True love
 by finmagik

Warnings: Deathfic, Angst,


    It was early morning in Nermia, when a small
earthquake shook Tokyo. Ranma was jostled awake by it,
for a minute. Nothing big, he thought drifting back to
sleep.

"Do you remember the earthquake this morning Ranma?"
Akane asked as they walked to school.

"Yeah, barely mustn't have been that powerful."

"I head on radio that it do some property damage."

"Nothing major, it seems, nothing that could say get
us out of school." Ranma said.

"Oh my god!" Akane said.

"What?!" Ranma looked up. He saw the familiar building
of Nekohaten had fallen to a pile of rubble. Cologne
stood by the side as Mousse scrambled over the rubble.

Ranma and Akane came running.

"What happened?" Akane asked.

"The restaurant collapsed because of shoddy
construction, Mousse and I managed to get out, but we
haven't been able to find my great-granddaughter."
Cologne said.

"Shampooo! Shampooooo! Where are you?! Answer me,
PLEASE! SHAMPOO!" Mousse called, looking over what
formally been the resturant. Mousse himself seemed to
be in pretty bad shape. His robe was torn up and you
could see great bloody gashes up and down his body. He
was wearing his glasses, but the lenses were cracked
and they were on crooked.
"Shampoo, can you hear me?!" He yelled. He spotted
Ranma standing idly by. "Saotome, come and help me
look for Shampoo!"
Ranma ran over to Mouse and they began digging through
what remained of the restaurant. Mousse and Ramna
called her name, they waited. Then Ranma heard a small
whimper coming from under a destroyed wall.
"She's over here!" Ranma shouted. Mousse, leapt over
to the area and began removing the debris as fast as
he could. Ranma, went over to help. Ranma worked as
hard as he could. It wasn't easy, there were large,
heavy chunks of rubble, to heavy for Ranma to lift.
But Mousse, would just grabbed them and toss them
aside as if they made of cardboard. He was so
determined.
    Finally they got to Shampoo, there was blood
everywhere, matting in her hair, spattering over her
dress. She looked  so pale, so weak, so frail. Her
eyes were closed lightly. She opened them when the
light hit her.
"OH, SHAMPOO! THANK GOD, YOUR ALIVE!" Mousse cried,
tears coming form his eyes.
Shampoo, looked form Mousse to Ranma. "Nihao Ranma,
you come to save Shampoo." She said smiling weakly.

    She was sticky mess of blood, cuts and twisted
limbs when they pulled her out. Cologne had already
dialed for the paramedics. Shampoo was laid out on a
piece of cloth. Mousse kneeled by her side, as she
slipped in and out of consciousness. Akane watched him
as he talked to her, telling her anything everything,
and oddly slipping into Chinese. Akane had never heard
him speak Chinese. She saw him take her hand, and tell
her everything was going to be okay, over and over
again.  Shampoo  seemed to bee annoyed by his physical
contact, but to weak to do anything. She constantly
asked for Ranma, ignoring Mousse. Akane, sighed, she
felt so sorry for Mousse.

    The paramedics came, Rushing out of the ambulance.
"Where is she?!"
"Over here!" Mousse said, directing them to where
Shampoo lay.

"Sir, your pretty badly wounded, do you need any
help?"

"NO, IT DOESN'T MATTER! What about her?!"

The paramedics, looked down at the wounded, bleeding
body of Shampoo, who had slipped out of conscious
again. They busied around her and Mousse waited
anxiously.

"I don't know, she still alive but barely."

"Yes?"

The paramedics gained sorrowful looks on their faces.
"We don't think she's going to live."

"WHAT?! NO!" Mousse became, angry seething, he cried
even harder.
"Her other injuries as pretty minor, but with she's
lost a lot of blood, sir."

"Can't do something? Can't you get her to the hospital
or something and save her?!" Mousse pleaded anxiously.

"Sir, in her condition she'd die before we got there."

"NO, there HAS TO BE WAY! SHE HAS TO LIVE!" Mousse
shouted sobbing.

