Kyo Kusanagi Ranma Nibunnoichi Jusenkyo's Curse Chapter 1: The Awakening Night had fallen over the Jusenkyo springs. Through the waning light, one could clearly seen the soft breeze gently rippling the surface of the pools. Above the springs, long bamboo poles, some worn and broken by the power of the elements and the passing of time, stand proudly. The skies above the tranquil scene do not do justice to the beauty of the surrounding area, lush green vegetation almost completely obscuring the little training ground from view. Near the edge of the grounds, a small thatched roof hut can be seen, a soft glowing light emanating from within as a long, tired sigh issued from the hut. "Those fool tourists, I damn well told them *NOT* to stray too close to the springs, I told them over and over, and what do I get? *PSSSHHH* First idiot that wanders too close falls in." Another sigh, this time one that was longer and with a touch of annoyance in it. "Pity, that guy looked quite a businessman really, all that suit, coat and tie crap. Never really understood why people go in for such silly things when simple..." he gestures to his well-worn threadbare robes "...stuff like this will do. Ah well, his fault, wonder which pool he fell into, have to check up on that sometime." The guide mumbles as he recollects the day's events. Showing some rich bastard around was bad enough, what was worse when he decided to jump into one of the pools. The guide, also the guide for anyone visiting the springs, has been here for longer than anyone can remember, probably the only living person to know almost every detail about the Jusenkyo springs, but even then there are things that he doesn't know. "Ahhhhh, time to turn it in I guess." He says as he blows out the candle and drifts off to sleep, a final, fleeting thought entering his mind. Outside the hut, the pool near the middle that the rich tourist fell in this morning, unknown to the guide, was emitting a soft blue glow. Borne on the wind came an extremely faint, but definite, sound of laughter. An evil-sounding laugh... *************** Morning has broken above Nerima, the warm glow of the morning sun turning everything a rich, golden hue. Around town people were already showing signs of activity. Outside the Nekohanten came sounds of the early morning crowd that usually stopped by for a bite before going off to work. Ranma and Akane were on their way to school, Ranma taking his usual pace along the top of the fence while Akane, ignoring Ranma as usual, chats to Sayuri and Yuka about common, everyday stuff. Then the all-too familiar 'chrrriiinnngggg' of a certain bicycle bell, piloted by a certain lavender-haired cutie...Followed by an all-too familiar crash of the bicycle on Ranma. "Shampoo!!! Get off me!!! What do you think you were doing anyway, riding your bike on the fence?!? Uhffff, get off me, you're making me late again!!!" an extremely ticked-off Ranma yelled. Shampoo was on top of Ranma, hugging him like some sort of teddy bear. "Ranma happy to see Shampoo hmm?" Shampoo asked, still smiling and playfully pulling at the sides of Ranma's mouth into a semblance of a smile, if you can call it that. Her bike lies nearby, along with the container of ramen that she has totally forgotten about. The passers-by pay no attention to the scene, after all it happens *ALMOST* every day. "Ranma no go school, Ranma take Shampoo to date!!?" Shampoo blurted out, more of a statement than a question. "You have GOT to be kidding!" Ranma frantically looked around, hoping Akane had gone on to school with her friends and forgotten about him. Yeah right, fat chance of that, as if on cue, Ranma's face suddenly appeared to grow a footprint, that's with the foot still attached to it. Shampoo looks up and sees a slightly ticked-off Akane standing on Ranma's face for a moment longer before stepping off with a 'Hmmph'. Shampoo looks up at an angry-looking Akane. "Akane always such a violent girl..." Shampoo says as Akane, standing on Ranma's face, grinds her heel for a moment before walking off. "Ranma! I'm going on ahead, PLEASE enjoy yourself!" "Uhhhhh...Ak.....Akane, wh....what didja do that for!?!? Wouldja just listen to MY side for once damnit?!" Ranma groans from being used as a doormat. "YOUR side?! Oh ok, so I'm going to listen to you carry on about why you've got Shampoo in your arms like some kind of overstuffed teddy bear!?" "It isn't MY fault, she just jumped onto me first! I was just going about minding my own business when I get floored!" "Yeah right, sure, and I bet you really enjoyed getting 'floored' huh?!" "Well anything would be more enjoyable than being with you, come on, just look, I mean, who would go out with someone as uncute as you?!" "What was that!?!?! Would you care to repeat that Ranma!?!?" "You're uncute, unsexy, built like a brick, violent as a gorilla and..." That was as far as Ranma could get before Akane magically conjured her trademark mallet out of thin air and began chasing him around Nerima yelling and trying to turn his head into something resembling roadkill. Shampoo, left behind simply sighs and picks up her bike before leaving. "Shampoo never understand why Ranma like Akane, always so violent girl." Shampoo mumbles to herself. ************** Below on the streets of Nerima, Ryoga is on his way to the Tendo Dojo (he actually passed it 4 blocks back) when a small commotion made him look up and see the 2 figures chasing each other across the rooftops. "That was Akane and Ranma. He must have done something to her, that cad! I'll show him! The coward will finally have to face the might of Ryoga Hibiki!" Ryoga belts out, striking a 'hero' pose as a passing truck accidentally splashes a puddle over Ryoga, where he was last standing now stands a little black pig. P-Chan 'Bweees' in anger at his moment of grandeur (?) being interrupted and at the fact that he was practically helpless in this state. Ryoga/P-Chan runs off toward the Tendo Dojo in the hopes of finding some hot water and about 2 hours later winds up at the exact same place that he started from... ****************** The guide awoke with a start, something was definitely wrong. He could feel it in the air, a stirring in the ki surrounding the pools. Like there was another presence there. He tried to ignore it, but try as he might he could not shake the feeling that something was amiss. The disturbances in the etheric waves surrounding the pools were much too great to ignore. He throws on his cloak while sweating heavily "Uhhh, Shimata!! What can it be? Why do I feel this stirring all of a sudden?" Knowing that he would never be able to get to sleep again tonight, he got up and wandered outside to sit by the pools. The moment he stepped outside however, he was greeted with a shocking scene. The pools were glowing brightly with an aqua light, each one stirred into a swirling vortex that was slowly sucking the etheric barrier surrounding the pools into itself. The middle pool, the one that was originally glowing, was now pulsing with a bright white light. The entire area was now encased in an invisible vortex of pure energy. "Uhh? Nani?? Oh no, It can't be, not so soon, NO No no no no no, that fool, curse that fool!!! Why of all pools to fall in WHY THIS ONE???!?!?!?!" he yelled. His fears are well founded, the pool now pulsing with pure white energy was the one in which Kasunama Seijiiku, the warrior-demon who was killed when he was drowned by a human who managed to use his power against him. Given the nature of the curse, which causes the spirit of the victim to 'fuse' with the spirit of the person who drowned in the pool, the victim also inherits, to a certain degree and depending on certain conditions, the abilities and powers that the drowned spirit may possess. The person who fell into a pool this morning had to pick this one, of all pools. Even now as the guide watches on in fright, the swirling vortex of energy around the area begins to increase in tempo, drawing more energy as it starts to suck in the essences of the lost souls drowned in the other pools. The guide huddles into a frightened ball and clamps his hands over his ears as the wailing of the lost souls, drawn from their resting places within the pools, are forcibly torn from their earthly constraint and assimilated into the now-blinding column of light that has erupted from the main pool. Visibly shaking from fear, the guide whispers "Oh no, this can't be happening, that fool, his idiotic accident will doom us all...Curse him!" as he silently curses the tourist who fell into the pool as the column of light begins to change color, from white, to red, to blue, to yellow, then purple. The light then begins to fade slightly, as a horrifying visage of Kasunama Seijiiku appears in the middle of the column, sneering. "Muahahahaha!!! I am free!! I am FREE!!! Now the world will feel the unholy vengeance of Kasunama Seijiiku!!! The darkness lives on...NONE CAN STOP ME!!!" The spirit bellows, then stops as if waiting for applause. Getting none, it continues "You old fool" he sneers as he points a clawed finger at the frightened guide "did you truly think you could keep me from being free did you!? NO ONE, stops a GOD!!!" The terrifying visage of Kasunama Seijiiku appears to grow as the guide shrinks back further. "S...someone w...w...will stop you....Y...you'll see. Y...you w...will be defeated like last time." The guide stammers out, silently cursing himself at his pathetic show of fear. "Muahahaha!!! You fool! What pathetic mortal can you name with even the slightest hope...of stopping a GOD!?" The spirit then goes on to blab about his most evil deeds over time, the souls he has stolen etc. "Someone will, you'll see, someone will stop you!! Your evil will be put to an end like that last time!" The guide snaps back, regaining some semblance of confidence. The spirit of Seijiiku howls with rage at the defiance of the guide before him. The guide shakes with fright as Seijiiku shakes the ground with an uncontrollable laughter that causes the light from the pools to flare up. "You fool! You FOOL!!! I will have NO MORE of your foolish banter. I shall begin my unholy quest for vengeance with YOU!!" The spirit bellows as tendrils of pure energy snake toward the guide who jumps in fright and attempts to run. However, an unseen force slams him to the ground and he is snared by the tendrils which drag him slowly toward the sneering visage of Seijiiku. Now babbling in utter fear, the guide is barely coherent and is having trouble stringing two words together. His babble is abruptly ended as Seijiiku forcefully rips his soul from his body and assimilates it to be a part of his own. The howling spirit slowly fades from existence as Seijiiku's evil laughter once more rings out. "Pathetic mortals! How can they ever hope to beat ME!? The entire world shall feel my awesome power once more! *pauses for a moment* Wait!! I sense there are few who hold the essence of the pools, MY essence and MY powers!! I cannot allow this!! I WILL NOT allow these mere mortals to !!hinder my rebirth!! This sacrilege must end!!" It pauses to consider this, whoever has fallen into the pools before possess a portion of the essence which hover around the area. As long as the victims of the pools have a portion of the essence, the spirit cannot be reborn. As it ponders, the glowing purple light seems to fade slightly, tendrils of pure energy snake out, coiling around the shrivelled corpse of the guide and lifting it bodily into the air. It then proceeds to rip it apart, wringing it like a wet dishcloth, as blood sprays and the insides of the corpse fall with a sickening splat onto the rocky ground, breaking open on impact, spilling blood and viscera which begin to soak into the rocks, staining them. "Wait!! Why didn't I think of this sooner?! Mortals are extremely warlike, maybe I can turn these aggressive feelings to my advantage." Dropping the mangled corpse, the spirit suddenly exclaims to no one in particular. As a formless spirit, it cannot recover any essence within a mortal unless it is killed. That may sound simple but the catch is that the spirit will not be able to retrieve it's power if it kills the mortal directly. Seijiiku stops as if to think about what to do, then it is as if the light itself appears to elongate and lengthen. It breaks free from the pool that seemingly bound it and streaks upward into the night sky. As it escapes the magical restraints that were weakened when the tourist fell into the pool, it laughs maniacally at the thought of how it is going to recover the essence. The spirit's essence glows brightly for a moment then shoots off in the direction of Japan... Down below, the pools are still once more, the only remaining evidence of the frightful events that have occurred this night are the gristly remains of the former guide, quietly staining the rocks **************** It was your average day at the Tendo Dojo, Soun and Genma(in panda form) are sitting on the porch playing shogi, Kasumi is drying the laundry on the line and Happosai is off on his usual panty raid. "Ahh, such a peaceful day, eh Saotome?" Soun muses, putting a shogi piece on the board. Genma, moving the pieces around as Soun stares out into space, holds up a sign saying "Yep, a peaceful day". Nabiki, quietly reading a manga nearby, looks at her watch and counts off on her fingers as she walks to a possibly 'safe' area of the dojo. "Hmm, ok, 5...4...3...2...1...." she states as right on cue, the wall behind Soun and Genma explodes and Ranma comes flying out, knocking Genma into the pond. Moments later a spluttering Ranma-chan and a very annoyed-looking panda emerge from the pond. Akane steps out onto the porch through the Ranma-shaped hole in the wall holding a huge mallet. "Blah, hey, what didja do that for??! I told you it isn't my damn fault that Shampoo makes it a hobby to hug me to death every time she sees me!" Ranma-chan yells from the pool to Akane who is still holding her mallet. On the side is written the words '100 Tons: Do Not Drop'. "Oh yeah!?! Well the least you could do is the quit encouraging her! Sheesh, really." Akane says in a ticked-off voice as she turns on her heel and walks back into the dojo, leaving an irate panda and Soun to berate the hapless Ranma-chan. "Ranma!! What have you done to Akane this time?!?". Soun proceeds to admonish Ranma with tears flowing down his face. Genma always thinking Ranma is the one to pick on Akane, holds up a sign saying "When are you ever going to learn to treat her right? She IS your fiancee after all!". "ME!?! HEY! She just happened to walk by when Shampoo was trying to squeeze me half to death! That isn't MY fault now is it!?" Ranma-chan yells in exasperation. A crying Soun and red-faced panda reply "Yes it is!" (Panda holding up another sign). "WHAT WAS THAT!!!!?!!!?!" Ranma-chan yells, shaking her head. "You have a responsibility to Akane, how could you just blatantly in her face go off chasing other women?!?!? Are you a man or aren't you?!" Soun, still crying, yells back at Ranma-chan. Kind of a silly statement really, considering Ranma's current form. "NOW WAIT A MOMENT HERE!!! I SAID IT WASN'T MY FAU...." Before Ranma-chan could finish, an extremely red-faced panda smacks her out of the pond into a nearby wall with his sign that says "Don't yell at your father!!" Ranma-chan turns to face the two parents, now glowing with a blue battle-aura. Soun and Genma note this and shrink back slightly. "That's IT!! I've had all I can take from you two jerks!!" she intones in a low, dangerous voice as she strides forward slowly, fists clenched, Soun hastily backs off while Genma tries to hold him back, displaying a sign saying "Don't leave me here." **************** Later we hear Nabiki moaning about more repairs that need to be done and what it's going to cost her. Kasumi, as usual with that innocent look on her face, hasn't got a clue about what her sister is on about. "Take a look at that why dontcha?" she whines as she gestures to the new Soun and panda shaped holes in the garden wall. "Those look kind of cute" Kasumi smiles and says innocently to Nabiki, who face-faults as a large sweatdrop trickles down the back of her head. In the meantime, upstairs in the bath, Akane, while silently cursing Ranma is relaxing, or trying to in a hot bath. Reaching over, she takes the soap off its holder and begins to soap herself, delicately tracing lines with the soap over her body. As she does so, her mind begins to wander. As the hot water and steam slowly relax her tense muscles, images from her memory begin to spring forth. Images, from a certain time on the island on Togenkyo... *********** "Akane! Is that the spring?!?" Ranma asks as they fall toward a pool shining with lights that look like stars. "Now you can be cured, Ranma!" Akane says back, almost feeling happy for Ranma that he can finally become a normal guy again. "No way Akane, I gotta blow it up!!" "WHAT!?! But then..." Hey, didn't you say you liked me the way I am?" "I do...B" "Well the way *YOU* are is...I ..I gotta destroy it!!" Akane sighs as she hears Ranma almost admit his feelings for her, she stops arguing and simply buries her face into his back as they fall further toward the spring. "This is it Akane, all my remaining strength into one all-or-nothing blast!!" Ranma, sensing that time was running out concentrates and a glowing yellow aura encompasses him as he concentrates his remaining ki, then focuses it into his hands to power a ki blast. "MOKOU-TAKIBISHA!!!!!" An immense blast of energy erupts from Ranma's cupped hands into the spring and burrowing through the bottom into the sea beyond. The spring drains out like water emptying from a bathtub with the plug pulled. Then suddenly a geyser of sea water explodes upwards, sending them both back upward and through the top of the mountain which erupts like a volcano, spewing forth sea water. ************* Later, along the beach of Togenkyo, Toma and his followers apologise to the group for the trouble they put the group through the past few days. Ranma, now back in his boy-form, is standing next to Akane as the early morning sunrise bathes the area in a rich, golden glow. "I-I'm sorry Akane, I've learned something this time, you can't have a relationship if only one person wants it right? Next time, I-I'll do it right!" Toma says to Akane, something he never thought he ever had to say. "So does this mean you're givin' up on marryin' Akane?" Ranma says, butting in. Toma smiles at him. "Absolutely, I've no chance against someone like you." At this Ranma crosses his arms behind his head. "Ahh, you're better off without her anyway, she's more like a boy than a girl anyway, she's go no figure and OOF!!" Ranma says in his usual annoying tone before his sentence is cut short by an elbow to the stomach by Akane, who then steps up and holds Toma's hands. "Toma, you're still young. You'll find a bride..." "T-Thank you..." Toma blushes at Akane's kind attitude toward him. Akane then draws his head in and kisses him on the forehead, to Toma's surprise who blushes and emits a soft "Ohhh", the color of his cheeks matching the color of the sunrise. Ranma meanwhile is standing with both hands behind his head and a jealous look on his face. "Hmmph, what's his problem anyway? Getting a crush on Akane like that?!" he mutters under his breath as he tries to ignore the scene in front of him. ************* A sudden commotion outside snaps Akane to reality. She wonders why she began thinking of Toma in the first place. But as she recalls the events, a smile appears on her face as she remembers what Ranma said to her when they were falling into the spring. She thinks "I wonder if he really meant what he said back then" as she quickly dresses and exits the bath to see what is making all the noise. Outside, Ranma and Ryoga were locked in a violent fight that had begun in the kitchen and due to an accident with a pot of soup, Ryoga had managed to change back into his normal form and was out for Ranma's blood for treating him like dirt when he found a hopelessly lost P-Chan wandering the streets of Nerima as he was on his way to Ucchan's Okonomiyaki-Ya for his usual free snack. "Man...will you *duck* quit it already?" Ranma managed to get out while dodging a flurry of blows from an enraged Ryoga who appeared deaf to his pleas to stop as there were 'women and children nearby'. "RANMAAAAA! I'm going to teach you a lesson once and for all!!!" Ryoga, his face red with anger yells, as he aims a roundhouse kick that smashed into a wall where Ranma was standing a few moments ago. "...Today you shall face me!" "Look you idiot!!!" Ranma yelled back as he caught Ryoga's extended leg. "If you really do want to kill me, then damn you, let's take this outside, you may hurt someone in here!!!". Ryoga, pausing to think about Ranma's words (well more of thinking about the fact that Akane might be hurt), made a fatal mistake as Ranma, seizing the opportunity, broke Ryoga's guard and smashed him through the roof with an uppercut. "Damn, this time he's serious, he isn't going to let this go, considering I used him as a football back there" Ranma mused as he dropped his guard for a moment too long. Long enough for Akane to deliver one hell of a bitch slap. "RANMA!!! What do you think you were doing!? Beating up on poor Ryoga like that?" "Hey!! *HE* attacked me first!" Ranma retorted, not noticing that Akane was half-naked with only a flimsy towel around her. "It doesn't matter, you shouldn't have fought back like that!!" "WHAT! He was going to kill me if you don't mind!!" "Hmmph, in this case he'd be doing us all a favor!...Be nice to get rid of..." Akane stopped, the gravity of her statement sinking in. Even she'd never gone that far before as to imply that Ranma would be better off dead. Nabiki, who was inside her room, heard the statement and gasped. Ranma winced at that last retort, it had hurt, a LOT! Ranma thought as he turned a pained gaze toward Akane before gritting his teeth and leaping out through the Ryoga-shaped hole in the roof. For a moment, Akane was taken aback at the look he just gave her. She thought as she slowly walked back to her room. Along the way, Nabiki who had been listening to the heated exchange a few moments ago from her room, looked up from her homework. "Ummm Akane...What you said back there, it wasn't a good thing" Akane looked at her older sister. "I know, I shouldn't have said it. But what should I do now?" Nabiki thought for a moment, as if considering the possible ways to blackmail/bribe/con etc Akane in this situation. "*sigh* I know it's unlike you but I think you should go apologise. What you said back there was a bit much, even for the two of you..." Nabiki says, sighing. Akane nodded, she knew she overstepped the boundary with that last crack but at the time she couldn't think of anything better to say, it had just slipped out. "Ok Nabiki, I'll do it" she sighed as she walked off to find Ranma. Kasumi walked past Akane and, noticing the look on her younger sister's face, asked Nabiki as she passed her room. "Nabiki, what's wrong with Akane?" "Oh nothing, she just had another argument with Ranma, though this time it kinda went too far". "Oh my! I hope it wasn't anything serious!" Kasumi says, a hand on her mouth. Nabiki turned around to look at her older sister. "Nah, they'll make up soon enough" However, the look on Nabiki's face did not agree with what she'd just said. ************* "RANMA!!! Now I'll prove once and for all who's the stronger! This has been a long time coming, Saotome!!" Ryoga, recovering from the uppercut just in time to see Ranma jump out of the hole into roof to land just a few feet away from him. Ranma nodded solemnly, he heard what Ryoga said but wasn't really paying attention. He HAD wanted to beat Ryoga for a while now, but his mind was reeling with what Akane has yelled in his face a few moments ago. Ranma's mind was throwing out these possibilities and he wasn't paying attention when Ryoga's kick connected with awful force and he was sent flying into a nearby wall, leaving a nice imprint. "What's wrong Saotome?! Too scared to fight? Now that you don't have anyone to stop the fight when you need it, you're scared huh? Admit it! What would Akane think if she saw you in this state, you make me sick!" Ryoga taunted as Ranma slowly prised himself from the wall, not looking at Ryoga. "DIE RANMA!!" Ryoga yelled as he launched himself at Ranma, not fully alert, Ranma took the brunt of the attack Ryoga dished out and was getting pounded against the wall, feebly trying to stave off the brutal fists that were threatening to rip him apart. Ryoga thought as he prepared to deliver the final blow. Ranma meanwhile, battered and bleeding badly from dozens of small cuts and from his nose and mouth, was still thinking. His eyes suddenly shot open, in time to see Ryoga draw his fist back for the final blow. ************ "Mr. Shimada, Mr. Shimada, what about the 1001 shares of...." "Mr. Shimada, the newspapers are asking for comment on the proposal for the upcoming Tenkai-Ichi Bodukai...." "Mr. Shimada, these documents require your immediate attention..." "Mr. Shimada, Mr. Shimada, a Mr. Atsuko is on Line 6, he wants to talk about the..." "HOLD IT!!!" everyone froze from Jyusei Shimada's sudden outburst. The hectic scene around the office in which everyone was bustling about trying to get Shimada's attention for a moment appeared to simply freeze on the spot, like time standing still. "Now let's all take a deep breath and relax shall we?" Shimada said evenly, catching a breather as he surveyed the expectant faces of his staff assembled before him, waiting to see which pressing problem he would handle first. Everyone nodded and as ordered, took a deep breath and relaxed...For about 10 seconds. Jyusei Shimada turned on his heel and walked into his office, ignoring the pleas and gibbering of the staff behind him, all begging for a moment of his time. He locked the door and crashed onto the couch, exhausted. Outside, the noise became louder as his staff attempt to attract his attention to the matters at hand. "Mr. Shimada, the shares..." an employee yelled through the door. "Mr. Shimada, the reporters are becoming impatient..." another employee yelled. "Mr. Shimada, these documents..." yet another employee bellowed as he knocked loudly on the door, trying to entice Jyusei Shimada out. "I really need to give myself a raise..." Jyusei sighed to himself as he closed his eyes and attempted to relax from another 'usual day at the office'. Outside, the noise level remained constant, Jyusei was used to his employee's ways of trying to get his attention by making a problem seem more important than it really is. he thought as he recalled the recent proposal made by one of his Directors at the latest board meeting. . *************** "...Of course, you do know that the possibilities are endless..." Jyusei was dropping off as he listened to one of his Directors drone on about possible ways to increase revenue etc. Thinking back, he realised that to date, not one of these morons have been able to offer a useful suggestion. "...Then again, another possibility is to hold a 'Tenkai-Ichi Bodukai'" Jyusei perked up at this as the rest of his Board of Directors gaped at the suggestion. "What!? No way, do you realise..." "Come ON, a tournament like that would only..." "Like he says" "Give me a break, do you have any idea how much Shimada Industries stands to lose..." "Hold it! I'd like to hear him out..." The Board fell silent as Jyusei spoke up, the Director who made the suggestion brightened at Jyusei's words and continued his speech. "Mr. Shimada, I seriously suggest that the company sponsor the upcoming Tenkai-Ichi Bodukai that is to be held here in Nerima next month. In doing so we gain valuable advertising benefits for the company as well as..." "Yeah, but do you also realise the possibilities for loss and..." the Director was cut short as another piped up "...also, what if..." another jumped in. The meeting continued regardless. However now Jyusei wasn't paying the least bit of attention, his mind was considering the possibility of his Director's suggestion. he thought... ************** Now as he lay on the couch going over the week's events in his mind, he regrets ever mentioning it to the newspapers. Over the week the suggestion had seemed more absurd with each passing day, and with the reporters hounding him every single day for details, he'd grown to reject the idea. he nodded to himself. Eventually the clamour outside died down and he was able to drift off into sleep. As his eyelids closed, he didn't notice a small glowing sphere of light that had stopped outside his window... ************** "RYOGA!! STOP!!!!!" Ryoga froze at the sound of Akane's yell, he turned in her direction to see the entire dojo out on the porch, watching the fight. Kasumi, Nabiki, Soun and Genma were gaping at the scene before them while Akane was watching with both fists clenched tight to her chest, trying to get Ryoga's attention. Ryoga powered down and withdrew his fist, mere centimeters away from Ranma's face, the blow that would have killed him. "Akane!?..Why?...I'm about to beat Ranma once and for all! Why are you stopping me?!" Ryoga started as he saw Akane's eyes, brimming over with tears. "Ryoga, stop it, don't fight anymore. I...I..." Ryoga saw Akane's tearful gaze and slowly nodded. He had waited for, dreamed of this moment, the day he would finally surpass Ranma, for months now. Yet he was denied his victory at the instant of the kill. "Thank your lucky stars Akane saved you in time, Saotome. At least now we know who's stronger, don't we?...You are no man! You are not worthy of a great fiancee like Akane!" That last comment was said with a hint of mockery as Ryoga, knowing that he would have won, was rubbing salt into the wound. "Oh my! I hope poor Ranma's all right!" Kasumi exclaimed in a worried tone as she saw the blood-stained Ranma. Genma(in his panda form) was waving signs about saying "How could you lose, Boy!? You're a disgrace to the Saotome name etc etc" Soun was still frozen in a slack-jawed pose as Nabiki waved a hand in front of her father's face before coming to the conclusion that there was nothing there. "Looks like Daddy's 'gone' again" Nabiki said evenly with her arms folded. "I wonder what Kuno-baby would pay to know that Ranma isn't 'Mr. Invincible' after all?" she added with a sly grin, the dollar-signs already floating above her head. "Nabiki!!! How could you?!?!" Akane snapped at her older sister. "I'm joking ok?! Sheesh, u need to relax a little Akane." Nabiki coolly said back, ignoring Akane's pained look. Ranma, still entrenched in the wall, was oblivious to the conversation around him as his mind was working overtime trying to sort out the situation. As he resigned himself to that conclusion, his eyes suddenly shot open and a blue ki-aura began to glow around him. Everyone stopped talking for a moment to look in stunned silence at Ranma, who was now practically 'on fire'. With a blood-curdling yell, Ranma exploded from the wall with both fists clenched at his side, his power level burning to a new level. Ryoga flinched as he saw the blue flame around Ranma flare up to an almost blinding intensity. "Ryoga......." Ranma said slowly in a low, dangerous tone. "...This battle....Is not yet finished!..." Ryoga took an involuntary backstep at Ranma's sudden power up. He hastily powered back up, a bluish-green flame surrounding him momentarily. He was uncertain now, and a little afraid. He'd never seen Ranma in such a state before, Ranma was never so...so vicious! He usually fights with a carefree abandon, not with the savagery of a demon. The two fighters faced off once more, Ranma still flaring with his blue battle aura, while Ryoga's had faded, the ki-flame usually does not last into a fight, Ryoga was extremely apprehensive that Ranma was still flaring up. Akane, in the meantime, was getting extremely worried, without a final thought, she ran up to Ranma and began shaking him, much to the worry of everyone else who yelled "Akane!!! NO!!!". Ryoga, noticing Akane had stepped between them, was even more reluctant to fight. "Ranma! RANMA!!! Snap out of it will you!?" Akane yelled while shaking Ranma who took no notice. Noticing this, Akane pulled out her trademark mallet and raised it to smash Ranma over the head. Never encountering resistance before, she, and everyone else watching, was shocked to the core when Ranma punched at the wooden shaft of the mallet, snapping it like a twig. Akane stood with a gaping expression on her face, looking at the broken shaft of wood in her hands. "Ranma..." she said softly. She took a backstep and fell onto her butt when she saw the piercing gaze Ranma shot her, for the first time ever there was nothing in those eyes, which were usually filled with care, worry or even smugness. This time, they were empty, Akane had never felt so...so...cold in her life, it was as if Ranma didn't care anymore. "Akane! Get...the...hell...out...of...my...way!" Ranma said, in that low dangerous tone. Akane started, tears filling her eyes as she stepped out of 'the line of fire'. "R..Ranma...I..." Akane sobbed as Ranma turned back to Ryoga. Ryoga, seeing Ranma's cold treatment of Akane, was angered and driven to fight once more. "Ranma!! You'll pay for treating Akane like that!!" he yelled, his battle aura flaring for a moment then fading. Ranma merely sneered. "Heh, then come get some, Pig Boy!" At that, Ryoga lost control and dashed toward Ranma, intending to finish it with one blow. "Yaaaahhhhhh, Saotome, prepare to DIE!!!" Ryoga aimed a flying kick at Ranma's head, under any normal circumstances it would have knocked him out and back into the nearest wall, ending the fight. Ryoga was shocked beyond belief when his kick connected, it was like striking a brick wall, Ranma didn't even flinch at the blow. He thought. "Is THAT the best you can do, P-Chan?!?" Ranma sneered again. Ryoga, now extremely pissed-off, threw a flurry of punches and kicks, all of which were dodged with startling ease by the maxed-out Ranma. With a final attempt, Ryoga powered up and, drawing his fist back, decided to try the Bakusai-Tenketsu again. "Ranma! Take this!! KYAAAAAAA!!!!!" He yelled as he punched at Ranma's face. Everyone watching the fight was basically dumbstruck up to that point, when they regained their wits and yelled for Ranma to get out of the way. Kasumi covered her eyes and didn't look. Soun's jaw hit the floor and a large panda was waving a sign about "Get out of the way, Boy!". Nabiki for the first time probably had nothing to say. Akane on the other hand was crying and yelling for both of them to stop it. However, everyone, Ryoga most of all gasped in shock when the Bakusai-Tenketsu struck home, with little effect. Ranma was knocked slightly back at the force of the blow, but not much else. Ryoga, in a state of shock thought. "Its my turn now, Pig Boy!" Ranma said evenly before he grabbed Ryoga's extended fist and with a deft twist sent him flying into the wall. He then followed up with a series of punches and kicks on the hapless Ryoga, each blow connecting with awful force. "Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken!!!!" Ranma yelled as blow after blow smashed into Ryoga. Akane was now sobbing and was begging for the two of them to stop it. Everyone now agreed that this had gotten WAY out of hand. "Ranma!!! Stop it please! You've won ok!?" a crying Soun said as a large panda held up a sign "Like he says!". "Uhh, Ranma, I think you can stop now...". Nabiki said rather uncertainly as Kasumi simply refused to look. All of them were shocked though when Ranma turned to look at them, the same icy-cold look he shot Akane, before turning back to the battered and broken Ryoga. "Uhhhh, Ran...ma..Arrgh!" Ryoga managed to get out, barely able to move. Ranma grabbed him by the remains of his shirt and lifted him bodily into the air. "Heh, did you really think I was so easy to beat? I'll have you know you couldn't beat me on your best day, I'd kick your ass anytime. Think about that while on your way to hell!" Ranma spat in Ryoga's face before he flared up once more, his battle aura burning a bright blue while waves of energy surrounded him as he powered up for one final move. "This is it Ryoga, DIE!" Ranma yelled as he drew his fist back. "Hiryuu-Shoten..." Ranma uppercutted Ryoga, sending him into the air with the aid of the cyclone generated by the Hiryuu-Shoten-Ha. Then to everyone's utter shock, he rode the cyclone up as Ryoga crashed to the ground. Ranma looked down at the battered Ryoga before diving off the cyclone "..Kuurin-Dan!!" Ranma dove toward Ryoga at terrific speed, his outstretched fist burning with a bright yellow flame. Everyone knew that if this connected Ryoga would be dead, like REALLY dead. Soun, Genma, Kasumi and Nabiki covered their faces, not wanting to look. Akane, acting on an impulse, ran forward and pulled Ryoga out of the way a split-second before Ranma's fist struck the spot where Ryoga was lying a moment ago. The ground cracked under the force of the blow and everyone fell over as a mini-earthquake shook Nerima for a few seconds. "Ranma!! What do you think you were doing?!? You were going to kill him!?" a sobbing Akane yelled at Ranma, who was standing over them, his right fist still flaming yellow. "Bah, what do you care?, You couldn't care less what happens to me, right?!" Ranma snapped back at Akane, who was cradling the unconscious Ryoga. "Ranma...I...I..." "You what?!? You admit it right?!?" "Ranma..." Akane said softly, "If you're talking about what I said back outside the bathroom, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way. It..It just slipped out..." "Yeah, like a whole lot of other things that just 'slip out' huh?" Ranma said back, not wanting to believe Akane. "Ranma, I'm sorry ok? Let me make it up to you..." Akane smiled through her tears. Ranma paused, not knowing what to say, as if he was thinking about the situation at hand. Everyone else had recovered from the little earthquake and had run to Akane. Kasumi was tending to Ryoga's wounds while Nabiki was on her mobile phone to Dr. Tofu. Soun was still in shock over the whole episode and didn't say a word while a large panda held up a sign saying "I bet that really did Hurt!". Akane looked hopefully at Ranma, who was still silent. "Akane...I'm sorry, but I can't...Not this time..." "WHAT!?!" Everyone exclaimed with a shocked look on their faces. Akane was sobbing again "R...Ranma...W...Why N...Not?" "I need time to think this over. If I say yes, you'd be nice for a while then go back to being your old self again. I've had enough of being taken for granted. Until I decide for sure what I really want to do here, I don't know you." That last statement caused Akane to gasp in utter shock, as with everyone else. Genma held up a sign "What?! Are you mad boy?!?" "Ranma, don't do this, please don't!" Soun blurted out, sobbing Ranma looked at Soun then to his father, in his panda form and slowly shook his head. "I...I'm sorry Pop, Mr. Tendo. But it's going to be this way until things cool down a bit and I'm myself again." Ranma then looked at Akane, who was sobbing more with grief now. Ranma knelt beside her and pushed her hair out of her eyes "Akane, I'm sorry...But it's best for the both of us, you'll see." With that he drew her sobbing face in and kissed her gently on the mouth, her eyes widened in shock for a moment then closed, tears running down her cheeks. Ranma gently brushed them away with his thumb and pushed her hair out of her eyes again. "Goodbye..." he whispered gently into her ear before standing and facing the gate. "R..Ranma...don't go, please don't" Akane tried one last time. Her sentiments echoed by Soun and Genma (with another sign). Ranma cast another look back at the group before. walking slowly out the gate, leaving behind a sobbing Akane and Soun and a dumbstruck Genma, Kasumi and Nabiki. *************** . Jyusei Shimada awoke with a start, sweating profusely over the nightmare he had just had, one in which he was fending off an unseen attacker, trying to prevent it from corrupting his mind and soul. "Strange, why did I suddenly dream of a spiritual attack?" he muttered to himself. "Could it be that spring I fell into this morning?" He thought for a moment, the old guide had been extremely forceful in telling him to back the fuck away from the pools, *especially* the one near the middle, the one that was covered with some kind of spiritual seal and of course, the one he fell into because of his curiosity in what mysteries the pools held. Jyusei eventually rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and pondered the old man's attitude this morning, when he decided to, at one of his Director's insistence, take a look at the so-called Jusenkyo training ground. The whole trip was going quite well too, until he decided to 'take a closer look' at one of the pools. Wonder what 'marketability' there was in that damned place anyway. he mused as he straightened his tie and walked over to the doors leading into the main office. As he was about to open the door, he took a quick glance back at the window. he laughed to himself as he exited his office and was immediately swarmed by the same employees who were trying to get his attention earlier on. None of them noticed the fact that Jyusei's black eyes were now a strange shade of emerald green... ************** That night at the Tendo Dojo, no one was speaking, dinner was a quiet affair, everyone eating their meal in silence. Dr.Tofu had, upon Kasumi's insistance, stayed for dinner after patching up Ryoga, who suprisingly was still alive, though just barely. Dr.Tofu had commented on the extent of Ryoga's injuries, asking how the hell he could have been injured to such a degree. However, given the nature of the situation, and Akane's current unstable state of mind, no one said anything, offsetting the doctor with a fabricated story on how Ryoga had gotten run over by a panda, to which Genma scowled). Ryoga, who was lying upstairs, heard every word. He was ashamed at Akane having to save him from defeat, but that shame was nothing compared to the fact that he lost when he should have had the situation well in hand, lost to Ranma even. Ryoga winces from the pain of his injuries, though he was too proud to admit it, the painful truth was still there, Ranma had beaten him...badly. "Damn, I'm still not strong enough...*ARGH*" Ryoga lets out an involuntary yelp, wincing from pain, which promptly brings most of everyone downstairs running. "Hey Ryoga, you all right?" a worried-looking Akane asked while Dr.Tofu checked his bandages and changed the ones that were soiled from excessive bleeding. Ryoga felt deeply ashamed, in all his life he had never felt so...so helpless as he does now. Outside, storm clouds were gathering, a solemn testament to the mood inside the Dojo. However, no one noticed the dark shape lurking outside the window, which vanished soon after the first droplets of rain began to fall. *************** Ranma, walking down the streets of Nerima in a dejected mood, failed to notice the brewing storm until it was on the verge of breaking. Hearing the thunder rumble high above him, he began to look for shelter. He winced from the pain of his injuries that had only recently begun to bother him. "I suppose I better get moving, don't really want a free shower..." Ranma mused as he quickened his pace slightly. As the first few droplets of rain began to fall, Ranma quickly ran under the nearest awning for shelter, in time to avoid the full force of the storm with quickly followed. "Heh, guess I just made it" he smirked quietly to himself. Looking around, he saw the sign to the place, it read: 'Nekohanten'. his stomach reminded him through the pain. The inside of the Nekohanten was deserted, as it was quite late and the restaurant had closed quite a while ago. Ranma took a chair off one of the tables nearby and collapsed into it, his exhausted body finally giving out on him. "Sorry, we closed". Shampoo said from behind the closed window of the counter. However, sensing the person was still there, Shampoo sighed and walked out to see who it was. "Sorry, we closed, Shampoo afraid you have to...AIYA!! Ranma!! What happen?!?" Shampoo gasped in shock at the sight of a bloodstained Ranma draped across one of the tables. Upon hearing her voice, Ranma looked up weakly. "*Uhhhh* S...Sham...Shampoo...I ..Hhh...