The Characters of Ranma 1/2 are Rumiko Takahashi's. Hopefully, she'll
forgive us for what we're doing.

Did somebody say fire?!  Toss some flames this way! (We're having a luau
and that's one BIG pig!)

Ranma vs. Ranma! 
The Battle For Akane's Soul!
By She-Hulk and Kahm (brobinso@neocomm.net)
----------------------------

Part 6


	The sight that met Cologne's eyes surprised her. Mousse was kneeling
beside Shampoo's bed, holding her hand. His other hand was on her forehead.
Shampoo was awake, watching him.  He had called to her in the darkness and
she had felt his love enfold her. He had driven away the fear and she
realized that she loved this quiet, gentle man. So much was explained now.
Why he could never defeat her. Why he had stayed with her.

	 Shampoo felt the energy he was expending and knew she had to stop him.
She spoke softly. "No Mousse, is enough. You must stop...you no can take
much more." There was a faint white glow surrounding the couple. Cologne
realized that he was pouring his energy into Shampoo. Using his aura to
give her strength, which he should not be able to do. Unless... Could she
have been wrong about him all this time? She stepped into the room.

	"She's right Mousse. You'll kill yourself if you don't stop." Cologne laid
a hand on his shoulder and a flash of restrained power surged through her.
She jerked her hand back and stared at him. "Why?"

	He ignored her. Mousse stopped the flow of energy and brushed the hair
back off of Shampoo's forehead. Then he kissed her brow and stood to face
the last obstacle in his path.

	"You wanted Shampoo to marry a great warrior. I can never be that. I fight
when I have to, but something inside stops me from harming anyone. I cannot
kill." He reached out and stroked the side of Shampoo's face. "Sleep now,
Love." Shampoo felt herself slipping back into a deep, resting sleep.

	Mousse looked at Cologne. "She is my heart, without her I cannot live." He
spoke quietly and Cologne knew that he was unshakable. So much had been
hidden. All for the love of Shampoo. "Shampoo is my bride. You will respect
this."  

	Dr. Tofu stepped aside as he went past, but asked him one question, "Why
didn't you heal her yourself?" Mousse stopped but didn't turn, "My skills
are unfocused, untrained. I can only renew the spirit." He continued to
walk to the door. 

	"Mousse," the doctor called, and he turned around. "We will begin your
formal training when this is resolved."

	Mousse nodded, then left.

	Now he must kill a man.



	The Tendo house was being watched. Two figures stood hidden in the shadows
and plotted the fall of Ranma Saotome.

	 "Not a mouse stirring. We are sided with surprise. A good companion for
battle." Kuno's voice was a faint breath. He stared at the house and
wondered that it did not burst into flames from his rage.

	Ryoga made a noncommittal sound. "I don't like the idea of attacking him
here. Akane and her family would be in danger." Kuno had approached the
house earlier and checked on Akane and the others. Ranma was there, but he
had made no move to harm them.  They had no idea of the evil that was with
them. "We can't just rush in."

	"Then we must lure him outside." 

	Kuno and Ryoga tensed as the speaker moved silently to stand beside them.
Mousse looked at the house and spoke again. "Why am I not surprised to find
you here? Who else has he harmed this day?"

	"Ukyo was attacked at her restaurant and left to die. When I found her,
she was delerious. She said Ranma's name." Ryoga's stomach twisted as he
remembered her faint cries.

	Kuno spoke, "My sister was found in a deserted lot, she had been tortured.
She has not regained her senses thus she cannot name her assailant, but one
does not need eyes to know day.  You come most carefully among us in the
dead of night. Why has our target drawn  your hunting gaze?"
	
	"Shampoo. We can't strike now. We cannot strike alone. If we are to defeat
him then we will have to plan carefully. He's beaten us all in the past."
Mousse faced the others. "Come with me." 

	Ranma watched their retreating shadows and laughed softly. "How perfect!"
He moved closer to the house.


	Ranma stretched out on his pallet and closed his eyes. His head was still
sore from landing on the roof after Akane had kicked him there. He rolled
onto his side and tried to sleep. Stray images kept flashing through his
mind. Something was bugging him but he couldn't put a finger on it. He felt
like he had forgotten something. A long while later, he finally fell
asleep. And the shadows were waiting.


