The Amazon Mask of Oneself

The Amazon Mask of Oneself  
A Ranma ½ Fan-Fiction by Otakukiller and JanusDaGuardian

“Shampoo! Where are you? Shampoo!”

It was another “normal” day in the Nerima district of Tokyo, Japan. The Neko Haten(Cat Cafe) was in the process of opening to walk-in customers. Mousse, intent on asking Shampoo out for a date, energetically searched the small establishment for a date, but all he could see through his glasses were bare tables, blurry décor, and light from the late-morning sun. It was when his search passed by the service window/counter that he noticed a small, cardboard box, opened and containing a small, face-shaped object, which peeked Mousse's curiosity to the point of investigating the item more closely. However, he failed to notice the slip of paper that was left beside it.  

The object turned out to be, at least in Mousse's eyes, a ceremonial mask possessing a static composition of Shampoo's beautiful facial features, including her long purple hair, two sections of the top layers fixed into her favorite Chinese-style buns, her small, somewhat-angular face, and a soft smile, all of which set Mousse's heart on fire.

“Shampoo, I had no idea we shared a common interest in masks!”

Mousse set his circular-framed, coke-bottle-sized spectacles onto the counter and, looking almost giddy as he did so, placed the mask over his face. Had he actually read the note that was left beside the box, he probably would not have done so...

The confines of the mask virtually disappeared as it's solid features took on a skin-soft consistency, melding with the face of the white-clad martial artist beneath. At the same time, Mousse's tall statue diminished until he was as tall as his heart-throb-of-a-“future-wife”. A sudden, imposing draft along his legs signaled the change in his clothing as his long, white tunic became a long cheongsam dress with an open vertical seem that ran along his left leg, revealing the rather feminine proportions left behind as his blue trousers disappeared as well. The baggy folds along the chest soon became quite full as a generous bosom budded there. The last change to occur, one that Mousse literally “saw” was a quick pain in his eyes, followed crisp, clear vision and shimmering red-brown eyes that revealed all of his usually blurry surroundings, including the little white cat statue next to the register.

“That's strange... I didn't notice that there before...” Upon hearing the eerily-familiar voice escape his lips, Mousse looked downwards to discover, first his hands, then his body, that he had become an exact duplicate of his favorite Chinese Amazoness. “Wh-WHAT IS THIS?!”

Mousse only had a minute to glance over her new, ample form before she heard the restaurant's main door slide open, followed by a similar, female voice crying “AIYA!”. That's when she turned to find the object of her affections, Shampoo, standing there, shocked and pointing her left finger at her doppelganger, holding an empty delivery case, left over from a special order.

Mousse temporarily forgot about her predicament, overjoyed to see her beloved in the clearest vision she had ever possessed, and dashed forward, arms out wide for a passionate embrace. “Shampoo, I can see you now! Rejoice, Shampoo!”

Whether by instinct or by putting two-and-two together, Shampoo's rebuttal came in the form of a full-fledged smack-down with the broadside of her delivery case, sending the white-clothed Shampoo crashing to the floor. This was followed by a quick series of angry stomps. This was a regular occurrence for the two of them, but it was the first time Mousse had ever tired to hug Shampoo whilst looking exactly like his amazoness counterpart.

*** ***

“Shampoo no know how Mousse look like Shampoo now, but need go change! Shampoo no want to handle lunch on own!”    

Slowly, Mousse got up, but there was something different in her expression and demeanor. Instead of energetic love or solemn disappointment, there was first utter confusion and then a stunned expression as she finally spoke.

“Aiya! Who is you?”

Shampoo paused, confused by the sudden change in tone and personality. “Me is Shampoo, of course.”

“You no Shampoo,” the other Shampoo said. “Me is Shampoo.”

The real Shampoo crossed her arms. “This game, Mousse? Is not funny...”

“This no game. I is Shampoo, not Mousse. You is copycat girl.”

“You picking fight, Mousse? I is only Shampoo. You is fake.”

“Amazon woman has much pride.” The other Shampoo reached behind herself as she adjusted into her fighting stance. “Shampoo no let say 'fake'...”

Shampoo saw the attack coming, even before the other Shampoo brandished a pair of Chinese Chúi and proceeding into a flurry of strikes, which forced Shampoo to retreat as she went to grab her own. However, her set wasn't in the usual place. They were missing. It wasn't until the other Shampoo's strikes connected with her head that she realized where they had gon to; Her opponent, the other Shampoo, had stolen them from her...