*uhh*" Ranma managed to get out before fainting. Shampoo ran to catch him as he fell off the chair. "Great-grandmother!! Come quick!!" she yelled "Ranma need help!!" "What is it child?" Cologne said as she pogoed out from behind the curtain. "Good lord! Who could have done this?! Quick, get him inside and prepare the medicine" Cologne too was surprised at the state Ranma was in, she knew that while not quite the master she was, Ranma is one of the hardest opponents to beat on his best day, so whoever could have done this to Ranma, had to be someone damn good. "Yes Great-grandmother. Come Ranma, Shampoo carry you..." Shampoo draped the unconscious Ranma over her shoulder and gently carried him into the back, giggling all the while, leaving Cologne to ponder the exact facts of what happened. the old prune thought as she hopped into the back room on her staff after locking up the Nekohanten. ************ "This miserable rain! The audacity of it to keep one such as I, Kuno Tatewaki, 17 years old, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High, indoors at a time like this, when I could be out rescuing my pigtailed goddess and the virtuous Akane Tendo from the vile clutches of that demon Saotome!" Kuno said to no one in particular as he cursed the raging storm outside his window. "Who would have thought that I, the high and awesome...Ahh Sasuke, you have returned, tell me, what news there be of my pigtailed goddess and of the noble and virtuous Akane Tendo?" Sasuke, dripping wet all over the expensive carpeting due to his exposure to the rain, drew a disdainful gaze from Kuno as he made his report. "There is no news of the pigtailed one, Master Kuno, however it appears that there has been some trouble at the dojo recently involving Tendo Akane and..." Sasuke was cut short as Kuno grabbed the soaking-wet ninja and shook him violently, demanding more. "WHAT!? What could possibly trouble the noble Akane Tendo?! Speak, speak I say!" "W...W...W...ell...llll. It...it appears that...that..." Sasuke managed to get out as Kuno continued shaking until he realised that Sasuke couldn't speak until he stopped. This being so, Kuno dropped the soaking lump and folded his arms, a look of disdain on his face. "Now speak, tell me of these 'troubles' that plague the noble and virtuous Akane Tendo!" Kuno commanded, looking out the window at the driving rain. "Y...yes Master Kuno" Sasuke, visibly shaken, literally, continued his report. "Well it appears that Saotome Ranma and Hibiki Ryoga were involved in a fight recently. As we speak, Ryoga is recovering at the Dojo, there is no sign of Ranma." Kuno pondered this, Ranma and Ryoga fight almost every day, but this is the first time which there has been any kind of real damage actually been done on one of their fights. "Tell me, my good Sasuke, what condition was the one called Ryoga in?" "He appeared to be badly beaten, from what I could see from where I was located above the window, it appears that the damage sustained in the fight were extremely severe." Kuno started slightly in shock for a moment before realising that Sasuke was nearby and regained his composure. "...And what of my lovely Akane Tendo?" Kuno asked, not wanting to think about what the fight was like. "She appeared extremely distraught, Master Kuno, I overheard one of the..." Sasuke was cut short by Kuno's sudden outburst. "Hark! This simply cannot be! Fear not my love, I, Kuno Tatewaki, 17 years old, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High, shall be by your side in your time of need!" With that, Kuno, forgetting it was raining, dashed outside and was promptly struck by a bolt of lightning. A few seconds later, a car ran over a Kuno-shaped lump on the road, leaving tyre-tracks on what appeared to be it's back... *********** The scene at the Tendo Dojo was a sad one. Since Ranma's departure, Akane had refused to leave her room and was crying most of the time, blaming herself for Ranma's leaving. Kasumi and Dr. Tofu tried endlessly to cheer her up, to little or no avail. Soun mostly was wandering around the dojo seemingly lost, sobbing all the time while Genma was silently cursing Ranma under his breath for causing them such trouble. Happosai had tried on more than one occasion to 'cheer up' Akane, only to get punted into orbit by everyone. Nabiki was staring up at the new Happosai-shaped hole in the roof and sighing. "Akane, come out, you have to eat something or you'll get sick" Dr. Tofu said through the door. "No! I don't want to, just go away and leave me alone!" Akane yelled back through the door, soon after sobbing was heard, along with occasional cries of 'Ranma'. Dr.Tofu sighed and turned to Kasumi. "K...Kasumi, Y...you have to c..convince her to stop being like this, she'll only do herself harm at this r...rate." Dr.Tofu said to Kasumi, before his glasses started fogging up and he began looking around for a skeleton. Kasumi, for once wasn't smiling and had a serious look on her face, she knew how stubborn Akane could be at times and this was one of those times. They were about to give up and leave when there was a knock on the door. "Hello, is there anyone home?" a female voice said "The front door wasn't closed so I thought I'd ...Oh my goodness! What's wrong?" Nodoka Saotome looked around and instantly sensed something was wrong, if the gloomy atmosphere around the dojo wasn't enough of a hint. Nabiki heard a voice and went to the door. "Oh hi, it's been a while" she said as she forced a smile. "Yes, what's wrong around here, did something happen?" Nodoka asked, to which Nabiki quickly responded negatively, saying that everything was just fine. Nodoka didn't buy it. Soun heard her voice and went to greet her while there was a splash in the backyard. Nodoka noted Soun was crying (actually quite normal) and that Ran-ko and Panda wasn't around. Well ok, Ran-ko wasn't around, Nodoka came across a soaking wet Panda in the carp pond, holding up a sign "Hello there, _someone else's_ wife" Nodoka smiled at Panda and asked him where Ran-ko was. Panda held up a sign saying "Umm, err..." when Nodoka heard crying coming from Akane's room. "Oh dear, what's wrong with Akane?" she asked Soun who was stuck for a reply. Seeing this, she walked upstairs and came across Kasumi and Dr.Tofu standing outside Akane's door. Dr.Tofu was blundering about, his glasses fogged and he was holding a skeleton's hand and calling it 'Kasumi' while Kasumi was talking, or trying to, Akane through her bedroom door, with no response. "Oh, hello there" Kasumi said with a smile. "Hello Kasumi dear, what's wrong with Akane" Nodoka asked, Kasumi was stuck for a reply. "Um, well, you see, she's..." Kasumi stopped when Akane threw the door open and walked out. Nodoka saw she looked terrible, she was rather pale and her eyes were red from crying a lot. Nodoka started in surprise when Akane threw herself into Nodoka's arms and began sobbing again. Nodoka held Akane in her arms, gently rocking her back and forth all the while asking Kasumi what is going on. "Let's all go to the dining room, we'll fill you in on what happened..." Nabiki coming up the stairs said before walking back down, Kasumi nodded quickly and left. Pulling Dr.Tofu after her leaving a distressed Akane to cry quietly into Nodoka's arms. "What was that you say? My Ranma got into a fight?! Oh dear, how did it go? Where is he now?!?" Nodoka asked, the others couldn't answer. "Well, he...he...he kind of, ran away after the fight" Nabiki said, wincing at Nodoka's pained expression. "Oh, my dear boy, I hope he's all right." Nodoka said with an extremely worried look on her face. "By the way, if Ranma was here, where's my husband?" Genma(in panda form) began to sweat extremely profusely at this. "He, err, he went off looking for Ranma...". Nabiki quickly replied. Panda held up a sign while vigorously nodding "Yep, yep, like she says!." Nodoka sighed, she had so looked forward to seeing her son and husband again, as usual they weren't around. "By the way, where's Ran-ko? It's not like her to leave her panda behind now is it?" Everyone began to sweat at this, except Akane who was still in Nodoka's arms. "Auntie...Ran...Ran-ko's..." Akane, still sniffling, began before looking at Panda who was sweating madly holding up a sign saying "**PLEASE** don't tell her!!" in addition to making cutting motions across its throat with a paw. "Ran-ko's gone...l...looking for R...Ranma...t...too *sniff*" Akane lied, she had wanted to come out and finally say it, considering the current state of things. Nodoka sensed that Akane was holding something back, and in the back of her mind an old fear surfaced itself, but she refused to show it and since Akane was so upset, she decided not to press her until she'd calmed down a bit. Across the table, Panda was nearly having a heart attack, Kasumi was quietly wiping the excess sweat that had dripped off Panda onto the floor with a towel. "Well..." Nodoka began "If that's all there is to say, I'd like to see the boy who fought with Ranma, if that's ok. Maybe he can tell me something." Nabiki nodded and stood up, everyone else followed, except for Panda who was still frozen to the spot, sweating enough to fill a swimming pool. "It's ok, just don't pressure him too much, he's still in a pretty bad shape, considering what Ranma did to him its a miracle he survived actually..." Nodoka looked shocked at what Nabiki said, it had never occurred to her that Ranma could be so brutal. But then again it hadn't occurred to anyone else too until they saw the fight. Nabiki led Nodoka upstairs to the room where Ryoga was resting. "Ok, try to keep it down, he may be sleeping". Nabiki reminded Nodoka who nodded and Nabiki opened the door, to everyone's utter shock. "What the?!? He's gone!!!!" Nabiki gasped. "What!?!?!? How can he, he could barely move the way he was!!" Panda held out a sign. "Oh my! I hope poor Ryoga is all right" Kasumi said, holding a hand to her mouth. Akane simply looked into the empty room in shock, all that remained of Ryoga was some bloodstained bandages that were used to dress his wounds... ************* Outside, in the driving rain, a figure was perched on the tree above the window, observing the scene inside. It smiled for a moment then was encapsulated in a purple sphere of light before flying off, leaving behind one perfect peach. on it's back was dangled a limp figure wearing a telltale yellow bandanna... To Be Continued..... ************* Author's Note: Well, this is my first attempt at writing a fanfic, some people my disapprove of the violence portrayed in the Ranma vs Ryoga fight, but hey, I'm one of those people who find it hard to write 'soft' combat scenes. This chapter is mainly a build-up of what is to follow, later chapters will contain lemon scenes and more excessive violence. Also later, Ran-ko will make an appearance to fight alongside Ranma in the upcoming tournament, which will be similar to the King Of Fighters. Indeed its their base plot that this story is revolving around, however the incidents and any original characters within are completely my own. I know for those expecting a lemon, you are probably disappointed in this chapter, but don't worry, much more will follow. As I said, this is merely a build-up to the plot which begins to unfold in the next chapter, titled: 'I Feel My Tears' Here is a list of the chapters to follow: Chapter 1: The Awakening *done* Chapter 2: I Feel My Tears *30% complete* Chapter 3: The Other Side of the Coin Chapter 4: Days of Thunder, Nights of Pain Chapter 5: Seijiiku's Dark Haze Chapter 6: Who Do You Love? Chapter 7: The Final Battle: Death or Subservience. Chapters 2-6 will have lemon scenes and Ran-ko makes her appearance in Chapter 3. Plz email me at -kyo@ois.net.au- with any comments, suggestions etc. Any flames will be, as usual, extinguished :) Copyright (c) 1997 Ex.Kyo Kusanagi WORK IN PROGRESS: Chapter 2. K u s a n a g i K y o --|---|-- --|---|-- ----+---- +-----+ /-, +-+- +-----+ |-----| | |-|- | | +-----+ -|- |-|- +-----+ ----|---- / \ +-+- / J \ ----------------------------------------------- "Kusanagi Flames, Yagami Tears, Orochi Blood" Ranma Nibunnoichi Jusenkyo's Curse Standard Disclaimer: All Ranma 1/2 characters are the property of Takahashi Rumiko and etc etc etc. Warning: This chapter contains some lemon bits, if you are offended by lemons, then do not read further. Chapter 2: I Feel My Tears "Excuse me? Sir are you sure you are feeling ok?" an employee asked an annoyed Jyusei who slapped a hand to his forehead in exasperation. "Are you fucking deaf!? I said: Call the reporters and tell them that Shimada Industries will be sponsoring the upcoming Tenkai-Ichi Bodukai after all. Now is THAT too hard for your puny brain to comprehend?! Do it NOW!" Jyusei snapped back to the employee who scurried off to carry out the order. The employee's general reaction wasn't something unexpected though, the entire office was buzzing when Jyusei announced his intention to act as the major sponsor for the upcoming Tenkai-Ichi Bodukai, regardless of the pleas from his Board of Directors who were trying desperately to get him to reconsider his decision. "Mr. Shimada sir, the reporters request an interview session, is that..." "Yes yes, that's fine, just get on with it!" Jyusei snapped, interrupting the startled employee who hurriedly relayed Jyusei's wishes to the person on the end of the line. Jyusei smirked as he imagined the reporters dancing in the streets at the prospect of an interview. Jyusei thought to himself as he strode into his office, slamming and locking the door behind him. he smirked to himself as he reclined on the couch, the events of the past week running through his mind. <...Though this year, the tournament won't be the same as last year's.> he mused as he loosened his tie. In the dim light of his office, his emerald green eyes appeared to glow softly with an inner light. he nodded silently <...After all, only those who possess the essence, have any chance of victory>. His reverie was interrupted by a loud knocking at the door. "Mr. Shimada sir, the reporters are here..." an employee called through the closed doublehung doors. "Tell them I'll be right there!" Jyusei called back as he stood up and readjusted his tie and checked his hair in the full-length mirror that was beside his desk. If anyone else was in the room at the time, they would have seen that Jyusei's reflection...was not his own. "Mr. Shimada, would you please comment on your sudden reconsideration to sponsor the Tenkai-Ichi Bodukai..." a reporter yelled, trying to be heard above the others all wanting answers "Mr. Shimada, is it true that you are planning on changing the tournament this year?" another reporter yelled out, holding a microphone. "Mr. Shimada, what of the rumors that..." another reporter yelled out "Mr. Shimada, can you please tell our viewers about..." yet another asked, straining to be heard. "Alright everyone just HOLD IT!!!!" Jyusei Shimada yelled over the din in the assembly room. No less than 20 reporters from various newspapers and magazines were gathered to hear him speak about his plans for the upcoming tournament. As usual the reporters were contesting with one another to get their questions answered first. "Ok, now when you are all quiet, I shall begin..." Jyusei said evenly as the room fell silent, save for the sounds of tape recorders being clicked on and the snapping of cameras as some took photos. "All right. My decision to act as the major sponsor for this year's Tenkai-Ichi Bodukai was made of my own free will, reasons as to why I reconsidered are unimportant..." Jyusei paused to let the reporters catch up, the sound of pencils furiously scribbling on paper could be heard. "This year's tournament will be run differently to last year's. It shall be run on a much wider scale, with the best fighters from China as well as the rest of Japan taking part..." This generated a buzz. Ever since it was created, the tournament had been run only on a small scale, with at most fighters from nearby towns participating. Jyusei held up a hand for silence before continuing. "...Also, the tournament system this year will also be different, this year we are implementing a system of combat between teams of three fighters each..." This generated a louder buzz, with lots of comments being thrown back and forth. Their reaction was understandable. The word 'Ichi' in Tenkai-Ichi Bodukai represented 'single' or 'one'. For as long as anyone could remember, team combat was never popular among the various Martial Art Schools. Each school had a champion who, like anyone else, each wanted to be the 'Number One Martial Artist In The World'. The prospect of having a team system would not be readily accepted. Jyusei held up a hand and waited for silence, getting it, he continued. "...However, in accordance to tradition, single entries into the tournament will also be accepted..." A low murmur of approval echoed around the room. "...As the odds of victory are much greater for any single entrant, the rewards will undoubtedly be much greater..." Another murmur of approval rippled through the crown of assembled reporters before him. "...Finally, to ensure that competition is fierce, invitations will be sent out during the next month to all fighters from the previous tournaments to compete in what WILL be the greatest tournament of all time..." Jyusei let out a sigh of relief as the reporters nodded and slowly broke into applause as he stepped down to leave. Not suprisingly, security had to keep the reporters at bay while Jyusei beat a quick retreat to his private office. Outside, as the sun set on the horizon, a chillingly evil laugh could be heard to come from inside Jyusei Shimada's office... ************* Ranma awoke with a start, from a nightmare in which he was getting buried alive by Ryoga, possessed by some unearthly power. He sat up, breathing heavily. As his vision refocused, he noticed that he was in a small room that was decorated in the Chinese fashion. Small ornaments and wall hangings depicting famous sayings from great masters of literature adorned the walls, giving it a not-too-unpleasant appearance. Upon further inspection he found that he was lying in a small bed and was buck naked under the covers. In addition, someone had cleaned and dressed his wounds as well. Ranma felt some kind of bandage on his head. Reaching to the back to touch what felt like some sticky substance, he brought his hand forward, half-expecting to see blood. Instead he saw some kind of clear paste vaguely smelling of mint and other herbs. he thought as he rubbed it off onto the bedcovers. Across the room, his clothes were lying on a small stool, cleaned and neatly folded. he thought Ranma climbed out of bed and dressed as fast as his injuries would let him, wincing a few times as he overtaxed his body, which was still healing. Ranma involuntarily let out a yelp as a stab of pain shot through his badly bruised ribs. He checked himself in the mirror. He smoothed out his clothes as he examined them. he mused as he limped out the door. Ranma wandered around the back of the Nekohanten until he found the way into the restaurant, which was quite full, considering it was lunch hour. Shampoo was busily delivering bowls of ramen thrown to her by Cologne from behind the counter to hungry customers that eagerly dug into them. Mousse, as usual was complaining at the amount of cleaning up that needed doing while wiping up spills from the tables and the floor. "Ai-ya!! Ranma!! What you doing out of bed?!?" Shampoo exclaimed as she ran over to support Ranma who was looking extremely unsteady on his feet. Mousse, cleaning the floor, perked up at the mention of Ranma's name. "Ranma?!? Where? Show yourself Saotome! Face me you coward!" Mousse, as usual not wearing his glasses again, was talking to a plant. Ranma simply sighed. "I'm over here, come get me *Uhh* if you can!" Ranma winced again as Shampoo hugged him a little too tightly. Mousse put his glasses on and saw his beloved Shampoo hugging Ranma, which promptly infuriated him. "Saotome!!! How dare you touch my beautiful Shampoo!! Prepare to die!" Before he could try anything however, a splash of water was heard and where Mousse was standing a moment ago, a large duck with glasses was flapping around quacking madly. Behind the counter, Cologne smiled, her right hand holding an empty bucket. "Son-in-law, you shouldn't be out of bed, go back and rest or your wounds won't heal properly." Cologne hopped over to Ranma to see if he was all right. Ranma, now back to his usual self, was a little irritated at being treated like an invalid. "Ahh, quit fussing over me, you dried-up old mummy! I can stand perfectly well on my *OW!*..." Ranma was interrupted by Cologne's stick on the back of his head. "Who's dried-up?" she inquired evenly with a glint in her eye. MuMu-Chan quacked wildly, trying to get anyone's attention. Everyone ignored him as usual. Cologne inspected Ranma's recently dressed wounds and, poking here and there drawing annoyed grunts and yelps from Ranma before nodding after a while. "These wounds need cleaning and redressing..." she stated after a moment. She then turned to Shampoo. <"Xian Pu, take Ranma back up to his room and redress his injuries."> she said in Chinese. Shampoo nodded and walked into the kitchen, exiting after a moment holding an armful of herbs. Ranma blinked at the assortment of items Shampoo had. Ranma thought, turning to leave. Shampoo was about to follow him when she was stopped by Cologne. <"Xian Pu, come here for a moment..."> she said. Shampoo gave Cologne a confused look. <"What for, great-grandmother?"> she asked, depositing the pile she carried onto a nearby table. <"This is too good a chance to pass up...You have a good opportunity to consolidate your claim to Ranma as his fiancee..."> Cologne said, an evil glint in her eye. Shampoo's ears perked up. <"How? What do I need to do?"> Cologne turned and hopped into the kitchen, she exited a moment later holding a packet. Shampoo's eyes widened when she saw what it was that Cologne was holding. <"Great-grandmother, isn't that the lust drug?..."> Shampoo asked, though she already knew and had a pretty good idea what Cologne was going to tell her. MuMu-Chan apparently had noticed as well and obviously was shocked. He quacked wildly about, trying to get attention, failing that, he took off and tried to snatch the packet out of Cologne's hands. Cologne saw the oncoming attack and promptly whacked MuMu-Chan over the head with her staff, hard. The duck dropped out of the air like a rock. Cologne picked up the duck by the throat and hissed angrily to it. <"Muu Su, nothing personal but I simply cannot allow you to interfere this time...Xian Pu has one opportunity to make Ranma hers..."> the duck glared daggers at her. <"...Granted, it calls for a small, sacrifice, on Xian Pu's part..."> the daggers turned to two-handed swords when MuMu-Chan saw Shampoo giggling. Obviously she didn't see it as a sacrifice. MuMu-Chan turned to look at Ranma and glared lightsabers at him. MuMu-Chan thought violently. "Whatcha looking at?" Ranma asked the duck. He then turned to Shampoo. "...Can we get this over quickly? I don't like the idea of standing around here while you two make me play 'Guess what I am saying'..." Cologne whacked Ranma over the head once then turned to leave. "...Old ghoul..." Ranma muttered. Cologne turned to leave, dragging MuMu-Chan with her. Upon entering the kitchen, the turned around to face Shampoo. <"Xian Pu, remember, if you want to make Ranma yours, you must do it...Ranma will be honor-bound to marry you after he does the deed."> she said as Shampoo gathered up the pile of herbs on the table, including the packet containing the lust drug. <"Don't worry, great-grandmother...I'll do it."> Shampoo said, shooting Cologne a hentai grin as she turned an pushed Ranma out of the room, bouncing as she went. MuMu-Chan squirmed ineffectively in Cologne's grip, dearly wishing he could prevent what was about to happen. ************* "Oh, hello there Akane, welcome home..." Kasumi smiled at Akane as she came home from school. It was already late in the evening. Akane had spent most of the day wandering around school and visiting all of Ranma's hangouts asking people if they'd seen Ranma anywhere. As usual she got the same negative response. "Hi Kasumi...did Ranma come home yet?" Kasumi shook her head. Akane sighed. "He wasn't at school today either. Miss Hinako was wondering where he was. I'm beginning to get worried." Akane slumped her shoulders and walked into the house. "Hey you guys, take a look at this!" Nabiki called out from the living room. She was watching TV. It was turned to the news channel which was currently showing the interview that happened earlier today with Jyusei Shimada. "What is it Nabiki?" Kasumi asked from the kitchen where she and Nodoka were busy preparing dinner. Everyone was exhausted, the whole day was spent in search of Ryoga for fear that in his current state and his cabbage-like sense of direction, some harm would befall him before long. No one had yet noticed the peach that was left outside the window of the guest room where he was sleeping at the time. Akane came out of her room shortly after changing. "Hey Akane, come listen to this! Gee, I'm starting to wish *I* was a Martial Artist" Nabiki said with a sly grin. "...And to other news, today, in an interview that shocked the community, Mr Jyusei Shimada, CEO of Shimada Enterprises made the following statement..." The screen cuts to a close-up of Jyusei as he speaks to the cordon of reporters assembled before him. "...between teams of three participants each..." Jyusei drones on as Soun and Genma looked on in shock. Akane had calmed down a lot since Ranma's departure and was beginning to get back into her old cycle, though at the back of her mind she was still wondering where Ranma was. "...Furthermore, this year, we've upped the ante. The winning team shall receive a total of 10 million yen in prize money..." At this Nabiki's eyes widened, dollar-signs circling her head. Soun and Genma(in panda form since Nodoka was here) ranted and raved on about the change in the tournament system and how it was unethical, a disgrace to martial arts etc etc. "Disgraceful!! Who does he think he is?! Just because he is the richest bastard in town doesn't mean that you can alter a time-honored system of martial arts combat!" Soun yelled, banging the table as Genma held up signs saying "Yep!" and "Like he says!". Kasumi simply watched the rest of the program in blissful ignorance, not knowing what her father and Genma were carrying on about. Nodoka, in the meantime, had come out to see what the commotion was and caught the end of the interview. "...Finally, to ensure that competition is fierce, invitations will be sent out to all fighters from the previous tournaments to compete..." Jyusei was finishing the interview and as the newscaster took over, Nodoka commented that maybe this new system wasn't too bad if it gave her a chance to see Ranma. Genma flinched, a large sweatdrop running down the back of his head. Nodoka mused with a smile on her face, thinking that this will be a chance for her to finally meet her *manly* son. Genma saw the smirk on his wife's face and cringed, he had a pretty good idea what was running through her head and he didn't like it. he thought miserably Genma cringed when Nodoka turned to look at him, smiling. Another large sweatdrop trickling down the back of his head as he met her gaze. he thought However, Nodoka's question surprised him. "Has anyone seen Ran-ko lately?" Everyone cringed. "She's been gone a long time, it's unlike her to stay away for this long without her panda..." Genma scowled silently as she said 'her panda'. It's 1) as if he WAS her panda, 2) he wasn't a panda(well in a real sense anyway) and 3) he was *his*(Ranma's aka Ran-ko) father. However, the scowl died as she directed her gaze at him, another large sweatdrop running down the back of his head. "Do you know where she's gone, Mr.Panda?" she asked with a smile. Panda immediately held up a sign reading "Nope, no idea!". Nodoka considered this for a moment. "I hope she's all right, I'm sure you are all starting to get worried about her...If she doesn't come home soon, we better go look for her." Everyone face-faulted but agreed. Akane however, said that she wasn't feeling well and asked if she could stay home. Nodoka agreed considering Akane was still looking a little pale and sickly. Suddenly Happosai leapt in through the window and latched himself on Akane's bust. Akane face-faulted then reached behind her for something looking and feeling very much like a mallet... "My sweet little Akane! Sick are we? Let an old man make you feel better..." Happosai managed to get out before being pancaked by Akane's mallet then punted into the stratosphere by everyone. ************ "*Uhh* Where on earth am I now?" Ryoga mumbled as he slowly regained consciousness. The last thing he remembered was being encapsulated in some glowing sphere of light flying toward some...mountain was it? Then he heard voices, two, was it? No three, three voices, sounding incredibly familiar, he had heard them somewhere before, talking about him, it sounded like, before he passed out. Ryoga thought as he looked around the room, he was lying on a large double-bed, under the covers. To the left and behind was a table with a semi-circular couch, at least that was what it looked like. The table had a pink curtain, parted in the middle and tied to either side with a pick strap. Ryoga eyes widened as he recalled. Ryoga threw off the blanket, and immediately threw it back on, he was naked under the covers!! "*Yikes!* What the hell?!" Ryoga hastily looked around for his clothes. Someone had cleaned and dressed his wounds while he was unconscious, and quite possibly performed some kind of magical healing as well, considering the fact that his broken bones were fully healed and he only had some minor cuts and scratches. His clothes were neatly folded and laid in a heap on the bedside table, something which took him the better part of 15 minutes to find after wandering around the room looking for them. Ryoga quickly dressed and noted that someone had mended his clothes as well. Ryoga thought as someone knocked, snapping him out of his reverie. "Who is it?" The door slowly opened and someone looking half-monkey walked in. "Hey, Sarutoru, what's the big idea?" Ryoga quizzed the monkey-man. "Good to see you're up, Prince Toma wants to see you...Please follow me." Sarutoru beckoned Ryoga who followed after a moment's hesitation. Ryoga mused as he followed Sarutoru down long, seemingly endless corridors. As they walked, Ryoga noticed that everyone looked worried...scared even. Some of the guards shrinking away from him as they approached. Ryoga mused as they arrived at a large set of doors. "Ah, so there you are" Toma smiled as Sarutoru led Ryoga into his chambers, bowed and left. "Hello, good to see you, what did you want with me?" "First things first" Toma beckoned for Ryoga to take a seat across him. "How are your injuries? I treated them to be best of my ability. I must say that I am surprised at how you were still alive, considering the amount of internal injury you sustained." "Ah, so it was you who healed me, then I thank you. Damn Ranma, I swear I will make you pay for what you did!" Toma's eyes widened as he heard Ranma's name mentioned. "Ranma!? Did HE do that!?..." Toma couldn't believe that Ranma could be capable of doing such harm to another person, even when he fought Ranma a few months back during the Martial Arts Marriage contest. Ranma had fought fiercely, but all his blows were controlled. "I thought he was your friend..." "Friend?! Bah! Well.....he still is I guess, but we had a little, erm, disagreement a few days ago..." Ryoga was surprised that he still thought of Ranma as a friend, even though he wanted to avenge the beating he'd received. "'Little disagreement' well, whenever the two of you have a major one, remind me to leave" Ryoga laughed at Toma's joke, but soon became serious again. "So...you still haven't told me what you brought me here for?" Toma's expression immediately turned serious. Ryoga had a gut feeling that something was definitely wrong. "A few days ago, all our illusory powers went wrong for some reason. Being illusions, our attacks technically do no physical damage to an opponent. However, for some reason, our illusions now are no longer just that, they have become substantial..." "What are you saying? That your illusions do real damage now!?" Ryoga shrunk back slightly, their illusory attacks were bad enough, but being REAL attacks? A large sweatdrop trickled down the back of his head as Toma continued. "...Yes, but that's not all. For another unknown reason, Togenkyo, about 3 months after we left Japan changed course and floated back toward Japan, against the current! We had tried to work out what was doing this but to no avail...until we heard the news..." Toma's voice trailed off. Ryoga was now sweating profusely, he did not like what he was hearing. "Um...so where do I fit in to all this? I'm just a martial artist, I don't know about magic and all that..." Ryoga started to say but stopped when he saw Toma's worried gaze. "Two days ago, we came within range of Japan, just far enough to pick up television and radio signals. I assume you watched the news two days ago?..." "Kinda hard to watch TV if you can't even move right?" Ryoga smiled weakly. "Well, it seems that the guide to the Jusenkyo springs has been killed..." "WHAT! How can he be..." Ryoga was deeply shocked, if anything, he was the only man alive who knew everything about the springs. With his death went all hope of a permanent cure for his curse. "Do....do they know.....how?" Ryoga asked in a soft voice. "The person who found the corpse at the site said that he wasn't killed by any normal means...It appeared that the body was mangled after he was killed. As the state of the corpse shows that he had been dead for centuries. As someone who knows a little about the workings of magic, we suspect that he was killed by some spiritual being..." "Spiritual....being? Come on, you're not trying to tell me some ghost's wandering around Jusenkyo killing off people are you? Well I guess there are ghosts wandering there...but what are you saying?" "I'm saying, that quite possibly one of the spirits from the pools has escaped..." Toma's face, for once in his life, had none of the childish spirit to it, it seemed dark and serious. Ryoga took a good long look at Toma and saw that this had affected him too, he looked visibly older and like he hadn't slept in days. "Um...Even if that is true, what does that have to do with me?" Ryoga asked, his voice trembling slightly. "Aren't you Jusenkyo cursed? Like Ranma and a few others are?" Ryoga nodded, his stomach churning at what Toma was getting at. "...You aren't trying to tell me...that...anyone who's cursed will be..." Toma nodded solemnly, Ryoga's face immediately paled and he looked faint. "...W...what's this g...got to do w-with you though?" Ryoga asked in a shaking voice. "About the time our illusions started working wrong, the legendary spring below the surface of the island began glowing. During the past few days, a few of us have been getting...visions..." Toma's voice trailed off. "What kind of...visions?" Ryoga was now getting quite worried, losing the chance of ever finding a cure for his curse was one thing, but this was different. Oh, he'd dealt with situations on a spiritual level before, but something that could affect the magic of Togenkyo was way beyond his league. Toma paused a moment, as if recalling something. "Have you ever heard of a demon named Kasunama Seijiiku?" Toma asked, Ryoga shook his head. "Well, according to a legend my mother once told me, he was the feared demon-warlord who ravaged over half of China before finally being killed by a martial artist who was able to use his own powers against him...He was killed by being thrown into one of the Jusenkyo pools, then the pool was covered, drowning him...The pool that the corpse of the guide was lying next to..." Toma looked at Ryoga, who was sweating profusely. "But what do you want me to do?! Even if this demon did somehow escape, how can you expect me to defeat it?" "The reason I brought you here to Togenkyo was to ask you, have you noticed anything strange in the behaviour of your friends lately? Have they shown any signs of change or anything like that?" Ryoga thought for a moment, Ranma had seemed different during their fight, he had seemed almost....possessed. Though he doubted that he was, his reaction to Akane after the fight proved that. "N....no, not really, I wouldn't know what you mean by...different." Toma slowly nodded and stood up, a smile on his face. "Well, it was nice seeing you again, sorry if I seemed rude by simply dragging you over here..." Ryoga smiled, he began to think it was rather amusing. "One thing, why did you pick ME out of all the other guys? Why didn't you bring Ranma over here?" Ryoga posed the question that had been nagging at him for a while. Toma smirked at Ryoga's confused look. "Sarutoru couldn't find Ranma anywhere, you were the only other martial artist that was on Ranma's level..." Ryoga almost choked. "...Besides, if we hadn't brought you here and healed you, you wouldn't have survived the night..." Ryoga choked. Toma nodded gravely. "I don't know what Ranma was thinking when he fought you, but he sure knew what he was doing...Your internal injuries were massive, the only way to save you was by magical healing." Ryoga nodded, his mind still reeling. "Then I must thank you...For saving my life..." Ryoga said uneasily to Toma. "Think nothing of it, we need your help...What is worrying me at the moment is that whatever is causing our illusions to become real is also what caused the Jusenkyo guide's death. If it came to Japan, think of what could happen..." Ryoga blanched, he knew full well what a vengeful spirit could do if it was let loose. "As much as I like our illusions being real...We can't keep things this way. Something has to be done soon...Togenkyo in addition to floating back toward Japan, is also sinking...Extremely slowly of course, but if we ignore this..." Ryoga nodded, his mind struggling to make sense of all this. Ryoga took a good long look at Toma. He looked like he'd matured since the Martial Arts Marriage Contest a few months ago. Ryoga smiled at the memory, it was one of the fun times they had together, even though Ranma ended having to destroy the spring to save Akane. Ryoga snapped out of his reverie when Toma spoke again. "We are nearing Japan, we'll probably reach it in a few days or so, you can stay if you like. If not then we'll return you to your friends, they must be worried about you." Ryoga nodded, he could imagine Akane worrying about him, that thought warmed his heart. he thought, a silly grin on his face. "But please, if anything strange happens, will you tell us? Maybe we can help deal with whatever is causing these strange happenings...I dearly hope that it isn't what it think it is that is causing them." Ryoga nodded his affirmation, though his mind was on the fact that the Jusenkyo guide was dead and with him, most probably any hope of a permanent cure for his curse. He didn't notice Sarutoru walk into the room. "Sarutoru will return you to your friends, farewell..." Toma waved to Ryoga who stepped over to Sarutoru and was encapsulated in a glowing sphere of light before vanishing. ************ "H...Hey! Shampoo! Quit pushing! Hey!..." Ranma spluttered as Shampoo playfully pushed him into the room and onto the bed. She then walked over to a nearby table and dumped the armful of herbs, spices and the kitchen sink onto it. She then took out a teapot and, opening the top, emptied the contents of the packet containing the drug into it. Shampoo thought, grinning wickedly. <...Finally I can go home with husband...> Shampoo was so absorbed in thought she didn't sense Ranma coming up behind her until he was almost on top of her. "What're you doing, Shampoo?" he asked, peering at the open teapot. Shampoo jumped, literally, as she got a surprise. "Aiya! Ranma, no sneak up like that! You scare Shampoo!" she said in mock anger before holding out a cup of tea. "...Drink!" she said, smiling. Ranma took the cup but didn't drink. "...What didja put in it?" he asked after a moment. "Shampoo no put anything in tea!" she said indignantly. Oh suuuuuuure she didn't. "Shampoo try to be nice and make tea for hurt husband and he no like..." Shampoo said, tears forming in her eyes. "Ack! Shampoo, don't cry! I'll drink it, I'll drink it!" Ranma said quickly, gulping down the tea in one mouthful. He failed to notice the look of satisfaction on Shampoo's face as he downed the tea. thought Shampoo. <...Finally you will say that you love Shampoo and will marry her.> "Funny taste, that tea, you sure you didn't put anything into it?" asked Ranma, peering into the cup. Shampoo put on an innocent look and shook her head, smiling cutely at Ranma. "Shampoo no put anything into tea, ai-ren...Lie on bed, Shampoo need change bandage..." she said, pushing Ranma onto the bed again. She began to rummage through the pile of medicinal herbs and items that she brought with her, mumbling something unintelligible in Chinese all the while. Ranma however, couldn't take his eyes off Shampoo's butt, which was facing him as she was bent over the small table nearby. He could almost see her panties through the thin white skirt she wore. His eyes dropped lower to gaze at her legs, which disappeared up into where her skirt began. All the time he was yelling to himself not to think such thoughts, however he wasn't succeeding, his growing erection was proof of that. A strange longing was building up inside him. The more he tried to tear his gaze away from Shampoo's ass, the more he found himself staring. Ranma cursed himself. Though the answer he came up with was something along the lines of 'I don't care!'. He remembered exactly why he ran away from the dojo in the first place. Akane said that he'd be better off dead, didn't she? "Ranma? What you thinking?" Shampoo asked, smiling as she walked over to him holding a bundle of cotton wool and some yellow liquid in a bottle. Ranma turned onto his side, trying to hide his obvious erection from her. He couldn't help but note the flimsy blue top she wore, barely covering her breasts and the way they bounced as she walked. Taking a closer look, he could see the outlines of her nipples through her flimsy top. She unbuttoned his shirt and, after removing the old dressings, began to clean the wounds. From the way she was standing, Ranma could see her entire bust through her top which was hanging down. He got even more turned on by the sight. he yelled at himself once more He tried to stop by thinking of Akane again, but it only made things harder. Yes she does Ranma, why else do you think she cried when you left? Kuno? Yeah right. Ryoga? He would if he was in any state to even move. You know she wouldn't! "Yaaaaagh!" Ranma yelled out, frustrated at losing a battle with himself, Shampoo however, thought that she'd hurt him while she was cleaning off the wounds and immediately backed off, a concerned and shocked look on her face. "Ranma...you ok? Shampoo sorry if..." she looked sheepishly at the ground. Ranma stood up and walked over to her. he mentally berated himself. His mind knew full well what he was thinking of doing was hell wrong, but for some reason his body didn't agree. His throbbing erection was more than adequate proof of that. "Ranma!.." Shampoo was surprised when he gave her a hug. A part of her said that he shouldn't be doing this, a VERY small part. The rest was telling her that it was what she wanted. his mind screamed at him. His body was thinking otherwise however, as his hug became a caress. "Shampoo, it's ok, it wasn't your fault, I was just thinking..." "What you thinking Ranma?" Shampoo looked up uncertainly at him, her eyes never leaving his face. his mind immediately pushed in, before his mouth could wander. "Shampoo...I've been thinking...Umm...that we can...err..." Ranma being this close to Shampoo, could smell her scent, it was nice, smelling faintly of lilac. Ranma lost his mind for a moment, unconsciously running a hand through her soft, purple hair. He could smell the shampoo she used as he played with a few strands, it's scent making him feel light-headed. He abruptly stopped, realising what he was doing. The drug was now beginning to take full effect and Ranma, unknowingly, was losing control over his faculties. His mind recovering in time to scream at him. He released his hold on her and walked over to the table, where all sorts of paraphernalia were scattered. Shampoo, watched for a moment then walked over, hugging him from behind. Ranma felt a twinge of electricity when she hugged him. He could feel her breasts poking into his back and, shamefully, his own erect member poking at the front of his pants. "Shampoo...I...I..." It was as far as he got as Shampoo turned him around and drew his face down for a kiss. his conscience yelled out. Ranma yelled back at his conscience. Ranma ignored the mental warnings, his mind set on doing something that he wanted for once, or rather, what his body wanted. Fully under the influence of the lust-inducing drug now, he kissed Shampoo back, their tongues intertwining as he picked her up and walked over to the bed. They didn't break the kiss until Shampoo pushed him onto the bed and began to undo her top. "Ranma, Shampoo wait so long for today..." she smiled as she slipped out of her top, her breasts swinging into full view. Ranma's eyes widened at the sight of them, his erect manhood raising a lump in his pants. Shampoo giggled when she saw it, Ranma immediately blushed and tried to hide it. Shampoo simply smiled, put a hand down his pants and began to stroke it. Ranma started in shock for a moment, realising that Shampoo was beside him half-naked and giving him a hand-job. He moaned softly at the pleasure her rubbing was giving him., Cupping her breasts in his hands, he began to suckle on a hard nipple. Shampoo let out a soft moan as her breasts felt like they were on fire. She shivered as Ranma continued sucking and occasionally nibbling, drawing gasps of pleasure from her, momentarily stopping her from finishing the hand-job she was giving him. Ranma eventually stopped and stood up, Shampoo gasped as he dropped his pants and his erect manhood was fully exposed. Ranma laid back down on the bed as Shampoo timidly took his manhood in her hands and began to play with it. Ranma moaned with pleasure as Shampoo began to suck at it, deep-throating it while Ranma's hands found their way up her skirt and began to tease the moistening area of her panties. Shampoo moaned as Ranma's fingers found their way under her panties and found her hardening clit. Even the slightest contact was enough to send shockwaves of ecstasy through her. Shampoo almost wanted to grab Ranma's wrist and make him drive his fingers into her, or suck them, anything to make him stop driving her crazy with the pleasure she was getting now. "Ai-ya! Ranma no...t-tease Shampoo...ok?" Shampoo managed to get out in between gasps and moans. Ranma smiled and nodded as he pulled her wet panties down to her ankles and began eating her out from behind as they twisted into a 69. Shampoo's head began bobbing up and down frantically as she deep-throated Ranma, stopping occasionally to lick up and down his shaft, kissing or sucking on the tip. Ranma, behind her, was lost in a sea of ecstasy, muttering Shampoo's name more than once as Shampoo continued her treatment. his mind clicked for a moment. <...Wha...what am I doing?!?...> he thought. But before his mind could answer, it gave way to the drug's influence once more. Ranma moaned and watched Shampoo's head continue bobbing. From his position behind her, he could smell her musky scent as he licked at her wet womanhood, his tongue penetrating her wet folds and into her tight hole more than once, drawing moans of pleasure from her. Ranma's conscience kept plaguing him as he continued to pleasure Shampoo from behind. his mind screamed from behind the barrier of insatiable lust that the drug was imposing onto Ranma, now lost in a world of ecstasy as he felt himself start to cum. Shampoo, sensing this, increased her tempo as Ranma did likewise, licking her clit with an increasing pace. Both screamed as they came almost simultaneously, Ranma's seed splashing into Shampoo's mouth as her honey ran down Ranma's face, who eagerly licked up as much as he could as Shampoo likewise swallowed as much of his seed as she could. Shampoo sat up and slowly positioned herself over Ranma's still-erect manhood. Ranma's eyes widened as he silently posed the question, 'You sure you want to do this?'