Dr. Tofu's...

	Shampoo was sleeping peacefully. Dr. Tofu checked her injuries, not
surprised to see that most of the bruising was gone. Mousse had surprised
him. He went back to his office and sat down at his desk. Cologne pushed a
cup of hot tea in front of him. "Drink this and stop worrying. Shampoo will
recover. But we have greater problems."

	Tofu sipped at his tea and stared at cologne. "You know what's going on,
don't you?"

	Cologne sighed. "Thanks to a rather careless shopkeeper, a demon has been
unleashed." She went on to explain what had happened in the antique shop.
"So when Ranma stepped in front of the mirror, it gave life to his
reflection. Now it's trying to getfree."

	"Get free? It doesn't exactly appear to be trapped now."

	"Oh but it is! The demon's true form is much more powerful and will be
much harder to stop. It's trapped in Ranma's reflection. To free itself, it
must destroy the real Ranma's heart." Cologne paused.

	"Why do I have the feeling your not talking about a muscle that pumps blood?"

	"Because, your almost as smart as I am. And considering how old I am and
how young you are, that's a compliment." Tofu's smile was wry.

	"The oldest legends speak of guardians of the heart. When a person falls
in love they yield their heart to their lover. Who then protects it. If
their heart is not within them, they could not be killed. This of course is
considered nonsense now.  Most people don't yield their hearts, but then
most people aren't in tune with their inner energy either. All of the
legends that spoke of guardians were about powerful warriors and holy men.
The curse on that mirror can only affect someone whose heart does not dwell
within them. Ranma has given his heart to someone. And the demon will
destroy everything and everyone who stands in the way."

	Tofu spoke slowly. "But Ranma claims he's not in love with anyone."
Cologne waved her hand in a dismissive motion.

	"The boy is merely lying to himself. His heart lies with the one he loves.
I thought it might be Shampoo, but I see now that the heart she carries
belongs to Mousse." She shook her head. "I'm getting to old for this sort
of thing. Should have realized that sooner."

	"Okay. How do we defeat this thing?" Dr. Tofu asked the question, but was
afraid of the answer. 

	"I don't know."

	The sun had began to stretch it's glowing fingers up into the sky when
Shampoo woke. Memory flooded her and she gasped. Ranma. The alley. Pain.
Mousse. She felt a warmth creep over her. Mousse. Shampoo heard the muffled
sound of voices in the next room. That sounded like great grandmother! She
lay still and tried to hear. Snatches floated to her.

	"...not in this one.."

	"What about..."

	"...only works on elves..."

	"...the demon..."

	"...using Ranma's form against..."

	Shampoo frowned. Something was going on. She called out to her
grandmother. The door was pushed open and Cologne swung into the room. "Ah
you're awake! How are you feeling now?" Shampoo shook her head at the
question. " I fine great-grandmother. What you say about demon?"

	Cologne glanced at Tofu then back to her great-granddaughter. "Ranma
didn't attack you, Shampoo, it was a demon that has inhabited his
reflection." She went on to explain about the mirror, the curse and the
guardians. As she explained how Ranma had triggered the curse, Shampoo
frowned.
	
	"How did demon know me, if he not Ranma?"

	"He can probably sense your feelings for Ranma and used them against you.
He would be able to tell if someone knew Ranma and that would make them a
target. He won't stop until he's found Ranma's guardian."

	Shampoo began to realize that she may have provided the demon with the
knowledge it needed. "I did bad thing great-grandmother! I tell bad-Ranma
where to find Akane!"

	"Akane?" Dr. Tofu was sharp. "Of course!"

	"He keep asking me 'Where is Akane?'  When I no answer, he hurt Shampoo."
She began to cry. "Hurt me so much....wanted him to
stop...great-grandmother!" Cologne held her as she cried.

	"Now, now Shampoo. It's all right. You're not to blame." Shampoo wiped the
moisture from her eyes and looked at Dr. Tofu. 

	"Shampoo also tell Mousse that Ranma...."

	Dr. Tofu  ran.