"We could do an on site blood transfusion, but we'd
need a donor."

"I'LL do it!" Mousse screamed.

"Sir, your injuries, I don't think you could afford to
lose anymore blood."

"Please, I don't care! She need blood and I'm O- I can
do this!" Mousse said sticking out his arm.

The paramedics sighed. "If you insist."

    Then Ranma and Akane turned away.

~~~~~
Shampoo woke up, she in a hospital room, surrounded by
white. In her arm was an IV and her body ached. She
was confused for a minute and asked: "Where is
Shampoo?"

"Your in the hospital,"
    Shampoo looked around and saw Cologne sitting by
her bedside. "I'm glad your finally awake great
granddaughter."

"Shampoo, sleep?"

"Yes, for two days, you were in a coma."

"Oh." Shampoo looked around her room again, she saw
bouquets of flowers all around her. From Ranma, Akane,
the Saotomes, the Tendos, Ryoga, Hiroishi and Daisuke
even one she thought was from Ukkyo. But none from
Mousse. He should have filled the entire room with
flowers. She had to admit this made her a bit annoyed.
Dumb Quackboy always, give Shampoo nice things. What's
wrong with him? When Shampoo get better, Shampoo show
him. She thought. Before she drifted off into a
medicated sleep.

    It was few hours later she was awakened again by a
nurse, opening her door. "You have visitors." The
nurse said. Shampoo smiled to herself. This was
probably Mousse and her great-grandmother. She could
just see Mousse coming through the door and fawning
all over her.  But she wasn't going to let him see
that. But it wasn't Mousse or her grandmother. Even
better. It was RANMA but he brought along Akane.

Shampoo wanted to leap from bed into his arms. "AIREN!
YOU COME VISIT ME!?"

"Hello Shampoo," Ranma said. "You really shouldn't
strain yourself to much."

"Shampoo not strain, just fine." She smiled. "But even
better now that Ranma here, Shampoo like pretty
flowers. Ranma send Shampoo."

"Thank you Shampoo,"  Ranma said, looking at his feet.
Something was wrong, Ranma didn't seem himself he
seemed depressed and Akane looked so angry, and so
tense she was trying to hold something back very hard.
But that was so typical of Akane. "I'm glad you like
them."

"Not that Shampoo care," Shampoo paused. "But Shampoo
wonder what's wrong with Mousse why, he no send
Shampoo flowers? Mousse no have cash or being just
lazy, Ranma?"

    Then Akane burst, like a damn breaking she
exploded in a temper of anger charging at Shampoo.
"HE'S DEAD! HE DIED SAVING YOUR LIFE! AND ALL YOU CAN
TALK ABOUT IS DUMB FLOWERS, YOU SELFISH BITCH!!" Akane
burst into tears and ran out the door.
There was silence in the room. Ranma looked at
Shampoo. Shampoo looked back Ranma.
"Oh,"She said. "Shampoo not know that."

"Yeah, he died giving you blood, in the ambulance.
They told him to stop but he wouldn't, he wanted you
to live. They tired to revive him when they got the
hospital but it was to late." Ranma said.

"Oh, to bad for Mousse." Shampoo causally.

    Ranma walked out of the room slowly. He wondered
about Shampoo. It seemed she felt the same depth of
feeling about this as most people felt about a spilt
ice cream cone.

    Inside the hospital room. Shampoo fought back the
tears. Her, crying over that baka? The blind idiot who
followed her around like a puppy. She had wanted to
get rid of him. Her whole life he was like a mosquito
buzzing around her in an annoying manner. So then why
did she care so much? Why was she struggle not to cry.
She didn't care, did she? He was nothing, right? But
he loved her, he loved her so much. Did she love him?
NO! She couldn't she loved---she --loved him? The
tears filled her eyes and she gave in and wept.

    ~~~~
    It was a pretty good sized funeral. The Tendos,
the Saotomes, Ukkyo, Ryoga, Kuno, Cologne and even
Happosai attend. Though Shampoo suspected Genma only
came for the food and Kuno was there just to 'comfort'
Akane. It wasn't exactly conventional either. Mousse
had asked to be cremated and they had just come to
watch as they were scattered to the winds.
Cologne, had the small black urn in her arms. The wind
began to blow hard. Cologne opened the urn, gave a
slight toss and the ashes flew up the wind caught them
and they blew away, across the countryside. Ranma
looked around him. There were some people crying Soun,
Genma, Kasumi but he suspected they cried at every
funeral. Soun would cry at the drop of a hat. Akane
was choking back the tears and strangely Shampoo,
stood rigid as a board, frowning watching the ashes,
not a tear to be seen on her face.

