Naisen1 THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING RANMA A Somewhat Canonical Ranma 1/2 Story SMoonUsagi & RyogaLost (NOTE: This is our own interpretation of the universe created by Ms. Takahashi. Some things may be somewhat altered from the way they appear in the anime and very different from the manga. Try to keep an open mind, OK? Oh, and by the way, the events of this story take place sometime after the OAV "One Grew Over Kuno's Nest".) Tendo School of Anything-Goes Martial Arts 12:18 a.m., Sunday morning A final, resounding crash shook the dojo, rattling the support struts in their foundations. Tatewaki Kuno slid down the pole into which he'd been slammed face-first and crumpled into an insensible heap on the tatami matting. Genma Saotome and Soun Tendo lay in an untidy heap, dazed and battered. Kodachi Kuno writhed helplessly on the floor, bound back-to-back with Shampoo by Kodachi's gymnastic ribbon. A bespectacled duck squawked in impotent fury from underneath an empty fire bucket. Ryoga Hibiki struggled frantically to pull his head out of a hole made by its hard impact through the wooden flooring. Cologne perched on her walking-stick in the corner, far from the fray, watching with her wise old eyes. In the middle of the room stood a trembling red-haired female in a Chinese red tunic and black pants entirely too large to fit. Her face was contorted in a mask of outrage. She was streaming sweat, breasts heaving, bare feet planted apart, arms ramrod-straight and fisted to either side. Her burning eyes fixed on the three sisters standing in the doorway, particularly on the youngest, Akane, who glared back with equal fury. Kasumi, the eldest Tendo sister, moved timidly forward with a kettle of steaming water. The petite female didn't move as hot water cascaded over scarlet hair which suddenly turned black. Instantly gaining about thirty centimeters in height, forty kilograms of bulk, and a complete change of gender, Ranma Saotome wore once again the shape he was born to. "Is...is that better, Ranma...?" Kasumi ventured, stepping back to join her sisters. "Yeah, Ranma, get a grip, why don't you?" Nabiki surveyed the carnage in the dojo. "Baby, when you lose it, you don't go halfway, do you?" Akane said nothing. She continued to fix Ranma with a look of irritated contempt. Ranma didn't seem to notice or care. "I...don't...believe you people!" he growled, raising his clenched fists. "It's always my fault, ain't it? All I want is to be normal again, you got that? I'm going back to China for sure this time, and I'm not coming back till I'm cured...Aw, what's the use, anyway? Nothing I say or do makes any difference to you. You're all convinced that I'm a pervert, a cheat and a liar as well as a freak. Every time I try to get myself straightened out, you all gang up on me and try to beat me into submission! Well, I've had all I'm gonna put up with, do you hear me?!?" "Son-in-law please..." Cologne tapped forward to face him. "You are obviously upset; however, there is no need--" "'Upset' ain't the word, Cologne." Ranma folded his arms and turned his back on the doorway where the sisters stood, facing his father. Genma was still half-slumped against the wall, shaking his head from the blow he'd received from his son. "Old man, I'm gonna say this once, so you better remember it, okay? All my life I've done everything you wanted. I've busted my ass trying to live up to your stupid expectations. I've bent over backwards trying to please you, and all you can do yell about how you 'failed' and how 'ashamed' you are of me." He blinked angrily to hold back the hot tears that threatened to emerge. "Well, fine, then. If I'm such a goddamn failure, then I'm gonna stop trying to please everybody. It never works anyway, so why bother?" Genma Saotome adjusted his glasses and hauled himself to his feet. "Ranma, that's no way to talk to your father." "I'm only being honest, Pop. I can't please you no matter what I do--I can't do anything right--so I'm gonna stop trying. From now on, it's my way or no way, okay?" He jabbed himself in the chest with his thumb for emphasis. "And if I wanna go to China, or the North Pole, or go live in a cave somewhere, nobody's gonna stop me. You got that?" He turned on his bare heel and headed for the door. Not being fools, Kasumi and Nabiki moved out of his way. Ranma stopped short when Akane didn't move. Strangely, the hatred had gone from her expressive eyes. She studied his furious face as though seeing it for the very first time. "Ranma..." she whispered, "where...where are you going?" "What do you care?" Ranma looked back over his shoulder at the others. "What do ANY of you care?! So long as I'm out of the way, ain't that enough?" He looked back at Akane, who hadn't moved from the middle of the doorway. "Look, you broke off our engagement, remember? Again. For only about the thousandth time. Well, this time it's final. I ain't your responsibility anymore. What I do and where I go is none of your business, okay? Okay??" Akane's face darkened into a scowl. "Fine, then," she said with deadly coldness as she stepped to one side. "Go back to China, then. Go to hell for all I care!" She turned away, pretending she hadn't seen the moisture glittering in Ranma's dark eyes. Without another word or a look back, Ranma left the dojo. Once outside, he broke into a run and disappeared into the night. "Ranma, my son--!" Genma headed for the doorway, but by the time he reached it, Ranma was nowhere to be seen. "Son-in-law..." Cologne sighed quietly and closed her eyes. "Ranma..." Akane turned away, her anger fading. "You dummy..." * * * The tears he'd been struggling to hold back poured from Ranma's eyes, faster than he could swipe them away. His bare feet pounded the sidewalk; he ran aimlessly, without direction, not knowing if anyone else would be on the streets at this hour and not really caring if anyone saw him. (Why does it always hafta be my fault?) he wondered hopelessly, trying to will himself to stop crying and failing miserably. (I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't go to China and fall into that stupid spring on purpose! It wasn't even my lame idea to go there! I would have been just as happy staying home with Mom and training under our own roof, but NOOOooooooo...Pop had to take me to the one place on the planet that would absolutely RUIN my life forever. Why couldn't I have just drowned when I fell in instead of changing into a girl?! Then none of this would ever have happened!) A sudden bright flash of lightning seared the sky overhead. Hard on its heels came a cold drenching rain. Within seconds Ranma was soaked and female. She ignored the rain and kept running, not caring where she was going. The only thing that finally stopped Ranma's headlong flight was the river. She stood at its edge, panting, staring across the dark water, then collapsed to her knees and began pounding the ground. "Why? Why?" she screamed over the wind and thunder. "Why can't I be normal? Why can't I have a real life? Why doesn't anyone ever believe me when I tell'em I'm not to blame? WHY????" The storm made no answer. Finally, shivering, Ranma pulled herself up. The idea of spending the night outside was only slightly better than the thought of going back to the dojo, but she had to find somewhere to get out of the rain. She started trudging slowly back up the hillside leading to the river. As she walked along, the rain seemed to get colder and colder. She could barely see; the storm seemed to have knocked out most, if not all, of the streetlights. When a light flickered on at the edge of her vision, Ranma wandered that way simply because it was a single bright spot in the shadows. As she got nearer, she realized she was standing in front of Dr. Tofu's office. For a long moment she hesitated, then finally walked up and timidly slid the door open. The lone occupant of the office looked up at the sound. "Why, Ranma!" Tofu exclaimed, his pleasant face concerned. "You're out late, aren't you? And you're soaked through!" Ranma nodded slowly. "Well, come on in. Is something wrong at the dojo?" "Everything's wrong," Ranma muttered miserably as she walked in. Dr. Tofu gave him a long measuring look as he closed the door, walked over to a cabinet, and brought out a towel. "Here, Ranma," he said gently. "You must be pretty uncomfortable. You dry off, and I'll see if I haven't got some dry clothes you can change into." Ranma took the towel; looked at it; burst into a fresh storm of tears and collapsed to the floor. Tofu knelt, putting his hands on the youngster's shoulders. "Ranma..." he said softly. "Th-they all hate me," Ranma forced out between sobs. "Nothin' I say or do makes any difference... they don't care about me. Nobody does! I wish I were dead!" Without another word Dr. Tofu put his arms around Ranma, pulling the slim girl's body to his chest and stroking her hair soothingly. "It's all right, Ranma... it's all right. Go ahead. Crying isn't just for girls, trust me." After a few minutes the sobs trailed off into weak hiccups, then silence. "M'sorry, Dr. Tofu..." "Don't be." Tofu reached out and snagged the towel, started drying Ranma. "Now, why don't you tell me why things are so bad, and I'll start some water boiling for you." Ranma took a deep breath. "I guess it all starts with this dumb curse..." * * * Morning. Sunlight. Ranma opened his eyes slowly, frowning a little. (Gee, that's funny, my room doesn't face the east...) Sitting up, he looked around. (Hey, this looks like--) "Good morning, Ranma!" Dr. Tofu poked his head in through the door. "I've got some breakfast ready for you. I'm afraid it's just miso soup, but I think it'll keep you from starving before lunchtime." "Uh, thanks, Dr. Tofu. Listen, about last night-- I didn't mean to, like, you know, dump on you." "That's all right, Ranma. You know, most people don't realize this, but healing is as much spiritual as it is mental." Tofu walked in and passed the young man a bowl of soup, which ranma began eating at once. "Your problems aren't trivial. I know people sometimes make light of them, but they're not living in your shoes. You have to remember two things." Dr. Tofu held up a finger. "First, the one person you always have to live with and listen to is you. As long as you can think well of yourself, you don't have to worry what others think. Second--" he held up another finger. "You can't give up hope that someday you'll be able to put this all behind you. I know how dedicated you are to being a good martial artist, and how strong your fighting spirit is. Let that strength sustain you when things get rough, okay?" "I-- I'll try." "Good. Now, there's someone waiting to see you." "Huh?" Tofu turned and held open the door. A bedraggled-looking Akane stood there, face downcast, peeking up at Ranma through her bangs. "Hi... Ranma," she said. "A-Akane." Ranma cocked his head. "Jeez, what's with you? You look like you haven't slept in a week!" "I didn't sleep last night, that's for sure--thanks to you," Akane snapped, then sighed. "Ranma, I'm... I'm sorry." Ranma could almost feel his brain seize up. (Whoa. Wait a sec. Akane said she was sorry? To me?) "Uh--what for?" he forced out. "I wasn't trying to sound mean just now. You-- you had everyone so worried, Ranma. We spent half the night looking for you. If Dr. Tofu hadn't called the dojo, we'd still be looking for you." Akane took one tentative step forward. "Ranma, I know you're not as bad as a lot of people think. I mean, everybody's got their faults, right? It's just that..." She hung her head. "Ranma, I did a lot of thinking last night. Maybe... maybe if we'd gotten started off a little differently... we might be friends now, instead of fighting all the time. We might care about each other's feelings." "What makes you think I don't care?" Ranma clapped a hand over his mouth, but it was too late to stop the words. Akane gave a little start and looked him full in the face, eyes wide. "...Ranma?" she breathed. "Does... does that mean.... you do care?" "Well, I--that is, I mean--" (No! This is what always gets me in trouble! I never get the words out fast enough, she says somethin', I say somethin' back and we start fighting. I'm not gonna let it happen again!) "Aw, Akane, if I didn't care this wouldn't be so hard! I ain't exactly spent a lot of time--you know, hanging out with people. I don't know how I'm supposed to act or what to say, and seems like anything I do or say is wrong." His eyes fell to his lap, where his fingers were twisting nervously around each other. "I like you plenty," he said softly. "I just--it's real hard for me." After a moment Akane whispered, "Me too." Silence. Ranma squared his shoulders and stood up, put out his hand. "Hi. I'm Ranma Saotome." "Huh?" "Just play along, okay?" "O-okay." Akane put out her hand. "I'm Akane Tendo." "I, uh, I got this problem. I, um, turn into a girl when I'm hit with cold water. It's a curse. I got it in China." "That's-- kind of a problem, all right." Akane took another step forward. "But you're really a guy, right?" "Yeah. Hot water turns me back to normal, till the next time. And--and I'm lookin' for a cure, but I ain't found one yet." Ranma sighed. "Can... can we be friends? I could really use a friend. People sorta don't understand how hard it is sometimes to have this kind of thing happening to you." Akane smiled a little. "I'll try. I... I don't like boys too much. I'm always getting chased by boys who want to date me. They don't know how to take 'no' for an answer. And I've got a really bad temper, and, and I can't cook, and that really, really makes me feel stupid. I'm not very good at being a girl." "Yeah, me too. I mean, with the temper and the girl stuff and all." "Are you a good martial artist?" "I think so. Pretty good, anyway." "Maybe... maybe you could teach me a little?" "Sure." "Okay then." Akane's smile widened. "If you... if you don't mind that sometimes I'm not a very good girl--" "You won't mind that sometimes I'm not a guy?" "Yes!" "Okay." Ranma smiled. Akane, looking at him, felt a strange little flutter in her chest. (Why haven't I noticed before how cute Ranma is? As a boy, he's really good-looking!... I guess... maybe... I didn't want to think of him that way.) Ranma moved toward the door. "I guess... we oughta be gettin' back to the dojo. My pop might actually be worried about me." "I think he is." "Everything all right?" Dr. Tofu asked as the pair walked out. "Yeah..." Ranma looked at Akane. "It is. Finally." "That's good. You two take care." Tofu watched as Ranma and Akane made their way down the sidewalk. Just as they topped the hill, he saw Ranma's hand steal out to take Akane's and smiled. "Yes, I think things are going to be fine," he said, and closed his door. As they walked into the dojo, Kasumi looked out of the kitchen. "Who's-- oh, Ranma, Akane! You found him. Good. Are you two hungry?" "I had something already, but Akane's probably pretty hungry," Ranma said. "I haven't had breakfast yet," Akane admitted. "Why'n'cha go ahead? I'm gonna go take a bath." "Ranma!" Mr. Tendo all but exploded through the wall and got in Ranma's face. "There you are! How dare you stay out all night and worry us all half to death?" "What kind of irresponsible act is that? I raised you better than that, boy!" Genma added, coming to stand at his friend's shoulder. Ranma folded his arms and stared at both of them in turn. "You raised me better'n that, huh, Pop? Draggin' me all over the world? Never lettin' us stay in one spot too long cause you were scared someone'd catch up with all the tall tales you were tellin'? You call that 'raising me better'? I don't think so!" "What? How dare you--" "You shut up!" Ranma took a half-pace forward, fists clenching. "Now listen up! Yeah, I'm back. Yeah, I'm gonna try to make something of this dumb promise you made about me and Akane. But it ain't for you two, got it? It's for us, Akane and me. We're gonna have a life, and from now on we're making our own choices. We're gonna listen to you, but in the end we're gonna do what we want to and not what someone makes us do. Live with it!" Both men stared at Ranma as if he'd suddenly turned blue, sprouted horns, and grown 30 feet tall. "You... and Akane?" Genma finally managed to force out. "That's right." Akane moved to put her hand on Ranma's shoulder. "Dad, I love you, but it's my life. It's Ranma's life. He's right. We are going to try to get along, but please--let us work things out. Stop interfering and pushing us together." Tendo stood stock-still a moment, then began to bawl. "Kasumi, did you hear how she's talking to me?" he wailed. "Oh, good grief." Akane shook her head. Ranma glanced back at her. "You go on," he said quietly. "He'll get over it. He always does." "I know. I just wish he didn't feel hysterics were an essential part of life!" Akane went towards the dining room. Ranma climbed up the stairs, first leaping over the huddled mass of Tendo in front of him, who was sobbing his heart out as Genma tried to console him. After breakfast and bath (respectively), Ranma and Akane retired to their rooms, Akane catching up on lost sleep while Ranma lay on his back and stared up at the ceiling, thinking. (This ain't gonna be easy... Shampoo ain't gonna like it. Neither is Ukyou... or Kuno... or Ryoga... But they're gonna have to live with it, too. Everyone's just gonna have to get used to it.) Rolling over, he closed his eyes and napped. * * * The next day was Monday, and school. As usual, Ranma and Akane were running a bit late-- but today Ranma didn't run the fence; he stayed right beside Akane all the way. She rewarded him with a quick smile as they made it to class barely in time to beat the tardy bell. The substitute teacher, Mr. Awari, stood up before the assembled class. "We have a new student joining today--" he held out his hand towards one corner of the room--"Miss Neko Tamamichi." A soft murmur rippled through the class. Mr. Awari rapped the desk with his ruler to regain order. "Our new arrival is to be treated with the same respect with which you would treat any other new student--no more and no less. Is that understood?" "Yes, Mr. Awari," the students murmured, while Ranma wondered why such an odd announcement was necessary. He took a moment to look the new girl over--and did a quick double-take, eyes open wide. On top of her head, poking through sandy-orange hair, was a pair of unmistakable cat's ears. (Cats. Great. Why does it always have to be cats??? No wonder her folks named her 'Neko'.) People whispered back and forth as she passed, remarking on this obvious novelty; she obviously heard what they said, but ducked her head and moved on quickly, not meeting anyone's gaze. (Well, she looks like a nice girl...maybe since she's only a little bit cat, it'll be okay.) He turned to watch her pass and noticed that in addition to the ears, she had a neat little tiger tail, about 2-3 feet long, poking out through a hole in the back of her skirt. It twitched nervously out of the way as she sat down. Mr. Awari began droning on about the subject of the day, but Ranma barely heard. An ancient Chinese curse kept running through his mind: "May you live in interesting times." He found himself with the sinking feeling that his life was about to become a lot more interesting. At noontime everyone clustered together, murmuring about the new student. Ranma rolled his eyes--he hated that; reminded him too much of how people enjoyed passing around gossip about him. "Man, I hate that," he grumbled. "Me too." Akane scowled. "Can't people every find anything better around here to talk about than other people?" Ranma shrugged. "Beats me." "Well, I'm going to go get P-chan out of the shed," Akane said, standing. "Can you do me a favor and be nice to him?" "Sure, I suppose." (As long as you get him to be nice to ME.) "Thanks, Ranma! I really appreciate it." A smile lit Akane's face as she ran off towards the P.E. equipment shed. It was beginning to look like she and Ranma might really be able to be happy. Swinging the door open, she called, "P-chan? P-chan!" No little snuffles or squeals answered her. Looking around, she noticed a pane broken out of one of the windows. That meant the little pig could've have slipped out through the hole. "Oh, no...." Immediately she began looking around. "P-chan? Come here, baby!" Her voice failed to carry to the other side of the campus, near the little wooded thicket at the side of the exercise yard, where a small black piglet was currently wandering around aimlessly, completely lost and utterly miserable. (You idiot,) Ryoga/P-chan told himself. (You should have known better than this. You should've stayed in the shed until lunch.) (But I was so thirsty...) With a sigh he sat down, staring at the dirt beneath his front trotters. (Hell. I'm in hell. And it doesn't look like I'm ever getting out. Damn you, Ranma Saotome, this is all your fault! You have it easy. At least you turn into a human girl. A beautiful human girl. No one tries to sell you at the stockyards. When I think of how easy life is for you, I could....I could....) he gritted his teeth, feeling the anger rising up inside of him. Something rustled in the bushes behind him. Instincts at the alert, Ryoga/P-chan whirled, eyes narrowing--then widening in surprise at what he saw. A girl (a pretty girl) was crouched among the grasses, eyes wide and bright and fixed on him. For a second they confronted one another, and in that brief pause he could see the predatory gleam in her gaze, watched the cat ears atop her head (Cat ears????) turn forward like two furry radar dishes, tracking his slightest movement. Then, with a happy yowl, she leapt at him. Instantly he whirled and ran, hearing her behind him, keeping up with him. (What is this!!!!) Squealing, Ryoga/P-chan put forth his best effort. It was usually enough to leave anyone behind--the one thing he had going for him in this form. It wasn't enough. He felt two arms sweep him up and went limp as the girl tumbled head over heels in the grass, coming up with him snuggled to her chest. "Got you!" she carolled. "Tag--you're it!" He glared upward. (Tag? Tag?!? What do you think I...I...) Soft green eyes flecked with gold, like shafts of sunlight through a jungle canopy, met his. Lost in their cool depths, he could only stare upward without a sound. "Oh, you're so cute," the girl continued, stroking one finger gently down the middle of his head from front to back and smiling at him. "Are you someone's pet?" Ryoga/P-chan managed a nod. "Oh, and you're smart, too!" The smile grew sad and wistful. "I wish I had a pet like you," she said in a softer tone. "I wish I had anyone." Silver glittered amidst the green and she hastily turned her face away, though not before he glimpsed a tear slide free and dance down her cheek. "If only...if only I was just like everyone e-else..." Ryoga/P-chan's heart of glass promptly turned to melted butter. Gingerly he put his front trotters up on the kitty-girl's shoulder and craned his face up to hers. As his tongue lapped away the wandering tear, she gasped softly, incredible eyes widening. "Ohhhh..." She tightened her arms around him in a quick hug, then ducked her head and drew in a quick breath. "I guess we'd better find whoever you belong to. I'm sure they've missed you by now." (Huh--? Akane!) Ryoga/P-chan grunted in self-reproach as the girl stood up with him still in her arms. (How could I possibly forget all about her, even for a moment? How could I allow myself to be distracted by this--this girl? This amazing... beautiful... lonely...girl...???) It wasn't as if Ryoga Hibiki understood nothing about loneliness. The disconsolate sorrow resounding in the cat-girl's delicate voice called forth an answering echo deep in his wanderer's soul. (If only I could speak some word of comfort to her...if only I could at least let her know that I truly understand her pain...I think I could learn to like this girl...What am I thinking?!?!?! Akane...I mustn't forget--) "P-Chaaaan! Where are you, P-chan?" Neko's ears pricked up. "I bet that's who you belong to," she said, starting in the direction of the distant call. The world blurred around them, so fast it almost took Ryoga's breath away, and suddenly as they topped the hill he could see Akane. Immediately he let out a shrill squeak of delight. Akane turned, eyes widening as Neko slid to a stop and shyly held out P-chan. "P-chan!" she said, taking the little pig and cuddling him close. "Oh, baby, where did you run off to?" "I, I found him back there," Neko said shyly, pointing behind her. "I scared him a little, I guess. I didn't mean to. He ran away, and I had to chase him." "And you caught him? Wow. You must be really fast." Akane looked at the other girl. "You're, um, Neko Tamamichi, aren't you? I'm Akane Tendo. Thank you for finding P-chan for me. He kind of wanders off sometimes." Neko nodded. "You're welcome." "Can--I ask you something?" Neko gave a tiny nod. "What were you doing in the woods, anyway? I mean, it's not that we're not supposed to go there, but not a lot of people do, and it's almost off-campus." Neko opened her mouth to answer, but never had a chance. From behind Akane came a chorus of voices: "Me-ow-ow-ow..." "Heeeere kitty kitty kitty...." "Hey, cat girl! You want a bowl of milk? C'mon over here, I've got some nice catnip for you, right here in my pocket. You want it, kitty girl? Come and get it!" "Hey, I got a collar and leash somewhere that'd fit you just perfect. Wanna come home and be my pet, huh?" Akane whirled, found herself staring at a group of upperclassmen with smirks on their faces. She glanced back just in time to see Neko shrink into herself, eyes full of pain, and drop to the ground, covering her ears with both hands. Instantly her temper burst into flame. "How dare you!" she shouted, letting P-chan (who was snarling and baring his teeth in unconcealed rage at the taunts) slip out of her arms. "You are so insensitive and immature! How can you be so cruel?!!" Her hand closed around the shaft of a mallet, plucked from somewhere, and she raised it high above her head. "You--you--animals!!" The boys scattered as she waded into the group and started swinging, helping them on their way with a few well-placed blows. Those that avoided her found a small black tornado masquerading as P-chan snapping at whatever he could reach. Only when they were well and truly gone did she turn back. "I'm sorry," she said, sitting down beside Neko. "I guess now I know why you were out here all alone." She clasped Neko's shoulder. "Don't pay any attention to them. They're just--dummies, all of them. Boys are all such dummies!" Neko sighed. "I should be used to it. It's always the same. Sometimes it just takes a little longer to start happening." She reached out and petted P-chan absently as he nudged her hand. "Is that why you transferred?" "Uh-huh. Eleven times." "Eleven??" Akane gasped. "You've been to eleven different schools??" "Twelve, counting this one." "That must make it hard to keep up with your..." Akane fell silent as something else occurred to her. She knelt in the grass beside Neko and put a hand on her shoulder. "But you don't have any friends to keep up with, do you?" she asked gently. A tiny, miserable shake of the head. Impulsively Akane hugged Neko. "Well, you do now. If those boys--if anyone--dares to bother you again, I'll--I'll--knock their blocks off!" Wide green eyes looked at her hopefully. "Would you?" Neko whispered. Akane smiled back. "I sure would!" * * * Ranma glanced at the clock set in the top of the school tower. (Man, I wonder where Akane is? She's gonna miss lunch!) As if hearing the subject of his thoughts, Akane and another girl came around the corner, chatting. P-chan was snugged in Akane's arms, and at the sight of Ranma he snarled. "Hiya, piggy boy," Ranma replied absently, looking at Akane's companion. (That's the cat-girl. Figures. Akane would just have to go and make friends with her...well, she ain't too bad. I guess I can handle it.) "Hi, 'Kane. Who's your friend?" "This is Neko," Akane said. "P-chan got out of the shed, and I was looking for him--that's why I was gone so long. Neko found him and brought him to me." "Hello," Neko said softly. "Hiya," Ranma answered. Neko made a little bow and stood, eyes cast down shyly. For a moment an awkward silence stood between the trio, none of them knowing quite what to say next. Fate took pity on them. "Ranma Saotome!" "Aw, man..." Ranma turned, hands slipping into his pockets. "What d'you want, Kuno?" "You will address me as 'Upperclassman Kuno'," the older boy said, flicking a fan open with practiced ease. "Whatever. So, Totally Wacky, what's up?" Kuno's eyes narrowed fractionally. "You are fortunate I have other matters to attend to shortly, or I would teach you to speak with more respect to your betters." "Sure--soon as some show up." "Ranma...." Akane said, trying to defuse the situation. "Let's just go to class, okay? Unless you like standing in the hall for being late." "In a minute, Akane. This is guy stuff." Ranma turned back to face Kuno. "You ain't answered my question." "It is merely this. Rumor has it that Akane has once more accepted you as her fiancee. Is this true?" "Man, that stuff travels fast. --Yeah, that's right, Kuno." "And what business is it of yours anyway?" Akane added in an irritated tone. "Rogue! Base scoundrel!" With a whissh Kuno drew his bokken and took a stance. "To toy with the fair Akane's affections! Indeed you have no honor, Ranma Saotome, nor propriety; encouraging Akane on the one hand whilst you dally with others on the side! Is this another of your choices?" he added, gazing at Neko, who was looking wide-eyed from him to Ranma to Akane and back again. "As delicate as the first blossoms of spring, and of countenance most fair...Ahem!" He threw off his romantic fugue as quickly as it had come over him. "Nevertheless, I, Tatewaki Kuno, champion of women everywhere, cannot allow this affront to stand. Prepare to be chastised!" "Be a pal, Kuno," Ranma groaned, "can't you wait till after school or something? You're gonna make me late to class." "You seek to escape? The vengeance of heaven is slow but sure, and I am its appointed minion! Have at you!" Kuno charged, the blade swinging up and back for a strike. All in one smooth action, Ranma shoved Neko aside, wrapped an arm around Akane's waist, and leapt into the air, soaring up and over the arc of the sword, to land light-footed behind Kuno. "Just stay out of the way," he told Akane. "This won't take long. Sorry about this." Akane didn't answer, not with words. Her eyes were fastened on his, a little dreamy, and the faintest pinkness colored her cheeks. A soft half-sigh escaped her parted lips. For a moment Ranma found himself caught up in her gaze, feeling it touch something deep inside him. Then his fighting reflexes kicked in, pulling all his attention to the threat at hand. Not that he considered it too much of a threat--Kuno was extremely good with a sword, but relying on a weapon to fight with wasn't a smart move, in his opinion. After all, suppose your foe took the weapon away? Then where would you be? All of this passed through the back of his mind and vanished as he circled, hands in a strike position, watching Kuno's stance, the motions of his body, the barely perceptible narrowing of his eyes as he darted forward again, sword sweeping in. Ranma clapped his hands to either side of the blade, stopping it inches shy of his chest, and rolled backwards, adding the momentum and weight of his movement to Kuno's and sending the older boy sailing into the nearest tree. Finishing the roll, he came to his feet. "Had enough, Kuno?" "You mock me, Saotome!" Kuno leapt to his feet, the red mark of the tree-trunk plain on his face. "Indeed shall I take pleasure in instructing you in common civility!" He ran at Ranma, the bokken blade flicking out in thrust after thrust, so fast that the individual strokes were invisible, and he appeared to be surrounding Ranma with a fan of wood. Ranma retreated, drawing the battle away from the girls. Neko turned to Akane, worried. "Shouldn't we do something?" Akane shrugged. "Why bother?" "What? But--but he'll be killed!" "You don't know Ranma very well, do you?" Akane's tone softened at the obvious distress on Neko's face. "Don't worry. Just watch. Ranma knows what he's doing." (I don't believe I said that.) P-chan chose that moment to wriggle furiously, dropping free of Akane's grasp, and darted towards the combatants. Akane cried out, "P-chan! No!" and tried to catch him, but the tiny black piglet moved neatly out of her range, heading for and throwing himself at Ranma's legs, trying to trip him. In the same second of time, three things happened: Ranma dropped, catching himself on one hand, rolling clear of Kuno's strike and bringing one foot up to block the incoming blow; Kuno, a snarl on his features, brought the bokken down with such force it made the air crackle; A small orange and blond blur shot from the side and snagged P-chan in mid-leap, shooting through the midst of the battle and pulling behind it a wind so powerful it knocked both boys backwards about 10 feet. Unfortunately, both found objects waiting for them at about 7 and 9 feet, respectively (Ranma left a perfect outline of himself in the schoolyard fence, while Kuno attempted to become an integral part of the side of a storage shed). Skidding to a stop about halfway down the exercise yard (and digging grooves in the grass as she did so), Neko looked back over her shoulder. "Please forgive me," she called, heading back that way at a considerably slower pace. "Did I hurt anyone?" "Whoa..." Ranma peeled himself out of the chain-link, shook his head to clear it, and looked up to see Kuno still performing live-action impressionistic art. "What you'd do?" "It's, I..." she stammered. "I run fast. If I'm not careful, the slipstream knocks people over. I'm very very sorry, I was just trying to keep P-chan from getting hurt!" "Are you all right, Ranma?" Akane ran over to him, helping him stand. "And P-chan-- oh baby, are you all right?" she continued as she accepted the dizzy little pig back from Neko. "I'm...not...but thank you...for asking..." Kuno slid down in a crumpled heap to the ground and lay there. "Perhaps...I shall just...rest here for a while..." "That's some incredible speed." Ranma dusted himself off. "You two okay?" he asked Akane and Neko. Both girls nodded. "C'mon, maybe if we hurry we can--" Ranma stopped mid-sentence as the bell rang. "Aw, nuts!" * * * "It's all right, really," Neko said in a whisper, shifting the bucket of water from one hand to the other. "I don't mind." She giggled. "I've never been late to class before!" "Get used to it," Akane whispered back. "Ranma has that effect on people." "Oh yeah, like it's my fault," Ranma hissed. "Why do we have to hold these buckets?" Neko went on, peering at hers curiously. "It is meant to teach us discipline," Kuno muttered. "Though in Saotome's case, I much misdoubt its efficacity." "Kuno, don't'cha think you oughta cough up that dictionary before you choke on it?" "Silence, Ranma! What would you know of higher education, you unlettered lout?" "Hey!" Ranma shifted, scowled at Kuno. "I know my letters." "Remarkable. How did they manage that? Oh well, I've heard it said one can teach a chimpanzee to spell. Doubtless they used the same method on you." Ranma gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to pound a few dents into Kuno's head with the bucket. A hand touched his arm and he whipped around to stare into Akane's eyes. "Don't let him bait you," she said quietly. "You know he's just trying to get you to start another fight." "...Yeah," Ranma admitted, and sighed. "So, um, Neko...how do you like Furinkan so far?" Neko dipped her head, smiling shyly. "It's very nice," she answered. "Different from all the other places I've been. Usually no one would bother to talk to me there for at least 3 weeks after I started classes!" She cocked her head at Ranma. "I almost couldn't follow you, you and, um, Kuno?" Kuno bowed. "I am indeed Kuno, fair lady of the feline persuasion." "You were moving so fast. Do you practice martial arts?" Ranma grinned. "You bet! Saotome school of Anything Goes Martial Arts." "Anything Goes? I've never heard of that." "Well, yeah. There's not that many people that would have heard of Anything-Goes. Only folks that teach it are my pop and Akane's pop, pretty much. It's a form of kempo." "Oh! Do you have a dojo?" Neko's ears cocked forward with interest. "Yep." "Which our parents wanted us to inherit," Akane broke in. "So that's why you were talking about 'fiancee'." "A crass mistake, in my opinion," Kuno muttered. Akane nodded. "Ranma and I had nothing to do with it at first, but...we're decided to try to make the best of it." P-chan, at her feet, chose that moment to let out a heart-rending squeal and fall over on his side. Akane knelt. "Oh, P-chan! What's wrong, baby?" She picked up the limp little piglet. "I think he's fainted!" "Probably got too hot today," Ranma supplied. Akane nodded and dipped her hand in her own bucket of water, sprinkling it on P-chan's skin to cool him. "Having your parents decided you should get married...that must've been very hard on you both." Akane stole a glance at Ranma, who was studying the ceiling suddenly. "You could say that," she said. "So, do you practice martial arts?" Neko looked shamefaced. "No," she admitted finally. "I usually just run away, or climb a tree." "You don't--" Ranma began. "--Know how to fight?" Akane finished. Neko shrank into herself just a tiny bit and shook her head. Meanwhile, P-chan had recovered and was looking up into Akane's face mournfully. (No... it can't be... please, Akane, say you didn't mean that! It must be some trick of Saotome's. I have to find some hot water and change so I can save you from him!) A movement caught his attention, and he followed it over to Neko, whose tail was twitching idly to and fro as she stood quietly in the hall. (How could anyone be cruel to such a wonderful girl? If I ever catch any of those boys bothering her again, I'll kill them!...Wait. Why am I bothering? She doesn't even know me.) (But she was worried about me...) (So what?! What difference should that make to me? Let her fight her own battles! I have Akane to think about.) ('I wish I had anyone...if only I was just like everyone else...') Ryoga/P-chan shook his head violently, trying to dislodge the memory. (The world is a dark and lonely place,) he reminded himself firmly. (Everyone has to find their own way. If I start concerning myself with everyone I meet, what will there be left for me? I deserve a little happiness!) "So what are you doing this weekend, Neko?" Akane asked. "Nothing, really. Probably just stay in my room and read." Neko sighed. "That's what I do most nights." "I've got a great idea. Why don't you come over and spend the night at my house? Do you think your parents would mind?" "I don't know...I don't think so." Neko looked over at Akane hopefully. "You wouldn't mind?" "Of course not! I haven't had a slumber party since my best friend Kiku moved to Osaka two years ago. It'll just be you and me, okay? We'll have lots of fun." "I'd like that. Is there anything special I should bring?" Akane laughed. "Well, pajamas, of course, and a change of clothes. But mostly just bring you!" Neko nodded happily. "I'll ask my parents when I get home after school, and give you a call." * * * That afternoon Ranma came straight home and sought out his father. He found Genma sitting in front of the koi pond. "Pop...we gotta talk," he said, crouching. Genma Saotome sat cross-legged on a flat rock, a long pipe dangling from his lips, arms crossed, eyes shut. If he heard his son, he didn't respond. "Look, Pop, I'm sorry about what I said, okay? I mean, it's not like I didn't mean it, but I could've found a better way to say it. Okay?" Genma's eyes slowly opened. He reached up, adjusted his glasses, and slowly looked at his only son. "Ranma..." "Yeah, Pop?" "Are you sick or something?" Ranma blinked. "Huhwha? What d'you mean, Pop?" "In sixteen years, my son..." Genma tapped the burnt-up tobacco from his pipe. "This is the first time you've ever apologized to me for anything you've said or done. Are you feeling all right?" "Jeez!" Ranma straightened, fists clenching. "Why is it that every time I try to be nice, people think I'm sick or something?" "Maybe because you're usually such a jerk," Nabiki suggested helpfully as she passed by the open door of the Tendos' living room. "Nabiki, you're not helping, okay?" Ranma turned back to his father. "Look, if you don't wanna accept my apology, fine. I just...I just wanted to let you know..." He dropped his head, the tension draining out of him. "I just wanted to tell you I was sorry for the way I said stuff, okay?" He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up. Genma's expression was oddly gentle. "Don't worry about it, son. What's past is past. What we have to consider now is the future." With a sigh he pocketed his pipe. "My boy.. I want you to know there are things I've done in the past I regret as well. I also could've found a better way to say things, or do things, I suppose. But as I said, done is done." He stood. "And things are going to be better from now on. Believe in that." Ranma nodded. "I'm trying to." Genma nodded as well and moved off towards the house. * * * Neko's parents didn't mind in the least; in fact, the idea of a sleepover with a new friend was very good news to them. Mr. Tamamichi dropped his daughter off promptly on Saturday at 6 p.m. at the Tendo hall, just in time for dinner. By that time Akane had had time to tell everyone about her guest, and threaten dire dooms to anyone who made fun of the way Neko looked. Considering the history of two people in the household, she had nothing to worry about. Genma and Ranma were both on their best behavior, and it proved very easy to overlook the ears and tail. Somehow, Akane found, once you got past the initial shock Neko looked...right, somehow. As if she were meant to be exactly the way she was. When Soun and Genma unbent enough to start spinning some of their stories of the road, Akane smiled happily, knowing her new friend had been accepted. "So," she said when they were settled in bed (with P-chan snuggled between them), "what do you like to do?" "Well, I like to read," Neko said slowly, ticking things off on her fingers. "I can skate, but I usually only go on days when...you know.. not many people will be there. And I wear a hat and tuck my tail into my jeans. But it's not very comfortable. When we lived in Shizuoka, we used to go boating on the weekends. Pappa was in the merchant marine for a long time, until he got hurt in a storm at sea. He works out of our home now, on the computer. I help him, sometimes. Mamma is teaching me how to sew, I like doing that--oh, and I love stargazing. Pappa gave me a little telescope that I keep out on my balcony. Our house has two floors, and all the upstairs bedrooms have balconies. Just little ones, though. How about you?" "Well, I'm trying to learn how to cook, but I'm not very good at it yet. I can sew, a little, and I'm really good at martial arts. And I like skating too. Maybe we could go to the skating rink sometime." Akane shifted a little. "Hey, do you want to trade secrets?" "Like what?" "Well, each of us tells the other one a special secret thing we wish we could do, or have, and that makes us special friends, because we know something special about one another." "Okay." "All right. Let me see..." Akane's thoughts drifted. "Once I got lost in a forest in the mountains. It was really scary because there were this huge animals. I mean, really really big. But this boy named Shinnosuke found me and helped me get home. Sometimes I wish I could've stayed longer, because he and his grandfather were really nice people. Sometimes I think about them and wish I could visit them, just to see how they're getting along." She turned over, looked at Neko. "Your turn." "I wish..." Neko cocked her head. "I wish I could get lost, just once." "Huh?" Akane said, sitting up and staring (as did P-chan). "What do you mean, you wish you could get lost?" "Well, it would be exciting--at least I guess it would. Kind of an adventure." Neko shrugged. "I have a very good sense of direction. I always know which way to go to get wherever I want to be. I don't even need a map." "Wow," Akane breathed. "That must be handy. You mean, even if you've never been to a place, you can find it?" Neko nodded. "I just start walking and I get there. Pappa says it's almost like I have a world-wide homing instinct. It's very handy in geography class." She yawned, then giggled. "Oh, that was rude of me!" "No, that's okay--" Akane stifled her own yawn. "I guess it's time we slept, anyway. Good night, Neko." "Good night, Akane." "And good night to you too, P-chan," Akane continued, bending to give the piglet (who was still staring at Neko) a kiss. Both girls curled up and were fast asleep in moments. (I'm in Hell,) Ryoga thought as he lay awake between them. (Why is this happening to me? First Ranma and Akane decide that they want to try to work things out--as if there'll ever be any peace between them as long as Ranma keeps being the pervert he is!--and now there's this girl. This beautiful, sweet-tempered, talented girl with a perfect sense of direction...why are the Gods picking on me? What did I ever do to deserve this?) With a disconsolate little sound, he shut his eyes and finally managed to drift off. The next morning dawned clear and warm. Akane opened the window and let the breeze blow in, smiled up at the sky. "Today," she announced to no one in particular, "is going to be an extra-specially good day, and I won't hear anything different." She walked out and stuck her head over the bannister. "Daddy, is it all right if Neko takes her morning bath before you, since she's my guest?" "Of course, Akane," Tendo replied, leafing through the morning paper. "Tell her to go right ahead." A few minutes later, P-chan, stretching and yawning, trotted out the door and spent several minutes wandering around in the hall before he found the down staircase. Once on the ground floor, he spent several more minutes wandering around until he found the door outside. However, he was in luck; it took only ten more minutes to find the pond straight ahead of him. Once there, he sat down and stared into the water broodingly. "Well, if it isn't P-chan," came from behind him. Ranma walked over and grinned mockingly down at him. "Aw, what's the matter, widdle piggy? Didn't you like having two girls at once last night? Jeez, and they call me a pervert. If only Akane knew..." Fire flashed in P-chan's eyes. With a squeal of absolute rage he launched himself at Ranma, who ducked and struck at him. The piglet dodged, crouched, and ran in to sink his teeth into Ranma's ankle. Instantly Ranma's fist slammed into his head. Simultaneously a bar-bell slammed into Ranma's head. He toppled over, right into the pond. Akane strolled calmly out and scooped up P-chan. "Serves you right for teasing poor P-chan," she said as Ran-chan emerged from the pond. Turning on her heel, she walked away, back very straight. Ran-chan squinted after them. "One of these days, Ryoga," she growled, "one of these days..." "There you are, baby," Akane said, putting down the piglet. "Now be a good boy and stay out of trouble, okay?" The instant she left, P-chan leapt up and trotted into the hall. He knew the bathroom was somewhere in the upstairs area. Tendo should be taking a bath right about now, and that meant hot water. Hot water, in turn, meant a return to humanity. Then Ranma would be in for the beating of his life. At last locating the proper door, he nudged it open and walked to the tub, leapt up and in. In the second before he plunged beneath the surface, he caught a glimpse of orange and blonde hair. (What the--???) The second after he plunged beneath the surface, Ryoga found himself staring at a very startled Neko. For the space of a heartbeat neither one moved or made a sound. Then Neko drew a deep breath, mouth starting to open. Instantly Ryoga leaned forward, holding out his hands pleadingly. "No, please, don't scream!" he said urgently. "But you--you--" Neko blinked several times in rapid succession. Her expression changed, softened. "Oh, your poor thing," she said gently. "It must be horrible, not being able to let people know you're not really a little pig!" "It's Hell," Ryoga said, fists clenching and trembling with his rage. "Pure Hell! You can't begin to imagine the torments I've undergone. And this agony is all Ranma Saotome's fault. If he'd stayed to fight with honor, I wouldn't be suffering under this monstrous curse that makes me only half a man!..." he trailed off helplessly. Neko looked at him searchingly. "Akane doesn't know?" "No." Ryoga smiled, half wistful, half bitter, eyes sliding shut. "And if she ever learned the truth, it would break her heart...and mine too. I would have nothing left to live for then. I long for the day when I find a cure, when I can tell her how I truly feel about her." A touch on his shoulder made him start and look up, into the green depths only inches away. "When your whole life's dark, you hold onto any happiness you can find," Neko said gently. "No matter what you risk for it." "Yes..." Ryoga reached out, took her by the shoulders. "Of course you'd understand. You know what it feels like. The loneliness, the heartache..." "If Akane ever finds out," Neko said simply, "it won't be from me. I promise." "Thank you. I knew you were as beautiful inside as you are outside." "B-Beautiful?" Neko shook her head. "I'm not--I can't be." "Oh yes you can, and you are," he insisted. "Don't you dare believe anyone who tells you otherwise. Just because you don't look like one of those stupid, air-headed people on television doesn't mean you're ugly. You're not. You could never be." Neko blushed, just a tiny bit, and nodded slowly. "I believe you." "Good." Ryoga let go of her and sat back, only then realizing that both of them were stark naked and only a foot or so apart. Apparently the same realization hit Neko at about the same time; her eyes widened again and she immediately crossed her arms over her breasts, sliding down a little farther under the water in a vain attempt to conceal herself. Ryoga, for his part, turned beet-red and immediately looked away. "Uh, uh, uh," he stammered, not sure what to say. The problem was solved--and compounded--by a knock on the door. "Neko?" Akane's voice sounded. "Are you almost done?" She poked her head in. "Breakfast is ready. I'm sure you'll like it--Kasumi's a really good cook." Neko, alone in the tub, smiled and nodded. "Be there in a minute, Akane." "Okay." Akane smiled. She withdrew and footsteps receded down the hall. As soon as they were out of hearing, Neko reached down into the water and hauled up Ryoga, who gasped for air as he broke the surface. "I have to go," she said. Ryoga nodded. "I'm eternally grateful. From now on, if I can help you, please don't hesitate to ask. Anything." "Well there's one thing you can do right now." "What?" "Tell me your name." "Ryoga. Ryoga Hibiki." "Ryoga." Neko beamed. "I like that name." "Y-you do?" Ryoga shook himself. "I, uh, I've got to go, too." Reaching up, he snagged the shower attachment and switched it on cold, let the water stream over him. As soon as he'd changed into a pig, Ryoga/P-chan closed his eyes and sat down. The splashing of water was followed by the rustle of clothes. Finally he felt Neko's hands close around him and he opened his eyes to see her smiling at him. "Hot water makes you a boy, cold water makes you a piglet?" she asked. He nodded. "I'll remember." The smile deepened. "You might just need someone who understands." Very emphatic nod. He nuzzled against her shoulder as she carried him down the stairs. Surprisingly enough, Ranma didn't make the usual snide comments at the breakfast table as Akane and Neko took turns feeding Ryoga/P-chan morsels from their chopsticks. (He must be on his best behavior because we have company,) Ryoga decided. (We'll see how long that lasts. I don't really think Saotome has the self-control to hold his tongue for long.) When Akane set P-chan on the table to drink out of his own personal soup bowl, he managed to "accidentally" step on the edge of the saucer, tipping the contents. "Hey!" Ranma yelled as miso dribbled off the table's edge onto his pants leg. "Why you little...!" "Skwee...?" Ryoga/P-chan squealed, blinking huge, innocent eyes. "Ranma," warned Akane, reaching for her pet. Ranma half-rose from his pillow, froze, then settled back down and grabbed for a dishcloth. "Aw, man, I'm not lettin' a pig spoil my mood, okay?" he grumbled--almost good-naturedly!--as he swiped at his knee. "Akane, I'm sorry about pickin' on him earlier." "That's very nice of you, Ranma," Kasumi beamed across the table at him. "How uncharacteristic," Nabiki remarked to the latest issue of MonMon. Ryoga/P-chan felt his mind approach vapor-lock. He dangled loosely in Akane's arms, eyes the size of white pork dumplings. (He's gone mad. Saotome's finally lost what mind he had! The poor man...I knew he had a weak spirit, but I never thought...!!!) For the first time in his life, Ryoga felt something like pity for his rival. "Oh, my poor little baby..." Akane cuddled P-chan close, mildly alarmed at his lack of response. "I'll go get him a glass of water," Neko said, standing up and pouncing out of the room. Three seconds later a sound that was half scream, half caterwaul, rang down the hall. "Huh?--Neko!!" Ranma released Tendo and bolted out the door, followed closely by Akane (still holding P-chan). Out in the hall, Akane and Ranma found Neko on all fours, her back arched, tail straight up and puffed out, and ears laid back. It reminded Akane uncannily of the time Ranma had 'catted out'. She was growling softly in the back of her throat. Standing over her, with a remorseful look on his furry face, was a three hundred-plus pound panda with a pair of loop glasses dangling from one ear. "Aw, jeez, Pop...!!!" Ranma glared at the panda. "Pop, you gotta be more careful! Look at what you made her do!" "Rowr mowr..." Genma/Panda rumbled contritely. "Neko?" Akane went down on her knees, holding out a hand slowly. "Are--are you okay?" Neko looked at her and Akane gasped. Neko's eyes were glowing a soft green, and the pupils were no longer round, like a human's but slit, like a cat's. Abruptly Neko shut her eyes and shook herself, then sat down. When she looked around again, her eyes were perfectly normal. "What? Oh--" she covered her face with her hands. "I'm sorry! I-- oh, Akane, I was so rude!" "Of course you weren't!" Akane put P-chan down and took Neko's shoulders. "You got scared, right?" Neko nodded. "When I get startled or scared or really mad, a lot of times I... well...." her blush deepened. "My cat side sort of comes out." She blinked furiously, trying to stave off tears. "I'm so sorry!" "It's all right..." Akane pulled her in for a hug. "Nobody thinks you're weird or anything. That's what you're really afraid of, isn't it?" "Yes...." "Trust me, around here, we have a lot weirder things going on than you and your cat side." "You're sure?" Neko gave Akane a pathetically grateful look. "Cross my heart." "Thank you, Akane," and Neko hugged the other girl back. "Um, could I ask where the panda came from now?" "It's my Pop," Ranma said. "He, um, he has this curse..." "Ah?" Neko cocked her head. "But that's wonderful!" "Lemme explain--huh? What'd you say?" "Neko, what do you mean?" Akane asked. Neko reached around and grabbed her tail, held it out towards the others. "Me too," she said simply. "I was born like this. I'm half cat and half girl. It's because of something my parents did." "Boy, does that sound familiar," Ranma muttered, earning a clout from Genma-Panda. "Ow! Hey, what'd'ja do that for?" "Go on," Akane said. "I mean, if you want to." "Well, my parents told me once that before I was born they weren't very friendly. They weren't bad people, but they just didn't care about anyone else but themselves. One day, though, as Mamma was hanging out some clothes, a cat came into the yard begging for food. It was awfully thin and dirty, and Mamma shooed it away. When it wouldn't leave, Poppa threw a stone at it." Neko shifted a little. "Well, when he hit it, the stone just bounced off, and the next thing they knew the cat had turned into this handsome young man in green armor. He told them he was Kitakaze no Ryu, the Dragon of the North Wind, and that the Celestial Emperor had sent him and his brothers, the other Dragons of the Wind, all around the world to see what kinds of people live here. "Because they were mean to a humble creature of the Buddah, he cursed them. 