Just dusting this one off for our new subscibers....




	"Well then, you can just be a girl--"
	SPLASH
	"And find a *real* man to marry!"
	BOOT
	The observer's eyes narrowed.  She'd missed the first part of the 
quarrel, but it didn't really matter.  Cold water turned Ranma female.  
Still unnoticed, the observer softly stepped in the direction of the 
Dojo.  Ranma would go back there, eventually.
		*			*			*
	"I wonder...maybe she isn't so much mad I kissed her...as that I 
don't remember doing it?"
	The observer nodded.  Hot water restored Ranma to male.  
Everything was as it was supposed to be.  Her heart ached to join him, 
but no, the plan was all.  She reluctantly turned away.
		*			*			*
	Ranma ran down the street towards Fuurinkan High.  Akane had left 
early, probably still angry at him.  He tried to come up with some sort 
of explanation that wouldn't land him in more trouble.  
	If he only had a friend he could trust to advise him on dealing 
with girls...Pops and Mr. Tendou would just tell him to marry Akane.  
Nabiki would charge him for advice, and then just tell him things he 
already knew.  Kasumi...well, maybe, but it was hard to tell just how 
"with it" she was.  Hiroshi and Daisuke had even less experience with 
girls than he did, and Ryouga would prefer him dead.  Not a very good 
selection.  Doctor Toufuu, maybe?  Then Ranma remembered how the 
physician handled *his* love affairs and shook his head.
	He pulled into the gate, and noticed Kunou lying on the ground.  
That didn't make sense.  The only other person who could take the 
Upperclassman was Akane, and she should have been here a long time ago.  
Kunou would have recovered by now.
	Then Ranma noticed a girl in a school uniform waiting near 
Kunou's twitching form.  That long purple hair looked familiar... 
	"Nihao, Ranma!"
	"S-Shampoo!?"
	What was *she* doing here?
	"Shampoo student here now!  Learn modern things!"
	Okay, that answered that unspoken question...
	"Why here, Shampoo?"
	"To be near hus--er, Ranma!"
	"Um...I'm not sure that's such a good idea..." He remembered the 
last time he'd seen her.  She'd been trying to kill him or marry him, 
depending on which form he was in at the time.  She'd attacked Akane, and 
he'd finally had to reveal his curse to get rid of her.  Actually, he'd 
had to lie, too...
	"Shampoo...sorry...for before.  She not understand Japanese 
customs, Ranma not understand Amazon laws.  Can Shampoo 
be...friends...with Ranma?"  She smiled prettily.
	Shampoo could be so cute!
	"Well, I guess, if you promise you're not gonna attack Akane and 
me, and you understand I'm not marrying you."
	"Shampoo promise she not attack anyone she not have to."
	She raised her arms as if to give Ranma a hug, but shook her 
head, a little sadly.
	"Shampoo not force Ranma to marry anyone he no want to...."