. Shampoo, seeing the look in his eyes, simply nodded and guided the tip of his rock-hard shaft toward her wet opening. "Ok, Shampoo, just go slowly at first, it may hurt." Shampoo nodded and began to lower herself onto Ranma's shaft. Taking his advice, she went slowly at first, feeling her vaginal walls expand to accommodate his manhood. The feeling was euphoric, although it was mixed slightly with pain, it felt better than anything she'd ever felt before in her entire life. The hours masturbating in the bathroom and in bed were nothing compared to this. Shampoo continued descending until she suddenly stopped when she felt Ranma's manhood gently poke her hymen. She looked at Ranma expectantly. "Shampoo..." Ranma began but was shushed when Shampoo put a finger to his lips, her eyes saying all. Ranma nodded and, with one upthrust, broke her. Shampoo screamed at the sudden pain as she felt something run down her inner thigh. But soon the feeling of pleasure took over as the pain vanished and she began to moan in ecstasy as Ranma slowly thrust upward into her. The feeling of pleasure was overwhelming, Shampoo moaning Ranma's name and "wo te ai-ren"(my husband, my lover etc) more than once as she could hear Ranma's grunts and moans of pleasure and, even better to her, the sound of her own name. Ranma decided that he'd had enough of being on the bottom and pushed her off, drawing a small 'Huh?' from Shampoo. She looked at Ranma who came up behind her and before she could realise what was going on, entered her wet pussy from behind. Shampoo began moaning again as the euphoric feeling of pleasure redoubled itself, this time with Ranma in control of the tempo as he held onto her hips for support. Watching Shampoo's breasts jiggle back and forth only caused him to lust for more. "Ai-ya! Ranma!...Ai-ya!..." Shampoo screamed as she felt herself approach her second orgasm. Ranma noted this and began to drive himself into her faster. However, Shampoo suddenly pulled herself off and, pushing Ranma back onto the bed, began to ride him with increasing speed. This time Ranma didn't complain, he simply drove his hips upward in time with her pounding. Shampoo knew she couldn't hold on any longer and when she came, she came hard, her pussy clenching tightly onto Ranma's manhood like a vice, her honey running down his erect shaft as he continued to thrust into her. The extra tightness was all he needed and, after a few more strokes, he shot off his hot seed inside her, Shampoo screaming with pleasure as she felt the hot wetness splash inside her. Both of them were silent for a while after that, breathing heavily. Ranma pulled his softening member from Shampoo as she got off him and sat up beside him, gazing at him with tear-filled eyes. Ranma smiled at her and reached up with one hand to gently rub her cheek before gently pulling her toward him. Shampoo buried her face into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her lovingly as she cried quietly into his chest. "Shampoo...what's wrong?" Ranma asked quietly. "N...Nothing, Shampoo just happy...happy that Ranma love Shampoo..." Shampoo said in between sobs. Ranma simply stroked her hair and smiled, it smelled fresh and clean. "R...Ranma..." "Hmm?" "Do you love Shampoo?" "Ssshhhh, Shampoo..." Ranma whispered into her ear "...You know I do..." Shampoo's heart leapt as he said it, and simply continued crying into his chest out of happiness. Her whimpering slowly faded and stopped completely after a while. The couple fell asleep after a while. Outside, Cologne turned away from the door and smiled, it had all gone perfectly. A few hours later Ranma awoke with a start. Now that the drug had worn off, he was wondering where he was and more importantly, what he had been doing. "Where the hell am I? What the hell's been...ACK!" Ranma yelped when he saw Shampoo, completely naked, snuggled up to him. Ranma asked himself furiously. He desperately tried to slide her off him without waking her, with little success. "What the hell is she doing here like this?!?" Ranma whispered furiously to himself. "...And why is she naked?" Ranma peered around the room, it was now dark but there was no mistaking this was the room she'd dumped him into before everything went hazy. There was a strange, faint, lingering smell in the room. It was rather hard to place, he'd smelled it somewhere before, just can't quite place it. He shrugged the blanket off and tried once more to push Shampoo off him, and the scent filled the room. Ranma's stomach lurched, not from the scent, but from realisation. "Oh God! No...Don't tell me I did...with Shampoo..." Ranma said, trying to convince himself. He moved aside slightly and saw a small patch of blood on the bedsheet, blood that Shampoo had leaked when he broke her hymen. "Shampoo..." he gently spoke her name into her ear. Shampoo stirred after a moment and woke up. "Hmm, ai-ren?" "Did we just...just...do...you know...Well did we?!?" Ranma asked, almost frantically. Shampoo smiled and nodded before burying her face into Ranma's chest again, nuzzling softly. Shampoo thought. <...Ranma no remember what he do, pity...It so nice...> "Ranma have Shampoo now..." she said happily. "...Shampoo always waiting so long for this..." Shampoo continued expounding on how wonderful it was that she now had Ranma all to herself. Ranma however, wasn't listening, his mind was too busy trying to work out what to do now. Ranma thought feverishly, panic rising in him. "Shampoo..." he put both hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her away to within arms length. "What is it, ai-ren?" Shampoo replied, giggling. 'Promise me you won't tell anyone about this!" Ranma said, almost pleading. Shampoo feigned a look of surprise. "Why? Shampoo so happy now, must tell violent-girl that violent-girl lose to Shampoo..." Shampoo thought, grinning evilly. "NO!..." Ranma shouted, startling Shampoo. Then he caught himself and forced himself to be calm. "...I mean, don't do that, please..." he said. "Why not? Why ai-ren no want violent tomboy girl to know?" "Shampoo listen..." Ranma said, taking a deep breath. "...If Akane finds out, she'll kill me, no...Her father will kill me, and that's just the start...If he finds out I've 'broken off with Akane', as he would put it, there's no telling what he'd do." Ranma looked down at his lap, his voice now soft and withdrawn. "...I don't know what he'd do, I don't know what *I* would do...He may choose to throw me and oyaji out of the dojo altogether..." Ranma paused, and drew in a breath. Shampoo noted with surprise and a little shock that it drawn raggedly, almost as if he were trying not to cry. Suddenly his head shot up, anger flaring in his eyes. "...Why did I do this anyway?!? I wouldn't do it willingly!..." Ranma said menacingly. Shampoo yelped as she felt his grip on her shoulders tighten painfully. "...What did you do to me Shampoo?!? What did..." Ranma's voice trailed off. "...Of course...the tea!" Shampoo paled. "What...what you talking Ranma?...Shampoo no understand..." she said meekly. "Don't hand me that!" Ranma snapped back. "...I know you put something into that tea you gave me!..." Shampoo yelped again as Ranma's fingers dug into her skin painfully. "...I want to know WHAT!" Shampoo remained silent and said nothing. Ranma shook her. "...Tell me Shampoo! What did you put in the tea?!?" he rephrased his question, this time adding more force behind his words. Shampoo lowered her head shamefully and began to sob quietly. "...Forgive Shampoo, Ranma...was Hibaa-chan tell me to do..." she said, blinking back a few tears. "What did that old prune tell you to do?!? Don't lie to me Shampoo!" Ranma shook her once more. "Hibaa-chan tell Shampoo...Tell Shampoo that..." Shampoo began, sniffling pathetically. "Told you what?!?" Ranma almost shouted. Shampoo winced then broke down and began to cry. Ranma's anger slowly dissipated, he always found it hard to stay mad at a crying girl, this was no exception. Shampoo's sobbing was starting to make him feel guilty. "...I'm sorry Shampoo..." he said, calming his voice. "...But I have to know...Tell me...Please." Ranma took his right hand off Shampoo's left shoulder and wiped away a tear with a finger. Shampoo nodded after a while. "Hibaa-chan say that if Shampoo want to make Ranma husband, make love to Ranma...Then must marry or lose honor..." Shampoo said, trying not to choke on her words. "Why that withered, dried up, stinky old...*ACK*" Ranma let out a yelp of surprise and pain before collapsing unconscious to the bed. Shampoo looked up in surprise at Cologne who was poised on her staff behind Ranma. For all of Ranma's legendary danger senses, they were still no match for a 300 year old master of the martial arts. Cologne shook her head. "...Stupid boy, you had to find out, didn't you?..." she said with a tinge of regret in her voice. <"...Xian Pu, he must not remember this incident...You know what to do..."> Shampoo blinked in shock. <"You mean, use the Xi Fa Xiang Gao Shiatsu?...No! Not on Ranma! He will never forgive me!"> Shampoo retorted. <"You foolish girl! If you don't then when he awakes, he will hate you anyway! What you have just done is unforgivable in his mind..."> Cologne paused to draw breath. <"...The choice is yours granddaughter...If you want to marry Ranma, then I suggest you do it, and do it now..."> Cologne turned and hopped from the room. Shampoo looked down at the unconscious Ranma. <"Ranma, please forgive me, it's the only way..."> Shampoo said, hoisting Ranma over her shoulder and walking into the bathroom. In the bathroom, Shampoo deposited Ranma on a small bath stool and took a place behind him. She sighed and looked at the bottle of shampoo in her hand, Formula 411. Steeling herself, she commenced the process, 60 seconds later, it was done and Ranma would never remember any of the wonderful things that they'd done this night. Shampoo sighed again, pausing to flick a few stray tears out of her eyes before picking Ranma up again and carrying him back into the bedroom and depositing him onto the bed. Ranma awoke a few minutes later. "...Man, I must have been tired out..." he looked around the room, it was now dark. "...Yep, I must have slept through Shampoo's treatment." He looked around the room and saw Shampoo sitting on the chair near the table, she appeared to be sifting through the pile of herbs until she heard Ranma wake. "Oh, you wake up Ranma..." she said, putting on as cheerful a face as she could. "...You sleep well, yes?" Ranma nodded and scratched the back of his head. "...Yep, sure did, man I sure feel refreshed..." he said, grinning. "...Thank you for helping me Shampoo, I owe you one..." Shampoo thought sadly. "Hey! What's wrong, Shampoo?" he asked, noticing the sad look on her face. Shampoo shook her head and put on a forced smile at Ranma. "Nothing, Shampoo okay..." she said, bouncing away from the table. Ranma made to get out of bed then noticed he was naked. "Ack! Where are my clothes?!?" he exclaimed, clutching the covers to his chest. "...Shampoo! Did you do anything while I was asleep?!?" Shampoo shook her head. "N...No, Shampoo no do anything...S...Shampoo only change bandage..." she said, stuttering slightly. Ranma breathed a sigh of relief. "Phew, okay, where are my clothes?" Shampoo pointed to a stool beside the bed and turned away as Ranma dressed. "Ok, I'm done..." he exclaimed, standing up and stretching. As he did so, something on the table caught his eye. "What are those small silver packets over there on the table?" Ranma was curious as to what the packets resembling packs of trading cards in silver wrapping were. "Oh, that is anti-curse powder. Great-grandmother say it can remove curse but..." "WHAT!?" Ranma jumped up at hearing that. "Why didn't you tell me you had this sooner?!?" Shampoo looked at the ground, hesitating a bit before saying anything. "Because Great-grandmother say it only temporary..." Ranma face-faulted. "...As well as un-sta-ble." Shampoo's Japanese wasn't all that good and she had trouble pronouncing complicated words. "Bah, what the hell, being cured for a while is better than not being cured at all! Come on, show me how you use it!" Shampoo sighed, she had hoped not to tell Ranma about the powder because it was rather unstable and could have unpredictable results. At any other time she would have simply refused but, looking at Ranma who was eyeing her expectantly, and considering what she'd just done. She thought it would be all right to give him the powder once. If only to ease her conscience. "Ok Ranma, come into bath..." Shampoo walked over to the table and gathered up the packets along with a few other items as Ranma eyed her from the bed, a noticeable bulge growing between his legs as he watched her breasts jiggle. "Err...Right behind you!" Ranma waited a moment for his erection to drop before following Shampoo into the bathroom. "Ranma, Shampoo give you powder only if you promise to keep secret ok?" Ranma eagerly promised, it was as if he was going to reveal something this wonderful to his lame excuse of a father, who couldn't care less who he engaged(or sold) him to. Ranma ran over the possible candidates that he could tell and came up negative on each one. Shampoo ran the bath, waiting for the bathtub to fully fill with cold water before emptying the contents of a packet into the water. Ranma could see the silvery dust glimmer as it fell and dissolve as it mixed with the water. Ranma thought to himself as he saw the look on Shampoo's face, half-pleading him not to do it. "Ok...what's next?" Ranma asked. Shampoo, hearing this, slumped her shoulders in resignation and, picking up a bucketful of cold water from beside her, dumped it onto Ranma. "H...Hey!! What's that for!?...Brrr! That's cold!" A shivering Ranma-chan exclaimed. Shampoo simply looked at her with a look of resignation on her face. "For powder to work, must be in cursed form..." Shampoo took a long look at Ranma-chan, like it was the last time she'd ever see the redheaded girl again. Her eyes scanned Ranma-chan all over, stopping particularly at her chest and the spot between her legs to eye her voluptuous curves and red pubic bush respectively. Ranma-chan blushed furiously, covering her chest with her arms. she cursed herself silently as she felt her nipples erect and a growing wetness between her legs. Ranma-chan couldn't help but feel that Shampoo was liking this too. Ranma-chan was surprised when Shampoo reached out and touched her mound, running her fingers through the red pubic hair. Ranma would never admit it, but on occasion he liked getting off as a girl. It felt 'different' somehow, and having the best of both worlds he was able to fully appreciate it. That's probably one thing his curse was good for. But now however, he, she rather, felt kind of strange, she was actually liking Shampoo's fingers playing with her moistening sex. Ranma-chan felt herself getting wetter as Shampoo gently spread her lips and stroked her hardening clit. Ranma-chan knew she shouldn't be allowing Shampoo to do this, yet she was enjoying it so much it was hard to tell her to stop. "S...Shampoo...St...stop it...Wha...What're you...Don't!" Ranma-chan managed to get out. Shampoo, realising what she was doing, drew her hand back and apologised quickly before turning away to select some other ingredients from the pile she brought in with her, putting them into the bath as well. Ranma-chan however, was getting a little fidgety watching Shampoo dump the ingredients into the bathtub and she was beginning to wonder whether this was a good idea. "Ok Ranma, get into bath" Shampoo said finally after adding some blue powder from a sachet she held in her hand. Ranma-chan, her mind on other things however, didn't hear what Shampoo said and simply went 'Huh?'. Shampoo thought Ranma didn't hear her and simply pointed at the bath. Ranma-chan nodded and as she was about to step in, she slipped onto the wet floor and bumped into Shampoo, knocking the sachet containing the blue powder into the bath. "Ai-ya! No! Not that powder!" Shampoo blurted out. "Oh, sorry Shampoo, slippery floor..." Ranma-chan smiled uneasily at her before stepping into the bath, shivering slightly as she felt the cold water. "Ranma! No! No go in now, it..." It was too late, Ranma-chan had fully immersed herself into the water containing dissolved substances. Shampoo gasped and took and involuntary backstep. Quickly she recovered her wits and, snatching up something looking very much like a sponge and immersed her hand into the bath water, hoping she wasn't too late. "Shampoo? What are you...YAAAAAAA!!" Ranma-chan screamed as the water in the bath suddenly erupted with a blinding white light, engulfing them both. "Ranma!! Get...out...of...bath..." Shampoo managed to get out before being engulfed by a torrent of glowing water and fainting. Ranma-chan simply continued screaming, her voice echoing long into the night... ************ Jyusei Shimada screamed as a massive release of power assaulted his mind, lights exploding before his eyes and dancing like spectres in front of him through a red haze that clouded his vision. It took him a few long, tense moments to recover, his hands gripping the sides of the table so tightly his knuckles turned white. He thought "Err...Mr. Shimada...Sir, are you ok?" a Director asked tentatively. "Uhh...Y...yes I'm fine...Let's...Let's postpone this meeting till....another day." Jyusei struggled to get out, his mind still reeling from the sudden explosion of power. His Board of Directors nodded uneasily and began to pack in their documents and other items. A few of them offered to assist Jyusei but he declined, saying that he was fine and they should just leave him be. Slowly they filed out of the meeting room, a few looking back at Jyusei, still seated in his chair, still visibly shaking. Jyusei rose unsteadily to his feet, waited a few moments for the room to stop moving, then pressed a button his desk intercom. "Uhh...Jyusei here...tell...Mishouru the appointment is off for today. Some...something's come up. Tell him I'm sorry..." "Mr. Shimada, are you all right? You sound kind of shaky..." His secretary's voice came through from the other end. From the tone of Jyusei's voice she naturally was concerned for her boss. "Y...yes, I'm fine. Also, tell Ken to come to the meeting room quickly...I...I think I'll take the day off..." "Will do sir, have a good rest ok?" His secretary sounded quite concerned. "I will, thank you..." Jyusei flicked the power off and walked shakily to the door, using the frame to steady himself on occasion. Ken, his chauffeur and personal assistant, as well as his confidant in many things, quickly ran to his employer's aid after getting the message from the secretary. "K...Ken..." Jyusei mumbled as Ken assisted his employer out of the meeting room and out of the building. "Sir?" "Take me to the...ancestral shrine...now!..." Ken shot his employer a questioning look, only to be received with a piercing gaze. "Do it...don't question my order!" Ken nodded and, making sure his employer was safely in the limo, drove off. Jyusei tried to make sense of the burst of power that had sent him almost insane. Indeed, a lesser man would have been nothing more than a raving lunatic now. Jyusei shivered at the thought. ************** "Hey guys, what do you make of this?!" Akane ran into the main room, holding a peach she found outside the window of the room where Ryoga was sleeping just before he vanished. She had said that she'd felt uneasy and had taken a walk outside to clear her head. Night had just fallen, the stars coming out from behind the clouds as the moon's brilliance shone upon the dojo. Akane was walking around outside stargazing when she came across the peach. "Oh my! A peach?" Kasumi exclaimed. Everyone paused for a moment then piped up almost at the same time. "Toma?!?" Another pause. "Can't be, Togenkyo floated away more than three months ago..." Nabiki piped up. "Even if it was him, what would he want with Ryoga?" Akane added. "Togenkyo?" Nodoka asked, apparently confused. "Oh, sorry. Let me explain..." Akane spent the next half-hour explaining to Nodoka their experiences on the Island of Togenkyo after being shipwrecked on a deserted island after Kuno took them on a 'cruise' three months or so ago. About how Toma wanted to marry Akane and how Ranma saved her. Nodoka's eyes filled with tears as Akane talked about Ranma and his gallant act. Akane left out the part about Ranma needing the water from the spring to be cured however, as it would give the game away. "Akane..." Nodoka began. "...Do...do you love my son?..." Akane was taken aback at the question. She wanted to admit it, but as usual her pride prevented her from doing so. Also, she wanted to tell Nodoka the truth about Ranma's curse. She, like most everyone else here, knew how much it hurt Nodoka every time she came, hoping to see her son and husband for the first time in years. But every time being denied that opportunity. Akane slowly nodded, to Nodoka's delight. Soun and Genma, who'd been watching like hawks for the past few seconds, took out their little fans and began cheering. Nabiki sighed at not being to use that fact to blackmail Akane in future while Kasumi simply smiled. <...Yet...I drove him away...> Akane's eyes began to fill with tears at the thought. "Akane dear, what's wrong?" Nodoka gently pushed Akane's hair back over her forehead out of her eyes, Smiling. "Oh Auntie...Ranma, Ranma's..." Akane stopped when she saw Genma standing behind Nodoka, sweating profusely while making stabbing motions with both hands toward his stomach while frantically imploring her not to say it. Akane held Genma's pleading gaze for a moment. Akane thought. Akane looked apologetically at Genma, who caught the look and began to inch toward the door. "Auntie...Ranma's...Ran-..." Before she could finish, a voice rang out from outside. "Akane!! Akane, where are you?!?" Akane's eyes widened in surprise, along with almost everybody else's. "R...Ryoga?!?..." Akane stammered out. To everyone's utter shock and surprise, Ryoga actually managed to find his way in through the front door!!! Akane's eyes widened further when she saw Ryoga, with hardly a scratch on him! "Ryoga...Where were...what..." Akane tried to say. Too many questions were plaguing her mind though, and she couldn't finish. "Akane! I've something very important to tell you..." Ryoga began. "Ryoga...Where were you? We were all worried..." Kasumi said. "...and we found this..." Akane held out the peach she found under his window. "...and you're healed!? Who did..." Ryoga grimaced as everyone pressed questions onto him at the same time, demanding answers. "Ok, ok, HOLD IT!" Ryoga blurted out, everyone fell silent. "I'll explain everything, give me a moment will you...as well as something to drink, I'm parched!" Kasumi got Ryoga a drink from the fridge. "Ok, here's what happened..." Ryoga began after finishing his drink. For the next hour he related how he was brought to Togenkyo by Sarutoru and of Toma's suspicions. He also said that Togenkyo was once again nearing Japan. "Hey! If the island is coming here again, let's go visit them!" Nabiki piped up. "Later Nabiki..." Akane was slightly annoyed that no-one appeared to consider the problem at hand. "...What's important now is that we find out the truth about what Ryoga's just told us..." "Hmm, I'll bet Cologne would have something to say about these mysterious happenings our friend Toma claims to have taken place..." Panda held up a sign. Everyone nodded. "Well, let's go see her then!" Akane stood up, followed by everyone else. "Oh, Akane...You will be back for dinner won't you?" Kasumi glanced at the clock on the wall, it was 6.30pm. Akane nodded at Kasumi who smiled back. Nodoka and Kasumi then went into the kitchen to start on dinner as everyone left for the Nekohanten. Akane thought as they stepped out into the cool, night air. ************* "Uhhh...What...happened...?" Ranma moaned and rubbed his forehead as he slowly recovered consciousness. When his world stopped swirling in intricate patterns before his eyes, he looked around and noted some points of interest. He sat, buck naked, in a bathtub half-filled with now-room temperature water. The bathroom window was slightly open and Ranma shivered as the cool, night breeze blew in. He could feel the remaining tinges of raw power coursing around the room. Ranma did a double-take, blinking a few times. Ranma immediately touched his chest, yep, no mistake, he was still a guy, a quick grab between his legs confirmed that. "It...worked!! The cure worked!!!!" Ranma yelled, punching the air in excitement and happiness. "Finally!! I'm cured! I'm a normal guy again!!" Ranma was positively elated, tears of unbound joy streaming down his face unashamedly as he hugged himself once more to be 100% sure he was still a guy. Then he slumped back into the bath, able to enjoy the feel of cold water on his *male* body for once in what must have been a very long time. He was about to relax until he saw the figure slumped unconscious across him. Ranma blinked and rubbed his eyes before looking again. Yep, no mistake, across him was his *former* female body, unconscious in the cold water. He tried to convince himself as he backed away from the redheaded girl across him, giving himself a splinter as he grabbed the underside of the nearby table. Ranma brought his hand in front of his face, no mistake, the splinter was real enough. He looked across the bathtub again at the redhead, who was beginning to stir. "Uhh..." Ranma-chan rubbed the side of her head as she slowly regained consciousness, the cool water of the bath lapping at her lower torso. She was slumped in one corner of the bath, one arm dangling over the edge, one leg half crossed while the other was dangling over the edge as well. As her vision refocused, she looked around. The first thing she noticed was that she was buck naked, the second thing was that a guy was half-seated in the bath across him, also naked. She immediately shrieked and tried to cover herself, drawing her knees to her chest and hugging herself tightly. "Who...who...who are you!?" She demanded of Ranma-kun, who was suprisingly unable to say anything. Instead his gaze was fixed on her, when he was a girl before, oh sure he'd noticed his own killer figure, but until now he'd never really been turned on by it, reason being it was his own body. He'd never seen his female body as a male before, and he was getting turned of by it.. His thoughts drifted back to when Shampoo was playing with him before he got into the bath. He'd never realised that his thoughts on how he looked when he was female were that damn accurate! Ranma-chan saw Ranma-kun's reddening face and blushed herself. "You...you're real...right? I mean, how can you...?" Ranma began. "W...who are you??!" Ranma-chan tried to shrink back further. Ranma-kun stepped out of the bath, not bothering to cover up his exposed manhood as he still thought it was him that was sitting in the bath at the other end. Ranma-chan took one look at his member and blushed further, covering her eyes. "Eeeek!" Ranma-kun turned to see what she was carrying on about, then realised he was naked. "Ack!..." he yelped, quickly snatching a towel off the rack nearby and covering himself in record time. "S...sorry, I...I forgot." He attempted a weak laugh. He stepped back and took a good look at her, she was shivering and practically turning blue due to the cold water and the cold night air blowing in from the open bathroom window. "Eeek, get away! What are you doing!?" Ranma-chan shrieked as Ranma-kun reached up to close the window. "Closing the window. Look at you, you're shivering..." Ranma-kun extended a hand to her. Ranma-chan simply shrunk back further. "...Look, I'm not going to hurt you, ok? You've got to get out of there or you'll catch a cold." Ranma-chan's teeth were chattering slightly. "Come on, I promise I won't hurt you ok?..." Ranma-chan looked at Ranma-kun's extended hand for a long moment, then up to his smiling face. She decided that he really was as good as his word and tentatively extended her own hand. Ranma-kun grabbed another towel off the rack nearby and gently draped it over her shoulders, his skin tingling as he touched her. Ranma-chan stood still in his warm embrace for a moment, shivering, before realising what she was doing and immediately backed away from him, clutching the towel tighter around her. Ranma-kun however, wasn't paying any attention to her, when she backed off he immediately dropped to his knees beside a still-unconscious(and naked) Shampoo. "Shampoo...Shampoo, come on, wake up!" Ranma-kun gently shook Shampoo while trying not to look at her breasts, he wasn't succeeding. A growing bulge in front of him was proof of that. Shampoo however, appeared to be responding. "Uhhh...R...Ranma..." Shampoo's eyes slowly opened to look up at a worried Ranma-kun. "...You all right? What happen?..." Ranma-kun helped Shampoo sit up and she did a double-take when she saw Ranma-chan, still clutching the towel tightly around her, standing in the corner trying not shiver. "Ai-ya! Oh no!..." Shampoo placed her hand over her mouth muck like Kasumi would do. "Shampoo, what's going on? Why is my girl self standing over there?" Ranma asked, Shampoo shook her head, uncertain of what to say. "Ranma...was accident...I tell you not to go into bath, but was too late. Shampoo sorry..." Shampoo looked to be on the verge of tears, Ranma hugged her head to his chest, gently rocking her. "Shampoo...it's ok, your cure worked!" Ranma-kun's smile faded when he saw Shampoo's serious expression. "It work, but not like Shampoo think it should work..." Shampoo sighed. At that moment, Cologne hopped into the bathroom on her staff. "Now now, what's all the fuss here?..." Cologne did a double-take when she saw Ranma-kun cradling Shampoo, then looked up to see Ranma-chan shivering in the corner. "...Good lord! Shampoo, you didn't use the anti-curse powder did you?" Shampoo slowly nodded, her eyes filling with tears. Ranma-kun immediately stood up to face Cologne. "Hey, old mummy...OW!" Ranma-kun winced as Cologne struck him with her staff. "..what's the...man that hurt!...deal here with her?..." Ranma-kun gestured at Ranma-chan, who cringed slightly. "Who's a mummy?..." Cologne shot Ranma-kun with a piercing gaze before hopping over to Ranma-chan, who promptly screamed and tried to back away. "Eeeek, get away from me, you disgusting creature!..." To Ranma-kun's surprise however, Cologne did not hit Ranma-chan, instead, she poked her a couple of times then shook her head, hopping back to Ranma-kun. "...I'm afraid the powder didn't work as planned, instead of fully cancelling the Jusenkyo curse, it partially cancelled it, creating two separate bodies..." Cologne pointed at Ranma-kun "...You, being the original, kept all your memories and knowledge that you have acquired to date, along with any other physical traits. Simply put, you..." Cologne poked Ranma-kun again, who was starting to look annoyed. "...are cured..." Ranma-kun's face lit up, but faded when he saw Cologne's serious expression. "...However, your former cursed body..." She gestured over to Ranma-chan. "...Has nothing of that sort. You may or may not know, that the Jusenkyo curse also partially infuses you with the spirit of the drowned person or creature within. Simply put again, she is basically your cursed body with the spirit of the girl that drowned in the spring so long ago..." Ranma-kun slowly nodded, this would explain why she didn't know who he was. "So lemme get this straight, technically she's a by-product of this so-called cure?!?" Cologne and Shampoo winced, looking over to Ranma-chan who was looked like she was about to cry. Cologne whacked Ranma-kun over the head again with her staff. "...Son-in-law, I don't think you should have said that...She may not have memories but in all aspects she is still a human being...She does have feelings..." Ranma-kun looked over to Ranma-chan, who was on the verge of tears. He walked over to her and gently embraced her. Ranma-chan not resisting this time. "Hey, come on, don't cry ok?...I'm sorry I said that...Come on, ssshhhh now..." Ranma-kun gently cradled Ranma-chan in his arms, stroking her hair. Ranma-chan looked up at Ranma-kun, who was smiling at her. She slowly nodded and wiped her eyes, not releasing her grip on him this time though. "It would appear that she likes you..." Cologne smirked at Ranma-kun who face-faulted. "...In all regards, she's your responsibility now." Ranma-kun blanched, the blood draining from his face. "Hey! Now wait a moment here you old..." Ranma-kun stopped when Ranma-chan's sad, innocent face entered his mind. He looked toward Cologne and slowly nodded. "You should be happy, son-in-law...that you now have a sister." Ranma-kun did a double-take. He looked down at the cute redheaded girl that he was holding in his arms, she looked up and met his gaze. Both of them stood silent for a few minutes, not saying a word. Ranma-kun then slowly smiled and gently pushed her hair out of her eyes. "I guess we have to give you a name..." Ranma-kun slowly released his hold on her. "...But I think that can wait, until you're properly dressed and this whole mess..." He waved his arm around, indicating the general area. "...is cleaned up, ok?" Ranma-kun smiled at Ranma-chan again, who nodded. Shampoo in the meantime, was watching the whole scene and finally turned to Cologne. "Great-grandmother, is true? What you say?" Cologne nodded. Shampoo covered her mouth. "Ai-ya...Ranma now have twin..." Ranma-kun felt himself blush at Shampoo's words. "Granddaughter, how about you lend..." Cologne stopped when she realised that Ranma-chan didn't have a name yet. She pointed at Ranma-chan with her staff. "...one of your dresses? I'd think you're roughly the same size." Ranma-kun's eyes widened when he heard Cologne say that his female side was about the same size as Shampoo. Ranma-kun thought as he looked over to Ranma-chan. She was moving with the same grace and fluidity that he had possessed when he was female. Ranma-kun sighed at yet another problem in his life. As if he needed another. "How do I look?" Ranma-chan paused for a moment, giving Ranma-kun a few moments to retrieve his jaw from where it'd dropped. "...Uhh...you look stunning..." Ranma-kun struggled to get out. Everyone was now in the main restaurant part of the Nekohanten, Shampoo was beside Ranma-chan making slight adjustments to the long Chinese dress that Ranma-chan was now wearing. Ranma-chan felt a little uncomfortable in that dress as it was rather tight, the silky material clinging to every curve of her body and showing off her gorgeous figure. Ranma-kun found himself staring at Ranma-chan again, noting how her breasts jiggled with every slight movement and how her... Ranma-kun slapped himself. Ranma-chan blushed when she saw Ranma-kun staring at her. Cologne whacked Ranma-kun over the head with her staff. "OW! Hey, you dried up old monkey! What's that for?!" Ranma-kun rubbed the back of his head. Cologne's staff did it's job however, Ranma-kun was sufficiently distracted to be able to stop staring at Ranma-chan and put his eyes back into his head. Ranma-kun's conscience was acting up again. Shampoo stepped away from Ranma-chan, nodded and walked over to Ranma-kun. "Ranma, what name you give girl?" Shampoo and Cologne looked over to Ranma-kun expectantly. Ranma-kun caught their stares and shrunk back, his mind working overtime. Ranma-kun paced the floor of the Nekohanten for a few minutes, muttering to himself and scratching his head. "Ahh, I got it!..." Ranma-kun snapped his fingers "...It's easy...Ran-ko!" Shampoo looked over to Ranma as if to say 'Huh?' "Don't you remember? When my Mom comes to visit I always played 'Ran-ko Tendo'" Shampoo nodded, looking over to Ranma-chan. Ranma-kun walked over to Ranma-chan and smiled as he patted her on the head. "Well then, I guess it's settled then, you're Ran-ko Saotome from now on." Ran-ko nodded, looking up innocently at her 'brother'. "...Ranma oniichan..." Ranma winced inwardly at the mention of the word 'oniichan'. Obviously he was having a hard time getting used to the fact that he now had a sister. Not showing it however, he simply smiled at Ran-ko and gave her a hug. Shampoo and Cologne looked on at the two, not knowing what to make of the chain of events that led up to this. "Great-grandmother, they look so cute together..." Shampoo giggled while Cologne simply nodded. Ranma however, wasn't sure what to make of all this. It had all happened so suddenly. Who could have foreseen the chain of events that led up to this? he thought as he paced the floor of the Nekohanten. Ranma, not looking where he was going, wandered into a wall. "Ouch!..." Ran-ko ran over to her brother to help him up, or rather, out of the wall. Shampoo simply giggled while Cologne hopped over to Ranma and extracted his head from the wall. "Son-in-law, sit down, there are things which you must know..." Ranma sighed. "Come on, this gets worse?!? Oh great, just great It's bad enough I've Akane to worry about but now..." Ranma stopped in mid-sentence when he saw Cologne's icy glare. He looked over at Ran-ko, who looked like she was about to cry again. Ranma gently laid a hand on Ran-ko's shoulder, he could feel her tremble slightly as she fought to keep from crying. "Ran-ko...I...I'm sorry...I...I wasn't thinking about what I was saying..." Ran-ko turned to look at Ranma, tears welling up in her eyes before standing up and running into the back of the Nekohanten, sobbing. Leaving a dumbstruck Ranma behind. Cologne simply sighed and whacked Ranma over the head with her staff again. "Son-in-law, you must be careful what you say around her. It may be hard for you to understand the fact that she is, in essence, the girl that drowned in the Jusenkyo spring all those years ago. Her spirit has been lost and lonely ever since she died. All she probably wants now is just to be loved, to feel wanted..." Ranma nodded, rubbing the back of his head, he could imagine what Ran-ko was going through. "...It would not do her any good for you to show any rejection to her, After all, she has no memory of her past and you are probably the only one she can feel safe around. After all you are the first person she saw when she awoke. How would you feel if you were in her position?" Ranma felt ashamed at himself after hearing Cologne's words. He'd never looked at it that way before and, like it or not, Cologne may be a three hundred year-old prune from hell but she was making sense. Ranma clasped his hands to his head as his conscience attacked him in force. Snarling at himself. Shampoo, startled, backed away slightly. Ranma stood up, shook his head a few times to clear it, and wandered into the back of the Nekohanten, looking for Ran-ko. ************ Jyusei thought to himself. He was standing within a rune-etched circle inside the Shimada ancestral shrine that was built by his grandfather. Around him, gargoyles and incense burners decorated the room, giving it an eerie, if not frightening appearance. An almost-overpowering smell of incense clouded the room, causing Ken and even Jyusei, who was used to the smell, to gag and cough slightly. Jyusei began to arrange blood-red candles around the edge of the circle, chanting in a low voice all the while. Ken shivered as he felt the faint stirrings of magic eddy in the charged air. Jyusei noted Ken's reaction and smirked, much like his grandfather used to when he himself had felt uneasy in the presence of such raw supernatural powers. His grandfather was the black sheep in the family, from an early age he had dabbled in sorcery and the black arts. Everyone else had claimed that the old man was a total wacko and should be confined to a padded cell. His family had branded the old man a disgrace and had expelled him from the family's circle. Jyusei however, had taken an interest in his grandfather's hobby. He remembered how he used to secretly sneak out of the house while his parents were asleep in order to visit his grandfather who was usually here at the shrine. Jyusei smirked to himself as he remembered how his grandfather had tried to 'speak to the dead' and was possessed by the very spirit that he tried to command, which ultimately killed him. Jyusei finished arranging the candles and lit them one by one with a pure blue flame that came from his fingertips. After doing so, he felt a wave of dizziness sweep over him momentarily and he staggered, trying to maintain his balance. Despite the warnings of his chauffeur to at least wait until he'd recovered. Jyusei had decided to carry on regardless. Ken, standing by the door, rushed to Jyusei's aid but was waved back. "No...get back...I'm fine" Jyusei gasped through clenched teeth, Ken nodded uncertainly and slowly walked back to his guard post at the door. After a few moments Jyusei regained his composure and, taking a stance, began to meditate, blocking out all that was of the physical world. After a few minutes, his facial muscles relaxed and he sank to his knees, slipping into a deep trance. With the last vestiges of his control over his physical body, he willed it into the lotus position. The minutes ticked by. Ken, standing guard at the door, looked closely at his employer's face for any signs of something going wrong, but saw none, Jyusei's face was a mask of tranquillity. His physical body, although peaceful, was inwardly wracked with torment as his spirit, now-bonded to another, more devious one, was wrestled away from its human form. Jyusei's state of mind and preparations beforehand had been faultless however, and his spirit flew free and entered the spiritual dimensions. His first sensation was a rush of light-sound-color-silence. Then again: light-sound-color-silence. His spirit flew onwards, guided by the essence of the demon within it toward an unknown destination. Suddenly, darkness, pure, final and forever, enveloped him. Jyusei felt like he was choking, the darkness, so deep he could drown in it. However, the demon within took over and he was in control again. As he watched, black, shadowy forms swirled out of the darkness, eyes burning with the fires of hell, and stopped before him as he spoke in a voice that was not his own. "Ahh, it has been so long...my servants!" Jyusei's voice rang out, resonant of a power that was all-consuming, a power that was not his own. "Master...We have waited so long for your return! What is your command?" To Jyusei it was as if the darkness itself spoke to him. The shadowy forms surrounding him had a faint, white outline, like an outline drawn on a blackboard with a dark grey chalk. "I want you to enter the mortal plane, and seek out the one who's trace now remains lingering in the ether..." The shapes flitted about him playfully for a moment. "...Surely you felt the release like I have..." "Yes...Master, it was strong...too strong to contain..." Jyusei nodded, his eyes glowing unnaturally red in the darkness. "The mortal who possessed the power also possessed the essence...The release was, as I thought, the result of a separation of the power...How this happened I do not know..." The shapes appeared to do a double-take. "...Yet, this is unimportant, what is important is the fact that the mortal who now possesses the essence, is without power, the separation passing it to another...His mind would now be open..." The shadowy forms around Jyusei appeared to nod, they knew what he was getting at. "I want you to seek out this mortal...This chance to regain my essence is too great to pass up." The shadows danced around Jyusei a moment longer, they seemed uncertain. "Master...What about the other?" "It is of little importance...Without the essence to bind it, the power is useless...As you are without my guidance..." The figures appeared to bow. "...Now go...carry out my orders...I shall meet you upon the mortal plane when your work is done." The shadowy forms flitted around Jyusei for a moment longer before vanishing as suddenly as they came. Jyusei allowed himself a small smile of satisfaction. Back in the shrine, Ken noticed a faint smile on his employer's face. ************ "Ran-ko! Ran-ko, where are you?!" Ranma called out as he wandered the back of the Nekohanten searching for Ran-ko, with little success. Ranma wondered as he absent-mindedly rounded a corner and walked right into a potted cactus. "EEEEYOW!!!!" Ranma yelled and hopped about, trying to extract the spines that dug painfully into his flesh. "What IDIOT would leave a damn cactus here where some other idiot could walk into it!?!..." Ranma did a double-take, just realising that he'd just walked into it. "Bah, shimata!" Ranma cursed, losing yet another battle with himself. He stopped however, when he heard sounds coming from a room a little further along the corridor. Stepping past the cactus, he walked down to the second door and listened, the unmistakable sound of crying was coming from behind it. Ranma tentatively knocked at the door. "Ran-ko...Ran-ko, can I come in?" Ranma waited but got no answer. Gently he pushed to door open and walked into the room, shutting the door behind him. Ran-ko was lying face down on the bed, her face buried in a pillow as she cried into it. Ranma felt more ashamed as he looked at her. His conscience screamed at him again. Ranma winced at this mental rebuke he was getting. The thing that hurt him the most was that it was his fault. Ranma stepped up to Ran-ko and gently laid a hand on her shoulder. He could feel the sobs racking her body with each breath and he winced slightly, his insides knotting up. This the kind of thing Ranma dreaded the most. The only reason that he let those other girls follow him, apart from feeding his ego, was that he couldn't bear to hurt them. Hell, he even felt sorry for Kodachi sometimes. "Ran-ko..." Ranma began, at a loss for words. "...I...I'm sorry for what I said back there...I...I wasn't thinking..." Ranma sat on the side of the bed and gently patted Ran-ko's shoulder. "...you must understand though that I have my own problems..." Ranma stopped as Ran-ko slowly turned over and sat up. Ranma looked at her teary-red face and began to feel bad all over again. After a moment's hesitation, he held both hands out to her, smiling. Ran-ko hesitated a moment, as if doubting him, then threw herself into his arms, mashing her chest against his, sobbing anew. Ranma dearly hoped his cute sister didn't notice the bulge that was growing in his pants. "Ran-ko...sshhhhh, come on, don't cry...don't cry...I'm here for you...I promise..." Ranma gently rocked her back and forth in his arms, trying to calm her down. Ranma inwardly kicked himself, knowing from experience that his 'promises' usually involve a lot of crap flying around. Of course his father didn't help any, if anything his father was the first to blame! Ranma gently stroked the back of Ran-ko's head, playing with a few strands of hair. He'd never noticed how silky smooth his female counterpart's hair was up until now, and he liked it. Ranma thought as Ran-ko's whimpering gradually died down. She eventually looked up at him, her face stained with tears. Ranma gently kissed them away. "...O...oniichan..." Ran-ko managed to get out. Ranma smiled warmly at her, gently brushing her hair out of her eyes. From the way he was holding her, he could see down the front of her top, noting that she wasn't wearing a bra. Ranma gulped and tried not to look. He cursed himself inwardly. Ranma sighed as Akane's face entered his mind. <...Akane...I hope you're all right...