It appears that Mousse got along a little to well with one of the
girls at the circus as his daughter is left on Nekohanten's doorstep.
This upsets Shampoo, especially since Mousse and the baby
gets all the attention and nobody believes her when she says she
doesn't care. Meanwhile a group of mysterious strangers are
looking for something they believe has been left in Mousse's care.

Last chapter:
Believing Akari to be Mousse's girlfriend (since Shampoo denied it 
and Akari had helped Mousse shop for baby clothes), the strangers
attacked and wrecked the Unryuu farm. Mousse, Shampoo and Ryoga
came along with Akari to find out what happened but was unable to
prevent her from being kidnapped. In a flashback we found out
what the strangers are looking for.

The earlier chapters can be found at:
The Mousse and Shampoo Fan Fiction Archive
(but it hasn't been updated in a while, so ch. 5 and 6 are found on the
messageboard)
www.angelfire.com/md/MousseShampoo/index.html
The Ranma section of Anime Palace
www.angelfire.com/anime3/gundampalace/ranma.html
And presumably the FFML archives wherever those are...

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and co., and
there's nothing I can do about it. I don't make any money on this and 
if anybody does, don't. Unless you actually have the rights to Ranma 
1/2, in which case there's not much I can do to prevent it.
Touch Me In The Morning was, I'm lead to believe, written by Ron 
Miller and Michael Masser. I assume it belongs to Motown.

DUCK AND PEACHES AT THE FOOT OF FLOWER MOUNTAIN
CHAPTER SIX
By Hans Holm

Mentally cursing her husband and his best friend's inability to understand
sarcasm Nodoka picked up the receiver, while simultaneously trying to 
bottle-feed Hairspray.
"Mrrs. Saotome? Whateverr you do, don't llook behind you", a voice said.
Turning to face it she had enough time to catch a glimpse of a gas-mask and 
hear a deep, heartfelt sigh.

"Nodoka? Who was it?...Nodoka?...NODOKA!"

Next to the phone somebody had left a note.

"This isn't Nodoka's hand-writing, is it, Genma?"
"No. What does it say?"
"I think the first line says 'To Mu Si of the Joketsuzoku', but the rest is too
blurry to read."

* * * * * *

"Calm down, Ryoga! Getting angry won't help..."
"Easy for you to say! _Your_ girlfriend didn't just vanish...No, wait! I 
forgot - Akari is _your_ girlfriend, it's your enemies who kidnapped her..."
"We not know yet. Wait until we seen farm, maybe clues there. And Akari
_NOT_ Mousse's girlfriend! Either."
"_We_ know that, but _they_ obviously don't...this is all your fault, 
Mousse!"
"But beating me up won't bring her back!"
"Why not? If Mousse's enemies, they be happy if Mousse beaten up."
"Thanks a lot, Shampoo..."
"Mousse no want Shampoo help? Want Shampoo to _drink_ this glass of 
water, instead? Glass of _cold_ water..."
"Shampoo..."
"Mo...Meeooww!"
Whatever Shampoo was going to say next was cut short as Katsunishiki
accidentally knocked her glass over as he positioned himself to give the
boys his angriest 'the mistress has been kidnapped and you're fighting
_each other_' glare.

"He's trying to tell us something, isn't he, Ryoga?"
"I guess so...But we're nowhere near Akari's...Maybe he wants us to stop
fighting and concentrate on what's important, like finding Akariioouch...
and some hot water for Shampoo."
"First some lunatic blows up Akari's farm and kidnaps her and now we just 
got lectured on how to behave by a pig. This day couldn't possibly get any 
better."
Mousse found out just how wrong he was when they finally arrived at their 
destination and he called the Tendos to make sure everything was alright.

* * * * * *

When Akari came to, she found herself lying on a bed in a small, 
windowless but well-furnished room. True, most of the furniture looked like 
it had been thrown away by several previous owners, but it was far better
than she expected the average kidnapper to bother with. The door was 
locked, though. OK, what would Ryoga do?...No, that was wrong...What
would _Akane_ do? Good question. She had meant to ask her that for
months. Surely Akane did more than just sit around waiting for Ranma to
rescue her...And if _she_ just sat around, she'd be here for a very long
time, considering Ryoga...On the other hand, Mousse seemed to have had 
his head screwed on properly ever since Hairspray turned up and Shampoo
_could_ be very sensible when necessary. At least sometimes. Probably.

Akari started as the door opened. A creature (man? woman?) completely 
covered in robes and veils shambled in carrying a tray of food in its mitten-
covered hands.
"Ssoo, yoou arre finallly awake", it said, its unseen eyes scrutinizing her. It 
was definitively female by the sound of it but the voice, like the rest of it 
somehow seemed wrong. 
"Yoou willl meet Ssimon afterr yoou have eaten and rressted. He willl 
expllain everrything", it continued as it put the tray on the table and
bowed. Then it left just as Akari was about to start asking.

