The Pursuit of Love

“Hey Mousse, come on up” Ukyou called when she heard his footsteps on the stairs to her apartment. Since that day in the street, where he’d taken it upon himself to cheer her up, a friendship had been forged between them. The next day he’d shown up with a ‘Chinese’ love charm for her, which had turned out to be one of those necklaces with a grain of rice encased in glass, where the kanji for both names of a couple were engraved on it.

“I know a lot more effective ones, but I like these even though they’re primarily made for tourists” he explained with a blush. Ukyou thought that the gift was kind of hokey, but softened when she saw Ranma’s name on one side of it and hers on the other. So she had invited him to dinner. This had turned into many nights spent together. At first she’d been nervous about being alone with a male, but he hadn’t tried anything. So she relaxed and enjoyed getting to know him. Mousse, when he wasn’t acting all clingy and pathetic, was a nice guy who was fun to hang out with. She appreciated having a friend to discuss her frustrations about Ranma with and she allowed him to discuss Shampoo as much as he wished.

He told her that he was half-Caucasian and then she understood where his pale skin and green eyes came from. He told her about growing up in a female dominate society; it was hard for him she realized, even though he didn’t say as much. He didn’t have to; she now started to see why Ranma was so prized as being a powerful outsider to add his seed into the gene pool, whereas Mousse was considered to be the lowest of the low for his eyesight. The only attraction the place held for him when Shampoo wasn’t there, was his family who he missed.

She in turn found herself telling him about growing up and training with her father. About travelling with him and how she was constantly lonely, how friends were found only to be abandoned in the pursuit of their trade. About meeting a young Ranma and being betrayed by him. How she won her first competition when she was seven and how proud her father was. He had been proud of his daughter, but she knew in her heart of hearts that he wished she was a boy. So she tried to become one. When he died she’d been devastated and tried to deny her sex by attending an all boy’s school, then she came to find Ranma to seek revenge. However, she had fallen for him, reestablished their pledge and used her father’s insurance money to buy her building and open her restaurant.

They grew closer to the point that she started to notice Mousse’s physical charms. He was handsome in an androgynous sort of way, his features just the right combination of pretty and handsome. He was tall and his hair finer then usual Asian hair, bespeaking of his mixed parenthood. One day he removed his robe to help her with the dishes, he wore only a sleeveless Chinese shirt beneath and she had noticed how well defined his slender body was. He was just as handsome as the other males that they normally dealt with, only in an understated way. She found herself eying him in an appreciative manner when he would spend evenings with her, this caused her to blush. She doubted that he even realized of her developing crush on him. It wasn’t that she wasn’t still in love with Ranma, she just liked Mousse as well.

She turned to greet him at the door; they had gotten to the point that hugs were traded without awkwardness; these were beneficial to the affection starved teens. “Hi Mousse” she said happily, her smile of greeting faded at his grave expression”

“Uuchan, I can’t stay for dinner. I came to say goodbye” he said sadly.

“But why?” she questioned, as he placed his hands on her shoulders.

“It’s Cologne, she’s fading. If she dies, it has to be in the village or Shampoo’s leadership is forfeit. We have to leave for China tonight, there’s no time” he explained. “I can only stay of a minute. I couldn’t just call, I had to say goodbye in person” he said desperately.

“But why do you have to go with them?” she cried.

He raked his hand through his hair, as it looked like he had many times that night “Shampoo needs me more then she realizes. She’s going to need my comfort if Cologne dies and my support in seizing the reins that Cologne left behind. She’s my life” he explained.

“But what about me?” Ukyou said, feeling tears springing to her eyes.

“You’ll be fine, you’re a tough girl and you’ll always come out on top. Look what you’ve accomplished so far and you’re only sixteen! You’ll marry Ranma and have lots of kids” he assured her, taking her chin in his hand. She smiled tearfully “But Shampoo’s great-grandmother was her whole life, she’s going to be devastated and will need me there” he explained. “Bye Uuchan” he said and went to kiss her cheek, but she turned her head so his lips met hers. He froze at first and then kissed her back; it was exactly how she pictured her first kiss from Ranma as being. It was slow, sweet and gentle with just a hint of desire, but sadly also regret. His arms snaked around her waist and drew her close as hers encircled his neck until their bodies were flush. When he reluctantly pulled away, both were breathing heavy. He plunged his face into her hair until his breathing returned to normal. “I’m sorry, I have to go” he said urgently.

“Will I ever see you again?” she asked.

Mousse paused at the top of the stairs “yes, I promise” he replied.

Six months later

The bride wore a beautiful strapless a-line gown that was modest and allowed only a hint of bust to show. She wore a white veil that reached the small of her back and carried a bouquet of yellow roses. The bridesmaids wore yellow dresses that had similar lines to the bride’s and were just as tasteful. They carried bouquets of white roses. ‘Such a beautiful wedding’ Ukyou thought as Akane joined Ranma at the altar while she stood in line with the other bridesmaids, Kasumi and Nabiki.

Akane and Ranma had announced their love for each other and had insisted on getting married within a couple month’s time, soon after the Amazons had left. Ukyou had been devastated, but gracious as Mousse had told her he would be if Shampoo married someone else. She had helped them with the wedding planning and even agreed to be a bridesmaid; no one could accuse her of being bitter.

She watched the heirs to dojo wed and couldn’t stop a tear from falling, hoping that people would think it to be a tear of joy for the happy couple. As she turned from having to see them kiss, a sight too painful for her to watch, there was a rustling of paper from her bodice. Mousse’s letter; she’d brought it along for moral support. ‘Another opportunity lost” she thought in reference to the letter and to the newly married couple in front of her.

He’d sounded ecstatic in it; Shampoo had agreed to marry him! Whether it be from loneliness from missing her grandmother or sadness that Ranma was no longer available, Ukyou wasn’t sure. However, once he finished extolling his bride’s virtues and catching Ukyou up on new developments in his life, he added.

“I’m sad to hear about Ranma choosing another fiancée. You were the best of the bunch I thought and couldn’t imagine him wanting another. However, you’re beautiful, feisty and all that a guy to could ever hope to want, so don’t give up on love. Promise me that you won’t. You’ll find it; you just have to keep on looking.

Yours,

Mu Tzu”