'Your child will be born half cat and half human, to remind you of the cat you were cruel to,' he said. 'People will be unkind to her as unknowingly as you were unkind to me, and she will know great sorrow because of it; and every time you see her weeping, you will be reminded of your thoughtlessness. However, since I know your daughter will be as forgiving and loving as you have not been up to this point, I will give her a blessing that will make up in part for the curse she will bear all her life long, her and her children and all those who carry her blood. The first part of my blessing is that she will always know where she is and how to get to where she wants to be, without need of maps or directions. The second part of my blessing is that no evil magic and no creature of evil, neither demon nor wicked spirit, will be able to harm her. The third part of my blessing is that she will be able to run so swiftly that she will catch the wind before her and leave the wind behind her as she passes.'" Neko shrugged. "That's what they told me, anyway." "Whoa...." Ranma shook his head. "Jeez, and I thought I had it bad. Lemme tell you about Jusenkyo..." * * * Later that afternoon the four of them (Akane, Ranma, P-chan, and Neko) went to the skating rink (Ranma under mild protest--it wasn't exactly one of his favorite places to be). As usual for a Saturday, the skating rink was moderately crowded. Ranma sat on the sidelines, with P-chan as a reluctant companion, while Akane glided effortlessly in and out of the crowd and Neko skirted the edges, more out of shyness than lack of skill. "You're pretty good!" Akane complemented Neko. 'Maybe you should join the skate club at school. I'm part of it." "You think so?" "At least you can stand up by yourself," she said as they passed Ranma, deliberately loud enough for him to hear (but smiling). "Nyaaaaaaah," Ranma responded, poking out his tongue and pulling one eyelid down with a finger. P-chan growled at his elbow. "Aw, shut up, bacon breath." P-chan's wicked fangs sank into the flesh of his upper arm. "Ee-yow! Cut it out!" Ranma flung his arm out, dislodging P-chan and sending him sailing out into the middle of the rink. The pig landed hard on the ice and skidded on his rump for several feet before managing to stop. "Ran-ma!!!" Akane shouted from the other side of the rink. "Stop picking on P-chan!" "Aw, he started it! Anyway, I didn't hurt him." Ranma rubbed his sore arm ruefully. "Lousy jerk. Can't take him anywhere..." P-chan got unsteadily to his trotters and began making his slippery way across the ice towards Akane. Then a voice from his most fearsome nightmares sounded behind him, freezing his feet to the ice along with the blood in his veins: "Charlotte! Azusa's little Chaaaaaaarlotte!!!" "Skweeeeeeeeeee!" P-chan screamed in helpless denial. He tried to break into a run, but he couldn't get any traction on the ice. He heard swift blade-cuts approaching behind him; Akane was making for him, but with a sinking heart he knew she would be too late to save him. Azusa Shiratori shrieked in ecstatic delight. "Oh, little Charlotte! Now you come home with Azusa!" She skidded to a stop and reached for the piglet-- Which was snatched away faster than her eyes could follow. A slipstream of wind blew her back several yards; she barely kept her footing. All she saw was an orangy blur, and then it was gone, and so was-- "Charlotte!!!" She looked around frantically. "Azusa wants her dear little Charlotte!!!" Neko stopped and skated back, stopping several feet away from the chocolate-haired girl. "Excuse me, but you're mistaken. This isn't your pet. He belongs to Akane. His name's P-chan." She cuddled the pig in her arms, who looked up at her with a combination of stunned amazement and pathetic gratitude. "Uh...?" Azusa blinked at Neko, cocked her head prettily, then broke into a sunny grin. "Jacqueline!" she carolled sweetly. "Wh...what...?" Neko was too puzzled to react before a pair of tiny but strong arms encircled her. "Jacqueline! Jacqueline!!" Azusa jumped up and down happily, hugging Neko tight. "...oh..." A stricken look came over Neko's face. "...ohhh..." "Jacqueline and Charlotte will come home with Azusa, and will live with her forever and forever! Oh, you'll be so happy, little Jacqueline, little Charlotte! You'll have so many friends at Azusa's house! There's Francois...and Catherine...and Antoinette...and Marlene..." Akane finally fought her way through the gathering crowd. "Listen, Shiratori--you'd better keep your hands off P-chan or I'll--" She stopped. "Um...Neko?" "...help..." squeaked Neko, barely audible. "...and Michelle...and Felicia...and Georgina...and Rosalie...and Elisabeth..." "...help..." "...and...and Angeline...and Marianne...and Jeanette...and Delphine...and...Juliette...and Martine...and..." "...help..." Finally P-chan could endure it no longer. As much as he hated any act of violence against a woman--even such an irritant as Azusa--every woebegone cry for help from Neko's lips felt like a red-hot razor blade slashed across his heart. He took a deep breath and bit down on Azusa's little pink hand as hard as he dared without breaking the skin. "Owwwwwwwwwwwie!!" Azusa relaxed her stranglehold on Neko just long enough for the cat-girl to bolt. A blur of white orange-tipped hair, a brief squeal from a black piglet, a slipstream that bowled over several dozen skaters, and Neko and P-chan were gone. Akane, caught in the fringes of the slipstream, lost her balance, flailed her arms, tried to catch herself, missed, and-- Didn't fall. A pair of graceful arms caught her up, sweeping her effortlessly off her feet and cradling her. "Are you all right, miss?" asked a smooth tenor near her left ear. "Why, it's Akane Tendo. Fancy meeting you here again." Akane turned, face already drawing into a scowl. "Mikado Sanzenin. Don't you have something better to do than flirt with people?" A predatory look blossomed in those marvelous eyes, the look a hunting cat might have just before it sprang. "Why, how could anything be better than the company of a lovely lady? And besides, I haven't taken my reward for saving you from certain disaster. Not to mention that kiss I promised you so long ago, at the beginning of that competition we skated." Never missing a beat as he glided over the ice, he brought his face close to hers. Akane shrank back. "Don't you dare!" "Don't be shy, now. No girl has ever refused my kiss...not for long, anyway." "Don't--!" She couldn't keep from screaming the word, but it didn't faze him. Her hand drew back, ready to slap him with all her strength before his lips touched hers. "MIKADOOOOO!!!" Sanzenin braked to a sudden halt, raising his head. Akane blinked away tears of rage and looked at the figure blocking Sanzenin's path. "Ranma--!" He stood on the ice barefoot, feet planted apart, arms cocked, hands fisted, head lowered like a bull ready to charge. His eyes almost crackled with fury. "Get your stinkin' hands off her, Mikado. Now. Before I break every bone in your worthless body." "Well, well, well," Sanzenin drawled. "If it isn't Ranma Saotome. Long time no see." Mildly he looked at the woman in his arms. "You don't mean to tell me you two are still together, dear Akane?" "That's no business of yours!" Akane struggled to get free. "But as it happens, we are. Now let me go!" Sanzenin chuckled. "Ah, so the kitten bares her claws. That's good. I like a girl with spirit." "Now!" Akane screamed, tensing to land a blow. "Very well, for the moment at least, I will do as you ask...since you put it so nicely." Sanzenin set Akane on her feet, giving her an affectionate pat on the rear. "But I'll take a raincheck on that kiss." Akane whirled, lost her balance, regained it, and turned beet-red. "Why, you--!" Sanzenin only laughed again. The next instant, he was flying backwards on the ice, and Ranma landed next to her, having delivered a fierce kick to Sanzenin's chest. One arm went around Akane to steady her; she put a hand on his chest and felt his heart hammering. Sanzenin quickly regained his footing and did a slow circle back around. The rest of the rink skaters had gathered around the three of them, gawking at the spectacle. "Now listen, and you better listen good," Ranma growled as Sanzenin stopped in front of him. "You leave Akane the hell alone. If you don't--" "You'll kill me?" Sanzenin asked. "You bet your playboy butt I will! I beat you twice already, remember? Don't think you'll get third-time lucky. Remember, three strikes and you're out!" He drew the edge of his thumb across his throat. "Don't push me any more than you already have, Mikado. I don't give an inch, and I don't give up. Ever." Sanzenin skated in a lazy circle around the two of them. "So..." he murmured, "the lovely Akane says you're still a pair. Is this true, Saotome?" "Yeah, that's right." Ranma pulled her protectively closer. "She's with me." "Pity. I didn't think it was possible for a couple to survive our 'Goodbye Whirl'. Of course, you realize I can't let this fluke go unchallenged. I am going to make it my personal mission in life, Ranma Saotome, to see that you will never be happy. I shall pluck this blossom from your grasp." Sanzenin reached for Akane, but Ranma pulled her back and stepped in front of her. "Don't do it, Mikado." Ranma's voice lowered to a dangerous rumble, like distant thunder. "It'll hurt." "Temper, temper." Mikado shifted the direction of his reach and chucked Ranma under the chin. Akane gasped; Ranma slapped the offending hand angrily away. "That's it." He let go of Akane and dropped into a fighting stance. "C'mon, then. Let's go for it!" Sanzenin smiled--and his expression froze as a tiny fist descended on his head, beating a rapid staccato on his skull. "Charlotte! Jacqueline! Charlotte! Jacqueline!" Azusa's shrill whine rose and echoed from the ceiling. "Azusa wants her Charlotte and her Jacqueline!" Sanzenin whirled on her in a sudden rage. "You stupid woman! You're ruining the moment! Stop it!" "Azusa wants Charlotte and Jacqueline now! You have to help Azusa find her Charlotte and her Jacqueline!!!" Sanzenin sighed. "Whatever." He looked back over his shoulder at Ranma. "This isn't finished yet, Saotome. Another time." As he turned and skated off after his mewling partner, Ranma remained as he was, tensing to go after him. Then a small sound behind him made him hesitate. Dropping out of stance, he stood up and looked around. "Uh...Akane?" Her back was to him, but she was visibly trembling, and her face was buried in her hands. (Mikado the Molester can wait,) he thought, and put a hand on Akane's shoulder. "Hey...that guy didn't hurt you, did he?" Akane turned around, her hands clenching into fists. Her eyes snapped with fury behind unshed tears. "No, but he came damned close to getting that flawless face of his ruined for good." "Akane..." Ranma took her hands in his. "If he hadn't had me off the ground like that, it would've been 'two balls, one out' before you ever got here." She looked up at him with fierce eyes. "I can't stand guys like that. If he ever touches me again, you won't have to fight him. I won't leave enough for you to bother with! Who does that jerk think he is, anyway?!" Ranma looked at her as if seeing her for the very first time. On the surface she looked and sounded like the same rough-and-tumble tomboy he'd always known...but underneath he could see how much the incident with Mikado had shaken her. "Uh...yeah. Whatever. He's gone now." He put his arm rather clumsily around her shoulders, glad when she didn't try to shrug it off. "C'mon, let's find Neko and get outta here, okay?" * * * Neko perched trembling on the highest branch of the oak tree in the square that would bear her weight. She clutched the little warm pig's body close to her chest, her hair and the fur on her tail standing on end, her black-tufted ears laid back almost flat against her skull. Ryoga/P-chan felt her heart racing. She was utterly terrified--of Azusa? But why? The child was annoying as hell, but she was no real threat if you could run fast enough to lose her. He nuzzled against her, trying to grunt comfortingly. (She can't understand me--there's no use--but I have to try.) Her head bowed over him, curtaining her with her hair, and her shivering eased somewhat. "Thank you," she whispered. "I'm sorry...I just--oh, that girl just--I can't explain it." She shook her head, her hair wafting with the movement. "I'm sorry." She laughed feebly at herself. "I keep apologizing, don't I?" "Eh-hehnk," P-chan agreed. "I guess I should stop, right?" "Eh-hehnk." "It's just...that horrible girl...she made me feel like a-a thing, not a person. It was awful." "Skweeeeee." (Believe me, I understand completely.) Neko blinked, raised up her head and looked at him. "Do you know her?" P-chan rolled his eyes. "Ehhh-heeeeeeeehnk," he admitted, nodding. "Could you--could you tell me something about her?" He looked at her incredulously. "Skwee skweeeeeeeeeeee skweee!" (I can't talk, you silly girl!) "Of course you can. And you really shouldn't call people 'silly', Ryoga. It's impolite." "Skw--" (I'm sor--) His eyes popped wide and he stared at her. "Skwee...skweeeeee...?" She laughed softly. "Of course I understood what you said." She reached up and tugged at an ear. "I can understand a lot of what animals are saying. I'm best with cats--for obvious reasons--but I guess since you're really a person, you make sense to me too." "Skwee." "Oh yes, it's very convenient. Now...please tell me all about that horrible girl?" One long series of grunts, squeals and gurgled growls later, Neko was fully versed on the subject of Azusa and Mikado, the Golden Pair of Martial Arts Figure Skating. "...So she's a brat and her partner's a playboy, and they're both insufferable. Well, they deserve each other, then." Neko looked out of the tree. "I don't see her. Maybe she's given up." "Skuh-wee." "For now? That'll just have to do. We can't stay up here forever." She started climbing down, cradling P-chan in one hand. "Don't worry; I never fall. We'll be down in no time." And so it was that the girl with the world's best sense of direction had, at that moment, the world's worst case of bad timing. She had barely set one foot on the ground when she heard that voice behind her-- "Jacqueline! Charlotte! Come to Azusaaaaaa!" "FSSSSSSSSSSSST!" Neko hissed, ears flat, tail bristling. She set off at top speed in the opposite direction. Unfortunately, a fountain just happened to lay directly in her flight path. This would not have been quite so unfortunate except for the fact that Ranma Saotome also just happened to be directly in her flight path. He saw her coming, but even his reflexes didn't allow him time to get out of the way of the infamous slipstream. (Why do these things always just happen to me?) was his last thought before Neko's frantic flight bowled him over into the fountain. By the time he--she--came up, spluttering and buxom, Neko was vanishing in a cloud of dust. "Head for the Tendos, Neko!" she called, hoping she would hear. She looked around and saw Azusa pitching a grand-scale temper tantrum in the center of the square. (Well, that'll keep her busy for a while...) "...told you I'm not interested," came Akane's voice from across the square. Ranma looked--and gritted her teeth. (Him again. Doesn't that guy ever give up?!) Mikado Sanzenin had Akane cornered against a high wall. "I really must insist," he said, as Ranma jumped out of the fountain and began pelting towards them. One hand on the wall beside her head, he leaned in closer. "Lay one finger on me," Akane said, very calmly, "and you'll regret it." "Oh," Mikado whispered, laying one finger on her cheek, "really?" Ranma skidded to a halt as Mikado flew backwards past her to land near the middle of the square several yards away. She tracked his line of ascent back to its point of origin and saw Akane step down from a flawless center-kick. Their eyes met. Before Ranma could say a word, Akane waved a hand at Mikado, who was presently having his head hammered on by his screaming partner. "I warned him, didn't I? He wouldn't listen." She tugged her short skirt back down. "Creep." "Are you okay, Akane?" "Yeah, I'm fine. Did you find Neko or P-chan?" "Yeah, Neko was running again-- from Azusa, I guess. I yelled after her to go to the dojo. We oughta head there and see if she heard me." * * * Neko had heard Ranma's shout, and the trio found her waiting at the gate to the Tendo hall, P-chan still clutched in her arms. "Oh thank goodness," Akane said, accepting the piglet back. "I was so worried...Neko, I'm sorry. I should've thought...Azusa and her partner are always practicing. Are you all right?" Neko nodded. "That girl--Azusa. She just scared me, that's all. If I'd had any sense, I would've just climbed up in the rafters instead of running out the door. I was having lots of fun before she showed up." "Well, we'll just have to go back another time. And next time, just--just punch her in the nose, or something. That should get rid of her." "Oh I couldn't." "Huh? Why not?" Ranma asked, frankly puzzled. "Oh yeah! I forgot. You don't know how to fight." "Anyway, thank you again, Akane," Neko said. "I guess I need to get home now. It's almost supper time." "Won't you come have dinner with us?" "I'd like to, but Momma's fixing my favorite tonight, tuna sushi with rice cakes and phoenix and dragon soup. I'll see you tomorrow at school, okay?" "Okay!" Once Neko was gone, Akane turned to Ranma. "Um... Ranma.... by the way..I haven't thanked you properly for saving me from that Mikado creep back in the rink. I mean, I could've handled him just fine, but... it was really sweet of you to help me anyway." (What th-?) Ranma barely stopped himself from saying. "Huh? Oh. Yeah. Well...it's just that I can't stand playboys like that either. Besides, I already got a problem with Mikado. And-- I wouldn't want him-- you know-- especially not with you, Akane." "Me either. If he'd actually kissed me, God knows what I would've done to him." "Yeah? Well, whatever you left, I would've turned to bean paste. No problem." "I can't stand the thought of being kissed by someone like that--someone to whom a kiss doesn't mean anything at all but another notch on his belt." "So what kind of guy do you want to kiss you? --Oops." Ranma felt a sudden urge to bite off his own tongue. "Uh, sorry. I didn't mean--" "Actually..." Akane smiled shyly up at him. "There...is a guy...I'd like to have kiss me..." Ranma leaned a little closer. "Um...yeah...?" "Yeah." "Really?" "Uh-huh." His face was so close to hers he felt her breath on his cheek. So softly he almost couldn't hear himself, he whispered, "...me...?" She bit her lip and nodded once. Ranma put his other hand on the wall behind her, on the other side of her head, and leaned forward just a little more, closing his eyes... >SPLASH!!< Ice-cold water struck the back of his head, and cascaded in a cold stream down her back-- "AW, NUTS!" Ranma shook herself off and glared at the panda that'd just thrown the mop water over the fence. "Man, you got the worst sense of timing in the world!" She glared down at the small black piglet which was currently rolling on the ground in convulsions of merriment. "What're you laughing at? Jeez!" She stomped off into the dojo. Akane sighed, half relieved and half disappointed, and picked up P-chan. "Come on, P-chan," she said. "Dinner time." At the table Ranma (once again a boy) and P-chan kept throwing each other dirty looks. Akane kept a worried eye on each in turn--it'd been too good to be true, she and Ranma hadn't disagreed more than a teeny tiny bit for almost a week and a half now. She was expecting an explosion. "Akane, would you come give me a hand for a minute?" Kasumi called from the kitchen. With a little sigh, Akane called back, "Be there in a minute!" and set P-chan on her cushion. "Be good," she said, and departed. "What's the matter with you anyway?" Ranma said when she'd left, jabbing a finger at P-chan. "You've been looking kind of miserable lately. Trouble with your friends? Oh, wait a minute. I forgot. you ain't got any friends. You lost 'em, right?" P-chan turned fiery eyes on him. A low growling squeal tore out of him, rising rapidly in pitch until it was almost a shriek, and he launched himself savagely at Ranma, fangs bared. Ranma merely held up his plate, and the piglet slammed squarely into it, bounced off, and landed back on the cushion, dazed. Before he could launch a second leap Akane had come back into the room. Gritting his teeth, Ryoga/P-chan shot his rival the dirtiest look he could muster. (Just you wait, Ranma Saotome. As soon as I can find some hot water, I'm going to kill you! Your days on this earth are numbered, I promise you that!) "Aw, did I hurt the widdle piggy's feelings?" Ranma murmured, just loud enough for P-chan to hear. "You didn't get, um, porked off at me or nothing, didja?" (Damn you, Saotome! Damn you to Hell! How dare you talk to me this way, in front of Akane?? If I were a human being, I'd make you eat those words, along with half of Tokyo! Do you know how you've made me suffer? Do you know how much I--I--) P-chan froze, the word hanging in mid-thought. (I h--h--why can't I say it?! Isn't it true? Don't I have cause to hate him? But...I don't. If I really hated him, really wanted him dead, wouldn't he be dead by now?) Stunned by the idea, P-chan sat almost totally silent for a second. (Of course! He's not worth killing. That's it. I want him to suffer, as he's made me suffer...) (Why am I trying so hard to convince myself of that?) Ranma gave the suddenly silent pig a wary glance, but finally shrugged and ignored it. That night Ranma couldn't sleep. Usually he had no problems drifting off, but the day's events-- Mikado, the almost kiss-- had his nerves wired. After a fruitless hour spent tossing and turning, Ranma decided to try a hot bath. Maybe that would relax him enough to let him drift off. However, when he got to the bathroom, he found it already occupied. For a long, long moment he and Ryoga stared at each other; then Ranma shook his head wearily. "I don't wanna start nothing," he muttered, walking forward and stepping into the far end of the tub. "You leave me alone, I'll leave you alone." "Oh, that would make it easy on you, wouldn't it?" Ryoga sneered. "What makes you think I'm interested in doing you any favors, Saotome?" Ranma ignored the other boy's words. He sat down, crossing his legs, and closed his eyes, letting the heat sink into him. "C'mon, Ryoga, gimme a break. I had a hard day." "Should I care? Personally, I think you deserve to be sent to--" "To Hell, yeah yeah. I know. It ain't like you don't tell me that every time you talk to me. Give it a rest, huh?" Ryoga's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. Then a thin, cruel smile crept over his features. "Romantic troubles again, Saotome?" he asked in a mockingly pleasant tone. "What's wrong, got too many people on your dance card? Gee, let's see, there's Shampoo, Ukyou, Kodachi... and don't let me forget Kuno! Having problems making room for Mikado?" "Aw, man, that's sick." Ranma ducked his head, surfaced, and slicked back his hair. "Tell the truth, Ryoga. You're just jealous 'cause me and Akane are finally starting to get along. What did you think you were gonna do, anyway, if we'd gone splits for good? You haven't even had the guts to tell her the truth about yourself. How do you think she's gonna react when she finds that out, huh?" A splash, and Ranma opened his eyes to find Ryoga inches away, eyes blazing. "Who's going to tell her?" Ryoga snarled, fangs bared. "You? Don't make me laugh! You've been trying that for months. She hasn't believed you yet; what makes you think she ever will?" "What makes you think you can hide it forever?" Ranma propped an elbow on the tub wall and his chin in his hand. "Face it, Ryoga. You're scared to tell Akane you're P-chan, cause you think if she finds out she'll hate you for hiding it from her to start with. Otherwise, why are you sitting here taking a bath and sneakin' around the house while she's asleep and don't know you're gone?" "Shut up! Shut up!" Ryoga barely managed to keep his voice down, but the anger thrummed through the words. "You don't know anything!" "Maybe I do and maybe I don't." Ranma stood up. "But at least I got a girl that knows the truth, and still cares. What've you got, Ryoga?" Ryoga half-opened his mouth as if to say something, then simply turned his face away, turned his back on Ranma. But for an instant Ranma saw a stab of pain in the other boy's eyes, and knew that his words had hit home in a way that not all of Ryoga's anger towards him could deny. Quietly he picked up a towel, dried himself off, and walked out. * * * Another Monday; school morning. Ranma, as usual, was running along the top of the fencing that stretched almost all the way to Furinkan. Akane was running along on the sidewalk below. As they passed a side street, Neko darted out and joined them. Akane moved over just a little, making room for the other girl. "Morning!" she said. "Morning," Neko replied. "It's a beautiful day!" "Sure is." Akane looked shyly up at Ranma. He smiled down at her. "Do you always run up there?" Neko continued, looking at Ranma. He nodded. "Balance exercise." The cat-girl giggled. "Is everything an exercise for you?" "That's what his father keeps saying," Akane said. "That true martial artists turn everything into a learning experience. Me, I think Ranma's just showing off." "Aw, you don't know nothing," Ranma grumbled, but softly. Akane smiled a little to herself. Leaping down, Ranma caught up with the girls. "So, um, how're you liking living here in Tokyo?" With a laugh, Neko shook her head. "It's wonderful! I finally feel like I belong somewhere." "Great!" Putting on a burst of speed, Ranma caught up to Akane. "Listen, I was wondering--" he was cut off mid-sentence by a sudden splash of cold water from the old lady on the corner, who (once again) was throwing ladlefuls of water on the sidewalk in front of her modest little house. "Aw, nuts," Ran-chan continued. "And I ain't got time to go home and dry off!" "You'll just have to live with it, Ran-chan," Akane called back over her shoulder. "Here, let me hold that," she added, reaching back and taking Ran-chan's schoolbag as the red-head struggled to tie up her pants and keep running all at the same time. With both hands free, Ranma managed to get the trousers snugged up and resumed a full speed ahead pace. "Thanks," she said. "Don't mention it." As they were walking in the school's gates, Ranma stopped, then suddenly grabbed both Akane and Neko around the waist and leapt into the air. Caught by surprise, both shrieked and clutched at Ranma's neck. Ranma grunted, but held on and flipped neatly over, landing lightly on the balls of her feet and glancing back the way they'd come, back at the small figure who'd just come at her with a rather large mallet. "Azusa," she said. Azusa Shiratori scowled. "You moved!" "So, where's your partner, Mikado the Molester?" "Mickey's not here. Just Azusa." Azusa pointed at Ranma. "You helped take Azusa's little Charlotte and Jacqueline away from Azusa. Now Azusa wants you to pay. Azusa challenges you!" "Fine by me, kid. I'll skate your pants off." "Azusa doesn't wear pants, stupid pig-tail girl!" "Yeah, well if you did, I'd still skate 'em off. Remember who won the last time we tried this?" Ran-chan thumbed her nose at Azusa. "Unless you've gotten a lot better, I'll leave you eating my ice crystals!" "We'll see." Turning, Azusa flounced off, pausing just long enough to shout, "Thursday afternoon, after school, skating rink. You be there, or Azusa will tell everyone what a coward you are!" "Little pest," Ran-chan growled under her breath. "Worse than fleas." She set off at a jog to one side of the building. "Uh--Ranma?" Akane took a step after her companion. "You go on to class, Akane," Ranma called back. "I just gotta get changed." (In more ways than one,) Akane thought, and after a moment's hesitation went on in. Ranma appeared at the third-floor window and slipped into class just before the tardy bell sounded, hair still damp. He winked at Akane as he slid into his seat. The morning and afternoon passed uneventfully, except for the Chem Club's setting off an explosion at 11:35 a.m. that rattled the glass and showered plaster from the ceiling. As they walked out, Ranma moved over beside Akane. "Um, like I was saying this morning...I got a few yen on me. You want to go to the local snack shop for lunch?" "Why, Ranma!" Akane giggled. "Is this a date?" "Uh--well, yeah! It's a date." "Then I'd love to." One slender arm stole into Ranma's. He stared at it a moment, as if he'd never seen a girl's arm before; then a look of pride crossed his features and he drew his elbow in a bit closer to his body, holding onto Akane. They hurried down the street together and walked into the shop. "Gimme two bowls of ramen and some fish sausages," he told the counterman. "And two Cokes." They settled in one corner with their noodles. For several minutes neither spoke as they slurped down the hot noodles, Ranma ravenously, Akane more delicately. When the normal buzz of conversation around them stopped suddenly, Ranma paused in mid-bite, let his last mouthful fall back into the bowl, and looked around warily. A tall figure was standing near their table, waiting to be noticed. "Mikado the Body Snatcher," he commented, shoving back from the table. "Saotome," Mikado said, unperturbed. "I told you our fight wasn't over." "I'm ready when you are." Ranma held up an open hand and flexed it, making the joints crack loudly. "Thick-headed dimwit. Do you think I'm going to fight you here? Absolutely not. I have far more style than that." "Another skating duel?" "But of course." Mikado lifted a comb out of one pocket and ran it absently through his hair a few times, put it away. "You won last time because Azusa interfered, not because of any real skill on your part. This time there won't be any ridiculous 'Charlotte' to distract her, and she won't get in my way when I crush you." "Dream on, you drainage-ditch leech." Mikado smirked. "What a charming turn of phrase you have. Fortunately for me, being a person of culture and good standing, I barely understood that gutter slang you call language. It's a good thing you're still in school; maybe in 5 or 10 years you'll actually learn to talk like a human being." Ranma's eyes flashed rage, but before he could say anything Akane stood up. "Do you mind?" she said frostily. "We're trying to have lunch!" Another faint smile from Mikado. "Thursday, after school, at the skating rink. Don't back out--I'd be so disappointed." With a final bow in their direction (and a mimed kiss to Akane), he left. Glaring after him, Ranma sat back down. "Man, that guy's so greasy, you could use him to oil a wok." "Um, Ranma?" "Yeah, Akane?" "How are you going to fight Mikado on Thursday, when Ran-chan's supposed to fight Azusa on the same day?" Ranma stared at her for a heartbeat; then he dropped his head to the tabletop with an audible thunk. "Why me?" he groaned. "This is great. Just great. If I don't show for both those fights, they'll think I ran out or something. But I can't show up as a girl and a guy both!" * * * "This has to be the stupidest thing you've ever done," Akane remarked. "Ranma, how could you?" She petted P-chan, who was nodding emphatically from his perch in Akane's arms. "Hey, it's not my fault!" Ranma folded his arms. "What was I supposed to do, back out? No way!" "That's our Ranma," Nabiki said, drifting past. "Love that testosterone." "You ain't helping, Nabiki!" Nabiki paused, smiling mysteriously. "Well, if you wanted me to, I could help," she said. "As a matter of fact, I know exactly what to do to get you out of this." "What?" Turning to her younger sister, Nabiki beckoned. "Come on, Akane. Let's go upstairs. Lucky for me I went shopping after school. But then, I figured you'd be needing my help." Completely bewildered, Akane followed Nabiki upstairs. About an hour later Nabiki descended, struck a pose at the bottom of the staircase, and said, "Presenting-- Miss Ranma Saotome." "What the-?" Ranma looked up the stairs--and froze. Ran-chan walked down, pausing at the bottom. "Hey, you big silly," she cooed to Ranma, "what's the matter? You act like you ain't never seen me before!" Ranma (by this time as white as a bedsheet) shook his head, holding out a trembling hand to ward off the figure. "You--you can't--" he stammered. Then his face changed. "Hey, wait. That voice--" The red-head giggled and reached up, pulled off the red wig, revealed a shock of dark hair. "It's me, Akane!" "A-Akane?" Ranma sat down abruptly. "Wow..." "Phenomenal, isn't it?" Nabiki said, draping an arm over Akane's shoulders. "I couldn't tell the difference. I doubt Mikado or Azusa will be able to, either. Amazing what a little makeup and some acting experience will do for a girl." "I wasn't sure about this until now," Akane said, kneeling by Ranma. "But if it fooled you, even for a minute... I mean, I didn't mean to weird you out, Ranma, but doesn't this solve your problem?" "Uh...yeah...I guess so. Yeah!" Akane tucked the wig back into place. "I figure as long as I don't talk too much, since I can't really do Ran-chan's voice, we should be able to pull it off." Ranma managed a nod, forcing down the impulse to shudder. It was like looking at a living mirror, and it gave him a serious case of the creeps. For the rest of that afternoon they practiced intensively. By the time night had fallen Akane's imitation of Ran-chan's moves was nearly flawless. "I think.. we'll make it now," she said, collapsing onto a bench. "You'll definitely need all the help you can get," Nabiki observed. "Hey!" Ranma sat up straight and scowled. "You sound like you think we're gonna lose or something!" "Not at all. What I meant was, you don't really work well as part of a team effort. Mikado and Azusa have been a fighting team for years. They're coordinated to attack in concert." "So what--" Ranma broke off. "You know, you're right," he finished in a completely different tone. "Huh? Akane said, not sure she'd heard right. "Ranma, are you okay?" Ranma waved a hand absently in the air at her as he walked to the edge of the rink, leaned on the protective fence, and stared at the ice. "They work as a team," he said slowly. "Sure, Mikado can fight on his own, but I ain't never seen Azusa skate in battle without him. And that means they're used to fighting together. And that means--" "Separately, they're weaker than someone who ordinarily fights solo," Akane finished. "Exactly," Nabiki said. "But that also means you two are weaker together than you are seperately." "Yeah yeah. Question is, how do we turn that to our advantage?" Jamming his hands in his pockets, Ranma turned. "Look, I gotta do some thinking, okay? Gotta get some fresh air. I'll catch up to you at the dojo." He ran out a side door. Akane nodded and left with Nabiki (not noticing the small black shadow which crept from under Akane's bench and tagged along after the departing boy). Outside, Ranma leapt casually to the top of the skating rink's roof. He could see the girls making their way home, and waved to both until they were out of sight, then made himself comfortable and let his mind wander, turning over the tactics of team fighting and ways to reverse that strength. "Weeeenk." "Huh? --Oh. You. What do you want, Ryoga?" The small black piglet grunted and nudged Ranma's ankle. "Well, since I don't speak pigese, guess I better find you some hot water." One cup of hot water (and a hasty change of clothing) later, Ryoga sat down beside Ranma. For a long while neither boy spoke. Finally Ryoga sighed and said, "I have no idea why I'm bothering to help you out, except that Akane's involved in this too. I can't let her get beaten by those two just because you dragged her into this." "So, you gonna say something worthwhile or just sit there flapping your lips?" "Shut up, Saotome!" Ryoga clenched a fist. "I don't have to be polite to you, you know!" "Sure, whatever." "It strikes me that the most devastating attack Mikado and that--that--thing he calls a partner have is their 'Goodbye Whirl'. They base all their paired attacks on that. Everything they do is a set-up for that final assault." "I knew that!" "But what you don't know is how to counter it. Right?" "Maybe." "So, in order to win on Thursday, you'll have to do one of two things." Ryoga held up two fingers. "Either find a counter-move for the Whirl, or find a way to keep yourself from ever being caught in it to begin with." "Problem is, watching out for that one move will leave me and Akane wide open for anything else they decide to throw at us." "Exactly. So your only option is to turn the attack back at them." Ranma looked across at his rival. "You have to have an idea, or you wouldn't be talkin' to me." "Maybe." Ryoga folded his arms, looked smug. "If you asked me nicely, I might tell you." Ranma's eyes narrowed, but he kept his temper with an effort. "Ryoga, would you p-p-" he gritted his teeth. "Would you please tell me what you think me'n Akane can do about the Goodbye Whirl?" Ryoga had the grace to look surprised for half a heartbeat before the faintly sardonic cast descended on his face again. "Come on, Ranma," he said, coaxingly, "you disappoint me! You're such a hot-shot martial artist; you can think of a solution on your own." "Is that all you have to say to me?!" "Calm down!" A light pat on Ranma's shoulder. "Think about it. When is Mikado most vulnerable during the set up for the Whirl?" "Um...when he's standing still lifting everyone up off the ice." "He has to be focusing all his strength at that point, right?" "Yeah. It's their final technique--all or nothing." "Now you're using your brain. Such as it is. So, that's the point at which to strike, isn't it?" Slowly Ranma nodded. Suddenly his eyes brightened and he smacked a fist into the opposite palm. "That's it! Yeah! It'll work!" Without thinking he clapped Ryoga on the back. "That's great, Ryoga! Thanks!" Bounding to his feet, he ran across the roof and dove off into a tree, swinging down to the ground. From there he called back, "I owe you one!" before setting off in the direction of the dojo. Ryoga watched him go, eyes oddly pensive. "You're...welcome, Saotome," he whispered, then clutched his head and screamed at the top of his lungs, "WHAT AM I SAYING????" * * * Thursday dawned sullen, with thunderclouds moving in from the horizon as the day grew older. Ranma bit his lip, looking at them out of the window at Furinkan. "Jeez, if it rains, we could be in real trouble." "You mean you might get, um...before we get there?" Akane put a hand tentatively on his shoulder. "Maybe we should try to postpone...?" "No way! Not after all the practice we put into that new move of ours." "I don't think I could forget it! My butt's still sore from falling on it all yesterday afternoon!" "Mikado's in for a surprise." Ranma smiled grimly, flexing his hand and cracking the joints. The final bell sounded almost like a call to arms. Ranma stopped at the gates of the school, still watching the clouds. They were growing progressively darker and larger, boiling about the sky furiously. The wind plucked at his hair, sending his braid kiting out in a raven coil. In the stormlight he looked fierce and proud, a warrior readying himself for a lifetime of battle. Akane looked at him, seeing that, and wasn't sure whether she felt frightened or attracted. Maybe a little of both. She moved closer to him, gave a little gasp when his arm snaked out and looped itself around her waist, snugging her closer. Hesitantly at first, then more assuredly, she half-twisted and nestled into his side as they set off down the sidewalk. The first roll of thunder sounded as they entered the skating rink. Ranma reached out, clasped Akane's shoulder. "Trust me," he said, and vanished down the hall to the men's dressing room. Akane swallowed, willing her stomach to stop fluttering, and went into the girls' dressing room. Thankfully, it was empty. She hastily slid into wig and costume, stood in front of the mirror studying herself for any imperfection in the disguise. When she found none, she gave her reflection a saucy grin. "Mikado the Molester's gonna get his!" she said in her best imitation of Ran-chan's voice, and strutted out. "Welcome to the second annual Charlotte Cup, hosted by Kolhotz and Furinkan High Schools!" the announcer's voice boomed over the tannoy. "This is a special revenge match, and things are shaping up for an afternoon of incredible skating! First on the ice are those champions of martial arts figure skating, the Golden Pair, Azusa Shiratori and the Emperor, Mikado Sanzenin!" A roar of applause rose as the pair skated into the spotlight, Mikado preening to his female fans and Azusa flirting with the boys who wore her colors. "And the challengers, returning to the ice for a no-holds-barred, winner takes all fight, Ranma Saotome and...Ranma Saotome?" "Yeah! Yeaaaah!" "Ran-chan" shot out onto the ice, pirouetting and throwing kisses to the crowd. Ranma followed more sedately, at least until he turned sideways and sent a shower of ice crystals up into the air to fall as glittering jewels around his partner. The momentary silence of the crowd was broken by furious cheers and applause, even more tumultuous than that greeting the Golden Pair. Mikado's eyes narrowed as he listened. "So, you're popular," he murmured. "I'll have to take that from you as well. By the time I'm finished with you, Ranma Saotome, you'll have nothing." "Hey, you talkin' to me?" Ranma demanded, skating a little forward and pointing at his nose. "Of course, you oaf." "Is that so. Well, I got one thing to say to you, pretty boy." Striking a pose, Ranma gave Mikado a mocking grin and extended the middle finger of his hand. "And you can suck on that!" Turning, he skated back to "Ran-chan's" side, lacing an arm familiarly around her waist. "C'mon, let's kick these bozos' butts! Give it your best shot, Mickey Mouse!" "That's Mikado Sanzenin, you fool!" Ranma shrugged innocently. "Could've fooled me. Oh wait--yeah, I'm sorry. You ain't Mickey, you're Goofy. Or is it Dumbo?" "Don't use so many words, little boy. You'll find them hard to swallow." Mikado swept Azusa up in his arms and darted forward, beginning to spin around, using his partner as a living scythe. "Ready?" Ranma muttered under his breath as the pair bore down on him and the disguised Akane. "Ready," she hissed back. Ranma tossed Akane to his shoulders and skated forward to meet the Golden Pair, building speed furiously. Mikado crouched, expecting Ranma to toss "Ran-chan" in the air, then dart in and under to strike at Mikado's side. Instead, Ranma deliberately fell to the ice, shooting daringly past the side of the flashing blades. At the same time, Akane reached back and snagged Mikado's ankles, tossing him off balance. He and Azusa went tumbling to the ice as Ranma did a back-bend to impel himself back up, set 'Ran-chan' on her feet. A wave of applause greeted them. "What an incredible opening move!" the announcer shouted. "So far the Saotomes are showing real cohesion. Their skating skills have certainly improved since the last time we saw them on the ice. The Golden Pair may have their work cut out for them!" "Nonsense," Mikado growled under his breath as he rose. "Lucky shot." "Or maybe you were just clumsy!" Azusa supplied helpfully. "Shut up, you stupid wench!" Mock tears immediately sprang to Azusa's eyes. "You're being a meany to me!" "That was easy," gloated "Ran-chan" as the Golden Pair circled them briefly, then clasped hands and started spinning in place. "Don't count your eggs before they're chickens," Ranma answered. "I think that's, 'don't count your chickens before they're--' aiiieeeee!" Akane squealed as Azusa rocketed over her head, barely missing her, and barrelled into Ranma, knocking him across the ice and into the nearest wall. In the next second her breath whooshed out of her as Mikado caught her up, sliding away down the ice to the other end of the rink. "Finish him, Azusa!" he called back over his shoulder. "And as for you, my sweet..." "Lemme go!!" Akane pushed at Mikado's arms. "Not until I've given you my special greeting. I know you'll like it. You did the last time." Akane froze, eyes narrowing. As Mikado leaned in to kiss her, she ducked into herself, then straightened and gave him a nasty head-butt. Started, he dropped her. "Serves ya right, you playboy!" she shouted at him, getting to her feet and skating backwards away from him. "My, you are a shy, innocent little thing," Mikado said, rubbing his lip. "You know, I really hate toying with your affections this way. But I'm getting quite fond of you, you know." He headed after her. "Let's see how fond you are of me when I kick your balls up into your throat!!" "Such spirit. Such fire. I can understand why any man would fight to keep you. But since Ranma is stubborn enough to hold on to Akane, you must realize that now you are free to express your real feelings toward me...and I promise you, princess, I'm ready to welcome you with open arms." Meanwhile, Ranma was dodging an extremely large mallet, wielded with deadly precision by Azusa. (How does she lift that thing???) he asked himself as the edge of the hammer barely grazed his arm. "You hold still! Azusa wants you to meet her little Chantal!" Azusa swung again, shattering a chunk of ice as big as Ranma's torso. "No thanks, I like my head the shape it is!" Over her shoulders Ranma spotted Akane/"Ran-chan" fleeing from Mikado. "Hey! You leave her alone!" he shouted, levelling an arm at the pair. Unfortunately, that gave Azusa just the opening she wanted. The mallet came speeding in, and Ranma barely noticed it in time to put up any kind of defense. As it was, the hammerhead caught his shoulder a glancing blow, sending sparks of pain dancing up and down the length of the limb and knocking him to the ice. "Owww! That hurt, y'know!" Azusa giggled and jumped for joy. "Goodie, goodie, goodie!" Turning, she waved at Mikado. "Mickeyyyy! We're readyyy!" Gathering speed, Mikado leapt into the air, soaring over "Ran-chan", Ranma and Azusa alike, to land neatly behind his partner. Akane, seeing Ranma felled, dropped to her knees and slid to a stop. "Ranma, are you okay?" she asked anxiously, putting a hand on his arm. In the same instant of time, Ranma felt hands grab his ankles. He looked down the length of his body to see Azusa extending her legs up to Mikado. "This is it!" the announcer shouted hysterically. "The moment we've been waiting for! The Golden Pair is about to launch into their dreaded final technique, the 'Goodbye Whirl'! Can the Saotomes survive???" "Bet your butt," Ranma whispered under his breath. Faking dismay, he clutched at Akane. She in turn locked her hands around his wrists. With a grunt of supreme effort Sanzenin hauled the three interlinked people up, lifting them into the air, preparing to enter the spin that usually meant victory for himself and Azusa. But this time, as "Ran-chan" cleared the ice, Ranma jackknifed inward fiercely, sending Akane hurling inward to hit Mikado hard in the chest with both knees. As soon as she collided with him, Akane bounced back slightly, just enough to give her a chance to wrap her legs about his waist. "Surprise, Mr. Molester!" she yelled. "Look, it's your favorite position, between a woman's legs! But you're not gonna like it this time!" (I don't believe I said that... but at least it sounds like Ranma!) At the same moment, using the momentum generated by the body slam, Ranma managed to wrench himself free of Azusa's grip, so that now he was free and Akane was linking him to Mikado, who in turn was holding Azusa. His body flickered blue as his battle aura hit the visible spectrum, invoking gasps from the crowd. Focusing all his energy, Ranma slammed himself to his feet on the ice and hauled all three--Akane, Mikado, and Azusa--into the air in what was a near-perfect replica of the "Goodbye Whirl". Akane's hands slid down to brace on his shoulders, and he gripped her upper arms as tightly as he dared. Then he began to spin in place, just as Mikado'd been planning to do. "Saotome Reverse Technique Step One--the Sayonara Spin!!" he roared. "Chew on this, Sanzenin!!" The crowd leapt to its feet as Ranma's speed doubled, tripled. He gritted his teeth and concentrated on anchoring Akane. She was the 'weak link' in the chain, and he wished with all his heart he'd had more time to prepare her. Looking up, he could see her face grimacing with the effort of holding on to him, but she wasn't making a sound. "Hey, Mikado, had enough yet?" he shouted. "AA--AA--AA--little--Azusa's--getting--dizzyyyy!" Azusa wailed as she and Mikado whirled around in the air. "Get off me, you stupid woman!!" Mikado opened his hands and shoved at his partner, throwing her off his shoulders. With nothing to hold her in place, Azusa cartwheeled screaming into the heart of her fan club, which proved an adequate cushion. Ranma grinned fiercely. "Hold on, Akane!" he screamed, hoping she could hear. In answer, he felt her hands tighten their desperate grip. With the last ounce of his strength he jackknifed again, breaking the spin and slamming Mikado Sanzenin headfirst into the ice with a crack like the trumpet of doom. He threw himself back simultaneously, letting the momentum built up in the spin carry him and Akane halfway down the rink, tossing Akane up in a half-spin and catching her as she came down. Of course, he himself also slammed into the ice, but it was a lot gentler than getting slammed into the wall (as he had last time he and Mikado'd fought). Silence. Then a rising wave of sound as the spectators broke into screams and yells of pure excitement. "Incredible!!" The announcer was fountaining tears, voice cracking with emotion. "The Saotomes have not only survived the 'Goodbye Whirl', but they found a counter to it! The Golden Pair is down and out! The Saotomes win the match hands down!!" "More like rear end down," muttered Ranma. He carefully set Akane to one side and forced himself to his feet, hauling her up and holding up their hands in victory as the crowd continued screaming their names wildly. "We did it, Akane." Surreptitiously tugging her wig back into place, Akane gave him a wavery smile. "We sure did. But I'm never going to be able to look a merry-go-round in the face again." * * * "I thought you were gonna change out of that get-up," Ranma said as Akane walked out of the girl's dressing room, skates slung over her shoulder. Akane adjusted her pig-tailed wig. "I'm too tired to change. I just want to get home, climb into a hot tub, and soak until I turn into a radish." She marshaled the strength to strike a "Ran-chan" pose. "What's the matter, you big silly? Ain't I good enough company?" "Cut it out! That's...that's creepy. You sound almost like me." "Thanks for the compliment." As they were walking towards the street, a tall figure broke free from the crowd leaving the skating rink and barrelled towards them, arms flung wide. "My pig-tailed Venus!" Tatewaki Kuno howled. "I love you!!!" "Oh, for--" In almost perfect unison, Ranma and Akane delivered a pair of roundhouse kicks that met Kuno face-on and sent him hurtling off into the clearing afternoon sky. "So...you wanna grab a soda or something before going home to radish-dom?" Ranma continued as they walked. Akane considered a minute; smiled and nodded. "Yes!" * * * (Where is that skating rink?) Ryoga wondered to himself as he trudged along the winding country road. (I knew I should have allowed myself more time to find it...) He trudged on towards the deepening forest, never noticing the battered sign on one side of the road: DANGER! You are entering the forest of RYUGENZAWA Turn back now!!! =================== * TO BE CONTINUED * =================== Naisen 2 P-CHAN, COME HOME A Somewhat Canonical Story (Again!???) by SMoonUsagi and RyogaLost The April breezes made the leaves sound like water rushing over rocks. Ranma cocked his head, listening. (Only water I get along with,) he mused. (Okay, so maybe a field trip wasn't such a bad idea.) Mr. Tanaka was droning on, turning what had started as a Blossom Viewing celebration into one giant botany lesson, so Ranma tuned him out and wandered a little to the rear of the class, started studying a different kind of blossom. One with black hair and brown eyes. Carefully he stuck out one hand, started toying with the ends of her hair. Akane turned just a little, looking at him out of the corner of her eyes, pretending to be surprised. "What are you doing back there?" she whispered. "Nothing...." By now Ranma had a tiny coil of hair around the end of his finger. "What'd you think I was doing?" "It feels like you're playing with my hair." "Aw, I wouldn't be doin' nothing sappy like that." "Oh, no, of course not." Akane's eyes twinkled and she blushed just a bit. "But if you were, I- I wouldn't tell you to stop..." Ranma half-smiled and pulled back carefully, letting the soft strands slide between his knuckles. When he got to the very end, he looked at the small puff of hair and commented, "When I was a kid, we had a mimosa tree. I used to climb up it high as I could. There was this one place where three branches made kind of a seat and I'd get up there and just rock back and forth in the wind... me and Mom, we called the flowers 'tickle-blossoms', 'cause when you go to smell 'em they tickle your nose. I really liked that tree. We had to cut it down one year when the roots started gettin' into the well. But for a long time that was my special place." He looked at Akane. "The way your hair feels... kinda reminds me of that. Mimosa blossoms in spring." Brown eyes widened, and Akane drew a soft breath of wonder. She'd never heard Ranma talk quite that way before, his rough words making a kind of spoken music. For a moment all the bravado and "manly" veneer was forgotten and the real Ranma Saotome appeared, a young man who kept his warrior's heart close and his gentle soul closer. Enchanted, Akane turned to face him, her lips slightly parted. Ranma moved towards her at the same time. Their lips were only inches apart-- "Yeah! Go for it, Saotome!" "Aggh!" Ranma jerked back, slipped on a loose rock, and promptly fell on his butt. Akane blushed furiously and turned to glare at the two young men who'd spoken. "Just who are you, anyway?" she demanded. "I'm Daisuke," the dark-haired one of the pair said. "And I'm Hiroshi," the other said, running a hand through sandy-brown locks. "We're kind of friends of Ranma's, here." "Yeah. Though he isn't a very good friend." "I'll say. I mean, all these great looking girls that he surrounds himself with, and he won't introduce us to any of them, no matter how hard we ask!" "Especially that red-head. The other Ranma? Man, she's really cute." Daisuke folded his arms. "I mean, you'd think that a real pal would, you know, at least mention us. What does he need with more than one girl, anyway?" "Yeah!" Hiroshi added. By this time Akane was fighting to restrain a fit of giggling, half out of amusement and half embarrassment. That kept her from saying anything to the others, but it didn't slow Ranma down a bit. He shot up from the ground and planted himself almost in Daisuke's and Hiroshi's faces. "What do you know, anyway??" he shouted. "You guys oughta stay out of other people's business! I don't ask these girls to hang all over me; it just happens. I ain't responsible!" "So do yourself and us a favor," Hiroshi suggested. "Let us have the extras!" "What?!" Ranma shook his head. "Are