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	A Lost and Found cat
	Part 7 : Memory Returned
	A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction 
	Written by Jenny 'Android18' Chan
	android18@hotmail.com
	www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Pagoda/4071/index.html
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	It was an hour or so after Cologne had crashed the 
wedding. All the guests had returned home, and Mousse had been
left to clean up the mess.
	Mousse swallowed as he was cleaning and he wondered what 
was going on in Shampoo's room, which was where Cologne had 
taken Shampoo. 
	He had been both relieved and frightened at Cologne's
arrival. He was relieved that, with Cologne here, things would
no doubt be returned to normal, and he wouldn't have to keep the
acting up any longer.
	However, what Cologne would probably do to him, now that
she was here, chilled Mousse to the bone. He wouldn't be surprised
if Cologne suddenly decided to make Peking duck... with him as
the main course.
	There was a knock on the door, and Mousse looked up.
	"Sorry, we're closed- what are you doing here?" Mousse
demanded.
	Alfred glared at Mousse. He did not like the duck boy
at all. "What the hell happened?" He demanded. "Why did that 
old lady look ready to destroy the building?"
	"It's none of your business," Mousse replied coolly. 
	"You're not Shampoo's fiancée, are you?" Alfred asked.
It sounded more like a statement than a question.
	"I knew it. That's why you wanted her to marry you so 
suddenly, so she couldn't object, because she didn't remember."
	Alfred's eyes narrowed. "That's just sick. How DARE you
take advantage of her when she's so vulnerable."
	"Shut up, and get out," Mousse said.
	"I'm not shutting up until I see her," Alfred replied.
"Where is she?"	
	"She's talking to her great grandmother now," Mousse
growled. "You see her now, and Cologne will probably take your
head off."
	"Fine then," Alfred said, sitting on a chair. "Then I'll
just wait here."
	Alfred waited there for close to an hour, before Shampoo
and Cologne finally appeared in the main dining area.
	Cologne hopped into the room first, on her stick quickly,
purposely, and full of anger whereas Shampoo followed quickly,
rather slowly, looking at the floor. Her step was wobbly, and
she looked like she wanted to collapse.
	"Shampoo!" Both Alfred and Mousse cried, running towards
her.
	Shampoo looked up and the glare she sent the both of
them stopped them in their tracks. She addressed Mousse first.
	"Get out." Shampoo snarled.
	Mousse swallowed. "Shampoo, I-"
	"Mousse, get out," Shampoo repeated, venom dripping from
her voice, which was also shaking with anger and revulsion. "I 
never want to see you again." 
	Mousse took a step back, his eyes wide. When Shampoo was
usually mad at him, she screamed and yell. But always, Shampoo
seemed to either forget, or forgive him sooner or later. 
	However, her voice was so tight and so controlled this time, 
that Mousse knew that she would never forgive him.
	"Shampoo..."
	"Get out. Now." Shampoo repeated. Her aura started to flare
around her.
	Mousse swallowed. He did the only thing he could. He turned,
and ran out the door.
	Alfred stared at what had happened. He had never seen so
much hatred in anyone's eyes before.
	Shampoo turned to look at Alfred.
	Slowly, the hatred in Shampoo's eyes started to dissipate
and she blinked rapidly as her eyes started to fill with tears. Her 
aura gradually faded, and her chest started to move up and down as 
she started to breath heavily to contain her tears.
	It didn't work. Twin streams of water came out of her eyes
and traveled down her cheeks.
	"Alfred," Shampoo said softly, her voice cracking.
	"Shampoo..." Alfred took a step forward, wanting to comfort
her but Cologne stepped between them.
	"You are Alfred Whitmore, are you not?" Cologne demanded.
	"Uh... yes."
	"Please, come with me." The look that Cologne gave Alfred
told him not to disobey. 
	Cologne led Alfred outside and closed the door. "I would
like to thank you, Alfred Whitmore, for taking care of my great
granddaughter while she was... so vulnerable. However, I would
like to request for you to leave her now. She has much to think
about, and I don't think visitors would be very good. If you would
return later, it was be greatly appreciated."
	Alfred blinked. "But... A-alright. But, if I could please,
just ask one question?"
	Cologne sighed. "Alright. One question."
	"Does... does Shampoo remember?"
	Cologne nodded. "Yes. Shampoo has regained her memory. I
used some of out amazon techniques, as well as a special brand
of shampoo to return it to her. Now if you could please leave."
	"Wait a sec. What are amazon techniques?"
	Cologne sighed again. "This is more than one question, 
but I'll answer you none the less."