> Ranma snapped out of his reverie as he heard a commotion outside. "Oniichan, what's going on?" Ran-ko asked. "That's what I want to know, come on, lets find out ok?" Ranma helped Ran-ko to her feet. "Oh, go clean up a little ok?..." Ranma gently brushed a few tears away from Ran-ko's face "...Wouldn't want anyone to see you looking like that." Ran-ko forced a smile and nodded at her brother before walking into the bathroom. Ranma sighed as he looked at the closed bathroom door before walking out to investigate the cause of the commotion. *********** "...and strange things have been happening ever since." Ryoga said to Cologne who was at a loss for words once in her life. She appeared to think for a moment. "If what you say is true, then we truly are in danger..." Cologne paused for a moment. Everyone looked up at her expectantly. The group had come in while Ranma was with Ran-ko. As usual Shampoo and Akane had their little spat before both ran out on insults and settled for throwing icy glares at each other. Ryoga, after a little prompting, related his recent experiences to Cologne, who appeared shocked. In the meantime, Akane had noticed that the table opposite them on their left sported a small patch of dried blood that someone had failed to clean up and her suspicions were immediately aroused. However she kept her suspicions in check for the moment in order to hear Cologne's thoughts on the current situation which was obviously more important. "...I assume none of you know the legend of the demon Kasunama Seijiiku?" Everyone shook their heads. Cologne then proceeded to tell the tale of the feared demon warlord who's armies threatened to destroy China over two hundred years ago, when Cologne was younger. Everyone immediately found it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to visualise Cologne when she was younger. When everyone had stopped trying, Cologne continued her story. She went on to relate about how the demon managed to ravage over half of China before finally being defeated by a human who possessed a portion of the demon's essence. The soul of the demon was trapped within one of the Jusenkyo pools when his physical body was killed and thrown into the pool. After his defeat the pool was then covered with a spiritual seal. Visitors to the training grounds were always warned never to stray near the pool with the runic symbols around the rim. Mousse and Shampoo nodded, they had no trouble remembering the guide insisting they keep away from the central pool, at knife point. The pool was always covered with a sheet of corrugated iron, so it was to Cologne's bafflement how the hell anyone could have fallen in. Needless to say, she was shocked upon hearing of the guide's death, but what was most interesting was that no one knew how he was killed. The coroner's report had stated that at the time of examination, the person had been deceased for what appeared to be well over a month. "...What I now fear, as all of you should, is that if the demon was indeed released, that he would attempt once again to conquer China, if not the world..." "But that's ridiculous!" Akane interrupted "That was centuries ago! Times are different now. What makes him think that he'd even stand a chance in this day and age?" Everyone else nodded. "Child, you musn't make the mistake of underestimating the supernatural. They are capable of far more than we could ever dream of accomplishing." Cologne calmly replied. "But...could this demon, if he WERE free, really be this powerful? I mean, he was..." Ryoga was cut short by a grave nod from Cologne. Everyone shivered at the thought. Genma(in panda form) held up signs proclaiming the end of the world and was promptly bashed over the head by Akane. "Sheesh! Really! Joking at a time like this!" She huffed and turned back to Cologne, leaving a starry-eyed Panda lying on the ground holding up a sign saying "That hurt!" Cologne chuckled and turned to leave. "Well we can't really do much at this time, we don't really know if the demon really is free or not...So I suggest we all relax for now and have some tea...Mousse!!" Cologne snapped at Mousse who grudgingly stood up and went into the kitchen. "Shampoo make ramen for guests ok?" Cologne nodded and Shampoo ran into the kitchen after Mousse. In the meantime, Akane's suspicions were aroused the more she thought about the bloodstain on the table that no one else had noticed. "Umm, Cologne...where did this come from?" Cologne turned to see what Akane was talking about and paled slightly when she spotted the bloodstain. "Curse you Mousse! You were supposed to clean the tables yesterday!" Cologne muttered under her breath, making a mental note to punish him later. "Well...that must be from something that Shampoo accidentally spilled the other day..." Akane didn't buy it. "She was carrying too many bowls of ramen and..." "Ranma's here...isn't he?" Akane looked directly at Cologne, who appeared to flinch. Everyone perked up at the mention of Ranma's name. Ryoga immediately began yelling out challenges while Soun began crying over Ranma betraying Akane for another woman etc etc. Genma, still flat on the floor, was waving signs about echoing Soun's words while trying to get up. Mousse, hearing the commotion, runs out to spill the beans before Shampoo drags him back into the kitchen. The general racket of kitchenware being broken over someone's head followed shortly afterward. Akane however, was focused on Cologne, ignoring the general racket around her. "Please...I know Ranma's here...Please tell me where he is..." Akane turned an almost-pleading look to Cologne. Cologne hesitated, for a long time now she'd planned, conspired, blackmailed, kidnapped even, in the hopes of getting Ranma and Shampoo together. But how could she refuse Akane? She looked on the verge of tears, almost desperate to find Ranma. Cologne asked herself. Shampoo however, taking advantage of the fact that Ranma and Akane had had a falling out, decided to rub a little salt into the wound. "Ranma no want to see Akane..." Shampoo shot at Akane, who's face immediately began to redden. "...Why Ranma want to see uncute tomboy anyway?" Shampoo's words had their desired effect on Akane, who began to glow with a blue battle aura. "What did you say?! Would you mind repeating that you Amazon wench?!" "Akane uncute, unsexy, built like brick, thigh too thick, violent as gorilla and..." Shampoo stopped when Akane leapt at her, holding a mallet and intending to use it. "That did it! DIE YOU!" Akane screamed as she swung her mallet at Shampoo who promptly side-stepped, the mallet smashing into the ground, breaking a few floorboards. Shampoo swung back at Akane's head with her maces, missing by a few centimeters as Akane crouched and attempted a Dragon Tail footstep. Shampoo jumped over Akane's extended leg, flipping in mid air to land nimbly on a table. Akane quickly recovered from the missed Dragon Tail and ran toward Shampoo with her mallet held above her head. Shampoo leapt aside at the very last instant, Akane's mallet turning the table into firewood, and threw one of her maces at Akane who yelped and ducked, the mace missing her by the narrowest of margins. The mace flew over Akane's head and struck Genma who was just getting up, putting him flat on his back again, holding out a sign saying "Ouch!". Both women paused a moment to get their breaths back before yelling and attacking each other again. Everyone simply watched, Cologne noting down the costs of the damaged furniture as tables, chairs and the kitchen sink were thrown about the room, causing everyone to duck for cover. "Ranma no marry Akane...Shampoo be Ranma's bride!" "Yeah right! Ranma's engaged to me!" "Ranma engage to Shampoo first!" "In your dreams, bimbo!" "Ranma no like Akane anyway...Akane chase Ranma away!" Akane disengaged and backed away from Shampoo at that last comeback. Shampoo smirked in triumph, knowing she'd hit a weak spot. "That's...that's not true!..." Akane stammered, trying to convince herself as well as Shampoo, who apparently didn't buy it. "If not true then why Ranma leave Akane?" "He...he just needed some time to himself ok?!" "Ranma leave Akane because Ranma no like Akane." Akane grimaced at Shampoo's words, somewhere inside her, she knew that it was partially true, Ranma had left because he'd had enough of being taken for granted. Akane had never realised how much he meant to her until after he was gone. "It no matter anyway, Ranma already..." "Hey! What the hell's all that noise out there!?" Shampoo was interrupted by a voice coming from somewhere behind the Nekohanten. Akane froze at the sound of Ranma's voice. Tears filling her eyes as she watched Ranma step through the doorway. "Woah!!! What's been going on here?!?" Ranma took a backstep and blinked a few times as he surveyed the scene in front of him. Tables, chairs and other assorted furniture were lying smashed on the floor of the Nekohanten. Ranma gaped when he saw Soun, Nabiki, Ryoga and a large panda huddled on the floor with their arms over their heads. "I...Is it safe to come out yet?!" Soun asked in a shaking voice. Panda held up a sign "You look and tell me!" Nabiki gingerly looked up. "Ok everyone, it's clear..." Everyone slowly stood up. "...Hey Ranma, so this is where you've been hiding all the while." Everyone turned to look at Ranma who shrunk back as he caught their gazes. "Ranma! How could you have forsaken Akane for Shampoo?!" Soun asked as tears streamed down his face. Panda held up a sign reading "What's come over you boy!?". "Saotome! How dare you toy with Shampoo!" Mousse yelled as he ran out from the kitchen brandishing a chopper. "Ranma!!! We have unfinished business!!" Ryoga said in a low, dangerous tone, his bluish-green battle aura beginning to glow. Ranma stepped back into the doorway and eyed the group before him, his mind working overtime as to what to do now. "...Ranma..." Ranma blinked when he heard Akane call his name, he looked around for her in the group that was assembled before him for a few moments before spotting her near Shampoo. He immediately realised the cause of the commotion. "...Ak...Akane..." Ranma breathed an inward sigh of relief when he saw her. Ranma thought as he walked slowly over to Akane. Their eyes met for a few moments, neither of them saying a word. "Ranma..." Ranma winced when he realised that Akane was crying, her fists gripping her dress tightly. She was trying not to cry but the tears just forced themselves through. "Akane...I..." Ranma began, everyone else had gone quiet, watching the scene before them except for Ryoga, who was getting extremely annoyed at being ignored. "Ranma Saotome!! I'm going to get you for what you did to me!!" Ranma looked over to Ryoga and noted that his injuries had healed as well. "Give it a rest Ryoga! We'll finish it later if you really want to!" "Ryoga, SHUT UP!!" Ryoga's eyes widened at this sudden outburst from Akane, he took an involuntary backstep and tripped over some debris. "A...Akane...Y...you aren't saying it's my fault...Are you?!" Ryoga stammered as he picked himself up. Akane shot him an icy cold glare, that in itself saying all. Ryoga slowly nodded, his heart of glass shattered beyond repair. "If...If that's the way it's going to be...Then...RANMA!!! Prepare to DIE!" Ryoga yelled, his battle aura flaring up around him. "Ryoga! Quit it already! You'll hurt Akane!" Ranma blurted out, hastily powering up and taking a defensive stance. Ranma braced himself for Ryoga's attack, but to his surprise, Akane stepped in front of him. "Ryoga! Ranma! Don't fight anymore ok?! Can't you see? It's already bad enough as it is! We have a bigger problem to deal with!" Ranma perked up at the mention of a 'bigger problem' "Akane, what problem?!" Ranma grabbed Akane by the shoulders and spun her around to face him. "Ranma...I...err...LOOK OUT!!" Akane pushed Ranma aside as Ryoga lunged at him, both of them hitting the ground hard. Ryoga missed them, his momentum carrying him past them and into the wall behind. Ranma winced as Ryoga struck the wall. "Man, I bet that hurt!..." Ranma scratched his head for a moment, looking at Ryoga entrenched in the wall. "...Akane, what problem are you talking about?..." "Ranma...It's...It's about something from Jusenkyo..." "What?! What about it?! Did someone else fall into the a pool here!? Who!?" Akane slapped her forehead and sighed as Ranma went around dumping buckets of cold water on everyone. "Nope, none of you guys..." Ranma muttered as he cast his gaze over a sopping wet Soun, Panda and Nabiki. "...Then it must be the old mummy!...OW!!" Ranma yelled as Cologne smacked his head into a wall. "Who's a mummy?!" She asked coolly. Ranma extracted himself from the wall, rubbing the back of his head. Behind him, Ryoga had also extracted himself and lunged once more at Ranma. "Ranma! Take this!!" Ryoga screamed as he dashed toward Ranma with a fist pulled back. Ranma yelped in fear, he knew that in his current position there was no way he could defend against that attack. "You leave oniichan alone!!" A female voice rang out. Everyone gaped as a redheaded, pigtailed girl in a Chinese dress ran out of the doorway, leaped at Ryoga and knocked him aside, deflecting his blow. Then to everyone's astonishment the redheaded girl grabbed Ryoga by the front of his shirt and lifted him up before punting him through the roof. Ran-ko then went over to help Ranma up, brushing him off. "Hey Ran-ko, nice timing!" Ranma gaped at Ran-ko, everyone else was staring, slack-jawed at the sight of Ranma and Ran-ko together. Ranma thought to himself as the image of Ran-ko dashing into Ryoga ran through his mind. "Son-in-law, it seems I was right after all..." Cologne said to Ranma who nodded. Everyone aside from Cologne and Shampoo looked at Ranma, then to Ran-ko, and back again for a few minutes before face-faulting. Ranma gave everyone a few moments to retrieve their jaws from where they'd dropped and to put their eyes back into their sockets. "What in the...?!?" Nabiki gaped. "There really IS a Ran-ko?!?" Akane asked after looking at the two of them and blinking a few times. "How in the...?!?" Soun blustered, thinking he needed glasses. Panda held up a sign reading "The impossible has happened!" After a few minutes of this, everyone calmed down enough for Ranma to get a word in. "If you guys will just shut up for a few moments...I'll explain" Ranma walked over to the group and sat down in the middle, after a few moments Ran-ko timidly walked over and sat beside Ranma, clinging to his arm. "Well, it's like this, Shampoo had some sort of anti-curse powder..." Panda and Mousse jumped up at the mention of a possible cure. "What did you say?!?" Panda held up a sign, his eyes wide. "Shampoo! Why didn't you tell me of this before?!" Mousse demanded of Shampoo who simply ignored him. Ranma looked over to Shampoo, rolling his eyes at Mousse for a moment before looking back. His eyes asking the question, 'Doesn't Mousse know?' Shampoo caught his silent question and shook her head. Ranma nodded and turned to look at Panda who was dancing around the room waving signs saying "I'm going to be cured!" and "Finally! A cure!" Ranma snorted at Panda before continuing. "Anyway, she said it was kinda unstable but I used it anyway...But, we kinda had an...err. accident with the mixture and...Well, you can guess what happened." Everyone looked over to Ran-ko, who blushed and clung to Ranma's arm even more tightly, causing him to wince slightly. "So...err....Ran-ko here...She's an exact duplicate of yourself?" Nabiki asked, her eyes already glowing with anticipation. Ranma shook his head. "Nope, the old mummy...OW!..." Ranma yelped as a staff struck his head. "Who's a mummy?..." Cologne asked, her staff still attached to Ranma's head. "Sheesh!...Ok, Cologne here explained an interesting part about the curse...It seems that anyone who falls into a pool not only is cursed like we know, but their spirit, soul, call it what you will, also bonds with that of the drowned person or creature in the pool as well..." Ranma paused to give everyone time to digest what he'd said. "So what you're saying is that Ran-ko here is in essence the girl who drowned in the pool so long ago who's inhabited your other body?" Nabiki asked, a gleam in her eye. Ranma nodded. "More or less, yes...However she doesn't have any memories of her past life..." "Ok, I'm calling Kuno-baby!" Nabiki said with a sly grin, dollar-signs circling her head. "Nabiki!" Akane yelled at her sister. Slightly aghast. "Hey, I'm joking ok? Cool it!..." Nabiki coolly replied. Ranma sighed at Nabiki's mercenary attitude, hanging his head slightly. Everyone remained silent for a moment, then Panda suddenly jumped onto Ranma, holding a sign saying, "Where's the cure?! Gimme the cure!" Ranma snarled and threw Panda off, before jumping onto him and using him as a trampoline. "You idiot! Do you honestly think I'd give you the cure even if I had it?!? It's your damn fault that we got cursed in the first place!" Panda looked sheepishly at the ground, holding out a sign saying "That's not the point!" "Well you're not getting it! You got us cursed so you can suffer for a bit!" Ranma smirked at Panda who pouted and held up a sign saying, "Ingrate!". Ranma took the sign and smacked Panda across the head with it before walking back to where Ran-ko was and sitting down beside her. "Well, whatever happens now..." Ranma put an arm around Ran-ko and squeezed her affectionately. "...Ran-ko's my sister now..." "Sister!?!" Everyone gaped. Ranma paused a moment, giving everyone time to digest what he'd said. "Ran-ko..." Ran-ko looked up at Ranma's voice. "...Here, I'll introduce you to everyone...This is Soun Tendo, Mr. Tendo to us..." Soun smiled at Ran-ko. "...This is Nabiki..." Nabiki grinned at Ran-ko. "Hi there." "H...Hi." Ran-ko stammered out. "This is Mousse..." Mousse forced a smile, trying not to look like a jerk. "You already know Shampoo and Cologne..." "Ni-hao..." Shampoo smiled at Ran-ko, who smiled back nervously. "That lump over there..." Ranma gestured to Panda who was still flat on the floor. "...Is my useless excuse of a father, Genma Saotome..." Ran-ko's eyes widened. She looked up at Ranma. "Your father's...a...panda?!?" Ranma nodded sullenly. "Well he's not really a panda, it's his cursed form..." "Curse?" Ran-ko looked confused. "Yes, Jusenkyo...I'll explain it later..." Ranma paused for a moment. "...The guy you smashed through the roof..." Ranma gestured up at the Ryoga-shaped hole in the roof. "...Is Ryoga Hibiki, my arch-rival and sometimes best-friend....At times, but not all the time..." Ran-ko giggled. "Nice friend..." Ran-ko got out between bouts of giggling. Ranma forced a smile. Ranma thought. "Anyway...there's some other people who I'll introduce to you later..." Ranma paused for a moment then looked over to Akane, who was clutching the sides of her dress tightly. "...Oh, this is Akane. She's my...fiancee..." Ran-ko's eyes widened at the mention of the word 'fiancee'. Akane forced a smile, trying not to look sad, she didn't succeed. Ran-ko smiled nervously at her. "Why does she look so sad, oniichan?" "We had an...err...little...disagreement a few days ago..." Akane lowered her head and stared at the ground. "...Wait here a moment ok?" Ran-ko nodded. "I'll help clean up." Ran-ko then went off to help Shampoo and Mousse straighten up the Nekohanten. Ranma walked over to Akane, she did not look at him. "...Ranma...I" Ranma looked at Akane who was staring at the ground. Ranma could tell she was trying not to cry. "...Akane...I...I..." Ranma found himself at a loss for words again. He got a shock however, when Akane simply broke down and threw herself at him, crying into his chest. Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look at the couple. "Ranma!!! I...I'm sorry...What I said...I didn't mean it. You...You mean too much to me for me to really hate you...Can...Can you ever forgive me...?" Ranma simply stood there like a statue as Akane poured out feelings she'd kept bottled up for so long now. Everyone else simply watched like zombies except Shampoo who was getting angry. She took a step toward them but was stopped by Cologne, who's gaze told her that it wasn't a good time. Shampoo nodded sullenly and shrunk back, casting an icy glare at Akane who paid no attention. "Akane, it's ok...I'm glad to see that you're all right...If anything bad had happened to you, I'd...I'd never be able to live with myself..." Akane looked startled. "Do...Do you really...mean that Ranma?..." Ranma nodded and smiled at her, not his usual, annoying smile that Akane had grown to know and hate, this was a warm smile, full of love. "Oh...Ranma..." Ranma gently pushed Akane's hair out of her eyes and wiped a tear away with his thumb. The two then embraced tightly, Akane crying unashamedly. Ranma too, was shedding a few tears, and he let them flow. Everyone else watching the scene was moved to tears as well. "Oh, it's so great, everything's all right now! Oh Ranma...Akane!" Soun blurted out, sobbing as usual. Nabiki wiped a few tears away, muttering something about not being able to make money out of this situation anymore. Mousse put an arm around Shampoo, who to his surprise, didn't brush it off and smack him through the roof. Ran-ko simply smiled at the couple, her tears flowing as well, but this time out of happiness for the two. After what seemed an eternity, Ranma and Akane broke the hug. "Ranma...promise me...promise me you'll never leave again..." "I promise...Akane, I never should have left in the first place...I'm sorry...I'm sorry I hurt you..." Akane was slightly startled, she'd never expected Ranma of all people to apologise to her, especially admitting that it was his fault. "...Ranma...I...er..." Akane stammered. Ranma silenced her with a finger on her lips. "Shhh, don't talk..." he said gently. "...We'll talk when we get home ok?" Akane nodded. Ranma took a deep breath and looked into Akane's eyes. He blinked at what he saw, it wasn't the uncute, macho tomboy he'd grown used to over the years, the one always pounding him into the dirt. Instead he saw within those eyes the cute girl that he'd met on the very first day he came to the Tendo Dojo, the one that asked him if he wanted to be friends. Ranma mused. It was starting to get a little easier on him now, knowing that he wouldn't be talking to the 'other' Akane that he'd grown to know and dislike. He closed his eyes for a moment, smiling at her image in his mind's eye. Shampoo, in the meantime, couldn't take it anymore. She stormed up to the couple and dragged Ranma off Akane by his pigtail. "No!! Not Violent tomboy girl!! Shampoo no let violent girl take Ranma!" Ranma caked at being pulled. Mousse came up behind Shampoo and hugged her from behind. "Fear not, my precious Shampoo...I'm here for you..." Mousse managed to get out before being slapped into a wall. Akane sighed. "Shampoo...don't you ever give up?! Can't you just accept the fact that Ranma's engaged to me?!" Shampoo shook her head vehemently. "No! Shampoo never give up Ranma...Not to uncute, violent girl like Akane!" Ranma, still bent over backward and grabbing at his pigtail, winced and expected Akane to pull out her mallet and attack Shampoo. However, to his surprise, Akane simply stood there, shaking her head. "Shampoo...you have to accept it, Ranma's engaged to me...Like it or not, that's the way it's going to be..." Shampoo was only angered further at this statement. "No! NO!! Shampoo no accept!! Shampoo kill Akane first!!" At that, Shampoo pulled out her maces and rushed at Akane, who had no time to defend herself as Shampoo swung at Akane. Akane just stood there, not trying to defend herself. She knew that Shampoo wouldn't give up on Ranma, that was just the way she was. No point for her to prolong this bitter feud, her only regret would be not hearing Ranma admit his love for her. "Akane!!! Get out of the way!" Ranma screamed at her, unable to do anything as he was still being dragged by Shampoo who completely forgot about him. Akane didn't appear to hear him. It seemed that at any moment now Shampoo's mace would connect with Akane's head, no one could survive a direct hit like that. "Yaahhhh! Shampoo finish Akane!! Die!!!" Ranma closed his eyes, disgusted at himself for not being able to do anything. Before the mace could connect however, a chopstick intercepted Shampoo's wrist, forcing her to drop the mace. She yelped and grabbed her injured wrist, glaring over at Ran-ko who was standing there with a resolute look on her face. "Shampoo...I'm sorry...But I cannot let you hurt oniichan's fiancee..." Ran-ko looked almost sad that she had to do what she did. "What you know!? You not real girl even!!...Just silly side-effect of curse!!!" Shampoo yelled at Ran-ko, who shrunk back at Shampoo's words, tears filling her eyes. Nabiki, Cologne, Soun and Panda stopped in their tracks, gasping at Shampoo's harsh words. "Whoa! Now THAT! Is saying something!" Nabiki said with a shocked look, a large sweatdrop running down the back of her head. At this, Ranma wrenched himself free from Shampoo's grip and stood up. Ranma gave her a hard look before slapping her tightly across the face. Shampoo reeled from the slap and collapsed into a nearby chair. Everyone looked at Ranma in shock. "Shampoo...I'm sorry...I had to, you went too far that time..." Ranma looked at his hand, the palm already turning red. Shampoo, holding her face, simply broke down and sobbed. "I'm sorry...I really am..." Ranma looked apologetically at Shampoo for a moment before walking over to a sobbing Ran-ko. "Ran-ko...sshhhhh. Don't cry, it's ok, it's ok, she didn't mean what she said..." Ranma took her into his arms, cradling her head. "O...oniichan...Am...Am I really...really that? Am I...really nothing?!" Ran-ko cried into Ranma's chest, her tears staining his shirt. Ranma gently stroked the back of her head. "No...of course not..." Ranma let go his hold on Ran-ko and held her face to look at him. "...you aren't nothing, you're my sister aren't you?..." Ranma gently brushed away a few tears with his thumb. Ran-ko held her brother's gaze for a moment before slowly nodding. "I...I'm sorry...I shouldn't have cried like that..." Ran-ko turned away from Ranma, looking down at the ground. "Don't be...it's not your fault..." Ranma walked up to her and hugged her from behind. "...Come on, let's go home ok?" Ranma smiled warmly at her. "O...ok..." Ranma released his hold on her and walked over to where Nabiki, Akane, Soun and Panda were standing. "Ok, lets go home!" Everyone nodded and turned to leave. Ranma was the last one to walk out, as everyone filed out the door, he turned and looked at Shampoo who was still sobbing on the floor. "...Shampoo...I'm sorry...But...You and me...It was never meant to be..." Ranma said, the words hurting him as much as they hurt Shampoo. He looked over to Cologne who shot him an angry look. "...Cologne...Thank you for taking care of me...I'll never forget..." Cologne hmmphed and turned away, throwing a sheaf of papers to Ranma before hopping into the kitchen. "Cost of damages...Please settle it within a few days...Ranma Saotome" Ranma looked at the bunch of figures she'd written down and nodded solemnly. Casting one last look at Shampoo, he turned and walked out the door to join the others. "Ranma...Shampoo no give up you yet..." Shampoo mumbled under her breath in between sobs. "...Shampoo tell Akane truth! Then Ranma become Shampoo's!" ************ "Remember, I am not to be interrupted...Pass the word to everyone else, unless called for, I am not to be disturbed!" Jyusei snapped at a servant who quickly bowed and left after handing Jyusei the files he requested, shutting the door behind him. He thought as he sat down at his desk and began to peruse the documents in front of him. He'd returned from the shrine about an hour ago. Now he sat within is private rooms awaiting the return of his shadow warriors that he'd dispatched back then. Jyusei leafed through the files of last year's tournament participants. Jyusei thought to himself, a hand on his chin. Jyusei took a close look at one particular file, the name read 'Saotome, Ranma'. "Ranma...Saotome..." Jyusei muttered to himself. "Impressive..." Jyusei scanned through the list of victories below Ranma's details. His eyes widened as he stopped at one particular detail. "Jusenkyo cursed...Spring of Nyannichuan..." Jyusei appeared to think for a moment, then a thin smile crossed his face. "...Yes...Why didn't I think of this sooner?" Jyusei mused. The more he thought about it, the more obvious and ridiculous it seemed, causing a slight chuckle to rise through his throat and out of his mouth. He brought up a hand to his mouth to try and stifle it. But the thought was now so obvious it was funny. He began to laugh harder, and brought his hand up to his forehead. Then, titling his head back a bit, Jyusei gave in to his laughter, letting it ring long and loud. His servants outside cringed as they heard the evil-sounding laugh reverberate throughout the estate... To Be Continued..... ************* Author's Note: Well, here's Chapter 2. It was much longer than I planned it to be, but I'm glad I got it finished. Any questions, comments, suggestions etc, email me at kyo@ois.net.au This story basically is, as you may have noticed by now, not like any Ranma 1/2 story you probably have read before. It is much more serious, even though it contains some elements of humor within it. For those wondering where Ukyou is, don't worry, she makes an appearance in Chapter 3: The Other Side of the Coin. A word about Ran-ko: I admit, I've always liked the genre of the 'split Ranma'. Ran-ko has been done in many ways, ranging from being an exact copy of Ranma to someone completely different, as in this story. My reasons for making Ran-ko someone completely different in this story is that it ties into the later chapters. I thought it would be much easier if I made her the spirit of the drowned girl in the Jusenkyo spring. It enables a shitload of possibilities later. If you don't like this, well, suffer ;) Chapter 1: The Awakening *done* Chapter 2: I Feel My Tears *done* Chapter 3: The Other Side of the Coin *in progress* Chapter 4: Days of Thunder, Nights of Pain Chapter 5: Seijiiku's Dark Haze Chapter 6: Who Do You Love? Chapter 7: The Final Battle: Death or Subservience. Plz email me at -kyo@ois.net.au- with any comments, suggestions etc. Any flames will be, as usual, extinguished ;) Copyright (c) 1997 Ex.Kyo Kusanagi Ranma Nibunnoichi Jusenkyo's Curse Chapter 3: The Other Side of the Coin Akane lightly tapped Ranma from behind. "Ranma..." "Yes Akane?" Ranma turned around to look at Akane. Everyone continued onward toward the Tendo Dojo, leaving the two to talk. Akane held Ranma's gaze for a moment, not saying anything. "Ranma...What you said back there..." Akane half-expected Ranma to change the subject with something like 'Oh look up at the stars Akane, aren't they beautiful?' "Oh, look up at the stars Akane, aren't they beautiful?" Akane sighed. Ranma noticed Akane's disappointed look and snickered. To her surprise he put an arm around her, drawing her to him. Akane looked startled for a moment. "...I'm only kidding Akane...Of course I meant it..." Akane looked up at Ranma's smiling face and she could tell that he was serious. "You jerk! You had me going there for a moment!" Ranma smirked. "I know...That's what's funny" Akane shook her head slightly, some things never change. "Ranma...did I tell you your Mom's visiting?" Ranma immediately paled. "What?! Oh no! Just great, how am I going to get out of it this time when Ran-ko and I walk in together?!?" Akane's eyes widened when he said that. She hadn't thought of that possibility either. They walked arm-in-arm for a while down the streets of Nerima, neither one saying anything. The stars twinkled at them from high above, as if they too knew the moment was meant to be. A small gust of wind blew from the south, causing Akane to shiver slightly. Ranma hugged her closer. Akane looked up at him for a moment then rested her head on his shoulder. "Ranma...I think it's time you told your Mom the truth..." "What!? You can't be serious! I do that and I'm dead, like really dead this time!" Ranma looked into Akane's eyes and was slightly startled when he saw that she wasn't kidding around this time. He slowly nodded, he'd kept the secret for too long now. Time after time he'd cheated his own mother out of a chance of seeing him like he really was and, time after time he'd seen the hurt look on her face every time she was told they weren't home. He could only guess at what she was feeling inside as he thought back to last time when the hurt look on his mother's face nearly made him confess the truth had Panda not dragged him away in time. "...Yeah...You're right Akane...I should. It's been so long...I...I can't remember the last time I called her 'Mom' instead of 'Auntie Saotome'..." Akane nodded and looked up at Ranma, she could see that he too was serious this time. After hesitating a moment, she reached up and, drawing his face in, gave him a soft kiss on the mouth. Ranma's eyes widened at this unexpected encouragement from Akane. She broke the kiss and whispered softly to him. "You're doing the right thing Ranma...You know she'll be so happy to see you in your real form for once...As Ranma Saotome, not Ran-ko Tendo." Ranma nodded. Ranma thought, a silly grin on his face as he pictured Genma, in panda form, sweating all over the floor, imploring him not to say anything. Akane saw the grin on his face and, shaking her head, promptly drove him into a nearby wall. So much for romance. "Hey you two, hurry up!" Nabiki called from up ahead. "We're already late for dinner, Kasumi's waiting for us!" The mere mention of food triggered a change in Ranma. He extracted himself from the wall and made it back to the dojo in record time, leaving Akane and the others behind. Akane slowly shook her head. Some things never change. ************** "Kasumi, we're home!" Soun yelled as he, Panda, Nabiki, Ran-ko and Akane walked into the dining room, Ran-ko sitting in Ranma's place as Akane indicated to her. "Dinner ready yet?" "Just about Father. Did you manage to find Ranma?" Nodoka, who was chopping up some carrots nearby, perked up at Kasumi's mention of Ranma. "Yes, he was at the Nekohanten and...ACK...Oh crap!" Soun remembered a moment too late that Nodoka was around. "Err...No, no, we didn't find him..." Soun grinned weakly at Nodoka who ran out into the dining room with an expectant look on her face. Panda held up a sign saying "Nope, no sign", a huge sweatdrop running down the back of his head. Akane sighed at this. "Auntie..." she began, Panda immediately began to sweat even more when he saw Akane's expression, he knew he was going to get it this time as his eyes widened in fear. Akane looked apologetically over to Panda for a moment then, setting her jaw in a straight line, continued. "...We did find Ranma...He has something to tell you..." Everyone looked up as Ranma slowly walked into the dining room, his eyes fixed on his mother. Kasumi's eyes widened at seeing two Ranmas. "Oh my!...What happened to..." Kasumi stopped when she saw Akane looking at her. "Sssshhh, I'll tell you later..." Kasumi nodded, her hand still on her mouth. Ranma stopped before the dinner table, gazing at his mother for a long moment. "Mom..." Ranma said after a moment in a voice full of emotion. Time appeared to freeze as Nodoka's eyes widened in astonishment, the effect of seeing her son, after more than ten long years, was beyond description. She ran over to Ranma and hugged him, tears of joy already coming to her face. She was at a complete loss for words, the joy and excitement of seeing her own son again, her only son, her *manly* son, standing before her in the flesh., was beyond words. Long had she dreamed of holding him again in her arms, when he was only a child. Now her dream was realised, she was as happy as any mother could be after being reunited with her son after such a long time. Ranma hugged her back, tears flowing unashamedly from his eyes, and he let them flow. Long had he wanted to tell his mother about the secret he once held, a secret so terrible that he could not reveal it. Finally, after all this time, he could greet his mother as himself, not as 'Ran-ko' or anyone else, as Ranma Saotome. Nodoka hugged her son for a moment longer, then held him out at arms length and looked him over, into his face and eyes. "I must be dreaming!...Tell me I'm not dreaming! Tell me you're him! Tell me you're really my son, Ranma Saotome!" Nodoka whispered fiercely at Ranma. "M...Mom...it's true...I'm Ranma..." Ranma whispered, feeling a lump of emotion in his heart and a knot in his throat. Never in his life had he experienced something like this. It almost seemed worthwhile keeping his mother in the dark all those years, just for this moment. Ranma thought. Nodoka broke down and wept tears of unbound joy, hopes fulfilled and dreams realised. Ranma, too, wept. He did not understand why at the time, but he knew that he would later. Akane wiped her own tears at the happy scene before her, as did everyone else except Panda, who was too busy sweating to cry. Visions of him and Ranma in traditional ritual dress holding blades to their stomachs as Nodoka forced them to commit seppuku entered his mind. He tried to inch toward the door but was promptly blocked by Akane. "Akane!! What are you doing!? Let me out of here!' Panda waved a sign about in desperation. Akane however, simply looked down at Panda sweating on the floor and shook her head apologetically. "I'm sorry...Mr. Saotome, you can't keep this from Auntie Saotome any longer. It's already gone on for long enough..." Akane paused to look at Ranma and Nodoka, mother asking questions and Ranma answering, this time with confidence and poise, not with fear and hesitation like in past times when he was 'Ran-ko Tendo'. "Look at them...See how happy she looks? How can you bear to hurt her any longer?" Akane glanced down at Panda again, who looked ashamed. He held out a sign reading "You're right...". Panda slowly got up and returned to his seat, waiting for his time to come as he was seeing himself and Ranma kneeling before Satan's blood throne. Mother and son then sat down for a long reunion talk, questions were asked and answered as Ranma recounted their travels to his mother who listened with interest. After a while, Kasumi announced that dinner was ready and the entire family sat down to eat, as one. All throughout dinner, Nodoka posed questions that were all answered, periodically commenting on how 'manly' Ranma looked, causing huge sweatdrops to form on Panda's head and drawing general assent from the Tendos. After a while, Nodoka ran out of questions and everyone resumed their meal. Ranma, in the meantime, was looking over at Ran-ko. She had remained silent throughout the course of the conversation, quietly picking at her rice. Ranma felt sorry for his 'sister', he hadn't yet told his mother about Jusenkyo, he'd cut that part out when he was recounting his travels to his mother. Everyone else, aside from Panda, appeared to be having a good time. Ranma sighed inwardly at the sad, lost expression on Ran-ko's face. Ranma thought as Ran-ko, absent-mindedly ate her rice, without anything else. Ranma reached out and, taking a piece of meat from the platter on the table, put it in Ran-ko's bowl. Ran-ko raised her head to look at him in surprise, eyes shining. Ranma smiled warmly at her and nodded. Ran-ko slowly smiled back and began to nibble at the meat. Everyone nodded approvingly at Ranma's kind gesture. Nodoka smiled happily. Not only was her son manly but he was a kind person as well. After dinner, Ran-ko helped Kasumi clear the table while everyone moved into the living room. Nabiki excused herself and went up into her room, claiming she had homework. Ranma crashed in his usual place on the couch, Akane, after a moment's hesitation, sat next to him. Ran-ko sat next to Ranma as well on the other side, sandwiching him in the middle. Ranma tensed up and looked over to Akane as Ran-ko leaned her head onto Ranma's arm, squeezing it rather affectionately. He was expecting something distinctly mallet-like in shape, size and weight to be applied to his head at any moment. It never came, Akane simply smiled at the two. Ranma let out a sigh of relief. After a while, Nodoka and Soun joined them in the living room, Soun dragging a very-reluctant Panda behind him. Nodoka sat on the armchair adjacent to the couch while Soun stood behind it, leaning onto the back of the couch. They talked for a while, Nodoka doing most of the talking this time as she filled Ranma in on what she'd been doing all the time he'd been away. Some of it he already knew, but he never let on. It wasn't time yet. After a while, Nodoka became conscious of the fact that her husband hadn't returned as he'd gone out to look for Ranma as well, didn't he? "Ranma...do you know your father is?" Panda, playing with his tyre on the floor, immediately sat up and began to sweat. Ranma hesitated a moment. This was time for him to tell her about Jusenkyo and the secret that he and his father had been keeping from her for the past ten years. He glanced at Akane, who nodded slightly at him, then up at Soun, who also nodded slightly. "Mom...there's something I have to tell you...After I do, then you can do whatever it is that you are bound to by honor..." Ranma paused. Nodoka was beginning to look worried that what he was about to tell her was something she'd been dreading for the past ten years. She took a long look at her son's face, she saw only sadness and regret etched there. Nodoka nodded for Ranma to continue. Panda, meanwhile, looked like he was about to have a heart attack. "...G...go on then..." "Pop once took me to this training ground in China called Jusenkyo. It is famous for it's cursed springs that would change anyone who fell in into who or whatever drowned there last..." Ranma paused again and looked over to his mother, who was clutching her covered katana tightly with both hands. But now that he'd started, he didn't want to stop, he wanted to tell her and finally get it off his chest. If he had to die, then he'd die with honor. "...Pop couldn't read the sign nearby and had no idea what it was...Despite the guide there yelling at us, we couldn't understand Chinese. So we sparred on top of the poles that were embedded into the springs. During one such bout, I accidentally knocked Pop into the Spring of Drowned...Panda..." Nodoka's eyes widened and looked over to Panda, who looked like he was about to pass out. She then looked back at Ranma with a look that said 'Don't tell me that..." Ranma sighed, nodded and stood up. He grabbed the kettle of hot water that had somehow magically appeared nearby and threw the contents over Panda, turning him back into his human form. Nodoka gasped at her husband who stood, dripping wet before her, trying to smile. "...Husband?..." Genma simply nodded, not saying anything. "...Why..." Nodoka then ran at her husband and embraced him, overjoyed at seeing him again. Genma hugged her back tentatively. After a while, they broke the hug and looked at each other for a long time. "...Why...why didn't you tell me? Why?!?" Nodoka was on the verge of tears. Genma looked at the ground, ashamed. Ranma stepped up to his father and put a hand on his shoulder. Genma may have put absolutely zilch effort into bringing Ranma up properly like a father should but he was still his father. "Mom...don't be mad at Pop, he didn't know at the time..." Everyone watching did a double-take when they heard Ranma stick up for Genma. "I guess there really is a first time for everything..." Akane said in disbelief. Soun nodded, dumbstruck. Genma also blinked at Ranma's words. "May I continue?" Nodoka looked sadly at Genma for a moment then nodded at Ranma. "...After I knocked Pop into the spring, I thought he was going to drown so I dropped my guard...Immediately after that a large panda burst out of the pool and crashed into me...I...I had no time to do anything, he knocked me into the Spring of Drowned...Girl..." Ranma sighed, he'd finally said it. Nodoka's face was a mask of shock. "W...What?! Spring of Drowned...Girl?!" Ranma nodded. Nodoka's face paled and she looked like she was going to faint. Ranma and Genma reacted immediately, running to support her. "Oh...no...How can this be?!? My son...My only son...Is half a girl?!?..." Nodoka sobbed. "...So...so dear little Ran-ko was...was..." Ranma nodded sadly. "...I...I'm sorry, Mom...I...we should have told you earlier...But Pop was so afraid of that promise that he made to you that he thought it was in our best interests to keep it from you...Mom...I...We're sorry..." Ranma helped his mother back into her chair. "...I couldn't bear hurting you, but every time I wanted to tell you Pop would remind me of his promise and...I...I couldn't...I just couldn't..." Streams of tears were flowing down Nodoka's face now, both father and son felt extremely ashamed. Akane wiped a few tears of her own as Soun broke down and sobbed at the sad scene before him. Ran-ko clung onto Ranma's arm and sobbed quietly. Ranma hugged her, whispering soothing words into her ear. "...My son...my only son...How can I bear to carry out my part of the pact?...God help me...I can't do it..." Nodoka managed to get out between sobs as she mumbled to no one in particular. She wiped the tears from her eyes and looked up at everyone. She saw Ranma hugging Ran-ko and blinked. Ranma saw his mother's confused look and, stroking the back of Ran-ko's head a few times, sat back down and continued. "However, a few days ago...Ryoga, my rival and I had a match...Due to, err, certain circumstances the fight got out of hand and we were both hurt badly..." Ranma paused and sighed. It was the first time that he and Ryoga had really had a serious match and it was probably the first time that real damage was done. "...After the fight I was confused due to certain...problems...and felt I had to leave..." Ranma took Akane's hand into his lap and squeezed it gently. Akane cried quietly into his shoulder. "...A storm was brewing and when it broke, I had to seek shelter...The nearest place was the Nekohanten..." Ranma then went on to tell his mother of what had transpired the past day, omitting the part which he no longer knew. All this while, Nodoka listened with intense interest, looking at Ran-ko who was still in Ranma's gentle embrace. Ran-ko felt Nodoka's gaze on her and she blushed slightly. "...So, I picked the name 'Ran-ko'...What other name could I have