Shampoo collapsed into a mangled mess on the floor. Mind just as dizzy as her blurry vision, Shampoo looked onwards as her twin, formally a foolish childhood friend named Mousse, huffed and said, “That proof no is what say is...”, right before she stalked out of the restaurant.  


Shampoo was bewildered having just lost to what she deemed a “fake” version of herself—no. Her wannabe fiancee wearing a strange costume.

“How? How I get so easy beaten?”  

“That is because...” Cologne, Shampoo's great-grandmother and about ten years older than God, hopped into the dinning area astride her signature, wooden staff. “you were not simply fighting a mere copy...”

“Great-grandmother...”

“The mask that brought about Mousse's transformation is none other than the legendary mask of Oneself... Although traditionally worn to help the few Amazon women who come to possess them retain their beauty and physical prowess by sealing their youthful appearance, some even manage to seal a part of the woman's soul, which has now possessed our foolish dishwasher. Right now, his mind, body, and heart has become overlapped in the form that has captured even your deepest desires...”

Between the reflection of the words “heart” and “deepest desires”, a horrible thought crossed Shampoo's mind as the possibility of where their transformed helper had went came to the forefront of her thoughts.

“Aiya! Mousse go after Ranma! Must following, quick!”

“I agree.” Cologne, now perched on a nearby table, prodded a spot on Shampoo's back, instantly resetting Shampoo's body and allowing her to spring to her feet. “Go, Shampoo! Find my future son-in-law!”


*** ***

Ranma Saotome walked down a familiar Nerima street alongside his, so-called, “fiancee” Akane, who still wore her white-and-aqua colored school uniform, having only just finished school. The two of them carried a set of grocery bags, as part of a small, family favor for Kasumi, Akane's eldest sister and one of the best cooks Ranma knew.

Akane carried her grocery bag with practiced caution in one of her hands, the other holding her book bag, whereas Ranma utilized his as part of a series of on-going training by balancing the contents atop his head as he stalked across a nearby, chain-linked railing.

“The nerve of that kid-teacher, stealing my battle aura to keep the class's attention,” Ranma grumbled.

“It's your own fault for eating during class,” Akane retorted. “Be grateful she didn't suck you dry again...”  

A loud boom nearby nearly caused Ranma to lose his balance as a nearby building virtually exploded with debris. He knew those “crash-related” explosions better than anyone... A moment later, a familiar purple-haired Amazoness stumbled around the nearby street corner, holding her head like she was in a slight daze, at least for a few moments, until she spotted her favorite pigtailed “groom-to-be”.

“Shampoo!” Ranma and Akane exclaimed.

“Nihao, Ranma~!”

With speed and grace unexpected from one who just crashed into a what appeared to be a small pharmacy, Ranma yelped as the once-dazed girl connected a flying glomp, making him fall backwards onto the street, one hand desperately holding onto the grocery bag that would've splattered had he braced for the “attack” just a second later.    

“Shampoo look for you~” Shampoo sang.

“Well that's nice...” Ranma said sarcastically, somehow ignoring the rather-large mammary glands pressing into him. “Now get off...”

The familiar blow of his other fiancee's right foot being planted into Ranma's face followed shortly, prompting Shampoo to stop her “devoted” cuddling session to shoot a glare at the black-hair girl interrupting them. “What you doing?!”

“Ranma, we were supposed to get this stuff to Kasumi an hour ago,” Akane huffed. “If you don't end your little love session now, none of us will be getting dinner tonight...”  

“I'm trying,” Ranma spat.

“Ranma no go. Shampoo imposter coming this way. No know what she do. Ranma help Shampoo.”

Ranma had no idea what the little Amazon was saying, that is until the wall of a nearby house burst apart and out walked... another Shampoo? This one had eyes that burned with jealousy upon the awkward scene between her twin and her favorite martial artist.  

“You no touch Ranma! Get 'way!” The new arrival said.  

“Why?” The first Shampoo said. “Shampoo love Ranma! Ranma love Shampoo! You no interfere!”

Ranma looked up at Akane, wondering if he was gonna receive yet another form of “jealousy-influenced” discipline. He wasn't disappointed.

“Ranma doesn't love you! Look at him!”

“Gorilla-girl need shut up!” the cuddling Shampoo said.

The other Shampoo giggled at the “Gorilla-girl” insult her twin made.  “Akane foot cover Ranma's face... No can see anyway...”
     
“You need shut up too, ugly...”

The “wall-buster” Shampoo paused, unsure as to how to respond to being called “ugly” by, not only an exact copy of herself, but also a copy made out of her “wanna-be” husband, who had never allowed a man to insult her, let alone insult her himself. This meditation soon shifted to anger once more as an embarrassed blush appeared on her face. “Ugly...?”

