Original fan fiction by Michael Shearon

Part 1- Decisions.

"speech", {thoughts}, [printed words]

Mousse woke up with a smile on his face. He had just been having the most wonderful dream about Shampoo, the girl he had loved since he was three years old. He had followed her from his native China to Nerima, Japan. Now, at age nineteen, he worked and lived in the same building as She did. Sure Mousse's life as a bus-boy was a bit hard at times, but being close to Shampoo made it all worth it. Maybe soon, she would disregard the amazon law that kept them apart. Then maybe she would tell him how she really felt about him. She couldn't have been serious all those times she said she hated him. In his dream, Shampoo had been walking beside him, smiling at him, and whispering "Wo ai ni." Mousse smiled. Whenever he had a dream like this, it usually meant it was going to be a good day. It was going to be a very good day. He just knew it.

Mousse's train of thought was interrupted by a splash of cold water, covering his entire body. A loud squawk escaped his throat as he felt the transformation ripple through his body. Mousse shook the water from his feathers and straightened up. Where once lay a tall, lean Chinese boy, was now a large white duck. Mousse peered through his duck eyes, which were much sharper than his natural eyes, and saw Cologne perched on top of her staff, holding an overturned bucket, and Shampoo behind her, giggling.

"Get up, Part-Time-boy. You're five minutes late. You'll find a bowl of hot water and your work clothes waiting for you in the bathroom. Now get moving, boy. You have a lot of chores to do, before we open up today." Cologne snapped at him as she started hopping out of the room.

Mousse barely paid attention to her. His attention was on Shampoo. She was laughing at him. She found his curse… funny? Something clicked in Mousse's head, as the scenes of his life passed through his mind. With remarkable precision, he recalled every action Shampoo had ever taken towards him. He saw every blow, every kick. Heard every insult, every rejection. There were very few times that Shampoo seemed to show any sort of concern with his existence. Mousse walked numbly towards the bathroom. He found everything that Cologne had said would be there. He knocked the bowl with a wing, sending the hot water spilling all over his body. His vision blurred as he assumed his natural form. He felt around the counter for his glasses, finally found them, and slid them onto his face. He straightened out his waist-length raven hair. He put on his work clothes. Everything Mousse did was automatic. He was still replaying his life with Shampoo. Sixteen years. He had wasted sixteen years of his life chasing after her. Everything in his life had been based on Shampoo. He had taken up the hidden weapons training so he could fight her for her hand. {Fat lot of good that did me. What was the use of learning it if I could never bring myself to attack her?}

He turned and slid open the door. There, by some cruel twist of fate, was Shampoo. She smiled up at him, "Nihao, Mousse. You feeling better, now?" she stifled a giggle as she spoke.

Mousse stared down at her lovely face. This time, however, it was anger, not love, that came into his mind. "Out of my way, heartless woman." he said gruffly as he pushed his way past her, bumping her out of his way. Shampoo stood there, mouth hanging open. She stared after Mousse as he walked quickly down into the restaurant. What was his problem? He had never been so cold to her before, as long as she had known him. He had never shown her anything other than that stupid infatuation with her. It got annoying at times, but she really did enjoy the fact that there was a man who would do anything for her. Even if it was Mousse. Aside from that, Mousse was the closest thing to a friend she had, since she'd come to Nerima. She didn't like this new side of Mousse. She knew better than anyone that Mousse's temper was, at best, unstable. Now, that temper was directed at her.

"Aiya. Maybe Great-grandmother go to far with wake-up call this morning." she said aloud to no one in particular as she started down towards the restaurant. {Oh well.} she thought,{it no matter. Mousse be drooling over me again by Lunch-time rush. This pass in time.} A sick feeling in her stomach told her she might be wrong.

………………………………………………………………………………

All that morning, Mousse attacked every chore he was given with vengeance. He said little, not even mumbling about what a horrible place this was. This was good for Shampoo. She was already hatching a scheme to get Mousse acting normal again. There was only one thing she knew would work. There wasn't a person in the world who was more jealous than Mousse. All she had to do was flirt with a male customer, and Mousse would go into a jealous rage, and be back to his old self in no time. It wasn't like Shampoo to flirt with anyone other than Ranma, but if it meant getting her only friend back to Normal, She would do just about anything.

So far, though, things weren't going too well for her plan. Shampoo had never realized how many ugly men lived in Nerima. No one even worth considering had walked through the door that morning. She risked a glance at Mousse. There he was, working as hard as he had all morning. He hadn't even looked at Shampoo once all that morning. Mousse was very angry, anyone with a gnat's brain could realize that. Now she was sure Great-Grandmother had gone too far that morning. Waking Mousse up with a bucket of ice water was a very bad idea. Mousse could be very dangerous when angry. He might stoop to defeating his opponents through treachery. Like Bombing the Tendo Dojo while everyone sleeps. Or worse, strike back at Cologne and Shampoo for all the times they abused him. No telling what plans Mousse was hatching right now. No telling what Mousse had up his sleeve now. Shampoo had to work quickly if she wanted to see Mousse normal again. What would she do without him?

