her bedroom.

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To be continued...

AUTHOR'S COMMENTS: So this is REALLY short.. but at the moment, I need a break from this fic. Oh yes, the title sucks too.. I couldn't think of anything for this short chapter, so I'm calling it the Interlude. I'm working on a one-shot called "Uncute" at the moment. In the fic, one of the characters suffers from an eating disorder. That's all I'll say, please read it when I get it up!