“That right. Shampoo have cute face, strong body, and large breast. Real Shampoo look pretty to Ranma. You is ugly.”

“Ya two look exactly alike...” Ranma groaned under the weight of Akane's ever-pressing heel.

“Let Ranma decide who fake.” The first Shampoo said, staring her “ugly” twin down.

“Shampoo about say same thing.” The other one said with an equally-murderous glare of her own.

“Sorry! No can do!” Ranma shouted, taking off down the street. Somehow, Ranma had removed Akane's foot and slipped out of the first Shampoo's embrace, and now, he was heading straight for home, bounding up to a nearby rooftop, which, in a way, lead back to the Tendo Dojo. “One crazy cat girl is bad enough, and I'm gettin' hungry. See ya!”

“Wait for me!” Akane said, racing after him, leaving the two Shampoos alone.    

The first Shampoo, the “fake Shampoo”  rose to her feet, laughing to herself as she found she no longer had her stud to snuggle with. “Can no be helped,” she said, brandishing, not her twin Chinese Chúi, Shampoo's Chinese Chúi, but instead a Chinese Dao sword with a long, curved blade. “Look like Shampoo need eliminate obstacle. Obstacle for killing. Copycat must die...”  

“I no is afraid of you! We fight!”

The real Shampoo rushed forward, dodging her assassin's horizontal swipe as she easily disarmed her opponent with a well-placed kick. She was surprised, however, when a familiar pair of Chinese Chúi collided with the ground mere inches from her retreating feet.

“What?!”

The false Shampoo smirked. “No underestimate girl of Amazon tribe.”  

If it wasn't clear then, it was definitely clear when the false Shampoo revealed several other weapons, including Mousse's own grappling ropes. She wasn't fighting just a copy; she was fighting Mousse as well, a Master of the Hidden Swan technique, storing many weapons and other miscellaneous items onto her person, to a capacity that would make even a magician's head spin. This would make it tougher for her, but, luckily, Mousse had never beaten her in his male form, and whatever this “technique fusion” her imposter had adopted was most likely going to drag her down.
   
That was the initial thought that kept her morale up, but it soon became apparent, being forced to retreat more than counterattacking, that this fight was NOT going in her favor...

“Shampoo! What are you doing!?”

Shampoo's great-grandmother, Cologne, was perched a nearby rooftop, observing the less-than-formal exchange of fighting wills between the two combatants.

“Great-grandmother! Something wrong! Mousse too strong!”

“You are underestimating your opponent, Shampoo! It's become a problem!”

“Shampoo no understand! How Mousse get so strong?”

“Mousse has always been a strong contender, among the strongest men in our region, but his love and devotion towards you has always forced him to stay using his full strength! Now that the barrier of his affections has been demolished, he can come at you with all his might... and yours! He has become both you and his real self at the same time!”    

A quick slash that left behind a flesh-wound on her right shoulder was proof enough that what her great-grandmother said was true. Shampoo realized now just how foolish it was to take on the combined might of two fighting forms in one body. It pained her pride to say her next three words, but she was in earnest need of aid. “Help me, great-grandmother!”

“The conclusion of this fight is in my favor, Shampoo! It doesn't matter which one of you wins this fight! Win or lose, I will still have a great-granddaughter to wed my future son-in-law...! The strongest great-granddaughter!”    

With that, her Shampoo's great-grandmother disappeared, leaving Shampoo with a horrible sense of dread that showed on her face to the point that her twin flashed an evil grin in amusement as she readied her sword. “Prepare yourself!”  

It was a strange feeling to become suddenly terrified of what had actually became her in almost every way, including the blood-lust look in her assassin's eyes and 2000 years of Chinese Amazon pride...


*** (Meanwhile...) ***

“Oh, sweeto~!”

A certain perverted master of the Anything-Goes Martial Arts watched the little “cat-fight”, sniffing a pair of heart-printed panties, part of the “haul” he'd recently acquired. Two taps of wood clicking the shingles announced the presence of Shampoo's great-grandmother, who apparently hadn't disappeared quite yet...

“Happy, what are you up to?”

“It's not everyday I get to see a pair of lovely twins having a cat-fight. It's a shame they aren't both wearing skirts...” Happosai said.

Cologne shook her head. “Incurable old coot...”  

“Awfully cruel not staying to help your granddaughter; after all you two have been through together. Matriarchs of the Chinese Amazon must be devoid of family emotions...”