				SOFT SELL
			by Scott K Jamison
			(Takahashi disclaimer)
			      Chapter One

	"So, uh, what class are you in?" asked Ranma, praying she 
wouldn't say "1-F."
	"1-F, same like Ranma!"  It was official.  The gods hated him.  
"Ranma show Shampoo where is?  She not sure."
	Ranma sighed.  "I guess I can show you where it is, but we're not 
going in together."
	"Ranma no want be seen with Shampoo?  Ranma no like Shampoo?"  
She sounded hurt.
	"It's not that!  It's just that..I can't!  Okay?"  
	"Oh-kay" replied Shampoo sadly.
	Ranma led Shampoo to the right hall and pointed out the correct 
door.  He waited for a full count of ten before following her in, just 
barely beating the bell.  The teacher was looking at Shampoo's paperwork, 
so Ranma was able to slide into his seat without being noticed.
	"Good morning, class."
	"Good morning, teacher."
	"We have a new transfer student from China today, a Miss...Shan 
Puu?" 
	"Please, call Shampoo!"  She didn't bow, since it wasn't the 
custom in her part of China.  Some of the students didn't know this, and 
were a little offended.  Most of the male students reacted in their usual 
hormone-crazed manner, restrained only by the threat of hall bucket 
duty.  Akane looked to be in shock.
	Fortunately, the only open desk was well away from him or Akane, 
so there wasn't an immediate explosion.
	While the teacher droned out the morning's English lesson, Akane 
passed Ranma a note.  [What's *she* doing here?]
	[Not sure,] replied Ranma.  [She claims to be here to get an 
education, but she still seems to have a thing for me.  Be careful.]
	Between classes, Shampoo walked straight up to Akane.  "Shampoo 
apologize for trying kill Akane.  Shampoo not understand Japanese 
customs.  Can Akane and Shampoo be friends?"
	Akane seemed to struggle for an answer.  Finally, she said, 
"Well, we don't have to be enemies..."
	"That good enough for now.  Ranma and Akane come to Nekohanten 
later?  Meet Great-Grandmother."  She handed Ranma a flyer for a 
restaurant with that name.  He stiffened a bit.  Anything named after 
cats was probably bad for him.
	"Yes, we'll come...together," answered Akane before Ranma could 
find a way to refuse.  
			*			*
	At lunch, Ranma was somewhat pleased to see Shampoo being 
surrounded by a gaggle of boys.  Hopefully they'd keep her busy while he 
talked to Akane.  
	He turned to his reluctant fiancee, who seemed distracted.  "Uh, 
Akane, about the cat thing..."
	"Yes, Ranma?"
	"Uhh...I wish I could remember kissing you."
	"Huh!?"  She suddenly had a really weird look in her eyes.  Ranma 
wasn't sure what it was.
	"I mean, I don't want my kissing you to be something you didn't 
want!  If we kissed, I'd want it to be real, not 'cause I was crazy."
	"So you say it would be crazy to kiss me?"
	"No, that's not what I meant!  I--" Then he realized she was 
smiling. "You're yanking my chain, aren'cha?"
	"Just a little.  I'm more worried about Shampoo.  Do you really 
think her village just let her out of that kill/marry law?"
	"Hard to say.  I didn't really get a good look at that rulebook 
she was carrying.  Maybe there's an exception thingie in there for guys 
who turn into girls or something.  Maybe we can find out tonight when we 
visit that restaurant."
	Hiroshi limped up to them.  "Hi Ranma, Akane.  Man, that Shampoo 
really overreacts to pickup lines."
	"You mean, she didn't like `Hey, my parents are out of town 
tonight so let's get together and neck?'"
	"No.  She stomped on my foot and told me she was already 
married." 
	Ranma and Akane exchanged worried glances.
	"So, you know her, right?  What's her husband like?"
	Ranma facefaulted.
*			*			*			*
	Ranma whistled.  A month ago, this had been a decrepit abandoned 
building.  Now it was a sparkling clean ramen joint. 		
	There was a skinny mustaschioed man in Chinese robes behind the 
counter.  He smiled as the three teenagers came in. 
	"Father, Shampoo back.  Bring hus--Ranma and Akane." 
	"Welcome customers!" He turned back to stacking bowls. 
	"So your dad runs this restaurant?"
	Shampoo stared at Ranma as though he'd just said something 
completely stupid.  "*Great-Grandmother* run Nekohanten.  Father just 
here to help.  Ranma and Akane wait, Shampoo bring."
	A few minutes later, Shampoo returned in a pantsuit (and looking 
much more comfortable than in her school dress) and with a troll by her 
side. 
	On closer examination, Ranma realized it was actually an 
indredibly shriveled old woman with long white hair.  She moved along 
slowly, supporting herself with a gnarled staff. 
	"Great-Grandmother, this Ranma, Shampoo's husband."
	"I am not your hus--"  Ranma was abruptly cut off by a staff in 
the gut.
	"So, you are the one Shampoo wants.  Rude and soft.  Tch.  You 
are unworthy of my great-granddaughter."
	"Hey, wait a minute, I am *not* soft!"
	"Oh, really?  You beat Shampoo by accident, didn't you?  I'd say 
you probably couldn't even handle *me* in a fair fight..."
	"I don't fight women!"
	"Then you are saying the Joketsuzoku are less than you as 
warriors?  Do you have any idea how grave an insult that is?"
	"Careful, Ranma!  She's trying to provoke you.  It's some kind of 
trick," warned Akane.
	But as usual, Ranma didn't listen.  "Fine, if that's the way you 
want it, come on and I'll show you what I've got!"  He'd take it easy on 
the old bag, but no way he was going to let her run down his martial arts 
ability.

To Be Continued....

SKJAM!