* * * * * *

As soon as Mousse, Shampoo and Ryoga returned to the Tendo home,
Soun switched from his cry-baby persona to his 'serious and supposedly
threatening' one.
"Mousse. What does this note say?", he demanded.
"Uuh...It says that they'll return Hairspray, Akari and Mrs Saotome once
I return the stone to them..."
"What stone?", Shampoo asked.
"Hmm...Tao Tao had this magic stone that she and Wu Jing had stolen and 
she said she'd get rid of it once she found a safe place for it."
"So she gave it to you...", Shampoo began.
"No!...At least I don't think so. She would have told me. I think."
"A magic stone?", Soun said. "Any idea what it does? Or where she might 
have hid it?"
"She said something about it changing shape or something."
"Changing shape? Does it turn into a different stone when splashed with 
cold water or under the full moon or something?", Nabiki asked.
"I don't know. We didn't talk about it that much."
"She didn't tell you where she hid it?"
"I'm trying to remember if she did! Stop crowding me!"
With that, Mousse left to find somewhere quiet to think.

* * * * * *

When the door was opened again it was by a somewhat familiar-looking,
thin girl with long greyish-purple hair.
"Doctor Blumberg will see you now", Kemuri said. "Follow me."
"Didn't you work in the baby-clothes store yesterday?", Akari asked.
"I was undercover", Kemuri replied. 
"But it paid better", she continued quietly. "And your boyfriend _is_
very handsome."
"Uh...You know, Mousse isn't my boyfriend", Akari tried.
"Figures. I guess you're one of Saotome's then."
"No. At times it seems I'm the only one who isn't."
"The Hibiki kid?"
"Yes."
"Still very handsome...Soo, Mousse's still available?"
"I think that depends on Shampoo's mood."
"Oh well. Anyway, it's time for you to meet the gang."

Akari resolved to never again think of the Nerima gang as odd. Even if
what's-his-name...Garter?...Lingerie?...and those bird people decided to
become permanent residents.

The handsome young man on the antique armchair looked normal enough. 
Strange clothes, but not worse than what, say, Mousse or Kuno wore on a 
daily basis.

The tall young man to his right looked a lot like Mousse with the colours 
reversed - similar clothes and hair but black robe and white hair. It had to 
be that Wu Jing-character.

The...person in robes and veils was standing by itself further towards the
back wall.

The African from the train was standing to Akari's right, talking with 
someone wearing a gas-mask and a dark blue trenchcoat which seemed to 
have a mind of its own, and a very pale girl dressed in black.

To Akari's left a midget, who, judging by her clothes, was a practioner of
full-contact ballet, was sleeping on a sofa, while someone dressed in a
black robe, fencing mask and a liberal amount of barbed wire was sitting
in the lotus position next to it.

Moments later, they were joined by Nodoka and Hairspray, escorted by a
huge Indian.

"Mrs. Saotome? What are..."
"Akari? What are..."
"Well, now that the three of you are here, I guess you're wondering why...",
the man on the armchair began.
"I'm not _Mousse's_ girlfriend, you know", Akari interrupted.
"The old woman is here because Lumpen and Ananzi thought it would be
fun to misinterpret your orders", the midget, not as asleep as she had appeared, added.
The man leaned back, holding his head and obviously feeling a headache
approaching. "Anyway, you're here because your friend, long lost brother,
secret lover, clone, grandfather twice removed and reattached to a different
branch of the family tree, whatever, Mu Si has something that rightfully 
belongs to me and which, since it only works at certain times, I don't have
the patience to wait for him to die of old age to get back. OK?"
"And the fact that my son, Mousse and all their friends will soon arrive to
rescue us, doesn't bother you at all?", Nodoka asked.
"Not the slightest. For two reasons: One, they don't have the slightest idea
where to find us..."
He made a pause, to give the rescuers a chance to make a dramatic entrance.
"And two...", he said with a cat's cradle of lightning playing between his 
fingers. "Ranma Saotome is a sputtering candle. _I_ am the sun."

* * * * * *

On a reasonably secluded roof-top, Mousse tried to gather his thoughts.
Wu Jing and his friends thought he had that figurine Tao Tao had shown
him and would exchange Hairspray, Akari and Nodoka for it. But _he_ 
didn't have it, or if he did Tao Tao hadn't told him...and he didn't know 
where she had hid it, did he?
-FLASHBACK-
"So, you're leaving", Tao Tao said with a hint of disappointment.
"Well...I DID only sign on for this far."
"And now you're going to stay here and try to catch Shampoo despite
the mess you made tonight. If she had any sense she'd beat you up and 
throw you out, before you do something like that again. Do you know how 
hard it is to get tigers?"
"Easier than getting tigers that turn into ducks. How did it get loose, 
anyway? I doubt Shampoo simply decided she needed a tiger..."
"I...uh...I mean...I was hoping it would distract her."
"Aw, man. Why did you do that?"
"I...I thought you needed help, well, less opposition, anyway."
Somewhere outside Ao-Ning was playing his saxophone again, as if on cue.
He recognised the melody - a love song, if he remembered correctly, but he
couldn't remember the title or the lyrics. Then Shenbao's voice, eventually
joined by Hao's, seeped in, adding the words.