given her?" Ranma smiled gently down at Ran-ko, who looked uneasy with Nodoka's gaze on her. "...But with the nature of the 'cure'...Ran-ko is...in more ways than one...my sister now." Nodoka's eyes widened at this. In her wildest imaginations she'd never thought that she'd gain a daughter out of all this. She looked over at Ran-ko and thought about what happened at dinner. She had glanced at Ran-ko a few times and she had looked...lost. Nodoka slowly nodded, she, of all people, knew what it was like to be lonely. She looked over to Genma who slowly nodded, arms folded. "It's the only honorable thing to do..." he said, his voice now serious. Ranma nodded at his father then turned away and scowled quietly. "Besides...I've always wanted a kid sister..." He grinned weakly, trying to make light of the situation. Ran-ko hugged his arm maybe a little too tightly, causing him to wince a little. Nodoka looked at Ran-ko for what seemed an eternity. Eventually, her face broke into a smile and she held her arms out to Ran-ko, who looked at her uncertainly before looking up at Ranma. "...Go on...She's your mother...now..." Ranma reassured her with a warm smile. Ran-ko hesitated for a moment before walking timidly over to Nodoka who embraced her warmly. "...O...okaasan?..." Nodoka smiled down at her daughter, gently pushing her hair out of her eyes like Ranma did. "Yes...Ran-ko dear..." Ran-ko began to cry. These however, were tears of joy. Nodoka gently wiped them away, cradling Ran-ko's head in her arms. "Ssshhh, little one, don't cry..." Nodoka gently rocked her back and forth, comforting her. Eventually she stopped, only sniffling occasionally. Ranma smiled at seeing his sister so happy, wiping a few tears of his own. Akane hugged his arm tighter. Nodoka eventually let go of Ran-ko when she'd calmed down enough and turned her to face Genma. "Go greet your father..." Ran-ko looked at Genma, who smiled weakly. He was clearly uncomfortable but Nodoka's piercing gaze told him that to do anything other than be nice was a definite no way. After a little prompting from Nodoka, Ran-ko walked timidly over to Genma, clutching her hands to her chest. Genma patted her on the head affectionately. "O...otousan..." Genma smiled at her and nodded. Ranma however, was thinking of what fate would befall his sister once his father got his usual ideas into his head. Ranma wrinkled up his nose and snorted derisively. Nodoka caught her son's disdainful look at his father and chuckled. "Now Ranma...It isn't nice to think of your father that way..." Ranma perked up and blushed, embarrassed at being caught. Genma simply snorted. "...Ingrate!" he muttered. At that moment Kasumi walked into the living room. "Am I interrupting anything?" She asked. Everyone shook their heads. "Kasumi...I'd like you to meet Ran-ko...the newest member of the Saotome family." Soun piped up. "Ran-ko, this is Kasumi, my oldest daughter..." Kasumi smiled innocently at Ran-ko. "H...hello..." Ran-ko stammered after a moment. "Hello, nice to meet you..." Kasumi then turned to her father. "Father...where is she going to sleep? All the guest rooms are taken up." "That's right! I never thought of that!..." Soun paced the floor for a few minutes, scratching his head and mumbling something intelligible. "She can bunk with me..." Ranma suggested. Akane's eyes widened and she shot Ranma a 'don't make me kill you' look. Ranma flinched. "...Come on Akane, she's my sister for crying out loud..." Akane considered this for a moment, never taking her eyes off Ranma who was trying to smile, a large sweatdrop trickling down the back of his head. "That would be ok..." Genma said before Akane could impose something onto Ranma. "...What does Ran-ko think?" He turned to look at Ran-ko. "It's ok...I'll stay with oniichan." Ran-ko said, smiling at Akane. After a moment, Akane gave in and nodded her consent. Kasumi left the room and returned with an armful of bedding for Ran-ko. "I'll just put this into Ranma's room then, ok?" Soun nodded at Kasumi who left and walked up the stairs. Akane stood up, dragging Ranma with her. "H...hey! Akane! What's the big..." Akane shushed him with a finger on his lips. "Ranma...I'll meet you in the dojo, ok? There's something I want to talk to you about..." Akane turned on her heel and walked out of the room, leaving Ranma behind to contemplate what she had planned for him. "Oh great...Now I'm really gonna get it!" He muttered, sighing as he excused himself and walked after Akane. Ran-ko gazed at her brother as he left the room, hesitated a moment, then ran after him. ************** "Oh great! Where on earth am I now!?" Ryoga muttered as he surveyed his surroundings. He'd landed from being punted into the stratosphere by Ran-ko half an hour ago. The last 30 minutes was spent wandering around the back outside the Tendo Dojo. "I must be somewhere in China! Yeah, that's it!" Ryoga looked pleased with himself at discovering his whereabouts, until he looked up and saw the sign reading 'Tendo Anything Goes Training Hall - Back Entrance'. "So much for that...At least I'll be able to find Akane without much trouble...All I have to do is walk around to the front! She'll be so glad to see me!" Ryoga took a step in the opposite direction and was about to continue when he heard voices coming from inside the dojo, in addition to yells and the sounds of a general fight. He found a crack in the wood panels and peeped in, seeing Ranma and Akane sparring. "Ranma! What were you...Hyah!...thinking?" Akane dodged a low-to-high kick combination from Ranma, twisted aside and snapped a fist toward the right side of his face. Ranma promptly dodged and, ducking in low under her guard, aimed an elbow toward her midsection. "About...Yah!...what?!" Akane side-stepped the attack and crouched low to attempt a Dragontail as Ranma's momentum carried him onwards. Ranma, at the last moment, flipped onto his hands over her extended leg and landed in a crouching position. Before Akane could recover he lashed out with a Dragontail of his own. Akane, her weight all on her front foot, couldn't recover in time and Ranma neatly clipped her ankle, putting her flat on the floor again. "Damn! I have to quit falling for that trick!" Ranma smiled at Akane as he helped her up. "As I was saying, what were you thinking?" "About what? Ran-ko?!" Akane nodded. "Come on Akane! It's like we're going to do anything! She's my sister, in case you've forgotten!" Outside, Ryoga's eyes widened in surprise. "Sister?!? Ranma has a sister?!?...Since when?!?" He continued listening, hoping to learn more. "I know that! But you didn't have to look so guilty about it!" Ranma smirked at the thought that Akane would be jealous of him and Ran-ko. "Heh, Akane...You don't gotta be jealous about this you know..." Akane's face twisted into something unpleasant. "What?!? What would I be jealous about?!?" Ranma chuckled at her, avoiding her reverse spinning kick as he countered with a low step-in kick that Akane swept aside and stepped in with a flurry of punches which Ranma blocked with ease before slapping her arm aside and, trapping her right leg with his left, swept it out from under her with a deft slide into a drop toe-hold. Akane found herself on the floor again. "Come on Akane, I mean look at her...There's no comparison really, you're a dead weight in the water, you've got no figure...You're as violent as a gorilla and co-ordinated as a whale!" Ranma acked and took off as Akane chased him around the dojo swinging her mallet. They ran right past Ran-ko who stared at them with a puzzled look on her face before taking off after them. Outside the dojo, Ryoga seethed with anger as he heard Ranma's words. "Why that!!!!..." Ryoga tried to find the words but none came. "...I'll make him pay for talking to Akane like that!" Ryoga, not looking where he was going, ran right into a barrel used to trap rain water, tipping it all over him. "BU-KEEE!, Kweee!!!!" P-Chan yelled in piggy. "Come back here Ranma!! I'll make you pay for that!!" Akane chased Ranma out of the dojo and around the house for the better part of five minutes. Moments later a resounding smash could be heard followed by a splash as Ranma landed in the carp pond. "Uhh..." Ranma moaned, rubbing the back of his head. "...I gotta learn to keep my mouth shut..." Ran-ko, who'd been watching the incident, was having a fit of giggling. She was trying not to laugh with no success. "Hey! Whatcha laughing at?!" Ranma, climbing out of the carp pond, demanded of his sister in mock anger. "You look so funny with a fish on your head!" Ran-ko gave up trying not to laugh and cracked up, tears streaming down her face. Ranma blinked a few times before brushing the carp off his head and back into the pool. He turned toward her with a mock snarl on his face. Ran-ko backed off slightly, still snickering. "So...laugh at me will you?..." Without warning, Ranma lunged out of the pool at Ran-ko and tackled her to the ground. "...I'll make you pay..." Ranma bellowed in mock outrage as he slid both hands up Ran-ko's sides began to...tickle her. Ran-ko squirmed about on the floor, squealing with laughter and trying to escape from her brother's hold on her with little success. "Oniichan....stop...stop it...." Ran-ko managed to get out between bouts of laughter. Ranma didn't let up, an 'evil' smile on his face as he watched his sister squirm. Neither of them noticed Akane walk up to stand in front of them. Akane watched them play for a moment, a half-smile crossing her face. Ranma, pausing a moment to throw out a speech, finally noticed Akane standing in front of him and he face-faulted, a large sweatdrop running down the back of his head. Ran-ko turned to see what her brother was looking at and grinned weakly at Akane, trying to look innocent. "Um...Akane...I..." Ranma began intelligently. Ranma suddenly became conscious of the position he and Ran-ko were in. He was nestled 'comfortably' between her legs which were spread around him as he'd attempted to pin her down. Their hips were almost touching. Ranma gulped as he realised his predicament. He dearly hoped that Akane didn't notice the slight bulge that was growing in his pants. Apparently Ran-ko had noticed though, as she was blushing slightly, trying not to show her own arousal as she felt her nipples start to harden and push through the front of her dress. "...I....err...we were just playing...that's all...We weren't doing any of *that* or anything!" Ran-ko quickly nodded. "Yeah, we were just playing..." She smiled up at Ranma. "So! Smile at me will you?!" Ranma said in mock anger as he began to tickle her again. Ran-ko squealed with laughter and tried once again to unsuccessfully make her brother stop. Akane relaxed when she saw the innocence of the situation. It was nothing more than play-fighting. However, deep down inside her, she was jealous. Jealous because Ranma had never played with her like that. Jealous because she'd never received as much attention from Ranma as Ran-ko was getting and jealous because Ran-ko was actually enjoying herself. "Ranma! Stop it already, can't you see she's given up?" Ranma continued for a moment longer then stopped, much to Ran-ko's relief as she wiped tears of mirth from her eyes and, pulling herself out from under Ranma, sat up beside him. Akane looked at the two sitting together and felt the pangs of jealousy rise in her again. They looked so alike, made for each other even. Even though Ranma had confessed his feelings for her, she still felt that she was missing out. She forced a smile. "Have you seen P-Chan anywhere? I've been looking all over for him." Ranma shook his head. "P-Chan?" Ran-ko looked up at Akane, puzzled. "Yeah, my pet pig. Have you seen him anywhere? He's black with a funny yellow and black bandanna around his neck." Ran-ko shook her head. "Sorry, haven't seen a pig anywhere." Ran-ko turned to look at Ranma. "Pig?!?" She whispered. Ranma nodded at her. "Yeah, I'll explain later." Ran-ko nodded and stood up, followed by Ranma. "Why do I have this funny feeling that if I go out here..." Ranma walked outside for a moment. "...And do this..." A wet smack was heard from beside the building, then moments later P-Chan came flying into the room, landing right into Akane's arms. "...Damn I'm good! " Ranma smirked. Ran-ko's eyes widened when she saw P-Chan, that yellow bandanna was strangely familiar. "Bweeee!" P-Chan said in piggy. Akane yelped when she saw the bruise on the left side of P-Chan's snout. "Ranma!!!" She said in a low, dangerous tone. "I TOLD you not to pick on him!" Akane then began cooing at her beloved pig, petting it and rubbing it's snout. P-Chan sighed. "Hmmph, all I did was smack him once with a baseball bat, no big deal..." Ranma muttered to himself. P-Chan snarled at him, jumping out of Akane's arms and onto Ranma's arm, sinking his sharp teeth into the flesh. "OUCH!!!" Ranma yelled, throwing P-Chan off and mashing him into the floor with a well-placed stomp. Akane promptly flattened Ranma with her mallet. "Ranma! You jerk! When are you going to leave P-Chan alone!?" Akane 'hmmphed' and picked up a cut and bruised P-Chan, cooing to it like one would a baby. "Ran-ko, hold him for me will you? I'll be a moment" Akane passed P-Chan to Ran-ko and went off looking for some antiseptic. P-Chan blinked. He looked down at Ranma who was still on the floor, then turned to look up at Ran-ko. He looked back and forth at the two for a moment, then face-faulted. "Bwee?" P-Chan asked in piggy. Ran-ko smiled and petted him. "You are cute, aren't you?" P-Chan blushed. He was about to jump off and run after Akane when he realised what those *soft* things were that were pressing into his back. He blushed furiously, trying to control the rush of blood to his head that was threatening to burst out from his snout. Ranma eventually got up and, shooting P-Chan a 'I'll kill you later when your owner isn't around' look, began to walk off. "I'm going to the dojo for a light workout...Get changed if u want to join me." Ran-ko nodded after her brother. You know...You remind me of someone..." Ran-ko said to P-Chan. "Bwee?" "That bandanna you have, it looks like the one on that guy who was fighting oniichan..." P-Chan's eyes widened, a large sweatdrop running down the back of his head. "Bwee! Bu-keeee!" P-Chan shook his head furiously, trying not to sound guilty. At that moment Akane returned clutching a bottle of antiseptic, much to P-Chan's relief who 'bweed' at Akane. "I'll take P-Chan back now, thanks Ran-ko." Ran-ko handed P-Chan back to his owner and walked off upstairs to change into something more comfortable. P-Chan looked up at Akane who was holding a bulb of cotton wool soaked in antiseptic. "Now hold still, this won't hurt a bit..." P-Chan's eyes widened as he realised what Akane was about to do. "BWEEEEEEEE!" P-Chan shrieked as Akane dabbed the solution onto his cut. So much for that. ************** Ran-ko walked into the dojo to see her brother flailing away at a dummy. She watched on in awe as Ranma's punches smashed into the dummy, one after another. Finally, a burning right hook knocked the dummy right off it's stand, coming to rest after it struck the wall. Ranma paused for a moment to catch his breath before setting up another dummy. "Oniichan!" Ranma turned at the sound of Ran-ko's voice. "Oh hi, want to work out with me?" Ranma grinned at his sister's uneasiness. He looked her over. She was now dressed in one of his Chinese shirts and a pair of loose fitting pants. Ran-ko stared at the floor for a few moments. "I don't think I can...I don't know any martial arts." Ran-ko shifted from foot to foot. Ranma walked over to her and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Heh, sure you don't...How did you do what you did back at the Nekohanten then?" Ran-ko blushed. "I...I was just lucky I guess..." Ranma shook his head slightly. "Luck? Nah...I think the old bat was right about you having my martial arts knowledge...Let's find out for sure" Ranma flashed an evil grin at his sister. Without warning, Ranma attacked, snapping a fist at Ran-ko's face. At the last moment, her instincts took over and she slapped the blow aside, counterattacking with a low side-kick to the ribs. Ranma blocked, sweeping her leg aside and down on the outside gate, they were almost back-to-back. Ranma turned and jabbed at her kidneys with blinding speed. Ran-ko, somehow expecting the attack, turned so she was side-on to Ranma and lifted her knee to intercept the blow. Ranma changed the attack halfway through and instead of hitting low, he aimed high for under her chin. Ran-ko snapped her head back at the last moment. As Ranma's arm missed, she grabbed his wrist and with a deft twist, turned and threw Ranma over her shoulder. Ranma twisted his body in mid-air, coming to land deftly onto his feet. Almost immediately after landing he dashed in to the attack again, throwing a high 3-2-3 punch/kick combo with dazzling speed. Ran-ko deflected the blows with ease, matching him blow for blow. Neither of them noticed Akane, Nabiki, Kasumi, Soun, Genma and Nodoka standing in the doorway, watching the fight with open mouths. "How did she learn to fight that well?!?" Akane asked, her eyes wide. "Didn't Cologne say something about her having Ranma's skills?" Nabiki replied to her sister. Genma and Nodoka looked on in pride at the dazzling display of skill their children were showing. Kasumi put a hand to her mouth. "Oh my! Don't hurt each other!" Ranma and Ran-ko, even though none of their blows were connecting, appeared to be thrashing each other half to death. Each blow was thrown with full speed and power, the air around the two was tinged with discharged ki-energy. Akane watched on, silent jealousy building in her. Watching this display, she knew that she could never hope to win in a real fight situation with either Ranma or Ran-ko. So why was she so good at beating the crap out of Ranma? Akane thought. Akane watched on, jealous of the fact that her own skills were no where near the level of Ranma nor Ran-ko, who she expected to be an easy win. Soun noted his daughter's look of envy and put a hand on her shoulder. "Now now...Someday you'll learn to be as good as they are..." Akane shot her father a look of pure venom. Soun cringed and shrunk back. "For someone...who doesn't...huff....know how to...Hah!...fight...You're sure doing a...chaa!...good job!" Ranma grinned at his sister in between the furious blows they were exchanging. Ran-ko blushed slightly. "It's almost...hyah!...all...yaa!...I can do..." Ran-ko smiled meekly back at Ranma. He shot her an 'oh yeah?' grin and, deflecting Ran-ko's reverse spin kick, leapt back out of the fray. Both of them stood panting for a moment, catching their breaths. Ranma shot Ran-ko a wicked smile, who blushed slightly and smiled back, looking embarrassed. After a moment, they felt pairs of eyes bore into them and turned to look at Akane, Nabiki, Kasumi, Genma, Nodoka and a slack-jawed Soun. Both of them blushed as they realised that the others were watching them all this time. Ran-ko's cheeks flushed red and she brought her hands up to her face, trying to cover them. "...Err...We..." Ran-ko began. Ranma smiled at her. "...Heh...That was the...best workout I've...had in a long time..." Ranma said in between pants. Ran-ko blushed further. "...Though...let's see...what you really know...ok?" Ran-ko nodded meekly and resumed a defensive stance. Ranma stood erect, his fists clenched at his sides. "...oniichan...what...are you...doing?" Ranma shot her another wicked grin. "What else? We're pretty evenly matched in hand-to-hand combat...Let's see about ki-combat..." Ran-ko cringed slightly. "Ki...oniichan...I can't do that..." Ranma laughed, much to his sister's consternation. "Yah sure you can't...Like you couldn't fight either heh?" Ran-ko shifted uneasily from foot to foot, trying to look innocent. "Come on, let's go!" Ranma brought both arms crossed up in front of his face for a moment, then snapped them down to his sides with a roar as a blue spiritual flame exploded around him. Ran-ko flinched as she felt his power level jump. Ranma smiled at her again. "Go on..." Ran-ko hesitated a moment, clenched her fists then brought them to her sides with a yell as a fiery-red spiritual flame exploded around her. Ranma's eyes widened as he felt her power level increase. Ranma thought in shock. He glanced over to everyone over by the doorway. They had felt Ran-ko's power jump too. Akane stood with a cold gaze fixed on Ranma. he looked over to Nabiki, who had her camera out. he then looked over at Genma and Nodoka. Ranma then turned back to Ran-ko, who was almost at her maximum level like he was. "...Oniichan...you sure you want to do this?" Ranma grinned at her and nodded. "Yeah, come on...let's do it!" Ranma moved his hands up and held them in front of his chest as if he were holding a ball. Almost immediately a blue ball of energy formed in between his palms and began to grow. Ran-ko followed suit, a red sphere forming in her hands. "Here we go...MOU...KO...TAKA...BI...SHAAAA!!!" Ranma screamed and cast his hands forward, a continuous blue beam of energy flying from them directly at Ran-ko. "MOUKO-TAKABISHA!" Ran-ko screamed back, throwing her own blast at Ranma, a fiery-red beam shooting from her hands and meeting Ranma's beam dead-on. The two beams contested with each other for supremacy, lightning crackling at the point where the two opposing forces met, each trying to override the other. "Woahh!" Everyone cringed back and shielded their eyes from the almost-blinding energy discharge. The battle swayed back and forth for a while. At times it would appear as if Ranma was gaining the upper hand, then Ran-ko would push back and gain the upper hand for a while until she was pushed back slightly. Ranma thought as he began to sweat profusely, beads of perspiration dripping down his face and staining into his shirt. He could see that Ran-ko was having a hard time too, her shirt was drenched with sweat. Ranma could almost see her breasts through the near-transparent material. His concentration lapsed for a moment and he was pushed back almost to the point of defeat. Ranma cursed himself and concentrated, forcing Ran-ko back into neutral ground. Ranma vented a blood-curdling yell and redoubled his attack, a bluish-yellow flame burning around him. Ran-ko flinched as she felt his power jump once more. She was beginning to wear out, Ranma was too strong for her to keep this up much longer. Both her and Ranma knew that his female body was no where near as strong as his male side. Ran-ko thought as she felt her attack slowly pushed back. Slowly, almost methodically, the blue began to override the red, pushing it back. Then, like a dam breaking, the blue neutralised the red and bore onwards. Ranma saw this and quickly stopped his attack. However, he couldn't stop all of it in time and the remnants of his Mouko-Takabisha caught Ran-ko full in the face, sending her flying back into the wall to land in a heap on the floor. Ranma quickly rushed to her aid. "Ran-ko! Ran-ko! You all right?!..." Ranma shook her gently, Ran-ko stirred and moaned from the pain of striking the wall. She nodded weakly and forced a smile at her brother. "Yeah...I...I'm ok..." Ranma shushed her. "Sshh, don't talk..." Ranma immediately regretted asking Ran-ko to match ki-power with him in the first place "...I'm sorry, I never should have asked you to do this in the first place..." Ranma cursed himself. Ran-ko, her head in Ranma's lap, smiled up at him. "It's ok...I...I never knew I could do that...oniichan...when did I have such power?" "I don't know..." Ranma gently pushed her hair back out of her eyes. "RANMAAA!!!" Akane stormed up to Ranma and bopped him over the head. Ranma winced. "W...What was that for?!" "You insensitive jerk! How can you do that to your own sister?!" Akane glared down at Ranma, still cradling Ran-ko's head in his lap. "It was an accident! Ok?!" Akane stopped when she saw the look on Ranma's face. For once it was showing true regret. She searched his eyes for a single sign of his old annoying attitude and was surprised when she found none. Ranma looked apologetically down at Ran-ko. Akane mused as Ran-ko slowly got up, standing on shaky legs. Ranma helped her up, supporting her by the waist. Ran-ko shot her brother a grin. "I guess you're too strong for me, oniichan." "Heh, you're not half-bad yourself, you had me there for a while" Everyone did a double-take. Did they just hear Ranma admit any sign of weakness?!? Ran-ko tried to walk but staggered and fell back, Ranma quickly caught her. "It's ok, really...I'm fine..." Ran-ko smiled at her brother. Ranma did not look convinced. "Yeah right, the only guy I know who could take a Mouko-Takabisha full in the face and still be 'fine' is Herb, the self-professed 'ki master'..." <...and act like he didn't feel it either!> Ranma thought darkly. "...Come on, I'll help you upstairs." Ran-ko slowly walked upstairs with Ranma supporting her. Akane slowly followed them, trying not to look jealous of the attention Ranma was giving Ran-ko. Hell, he'd never shown such concern for her whenever she got injured. He'd say something along the lines of 'Oh come on, I barely touched you!' and expect her to get up. Ran-ko faltered halfway up the stairs, staggering slightly as a wave of dizziness overcame her. Ranma quickly steadied her, a worried look on his face. Akane ran to help. "You sure you're all right? Want me to get Dr. Tofu?" Akane asked. Ran-ko shook her head. "No, I'll be ok..." She coughed slightly, causing Ranma to flinch. "Look, you're in no condition to walk...Here, I'll carry you..." Ranma scooped Ran-ko up and carried her up the stairs. Akane followed a few paces behind, head bowed. They rounded a corner and walked into Ranma's room. Akane flicked on the light while Ranma gently deposited Ran-ko onto his futon. "Ran-ko, I'm sorry...I couldn't stop the blast in time, I..." Ranma said in a regretful tone, his hand gently running through Ran-ko's hair. Ran-ko smiled up at him. "It's ok...I would have done the same thing..." Ran-ko's smile faded for a moment. She knew that if she'd won, the situation here would probably be reversed. She probably couldn't have controlled her blast any more than Ranma could his. Ranma nodded down at her, still stroking her hair. "Listen, if you feel sick or something, yell ok?" Ran-ko nodded. Ranma however, looked unwilling to leave his sister alone in this condition. Kasumi walked into the room holding a basin of water and a flannel. She wet it before laying it onto Ran-ko's forehead. Kasumi smiled at Ran-ko who looked a little stunned. "Th...thank you..." Ran-ko managed to get out. She still didn't know who all these people were, and why they were all so nice to her. Sure, they were her brother's friends, but Ranma wasn't her 'real' brother. Nodoka and Genma aren't her 'real' parents either. Yet they were treating her like she was part of the family. Well technically she was but still... "Ran-ko...why are you crying?" Ranma asked. Ran-ko quickly wiped away the tears that had formed in her eyes, making them shimmer. "Oh, n...nothing...I was just thinking..." Ranma seemed unconvinced. Ran-ko forced a smile at her brother. "...I'll tell you later ok?" Ranma nodded and slowly stood up. "Hope she's going to be ok, I can't call Kuno-baby like this now can I?" Nabiki grinned at Ranma who looked shocked. "Nabiki!!" Ranma and Akane shot back. "Hey, I'm joking ok?...Yeesh!" Akane shook her head at her sister's attitude. Nodoka knelt beside Ran-ko, patting her gently on the shoulder. "Ran-ko dear, if you need anything, just tell Mommy ok?" Ran-ko started at the thought. She nodded. "M...Mom..." Ran-ko looked up at Nodoka, tears glistening in her eyes. "Yes dear?" Ran-ko paused, she didn't really want anything. She'd just wanted to call her mother for the first time. Ranma, who was standing nearby, looked at his sister and nodded slightly to himself. "Poor girl, she probably never knew her mother when she was alive..." Ranma mumbled to Genma, who "Hmm'ed" and nodded, adjusting his glasses. "So tragic, I hope things will be better for her now. At least, she now knows what it's like to be surrounded by people who do care for her." Ranma did a double-take, blinking a few times. Did he just hear his father say something sensitive?!? "Yeah, well it's not gonna last you know..." Ranma muttered and folded his arms, eyes closed. Genma peered at his son. "And what is that supposed to mean?!" "Just wait, you'll see...You're gonna get it into that fool head of yours to go of engaging her to the first guy you see or something and before you know it, she'd be wishing she'd never been born!" Genma punched Ranma into the wall. "You ingrate! I spend the last sixteen years training you to become a man and this is the thanks I get?!?" Ranma turned a disdainful look at his father, smirking. "Oh, so THAT's what it's called now! 'Be a man' he says. Ever hear about a place called 'Jusenkyo'?..." Genma cringed "...ever hear of a spring called 'Nyannichuan'?" Genma cringed further. "...and ever hear of..." "Shush! The both of you! Can't you see my daughter's having a hard enough time here?!" Genma and Ranma hung their heads in shame. "Sorry..." both muttered. Genma and Ranma shot each other looks saying 'It's your fault!' After a few moments, Nodoka stood up and walked over to the door. "I think we'd best let her rest for a while now..." No one moved. Nodoka's eyes narrowed to slits and she moved to unwrap the sword-shaped bundle that she now held in her hand. Everyone except Kasumi bolted out of the room, jamming through the doorway and down the stairs. Sounds of people falling down the stairs could be heard, in addition to a few muffled curses and the one big splat when everyone hit bottom. "Oh my! I hope they didn't hurt each other!" Kasumi exclaimed. Nodoka simply nodded and taking one last look at Ran-ko sleeping on the futon, walked out the door. Even after all this time, no one had noticed the dark shadow lurking outside the window. Even in the darkness, one could see the evil grin on the outlines of its 'face'. ************** Toma awoke with a start, beads of perspiration running down his face and staining into his clothes. Something was wrong, he could feel it. It was as if someone or something was in the room with him. Glancing around nervously, he snatched his sheathed sword off the table beside his bed and stuffed it into his belt. "What...what is this...presence I feel?" Toma slowly paced the room, all senses burning for a sign that might betray the creature within. There was nothing. Toma hesitated a minute, then walked over to the table with what appeared to be long pipes stuck into it. He lifted the cap off one of the pipes and spoke into it. "Sarutoru!" After a pause, a voice answered. "Yes Lord?" "Find Toristan and Wonton and come up to my chambers..." "Yes Lord...What is wrong?..." Sarutoru sounded worried. "It is this strange presence I have been feeling recently..." "You too Lord?" "Don't tell me that you've felt it too?" There was a slight pause before Sarutoru answered. "Yes Lord, it is something I cannot place...It's as if something...evil is here within Togenkyo..." Toma paused and thought for a moment. If something was indeed within the confines of the island, then they might be in more trouble than they bargained for. "Sarutoru, I shall meet you in the Great Hall. Get Toristan and Wonton there now!" "Yes Lord, it shall be done." Toma replaced the cap onto the pipe and stood back to think. Togenkyo was near Japan, by tomorrow it should stop near the coast. No doubt whatever is on the island had come from Japan. The question is what is it?! Toma untied a pendant with an engraving of a peach from around his neck and walked over to the back of the room. He then placed the pendant into an indentation which was in a plaque set onto a wooden pedestal. After a few moments, the great steel doors behind the pedestal slowly slid open with a grinding sound. Toma walked to the edge and looked down. There, in the darkness, was the legendary spring of Togenkyo, now filled with an eerie glowing water. Ranma had destroyed it back when they were on the island in order to save Akane. The spring itself was created by the sap and water of the Great Tree that lay atop the island. However it had taken well over four centuries for the old spring to become what it was. There was no way it could have come back after a mere three months. As Toma watched, the waters appeared to swirl and foam slightly. The glow subsided a little and Toma thought he could see the outlines of a human face within the pool. No, not human...demon. Toma reeled back, shaken badly. After a few tense moments, he regained his wits and tentatively peered over the edge again. The face was gone. Toma removed the pendant, tying it around his neck as the doors slowly ground shut. Toma thought as he hurriedly dressed and went to the Great Hall. *********** "Now what would the venerable prince want with us?" Toristan asked as he sat atop one of the many palm trees that dotted the interior of the hall. All of them could remember when the hall was used to hold the Martial Arts Marriage Contest a few months ago. Toristan folded his wings about him and sighed. He too had felt the stirrings around the island. It was unnerving, a few days ago he nearly flew into a wall. "Ouf ouf awoooo..." Wonton barked. Sarutoru silenced him with a wave and looked up. Everyone followed his gaze as arrows of light coalesced to a point above them. The light formed faster, creating an image of a peach in mid-air. Then abruptly, the light faded and the peach split open to reveal Toma hovering in mid-air. Toma then descended to sit on the railing of the booth above him while everyone jumped back to avoid the spilt peach that fell to the ground with a splat. Toma sighed. "Sorry, I forgot..." Everyone nodded. It was easy to forget that their illusions were now real. It also made for some very spectacular and dangerous accidents. A few days ago Toristan had thrown an illusory spiked ball at one of the guards by means to just scare him. He'd gotten a shock when the ball connected and the guard fell to the ground, dead. The three of them hadn't tried anything since. Toma looked down at his three followers before speaking. "Ok, I believe that all of you have felt the strange presence within the confines of our island?..." Everyone nodded. "...A while ago I had a thought to look at the spring. Now with the spring, two things come to mind. One, it isn't possible for the spring to be filled this soon..." Everyone nodded again. "...And two, I saw the face of a demon within the waters..." Everyone looked up at him in shock. Toma nodded grimly. "...I know what I saw...There definitely was something in here..." "So what should we do?!" Sarutoru asked, a trace of fear in his voice. "We all know that our illusions are now real...Much as I hate to use them in this state, they DO make excellent weapons against any adversary..." Sarutoru nodded. "How do we find whatever is haunting us though?" Toristan asked. Toma shrugged. "I have no idea...Though I suggest we start at the spring..." Everyone nodded in assent. After a moment, the four stood and surrounded themselves with a purple light before vanishing. None of them noticed the dark shadow hiding up on the roof of the Great Hall...it had been watching their every move... ************* "Akane, what's wrong?" Ranma asked Akane who was sitting beside him on the couch. Everyone was gathered in the living room minus Ran-ko who was sleeping upstairs. Soun and Genma(back in panda form) were playing shogi on the porch again. Nabiki lay in a beanbag behind the couch reading a manga. Nodoka was helping Kasumi in the kitchen as they made supper. P-Chan had walked in about half an hour ago and had been on Akane's lap ever since. For once Ranma didn't tease him. They'd been watching TV for the past hour. Strangely enough Akane hadn't said a word all that time. She usually would tell Ranma to move over every 10 minutes or so or something like that. Anything that would end up with them having an argument that would wind up with Ranma sitting in the carp pond. Akane turned to look at Ranma. "What do you mean, 'what's wrong?'" "It's just that, you haven't said a word for the past hour..." "What was there to say in the first place?!" Nabiki, behind the couch, clicked her stopwatch off. "Hmm, one hour, three minutes and five seconds...new record..." she smirked as she anticipated all hell breaking loose. "I dunno, you usually tell me to move over or something every five minutes." Nabiki popped her head over the back of the couch and grinned at Ranma. "Five minutes and twenty seconds, get it right Ranma!" Nabiki winked and slid back down to read her manga. "Sheesh! Like it matters!" Ranma muttered. Akane appeared not to notice. She was fiddling with a loose thread on the armrest of the couch. "...Akane...come on, what's up?" Akane turned and shot him an icy glare. She was about to yell at him when she saw that he wasn't being a jerk. His look was serious. She softened her gaze and looked down at her lap. "...I..." Akane held Ranma's gaze for a moment before looking away. Ranma however, knew full well what was going through her mind. However, he elected not to say anything yet. Ranma stood up and walked toward the door. "I'll meet you outside ok?" Ranma said before walking past Soun and Panda and out the door. "...Don't bring P-Chan!" P-Chan scowled as best as a pig could. He 'kweed' in protest but Akane didn't listen. Ranma's voice had something in it. Something that said he was dead serious. "You be a good boy and sit here ok?" Akane said to P-Chan, who 'bweed' at her, annoyed at not being taken along. He wanted to hear as well what was going on. After Akane left, P-Chan hopped off the couch and started for the door. Nabiki grabbed him as he passed. "Bwee! Kweee!!" P-Chan struggled in protest. Nabiki grinned at the pig. "I'd like to find out myself what's going on too ya know...But I gotta feeling this isn't the time to be pulling anything. So you just sit here and don't move got that?" P-Chan glared at her before hopping back onto the couch. *********** Akane found Ranma leaning against the big tree near the corner of the fence, arms folded. She walked up to him slowly, her arms held in front of her. Ranma looked up at her as she approached. They held each other's gaze for a moment before Ranma looked back down at the ground and shut his eyes slowly. "I think I know what's with you Akane..." Akane started in surprise. "There's nothing wrong with me Ranma...Can't I be quiet for once in my life? Gee!" "Come on Akane, we both know something's eating you..." Akane opened her mouth to protest further but was silenced by Ranma's next statement. "...It's Ran-ko isn't it?..." Ranma looked up at Akane, his eyes boring deep into her. She tried to deny it but found that she couldn't say anything. She slowly nodded. Ranma closed his eyes again and turned his head away from her. "...I knew it had to be her...I saw the way you were looking at me when I was carrying her up the stairs..." Ranma paused for a moment. "...Look Akane...I..." Ranma stopped short. Akane was crying, he hadn't noticed before but he did now. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks and she made no effort to wipe them away. Ranma winced inwardly. If there was one thing he dreaded, it was making a girl cry. After a moment, Akane turned away, ashamed at letting her emotions get the better of her. Ranma paused for a moment, not knowing what to do. "Ranma...I understand...If...if that's the way you feel then...I...I won't get in your way..." Ranma's eyes widened. "Now wait a moment here! That's..." Akane began to slowly walk away. "...That's not what I meant!" Akane stopped and turned around. "So what do you mean then?" Ranma did a double-take. Now THIS was new. It wasn't like Akane to actually stop and listen to him. "What I want to know is...What is it with you? What's wrong?...Something with Ran-ko? What is it?" asked Ranma. There was a long pause between the two, no one saying anything. "I...I..." Akane stammered. She wanted to come out and say it. Ok, she was jealous, it wasn't hard to work that out. Ranma had apparently noticed it too. She never was good at hiding her feelings when it came to things like this. Obviously it wasn't easy for her to take Ranma's affection for Ran-ko. "Akane..." Ranma began, walking up to her and putting both hands on her shoulders. Akane blinked and looked up at him, unsure of what to do next. "...Trust me, it isn't what you think..." Akane didn't look convinced. Ranma racked his brains for a way to convince her. "So why do you always act so meek around her then?..." she asked hotly, jealousy evident in her voice. "...Could it be that there is a little MORE than what Mr. I-Tell-The-Truth-The-Whole-Truth-And-Nothing-But-The-Truth Ranma, is actually saying!" Ranma flinched at the barb in her voice but steadied himself. Now wasn't the time to have his 'open mouth, insert foot' mode kick in. He let go of her shoulders and walked over to his favorite rock by the pond, Akane followed him. "Ok, I'll level with you..." he said after a moment. "...Have you ever looked into Ran-ko's eyes?...I mean like really take a good look?" Akane shook her head. "Why? Should I have?" she asked, starting to get a little annoyed. Ranma sighed. "...If you have, then you'd know why I act like I do around her..." he said after a moment's hesitation. "...She's lost, Akane..." Akane raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" she walked up to Ranma and sank to her knees, sitting the traditional sitting position. "...Have a look and you'll see...She acts bright and cheery enough, but deep down inside...It's all an act...She doesn't want us to think that there's something wrong but..." Akane nodded slowly. She was beginning to understand. Ran-ko, Ranma had explained, was the result of his cursed body being infused with the spirit of the girl who drowned 1500 years ago in the Nyannichuan. How would it feel, to be suddenly reborn, free after 1500 years into a strange new world where you know no one, have no family, and are completely alone? "W...Wakarimasu..." Akane said after a moment, her voice soft. Ranma turned to look at her. "Now do you know why?...I want to make her feel loved, to make her feel wanted...It would absolutely kill her to know that she isn't wanted in this strange, new world...She's like a new-born child, Akane...No memories of her own..." Akane nodded, feeling ashamed for her actions before. "...She must be so lost..." she turned to look at Ranma. "...Oh Ranma! I'm so sorry...I...I shouldn't have doubted you before...I..." she stammered, tears beginning to spill down her cheeks. Ranma reached out a hand to wipe them away. "Hey...Hey, it's okay...Don't cry ok?..." he said softly. Akane nodded but found she couldn't stop. "I...I'm sorry...I...It just won't stop..." she said, sniffling and wiping at her eyes. Ranma hesitated a moment then patted his lap. "Come here..." he said, voice slightly quavering. Akane blinked. she asked herself. Ranma smiled at her as best he could, trying hard to keep his emotions under control lest he break and say something stupid. Akane hesitated for a moment, then tentatively stood up and slid onto Ranma's lap. He wrapped his arms around her gently but firmly. Akane responded by leaning into his chest. She sighed, the feeling of hugging was so nice. After a while, her tears stopped flowing but she didn't want to get off, hoping they could just stay here like this forever. Ranma smiled down at her and stroked her hair gently. "You believe me now?" he asked. Akane nodded but didn't answer. "...Good, then I think you'd better get off before I lose the ability to walk!" he said, grinning at her. Akane grinned back and thumped him once on the chest. "Baka..." she said, not-unkindly. She sighed and looked up. It was only then that she saw everyone else staring at them. Soun and Genma were dancing around waving their little fans about. Nodoka was looking at Ranma proudly. Kasumi simply smiled innocently at the two while Nabiki simply shot Ranma a sly grin. "Hey! Way to go Saotome!" Nabiki smirked. P-Chan had watched the whole incident, eyes wider than saucers. Now he let out a 'bwee' of anger/frustration/hate/you-name-it, and ran off into the dojo. "P-Chan wait!" Akane called out, starting to run after her pet pig but was stopped by her father. "Akane! I am so proud of you!" Soun exclaimed, tears streaming down his eyes. "Ranma my boy! You make your father proud!" Genma exclaimed, puffing out his chest. "We must hold the wedding immediately!" Soun shouted for all to hear. Akane and Ranma both winced and fell over in Takahashi Position #34. "H...hey...HEY! Now wait a moment here!..." Ranma stammered. "...D...don't you think this is a little hasty?!?" "Yeah Dad! We..." Akane was about to follow through when she glanced at Ranma who looked at her for support, his gaze pleading. She felt a twinge of anger shoot through her. What WAS wrong with getting married anyway?!? "Actually, what is wrong with..." Akane stopped as everyone froze. Someone was screaming inside the dojo, upstairs in Ranma's bedroom to be exact. "Ran-ko!!!" Ranma half-gasped, half-screamed, breaking into a run. Akane and everyone else followed close behind, thoughts of marriage and the like temporarily forgotten. ************** "Hmm, I see...So the nature of one of the lost essences has been split?" Jyusei Shimada asked. The shadowy form swirling around his darkened room appeared to nod. He had dispatched his shadow warriors to scout out all of the candidates for the upcoming tournament. All the reports he'd received had been to his expectation except one. The chance was far too good to pass up as the objective was obviously drained of energy and vulnerable. That being the case, it had attempted to eke some form of control over the target. It was, however, extremely surprised when it's attempts were resisted and it was virtually forced out, but the damage had already been done. The nature of the split was now know to Jyusei, and having been attacked in such a weakened state, the target would now be much easier to subdue in future. "Yes master, but it's power level is unnaturally high, I have never encountered a mortal with such raw power before." It was as if the darkness itself spoke to Jyusei as he got up and paced the room, rubbing his chin. "...And strangely enough, the signature etched on the essence itself did not match that of it's original host." "Hmm, it is as I have suspected...Though I never thought it possible that these mortals would have the knowledge and skill to separate the essence between two living entities." muttered Jyusei, pouring himself a drink from the mini bar nearby. "Err...Master, it wasn't two separate entities, the essence is one of them..." Jyusei nearly dropped the bottle he was holding. "What's that you say?!?" he exclaimed, glaring over to the shadowy apparition that floated about his desk. It seemed to cringe. "...I...I said that the target isn't a separate entity which the essence has assimilated into, it was created by the essence!" Jyusei's emerald green eyes widened in shock for a moment. He hurriedly regained his composure and walked over to his desk. "But...That's impossible!...Mortals don't have that kind of power! It's beyond comprehension!...It..." Jyusei stopped, fear and worry etched on his face. His brows knitted together in concentration for a moment, eyes twinkling unnaturally in the darkness of his room. None of the servants or maids in the estate could offer an explanation of why Jyusei had suddenly grown to prefer the darkness. He'd recently ordered that only small table lamps were allowed to be lit around the estate with the exception of the kitchen and the Grand Hall, a place that he himself never entered unless necessary. "Hmmm...Ok!..." The shadowy apparition jumped at Jyusei's sudden exclamation. "...I have an idea, but we must act quickly...Here, take these..." The shadow nervously approached Jyusei and took the package he proffered. "...Distribute these to the addresses written on the envelopes..." The shadow appeared to bow as in worship before turning to leave. "Yes master, it will be done!" Jyusei nodded at the shadow warrior before him before burying his head in his hands. "Wait!" The warrior stopped dead at the sound of Jyusei's voice. "...Find Ken and tell him to report to my chambers immediately..." "Yes master..." The shadow bowed once more and floated toward a wall, blending into the darkness and fading completely out of sight. "Damn! If I had known!..." Jyusei muttered. "...This 'split' will prove most annoying in the future to deal with!...However...If, just if...Yes, though we shall have to start the tournament early, it might be the only way..." Jyusei paused, massaging his temples. "...Bah! What am I so worked up about?!?" he cursed himself. "...Every mortal is part of the darkness...There are two sides to the coin...All that matters is which side faces up ..." Jyusei smirked in satisfaction. ************* Ranma kicked open the door to his bedroom and rushed in. He found Ran-ko huddled up against a corner clutching a blanket to her chest in a fetal position. She shrieked and drew the blanket over her head when she saw him. "Ran-ko! Ran-ko! What's wrong?" Ranma took a step toward her but froze when she let out another cry. He thought furiously to himself as Akane flicked the room light on. "What's going on?" Nabiki asked, running into the room with everyone else close behind. "Oh my! What happened?" Kasumi asked, a hand on her mouth. "I don't know, we came in and here she was screaming" Akane replied, looking extremely on edge as she peered around the room nervously. Ranma walked over to Ran-ko and laid a hand on her shoulder, resulting in another shriek. "Woah!" Ranma yelped, barely ducking out of the way of Ran-ko's attempted backhanded swipe. He caught her extended hand and with his free hand, yanked the blanked off her head. She yelped again and aimed a blow at his face which he dodged, catching her arm. "...Ran-ko! Stop this! It's me! Ranma!" Ranma shouted, trying to get her attention as she shut her eyes and thrashed about wildly, trying to free herself from his iron grip. Akane thought, looking on in a mixture of shock and surprise. <...What could have scared her so badly?!?