~~~~~
    "He had a will?" Ranma asked the lawyer.

"Yes, which I thought was odd for someone of his age,"
The lawyer looked at Ranma and Akane, sitting
nervously before him. "Now where is the third heir?"

    She probably thinks this isn't important enough.
Akane thought with contempt. She doesn't care anything
about him.
They waited and waited. "Fine then, I'll start."

    Just then Shampoo came throughout the door. "Last
time, Shampoo trust Ryoga to give directions." She
grumbled. The lawyer looked up. "Get started, Shampoo
no have all day!"

    Ranma and Akane scowled. How could she be so cold
about this? How could she act like this?

    Shampoo sat down nervously. Why did he have to
make a will? She was just starting to put her life
back together, without him. Then the will came up and
made her feel bad. It dragged up all those nasty
feelings inside her. Feelings she shouldn't have,
about him.

The Lawyer sighed. "Now, that were all here and there
are no further interruptions. I shall begin.: I
Msu-Tus, being of sound mind and body. Make this will
in the unfortunate event of my death, make this will.
First to Ranma Saotome, if you are reading this it
means you have won. You are free to marry Shampoo if
you wish, just remember don't hurt her, be kind to
her, take care of her. I leave to you half of weapons
collection use them wisely," Ranma glanced nervously
at Shampoo, then back at the Lawyer. "Next to Akane
Tendo, you are the closet thing I ever had to friend,
we have helped each other out, numerous times and that
is what friends do, I can see why so many boys are
pursing you, you have some very admirable qualities
and I leave to you the other half of my weapons
collection," Akane was shocked, pale and had tears
running down her cheeks. "though you don't really need
it. Finally to my beloved Shampoo," Shampoo perked up
at this. "I leave something very personal a collection
of poetry, I wrote. I never had the courage to send
them to you, and If you don't want to read them, I'm
sure you can keep warm by burning them. Remember
Shampoo no matter what happens:  wo ai nee, I love you
and I will always love you. All the above mentioned
items can be found in a storage locker, at the back of
Nekohaten."

Shampoo bit her lip hard, until it bled. She had to
keep from crying.
 She loved Ranma, not him, he was dead any ways. She
loved Ranma, she had to love Ranma.

~~~~
    Ranma sat alone on the roof. He sighed. Clearing
out the rubble they had found the storage locker and
were going to open it in the afternoon. He had never
really thought about Mousse much, when he was alive.
Just another rival. Another fool. But Mousse, he just
was so annoying in life, but so dignified in death.
Ranma turned it over in his mind. When death had come
calling Mousse, didn't run, didn't hide. 'Take  care
of her' he said. Shampoo, who was still devoted to him
beyond hope so it seemed. Did she even understand?
    Shampoo spotted Ranma on the roof, he was alone,
this was good time. To be with him. Ranma would ease
this pain, make it go away. Ranma would love her, like
she always wanted. She had to find something to fill
this void, that sucked at her soul. She decided to use
stealth. But before she could, someone else was on the
roof.
Akane.

Ranma barely  looked up. There was Akane, she sat down
next to him.
"He said I was 'closet  thing he had to friend.'? Can
you believe that? I hardly knew the guy, hardly
thought about him. I never knew."
Ranma looked at her. "All we really knew about him was
he loved Shampoo, but I never thought, he'd do that."

There was a long silence, then Akane began to cry. "He
thought I was his friend, what did I do to deserve
that honor? I didn't treat him any differently than
anyone else? Why did he have to say that? I wasn't his
friend! I didn't know things like that meant so much
to him. I didn't think he thought about anyone but
Shampoo.. I...I..." Akane had broken down sobbing.
Ranma just did what came naturally to him he placed
his arm over her shoulder. She drew in close to him.

Shampoo's eyes  widen from the hidden place she was
watching.

    "It's okay Akane." Ranma said, forgetting he
wasn't suppose to do this, he wasn't suppose show his
feelings as he stroked her back. Akane stopped crying
she looked up at Ranma tears in her eyes. He looked at
her waiting for the pain, for her to get mad. But she
didn't. She looked at him for a second. He looked at
her.

    Shampoo watched and her heart sank, as she
watched. Ranma loved Akane and now she knew it for
certain.

    Ranma held Akane and they kissed over and over
again, sobbing despite themselves, until their kisses
merged into one. Deep and full of passion.