you nuts? Listen, I told you before, that red-haired girl ain't interested in dating nobody!" "Is that because you won't let her date anyone else?" Daisuke stepped forward and poked Ranma lightly in the chest. "You Don Juan! Come on, let somebody else have a little happiness!" "Butt out!" Ranma roared, his voice finally loud enough that Mr. Tanaka heard it over his soliloquy. Adjusting his glasses, he bent over, calmly picked up a rock, and fired it with amazing accuracy directly at Ranma's forehead, where it made a wonderful thunking noise. "Ranma Saotome, two demerits for interrupting," he said. "Now would you and your friends mind being a little quieter? Some people are trying to pay attention to their lessons." "Yessir," Ranma mumbled as the other students tried to stifle laughter. He glanced over at Akane and shrugged. "Sorry," he apologized. "Sorry about that." "No..." Akane put a delicate hand on his arm. "I'm sorry. Ranma, I wasn't laughing at you--" "Huh? You were laughing?" "Well... kind of... I do that when I get nervous." She looked down at the ground. "It's a girl thing." "Oh. Whatever. Like I was saying, those guys get on my nerves. I mean, they're okay, okay? But every time they see me they bug me about introducing them to my 'girlfriends'." Ranma snorted. "Like I run a dating service or something. Do I look like a matchmaker, huh? Well do I?" "No..." Akane tilted her head and smiled. "But you're kind of cute, anyway." That floored Ranma. His eyes doubled in size and he stared at her, speechless, for several minutes. "Really?" he eventually said in a small voice. Akane giggled and poked him softly in the chest. "Gotcha!" "Aw, Akane!" But Ranma grinned back. "Cute as, um, P-chan?" Akane sobered and looked off into the distance. "Uh, what'd I say?" Ranma craned his head to look into Akane's face. "You don't, you know, look very happy." Akane sighed. "Actually, I'm worried about P-chan." "What're you worried about that runt for? He runs off and gets lost three, four times a month. Y'oughta be used to it by now." Akane turned back, eyes glittering. "Ranma, don't be so mean! I know you don't like P-chan very much... but... I had an awful dream about him last night." Ranma groaned. "Not another one of your crazy dreams. Last time you had 'em, we wound up fightin' a freakin' dragon!" "I might've expected you'd be no help!" Akane folded her arms and turned away angrily. "Jeez..." Ranma rolled his eyes skyward. "What'd I do?" he implored the heavens (which failed to answer). "Okay, okay, I'm sorry, alright? So you had a dream about P-chan. What happened to him, anyway?" "What do you care?" There was a suspicious shakiness in Akane's response. "I care 'cause he's important to you--dummy." Finally Akane looked back over her shoulder at Ranma. "I don't really remember the details," she said. "But he's in trouble--I just know he is. He's only been missing a week, but I'm sure he needs my help!... I just wish I knew where to start looking for him." "Him who?" a quiet voice in the tree above asked. Both Akane and Ranma jumped, Ranma dropping instinctively into a fighting stance, and looked up at the small face peeking out of the leaves. "Oh, Neko!" Akane said with a sigh of relief. "I didn't mean to startle you." Neko withdrew and slid down out of the branches with barely a falling leaf to mark her descent. "I like climbing trees." "It's P-chan," Ranma said. "Dumb porker's missing. Akane thinks he's in some kind of trouble." "Oh no!" Neko's eyes widened. "You haven't seen him, have you?" Akane asked Neko anxiously. Neko shook her head. "Not since the last time I was at your house." "Where could he be?" Akane's lower lip trembled. "Maybe I could help you look for him after school? Two people stand a better chance of finding P-chan than one." "Would you?" Akane managed a smile. "Neko, I'd really appreciate it!" "Of course I would, Akane! And I bet Ranma will help too." "Huh? --Oh, yeah, sure." Ranma nodded. "Be glad to." * * * As soon as school let out that afternoon the trio searched, to no avail. Footsore and tired, Akane sat on the edge of the porch, fighting back tears of frustration. "We're getting nowhere," she moaned. Neko sat down and put an arm around her friend's shoulders, trying to comfort her. "P-chan..." "Too bad we ain't got one of those dogs," Ranma said, watching the koi jumping out of the pond. "Y'know, the kind that track people by the way they smell?" "Well, we don't, Ranma." Akane folded her arms. Then suddenly she straightened up. "Ah! Maybe we do!" "Huh?" Neko and Ranma chorused. "When we had our sleep-over, you said you always knew where you were going, Neko," Akane said. "I just thought, maybe, if you tried to go wherever P-chan had gone... I know it's an awfully long shot, but I'm just so worried." Neko nibbled at the edge of her lower lip. "I'm not sure that would work," she said finally. "I can smell things other people can't, just like a cat can track by scent. But after a whole week I'm not sure I could pick up a trail. And I've never tried to find a person the same way I find a place." Akane's face fell. "Hey. Wait a sec." Ranma took Akane by the shoulders. "Akane, think real hard. You said you had a dream about P-chan. He must've been somewhere, right? So try and think of where he was. Maybe Neko could find the place he went to. --That is, if you really dreamed where he went." "I-I'll try..." Akane closed her eyes, pressing her fists to her temples and frowning with concentration. "I... I can't.... wait. There were these really scary trees... something huge moving in the mist between them. And, and wherever he was seemed awfully familiar for some reason. I almost felt I'd been there before." She looked up helplessly. "I just can't remember anything else!" Ranma shrugged. "Oh well. Gave it a try." "We'll start again tomorrow morning," Neko suggested. "That way we'll have all Sunday to track P-chan down." "We need more than one day to find that little four-legged annoyance," muttered Ranma. Akane shot him an irritated look, then brushed off the comment. "Okay," she agreed, "tomorrow morning, bright and early, we start the Great P-chan Hunt!" "Yeah!" two other voices answered hers. * * * The forest canopy all but blotted out the sky overhead. Only patches of the iron-grey cloud cover showed through the dense greenness. "I'm in Hell," Ryoga Hibiki muttered to no one, because there was no one else there. No one human, at any rate; and the giant animals which crept, slogged and slithered past him didn't seem interested in his commentary. He paused on the overgrown path to let a platypus the size of a blue whale creep in front of him, then trudged on his way, carrying his heavy backpack, bowed forward in weary resignation. "It's bad enough that I've missed the skating match by now." He laughed softly, bitterly. "Win or lose, I would've gained some small satisfaction. If Ranma won, it was because of the advice I gave him. If he lost, then I'd have the pleasure of seeing him publicly humiliated." He stopped in his tracks and straightened up. "But...if he lost...would he go back...to Akane?" His heart skipped a beat; then he shook his head, smiled woefully. "No, that couldn't happen. Otherwise, my poor heart of glass would shatter into a thousand pieces!" He continued walking, aimlessly, retracing paths he'd made scant hours before, though unaware of that fact. "Oh, Akane...what I wouldn't give to see your sweet face again..." He tried to picture Akane's countenance in his mind, but somehow the image wavered. Green eyes, not brown; blonde hair, not black, long and tipped with fiery golden red; and a pair of saucy black-tufted cat's ears that flicked at the slightest touch-- "No!!" Ryoga shook his head to clear it, running into a tree and knocking it down; he scarcely noticed. "I'm sorry, Neko, but it's Akane I love...I'm sure of it...even though you're sweet...and kind...and understanding...and you're actually nice to me...and I almost think you could...could...ahhhhh!" He planted his feet wide and raised clenched fists to the sky, a sudden brisk gust ruffling his soot-black hair. "Why do the Fates hate me so? What evil did I commit in a past life to deserve this torment? It's not bad enough I'm only half a man; not only do I have the world's worst sense of direction; but now my own heart betrays me! I'm no better than Ranma, wanting two women at once! I love Akane Tendo! I do! But I can't banish thoughts of Neko Tamamichi from my troubled mind!" His roughened voice raised to a tormented howl. "How much can one mortal man be expected to endure? What further suffering will I be subjected to?! What more can happen to me now?!?" A whipsnap of lightning flashed overhead, followed immediately by a shuddering crack of thunder. "Oh," Ryoga breathed as he heard the first raindrops hit the leaves overhead, "no." * * * With a gasp Akane sat up in bed. "P-chan?! NO!" A few seconds later feet pounded down the hall and an urgent knock rattled her door. "Akane? Akane!" "R-Ranma?" Akane grabbed the sheets and pulled them up to her chin. "Come in." Ranma burst in, looking around. Behind him, Tendo, Genma-Panda, Nabiki and Kasumi peered around the edges of the door, looking for whatever--or whoever-- had prompted Akane's scream. "Where is he?" Ranma demanded. "Where is who?" "Whoever made you yell like that!" "Oh, Ranma! No one's here. I just-- I had--" Akane's face crumpled and she strated to cry. "Sis," Nabiki said, stifling a yawn, "next time you have a nightmare, have it a little more quietly, okay?" Ranma shot Nabiki a look; then, hesitantly, he sat down beside Akane and put an arm across her shoulders. "Yo, Akane," he said quietly. "So, what'd you dream?" "It was P-chan... it was horrible, Ranma. There was a terrible storm, and poor little P-chan was out in the middle of it, and there was something chasing him in the dark. I could almost see it in the lightning flashes-- no, wait!" Akane turned and looked up at Ranma, eyes wide. "I did see something!" "Okay, c'mon, spill it! What'd'ja see?" "At first I thought it was a boulder, but then it moved out in front of P-chan and--and opened its mouth." Akane shuddered. "Ranma... it was a lizard. A lizard the size of a car! Ranma! There's only one place in Japan where animals get that big--Ryugenzawa!" "Did'ja have to say that?" Ranma slumped. (Man, Ryoga, when I catch up to you, I'm gonna turn you into a pigskin cushion. All the places you could pick to get lost in, and you head right back to Orochi-Land. Great. What'd I do to deserve this? Somebody please tell me!) As soon as the sun rose Akane was up and packing her camping gear. "If we hurry, we can catch the first morning train," she told Ranma. "Oh, I hope the weather doesn't slow us down!" Ranma turned and looked up at the morning sky. "Looks like good weather from here, anyway--hey, Neko!" "Morning, Ranma!" Neko skidded to a stop, cocked her head, giggled. "You look like a Boy Scout." "Aw, Neko..." Ranma slapped a hand to his head. "Jeez..." "Now that we're all here, let's go," Akane said. "Where are we going?" Neko asked as she fell into step with the other two. "And why did you ask me to bring any hiking or camping gear I had?" "It's my dream..." On the way to the station Akane explained about her second dream. Neko listened attentively. "Well, I can't see any harm in trying the forest." It took about a hour to reach the mountains. By then the sun was casting shadows ahead of the four as they began to walk down the road, everyone keeping an eye out for something, anything, that meant P-chan had passed the same way. The road wound down a gentle slope into a forest. A very familiar forest, with a faded sign nailed securely to a wooden post alongside the road. "Aw, jeez, this is gonna be rough..." Ranma groaned. "You don't have to come in with me, Ranma," Akane snapped, but there was an uneasy edge to her voice. "Don't be stupid, okay? Like I'm gonna let you go in there alone." Not understanding, Neko scanned the hand-scripted sign. It read: DANGER! You are entering the forest of RYUGENZAWA Turn back now!!! "I don't get it." "Oh, P-chan..." Akane hid her face. Ranma looked decidedly less than thrilled. "This is great," he muttered. "Just great. Man, this is one place I never wanted to visit again." Neko looked from one to the other. "Would someone please tell me what's going on?" Ranma jerked his head at the forest. "Ryugenzawa's full of animals." "Big animals," Akane added. "Really big animals." "Oh, poor R--P-chan." Neko stared at the dark woods. "He must be terrified. Are... are any of the animals meat-eaters?" she asked in a tiny, tiny voice. "A few of 'em, yeah. If he went in there, he's askin' for trouble." Ranma heaved a sigh, began walking purposefully forward. "Wait a minute, Ranma!" Akane caught at his arm. "It's almost dark. We can't go in there--it's dangerous!" "So what else are we supposed to do, huh? Camp here till dawn? Go back home and come back tomorrow? I don't think so. By that time he could be in real trouble. I don't believe I'm saying this, but... we gotta go in, and we gotta go now." He jerked a thumb upwards. "See that?" The two girls looked at the sky. Hugely swollen clouds were gathering, and in their depth lightning flickered restlessly. "I ain't no expert on hunting or tracking or nothin', but lemme guess. If it rains, we can kiss any change of finding P-chan goodbye, right?" "Okay, okay!" Akane stomped off in the direction of the woods. "You've made your point, Ranma." Ranma followed, with Neko bringing up the rear. As the trees closed around them, Neko summoned up her courage to speak. "Um...you never did tell me how you two know this place..." Neither Akane nor Ranma answered for a little while. Then, softly, Akane said, "I... my family was on a picnic here once, when I was little. I wandered off and got lost. This strange boy found me and told me how to find my way again. He... he saved my life." "We came back a few months ago," Ranma continued, voice oddly unemotional. "This guy--Shinnosuke--he and his grandpa live here. They're like, I dunno, forest rangers or something. But Shinnosuke kind of had a problem..." "He was dying, Ranma. If you're going to tell the story, get it right," snapped Akane, then softened. "I'm sorry, I don't like to think about that. I didn't mean to sound--I meant--" "Whatever." Ranma closed his eyes. "You tell it, then." Akane looked at him a little sadly. "Ranma...I know Ryugenzawa isn't your favorite place in the world. That's still not a reason to get mad at me." Visibly letting go of his temper, Ranma nodded. "Okay. Anyway, Akane came here to find Shinn again--" "I did not, Ranma! I came here because the people in the village called the Tendo dojo for help with the 'monster'." "Yeah, whatever. Anyway, Mr. Tendo went ballistic, and sent me up here to find Akane. Ryoga--" "Ryoga? Was he here too?" Neko broke in. Ranma nodded, turning to look back at her. "Yeah, the dumb guy got lost, as usual. We all wound up tryin' to help save Shinnosuke's life." "Did you?" Neko asked. Ranma opened his mouth to answer, but never finished. A part of the darkness moved, blocking their path. Huge luminous yellow eyes opened and stared balefully. A deep, vibrating hiss filled the air. Akane screamed. Neko hissed, her hair standing on end. Ranma yelled, "Shit!" and grabbed Akane, leaping up into the air. A long red tongue lashed out and barely missed them. He landed on a branch, half-slipped, and recovered. "Neko!" he yelled. "Y-yes?" a quavering voice answered from further up the same tree. "Okay, just checkin'. Akane? You okay?" "I think so." Akane shivered and hugged Ranma a little tighter. "What was that?" "Some kinda lizard, I think. Can you see anything, Neko?" "I can see a little," she answered, climbing down to join her friends. "You're right, it's a lizard. But it's huge!" "Told you so," Ranma replied. "What kind's it?" "I'm not sure. If it wasn't so close to nightfall I might be able to tell, but the trees make it so dark in here..." "If we had some way of getting some light, we might've seen it before we walked right up on it. --Hey!" Akane slapped herself on the forehead. "Ranma, did you happen to bring a flashlight?" "Oh yeah!" Ranma shucked off his backpack, dug around in it a few minutes, and produced a small flashlight, which he switched on and pointed down. It lent just enough illumination for them to see an enormous iguana, at least as large as a hippo, thoughtfully scratching the bottom of the tree trunk while it looked up at them. "Oh... my... God..." Akane immediately wrapped her arms around Ranma's neck, seemingly trying to climb up inside the boy's shirt with him. Ranma flailed his arms and barely kept from toppling off the limb. "Uh, Akane," he gasped, "you're, uh, holdin' me too tight...." "How did it get so big?" Neko said, shaking her head. "...Uh.. Akane... could you.. could you ease up a little..?" "It's the water around here," Akane answered, her voice trembling. "C'mon.. I.. I can't breathe... you're stranglin' me..." "But what would the water have to do with it?" "...A...ka...ne...!!" Finally Akane heard Ranma's pleas and loosened her grip a little. He gratefully sucked in a deep breath. "There's this...magic moss," he wheezed. "Grows in this underwater cave. It makes the water real special." "We needed to get the moss to heal Shinnosuke," Akane added. "All the animals in the forest aren't this big; only ones that don't come from Japan. They used to be part of a menagerie that Shinnosuke's grandpa kept, but one day the cages got broken and all his pets escaped. As soon as they started drinking the Water of Life, they started getting big." "Um, I don't mean to interrupt," Neko said, pointing downwards, "but that thing looks hungry, and it's trying to climb up here!" "Can--can it reach us? Ranma?" Akane shrank back against him as the lizard clawed its way steadily (if slowly) upwards. "What are you askin' me for? How'm I supposed to know?!" "I guess it depends on how heavy that thing is." Neko gulped. "If, if it weighs too much for the branches to support it--" "It don't look all that heavy right now!" Ranma grabbed Akane again, preparing to leap out of the tree, as the iguana drew closer. "Neko, get ready and jump when I do--" Something blurred out of the gathering darkness and struck at the lizard's head, knocking it off the trunk and back to the ground. "Go on, get out of here!" a voice ordered. "Leave them alone!" Akane gasped. "Shinnosuke!" Through a ragged gap in the clouds the moon shone down, lighting the clearing enough so that the quartet could see a young man wielding a broom, face set in a scowl as he stared down the monster. With a disgusted hiss it finally slunk off into the underbrush. When the noise of its passage had faded, the man looked up into the tree. "You can come down now," he said. "It's lucky for you I was passing this way on my way home--I think," he added. "Sometimes I forget if this is the way home, but it seems right. Anyway, you shouldn't be here. This is a dangerous place!" "Shinnosuke!" Akane perched beside Ranma, looking down at Shinnosuke. "It's me..." For a moment Shinn gazed at her, expression unreadable. Then he slowly shook his head. "Who...who are you...?" (Oh, Shinnosuke...) Akane lowered her eyes. (You don't remember me...) She felt Ranma tense against her, and put a hand on his chest to forestall any outburst. (Maybe...maybe it's better that way.) "Good ol' Shinnosuke," muttered Ranma, dropping down to the ground with Akane, followed by Neko (who climbed carefully down backwards). "Mind like a tofu strainer--Ow!" He winced as Akane elbowed him sharply in the ribcage. "Hey what'd'ja do that for?" "Who..." Shinn blinked. "Oh. Hello." Instantly his foot moved, bringing the broom back up where he could grab it. "Have we met?" "Forget it." Ranma half-turned away. "Don't'cha think we oughta get moving? I mean, in case something else decides we'd make great sukiyaki?" "Of course, you're right." Shinnosuke stood, shouldering his broom. "Come on--eh?" He frowned as Ranma and Akane set off into the woods, Neko following. "Come on," Akane said, "the cabin's this way." "Yeah, yeah, I remember," Ranma muttered, keeping close to Akane. Shinnosuke trotted to catch up to them. "Hey...how do you know where I live...?" * * * Trudging through the darkness, Ryoga congratulated himself on managing to stay dry. The sudden shower had almost, well... in this damnable forest, it could've been much worse than the usual humiliation. At least as a human he could defend himself, and not that many of the absurdly large animals roaming the woods thought of humans as food. Little black piglets, on the other hand, were a different matter. (Now if I can only find somewhere reasonably dry to make camp), he thought, hearing the thunder growl overhead. (Does it rain every day in this wretched place? At this point I'd be glad to see Shinnosuke, even if he is my rival for Akane. At least he's better company, and better for Akane, than Ranma ever dreamt of being.) He half-smiled. (Besides, he doesn't even remember telling her he loves her.) He sighed dreamily. (I can hardly wait to get back to Tokyo so I can see Neko again--) His eyes widened and he stopped in his tracks. (See Neko??? I meant Akane!!) Half despairing, half angry, he clutched his head. "Why??" he screamed. "Why can't I keep that girl out of my thoughts? She's nothing to me! I love Akane! Akane Tendo! Not Neko Tamamichi!!" Whirling, he pounded on a nearby cluster of rocks, leaving the marks of his fists all over the flat smooth surface, breath sobbing between his clenched teeth. Then he flung back his head and howled, "AKAAAANNNNE!" Several giant birds, startled out of sleep, took flight and headed away from the noisy mite below them as fast as they could. Dropping to his knees, Ryoga closed his eyes, feeling utterly alone and miserable. "Even my heart betrays me," he breathed. "I am no better than Ranma Saotome. How can Akane possibly love someone whose emotions stray so easily? I can't go back. Not until I clear my mind and spirit by wandering in the wilds. Yes... that's what I'll do. I'll travel these woods and mountains until I'm at peace. Then I'll be worthy of Akane's devotion." With renewed vigor he got to his feet and strode confidently forward, straight into one of Shinnosuke's pit traps. It was fairly shallow, since Shinn had forgotten it was there and thus hadn't kept it up as he should. But it was quite deep enough to hold about a foot or so of water from the previous night's rain. Staring at the clothing that was now too big (and entirely the wrong shape) for his current body, P-chan let out a squeal of absolute mortification and despair. The clouds answered him with more rain. * * * "So you've come looking for your pet pig," Grandpa mused. "The little black one... yes, I remember. Why would he have wandered so far, I wonder?" "I don't know." Akane pushed her noodles around aimlessly. "But I'm so worried about him. I know it's silly; P-chan can take care of himself, he wanders off and comes back all the time. Maybe it's because..." she stopped, eyes slowly tracking over to Ranma. "Well...I had these horrible dreams..." "Mm. There are worse reasons for doing something." With a sudden decisive gesture Grandpa slammed his chopsticks down. "Then we'll just have to find him! Eh, Shinn boy?" "Right!... Um... Do I know you?" Grandpa's fist flashed out in his infamous "Megaton Punch". "I'm your grandfather!!" he shouted as he connected with Shinnosuke, knocking the young man flying into the far wall. A few seconds later Shinnosuke returned placidly to the table as if nothing'd happened. "But where do you think we should start looking, Grandpa?" he asked. "It's certain that we can't start tonight," Grandpa said slowly. "The darkness, the animals, the storm... they would make the search difficult at best, disastrous at worst." Shinnosuke nodded. "Yes, I agree." "We'll simply have to trust the little pig's ability to stay out of harm's way, at least for now. Tomorrow morning, when we're rested, we can start combing the forest." "I hope he's all right..." Neko peeked out the window, watching the occasional lightning flashes, voice soft and wistful. "He's all alone out there. All alone." Ranma's ears pricked and he looked at Neko thoughtfully. (She don't sound like she's talking about a pig... whoa. Wait a sec. Could--could Neko have found out about Ryoga's curse? But how? It's not like he'd tell nobody about it or nothing... 'specially not a girl. So what gives?) Akane pushed her own worries out of the way and stood up, walked over to put an arm around her friend's shoulders. "I'm sure he is, Neko," she soothed. "Let's try to get some sleep, and we'll start early tomorrow. Shinnosuke knows his way around the forest really really well. If anyone can help us find P-chan, he can." "Uh-huh. You're right." Neko smiled. "He'll be all right. I--we have to believe that." Somehow the night passed, even with the occasional sound of unknown (but very big) things lumbering past the cabin walls. The morning dawned bright and clear, with scarcely a cloud in the sky. After a quick briefing (and advice on how to handle anything they ran across that wasn't P-chan) from Shinnosuke and Grandpa, the search party set out, making their way in a slow spiral outward from the cabin. "P-chaaaan!" Akane called, standing on a little rise in the ground. No squeaks or squeals or grunts answered her. Her shoulders slumped. Distantly she heard the others calling as well. It seemed hopeless--such a large forest, and such a small piglet... but she couldn't, wouldn't give up. Carefully she made her way down, careful to keep an eye out for Shinnosuke's traps. Several hundred yards away, Neko pattered along on all fours, delicately whiffling at the ground and brush. The rain had washed everything clean, so her nose wasn't being much help. Frustrated, she sat down, gathered the end of her tail in, and started licking it. A good kitty-bath always made her think more clearly. Halfway down the length she could reach, she paused, ears twitching. Had she heard something familiar? Abandoning the bathing session for a while, she stood up and walked in the direction she thought the noise had come from. It was hard going; several times she had to climb over deadfalls or backtrack around tangles of brambles and vines. Eventually she found herself in a clearing by a stream. Down by the water's edge a tiny form was bent over, lapping thirstily. As she emerged from the brush black ears cocked her way and P-chan whirled, crouching, ready to defend himself. As soon as he saw who it was, his eyes went wide. "Ryoga!" Neko knelt, held out her hands. Immediately her arms were full of small black piglet, squealing and squeaking and nuzzling frantically into her. "Oh, Ryoga, I found you, you're all right. I was so scared...!" "W-weenk?" (Scared?) "Of course I was scared! I kept thinking the most horrible things might've happened. --Oh, you're soaked. You must be awfully uncomfortable. You hold still, now." Carefully Neko began to lick him, bathing him just as she bathed herself. Ryoga/P-chan's eyes tripled in size and he started to struggle, but Neko started purring as well, and the combination of the two activities went directly to the animal instincts he gained in this form. He relaxed, let her clean him up (just along the back and head), then dry him carefully with her shirt. It felt wonderfully good and very reassuring, something he'd had in scant supply for most of his life, let alone the past 12 hours. For a brief moment Neko cuddled P-chan, cheek resting atop his head. (Ryoga... I know I've only just met you, but I wish I could tell you how I'm starting to feel about you. But you're in love with Akane. That doesn't leave room for anyone else. But at least if I'm your friend, I can be close to you. And I will, I promise, I'll be the best friend I can.) With a deep breath she mustered a smile. "Let's go. I know Akane will be just as glad as I am to see you." "Skwee? Sk-skwee skeeee?" (Akane's here? But how? Why?!) "Ryoga! Really. You are so dense sometimes," Neko said, standing up and starting to turn. "We came looking for you. Akane and me and Ranma. We got here last night, but there was this great big lizard--" she froze as a great green head poked out of the brush. "J-just like that one," she finished. The iguana opened its mouth and roared. * * * The distant screech made Akane jump. She automatically looked that way, wondering nervously what might've made the sound and what the chances were that it was headed her way. Something about it... "Ranma, did you hear that?" "Yeah, sure. What about it?" "Is it my imagination, or did that sound like more than one whatever?" The boy scowled. "Well, yeah, it could've been. Kinda reminded me of the sound a cat makes when it's--" he stopped. In perfect chorus he and Akane said, "Cat??" Faintly at first, then more loudly, came the sound of something crashing through the undergrowth towards them. Instantly Ranma leapt up and over Akane, putting himself between her and whatever was coming, perfectly balanced, perfectly still. Waiting. The assurance in the pose made Akane feel ready for anything, as long as he was there. She took her own stance and waited with him. A small form shot out of the scrub growth and landed on all fours, hair and tail bristling, eyes wide, ears flattened to her skull and sides heaving. Neko looked almost feral, a part of the forest herself. As soon as she noticed the pair watching her she whirled, facing them, that same wild look on her face. From her teeth dangled P-chan, held by his bandanna, blinking in confusion. "Neko!" Akane took half a step forward. Neko flinched back a bit, then seemed to recognize her. She opened her mouth and let P-chan fall to the ground; he shook himself and nosed her arm, grunting. Humanity flooded back and she simply sat down where she was, still panting. "I think... I think... we lost it," she gasped. "Are you okay?" asked Ranma. Neko nodded. "You know.. that big lizard... last night?" "Let me guess." Akane also knelt, picking up P-chan and cuddling him. "You just ran into it?" "Or its twin brother." Neko fanned herself. "Boy, that was scary." "Skwee," agreed P-chan. "Oh, you poor baby..." Akane cuddled P-chan a little tighter, kissed the top of his head. "Neko, thank you. You're the best friend ever." Ranma walked closer, kneeling down to look at Neko. She didn't seem hurt, so he turned his attention to the little black pig who was enjoying being cuddled to Akane's breasts just a little too much. "So, what's up, piggy boy? You havin' a good time on vacation out here?" "Skweee weeenk weenk skwee." (Don't be more of an idiot than you usually are, Saotome. As if this place would be anyone's choice of a vacation!) Ranma smirked. "You better be nice to me. I'll bet I could find a hot spring around here somewhere, if I looked hard enough." Before P-chan (who was trembling on the verge of exploding in a fit of rage) could react, Akane got right up in Ranma's face, eyes snapping. "Ranma, how many times have I told you not to pick on him?" she demanded. "Honestly, you are just so--so--ooh!" Before the argument could get started in earnest, Neko broke in. "Maybe we should continue this somewhere else? Just in case I didn't lose the you-know-what?" Another roar, this one closer, punctuated her remarks. "Y'know, that sounds like a great idea to me," said Akane. "Truce, Ranma?" "Sure. I ain't that crazy about sparring with an overgrown suitcase wanna-be." * * * "Akane, could I talk to you?" "Of course, Ranma." Akane tasted the curry, nodded, and put the cover on it so it could simmer. She turned to face the young man. "What did you want to talk about?" "I..." Ranma cast a look over his shoulder at the others, lowered his voice. "Could we go for a walk or something?" "Uh-huh." For once, even Ranma's sharp senses failed him. He was so alert to potential dangers as he walked outside with Akane, he didn't notice a little black shadow wearing a leopard-print bandana following behind them. For a while neither one of them said anything. Finally they came up on a fallen tree. Ranma stopped, putting his foot up on it, and looked out into the woods. Akane sat, looking up at him. P-chan crouched in the shadows. "Man," Ranma said after a long silence. "I never thought I'd be in this place again." "You didn't have to come with me, Ranma." Somehow Akane just couldn't summon up the venom she might once have delivered those words with. "But...I'm glad you did." "Yeah, well, y'know, it wasn't like I could--" Ranma stopped mid-sentence, or rather, was stopped; Akane'd stood up and put a finger lightly over his lips. "Ranma," she said, smiling, "shut up before you say something wrong and make me mad, okay?" Ranma nodded. Akane took her finger away. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?" "Shinnosuke." "Oh." Akane sat again. "What... what about Shinn?" "Akane. I gotta know. How do you really feel about him?" (Why, Ranma, you're jealous!) was the first thing that crossed Akane's mind. She almost, almost said it, but something in Ranma's eyes stopped her. (If I say that... I'll lose whatever ground I've gained,) she realized. Taking a deep breath, she answered, "I like Shinnosuke a lot. I care about what happens to him. I owe him my life! But... I... he... he doesn't make me feel...the way that.." she swallowed, feeling her cheeks growing warm. "The way that you do, Ranma. There. I said it!" She lifted her face defiantly. "You matter to me, Ranma. You really do." Ranma sighed and nodded. "Okay." "Now you answer me a question. Why did you want to know?" Ranma's shoulders dropped and he coverd his face with one hand. "Aw, man," he moaned. "I wish you hadn't asked me that." "And why not?" Akane demanded, feeling her temper rise and hurriedly grabbing it. "I mean, is there a problem?" she asked a little less stridently. "Akane, I... I just... you know.... and... how I feel..." Ranma shook himself hard and put his hands on Akane's shoulders. "Look, I ain't real good at this kind of stuff. But I'm gonna try, okay?" "O-okay..." "Akane, I-- I--" "Yes, Ranma?" "I-- I-- "Go on." "I--" Pulling back, Ranma shut his eyes, threw his head back, and screamed, "I love you, Akane Tendo!" Akane gasped. "R-Ranma..." "Okay! I said it! All right? And I mean it too!" "Oh..." Akane's eyes were brimming with tears, but she smiled as she put her arms around him. "Oh, Ranma... I think I... love you too." In the brush behind them, trembling, a little black piglet crouched out of sight. Tears welled in his eyes as well, for entirely different reasons. Blindly he turned and stumbled off in a random direction. Behind the cottage, Neko was just finishing her bath. The first thing she dried was, of course, her ears; then her hair, her tail, and finally the rest of her body. Setting aside the damp towel, she wrapped a dry one around herself, climbed out, started dipping the used water out. On a small fire nearby, fresh water was warming. A movement at the edge of the clearing caught her eye. P-chan was staggering along, hardly able to keep from bumping into things. As he neared the cabin, he glanced up, saw her, and turned in another direction, picking up pace. "Ryoga! Wait, please!" The piglet paused, back still to Neko. A few steps brought her to his side and she knelt, looking at him with concern. "Are you all right?" The look he turned on her was one of absolute misery. Before she could ask anything else, he trotted over to the tub, leapt up and in. A second later Ryoga stood, gripping the side of the tub in both hands, shaking. Neko darted over, looking up into his face. "Ryoga?" "It's over." Utter despair and abandonment in those tones. "I've lost her. I never had a chance." Collapsing, Ryoga buried his head in his arms. "I'm too late, it's all over." He blinked up at her, tears flowing down his cheeks and falling to the earth unheeded. "I heard her. Heard them. Ranma and Akane. He, he said he loved her, and she said she loved him as well..." with a moan he let his head drop again. His shoulders shook with soundless sobs. "There's nothing left for me. I'm alone. Alone forever. Do you hear it, Neko...?" She cocked her head, not understanding. "Hear...what...?" "That's the sound...of my heart breaking." Not knowing what to do or say, Neko reached out and put her arms around him. As if her touch was burning hot, Ryoga jerked up and away. "Don't look at me like that, I can't bear it!" he said. "Not, not with--with pity--" he held out a hand, palm out, as if to ward her off. "Ryoga, please," Neko pleaded, her own heart tearing at the sight of him. "It's not--I don't pity you. I'm not trying to treat you like that. I know it hurts. It hurts worse than anything you ever thought of. When you love someone that doesn't love you back..." she choked, couldn't go on. "I suppose next you'll say you know exactly how I feel." Ryoga savagely raked his bangs back, fighting to control the tears. "No, I'm not. I don't know 'exactly how you feel'. I'm not you. But I know all about hurting, and being alone. I want to help." "Why?" Suddenly he was in her face, teeth bared, voice as sharp as a knife. "What do you care, anyway? What business is it of yours?" Neko's ears flattened and her tail whipped from side to side, but she repressed the urge to hiss and bare her teeth back at Ryoga. "I'm your--your friend," she answered softly. "That makes your problems my problems. I care about you!" Something half-mad and animal-wild flickered up in Ryoga's gaze, then subsided. He slumped. "Of course." He ran shaky fingers through his hair again. "And listen to me, all but tearing your throat out for being kind to me. I must've lost my mind. I've never spoken that cruelly to a woman before... I'm not worthy of your concern. I'm not worthy of anyone's concern." "Yes you are. You are. Please try to believe me." Neko reached out to him again. This time Ryoga suffered her to draw close, put her arms around him. Leaning his head on her shoulder, he wept scalding tears of loss and heartbreak. Neko held him, only just keeping her own tears from falling. "It's..." she struggled to make her voice stay even. "It's all right. I won't tell anyone. I'll never tell, I promise. Go ahead and cry, there's no one here but me..." Finally Ryoga straightened, his expression something resembling the usual mix of calm focus and bleak irony. "I'm sorry," he said. "I never meant to speak that sharply to you. You don't deserve that. You could never deserve such harshness." The corner of his mouth twisted wryly. "And you befriend me, the one person in the world least deserving of your faith..." He shook his head. "The Fates truly do laugh at us." (No, no,) Neko thought, feeling the tears pushing, wanting to run free. (I can't cry, I mustn't cry... not now...) Seeing her distress, Ryoga patted Neko on the shoulder. "Don't worry so. I'll be all right. I always survive. It's funny, almost, you know. I let myself believe I had a chance to be happy. That was the opening in my defense. The world is a cold and lonely place, and I'm condemned to never know peace. I should've accepted that by now." He drew a deep, shuddering breath. "But now I have a new problem. How can I return to Akane? How can I stand to be close to her day after day as P-chan?" "We'll think of something," Neko forced out. "We?" "Remember, I said your problems were my problems?" "Oh. Yes. *heh* Sure you want that? You may be letting yourself in for more than you realize." "It doesn't matter!" Neko clenched her fists. "When will you realize that I--that you--you're very special to me, Ryoga! And I won't be pushed out of your life like an old shoe!" The fierce words were out before she could call them back. Ryoga stared at her; relaxed. A soft half-laugh escaped him. "You're no tame housecat," he said, voice full of admiration. "You're a tigress. All right, Neko. I... I could use a... a friend like you." He clasped her hands. "But right now I need some cold water. I have to get back before I worry Akane.. Though being near her will be agony, I have to think of her and not myself right now. Once we return to Tokyo, I can think of something else to do." He climbed out of the tub, picked up a bucket of water, and upended it over himself, promptly being trapped under the pail as he changed. Walking over, Neko tipped the bucket up so P-chan could get out. The pig looked up at her, rubbed against her ankle briefly by way of saying thanks, and promptly headed off in the wrong direction just as Akane and Ranma emerged from the woods. Shaking her head, Neko walked over, picked P-chan up, and turned him so he could see the pair. "That way," she corrected him gently. P-chan let out a quiet groan and slumped in her hands. "Oh, P-chan! Were you looking for me, baby? Did you think I'd wander off and you had to find me?" Akane reached out and patted the tiny piglet. "Oh, baby, you're crying. You're scared of these woods, aren't you? Don't you worry. Everything's going to be all right now. --Neko, would you do me a favor? P-chan really seems to like you a lot, and you can keep up with him. I've got to finish cooking dinner. Would you mind looking after him for me for a while?" "Not at all." Neko cradled P-chan to her chest. "I like taking care of him; he's very easy to care about. It's almost as if he were mine." Akane smiled and nodded. "Great!" Hand in hand with Ranma, she went back into the cabin. Just as they were walking in, Shinnosuke hurried out. Catching sight of Ranma, he sighed. "Good. There you are. I need to talk to you, um... er.... what's your name again?" "Ranma." With a sigh Ranma motioned Akane on. "Gimme a sec, okay?" Akane nodded and went in. "So, what's up, Shinnosuke?" "Ranma, I need your advice." "Huh. That's a switch. Most people want to give me advice, not get any. So what'cha wanna ask about?" "It's... it's the old man inside." "Oh, your grandpa?" "Is that who he is?" "*sigh* Yeah, that's him." "He hasn't said anything, but... I know he's very glad to see you. He's glad of the company. I know it must be lonely out here for him. Sometimes he tells me stories about living in town. He always seems to like those stories. I think sometimes he wishes he could go back and live in town again, but--" "The monsters." "Yes." Shinnosuke looked off into the night. "And that's something else. Grandpa--well, he's not getting any younger. It's getting harder for him to keep up with me. He works at it, but I can tell some days it's a strain. I keep wondering what will happen when he's... when he's too weak to keep up our patrols. We could leave if the creatures here were under control, but they're not. I wanted to ask you to help me think of a way to make that happen--getting everything set right, I mean." "Whoa. Tall order. --Lemme think about it, okay? I mean, I ain't got a problem helping you with it. It's just figuring out how that's the tough part." Shinnosuke smiled. "Thank you, Ranma. I appreciate it." * * * The next morning was a wreath of fog that made the leaves glisten with a thousand silver drops in the dawn. Ranma opened his eyes, knowing something was different about his immediate environment. The source wasn't hard to deduce; it was warm, soft, and snuggled into his side. With infinite care he rolled towards her and carefully shook her. In a moment or two she made a sleepy murmur and opened her eyes, smiled at him. "Ranma...?" He put a finger on her lips. "I got one thing to ask, and I want an honest answer," he whispered. "You can do that for me, right? I promise I won't get mad or nothin', okay?" She nodded, and he took his finger away. "Akane...what're you doin' in my bed? I mean, it ain't that I mind or nothin', but I just, you know, wanted to know. You just--you just never seemed like the kinda girl who'd do that, y'know? Sneak into a guy's bed, I mean." "Ranma..." Akane pointed at the pallet next to hers. Ranma glanced up and saw Neko in it, both fast asleep. He frowned, then looked over her to the other side of the room, at the sleeping form of Shinnosuke and the empty pallet beside him. "Wha..." "This isn't your bed," Akane breathed, "it's mine." For the space of three heartbeats Ranma just stared at her. A faint blush crept across the bridge of his nose and he sat up quickly. "Hey, it ain't what it looks like!" he hissed frantically. "I mean, I wasn't tryin' nothing! I don't know how I got over here, honest." Akane also sat up, reached out to touch his cheek. "I know that," she murmured. "Ranma, it's okay. I didn't think you were trying anything. Though..." she began turning pink herself. "It was very nice, waking up next to you..." she put her face down, blushing furiously. "I'm not a pervert or nothin', y'know--really?" Ranma stopped in mid-denial. "You... you liked it? You ain't mad? You ain't gonna scream or hit me or nothing?" "No, of course not. Well, if you wanted me to I could..." "No no no no no! That's okay." He forced a smile. "Guess I better get back on my side, huh?" Akane giggled a little. "At least until we're married!" "Yeah." Ranma turned, found himself nose to nose with Grandpa. "Married, eh?" the old man asked. Ranma swallowed hard and nodded. Grandpa leapt from his futon and embraced Akane, tears fountaining. "Akane, my child! What a wonderful thing to happen to you! Boy finally got some sense in him, eh? This is cause for a real celebration! We'll have a party. I know I've got some fireworks here somewhere..." the old man danced over to a chest, out of which he began to toss an amazing assortment of odds and ends. "Grandpa..." Shinn said, watching. "We'll have little hats, and sing songs, and Akane will cook us something wonderful to eat--" "Grandpa..." "And the sake, I mustn't forget the sake for the toasts--" "Grandpa." Shinn took his grandfather by the shoulders. "There's still a problem." "Eh? What's that? You don't like sake?" "No, it's that-- um, I--" he looked over at Ranma desperately. "Um, it's the animals!" Ranma jumped in. "There seem to be an awful lot more of them this year." "That's very true." Grandpa sighed. "Soon it may be too much for us to handle. If only we could think of a way to take care of the problem permanently, Shinnosuke and I could move down to the village with a clear conscience." Silence descended. "Well, there has to be something we can do," Neko said finally. P-chan launched into a sudden frantic squealing and grunting. Akane looked over at him curiously. "P-chan? What is it, baby? Did something scare you?" P-chan rolled his eyes as Akane picked him up and cuddled him. He looked over at Neko and grunted significantly. Neko cocked her head, ears swivelling in that direction, obviously paying careful attention to the little pig's squealing. Then she brightened and straightened up. "Oh!" "What is it, Neko?" Akane stepped closer, still holding P-chan. "Mr....um..." Neko turned uncertainly towards the old man. "Oh, just call me Grandpa...everybody does," he said, waving a gnarled hand. "The animals in the forest...the ones that are so big...why are they big?" "The Water of Life." The old man's face grew solemn. "It caused the animals to grow to enormous size. It has strange powers that are not fully understood." "Are all the animals in the forest that big?" "No," Shinnosuke answered. "Just the ones Grandpa brought here as pets." "The native wildlife isn't affected by the magical water," the old man explained. "Only the animals not indigenous to the area." "Okay..." Neko looked at P-chan, who seemed to be grunting encouragingly at her. "So...if we kept the big animals from drinking the Water of Life, would they return to normal size again?" The old man's bushy eyebrows drew close together. "It would seem a logical supposition. If we could prevent them from drinking the Water of Life for a day or so, they should become normal again as quickly as the Water made them huge." He winked at Neko. "You're a very bright young lady." "Oh, well, it wasn't--" Neko broke off short as P-chan let out a sharp squeal. "Um...thank you." She ducked her head, as though suddenly embarrassed. "That's it, Akane!" Shinnosuke turned and clasped Akane's shoulders. "That's the answer! If we can return the animals to normal, and then take them away from Ryugenzawa, then there won't be any more reason for Grandpa and me to stay here! We can actually leave! We can live in a town somewhere, just like normal people..." Akane nodded, eyes shining with happiness. "Yes!" "And just how're we supposed to keep these animals away from the Water of Life?" Ranma asked. "There's an awful lot of them, and only so many of us, y'know." "We might be able to stop up the springs," Shinnosuke suggested. But the old man shook his head. "Too dangerous, I'm afraid. The water pressure could build up and cause a sudden outburst. Better to leave the springs alone...considering what we could be disturbing if we tampered with them." Shinnosuke, Akane and Ranma looked suddenly uneasy. Neko noticed that even P-chan had fallen quiet. Whatever the old man was talking about, it was obviously something they were familiar with, and didn't care for. "Maybe if we could round the animals up somewhere?" "But where?" Ranma shrugged. "We can't build a pen big enough to hold 'em all. It'd have to be as big as the forest itself." "There's got to be some way." Akane looked up at Shinnosuke. "We've got to find an answer..." The old man scratched his chin thoughtfully. "There might be a way..." He immediately had everyone's attention. "Well, don't just stand there, give it up!" Ranma demanded. "We ain't got all day!" A slide projector threw a map of Ryugenzawa up on the far wall. The old man pulled out a pointer and indicated a clear area north of the forest. "This is the site of an old quarry, mined out years ago. It's a rabbit's warren of caves and caverns. The whole place has been closed up for years, but if we can find a way to dig through to the central cavern, it should be big enough to hold all of the animals, even the airborne ones. The underground river there flows down from the mountains; it has no connection with the Water of Life springs." "So what're we gonna dig with? Soup spoons?" Ranma asked, just before Akane shot a sideways punch at him that knocked him into the wall. P-chan struggled himself out from between Shinn and Akane and stumbled over to Neko. She picked him up, listening intently to his squeals and grunts. "Um...Akane, would you like me to take P-chan for a walk? I promise to take care of him. I won't let him run off." "Sure, Neko, go ahead. I trust you." "We might as well get started; there are a lot of animals to round up." The old man shrugged into a black jacket much like Shinnosuke's. "We'll start at the southern end of the forest and drive them towards the north. There's a valley with a bottle-neck passage between the forest and the quarry; we should be able to hold them there, if we keep a special close eye on the airborne animals. Most of those aren't aggressive, though; if we feed them, they'll stay where they are." "Got any super-sized bird seed handy, old man?" Ranma mumbled. Akane threw him a look and he shrugged. "Just an idea..." "Keep those kinds of ideas to yourself, okay, Ranma?" * * * "Um..." carefully averting her eyes from the steaming tub, Neko held out a fresh change of clothes for Ryoga. "I found your pack while you were bathing...I thought you might need something to wear." "Thank you...you're very kind." Ryoga finished drying himself off and took the clothes from Neko's hands. She then turned her back, obviously allowing him his privacy. When he was dressed, he stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm very grateful. If there's...anything I can ever do for you...you'll let me know, won't you?" Neko looked around and up at him, her green-gold eyes glittering suspiciously. "Ryoga...I...I just want you to be happy, that's all." He chuckled without humor. "You shouldn't ask the impossible." He straightened up. "Now then...where did the old man say that quarry was?" "North. I can show you." Neko reached out and took his hand. He didn't resist, but let her lead him along the twisted forest paths. "How can you possibly know where it is?" he asked. "Have you been there?" "Not yet...but I got a good look at the map he showed us, and I know where we can find it." Ryoga's eyes grew misty. "It must be wonderful..." Neko looked back at him. "What?" "To be able to look at a map, and know which way to go..." He sighed, wistful. "I'd love to be able to do that, just once..." She squeezed his hand. "Don't worry...I won't let you lose your way, Ryoga." They traveled the rest of the way in relative silence, dodging the occasional monstrosity, until suddenly the forest cover broke and they found themselves facing a wide, stripped-out valley that was bare of all but the most meager grass. Half a kilometer away stood a barren cliff-face with a rockfall of boulders blocking what must have once been a cave entrance. "I seem to remember there was a cavern inside that mountain, a big one." Ryoga studied the hillside carefully. "If only I could remember which side it was on..." "I can." "Good. Will you show me, please?" Neko beamed at him. "Of course!" The pair walked across the barren valley until they faced a featureless slab of rock to the east of the rockfall. The sheer rock rose straight up several hundred feet without a break. "It should be just here," Neko said, pointing. "Unfortunately, there's about two meters of solid rock between us and it." Ryoga showed a narrow half-smile. "As if that were a problem." He reached out and tapped the rock-face sharply with one finger. "What--? Oh!" Neko gasped as Ryoga grabbed her around the waist and leaped back with her in time to avoid a sudden avalanche of small rocks and dust. Where seconds ago, a solid wall of rock had stood, there was now a fifteen-feet-wide opening that went straight through to the enormous underground cavern beyond. Neko's nose twitched as stale cave air and the tang of water reached her nostrils. She sneezed once from the dust, and shook her head. "That...that was amazing!" "Thank you." Ryoga pulled out his umbrella, shouldered it, and smiled at Neko--a real smile, not the mirthless smirk he usually assumed. "Shall we go help with the round-up?" He turned and started off. "Um...Ryoga...?" He stopped dead in his tracks. His shoulders sagged, his newfound confidence draining out of him. "I know, I know...I'm going the wrong way." Without a word, Neko slipped an arm through his and led him off. * * * "Shoo! Get moving! Go on!" Akane whapped at the enormous otter with the bristle end of the broom she'd borrowed from Shinnosuke. "That's it, get a move on! Scat!" The creature huffed a little, but continued on its way. Akane paused long enough to swipe at her brow. She studied her palm critically. "Hey, I think I'm actually getting blisters!" "You want to rest for a while? I can handle this by myself, y'know." Ranma gave a slow-moving ground sloth a good firm kick in its rump. "You shouldn't overdo it." "Are you kidding? I can handle hard work just as easily as you can, Ranma." Akane punctuated her remark with a swipe at an enormous white jackrabbit. "At least they're pretty tame, in a way." "We're lucky it's nearly summer; the animals are always quieter then." The old man took a long swig from the canteen at his belt. "You know, I've always been meaning to ask...why the brooms? Why not use real weapons?" Akane whapped a giant garter-snake on its way before it could entangle her. "Gigantic or not, these creatures were my pets once. My only company, for a while, anyway. I couldn't bear to hurt them." The old man kept pace with Akane, although it was obviously a bit of a struggle for him. Akane slowed deliberately and listened as he continued. "The animals have come to see the broom as a symbol of authority, I suppose. It makes them easier to handle." "Speak for yourself, old man!" Ranma called through the trees. "Become too dependent on a weapon, any weapon, and you become vulnerable. A weapon ain't nothin' but a crutch. What happens if somebody takes it away? Then where are ya, huh?