> "Ran-ko...RAN-KO!!!..." Ranma yelled in her ear, jolting her enough to make her stop for a moment. He did a double-take when he saw the look in her eyes. Ranma thought. The look in his sister's eyes betrayed a deep fear within them, though revealing nothing that could have told him what had scared her so badly. "Is she alright?" Nabiki asked, a look on concern on her face. Ranma didn't answer. "Ran-ko...It's ok...Everything's ok...It's me, Ranma..." Ranma softly said, trying to calm her down. Ran-ko opened her eyes and looked up at Ranma's kind face. She could never forget that warm smile, the one he'd given her back in the bathroom of the Nekohanten when he draped the towel over her. "R...Ranma...oniichan?..." Ran-ko stammered in a soft voice. "Hai, it's me..." Ranma replied. Ran-ko hesitated a moment then threw herself into her brother's arms, sobbing. "Oh...oniichan...It...It was so scary...It wanted to...it wanted to..." Ran-ko managed to get out between bouts of crying. Ranma simply embraced her, stroking the back of her head gently, smoothing out her dishevelled hair. "Sshhhh, it's all right, it's ok...You're safe, nothing's going to hurt you..." Ranma whispered to her, gently rocking her back and forth trying to calm her down. Behind them, everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief. Akane, Kasumi and Nodoka walked over to Ranma and knelt beside him. "Is she ok? What happened?" asked Akane. "I don't know, she hasn't told me yet..." Ranma replied, still cradling a sweat-drenched Ran-ko in his arms. "...Whatever it was, if I catch it it's gonna be one dead ..." Ranma muttered angrily. "Ranma!" Nodoka exclaimed. "...Watch your language in front on your mother!" Ranma 'acked' and immediately apologised. Nodoka laid a gentle hand on Ran-ko's back, patting her gently. "There there dear, what's wrong? Tell Mommy..." Nodoka softly said. Ran-ko tentatively looked up at her mother's smiling face. "...M...Mommy..." Ran-ko stammered. Nodoka smiled warmly at her daughter and extended both arms toward her as an invitation into an embrace. Ran-ko looked up at her brother for a moment. "Go on..." Ranma said, smiling and releasing his hold on her. Ran-ko turned and leaned into Nodoka for a hug as Ranma stood up. "Ok, I'm going to have a look around..." Ranma said. "For what?" asked Akane. "For the son of a..." Ranma stopped when he caught Nodoka's glare. He flinched and grinned weakly at his mother. "...Err, sorry...For the...THING...that did this to Ran-ko!" Ranma hissed through gritted teeth, he was trying hard not to swear. "What do you hope to find?..." Akane stated, glaring up at him. "...You actually think they'd stay around to play hide-and-seek with you?!?" "Cut it out Akane!" Ranma snapped back. Akane gasped at his tone of voice. "...This is no time...Uh...Akane...What are you..." Ranma grinned weakly as she stood up, a blue aura beginning to glow around her. "Ran...ma!...You DARE to talk to me like that?!?" Akane said in a low and dangerous tone. Apparently she'd completely forgotten about the tender moment they shared a while ago. "Erm...what I meant was...I..." Ranma stammered, backing off toward the door. Nabiki simply sighed. "Come on you two...this is NO time for an argument!" "Nabiki's right..." Genma said. Both Akane and Ranma looked up at him, Akane just moments away from sending Ranma on a free trip to the moon. "...We have to find out who or what could have done this...It isn't everyday that you get someone who's capable of breaching the dojo's impenetrable defences..." "Oh sure, only Shampoo and Kodachi and Ukyou and Kuno and..." Ranma droned on sarcastically. Genma whapped Ranma upside the head. "Don't make fun of your father like that! I was being serious you know!" Ranma promptly kicked Genma out the window. A loud splash was heard from the garden when Genma landed into the carp pond. "I don't know what's scarier, whatever Ran-ko saw or you being serious, old man!" Ranma smirked, poking his head out the window to laugh at Panda, sitting in the pond. Akane couldn't help giggling. ************* Later, after Genma and Ran-ko had taken a bath and cleaned up, everyone gathered around the TV in the living room, with the exception of Soun and Genma who were on the porch playing shogi and Kasumi who was in the kitchen making tea. Ran-ko was still very much on edge and tended to cling to Ranma a lot, earning a few jealous looks from Akane. Ranma was obviously uncomfortable with this attention he was getting but he didn't say anything and instead tried to watch the news on TV. "...and in reply, the United Nations has stated that it will use whatever force is necessary..." the TV droned, oblivious to the fact that no one was really paying attention. "Ran-ko...what did you see back there?" asked Akane, inching closer to Ranma. "I...I saw this...this ghost...this thing..." Ran-ko stammered, peering around nervously. Ranma winced when he felt Ran-ko's grip on his arm tighten. "A ghost?!?" Akane exclaimed, eyes widening. "...Oh come on now!" Nabiki interrupted. "...You don't expect us to believe that do you?" "You shouldn't doubt what you don't understand, Nabiki dear..." Nodoka said evenly. Nabiki turned to look at her. "...But Auntie, it's preposterous!...There are no such things as..." "We don't know that, do we?" Ranma cut in, interrupting Nabiki. "...Whatever it was that could have scared Ran-ko so badly has got to be something mean..." "Am I missing something?" Kasumi asked, smiling innocently at the group as she carried a tray holding a teapot, teacups and some crackers into the room. "Yeah, you're missing Nabiki's deductions on ghosts and the like..." Ranma replied sarcastically. Nabiki shot him an icy glare as Ranma took a cup off the tray. "Maybe it's time I upped the interest on that money you borrowed off me when..." "Ok ok ok!, I'm sorry!...I was just kidding! Sheesh!" Nabiki smirked at Ranma's hurried apology, sipping her tea. Ran-ko couldn't help but giggle. "...And what are you laughing at, hmm?" Ranma peered down at his sister in mock annoyance, giving her a brotherly squeeze causing Ran-ko to break out in giggles. Akane shot Ranma a jealous look which he didn't catch but Ran-ko obviously did. "Umm, oniichan...I think you better stop..." She said in a warning tone, looking up at her brother. "...I don't think Akane-chan likes it..." Ranma looked up at Akane to see her scowling. "Uhh...Akane...I...er" Ranma began. Akane stood up and turned to go. "...Hey! Where're you off to?" "I'm going to bed! Please! Enjoy yourself!" Akane shot back in an angry voice before storming upstairs. Nabiki gave off a low whistle. "My my, aren't we jealous here..." she smirked. "Nabiki! It isn't nice to make fun of your sister like that!" Nodoka reprimanded. She started to say something about Ranma being so affectionate to Ran-ko but stopped and thought that maybe it was a good thing he was giving her so much attention. "I was just kidding Auntie..." Nabiki replied coolly. "...Really Ranma, you have to stop making Akane mad like that." Ranma spluttered and spat a mouthful of tea back into his cup. "Ranma! Watch your manners!" Nodoka reprimanded again. "Ow! This tea is HOT!..." Ranma exclaimed, putting his cup down to fan his mouth. "...and ME make Akane mad?!?...What the hell did I do anyway?!?" "...And now, a few comments recorded earlier today by Mr. Jyusei Shimada, the CEO of Shimada Enterprises and sponsor of the upcoming Tenkai-Ichi Bodukai..." Ranma immediately perked up. "Sssshh...Listen to this!" Ranma hissed at Nabiki who was running through a list of things which he did to make Akane angry. Nabiki pouted and took a sip of tea. "...Due to certain...problems that have arisen during the past few days, I am announcing that the upcoming Tenkai-Ichi Bodukai will be commencing a week earlier than planned..." the image of Jyusei droned. Ranma's eyes lit up at the news. "Hey! Cool! One week earlier, the sooner we win this thing!" Ranma exclaimed exultantly. "Now son..." Nodoka began. "...You musn't let your confidence get the better of you...I hear that the competition this year is going to be great." "That's right..." Kasumi chimed in. "...It is never wise to let overconfidence get the better of you..." Ranma groaned and slapped a hand to his forehead, sighing. "Ok ok, I get the idea..." Ranma deadpanned, turning back to the TV. "...As of now, invitations to the tournament have already been sent...I sincerely hope that this year's competition will be..." Ranma was no longer paying attention to the screen. "The invitations have been sent?!?...Cool, where's mine?!?" Ranma shouted in excitement, searching for the invitation. "Um...Ranma, we haven't got one yet..." Nabiki stated simply, shaking her head. "...And who knows, you may not make the grade..." Nabiki said tauntingly as Ranma jumped, turned and peered intently at her. "What?!? Me!?! Not make the grade?!?..." Ranma proceeded to outline his expertness in the various martial arts that he had achieved mastery in. Everyone else ignored him with the exception of Ran-ko who was trying desperately not to laugh at this display of haughtiness. "Son, you must bear in mind that while you are good, there will always be someone else who is better than you out there..." Nodoka chided, finishing her tea and putting the cup down. "...Now I think it's time we all..." "Hey! Get a load of this!" Nabiki piped up, interrupting Nodoka. "...Erm, sorry Auntie..." Nabiki quickly caught herself when she saw Nodoka glare at her. Everyone else turned to the TV. "Hey! That's...that's Togenkyo!" Ranma exclaimed, looking at the image of the floating island on the TV. The newscaster was droning on about how the island magically appeared overnight. "Togenkyo?..." Nodoka asked, looking at the screen with interest. "...Is that the island that your friend Ryoga told us about...The one you were shipwrecked on?" "Erm...friend?!?" Ranma said incredulously. he thought after a moment, scratching the back of his head. "...Not exactly, we weren't shipwrecked ON it, we wound up on it when Toma started kidnapping the girls in our little group..." Ranma said. Nodoka nodded and rubbed her chin. The newscaster was warning everyone to stay away from the island due to mysterious sightings of phantoms, ghosts etc. Ran-ko perked up at the mention of ghosts. "Ghosts?!? Where?!?" Ran-ko said fearfully, hiding behind Ranma. Ranma turned around, picked his sister up and sat her on his lap after a moment. Ran-ko giggled as everyone shot him a queer look but he wasn't paying attention. "Hmm...maybe...just maybe..." Ranma muttered, massaging his temples. "You're not saying they could be responsible for what Ran-ko saw are you?" Nabiki asked, peering at Ranma. "I didn't say that! What I'm saying is they may know something..." Ranma shot back, slightly irritated. "Well, why don't we go visit them then?..." Nodoka suggested. Ranma's eyes lit up at the suggestion. "Hey! Great idea!..." Ranma enthusiasm deflated when he saw his mother staring at him. "...Err...Mom, whatcha looking at?" "Don't you think you better put Ran-ko down?" Nodoka said, trying not to smile as she noticed that Ran-ko had fallen asleep in Ranma's lap. The two of them looked like such a cute couple, though it would take a little getting used to since almost everyone except Nodoka was used to 'Ran-ko' as Ranma. "Ack! I forgot!..." Ranma yelped, standing up and accidentally throwing Ran-ko off. Nodoka and Kasumi both winced at the *THUMP* that followed. "Now THAT is going to hurt for a while!" Nabiki muttered, trying not to laugh. "Ouch!..." Ran-ko muttered after a while, rubbing her backside. Everyone broke into giggling fits. "Erk, sorry Ran-ko..." Ranma quickly said, grinning weakly at his sister as he reached down to help her up. Ran-ko shot her brother a puzzled look before grabbing his shoulder to support herself. "What did you do that for, oniichan?!?" Ran-ko whined, still rubbing her posterior. "...That hurt!" "Sorry, sorry, sorry..." Ranma muttered, grinning weakly at her. Nodoka watched her two children for a moment before standing up to leave. "Ok, I think it's time we all got some sleep..." Nodoka said tiredly, yawning. "...We've got a long day tomorrow..." Kasumi started to clear away the teacups as Nabiki and Ranma headed upstairs. Ran-ko followed Kasumi into the kitchen to help her clean up. Nodoka couldn't help but note Ranma's worried expression as he left, it was almost as if something was troubling him...Either that or something he is hiding. ************* Ranma lay on his futon, thinking of the events that had transpired during the past few days. It was nothing short of unusual to say the least, he still felt a pang of guilt whenever he thought about Shampoo, the stunned look on her face when he'd slapped her and her tear-filled eyes after that. He knew it was wrong, leaving her like that after she'd done so much to help him when he'd needed her. The pangs of guilt and unease tore at him every time his thoughts wandered in that direction. Ranma sighed he stopped, not really having an excuse. Shaking his head, Ranma got up and walked over to the window. He pushed it open nonchalantly and breathed deeply of the cool midnight air. He could smell the aroma of the cherry blossoms in the garden on the slight breeze that blew into the room, wafting his hair about. He'd tried to ignore it before, but it kept coming back to him, that sad look on Shampoo's face when he walked out of the Nekohanten, the look in her eyes that screamed betrayal. How could he be so cruel? Oh sure, he'd wanted Shampoo out of his hair for a long time now, but if he'd just simply left or told her to back off before leaving, it would had been ok. But no, he had to go slap her one before leaving! His conscience and his sense of honor screamed at him. Ran-ko walked up to her brother standing by the window who was shivering slightly. "Oniichan...What were you thinking about?" she asked, mopping his brow with her sleeve. Ranma smiled at her kind gesture. "I'm ok, really...Go to sleep ok?" he said gently, patting her on the head. Ran-ko looked uncertain but nodded and walked over to her futon. Ranma turned away as she undressed. Of all the strange things that have happened, Ran-ko had to take the absolute cake. After all it wasn't every day that you get a sister by way of an accident. "Oniichan, you coming?" Ran-ko asked. Ranma got up after a moment and walked over to his futon, flopping onto it with a dejected sigh. Ran-ko smiled cutely at him before turning onto her back and closing her eyes. Ranma turned to look at her, a smile creeping onto his face. No matter how he looked at it, it was strange. He'd been so used to having a female body for so long now that it was almost as if he were looking at, well, himself. He also noted, with some satisfaction, that his thoughts on how he looked when he was a girl were mostly correct after all. Ranma thought, grinning. At first he didn't know how to react to Cologne's solution of the problem by making her his sister. To his own surprise, he found out that he actually didn't mind having a sister around, if anything he liked it. He didn't want to dwell on the topic too much at the time because Akane was around but still, he had to admit that he was getting rather fond of her. thought Ranma, staring up at the ceiling. <...Who would have thought this would happen though...> He turned at the sound of footsteps echoing along the corridor outside. Ranma shut his eyes and slowly waited for sleep to take him as a large panda noisily entered the bedroom and crashed onto it's futon. Moments later it began to snore loudly. "Grrr...I think I'll go borrow Akane's mallet!" Ranma intoned softly in a low voice. The snoring stopped. Ranma turned to see that Ran-ko too was awakened by the racket. "Oniichan...what was all that noise?" Ran-ko yawned. Ranma jabbed a thumb toward the sleeping panda beside him, eyes still shut. "That!" Ran-ko giggled "Noisy for a panda isn't he?" "I don't think he fits the class." Ranma replied, smirking. The two fell silent after a moment of snickering, both of them trying to get back to sleep. Ran-ko, however, found that she couldn't fall asleep even after an hour of tossing and turning about. "Mmmm...Huh?!? What?!" Ranma exclaimed, waking up when he felt something touch his arm. He looked up to see Ran-ko half draped over his chest. "Mmm, oniichan, I can't sleep..." Ran-ko mumbled, half-hugging her brother. Ranma hesitated for a moment then wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace. He felt it was strange he could be so 'open' with her. There was something about Ran-ko that he found reassuring. Normally with any other girl he'd be breaking out in a clod sweat and putting his foot in his mouth by now. Still, that didn't mean that he didn't enjoy the feeling of being able to get familiar with a girl and not get punted into Lower Earth Orbit. Though that still didn't make it easier when he realised what those soft things were that were pressing into his chest. He hoped to hell that she wouldn't notice the hard object trapped between her stomach. Ranma cursed silently as he looked down at his sister after a while and found that she was already fast asleep. <...And here I thought she said she couldn't sleep...> Ranma mused. <...I must be comfortable or something.> he grinned as he shifted his hold on Ran-ko slightly, causing her to stir a bit but she didn't wake up. he thought, realising he still had an erection. <...Hope she doesn't kill me later.> ************* Toma peered around in the gloom as the mine cart rattled on downward. The area beneath the island of Togenkyo that housed the magical spring wasn't very well lit, only a few bracketed torches here and there along the descent to the spring itself. All around him flitted ghostly shadows cast by the dim light, it appeared as if they were dancing around him. "The feeling is stronger down here..." Toma muttered as he peered down at the spring. From his vantage point, he couldn't see anything unusual about the faintly glowing pool. "Though the pool isn't supposed to glow like that." Toristan said, clearly feeling uneasy. The ride continued for a while longer until it reached the bottom. Toma, Sarutoru and Toristan disembarked the cart and walked around the small clearing, looking for signs of anything out of place. The three searched the area for an hour, ducking the occasional bat that would flit out from between the stalactites that hung extremely low to the ground, almost touching the rocky surface. "Nothing..." Toma muttered in annoyance. "...Sarutoru! Toristan! Find anything?" the other two responded in the negative. After a few moments worth of further fruitless searching, the three sat down on the stalagmites around the spring to take a break. "I don't understand it, what could be causing this...disturbance?" Toristan asked, scratching his head. "If I knew, I would tell you." Sarutoru replied in a tired voice. After a few minutes resting, Toristan stood and hopped over to an overhang on the nearby face, jumping onto it and lying down. "I hear that so-called tournament in Japan is going to begin early." He said nonchalantly. "Will you be entering in it, Lord?" Toma shrugged "Maybe, it really isn't high on the list of priorities and there won't be much competition anyway." "Pardon my saying Lord, but you do know that Ranma Saotome and Akane Tendo will be participating?" Sarutoru asked. Toma's eyes lit up at the mention of Akane. "No I didn't! How did you find out?" Toma demanded. Sarutoru cringed slightly. "I...It's just a guess Lord, I would assume that martial artists like them would be unable to refuse something like that." Sarutoru said quickly. He breathed a sigh of relief when Toma nodded and looked away. "Hmm, most likely..." Toma muttered, sitting back down and staring into the glittering surface of the mystical spring. Within the brilliant field of blue could be seen twinkling pinpoints of light, much like stars. "...It would be nice to see them again, I've been wanting to challenge Ranma again for a while now...Uh?" Toma blinked at what he saw in the pool. Two tiny pinpoints of red light were staring directly at him from the surface. Toma's gaze shot up to follow the light and saw two glowing orbs staring out at him from directly above Toristan's perch on the rock face. "Toristan! Above you!" Toma yelled. Toristan immediately jumped off the rock face, throwing several razor sharp feathers at the shadow as he did so. Sarutoru conjured up a ball of light that dispelled most of the darkness around the area, enabling them to see who or what their assailant was. "What the?!?" he muttered, staring up at the shadow creature in shock. It was not dispelled by the light though it was apparent that it was affected. It flitted about madly, trying to escape into the shadows. Toma's hand fell on the hilt of his illusion sword and moments later a ki-blade was heading for the creature above them. It managed to avoid the attack but was not fast enough in it's weakened state to avoid all contact. A hollow scream echoed throughout the cavern as a part of it's being was severed. The segment of darkness hit the floor and faded out of existence. "Sarutoru! Toristan! Quickly now!" Toma snapped at his two followers. The complied by conjuring two halves of a magical sphere in their hands. "We have it!...Uh?!?" Toristan muttered as the shadow vanished before their eyes, a split-second before they could trap it within the sphere of containment. "It's gone?!?" Sarutoru exclaimed, half in shock. Both halves of the sphere vanished as they descended to stand beside Toma. "Well, we found it all right, though it probably isn't the cause of the strange magical disturbances..." Toma muttered, throwing his arms into the air. They could still feel the presence of another in the air, though much weakened with the disappearance of the shadow creature. "Let's go back up..." Toma sighed. "...Tomorrow we find out what is going on here." Sarutoru and Toristan nodded and followed their prince into the portal that had appeared on Toma's command. Moments later it closed and vanished completely, leaving no trace that anyone had been there. As the ball of light conjured by Sarutoru faded, two glowing pinpoints of red light appeared in a corner of the cavern, glaring with hatred at the spot where the three masters of illusion last stood. "Grrr...Seijiiku kill you all! You see!" it breathed before vanishing into a black portal that had appeared behind it. ************** To Be Continued... Author's Notes: Well, there really isn't much I can say about this chapter, nothing really outstanding I guess, except for Ranma and Akane's quiet scene by the koi pond. Some people may not like that, any C&C, please let me know, I will answer all C&C. Ranma Nibunnoichi Jusenkyo's Curse Chapter 4: Days of Thunder, Nights of Pain Ranma awoke and winced at the stream of sunlight coming from his open window. He rubbed his eyes sleepily and cursed himself for not shutting the window the night before, or at least drawing the blinds. As he made to sit up, he was suddenly aware of a weight pressing onto his chest. Looking down, he was surprised to see Ran-ko half-draped over him. He smiled when he thought of last night when she fell asleep on top of him. He still wasn't sure about why he could be so familiar with her and not have his 'open mouth, insert foot' mode kick in but he wasn't complaining. It was nice to be able to get close to a girl and not make a complete ass of himself. Ran-ko stirred and mumbled something incoherent as he gently stroked her hair. The sunlight streaming onto the silky soft strands making it seem as if it were aflame. "Ran-ko...wake up." Ranma whispered into her ear. Ran-ko mumbled something else and sleepily opened her eyes to see her brother smiling down at her. "Ohayo goshimasu, oniichan..." Ran-ko said sleepily, nuzzling her brother's chest. "Oh good, you're awake, now I can throw you off!" Ranma said with a smirk as he lifted his sister off his chest and dumped her onto her futon, eliciting a giggle from her. "Hey! That wasn't nice!" Ran-ko exclaimed in mock anger. "Oh wasn't it? What're you going to do about it then, huh?" Ranma replied with a smirk. "This!" Ran-ko grabbed a pillow and promptly whacked Ranma over the head with it, knocking him onto his backside.. "Oho! So that's how you want to play it eh?" Ranma said in a mock warning tone, standing up and grabbing a pillow. Ran-ko blinked cutely at her brother as he advanced menacingly. The general racket of a pillow fight follows, to be followed by both Ranma and Ran-ko flying out the window to land in the carp pond. "Hey old man! Whatcha do that for?!?" Ranma growled up at Panda in the window who was holding the sign he hit them with. It read 'You stepped on me first!'. "Naughty Panda bear..." Ran-ko muttered, rubbing the back of her head. Ranma stifled a giggle at her statement. The way she said it was so, strange, it was funny. "Ah, up early I see..." Soun said as he walked out onto the porch, brushing his teeth. "Early morning practise?" "No, early morning step-on-panda-accident." Ran-ko said, giggling. Soun stifled a laugh at her statement. He could just see Ranma and Ran-ko bouncing up and down on Panda like he was some human trampoline and it wasn't an unfunny thought. "Though not a bad suggestion, Mr.Tendo." Ranma mused. Since they were up early, sparring seemed like a good idea. "...Since Pop's probably still sleeping his worthless hide off, whatcha say to a few rounds Ran-ko?" Ran-ko's uncertain expression did not go unnoticed. It wasn't hard to figure out what she was dwelling upon. "...It'll be ok, we'll just spar this time ok? No ki-attacks." Ranma added. After a moment's hesitation, Ran-ko allowed her brother to drag her into the dojo. ************ "You know, you're quite good..." Ranma said, dodging an attempted kick. Ran-ko, taking advantage of Ranma's distracted state, feinted high with her left hand and snaked her right elbow beneath Ranma's guard, taking him in the ribs. Ranma hit the ground with a thump but deftly rolled to his feet. "Hee hee! Gotcha!" Ran-ko giggled. Ranma allowed himself to smile. <...And maybe a little more...> he thought, rubbing his side. He'd always been careful when sparring or fighting any girl for fear of hurting her, especially Akane. Besides Ryoga, Ran-ko was most probably the only one that he could say was on his level. Not counting Pantyhose Tarou, Herb and all the others that is. "Oho! So that's how you want to play it eh?" Ranma cracked his knuckles tauntingly. "...Two can play that game!" Ranma exclaimed with a grin on his face a mile wide before dashing to the attack. Ran-ko quickly snapped out of her 'cute' pose which she had put on during Ranma's speech and quickly fell back into stance as Ranma attacked with a lightning-fast kicks and punches. Ran-ko backed up several steps before taking advantage of the split-second opening that always followed a reverse spin kick and dashed in, under her brother's guard and grabbing him by the waist. Ranma, taken off guard, fell back but used the backward momentum to his advantage and, placing his right foot into Ran-ko's stomach, threw her over his head with a back sacrifice throw. Ran-ko flipped nimbly in mid-air and landed only to find herself hard-pressed to block as Ranma attacked once more. He was extremely impressed with his sister's battle sense as well as her fighting skills. Granted they were not as strong as his own but that would improve in time, as will her control. Secretly, Ranma was glad that she didn't want to use ki-techniques in their sparring as he'd found out yesterday to his surprise, or more accurately, shock, that her power level surpassed even his own. The only reason he was able to win the Mouko-Takabisha 'blast-duel' yesterday was that Ran-ko's control over her ki was shaky at best and she expended too much energy. If her control was as good as his own, he would have easily lost. "KYAAAAAA!" Ran-ko's cry snapped him out of his reverie and he recovered in time to barely deflect a well-aimed kick toward his solar plexus. Taking advantage of her forward momentum, Ranma vaulted over her extended leg and landed nimbly behind her. He quickly reached his right arm over her right shoulder, grabbing her left wrist and pulling it across her chest as he snaked his left hand under her left arm, locking it at the elbow and placed the palm on the lower-left section of her throat. Ran-ko gasped as he pulled back, wrenching the modified sleeper-hold tight. "You give up?" Ranma asked, smirking. Ran-ko shot her brother a grin. "Never!" Ran-ko shifted her weight to her front foot and attempted to throw Ranma over her shoulder but quickly decided against it as the motion would wrench the hold tighter. "Come on, say 'uncle'" Ranma taunted playfully, not applying much pressure as he was unwilling to take the chance of hurting her. His grip on the hold was tight enough to make sure that she couldn't escape but not so tight that she would pass out. Ran-ko struggled ineffectively against her brother's grip for a few moments more. She was getting extremely frustrated, the modified sleeper-hold he was using was extremely effective in making sure there was no escape, not without a high-impact blow. Problem was that she was in no position to attempt anything. Struggling only made him hold on tighter. Ran-ko gasped in frustration and unwittingly powered up for a brief moment. Ranma only had a split-second to think and, knowing that if he didn't release the hold, he was in for one hell of a bad day. He quickly relinquished his grip and crouched back in a defensive cover, hastily powering up and throwing a blue ki-barrier around him, hoping to 'kakikesu' the coming attack as Ran-ko screamed, clenching both fists by her side. Red spiritual flames erupted around her feet, forming a circle and exploded upwards. Ranma shuddered as he was thrown back by the force of the energy discharge but his hastily-prepared defences absorbed most of the potential damage. Ran-ko recovered after a moment and gasped when she realised what she'd done. "Ack! Oniichan! You okay?!?...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that...It just..." Ran-ko said quickly, stumbling over a few words. Ranma shook his head to clear his vision and waited for the pandas to stop dancing before his eyes before looking up at his sister. "Woah! Remind me that if I'm sparring you next time to borrow Shampoo's armor!" Ran-ko giggled as she got a visual of her brother in a girl's suit of armor. "Err, oniichan, you sure about that?" Ran-ko smirked, covering her mouth as she tried not to laugh. It took a moment for Ranma to comprehend what she was saying and he kicked himself mentally when he finally got it. Ranma banged his head against the wall. It was hard to get used to the fact that he wasn't cursed any more after ten years. "...What was that move anyway?" asked Ranma. He was curious now, a release of ki like that usually could not be done without powering up to maximum at least to generate the amount of energy needed. But Ran-ko had taken less than three seconds at best to achieve the same result. "I don't know...I just...just got frustrated at not being able to escape your grip and it just happened..." Ran-ko said, an ashamed look on her face. She was ashamed of the fact that if Ranma hadn't been expecting a counter, he could have been seriously injured as that energy discharge was almost half the power level of Ryoga's Perfect ShiShiHoKodan. "...You ok? I'm sorry...I shouldn't have tried to..." Ran-ko said softly, tears forming in her eyes. Ranma smiled up at her and wiped a tear away with the back of a finger. "Hey...I'm ok, don't worry...It's no big deal." Ranma said, standing up after a moment. "R...Really?" Ran-ko asked, leaning her head against his chest. "...you're not mad at me are you?" Ranma hugged her close for a moment then ruffled her hair playfully. "Nah...How can I get mad at you?" he grinned down at her, very proud of her fighting abilities. Ranma thought before turning to leave. "Come on, let's get cleaned up, you start school today." Ran-ko's eyes widened "School?!?" Ranma shot her an evil grin. "Yep! You didn't think that I was going to let you stay home and let me suffer alone now were you?" Ran-ko pouted and put on her best 'annoyed cute little sister' look. "No fair!" "Life never is, come on, let's go!" Ranma said with a laugh as he ran out of the dojo and headed upstairs to the bathroom. Ran-ko followed after a moment, walking slowly with her hands behind her back and muttering something about a madhouse. ************* Akane leaned against the wall next to the dojo's entrance. She wasn't very surprised when Ranma didn't notice her as he was running upstairs, it wasn't as if he had eyes in the back of his head or something. She'd been woken by the sounds of fighting and had come down to investigate. She was treated to a full tactical and aerial display of Ranma and Ran-ko's mid-air combat skills and had watched on, envy building inside her. Why couldn't Ranma spar with her like that instead of just dodging all the time? How was she going to get better if he didn't help? She knew that just by watching them that in a real fight, there was no way she could even hope to touch Ranma or Ran-ko, much less beat them. She'd trained for years to get at the level she is at now and in comes Ran-ko out of nowhere and she's already Ranma's equal. It just wasn't fair! Why was everyone who came into her life better than her at anything? It sure didn't help when she saw him hugging Ran-ko either. She was a heartbeat away from walking in and slapping him before something clicked in her mind. Last night's events came flooding back and a smile crept onto her face. Akane thought. <...What am I going to do?> He was on the verge of admitting his love to her last night, and he probably would have if not for Ran-ko's timely intervention. Wasn't that enough though? It wasn't enough, it just didn't seem right. He was acting too...too reserved around her. Ever since the day he came back from the Nekohanten, he'd been unwilling to talk about his time there, always changing the subject whenever she tried to steer him toward talking about it. He was definitely hiding something. "Yo Akane...AKANE?!?" Ranma hollered at her, snapping her out of her reverie. Akane promptly whapped Ranma upside the head. "You didn't need to yell! I'm not deaf you know!" Akane snapped. "Sheesh, coulda fooled me! I was calling you for the past 5 minutes!" Ranma muttered, sitting down in his place at the table. Ran-ko came downstairs after a moment, dressed in a Furinkan High uniform, and sat beside Ranma. Akane's eyes widened in surprise when she saw Ran-ko's attire. "Um, Ranma, where did she get that uniform?" she asked. She clearly doesn't remember Ran-ko going out shopping for clothes before. "Oh, Nabiki loaned her one..." Ranma muttered, his mouth full but still emphasising the 'loan' part. Akane saw out of the corner of her eye that Nabiki was smirking about something. "...Yours were a little too tight around the chest and..." Ranma stopped when he saw Akane standing over him, holding a mallet and glowing with a faint blue aura. "WHAT WAS THAT?!?" "Oh crap!" Ranma muttered, diving out of the way as Akane's mallet cracks the floorboards where Ranma was sitting a moment ago. Ranma quickly swallowed his rice and deftly flipped the bowl onto the table before running out the door, pausing to stick his tongue out at Akane and call Ran-ko. "C'mon Ran-ko, let's go!" Ran-ko quickly finished up and jumps out after her brother, followed by Akane brandishing her mallet. "Ranma! Get back here!" Akane yelled as she ran out after Ranma and Ran-ko. "Don't they ever get tired of that?" Nabiki muttered, quietly finishing her breakfast. ************ Ranma ran along the fence being pursued by Akane. Ran-ko follows her brother atop the fence, giggling and matching him stride for stride until she noticed that Akane could (and did) see up her skirt. She took to running on the pavement after that. "Come on Akane, keep it up, we might just miss Kuno this time too!" Ranma said teasingly at an out-of-breath Akane. "Raaaaanmaaaaaaa!" Akane growled, her battle-aura glowing. "...When I catch you I'm going to...GET BACK HERE!" "Yikes!" Ranma yelped and barely dodged the mallet that would have knocked him into Lower Earth Orbit. he thought, obviously he hadn't anticipated what was to follow next as he was mobbed by boys all asking questions about Ran-ko. "Man! Some guys get all the luck!" a guy muttered. "Ranma you Casanova! What do you need TWO fiancees for?!?" another exclaimed, bonking Ranma on the head with his book bag. "Hey! HEY! Now wait up just a moment here!" Ranma yelled. Everyone froze in place except for Akane who caught up with Ranma and whacked him into the stratosphere. "Ranma you jerk!" Akane gasped, tired-out. Every boy saw this as a chance to defeat Akane while she was disadvantaged. "Hey! Akane's exhausted! Beat her and you get to go out with her!" a guy yelled. Every male hormone-case responded by rushing toward Akane, hollering. Obviously the word 'honor' wasn't in 90% of the male student body with too many hormones substituted with chromosomes. "Akane! I will prove my love for you!" "Akane! Say you'll go out with me!" "Let me take you away from all this, Akane!" "Oh shit! Not now! Anything but this..." Akane mutters in despair as she drops back into a defensive stance and begins to fight but she realises that in her current state of near-exhaustion, there was no way she could defeat all these boys. She fights valiantly but after a while, one gets through her guard and knocks her down with a bokken. "Akane! I have defeated you! You are mine!" the boy exclaimed, punching the air in triumph. Akane weakly tries to hold them off. "R...Ran...Ranma...." Akane gasped before collapsing. "STOP!!" the voice of Tatewaki Kuno rang out across the courtyard. Akane never thought that one in her life she would be grateful for Kuno's intervention. The crowd of boys parted as Kuno stormed forward, bokken held at the ready. "Akane Tendo! What vile sorcery ails thee?...Is it the doing of that demon Saotome?" Akane slapped her forehead and sighed, there really was NO cure for stupidity. "No...It's...them..." Akane gasped, waving her hand at the gathered crowd of boys as she tried to regain her breath. Kuno blinked then turned to glare at the assembled crowd of boys who promptly began dissipating after making reference to Kuno's 'might' and 'majesty'. "Akane, are you ok?" Ran-ko asked, running up to her. Akane weakly nodded and allowed Ran-ko to assist her to her feet. "Th...Thanks..." Akane breathed. "...Those low-down, good-for-nothing scum, they'd even attack a weakened person!" Ran-ko grinned weakly and nodded as Akane continued to rant. "Well...You're okay, and..." "PIG-TAILED GIRL!" "Yeeeeeek!" Ran-ko shrieked when she saw Kuno dashing for her. Akane muttered an 'Uh-oh' as Ran-ko dodged and weaved, avoiding Kuno's attempted embraces. Though Ran-ko was fast, she wasn't used to Kuno's tenacity when it came to hugging his pig-tailed goddess and eventually he caught her. "Eeeeeek! Let me go, you freak!" Ran-ko squealed, squirming ineffectively against Kuno's death grip. "Never! Never shall I relinquish thee to that vile sorcerer Saotome again!..." Kuno expounded, not noticing the pandas holding signs with question marks appearing above Ran-ko's head. "...Come my love! Let me take you away from..." *WHACK!* Kuno's speech was interrupted by a flying-kick to the face. His grip on Ran-ko slackened as he flew into a nearby tree. Ranma landed deftly from the kick and quickly ran up to his sister. "You okay, Ran-ko?" He asked, quickly examining her face for any sign of 'abuse'. "Yeah, I'm ok oniichan..." Ran-ko replied, obviously shaken up but aside from that, no damage. Ranma nodded then turned to face Kuno. "Ok Kuno, now you get it!" Ranma snarled at him. Kuno dusted himself off then turned to face Ranma and blinked when he saw Ran-ko standing behind him. "SO! You have come to prevent my righteous intervention between the pig-tailed girl and your foul sorcery!..." "Can it, Kuno! No one does that to my sister and gets away with it!" Ranma shot back, venom dripping from his tongue. Kuno blinked. "Sister..." He turned to look at Ran-ko, then back to Ranma. "...You lie! Release her from your vile magic!" Meanwhile, Akane was recovering from her earlier attack nearby and what she was seeing promptly enraged her. She'd been ganged up upon, knocked half into unconsciousness, almost 'taken' by another student and Ranma hadn't even spared her a glance. Yet when Ran-ko gets a hug by Kuno, he's ready to kill him! The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. "RAAAAAANMAAAAAA!" Ranma winced at the sound of Akane's voice. "Uh oh..." "...You...You...JERK!" Akane yelled, whacking Ranma into a nearby wall. Ranma prised himself from the wall, annoyed. "What didja do that for?!?" "Nice to know you CARE!" Akane yelled. "...In case you ask, I'm FINE thank you! I've only been through Hell's front door and out the back twice!" she added as she stormed into the school, not looking back. "Oh man, now I've done it..." Ranma muttered, scratching his head. Kuno meanwhile, was getting even more angry at being ignored. "First the virtuous pig-tailed girl then the pure Akane Tendo! For your crimes, I, Kuno Tatewaki, 17 years old, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High...Shall..." *WHACK* Kuno's speech was rudely interrupted by another kick from Ranma that sent him into Lower Earth Orbit. "Jeez! What a nuisance!..." Ranma muttered before looking up at the clock. "...ACK! C'mon Ran-ko! We're going to be late!" Ranma grabbed his sister's hand and dashed into the school. ************* Ranma burst through the classroom window just in time to hear his name called out as the teacher took roll call for the day. "Ranma Saotome?" "H...Here!" Ranma gasped, pausing to catch a breather. Behind him, an equally-out-of-breath Ran-ko leaned against the wall and drew breath in deep, shuddering gasps. thought Ranma, slumping into his seat as the teacher concluded roll call and stood. "Class, I'd like to introduce a new student today..." he made a sweeping gesture at Ran-ko. "...I'd like you all to meet Ran-ko Saotome..." a loud buzz reverberated around the classroom. "...Saotome?!?" "Ranma has a sister?!?" "Hey! Isn't she the one who beat Kodachi in that skating match?..." "Now that ya mention it...Kinda does look like her..." Ran-ko, standing out in front of the class, blushed and fidgeted uneasily at the comments flying about the room. Hiroshi and Daisuke scooted over Ranma's desk. "Hey, what's the deal here?" Hiroshi asked, whapping Ranma upside the head. "...You never told us you had a sister!" "Yeah! And you said you didn't know her either the last time we asked!" Daisuke added. Ranma, ignoring them both, turned to look over at Akane who was being barraged by questions from the girls. She caught his gaze and turned away. thought Ranma, sighing. "Alright everyone, SILENCE!" bellowed the teacher. The buzz died down approximately 30 minutes later. "...Ran-ko, you can sit over there..." the teacher indicated a vacant seat next to Akane. "...Akane, would you mind showing her around?" Akane nodded after a moment's hesitation, noticing Ranma looking at her out of the corner of her eye. she thought as Ran-ko made her way over to the desk opposite her and sat down. "Ok, open your textbooks to page 24 and do the first twenty questions." The teacher ordered, earning a collective groan from the class. After a few minutes, the complaining and whining had died down and everyone settled in to work. Ranma thought, chewing the end of his pencil. <...Who said math could be easy anyway?!