All Morning, Mousse had been thinking. Not about fighting Ranma, winning Shampoo's love, or any of his usual thoughts. Every single injury, whether physical or emotional, was replayed in his mind, from age three, up to that Morning. Mousse saw every detail. Slowly, with every memory, Mousse's anger grew. It started as the usual blinding rage that was so common to him, but swiftly changed into a cold anger deep inside him, numbing him to all around him. His chores went by unnoticed, even though he seemed to be focussing every iota of his attention on them. Only one thought kept repeating itself in his head, almost sounding like a mantra. {How could I have loved someone with so little heart? She calls me a friend, but treats me like this? And it took me this long to realize it? How Stupid can I be?} Every time he remembered a rejection, his heart only got colder. What had he done to deserve this abuse? How much more could he take? It didn't matter now. There would be no more chasing after Shampoo. Mousse was big enough to admit defeat. Ranma could have her. He was the only man as cold-hearted as she was.

Mousse looked up at her, narrowing his eyes behind his glasses. She had been looking at him, but jerked her eyes away when she noticed him looking back. {Maybe she's remembering the same things I am. Good. I hope she feels sorry for all she's done to me. She deserves it.} Mousse thought as he turned back to his work. Maybe she was thinking of the few times back in the village someone had made him this angry. Perhaps she thought that now he was a danger to himself and those around him. Mousse knew why she thought that, but she had nothing to worry about now. Mousse was in complete control.

Mousse stopped what he was doing. He had just realized something. He was thinking more clearly than he ever had before. Now that Shampoo no longer took up most of his attention, he was seeing things in a different light. {Let Ranma come, looking for a fight.} Mousse didn't know if he could beat him, but he was sure that he could give Ranma a fight he would remember. New strategies ran through his head as he scrubbed off the tables after the morning rush. He paid little attention to the few customers still eating their ramen. Ranma would sorely regret it if he came into the Nekohanten, itching for a fight to boost his ego.

Yet, why should Mousse fight Ranma? He had no reason, now that he'd given up on Shampoo. Mousse smirked inwardly. For the past few months, ever since he had first come to Nerima, Japan, fighting Ranma had been his whole purpose for even existing. It was almost automatic for him to think of fighting Ranma. {Well, he'll have to look somewhere else to find an opponent to pummel.} Frankly, Mousse could care less about Ranma.

Shampoo glanced over at him again. {Uh-Oh. Mousse smirking. This is no good sign. Shampoo need to find good-looking man fast, or else maybe big trouble.} Mousse may be nearly blind and stupid, but he could be very dangerous to anyone around him when he was angry. She quickly scanned the room for anyone who might fit the bill, but there was no one. Just Ugly old men, women and girls. {This may be harder than Shampoo thought. If I no find man Mousse believe I flirt with, Mousse maybe do something bad.}

Mousse had just finished scrubbing the last unoccupied table when a young girl fell backwards in her chair, sending a large glass of cold water flying back at Mousse. Shampoo gasped, not knowing what to expect if Mousse got splashed. No telling what he'd do to the girl. Shampoo started to run towards the girl, to offer her some protection, when she saw something incredible. Mousse Jumped straight into the air, turning a graceful flip. A bucket appeared in his hand, and as he started the downward part of the flip, scooped the glass and the water from mid-air. Mousse landed in the precise spot he had jumped from, and turned around slowly to face the girl, who was laying on her back, staring up at him, eyes wide in shock and wonder. Mousse set the bucket down, and with surprising lack of emotion, said "You should be more careful." He straightened up, and noticed Shampoo with the same expression on her face. "Shouldn't you be working? Or is there another reason you make so much more than I do?" With that, he turned to go sit down, the last chore he had been given completed.

"Mousse?"

"What do you want?" he snapped. He was so cold to her.

"nothing." She said sadly. Now she knew what was wrong with him. He hated her. Mousse hated her. She had pushed away the only friend she had since coming to Nerima. She knew that if she didn't do something to make Mousse jealous, he would leave, forever. She didn't want him to leave. She wanted Mousse to stay. He was the only person she could talk to about anything. Great-Grandmother wasn't very keen on talking about daily life or feelings. Shampoo found herself wishing that Ranma hadn't gone on a weekend training trip with his father. No one made Mousse more jealous than Ranma.

Just then, Shampoo's silent requests were answered. a reasonably attractive man, close to her own age, walked into the Nekohanten. Shampoo didn't like to flirt with a stranger, but she had to, if she wanted to keep her friend. She knew what she had to do. This was the only way she knew to keep Mousse around, or else just find out how he truly felt.

