" So, you really are death?" Mousse asked for the fifth time.
Death, as Mousse had decided on calling him, nodded for the fifth time. " Yes, I am."
Mousse sat silent for a moment, digesting the information. " Then all those names are for you?"
" Not really. Most of them deal with what happens to you after your death, so they don't quite apply to me." They were sitting on the edge of the building, watching the people pass by underneath.
" Oh." Death silently counted the seconds until the next question. " So what does happen to you when you die?"
Death shrugged. " I don't know."
" Huh?"
" I haven't died."
Mouse sat there for several seconds before he got it. " Har har, I mean when people die."
Death looked Mousse in the eyes. " Don't you think it might be a bad thing to know?"
Mousse sighed, looking back down at the street. " Yeah, you're right. Just curious, that's all."
Death smiled. " Well, I could show you…"
He laughed as Mousse made warding gestures and scrambled away. " Just kidding."
Mousse relaxed and sat back down. " Sheesh, I get enough death threats from Cologne and Shampoo as it is."
" Cologne?" Death raised an eyebrow. " She's in Japan? She's getting rather old for these long trips."
" Don't I know it. But she's determined to get Shampoo to marry Ranma. It's disgusting, what she'll do to get those two together. Luckily, she hasn't succeeded yet."
" Luckily for you, you mean. I doubt she feels the same way."
Mousse shrugged. " Actually, I think she enjoys Japan, but I'd rather be back in the village. It's less noisy, less complicated, and a lot less crowded."
Death shook his head. " You sound like a old man. You should be glad for the chance to see the larger world at your age."
Mousse response was interrupted by a sudden commotion from below. Both looked down as several people exited the bathhouse, arguing among themselves. Mousse, without his glasses, could not make out who was there. He gestured to the crowd. " Who's that?"
Death squinted, and then gave a chuckle. " Your good friend Ranma and his female friends. Apparently his father found it good fun to throw him onto the girl's side, where he was pounded savagely. Fiancé number one, Akane, is blaming him while Fiancé number three, Ukyo, is defending him."
Mousse chuckled, then froze. " What about Shampoo?"
" She's not there."
" She's not? Great!" Mousse leapt to his feet. " She must have gone back home! I've got to go see her!"
" Why, don't you think she'd rather have you stay away?" Death asked as Mousse began to run.
Mousse froze, then spun back toward the other boy. " Of course n… Well, mayb…" He sat back down. " Yeah, I guess she would. But that's not a reason to quit, is it?"
" Repeat that to yourself." Death seemed amused.
" Argh! Alright, so I sound kind of strange, but don't you think I have a point?"
" Not yet, you don't. Should she care about you?"
" Yes!" Mousse snapped. " I've spent most of my life dedicated to her, and I would gladly give the rest of it if she would just love me back!" He sighed, resting his chin on his hand. " Why do you think she hates me?"
It was Death's turn to consider. " Don't you think she has a reason?"
Mousse thought back, all those years he had spent with her, around her. " Yeah, I guess she does. I mean, I'm always confusing other things for her, plus I can't even defeat Ranma in a fight, then add in how often I mess up..." His voice sunk to a whisper. " How could she ever love me?"
They sat in silence, Death watching the crowds below while Mousse remembered his past, wondering if there was anything he could have done differently.
Finally Death stood, gesturing for Mousse to do the same. " Come on, it is time to go back to your dear Amazon."
Mousse chuckled, standing as well. " You're weird, you know that?"
" Tell me about it."
Chuckling, Mousse hopped off the edge of the roof, making sure not to land on any moving blurs when he landed. Turning, he wasn't surprised when he saw Death was right next to him. I wonder if Ranma has had days like this?
They began to walk back, Death navigating since Mousse had to keep his glasses off to talk to Death. Mousse didn't have to worry about any strange stares he might be getting, since he couldn't see them anyway.
Navigation became a lot worse when the streetlights went out.
" What the…" Mousse looked around. Evidently the people here wondered the same thing, as shouts and cries began to ring out up and down the street. He turned to Death, seeing him clearly despite the darkness. " So what is this?"
Death tilted his head, listening. Then he shrugged. " Ranma was just belted into a pole by Akane, and accidentally knocked out all the lights in a large area."
" He's alive?"
" Take my word for it, yes."
Mousse shrugged and started walking again. " Oh well, I guess it would be to much to hope for a end to that womanizing freak." He didn't like how Death was smirking at him.
" You know, you are a lot like Ranma." Death said this in an off-handed way, but the result was still Mousse walking into a light post.
Mousse pried himself off the pole. " Say what?! How'd you come to that conclusion?"
"Well," Death ticked off his fingers. " Both of you are serious martial artists. Both of you are obsessed about something; with him it is the art while with you it is Shampoo. Both of you love deeply, yet are unsure if the object of your affection returns your feelings…"
" Alright, alright." Mousse groused, waving away the reasoning. " What do you mean we both love deeply, anyway?"
" Remember that little incident with the reversal jewel?"
" Yeah, I do. And before you go arguing that Ranma feels the same for Akane, remember that he still asked Ukyo if she loved him."
" Don't you think that was just ego and not love?"
Mousse snorted. " Yeah, I guess." They resumed walking, making it almost a block before Mousse spoke again. " I thought you were death, not some spirit of love."
Death's chuckle had a small edge to it. " You'd be surprised how often the two go together."