~~~~~~~
    Shampoo scowled at Ranma and Akane. As they
storage was being opened. Immediately weapons tumbled
out onto the ground.

"Wow, there's a lot in there." Ranma said.

"Yeah." added Akane.

    Soon, they set  to work diving the weapons and any
feelings of love expressed before quickly vanished as
they argued over who would get what. Shampoo smiled,
things going back to normal. Shampoo, looked at the
storage locker. It seemed to be empty then she spotted
a narrow self along the top. There is was the poetry,
mismatched scraps of paper all bound together with a
course string. She grabbed them and untied it. Reading
the first poem. It wasn't the poor quality she hadn't
been expecting, it was written in Chinese and it wa
quite beautiful she was amazed. She ahd never know
this.

    Every night she read his poems, and she cried.
they were so good, so moving, so beautiful. And all
written by him, in his handwriting. She loved him
more, she did when he was alive.  If there could have
been some way, to know this, would she have been so
cruel, so foolish? She read his words and fell in love
with him. She didn't care about Ranma anymore. And it
had become obvious to everyone, including Cologne.
Cologne couldn't allow this infatuation with the dead
fool to contiue, her great-granddaughter. Shampoo was
waiting tables and Cologne crept into her room.

~~~
Shampoo had grown wary and decided to step outside for
a breath of fresh air. "Aiyaa, its so hot out here."
She commented. Then she saw her great-granmother
standing by a rubbish fire.
"Great-grandmother, what you doing?"

"Just getting rid of some trash, Shampoo."

    Shampoo looked at the burning pile. and screamed.
"AAAAAAAAAAIYAAAAAAA!!!! Msu-Tsu's poetry, NO!" She
reach for the fire, forgetting it burned. Cologne
blocked her.

"Now, Shampoo this is for your own good, you've been
thinking about him far to much. That is unhealthy. One
he's dead, two he wasn't good enough for you when he
was alive. You should stop thinking about him."

"Shampoo LOVE MOUSSE!" She sobbed, watching he pages
burnt away. That was the only thing she of him.

"No you don't. You love Ranma, this is just the guilt
talking."

"I love Ranma, yes whatever you say
great-grandmother." Shampoo nodded. She knew it was
best to obey the old ghoul;s wishes. And that was was
she did, she certainly wasn't her old self she had
become listless and melancholy. And one day, she
didn't come out of her room, at the beginning of the
work day. Cologne wondered and eventually got Ranma
over.

"Shampoo, I know your unhappy but please open the
door?" Ranma asked.
There was no answer.
"Come on Shampoo," Still no answer. "Come on open up!"
He asked again and again. still nothing. Finally he
gave up, threw his weight againist the door and burst
in. He was horrified. Shampoo had hung herself.
There was a note written in chinese Cologne read it
out loud and translated.
"Dear everyone,
I didn't deserve his devotion.
I was a terrible person and very selfish.
I never realized what I could have had
until it was gone.
I knowRanma doesn't love me.
And I rejected the only man who did.

Good bye,

            Xian-Phu."

~Fin/Owari~

[I hope this works! I'll know in a minute!]


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