Well, after a few comments I've changed a few things around through the
better part of chapter 6.  Nothing too drastic but it's still a
clarification and expansion on what I had before.  Any C&C is welcomed and
appreciated.

Standard disclaimer: Ranma and all characters are the property of Rumiko
Takahashi and the various publishing and film companies, I'm simply
borrowing them for the time being.

Additional notes:
Words in *X* are in English, Words in <X> are in Chinese and words in any
other type brackets are in some other foreign language that will most
likely be specified within the text of the story.

The suffix -chan denotes the cursed female form of the characters, other
suffixes will most likely be self explanatory.

--------------

Chapter 6- "�Son-in-law?'"

	Shampoo had been busy taking an order when she heard Mousse yelling.  "I
wish he would wear his glasses more often," she thought to herself, "He's
always making a fool of himself when he doesn't."  She turned back to her
costumer and was about to ask him to repeat his order when she felt a blow
to her head.  After that everything went black.
	A few minutes later she came to and heard her great-grandmother's voice
and one other that didn't quite register at first.  Then it came to her
that it was Ryoga's friend Jude who was talking.
	 "Will she be ok?  I didn't mean to do that, I must have hit her as I
turned around," she heard Jude say.  She cursed herself for being so
distracted with Mousse and the customer that she had been hit so easily.
	"Oh, she'll be fine, you somehow managed to hit one of her pressure points
when you made contact.  But don't you worry Son-in-law, she'll be just
fine."  Hearing Cologne's explanation about the pressure point reliever her
somewhat.  She was glad to know that her head wasn't so soft that she was
knocked out that easily.  Something else registered at the back of her mind
as sounding wrong but she couldn't place it.
	"That's good to hear," she heard Jude reply, then he paused and said
something startling, "Wait a minute, �Son-in-law?'  What do you mean
�Son-in-law?'"
	Shampoo's eye's flew open and she sat up quickly.  She turned to her
great-grandmother and said, "Yes!  What you mean �Son-in-law!?'  Ranma only
husband for Shampoo!"
	Cologne stared at Shampoo for a moment and then said, "Good, you're awake.
 This is something you need to hear."
	"Is you serious Great-grandmother?" Shampoo asked.  She hoped that Cologne
was joking, if she was serious, well, she didn't want to think about what
would happen if her great-grandmother was serious.
	"Yes child, I am."
	Shampoo started to say something else but was stopped by the look in her
great-grandmother's eyes.  It was a look that said she would take no
arguments at all.
	Jude looked from one Amazon to the other, then he looked up at Ryoga who
shrugged.  "Uh, just what is going on?  I'm still confused, would you care
to let me in on what the problem is?"
	Cologne turned her attention toward Jude and said, "Amazon law states that
any Amazon woman defeated in combat by an outsider male must marry him to
bring strong blood into the tribe.  This is why we are here in the first
place, Ranma defeated Shampoo in combat and he must marry her."
	"So why'd you think that I would need to marry her?  We weren't in combat
and I hardly see why accidentally knocking her out through a one in a
million blow to a pressure point would merit a defeat anyway."
	"Yes," Shampoo said, "This not real defeat, just accident.  Shampoo think
Jude right."
	"Yes," Cologne spoke, "You two are both right," she paused, Shampoo and
Jude were glad to hear that she agreed.  Shampoo only wanted Ranma and had
no desire for anyone else.  Jude was just trying to keep his life as simple
as he could and a fiancee would add quite a few more complications.
Especially one that came about from an accident and isn't too happy about
the arrangement in the first place.
	Their thoughts were cut off when Cologne continued, "But," she said,
Shampoo and Jude both turned their full attention toward her as she spoke,
"As an elder of the Amazon tribe I judge that Jude's claim is as valid as
Ranma's is."  She held up her hand to stop them from saying anything and
continued.  "Shampoo, haven't I always taught you to stay aware of your
surroundings at all times?  Why is it that you were even hit at all?"
	"Shampoo distracted by Mousse and customer and not think that anyone
attack anyway," Shampoo frowned and cursed herself once more for not paying
more attention to her surroundings.  "I've grown too soft while I've been
here," she thought to herself.
	"Shampoo, if this had been an actual fight you could have been seriously
hurt."
	"But this not fight!  Shampoo know how keep alert in fight and no get hit
like that!"
	"You must always be alert, granddaughter.  Perhaps an extra fiancee will
remind you of that," Cologne said.  There were other reasons for what she
was doing, but her great-granddaughter only needed to know that one.
	"Um, excuse me?" Jude asked.  Both of the Amazons turned toward him,
"Don't I get a say in this?"
	"No," Cologne replied, "You don't, this is a matter of Amazon law and you
have no say in the matter."
	"Okay, so we're engaged, what does that really mean?  From what I heard
Ranma doesn't want to marry anyone, Shampoo wants Ranma and I'm just an
innocent bystander here.  I don't want to get anywhere near marriage right
now and Shampoo sure doesn't seem too pleased with the arrangement either.
So just what are you planning?"
	"I will not answer any more questions, you two are engaged, as are Shampoo
and Ranma as well, that is final."  With that Cologne hopped back into the
kitchen.
	Jude and Shampoo both realized that they were still on the floor and got
up quickly.  "Well Shampoo, what do you think we should do?" Jude asked her.
	Shampoo turned toward Jude, she was fuming at what Cologne had just done,
yet another obstacle in the way of her and Ranma getting married, and this
one placed by the person who was supposed to be helping her.  She said, "If
great-grandmother say we engaged then we engaged, but Shampoo not have to
like it!  No matter what great-grandmother say."
	Jude saw the anger flash in her eyes and quickly tried to redirect it away
from himself.  "Hey I'm not too pleased about this either, what I'm asking
is what do you think we should do about it?"
	"Shampoo think we should ignore until great-grandmother tell us not to, is
best way to not have problem till Shampoo marry Ranma."
	"Sounds good to me Shampoo, if we both act like it didn't happen maybe we
won't have too much trouble with it."
	"Is agreed then?" Shampoo asked.  Jude nodded.  "Good, you go now, Shampoo
need to get back to work."
	They said their goodbyes and Ryoga and Jude walked out the door and into
the street.  Shampoo watched them go and then looked in the direction of
the kitchen where her great-grandmother was.  She idly wondered if perhaps
Cologne had gone senile after so many years but quickly ignored such
thoughts.  Her great-grandmother was a crafty woman, everything she did,
she did for a reason.
	Shampoo's anger returned as she went into the kitchen to restore Mousse to
his human form.
	"Stupid Mousse," she muttered, "This all your fault."  She couldn't stay
angry at her great-grandmother, and the customer wasn't that much of a
distraction to her.  But Mousse, he had distracted her, and caused Jude to
hit her.  That and the fact that he was right there at the moment made him
a perfect target for her anger.
	Thankfully for Jude, Mousse had no knowledge about the engagement at all,
at least for now.  If he had, he would have charged out of the Nekohanten
in search of the man who put yet another space between him and his beloved
Shampoo.
	So the rest of the day at the restaurant passed with Shampoo working off
some of her anger and trying to figure out just what it was that her
great-grandmother was up to.  Mousse noticed Shampoo being slightly more
violent then usual but passed it off as "that time of the month" and made a
mental note to stay away from her as much as possible.