* * *

Shampoo was beginning to wonder just how well she had remembered the instructions. She had never heard of a love potion that was a thick green in color, and she had doubts that it was suppose to bubble on occasion. Still, it wasn't the worse thing she had ever made.
She put aside her doubts, concentrating on the fact that she was about to finally have Ranma all to herself. No more would he act hesitant and shy, now he would reveal his true love for her, with a little help from the potion.
Now, all she had to do was add the final ingredient and the potion should be set. Now, she just had to remember which of these two chemicals it was to add. They were written in Japanese, and since both had similar names she could not decide which was the one.
" Which one Shampoo use?" She looked first at one, then the other. They seemed the same, could there be that much of a difference between them? " Ranma not need so much help in revealing love, so it not really matter." She just wished she felt that confidant.
A small label on the side of one of the bottles caught her eye. She brought it close to her eye, examining it closely. * Warning, not to be placed near small children*
Aha, this is it! If small children are not supposed to have it, then it must be dangerous, and only dangerous things are put in potions.
Happily she opened the bottle, measuring out a spoonful before deciding that there couldn't be such a thing as too much love, so she emptied the bottle into the mix.
When they mixed, she found out why she had not chose the path of potions.

* * *

" There is your house." Death pointed forward, to what looked to Mousse like a row of blurs. " We should get there in no time."
" Great! No offense, but I could use a nap." Mousse said with a chuckle, picking up his pace. He was tired, with the long day of working mixed with the repeating shocks talking to death caused. He couldn't wait to go inside, check up on Shampoo, and maybe get a good night kiss. Ah, to dream…
An odd thought struck him. " Hey Death?"
" I do have several names, you know. But anyway, you have a question."
" What were you doing in the restaurant when I first saw you?"
Death was silent for a moment as they walked. Finally he answered. " Most of the time I don't have to personally be there when something dies. However, there are times where it is up to chance, where the person's life is in the balance. In those times, I personally show up to decide whether the person should live or die.
Mousse chuckled. " So, I'll ask again. What were you doing in our… back… room…"
He trailed off, slowly realizing what Death had just said. Where there's a chance, a chance that someone might die…
< Death watching him on the rooftop. " Come on, it is time to go back to your dear Amazon>
SHAMPOO!
There was a crash from the building, and Mousse could barely hear a muffled scream.
" Shampoo!" Mousse ran, racing to the building. There was a thin green smoke coming from underneath the door, fueling Mousse fear. Not taking the time to open the door, Mousse barreled into and then through it.
The room was a mess of dark shadows and twisting shapes, Mousse's poor vision and fear turning it into a cold, mocking place. The only clear thing was a trail of green, visible through the shadows, leading back to the kitchen. Hardly daring to pause for breath, Mousse followed the smoke.
It looked like a small bomb had gone off on the counter, pieces of it littering the room. The smoke was thick, obscuring his already bad eyesight. He coughed, covering his face with a sleeve as he looked wildly around. " Shampoo! Where are you?"
Walking forward, he stumbled against something on the floor. Glancing down, he spotted a hint of purple among the sea of green. Shampoo!
Dropping to his knees, he lifted her up in his arms, carrying her back to the main room. Any minute she'll wake up and hit me, calling me a stupid duck. Any minute now… Oh please, Shampoo, wake up!
A wind from the open door was dispersing the smoke, allowing Mousse to breathe again. Stumbling over to where a table should be, he lowered her down, pulling his glasses over his eyes to he could see her.
