mabli@idirect.com A Different Brand Of Mousse 1 A Ranma 1/2 fanfic by Mark Ferrer Disclaimer: All rights are reserved to their respective owners. Only the original characters are mine. Don't sue me, please. (I need all my money for anime!) Note: I've taken some liberties with some/all of the characters. Sorry, I couldn't help it. This fic also has small crossovers that usually don't have any big bearing on the fic. Thoughts are in <> Normal dialogue is in quotes (duh) It was a rainy day in Nerima. The students in Furinkan High were cooped up in the school during lunchtime looking out at the never ending rain. The contractors renovating Ucchan's were taking a break, still amazed at the damaged it sustained without crumbling to pieces. Soun and Genma were as usual playing shogi. At the Nekohanten, two fighters were squaring off. The lull in activity had prompted Mousse to try out what his latest training journey had brought with it. Today was the day, if Mousse won, he could date Shampoo. If he lost, he would no longer be allowed to ask Shampoo on a date. He had clearly set it up that he could still be allowed to marry her. Shampoo was breathing lightly while Mousse was panting hard and his clothes were in disarray. Shampoo couldn't believe that Mousse was able to slip in the being able to marry her part. Cologne agreed to the terms telling Shampoo secretly that it meant he no longer had the privilage of dating with her. It was a step closer to the day when Mousse fought over the privilege of marrying her and losing. Mousse couldn't believe he had gone for a whole half-hour against the one he loved. His training improved his endurance and he was coming closer and closer to being able to knock Shampoo unconscious before his instincts took over. thought Shampoo. <...but not good enough.> She rushed at Mousse with her bonbori. The chinese boy was too tired to dodge and was knocked out the door, turning into a duck in the pouring rain. Shampoo looked around at the restaurant and saw that their fight didn't affect the diner at all. she thought. A ringing phone called her attention and the promise of more customers called Shampoo to attention and she ran to the phone. Mousse got up waddling back into the restaurant. he thought. Suddenly, he was grabbed by a hooded blur. He opened his beak to quack but it was quickly tied up. He tried to fly away but he was placed in a box. He was slightly relieved that the box had holes in it but he started thinking the worst. Out of one of the holes, he could see part of the face of the person who ducknapped him. "You're a hard person to find, Mousse." he said. Mousse saw him place something into box through one of the holes. He turned in the small box to see what it was but blacked out at the smoke coming from the object. he thought before losing all consciousness. The hooded man looked to see if anyone was looking and disappeared. ************************************************************************ Mousse woke up to the sound of birds chirping. He couldn't hear any sounds of a city so he jumped up to see where he was. He was in the middle of a clearing in a forest back in human form. He took a deep breath of the sweet air. he thought, "Welcome back to China." a voice behind him said. Mousse took out his glasses to see a masked man approaching him. He dropped into a defensive position and said, "It's nice to be back but I'd like to return to Japan if you don't mind." The masked man put up his hands and said, "I am not asking for a fight young man. At least, not yet anyway." Mousse lowered his guard. He couldn't believe that he was actually going to trust the man. "Why did you bring me here?" "I want to help you." the masked man answered. "You have been ignoring your training far too long, you are cursed and you cannot see without your glasses. I am going to try to solve every one of your problems." Mousse laughed and said, "Why would you want to help me?" Absently, he was cycling through all the people he knew and tried to match the voice to a face. he screamed mentally. "I'm going to help you because you have the potential to be the most powerful human on earth. Does that sound to your liking?" he asked calmly. Mousse gave a small nod. "First, I want to test your current fighting ability." He seemingly grabbed two swords out of thin air and slashed them at Mousse.