"Nihao, handsome. Welcome to the Nekohanten." Shampoo's light Soprano took on a sultry, seductive tone as she laid on all of her charm. "Can Shampoo get you something? Maybe her phone number?" she said with a wink. She felt herself inwardly gagging. She hoped Mousse appreciated what she was doing for him. She hated lowering herself like this, but if this was what she had to do for Mousse, she would do it.

Shampoo and the man flirted for few minutes. She caught a glimpse of Mousse picking up a tray, loaded with dishes. Shampoo had been barely avoiding flinching from the moldy pick-up lines, when he asked "How does a Gorgeous Chick like you not have a Boyfriend?"

Again, Shampoo barely avoided gagging. "You no should worry if Shampoo have Boyfriend. He out of town, and he no treat her right anyway. Shampoo need some company for the night. You interested?"

The loud crash behind her brought a smile to her lips. "That's it," came an icy voice from behind her. "I can't stand it anymore!"

{Yep, It work.} Shampoo turned around, expecting to see Mousse, fuming with anger, holding some strange weapon in his hand, ready to kill the man she was flirting with. Instead, She saw Mousse walking with slow, measured steps towards the stairway. She ran after him, grabbing him by the shoulder just as he started to climb the steps. "Aiya, Stupid, where you think you going? It no even lunchtime rush, yet!" She gasped as a cold ripple passed through her hand where she touched Mousse.

A bright blue light enveloped his body as he jerked his Shoulder away from her. His body spun around before she could react to it. Shampoo's cheek exploded in pain as the back of Mousse's clenched fist connected. The force of the blow sent her spinning into the nearby wall. She collapsed to the floor in a crumpled heap as she put her hand to her cheek. She turned her wide, violet eyes up at him. His entire body was glowing with Icy blue energy as he glared down at her. He lifted his glasses so she could see his eyes. She would have gasped if she could. She had only seen them like that only once before. After he had returned from China to challenge Ranma a second time. After he had been beaten to the point of unconsciousness, and beyond. Just before he had fainted. His eyes now glowed with the same cold, blue light.

"And to think I believed that somewhere, under all the insults and abuse, you cared for me. Apparently, I rank below total strangers in your book. I can't believe I actually LOVED you!"

With that, Mousse spun on his heels and walked quickly up the stairs. Shampoo couldn't move. She just sat there, on the floor holding her cheek, as what Mousse had said sank in. {'Loved'. He say 'Loved'. As in, no love anymore.} Mousse did hate her. No one had ever been that cold to her, least of all Mousse. Now he was leaving her.

A minute or so later, Shampoo was still on the floor, staring up the empty stairwell when Mousse came around the corner, dressed in his white robe and carrying his travel bag. In his right hand, he carried a small white object. He brushed past her, not even looking down at her. His body still had the faint glow of his battle aura. Mousse stopped in front of the door to the kitchen, and drew back his right hand to throw. {Aiya! Mousse going to kill Great-Grandmother!} but there was nothing she could do. Her body refused to move. All she could do was sit there and watch.

Cologne was perched atop her staff, preparing the kitchen for the lunchtime rush. She disregarded the blow, as it was probably Shampoo teaching Mousse a lesson for dropping the tray of dishes. Her battle senses clicked to ready as she heard a small object flying through the air high above her head. It impacted on the wall, and floated down into her waiting hand. It was an envelope.

"Open it," Said Mousse from behind her. she saw her name scrawled in Chinese, in Mousse's handwriting.

"Goodbye, Cologne. You will find enough money to replace the damage I caused today."

"And where do you think you are going, boy?" She turned as she reached for the bucket of water next to her. She hesitated when she saw Mousse's battle aura flashing its cold energy. This was new. {Oh well,} she thought as she reached for the bucket without taking her eyes off Mousse. There was a loud crack, Causing Cologne to blink. When she turned her eyes to check the location of the bucket, it was gone.

"Looking for this?" said Mousse in an empty voice. She turned to look at him again, and openly stared at him in astonishment. His Travelling bag was on the floor, and a whip was retracting into his sleeve. In his other hand, he held the bucket. Mousse had never been that fast before. "You might want to take care of your great-granddaughter's cheek. She's going to have a nasty bruise." He said in a chilling voice as he tossed the bucket towards the stairwell. Cologne followed it's path with her eyes, and saw Shampoo, sitting on the floor, holding a swollen and discolored cheek. The bucket hit above her, and spilled its contents all over her, shocking a screech out of her. The little lavender cat shook the water from its fur, looked around for Mousse, than ran towards him. With a look of disgust, he picked Shampoo up, and tossed her away. Mousse turned and walked out of the restaurant, sliding the door shut behind him. Cologne ripped open the envelope, and read what was inside. There, she found two words written in Chinese.

[I quit]

End Part one.