--Hey!" he yelled as a long red tongue snaked down from above, whipped around his waist, and hauled him up into the air. "Up a tree, I'd say," the old man calmly remarked, stopping to watch. "Ranma!!" Akane shouted, ready to fire her broom up at the tree-lizard who had decided her boyfriend would make a proper lunch. Ranma drew back his leg, ready to kick himself free when he got within range. Before he was close enough, though, someone landed with both feet on top of the tree-lizard's head. Its tongue loosened, and Ranma dropped. He landed lightly on his feet and looked up. "Ryoga...?" He sat straddling the lizard, his umbrella held jauntily over one shoulder. "Very careless of you, Saotome. But if you think I'm going to let some stupidly huge animal eat you before I give you the beating you deserve...think again." "Why, you--!" Ranma crouched, preparing to jump. "Guys, could you finish this later?" Akane demanded. "We've got work to do, or have you forgotten?" "Yeah, whatever." Ranma gave the sloth another kick to get it going again. "The sooner we finish this up, the sooner we can all go home, right?" The ground beneath their feet shuddered. Akane gasped. "An earthquake!?" "Yeah..." Ranma brightened as the animals broke into a wild run. "Hey, at least it's makin' our job easier! They're even running in the right direction and everything!" He ran off after them, laughing. "Ranma, wait--it could be dangerous!" Akane called after him. "Ranma-- oh, why do I bother?" She looked around. "Neko, is that you up there?" The cat-girl waved from the treetop while Ryoga pushed the half-stunned lizard to the ground and drove it on its way with his umbrella. "I'm here, Akane." "Where's P-chan?" "Um...he's back at the cabin. Don't worry, he's safe." Neko hated lying to her friend, but she had promised Ryoga to help him keep his secret. "Oh. Okay." Akane went after the others, with Neko following along overhead, leaping nimbly from branch to branch, helping to point out stragglers to those herding the animals north. Left alone, the old man frowned and looked down at the ground beneath his feet. No more tremors threatened...at least, not yet. An earthquake? "I hope so," he muttered. "I hope that's all it was." * * * By midday, the last of the giant animals had been secured inside the cavern. A group of giant gulls followed Shinnosuke in, led by the promise of the several large loaves of bread he waved at them. When they were safely inside, he jumped out, broom at the ready. "That's the last of them," he said. "Even the fish have been put in the underground pool." "Yeah, and it wasn't easy, either." Ranma (now red-haired, buxom, and female) took a copper kettle from a quickly-kindled fire and poured it over her head. "Man," he said, tossing the kettle aside and shaking out his wet black bangs, "that was rough!" "Wrangling the fish?" asked Akane. "All of it!" "But we did it. Only...how're we going to keep them in there now?" "Not a problem." Ryoga walked over to the rockfall, selected the biggest boulder he could reach, picked it up as though it weighed a tenth of what it did, and tossed it into place in front of the opening. It fit snugly enough on both sides, and left a gap of only a few inches at the top. "There! That stone's far too heavy for any of those animals to move, and even at normal size they can't get out, but they'll have air to breathe in the meantime." "How long will it take the animals to return to normal?" Akane asked the old man. "Only a day or two. Without the magic of the Water of Life, they'll quickly--" Another tremor made the old man fall silent. This time it didn't cease immediately, but went on and on, neither fading nor increasing in intensity. "Another earthquake?" Akane looked at Ranma, who frowned even as he put an arm around her to steady her. "Ranma?" "This don't feel like no ordinary earthquake. It's almost like--" "What's going on?" Neko felt her hackles rise. She dropped into a crouch, one ear flattening back. "What is it?" "What I most feared," the old man breathed. A stand of tree-tops shuddered as though disturbed from within. He pointed in that direction. "Look!" Something erupted from the sea of green leaves--something like a serpent's head, on a gigantic, sinuous neck, with wide staring eyes and a silken beard the color of pale gray moss. It let out an unearthly roar. "It's awake," Shinnosuke gasped. "The yamato no orochi..." Neko hissed. Ranma and Akane looked at each other. Ryoga bared his fang-tipped teeth. Shinnosuke took a ready stance, brows drawing together. Then the horror increased, as the first head was joined by another. And another. And then still another...until seven dragon-like heads wavered above the forest, shrieking outrage to the clear blue sky. And then it saw them. "Aw, shit!" Ranma grabbed Akane and leapt away as a head plunged down, mouth gaping wide, and smashed into the ground. "What the hell is it doing awake?" "The whistle!" cried Shinnosuke. "It's our only chance!" He reached down his shirtfront, fumbling out a small horn on a leather thong. Just as he set it to his lips, a second and third head lashed out at him. He dodged, but the impact of the orochi's strike shook the ground and knocked him off his feet. The whistle flew out of his hands and vanished in the grass. "No!" "I'll get it!" Neko scrabbled desperately through the growth. "Please, oh please--" "Look out, Neko!" Ryoga jumped, knocking her flat, as a long tongue wrapped through the air where she'd been a second ago. "Wh-what is that thing?!" Neko stammered. "It's called--" Ranma started. "I know what it's called! I heard Shinnosuke. But what is it?" "The guardian of the forest!" Grandpa shouted. "The moss that grows on its eighth head changes the normal water of the springs that flow here into the Water of Life. It must've been disturbed by something--maybe by the animals all moving this way at once." "I don't think that's real important right now!" Ranma twisted himself and Akane aside as a head flashed past them. "Neko! You and Ryoga gotta find that whistle quick!" "We're trying, Ranma! If you think you can do any better, then you get over here!" Angrily Ryoga swatted the grasses aside, feeling through them frantically. "We have to distract it. Ranma! Change back into a girl!" Ryoga whipped his umbrella at a huge sinuous neck. "Then you can draw its attention!" "Oh yeah, right! Like I want that thing chasin' me!" Even as he said it, Ranma knew Ryoga was right. He was the fastest of them. He'd stand the best chance of staying out of the orochi's way while the others tried to find the weasel horn that could put the beast back to sleep. He jumped behind a fallen trunk with Akane, put her down. "Stay here, and stay quiet," he ordered. "Remember, the orochi eats girls." "Do you really expect me to just stand here and do nothing? What do you take me for? I can take care of myself, Ranma!" "Please, Akane... just once, do what I ask! I'm not sayin' you're a bad martial artist, okay? I just-- I just want you to be safe!" Akane hesitated, seeing the urgency in Ranma's face. "O-okay," she faltered. "I'll try." "Thanks." Darting through a forest of waving necks, Ranma made his way to Ryoga's side. "You got a canteen?" "Here." Ryoga lobbed the container to him. Ranma screwed off the top, hesitated, then drenched his head. "Oh, Mr. Orochi!" she carolled merrily, dropping the canteen and pirouetting. "Over heeere!" All seven heads whipped around to lock in on her. Ran-chan leapt up, spinning in mid-air, wriggling her fingers at it flirtatiously. The orochi responded by coming at her. It took everything she could muster to keep out of the multiple jaws reaching greedily for her. "Look, it's working!" Grandpa yelled. "It absolutely can't resist such a tempting morsel. It's practically falling all over itself to be close to her!" Just then a thin scream cut through the air. "Ryoga!!" "N-Neko?" Ryoga froze, eyes tracking upward to where a single head held a frantically struggling kitty-girl prisoner in its tongue. "NOOOOOO!" Gaze wild, he leapt up, bringing the umbrella around to smash fiercely down between the orochi's eyes. It blinked and waggled back and forth, then flailed around and sent him flying backward to crash into the cliffside. He slid down, shaking his head, fighting to clear it. Another head, disregarding Ran-chan for the moment, undulated across the ground towards Akane, who stood motionless, apparently paralyzed at its approach. As it drew close to her, however, she leapt up in the air and came down, slamming her broom into the corner of its eyes. It howled and jerked back. "Got it!" Akane landed and rolled. "That'll teach--aaaaaa!" A long red tongue was sliding around her waist and snatching her up. "No! Ranma! Help me!" "Akane!" Shinnosuke flung himself upward, raining blows from his broom on the serpent's head. It hardly noticed him, flipping him off with a single casual shake. He dropped, regained his feet, and tried again. This time it rammed him aside; he fell heavily and lay there, half stunned. "Hey, Mr. Orochi! Come on, you big silly! Don't you want to play with me?" Ran-chan leapt up and performed a graceful mid-air spin in front of the head holding Akane. Akane tried to scream her name, but the orochi's tongue was tightening on her, forcing the breath out of her. It would not let her go. "Stupid thing's not interested in me!" Ran-chan snarled. "It must remember that you change into a male from the last time we fought it!" Grandpa stopped, a thoughtful look creasing his features. "You know, that's very interesting. Who would have thought the orochi had that much awareness?" "Contemplate the damn thing's intelligence later!" shrieked Ryoga. "It has Neko and Akane! How are we going to stop it?? It doesn't even feel our blows!!" Ran-chan landed near the fire and kettle, praying there was still enough hot water around to do her some good. There was, barely. Tossing it aside, he turned, yelled, "Try the Breaking Point!" "That doesn't work on living things, you fool!" "Not on the orochi--on the ground! Throw it off balance!" "What? --Yes! Bakusai Tenketsu!!" One finger stabbed down. With a thunderous explosion of force a crack shot out from where Ryoga stood and raced at the multi-headed serpent, tossing huge chunks of rock into the sky as the earth shattered. Four of the orochi's heads either hit the ground as they miscalculated their dodge or were clipped by flying boulders. Three remained aloft. Ranma gritted his teeth, heart wrenching inside him. He desperately tried to stay calm and clear his thoughts. The orochi had to have a weak spot. There had to be a way for them to beat it without the whistle. But what could it be? The girls' lives depended on finding that technique, and finding it now. He had to concentrate... Concentrate. His head rose. "Ryoga." "What?" The other boy was nearly incoherent, pupils contracted to pinpricks. "We got one chance. Keep using the bakusai tenketsu until you make it mad enough to come all the way out of hiding. Then we gotta hit the main head at the same time and the same place with everything we've got. Remember, the other heads didn't eat me or Akane. It was the eighth head. That's the one that runs all the others. If we can take it out, we got it made." "What if you're wrong?" "We ain't got time for this! Just do it!" Ryoga clenched his fists, extended both index fingers, and hit the earth with them. It felt as if an earthquake had hit as the Breaking Point technique he'd learned from Cologne shattered the rock into fragments with all the power of high explosive. The others struggled to keep their feet. Abruptly the trembling ground burst open and a head that dwarfed all the others rose, its roar like thunder. "Okay, Saotome, you've gotten your wish!" Ryoga howled. "This had better work!" "Shinnosuke!" Ranma shouted across to the young man struggling to his feet. "Find that stupid whistle! Quick! --You ready, Ryoga?" "Let's do it." Ranma concentrated, his battle aura flickering into the visible spectrum. Beside him, Ryoga did the same. In the palms of their upturned hands globes of energy winked into being and grew. The three heads still moving turned and reached upwards, holding out the girls (Akane still fighting feebly, Neko dangling unconscious) to the waiting fangs of the master head-- "Moko takabisha!!" Ranma shouted, golden fire leaping out from his fists. "Shishi hoko-dan!!" Ryoga shouted at the same time, blue fire reaching out and twining around Ranma's ki blast, joining, combining, striking square in the center of the orochi's eighth head. As the light faded Ranma and Ryoga dropped to their knees, exhausted. "It... it didn't work, Ranma," Ryoga panted. "It didn't work..." Ranma shook his head. (What? What does it take to put this thing down? I haven't--we haven't--got anything left to hit it with!) He peered upwards, praying for a miracle. He got one. The orochi's eyes wavered, grew blank and unfocussed. All at once the master head plunged slowly down, landing with a crash that tossed the foursome around like peas in a pod. The smaller heads now wavered as well, moving aimlessly. The girls dropped free as the tongues' grip on each loosened. At the same time Shinnosuke's hand fell on something smooth and polished. He snatched it up, put it to his lips. The strange, haunting trill of the horned weasel whistle filled the air. Instantly the eyes of the orochi's remaining heads dulled, and it slid slowly back into its burrow, vanishing into the underground depths of its lair. "Did too work," Ranma muttered in the silence that followed. "Orochi's just too stupid to know when it's beaten." "Like you, huh?" "Aw, shut up, Ryoga." Ranma crawled along to where Akane had fallen. She seemed unhurt, but she was so still... With a sound that was almost a sob, he gathered her into his arms and gently patted one cheek. "Akane?" he pleaded. "C'mon, you gotta wake up now. You just gotta." Brown eyes fluttered open. "R-Ranma?" "I'm here." He cradled her close. "We won." Meanwhile, Ryoga had dragged himself over to Neko. She was still unconscious, a crumpled heap. First he made sure she was only passed out, nothing more serious. Once he was sure she was otherwise unhurt, he tenderly straightened her out, making her as comfortable as he could. Looking at the still, silent face, he whispered, "Neko... you've been so wonderful to me. I don't deserve someone like you, not even as a friend. And... you could be so much more to me. But it wouldn't be true, not now. I would be running to you to ease my loss, and that isn't right. You deserve someone who loves you and you alone, someone who can devote his entire life to you. I have nothing to offer you." He reached up, took off one of his bandannas, laid it in her hand, and closed the delicate fist about it. "Take this, and try to remember me kindly. I know I'll never forget you." Looking around, he saw that no one was paying him any attention. It would be easy enough for him to slip away into the forest and be gone long before he was missed. He paused at the edge of the treeline and looked back one last time. He saw Ranma cradling Akane in his arms as though she were the most precious thing in the world, and he hastily tore his eyes away. His gaze landed on Neko, who was just beginning to stir. "It hurts too much to be human," he whispered softly. His hands curled into fists, his arms ramrod-straight at his sides. "From this day forward...I will never be a man again." He blinked as tears blurred his vision. "Goodbye..." He turned and was gone without another sound. * * * "I think she's coming around now." Neko's ears twisted to catch the familiar voice. "Akane?" she murmured. "My head hurts--" "It oughta," another voice said, "you knocked it hard enough." "Hush, Ranma." Something cool passed over Neko's face. She managed to get her eyes open, tried to sit up. A pair of arms helped her. "Did we, did we win?" she faltered. Shinnosuke held out a cup to her. "Drink this." Obediently Neko sipped at the cup's contents. The cool water seemed to flow into her, easing all the aches and pains away. "Did we win?" she asked again. Akane, seated beside her, nodded. "We sure did. Well, Ranma and Ryoga did, anyway. From what I hear, they took out the orochi all by themselves. I wish I'd been awake to see it!" "Ryoga..." Neko looked around. "Where is he?" An uncomfortable silence. Finally Akane said, "He... he's not here, Neko. He left." "What? But where did he go?" "Who knows?" Ranma shrugged. "We were all too busy pickin' ourselves up and makin' sure you were okay. You've been out cold for hours." Shaking her head in bewilderment, Neko let her gaze fall to her lap. In one hand she still clutched a leopard-spotted bandanna. She stared at it for a heartbeat, then pushed herself to her feet. "I'll be right back," she said, and ran out the door. "Neko!" Akane started after her, to be stopped by Shinnosuke. "Don't," he said simply. "This is something she has to do." At top speed, Neko ran through the forest, trying to find some trace, any trace, of Ryoga. But obviously he'd been expecting her to follow him; what slight traces she found were hopelessly, deliberately muddled. He could have gone in any direction, and she couldn't tell which was the true way. Exhausted, she reached a hill that overlooked most of Ryugenzawa and stood there, panting. Nothing moved in the forest but what belonged there. In despair she drew breath and shouted, "Ryoga!" Ryoga... Ryoga... the echoes came back to her. "RYOOOOGAAAAA!" Again, nothing but echoes. Devastated, Neko fell to her knees, hugging the kerchief to her as if it were the one who'd given it to her. "Ryoga... please don't go..." Only the wind answered her plea. With a little broken sound Neko turned and made her way back to Shinn's cabin. "He's gone," she said simply. "I, I wanted to thank him for saving me...." "Figures." Ranma shrugged. "He'll show back up eventually." Neko nodded. "I guess we're ready to go..." Akane leaned up on tip-toe and pressed a kiss to Grandpa's cheek. "Come to the dojo sometime and see us! We'd love to have you and Shinn visit." "We will," Shinn promised. "Got everything we came here with?" Ranma asked as they shouldered their packs. "Has anyone seen P-chan?" Akane looked around. "In all the confusion, I lost track of him." As if on cue, a feeble scratching came from outside. Opening the door, Akane smiled. "P-chan!" A dusty, weary little piglet tottered forward and collapsed at her feet. * * * Back in Tokyo, a car pulled up at an abandoned building. Two people got out; one an older man, face marked by some deep concern, the other a young man, possibly 18 or 19, who looked at the building calmly. "It's big enough, Father," he said at last, "but it'll take a lot of work." The man he'd called 'Father' nodded twice. "Yes, it will. But we have time to get it just the way we want it." "And then?" "Why, then, my son, we proceed to run the Tendo dojo out of business... and see how good a warrior Ranma Saotome really is." ======================== * TO BE CONTINUED * ======================== Build Your Free Home PageVisit other great pages on:Health & Fitness>Health & FitnessDisorders/DiseasesDisorders/Diseases Naisen 3 THE PURSUIT OF RANMA (Another of those crazy stories by) SMoonUsagi and RyogaLost It was a bright, hot morning, late spring fading fast into summer, only a few weeks from mid-year break. Already the streets had begun to shimmer with heat once the sun reached its noontime height. Even at 8:20 in the morning, it was starting to be warm. Ranma wiped his forehead as he ran along the fence towards school. "Man, it's gonna be a scorcher this year," he complained. "Wonder if we stand any chance of talking Kuno into another cruise?" "After the way the last one ended up? I doubt it." Akane laughed. "Of course, the pigtailed girl could always promise to reward Kuno if he'd build another boat..." "Yuck! Akane! That's not funny!" "Sorry..." "Aw, I'll get over it. It ain't like I haven't done it before--sweet-talked Kuno, that is." As they neared the school grounds, Neko swerved in from a side street and joined them. "Morning, everyone," she said. "Hi, Neko." Akane studied her friend. "Are you okay? You look a little funny. Maybe you should go see Dr. Tofu." "I'm just tired." "Okay then." Akane wasn't sure at all, but she knew better than to pry. Neko, for all her friendliness and sweet disposition, was a very private person. "Akane Tendo!" Something leapt out at Akane. Instinctively her hands came up in a defense posture, but fast as she moved, Ranma moved faster; his hand blurred in front of her-- And caught a rose that was heading straight at Akane. "Ah, Akane Tendo," the familiar voice sounded. "Fairest flower of the dawn." Rolling her eyes heavenward, Akane groaned. "Oh, Kuno, give it a rest." "Nay, never, until I have won the right to date with you." Kuno levelled his bokken at Ranma like a pointer. "And you, Ranma Saotome... who are you who dares to snatch the token of my affections from the air before it reached the delightful Akane? --But wait! Is it not the custom that the challenger should give his name first? Fine then! I am Tatewaki Kuno, upperclassman and captain of the Kendo Club of Furinkan High School. My peers call me the 'Blue Thunder'; my enemies call me their worst nightmare!" Ranma handed Akane the rose, folded his arms casually, completely unimpressed. "We've been through this before, y'know," he said calmly. A murmur of voices went up from the people leaning out of the second and third story windows of the school, watching the fight: "There they go again..." "I don't blame Kuno. Akane's really beautiful..." "Hey, isn't that the cat-girl with them?" "You don't suppose Ranma's dating her now, do you?" Kuno's eyes narrowed. "You do not deserve the gentle attentions of the lovely and vibrant Akane Tendo, you miscreant and knave of the lowest caliber. Therefore I, Tatewaki Kuno, defender of the fair flower of womanhood, challenge you! Have at you!" He lunged, sword coming down in a blindingly fast strike. With equal speed Ranma leapt back, then forward in a roll over Kuno's head and behind him. As Kuno pivoted, Ranma brought his foot up in a horizontal circle kick and planted it firmly in Kuno's stomach. All the air whooshed out of the upperclassman's lungs and he sat down hard. In seconds Kuno was up and charging again, bokken flickering out in lightning-quick strikes. Ranma moved with him, blocking, sidestepping, deflecting, and ducking the blows. One barely missed his cheek, drawing a thin line of blood behind it as it clipped a lock of dark hair. "Ranma..." Akane breathed, eyes wide, hands clasped. "Kashuu Tenshin Amaguriken! AYAAAAAA!" Ranma's hands disappeared in a burst of speed, and found their mark ten, fifteen, twenty times in the space of a single breath. Kuno catapulted backwards and slammed into the trunk of a tree, hard, sliding down into a crumpled heap at its base. "Any time you feel like spendin' a couple of weeks in traction, Kuno, come and see me again." Ranma smirked. "Oh Ranma!" Akane ran to him and flung her arms about his waist, forgetting where she was. "That was wonderful!" "Yeah, um, well... thanks." "Um, guys?" Neko said, pointing at the school's clock tower. "We're going to be late?" "Oh no!" Akane jumped back, looked at the clock. "C'mon, tomboy," Ranma said, stopping long enough to wave a hand in her face. "Or do you like standin' in the hall with a bucket of water?" "Don't you call me a tomboy!" * * * A brightly colored piece of paper tacked to the lamppost fluttered in the breeze of every passing car, just another handbill among several. The only reason it caught Neko's eye as she and the others made their way homewards was its newness; the space it occupied had been empty only a day or two ago. She paused to look at it only because of that; she stayed to read it for entirely different reasons. "Ranma, Akane," she called, "come look at this." "Huh?" Ranma Saotome leapt into the air, flipping twice, and landed with a perfection that would've made an Olympic athlete jealous. "What's that?" "See for yourself." Neko held out the handbill to him. Ranma studied it, face getting gradually both more serious and more irritated. "I don't believe this!" he exploded, snatching the offending piece of paper from Neko's fingers. "The nerve of this guy!" "What guy's that, Ranma?" Akane stood on tip toe to peer over his shoulder. "'Notice--Grand Opening--New Fitness Training Facility--the Sawara School of Martial Arts and Self-Improvement. State of the art exercise equipment, highly trained, professional staff. Bring this flyer in and get 3 free lessons, plus practice gi.' Address... Ranma!" Akane grabbed the flyer and stared at it in outrage. "That's right down the street from-- from--!" After hastily checking to make sure he still had all his fingers, Ranma turned on her. "From the Tendo dojo. Yeah, I noticed." "But this can't be!" Akane's voice crept up half an octave, plus a few decibel levels. "This is our neighborhood! Besides which, the competition could ruin us." She looked up, distressed. "I know Dad doesn't have that many pupils, but what few he has are our only income." "And anything that takes customers away from the Tendo school would be a disaster." Neko studied the flyer. "If this is some fly-by-night place, it'll fold in six months and there's no need to worry. I mean, everyone around here knows you, right? The Tendo school has a good reputation?" "Of course." Akane swallowed hard and glanced over at Ranma. "As a matter of fact... ever since Ranma moved in and people started hearing about him... a lot of Dad's new pupils are coming because of that." "Huh?" Ranma blinked, nonplused. "How come?" Akane whacked him on the arm (not hard). "Because you're good, you dummy! --And if you tell anyone I said that, I'll make you sorry you were ever born. But it's true. Kasumi told me she's heard people talking in the marketplace about what a good martial artist you are. And, and Dr. Tofu said... You know I took him some of Kasumi's rice cakes last week. We started talking, and the conversation worked around to you..." "Huh. So that's why I started sneezin' my head off." "And he said...He said he couldn't think of anyone that he would want to recommend as a sensei than someone from our dojo, and especially you. He says you have a very strong and determined, but very flexible and adaptable spirit, and that makes a martial artist almost unstoppable." For the span of several seconds Ranma stood, eyes wide and unfocussed, as he absorbed what Akane'd said. Slowly at first, then more quickly, a smile appeared on his face. "Thank you, Akane!" he said. "That's, you know, kinda nice of you to say that." Akane gave him a quick little smile, then scowled down at the flyer again. "I wonder if Dad's seen this yet?" Listening to the anguished wails and sobbing coming from the dojo, Ranma shook his head. "He's seen it." "Akane!" Soun Tendo came racing out and embraced his daughter, tears geysering to either side. "It's a disaster. Another dojo! We'll be wiped out. We'll lose our house. We'll be forced to wander the streets, begging for scraps of food, sleeping in dimly lit back alleys... " "Sounds like some of our training missions, eh Pop?" Ranma remarked to his father, who was sitting on the porch in his usual lotus position, arms folded, eyes closed, a look of concentration on his features. The next moment he was flinching back from Tendo, who had seemingly transformed into a fire-breathing devil. "This isn't funny, Ranma!" he said. "How can you and Akane carry on the Saotome/Tendo School of Anything-Goes Martial Arts when there won't even be a school to carry on in?!" Falling to his knees, Tendo moaned, groaned, clutched his head, and generally put on a performance worthy of an Oscar nomination for 'Best Dramatic Actor in a Tragic Role'. "Tendo has a point," Genma said over the ongoing lamentations. "The problem is that not many people know about 'Anything-Goes'--only two families in the world practice it, the Tendos and the Saotomes. New students are more likely to go to schools that can advertise themselves, that can put themselves in the public eye, and which teach a more well-known form of martial arts. And yet, if we over-commercialize, we will lose the true spirit of martial arts. (Although, come to think of it, making more money would be nice.) --Ahem. Still, even though it means our financial ruin, we must cling to the noble principles of 'Anything-Goes'. And that means that with another dojo in the immediate neighborhood, what potential new business we might have is going to vanish like Kasumi's cooking." "So? We already knew that," Akane said. "If you're so smart, tell us what we're supposed to do about it." Genma held up a flyer exactly identical to the one Akane was carrying. "What we need to do is observe our rivals in action and find out exactly what they can offer to entice people in. Then we can make counter-offers that will attract more attention to our school, thus increasing our business while keeping it out of their hands, and hopefully convince the Sawaras to leave town gracefully when their school goes out of business." Ranma looked at his father in wonder. "Jeez, Pop. That actually made a lot of sense." Genma smirked and pushed his glasses a bit further up on his nose. "Sometimes the old panda still has a few tricks up his sleeve, my boy." "It's a very good idea." Neko pursed her lips. "I volunteer to go." "Huh? Are you crazy or something?" Ranma rounded on her. "You don't even know martial arts! What if you get into a fight, and these guys know what they're doing?" "That's exactly why I have to go, Ranma." Neko cocked her head "I DON'T know what I'm doing." "I don't get it." "I do!" Akane pushed her way forward. "What you're saying is that because you haven't learned how to fight, it's a lot more likely they'd believe you're just another potential student off the street and not someone associated with a school of long standing. You won't have the instincts and moves that Ranma or I would have!" "That's right! And, besides, I want to help. And I can run really really fast if anything goes wrong." "It... could work," Tendo breathed, temporarily forgetting to whimper, whine, moan, sniffle, sob, or anything else from his extensive repertoire of misery. Then he leapt at Neko in joy, arms wide. "Oh, thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!" She dodged out of the way barely in time to avoid a killer hug, unfortunately leaving Ranma to receive the brunt of Tendo's attentions. The two sailed out over the pond, hung there long enough for both to get a good look at what lay below them, and then dropped with a splash. "It'll work," Genma said as Tendo and Ran-chan emerged from the water, Tendo sporting a lily-pad (complete with the prerequisite frog) atop his head, Ran-chan still clasped to his chest. "It has to." "Your success will spell the survival or destruction of the Tendo school," added Tendo. "We will honor your memory forever!" "Jeez, it ain't like she's going on a suicide mission or nothin', Mr. Tendo." "Hm?" Tendo glanced down, found his arms full of busty red-haired girl, and promptly froze, eyes enormous. "So, you done squeezin' me yet?" Ran-chan continued in a voice of total boredom. "Agh!" Tendo released her, stepped back, flailing his arms in denial, and promptly fell backwards into the pool again. Ran-chan sighed, rolled her eyes, and squished off towards the kitchen. "Kasumi, y'got any hot water left?" "It might be a good idea to take someone else with you," Akane suggested. "Just in case there's trouble. I mean, I think Dad and Mr. Saotome are over-reacting a little, treating you like some kind of-- of ninja or something, but it couldn't hurt." "But I don't really know anyone else to ask--unless you mean you." "Oh yes you do. Right over there." Akane pointed to the kitchen, where Ran-chan was waiting patiently for the water to heat. * * * They walked along in silence for a while. Ran-chan kept stealing looks at Neko as they went; somehow the other girl seemed a little less cheerful than she usually was. Struggling between unfamiliarity with emotional matters and a desire to help, she finally blurted out, "Uhh...look, Neko, is something wrong?" "Hm? Oh, no, Ranma. I was just... I was just thinking about someone." "Anybody I know?" Neko shook her head. "Not particularly. Just a boy." "Oh, yeah?" Ran-chan linked her arm in Neko's. "Well, you're talkin' to the expert on boy stuff. Is he, y'know, a special friend or something?" "Yes, he's very special." Neko caught herself, smiled a little. "Well, to me he is. But he's not from around here. I... I didn't know him very long. He moves around a lot, just like I used to do before I came here. We didn't have a lot of time together. I happened to think of him today, and started wondering where he is, how he's doing..." "Is he cute?" Neko turned faintly pink. "I thought he was," she confided shyly. "He has the nicest dark hair and prettiest eyes--sort of green and brown mixed--what do they call that?" "I dunno...some gaijin girl name...hazel?" "Mm-hmm, that's it. Hazel." Neko sighed a little. "I think about him sometimes, and wonder if I'll ever see him again. I don't think it would do any good, though. I don't think he ever saw me as anything but a friend." "Don't be sad, Neko. Hey if he moves around as much as you say, maybe you'll get lucky and he'll show up at Furinkan. Then you could let him know how you feel about him. After all, it might just be that he's shy." She lowered her voice. "I'll tell you a secret...a lot of boys are like that. They hide the way they feel about a girl because they don't know how to tell her." Ran-chan stopped. "Hey, we're here!" The inside of the Sawara dojo was neat and clean, with a faint smell of new paint and sawn wood in the air, not completely unpleasant. Ran-chan and Neko stood for a moment, looking around. Almost directly beside the door was a reception desk, behind which stood a handsome young man, with lean, angular features, dark jade-green eyes, and long chestnut hair caught back in a ponytail that spilled well past his shoulders. He was busily typing something at an older-model computer terminal. On one side stood a row of various exercise machines and weight benches, not absolutely brand-new but still in good working condition. Past them were two doors marked 'SAUNA' and 'BATHS'. The middle of the room was devoted to gymnastics equipment: parallel bars, a vault horse, a small trampoline, a set of rings. To the other side was a squared ring and a series of mats padding the floor and one corner. Two people were sparring on the mats under the watchful eye of an older man, hair greying at the temples. He wore a plain gi tied with a rope belt and looked enough like the younger man to be a relative--most likely a father. As the door swung to behind the girls, the young man at the desk looked up. "I'll be right with you," he said, and made a few last entries on the computer. "There. Okay. Welcome to the Sawara School of Martial Arts and Self-Improvement. I'm Kenjiro Sawara; how can I help you?" Ran-chan put on her best "Hi-I'm-adorable-how-are-you-ya-big-silly?" smile. "Hi! I'm--uhh, Ranko...and this is my friend Neko Tamamichi. We saw your advertisement on the way home from school, and we thought we'd come in for the free lessons." Neko's ears twitched nervously. "Oh, dear--will the offer be good for both of us? I only have one flyer!" "Don't worry about me, I'm just here to watch," Ran-chan said quickly. She put her hands to her face and made big, fluttery eyes at the man. Kenjiro chuckled. "Moral support? Well, you're certainly welcome to take advantage of our offer too, Miss--Ranko, was it?" Ran-chan giggled as girlishly as she could. "Oh, no...I don't like fighting at all. I'm just a girl, y'know." "So I see," Kenjiro murmured. "Well, if you change your mind, let me know. It's never too early to start feeling great about yourself, and that's what we're here to help you do. Exercise of any kind is good for you, and learning the martial arts can bring you into touch with yourself--" he broke off, smiled. "I'm sorry, I was starting into the sales pitch. That's no way to win new customers. Why don't I show you around, let my Dad finish his morning class, then get you out on the mats for a quick lesson?" "That'd be great!" Ran-chan cooed. (Man, this is makin' me sick, but it's for the dojo. I gotta remember that.) Kenjiro moved from around the desk and bowed, then gestured. "Please, follow me." The baths were spotlessly clean and bright, as was the sauna area. Each had a male and female section, carefully partitioned off and clearly marked as such. Fresh towels and slippers for use in the baths were readily available. Again, not the highest grade, but good quality nonetheless. Kenjiro coaxed both girls up onto the exercycles and let them 'ride around' for a few minutes, showing them how easy it was. then walked them through the rest of the workout equipment. He paid particular attention to Ran-chan, never letting his hands stray anywhere improper, but prolonging each touch a heartbeat more than necessary. Ran-chan noticed it and responded as she guessed he wanted her to, by giggling and flirting a little. (This guy's worse than Mikado the Molester--a lot worse, 'cause he's got a brain. I'd better watch out. If he tries anything, and I give myself away, the show's over.) * * * "...And after that, he showed me a series of practice moves--kata, right?" Neko finished. "The funny thing is...it looked awfully familiar." "It should," Ranma, once more himself, muttered. "It was Anything-Goes, or somethin' really, really close." "But I can't imagine how... unless this Sawara...." Tendo scowled. "Kenjiro. I don't recognize the name." "Me either," Akane said. "Do you think he might've been an old pupil, Dad?" "Or possibly our master, Happosai, ran across the Sawaras and taught them their fighting style." Tendo put his head in his hands. "It doesn't matter. We still have the same problem as before. They're even teaching the same art we do. How do we compete?" In the silence that followed Neko stood up. "I'm sorry, Mr. Tendo," she said. "I wish we could've brought you better news." "That's quite all right, Neko. --Oh, are you leaving?" "Mm-hmm." Neko nodded. "I think I need to be going home." "Thanks for going," Akane said. "See you tomorrow?" Neko nodded again, trying not to look at the little black piglet cuddled in Akane's arms. Slipping off the porch, she donned her shoes and trotted out the gate. However, instead of turning towards her house, she walked slowly along the sidewalk, trying not to notice which way she was going. Right now she didn't feel like having anyone around her. (There's nothing left for me. I'm alone. Alone forever.) Tears prickled at the back of her eyes. (I... I could use a... a friend like you.) Neko's vision blurred as the tears threatened to storm down her cheeks. Shaking her head, she broke into a run, taking turns and corners and alleys at random, trying to outrun her hurt and bewilderment and worry. If only, if only Ryoga could understand...Why? Why hadn't he known? Why couldn't she have told him? He hadn't changed back for weeks now...was he intent on staying a pig forever? Why? What had she done? At last, exhausted, she dropped down onto the sidewalk, resting her forehead on her knees. Despite her best efforts, she'd failed to lose either her problems or her sense of direction; it told her quite calmly that she was 5 blocks north and a block west of her house. That just made her think of Ryoga, and how lost he could get, especially as a pig, struggling through the darkness and wondering where he was... not caring any more, she started crying out loud, half sobbing and half mewling. A few minutes later a hand touched her shoulder. Startled, Neko glanced up. A girl about her age, bluish-violet hair hanging around her face, was looking at her curiously. "Why kitty-girl cry so, break Shampoo's heart to listen?" she asked in a soft, high, delicate voice. "I'm sorry..." Neko swiped at her eyes. "I didn't mean to bother you--" "Is no bother, but you answer question, yes?" The stranger sat down beside Neko. "You maybe crying about boy?" Neko gasped. "How-- how did you--?" "Shampoo know about these things. Shampoo got somebody she love with all her heart, but hard-hearted boy no like Shampoo back. Make Shampoo very sad. Somebody with hurt in heart know sound of someone else unhappy." The girl studied Neko. "What you name?" "Neko." "Is much pretty. My name Shampoo. Come from China. You like nice cup of tea, yes? Make you feel better than sitting out here on too-too cold sidewalk. You come inside Great-grandmama's cafe, Shampoo get you all fix up." Standing again, Shampoo held out her hand. Tentatively Neko took it and allowed herself to be led inside the restaurant she hadn't even noticed behind her. It was empty, with the lingering odors of good cooking wafting in the still air. Over at one side of the room a striking young man with long black-silk hair, clad in a long white jacket and pants, was busy wiping down tables. As the two girls walked in, he paused long enough to look up, pushing enormously thick glasses up higher on his nose. "Shampoo?" he said. "Mousse go make hot water for tea," Shampoo answered, steering Neko to a table. "Two cups. Hop hop!" "Of course, my darling! Your wish is my command!" Turning, Mousse immediately tripped over a chair and fell to the floor, knocking a table off balance. The bowl of water he'd been using to wipe the tabletops down with promptly slid over the edge and drenched him in cold water. With a disgusted sound Muu-chan waddled out of his clothes and made his way towards the kitchen. Neko watched the white duck, wide-eyed. "Just like Ryoga," she whispered. "Hm?" Another voice, this one cracking a bit with age. "Did you say Ryoga? Ryoga Hibiki?" A rhythmic thumping sounded as a tiny, wizened old woman hopped up to the table on a large walking stick. "Haven't seen that boy around for awhile..." A low chuckle. "I've been wondering where he got off to. I'm getting kind of attached to the thick-headed lump." "How you know Ryoga?" Shampoo asked. Neko took a very deep breath, swallowed around the lump in her throat, and started explaining why she'd come to Furinkan and how she'd met Akane, Ranma, and Ryoga. By the time she'd finished, Shampoo was almost in tears herself; Mousse, who'd used some of the hot water for the tea on himself, was hoping his glasses hid how furiously he was blinking back traces of suspicious moisture; and Cologne was looking off into the middle distance with what amounted to a wistful expression. "Typical," she murmured. "That Hibiki boy's got about as much wits as a cabbage when it comes to matters of the heart. Might've known he'd be too caught up in thoughts of Akane... well, never mind, child, never mind." Very gently she patted Neko's hand. "He's a tough one, a real survivor. I ought to know. Trained him once for a while myself. He'll get over it eventually." Neko nodded. "I know. But I can't help it. I miss him so much...being able to talk to him, helping him find his way around..." One small hand curled against her chest. "I just... I don't know, I don't know why I feel this way, but there's something special about him. I'd give anything for him to feel about me the way he feels about Akane. But how can I tell him that? He loves her, not me." "Hhmph." Shampoo frowned and crossed her arms. "Maybe Shampoo go knock sense into silly pig-boy's head. Be a first for him!" Cologne shook her head. "Don't bother, Shampoo. Things like this have to work themselves out." She slid a cup of tea forward to Neko. "Have a sip of this, child, and dry your eyes. We never know what tomorrow will bring, so it's best to keep your spirit strong. Who knows? Maybe he'll snag a clue." "At least he has more brains than Saotome," Mousse commented. "Ranma's not so bad," Neko said. "He's been very nice to me. Even though I think I make him nervous for some reason." Cologne and Shampoo exchanged meaningful glances. "Perhaps it's your ears and tail," Cologne said. "I understand Ranma is a bit... nervous... around cats." "Oh." Neko shrank into herself a bit. "I guess that could be." "Never you mind," Shampoo interjected. "Ears and tail very nice. Very pretty. Make Neko-kitty-girl special person, not ordinary boring. You be proud of being special, not let anyone tell you different." "Shampoo's right. You can't let the blind stupidity of some people ruin your life. Personally, I think anyone who would make fun of you deserves to be pickled slowly in sake." Mousse folded his arms emphatically, not noticing that his sleeve was dipping into his tea. Cologne turned her head and fixed Mousse with a beady-eyed glare. "Don't you have anything better to do than stand around and drink tea, Mr. Part-time?" She jumped up on the counter and spun her stick around, poking Mousse squarely in the chest. He went staggering backwards, arms flailing, and landed on his backside. "Get those tables ready for the dinner crowd, and hurry up!" "Yes, Grandmother..." Mousse snatched up his rag and began swabbing the tabletops again. "...you dessicated old hag," he finished under his breath. Cologne chose to ignore Mousse's impertinence for the moment. "Shampoo, I've got a round of deliveries for you to make. Hurry now, so you can get back before dark." "Yes, Great-grandmama!" Shampoo snagged her delivery box and hopped nimbly over the counter. "Neko kitty-girl stay and have supper with Shampoo and great-grandmama, yes?" "Um...all right, thank you." Neko managed a small, friendly smile as the pretty Chinese girl skipped merrily out the door. Mousse paused in his work to look longingly after her. The gnarled top of Cologne's cane impacted smartly with the back of Mousse's head. "Get to work!" she barked. Grumbling softly, Mousse complied. Neko sat at the counter, wondering if she should offer to help Mousse with the cleanup. She needed something to do...something that would help take her mind off her troubles. Her feet itched to run--just run like the wind, racing so fast her surroundings blurred into obscurity. Her tail twitched restlessly under her skirt as one velvety ear flattened in consternation. The phone rang, and Cologne answered it. Moments later she was scribbling down a sizable order. When she hung up, she hurried back to the kitchen. Minutes later, she returned with several steaming delivery-boxes. She looked at the empty front doorway and shook her head. "I hope Shampoo hurries back," she said, more or less to herself. "This order has a rush on it, and I'm not sure she can make it in evening traffic, even on her bicycle. You have to get across the street in order to get to the roofs..." "Um...Mrs. Cologne...?" The old woman looked at her in surprise, then chuckled. "Just call me Cologne, dear. Or 'Great-grandmother', if you prefer. Is there something I can do for you?" "N...no...but there might be something I can do to help you." Neko stood up, her tail whisking behind her. "If you have to get that order delivered in a hurry...I could do it." "Hm." Cologne's eyes squinched shut. "It's sweet of you to offer, child, but Shampoo has the only bicycle, and you'd never make it on foot." "Yes, I would!" Neko gasped at her own forwardness and lowered her eyes. "Forgive me...I don't mean to brag..." She straightened up and looked right at Cologne. "But I can run really, really fast. Please, I'd like to help. Because you and Shampoo have been so nice to me." Cologne chuckled dryly. "Well, why not? It's going to be late anyway, so I've got nothing to lose. Why don't you give it a try? Here's the address," and she handed the order slip to the girl. "It's clear across town, and it might be hard to find..." "Not for me. Be right back!" A tremendous burst of wind blew Cologne's snowy hair back like a banner. She barely managed to maintain her balance on her walking-stick. Mousse was hurled back into a large teakwood folding-screen and crashed to the floor with much commotion and Chinese cursing. Cologne blinked as the lanterns hung from the ceiling swung gently in the stillness that followed. Neko was gone, leaving only a settling dust trail outside in her wake. "Amazing..." The 300-year-old Amazon felt something she seldom felt these days: surprise. Ten minutes later another burst of wind blew through the Cat Cafe. Mousse managed to brace himself this time and only suffered the loss of his glasses. As he scrabbled around on the floor for them, Neko set the empty delivery boxes and the cash payment for the order on the counter in front of Cologne. "Here you are...sorry it took me so long, I had to stop for a wedding procession." She was a bit flushed, but barely out of breath. Cologne blinked. Twice. "...Thank you, child..." Slowly, gradually, her bewrinkled face twisted itself into a wizened grimace that approximated a smile. "Tell me...would you happen to be interested in a regular job...?" * * * The mood in the Tendo household the next morning was not a happy one. Genma, in panda form, was sitting on the porch in a lotus position (or what passed for it in his animal guise) smoking a pipe and grumbling thoughtfully to himself. Ranma was staring down into his bowl of rice. Akane was scowling. Nabiki was sliding one bead of her abacus back and forth idly. Tendo, eyes streaming tears, was pacing back and forth moaning. Only Kasumi seemed unaffected. "Oh, Daddy, stop it," Nabiki finally said. "You're going to wear a hole in the floor." "We've got to think of something," Akane said. "We've got to." "I dunno about anyone else, but I thought so much last night--" Ranma stifled a yawn. "I hardly got any sleep." "Neither did I." Akane pushed her breakfast away half-eaten. "Come on, Ranma, we've got to leave now or we'll be late for school." "School. Yeah. Right." With a groan Ranma dragged himself up and snagged his bookbag. It was even harder than usual for Ranma to concentrate on studies. The minutes dragged on like hours. Something was worrying at the back of his mind--(and it ain't just the new dojo, either. It ain't like I don't care about Akane and the Tendos, but there's something else...oh, man, I hate this. I never thought I'd be missin' the days when Pop and I were out on the road. At least when you're worried about where your next meal is comin' from or findin' a safe place to sleep for the night, nothin' else seems real important.) It finally hit him like a bullet train that evening after dinner, when he saw Akane playing with P-chan. (Ryoga...that's it! That's what's been buggin' me this whole time! I ain't seen Ryoga around for weeks--ever since we came back from Ryugenzawa. Just P-chan. I don't get it. I thought Ryoga hated bein' a pig...) Akane giggled as she tickled P-chan, who squirmed and squealed with delight. Ranma scowled and leaned in close. "Aww, do da widdle piggy wike havin' his tummy tickled, huh?" he chided in his most fake-syrupy voice. "Ranma..." Akane warned. P-chan looked up at Ranma with a complete lack of malice...and with nothing that even resembled human intelligence. "Huh...?" Giving his head a shake, Ranma crouched in front of Akane and took the pig from her grasp. "Hey, what's with you, anyway, huh?" "Give him back, Ranma!" Akane demanded, reaching for her pet. P-chan looked with wide, innocent eyes up at Ranma...then deliberately bent and licked at his hand. "Hey!!" Ranma dropped P-chan back into Akane's outstretched hands and backed off. "C'mon, quit it, you're freakin' me out!" "Why? Because P-chan wants to be friends with you, no matter how badly you treat him?" Akane set the pig on her cushion as she stood. "Now you be a good baby and stay there, okay?" She gave him an affectionate scratch between his long black ears and shot a warning glare at Ranma. "Don't you pick on him, do you hear me? I'll be back in a little while." After Akane had vanished, Ranma crouched in front of P-chan. "Okay, Ryoga, she's gone. You can cut out the cute and innocent act now. What, are you tryin' to make me mad? Well, it's workin', okay?" P-chan looked at Ranma, cocked his head, then bent to sniff delicately at the cushion's yellow fringe. "Hey, I'm talkin' to you, Ryoga!" Ranma reached out to grasp the pig by the back of the neck--and realized that the habitual leopard-print bandanna was gone. "Huh...?" P-chan's velvety nose nuzzled Ranma's wrist, and he pulled his hand hastily away. "Oh, man...Ryoga..." The pig seemed to take no notice of the name. Slowly Ranma's eyes tracked out to the yard outside, where a wide-girthed panda prowled serenely in the moonlight, wrestling playfully with a spare tire. You see...this is my true self... "Oh, no..." Ranma knew at last what had been troubling him so deeply. It was a personal fear he had never fully acknowledged until now. Seeing his father so comfortable in his altered state only added to his apprehension. (That time when Cologne used the Full Body Cat Tongue on me...I was a girl for days, and I could feel myself starting to turn into a girl on the inside, too.) Ranma suppressed a shudder. (Pop spends more time as a panda now than as a man...he even acts like a big, dumb, tame animal. And Ryoga...man, he's been P-chan for almost three months now! Has he...has he turned into a pig for real? Has he forgotten he was ever human? Oh, God--I can't let that happen to him! I gotta save him before it's too late!) Ranma snatched P-chan up and ran for the stairs. "It's gonna be okay, Ryoga," he promised as he bounded down the hallway. "I promise you, you're gonna thank me for it in the morning." Ignoring the pig's squeals and struggles, Ranma bolted into the bathroom. Conveniently enough, the tub was already brimful with steaming hot water. Of course, the bath had been occupied moments before, but the bather had just stepped out of the tub and had a towel in her hand. "Ranma!! You're unbelievable!!!" Akane swung and knocked Ranma out of the window and into the garden outside. She then covered herself with the towel, scooped up P-chan from the bathroom floor, and stomped imperiously up to her room. "Ow! What'd she have to hit me so hard for? Jeez!" Ranma rubbed the swelling on the side of his jaw gingerly. "She ain't lost that at least." (I gotta figure some way to get at P-chan and get him changed back. Probably won't have any better luck than when he first came to live here, but I gotta try. It's for Ryoga's sake. We fight almost all the time--but whenever I really need some backup, he's always there, and he ain't the kind of guy who helps you out and then stabs you in the back. He deserves better than bein' a pig for the rest of his life. Heck, if he could just get off this dumb kick about Akane and get over what happened at Jusenkyo, I think we could be friends. Man, I could use a friend. THAT'S something I sure don't have a big supply of.) Ranma scowled up into the bright morning sky. (I'll think about it.) A faint knocking towards the front of the house caught his attention, and he scrambled nimbly up one side of the roof and down the other to peer at the wooden gate, where the sound was originating. "A hammer? I didn't think it was broke..." In a few seconds the hammering stopped and Ranma could see someone moving away from the dojo down the street. Curious, he leapt to the clothesline, ran across it to the wall, jumped down into the street, and walked over to the door. Tacked to the very center was a folded piece of parchment, with an address on the outside: 'To the members of the Tendo/Saotome School of Anything-Goes Martial Arts'. Ranma carefully peeled the paper loose, shook it out, and read it. His eyes widened, then narrowed. "Why, those-!" Crumpling it in one hand, he shoved the gate open and charged into the house. "Mr. Tendo! Akane, Pop! Everybody! C'mere! NOW!!" "What is it, Ranma?" Kasumi said, looking out of the kitchen. "This had better be important," Nabiki grumbled as she came downstairs, followed closely by Akane and Tendo. Lumbering in, the panda held up a sign saying 'What is it, boy?' Ranma held out the parchment. "It's a challenge letter," he said grimly. "Looks like the Sawara dojo ain't gonna wait around for us to figure out what to do." Akane took the paper and read it: To the Tendo/Saotome dojo-- I, Kenjiro Sawara, heir to the Sawara School of Martial Arts and Self-Improvement, challenge your dojo to an Anything-Goes Martial Arts battle to decide which school will remain in business, the loser to shut down their dojo, leave town after publicly acknowledging the winner's school to be the better of the two, and never return. If you accept my challenge, have your best pupil, the one called Ranma Saotome, meet me at the Barakaben Gymnasium on Sunday, one week from today, at 1:00 P.M. for a public battle. No time limit, no surrender, complete knockout only. "Oh, Ranma! What are you going to do? This is serious!" "C'mon, Akane, what d'you EXPECT me to do? I'm gonna accept the challenge!" 