%...can say goodbye in the cold morning light
But I can't watch love die in the warmth of the night
If I've got to be strong
Don't you know I need to have tonight when you're gone?
'Till you go I need to lie here and think about
The last time that you'll touch me in the morning
Then just close the door
Leave me as you found me, empty like before

Hey!
Wasn't it yesterday
We used to laugh at the wind behind us?
Didn't we run away and hope
That time wouldn't try to find us (Hao: Didn't we run)
Didn't we take each other
To a place where no one's ever been?
Yeah, I really need you near me tonight
'Cause you'll never take me there again
Let me watch you go
With the sun in my eyes
We've seen how love can grow
Now we'll see how it dies

If I've got to be strong
Don't you know I need to have tonight when you're gone?
'Till you go I need to hold you until the time
Your hands reach out and touch me in the morning
(Hao: Mornings where blue and gold and we could feel one another living)
Then just walk away
(Hao: We walked with a dream to hold and we could take what the world 
was giving)
We don't have tomorrow,
(Hao: There's no tomorrow here, there's only love and the time to chase it)
But we had yesterday
(Hao: But yesterday's gone my love, there's only now and it's time to face it)
Touch me in the morning...%

Tao Tao's sobbing brought him back to reality. To be more exact Tao Tao
breaking down and crying into his shirt did.
"Wait a minute! Who are you and what did you do to the tough and
confident Tao Tao I knew?"
"I-I'm just worried. What if Wu Jing comes back now that you've left or
somebody working for that creepy European guy..."
"I think Shenbao or Hao should be able to handle it."
"Do you really believe he would have stayed around if they could have
handled him?"
"Point taken. OK, if he ever troubles you again or you need help just send 
for me and I'll come help you out. How does that sound?"
"Th-there is no way I can persuade you to stay, is there?"
"No..."
"I just want you to do me one more favour before you leave us. Please?"
"Uh...sure."
"There's this shrine just outside Tokyo that I've heard a lot about and 
there's something I want to do there. Will you come with me?"
-END FLASHBACK-

Of course! He had wondered why she had been so interested in a Shinto
shrine, but he had gone there with her...that must be where she hid the 
figurine. Come to think about it, didn't she say something about the shrine
being impossible to enter for wizards or supernatural creatures or 
something? Not cursed people apparently, but if that creepy European she
talked about was a wizard like she said, the mere rumour might make him 
wary of the place...

"Mousse?...Hey, Mousse!" WHAP!
"What did you do that for...Ranma?"
"You didn't respond when I called. It was the best way to get your attention
I could think of."
"Why?"
"We've been looking all over for you. Found the were-stone yet?"
"No, but I have an idea where it is. I'll tell you back at the dojo."

* * * * * *

"Mrs. Saotome?"
"Yes, Akari."
"You wouldn't happen to know what Akane does in situations like this?"
"No...But in my experience it is generally best to wait for the rescue,
unless you know exactly where you are. Could you hand me the diaper-
bag?"
"This used to happen to you a lot when you were my age, didn't it? Back
when you met Genma..."
"No, not really. Once or twice, maybe, but there were others who were more
kidnapable. And that was years before I met Genma."
They were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Can I coome in?", a voice, easily identified as belong to the person in robes
and veils, asked.
"The key is somewhere on your side of the door, I believe", Nodoka replied.
"Step right in."
"What do you want?", she continued.
"Tallk with peooplle whoo can at lleast passs foorr ssane...And ssince 
Ssimoon wassn't verry hellpfull in expllaining why yoou'rre herre I 
thoought I shooulld trry even if he hassn't rreally toolld me eitherr."
"Uhm...Sure", Akari said.
"Go ahead", Nodoka added.
"Noow, wherre too sstarrt? Ah! Ssimoon hirred Taoo Taoo...the mootherr 
oof thiss llittlle ssweetie...and Wu Jing...that'ss the Chinesse gentlleman in 
the rroobe...too, ass he callled it, rretrrieve a magic sstoone frroom a 
grrooup oof missguided chilldrren in Frrankfurrt. If yoou want the trruth,
it neverr belloonged too him, thoough a frriend oof hiss had it in hiss
poosssesssioon foor a while. Anyway, then Ssimoon trried too trrick them
insstead oof paying what he prroomissed soo they absscoonded with
the rreall sstoone, lleaving him with a normal stone."
"So how come Wu Jing is still working for him?", Akari asked.
"I think Taoo Taoo finallly had enoough and thrrew him oout. He sshoowed
up a few moonthss llaterr, voollunteerring too hellp trrack herr doown and
rretrrieve the stone."
"What is about that stone? What is it that it does that makes it so valuable?
Why does...Simon...want it?", Nodoka asked.
"It'ss ssuppoossed too be ablle too llift currssess and curre defoorrmitiess,
turrn thingss human...Ssimoon wantss it foorr me. I didn't alwayss loook
this way."
Then she removed her veil.