> He turned to look at Ran-ko who actually seemed to have no trouble with the problems in the book. A few minutes later she dropped her pen onto the desk. "I'm done!" she said brightly. A collective 'Oooooh' issued from the class as all eyes focused on her. Ranma just sat there, a shocked look on his face. thought Ranma <...here I am stuck on the 3rd problem and she's done?!?...Sheesh! seems I got ripped off when we got split!> "Very good, Ran-ko. You may relax until the end of class." The teacher said in a bored tone. Ranma peered jealously over to his sister who caught his look and giggled back at him. "Grrr, no fair! Why does she get the brains?" muttered Ranma. "...It's a plot I tell you, Kami-sama, why are you doing this to...Hmm?" Ranma snapped out of his reverie as a glint in the window caught his eye. He leapt out of the way a split-second before something smashed through the window and embedded itself into the desk where his head was a moment ago. "Who's there?!?" Ranma yelled, scrambling to his feet and taking a defensive stance. Everyone in the classroom turned to look at the window and as one they gasped. Standing on the extended flagpole that dangled just below the window was a figure dressed in a casual business suit. He stood approximately 6 foot plus and exuded an aura of power so tangible Ranma thought that it was snaking around him, trying to choke him. His face was mostly hidden by the long bangs that hung down, covering his eyes and the dark glasses that he wore. Seeing that Ranma had dodged his attack, the left side of his face curled up in a half-sneer. "Impressive...Most impressive..." it said mockingly. "...You must be Ranma Saotome, are you not?" Ranma glared at him. "Who wants to know?!?" he snarled back. The figure simply dipped his head slightly and smiled, a thin cruel smile. "If you will defeat me...I will tell you." it said in the same mocking tone. "You asked for it jerk!" Ranma yelled, dashing toward the window as everyone else except Ran-ko and Akane made their way to the far wall, away from the impending battle. The figure levelled his gaze at Ranma and snickered once before phasing out of existance. Ranma stopped short, eyes wide in shock. "...What the?!?" "Oniichan!!!" Ranma turned at the sound of Ran-ko's voice to see the figure was standing behind him, the same evil grin splitting his features. "You must be more alert, Ranma..." it said evenly, almost in an instructing manner. "Shut up you! Take this!...KYAAAAAAA!" Ranma yelled, dashing to the attack. The figure simply dodged Ranma's attacks with almost breathtaking ease. Ranma blinked in surprise. The figure shook his head, almost sadly. "...Tsk tsk, you are far too brash! You have too much wasted motion..." as if to illustrate his point, the figure jumped onto a nearby desk and, taking a casual back-stance, raised his right hand in the air in a half-fist. "...Gouka Bakuhatsu-Ha!" A huge geyser of bluish-black flame erupted beneath Ranma's feet, knocking him into the air and burning him badly in the bargain. Ranma screamed, the pain was almost unearthly. Intense white-hot pain burned through his entire body, as if a hundred demons were clawing at his body and psyche. "Ranma!!" Akane yelled as she and Ran-ko ran to help Ranma as he crashed through a like of desks, smashing them. "...Why you!...Take this!" Akane screamed as she ran at the figure, foot extended in an attempt to jump-kick him in the face. "Oh please...Give me a break!" the figure sighed as he knocked Akane aside with an almost perfunctory backhand. "Akane!..." Ran-ko yelled, running to help Akane up. "...You ok?" Akane responded in the affirmative by nodding. Ran-ko turned and shot the figure a withering glare. "Why you...How DARE you hit my brother!!...How DARE you hit Akane-oneechan!" Ran-ko spread her feet and took a slight horse-stance and crossed both arms above her head. With a yell, she brought both arms to her sides as a ring of burning spiritual flames erupted around Ran-ko. Everyone watching gasped simultaneously. The figure appeared to raise an eyebrow. "Impressive...But power, little girl, is not control..." he taunted. "...Show me what you can do..." Ran-ko leapt toward the figure, fist drawn back to strike. "...Take this! KYAAAAAAA!" The figure hesitated a moment then brought up an arm. Ran-ko's fist connected with his forearm with a convincing thud. she thought. To her surprise though, she found herself lifted bodily into the air and the next instant, a sharp pain shot through her as she was thrown to the floor, hard. she thought as she painfully stood up. "...Let's try that again!" she snarled. "TEISHII!" Ran-ko turned to see Ranma stand up, a faint ring of blue flame surrounding him. He walked slowly over and stood beside Ran-ko, fists clenched at his side. "...Ok jackass...Your first mistake was underestimating me..." Ranma said, his voice low and dangerous. "...Your second mistake was hitting my sister..." Ranma paused and took a deep breath. "...Your third and last mistake was hitting Akane!!!" Ran-ko and Akane gulped at the venom in his voice. "Huuuuuu..." Ranma growled, a low guttural sound coming from his throat as he hunched over slightly, fists clenched at his side. "...HAAAAAAAAAAA!" the growl broke into a scream as Ranma straightened up, blue flame flaring up around him. The figure flinched and shielded his eyes slightly, everyone else ducked for cover. "S...Sugoi!...Such power!" he muttered. "...It appears that I have made a mistake here..." "Ikuzo..." Ranma called out, his voice low as he crossed both arms over his chest before holding both palms slightly apart in front of his chest. A blue ball of energy formed between his palms and slowly grew. "...Mou...ko...Ta...ka..." the figure thought as he hastily prepared a defense. "...Bi...SHAAAAAAAAA!!" Ranma yelled and thrust both arms forward. A huge blast of energy flew from his palms toward the figure who crossed both arms in front of his face, hoping to 'hajiku' the attack. The beam struck and loud humming noises could be heard as the figure was slowly pushed back, his back foot slid off the edge of the desk he was standing on, causing to stumble slightly. Ranma saw this and pushed harder. "...Oriyaaaa...SHI-NE!" he yelled. With one almighty surge, the blast cut through the figure's guard and struck. He screamed horribly as he was thrown out the window by the force of the explosion. Ranma stood frozen in stance for a moment before collapsing. Akane ran up to help him. "Ranma...Ranma!" Akane shook him, hoping he was all right. "...Idiot! Show off! You didn't have to go that far!" "Akane..." Ranma mumbled. "...You all right?" "Worry about yourself stupid!" Akane shot back. However deep inside, she smiled at his concern. <...He does care after all...> "Oniichan!" Ran-ko ran up beside her brother. "I'm ok guys. You can let me up now..." Ranma said, grinning sheepishly as he slowly got to his feet, leaning on Akane and Ran-ko for support. Suddenly, a flash of light appeared outside the window and a voice could be heard. A cold, evil, mocking voice. "It seems I have underestimated the boy...No matter, my task is done here anyhow..." A soft laughter could be heard. "Come out you jerk! I'll kick your ass again!" Ranma shouted. "...Ah ah ah, don't be so impatient..." it taunted "...We will meet again...The next time we meet, we shall see who is the stronger...Saotome Ranma, until then...Mata-ne..." Evil laughter echoed throughout the room as the voice faded. "Damn, that jerk! The next time we meet...What'd he mean by that?" Ranma pondered, thinking. "Oniichan, look at this..." Ran-ko exclaimed, holding up the object that was embedded into Ranma's desk. It was a white envelope. Ranma tore open the letter and read it. A few minutes later he looked up and dropped the letter back onto his desk and clenched his fists, staring out the broken window. Akane picked up the letter and looked at it. "The Tenkai-Ichi Bodukai..." Akane mumbled out loud. ************** Somewhere downtown, a lone figure wandered amongst the lunchtime rush, obviously lost as he walked one way at first before changing his mind and walking back the other way, only to wind up somewhere else. "Arrrrgh! Where the hell am I now?!?" Ryoga yelled out to the heavens. Passers-by shot him a queer look before going on their ways. After wandering for another half-hour, an old man took pity on him. "'Ere son, you lost?" the old man asked, tapping Ryoga on the back. Ryoga spun around and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. "What do you think?!?..." he snarled back before catching himself. He lowered the old man to the ground and quickly apologised. "...err, sorry, I'm just frustrated, that's all..." The old man appeared not to mind as he smoothed out his shirt. "...Can you tell me where I am?" The old man didn't reply but turned to leave, Ryoga quickly hurried after him. "...Hey...HEY!...Where the hell are you going?!?" The old man continued walking until they were away from the busy areas before turning around. "Where are you?..." the old man said, a mocking tone in his voice. "...You are in Hell!" Ryoga's eyes widened in shock. "What?!? What do you mean?!?...Don't play games with me old man!" he walked toward the frail looking figure standing before him with every intention of knocking some sense into him when he spun around suddenly and Ryoga barely dove aside as something came flying at him, cutting off a lock of hair and embedding into the wall behind him. "...What the?!?" Ryoga gaped. The old man sneered. "Impressive...no ordinary man could have dodged that..." "That's it, you die! Take this!..." Ryoga screamed as he dashed toward the old man. He stopped a foot short and punched the ground "...Bakusai-Tenketsu!" The ground exploded as a geyser of sharp rock shrapnel struck the spot where the old man was standing moments ago. Ryoga gasped as a finger touched his shoulder. "...Such a feeble attack...Hardly worth my effort..." the old man yawned. "Shut up! Take this, you old prune!" Ryoga screamed as he turned around and in one fluid motion, unstrapped his umbrella from his pack and slashed behind him. The old man dodged aside with a speed that made it look as if he were teleporting out of the way and Ryoga's missed strike cut into the wall. Moments later a section of the wall slowly bent over and crashed to the ground, shattering on impact. The old man's eyes widened. "...Iaijutsu...not bad if I do say so myself." Ryoga smirked "You're quick old man, but let's see you dodge this!" he yelled as he charged forward, slashing at his opponent's head. However, the old man simply grinned and, when Ryoga's umbrella struck, vanished. "What the?!?...Where the hell did he go?!?" Ryoga gasped in astonishment, peering quickly around. "It seems that I have no further need of this disguise..." Ryoga turned and looked up at the sound of the voice. Above him, hovering ten feet above the ground was a tall, imposing figure, dressed in a black gi that hung loosely about his shoulders. The sleeves had been torn off, showing off the figure's muscular arms. A sudden gust of wind pushed his long hair away from his face, Ryoga gasped when he saw the figure's eyes. The pupils were a bright red, almost as if they contained orbs of flame within. As Ryoga watched, the figure slowly floated over to stand on top of the nearby wall. "Just who the hell are you anyway?!? And what do you want with me??" Ryoga yelled at the figure who simply grinned. "With you? Not much...I merely sought to test your abilities to see if they were worthy of the man behind the name Hibiki Ryoga..." the man snickered. Ryoga growled and reached a hand to his head, grabbing hold of a bandanna. "You DARE mock me like this?!? You shall pay!...TAKE THIS!" Ryoga screamed as five bandannas flew toward the man. At the last moment, the man raised his right hand and the bandannas were engulfed in a miniature tornado that swept them into the sky to land in a crumpled heap at Ryoga's feet. Ryoga's eyes bugged out. "How...How the..." The man raised his left hand and sneered "How? Like this...Yonokaze!" Ryoga yelped as a twister formed at his feet and tossed him fifty feet into the air. Moments later he crashed to earth, painfully. Ryoga groaned and got to his feet, a bluish-green aura beginning to form around him. "You will pay for that..." Ryoga snarled as he hunched over as if he was holding his stomach. "Oh will I...What will you...Huh?" The man taunted but stopped when he saw Ryoga's aura begin to flare. Suddenly, Ryoga snapped up from his hunched position and screamed, blue-green flame exploding around him. "Now you DIE!..." Ryoga screamed, cupping both hands at his chest. A globe of green energy formed between his cupped palms and quickly grew in size and intensity. "Oh shit, here we go again..." the man muttered, remembering what happened with Ranma. "...They don't pay me enough to put up with this!" Ryoga bared his fangs and began to speak slowly and deliberately "Shi...Shi...Ho..." The man quickly gathered his own energy and crossed both arms in front of his face. "...KO-DAAAAAAAAAAN!" Ryoga screamed and thrust both palms forward. A lancing beam of green energy shot toward the man who thrust his own hands out in an attempt to block the deadly attack. Ryoga's blast struck the black energy field around his palms and the man was hard-pressed to try to deflect Ryoga's attack. Green and black lightning crackled at the explosion point as the green energy slowly began to neutralise the black and bore slowly forward. "Now you die!...HYAAAAAAAAAA!" Ryoga screamed and with one mighty surge, his attack surged through the man's defences and exploded on contact with his face. He screamed horribly as he flew off the wall and slowly phased out of existence, like a shadow melting into the darkness. Ryoga took a deep breath and picked up his pack. "...Who the hell was that guy anyway?!?" He was about to leave when the object embedded in the wall caught his eye. He walked over to it and pulled it free from the wall. "...an envelope?!!!" He quickly tore it open and read it. Moments later he crumpled it in his hand and threw it into a nearby trashcan. "...Hah! So...you want ME to fight in the tournament do you?...I don't waste my time with..." Ryoga stopped when a thought crossed his mind. "...I'll be there...Ranma!" ************** Ukyou looked up when she heard the restaurant's front door open. "Ran-chan!..." She hopped the counter, bounded over to Ranma and overwhelmed him with a rib-cracking bearhug. "...Where have you been? You haven't stopped by the past few days! I've been worried about you!" she chided, still squeezing. Ranma gasped from the lack of air. "I...If you let me go...I'll tell you..." he wheezed. Ukyou relaxed her grip and took a step back, looking rather sheepish. "Sorry..." she said, blushing slightly. Ranma took a few deep breaths and rubbed his bruised ribs. he thought, scratching the back of his head and peering around the restaurant. It was strangely empty as the place was usually at least half full at this time. "...Hey Ucchan, why so quiet in here today?" Ukyou hopped back behind the counter and poured a cup of okonomiyaki mix onto the grill. "Oh, I didn't open today, didn't you see the sign outside?" Ranma shook his head "Err, nope..." he walked over to the counter and took a seat. His brow furrowed when a thought entered his mind. "...You feeling all right, Ucchan? You're not sick are you?" Ukyou shook her head. "No, I'm fine...I just felt like a day off, that's all" she gave Ranma a warm smile. "...Thanks for asking though." "That's good, if you're sick be sure you get plenty of rest ok? I wouldn't want my best friend out for long..." Ranma grinned back. Ukyou blinked and gave him a mock pout. "Best friend?!? Is that it?...No 'kawaii innakuze'?!?" Ranma gulped. "Err, that too..." he quickly peered around for signs of something big and mallet-like in size and shape. Ukyou however, appeared satisfied and flipped the okonomiyaki over to Ranma. "Here you go Ran-chan..." she said, smiling. "...Eat up!" Ranma gladly did so, inhaling the okonomiyaki in under ten seconds. Ukyou clapped a hand to her mouth. "Wow! You are hungry today! Did you miss lunch or something, Ran-chan?" she exclaimed, throwing another okonomiyaki on the grill. Ranma nodded. "Yeah, some jerk came in during math class today and decided to give me this..." Ranma rummaged through his book bag, took out the envelope and handed it to Ukyou who looked at it curiously. "...Anyway, he put up one helluva fight before..." "You aren't going are you?" Ukyou interrupted, looking up from the letter. "Huh? What?...Oh, the tournament? Sure I'm going...Why not? I've always won it before..." Ranma boasted proudly. Ukyou didn't appear to notice his boast. "I hear it's going to be different this year too..." she said. Ranma could see that she was looking a bit worried. "Hey! No sweat! Who else around here could beat me?!?" Ukyou rolled her eyes. "Earth to Ranma, Earth to Ranma, you have clearance to land, come down from there now!" she said, giggling. "Har har! Very funny!" he deadpanned. "Seriously now, aren't you worried even in the slightest? I hear they will be inviting the best from China as well as all over Japan, it isn't just a local thing like before..." Ukyou said, flipping the cooked okonomiyaki onto Ranma's plate. This one lasted 9.5 seconds. Ok, ok, 9.5 recurring, but who's counting ^-^ "Nope, I'm not worried...Though I'm sure itching to find out who they're getting from China..." he said, an absent look on his face. After a moment he caught the worried look on Ukyou's face. Ukyou blinked when she felt Ranma's hand covering her own. "Hey! Ucchan! Don't worry, I'll be fine..." Ranma said, patting her hand reassuringly. Ukyou felt a flush rise to her cheeks at the contact. "I...If y-you say so..." she stammered. She quickly pulled her hand away, knowing she was bound to say something stupid if she didn't. "...S-so where were you for the past three days?" Ukyou asked, quickly changing the subject. Ranma sighed and stood up. "I had another fight with Ryoga a few days ago..." he said after pacing the room for a moment. "...It sort of got out of hand..." Ukyou looked surprised. She hopped from behind the counter and walked over to Ranma. She peered up into his face, it wasn't hard to see the faint outlines of the recently-healed abrasions and fading-bruises. She touched a bruise at a spot just below the jawbone. Ranma winced slightly, the bruise still hurt though not as badly as before. "You okay?..." Ranma nodded. "...What started it? You two don't usually make something really big out of a simple match...Who started it?" Ukyou asked, worry etched on her face. Ranma took a deep breath, his first answer was to say Akane started it, if it wasn't for her, he never would have lost it like that. Then images of her back at the Nekohanten came flooding back. She was genuinely sorry for what she'd said, they'd made up rather well since then, not counting the little spat this morning but that was standard deal. "Well, Ryoga jumped me..." Ukyou nodded an 'uh-huh', and waited for the rest. After a few minutes, Ranma added. "...Probably coz I had a little fun playing 'P-chan soccer' earlier on..." Ukyou giggled when she got a visual on that. "...After that we were both in traction for a little while." "Basically you were both at fault then...Still it doesn't explain why you two would be out for blood from what I see here...These were pretty serious..." Ukyou gently prodded another sore spot. "...Ran-chan are you sure you're okay? You want me to take a look at those?" Ranma shook his head. "Nah, I'm fine..." he reached out and gave her a small hug. "...Thanks for asking though." Ukyou blushed, she could feel the flush rising hot to her face again. she thought sadly after the flush had subsided, it never did last long. She knew Ranma did love her, though it was different. He loved her as a brother would a sister, not as lovers. Ranma released her after a moment and quickly, instinctively, peered around for something large and mallet-like in shape and size. Ukyou walked over to a nearby table, pulled up a chair and sat down. Ranma did the same. "Ran-chan..." "Hmm?" "You're not telling me the whole story..." Ukyou stated a-matter-of-factly. "...What else are you hiding?...Can't you even tell me?" she said, looking almost disappointed. "W-what do you mean? There's..." Ranma's voice trailed off when he saw Ukyou's hurt expression. He sighed and decided to tell her the rest. "...Okay, I'll tell you the rest..." Ukyou immediately perked up. Ranma took a deep breath. "...The truth is, the fight got out of hand because of something Akane said..." Ukyou's eyes widened. "What did she say?" her curiosity was aroused now. Ranma told her. "What?!?...She actually said...?!?" Ranma nodded sadly. "Granted it was another of her spur-of-the-moment slip-ups but it still hurt, a lot..." he sighed, thinking back. Ukyou, in the meantime, was fuming. How dare that macho, sexless, uncute tomboy treat her beloved Ran-chan like that!? Ranma caught the look on Ukyou's face and reached out to pat her hand again. "...Ucchan, it's okay, really..." he said softly, reassuringly. Ukyou didn't buy it. "It's okay?!? It's OKAY?!?...That...that..." she struggled to find a word that wasn't too offensive in front of Ranma. "...has the nerve to insult you like that and...and..." she paused for breath. "...how...HOW can you just take it like that??!?" she demanded of Ranma who cringed from the force behind her words. "Ucchan...calm down, please..." Ukyou gulped, took three deep breaths and tried to calm herself. "...Like I said, it's over now." Ranma said in a calm voice. Ukyou did her best to calm herself as Ranma asked her to but inwardly she was still seething. Ranma watched the emotions play out across Ukyou's face for five minutes. It wasn't very hard to guess what she was thinking. The last thing he needed now was for Ukyou to go give Akane a piece of her mind. He sighed and got up. Ukyou snapped out of her reverie when she heard his chair scrape on the floor. "Ran-chan, where are you going?" "I think it's best if I left for a while...If I say I'll only upset you more...and who knows what you'd do?" he replied. "...I don't want my friends fighting amongst themselves...Not after what I know can happen." Ranma turned to leave. "...Most of all, I don't want you to get into any trouble, Ucchan...Sorry for bothering you..." Ukyou quickly dashed over to Ranma and caught him by the arm. "Ran-chan, wait!..." Ranma paused and turned to look at her. "Umm...I'm sorry Ran-chan..." she slowly said, looking at the ground sheepishly. "...Please don't go, I promise I won't do anything rash..." she fidgeted uneasily for a moment, not really knowing what to say. Ranma stepped away from the door and put a hand on her shoulder. "Ok Ucchan, as long as you're okay now..." he said, grinning as he hopped back to the table and sat down. Ukyou joined him after a few moments' hesitation. "Umm, so you were saying?" Ukyou asked, trying to forget the rather bad episode that had just transpired. "Well, after the fight, I felt I needed a some time off to think...Like I said, what Akane said did hurt...I tried to convince myself that she didn't mean it but at the time, try as I might, it still hurt badly..." Ranma said, eyes shining at the memory. "Ran-chan..." Ukyou reached out and touched Ranma's hand. Ranma lowered his gaze to look into her eyes for a moment. Ukyou flinched inwardly when she saw the hurt there, the pain he was going through just remembering. She shook her head. How could Akane bear to look at herself if she really knew what he had been through. Ranma quickly wiped his eyes and continued. "...Well anyway, I'd picked one helluva time to leave...A storm was brewing and it broke about fifteen minutes later, I had to find shelter fast...The nearest place I saw was the Nekohanten..." Ukyou's eyes widened when she heard this. "Of all the places to pick! Why there?!?...Who knows what that Chinese hussy and that old ghoul might have done to you while you were out!!" Ukyou almost shouted, causing Ranma to wince slightly. She caught herself after a moment. "...Sorry, Ran-chan...I..." Ranma smiled knowingly at her. "It's okay, Ucchan...I know...Truth is, I was thinking the exact same thing...But if you're passing out, I don't think you exactly have a choice, ne?" he shot her a grin. Ranma mused. Ukyou took a good look at Ranma. He appeared to be telling the truth but she had a gut feeling something wasn't right. Call it whatever you will, women's intuition, prophecy, far-seeing, something had happened that Ranma didn't know about, that was for certain. It was clear in his eyes, he was confused as well, something must have happened that Shampoo and Cologne hadn't wanted him to know about. "Anyway..." Ukyou was jolted out of her thoughts when he spoke again. "...something DID happen though..." he said, a grin on his face a mile wide. Ukyou suddenly got a funny feeling that this was going to be the icing on the cake. "...I'm glad you're sitting down, Ucchan, you need to be when you hear this..." ************** "Hmm, yes, yes...Inform Mr.Tananda that there is absolutely nothing to worry about, the merger shall go ahead as planned. " Jyusei waved off an employee who hurried to relay his instructions only to have another step up with yet another problem. "Mr. Shimada, these documents require your signature, sir..." Jyusei sighed and took the proffered sheaf of papers from his eager employee and proceeded to sign every one after skimming through the contents. After finishing the last one, he turned to his secretary to give instructions. "Tell the staff that any other 'urgent' problems requiring my attention is to be put on hold unless it is absolutely world-shaking..." the secretary could almost see the quotation marks around the word 'urgent'. "...And contact Ken, tell him to meet me in my office immediately." The secretary nodded and picked up the phone as Jyusei strode into his office, shutting the doors behind him. Inside, the lights had been intentionally left off and the blinds drawn, shrouding the room in almost total darkness even though it was the middle of the day. Jyusei walked over to his desk and sat down. A few moments later, strange scraping and moaning sounds could be heard as the shadows extracted themselves from the darkness and flitted around the desk. "Is it done?" Jyusei asked in a voice not his own. One spectral figure glided forward and bowed in subservience before answering. "Yes lord, all is done...The fighters have received their invitations...Most have proven worthy of the test we imposed on them..." It hissed, it's voice a little more than a harsh whisper and a loud exhalation of breath. Jyusei nodded. "...And what of our competitors from China?" "They have received their invitations as well, all of them have proven exceptionally skilled fighters, a few even had powers bordering on god-like..." Jyusei raised an eyebrow in fascination. "I am assuming you are speaking of the one known as..." Jyusei paused and consulted the roster in front of him, the name appeared to stand out. "...Pantyhose Tarou?" The spectre in front of him appeared to nod. "He is the one..." then it appeared to scratch it's head in confusion. "...Though I fail to perceive how so powerful a fighter bears so...so...ludicrous a name!" Jyusei smirked. "You tell me..." he stood up and began to pace the floor. "...The tournament begins in a week...It is imperative that my essence...My stolen powers are recovered..." he raised a hand and made a fist. Dark lightning crackled around it. "...Even if it means killing those who possess it..." A spectre stepped forward almost tentatively. "Um, Lord, there is a problem with that..." Jyusei's head snapped around to glare at the speaker. "What do you mean?!?" he asked hotly. The spectre shivered at Jyusei's eerily glowing emerald green eyes. "We have discovered only just recently in a 'test' with one of the fighters that if the bearer is killed, the essence my be lost..." Jyusei's eyes widened. Suddenly he phased out of existence, only to reappear beside the spectre who gagged as Jyusei's clawing hand found it's throat. "I warn you, you pathetic slave...Do not try my patience on such matters!" the spectre scrabbled frantically at Jyusei's death grip. "...Now what is it that you mean? Get to the point!" Jyusei released the spectre and whacked it across the room with a sideways glance at it, a sharp burst of light flaring up at the contact point. The other spectres in the room cringed. "I-I...I am s-sorry Lord..." it stammered pathetically. "...W-what I meant to s-say was that if you kill the ones who h-hold the essence, the essence may die with the bodies..." Jyusei glared at it. "Are you certain of this?!?" he half-shouted. The spectre shook its head after a moment's hesitation. "...W-we cannot be sure Lord, I am simply bearer of a warning that could cost you dearly...Please forgive me..." Jyusei considered destroying the pathetic creature that was prostrated before him but relented, he had better things to do. "In THAT case, there may be a problem..." Jyusei muttered, walking over to the mini bar in the corner of the room. "...How am I going to..." *KNOCK* *KNOCK* "WHO IS IT?!?" he shouted at the door in annoyance. "You sent for me, sir?" came the voice of Ken from behind the door. "Ahh yes, come in..." Jyusei said evenly. The latch on the door popped with a gesture. The doorknob turned and Ken strode in, clad in the usual attire a chauffeur usually wore. Unlike the spirits about the room, Ken exuded an air of confidence. He did not openly fear Jyusei though he had the utmost respect for his master, his 'new' master, as he'd come to discover recently. "Ken, my good man, it seems...we have a problem." Jyusei said, handing Ken a glass of whiskey. "How so, sir?" Ken walked over to the couch next to the desk and sat down, pushing a few of the shadowy apparitions out of the way as he did so. "I have just discovered that recovering my stolen powers shall not be as easy as we first thought...For two reasons..." "One, the various Martial Arts dojos around town would never approve of a death match tournament and, Two, killing the victims may cause the essence to die with them, right?" Ken interrupted. Jyusei allowed himself a small, private smile. Ken, as usual, was as quick as a cat. "Exactly..." Jyusei nodded approvingly. "...Astute as always, my friend." Ken stood and politely bowed to his employer and master. "You flatter me, sir..." a few of the spectres around the room skulked at the special favors Ken enjoyed from Jyusei. If any one of them had interrupted like that, they would be long sundered to the Four Winds by now. "So you understand the problem, do you have a solution?" Jyusei asked, teleporting back to his desk and sitting down. "Hmm, I can't say that I do..." Ken admitted, pacing the floor. "...Give me a moment to think on this..." Jyusei nodded and turned his attention to the roster on the table, the list of participants for the upcoming tournament. On the list, certain names were marked with an asterisk. Those are the names of the participants from China. Also, in addition, some names also had a '#' symbol next to them, those represented those who were cursed and were the targets. ************** Ukyou shook her head in disbelief. Regardless of Ranma's insistence that it was true, it was still hard to believe. "Woah woah WOAH here..." she said, holding a hand up to call time out. "...Let me get something straight here...You're saying that some crazy powder of Shampoo's cured your curse by splitting your two halves?!?" Ranma nodded. "That's what I said, about two-hundred times..." he replied, smirking. Ukyou sighed and rubbed her temples. "This is deep...like REALLY deep..." she muttered. "...So basically what you're saying is that you're cured, but everything that was your girl side was made real?" Ranma nodded again. "...AND she has no memories of her own?" "Yep, as far as I can tell, she didn't know who she was even, much less my memories after Jusenkyo..." Ranma said, patting Ukyou on the shoulder. Try as she might, Ukyou still found this hard to believe. Granted that living in Nerima in close proximity to Ranma, you would expect insanity to be a normal part of life, but still, there ARE limits! Though if you think about it, it isn't as ludicrous as some of the usual stuff that goes on around town. "Though she did get something from the split..." Ranma muttered, almost jealously. "...She got all my martial arts training...and the brains..." Ukyou giggled. "So she's as good a fighter as you but she's smarter than you are??...Oooh now THAT is funny!" Ukyou gasped before breaking out into a fit of giggles. "Hey! Now cut that out!..." Ranma exclaimed. After five minutes, he threw his arms in the air in exasperation. "...I give up!" He glared at Ukyou who was on one knee trying to stop laughing. Ranma waited for her, tapping his foot. "...If you're quite finished..." "...H...S...Sorry...R-Ran-chan..." Ukyou managed to get out before breaking into another fit of giggling. After a while, she managed to compose herself enough to let Ranma continue. "Hmmph! If you've quite finished...Where was I?..." Ranma asked, having completely forgotten what it was that Ukyou was laughing about. "Your 'sister' being smarter than you..." she said, suppressing another giggle. "...Though it's strange..." she said, suddenly solemn and serious. "What is?" "...How could she have gotten brains from the split if you didn't have any in the first place?" she asked, grinning wickedly? "Oh, har har, VER-REE fuu-nee!" Ranma deadpanned. After ten minutes of more joking around, Ukyou ran out of jokes and sat back down. "Where is she, by the way?" she asked. "...I'd like to meet her." Ranma looked up from the table. "Oh, she went home after school with Akane, they were going to visit..." Ranma's eyes widened. "...OH SHIT!" he exclaimed, jumping out of his chair. "What? WHAT?!?" Ukyou asked. "...Akane cooked her dinner?" "Ack no! Not THAT bad!" Ranma retorted, gagging slightly. "...I forgot to meet her! Everyone's going to visit Toma today and we were supposed to meet by the beach at five-thirty and..." "Woah! Hold! Time-out!...TOMA?!?" Ukyou asked, eyes wide. "...Toma as in...Togenkyo?!?" Ranma nodded. "Didn't you know? The island is just off the coast of Japan...For some strange reason, it's what we were going to find out..." Ukyou moaned and rubbed her temples. "Great, just great...Just when I thought things couldn't get any crazier..." was all she could say before she found herself being dragged out the door by Ranma. "...H-HEY! Where are we going?!?" "To the beach! So come on!" Ranma yelled in reply. Ukyou sighed. she thought. ************* "There you are Ranma!" Nabiki's irritated voice exclaimed when she saw Ukyou and Ranma dash to meet up with them. Akane muttered something intelligible and 'hmmphed', turning away from the two. Ran-ko promptly bounced over to her brother and hugged him. Ukyou shook her head in disbelief. "...Took you long enough!" Ryoga shot Ranma a glare saying 'we'll settle things later'. Genma and Soun were occupied with their shogi game which they played on a small portable table. "I see it, I don't believe it!" Ukyou muttered, peering from Ranma, to Ran-ko and back again. Ranma shot her a wicked grin. "Sis, this is Ukyou, my best friend..." Ranma introduced. Ran-ko politely bowed. "Ohayo, Ukyou-san." She said, smiling. Ukyou flushed and returned the compliment as best she could. "Err...Hi, no need to be so formal ok? Just call me Ukyou." She said, rather uneasily. Ran-ko nodded and turned her attention to the ocean, everyone could see the Island of Togenkyo floating on the horizon, silhouetted against the golden setting sun. "Look at that..." Ranma said softly. "...It's beautiful." Akane nodded her assent. "Mmmm, isn't it?" After a few minutes of watching the sun set beneath the horizon, Ran-ko jumped onto Ranma's back playfully. "Hey oniichan! How are we going to get over there?" she asked, giggling at Ranma's flattened form on the sand. "Grrmf grrblf mrrrrf!" Ranma picked himself up with Ran-ko still on his back. "...Ptui! Bleah!...I said, 'I don't know!'" he said, spitting out sand and as he dislodged his sister from his back. "We'd better find some way to get there soon, it's dark already...Kasumi's going to be worried where we've gotten to..." Nabiki said a matter-of-factly. "Didn't you tell her where we'd be?!?" Ranma said, peering at Nabiki. "Of course I did! Though I told her we'd be back for dinner...As things stand we are not going to make that deadline!" Nabiki replied, faintly annoyed. "Oh great! We miss out one of Kasumi's knockout meals!..." Ranma muttered, annoyed. "...Hey P-Chan! You swim over and tell them we're here..." Ranma ducked a swing from Ryoga and proceeded to block and counter the next series of attacks which followed. "Who are you calling P-Chan?!?" Ryoga exclaimed, aiming another blow for Ranma's head. Ranma ducked and gave Ryoga the 'red-eye', accompanying it with a 'nyeahhhhhhhhh!' "C'mon Pig-boy! Gimme yer best shot!" Ranma taunted. "...You're getting slow Ryoga!...I could..." *WHAM!!!* "Ranma! Stop teasing Ryoga!!" Akane yelled before stepping away in a huff. Ranma picked himself up from under the mallet and ruefully scratched his head. "Whatcha do that for?!?" he shot back, annoyed. Nabiki shook her head. "Don't you two ever get tired of that?!?" she asked, an exasperated look on her face. "Hey! It isn't my fault! She's the one who's..." "ONIICHAN!! LOOKOUT!!" Ranma's head turned at the sound of Ran-ko's warning in time to see Ryoga power up a blast. "Ranma! I will not have your insults!! Take this!..." Ryoga cupped both hands at his side and allowed the globe of dark ki to build. "...ShiShi...HO...KODAN!!!" Ranma yelped, knowing he did not have sufficient power stored to kakikesu or uchikesu the attack, regardless of the fact that the ShiShiHoKodan was relatively weak compared to a regular attack. Ran-ko however, taking a chance, leapt in front of Ranma, both arms crossed over her head. "RAN-KO! Choten nani yo?!?...Eh?!? That energy...how the?!?" Ranma thought. "Saseru...KAAAAAAAA!" Ran-ko screamed and brought both arms down by her sides. Ranma was thrown back as a fiery-red explosion of ki surrounded her. Ryoga's blast struck the ki barrier and was deflected into the sky where it exploded in a blinding flash. "Nice fireworks display..." Nabiki said evenly, grinning. "...That got their attention." Sure enough, four tiny spheres of light could be seen leaving the island and floated toward the coast. They hovered above the group in minutes. "Sure took your time there..." Nabiki grinned as Toma, Sarutoru, Toristan and Wonton dispelled their flight barriers and landed on the sand. "Ah, Nabiki Tendo, are you not?" Toma asked. Nabiki nodded. "...How nice to see you again..." Toma turned and surveyed the group. "...How nice to see you all again...Eh? I miss something?" He peered at Ranma on the ground and a small crater around Ran-ko. Toma blinked when he saw Ran-ko and scratched his head. Now if he remembered correctly, Ranma and Ran-ko were the same person? "No, nothing! Just Ranma up to his usual jerk business!" Akane retorted. Ukyou fumed at hearing Akane, memories of her recent talk with Ranma resurfacing. "Akane!..." Toma exclaimed, running up to her. Taking both her hands in his, he said, "...Such a pleasure to meet you again, have you been well?" he asked. Akane blushed, not knowing what to say. "...I-I guess so...Thanks for asking..." Ranma shot Toma a jealous look and turned away. "...Hmmph! That jerk! Getting all mushy over Akane like that!" Ran-ko saw the look on her brother's face and giggled. "Ooooo, oniichan...anata wa netamashii ne?" Ran-ko stated, stifling a laugh. Ranma shook his head vigorously and stood up quickly. Ukyou did her best not to laugh. "She's got you there, Ran-chan." Ukyou said, snickering. "What?!? Me!? Jealous of that uncute, unsexy, macho..." *WHAM* *SPLAT!* "Speaking ill of Akane?!? I won't have it?!?" Ryoga yelled, his foot embedded into Ranma's face. "What was that Ranma?!?" Akane added, her mallet firmly embedded into Ranma's back. *GROAN* was all Ranma could manage. Ukyou glared at Akane and Ryoga before turning to help Ranma up. Nabiki shook her head and turned to Toma. "So what's Togenkyo doing back here? If I'm not wrong, the current was going away when we last saw you." Toma's expression immediately turned serious. "Yes, it was..." he solemnly said, eyes downcast. "Hmm, could you perchance explain then?" Soun asked, tweaking his moustache. Toma nodded. "I will explain, as I have a feeling I may need your help..." he gestured at the assembled group. "...ALL your help." "We fear an ancient evil has awakened and is doing harm as we speak." Sarutoru added. "Yeah, Ran-chan can handle it!" Ukyou said confidently. "Yeah right!..." Ryoga retorted "...If you ask me, HE's the evil!..." Ranma promptly kicked Ryoga into the sand. "Watch it pig-boy! I can still kick your ass!" Ranma snickered. "In your dreams Ranma! Prepare to DIE!" Ryoga yelled, getting into a battle stance. "STOP IT!" both of them turned at Akane's voice. "...Can't you two just get along for once?!?" "Hey! P-Chan started it!" Ranma stated flatly, jerking a thumb at Ryoga. "WHO is P-CHAN?!?" Ryoga said, his voice low and dangerous. Moments later, Ranma was on a first-class trip back to the Tendo Dojo, courtesy of Akane Airways Flight 666. "There he goes, seems he'll be home before us..." Nabiki said, sighing. "C'mon..." she said, taking hold of Toma's arm. "...You can tell us everything over dinner." ************** "Tadaima!" Akane exclaimed, walking in the door. Everyone followed shortly. Nabiki went straight to her room while Ranma and Ryoga stayed outside to spar. Kasumi poked her head out of the kitchen when she heard sounds of fighting and smiled when she saw Akane. "Oh, welcome home Akane...Oh my! We have guests!" she exclaimed when she saw Toma, Sarutoru, Toristan and Wonton. "...Aren't you Prince Toma?" she asked. "I am, and it is a pleasure to meet you again...err" Toma scratched his head as he tried to remember Kasumi's name. "Kasumi..." she said helpfully, smiling. "...Tendo Kasumi." "Yes, that's it...A pleasure, Kasumi..." Toma said, quickly recovering from the initial embarrassment. "Well! I must say this is a very nice house...' Toristan remarked. "Why, thank you..." Kasumi smiled at the compliment. "...I keep things the way Mother would have wanted them..." "'Would have?'..." Toristan quickly caught himself. "...Oh! Gomen nasai, Kasumi-san..." "It's ok..." Kasumi said reassuringly. She then gestured toward the dining room. "...Well please go in and make yourselves comfortable, dinner will be served shortly." "Ouf! Ouf! Awoo!" Wonton barked, happy at the thought of food as he padded into the dining room. "I hope we aren't imposing on you too much, Kasumi-san..." Toma said, bowing respectfully. Kasumi returned the gesture. "Oh no! Not at all! Now please go in and make yourselves comfortable." She said before walking back into the kitchen. "I'll go make some okonomiyaki..." Ukyou said cheerily. "...Be back in a few minutes!" "Oh! You don't have to, Ukyou-san..." Kasumi began, but Ukyou had already left. Nabiki came down after a while dressed in her usual shorts and tank top and took her place at the table. Ranma and Ryoga soon followed, the two of them grinning like sharks. Akane noted the grins the two were wearing, as well as the fact that Ryoga had his arm clasped around Ranma's shoulder in an overly friendly fashion. "Well! You two sure seem happy! What did you do this time?!?" Akane asked, a slight smile on her face. "Oh, nothing special...Nothing like a good spar to work off the tension, eh Ryoga?" Ranma smirked, punching Ryoga in the shoulder. "You said it!" he replied, punching back. Akane shook her head. she thought. "Come on now! You don't expect me to believe that you two just sorted out all that fight just with one match?!?..." she peered at the two martial artists in question. "...C'mon! Spill it!" Ranma scratched his head. "We-llll...Ok, we kinda talked it over during the match and we both agreed that this constant fighting is a waste of time..." "Though most of it is Ranma's fault anyway..." Akane saw Ranma's fists clench under the table but he said nothing. "Yeah...Well...Anyway..." Ranma said slowly. Akane thought. <...He's handling this rather well!