Obsession

By: Dreiser


	I can feel my wings grow weak as I collapse brokenly onto the 
street below. A shadow grows over me and I lift my head slightly to 
look at the figure hovering above me.
	"Mousse," she said. "What happened?"
	My only response is a feeble quack before the darkness 
envelopes me and my body falls prey to the vigors of my long journey. 
I close my eyes and say a silent prayer for the pain of it to finally end. I 
know it will end here because she was the only one here to save me.
	And she never saved anyone.
	Never.

	I slowly wake to the sight of weathered abandoned walls and I 
immediately know I'm in the Nekohaten. I thought that I had left this 
place long ago. The memories here... the thought of them make me 
want to break down into tears.
	"Well," a low sensual voice drawled. I bristle upon hearing it 
and turn my eyes towards the sound of it.
	"You." 
	It was an accusation. I knew that and I didn't care. I trusted 
her about as much as I trusted the old ghoul.
	"What are you doing here?"
	"I brought you here," she replied with a smile. "If I hadn't you'd 
have tire marks on you right about now."
	"I have no money."
	She shrugged at this, feigning like she didn't care about what 
everyone knew to be her one true love. "There are other things 
besides money."
	"Not to you. Even I know that."
	"I'm hurt."
	My eyes narrow at this. She's playing with me. Just like they 
played with me. All of them. I've had enough with being played with. 
I'm nobody's toy.
	"I'm giving you nothing. I never asked you to save me. It 
would have been better if you left me to die on that road. I have 
nothing to live for anymore."
	She blinks at this. I think I've actually confused her. This is the 
first time I've ever seen it. It's sort of amusing to watch actually. Not 
that I can find much amusement in anything these days. That sort of 
thing doesn't come too easily to people who've had their dreams 
shattered.
	"Where's Shampoo?"
	I want to laugh at this. I want to tilt my head back and laugh 
one of those insane boisterous laughs I've seen Kuno do so often. I 
want to but I don't. Instead I meet her gaze and set my jaw before I 
reply.
	"She's gone back to China. With Ukyo."
	"Ukyo?"
	Shock laces her voice and frankly I can't blame her. I would 
have never believed it myself if I hadn't seen it myself. When I came 
back from my search for the ancient scroll that would help Shampoo 
annul her marriage to Ranma, a scroll that never existed I might add, I 
found them training together in the mountains with the old ghoul. They 
had already been there for several weeks and were planning on leaving 
the next day to challenge Ranma. I followed her faithfully as I had 
always done but when the time came when she was victorious over 
Ranma in battle it was not I who held Shampoo in my arms but Ukyo. 
She ran to Ukyo not me.
	Ukyo.
	Ukyo.
	Ukyo.
	"So it's true then."
	Her voice snaps me out of my reverie and I lift my gaze to 
hers. She looks almost sympathetic. I want to rip the expression off 
her face. I don't want sympathy. I never have and I never will.
	"What do you mean?"
	"I heard that they had gotten... closer but I didn't believe it. 
You can hardly blame me. It does seem a bit unbelievable when you 
think about it."
	"Unbelievable?! Shampoo hated Ukyo! Hated her! And now 
they're--"
	I stop myself suddenly with my hands clenched into fists. I'm 
trembling and I know it's from holding back the words I don't want to 
say. The words I can't say.
	"She never loved you. Why do you care?"
	My jaw tightens and I snarl at her.
	"How dare you say that! Shampoo loved me! I know she did! 
This is just a--"
	"You're a fool, you know that?"
	"What did you--"
	"She never loved you. She could barely stand you Mousse. 
You stalked her the Kami's sake. You tried to ruin all her chances with 
Ranma, the man she loved. Why would she love you, want you, after 
all of that? Frankly, I'm not surprised with Ukyo. They're probably the 
only ones who can understand and will actually listen to what the other 
is going through after they both lost Ranma to Akane."
	My body is literally shaking with rage but I can't attack her. I 
want to but I can't. She's far weaker than me physically and she 
knows nothing of the art. Physically she's weaker but mentally...
	There's more than one way to attack.
	"And what about you? You're a money grubbing witch who 
will exploit even her own family to increase your earnings. You love no 
one and no one loves you. Who are you to talk? Even if Shampoo 
never loved me at least I loved her! The only thing you love is your 
money."
	Her eyes narrow at me and suddenly I got the same feeling I 
had when around Shampoo. Of the cat studying its prey for 
weaknesses. Well she already knew mine. I only had one and she was 
long gone. There was nothing she could hurt me with. I was totally 
prepared.
	"You don't know what love is. All you care about is yourself. 
Did you ever once listen to what Shampoo said to you? She told you 
countless times she didn't want you and you never listened! You just 
kept going after her. That's not love! That's obsession."
	I open my mouth to protest these lies and she turns vicious 
then snarls. 
	"Think about it. Think about all those times she told you to go 
away Mousse. Think about it long and hard. Did it really seem like she 
was only pretending?"
	The images flash before my mind and I can't stop them from 
invading. A single phrase echoes in my mind.
	Me hate you.
	Me hate you.
	Me hate you.
	With a soft thump I fall to the dusty floor of the Nekohaten 
and grasp at the tiles there. My eyes wide I shakily look up at her 
standing over me. Looking up at her she seems so like Shampoo. My 
goddess on a pedestal that I could never quite reach. Then suddenly 
she kneels in front of me and gazing into my eyes she reaches out to 
touch my cheek lightly. I shiver at this. No woman besides my Mother 
has ever touched me in kindness.
	"Don't waste your love on her. It's not good business to give 
so much without getting something in return."
	I smile at this and reaching up I touch her as I was never 
allowed to touch Shampoo. She doesn't wilt from my touch but 
instead she smiles back.
	"Don't waste your love on things. Love is meant for people not 
unfeeling objects."
	She closes her eyes at this and I can feel her tremble. I scoot 
up into sitting position and I hesitantly cup her chin in my hands. I say 
her name lightly like the breeze.
	"Nabiki."
	Her eyes open and I can see her as she can see me. We know 
what is in our hearts better than the others with their judgments and 
accusations. Our eyes are clean.
	"Could you love me?"
	An empty silence fills the air and her shoulders slump.
	"I don't know."
	She's telling me the truth.
	And for once it doesn't hurt.
	"Good, because I don't know either."
	She smiles at this and I smile in turn. Suddenly the future 
doesn't seem quite so bleak after all. 

-End-

All characters in this fanfiction are from Ranma 1/2. This fanfiction was 
inspired by the works of the great goddess Rumiko Takahashi. This is 
part of the earlier one shot I did called Shy. Basically I decided to 
write (for who knows what reason) a series of one shots with the 
different characters interacting after the wedding of Ranma and Akane. 
Like Shy this was inspired by a song. However the song has nothing to 
do with Mousse or the title of this story but if you want to look at it 
anyway scroll down. I heard the lyrics and instantly thought of ultra 
independent Nabiki. One of these days I'll write a story for her 
centered around the lyrics. But it won't be tonight because I have to 
get back to work on Switching Heirs. Ciao.

Send comments to: Dreiser1@ix.netcom.com

Visit other Altered Destinies at:
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"I ain't never been no silly bitch waiting to get rich from someone's 
bank account. I have always have my own things. Bought my own 
rings. Not going to let you catch me out. You should take a lesson 
from me. I ain't the one to be depending someone else. I can run a 
scam before he can and better than a man. I always keep my game on 
deck."
-TLC-