"Wh-what h-happened to you?", Akari managed once she'd recovered from
the shock.
"Y-you said something about a curse", Nodoka added.
"Yess. I'lll give yoou the sshoorrt verrssioon. When we werre yooung
Ssimoon sstumblled upoon a way too becoome immoorrtall and
decided too usse it oon uss. It woorrked oon him, but turrned me intoo 
thiss..."
"When you were young? Simon can't be more than, what, twenty-five...",
Nodoka began.
"He wass boorrn in 1823. We'rre immoorrtallss. He'ss been trrying too 
turrn me back everr ssince, but alll it dooess iss making it woorsse. I cooulld
sstilll passs foor human in the beginning."

* * * * * *

"Are you sure that's where do stone is?", Ranma asked.
"Well...no. But it's the only place I can think of that we can get to easily, 
so I might as well go there first", Mousse answered.
"So you're assuming she left it there just because it's easiest for you to get 
to?", Akane said.
"I think Tao Tao said something about it being protected from wizards and
she was worried about the guy she took the stone from. And I can't really
think of any other reason for her wanting to go to a Shinto shrine."
"Then what? We go to the shrine...", Ranma began.
"We?"
"They kidnap Ranma's mother and Akari too", Shampoo explained. "What 
make you think we let you do this on own?"
"As I said, we go to the shrine, beat up the inevitable guard, find the stone 
and then what? We go back here and wait for the bad guys to give the
hostages back?"
"I suppose so. I...I hadn't thought that far. What do you suggest we do?"
"The first thing to do is find out where they keep their hostages", Soun
interrupted before Ranma could answer.
"What about the stone?", Akane interjected.
"Well, Mousse thinks he knows where it is and it shouldn't be going 
anywhere", Soun said.
"And how do you suggest we find where they are hiding their 
prisoners?", Mousse asked.
"Hmm...Well, back when I was your age the kidnappers were either very
obvious in their hiding-places, or there was someone around who knew who
they were or where they could be found."
"I think we go to shrine and look for stone now", Shampoo sighed after
they had picked themselves up off the floor. "Leave Mr. Tendo here to find 
where kidnappers hide hostages." 

* * * * * *

"What will you do if Mu Si can't find the stone?", Wu Jing asked after
the others had left.
Blumberg leaned back and smiled. "Well...The Unryuu girl is quite
attractive for an Asiatic, and there's untapped potential in her...In a few
months the...circumstances...will be right for simply transferring Zelda
to her body. Unless something better comes up."
"Can you specify what 'something better' entails?", Wu Jing asked,
ignoring the slur. "If there's still time, we could try to find someone more...
congenial to your standards."
"Wu, Wu, Wu, if I didn't know you're incapable of feeling for anybody but
yourself, I'd say you're actually attracted to the girl."
"A pretty girl is a pretty girl, and I have some pay-back to do for what her
boyfriend did..."
"Never mind that you didn't care for that girl either..."
"It's the principle of the thing, what's mine is mine..."
"And the fact that she denies being Mu Si's girlfriend doesn't matter?"
"I'd say that, if anything, it proves it. And, anyway, if you were in her 
position, you'd deny Zelda..."
"No, never. We'll see if the stone turns up first, if it doesn't before the time 
is up you can start looking for that other girl. Until we've found her or the
stone you are not to touch _any_ of our hostages...Or you'll find yourself
reunited with Tao Tao. Now leave."

Graveyard Sammi entered as Wu Jing left.
"Master? It appears that Mu Si and his companions are moving. Since
they're not coming this way, I assume they are going to get the stone."
"Excellent, keep an eye on them and tell the others to get ready."
"Master?"
"I have no intention of giving them any clues as to where we are, so you'll
have to retrieve it from them once they have it. Besides, the last time it
was a fake and I'm keeping the hostages until I get the real one."
"Very well...And Master? A sputtering candle can light a fuse."
With that Sammi left, leaving Blumberg to grumble about the cheeky and 
insubordinate henchmen of today.

* * * * * *

To be continued...


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