'Are you sure that's wise, son?' Genma-Panda hastily scribbled on his sign. "What else am I supposed to do, old man? If I DON'T show up, we all gotta leave town." Ranma clenched one fist. "I ain't gonna let that happen. No way!" "Ranma!" Tendo took the boy by the shoulders. "Everything depends on you! You have to defend the honor of the Tendo and Saotome families. More than just this dojo is on the line!" "Don't worry, Mr. Tendo. I don't lose." "There speaks the humble man," Nabiki remarked to no one in particular. * * * Somehow word got around, and by 12:30 Sunday the gymnasium was crowded to overflowing. Akane looked around nervously. "So many people..." "Aw, this is no worse than that stupid rhythmic gymnastics thing, Akane." Ranma stretched, limbering up. "I'll knock this guy for a loop and that'll be the end of our worries." "Don't be so overconfident! Remember what you were telling us. This Kenjiro Sawara knows what he's doing." "Hey, so do I." Ranma winked at Akane. "And I got a few tricks I didn't learn from my Pop!" The crowd grew quieter as Kenjiro Sawara appeared, followed by his father. Confidently he strode forward and leapt into the ring, bowed in Ranma's direction. "Ranma Saotome." "Yeah, that's me." "I've looked forward to this. The word on the street is that you're the best." "Well, y'know, people LIKE tellin' the truth." Kenjiro laughed. "You don't lack courage or confidence, that's for sure. Ready to begin?" "Anytime you are." Genma (in human form) pulled himself into the ring and walked to the center. "This is a battle to test the skills of the two schools teaching 'Anything-Goes' martial arts, the Sawara dojo and the Tendo dojo. Knockout only, no time, no surrender. I want a good clean fight in the tradition of our schools. All right..." he backed off. "FIGHT!" The two opponents circled for a minute, sizing each other up. Kenjiro was older and taller, but he and Ranma were much of a size otherwise; neither seemed more muscular. "You might as well give up now, Saotome," Kenjiro said, smirking a bit. "You haven't got a chance." "If you know so much about me, you'd know I don't give up that easy!" Ranma launched a flying kick, which Kenjiro ducked. "Bad move, boy," Genma muttered. "Make your enemy come to you." "Hey, old man, you know so much, YOU get up here and fight!" "Nonsense. Wouldn't dream of depriving you of the pleasure of defending our family honor." "You're a fine one to talk--" Ranma broke off as Kenjiro threw a quick barrage of punches, which Ranma blocked, then followed with a few punches of his own. Kenjiro dodged. "Not bad, Saotome," he said. "Wait till I get warmed up." "Don't take too long--I want a fight, not a dancing lesson." "Oh yeah? Oh yeah?! I'll show you who's dancin'! HIIIYYAAA!" Ranma charged in, dropping and sliding forward under Kenjiro's guard and catching him a good blow in the side. Kenjiro grunted, brought his elbow down to crack the back of Ranma's head, knocking the younger boy to the mat. As Kenjiro came around, foot lifting, Ranma rolled out of the way and flipped to his feet, shaking his hand a little. (Man, that guy's got some way hard ribs. Felt almost like punching Ryoga!... Okay, so he wants it tough. He ain't SEEN tough yet.) The fight continued like that for almost half an hour, neither one getting in more than a punch or kick here and there. But of the combatants, Kenjiro seemed to be tiring more slowly. "It's like that fight in the forest," Akane whispered. "When Ryoga learned the Breaking Point. Ranma's hitting him, but Kenjiro's not slowing down. Could-- could he-?" "Impossible," Cologne said, shaking her snowy head. "Outside of our Amazon tribe, no one BUT Ryoga knows the Bakusai Tenketsu. That doesn't mean the Sawara boy's not versed in some other fighting form that requires a similar form of training, which would toughen him appropriately. Still..." her eyes closed. "I haven't seen him move in any patterns indicative of that. Everything Kenjiro's done has been classic 'Anything-Goes', so far as I know the style." "Hm." Tendo nodded. "You're right. And some of those moves... Genma. Aren't those some of the older fighting stances we learned from Master Happosai?" "They are. But surely the Sawaras would've made improvements on the style--that's why it's 'Anything-Goes'. New moves are constantly invented, and old ones improved on and refined." Genma pushed his glasses up, studied the fight intently. "It COULD possibly be a deliberate attempt to lull Ranma into a false sense of security. --Be careful, boy!" he bellowed. One corner of Ranma's mind heard the warning and stored it away. The rest was bent on Kenjiro. (He's wearin' me down, just like Ryoga. Fine. let's see how he handles the same return tactics.) "Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken! --AAAAAAA!" Leaping in, Ranma rained a series of strikes so fast they blurred into one, delivered at the exact same spot in the middle of Kenjiro's sternum. The older boy, unable to block, flew backwards and cracked into one of the ringposts, splintering it. "Ha! Betcha felt THAT, huh?" Painfully Kenjiro pulled himself up, took a stance something similar to a 'crane' position. "N-not bad, Saotome... but how about this? Noboru Bofunami Dageki--Rising Storm Wave Strike!" With incredible speed he cartwheeled towards Ranma, coming up off the mat to deliver a horizontally-spinning drop kick to Ranma's torso. It was Ranma's turn to hit a turnbuckle, hard. He groaned and slid down to the mat, clutching his chest. "RANMA!" Akane came to her feet, as did most of the crowd. "Get up, Ranma!" "WEEEEENK!" P-chan shrilled, leaping to the ring apron. "SQUEEE!" "Oh, no, P-chan, baby! Come back! You'll get hurt!" "What about ME gettin' hurt?" Ranma muttered under his breath. He spared a glance at the piglet which was trying (vainly) to balance on his back legs and was waving his front trotters in Kenjiro's direction. A light that had nothing to do with an animal's mind burnt in those eyes now, and Ranma realized Ryoga was trying--desperately--to tell him something. "HRRRIIIINNNK! HRINK SHREE HIINK!" "Huh?" Ranma blinked, looked over where Kenjiro was standing, a pale red aura flickering into view as he summoned his ki for a final shot. "Oh yeah!" Spreading his hands in front of him, Ranma concentrated fiercely, hands seeming to catch fire with a pale blue light. "Hiryu Shoten Ha Revised! Horizontal Attack!" Even as Kenjiro brought his fists down and arcs of red lightning began to crackle between them, the first wave of Ranma's attack was racing at him. He hadn't time to dodge or block as the Flying Dragon Ascension strike caught him full on-- sending him flying out of the ring and over the bleachers to smash into the far wall. For a second or two he wavered on his feet, then fell and lay still. "I-I did it," Ranma said, managing to stand with the help of the ring ropes. "Here is your winner!" Genma shouted, leaping into the ring. "Ranma Saotome!" The building erupted into loud cheers and applause. Akane, eyes sparkling, climbed onto the edge of the ring and threw her arms around Ranma's neck. "Ranma! You won! You won!" "Akane--c'mon--you're holdin' me--too tight--" At her feet, P-chan snorted derision. Kenjiro's father quietly circled around, helped his son stand, and brought him back to stand in front of Ranma. "Congratulations, Ranma Saotome," he said. "You've beaten my son, and won the right to teach 'Anything-Goes' unopposed. You are clearly the better martial artist, and we'll shut down our school and leave as soon as possible." He held out a hand. "No hard feelings." "Sure thing. I mean, hey, that's what it's all about, right? Noble warriors and all that?" Ranma also put out a hand. "We were certainly right to come here looking for you," Mr. Sawara husked as both he and his son clasped Ranma's hand at once. "Huh? What's that supposed to mean?" "NOW, KENJIRO!" Mr. Sawara shouted. Instantly a strange greenish light surrounded all three, and before anyone could move it faded away... taking Ranma, Kenjiro, and the older Sawara with it. "RANMA!" Akane, Tendo, and Genma all screamed at once. There was, naturally, no answer. * * * Two hours later, a small group was clustered around the dining table in the Tendo house, listening intently to Tendo's narration of the fight and the events leading to it. As soon as they'd made sure Ranma was nowhere on the premises of the gym, he and Genma had sent out a call to those people they viewed as possible allies. Cologne brought Shampoo and Mousse with her; Kuno and Ukyou arrived almost at the same time. When Tendo finished, the room was silent. Even P-chan seemed disturbed by Ranma's disappearance; he kept wandering around the room and looking out into the yard hopefully. "This is evil magic," Mousse said finally. "It's obvious that this entire situation was set up as a trap to catch Ranma. But for what purpose?" "It would seem these malefactors have some ulterior motive, 'tis true. To strike so dishonorably..." Kuno shook his head. "Much as I wish to see Ranma Saotome defeated, I would not stoop to such tactics. We must find him and punish his kidnappers." "The 'finding' is going to be the difficult part." Mousse took off his glasses and cleaned them idly on one sleeve as he continued, "I've heard about certain ancient techniques for disappearing that seem to resemble what you describe. They all involve clouding men's minds-- Ranma probably didn't actually disappear. It simply SEEMED as if he did, and the Sawaras walked out with him. They probably used something like acupressure to paralyze him so he couldn't fight back. In any event, they couldn't have kept it up for long, so they must still be somewhere nearby--relatively speaking. They might've left town with him." "But WHY?" Akane asked. "When we figure that out, Akane Tendo, we'll have an idea where they're going with Ranma." "Too bad Ryoga isn't here." Ukyou sighed. "We could really use that thick-headed son of a gun. Sense of misdirection or not, he's one fine fighter." The little black pig favored the group with a long, long stare before heaving an enormous sigh and heading upstairs (after several false starts). "Poor P-chan," Akane murmured. "He and Ranma were finally starting to get along--I think it bothers him that Ranma's missing." "Does anyone have ANY idea who these Sawaras are?" Genma asked. "They know 'Anything Goes', but it's an older form. They had to have learned it from someone." From outside a voice answered, "And so they did!" Everyone turned to look as Happosai, still clutching a bagful of his most recent 'gifts from heaven', hopped down onto the middle of the table. "Indeed you haven't, and as it so happens I DO know the Sawaras. The father at least. His name is Isaoka Sawara, and he was once my pupil--before I took YOU two lunkheads in," he said in Genma and Tendo's direction. "Ah, he was a promising lad, that one..." "Get to the point, Happy," Cologne said quietly. "My future son-in-law's life may be in grave danger." "Isaoka had a great talent for the martial arts, but he was impatient, hot-headed, and fundamentally weak of spirit. He craved the skills, but was unwilling to master the principles and spiritual dedication of 'Anything Goes' martial arts. I was hopeful that with time he would learn patience and strengthen his soul, but instead his vices only became greater ones. I was at last forced to dismiss him as my pupil." Happosai folded his arms. "However, there's just one problem. Isaoka Sawara was my pupil, yes... a hundred and fifty years ago." "A hundred..." Akane gasped. "And fifty..." Mousse added. "YEARS?!?" Ukyou finished. "Aiyah!" Shampoo rubbed her head. "That very long time!" "Then how is it he's still alive, master? Surely, if he failed to learn well, he couldn't have-!" Genma said incredulously. "The techniques for prolonging one's life are indeed deeply immersed in the learning of martial arts, and are reserved for those who are true masters, such as myself and Cologne," Happosai agreed. "Sawara, on his own, could NOT have mastered them to the extent that a man who was 20 years old a hundred years ago could look and move like a man of only 30 or 40 today." "Then he's not acting on his own," Ukyou concluded. "He's become someone ELSE's pupil... or made some kind of deal with someone." "Exactly right, my pretty young thing. --Have we been properly introduced??" With one smooth stroke Kuno brought the flat of his bokken down on Happosai's head the second he took a step towards Ukyou. "Not now, you lecherous dog," he said as he re-sheathed the blade. "We have more important things to discuss." "But that leaves us where we started," Ukyou said, scowling. "WHY would they want Ranma-honey? And where did they go?" "Ah!" Shampoo stood up suddenly. "Shampoo MUCH stupid, not think of this before! Why we no go Sawara school and see they leave something behind? Maybe that tell us which way they go!" "What an excellent idea, my darling!" Mousse said, also standing and throwing his arms around Genma. "Come, Shampoo, we'll go and investigate at once! --Uh, when did you put on weight, my sweetness?" Genma simply slammed him face-first into the wall and let him slide down. "It's rude to comment on a lady's weight," he said as Mousse picked himself up and shook his features back into place. "Let's ALL go." When they reached the Sawara school, an unpleasant sight met everyone's eyes. Instead of the neat, trim building they'd expected, a deserted, dusty, run-down suite of offices, windows soaped over, presented itself. The floors were dirty, the corners cobwebbed, and the whole place had an air of long disuse about it. "This... this CAN'T be it." Akane shook her head. "I thought Ranma and Neko said it was all new inside!" "Doesn't look it now." Ukyou shrugged. "Maybe we got the wrong address?" Mousse shouldered his way gently between them and moved to the center of the main room, closing his eyes. He stood there for several breaths, as if listening to something only he could hear, then turned unerringly back towards the others, eyes still shut. "More magic," he said simply. "Not the kind I use in fighting; this is TRUE sorcery. Some type of illusion. I can feel the edges of it lingering here and there." "You-- you mean you really DO know magic?" Ukyou scratched her head. "Well, knock ME down with a chopstick." "Mousse indeed has a certain sensitivity to things outside normal senses. It's been in his family for generations, though he's the first male child to have it." Cologne also made her way inside. "Yes... now that you mention it, I feel something also. But I wouldn't have noticed it otherwise." Tendo waved an arm. "Everybody spread out. Go over the entire building. Leave no stone unturned. Akane's future depends on it!" "And Shampoo's," the Chinese girl added. "Hey! What about me? I'm not exactly teriyaki eels, you know!" protested Ukyou. A search of the front rooms turned up nothing; however, to the rear, the building showed signs of recent occupancy. Still, nothing solid turned up, until Akane stepped on a board and had it crack underneath her foot. "AAAAA!" "Akane!" Kuno rushed in, sword at the ready, followed by Tendo, Genma and the rest. "Who dares attack the beauteous Akane?" "Nobody, Kuno," Akane said, bracing herself and pulling her foot out of the hole. "Hey! Look at this! It's a hidden cabinet, or something..." Akane put her hand gingerly into the gap, felt around, pulled out a piece of paper. "A... travel brochure?" "Let me see that." Genma took it. "This is very new. This year's printing." "Where's it to?" Ukyou craned her neck. "'Visit the caves of the Hoshihanji area, renowned for their vast mineral deposits.' Huh. Somebody likes hiking, I guess." "Listen to this!" Genma adjusted his glasses. "'The Caves of Hoshihanji are famous for the legendary Tengoku Negai Fountain, said to flow only once every five thousand years. According to the legend, whoever defeats the Guardian of the Fountain is granted any wish his heart desires, simply by taking a drink of the waters, without end so long as the waters flow. When the fountain retreats into the earth, its magic lies hidden for another five thousand years.'" "That's it!" Akane shouted. "That's why they wanted Ranma! They're going to make HIM fight the Guardian of the Fountain while THEY steal the water! Quick, Mr. Saotome, does it say anything about when the waters are supposed to rise?!" "No." "But those Sawara guys must think it'll be real soon! Otherwise, they wouldn't have gone to all this trouble to kidnap Ranma-honey!" Ukyou drew her spatula. "Well, they're going to be sorry they messed with THIS cute girl's fiancee!" "Ex-CUSE me?" Akane's eyes narrowed. "WHOSE fiancee?" "No time fight now!" Shampoo snatched the brochure from Genma's fingers. "We go here, quick quick! They have big start on us already!" "Sasuke!" bellowed Kuno. "Yes, Master Kuno?" The little ninja popped out of a (formerly) empty closet. "Quick! To Castle Kuno! Fetch the family car! We must away to the Caves of Hoshihanji!" * * * Fortunately the 'family car' WASN'T a subcompact, but an old-fashioned sedan. Despite Kuno's insistence on riding the running boards outside (and leaving his impression on various road signs along the way, quite involuntarily), an hour's drive found the group (less Cologne and Happosai, who'd chosen to stay behind and search the city again in case they were wrong about the Caves) at the base of the mountains mentioned in the brochure. "The map on the brochure indicates the trail to the Caves should be right over... there." Akane pointed. "What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Mousse ran up the slope and promptly impacted on a tree. "Very thick undergrowth here," he mumbled around a mouthful of bark. "Stupid Mousse..." Shampoo shook her head and took his sleeve. "Up THIS way." The trail was a bit steep but passable, and shortly the company saw the mouth of the caves ahead of them. Kuno dropped to his knees in front of the cavern. "Someone has indeed passed this way recently," he announced. "Behold!" He pointed at two sets of faint footprints. "Kuno! That's pretty good!" Akane smiled. "It was not in vain that I, as a mere lad, watched many a samurai epic. Shall we enter? Sasuke!" "Yes, Master Kuno?" Sasuke bobbed up from behind a rock. "Some lanterns. Electric, I think, lest we run short of oil at a critical moment." The requested items were promptly produced. "Where does he KEEP all that stuff?" Akane wondered aloud as they proceeded inside. Shampoo shrugged. "You asking Shampoo?" As they wound their way deeper into the grotto and downwards, Mousse kept looking around. Finally he stopped. "I sense something," he whispered. "More magic?" Tendo moved in closer to his daughter. "What--what kind?" "Old. Very, very old." The young Chinese man turned, glasses glittering in the lights. "I think those legends the brochure mentioned aren't as legendary as we could hope for." "Then Ranma is in real danger." Genma ran ahead. "Ranma! Hang on, my boy! Your father's on the way!" "If I was Ranma, I wouldn't find that so reassuring," Akane grumbled, speeding ahead to keep up. Everyone else followed close behind her. Faintly in the distance, growing louder as they ran down the passage, came the sound of combat and a tiny wink of light that grew into a sizeable opening. The nine adventurers emerged onto a long cliff face above a huge natural amphitheater, its sides lined with giant crystals that gave off a pale silvery light. The walls all the way to the ceiling were stained with the marks of water, indicating the area was usually completely submerged, but now it was empty except for three things: 1) Isaoka Sawara, standing perfectly motionless towards the rear of the cavern; 2) Ranma, his clothing tattered and one arm bleeding, crouching behind a cluster of rocks; and 3) A huge dragon, its body a pale, translucent blue-white, like the color of ice over a deep lake. "Oh... my... God..." Ukyou crammed her fist to her mouth to hold back a scream. "That must be the Guardian of the Fountain!" Mousse squinted. "But where's the Fountain itself?" "Who cares? Ranma's down there!" Akane leapt over the edge of the cliff and slid down the slope beneath. "Ranma!!" Ranma looked up, eyes widening. "No! Akane! You idiot! Don't come down here!!" "Oh, right! I can take care of myself! --AIIEEEE!" Losing her balance two-thirds of the way to the floor, Akane tumbled the rest of the way, landing in a sprawl of arms and legs. A huge shadow loomed over her and her gaze crept up to see its source. "Oh.. no..." The dragon opened its jaws, but instead of roaring, an eerie hiss emerged, along with tendrils of fog. Far back in the depths of its maw Akane thought she could glimpse something whirling up. Then a set of arms closed around her. "Hang on to me tight, Akane!" yelled Ranma, leaping straight up. As he did, a rush of white mist shot out and struck the area they'd been occupying only a heartbeat or two earlier. As it played over the ground, the entire area for about ten feet was sheathed in a coat of ice. "That thing breathes COLD, not hot! One shot of that and you'll be a frozen dinner-- for the DRAGON! He's already gotten that Sawara guy's dad!" They landed back behind the cluster of boulders, and Ranma dropped to his knees, grimacing. "S'got claws, too," he muttered. "Oh, Ranma!..." Akane looked at his arm-- really LOOKED at it-- and saw three deep cuts, still oozing blood. "Let me--" "Keep your head down!" Ranma grabbed her again and forced her to the earth as a second jet of freezing mist shot over the rocks, barely missing them. "What the heck're you doing here, anyway?" "We came to rescue YOU, you dummy!" "Oh yeah? Don't'cha think I can fight my own battles?!" "Against PEOPLE, yes! Against DRAGONS?" Akane ripped a shirtsleeve free and tore it into strips, started binding up Ranma's arm with it. "Fear not, Ranma Saotome!" Mousse snapped a set of blades out of his sleeves and leapt up into the air, launching himself at the dragon's back. "Let US handle this monstrosity!" "Have at you, spawn of the nether realms! aaaAAAA TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA!" Kuno slid down the slope at a full charge and ran in, his bokken already lashing out in ten, twenty, fifty strokes as fast as the eye could blink. Chips of a whitish substance flew off, but after he'd charged past the others still above could see that Kuno'd only barely scratched the beast's skin. Mousse, on the dragon's back, found himself facing a completely different dilemma. As soon as he'd landed his feet had gone out from under him, and now he struggled to regain his balance. "Ice, he gasped, "it's made of ICE!" "I coulda told you that!" Ranma dove out of the way of yet another arctic blast. "And it's really tough stuff, too! I barely cracked its scales--there, in front, just at the base of the throat." "Saotome! Let's go!" Tendo leapt down. "Right behind you, Tendo!" Genma joined his friend. "Just like the old days!" "I've been meaning to ask you about that..." "Why, what do you mean, Tendo?" "Why is it always ME who goes first if it looks dangerous?" Genma shrugged. "Just luck?" "Don't leave me out of this!" Ukyou drew her spatula. "Not leave Shampoo out either!" The Amazon girl drew her bonbori and jumped out into mid-air. Tendo and Genma moved first, striking in unison at the left front leg, trying to injure the dragon's knee. Ukyou moved to the rear and made a swipe there, attempting a hamstring. Mousse, above, crawled along the back, raking at it with his black lotus. Shampoo flung a bonbori at the creature's face. Angrily the dragon hissed, lashed at Ukyou with its tail, sent her sprawling; reared up and threw Mousse off; fired a blast of ice-mist at Genma and Tendo; and ducked aside as Shampoo's mace grazed its muzzle. "This-- doesn't seem-- to be getting us--anywhere," panted Genma. "Its icy scales are nearly impenetrable." "If it's anything like normal ice, cutting weapons will do less well than blunt ones." Tendo gestured at Ukyou and Shampoo. "The girls probably stand the best chance of hurting it." "Then let us turn the very earth itself against the creature!" Racing halfway up the wall and using it as a springboard, Kuno launched himself in a mighty upwards leap, swinging his sword at one of the stalactites hanging from the cavern roof and sending it plummeting down. It struck the dragon across the back, shattering one of the animal's wings in half and leaving a deep crack along one shoulder. A clear fluid began to gush out, puddling on the floor around the ice beast as it thrashed in pain. "What the--" Ranma reached out from behind the rocks, touched a small pool of the liquid, tasted it. "Hey, this is water!" "Makes sense, I guess," Akane said. "If it's made of ice, it bleeds water." Taking a deep breath, she added, "Ranma, stay here," and leapt up over the rocks, running as hard as she could past the dragon towards the bonbori Shampoo'd thrown at the beast earlier. "No way!" Ranma leapt up and followed her. "You two jackasses!" Ukyou ran in and slammed her spatula alongside the dragon's muzzle as it tracked them. It pulled back, shaking its head, then tried to snap at her. She whacked it again. "Next time just hold up a big sign saying, 'Here I am, monster food', why don't'cha?" "Thanks, Ucchan!" Ranma waved. As Kuno, seeing the success of his tactics, prepared to launch himself upwards again, something sharp cut the air just above his head. He ducked barely in time to avoid decapitation. "What-!" Kenjiro, a katana in his hands, shook his head. "Sorry, but only ONE person can defeat the Guardian and claim its secrets--and it's going to be me. So while I appreciate the efforts you've all made in weakening it, I'm afraid you all have to die. And you, swordsman, are going first!" "Foul knave, the scion of the House of Kuno perishes not by your mere say-so! --Or words to said effect. *ahem*. Challenge me and fall!" Kuno grasped the flat of his bokken, pulled and twisted a certain way, and flung the entire length of the blade away, revealing that it was actually a sword-shaped wooden sheath concealing a full-sized katana. Then he lunged forward to meet Kenjiro's charge. The swords met, struck sparks. Fiercely Kuno and Kenjiro circled, each trying to penetrate the other's guard and getting nowhere. As they passed the ice-covered form of the elder Sawara, Kuno spared it the barest glance, suppressed a shudder. The man's expression was one of horrified understanding--he'd obviously seen his death coming. Then Kuno had to duck aside as Kenjiro attempted to back him into the frozen figure, and watched in shock as Kenjiro sliced through his father's form, shattering it into a million fragments. Taking a deep breath, Akane said, "Ranma, stay here," and leapt up over the rocks, running as hard as she could past the dragon towards the bonbori Shampoo'd thrown at the beast earlier. "No way!" Ranma leapt up and followed her. "Don't be a fool, boy! You're in--WHOOF!" Genma caught the edge of the dragon's fist and sailed backwards to crack into the far wall. He fell forward face-first into a puddle, struggled back to his feet seconds later as a panda. "rrrROWRRrr," he snarled, and charged, ramming his shoulder into the dragon's side like a football linebacker. The creature actually skidded backwards a few feet and hissed as a new rivulet of water opened up where Genma-Panda'd impacted. "All right, Pop!" Ranma circled and pointed. "Akane! Hit it there!" "Got it!" With all her strength Akane swung the bonbori. The ice dragon flung back its head and screamed in pain as she opened the crack wider. A gush of frigid water poured out, drenching both Akane and Ranma. "Oh, Ranma!" "Never mind me!" Ran-chan darted in, hammering at the crack, then darting back out to avoid a return strike. "We gotta keep hitting it! C'mon, Akane, help me here!" "NO!" Kenjiro howled, whipping around and bringing his sword to bear on Akane. Instinctively she threw up the bonbori to block, whipped a kick into Kenjiro's stomach. At the same moment, Shampoo, seeing her chance, flung her other bonbori at Kenjiro's face. Neither blow seemed to hurt him, but he staggered back hard, thrown off balance-- Straight onto Kuno's sword. For a heartbeat of time everything seemed to stop; all eyes turned to Kuno, who was staring in shock at the man he'd just skewered. "T'was never my intent... to slay the man...." he gasped, looking a great deal younger than he usually did. Then Kenjiro's head cranked up and he twisted half around, grinned almost manically at Kuno. "You didn't," he hissed, sword coming up in a killing strike. Moving almost as swiftly as Ranma, Mousse hurled a chain-whip at Kenjiro's weapon, snagged it and yanked back hard, snapping the blade in half. Simultaneously Kuno pulled his katana free, face twisted in repulsion. Under Kenjiro's clothing and skin, everyone could see a thin layer of metal sheathing a complicated network of wires, tubing and gears. Some of the tubes, severed now, dripped a thin reddish-orange fluid. "This... this is no man," Kuno stammered, then shouted, "YOU ARE NO MAN!" "It's some kind of-- of machine!" Akane gasped. With a snarl Kenjiro grabbed Mousse's chain and jerked the Chinese boy towards him. "You're next, you blind simpleton!" "In your dreams!" Leaping, Akane rocketed in and kicked Kenjiro's head as hard as she could. It popped free and bounced across the cavern floor, eyes still open. The body continued pulling on the chain-whip, but by this time Mousse had let go and stepped back. A whistling shriek behind them reminded everyone they still had the dragon to deal with as well. Tendo and Genma-Panda, along with Ukyou, had been trying to keep it busy, but now they were downed and the great head was swinging around, seeking new targets. It locked in on Ran-chan, the closest opponent still standing, and advanced on her. Ran-chan planted herself firmly in front of it. "Hey! Hey, you ugly thing! I got a special delivery right here for you!" Her battle aura flared to life. In the palm of one hand a globe of light grew. "No, Ranma, don't! You're too weak!" Akane screamed. "I gotta, Akane! All my remaining strength--maybe I can shatter the dumb thing! MOKO TAKABISHA!!!! YAAAAAAAA!" The Fierce Tiger ki attack exploded out of Ran-chan's grasp and struck the dragon full in the side as she collapsed, strength drained. With a thunderous CRACK it fell over, body splitting into halves, then beginning to crack elsewhere as water started fountaining out. Already the floor of the cave was nearly knee-deep, and rising alarmingly fast. "Wha-what's going on?" Tendo splashed his way across towards his daughter. "Akane! Are you all right?" "Aiyah!" Shampoo leapt up on a rock. "Cave flooding!" "That's it! That's got to be it!" Akane hauled the exhausted Ran-chan up, looping an arm around her fiancee's waist. "The Guardian of the Fountain IS the Fountain!" "And with its death, this cavern will return to its normal state--underwater!" Kuno leapt over Kenjiro's headless form, still wandering around swinging at random, and ran towards Akane and Ran-chan, catching one up under each arm. "If we do not depart swiftly, this will be our watery grave! Come, my twin beloveds--allow me to assist you!" "Shampoo!" Mousse leapt from boulder to boulder nimbly, catching Shampoo up. "Shampoo, are you all right?" "Stupid Mousse let Shampoo go! --Then again, maybe that not such good idea," Shampoo added, seeing the water getting higher and higher around them. "Never mind!" "Let's haul butt!" Ukyou scrambled up the slope of the wall; the others followed her, barely keeping ahead of the rising waves. In fact, it was already lapping at their legs as they swung up onto the ledge and started running back up the passage to the surface. Behind them they could hear the thunder of swiftly-flowing water, feel the ground tremble and surge under their feet, and knew that a single misstep or stumble and it would be all over; there would be no time to go back. It was flee or perish. Bare seconds after they dove out the cavern's entrance, an enormous gush of icy water geysered out, soaking and half-drowning everyone, then subsided and vanished back into the subterranean depths. When everything was quiet, Akane sat up. "R-Ranma?" Wearily Ran-chan opened her eyes, essayed a smile. "Hi, Akane. Guess we won, huh?" "Oh, Ranma..." Akane simply threw her arms around Ran-chan, holding her tight. "I was so WORRIED...." Too tired to be macho, Ran-chan simply put her head down on Akane's shoulder and hugged back. "One question," Ukyou said presently. "Um, that was a magic fountain, right?" She glanced pointedly around at Muu-chan, Shampoo-Cat, Genma-Panda, and Ran-chan. "So, how come nobody thought to drink some, then wish themselves normal again?" Scant seconds later, once the idea'd sunken in, four voices raised themselves in anguished screams. * * * Far across the ocean, a little round ball of a man nearly as big around as he was tall knocked at an elaborate door. "Enter." Coming in, the little man doffed an elegant top hat that (again) was almost as tall as he was thick and bowed deeply to a slender figure on a throne. "Greetings, your Highness, and a most excellent evening it is," he said in a voice bearing a definite Indian sing-song accent. "Ah. Toppahatti. What news do you bring me?" "As you are of marrying age now, Best Beloved Ruler, we are being searching most diligently for a bride befitting your most Excellent Majesty's tastes. Many applications and pictures are being sent to us, my yes. I am having the pleasure to inform you there is possibly a most excellent choice very near. Yes, yes, very near to hand." Producing a small manila folder, Toppahatti handed it over to the other man, who opened it. "These are being photographs of young ladies of eligible age from excellent high schools in Japan. Please to be noticing the young lady at very top of stack." The other man lifted a photo and held it to the light. His eyes widened. "She... she is perfect, Toppahatti. PERFECT. Quickly. Arrange a flight to Japan at once, to--" he turned the photo over, studied the caption on the back. "To Tokyo and Nerima district." "I am taking the liberty to having been doing this very thing already, your Excellency," and Toppahatti bowed again. "We leave in one week." "Ah, Toppahatti, what WOULD I do without you." Turning the picture over again, the man on the throne studied it. "How is her name pronounced?" "Neko, Most Radiant Prince. Neko Tamamichi." "Neko Tamamichi." A long, deep chuckle. "In two weeks' time you will be my bride... whether you wish to or not." =================== * TO BE CONTINUED * =================== Build Your Free Home PageVisit other great pages on:SocietySociety Naisen 4 LA FEMME NEKO Another Wacky Ranma Story By SMoonUsagi and RyogaLost Ranma looked at the clock. Looked out the window. Watched a butterfly wander by the glass panes. Propping his chin in his hand, he sighed. (Man, this is totally boring. Today's GOT to've lasted for 50 million years already.) He fought to stifle a yawn as Mr. Noiroze's voice droned on. (Wish the bell would hurry up and ring so we could go home. I'm hungry.) Looking over, he caught Akane's eye, made motions as if scooping up food with chopsticks. Akane nodded, after sneaking a quick look at their teacher to make sure he wasn't watching. Ranma then made little 'walking' motions with the first two fingers of both hands, pointed in the direction of the ramen shop, then pointed at himself and Akane. Another nod, more emphatic. Then she glanced over at Neko, who was idly doodling on a piece of paper. 'Her too?' she mouthed. Ranma grinned and gave her a 'thumbs-up'. He looked back out the windows again, then jumped a little and stood up. Ignoring the rest of the class (and Mr. Noiroze), he slid open the panes, leaned out. "Hey! Look at that!" "Ranma!..." Akane stood, wandered over. "What the--" she stopped, staring. The front gates of Furinkan High School had seen many strange sights, but nothing like the procession coming through it now. It looked like something out of the ARABIAN NIGHTS; a group of armored men on elaborately-carapaisoned horses, proceeding in a neat rank to line the sidewalk up to the school doors and saluting as a white elephant stood up and gently knelt, allowing its rider to disembark. "What's with the parade? Is today a holiday or something?" Ranma wondered aloud. "That's not a parade." Nabiki walked in, peering out the window. "Haven't you been reading the paper? That's Prince Rhamalamarangdang." "Prince Whatzit?!" "Rhamalamarangdang. He's the ruler of a province in India... Nepapal, I think it's called." Nabiki leaned dreamily on the windowsill. "He's one of the 100 top richest men in the world. Has his own private rare game reserve, a palace in the mountains, diamond mines, and so forth. The word is he's looking for a wife." She smiled. "My my my, I could definitely get used to the lifestyle of a princess." "Yappa pa, Nepapal, big deal, who cares." Ranma shrugged. "Money ain't everything." "Maybe, but it certainly helps you afford SOME things." "Hey, he's coming in here!" Akane ran to the door, along with most of the other girls. A buzz of conversation was already rising. Ranma sighed. "So much for after-school snacks," he grumbled. In a few minutes a plump little brown man, wearing a brightly colored purple top hat nearly as tall as he was thick, swept in and waved at the room. "Greetings, greetings, most wonderful people of Japan!" he carolled. "I am being called Toppahatti, pleased to be making your acquaintance, yes yes! As Prime Minister of the province of Nepapal, I am having great enjoyment to be introducing to you now his Most Exalted Highness, the ruler of our happy country, Prince Rhamalamarangdang!" Sweeping off his hat, he bowed low as a figure appeared in the door. All the girls murmured and gasped softly. Ranma moved over to have a look at Rhamalamarangdang for himself. The Prince was tall and slenderly muscular, with long chestnut hair and liquid brown eyes framed by long dark lashes. His dark gold skin was set off to perfection by the dark green robes he wore. With a charming smile, he bowed low. "Good afternoon," he said, voice almost a purr. "Please, call me Prince Rham. My name is entirely too long to force you say more than once or twice a day." The girls giggled. "I'm sorry to disturb you all; please excuse my impertinence." "Trust me, Your Highness, anyone as good-looking as you can interrupt us anytime," Nabiki said, eying him up and down. The Prince smiled, caught her hand, and deposited a gentle kiss on the back of it. "You're so gracious, milady," he murmured. (Oh man,) Ranma thought, scowling. (This guy's too much. Jeez. He could give Kuno AND Mikado the Molester a run for their money.) Rham spent the next few minutes greeting everyone, paying attention to the girls, asking their names and flattering them mercilessly. When he came to Akane he bowed low and asked, "And your name, young lady?" "I'm-- I'm Akane Tendo." "Akane Tendo." The Prince nodded. "How wonderful and apt. Your last name means 'the way of Heaven', doesn't it?" Akane nodded. "Yeah, that's my Akane," broke in Ranma, putting his arm around Akane as he eased between her and Rham. "She's a real great girl, huh? Just goes to show you how the right guy can cure a tomboy!" Akane glared up at him. "Ex-CUSE me? You make it sound like I had some kind of DISEASE!" "And you would be?" Rham broke in smoothly. "I'm Ranma Saotome. Akane's MY fiancee." Rham's eyebrow rose and he laughed lightly. "I see! Well, young Master Saotome, my congratulations. The young lady is fortunate to have so attentive a suitor." He glanced around the room, his eye falling on one particular desk where a figure still sat, lost in contemplation of the paper in front of her. He drifted that way, stood by the desk, cleared his throat softly. Blinking, Neko looked up. "Oh, hello," she said shyly. "How do you do." The Prince bowed. "I am Prince Rhamalamarangdang. Prince Rham, for short." He held out his hand. Neko bowed back. "I'm Neko Tamamichi. Welcome to--to Furinkan High School, Your Highness." "May I see what you're working on?" Neko blushed, dipped her head so her hair fell over her face. "It's nothing, really..." "May I?" Rham knelt and looked at the paper. It was a pencil sketch, rough and unfinished but very well drawn, of a young dark-haired man with a bandanna tied about his head. In the background the tall trees of a forest framed a mountain, its summit crowned with snow. "This is excellent," he murmured, leaning in closer and slipping one arm casually around Neko's back. "If I saw this man on the street I'd know him in an instant--that is, if he truly exists?" Neko's cheeks grew a touch pinker. "Oh yes," she said faintly. "He's-- he's a very dear friend of mine. But I haven't seen him in a long time..." her voice trailed off and she looked at the Prince's arm with a touch of trepidation. "He should be soundly chastised, then. So talented and attractive a young woman should be treasured, not abandoned." "Thank you..." Neko fidgeted, her tail twitching nervously. Seeing it, Prince Rham stood. "Thank you for letting me see your art," he said softly. "You have talent; don't let anyone tell you differently. In fact, it would give me great pleasure to have this picture as a memento of my visit. May I ask this of you?" Neko nodded. She timidly slid the picture over to Rham. Prince Rham swept to the door, bowed once more, and put his hands together in front of him. "Thank you all again for permitting me to visit you. I intend to enjoy your marvelous city for several days; perhaps I can visit you again, if I'm welcome." A chorus of (female) voices answered, "YES!" With a chuckle Rham departed, followed by Toppahatti. "Yummy," Nabiki said with a sigh. "Oh, just you definitely come on back any time, Prince Rham. I'm looking forward to it." "Gimme a break," Ranma muttered. Outside, Toppahatti sidled up to his lord and master. "Is she not perfection, Most Exalted One?" "She is." A faintly wicked smile curved Prince Rham's lips. "I want her, Toppahatti. But we must be... careful. There is a man." Holding out Neko's drawing, he added, "Find out who he is, then find him. Make sure he doesn't interfere." "Most assuredly, yes indeed, your word is law, O Prince." Holding the sketch, Toppahatti frowned thoughtfully. "I believe this is his name here, Great and Magnificent Ruler." He pointed at the kanji along one side of the portrait. "R-Y-O-G-A H-I-B-I-K-I." * * * "Guys like that just give me the creeps, that's all." Akane stopped; looked at Ranma; started to giggle. "You're JEALOUS!" "I am NOT!...." Ranma hunched his shoulders. "Okay, maybe a LITTLE bit. What's wrong with that, huh? I'm your fiancee! Nerve of that guy, thinkin' he can beat my time!" "Ranma, really. He was being nice to all the girls, not just me." Akane started walking again. "Honestly, you act as if you were worried I might LIKE being slobbered all over." "Whatever." Ranma looked over his shoulder at Neko, who was trailing along behind them. "Hey, Akane..." "Hm?" "Has Neko.. y'know... said anything to you about some guy?" "About what guy?" "I dunno. Some guy. See, when we were goin' to the Sawara dojo, she seemed kinda down. So I asked her what was wrong, and she said a whole bunch of stuff about some boy she missed. Said he was really cute and everything, but she hadn't seen him for a while. I was wondering if maybe she'd told you anything. I mean, she's lookin' sort of unhappy." Akane glanced back. "I see what you mean... no, she hasn't told me anything, but then I haven't asked her. She didn't mention his name?" "Nope." As they continued down the street, the cheery jingle of a bicycle bell filled the air, followed by a loud "Nihao!" as Shampoo neatly flipped from the rooftops and landed beside the trio. "Ranma! It beautiful day, yes?" "Hi, Shampoo, yeah," Ranma muttered, eyes straight ahead. Akane just scowled. "Listen, I ain't got time--" "Shampoo not here talk to you right now, very sorry. Need talk Neko kitty-girl Shampoo friend!" "Huh?!" Ranma and Akane chorused. Wheeling her bike in beside Neko, Shampoo handed her a folded note. "Here you schedule for this week," she said. "Great-grandmamma want know it okay, or you maybe need special days off, want work different days, what." Neko unfolded the note, read it. "It looks fine to me, Shampoo. Oh, good--she's got me working the Sunday lunch! I always love the buffet. Do-- do you suppose Mousse would save me a teeny bit of fresh fish?" Shampoo nodded. "I make sure Mousse not forget save you extra-special good piece. Must finish delivery now." Stopping the bike, Shampoo leaned over and gave Neko a hug. "See you tonight!" With a wave she resumed her journey. "What the heck was THAT?" Ranma demanded the second Shampoo was out of hearing. "I didn't tell you? --Oh, no, I guess not. I'm working at the Cat Cafe now part-time. 3 evenings a week and every other Sunday afternoon. I make deliveries and wait tables. Shampoo's great-grandmother-- you know, Cologne-- gave me a raise just the other day because sales are so good!" Neko giggled. "And I've only been there a week and a half!" "You're kidding," Akane said. "Mm-mmm." Neko shook her head. "How'd that happen?" "Well, right after I left your house the other day... after going to the Sawaras.. I sort of... well, I was walking around, and I stopped by the Nekohanten, only I didn't realize it, and Shampoo was there, and we started talking, and she asked me in..." Neko clasped her hands. "And Cologne gave me a job because I can run so fast. I'm so happy--I finally found something my speed's good for besides running away from trouble!" "I... um..." Akane managed a smile. "That's great, Neko!" "That conniving old ghoul," Ranma added under his breath. "Old ghoul?" Neko asked, ears cocking. "You... you don't like Cologne?" "She's sort of trying to get Ranma married to Shampoo," Akane explained, and went on to tell Neko about the Chinese Amazons. When she finished, Neko nodded. "Okay, I understand," she said. "But really you can't blame her. She's just trying to follow something she's been raised all her life to believe in. It's as important to her as... as being a martial artist is to Ranma." "Huh. Well, I wish she'd cut me some slack about it." Ranma flapped a hand in the air. "Look, let's just drop the subject, huh? I'm so hungry that my stomach's tellin' my backbone that my throat's been cut!" "Me too." Akane walked into the ramen shop, the other two following her, and slid into a booth. They chattered back and forth over their noodles, exchanged class notes, and finally left, parting ways at the end of the block. * * * The morning papers and TV talk shows were full of Prince Rhamalamarangdang; his country, his palace, how much money he had, and speculations as to whether or not he'd come to Japan in search of a wife. "My, you're looking nice today, Nabiki," Kasumi commented as the middle Tendo sister showed up for breakfast in some of her most flattering clothing. "Just making sure my advertising is up-to-date," Nabiki replied. "Oh good. Daddy, be sure you save the paper. I want to brush up on Prince Rham's background. Keiko called me this morning and said there was a really good article on him." "A prince," Kasumi said. "That must be exciting. Did he visit the high school yesterday?" "Yeah, and if you ask me he coulda skipped us." Ranma finished his soup and bowed. "Thanks, Kasumi." "Ranma doesn't LIKE princes very much," Nabiki announced smugly. "Or at least handsome ones who pay attention to Akane." "Nabiki!" Akane slammed down her chopsticks. "Would you PLEASE! I had a hard enough time getting Ranma calmed down yesterday without any help from YOU." "Okay, sis, okay, my lips are sealed, I don't know anything." "That's the spirit, Ranma!" Tendo leaned over and patted Ranma's back. "Make sure everyone knows who Akane's with. Be fierce and possessive; that's the way to let a woman know you care." Ranma rolled his eyes skyward; Akane groaned and covered her face. "Dad, honestly! Do you think you could embarrass me just a LITTLE bit more?" "C'mon, Akane, we're gonna be late." Ranma stood up, grabbed his satchel. "Don't you dare start acting like you own me, Ranma!" Snatching up her own bookbag, Akane strode out. "You are such a JERK sometimes!" "Better than a tomboy!" "Oh yeah?!" They continued quarrelling loudly until they were outside the walls of the house; then Ranma and Akane exchanged glances, burst into laughter. "I never thought f-fighting could be so much fun," Akane managed to force out. "Yeah, after all the stuff they've put us through, your pop and mine deserve to be kept guessin' a little while longer." Ranma paused. "Except they might notice I ain't tellin' you you're uncute any more. Cause... cause it ain't true." "Ranma..." Akane beamed up at him, slipped her hand into his. They walked like that all the way to school. As Akane slid into her desk, she looked around, puzzled. "Ranma...have you seen Neko?" The boy frowned. "Nope. And that's kinda funny. She usually always meets us on the way." "You don't suppose she's sick, do you?" "How'm I supposed to know?" With a shrug Ranma added, "Tell you what: we'll go by her house this afternoon and check on her. Okay?" Akane nodded. "I hope it's nothing serious." That afternoon they made their way to the Tamamichi's. It was a neat little two-story traditional house, like a tiny version of the Tendo home. "No, I'm sorry, Ne-chan ISN'T here," Mrs. Tamamichi said, looking anxious. "She left this morning to go to school, and that's the last I've seen of her. It's very strange. She COULDN'T have gotten lost, she never gets lost. Oh, you don't suppose something's happened to her!" Akane exchanged a worried look with Ranma. "This isn't one of the days she's supposed to be working at the Cat Cafe, is it?" "No, not that I know of. But perhaps she got called in to work." Mrs. Tamamichi sighed. "Neko's always been very good at taking care of herself. She's a good, sensible child." "We'll go look for her," Akane volunteered. "I'm sure it's really nothing to be upset about. When we find her, we'll let her know she needs to call you." Unfortunately, Neko wasn't at the Nekohanten either. "Neko kitty- girl friend Shampoo?" Shampoo shook her head. "No see her, not since last night when she work." The Chinese girl looked concerned. "Something not right." "That's what we're thinking," Ranma agreed. "I mean, her folks said she left for school this morning, and we know she never made it. Something's GOTTA have happened." Shampoo turned to Cologne, who'd come in on the end of the explanation. "Great-granmamma, is okay Shampoo go help look for Neko kitty-girl friend Shampoo?" "Of course, child." Cologne tapped her way over to the window, looked out thoughtfully. "I thought I felt a disturbance somewhere this morning. This explains what, if not why." "I too shall go," Mousse announced, to be stopped by Cologne's stick. "You, Mr. Part-Time, are staying here to help me out with the evening crowd," she ordered. "You can go looking for Neko later, after we close." "But, Granny!" "How would you like to be on the menu as the Cook's Special tonight only? I've had lots of requests for Peking Duck, you know." Mousse gulped. "I, I think I'll stay." "Wise choice." The three of them--Shampoo, Akane and Ranma--scoured the neighborhood for the rest of the afternoon, but found no trace of Neko. Tired and discouraged, they made their way back to the dojo to plan their next move. Shortly after dark Mousse joined them. "I just can't understand it," Akane said, gathering P-chan into her arms and cuddling him. "What CAN have happened? Who'd want to do anything to Neko? She's the sweetest girl I know." "Neko run very fast too. Trouble must've happened quick quick, take her by surprise." Shampoo twisted a lock of hair around one finger idly. "I guess we oughta tell her folks, so they can report it to the police--" Ranma stopped as a huge, furry figure burst through the door, waving a sign frantically. "Oh. Hiya, Pop. What's up?" "Rrr!" Genma-Panda pointed at the sign, which said, 'Terrible! Awful! Calamity!' He then flipped it over and scrawled, 'With my own eyes I saw it! The poor girl!' "Girl? Mr. Saotome! Do-- do you mean Neko?" Akane leapt to her feet, tumbling P-chan out of her lap. "Oh please, tell us, hurry!" "Mowr rowr," agreed the panda, and started scribbling again. Losing patience, Ranma bounded out the door, came back with a kettle, and drenched his father. "C'mon, Pop! We ain't got time for playing charades!" "That WAS boiling water, you know, Ranma..." Genma sat with a THUD. "I was working this morning at Dr. Tofu's office. As I swept the sidewalk, I saw your young friend Neko walking down the street. She was lost in her thoughts, and didn't notice the large black car drawing up behind her. "Suddenly, from the back of the car emerged five strangely-clad men. They were wearing flowing, baggy dark robes and sandals, and they had coils of rope and strange, curved blades at their waists. Each had an odd tattoo on his forehead--I'll never forget that eerie symbol as long as I live. It looked like a smiling cat's face. "Without a word, they leapt on her, and before she could cry out one had a cloth over her face. She stopped struggling almost at once. I ran over to see if I could help, but they drove away faster than I could follow them." "And you waited till NOW to tell us this? Mr. Saotome, how COULD you!" Akane got in Genma's face. "Do you know how worried we've been?!" Genma looked moderately contrite. "I didn't think it was all that important." "You WHAT?! Girls getting kidnapped aren't IMPORTANT?!" "Oh, this is great. Just great." Ranma flopped back down. "How are we supposed to find her?" "Look to the mountains of India," a cracked little voice announced. All eyes turned to the door outside, where Happosai stood limned against the light. "These men you describe sound like members of an ancient secret sect of martial arts fighter-assassins known as..." he paused dramatically. "The HUGGEES!" "The..." Shampoo started. "...Huggees?" Mousse finished. Happosai nodded. "It's true! When I was traveling around the world in my youth improving my martial arts skills, I took a journey to India. It was there I encountered the Huggee cult, which worships a dread tiger-goddess called Kit-Tii and holds all tigers sacred." "Tiger worshipers?" Mousse slammed a hand on the table. "But of course! That's it! Neko's appearance would convince these Huggees that she too must be of divine origin." "Cats. Man, it just HAS to be cats." Ranma slumped further. "Okay, drop the other zori. What's so special about these Hippies?" "HUGGEES," Akane corrected. "Huggees, Hippies, what's the difference?" "Ranma!" Happosai thrust a finger at him. "Don't underestimate your enemy! The Huggees practice a highly effective style of martial arts wrestling that renders them nearly invincible in close combat, and they're absolutely devoted to the leader of the sect, who they view as Kit-Tii's voice on Earth." "So where we find these bad people?" Shampoo asked. "In the province of Nepapal." Happosai folded his arms. "Ah, I remember it well..." "Nepapal..." Akane gasped, hands flying to her face. "Ranma! That's where Prince Rhamalamarangdang is from! And people are saying he's supposed to be in Japan looking for a wife!!" "That lady-killin' no-good sleazebag!" Ranma clenched his fist. "Man, he's got some nerve comin' here and kidnapping Neko! We gotta get to this Nepapal place and rescue her, pronto!" "Is so!" Shampoo nodded emphatically. "Nobody take Neko kitty- girl friend Shampoo away like that! They pay for what they doing." "We'll need to leave tonight," Mousse murmured thoughtfully. "They already have a day's start on us." "I wish Ryoga was here." Akane sighed. "We