Disclaimer:  All characters portrayed in this story are the property of
their respective creators and companies.  I don't own any of them.
Please don't sue me.

This story takes place after volume 38 of the Ranma manga.  It draws
ideas from each of the animes involved.

This is another part of my Preludes and Interludes series, which in turn
is part of my Life and Times series.

C & C welcomed.  Flames not.

Preludes and Interludes:  COLOGNE

By

Donny Cheng

Present day...

 The chimes on the door to the restaurant rang in a sing song fashion as
it opened.

 "Nihao!  What can Shampoo get customer today?"  Shampoo asked as she
seated the elderly gentlemen.

 "Cologne.  Tell Cologne that an old friend of hers is here to see her."

 "Great-grandmother?  Okay, Shampoo go and get."  Shampoo turned and
left the table.  That was strange, a customer asking to see Cologne.

   * * * * *

 "Shampoo, leave us to talk alone," Cologne ordered her
great-granddaughter as she sat down at the table.

 Shampoo immediately recognized that tone of voice.  She bowed to the
two elders before quickly ushering the rest of the customers out of the
Nekohanten and closing up.

 Yoshu stared after Shampoo's retreating form.  "She resembles an aunt I
have."

 "Purely coincidence, I assure you," Cologne told Yoshu.

 "Your Japanese is excellent as always, Cologne-chan," Yoshu commented.

 Cologne smiled.  There were not many people in the world that could
call her that.  This man was one of them.  "I see that you are looking
well.  Why don't you take that silly disguise of yours off?"

 "Actually, I prefer this face.  I've grown fond of it over the years."
Yoshu touched his cheek fondly.

 "Well, enough of this small talk.  I think we know each other well
enough to cut to the chase.  You know that you are forbidden to go into
the amazon village and I thought I had left you with the impression that
I would never leave it.  How did you know that I was in Japan and where
to find me?"

 "You have your student to thank for that.  Did you not know that your
'son-in-law' is a cousin to my grandson Tenchi?  Yes, I got married
again.  When I saw him perform the katchu tenshin amaguriken, I knew
that he had been with the amazons."

 Cologne's eyes widened in fear.  "Ranma is a descendent of yours?"

 "Yes, in a way, but the blood is too thin for him to have any Jurain
powers."  Yoshu was surprised.  He thought Cologne would be thrilled to
have a person with such a strong lineage a part of the amazons.

 Cologne breathed a sigh of relief.  "I see.  So, what have you come
here today?  To see an old woman getting on with the years?"

 "You know me better then that, Cologne.  I just wanted to see a person
that I cared about a long time ago.  I missed you, you know."

 "I know." Cologne remembered what had happened all those years ago.

   * * * * *

150 years ago...

 The amazons gather around the arena stared dumbstruck.  The champion of
the tournament for a straight hundred and fifty years just lost and to a
male outsider no less.

 Cologne got up from the ground.  Hatred was clearly seen on her face.
She prepared herself for another strike.

 "Stop!"  The village elder called out.  "Cologne, you know what the
rule is.  Do you dare break it?"

 Cologne lowered her weapons and walked over to the man who was still
looking at her curiously.  "Wode airen.  Wo ai ni."  With that said, she
pecked him on the lips.  However, she did not look at all thrilled as
her words seemed to suggest.

 Yoshu staggered back.  His travels had made him familiar with
Chinese.   Despite what the girl has said, he could tell that she hated
him to the core.  "What was that all about?"

 Cologne reached into her tight dress and pulled out a small book and
through it towards Yoshu.  "Read it, there are Japanese translations on
the side if you need it."

 Yoshu caught the book with it already open at the page in question.
"When ever an amazon is defeated in combat by an male outsider, she will
have to marry him."  He looked around him.  Already, the entire amazon
village had closed in on him.  They all had grim expressions on their
faces.  While he was sure he could break out, he knew that a lot of the
amazons would get hurt in the process.  It would be better for him to
accept their wishes for now and escape when he had the chance.

   * * * * *

 Yoshu awoke from his sleep.  His back ached terribly.  The floors on
these huts were quite hard.  He looked towards the bed and noticed it
empty.  Cologne had probably already left to do some training.  That
woman seemed to train every single moment of her life.  It was no wonder
that her skill had already allowed her to live over a hundred years of
age.  Her conditioning made her look no older than thirty.  A very
attractive thirty year old to be truthful.  Maybe she would like to spar
with him, he thought as he exited the hut.

   * * * * *

 Cologne refused to look into Yoshu's eyes as she told him farewell.
She knew that a man like him would never allow her to be his superior.
He had such quaint little ideas on equality in marriage.  "I will miss
our little training sessions, Yoshu."

 "Cologne, I..."  Yoshu did not want to leave this amazon beauty that he
had grown to love.

 "Hush, go now.  I will keep the elder at bay while you make you
escape."  Cologne then pecked Yoshu on the lips and left.

 Yoshu was stunned.  He heard the words 'bie liao' when Cologne kissed
him.

   * * * * *

Presend day...

 "I missed you too, Yoshu," Cologne confessed.  She looked at the man in
front of her.  Even now she could see those caring eyes looking deep
into her soul.

 "Sweeto!"  A cry could be heard from outside the restaurant.

 Yosho blinked in surprise at having his conversation interupted.  Could
it be?  It was Happosai outside.  The pervert appeared to be running
away from a mob of angry women.  "That lecher is still alive!?"

 Cologne sighed as she looked out the window.  "Happi is quite fiesty,
even at his age."

 Yoshu grimaced at the once intimate name Cologne had for Happosai.  It
seemed more like a force of habit than anything else when she used that
nickname just now.  "I still can't believe that he was once my main
competition for you."

 "I did know him first and he wasn't all that bad a man at times."  This
reminded her of the mess her great-granddaughter was in with Ranma.  She
then thought of Yoshu and Happosai.  "Sometimes, you just can't choose
who you fall in love with.  And you can't choose how many you will love
at the same moment."

 An arrogant and manipulative amazon flashed through Yoshu's mind.  His
last wife, Tenchi's grandmother, was a kind and gentle soul.  He had
loved both woman just the same.  "You did know of my feelings, didn't
you?"

 Cologne nodded.  She and Yoshu would have a lot to talk about before
the day was through.

   * * * * *

A few days after Second Impact (2000 A.D.)...

 Yoshu, with his disguise off, held Cologne's hand within his own.  "You
think they will be alright without us?"

 Cologne, appearing in her twenties, shrugged.  "Only time will tell.
We've already taught them all we know.  The rest is up to them."

 "I suppose you're right..."  Yoshu was interupted by the sound of
stampeding feet.

 "Sweeto!"

 Yoshu winced.  "But, did we have to bring him with us?"

 Cologne only smiled in response.

   * * * * *

The End.  (maybe)

Next up:  Preludes and Interludes:  Yusuke, Ryoko and many more.

Life and Times special number 2

Kodachi story and Akane story on hold
Lost both files, too lazy to retype the stull I lost.