The Abduction of...Akane?

Sarawareta Akane (さらわれたあかね) is the 95th chapter of the manga and the first chapter of the Mousse Returns Arc.

Synopsis
While out shopping with Kasumi, Akane wins a stuffed pig doll in a lottery. Suddenly a man in a strange mask steals the doll insisting that it's Akane. Ranma and Akane travel to a circus to find the "kidnapped Akane".

Plot Overview
Whilst out shopping with Kasumi, Akane wins a stuffed toy pig in a stall's lottery. As they walk home, Akane notes how she wanted the pig, which Kasumi comments on how she's happy for Akane. Just then, a voice calls out and declares to Akane that she will now become his hostage. Before Akane and Kasumi get a second chance to wonder who's calling to them, Akane senses something and grabs Kasumi, and the pair narrowly avoid a flurry of projectile weapons that launch at them.

Akane then quickly puts herself between Kasumi and the assailant. The assailant, however (who's wearing an Omen mask), takes Akane's pig which was tangled in his projectiles darkly says "I've got you now" as he holds onto the pig toy. Akane asks the assailant who he is, but the assailant just throws a ticket at Akane and tells her to tell Ranma that if he wants to see Akane Tendo again then he'll have to go to the place on the ticket. As the assailant makes his escape, Kasumi notes how he thought the pig was Akane, to which Akane angrily adds that they'll pay for that.

That evening, Akane and Ranma (in his female form) have gone to a local fair so they can rescue "Akane". While there, they bump into Shampoo, who almost instantly asks Ranma to go on a date with her. Ranma then goes on to talk about what an idiot the person who challenged her for choosing a Chinese Acrobat Circus as the place to meet them. Shampoo then reveals that she got the same ticket as Ranma and Akane.

As they head to the tent where the Chinese Acrobat Circus is being held, Ranma starts to note how she doesn't know anyone in the circus when suddenly a voice calls to Ranma, noting how long it's been. Ranma turns to where the voice is coming from and is shocked to see that it's Mousse (who's wearing the same Omen mask as the assailant who attacked Akane earlier). Mousse then tells Ranma until he wins Shampoo back from him, he'll keep Akane as a hostage, he then squeezes the pig toy, causing Ranma to tell Mousse to stop as he's making "Akane" cry.

After Akane hits Mousse for her insulting humour, she kicks Mousse in the face and asks him why he thinks that the pig toy looks like her. Mousse then proceeds to put his glasses back on and is shocked to see that "Akane" has turned into a pig. As Mousse wonders when this happened, Shampoo comments on how Mousse has bad eyesight, as always.

A little while later, Shampoo, Ranma and Akane go into the Circus tent and are enjoying the acrobatics show, while Mousse waits behind the stage and darkly tells Ranma to laugh while he can... until his death! The show's ringmaster then tells the audience that they need their help, and the volunteer will receive a prize. The ringmaster then holds up the pig which Akane'd won earlier. Ranma then jokingly asks "Akane" what she's doing up there, causing the real Akane to angrily kick Ranma into the ring while asking her to kindly cut it out.

Ranma easily recovers from Akane's kick and lands elegantly in the ring, only to get carried away by a group of acrobats and secured to a large circular board. As the ringmaster asks what will become of this young maiden, another acrobat brings out a wheeled trolley with a metal cloche on top of it. The cloche is then lifted slightly and a flurry of knives come flying out, each of which narrowly avoids hitting Ranma.

With the audience in shock and surprise, the ringmaster removes the cloche and introduces the star of the show, Mu Mu-chan, the duck! Ranma, however, is sure that this duck isn't all it first appears. Mu Mu-chan then proceeds to throw more knives at Ranma, which she luckily manage to grab with her teeth. As Ranma spits out the knives, the ringmaster notes how the young maiden is just as good as Mu Mu-chan. Mu Mu-chan continues the show by throwing several bombs at Ranma, which explode and create a thick smokescreen. By the time the smoke settles, both Ranma and Mu Mu-chan have seemingly disappeared, much to the audience's amazement (apart from Shampoo and Akane).

Meanwhile, out the back of the Circus tent, Ranma and Mousse use hot water to change back into their original forms. As Ranma notes that he knew that duck was him, Mousse tells Ranma that those knives were a mere greeting and adds that the circus from hell is just beginning! Ranma winks at Mousse and tells him that as he went through the trouble of getting him a ticket, he'll make sure to enjoy it.

Cast in Order of Appearance

 * Akane Tendo
 * Kasumi Tendo
 * Mousse (human)
 * Shampoo (human)
 * Ranma Saotome (female)
 * Mousse (duck)
 * Ranma Saotome (male)

Quotes
To be added

Trivia

 * The Omen mask which Mousse wears in this chapter bears a slight resemblance to Mrs. Mizunokoji, from Urusei Yatsura.
 * This chapter marks Mousse's first appearance since Cat's Tongue Got You?, 50 chapters ago, and marks his position as a main character.