could REALLY use his help. Ranma, you don't happen to know where he is, do you?" Ranma threw one quick look at P-chan, who was lying contentedly at Akane's feet, and shook his head. "Not really." "We haven't got time to go looking for him, either." Giving her pet a quick pat, Akane stood. "I'm going to go pack some stuff for us, Ranma. I'll be ready in just a minute." The second she was out of sight, Ranma leaned across the table, looking at P-chan. "You hear that?" he said in a low voice. "C'mon, Ryoga. I know you're still in there somewhere. We need you, man." Something flickered briefly in the piglet's eyes, then subsided. He stood, yawned, turned around in a circle, and lay back down, looking innocently up at Ranma. "Ryoga..." Ranma let his head drop. "What's gotten into you? Don't you CARE any more? You've been a pig nonstop since we got back from Ryugenzawa! What're you tryin' to do, anyway?!" The pig grunted, rolled over on his side. "That it! Shampoo hear enough!" Shampoo walked around the table and snagged P-chan by the bandanna around his neck. "You come with me, stubborn pig-boy," she said under her breath to the squealing, struggling piglet. "We need talk." She picked up her delivery box with her other hand and stomped out through the sliding doors. "Hey, wait up!" Ranma jumped up and followed Shampoo. Reluctant to let his rival have any time alone with Shampoo, Mousse joined the march outside. Shampoo dropped Ryoga unceremoniously behind the dojo building, out of sight of the main house. Taking a kettle from her delivery box, she doused the piglet with still-hot water and stepped back. Ryoga appeared on the ground, naked save for the bandanna now in place around his head. For a moment he crouched there, blinking, as though unsure of where--or who--he was. Ranma paused several yards away, watching in tense silence, wondering if there was anything of the Ryoga he'd known left behind those green-dappled eyes. Then Ryoga seemed to snap out of it. He bared his fangs at Shampoo. "What did you do THAT for?!" he demanded. "Hey!" protested Ranma. "That's MY line!" "You shut up, Ranma!!" Shampoo brought the kettle down hard on Ryoga's head. "You shut up, stupid, stupid boy!!" "I don't have to listen to you!" Ryoga bellowed up at her. Shampoo grabbed Ryoga by the throat, hauled him to his feet and slammed him against the wall hard enough to crack the brickwork. "You WILL listen Shampoo," she hissed, her voice barely audible, "before Shampoo pop off head like bottlecap! Is all YOUR fault Neko kitty-girl friend Shampoo taken away!" Ryoga couldn't speak--Shampoo's grip on his throat had shut off his windpipe--but his eyes widened in amazement. "Shampoo know. Neko kitty-girl tell Shampoo friend about heartache. Heartache because of you! Neko-friend love stupid Ryoga, only he too busy chasing after other woman to notice. You not even man enough to tell Akane how you feel about her, but you no have sense to see good woman with good heart who miserable without you! If she not so worry about you staying little pig, maybe she see trouble before it catch up to her! So you to blame for everything, stupid Ryoga!" "Hey--wait a minute!" Ranma couldn't stay quiet any longer when realization hit him. "You mean--you mean the guy that Neko's been moonin' about all this time is--RYOGA?!?" "Hmph. He no deserve good woman like Neko kitty-girl, but she love him. It his fault she in terrible trouble. It his responsibility to rescue her!" "Well, he's not gonna be savin' anybody if you don't ease up on the choke-hold, Shampoo." "Aiyah?" Shampoo looked at Ryoga, who was by this time turning blue-faced. She half-shrugged and let go. Ryoga fell back against the wall, gasping, one hand to his aching throat. For long moments the only sound was his struggling for air. Then, slowly, Ryoga brought his hands up and looked at them. "Ne...ko...?" he rasped, still out of breath. Then he looked at Shampoo, who still stared at him with bitter scorn. "She...loves me?" He grabbed Shampoo by the shoulders. "She said that? She said she loves me?!" "Not like you deserve it," Shampoo snarled, whacking Ryoga with the kettle again and knocking him back away from her. "When we find Neko kitty-girl friend Shampoo, you have talk with her or Shampoo rip out tongue by root! Come, Mousse--we get ready to go." "At once, my darling Shampoo!" Mousse trotted off after his departing beloved. Ranma looked after them, then his eyes slowly tracked to Ryoga, who had slid slowly down the wall to a sitting position, knees doubled up in front of him. As Ranma watched, he ran his hands through his hair and murmured, mostly to himself, "I...I've been a fool..." Ranma snorted. "You got THAT right." "You're not helping, Saotome." Ranma slung something at him. "I guess you're gonna want these then, huh?" Ryoga caught the bundle and looked at it. "My...clothes...?" He looked up at Ranma. "How...?" Ranma shrugged. "I sorta picked up your pack from where you left it back in Ryugenzawa. I figured you might need it eventually or somethin'." Ryoga pulled on his clothes in silence. It wasn't until the two youths were walking back around the dojo towards the house when Ryoga stopped and looked at Ranma. "She...she said she loves me...? She really said that?" Ranma paused and looked back. "Well, sure. I mean...Neko said some really nice things about you." "She did? Like what?" "Well...uh...she said you were good-lookin'...and that she really likes the color of your eyes..." "Really? Huh. Wow. --Anything else?" "Uhh...aw, man, what're you askin' me for?! I can't remember stuff like that. Why don'tcha find her, and then ask her for yourself?" Something flickered behind Ryoga's eyes...a new determination, something that had never been given light there before. "I will, Ranma," he said softly. "I really will." * * * he first thing Neko noticed as she woke was the way her surroundings smelled. The scent of flowers and smoke hung in air that was somehow a little crisper, a little fresher, than what she was used to. Slowly she levered herself up, ears working this way and that as she looked around. She was lying on a huge canopied bed, its curtains drawn protectively around her, muffling light and sound alike. Carefully she put out a hand, parted the curtains just a crack, and peered out. An enormous room, filled with luxurious furnishings--thick, rich carpets, paintings, sculptures, elaborately comfortable chairs and divans, and a single massive carved wooden door-- met her eyes. Curiosity overcame wariness and she crept out on all fours, padding quietly over the marble floors, and made for the only window in the room. The landscape it revealed wrung a gasp from her. Around and below her stretched the expanse of some huge building, clearly a palace of some kind. It was built on top of a large hill or small mountain whose top had been planed flat. At the bottom of the hill a glitter of water proclaimed a river's presence. The sides of the tower she was in were smooth part of the way down, and, looking at it, Neko concluded ruefully that there'd be little hope of climbing down the outside, even with the help of her claws. "Ah, you're awake. Good." Neko whirled. "P-Prince Rham!" Rham bowed. "Welcome to the Imperial Palace. I hope you like it." "I DON'T like it." Neko stamped a foot. "What do you think you're doing? You take me home!" "My dear Neko, you ARE home." Rham smiled gently... as gently as a shark. "I went to Japan to find a bride, and I've brought her back with me. Your beautiful little ears and tail mark you as favored by our tiger goddess Kit-Tii. You'll make me a wonderful wife, I'm sure." "W-wife..? But I don't WANT to be your wife!" "You don't have a choice in the matter. Although you'll soon find I can be a very generous and affectionate husband." Prince Rham strode across the floor to Neko's side, took her hand. "You'll enjoy the life of a princess--no, a queen. Everywhere you go people will fall over themselves to indulge your tiniest wish. You'll dine on the rarest delicacies of the field, dress in the finest silks and satins, wear a country's ransom in jewelry. I can offer you EVERYTHING, don't you see?" Neko snatched her hand away. "Everything but love!" "Love? Love has nothing to do with it. All I require from you is grace, a certain willingness to obey me, and beauty. Oh, and a few dozen heirs. Those are very important to any dynasty." "Well, I'm not going to give you any of those things." Neko's ears flattened and her tail whipped angrily from side to side. "I don't love you and I'm not going to marry you, so you might as well just give up your silly ideas and take me back to Japan right now." Rham's eyes narrowed. "I don't believe you understood me," he said pleasantly. "You have NO choice in the matter. You're in my country now, Neko. I make the rules here. And I've decided that I'm going to make you my bride." Without warning he grabbed her, fingers digging into her arms. "And there is NOTHING you can do about it." Neko winced, blinking back tears of pain. "I will NOT," she said, voice trembling. "My friends won't let you do this to me. They'll come for me. Just you wait and see." "Ah yes, your 'friends'." Rham smiled, this time without any pleasantry at all. "Particularly a young man named Ryoga Hibiki?" Neko caught her breath. "I'm looking forward to meeting Mr. Hibiki, actually. If he decides to attend our nuptials, I have a special welcome planned for him. One he'll remember for the rest of his life." (Which won't be very long,) Rham added silently. Releasing Neko, he gave her a little shove at the same time so that she fell to her knees in front of him. "Resign yourself to the fact of our marriage, Neko, and your life will be paradise. Continue to defy me, and..." A mocking cruelty crept into his voice. "I'll make your life... INTERESTING." With a bow, he turned and exited, the door slamming shut behind him, the rasp of a bolt sliding home following a second later. Neko stared at it, trembling, then curled up in a ball and started crying helplessly. "Ryoga... oh please, Ryoga, don't leave me here..." * * * It took Ranma and the other youngsters nearly all night, but at last they found a small trader whose captain was willing to let them 'hitch a ride' to Nepapal in return for working on board. One starry night Ranma wandered up on deck to snatch a few minutes' worth of practice time before bed, only to find someone else had had the same idea. "R-Ryoga." The other boy whirled, relaxed only slightly when he saw who it was. "Ranma." "Um." Ranma scuffed a foot over the deck. "Practicing, huh?" "I have to. I can't let Neko down. I CAN'T." A note of wistfulness entered Ryoga's voice. "I've... I've already disappointed her enough." He sat down on a coil of rope. "I can't believe I was so blind. How could I've not understood what she truly meant?" "Cause you never listen to anything you don't wanna hear, and you didn't wanna hear that somebody besides Akane was in love with you." Ranma leaned up against the mast. "Man, people can talk to you till they're purple in the face, and it goes in one ear and out the other like there's nothing in the middle." Ryoga's eyes flashed with a brief anger, then calmed again. "You..." he said haltingly. "You're... you're right, Ranma." "Huh? What'd you say?!" "I said you were RIGHT, Ranma. What's the matter, am I using too many big words for you?" Ryoga smirked. "Should I talk a little more slowly? Maybe spell everything?" "Don't start something you ain't ready to finish, P-CHAN," Ranma warned. "Don't call me that!" Leaping to his feet, Ryoga took a half-step forward. "How dare you make fun of me when you're to one to blame for my suffering?!" "Hey, nobody dragged YOU to China. Nobody made YOU go to Jusenkyo. You coulda stayed home and waited, but noooooo! You just HAD to follow me, didn't'cha? If anybody's to blame for you bein' cursed, Ryoga, it sure ain't ME!" Ranma also took a step forward. "I'm tired of you blaming all your problems on me just cause you're not willin' to admit you might've been to blame your OWN self! You're supposed to be 'mature', remember? So what about taking a little responsibility, huh? Why don't'cha act like a REAL man?" "A real--" Ryoga choked. "You-- I--" His hands closed into fists. "Ranma, DAMN YOU--!" "C'mon," Ranma said, taking a stance. "Beat me up, Ryoga. That's what you always do, ain't it, instead of think about stuff? Beat me up? Use your fists instead of your head? Sounds like running away to ME." The other boy stared at him, wide-eyed, trembling with rage. For a second Ranma was sure Ryoga was about to scream and launch into a flurry of blows. Then, slowly, Ryoga stopped shaking; his fists opened again; he sat back down and put his face in his hands. "So what else am I supposed to do, Ranma? You have people to turn to--Akane, your father, Mr. Tendo. Who do I have? Where do I go when I need to talk to someone?" He looked up, the moonlight catching a suspicious glitter of silver in his eyes. "I'm a loner, Saotome. I've ALWAYS been alone. I've never had anyone to trust in or rely on. The only way I have of solving problems is to hit them until they go away." "It doesn't have to be that way, Ryoga." Ranma knelt down in front of the other boy. "Look, I-- you remember, back in junior high, the stuff with the bread-- that wasn't anything but a game to me. Me and Ucchan used to play like that all the time. Sure, it was training, but it was fun too. I figured if it worked once, it'd work again. Only you got mad. But I wasn't trying to make you mad or nothin'. I... dammit, Ryoga, I wanted to be FRIENDS with you, you dummy, and that was the only way I knew HOW to be friends!" He shook his head. "Haven't you ever just, y'know, had fun with it? Does everything have to be life and death to you? Life's kinda short to be all doom and destruction." "The world is a dark and lonely place, Ranma. If a man isn't for you, he's against you. There's no PLACE for taking things lightly. If you don't treat yourself and your studies seriously, somebody will come along and walk all over you. And don't think people will stop to help you up, either. It's the oldest law, Ranma--survive or don't survive. You have to look out for yourself, because no one else will. Defend what's yours, or someone will--" Ryoga stopped, looked away. "Someone will steal it from you," he finished. "You-- you really believe that?" A bitter half-laugh. "What else is there TO believe in?" Speechless, Ranma stared at Ryoga. "Man, that's cold," he said finally. "Yeah," Ryoga agreed. "But if I'm always expecting the worst, at least when things go well it's a PLEASANT surprise." He turned to look out over the shadowed waves. "I heard a song recently that kind of sums things up. Part of the lyrics go, 'Is the glass half full or empty / I ask her as I fill it / she says it doesn't really matter / pretty soon you're bound to spill it.'" "But then you could just fill it up again," Ranma retorted. Ryoga laughed--once--and shook his head. "You just don't get it. Well, never mind, Ranma. It works for you." He reached out and gave Ranma's shoulder a tentative pat. "It's funny, but more and more often we're talking to one another instead of fighting. I used to think I'd never be content with anything less than beating you utterly. Maybe... maybe that isn't quite true any more." "I wouldn't mind. Heck, we make a pretty good team. I'm fast, you're strong--we got all the bases covered. Remember the phoenix that crazy Kuno hatched out? We kicked butt on that one." Ranma poked Ryoga (gently) in the chest with a finger. "And who's always showing up with hot water right when I need it most?" "Hm?... Yeah... I guess so. Huh." Ryoga scratched his head. "Well, SOMEBODY'S got to keep you in line." "So...you wanna be friends? I don't mean not ever arguin' or nothing sappy like that. I don't guess we're ever not gonna fight about SOMETHING, what with the way we look at things so different. But tryin' to keep ahead of you makes me a better martial artist, and you trying to keep up with ME does the same for you... and like I said, we make a great team. C'mon, what'd'ya say?" Ranma held out a hand. Ryoga stared at it as if he thought it might bite him. Slowly he began to reach out, then stopped, shook his head. "I--I can't. Not yet." "What? Why the heck not? What'd I do now?" "It's not you, Ranma, it's me." Ryoga sighed. "There's still the matter of our fight. You know, the one it took me four days to get to?" "Man, are you still thinking about that? That was YEARS ago, Ryoga!" "Maybe you've gotten past it, but I haven't. A man-to-man duel that was never finished... it's a matter of pride and honor, Ranma. And my pride and honor are pretty much all I have. Until it's settled for sure, I can't allow myself to accept your offer. I wouldn't have the RIGHT to call myself your friend." Ranma scowled a little. "I... guess I can understand that," he admitted after a moment's thought. "But nothing's getting settled tonight." "We have something more important to concentrate on." "Yeah. Neko. Got any ideas what we're gonna do when we get there? I mean, this Prince guy isn't gonna let us just walk in and take Ne-chan home if he went to all this trouble in the first place to get her." As they talked, neither boy noticed a dark shape crouched in the gangway leading down, listening. Presently it crept noiselessly away, making its way towards the radio room. * * * Back in Japan, two men were watching the moonlit skies, each lost in silence, wondering where his child was and what they were doing at that very moment. "The life of a martial artist is fraught with peril," Tendo said after a while. "Mm." Genma nodded. "Those who follow that path must be prepared to lay down their lives in pursuit of the truth." "Justice for those who've been wronged." "Defense for the weak." "And low annual salaries." "THAT's for sure." Looking up, Genma squinted. "Tendo, it certainly is getting cloudy all of a sudden, isn't it?" "It certainly is..." Tendo stood, a sudden wind whipping his hair out behind him. "Saotome! Do you hear... an elephant trumpeting?" "Never mind the elephant. Do you see that?!" Genma pointed into the heart of the clouds, which were opening up around SOMETHING. Tendo groaned and covered his eyes. "Not THEM again..." * * * The next morning dawned bright and clear, with a smudge on the horizon that rapidly turned into a shoreline. "All right! We made it!" Ranma yelled, throwing his mop and bucket in the air. The bucket, unfortunately, came down on top of him-- water first. "Way to go, Einstein," Ryoga said, peering under the bucket at the soggy redhead underneath. "Keep that up, and you'll be juggling in no time." "Aw, what'd'you know from juggling anyway?" Ran-chan muttered, wringing the edges of her shirt out. Ryoga promptly picked up the bucket, balanced it on the end of the mop, and then balanced the entire ensemble on the tip of his pinky. "Oh, not much," he said casually. "Shampoo only hope we be in time." The Chinese girl's lips curled in a wicked little smile. "And if we not, we make Neko kitty-girl widow REAL quick." "I hope it doesn't come to that." Akane leaned on the ship's rail. "I'm so worried about Neko.... if only she knew how to fight, she might've be able to get away from those guys in the first place." "Aiyah! What you say?" Shampoo blinked at Akane, astonished. "Neko no can fight? You serious? No joke with Shampoo?" "That's right!" Akane nodded. "She's said so herself." Shampoo looked pensive. "Mousse," she called. "Right here, Shampoo my beloved!" "That life preserver. Shampoo over HERE." Grabbing a fistful of long black hair, Shampoo hauled Mousse over to one side and began talking to him in rapid-fire Chinese as Akane watched, not understanding a word. Mousse looked first astonished, then mildly concerned. When Shampoo finished, he shrugged and answered in the same language. Shampoo shook her head, obviously not pleased by his reply. She poked him in the chest a few times, folded her arms impatiently. Mousse heaved a sigh, gestured helplessly and said something that Akane guessed was along the lines of 'What do you want ME to do about it?' Shampoo looked disappointed, but nodded slowly. The pair stood silent a minute, obviously thinking deeply. Abruptly Mousse gasped, slapped his forehead, grabbed Shampoo's upper arms and said something excitedly. Shampoo's face lit immediately and she flung her arms around his neck with a happy squeal. Then, as if recalling she wasn't supposed to be showing him any favor, she stepped back, made some off-handed scornful remark. Mousse only smiled--a little sadly-- and bowed his head, accepting the comment without protest. For just a minute, unseen by Mousse, Shampoo's features softened and she looked at him wistfully. Akane caught her breath softly. (Could--could it be?) she thought. (Does Shampoo really love Mousse instead of Ranma? Then why-? Oh, of course! The Amazon laws! She CAN'T be nice to Mousse, because until he beats her in combat he's not worthy of her! And I bet Mousse goes easy on her because he loves her and doesn't want to hurt her... so every time he TRIES to fight her, he LOSES. There's got to be a way we can fix that...) They were close to the docks now, so Akane pushed the idea out of her head for the time being. Somewhere out there Neko needed help. That was what mattered right now. As soon as the boat tied up, the youngsters disembarked, looking around. The docks led directly onto a small open-air market, fairly well deserted due to the early hour, framed on either side by buildings and canopies. "Now what?" Akane asked. Ran-chan shrugged. "Ask for directions?" "That is not being necessary," a strange voice interjected. "We are here to be welcoming you." Everyone turned to see Toppahatti, the Prince's advisor, looking ominously happy to see them. Instinctively Ran-chan fell into a fighting stance, as did the others. "I remember you," Ran-chan said. "You're that guy with the Prince." "Very sorry, but I am not being remembering you." Toppahatti looked directly at Ryoga and added, "However, I am regretting to being informing you that since this man is with you, you are doubtless here to disrupt the wedding of our illustrious Prince to the so-beautiful tiger-girl." "You're damn straight we are!" Ryoga snarled, shrugging out of his pack. "Where's Neko?!" "Oh, very sorry, very sorry, but we are not letting you make trouble. Indeed no. Orders are very specific." Stepping back, Toppahatti gestured. Immediately huge fishing nets sailed over the edges of the roofs surrounding them and fell in cascades around the adventurers. Shampoo screamed shrilly as one covered her; Ran-chan yanked Akane out of the way of three more; Mousse ducked one but got his feet tangled in a second and fell; Ryoga leapt aside and drew his umbrella as a net narrowly missed him. "You are being missing!" Toppahatti bounced up and down in rage, clutching his top hat. "You are to be trying again or I will be doing much much worse than kicking booty through all 500 rooms of the Imperial Palace!" "Kicking booty sounds like a GREAT idea to me!" Akane yelled, and jumped at him. As she connected, she felt Toppahatti roll with the blow. letting most of its force dissipate. She also discovered that Toppahatti's girth wasn't all due to flab; in fact, most of it felt like solid muscle. "Ranma, watch out! He's not what he seems to be!" she warned, circling the little man. Now armed men were pouring out of the alleyways, surrounding Ran-chan and Ryoga, who were standing back to back, and Mousse, who was tearing at the netting holding Shampoo. Akane risked a hasty glance and saw five or six men converge on Mousse, who whipped out his black lotus and struck at one, dropping him before getting tackled by the others and vanishing under their bodies. Freeing herself, Shampoo launched a kick at the group clustered around Mousse, bowling one over. She whirled and punched a second, sending him flying. A third, holding a doubled coil of rope, whipped it around her from behind, hastily binding her arms to her sides even as she kicked backwards and knocked his legs out from under him. Then Akane had to concentrate on her own battle as Toppahatti charged, moving with surprising speed. She leapt up and over him, using his head as a springboard, and landed behind him. He pivoted, snapping off the sash around his waist and flicking it at her like a whip. One end snagged her wrist and entangled it; she fought to free herself as he hauled her in. On the other side of the open area, Ran-chan drop kicked one of her opponents, pivoted, and punched another. "Where are they all comin' from?" she gasped as two more took the downed pair's place. "Why are you asking me?" Ryoga snagged a shirtfront and tossed it (and its unlucky owner) through a booth of crockery. "Here's one for you: how'd they know when we'd be here and where we'd hit land?" "Beats me. --Hey!" Dodging a sword-blade, Ran-chan picked up the nearest blunt object-- a large clay jug-- and smashed it over the sword-wielder's head. "These guys are out for keeps!" With all the speed she could muster, she whirled in a tight circle, fists lashing out too fast to be dodged, taking out another four men. They were immediately replaced. "So am I!" "They keep this up, they'll wear us down! It's wolfpack tactics. We've gotta get some breathing space!" "Maybe if we hit the roofs-- UGH!" Ryoga dropped to his knees as a blunt-spiked mace caught him in the middle of the back. As he staggered to his feet, he was tackled, went back down. Instantly he was the center of a dogpile of assailants. With a roar of rage, he fought his way back up, tossing them aside, even as more threw themselves at him. Wooden clubs rose and fell, some finding their mark on the boy's shoulders and head. "Hang on, Ryoga! I'm comin'!" Ran-chan waded in, striking left and right, struggling to get into the core of the fight and protect Ryoga's back. The sheer press of bodies pushed her to the fringes of the crowd, where other men were waiting to pounce on her. More and more swarmed in until there was no room to dodge. A hailstorm of blows descended, battering her to the ground. "RANMA!" Akane screamed. "RYOGA!" In the midst of the whirl of men one hand--she couldn't tell who it belonged to-- thrust up, was seized and pulled back down. Then Toppahatti grabbed her wrists, dragged her close enough to wrap his arms around her. Try as she might, Akane couldn't break his hold. More men appeared and took hold of her. Stepping back, Toppahatti surveyed the battleground. "Indeed these young people are being much trouble!" he exclaimed. "I am almost being underestimating them!" He made a small gesture and his followers drew back, revealing the unconscious forms of Shampoo, Mousse and Ran-chan. Ryoga was still awake, but obviously dazed. The little man walked forward and seized a hank of the young warrior's hair, hauled him up by it. "This one," he said. Several of the Huggees (Akane could see the tattoo on their foreheads now) stepped forward, began wrapping heavy chains around Ryoga, thrust a gag into his mouth. Others knelt and started tying up the others with ropes. "What--what are you doing with him?" Akane demanded. "Tell me!" Toppahatti only tilted Ryoga's chin up, watching as awareness crept back into them, followed by rage. "So sad," he commented. "Others will being attending our Prince's wedding and wishing him every happiness. You, however, are not being invited. --Bring them," he ordered, and set off back towards the harbor. The prisoners were dragged along, tossed roughly into the cargo bay of a small barge. "You didn't answer me!" Akane shouted. "What are you doing to Ryoga!?" Toppahatti turned and looked at her mildly. "Begging the young miss's pardon, but I am being removing the main impediment to our Prince's marriage. Permanently." He swung an arm. "Please to be throwing the very troublesome Hibiki into the water now." "Water-? NO!" Akane twisted frantically. "He'll DROWN!" "That IS being the general idea, my yes." Toppahatti smiled. As Akane watched, the men carrying Ryoga took him to the very end of a dock, swung him back and forth a few times, then threw him far out into the blue waters. In a few moments a burst of bubbles rose, rippling the surface again. When they too were stilled, Toppahatti nodded, satisfied. "We are proceeding now to the Imperial Palace," he told Akane. "You will be honored witnesses to the nuptials." Blinking back tears of rage and sorrow, Akane spat out, "You'll pay for that!" "Yes, yes, I am being hearing this many times before." Toppahatti waved a hand. "Cast off!" The barge churned away, no one noticing the tiny dark form struggling its way up onto shore behind them and collapsing. Raising a weary head, P-chan watched them depart. As he'd hit the water and sunk, a cold doubt had closed around Ryoga's heart. Would this be the one time Jusenkyo's magic failed to work? Had staying a pig so long 'burnt' the curse out of him? Would the tropical waters be cool enough to trigger the change at all? If he didn't become P-chan, his time on earth was going to be cut drastically short. A familiar tingling in every limb answered his questions, and if he hadn't been holding his breath Ryoga would've shouted for joy as he felt the painless dissolution begin, his body compressing itself into a new form that the chains slipped off. With all his remaining strength he'd paddled frantically for shore. However, being a piglet instead of a boy presented a whole new set of problems, not the least of which was how to follow his comrades. (Well, I'll worry about it later,) P-chan/Ryoga thought grimly as he trotted up the slope. (First thing is to get changed back, and for that I need--) He froze. Several villagers had timidly emerged in the wake of the Huggee departure, and they were now staring at him with hungry interest. P-chan took a step backwards. (NOT NOW, YOU IDIOTS! Go find some other pig to cook for breakfast!) He cast a desperate glance over his shoulder at the barge. (If I lose sight of them now, I'll NEVER get to the Palace in time!) The villagers had ideas to the contrary, however, and they fanned out, surrounding the little piglet. P-chan crouched, ready to fight. When one of them jabbed a hand at him, he whirled and sank his teeth in, earning a very satisfactory yelp of pain from his target, who backed away, shaking his hand and cursing. The others laughed at him. With a scowl he took off his jacket and advanced on P-chan again. The piglet waited until his opponent was almost on him then lunged forward. The man flinched--as Ryoga'd hoped he would--and took an involuntary step back. As he did, P-chan leapt up, using his momentum to bowl the man over while he was off-balance between one step and the next. Jumping over the prone form, the piglet raced for freedom. With a shout the men pursued him around the marketplace, crashing into walls and through booths as Ryoga/P-chan led them a merry chase. At last they cornered him in a cul-de-sac. Crouching, he growled a warning, determined to sell his life dearly. This time two men advanced on him, with a net held between them. Even as he dodged, they flung it, snagging him. Squealing in rage, he thrashed about, trying to kick his way clear of the mesh. Just as he did, he felt a hand close on his bandanna and haul him triumphantly aloft. As the procession made their way out of the alley, the man carrying P-chan spied a backpack lying abandoned against one wall, a fine metal umbrella on the cobblestones near it. Whistling happily, he picked up both (not without a little effort) and slung them over one shoulder. First lunch, then a fine new pack loaded with all sorts of wonderful things... this was certainly HIS lucky day. Walking into a nearby house, the man shouted something. Presently a woman came in, took P-chan into a kitchen, and hung him up by one leg while she sharpened a long knife and set a large pot of water on to boil. (Not THIS again,) Ryoga thought. (I'm really getting tired of people thinking of me as the Dish of the Day!... I've got to get loose. That hot water is just what I need.) With a grunt of effort, Ryoga/P-chan jackknifed upwards, teeth closing on the rope holding him. Two good chomps and it was cut through, letting him fall. The woman whipped around at the sound and yelled something, came after him. Dodging, P-chan jumped--not towards the door, as the woman obviously expected, but upwards, into the seething cauldron. (Oh this is going to HURT--) 1.358 seconds later (give or take a few nanoseconds), a slightly scalded (and extremely naked) Ryoga erupted out of the pot. "OW OW OW OW HOT HOT HOT HOT!" he screamed. "I HATE this stupid curse! --Not as much as I USED to, mind you..." "AAAAYYYYEEEEEEE!" Flinging up her hands, the woman collapsed to the ground, bowing and jabbering. Ryoga stared at her a second, then realized she thought he was some kind of supernatural being and was either praying to him or pleading with him not to blast her into infinity. "Sorry about ruining your lunch plans," he muttered, jumping over her and running down the hall. "Next time, try being a vegetarian." By good luck the hallway connected directly onto the main room, where the man who'd caught him was opening his pack and preparing to go through it. He looked up at the sound of running feet, eyes widening as Ryoga vaulted the table, grabbed the straps of the backpack, and swung out a window. Only when he was five or six rooftops away did Ryoga slow down enough to fish a spare set of clothing out and don it. Then he stood, staring out over the harbor. (What do I do NOW? Much as I hate to admit it, I CAN'T find my way around. If I set off in ANY direction, it's bound to be the wrong one. And I can't afford to get lost!) Despair welled up in him. "Oh please," he whispered, one fist clenching as his eyes squeezed shut, "Merciful Buddha, help me. I know I haven't been the kindest or most forgiving person in the world, but I swear, I'll never ask for anything, ever again, if only you'll help me find my way to Neko and the others. Please-- I have to-- she NEEDS me--" A sharp rap on the back of the skull interrupted him. Whirling, Ryoga found himself staring at a white crane, who darted in and snatched off his bandanna before he could move. "Hey! Hey, you stupid bird, that's mine! Give it back, do you hear? Give it back!!" The crane ignored him and flew off. Snarling, Ryoga followed it. * * * Darkness faded slowly to grey, and Ran-chan lay still a moment, trying to figure out where she was and hoping that given enough time, her head would stop pounding. Cool metal under her cheek and the faint wash of water over the hull hinted she was on board some kind of boat. Her arms were tied painfully behind her back with something rough--jute ropes, she guessed, or manila. Careful testing proved them a little too well-knotted and resilient to break free of in her present form. Her legs were free, however. Gritting her teeth, she levered herself up, immediately wished she hadn't as her headache redoubled. "Oh, man..." she groaned. "Did they have to hit me that hard?" "R-Ranma?" "Akane?" Ran-chan peered through the shadows. "Where are you?" "I'm over here--hang on--" a scuffling and Akane stumbled over, falling to her knees beside her fiancee. "Are you okay?" "Yeah, except my head's doin' the lambada. Where's everyone else?" "Mousse is still out, I think... Shampoo's over there." Akane jerked her chin towards one corner. Straining her eyes, Ran-chan could just make out the other two people. "Yo, Shampoo," she said. "How're you feeling?" "Shampoo all right," the Chinese girl said. "Been hurt worse than this before." A pause. "Maybe not MUCH worse, but Shampoo get over it." A cold note crept into her voice, and Ran-chan could just barely made out an expression of grim fury on the girl's face. "But they regret they not hurt Shampoo bad enough keep her from fighting. Shampoo not rest till vengeance taken." "What the heck are you talking about? And where's Ryoga? That dumb jerk oughta be awake by now himself. His head's too thick to knock him cold for long." Silence, broken by a choked sob. Ran-chan looked up and saw the tears streaming down Akane's face. "Oh, Ranma," she gasped, and buried her face in the other girl's shoulder. "It, it was horrible... I saw the whole thing--" Ran-chan sat up a little straighter, eyes widening, a terrible idea creeping over her. "No. You ain't trying to tell me--" Akane sobbed harder. "They wrapped him up in chains so he couldn't fight-- he never-- he never had a chance--" "They..." Ran-chan swallowed, hard, her throat closing till all she could manage was a whisper. "They killed Ryoga?" Akane nodded, unable to speak. A cold flower of rage and grief blossomed in Ran-chan's chest. An image of Ryoga's huddled form cast off in an alley somewhere filled her mind. The rain, no longer something he had to be afraid of, would wash him clean and weep for him at the same time, the only one who would know or care that he'd ever lived. "This ain't finished yet," Ran-chan growled under her breath as her vision blurred with tears. "Rhamalamarangdang and his whole crowd are gonna wish they'd never heard of Ranma Saotome before I'M finished. I'll pull the whole goddamn palace down around his stupid head and make him EAT it." Her voice rose and her battle aura flickered up into blue flames that lit the cargo hold. "I swear on my honor as a warrior and on the honor of the School of Anything-Goes Martial Arts, Ryoga, I won't rest till Prince Rham pays for what he did to you! YOU WILL BE AVENGED!" "Shampoo swear also. In name of Chinese Amazon tribe, I not stop till evil Prince dead! Ryoga plenty stupid like cabbage sometimes, but have good heart, strong spirit. Not deserve die at hands of men like that." "And I..." Mousse said weakly, finally managing to coax his body into sitting up. "Mothers will weep for sons and wives for husbands when we're through, and curse Prince Rhamalamarangdang's name for centuries." Akane, eyes blazing, nodded agreement. "We won't let this be forgotten. We won't let RYOGA be forgotten." "Akane. You've been awake the whole time." Ran-chan jerked her chin around, indicating their surroundings. "Where are we, and where are they taking us?" "We're in a boat--a barge, I think. On our way to the Imperial Palace. That Toppahatti guy did some boasting while they were tying me up and tossing me in here. He had men following us since Japan, so if we tried to interfere he'd have plenty of warning." "So THAT'S how they knew we were comin'. Okay. Here's the plan. It's not gonna do us a whole lot of good to bust out and start a fight now; we need to get to the Palace and rescue Neko. If we can figure out some way to get loose, but make it LOOK like we're still tied up, they won't expect it when we jump 'em at the wedding. They'll take us right in under the Prince's nose if they think we're still helpless. Y'know, kind of that Trojan Pony thing." "Leave that to me." Mousse shifted, grimacing slightly. "I'm not a master of illusion and misdirection for nothing... ah!" He stood up, rubbing his unbound wrists. "That's better." "Aiyah, Mousse!" Shampoo smiled up at him. "You very clever! How you do that?" "Escape's one of my specialties, my darling Shampoo." Mousse made his way to Akane and Ran-chan, pulled a tiny vial out of one sleeve. "This is a diluted acid," he explained, removing the seal. "It won't hurt us, but it WILL weaken the ropes to the point where they'll snap like twine whenever we're ready. As for me, with a little help I can make it look like I'm still tied up when really I'm not. Don't move..." he carefully put a few drops on everyone else's ropes. "Try not to put strain on the ropes if you can help it. They should hold up until we exert our full strength, but I don't want them accidentally breaking before we're in position to attack." "Sounds great to me, Mousse." Ran-chan chewed her lower lip briefly. "Just wish there were more of us and less of them, but we'll have to make do--can't expect any help. For right now, I think we all oughta grab some sleep, so we'll be fresh when we get there." "That's a good idea. I don't know about anyone else, but I'm pretty tired and sore." Akane yawned, curled up against Ran-chan's side. Presently Ran-chan heard her sobbing again, very quietly. Wriggling around, she managed to rest her chin atop Akane's head. "It's okay, Akane," she whispered. "Go ahead and cry. It'll make you feel better." "It's just so UNFAIR. Ryoga was so kind and sweet and supportive--like the big brother I used to wish I could have. He was one of my best friends, and now he's-- he's--" Akane choked, shook her head. "I know, Akane... I know. I... um... that is.... I'm..." Ran-chan closed her eyes, forced the words out. "I'm gonna miss Ryoga too." Wide brown eyes looked up at Ran-chan, startled; then Akane pressed her face to the other girl's chest and cried twice as hard. Eventually she cried herself to sleep. (Don't worry, Akane,) Ran-chan promised her silently. (We're gonna get that Prince, and we're gonna rescue Neko. I'm NOT gonna lose THIS time.) Despite the soothing motion of the ship, sleep was a long time in coming for the younger Saotome. * * * Neko sat at the window of her tower prison and looked out over the mountains. Behind her, on the bed, lay a sari of watered white silk embroidered with stylized tiger figures, along with a sheer silk veil and tiny white velvet slippers. Below, in the courtyard, she could hear the murmur of people arriving for the wedding. The palace had been humming with activity for the past few days, and with each new dawn her heart had sunk a little lower. Would anyone come? Could they (Ryoga) find their way to the Prince's stronghold? Or had they already tried to rescue her, failed, and-- Neko shook her head, mewling under her breath. She couldn't, wouldn't think of that. Ranma and Akane and the others HAD to be on their way. Behind her the door swung open. "What is this? you're not even dressed yet! For shame, my bride. You make me think you're not looking forward to today." Neko sat up a little straighter, an imaginary iron bar going down her back, and pretended not to notice Prince Rham. The only sign of her emotions was her tail, whipping angrily side to side as if she were a jungle cat in a cage-- which, in a way, was perfectly true. Rham paused momentarily and admired her. Granted, too much independence wasn't good; a woman was supposed to be utterly subservient to her husband; but he had to admit that quiet as she was, Neko truly WAS a little tigress. She'd hissed at the maidservants he'd sent earlier to assist her into her wedding garments, and when one of them had tried to touch her, she'd actually ROARED. The women had fled in tears, and Rham had found himself forced to see what all the fuss was about. And just when Toppahatti was returning, too... he'd been enjoying the radio report of the expedition, particularly how the problem of the Hibiki boy had been dealt with. "Come, now," he coaxed, moving to the bed and holding up the sari. "You'll keep our guests waiting if you dawdle much longer, and some of them have come SUCH a long way..." he paused for effect,then added casually, "All the way from Japan, I'm told." He sat down. Neko's tail stilled, then resumed its lashing. "Three young women and a boy. One looked quite familiar--I met her at your school. Akane Tendo, I think her name was. A very charming girl." This time Neko actually looked at him. "Akane?" she said in a small voice. Rham nodded. "And two Chinese, a girl and a boy, and a red-haired girl. Perhaps you'll introduce me when the ceremony's over. Ah, but of course, if there ISN'T a wedding, why then they're trespassers on holy ground... cause for being executed, in this country." Turning around, Neko stared at him with alarm. "E-executed?" "So you see," Rham continued as if he hadn't heard her, "it would be very much better for your friends if they were guests attending our wedding. Then they would be honored visitors to my palace, and no one would even THINK of harming them. Wouldn't you agree?" Trembling, the cat-girl said nothing. "You WILL get dressed now, won't you?" Rham gently prodded. "For our wedding?" Neko gave a tiny, tiny nod. As Prince Rham stood and started for the door, she mustered her courage and reached out, touched his arm. "Please... what about-- was-- was there anyone else with them?" "Anyone else?..." Rham pretended to think. "Toppahatti DID mention another young man with unusual taste in headgear-- a bandanna of some sort. I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but he seems to've met with an accident of some sort. Nepapal can be very dangerous for those who don't know their way around." "Accident," echoed Neko. "I'm told they made every effort to save him, but it was over so quickly..." Rham placed deceptively gentle hands on Neko's shoulders. "He didn't suffer long. Please try to remember that." Emerald eyes filled with tears; choking, Neko turned away, fell to her knees beside the bed, began to weep. Satisfied, Rham reached out and tenderly stroked her hair. "I'll leave you alone for a little while now. I know you need time to recover. Do try to remember, though, we have a wonderful day ahead of us, and it would be a shame to ruin it for everyone. You must be brave, my dear." Outside, Toppahatti's barge nestled up to a huge wooden dock. The four youngsters were 'escorted' off the boat, blinking in the bright light. Akane looked around curiously. Apparently at some point they'd left the ocean and sailed up a slender river barely big enough to accommodate the ship. Above them loomed a large hill (or perhaps a very small mountain) whose top had been flattened off. From the dock Akane could just see the tops of gleaming towers. "So that's where he lives," she said quietly. "Aw, that ain't nothin'. --Whoa!" Ran-chan found herself being unceremoniously hauled up by an enormous man in a loincloth and short jacket, who roughly tossed her across massive shoulders, and carried her along like a sack of grain up a winding path towards the palace. The other three prisoners were treated similarly. "Hey! You ain't gotta be so rough, y'know!" Ran-chan scowled up at her burly valet. "Jeez, what's your last name? Godzilla?" The guard didn't answer. "This is ridiculous. I can walk perfectly well by MYSELF! Put me DOWN!" Lashing out, Akane caught her guard a good kick on the arm. He grunted but didn't stop walking. "They plenty tough," Shampoo remarked. "So am I!" Akane answered. Lowering her voice, Ran-chan hissed, "Mousse! Where do you think they're keeping Neko?" The Chinese boy shook his head. "She could be almost anywhere." "Nuts. That means we're gonna have to hang around for the wedding." After a long climb to the palace, at last they were deposited--none too carefully-- on the floor of a huge outdoor courtyard. Behind them, enormous wooden doors were swung shut and barred. A number of people clad in various festive robes were clustered at one end, facing a balcony with a staircase at either end, the entire expanse of which was festooned with flowers and banners. An old man in priest's robes was standing on the balcony, deep in conversation with Prince Rham. "Ah, very good, very good!" Toppahatti bounced over to the adventurers, rubbing his hands together. "You are being arrived! The so beautiful tiger girl will be most pleased her friends are deciding to be attending her wedding." "Too bad we couldn't ALL be here," snapped Akane angrily. "Indeed, yes." Toppahatti nodded solemnly. "It is being most unfortunate the other young man cannot be with us." "And whose fault is that?!" Before Toppahatti could reply, a blare of trumpets sounded. "The ceremony is being beginning!" he said happily. "Come, come, you must be at the front to being having the very best view!" With a wave of his hand Toppahatti had the four brought a point just below the balcony, in full sight of its occupants. Prince Rham, noticing them, smiled and waved. "I'm gonna bust those teeth of his straight into the next country," Ran-chan grumbled under her breath. "Not if I beat you to it," Akane hissed back. The trumpets blared again, to be followed by a flourish of flutes and strings. Rham took his place before the priest. A procession of girls strewing flower petals and dancing across the balcony appeared, made their way across its length, then descended the stairs and knelt, beginning to sing softly. A small figure appeared, walking slowly across towards Rhamalamarangdang. Pausing, Neko looked out over the crowd, searching for--and finding at last-- four familiar faces. Seeing them, her heart fell. She'd been hoping against hope that Rham had been lying about them being there, because if he had, then maybe he'd been lying about Ryoga as well. She fought back her tears, lifted her head, and moved with as much dignity as she could to stand by the prince. "I hate you," she breathed as she took her place. "I'll change your mind soon enough," soothed Prince Rham, taking her hand. The singers fell silent as the priest stepped up, holding his hands to the sky. "Most Worshipful and Mighty Kit-tii," he intoned, "look upon us today and favor us." "Kit-Tii be with us," the crowd murmured. "Oh Great Tigress, Hunter in the Wild Wood, Terror in the Night, grant your children your blessing." The crowd repeated, "Kit-Tii be with us." In the skies above the palace, a white speck hovered, letting the winds carry it along slowly. Far below a figure struggled its way up the steep incline, heedless of the rocks and scrub brush. Gritting his teeth, Ryoga hauled himself up the last few feet to the top of the ridge and stood, panting. Slowly he panned upward, staring at the huge building in front of him. "What the-- where in the world am I?" A sweep of wings above him, and something fell at his feet. His bandanna. Wonderingly Ryoga picked it up, gazing at the crane, which now circled the towers of the castle, then spiralled up and up till he lost it in the high white clouds. "It led me here," he whispered. "I followed it, and I found my way to where I wanted to be..." He clenched one fist. "The prayers of my lonely heart are answered! Neko! I'm here, Neko!" He ran forward, drawing his umbrella. As he neared the gates, he saw they were shut tight, probably locked. A grim smile curled his lips. "Nice try," he said softly. "But I've got the key right here." One index finger extended as he skidded to a stop by the portcullis. "BAKUSAI TENKETSU!" Everyone inside jumped as the great doors shattered inward, chunks of wood spraying everywhere. Taking advantage of the distraction, Ran-chan strained at her ropes. They snapped easily. "All RIGHT!" "Yeah!" Akane tossed her bonds aside. "Now they're going to be sorry!" She looked in the direction of the gates, wondering what was going on, and gasped as the settling dust revealed a familiar figure. "R-RYOGA?!" Stalking in, Ryoga took in the whole scene at a glance. Lowering his umbrella in the direction of the balcony, he shouted, "HEY! PRINCE ROOTY-TOOTY-FRESH AND FRUITY!" "That's 'Rhamalamarangdang'," the prince corrected, moving to peer at the unwelcome interruption. His eyes narrowed and he whirled to confront Toppahatti. "I thought you said you'd thrown him into the harbor with enough chains to sink an ox locked around him!" he screamed. A trembling Toppahatti immediately prostrated himself. "O Esteemed Prince, I did! I did!" Rham pointed. "Then what is he doing here?!" "Harbor, huh?" Ran-chan whispered to Mousse. "THAT explains it. Bet this is the first time dumb old Jusenkyo actually did somebody some good!" Hearing Ryoga's voice, Neko rushed to the rail. "Ryoga! Ryoga! I'm up here!" Impatiently Rham yanked her back, pushed her at Toppahatti. "See if you can get something right today. HOLD HER." Stalking forward as the crowd parted and fled, Ryoga raised his voice. "Listen here, you poor excuse for a prince! I don't appreciate you having your lousy goons trying to drown me! I'm here to do two things!" "And what would those be?" Rham demanded, leaning over the balcony rail. "First, to rescue Neko and my friends. Second, to BEAT THE HELL OUT OF YOU, PRINCE RING-A-ROUND-A-ROSY!" "GUARDS!" bellowed Rham. "Seize them all!" He shook a fist at Ryoga. "And my name's RHAMALAMARANGDANG!" " This is where we came INTO this chop-socky flick." Hastily Ran-chan scanned the room as the Prince's guardsmen started pouring in, looking for ways out, ways in, things that could be used as impromptu weapons or shields. Along one side of the courtyard, just under the balcony, banquet tables groaned under a variety of food and drink. "Hey--maybe--" Ran-chan dashed that way. "Ranma!" Akane cried. "Back in a sec!" Ran-chan ran along the length of the table, skidded to a stop with a wide grin. "Tea, anybody?" She seized one of the kettles of water set over the small wood stove and dumped it over herself, slung it aside as his body reshaped itself. "Yeah! Now there's gonna be some butt-kicking!" "Most fascinating," Toppahatti murmured, leaning over to get a better look as girl transformed to boy. That gave Neko her chance. With a furious burst of wriggling, she twisted loose of him and shoved a shoulder into Toppahatti's side. That overbalanced him just enough so that he toppled off the balcony, landing with a large CRASH on top of the bridal dinner. Curry and rice went everywhere. "Brace yourselves!" Ryoga shouted, and slammed his fist into the stone at his feet. "Bakusai Tenketsu Revised-- Breaking Point Earthquake!" From the point he'd struck a long crack raced at the oncoming guards, throwing them off their feet as the ground heaved and buckled upward beneath them. Throwing himself off the tables, Ranma rocketed into the midst of the guards, exploding in a whirl of kicks and punches. "Ranma, you dummy! Leave some for us!" Akane charged, head-butting one guard out of her way, spin-kicking another, and driving her elbow into a third's stomach. Beside her, Shampoo was dancing in a circle, bonbori lashing out and scoring hit after hit. Above them all, Mousse had thrown himself upwards in one of his incredible soaring leaps and now cast down his chain whips, landing and yanking his targets up to smash into one of the castle walls. On the balcony, Prince Rham shook with rage. "What do those idiots think they're doing?! Stop them, you fools, stop them!" He turned on his heel, grabbing Neko's wrist as he did. "Best for us to retreat from this debacle, dearest." "Let me go!" Neko dug her heels in. "RYOGA!" "NEKO!" Ryoga took a half step forward, stopped to look back at the Huggees closing around his companions. "Go for it, man!" Ranma yelled. "We'll handle these jerks!" "Hai!" Taking the stairs three at a time, Ryoga reached the balcony and confronted Prince Rham. "This is where you get yours--and paybacks are hell!" he said, levelling a finger at Rham. "Let Neko go now! RIGHT NOW!" "After all the trouble I went to in getting her here? You MUST be joking," Prince Rham said, retreating. "Do I look like I'm joking, you idiot?!" At that point, desperate to get free of Rham's grasp, Neko did something she'd never done to anyone before: opened her mouth, bared a set of rather impressive little fangs, and sank them deep into the Prince's arm. With a shout of pain he let go, but even as she scrambled away his other hand shot out and hauled her back by her hair. Hauling her around, he backhanded her savagely. "Insolent little slut," he barked as she collapsed with a mewl. "When we're married, you'll learn to keep those to yourself, or I'll have them yanked out of your head." He tossed her limp body casually into one corner. In a kind of haze Ryoga heard his own voice raise in a shriek of blind rage. Looking up, Ranma gasped. For a second, as Ryoga pounced on the Prince, the other boy's battle aura seemed to've taken on form and substance, the hazy, half-visible shape of a white tiger. Then he had his own problems to deal with as another wave of men poured in. "We gotta keep the cavalry out!" he called to Mousse. The Chinese boy nodded. Tight-lipped, he vaulted from opponent to opponent, using them as springboards, till he reached the inner doors to the palace through which the guardsmen were entering. "Chiitan-chuan--Hen's Egg Punch!" he cried, sending a barrage of his egg bombs