She was twitching, clawing feebly at her throat while her eyes stared blindly. Her breath was short, rasping. Looking at her mouth, he saw to his horror that she must have gotten a mouthful of that smoke, as the entire inside of her mouth was coated with it.
" No!" He whispered, touching her neck. The pulse was slow and uneven, and so faint that Mousse could barely feel it under the shaking of his own hand. " NO!"
He ran for the phone, rapidly pushing in the numbers for a hospital. He stopped when he realized that there was no noise from the phone. Then he remembered the power outage.
" Damn you Ranma! This is your fault!" Mousse looked frantically around, desperate for something to help him. In desperation he whipped off his glasses. " Death!"
" That just might happen." He was standing next to Shampoo, watching her with a calm look. " She has breathed in some rather dangerous chemicals, and unless proper medical attention is applied soon, she will not make it."
" The old woman, Cologne, she can help! It's her chemicals!" Mousse began to bolt for the stairs, only to be halted by Deaths voice.
" Don't you this is a little beyond her primitive village skills?"
Mousse grit his teeth, running back to where Shampoo lay. " Yes, but I've got to save her, damn it!" He looked desperately at Death. " Please, you've got to save her!"
Death watched him, a young Amazon male who was desperately trying to hold back fate. After what seemed like an eternity, Death shrugged. " I'm going to the local hospital to collect someone, but if you follow me it is your business." Turning away, he walked casually toward the door.
Mousse nearly sobbed with relief, picking up Shampoo in his arms. " Thank you, thank you so much!"
" There is a catch."
Mousse froze, his hope freezing in his chest. " What?"
Death glanced over his shoulder, his gaze as cold as his name. " My collection there is her. If you get there first, she might live. If I arrive there, she will not live. It is fate, Mousse, and to save her life you must outrun Death."
So saying, he left the room, not disturbing the rubble of the door as he passed.
Mousse exploded into motion, holding Shampoo to his chest as he practically flew out the door. He knew where the hospital was, over three miles away as the duck flies. He could make it, he was a martial artist in perfect physical shape. He had no doubts.
Then he saw Death, almost out of sight down the road.
With a curse, Mousse ran. He ran as he never had before, his feet a blur as he charged forward, following in Deaths wake. Soon he was among the busy streets, and with the street light out he had a hard time dodging the people and objects that littered the road. He had to slow down to make sure he didn't crash, since his passenger wouldn't survive. Slowed, he could only watch helplessly as Death moved away, walking faster than Mousse could run.
I can't do it. I've lost, I'm so sorry Shampoo…
Helplessly he stopped, looking down at his love, his life. Her eyes stared at him, her body going still as the life began to ebb away. Her eyes, those eyes that had captivated him for fourteen years, those eyes that always had nothing but scorn and anger for him, now looked at him with fear, with a plea for help.
No, I will not lose you, Shampoo. No mater what, I'll help you.
He started forward, then realized that he could never make it if he didn't know the way. He reached into his sleeve and took out his glasses, placing them on his face.
No more blurs, no half-truths, no hiding. I will save her!
To others, Mousse was speed, a blur of blue and white. He shot past moving cars as if they were holding still, a thin aura surrounding him. He ran for her life, and his, all of his energy focused on running. He felt as if his vision was as focused as a hawk, spotting obstacles and dodging them before they could become a problem. He no longer just wanted to beat Death; he had to.
The hospital was before him before he knew it. Several people were talking out front, but their only relation to him was that one of them held the door open. Bracing his legs, he slid through the open door, slowing down enough so that he reached the desk without injuring anyone.
The woman was startled to see him, a robed boy with a blazing aura and a woman in his arms. He held out Shampoo, and from his voice came a single plea. " Save her."