				***

	To give Ryoga credit, he did wait until they were out in the street to
burst out laughing. "I can't believe it, Jude, the second day you're here
and you already have a fiancee.  We have to get you away from Ranma, he's
an unhealthy influence it seems."
	Jude glared at Ryoga.  "It wasn't my fault!  Sheesh, it was Yoda's wife
that did all the arranging of this stuff, not me.  And why the heck didn't
you say anything?  You just stood there the whole time and didn't say a word."
	"Well," Ryoga said, "You seemed to be handling the situation quite well
all by yourself.  Besides, I know enough not to argue with the old ghoul,
it doesn't get Ranma anywhere and I sure as hell couldn't think of anything
to say to help anyway."
	"At least Shampoo isn't going along with it either, I mean, she's cute and
all, but my life is messed up enough as it is without the possibility of
marriage hanging over my head."
	"Yes," Ryoga agreed, "If she went after you like she went after Ranma
you'd have some serious trouble.  On the other hand you'd also get quite a
bit of free food as well, of course, it might be drugged with a love potion
of some sort too."
	"Ah forget it," Jude said, "Let's fill out this map a bit more shall we?
We should probably find the high school and the, what was it again?  Oh
yeah, the Ucchan. Anyway, what do you think?"
	"I guess we could do that, but I still say that I could get us there too,
Jude."
	"But we want to be there today, not next week, it's more convenient this
way.  Besides, you wouldn't want to get lost again so soon would you?"
	"No, not when I've been gone this long.  You're right, let's get on with
asking directions then."
	And so the two travelers made their way through the streets of Nerima,
asking odd questions of innocent passers-by and eventually figuring out
where everything was.



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