“Strange words coming from a pervert who's only family is oppressed students... And denying my granddaughter aid was a necessary course of action. I'm afraid that I've spoiled her for far too long, having her work as a mere waitress at my cafe. She's become domesticated by this urban lifestyle, and her dreams have become too lofty as she's pursued my future son-in-law. This “trial” shall help to correct that, for I have confidence that my granddaughter will overcome her current flaws and emerge from this battle victoriously.”

“It's a shame she can't overcome that little eyesore of a birthmark you two have... Really spoils the 'birthday suit' in that area...”

Happosai took one last whiff of his prize, and Cologne's staff of judgment whacked over the head, knocking him off the building and into a large trash bin below.

Cologne huffed. “A fitting place for an old pervert...”  

The battle between Shampoo and her twin had advanced, or rather “retreated”, to the alleyway right beneath the roof Cologne had just perched. Shampoo's clothing had been severed in a few places. What was left of her pink apron was hanging by a few threads, and, based on her granddaughter's expression, so was her courage.

“Shampoo!”

Both “Shampoos” paused and glanced about, attempting to spot who it was that cried out their name. They both spotted “their” great-grandmother at about the same time.  

“Great-grandmother!”  

“I didn't raise you to be a coward or a fool! Eyes and body forward!”

Having her behavior brought to the forefront through her grandmother's criticism, Shampoo turned to face her opponent once more. She was right; Woman of Amazon tribe never gave up, never fled, yet she was doing just that by retreating as she was.

“Right now, you have two opponents. Both are yourself. One is in your mind, deceived by pride. The other is before you, bolstering your greatest strengths and your greatest weakness! Do you understand, Shampoo?”
     
The penny dropped for Shampoo, so hard in fact that she felt tempted to stab “herself” with her opponent's sword. The answer was right in front of her the whole time, but her only focus was trying to overpower her doppelganger with sheer force alone. In doing so, she abandoned meditation for any form of strategy.

A quick glance to the left provided a broken water-bucket and a used mop. The currently-unarmed, purple-haired Amazon seized the wooden cleaning tool and brought it up to bear, prompting her opponent to giggle maliciously at the obviously out-classed weapon.

“That you idea of cleaning house?” Shampoo's twin readied for another assault, bringing her long, Chinese blade up to strike. “I come!”    

Shampoo's assassin dashed forward as the real Shampoo twirled her mop-headed staff about in a perfect circular motion before hooking the broken mop bucket and its dirty water, creating a make-shift launcher which catapulted towards her swiftly-advancing foe...

The bucket bounced off her assassin's parrying blow, but the contents could not be returned. In the blink of an eye, a pink cat struggling with a white, now over-sized cheongsam dress, a sword without a wielder, and many miscellaneous items, decorated the spot where Shampoo's imposter had once stood.      

“The Mask of Oneself... It preserves both the strengths and the weaknesses of the original wearer, naturally, that includes your Jusenkyo curse, Shampoo...”

The pink-furred cat, now free of the confines produced by her dress's folds, slipped on a puddle produced by Shampoo's maneuver. Shampoo followed after, clapping the now-empty bucket over her now-harmless rival, wiping the excess sweat from her forehead as she fought to finally catch her breath.

Cologne witnessed this event and nodded her head in approval before whispering a small, “Well done, my great-grand daughter...”


***

Back at the Noodle Shop, Shampoo poured a hot pitcher of  water over her Kitty-ified twin, causing it to yelp as it reverted back to her curvacious, human form, secured by a set of ropes and a small gag rag. Positioned behind her, Cologne recited a strange incantation as she placed her hands against the sides of the struggling, nude Amazon's head. Within moments, the feminine curves disappeared as the face became a Shampoo-shaped mask once more. In the doppelganger's place was an equally-nude Mousse, who, upon rousing from his “deep sleep” and feeling a small draft, all over his body... seized his white tunic, which had reverted back from the sensual white dress it was before. A sudden headache followed, prompting him to hold his head as he patted about for his glasses.

“Ugh... What happened?”

“Mousse!”  

Due to his poor eyesight, Mousse couldn't see who was embracing him with such warm, welcoming arms, but he did make out a familiar purple blur and the scent of Asian lilies. Needless to say, he was at a loss for words, having only received physical and verbal punishment from her since their childhood, but he couldn't deny the sensation of his favorite Amazon embracing his... bare skin...? was a very welcome change of pace.

“Shampoo, I'm not so sure...!”

“Thank you, Mousse.”

Again, Mousse was dumbfounded, but, despite his confusion, he decided to simply enjoy the moment for as long as it lasted...

     
The End