* * *

Mousse sat in the waiting room, too tired to care about his own exhaustion. He existed, and he was waiting, that was all that mattered. The doctors were working on Shampoo, as they had been for several hours. The clock said 5:24, but numbers were meaningless to him now. He would wait his entire life if she would live.
It did not take that long. At 5:30, a doctor came into the room, a tired expression on his face. He saw Mousse and came over, wiping his face with a hand. " Mr. Mhu Zee?"
Mousse nodded silently.
The doctor gave a tired smile. " Well, it was hard work. We didn't know half the stuff she inhaled and swallowed, but you're lucky that you brought her here when you did. Any longer and it might have been too late. As it is, she's going to have to stay here for a few days."
Mousse sighed, relief being too small a word. " Can I… can I see her?"
" Sure." The doctor pointed the way and room number. " She's sleeping now, so don't disturb her."
Mousse nodded, walking slowly toward the room. The doctor chuckled to himself, turning away. According to some accounts whispered around the hospital, he had run a mile to get here. A girl that age was lucky to have such a dedicated boyfriend.
Mousse slowly opened the door, careful not to make a sound. The bed was illuminated by moonlight from the single window. A small machine monitored her heart, its constant beeping a comforting sound. Her hair was pooled around her, her face calm and peaceful. Mousse's heart stopped for a moment at her beauty.
Settling down in a chair, Mousse watched her, as he always had. He felt so tired, yet it was worth it, every bit of it. He rubbed his eyes, removing his glasses and placing them on the table next to him. When he opened his eyes, he froze.
Death stood at the foot of the bed.
Mousse's mind went blank for a moment, filled with the knowledge that he should defend Shampoo, yet knowing he couldn't move. Then a tiny bit of trivia came to mind, and he quietly chuckled. Death looked at him questioningly.
Mousse gestured to them all. " When death stands at the head of the bed, the person will die. When death stands at the foot, the person will live."
Death nodded, smiling slowly. " A little bit about me you do know, I see."
Mousse shrugged. " As much good as it does me." Looking at Death, Mousse smiled back. " I want to thank you. For giving me a chance."
" Don't thank me, I would have done my job if you hadn't run fast enough. You got her here before the chemicals killed her. Nice to know that you focused on getting here rather than outrunning me. Maybe there can be something done about that competitiveness of yours."
Mousse settled back, closing his eyes. " Not that it matters. When she awakens, she'll want to see her Ranma, and might shout at me for being so clumsy."
He heard Death chuckle. " You really think that Shampoo won't be effected by your actions?"
Mousse opened his eyes, a question on his lips. All he saw was the empty room, as the monitoring machine showed that Shampoo was far from Death. He sat there for a moment before closing his eyes again, a smile on his lips. Ah, to dream…

* * *

Death stood on the roof, watching the city move down below. He really had not expected this, such a bundle of mysteries in such a small spot. Mousse and Shampoo were just the beginning of this troubled city. He was intrigued, and he did have an old friend to thank for it.
He turned, smiling at his friend. " When you wrote me they were here in Japan, you didn't tell that you were here yourself. I would have visited."
" One visit from Death per century can be quite enough for the heart, thank you." Cologne seemed annoyed at something. It was well hidden, but Death was good with people.
" What's on your mind? Surely you can't be angry that I leave your great-granddaughter in peace for now?"
" No, it's not that." Cologne turned on her staff, glaring at that boy who was not a boy. " When I asked you to help Shampoo with her romantic problems, this is not what I meant."
Death shrugged. " One love struck boy seems quite the same to another. Besides, would Ranma have acted with less love?"
" How come all your questions are answered with yes?" She groused. " He would have been more panicky, but I though that he would have had more time. I underestimated Shampoo's explosive capability with those chemicals. I still can't believe you let that blind duck beat you here."
Death smiled, looking back over the city. " I did not lose on purpose."
Cologne blinked. " What?" " You know as well as I that Death cannot choose alter its course once it is called. Mousse did beat death, outrunning the danger here to save his love. I haven't seen something like that for quite a while."
Cologne slowly relaxed, laughing with Death. " Ah, you never change, do you old friend? Still a hopeless romantic."
" Yes, well, that's what I am." He looked down at Cologne as she hopped next to him, remembering days long gone. " It would be a strange world if I ever changed. I'm just glad these children have enough of a chaos aura around them that they can spot me."
Cologne shook her head. " And I'm sure that you'd find some other loophole to help them if you could." She leapt up to his shoulder, kissing him lightly on the cheek. " See you next century."
She leapt into the darkness, leaving Death to think. Slowly his smile became a broad grin.
" Do I really think I could help anyone else here?"

Sometimes, we can all use a helping hand.
Kimada
Kimada51@Hotmail.com