flying at the doors. They exploded, bringing stone and mortar and wood shards raining down to block the door. "That'll slow them down!" Slamming her hand into one of the Huggees' chest, Akane skipped back and drew a hand over her brow, wiping away sweat. "Just in time, too-- there's so many of them!" "We still beat them," panted Shampoo, moving to put her back to Akane's. "Amazon woman never admit defeat." She gave Akane a shy little smile. "Akane... Akane plenty fierce too. You fight much better now than when Shampoo first meet you." "Shampoo! That's-- that's really nice of you to say." "Is true, too. --Aiyah!" Shampoo grabbed Akane and yanked her aside as a mace descended, cracking the flagging where Akane's been standing. "But fighting not over yet!" "Just needed my second wind!" Akane dove and rolled forward, coming up inside the man's defenses and delivering an uppercut that sent him flying. "Hey, Shampoo, watch out! Behind you!" Instantly the Chinese girl kicked backward, felt her foot connect with a satisfying CRUNCH. "Much grateful, Akane!" "It's okay. We fight a lot better together than against each other, huh?" "Akane have point there. Shampoo remember that." Back on the balcony, Rham and Ryoga were struggling back and forth, hands locked together, each striving for leverage. Rham was surprisingly strong-- almost a match for Ryoga-- as well as taller and heavier, but so far neither had gotten an advantage over the other. "Give up, boy," hissed Rham, shoving him back slightly. "I might let you live if you do." Ryoga bared his fangs in reply, eyes blazing red, and pushed back. As he did, Rham went with the shove, rolled and flipped Ryoga into the wall hard, finished the roll and bounced to his feet as Ryoga stood. "You had your chance. Now feel the secret technique of the Huggee cult-- the Serpent's Coil Arm Lock!" He rushed Ryoga, slammed into him, pinning him to the stones and wrapping his arms around the smaller boy. Instantly Ryoga inhaled, locking his muscles, as Rham squeezed. The pressure was enormous, and Ryoga could feel his ribs creak under the assault. (I've got-- to get loose of him-- or he'll squash me like a bug!) He kicked out, trying to get a knee between them so he could push back, but couldn't get any leverage. Rham chuckled and rammed his shoulder up under Ryoga's chin, feeling Ryoga's heart hammering. "You can't hold your breath forever," he taunted, "and as soon as you let up your resistance, I'll tighten more. Like a python with its prey, I'll crush the life out of you!" The world began to flicker around the edges. Ryoga strained against the punishing grip, but couldn't budge it. (Neko, no-- I can't let her down-- but I can't get FREE--) His eyes flickered to the side, looking out over the rail, locking on a figure in red-- ('Like I said, we make a great team. C'mon, what'd'ya say?') The words leapt out before Ryoga had time to think about them: "RANMA! HELP M--*hck*" He broke off as Rham cinched down, forcing the breath out of him and cutting off the possibility of getting any more. His sides and back were white-hot sheets of pain as the light faded, and he sensed something in his side give way as the darkness closed in-- Abruptly the terrible force eased. Gratefully Ryoga sucked air as he collapsed to the floor. Looking up, he saw Ranma standing between him and Rham, fists cocked. "Y'gotta beat us all to beat any of us, Princey-wincey," he taunted. "That WON'T be a problem." Rham brushed a hand over his mouth, which was bleeding from where Ranma'd kicked him a second ago, and lunged, grabbing at Ranma, who darted back out of his way. "Hold still, brat--" "What, do I LOOK stupid or somethin'?" Ducking, Ranma planted his feet in Rham's chest, sending him flying backwards to crash through the rail and fall to the floor with a THUD. "Ha! That'll--huh?" With a laugh Prince Rham stood up, brushing himself off. "Is that the best you can do?" he smirked, leaping back up and facing Ranma again. "Pitiful!" (Jeez, he's tough!) Ranma shot a quick look at Ryoga. (Well, if it worked once...) "Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken, HAAAAAA!" Rapidly he slammed blows into the Prince's torso, the sheer impact driving the bigger man back. "Betcha felt that, didn't you?" "I felt it..." Rham dragged himself up. "But I doubt you can keep that up for much longer. You're already tired from fighting my men, and more are on the way. All I have to do is wait you out." "Ranma..." Ryoga, nursing his ribs, forced himself to stand. (Cracked, maybe broken. Damn. Can't let him know he hurt me that badly...) "Let ME handle this." "WHAT! Are you CRAZY, Ryoga? The guy's half-killed you already!" Impatient, Ryoga reached out and snagged Ranma's shirt front, hauled him forward till they were face to face. "Oh yeah, and how long do you think YOU'LL last if he gets his hands on you?" "I can HANDLE this!" Ranma pulled free, turned, yelped as he frantically dodged a strike from Rham. The Prince's fist left a crater in the wall about head-high, and Ranma swallowed hard. "Jeez, he IS pretty strong, huh?" "Strong enough to put both of you in your graves!" Rham threw another punch, and another, forcing Ranma backwards. His foot caught on a chunk of stone, knocked loose by Ryoga's earlier impact with the wall, and he fell. Rham grinned and swung, and Ranma brought his arms up to block the blow-- Which never fell. "Have some of your own medicine!" Seizing Prince Rham around the waist, Ryoga arched up and over in a back bend, slamming his opponent to the floor. Gritting his teeth against the pain that engendered, he rolled clear, stood back up. In the palm of one hand a pale globe of energy winked into being and grew rapidly larger. Ranma gaped, then nodded in understanding. As Rham stood up, he leapt in, raining kicks and blows on the monarch, knowing it would only slow him down--but buying time for Ryoga. Behind them both, Ryoga concentrated, forcing all his pain and anger, all the fear and doubt and worry and outrage he could muster into one glowing star of energy, fueled and fanned by force of will. Out of the corner of one eye Ranma saw the ki globe brightening and leapt aside, his own battle aura flaring up. "HIRYU SHOTEN HA!" he shouted, sending the burst of energy at Rham and surrounding him in the tornado the Rising Dragon Punch always created. At the same second he heard Ryoga scream wordlessly as the Shi Shi Hokudan strike all but tore itself free of him and arced into Prince Rham. Prince Rham proceeded to leave a LOVELY outline of himself in the wall of the courtyard as he blew through it and vanished somewhere deeper inside his fortress. "That'll... teach you... to take us on..." Ryoga swayed and would've crashed to the floor if Ranma hadn't caught him. As it was, he moaned in quiet pain as the motion wrenched his injured side. "Ryoga, you don't look so good. You okay?" "No... but thanks... for asking..." Giving up the struggle, Ryoga let himself pass out. "Aw, nuts," muttered Ranma. Spying Neko in the corner, he slipped an arm around her waist, made his way down the staircase. At the bottom he found Mousse sitting on a pile of defeated Huggee while Akane bound up a cut on Shampoo's arm. "Ranma!" Akane finished tying the strip of cloth and ran forward. "Oh, Ryoga! Neko! What's wrong?" "Neko's just knocked out. Ryoga... I think he's hurt." Ranma let Akane take Neko from him. "He ain't gonna be in any shape to fight for a while." "We have to leave quickly," Mousse said. "Listen-- hear that? They're already almost through the blocked door." "You don't happen to have any kind of 'dark magic' that could get us outta here, do you?" "I'm a magician, not a miracle worker." "Just askin'. Okay, let's run for it. I don't like it, but if we stay here they'll wear us down. Maybe we can find some cover--a cave or somethin'-- and hide from them." Carrying Ryoga as carefully as he could, Ranma headed out the gate, followed by Akane, Shampoo and Mousse. Behind them the blare of horns announced the pursuit was on. The next few minutes were a mad scramble as they fled over the plateau housing the Imperial Palace. From below they could hear the winding of horns as the guardsmen posted at the bottom of the hill began making their way up the path from the river docks. The edge of the cliff was less level than the rest of the hilltop, and scattered boulders here and there provided some cover. Hastily the six adventurers took shelter there, hoping it would take the soldiers a few minutes to find them amongst the rough terrain. "Now what?" panted Akane. "Over the side," Ranma said. "It's the only choice we got left. The ones comin' up the path will slow us down too much. We'll get caught from behind." "That not going to be easy, Ranma!" Shampoo pointed downwards. The decline behind them sloped off very steeply and appeared to have been smoothed at some point, affording few if any handholds. "It not be very good climb, even if we have time to go slow." Ranma cursed under his breath, looked from Neko to Ryoga, then around the circle of faces. A determined look came into his eyes. Moving over to Ryoga, he shook him gently. "C'mon, Mr. P, snap out of it. Wake up." Slowly Ryoga's eyes fluttered open. "R..Ranma." "Listen." Ranma crouched down, lowered his voice. "We got out of the palace, but there ain't no way down but one, and there's guards coming up that way and after us. We're cut off, man. Trapped. You know what that means?" Ryoga managed a nod. "No prisoners," he said. "Right. We can't let 'em take us alive. So when the last one of us falls, use that Breaking Point of yours to bring this side of the mountain, or whatever, sliding all the way down." He pointed into the valley far below. Ryoga found a small boulder to prop himself against, held out his arms. "Give me Neko. I'll watch over her until... until it's over." As Mousse deposited Neko in Ryoga's arms, she stirred slightly, gave the tiniest protesting mew under her breath. Ryoga cradled her close (ignoring the pain in his ribs) and rested his cheek atop her head. "Don't be afraid, Neko," he whispered into one soft cat's ear. "I'm here. Everything... everything's going to be all right now." One small hand came up and laced in the front of his shirt, and Neko quieted, her breathing dropping into the rhythms of sleep. Ryoga's eyes squeezed shut as a tear tracked down his face. (Sleep well, Ne-chan... when you wake, we'll be together in Heaven.) The four of them ranged in a rough semi-circle in front of Ryoga and Neko. Reaching out, Ranma clasped Akane's hand. "Don't worry, Akane," he said, forcing confidence into his voice. "I got it taken care of. No sweat." Akane looked at the oncoming Huggee, then back at her fiance, forced a smile and nod. "I know." Turning, she stepped closer, reached up with her free hand, touched Ranma's cheek. "So... want to try it without the tape?" "Huh? What'd'you mean?" "Dummy." Standing on tip-toe, Akane kissed Ranma gently. His eyes widened, then shut, and his hands reached out to rest lightly on her hips. Watching them, Shampoo sighed sadly, hung her head. An arm dropped around her shoulder and she looked up into Mousse's face. "Shampoo sorry she drag Mousse into this," she said, barely loud enough to hear. "I'm not." Mousse cradled her to him. "I'd never be, my darling Shampoo. Wo ai ni." Shampoo looked up, eyes shimmering with tears, then buried her face in his front. "Stupid Mousse..." she sobbed. The advancing Huggees flanked the adventurers, then parted to let a battered Prince Rhamalamarangdang take a stance at their head. "You have one last chance," he said. "If you will return my bride-to-be and surrender the Hibiki boy, I will permit you all to live, even return to your homes--upon the condition that you swear never to visit Nepapal again so long as you live." Ranma sneered. "Blow it out your ear, Prince Rubber Ducky." "That's 'Rhamalamarangdang'," Rham said, his voice ominous. "And I've changed my mind. YOU are ALSO going to die for that insult." "Oooh, did I hit a nerve? I'm SO scared." Putting his hands in his pockets, Ranma struck a casual pose. "Hey, don't get me wrong, I think it's really great that you have to get a small army to take out the six of us. Can't handle it when somebody's BETTER than you are, huh?" Rham's eyes narrowed. "Take them," he said tonelessly, and stepped back. As the Huggees closed in, a shadow moved over the ground between them and their prey. Simultaneously a faint whistling, growing steadily louder, filled the air. Ranma glanced up, saw a huge object of some sort falling straight at them, and grabbed Akane, leaping back with her. "INCOMING!!" he yelled. With an enormous CRASH the object hit the ground, shaking it and leaving a large crater. As the dust settled a giant form resembling a living statue of the Buddha fixed his eyes on Prince Rham's men. "oooOOOOooo," he rumbled in a voice so deep it too seemed to shake the earth. "What the--" Akane started. "That--" Shampoo added. "Hey! That's one of the Seven Lucky Gods Martial Artists!" yelled Ranma. "It's, uh, what's his name--" "His name is Muu," a voice sounded from above, as two more figures descended from the heavens. "He is indeed one of the Shichi Fukudoujin, the Seven Lucky Gods Martial Artists. And before you now stands also Kirin, their Master." Kirin calmly thrust his chopsticks into his bowl of rice and pickles and looked back over his shoulder at Ranma. "Kirin trusts you will not object if we join you in combat, Ranma. The odds seemed a trifle... unbalanced." "Kirin," Akane said, blinking back tears. "Thank you..." Prince Rham leveled a shaking finger. "This is not your land, Kirin," he said fiercely. "And it isn't your fight, either." "On the contrary. Ranma, Akane, and their friends are Kirin's friends. Challenge them, and you challenge us as well. And if you are foolish enough to do so, we will kick your ass." Kirin's brows knit. "Ebiten, did I use the correct language?" The short figure of Ebiten moved around his leader, folded his arms, and nodded emphatically. "You're absolutely correct, Sire." For a long moment Rham stared daggers at Ranma. "I don't know how you did this," he snarled softly, "but I promise you there'll be another day." He bowed from the waist stiffly. "Take them, then, Prince Kirin. I want them all out of my country by nightfall." Kirin inclined his head. "A wise decision, Prince Rhamalamarangdang." "Whew," Ranma said as the Huggees (and their enraged leader) retreated. "Man, Kirin, it's great to see you again! You got really good timing!" "Ah, you must thank my beloved Lychee for that. --Ebiten." "Yes, Sire?" "Instruct Daikokusei and Daihakusei to bring the ship down so our guests may board in comfort." Kirin looked around. "Are any of you hurt?" "Ryoga is," Mousse said, gesturing to the rocks where Ryoga and Neko lay hidden. "Ebiten, have a litter brought to carry our fallen confederate in comfort." "Lychee?" Shampoo asked curiously. "Nihao, Ranma! Nihao, Akane, Shampoo, Mousse!" Lychee appeared at the rail of the sky-ship and waved as it nestled into the hillside. "Lychee so happy see her friends again!" "Lychee expressed a wish to visit you all in Japan," Kirin explained as they were escorted on board. "Upon arriving, your father explained that you had left for Nepapal to rescue someone-- the name is unfamiliar to Kirin--" "Ohhhhhh!" Lychee clasped her hands in wonder as Neko was brought on board, still in Ryoga's arms. "Is pretty tiger-kitty girl!" "That Neko kitty-girl friend Shampoo," Shampoo said proudly. "Is wonderful girl!" "Prince Rham kidnapped her to make her marry him," Akane added. Kirin nodded. "Kirin knows of Prince Rham," he said, voice more than a little disapproving. "Nepapal and Nekonron lie close to one another, separated by the mountains--" he pointed to the east. "And often rumors of his pride and shameful conduct reached Kirin's ears. But it was not Kirin's place to tell Prince Rham how to conduct the ruling of Nepapal, nor to advise him as to how a Prince should comport his private life." He laced an arm over Ranma's shoulders. "But come. Food has been prepared. You can tell Kirin and the Lucky Gods your adventures over dinner." * * * "Ah!" Neko sat bolt upright, looking around wildly. "Where--" "Don't be afraid." A figure moved toward her out of the shadows, resolved itself into the form of a woman, white hair caught up in an elaborate fall, and bowed. "I am Monlon, of the Seven Lucky Gods Martial Artists, follower and servant of Prince Kirin of Nekonron. You're safe on board our Sire's ship, returning to Japan." She smiled faintly. Neko's ears cocked forward as she shook her head, confused. "But-- Ranma? Ryoga?" "Ranma and the others are dining with Prince Kirin. As for Ryoga..." she stepped aside, revealed another, more familiar figure, who raised a hand and waved tentatively from another bed. "Uh, hi, Neko..." "Ryoga..." Shaking, she stood, reached out to him. With an effort of will, Ryoga shoved his aches and pains aside, stood and moved over to stand in front of Neko. "It's all right," he soothed. "Prince Rham is going to leave you alone from now on, if he knows what's good for him." Neko peered up at him, concerned. "You're so pale..." "Well, I-- that is-- never mind me right now. There's something very important I have to ask you..." Swallowing, Ryoga summoned all his courage as Monlon, still smiling quietly to herself, crept out of the room to give them privacy. "Shampoo told me something, and I have to know if it's true. Neko, even though... even though I'm cursed... do you truly... can you truly... love me?" Wide green eyes blinked up at him, taken off-guard; then softened. "Oh, Ryoga... I've thought you were the most wonderful boy in the world ever since I first met you. Of COURSE I-- I--" A blush spread across Neko's cheeks. "But-- you liked Akane-- so I thought--" "Akane's special to me, it's true. She always will be. But, Neko... I've realized that my heart truly belongs to someone else. It belongs to YOU, Neko. If you'll have it... have me. Will you have me, Ne-chan?" He reached out and took her hand. "I promise, I swear I'll spend the rest of my life making you happy--" "Just stay with me," Neko whispered. "YOU make me happy. And I DO love you, Ryoga." Her eyes shut and she tilted her face up to his; it took Ryoga a minute to realize she was waiting to be kissed. He stared at her, wide-eyed, on the verge of panic. (NOW what do I do??) he screamed silently. (Kiss her, you dolt,) another portion of his mind answered. (Like this.) Before he knew what he was doing, Ryoga found his arms around Neko and his lips on hers... And not a nosebleed in sight. * * * Back in Japan, a wizened figure looked up and watched with mild interest as the strange ship sailed through the moonlit sky towards Tokyo. "Now that's something you don't see every day." Dismissing it, the figure dug around in a small knapsack. Wrinkled hands carefully unfolded a tattered letter. The figure studied it, nodded once, and refolded it, then peered up at a sign by the road that read: TOKYO 25 miles "Should be there tomorrow." The figure laughed dryly. "Then you'll be in for a surprise, Ryoga Hibiki...." =================== * TO BE CONTINUED * =================== Build Your Free Home PageVisit other great pages on:Family & KidsFamily & Kids Naisen 5 I'M GONNA WASH THAT RANMA OUT OF MY HAIR Another Saga of Ranma 1/2 by SMoonUsagi and RyogaLost "There you go." Tucking in the end of the bandage he'd wound around Ryoga's torso, Tofu sat back and sighed. "That's about all I can do for you. I'm not a miracle worker, you know." "I understand." Ryoga Hibiki took an experimental deep breath, started to wince, suppressed the reaction. "I'll be all right, Dr. Tofu. Thank you for coming out in the middle of the night to see me." "I don't mind house-calls. But promise me one thing. If the pain gets any worse, even the tiniest bit, you'll go to a hospital and have them treat you properly, all right?" "I give you my word." Tofu nodded once, smiled a bit. "You know, you're really very lucky. Few people can survive the Serpent's Coil Arm Lock. It's supposed to be a very deadly technique." "Aw, he's too tough to know what's good for him," Ranma said. Ryoga threw him a half-irritated, half-surprised glance at the almost complementary statement, but didn't reply. "Now, take a drink of this twice a day," continued Tofu, handing the boy a packet of herbal tea. "This will ease the discomfort some and help stimulate healing. You'll need to take it easy for a while--two or three days, I'd say." Ryoga nodded. "I will, I promise." With another smile Tofu clasped Ryoga's shoulder, nodded to everyone else, gathered his medical bag, and departed. Ryoga immediately slid off the living room couch, eased back into his shirt, and picked up his pack. "Thanks for your help in getting Neko back," he said, carefully avoiding looking at Ranma. "Guess I'll be leaving now." "Leaving?" Neko and Akane said almost at once. "I..." Ryoga looked a bit uncomfortable. "I can't impose on your hospitality any longer. I mean, I appreciate it, but--" "Are you nuts?" Ranma shook his head. "C'mon, nobody's asking you to prove nothin'." "This isn't about proving anything." "So what IS it about?" "I wouldn't expect you to understand." "Oh yeah? Try me. I got a brain." Ryoga smirked. "Really? Whose brain is it? It can't be yours; there isn't room in that thick head of yours." "Jeez! What's your problem, anyway? Who put vinegar in YOUR miso soup?" "Ryoga, I really wish you'd listen to Dr. Tofu," Akane said, worried. "I mean, I KNOW you've been taking care of yourself for a long time, but Prince Rhamalamarangdang hurt you pretty badly." "I appreciate your concern, Akane, but really, I'll be fine," Ryoga said, moving to pick up his backpack. "I... I just don't like owing anyone anything, that's all." "Where are you going?" Neko asked anxiously. "Oh, somewhere. It looks like a dry, warm night... I shouldn't have any trouble finding a place to sleep." Turning, Ryoga gave Neko a smile. "Please trust me. I know what I'm doing." "Yeah, but that doesn't stop it from being a REALLY dumb idea." Ranma walked over and deliberately poked his on-and-off adversary in the ribcage. Ryoga promptly doubled up, wincing. "RANMA!" Akane jumped to her feet as Neko gasped. "What are you DOING?!" "Tryin' to prove to this thick-headed jerk that he ain't in any condition to be wanderin' around Japan like he usually does." Ranma folded his arms, looked down at Ryoga. "Are you?" "Keep... out of this, Saotome." With a visible effort Ryoga straightened up. "I was just fine before I ever met you. Who died and made you my guardian angel, anyway?" "For cryin' out loud, I'm just tryin' to keep you from KILLING yourself! Pop always says a martial artist should know his limits. When are you gonna admit you've reached yours?" "When I'm dead." "Which ain't gonna be long--" Ranma broke off, stepped back as Neko stood up and moved over, eyes fixed on Ryoga. She put one small hand on his arm. "Ryoga, please..." she said softly. "Couldn't you-- couldn't you at least stay at someone's house? Just in case?" "Is... is that what you want me to do?" "I'd feel better if you would." "You could stay here," Akane volunteered. "We've got plenty of room-- you could sleep in the dojo." She turned to her father. "Please, Dad? Couldn't he?" Tendo nodded. "I don't see any reason why not. At least for a day or two." (It's because of Ranma, isn't it?) Neko thought as she watched Ryoga's face. (You don't know how to treat him any more. You thought you hated him; you think you might be starting to like him. First he ruined your life; then he saved it. All you want now is time to figure things out.) She moved closer, one hand curling over Ryoga's shoulder and rubbing it gently. He looked at her, a look of mingled gratitude and adoration stealing into his expression. She slipped both arms around one of his and hugged it, rubbing her cheek on his sleeve and purring quietly. With a sigh Ryoga nodded. "I accept your hospitality, Mr. Tendo. I'll try not to overstay my welcome." "THAT's a first," Ranma snorted, "Ryoga Hibiki actually did something SMART. Catch me, I think I'm gonna faint." "You shut up!" Akane swiped at Ranma, who danced back. "You're a fine one to talk about 'smart'. It's not like YOU haven't done some dumb things before!" "Come on, boy, let's get you settled." Genma picked up Ryoga's pack. The more rest you get, the better." "Yes sir." Ryoga looked at Neko. "I'll-- I'll see you again soon?" "You won't be able to get rid of me." "I won't try." "I'm gonna be sick," muttered Ranma. "They're sappier than a soap opera." "Being a little more sensitive wouldn't hurt you any, Ranma," Akane retorted. "Come on, Neko. Dad and I will walk you home." "Just a minute, Akane." Neko stepped over, nuzzled Ryoga's chest very carefully. "Good night..." "Good night, Neko." Ryoga looked dreamily after the little cat-girl as she walked out. "She's so beautiful... and sweet... and understanding..." "D'oh." Ranma clapped a hand to his forehead. "Give a guy a little romance, he turns into a bowl of rice pudding. Were you BORN like this, Ryoga, or did you hafta go to school somewhere and learn it?" "I'm not going to dignify that with an answer, Ranma." Wearily Ryoga trailed Genma to the dojo, where he set up his bedroll and crawled in. He was asleep almost from the second his head hit the pillow. * * * The next day was pretty normal; Akane and Ranma made their usual mad dash to school, arriving a few minutes early. Unfortunately, as they were about to walk in, a rose darted in from one side and fell at Akane's feet. She groaned. "Kuno." "Indeed, fairest Akane." Kuno stepped out from behind a tree. "And today is the day I shall set you free of that knave, Ranma Saotome." He lowered his bokken. "Have at you, enslaver of women!" Ranma tossed his schoolbag to Akane and leapt up, letting the sword pass under him, and landed on the blade, sprang off it to do a flip and kick the back of Kuno's head. The older boy pinwheeled forward, pulled himself up, and came around, sword licking out and grazing Ranma's leg. Landing, Ranma smiled grimly. "Not bad, Kuno," he said. "You're gettin' better." "Your admiration is long overdue." Kuno also smiled. "But it will scarcely save you, Ranma. You will fall in defeat this day! Aaaaa TA TA TA TA TA TA TA!" The bokken flickered out, striking 5, 10, 15 times in the space of a breath. Ducking, dodging, arching, flipping, Ranma pulled back, letting Kuno wear himself down, then tumbled forward and stood up inside Kuno's arms, almost nose to nose with him. "Jerk." One hand flashed up, connected to Kuno's jaw, and sent him in a long, graceful arc into the nearby bushes. Stepping back, Ranma eyed the upperclassman. "Man, Kuno, with all your money, can't you buy yourself a clue?" "*mmmph*" "Oh, THAT was good. --Numbskull." Ranma turned on his heel and walked off. "Don't that guy have anything better to do than bother me?" "It's your innate charm," Nabiki supplied helpfully from an upper window. "It attracts all the right types." "Right type of what? Nuts?" "Never mind. You two get to class before you're late!" "How's Ryoga?" Neko asked in a whisper as Akane and Ranma slid into their desks. "Dunno." Ranma shrugged. "He was still asleep when we left," Akane added. "Yeah. How come HE gets to sleep in? Hey, if we have to go to school, why shouldn't he?" Akane looked thoughtful. "Hm... Ah! Ranma, isn't Ryoga about your age? Sixteen?" "Yeah, so, what difference does that make?" "Silly!" She punched him (lightly) in the arm. "After you turn 16 you don't HAVE to go to school unless you want to--or unless your folks make you go, like our dads. I guess... I guess maybe Ryoga felt he'd learned everything he needed to, and there isn't anyone to tell him any different." (Lucky stiff,) thought Ranma. (Wish I could just pick up and leave my troubles...) he glanced at Akane out of the corner of one eye. (But that'd mean leaving Akane. Besides, I got enough travelin' when Pop was dragging me all over the place.) After school the three friends headed straight for the Tendo dojo. Ryoga was awake and in the yard, punching at one of the practice posts. At the sight of Neko his face lit up. "Hi," he said softly. "Hi," Neko answered shyly. "How are you?" "I'm much better today." "That's good. I was worried." "R-Really?" "Mm-hmm." "That's wonderful. --I mean, I didn't want you worried about me, but it's nice to think... you know... someone cares." Neko smiled. "Yes!" "I should be able to travel by this evening or tomorrow morning," Ryoga continued, studying the sky. "Especially if the fair weather holds out." "Why?" Akane cocked her head. "I mean, you're always going somewhere, Ryoga. Don't you ever stay in one place for a while?" The boy looked confused. "I-- well, I never-- I never had much reason to stay anywhere." "You have one NOW, don't you?" "I-I guess I do." Ryoga looked at Neko. "Do you want me to stay?" For a moment the kitty-girl gaped at him; then she stamped a foot. "Ryoga Hibiki!" she snapped. "Really! That's so silly of you! Of COURSE I want you to be around. How else are we supposed to--" she stopped, blushed a little. "D-date, and things..." "Date?!" Ryoga looked stunned. "You want to go out on a date with me? You want to be seen in public with ME?" "Aw man!" Ranma slapped his forehead. "Shampoo's right. You got cole slaw for brains, Ryoga." "Can the smart remarks, Saotome," the other boy retorted. "I may be able to tolerate your existence, but that doesn't mean I'm going to stand here and be insulted." Ranma smirked. "Yeah, there's a whole big world out there waitin' to put YOU down." "That's ENOUGH, you two. Honestly!" Akane shook her head. "I just don't understand why you pick on each other. It's not as if you can't put it aside to work together, and don't you DARE tell me differently. I've seen you do it too many times. So why can't you get along when you're NOT fighting something or someone that's giving us trouble?" "I'll be happy to explain it all to you someday, Akane," Ryoga said, reaching up and snatching Ranma down into a headlock as he spoke. "Just as soon as I kick Ranma's butt." "Dream on, Mr. P," Ranma muttered, trying to pull free. "You'd better shut up, Ranma, before I pop that empty head of yours right off your neck." "Oh yeah? You and what army?" "OH!" Akane took Neko's arm. "Come on, Neko, let's go inside and leave these two dummies out here. BOYS!" She hauled Neko off into the dojo. Finally twisting free of Ryoga, Ranma took a stance, a cocky grin surfacing. "So, wanna see how good you're doing? Come on, fight with me!" "Feeling like getting a few new bruises, eh Ranma? All right! I accept your challenge!" Ryoga lashed out with a sweep kick, which Ranma leapt over. Genma and Tendo actually paused their go game to watch as the two circled, throwing kicks and punches. "Hm, not bad," Genma said as Ryoga caught Ranma a blow that rocked him back several feet. "That's a nice one," Tendo mused as Ranma charged, head-butting Ryoga in the upper chest (being careful to avoid his ribs) and sending him sprawling. "Kind of reminds you of us in our younger days, eh, Saotome?" "Sure does, Tendo. Ah, for the carefree days when we roamed Japan, training and brawling to hone our skills." Genma picked up his beer just as a bandanna sailed past that would've sliced the glass in half. "Those were good times." "Oh my," Kasumi said, pausing in the doorway to watch the two boys fighting. "It's so good to see friends playing together. --Don't be too long, you two, dinner's almost ready," she called. "And I expect you to have a bath before you eat, after all that exercise!" "Kasumi, you have SUCH an unusual view of the world," Nabiki murmured, taking a seat at the dinner table and leafing through a copy of MON MON. "Hmm. I wonder if I should color my hair. It says that this season blondes are in." "Who cares?" Akane also sat down, Neko sliding in beside her. "You really should pay more attention to the way you look, Akane." "What's THAT supposed to mean?!" "I mean a little attention to the finer details couldn't hurt. You want to look like a girl, remember?" "What difference does it make how I look?" Nabiki sighed. "So much for 'blossoming' into a young lady." Before the conversation could escalate, everyone heard the sound of the front door sliding open, followed by a strange voice calling, "Hello? Anyone here?" "I'll get it," Akane said, bouncing up, glad of the interruption. She hurried into the front of the house and found herself staring at something that looked for all the world like one of the tiny brown 'mushroom people' from FANTASIA, complete with a hat and a long staff at the end of which a bundle was knotted up in a kerchief. "Uh, can I help you?" The hat tipped up and back, revealling a wrinkled little man who peered up at Akane through half-lidded eyes, then bowed. "Excuse me, please," he said in a voice roughened with age but carrying an undertone of strength and determination. "Is this the Tendo dojo?" "Why, yes, it is. I'm Akane Tendo. Did--did you need to see someone? My father, maybe?" (Or-- oh no. Not someone ELSE looking for RANMA!) The little man nodded. "I'm looking for someone," he replied. " I understand from the people in the neighborhood that there's a boy who stays here sometimes." "Oh sure," Akane said brightly, cringing inside. "He's out back. Please, follow me." As she led him down the hall and out onto the porch, Akane noticed that she couldn't hear a sound from her companion, not even the slightest footfall. (He MUST be a martial artist. Who else could move so quietly?) "He's right--HEY!" she broke off as the wizened little man launched himself past her, arcing up in the air and producing a boulder as big as he was from somewhere, which he sent whistling down-- At Ryoga. "Huh? --BAKUSAI TENKETSU!" Instinctively Ryoga flung up his hand and struck the rock with one finger, shattering it into a million million fragments that rocketed out in all directions. As they did, Ranma darted over and plucked the fragments out of the air, shielding the people on the porch. "Jeez, Ryoga, watch it with that stuff!" Ranma protested as he stopped and dropped a double handful of gravel. "You could hurt somebody with that crazy trick!" "Oh, and I suppose you'd've liked it better if that thing had crushed my skull in?" Whirling, Ryoga thrust out the same index finger at the mysterious figure. "And as for YOU, whoever y--" In mid-sentence the color drained out of his face, his eyes widened, and he fell to his knees, bowed. "MASTER!" "M-Master?" Neko stuttered. "Oh my," Kasmui said. "How... interesting." Nabiki stood up and leaned on the door jamb. "So now it's mysterious visitors from someone ELSE's past." Meanwhile, the little man had reversed his staff in an eerily familar motion and was prodding Ryoga's shoulder gently with it. "Get up, boyo," he said, not unkindly. "No need for all that fuss." "Yes, sensei." Hastily Ryoga scrambled to his feet. "Mm." The little man wandered around Ryoga in a slow circle, looking him up and down. "You've grown a bit since I saw you last. How long's it been, a year? Two? Long lunch you went to, if you ask me." "Y-yes-- I mean, no, Master; I mean-- ARRRGH!" Ryoga clenched a fist in frustration. "I, I sort of, you know--" "Lost your way?" Ranma supplied helpfully. The next minute he was recoiling as the little man hopped up on his staff and got in Ranma's face. "And who's this?" he asked. "Friend of yours, Ryoga?" "Huh. HIM?" Something changed in Ryoga's initial expression of scorn. "Uh, well, actually, Master Soap, that's sort of true--" "Soap?" Akane snapped her fingers. "Ah! THAT'S what it is! He reminds me of Cologne! You know, Ranma, Shampoo's great-great-grandmother?" "Hey, yeah!" Ranma peered at the old man. "Sure does! Yo, mushroom dude, you from China?" Whatever might have been said next was lost as a second small figure leapt over the wall and streaked down, staff flashing out. Ranma barely got out of the way as Soap calmly blocked the strike with his own staff, then jumped up to meet the newcomer. For several seconds the two figures were a blur of motion, impossible to follow. Abruptly the wild whirl stopped. Cologne stepped back, rested her staff on her shoulder, and smiled. "Not bad, kiddo," she said. "Think I'd let you put one over on me?" Soap replied. "You're looking as beautiful as ever." "Oh hush." Cologne waved a hand. "You'll give me airs." "If you can't trust your own brother to tell you the truth, who can you trust?" "BROTHER?!?" everyone else chorused. "Why, yes." Cologne turned. "This is my baby brother, Tso Pu. Soap, you'd say." She chuckled dryly. "He's only 175 years old-- barely out of the cradle." She turned. "So what are you doing here?" "I could ask you the same thing." "As long as you're here, won't you both join us for dinner?" Kasumi asked, hands clasped in front of her. "We have plenty to go around." * * * Cologne took a long, long drink of soup, set the bowl down, and sighed. "Good as always." She turned to Soap. "Now, about that explanation." "Well, when I left the tribe--" "Hold on." Genma leaned over the table. "You're one of the Chinese Amazons?" "What do you think, young'un?" Soap laughed dryly. "Couldn't NOT be, if I'm Cologne's brother." "So, why'd you leave?" Neko asked. "Oh-- is that too personal?" "No, no. You see, in my younger days--" "Here we go again," grumbled Ranma. "I HATE ancient history." With an elegant motion Ryoga sent his plate spinning at Ranma's head, making Ranma duck to avoid the flying china. "Shut up and give my sensei some respect, you." "In my younger days," Soap continued, unperturbed, "I was in love with a lovely young girl named Liu Fa-- Loofah--whom I defeated in combat as per our laws in order to marry her. But she was in love with someone else, and when I learned how much he meant to her, I decided to do the right thing. Of course, he challenged me to a fight, which I lost deliberately. After that, of course, as a defeated rival, I departed, never to return." "That's so romantic," gushed Kasumi. "Imagine, giving up the one you love so she can be happy." "Yeah, right. So how's about Japan, huh? And how'd you get to know Ryoga?" Ranma propped an elbow on the table and his chin in his hand. "Are--are you really Ryoga's sensei?" Akane asked. Soap nodded. "After leaving China, I came to Japan and wandered around for many years, improving my martial arts skills--" "Too bad he couldn't've met our master," whispered Genma to Tendo. "Maybe they would've taken each other out. Imagine it-- Brother of the Beast that Came from China versus Japan's Greatest Lecher in a fight to the finish." The next second Genma was imbedded in the far wall and Soap was calmly putting his staff down. "I hate interruptions," he explained. "Now, where was I? Oh yes. Finally settled down and started a small dojo of my own. Not many students, but I didn't need a lot. "One day I heard a fight outside and discovered three older boys picking on a boy who might've been, oh, 5 or 6, and you can imagine my surprise when I saw he was holding his own. Barely, mind you, but there he was, standing toe to toe with boys twice his age. I sent the ruffians packing and took the child in to tend to his injuries. We started talking, and by the time he left, I had myself a new pupil, and the best one I've trained so far." Soap levelled a hand. "Ryoga Hibiki." "That's why Ryoga's style seemed familar..." Ranma said under his breath. "Like Shampoo and Mousse's..." "Hm?" Soap leaned in. "What's that?" "Huh? Oh, nothin'!" Grinning, Ranma waved his hands frantically in front of him. "Forget I said anything! What'd I know from martial arts, anyway?" "Don't be so modest, sonny boy." Cologne tilted her head. "You've got yourself a great-great-grandniece now, Soap. She's a good one... but my future son in law over there's better. He beat her hands down." "Hey, I ain't your son in law, old ghoul!" Coming to his feet, Ranma scowled. "I don't want to marry Shampoo, got it?!" "That's right!" Tendo appeared at Ranma's side, clasping his shoulders from behind. "Ranma is going to marry my Akane and together they'll in herit the Tendo dojo. It's all been arranged." "Jury's still out on that one," Cologne answered. "So why are you here now?" Akane asked Soap. "To find him." Soap gestured in Ryoga's direction. "I figured it'd take the boyo a few weeks to find his way back for his next lesson, but when weeks turned into months I started worrying. So I went in search of him--found out he'd been wandering all over the place. Finally tracked him here." He glanced over at Cologne. "I kind of wondered where he might've learned the Breaking Point." "Oh, that old thing." Cologne snickered. "Let's just say I was trying to help the boy win--" "Win a fight!" Ryoga hastily interjected. "A man to man challenge that was never finished! That's the reason I never came back, Master Soap. You see, I challenged Ranma to a fight, which he didn't show up for--" "What'd'you MEAN, 'didn't show up for'?" Ranma clenched his fists. "I waited three whole days for you, you idiot!" "Oh, sure! But when I got there on the FOURTH day, you were already on your way to a vacation in China!" "Huh! Some vacation! Not only did I get dragged all over the stupid place, I wound up with this stupid curse because my Pop couldn't be bothered to ask about Jusenkyo! You call that a VACATION?" "A challenge fight, hm?..." Soap looked thoughtful. ""Never finished, you say?" "No." Ryoga folded his arms, turned away. "Not to MY satisfaction, anyway." "Well, then." Soap abruptly cracked his staff down on the table loudly, making everyone jump, then pointed it at Ranma. "On behalf of my disciple and for the honor of Joketsuzoku, ancient home of the Chinese Amazons, I, Soap, challenge you, Ranma Saotome, to appear one week from now and take up the duel of honor between you and Ryoga Hibiki." "H-huh?" stuttered Ranma. "W-what?" stammered Ryoga. "Oh, this ought to be fun. Excuse me..." Nabiki stood up and vanished into the hall, where a few seconds later they could hear her on the phone: "Yes, I'ld like to order... let's see... about 5,000 blank admission tickets. Oh, and can you tell me how much it is to rent the bandstand at the park for a day? Hm? Oh, a martial arts duel..." "Oh for crying out loud! You CAN'T be serious!" Akane planted her hands on her hips and stared at Soap. "They were just starting to get along!" "Well?" Soap said, looking at Ranma. "Do you accept, or are you afraid?" "I ain't afraid of nothin'!" Ranma levelled a hand at Ryoga. "I can beat Mr. P over there any day of the week with both eyes shut and one hand tied behind my back. I accept the challenge!" "What?! What did you call me?!!" Ryoga took a half-step forward, hands knotting into fists, to be stopped by Soap's staff thrust between him and Ranma. "Not yet, boyo." Soap said calmly. "One week to be sure you're in fighting trim. I can hear the rustle of gauze under that shirt of yours. Got yourself hurt in battle, did you?" "I--yes, a little, Master. But it's nothing--" With one smooth move Soap curled up his hand. A deep azure glow appeared around it and he lunged, slapping his palm against his pupil's chest. The glow enveloped Ryoga, then seemed to sink into his body. He caught his breath, stepped back, then wonderingly touched his sides. "It... it's not hurting any more," he murmured. Colonge nodded. "Chingte Shih Tsu Hsieh," she said. "Baby brother there's a master of it. It's an ancient Chinese medical art preserved through 2,000 years of Chinese Amazon history. By concentrating one's ki, you can actually pass life energy from one person to another, healing them with a touch." "Ah! Chingte Shih Tsu Hiseh!" Tendo's eyes welled up. "To think I should live to see it demonstrated in my own home! It's said a true master of the craft can bring a person back from death itself." "Chingte Shih Tsu Hiseh," Neko repeated. "What's that mean?" "Blue Cross," Soap answered. "Yeah, whatever," Ranma said, unimpressed. "One week, Ryoga. Then I'm gonna kick you from here to Osaka." "Don't be too sure of that. Come on, boyo. Time to start training." Soap hopped across the table and out the door. Ryoga picked up his pack, paused long enough to look back longingly at Neko, then followed. "I've a feeling you just made the biggest mistake of your life, Ranma," Genma said in the silence that fell afterwards. "Aw, that guy probably won't even be able to find his way to the challenge area." Ranma flapped a hand. "Don't worry. I got it all under control." "Famous last words," Akane stage-whispered to Neko, who nodded agreement. * * * That evening Genma cornered his son in the yard. "Ranma, we need to talk." "What about?" Ranma whipped a hard punch into the practice post, followed by a quick sequence of kicks. "About Ryoga." "Are you STILL thinkin' about that? Jeez, Pop, you sure don't have a lot of faith in me, do you? His track record's a flat zero where me'n him are concerned. He ain't beaten me yet, and he ain't GONNA beat me." Genma shrugged. "If that's the way you feel, boy, how many priests do you want at your funeral?" "C'mon, Pop, not that again." "Ranma!" Abruptly Genma grabbed the front of Ranma's shirt and hauled him up till they were nose to nose. "The last time you had a serious fight with Ryoga, you only barely beat him. Remember? And that was right after he finished training with who? Cologne, that's who. So what does that tell you?" "You've been eating pickles again." "NO! --Well, yes, actually, we just got another jar from Prince Kirin. *ahem* But that's beside the point! What I meant was that if Cologne's brother is even half as good as she is, then no doubt he'll be training Ryoga in secret Chinese techniques that you'll have no idea how to counter. Face it, son; this time you might NOT win, unless you use your head and not your fists. 'Know thy enemy and know thyself.'" "In other words," Ranma said, getting loose of Genma and brushing himself off, "you want to go find him and spy on him again like last time." "If it works..." Genma shrugged. Ranma threw him a dirty look. "It's CHEATING." "How can a tactical survellance mission be cheating?" "Anything you suggest is underhanded." "Well, then, you'd better practice the moko rakuchi-sei technique I showed you." "Oh yeah. Sure. Right. I'm gonna fall down on my knees in front of Ryoga and start yelling, 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry'? Grow up, Pop! No way!" Ranma flexed one hand, cracking the joints. "I'm gonna beat him once and for all, in front of everyone, and HE's gonna be the one who admits he's sorry! Then maybe this whole mess will be over with!" Turning, the boy stomped off, jumping up to the rooftop and vanishing. "Well, I tried," Genma sighed to no one in particular. Reaching his favorite place on the roof, Ranma sat down and stared out over Nerima district. (Maybe the old man's right,) he mused. (That Breaking Point might not've been effective against the human body, but it still made Ryoga hard to beat. And it ain't helped any that Cologne also showed him the Chestnut Fist. Yeah, he doesn't use it near as well as I do, but it still makes him fast enough to keep up with me. So if this Soap dude shows him a few MORE of those kind of things, I might be in trouble. Guess I better check into Ryoga's training sessions after all. But I gotta be careful. I don't want him recognizing me.) A smug smile spread over Ranma's features. (All I need's a really dumb disguise.) * * * A restless wind stirred the grasses of the vacant lot, rippled around the two figures limmed in the early morning light. "Ready, boyo?" Ryoga nodded. Soap lifted his staff, began to twirl it more and more rapidly until it was a blurring roar in his hands. He circled Ryoga, forcing the boy to turn to keep him in sight. After a few seconds, he leapt up and inwards, stick snapping around to shoot in at Ryoga's arms, head, legs, chest. Ryoga managed to block all of the blows--but missed the punch from Soap's free hand. He shot backwards and hit a young sapling hard enough to crack the trunk. Soap shook his head. "Boyo, are you getting old, or did you eat too much for breakfast this morning? You're slower than a turtle!" Standing, Ryoga glared, but said nothing, taking up his stance again. Five seconds later he finished shattering the tree. "Pitiful. What have you been practicing, needlework?" "Oh no! I've been working out! Don't you tell me I'm not dedicated to my art!" "Working out, but not paying attention, obviously. Watch closely." Soap moved over to a second tree and putting down his staff, closing his eyes in deep concentration. An eerie blue-white light began to flicker and dance around him. "Torayama Denko Dageki!" he shouted, thrusting out one hand in a thowing/clawing motion. From his hand a ball of energy shot out, trailing tendrils of electricity around and behind it, and hit the tree square on. For a second it was limmed in electric fire; then it exploded, charred bits raining down around the vacant lot. Ryoga caught his breath. "Ah...." "That," Soap said, calmly picking up his staff, "is a new technique I've developed. No one else in the entire world knows it. I call it the Tiger Mountain Lightning Strike." He waved a hand. "Everything in Nature carries an electric field. This technique allows you to draw on the energies within and around you and condense it into a ball of lightning, which you can throw at an opponent with devastating effect." "Will-- will you teach it to me, Master? Please will you?" Ryoga fell to his knees, bowing. "Get up, you twit." Soap whacked Ryoga over the back. "Why do you think I'm here? Not that I'm planning to pop off anytime real soon, but I want my star pupil to have this attack." The old man's face twisted in what passed for a fond smile and his voice gentled. "It's not like I don't know what it is to wander the world alone, with only my skill and my honor for company. You should've been an Amazon." Then his voice grew severe again. "Now. Get back to work, lazybones." "Hai, sensei--" Ryoga broke off, cocking his head and glowering at a clump of bushes to one side of the training area. With a sudden burst of speed he pulled free a handful of bandannas and sent them slicing through the foliage. "Who's there?!" "AAAA!" Ran-chan (in a curly black wig and dress borrowed' from Akane) fell out. "Owieee....." "Oh no!" Ryoga ran over and helped her up. "I'm so sorry, miss, I thought you were--someone else. Are, are you all right?" "I-I think so, " Ran-chan said, playing up her faint and fluttery' voice for all it was worth. Clasping her hands, she looked up into Ryoga's eyes. "You're that boy who's always fighting with Ranma Saotome, aren't you? Ryoga Hibiki?" "Uh, well, yes, I am." "You're such a good martial artist. Please forgive me for spying on you. I heard you practicing and I just had to sneak close to watch. I don't know much about fighting myself, but you make it look so easy." Ran-chan put on a shy little smile. "And, I--oh, please forgive me if I'm being too forward-- you're... you're really sort of cute." (Think Usagi Tsukino, Ran-ko. Hey, you've watched enough SAILOR MOON, you oughta be able to fake airhead really good by now.) "Cute? Me? Well. Huh. Gee. Thanks." Ryoga half-smiled. "Would you like to stay and watch? Maybe I could even teach you a few things after I'm finished with my lessons. I bet you'd be good at Rhythmic Gymnastics Martial Arts." "Oh, you really think so? Wow, I'd love that!" Ran-chan flounced over and sat down. "I'll just sit right down over here, I won't be a bit of bother, I promise." She posed prettily, fluttering her eyes at Soap, who had watched the entire encounter with curious eyes and was now staring at her, brows knit together a little in concentration. (Jeez, you'd think the little mushroom dude-- naaah, how COULD he recognize me? He's never seen me as a girl-type before. As long as he doesn't remember that crack I made about Jusenkyo, I got it made.) Dismissing Ran-chan, Soap turned. "Now, boyo. Concentrate. The Lightning Strike begins much the same as the Breaking Point. Feel the world around you. Put yourself in harmony with it. Sense the energies flowing in everything. The wind. The earth. The grass. Your own body. Imagine standing in a storm, feeling the air tingle as the electricity builds, until it seems like you're in the very heart of the thunder's fury..." he trailed off. "And NOW!" Ryoga thrust out one hand. A weak spark jumped between his outstretched fingers, accompanied by a tiny phut' sound. "Oh good grief." Soap shook his head. "What was that, a battery farting?" Ran-chan giggled as Ryoga whirled on her. "What are you laughing at?!?!" he demanded. "You-- y-you YELLED at me!" Biting her lip, Ran-chan began to sniffle. "AGH! Okay! All right! I'm sorry!" Ryoga waved his hands frantically in front of him. "*sniffle* No you're not!" "Oh yes I am!" "Oh no you're not!" "Oh yes I am!" "Oh no you're not!" "Oh yes I am!" "Oh yes you are!" "Oh no! I'm not sorry and that's the end of it!" Folding his arm, the boy scowled. "Absolutely not sorry in the least!" Then he realized what he'd said. "Huh? --I, I mean, I AM sorry! I am! Please forgive me!!" (Sucker.) Ran-chan burst into (extremely) fake tears. "You, you meanie butt! You h-huh-HATE ME!" She bawled louder. (By the time I get finished with you, you'll be so embarassed and flustered you couldn't focus well enough to swat a flea! And if I can keep distractin' you all week, you won't have a chance to learn nothin' new, and I'll be able to beat you no sweat.) Soap looked from Ryoga (who was turning redder and redder with embarrassment and shame) to Ran-chan suspiciously. "Hmmmmm..." In one quick move he reached out, tugged off the wig. "Aha!" "What the..." Ryoga blinked. Gradually recognition, realization (and rage) spread over his features. "Rrrrranmaaaa......" "Oopsie!" Ran-chan clasped her hands, cranked the cute factor by 2000%. It didn't work. "DIE, RANMA!" Snatching up his umbrella, Ryoga charged at his rival. "YYYEEEEOW! Wait! Ryoga! It was a joke! Can't you take a joke?" Frantically Ran-chan dodged as the metal point rammed into the ground beside her. "Do I look like I'm laughing?!?" "C'mon, you big silly! I was just kidding around!" Snatching off the dress and tossing it aside, Ran-chan skipped out of the way and silently congratulated herself for having the forethought to wear a tank-top and shorts under the dress, in case of sudden drenchings. "How many times does this make that you've played on my gentle nature and sympathies, Ranma? Have you no shame?!" "Gentle nature? WHAT gentle nature?!?! You're about as gentle' as an EARTHQUAKE!" "Oh, you want an earthquake, do you? Glad to oblige, Ranma! BAKUSAI TENKETSU!" Ramming his fist into the ground, the enraged young man sent a shock wave of energy streaking straight at Ran-chan, exploding the earth under her feet without so much as disturbing a blade of grass a foot away from the blast radius. "AAAAAAAH!" Tossed upwards, Ran-chan sailed over the wall of the vacant lot and landed in the back of the ever-present bamboo vendor's truck. Stunned, she lay there as the vehicle trundled on its way down the hill, made a right-hand turn, and drove off for parts unknown. "Nice control there, boyo," Soap commented as Ryoga turned, steam still pouring from his ears. "Don't think I've ever seen the Breaking Point that well refined." "I use it a lot." "Shows." Soap jerked a thumb in the direction of the by-now-vanished Ran-chan. "So that was Ranma Saotome, eh? Fell in Nyanniichuan, did he?" Ryoga nodded and sat down. "Master... there's something I think you need to know about, speaking of Jusenkyo." "What's that?" With a pained look Ryoga said, "Heituenniichuan." * * * "That jerk..." Ran-chan stomped through the dojo gate and up the flagstone path (pausing at the porch long enough to take off her shoes) and then stomped into the house. "Oh! Welcome home, Ranma!" Kasumi dried her hands on her aprom and smiled. "Did you have a nice visit with Ryoga?" "Yeah. About as much fun as having measles and mumps at the same time." Ran-chan headed upstairs. "Oh, Ranma, there's something I need to tell you," Kasumi started to call up after the other girl, but stopped when she heard the mingled shrieks from the bathroom. "Oh my. I guess Akane