Walking Away

'China' was written and performed by Tori Amos. 'Ranma 1/2' is copyright Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Kitty Film and Viz Communications. All rights remain theirs and I have no claim to anything... piglet? What piglet? Oh, this piglet. He's just a pet, really... eheh, bandanna? Just a coincidence. Oh, is that the time? Must dash!

"And when you've finished that, boy, go scrub the tables!"

"Old hag," Mousse muttered. Unfortunately for him, Cologne's hearing hadn't worsened overnight, and nor had her aim. A saucepan lid spun across the room, a gleaming frisbee, to collide solidly with the back of his head.

"You can always go back to China, boy!"

Mousse didn't want to think about that. Between the loss of honour involved in returning to the village without anything to show for the long sojourn in the outside world, the broadening of his horizons by his residence in the cosmopolitan city of Tokyo - no matter how provincial Nerima was at times - and the absolute hostility of the Chinese government to the Amazons, going back to China simply was not an option to consider. However much he missed his homeland, he just didn't fit there anymore.

But then, he thought, moving to the main room of the restaurant, when did I ever?  It was ten o'clock in the morning, and the room was deserted.

The bell on the door tinkled, and he lifted his head. He was wearing his glasses that day, as Shampoo wasn't around to impress, and so quickly recognised Ryouga at the door. "Welcome, Ryouga," he said cheerfully, standing up and quickly guiding the Lost Boy to a seat. "Just sit there and I'll get you something. What would you like?"

"Uh, pork ramen, please," Ryouga said.

"Coming right up!" Mousse said cheerfully, rushing through to the kitchen and announcing to the little old lady sitting by the stove, "A pork ramen, please!"

Cologne glanced at him, ladled two scoops of ramen into two bowls of pork broth, quickly garnished them with shallots and strips of cooked pork, and handed them to him. "Here. Keep the boy company and out of trouble," she ordered him.

"Thanks," he said, surprised. He could never tell what was going through the old woman's mind, but he wasn't so foolish as to overlook this unexpected mercy. Snatching up the ramen, the emerald-eyed Chinese boy darted back into the restaurant.

"So, where have you been?" he asked his Japanese friend, as they both broke their chopsticks and began to eat.

"This time, I walked for a while, sat down for a bit, you know how it goes, and the next thing I know, I find that somehow I've gone all the way to New York City in America. I'd swear I was only walking for a day or two!"

"It seems so amazing. You're right next to me but you've been to places like France and America and the Amazon jungle. I'd need an aeroplane to travel the way you do."

"Don't sound so envious! I'd give almost anything just to know where I am, half the time - and to be somewhere familiar the other half."

Mousse never really understood if his feelings for this boy were a blessing or a curse from Kwan Yin. On the one hand, they had released him from the hell his unrequited affection for Shampoo had bound him in. On the other, unrequited affection was its own hell. Ryouga at least never taunted, abused or took advantage of him. Still, he could feel the distance between the two of them as his best friend and secret crush breathed in and out beside him.

Watching as Ryouga drank his broth and described his adventures in that far-off, mysterious land of America, Mousse thought he saw flickers in the other's bitter-chocolate eyes. Sometimes he could almost think Ryouga wanted him to reach out and touch him, and be more than just his friend. But then he would see the shadow of the great wall Ryouga had built around himself, and gingerly withdraw the half-extended hand. He knew he wasn't the only one - that crazed skater Shiratori Azusa was half-insane on the subject of 'her Charlotte', and that young pig-farmer dreamed of a future together with Ryouga every time she saw his eyes. But Ryouga simply looked away into the distance every time either one of them brought the question of romance up. Mousse, of course, did not even do that.

Perhaps, Mouse thought as he stared at the china vase holding the single carnation decorating the table, Ryouga is still in love with Akane. He wouldn't be the only one. The recent, successful wedding of Ranma and Akane had not actually led to a cessation of hostilities in Nerima, as several had optimistically hoped it would. People still fell in love with one, the other or both on a depressingly regular basis, and more than ever took out their frustration in pitched battles. He noticed the faint lines on the vase - it had been a casualty of one of the many Nerima brawls that had swept through the Nekohanten. It was one of his many tasks to repair the damage after such a disaster, and he was rather proud of his restoration skills. He smiled as he saw how the cracks no longer seemed to show unless you knew to look for them.

Like me. Like my life. I've put myself back together, and you wouldn't even know the cracks are there unless you knew to look for them....

"... Mousse?"

He brought himself up to attention. "I'm sorry, I'm a bit tired. What did you just say?"

Ryouga frowned. "I asked if you ever get a holiday, and I think you just answered my question. Hey, you want to come with me and crash at my place?"

"... You have a house?"

"Of course my family has a house! It's just... I can't always locate it."

Mousse smiled. "Sure, why not? With me guiding you, I'm sure we'll get there in no time." They stood up and Mousse led the way out of the restaurant.

Half an hour later, Cologne, grumbling, came out to collect the bowls. "I'll dock that boy's pay for every hour he keeps us waiting."

By the end of the day, Cologne was coldly furious.

By the end of the week, she was starting to get worried.

By the end of the month, she was forced to send word back to the village. Mousse may have been a crippled male, but he was still a member of the clan and in her charge. Torn between disappointment at the loss of a subordinate who had been as useful as he knew how to be, anger at a loss that had caused her to lose face in the village, and some genuine worry over him, Mousse was guaranteed a warm welcome from Cologne in more than one sense... whenever he managed to get back, that is.

Meanwhile....

"No, it's left."
"It's my house, and I'm sure we go right at the postbox."
"Ryouga, postboxes are red, not yellow. And passersby in Tokyo don't talk French."
"So, let's go straight."
"Are you sure?"
"We never can agree on where to go anyway. Let's go where neither of us want to go?"
"... I suppose that makes sense...."

Three months later, Ranma and Akane got a postcard from Mexico. It was in fact a photo that had been processed as a postcard. The photo was of Ryouga and Mousse at a beach party. Ryouga was blindfolded and waving a pinata stick, while Mouse was desperately attempting to steer him towards the pinata and away from the audience. He wasn't succeeding too well.

The message read:

Hello newlyweds!

As you can see, Mousse and I are
travelling together. He needed
the break.

This photo was taken in Mexico.
Don't ask me how we got there. We
were aiming for New York. I
think Mousse gets lost easy.

We will come and see you in Nerima
as soon as we work out the way to
get back.

All the best,
Ryouga and Mousse

Author's Notes:

1. Kwan Yin is the Chinese goddess of love. She is one of the few members of the original Chinese religious pantheon to survive the conversion of China to Buddhism.

2. Postboxes in Japan are red, and in France are yellow.

China
Tori Amos

China, all the way to New York
I can feel the distance getting close
You're right next to me
But I need an aeroplane
I can feel the DISTANCE as you breathe

Sometimes I think you want me to touch you
How can I when you build a great WALL around you
In your eyes I saw a future together
You just look away in the distance

China decorates our table
Funny how the CRACKS don't seem to show
Pour the wine dear
You say we'll take a holiday
But we never can agree on where to go

Sometimes I think you want me to touch you
How can I when you build a great WALL around you
In your eyes I saw a future together
You just look away in the distance

China all the way to New York
Maybe you got lost in MEXICO
You're right next to me
I think that you can hear me
Funny how the distance learns to grow

Sometimes I think you want me to touch you
How can I when you build a great WALL around you
I can feel the distance
I can feel the distance
I can feel the distance getting close