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	     **Flash back to a couple of hours ago**

	Cologne hopped forward on her stick, and grabbed Shampoo's
wrist tightly. Shampoo winced at the pain.
	"Come with me, Child. You have got a lot of explaining to
do." Cologne dragged Shampoo into her room, and locked the door.
	Outside, the guests had started to leave, save for the
major players in the game, who had stayed. However, they too 
left after a few minutes after Mousse prompted them to.
	"[What were you THINKING Child?!]" Cologne demanded. She 
was pacing back and forth in her room, while Shampoo stared at the
old woman from her bed.
	"[W-Who are you]?" Shampoo asked meekly.
	Cologne stared at Shampoo. "[What? What do you mean, 'who
are you'?!]"
	Shampoo swallowed. "[D-do I know you?]"
	Cologne's eyes narrowed when she realized that not all
was as it seems. She hopped over to Shampoo's bed, and stood on
it beside her great-granddaughter.
	"[What happened to you, Child?]" Cologne asked in a soft,
but strong voice. 
	"[Who are you, first.]"
	Cologne took a deep breath. "[I am Cologne. I am your
great grandmother.]"
 	"[My great grandmother?]" Shampoo squeaked.
	"[Yes. I had to go to China on urgent business while you
were missing. I came back as soon as I can. You... you do not
remember me at all?]"
	Shampoo shook her head. "[I... I lost my memory in an
accident a few weeks ago. I haven't got it back yet...]"
	Cologne took another deep breath. "[So. That explains
this. What happened after you realized you lost your memory?]"
	Shampoo told her. She told her everything.
	Cologne looked at Shampoo, and then took a bottle of 
shampoo out from her robes.
	"[What are you doing?]" Shampoo asked.
	"[I am restoring your memory,]" Cologne replied.
	The elder amazon put some of the shampoo into her palm,
then started so scrub her great-granddaughter's hair while 
applying special pressure points.
	Shampoo passed out. When she came to, a few moments
later, she remember everything.

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	Shampoo watched as Alfred and her great grandmother left 
the building, and waited for the click of the front door before
she gave a strangled sob, and fell to the floor, sobbing into her 
knees as she brought them up to her chest, and curled herself 
into a little ball.
	She heard her great grandmother come back in, and felt
her presence as she stood beside her, one hand holding her
staff, the other stroking Shampoo's hair gently.
	"[Go you your room,]" Cologne suggested. "[I'll clean
up here.]"
	Shakily, Shampoo followed her great grandmother's
suggestion and went to her room. She fell on her bed and started 
to sob.
	There, she heard a grunt and the noise of someone
climbing up a wall. Blinking, Shampoo looked to the source
of the noise: the window.
	Much to her surprise, Alfred gave a grunt as he climbed
up to her window, and swung himself over the sill, landing 
awkwardly in her room.
	"Alfred!" Shampoo cried.
	Alfred gave a sheepish smile. "Shampoo." Grunting, he
got to his feet, brushed on his clothes, before he sat down
beside her. "I-I thought you could use someone to talk to."
	Shampoo smiled softly. "Thank you..." She tried to
collect herself, failing miserably.
	There was awkward silence for a few moments before
she flung her arms around Alfred and started to cry into him.
	"How could he do that to me?" Shampoo sobbed. "He 
mislead me and he betray me when I was at most vulnerable time!
How he could take advantage of me like that? He HURT me!"
	"Shampoo," Alfred soothed, patting her back. "It's
alright. Everything'll be alright. You'll never have to see
him ever again. Mousse'll never hurt you again."
	Shampoo sniffed. "It not Mousse who I talk about," she
said softly. "I no care about Mousse. If Mousse do something
hurt me, it okay, because I no care about him much. But... if
someone I care about hurt me then... it hurt... a lot."
	Alfred frowned in confusion. "Who are you talking about?"
	"Ranma." Shampoo said softly.
	"Ranma?"
	Shampoo nodded. She explained a simplified version of why 
she was in Japan to Alfred. It felt good to talk about it, and 
about how she felt about it. Her crying gradually stopped.
	"It hurt when Ranma-girl beat me." Shampoo said. "It
hurt when Ranma-boy show me that Ranma-girl and Ranma-boy is
same person. It hurt when Shampoo fall into spring of drown
cat. But... this wedding... hurt more than three put together."
	Shampoo sniffed. "Ranma no like me, but never treat
me very bad and really hurt me. But this time... really hurt
because Ranma mislead me and he take advantage when I most 
vulnerable."  
	Something clicked in Shampoo's mind.
	"Mislead? Take advantage? Most vulnerable?" Shampoo 
swallowed. "It sound like something I usually do to Ranma..." 
	~Oh god, if this is how he feels like... I am the worse 
scum on earth for making anyone feel like this! No wonder Ranma
do this to me! I... I never be his bride now, I hurt him too
much, too many times!~
	The thought of that brought about more tears and sobs.
Alfred ended up holding Shampoo for another ten minutes
before she stopped crying.
	During that time, Alfred tried to process all the 
information Shampoo had given him.
	~So... Ranma turns into a girl when he gets hit with
cold water, just like Shampoo turns into a cat. Ranma was a
girl, and defeated Shampoo. So Shampoo, being an amazon, had
to give Ranma the kiss of death, and chased her all across 
China, and into Japan, where she was then defeated by Ranma
as a male. Therefore, she gave him the kiss of marriage.~
	~Ranma is a fool, if he doesn't want you for a bride,~
Alfred thought to himself as he looked down at Shampoo, who had
stopped crying, but was still holding on to him.
	"Thank you for being here, Alfred," Shampoo said softly.
She gave a sigh and unhanded him. "I.. I wish this were all over, 
but it never be over. I no want be Ranma's bride any more... and I 
will never be Ranma's bride..."
	"Then don't marry him," Alfred said.
	"I wish it that easy," Shampoo retorted. "But I amazon,
remember? Have to carry out law."
	"Can't you just persway your great grandmother to, I
dunno, look the other way or something?" Alfred asked.
	Shampoo laughed bitterly. "Have better luck stopping 
forest fire with spit."
	"But you should tell your great grandmother. I'm sure she
doesn't want you to be unhappy. She might have some ideas."
	"Maybe..." Shampoo said softly.
	Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. "[Shampoo? Child?
Are you alright now?]"
	Alfred froze as the door opened.
	Cologne's eyes narrowed when she saw him in her great 
granddaughter's room. "What are you doing here?" Cologne demanded.
	Alfred swallowed. "I..."
	"Great grandmother, it okay!" Shampoo say. "Alfred come 
comfort me." She turned and gave him a smile. "He do a good job. 
Please, no hurt him."
	Cologne gave a sigh. "Oh, alright. Why don't the two
of you come downstairs for a cup of tea?"
	Shampoo gave a nod, and left her room, Alfred behind her.
Cologne grabbed the back of Alfred's shirt, as he passed her.
	"If I EVER find you in my great granddaughter's room, 
without her permission..." Cologne growled.
	Alfred swallowed. "I-it'll never happen madam!"
	"It better not."