IS still in the bath." "Hey! Wait! It ain't like that--*OW*!" Ran-chan beat a hasty retreat from the bathroom, dodging the various inplements Akane was flinging after her, and ducked around the nearest wall. "All I wanted was a little hot water!" she yelled back. "Just because we're finally getting along a little better DOESN'T give you the right to barge in on me like that!" Akane, towel wrapped around her, stalked down the hallway breathing fire. "Ranma, you--you--" With an effort she reined in her temper a little. "All right, I'm out, you can HAVE the bathroom now, OKAY?!?" "Man, why does she have to be such a tomboy?" Ran-chan grumbled as she drew a bucket of hot water and spiled it over herself. "It's not like I was gonna DO anything..." Toweling his hair dry, Ranma walked out. "Learn anything, boy?" "AAAA! --Jeez, Pop! Don't sneak up on a guy like that, will ya?!" "You should be prepared for anything, boy. A true martial artist--" "--Is ready for an attack anytime, anywhere. Yeah yeah, I know that already." Walking into the dojo, Ranma sat down on a practice mat. "Okay, so... you were..." he half choked on the word, finally forced it out-- "right." Genma smiled smugly. "Ah, then your rival IS learning new disciplines." "Well, he ain't exactly any good at it yet." Briefly Ranma described the training session he'd interrupted. Genma listened intently. "This is not good, Ranma," Genma said when his son had finished. "Remember: Ryoga is almost as good a martial artist as you are, and sometimes he's considerably more dedicated. This Lightning Strike' puts him on a par with you as far as numbers of attacks are concerned. Before now, he only had the Bakusai Tenketsu and the Shi Shi Hokudan to your Tenshin Amaguriken, Hiryu Shoten, and Moko Takabishi. The balance of power's changed, and it may prove your downfall." "Whose side are you on, anyway?!" "Yours, my boy, yours. So what do you intend to do about it, hmmm?" Ranma grimaced. "I got an idea," he said, voice less than enthusiastic. "Here's what we're gonna do just in case Ryoga DOES figure out what the heck he's doing with that new attack..." * * * The day of the contest dawned cool, clear and windy, though clouds soon appeared and began to chase across the skies. Ranma looked up at them and found himself hoping for a sudden cloudburst that would put an end to the match. Although he hadn't admitted it to anyone, he almost wished there was some other way than fighting Ryoga to settle the score. (I used to think I'd never be content with anything less than beating you utterly. Maybe... maybe that isn't quite true any more.') (I wouldn't mind. Heck, we make a pretty good team.') Ranma shook his head as if to drive the memory out. He couldn't afford it. He had to beat Ryoga once and for all. Then maybe all of this WOULD be behind them for good. Sitting down on the edge of the fighting ring, he glanced around at the gathering crowds. Looks like Nabiki got her big ticket sales. Figures. I'm a big entertainment draw. Hey, maybe I oughta start bugging Nabiki for a cut of the take--aw, NO! Now I'm startin' to sound like Pop! Jeez, I hate this. He turned and glanced at the clock set on a pillar in the middle of the park. Almost time. Guess it's too much to hope for that he's gotten lost. All at once the crowd fell to murmuring. Ranma turned to see Ryoga looking up at him from the ground. The sunlight filtering through the ever-thickening clouds made him seem almost a stranger, something out of an old legend. This is it, Ranma thought. This is the final battle. After this nothing will ever be the same between Ryoga and me. For a moment Ranma looked out across tthe masses of people, picking out faces in the gathering: his father. Tendo. Kasumi and Nabiki. Neko. Shampoo, Mousse, and Cologne. Kuno. Dr. Tofu. Akane. There was something, something in the air, something more than just the fight to come. Ranma had the sensation he was balanced on a rope hung high above some vast darkness, with no way of knowing what lay beneath, his only choice to go on to... what? Standing, Ranma jumped down and stood in front of Ryoga. Slowly the other boy nodded. "I feel it too," he said very very softly. "Some... great CHANGE. More than just our quarrel." "Man, this sucks," Ranma muttered. "I didn't ask for this." "We never ask for our destiny. It comes and takes us as it will." Shrugging off his backpack, Ryoga slid his umbrella into the back of his shirt. "I'm ready." Ranma leapt upward, landing gracefully in the middle of the ring. Ryoga was only a second behind him. Soap was already there, awaiting them. As the crowd grew completely silent he held up his hands. "This is a fight to settle a score of honor," he said, thin voice somehow carrying clearly. "There can be no draws, no ties, no surrender. Nothing short of a complete knockout. Fighters, to your positions." "Okay, Bandanna Boy, this is it." Ranma clenched his fists. "I ain't walkin' away until there's a winner, got it?" "That suits me just fine." Ryoga drew his umbrella and took a modified crane stance, weapon held high over his head and angled diagonally forward to point at Ranma. "Today is the day I beat you, Ranma Saotome!" "In your dreams!" Ranma lunged, one fist jabbing out. Ryoga blocked and retaliated with a knee strike, which Ranma dodged. "The boy's gotten better," Soun observed, glancing up from his go board to watch as the combatants went back and forth. Genma took the opportunity to turn a few pieces over from Tendo's color to his own before looking up to study the match as well. "Looks that way," he agreed. "He's still not as fast as Ranma, though." "Endurance might compensate," Tendo argued, holding up one finger. "If Ranma pushes too hard at first, trying to make a quick match of it, he won't have any reserves left later on. Ryoga's best bet is a waiting game." "Let Ranma wear himself down in the first of the match, then use his superior strength and stamina to overpower Ranma?...Hm. Sound strategy, Tendo old friend." "Hey! Whose side are you on, anyway?!?" Akane clenched her fists and glared at the two men. "Honestly!" Tendo laughed nervously. "We're on Ranma's side, of course, Akane! But surely that shouldn't stop us from making a few harmless observations?" "For once those two lunkheads have it right," Colonge said as the boys exchanged blows, the only real sound the scuffling of their feet and grunts/gasps of effort. "Due to their personal talents and preferences, Ranma and Ryoga focus on different aspects of martial arts. Ranma relies on speed and manuverability, trying to finish his opponents off by delivering a powerful assault early in the fight. Ryoga is slower, but has more overall physical staying power, not to mention the fact that he is much stronger than any of his opponents to date. Ranma favors bare-handed combat, which means he has to be within reach of his adversary for the most part, unless he uses the Hiryu Shoten Ha. Ryoga has incorporated weaponry into his style that extends his fighting capability beyond the reach of his fists. If Ryoga uses his head, he can keep Ranma at a distance and let him wear himself down. Once Ranma's first burst of energy is past, Ryoga can close the combat and pressure Ranma to the defensive. Once that happens, my future son-in-law may find it difficult to regain the upper hand." "That's 'if', of course," muttered Soap. "Ryoga is a fine martial artist, but headstrong and deeply emotional. Ranma might choose to play on that. If he can goad Ryoga to a full battle fury, Ryoga will start making mistakes and leaving openings. It's his greatest flaw. He doesn't tend to think ahead to the outcome of his actions very frequently. Assuming Ranma knows Ryoga's mercurial nature, he'd be foolish not to turn it to his advantage, even though it increases the chances he'll get hurt." "Aiyah!" Shampoo clasped her hands, looking worried. "What you mean, great-uncle?" "When Ryoga completely loses his temper, he becomes almost unstoppable. The gaijin call it 'berserker rage'. He feels nothing, hears nothing, sees nothing but the one he's fighting." Soap sighed. "That's partly why I took him in and trained him to begin with. The discipline of martial arts helps him control and rechannel his emotions in less chaotic ways." "That sounds familiar," Nabiki commented. "I think he had one of those little fits when he and Ranma first fought." "Thanks to YOU," Akane retorted. "Giving him vitamin pills and telling him they were steroids that would increase his strength, just so he wouldn't lose the match and YOU wouldn't lose all the money the other kids wagered on Ranma. Nabiki, how COULD you?" "Can't blame a girl for trying to make a little extra cash," the middle Tendo daughter replied, smiling. "Ryoga?!?" Neko shook her head. "I can't believe it! He's always been such a gentle, sensitive, kindhearted person..." "Oh, he is. But there's something wild inside of him. His spirit animal's the tiger, you know." Soap gave Neko a little wink. "No doubt part of what he likes in you." Neko blushed. "Okay, so, he's a tiger. What's Ranma?" Akane asked. The little Chinese man looked at her, then chuckled. "You haven't guessed? The dragon, of course." "Tiger and dragon..." Mousse mused. "Ancestral enemies." "Exactly. Whatever happens today, we'll see a battle of epic proportions." "Oh goodie." Nabiki hefted a camcorder to her shoulder. "I should get a wonderful price for this tape, then." "NA-BI-KI!" Akane gasped. "You're unbelievable!!" "Oh, come on, Akane. At very least it'll pay for any hospital costs." "I hope there aren't any hospital costs," Kasumi said anxiously. Raising her voice, she called, "You two play nice, now!" to the fighters. Play nice, she says. What PLANET are you on, Kasumi? This is a FIGHT! Ranma circled Ryoga warily. Okay. Gotta get in fast and low, get that umbrella of his away from him. Then I can hit him with the Chestnut Fist. Feinting, Ranma threw a strike at Ryoga's throat, twisted midway to wind up standing beside Ryoga, and slammed the heel of his hand upwards against the bottom edge of the other boy's elbow, where the funny bone' was located. Ryoga gasped as the blow jangled the nerves in his arm and weakened his grasp. Dropping to his knees, Ranma grabbed the handle of the umbrella with both hands and yanked, hard, tearing it away from Ryoga and throwing it out of the ring, then immediately went into a forward tumble, but not quite quickly enough to avoid a savage kick from Ryoga that sent him skidding across the mat to slam shoulder-first into a ringpost. "Owww! Kuso!" Nursing his shoulder, Ranma stood back up and gingerly moved his arm, gritting his teeth at the pain that engendered. This ain't going real well. "Getting cold feet, Saotome?" Ryoga taunted. "Maybe you want to give up now?" Ranma's eyes narrowed. "You know me better'n that." Charging, he leapt up in the air, coming down in a flying jump kick. Ryoga threw up his arms in a crossblock, but still hit the mat hard enough to make the metal posts rattle in their housings. "I NEVER give up!" "Neither do I!" Rolling, Ryoga scrambled to his feet and began whipping a series of kicks and punches at Ranma, who dodged them all and shot out a foot, trying to sweep Ryoga's legs out from under him. Ryoga danced backward and took another crane stance, the first two fingers of his hand forming a dagger' position. "Aw, c'mon, Ryoga, can't you do better than that?" Ranma grinned mockingly. "Heeeeere piggy piggy piggy... heeeere piggy, soooooweeee! P-P-P-P-chan, the little piggy...." "AH!" Ryoga's eyes flared red. "How DARE you-- RRRRRAAAAANMAAAAA!" One fist cocked back, Ryoga threw himself forward, battle aura flaring up with his rage at the jeering. "Yes! --HIRYU SHOTEN HA!" Ranma shouted, a blast of ki energy leaping out and sending Ryoga spiralling up in a mini-tornado that promptly slammed him back onto the mat--and clear through it, the metal supports underneath it, and halfway into the ground under the ring. "Gotcha!" Straightening, he smirked. "Dense as a box of hammers there, Ryoga. Pulled THAT one over your eyes." "Oh-!" Neko half-stood, took a step forward. "Ryoga!" Instantly Cologne put a wizened hand on the kitty-girl's arm. "Don't," she cautioned. "It's not over yet." "How can you say that?" Akane pointed. "Nobody human could get up again after that!" "Who said anything about Ryoga being human'?" Cologne chuckled. "Remember the last time you said that, child. That boy's nearly as stubborn as my future son-in-law." For the space of a heartbeat nothing moved. Abruptly the entire ring trembled, then cracked in half as Ryoga exploded upward, blue-white tendrils of electricity arcing across his body. "Eat this, Ranma! TORAYAMA DENKO DAGEKI!" A ball of lightning crackled to life in the palm of his hand, and with a shriek of rage Ryoga threw it at Ranma, who dove aside barely in time to avoid it as it detonated, tearing/melting a huge hole where he'd been standing only seconds before. "Way to go, boyo!" Soap crowed. "That's the stuff! You've got the idea. Feel the heart of the storm!" Getting to his feet, Ranma stared at the smoking hole. He's not playing around. A frown knit the younger Saotome's features. Well, I ain't playing around either. Not any more. "I didn't want to do this, Ryoga, but you don't leave me a whole lot of choice." Turning, Ranma jumped up on top of one of the two remaining posts that were still intact. "Pop! Now!" Moving more swiftly than someone of his size might be expected to, Genma darted over to a huge trash dumpster located near the ring, tipped up the lid. As soon as it was open, Ranma dove in and Genma slammed the door down, slid a padlock on it, and clicked it shut. "Huh?" Startled, Ryoga stared. "What the--" "What does he think he's--" started Akane at about the same time that a horrible yowling arose from the dumpster. Neko's ears twitched. "CATS?" she said incredulously. "Oh no! Oh, Ranma! You can't be--" Akane stopped as the steel top of the dumpster tore open and Ranma, accompanied by a starburst of cats, shot up into the sky. Howling and hissing, the boy landed on all fours in the ring and turned to face Ryoga. "Not the Cat Fist!" "Cat Fist?" Neko echoed, confused. "It's a terrible special technique! Ranma only uses it in the worst emergencies! In order to make it work, he has to--has to--" Akane choked. Ryoga's eyes widened, then narrowed. "All right then," he said softly. He cupped both hands in front of him. Between his palms a spark of light appeared, grew into a glowing golden orb. "Let's see how unstoppable' you are, Ranma." Growling, back arched, eyes slitted, Ranma pounced. At the same instant Ryoga flug his hands up and open. "SHI SHI HOKUDAN!" A bright explosion of light; a shrill feline shriek; a scream of pain; and a great gust of wind that half-blinded everyone. When the air stilled, all eyes turned to the ring. The ring had at some point ceased to exist as anything remotely resembling a fighting venue. In its shattered ruins two forms lay unmoving. Slowly, feebly, one of them, clad in the tatters of a red shirt, pulled itself up, began to crawl towards the other. Every nerve in Ranma's body was screaming at him to lie down and pass out, but he ignored them. Slowly, painfully, he fisted his one good hand in Ryoga's hair and hauled the other young man's face up. "Wake up, stupid," he rasped. "This fight ain't over yet." "Oh yes it is." Ryoga laughed a little, weakly, and opened one eye (the other was rapidly swelling shut). "And you look like crap, my friend." For a second Ranma blinked, not sure he was hearing what he was hearing. "What did you say? What'd you call me?" "You don't get it, do you, son in law." Cologne, perched on her stick, looked around the wreckage. "Good Lord, what a mess. You two really have to find a better way to settle your differences." "What're you talking about, old ghoul?" "Ryoga! Ryoga!" Leaping over the debris on all fours, Neko landed beside Ryoga and gently cradled him to her. "Please, say something!" "Hi, Ne-chan..." The boy essayed a weak smile. "That was a great fight, huh?" "Never mind the fight! What'd'you mean, don't get it'?!?!" Ranma got almost nose to nose with Cologne as the others--Tendo, Genma, Shampoo, Akane, and Mousse--made their way to the battle site. The Chinese woman laughed dryly. "Why don't you ask him?" She waved a hand at Ryoga. Ranma turned and knelt slowly by Ryoga. "What's she talkin' about?" he said quietly. Ryoga laughed feebly. "Ranma. You considered me enough of a threat to cat out'. The only other person you've ever had to use that to beat was Cologne. So you considered me as much of a threat as she is, ne?" "Uh...." "So... in my eyes... I won. Finally. Because it wasn't really you that beat me; it was your cat' side. That means the debt of honor's satisfied. I... can finally accept your friendship with a whole heart." "So... what you're sayin' is...." Ranma took a deep breath. "It's over? No more of this Ranma, prepare to die' stuff?" "Oh, I'll probably still beat you up every now and again for old times' sake..." "Dream on, Ryoga." Very gently Ranma punched Ryoga in the chin. The other boy nodded and closed his eyes. "I think I'll just take a little nap now, if nobody minds," he whispered. Bending, Neko nuzzled his forehead. "You do that." "Hai, Ne-chan..." Soap moved over and laid a hand on his pupil's shoulder. "Chingte Shih Tsu--ah, never mind. Blue Cross." The familiar deep azure glow appeared around Ryoga and sank in; he immediately relaxed, color returning to his face. "Whoever made up the damn name ought to have been made to say it a hundred times fast." He then turned and did the same to Ranma. "Will he be all right?" Neko asked anxiously. "A couple hours' nap and he'll be fine, kitten. Only thing wrong with him right now is his ki's depleted from that last strike." Ranma stood, felt a small arm steal around his waist. A little surprised, he looked sideways at Akane. "A-Akane?" She smiled up at him, blinking away tears. "It's over," she said. "Now I don't have to worry about one of my best friends and... and the man I..." She blushed. "You won't be trying to kill each other every other week any more. I'm glad!" "Yeah, well..." Putting a hand behind his head, Ranma laughed. "Me too!" "Oh, good, everything turned out fine," Kasumi said brightly. "Let's all go home now. I'll fix a special double victory dinner!" "YEAH!" a chorus of voices replied. * * * The bus pulled into the station and stopped, doors swinging wide open. One by one the passengers disembarked. "Watch your step, ma'am," the bus driver said as the last passenger stepped down. "This your first time in Tokyo?" "No, but it's been a while. Almost 18 years." "Whew! Long time. Any particular reason?" "Oh yes." The woman turned, looking out over the city streets. "Justice." "Huh?" The woman laughed. "Don't mind me. I can be a little overdramatic at times." Picking up the huge suitcase at her feet with no visible effort, she started walking. "Uh, ma'am? The, uh, terminal's that way." "Oh. How silly of me. Thank you." As she walked towards the building, the smile fell off the traveller's face. "Soon, Genma Saotome," she murmured. "I'll find you soon..." ================= TO BE CONTINUED ================= Build Your Free Home PageVisit other great pages on:Health & Fitness>Health & FitnessDisorders/DiseasesDisorders/Diseases Naisen 6 Ranma 1/2 Naisen Episode 6 GETTING EVEN WITH GENMA Yet Another Saga from SMoonUsagi and RyougaLost (latest in a series! Collect em all!) (ryougalost@aol.com) (This is a fan fiction story based on the popular series RANMA 1/2. These are characters and settings created by Rumiko Takahashi. We aren't getting paid for this, so don't sue us. <^_^*) "Hey!" Ranma shouted, diving for his father. "Pops, no fair! Gimme that!!!" Chuckling, Genma held up the fukujin pickle he had clasped between his chopsticks over his head, out of Ranma's reach. "You're too slow, boy. Slow and sloppy." "You've had six already, and that's the last one! Give it to me!! C'mon!!!" Akane ate her meal and did her best to ignore them. "Honestly...don't those two EVER give up?!" She looked over at Ryoga and Neko; as good manners insisted, they were sitting across the table from each other, but Akane noticed the little looks they passed back and forth periodically as they both ate quietly, neatly, and without fuss. "Ranma, why can't you be more like Ryoga?" "What, d'ya mean you want me to be thick-headed, stupid and violent, or what?--Pop, I mean it! Gimme that, I ain't playin' around!!" "Hmpf." Akane went back to her meal. "Seems like you two have more in common than I thought." "WHAT?!" Ranma stopped, and took a foot in the face from his father. "Avoid distractions wherever possible, boy," Genma said smugly, sitting down beside his knocked-for-a-loop son and gulping down the purple pickle. "You'll never be an appropriate heir to the Saotome School of Anything-Goes Martial Arts at this rate. "....glunghhhh..." the semi-conscious Ranma groaned in reply. Akane did her best not to look worried as she continued to eat. A voice from the front hall: "Excuse me for barging in..." "Oh!" Kasumi set her cup down and stood, smoothing her skirt. "We have a visitor. I'll go see who it is..." Nabiki looked briefly up from her calculator. "Don't let me stop you, sis." She punched a button and smiled. "Hmm...if the video sales continue to peak, I should have a tidy sum to sock away for my nest egg." "Na-BI-ki!!!" Akane slammed her chopsticks down hard on the lacquered ta ble. Ranma sat straight up at Akane's shout. "What'd I do? What'd I do?!" "Nothing!" Casually Akane smacked her fist into the top of Ranma's head, and he fell over again. "Don't interrupt me, okay?!" "....glnnnghh..." "What is it now, Akane?" Nabiki asked mildly, putting her calculator away. "It's YOU, Nabiki! Honestly! All you ever think about is money." "You mean there's something else worth thinking about?" Akane slapped her hands on the table and thrust her face into her sister's. "Ranma and Ryoga almost killed one another, and you're making a PROFIT off of it!!" Nabiki didn't flinch. "You can't blame a girl for trying to make a little cash, can you?" "Don't you understand? It's wrong!" "Why is it wrong to fulfill a public demand, Akane?" Nabiki rested her chin on her hand. "Explain it to me, do." Akane glared in righteous outrage at Nabiki, then turned away, clenching her fists. "Oh, what's the use? You don't care. Nobody does!" "Um, everyone?" Kasumi peeked in as Akane sat down hard on her cushion and Ranma sat up, rubbing the top of his head and squinting at Akane ruefully out of one eye. "We have a visitor..." A woman stepped into the doorway behind Kasumi, who moved to admit her. "Please," she said, bowing, "I don't mean to disturb you at mealtime..." Tendo stood up and returned her bow. "Not at all, ah...?" "My name is--" "Atsuko...?!" All eyes turned slowly to Genma as his chopsticks clattered to the table, one after the other, from fingers gone suddenly limp. "Atsuko...? Where've I heard that name before...?" Ranma turned on his father. "Aw, geez, Pop, what didja do NOW?!" "Uhhhh--" Genma jumped up and bowed hastily. "I just remembered I'm late for work. Sorry I can't stay--" He turned and took a running step--and fell flat on his face as he tripped over Ranma's outstretched leg. "No way, Pop. You ain't getting away that easy." Genma pushed himself up from his pratfall and looked up to see the newcomer standing over him, her arms folded. "Ah-ah-ah-Atsuko-chan...!" He put a hand behind his head and grinned. "It's been a long time!" Her foot came down hard between his shoulder blades and shoved him back down face first onto the hardwood floor. "How DARE you Atsuko-chan' ME after what you've done?! You enemy of women!" she raged. "Huh. Like father, like son," Ryoga remarked mildly to the rice in his bowl. "Hush," Neko chided softly, trying not to giggle. "You don't know the extent of the misery I've been through because of you, Genma Saotome! It's been hell, I tell you! Pure hell!!" "Geez, that sounds familiar," Ranma said, propping his head on his fist. "So what'd the old man do, anyway?" The name was still tickling at the back of Ranma's brain, looking for a memory to latch onto. Something about a girls' romance magazine...? Atsuko took her foot off Genma's back and walked over to the open doorway, gazing out at the koi pond as a fish leapt up into the air, sprinkling rainbow droplets in the afternoon sunlight. "It was bad enough that you abandoned me, Genma." Her voice was roughened by a long-borne sorrow. She sounded close to tears. "It was bad enough that you dumped me for some beautiful rich girl, after I gave you everything you wanted..." "Oh-h!" Ranma jumped up, snapped his fingers and pointed at Atsuko. "I remember now! You're that--" he shook his finger, trying to organize his thoughts. "You're that chick Pop dumped to marry my mom!" Atsuko choked and looked away. Akane's hand shot up and grabbed Ranma's shirttail. She pulled him roughly down beside her. "Ranma, cut it out. You're being rude!" Ranma ducked his head and muttered, "Aw, hey...I didn't mean nothing--" "No," Atsuko choked, looking back, her eyes swimming. "It's true. It shouldn't hurt so much anymore...I mean, after all, there are worse things..." She laughed without humor. Genma pushed himself up on his elbows and looked up at her. "But, Atsuko-ch--" Atsuko turned and drew one foot back. "Atsuko-SAN," he amended hastily. "Why are you bringing all this up now?" Atsuko leaned down, grabbed Genma's shirt, and hauled him up to his knees "Because, you insensitive brute," she snarled in his face, "I need your help in finding OUR son!" The silence which followed was so thick that the chiming of the prayer-bell hanging in the eaves barely broke it. The moment seemed frozen in sharp relief. "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!?!?" Ranma jumped over the table onto his father's back and grabbed hold of Genma's ears. "Pop, what's she talkin' about, huh? What does she mean, YOUR son?! I'M your son! You ain't GOT no other kids--!" "Oh, I'm so ashamed!" Atsuko covered her face and turned away. "When Genma left me, he left me with child! I couldn't take care of a baby alone, so I went to the mountains and had the baby in secret. My brother's family took my son in and raised him as their own, and I haven't seen any of them to this day..." "How terribly sad!" Kasumi murmured in sympathy. Akane's voice rose in outrage. "Your brother wouldn't let you see your own child?" "It's not that..." Atsuko looked utterly miserable. "I just...I just couldn't FIND them...!" she admitted forlornly. "You mean they moved and left no forwarding address?" Nabiki suggested, only mildly intrigued. "No! It's--oh, it's too hard to explain." Atsuko turned her attention back to Genma. "You're going to help me find our son, Genma. Or I'll rip your miserable heart out and feed it to you on a silver platter with fried rice on the side!" "Sounds rather appetizing, actually," Soun remarked, lighting a cigarette. "Tendo," Genma rumbled, "DON'T help." Neko sat quietly, one ear flattened back, trying to be invisible. Ryoga caught her eye, and she blushed. "I hate it when people argue," she whispered. "Don't worry," Ryoga assured her, "just ignore them." He reached under the table and took her hand. "How am I supposed to help you find a child I never knew existed?" Genma pleaded. "That's your problem, Genma. He's your responsibility too, you know. As the biological father, it's your duty to help me find him." "But if he's with his adoptive parents...?" Akane said. "That's just it--he's not. They haven't seen him in nearly a year." Atsuko fought back tears. "So YOU, Genma Saotome, are going to help me find him." "Curse you, Pop!" Ranma rolled off his father in disgust. "Wait'll Mom finds out about this." "You say one word, boy, and she'll hear the truth about Ranko," Genma growled up at his son. Ranma went pale and said nothing else. "Well, for starters," Nabiki said to Atsuko, "what's this kid's name?" "Ryoga Hibiki." "Hmm?" Ryoga had been paying too much attention to Neko to listen. He stood and bobbed a short bow, oblivious to the stunned silence around him. "I'm Ryoga Hibiki. Can I help you?" Atsuko looked at him strangely. She dropped Genma, who flopped to the floor like a dead flounder. She passed Ranma and Akane, who both stared at Ryoga as though he'd grown horns (again). She walked right up to him, looking deep into his hazel eyes. Eyes that were exactly like hers. "Ri-Ryoga...?" Rather embarrassed by having a strange woman standing so close, Ryoga swallowed hard and nodded once. "Ha-hai...that's m-my name..." he said with a soft nervous laugh. "Oh..." Atsuko's eyes welled up. "Oh, RYOGA--!!!" She folded him in her arms and held him against her bosom. "My child, my baby!!!!" "ERrrrrrrRRrrGggggGGhhHHHh!!!!!!" Ryoga, his face held inextricably against an unknown woman's cleavage, pinwheeled his arms madly in a futile effort to escape. Funny, but the woman seemed as strong as he was... "Ryoga?!" Akane cried out. "He's--?!" Genma gaped. "Your--?!" Tendo chimed in. "BROTHER?!?!?!" Ranma howled indignantly. "Ohhh, no! No way! No way in HELL is that stupid, loudmouthed, fang-faced Ryoga any relation to ME!!!!" "Oh, Ryoga--are you all right?" Atsuko pushed Ryoga away a bit and looked at his face with concern. His face was almost blue, and his eyes were rolled back in his head. "Ryoga? Ryoga, speak to me!!!!" "Excuse me..." Neko jumped nimbly up and put an arm across Ryoga's back. "Ryoga...Ryoga, please, wake up...!" His eyes focused dimly on her. "Oh...hiya, Neko...!" Atsuko studied his face. "There's no mistake. He has my eyes, Genma." "You know," Kasumi said to no one in particular as she started clearing the table, "I always did think Ranma and Ryoga looked quite a lot alike." "Yeah," Nabiki concurred, "but I always thought that was just the art style." "Hush, Nabiki," chided Kasumi, "Takahashi-sama might hear you." "Oh, right, like she actually reads this stuff..." "Would you two stop tearin' down the fourth wall and get back to the story?!" Ranma shouted. "This is serious!!! I mean...there ain't no way..." Lost, he looked to Akane. "...Is there?" "I...I don't know..." Akane looked to Ryoga and back to her fiance. She slipped her hand into his. "Oh, Ranma...I know how you feel...because of Natsumi and Kurume..." "Yeah..." Ranma scratched the back of his head in consternation. "But I don't think the old freak's gonna drop down outta nowhere and make it all go away this time." "Please don't mention him..." "Yeah, I guess you're right." "But..." Ryoga's brain was slowly beginning to work again. "You're...YOU'RE my mother? But that's crazy! I have a mother and a father...somewhere..." "My brother's family," Atsuko told him. "They adopted you because I couldn't bear the burden of raising you alone. I made the mistake of leaving shortly after you were born...and I couldn't find my way back." "Oh, my. It sounds like a family trait," said Kasumi. * * * "I just can't get over it." Akane folded another towel (clumsily) and handed it off the washline to her oldest sister. "Ryoga and Ranma have been brothers all this time, and no one ever knew it..." "Life can be very strange sometimes, Akane." Kasumi deftly (and surreptitiously) refolded the towel and set it in the basket. "You learn to accept what it brings you and keep going." "Akane!" A flash of white hair and green skirt came around the corner of the house, and Neko skidded to a halt right beside her. "Come quick--Ranma and Ryoga are fighting!" "Oh, for heaven's sake, I thought they weren't going to do this anymore-- Kasumi?" Kasumi smiled. "You run along, Akane. I'll finish this up. Thanks for your help!" Akane followed Neko back to the other side of the house. Kasumi finished up taking down the wash and headed into the house. She set the basket down in the hall and stood up to see her other sister. "Oh, Nabiki?" "Here ya go, sis." Nabiki put a thickly-stuffed envelope in Kasumi's hand. "That's half of the take from the video sales. That should pad out the household budget nicely for at least another month or two." "Oh, Nabiki, you don't have to..." Nabiki leaned close to her sister and spoke in a soft drawl. "Sis, get real. Dad does his best, but his income from the dojo barely pays the utilities. We both know if I didn't help out, we'd all be eating bamboo, not just Mr. Saotome." She straightened up and looked around quickly to make sure no one had seen her hand the money over. "Just don't tell anybody, okay?" Kasumi slipped the envelope into the pocket of her apron and smiled. "I never do." As the pair went their separate ways--Nabiki with her purse, Kasumi with the wash--neither noticed their father standing near the stairs, nodding to himself in quiet approval. After all, Soun Tendo didn't always make a spectacle of himself. Outside, Ryoga was launching himself at Ranma yet again. "I said SHUT UP already!" "MAKE me, pig-boy!" "WHO'RE YOU CALLING A PIG BOY YOU PERVERT!!!!!" A figure jumped between the two of them, causing both boys to skid to a halt. In unison, they said: "A-Akane?!" Braced for a double impact that never happened, Akane slowly relaxed and looked from one to the other. "That's enough! Fighting isn't going to change anything, you know!" Ranma pointed at Ryoga. "There ain't no way in hell I'm related to THAT!" "Well, how do you think I feel?!" Ryoga snapped back. "I've never been so ashamed in my life!" "Would BOTH of you just shut UP already?!" Akane shouted. "Ranma, your father has already admitted it's true, so you're just going to have to live with it." "Ow!!!" Genma howled as Atsuko twisted his arm a bit tighter, her foot planted in his armpit. "Okay, okay, already! I fessed up, for crying out loud, what more do you want, Atsuko?!" "Let me think about that for a minute," Atsuko grinned sadistically, giving his arm another painful twist. A small hand touched Ryoga's sleeve. He turned and looked into Neko's wide leaf-green eyes. Her tail twitched nervously. "You and Ranma were just starting to be friends," she said softly. "Finding this out doesn't change the people you are today. What's done is done...maybe you can't really be brothers to each other after all this time, but why can't you still be friends? I thought things were settled between you." "Yeah, but..." Ryoga met Ranma's sullen gaze. "I'm not the one who refuses to accept it...even though it's still kind of weird...my parents aren't really my parents. My parents are..." He looked over at Genma writhing under Atsuko's slow torture and shuddered. "Ranma?" Akane murmured. "What?" he snapped, folding his arms. She looked at him with wide, pleading dark eyes and said nothing. He melted. "Uhh...aw, Akane, geez...I..." She just kept looking at him. "Aw, c'mon already!" He waved a hand in Ryoga's direction. "He...I..." She blinked. Once. "Okay, okay..." Ranma stepped forward and held out a hand at arm's length. "I guess...I guess there ain't nothin' we can do about it now. Okay, so we're brothers, okay? That...that don't mean..." He stole a glance at Akane, who nodded encouragement. "...that don't mean we can't still be, y'know...friends." Ryoga stared at Ranma as though HE had grown horns for a moment. Then he took the offered hand. "Thanks, Ranma." "OOWWWWwwww--!!!" Genma turned pained, pleading eyes to Atsuko. "I said I was sorry, come on! I'd take it back if I could!!!" "How do you take back leaving a woman with child, you fool?" Ranma shook his head. "Man...what else is gonna happen today?" Nabiki walked past the open living room door. "Ranma, it's your mom...!" Ranma jumped, took one step towards the pond, and then glared at her. "Geez, Nabiki, not now! Quit kiddin' around, okay?!" "Hello, everyone!" a melodic voice sang from inside. "Mrs. Saotome?" Akane said, blinking. She looked at Ranma--who was no longer at her side. At the same instant Genma broke free of Atsuko's grip and dashed towards the koi pond. Father and son collided in mid-air and fell in a heap into the water As everyone stood there blinking, a woman appeared in the doorway. Her hair was dark auburn, her face bright and cheerful. She looked extraordinarily young for a woman with a teenaged son. "Ah--err, Mrs. Saotome! Nice to see you!" Tendo said, stepping around the corner, waving his pipe. Nodoka set down the sword-case she carried always with her and bowed to Tendo. "Forgive the intrusion, but I had to come." "Genma," Atsuko snarled, where are you?" She looked around--and met Nodoka's politely curious gaze. The koi pond bubbled, and two figures emerged. "Auntie Saotome!" the red-haired girl chirped, leaning back against the panda who held up a sign: [Hello, STRANGE lady! Nice day for a swim, isn't it?] "Oh, goodness...why, it's Mr. Panda and Ranko!" Nodoka bowed once. "Excuse me for just a moment..." She turned and wandered into the house. "Oh, Kasumi dear, could I trouble you for...?" Her voice faded as she disappeared inside. "Ranko" heaved a relieved sigh. "Man, that was too close." "You can't keep this up forever, Ranma," Akane chided. "Sooner or later she's going to find out--" "Shhhhh!!! Geez, pipe down, willya?" Ranchan hissed. "You wanna see me cut my belly open, or what?" Akane shuddered. "N-no, of course not, but--" "Ah, now then." Nodoka came out, beaming. "Ranko, dear, why don't you and Mr. Panda come out of that pond? It's entirely too cold for a swim." "Huh? Oh, sure, Auntie! Come on, you big ol' dumb stupid panda, you!" Ranchan dragged "Mr. Panda" out by one ear. "Ain't he just the funniest old panda, though? Dumb as a box of rocks and twice as ugly!" The panda growled and signed, [Remember, be kind to dumb animals.] On the back of the sign, where only Ranchan could see, was written in small print: [Just you wait, boy...] "That's better. Now we need just one more thing." Before either of them could move, Nodoka produced a hot kettle and poured its contents over them. Seconds later, her husband and her son sat at her feet, blinking. Atsuko took a step back. "Th-the panda...turned into...Genma...?!" Nodoka nodded once. "Yes, I--oh, excuse me, I don't think we've been introduced." "Hmm..." Nabiki watched the proceedings in the back yard. "I think I might have some ticket blanks left...wonder if I should...?" "Nabiki, stop it!!" Akane cried, suddenly very, very afraid. "N....nnnnn.....nnnnnNodoka......san...!!!" Genma cowered. Ranma just looked up at her. "Mom..." She looked down at them, her face a gentle mask. "You can give it up, Genma," she said quietly. "I know. Everything. I've known for some time." She looked sadly at Ranma. "Remember, Akane dear, when I came to cook dinner for you all? Remember when the hot water pipe broke?" Akane gasped. "You..you saw...?" Nodoka nodded, still looking at Ranma. "I saw. I didn't understand, not then, but I saw." Ranma gulped. "Mom..." "I decided I needed some answers...so I traced the postmark from the last letter Genma sent me from China. I took a trip to Qinghai, in the mountains." "Jusenkyo," Tendo said, very quietly. "Yes," Nodoka said with a gentle nod. "My Chinese was adequate to converse reasonably well with the guide who took me there. He was more than happy to tell me the very tragic story' I should have heard from my husband...and my son." Genma straightened up, his face solemn. "Well, boy, this is it." He took a deep breath and raised his head, his back very straight. "We must prepare ourselves for our fate with calm, quiet dignity and grace." In the next instant he was face-down on the ground at Nodoka's feet, groveling on his stomach and bawling. "It was all the boy's fault! He kicked me into the cursed spring and turned me into a panda. I didn't mean to knock him into Nyannichuan! It was an accident! My paw slipped!! Please don't make me commit seppuku! Waaah, I'm too young to die!!!!!!" Nodoka looked down at him with no expression on her peaceful face. "You took Ranma away from me as a baby," she said with no accusation in her tone. "You took my newborn son from my arms and, when I begged you not to take him away, you swore that you would make him a man inside and out--or else you and he would die like men at my feet. Like any dutiful martial artist's wife, I agreed to your foolish promise and let you take Ranma from me." Ranma looked once at Akane, then straightened his shoulders and faced his mother. "Okay," he said quietly. "If that's the way it's gotta be...then let's do it." "No!!!" Akane cried, rushing forward. "Mrs. Saotome, you can't--it's not his fault! Ranma--he--he...!!!" Nodoka bent and picked up the sword case while Genma blubbered at her feet. "No!!!" Akane looked at her father. "Dad, please--DO something--!" "The way of a martial artist is often harsh, my dear daughter," Tendo intoned relentlessly. "Such a vow as Genma's is not to be given lightly...and the failure to fulfill such a vow is a shame too great to live with." "No! Let me be ashamed! Please don't make me die!!!" howled Genma. "But Ranma didn't make any stupid vows! He's not--he--oh, Ranma...!!!" Nodoka unwrapped the traveling-blanket from the black lacquer sword-case. She looked from her cowering spouse to her son, who stood with his back ramrod-straight, and smiled. "In spite of everything, Genma," she said softly, "it looks like you fulfilled your promise." Ranma blinked. "Huh?" Akane gaped. "Huh?" Genma stopped crying and looked up. "Huh?" Nodoka smiled. "Half female or not, Ranma's twice the man you are." She snapped open the case. "And now, dear husband, here's something I should have given you the day you took Ranma from me." She pulled out a reinforced kendo stick and proceeded to demonstrate her skill with said implement--on Genma. "Oh, my, Ranma," Kasumi remarked as they all watched Nodoka wipe up the back yard with Genma. "I didn't know your mother was a martial artist too!" "Now we know why the old man stayed away from home for so long," Nabiki said with a tiny smirk. "I bet Mrs. Saotome wouldn't let him get away with half the stuff he's been pulling all these years." "Oh, Ranma...!" Akane hugged Ranma and found him standing ramrod-stiff. "What's wrong? It's okay now! Ranma?" "Does this mean," Ranma asked very softly, "I'm not gonna die?" "Of course it does!" Ranma fell over onto his back, hands curled into clawlike hooks, knees drawn up to his chest, one eye twitching. Small, unintelligible grunts issued from his twisted mouth. Akane sighed. "Oh, Ranma..." "Ah, I feel so much better," Nodoka sighed happily, leaning on the kendo stick. "We should have had this little talk years ago, Genma, hmm?" ".......urrrrrrrgh...." said a battered and bruised panda sitting in the koi pond. "I..." Atsuko looked around uncomfortably. "I guess I'd better be going" She started towards the nearest entrance. "Oh, dear," said Kasumi. "Excuse me, but that's the training hall." Atsuko stopped. "I...I'm sorry. Um..." She turned around and found herself facing a curious Nodoka. "I'm sorry...I don't believe we've met...?" "I'm--uh, Atsuko. I was just leaving--" "Excuse me for being so forward," Nodoka said graciously, "but when I was coming in I couldn't help but overhear something you said to my husband...something about leaving a woman with child'...?" "Oboy," Akane murmured. Several hours later, his father was a subdued and bandage-swathed heap on the outer deck of the Tendo house. Kasumi fastened the last of the wrappings and sat back on her heels. "There you are, Mr. Saotome. That should be better." Nodoka quietly sipped her tea. "You're far too kind, Kasumi." She set down the cup and looked kindly at Atsuko. "What a terrible experience for you. Is there anything we can do...?" Atsuko shook her head. "Not at this point, no...but thank you, Nodoka-san. Especially for allowing me to borrow your kendo stick. I'm sorry it broke..." "Oh, that's all right, dear. It was for a worthy cause." Atsuko stood. "I really do need to be going now...Ryoga, when I get settled in America, would you like to come for a visit? Sometime in the summer, maybe?" "Ohh...yes, I'd like that!" Ryoga got up and glanced at the quiet kitty- girl sitting near the sliding door. "Could--could Neko come, too? She...she helps me find my way. She never gets lost, you know." "Oh? That's wonderful! I'm so glad for you..." She bowed to Ryoga, who returned it; then, impulsively, Atsuko hugged her son again. Ryoga bore it as best he could, even managing an awkward return embrace. "Well, I really do need to be off now. Thank you so much, everyone..." And she wandered towards the stairs. Neko jumped nimbly to her feet. "Mrs.--um, Ms. Hibiki, maybe I could show you--I mean, would you like me to walk you to the station?" "We both could," Ryoga said quickly. "If you would like, I mean." "Yes...yes, thank you, I'd like that," Atsuko said, her eyes shining with gratitude. When the three of them had gone, Nodoka smoothed her kimono and rose. "It's time for us to be leaving too, I think." "What?" Akane said, startled. "Mrs. Saotome, what do you mean?" "Ranma, could you help your father pack both of your things? It'll be dark soon." "M-Mom?" Ranma looked from his mother to Akane and back. "Where are we going?" "Why, home, of course! Where did you think?" "But..." "Now, now. There's no more need for you to stay here. You've both been a terrible burden on Mr. Tendo. Hurry up, now." Ranma looked as if he might protest further, but the look in his mother's gentle eyes made his shoulders sag. "Okay, Mom. Whatever you say." He got up and grabbed his father's collar. "C'mon, Pop, let's go." As Ranma dragged Genma away, Akane blinked hard. (Okay, so they're going home...it's not so far away...just across town...a morning's bus ride...it's not like I'll never see him again...I just won't be living with him that's all...I won't see him every day...I won't be going to school with him...or getting into fights...or training with him...or...) She shut her eyes tight to keep the tears from falling. She had control of herself, more or less, by the time Ranma and Genma returned with their backpacks. "I made you all a nice dinner to take with you," Kasumi said, giving Nodoka a basket to carry. "Have a safe trip." "Call us when you get there," Tendo added. "It won't be the same around here without you, Saotome." (Finally, things will get back to normal! Yes! YES!!) "Don't forget to write, will you. I'm looking forward to getting your letters again." (Because that means you'll be too far away to bring grief down on my house! Ha! No more strange midnight visitors or screaming Chinese girls wrecking the walls! YOSHI!) "I'm going to miss you, Saotome." (Almost as much as a severe case of measles...) Ranma and Akane stood looking at each other. "Ranma..." "Akane..." She took a deep breath and made herself smile brightly. "Hey! It's not like it's the end of the world." "You're right, it's not." Ranma scratched the back of his head. "We can write each other, right?" "And call!" "Sure! Every night!" "Sure..." "Sure thing." They each looked around. Their words hung in the empty air between them, fading to silence. Akane raised her chin. "Ranma--" "Akane--" At the same moment. Both broke off with nervous smiles. A brief pause; then they both said, "You first!" Akane laughed helplessly. "I'm gonna miss you," Ranma said. She gasped a bit. "...oh...?" He nodded once, and held out a tiny paperwhite daffodil to her. She blinked and took the flower from his fingers. She looked up at him with her heart's secret shining in her eyes. "Oh, Ranma..." He leaned carefully closer, and she tilted her face up to his. "Are you ready?" "Yeah, Mom!" Ranma jumped back as Akane turned away blushing. "Uh...see ya, Akane." "Yeah..." She turned back and watched him walk to where his parents stood at the gate. "See ya." His back straight, Ranma fell into step behind his father, who in turn followed Nodoka down the street. It was a procession that attracted a number of curious stares--after all, a woman usually follows her husband in public--but only Nodoka knew where they were going As they walked down endless turning side-streets, Ranma tried not to think too much about anything. (Maybe it won't be so bad...I'll finally have a room of my own again...no more sleepin' on a straw mat...I oughta be happy! (...But I ain't. Aw, man, this sucks in a major way...oh, Akane...) Ranma kept his head up, but his eyes were fixed to the sidewalk beneath his feet. Ahead of him, Genma kept his head down, hoping no one he knew would recognize him trudging docilely behind his wife. It was late afternoon when Nodoka finally stopped. "We're here," she announced cheerfully, unlocking a heavy wooden gate. She led her family inside to a lovely traditional-style home not terribly unlike the Tendo residence. The very similarity of structure tore another hole in Ranma's already wounded heart. He followed without a word of complaint as his mother showed him to his room--the first room he'd ever had to himself in his life. It was already furnished, albeit simply, with a bed, dresser and a school desk and chair. "There isn't much here," Nodoka told him, smiling. "You can choose anything else you want. That door there leads to the bathroom; you'll have one to yourself." She looked at him in search of some response. "Is everything all right?" He nodded once. "It's great...Mom. Just great." He even tried to smile for her, and nearly succeeded. She patted his shoulder. "It'll be all right, Ranma. I know you miss Akane, but you know you can visit her whenever you want." He simply nodded. She beamed at him. "You'll see soon enough. Everything is fine." She turned and walked out. Ranma waited till she was gone, then fell backwards on his new bed. He stared at the ceiling for a while, trying to sort out the chaos in his head. Try as he might, he couldn't convince the dull ache that lived in his chest to go away. (I can visit Akane, sure...but it just won't be the same. Weekends, every once in a while maybe...and I guess there's always the phone, but I ain't never been much for talkin' on the phone anyway, and I never seem to say the right thing...especially to Akane. (Man, we were just startin' to get along okay, and now!--Now she's gonna find some other guy, I just know it. She's gonna forget all about me...) With a growl of self-disgust he pushed himself off the bed. (I need to get my head straight...and strange house or not, a roof's a roof.) He scrambled out his window and crawled up the front gutter to the top of the house. He turned and sat down, looking out over the city, trying to get his bearings. (I wonder how far away we are from Nerima...? I wasn't payin' much attention when we came here. Is that the Tendou house way over there? Man, I can't tell...one roof looks just like another. (Huh, the sun's settin' already. I wonder if Akane's watchin' this...she loves sunsets. I always like sunrises better myself, but tonight it's kinda pretty--) *BONK!!* Something hit Ranma hard on the back of his head. With a yelp of surprise he tumbled forward and one wildly flailing hand was all that saved him from a nasty spill off the roof. Cursing darkly, he swung himself back up and found the offensive projectile--a common rug-beater, slightly worn from use. Ranma's heart was near breaking and he was utterly miserable. Unable to express his sorrow, his frustrations found another outlet--rage. "NOW what?! I ain't been here ten minutes and already somebody's throwin' stuff at me?!" He jumped from the roof of the house to the top of a small building in the back--a storage shed, he supposed in passing--and down to the ground. He bolted to the stone wall which ran the length of the spacious back yard and, with one leap, surmounted it. He saw a figure coming towards him and yelled, "Hey, what the hell do you think--huh?!" "Oh, God, I'm sorry! It just slipped, did I hit anybod--" Akane stopped dead in her tracks, halfway between the clothesline and the wall. She stared with her huge dark eyes reflecting the setting sun. "Akane?" "RANMA?!?!?" And in unison: "What're YOU doing here?" And in answer, again chorused: "I LIVE here!!!!" And, finally, together, faintly: "Huh...?!" "What's going on? What's all the fuss?" Tendo came outside and saw his former houseguest crouching on the wall staring at Akane. "Ranma! What are you doing here? You should be home with your family!" Ranma looked at Tendo. His mouth worked, but the words wouldn't come out "Well, I...uh...I...errr..." Tendo marched over and grabbed Ranma in a headlock. "Young man, I'm calling your father this instant!" Roughly he dragged Ranma off the wall and towards the Tendo house. "Just because you've finally come to your senses and admitted your feelings for Akane doesn't give you any excuse to run away from home!" "But--ack!--Mr. Tendo--!!" "Don't argue with me!" the older man snapped, tightening his grip and cutting off Ranma's protests--along with his windpipe. Akane ran after them. "Dad, don't hurt him!" "I'm going to do what's right!" Tendo hauled Ranma into the hall and dialed the phone with his free hand. He listened impatiently to the ringing on the line as Ranma began to turn blue. "Ah! Saotome! Have you been looking for Ranma? --No? Well, he must have been gone for some time, because he's standing right here! Ranma, kindly explain to your father what you're doing back here at the dojo!" --and he held the receiver to Ranma's face. "Dad," Akane protested, "Ranma can't talk, you're strangling him!!" "Hm? --Oh." Tendo let go, and Ranma nearly collapsed, catching the table only just in time. "Father?" Kasumi said. "We have a visitor...it's, ah..." "Good evening, Mr. Tendo!" Nodoka walked cheerfully in. "Oh! Nodoka-san. Now, see, Ranma?! Your mother had to come all the way back here to find you! She must have been searching the streets for hours, through all kinds of weather, exposed to the elements!" Tendo was warming to his indignation. "God knows how many days she wandered without food or shelter, seeking a son who might well have been dead for all she knew! How could you be so inconsiderate?!" "They've only been gone two hours, Daddy," Nabiki pointed out sensibly. Nodoka laughed gently. "Oh, Tendo, it's no trouble! It'll be even easier to visit if we install a gate in the wall, of course, but until then there's no harm in just walking around the block." "Yes, but it could well be a dangerous--err...block...?" Tendo finished as his sails deflated. Akane looked from Nodoka to Ranma. "Ranma...is it true??" Ranma rubbed his neck and straightened up. "Uh...yeah, I guess so..." "The house behind the dojo was for sale, so of course I bought it. It was an excellent bargain..." Nodoka smiled gently at Tendo. "The previous owners moved out rather abruptly...something about noisy neighbors', as I understand it." Tendo ducked his head. "More like rowdy house guests..." "Dad!!" Akane glared. "But, Mom...!" Ranma cleared his throat. "Why didn't you just tell us? Why drag us all over Tokyo like we were on one of Ryoga's grand tours?!" Nodoka smiled at him and nodded to Akane. "I wanted to give you a chance to appreciate what you might have been missing, that's all. And..." A soft laugh. "I wanted to punish your father just a bit more by letting everyone in Tokyo see him having to walk behind *me* for a change." "Remind me never to make Mom mad at ME," Ranma whispered to Akane. She simply nodded. * * * "Now mind you, I don't believe in the blasted thing, myself..." The storekeeper adjusted his spectacles and tapped the lacquered box on the counter. "But that's how the story goes, at least...what I can remember of it anyway." "It's perfect." Soft white hands picked up the beautifully-designed box and opened it. Glittering black eyes surveyed the treasure hidden within. "Soon, my darling Ranma, you will be mine...forever!" Tossing a flurry of yen notes and black petals at the storekeeper, a slim figure bounded out of the shop, holding the box and cackling with glee. The old man shook his head, looking after her. "Pretty girl...but if I were the kind of man who makes snap judgments, I'd say her train didn't go all the way down the track..." A lithe figure in a gymnast's leotard bounded from rooftop to rooftop, black ponytail flying, dance-ribbon twirling, scattering roses and screeching laughter at her triumph soon to come... * TO BE CONTINUED * Build Your Free Home PageVisit other great pages on:SocietySociety