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	Cologne, Shampoo and Alfred were in the main dinner area,
having a cup of tea. 
	"Great grandmother," Shampoo said softly. "I..  I no want 
be Ranma's bride any more"
	Cologne almost spat out her tea. She stared at her
great granddaughter. "What?!"
	Shampoo swallowed. "Great grandmother... I no want to
be married to someone who take advantage of me when I vulnerable.
I use to think Ranma more honorable, but this whole forget memory 
thing... besides, Ranma never pick me. You and me do this to him,
many, many times. If Ranma feel as hurt as I feel, then he never
want marry me. Please, great grandmother... is there way out of
this?"
	Cologne sighed. "Shampoo, you know you have to carry out
the law."
	"Yes... but..."
	"I want to help you too, Child," Cologne said. "I don't
want to see you unhappy, but I don't know what to do. You have
to either marry him or kill him. Do you want to kill him?"
	Shampoo shook her head.
	"Exactly. There's nothing else to do."
	"Ahem... I... have an idea." Alfred said meekly.
	Cologne and Shampoo both stared at him. "YOU have an
idea?" Cologne asked.
	"Well... actually, yeah. I do." Alfred said. "But
first, a question. What do you consider to be dead?"
	"What do you mean?" Cologne replied, frowning.
	"Well, how long have you had this 'kiss of death' law?"
Alfred asked.
	"Many centuries."
	"Hmm... so, there's a way out of this." Alfred said.
"A few decades ago, if a person's heart stopped beating, then
they were considered dead, because there was no way to revive
said person. However, now, a person who's heart stopped beating 
can still be revived, even if the heart stopped beating for as
long as 10 minutes! Nowadays, a person is considered dead only 
if their brain no longer functions. If this 'kiss of death' law
has been around for centuries, then if a person's heart stopped
beating, probably, the person is considered dead."
	Alfred grinned. "Therefore, all you have to do, is stop
Ranma's heart, and you've killed him. Then, revive him. The 
'kiss of death' only says you have to kill him. It didn't say
he has to stay dead."
	Shampoo blinked and turned to look at her great 
grandmother, who was rubbing her chin and thinking about Alfred's 
words. "Would that work, great grandmother?"
	"Hmm... yes, that would work!" Cologne said.
	Shampoo turned to look at Alfred, and grinned. "You've
done it, Alfred!" She cried.
	Shampoo threw her arms around Alfred and gave him a
hug of pure gratitude while Cologne looked on.
	~I don't believe it!~ Cologne thought. ~He found a loop 
hole in a problem we've had for two years!~
	Cologne started to look at Alfred in a more favorable 
light.	

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