> "Ok everyone! Time for dinner!" Kasumi called out. Ukyou walked in the door moments later, holding a couple of takeout boxes. "Tadaima!..." she announced, handing the okonomiyaki to Kasumi before taking her place. Nodoka helped Kasumi set the table before taking her place. "Arigato, Ukyou-san...It looks delicious." Kasumi said, smiling. Moments later the meal was served and everyone ate heartily. "Mmm, Umami...Kore wa bimi...Arigato, Kasumi-san, Ukyou-san..." Toma said, savoring the taste of the exceptional meal he'd just had. Toristan and Sarutoru nodded their agreement and kept eating. Kasumi blushed lightly and smiled in return. "Glad you liked it." She said, smiling. Ukyou simply smiled and nodded her thanks. "Delicacy...I'd have to agree with that..." Ranma said as he finished. "I agree..." Ryoga said after finishing his meal. "...Though if I could only taste Akane's home cooking, It would be a dream come true..." Half the room mass-facefaulted at this. "Y-you think so, Ryoga-kun?" Akane stammered, tears of happiness in her eyes. "...In that case I'll go make something right now!" "NO! DON'T!..." Ranma began, a huge sweatdrop trickling down the back of his head. It was too late, Akane had already rushed into the kitchen. "...Sheesh Ryoga! Couldn't you have kept your big mouth SHUT?!?...I happen to LIKE living you know!?!" Ranma half-yelled at him, bopping him once over the head. A frying-pan flew out of the kitchen and smacked Ranma in the face. "Speaking ill of Akane..." Ryoga muttered in that same dangerous tone. "No fighting at the table!" Nodoka interjected. "...We have guests!" "H...Hai...Gomen nasai..." Ryoga apologised to the table. Everyone muttered their assent and kept eating. After a few minutes, Akane came running out of the kitchen holding a large bowl containing what looked like soup and slammed the bowl down in front of Ryoga. "You asked for it..." Ranma remarked snidely. "...Now eat it." "Akane...You made this...this... for me?!?" Ryoga stammered, crying tears of happiness. "Sure! It's all yours!" Akane said, a huge smile on her face. "Oh nice one, Akane..." Ranma remarked, peering into the bowl. "...What is it?" "It's miso soup, you jerk! Can't you see?!?" Akane shouted back, brandishing a wooden spoon. "Looks more like Primordial Soup to me..." Ranma muttered. "...Complete with budding new life forms too!" *WHACK* "Ranma no baka!" Akane snorted. Nodoka shook her head and laid a hand on Akane's shoulder. "Akane-chan, that wasn't a very nice thing to do..." she began. "But Auntie! He started it!" Akane retorted in defense. "Whatcha do that for?!?" Ranma exclaimed, rubbing the back of his head. "...It does look like..." "That's enough out of you, young man!" Ranma cringed at his mother's tone. "...I think you should apologise to Akane here..." "MOOOOOM!" Ranma complained. "...There was no excuse for being insulting toward her when she tried her hardest." Nodoka finished before glaring at Ranma. "...And don't talk back to your mother!" Ranma nodded reluctantly. "Sorry, Mom." Akane stuck her tongue out at Ranma and went 'Nyeaaaaaah!' Ranma sat silently for a moment, head bowed. "You heard your mother Ranma! Apologise!" Ryoga said, whapping Ranma over the head. Toristan tapped Sarutoru on the shoulder. "Wonder how he's going to get out of this one." He whispered. "Do as your mother says, boy!" Genma commanded, whapping Ranma over the head. "Akane..." Ranma began, slowly. "...I'm sorry..." "Ranma..." Akane said. "...I'm sorry for speaking the truth that your cooking is toxic enough that the Gods themselves wouldn't eat it in case they die and..." *WHAM* 'So much for that..." Nabiki said, a bored look on her face as she watched Ranma fly out the door and into the koi pond. "...You'd think he'd learn to keep his mouth shut long enough to survive that one day too." Akane turned back to Ryoga who was eyeing the bowl with tears in his eyes. he thought. With a shaking hand he dipped the spoon into the bowl of slop and took a mouthful. Ranma walked back into the dining room, dripping wet, in time to see Ryoga 'commit seppuku' "That idiot Ryoga..." Ranma whispered to Ukyou. "...I hope he lives, I can't afford the funeral" Ukyou giggled and nodded. For Akane, time had frozen, this was the moment of truth. A supreme test to see whether she'd be rewarded for her efforts or be shot down to crash and burn like so many times before. For Ryoga, time had frozen, not because of how good Akane's cooking was, but because every nerve in his body was either paralysed or dead. ^_^ "R-Ryoga...W-what's wrong?" Akane asked as he bent the metal spoon he held into interesting shapes. "N-NEVER I-IN M-M-MY LIFE HAVE I T-TASTED S-SOMETHING A-AS HEAVENLY AS T-TH...THIS!" he shouted with a great effort. Akane's face broke into a huge smile. "You think so?!? Oh, I'm so happy!" she exclaimed, jumping around the room. "Well, isn't that nice, Akane?" Kasumi said, a large sweatdrop running down the back of her head. "Ryoga says, 'Now would you please excuse me? I have to go die now...'" Ranma whispered to Ukyou, causing her to break out in giggles again. "Ran-chan! That's not very nice!" she said through a bout of giggling. After all the excitement had died down and the table had been cleared, everyone sat down to talk. "So, Toma-kun, I believe you were going to explain why Togenkyo is back here?" Soun prompted. "Yes, it happened only a month ago, when the stirrings began..." Toma began his story and recounted everything he had told Ryoga. It was fortunate that Ryoga already knew the story because in his current state, he was in no condition to listen. During the time, everyone listened with rapt interest, only interrupting to question facts they did not understand. "...So basically, what we think is that whatever killed the guide at Jusenkyo has found it's way into Japan and is planning something dark...Already we have seen proof that all is not right..." "You can say that again!" Ranma interrupted. "...Just today some freako showed up and handed me this!" he pulled out the letter he 'received' and handed it to Toma. Toma stared at it for a while before speaking. "...Sarutoru!" "Yes Lord..." Sarutoru searched his pockets and pulled out an identical letter. Ranma's eyes widened. "Woah! You got one too?!?" "It seems whoever is hosting this 'tournament' knows who we all are..." Toma said, his voice grave. "Ran-chan..." Ukyou began. "What's wrong, Ucchan?" "I...I'm sorry I didn't tell you this before but..." Ukyou rummaged around in her clothes and pulled out another identical letter. "...They sent me one too." Ranma fell over. "Ucchan! Why didn't you tell me?!? Did the jerk who gave it to you hurt you?" he asked, concern in his voice. Ukyou shook her head. "No, not really...He hit me once but I got him back..." Ukyou grinned at Ranma's worried look. Akane fumed. "Well nice to know that she's okay!..." Akane half-shouted. "...Just so you know..." "I got one too!" Ran-ko chimed in, pulling out yet another copy of the letter. "It was supposed to be for me!" Akane interrupted. "...You jumped in!" Ranma did the best thing he could in the current situation, he fainted. He came to a few minutes later and felt like someone had exchanged brains with him. "Woah here! You mean to say that all of you got an invitation?!?" The majority of the table nodded. "...Gee, the guy wasn't kidding when he said the tournament would be a big affair...Wonder if Ryoga got one?" "I did!..." Ryoga threw his copy like a shuriken at Ranma who deftly caught it. "...Ranma! I will defeat you like a true warrior in the tournament!" Ryoga stated simply. "I thought you were dead..." Ranma said, peering at Ryoga. "Ahem, excuse me..." Everyone turned to look at Nodoka who was reading one of the invitations. "...It states here that competition will be between teams of three...So since my son and daughter both got an invitation as did Akane and Ukyou-san...The question of teams now arises." Nodoka stated. "Why that isn't a problem at all!" Soun piped up. "...Ranma will team up with Akane!" "DAAAAD!" Akane yelled. "...There's no way I'm teaming up with that pervert!" Ranma's eyebrows twitched. "Oh yeah?!? Well it's like I want a macho, uncute, unsexy, thick-as-a-brick, can't-even-kick, tomboy on my team!" Ranma retorted. "WHAT WAS THAT?!?" Akane shouted, brandishing a bokken. 'Akane-chan, sit down please..." Nodoka said, patting Akane on the shoulder. She reluctantly obeyed. "...And you too Ryoga-kun...There will be plenty of opportunities to fight in the tournament." Ryoga had been about to stomp Ranma into the ground if not for Nodoka's timely intervention. Soun, meanwhile, began wailing, as usual. "Ranma, let me remind you that if you do not team up with Akane, you will have to fight her..." Nodoka said evenly, Ranma cringed. "That's no problem! I'll fight that pervert anyday!" Akane said gruffly. "I'll go with oniichan!" Ran-ko piped up. Ranma grinned and ruffled her hair playfully. "I'll go with Ran-chan too!" Ukyou added, hugging one of Ranma's arms. Akane's shoulders shook at the scene before her. "FINE THEN!" she said, angrily getting up. "...GO WITH WHOEVER YOU LIKE!" she yelled before running upstairs, crying. "Blah! Good riddance!" Ukyou said, ignoring her. "R-RAN...MAAAAA!..." Ryoga shouted, his aura flaring. "...You have made Akane cry! I WILL NOT HAVE IT! PREPARE TO DIE!" "Oh no you don't..." Ukyou said with a bored expression on her face as she dumped a glass of water over Ryoga. Nodoka's eyes widened when she saw Ryoga disappear and reappear as a small black pig. "What...How?!?" she stammered. Then realisation hit her. "...Another Jusenkyo victim?" Ranma and Ukyou both nodded. P-Chan squealed in outrage and promptly latched onto Ranma's arm with a loud *CHOMP* "EEYOWWWWW!" Ranma screamed and hopped about, trying to dislodge the pig. "...Why you JERK!" Ranma screamed, booting P-Chan into Lower Earth Orbit. "There! MUCH better!" something tapped him on the shoulder as he dusted his hands. "Whaaaa...AAAAAAAAA!" Ranma turned around to find himself face-to-face with Soun's demon head. "RAAAAAN...MAAAAA...KUUUUUUN!" it intoned in an earthshaking voice. "Eeek! Ok, ok, I'm going, I'm going!" Ranma yelped, running upstairs after Akane. Ukyou sighed. "Ran-chan...Ran-chan..." she turned to face Toma who had been watching the whole episode with an amused look on his face. "...Well, it seems we'll be seeing each other in the tournament then..." she said. "Yes, it would seem so..." Toma said, grinning. "We look forward to meeting you in combat." Toristan said. It wasn't hard to guess he was grinning behind his mask as well. "Though, bear in mind that this will most likely not be just a tournament..." Toma said, his face serious again. "...There is a deep, dark secret hiding behind the mask it is wearing...If anything untoward should happen, please bear in mind that you are not alone...We stand to fight by your side as allies in this upcoming battle..." Toma said bowing formally. Nodoka stood and returned the gesture. "We are grateful for your assistance, Prince Toma..." she replied with equal formality. "...We too shall fight by your side as allies if and when the need arises...Rest assured the Saotome sword shall stand ready to assist you." Nodoka stated. "We are thankful...Now we really must leave..." The four stepped outside after saying their goodbyes. "...Until next time, take care!" Toma said before he and his three companions were engulfed in glowing spheres of energy and took off, heading toward the Island of Togenkyo. "He has changed, hasn't he?" Ukyou said to no one in particular. "Yeah, not the snot-nosed kid we knew when we first met him." Nabiki replied. "...Wonder how Ranma-kun is doing?" ************** "Well, I'll say this much..." Ken stated, peering out the open window. Jyusei only allowed the windows in his office open at nights. "...It's actually not as hard as you think to recover the energy." Jyusei raised an eyebrow. "You have a solution then?" He and Ken had been deliberating for most of the day as to how they might recover their 'stolen' energy with the minimum chance of loss. "Well, not in itself...You see, the idea here is that the essences are bonded to their host's souls..." Ken began. "...Now I am right in saying that recently, one of your shadow warriors made an attempted attack on one of the hosts, am I right?" Jyusei nodded. "That's what he told me, God have mercy if he was lying..." Jyusei turned and glared at the spectre in question. It cringed under Jyusei's withering gaze. "If I'm not wrong, the attack, even if unsuccessful, will most probably have left a...how should I put this...a 'wormhole' of sorts within the host's mind..." "So what you're suggesting is that we take advantage of this, this 'wormhole' and..." "Exactly, we use the wormhole as a route to the host's mind, from there we can attempt to possess him/her..." Ken concluded, taking a sip from the glass he held in his hand. Five empty bottles lay on the bar nearby. "Hmm, that may work yet...But even if we succeed in the possession, how will this help?" Jyusei asked, still slightly confused. Ken finished his drink and flipped his glass over his shoulder. Instead of hitting the floor and smashing, it caught itself in mid-air, floated over to the bar where a bottle tipped itself over, pouring another shot into the glass. It then floated back to Ken's waiting hand. "Well, possession is nine-tenths of the law..." he said. "...If we have control over the host, the energy generated from the intrusion alone should be enough to start a reaction..." Jyusei slapped a fist into his palm. "I get it, the 'tunnel' generated from the excess power generated from the intrusion will act as a 'sponge' for the energy released in any future combats..." Ken nodded, a grin on his face a mile wide. "Basically, we can use the tournament to meet our own ends, little will the participants know they are helping to unleash the most powerful evil since time immemorial..." "Yes, a brilliant plan..." Jyusei's emerald green eyes began to glow softly with an evil light. "...The Awakening, I cannot fully awaken without the missing essences but using the energy generated from the fights should be more than enough to substitute that!" Ken nodded his agreement. "...I'm guessing that you are focusing on fully reawakening, not just on reclaiming your 'stolen' powers..." "Well, that would be nice but not necessary, I merely needed the energy..." Jyusei muttered, sitting back at his desk. He began to peruse the roster again. "...Hmm..." He snapped his fingers and a shadow warrior quickly flitted to his side. "Yes Master? How may I serve your will?" it asked, bowing in subservience. "Do you know the name of the one you attacked that night?" Jyusei asked. The spectre appeared to think for a moment. "Yes Master, I think it's...it's..." "Ran-ko...Saotome Ran-ko..." Jyusei muttered, reading the spectre's mind. "...Very interesting..." ************** "Akane?...Akane..." Ranma called as he knocked on Akane's door. "...Can I come in?" There was no response. "...I take that as a yes then." Ranma said. He twisted the doorknob and stepped in. The room was completely dark, the blinds were drawn across the windows not allowing any light in from the outside. He could see Akane lying face down on the bed. She appeared to be sleeping until he heard soft, muffled sobs coming from her. He immediately felt a wave of guilt surge through him, knowing he was the one who made her this miserable. In his entire life, he'd never liked fighting girls for the reason he was afraid of hurting them. That was true for relationships as well, he never wanted to get into a commitment for fear of ruining friendships and more importantly hurting his friend. He stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. "...Think I'll turn the light on." "Leave it!" he turned when he heard Akane's muffled yell. "...What do you want, pervert?!? Get the hell out!" she screamed again. Ranma was thankful she had her face buried in her pillow, it muffled her yells rather well. "Akane...I..." he began but stopped when words wouldn't come. he thought. Akane abruptly sat up and glared at him with tear-filled eyes. "You what?!? You're here to gloat? You're here to tell me that you and Ukyou are an item now? You're here to..." she tried to continue but words wouldn't come and she simply buried her face in her hands and sobbed. Ranma walked slowly up to her and tentatively laid a hand on her shoulder. He half-expected her to violently shrug it off but was grateful that she didn't. "Akane...I...I'm sorry..." he said, his voice soft and comforting. Akane slowly looked up. "...I'm sorry I said what I said back at dinner and I'm sorry for insulting you like that..." he took a deep breath and continued. "...It...well, it just came out...It seemed like a good thing to say at the time..." "Oh, so it was a good thing to insult me is it?!?" Akane retorted. Ranma winced at the venomous barbs in her voice but he didn't falter. "...Well, obviously it wasn't...Like I said, I'm sorry..." he took his hand off her shoulder and turned to go. "...Thanks for hearing me out Akane...Good night..." He was surprised when Akane jumped up and hugged him from behind. "No wait!..." she said, almost desperately. Ranma turned around and their eyes met for a moment. "...Don't go now...Stay a while ok?" "I...I don't think that's such a good idea..." "Please?" she pleaded. Ranma found that he couldn't refuse her, not with her looking so sad. "Ok..." he let her guide him back to the bed and they sat down. After a while, Ranma hugged Akane to him, she leaned against his chest while he stroked her hair gently. After a few minutes, Akane broke the silence. "So...So are you, Ran-ko and Ukyou going to be teaming up?" "Nah, it was just an idea..." Ranma replied, still gently stroking her hair. "...I don't even know if I want to team up at all really...I may just go solo, like Ryoga is." "Ryoga is going alone?" she asked, looking up at his face. Ranma nodded. "Yeah, that's what I figure anyway...I just can't picture him going in a team." "Ranma...I..." Akane found herself at a loss for words. Ranma hugged her a little closer. "Hmm? What is it?" "I...I'm sorry too..." she said, tears beginning to form again. Embarrassed, she pushed away from him and walked over to the window. "For what? I'm the one who started it all..." "No Ranma, we're both to blame...I hit you without listening first...I should have listened...I probably poisoned poor Ryoga too! God knows where he is now!" She sobbed. "Akane...please don't cry..." he said, walking over to her. She tried to stop but she couldn't. She felt like such a fool, an unskilled, no-talent, good-for-nothing idiot. "Ranma, maybe you...you should go...go find another girl to love!" she cried. Ranma put a hand on her shoulder and turned her around before pulling her into his arms. She held him tight this time, crying into his chest. "Hey...Hey..." Gently, he stroked her hair again. "Calm down, Akane-chan...I don't want another girl..." he said soothingly. "You...You don't?" she replied, still sniffling. Ranma shook his head. "No, I don't...I just wouldn't be able to...to love another girl like I...I..." Akane held her breath. "...I...I...I...I...L..." Ranma stammered, unable to complete the sentence. "Ranma..." Akane said softly, pushing away from him. "Y...Yeah, Akane?" "Thank you, that's nice to hear..." she said, smiling through her tears. Ranma's heart began to beat faster. he thought. "Err...Y-you want to go outside? I think everyone's asleep by now..." he suggested, quickly changing the subject. "Okay, if you like..." Akane replied. Ranma smiled at her and took her hand, leading her out the door. ************** "The stars sure are beautiful tonight, ne Ranma?" Akane commented, gazing up at the night sky. Ranma sat on his favorite rock by the koi pond. Akane lay on the cool grass beside him. Slowly the clouds above them parted, revealing a beautiful full moon shining down upon the two. Ranma allowed a content smile to creep onto his face. "Mmm, they sure are..." Ranma replied, sliding off the rock to lie beside her. "...You know, I wonder sometimes..." "What about, Ranma?" "The stars, I've always wondered...just how far away are they?" he said. "Well, our astronomy teacher said that each one of them is a sun...Like ours..." Akane said, watching the tiny dots of light twinkle high above. "...And the reason they are so small is that they're so far away that even at the speed of light it'd take years to reach one..." "Seems you've been paying attention in astronomy..." Ranma said, grinning at her. "Hey! I always do!" she had just been about to add 'unlike you', but decided against it, she wanted to enjoy the peaceful mood as long as possible. Ranma grinned but didn't reply. They lay silently for a while, gazing up at the stars and enjoying the overwhelming feeling of peace that washed over them. "Mmm, I could get used to this, you know..." Akane said after a while. Ranma turned to look at her. "Used to what?" "This, you know, us just being here together like this...Not fighting or anything..." Ranma smiled warmly at her and nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean...It's so peaceful isn't it?" he took exhaled sharply and took a deep breath. "...It makes me wonder sometimes...Why do we fight?" "You asking me?" Akane replied, she rolled over onto her stomach and propped herself up on her elbows. "No, I'm just posing the question...Why do we, as in people, have to fight?" he asked, still gazing up at the stars. "...In a week's time, the tournament will begin...Who knows what will happen there? People get hurt in fights, there's nothing glamorous about it Akane..." he said, turning to look at her as he propped himself up on one elbow. "My my, this is new! Who would have thought I'd be hearing the great Ranma Saotome, Master of the Anything Goes Style of Indiscriminate Grappling, saying this!" she teased. Ranma reached out and ruffled her hair playfully. "Well, it's true you know..." he said in a soft voice. "...Pop began training me ever since I could walk, I've spent my whole life learning the Art...Pop, while he's a lousy father, he's a good teacher...Though I never liked some of his ideals..." Ranma paused and took in a breath. "...He spent his life training me to be a 'man among men' as he puts it...At first I liked the idea of being strong, being the best and all...Then, it starts to wear thin, you know?" Akane listened intently, this is a side of Ranma she'd never seen before. She'd never really known him beyond the cold, arrogant image of the proud unconquerable martial artist that he projected. She'd always seen him as an arrogant jerk who'd do anything to win a fight, though at times, she got a glimpse of the kind, caring person beneath the hard exterior. Ranma isn't immediately likeable, she'd be the first one to say that, though it's different once you get to know him. Akane asked herself. He tries to be, sometimes, but you always have to push it back, why? <...Because...Because I'm afraid...> 'Afraid? Of what?' 'You probably do already.' Her conscience told her. She didn't deny it. "Akane? You there?" Ranma waved a hand in front of her face, snapping her out of her trance. "Uh? What?...Oh sorry, please continue..." Akane said, a little embarrassed. Ranma sighed but continued anyway. "I was saying, I liked the idea of being strong, being the best...I was willing to do anything to achieve that goal at first..." he said, smiling and frowning at the same time as he recalled some pleasant memories and some not-so-pleasant ones. "...But after a while, it starts to wear thin, you know?" Akane nodded. "...Fighting isn't glamorous, like you said." She replied. He nodded. "Yeah, I mean, look at Ucchan for example...She spent ten years hunting Pop for revenge after he ran off with her father's yatai...She wasted ten years of her life pursuing something that wasn't even there to begin with." "What do you mean by that?" "Well, if you recall, I never knew Ucchan was a girl until the day she challenged me at school, and I wouldn't have known if I didn't accidentally cut her breast binding..." Akane's eyes widened at this. "'Accidentally'? You sure you didn't do it on purpose..." she asked, voice starting to rise slightly. "Akane, calm down, please..." he said in a soothing tone. "...Yes, it was accidental, if you remember, she tried to make an okonomiyaki out of me on that special ring. I kind of lost my cool and I tried to slash at her with her spatula which I wrenched away from her during the fight, she dodged back but not far enough, that's how it happened." Akane nodded, she felt ashamed for doubting him. "Ranma...I...I'm sorry, I shouldn't have doubted you...I" Ranma reached out and ruffled her hair playfully. "It's ok, don't worry, it's all in the past now ne?" seeing Ranma smile reassured Akane slightly. "I think I'm starting to see what you mean..." Akane flipped off her elbows and lay on her back. "...It's a nice feeling knowing that you're the best and all, but there's always someone better out there..." she turned and held up a hand, cutting off Ranma's protest. "...Come on Ranma, you have to admit, you're good but you're not that good...There's many strong fighters out there, around the world...Who knows?" Ranma nodded but Akane could still see something lingering in his eyes. "...What is it?" "A lot of this stuff...I didn't start thinking about all this until that fight with Ryoga a few days ago..." Ranma said, sighing as the memory unfolded before him. "...Look what happened, we both beat the crap out of each other, and look what good it did..." "About time you realised that!" Akane snapped. "...I've been killing myself for years trying to get the two of you to stop fighting and just get along! Why can't you just do that?" she asked. "Hey! Ryoga's the one who keeps attacking me!" Akane made to comment but Ranma held up a hand, cutting her off. "...C'mon Akane! Think about it! How many times have you heard him yell 'Die Ranma!' and jump me? How many times has he started a fight by butting in when we have an argument? It's none of his business yet he still does it!" "That may be so but still..." Akane began. Ranma let his breath out in a long, tired sigh. "...Nevermind, it's a moot point anyway..." he stood up and walked over to the koi pond. "...Can you answer my question now?" Akane stood up and walked up beside him. "What one was that?" "My original question 'Why do people fight?'..." he re-stated. Akane thought for a moment. "I guess, because of anger...Or the need to have power over others?" she suggested. "Well, those are answers I guess, and you're correct for the most part...I guess, it's just in our nature to destroy ourselves..." Ranma said, sitting down on his favorite rock. "Ranma, just what is wrong?" Akane asked, unable to contain her curiosity any longer. "...I've never seen you talk or act like this before...If something's bothering you, please tell me..." she said, her voice almost pleading. "Nothing's wrong, Akane...I've just been thinking...For as long as I can remember, I've always trained to be 'the best'...If anyone ever asked me what I wanted to do with my life, I'd always say martial arts...I'll give Pop credit there, he kept most of his promise to Mom...But that fight a few days ago got me thinking, what is the point to it all?" he asked no one in particular. "...Every time I won a match, every time I beat someone, I'd get a feeling of elation, I'd feel proud that I'd won, that I'd defeated my opponent...But that fight with Ryoga, even though I won, I didn't get any satisfaction out of that...Just..." "Just what Ranma?" "Just...well...nothing...I didn't feel anything, that victory gave me no pleasure, just emptiness...I regretted doing what I did to him..." he said, burying his face in his hands. "Ranma..." Akane began, laying a hand on his shoulder. "...You shouldn't blame yourself...I...It was partly my fault...I shouldn't have said what I did..." "Well, I'll admit, that was the reason why I went off on Ryoga like I did..." Ranma said. He stood up and walked over to the big tree by the pond, Akane followed him. "...Like you said, I fought because I had to take it out on someone else, because of anger, hatred...I'm starting to understand how Ryoga feels every day, that deep, empty feeling of depression...The only reason why he hasn't attempted suicide by now is that he takes it out on whatever he can, if he didn't, I don't know where he'd be now..." Akane shivered at the thought. "...You cold?" he asked. Akane nodded. "A little..." she lied. Ranma reached out touched her on the arm. Not sensing any resistance, he pulled her into his arms. She responded by leaning into his chest. Ranma leaned onto the tree for support. "Better?" Akane nodded and shut her eyes, enjoying the close, warm feeling of hugging. "Ranma..." "Hmm?" "The tournament starts in a week, will you be entering?" she asked. "..." "Ranma?" "I don't know..." he said finally. "...Normally, I would jump at a chance like this...But after what happened a few days ago and after tonight..." he punctuated that last statement by stroking Akane's hair gently, eliciting a sigh from her. "...I don't know anymore...If I do, it will mean having to fight against friends at one stage or another...I don't want to, we shouldn't fight amongst ourselves..." he faltered in his explanation, trying to find the right words. "I know what you mean Ranma..." Akane said, interrupting. "...Nothing good can come out of it, right?" Ranma nodded. "It only breeds contempt between us...Someone has to win and someone, ultimately, has to lose..." "Well everyone else seems pretty hot on going, from what I remember at the table...Toma is going to be in it too..." Akane said. The heat generated from their closeness was starting to make her sleepy. "Yeah, well, that's them..." he said, seemingly uninterested. "If you do enter, who would you go with?" Akane asked. Ranma shrugged. "I dunno, I've never been one for team competition...If I did pick a team however, It'd probably be you and Ran-ko..." Akane smiled at this. "You sure you want me? I'm not as good as you or you sister you know..." she said, trying to find out if he really meant what he just said. "That isn't a problem, we'd have one week to train, in that time we could train you..." he released his hold on Akane and held her out at arms' length. She sighed when he did so, it was so nice being held. "...Properly that is..." Akane nodded and smiled warmly up at him. Ranma could feel his heart-rate jump. "Ranma...T-that's nice of you..." she said, stammering slightly. "Well it's about time someone did something, you're good and have a great deal of potential, with proper training you could really go far...I don't see why I shouldn't try if anything else..." he said. "...That's if you let me..." Akane responded by wrapping him in a tight hug. "Mmm..." she said. Ranma hesitated for a moment then returned the hug as best he could. After a while, she turned to look up at him, their eyes met and time appeared to stand still. Ranma thought. He could feel an urge to do something pulling at him. The longer he looked into those deep, brown eyes of hers, the stronger the urge became. He desperately wanted to kiss her, to hug her, to do something except stand still and go crazy. The only thing stopping him was the thought of being punted into the nearest star system alongside the Sol System. Slowly, their faces moved closer, closer to one another. Ranma could feel the passion flowing between them, he fought desperately to keep down the urge that was telling him to kiss her. <...Ah what the heck, if she hits me, she hits me...> he thought after a while, unable to bear it any longer. Akane shut her eyes as their lips drew closer together, thinking . A part of her mind was saying . As their lips were about to touch, a cry rang out across the courtyard. "STOP!! I, Tatewaki Kuno, 17 years old, the 'Blue Thunder', the 'Shooting Star' of Furinkan High, will NOT allow this...this mockery, this sacrilege to continue!" Kuno yelled, jumping over the fence followed by Kodachi. "Oh, Ranma-darling, how could you??..." Kodachi cried, tears streaming down her face. "...How could you do...that...with that vixen! That mynx!...When you are promised to me?!?" "RANMA!!! Shampoo not allow you to kiss Akane!" Shampoo shouted, standing atop the wall with a sword drawn. "...You already say you belong to Shampoo!" From her silhouette in the moonlight, everyone could tell she wasn't joking. Ranma and Akane quickly broke the hug and stood ready. "Ranma! What the hell is she talking about?!?" Akane gasped, peering around. "You asking me?!?" Ranma replied, hastily getting into a stance. "RANMA!!!. You...you CAD!..." Ryoga hollered, running out into the garden from inside the dojo. It was amazing he didn't get lost on the way out! "...You...You DARE to toy with Akane like this?!?...I WON'T HAVE IT!...PREPARE TO DIE!!" Ryoga leapt at Ranma who barely got out of the way in time, the tree which he was leaning against crashing to the ground under the impact of Ryoga's blow. "N...Now wait a moment here!..." Ranma stammered. "...I said no such thing!!...Shampoo, don't you dare lie like this!" Ranma shouted to Shampoo. He knew she had wanted to get him back for slapping her back at the Nekohanten. Shampoo knew full well that if anyone found out that Ranma and her had gone and 'done it', his engagement to Akane would be screwed. Though Ranma still had no idea, thanks to the 'Xi Fa Xiang Gao Shiatsu'. "Why? Shampoo no lie...Is true...Yes?" She asked, a smirk on her face. "I don't know what you're talking about!" Ranma yelled back, unable to form words as he dived out of the way of Kuno's bokken which parted the wall behind him. "Shampoo...Is this true?...What you say about my son?" Nodoka asked. Behind her, everyone who had been awakened by the noise came out to see what the commotion was. Shampoo, still atop the wall, nodded. "Is true...Ranma make love to Shampoo..." Shampoo then proceeded to elaborate on the events that had transpired. Ranma snarled. "WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?!? I DID NO SUCH THING WITH YOU!!!" he screamed, pointing a shaking finger at Shampoo. Shampoo cringed at the force of his denial. she thought furiously. "R...Ran...Ranma!!!..." Akane yelled, storming over to him and slapping him hard across the face. "...H...How...how could you?!?..." Akane shook with anger as she tried to get the words out. She wanted to kill him, she wanted now to hurt him so bad she could taste it. But something inside was stopping her. Images of the tender moment they shared just moments ago flashed through her mind. There was no way she could hit him now, not after hearing that. Akane turned and ran into the dojo, crying her eyes out. "Akane!!...Oh my poor baby..." Soun wailed. Kasumi looked shocked at this new turn of events. "Oh my! Ranma, did you really do...that with Shampoo?" Kasumi asked, concern etched on her face. "NO!" Ranma screamed, shaking with anger. "...She's lying! She just wants to cause trouble because I hit her back at the Nekohanten!" "You vile sorcerer! With my holy blade, I shall free the virtuous Akane Tendo and the Pigtailed Girl from your evil clutches!" Kuno exclaimed, hefting his bokuto in a defensive stance. "Ranma! You come back with Shampoo...You not run now that Shampoo yours!" Shampoo yelled, jumping down from the wall. "You...You...You..." Ryoga struggled form the words unsuccessfully, his rage blinding him. Already his power level was at it's maximum. Some real damage would be done here, no doubt about that. "RAAAAAAAAANMAAAAAAAA!..." Demonic Soun exploded, his head expanding to immense proportions. "Son, tell me the truth..." Nodoka said, her voice strangely, was not one of anger, but sadness and disappointment. "SHUT UP!!!!" Ranma screamed at the top of his voice, everyone immediately froze at his authoritative tone. "...I've HAD IT with all of you jerks messing up my life!...Ryoga! You go on about how you have seen Hell...YOU HAVE NO IDEA!..." Images of his conversation with Akane just moments ago flashed through his mind. Why do we fight? Is because of anger? Hatred? Because of the need for power over others? No, the answer became clear in that one moment. Because there was no other language that your enemies will understand. Ryoga flinched but his expression did not waver. "You...you DARE mock me, Ranma Saotome?!?" Ryoga said in a low and dangerous tone. "...So what if I do?!?" Ranma retorted. It was obvious to everyone now that Ranma had been pushed past his breaking point. Every man has his breaking point, Ranma's, to his credit, was extremely far from the surface, he could take a LOT before finally exploding. Ever since he'd met Akane, his life had been one living hell. Sure, there were the good moments and times, but Kodachi, Shampoo, Ryoga, Kuno, Mousse and yes, even his dear friend Ukyou sure made up for the difference. All his anger and frustration that he'd kept bottled up inside him all these years had finally exploded. Even Ranma has a breaking point. "...All you jerks come in here and sprout lies like water from a fountain! You expect me to stand here and just TAKE THIS?!?" "Do not deviate from the truth you cretin! You blackguard!" Kuno spouted. "Ranma-darling! Ohhhhh..." Kodachi broke down crying. "YOU NO LONGER HAVE THE RIGHT TO CALL YOURSELF AKANE'S FIANCEE!!!" Ryoga screamed, partly in triumph that it was true and that now he had a chance at Akane. Ranma shook his head. There really was no cure for stupidity, bottom line, in bold and italics and twenty-point font. "Ryoga..." Ranma said evenly. "What?" "SHUT UP!" Ryoga backed off at this outburst. "Why...you! Mock me do you?!? TAKE THIS!" Ryoga lunged at Ranma again, Ranma swept aside Ryoga's outstretched arm and aimed a counterpunch. Ryoga deftly blocked and, crouching low, aimed and elbow and a modified Dragontail at Ranma's ribs and the back of his knees respectively. Ranma backflipped out of range, right into Kuno's waiting bokuto. "An opening!...Strike! Strike! Strike! Strike! Strike! Strike! Strike! Strike! Strike!!" Kuno yelled, thrusting his bokuto with lightning speed at Ranma. Ranma yelped and dove aside, right into Shampoo's waiting embrace. Shampoo latched onto Ranma and kissed him. "Mmmmm, wo te airen...You no say you no remember you do with Shampoo now, Ranma?" Shampoo mumbled. After a few moments, Ranma recovered enough if his senses to push Shampoo away. He glared at her in disgust and as he raised a hand to slap her, he felt someone restrain him. He turned to look at Nodoka's face in surprise. "Son...stop this now...We shall find out the truth..." Ranma nodded in understanding and powered down. Nodoka then turned to the group advancing on Ranma. "...STOP! ALL OF YOU!" Everyone winced and ran back when Nodoka unwrapped the Saotome Clan's Dai-Katana. "Shampoo has made an extremely serious claim, that my son has engaged in sexual act with her..." she paused for breath, her face impassive. "...Whether this is truth or lies I cannot be certain..." "We can fix that..." Nodoka turned at the sound of Cologne's voice. "You have proof on this claim your grand-daughter makes?" Nodoka asked. Cologne nodded. "I have witnessed with my own eyes, the act that this man, Saotome Ranma committed with my grand-daughter Shampoo..." Cologne stated. Ranma's face contorted in rage. "WHAT'RE YOU SAYING, YOU PRUNE-FACED OLD GHOUL?!?" he screamed. "YOU LIE! ADMIT IT, GHOUL!" Cologne smirked at him and shook her head. "This is no lie, Son-in-law..." she then turned to Nodoka. "...I have a way of proving to you that what I say here is true...if you will allow me to do so..." Nodoka nodded. "Do what you must, but no more." She stated flatly. Cologne hopped on her staff over to Ranma who immediately dropped back into stance and powered up. "Get back! Or you will regret it!" he snarled, voice full of anger. Cologne turned to Nodoka. "What I must do includes extracting certain memories from parts of your son's mind, if he will not allow me to do this, then it will prove him guilty..." Cologne stated simply. Nodoka lain a firm hand on Ranma's shoulder and said. "Son, let her do as she wishes, if you really are innocent you have nothing to fear..." Ranma grudgingly nodded and reluctantly dropped his power level to a less-dangerous level. "Get it over with, Ghoul!" Ranma snarled. Cologne reached out a hand and touched Ranma on the forehead, at the same time holding a strange blue-crystal pendant hung around her neck with the other hand. The pendant began to glow as she chanted and Ranma could feel a strange presence invade his consciousness. In a moment it was gone and Cologne withdrew her hand. She then removed the pendant and handed it to Nodoka. "Wear this, and you will see all...It contains your son's memories, the ones in question..." she stated. Nodoka nodded and slipped the pendant around her neck. Almost immediately she was bombarded with waves of mental energy. Struggling with the forces, she was able to organise them into some semblance of order...And was shocked to the core at what she saw. Ranma saw his mother falter and he quickly ran to support her. "I...I..." Nodoka stammered, at a complete loss for words. Cologne smirked. "Do you see now? I, as a Matriarch of the Joketsuzoku do not lie..." Nodoka nodded and handed back the pendant with a shaking hand. "I...I now know the truth..." she said, her voice shaking slightly. "...And I declare that the claims of the Amazon Shampoo and her great-grandmother Cologne are truthful..." Ranma was shocked at what he heard. "Mom! What're you saying?!?" he asked desperately. Nodoka turned to face him. "Son, I have seen your memories with my own eyes...Please do not deny it any longer..." She said, her voice and her face betraying the sadness and disappointment she felt. "Mom!! I swear I did no such thing!..." Ranma yelled back, confused as to how it could be true. "...If I indeed did do such a thing, why can't I remember it?!?" "I don't know son, but the proof I have seen far outweighs your claims, even though you are my son..." Nodoka said, her voice filled with sorrow. "Mom..." Ranma said, his voice cracking. "...I swear that..." Nodoka raised a hand to cut him off. "Ranma...Much as it pains me to do this...I have to...Please understand..." Ranma nodded solemnly at his mother. Honor was always Nodoka's focus in life. Life without honor is nothing, as is power without perception. "I understand Mom..." Ranma said softly, his voice full of sadness. He knew full well what his mother was going to say. In his mind, he knew he was innocent, but he could not fight magic. Nodoka choked back tears. After ten long years, she was finally reunited with her son, only to be forced to pass judgement on him now. "...You..." Nodoka took a deep breath, forcing her emotions down. "...You have two choices...One: Relinquish your engagement to Akane and become Shampoo's by honor, or Two: commit seppuku..." In the silence that followed, you could hear a pin drop as waited for Ranma to make his decision. "What is going on here?!?...Ranma?...Dad?...Auntie Saotome??" Akane demanded, running out into the garden. She'd observed all that had transpired from her window and from the looks of things, she didn't like what she was seeing. Ranma turned to look at her, still kneeling on the ground. "Akane...I...I'm sorry..." was all he could say as a lone tear trickled down his face. "Ranma?!? What're you saying?!? You didn't?" Akane gasped in shock. "I know I didn't Akane...But whatever the ghoul has shown Mom, she believes it and I have no reason to not trust my own mother..." he said, on the verge of breaking down in tears. "...Please believe me, Akane..." he begged. "Akane-san! Don't believe that lying cad!" Ryoga yelled. Ranma turned and glared at him with death in his eyes. "Ryoga...I swear...One more word out of you and it will be the last thing you take with you to the afterlife!" Ranma said, his voice barely controlled. Ryoga winced at the look in his rival's eyes and shut up. "Enough talk..." Nodoka said solemnly. "...Choose your path, my son..." she stood back and lowered the point of the katana so that it was positioned just above Ranma's head. "Ranma..." Akane cried, tears flowing down her face. "...I believe you! I believe in you! Please! Don't die on me now!..." she pleaded. She ran up beside him and knelt on the grass beside her fiancé. "Auntie Saotome! Please don't make Ranma commit seppuku! I...I..." she was unable to say any more and broke down crying. "Akane-san...Believe me, I don't want to do this any more than you do..." Nodoka said, choking back her own tears. "...But honor and the Bushido code demands that I do, I'm sorry...My son must choose..." Ranma turned and laid a hand on Akane's back, she sat up and looked into his eyes with ones filled with despair. He nodded solemnly to her before speaking. "I choose neither..." he stated in a voice that carried. "...I cannot choose to accept Cologne's claim as I myself have no recollection of the event nor do I wish to die for their causes..." Cologne's eyes narrowed at this. "...However, honor demands that I accept my punishment for my actions..." he paused for breath and peered around him. He could clearly see Kuno and Ryoga smirking, and Kodachi passed out on the grass. "...Therefore, I shall renounce my engagement to Akane..." Akane looked at him with horrified eyes before breaking down crying again. "...To preserve what honor remains of the Saotome name, I hereby relinquish my right to use the name..." He then turned and bowed to his mother. "...From this point on, Saotome-aruji..." Nodoka almost broke when she heard the term he used. Ranma himself was doing little better than his mother at controlling his emotions. Tears flowed freely as he continued speaking. "...I am no longer your son...Ranma Saotome, of the Saotome School of Anything Goes Style of Indiscriminate Grappling...is dead!" Nodoka didn't like this option any more than she liked the other options, though it was better than having her son commit seppuku. Cologne, on the other hand, was fuming. 'I do not accept this outrageous excuse for a settlement!" She screamed. "...Ranma must choose Shampoo or die!" Nodoka turned and stared right at Cologne, pure fury in her eyes. "It is enough!" she replied in a commanding voice. "...My son has fulfilled the demands that honor has asked of him, you shall torment us no more..." she turned to face Ranma who nodded and held out his right arm. Nodoka raised the katana above her head and slashed downward, cutting lightly into Ranma's exposed wrist. "...With blood we seal the pact..." she said, repeating the process with her own wrist. The blood of the Saotome clan flowed freely that night. "...Leave us, and pray we never meet you again...For the next time we meet, it shall be as enemies...Farewell, Cologne-san..." Cologne raged but knew that there was nothing more she could do, her plan had backfired horribly and there was nothing she could do to salvage it. "Very well...I, as a Matriarch of the Joketsuzoku...Accept this settlement...We shall not speak of it again..." she said with equal formality. "No! Shampoo not accept! Shampoo want Ranma!" Shampoo screamed. Cologne turned to face her. "" she said in Mandarin. "" Shampoo asked, fists shaking in frustration. "" she said. Cologne turned and bowed to Nodoka before hopping away, dragging Shampoo with her. After they'd gone, Ranma stood up and had Kasumi dress his and Nodoka's wounds before walking back over to Akane. He helped her up. "Don't worry Akane, there will be another time...I promise you that." "R...Ran-ma...I...I...Ohhh..." she managed to get out before collapsing into his chest and breaking down once more. He hugged her tenderly, knowing that this would probably be the last time he would be able to do so for a long time to come. "There, there Akane...Be strong...You must be..." he said, choking back his own tears. Ran-ko and Genma, both just waking up, ran outside and was shocked to see the blood staining the grass. "Okaachan, Oniichan, what happened? Why is there blood?" she asked. "Is something wrong, dear?" Genma asked Nodoka who, now that Cologne and Shampoo had gone, was letting her tears flow freely. He saw the blood staining the blade of the katana and gulped. Soun, after watching the whole episode, was strangely enough not bawling his eyes out. He walked over to Genma and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Saotome-kun, the gravest tragedy has befallen us this night..." he said. He then proceeded to relate the events which transpired to a shocked Genma and Ran-ko. Meanwhile, Kuno watching Akane cry, had made several attempts to try and console his distraught lover, and as a result was appreciating a tour of Nerima at ten-thousand feet. Ryoga walked over to Ranma and tapped him on the back. "Ranma! You now are no longer Akane's fiancé, so leave her alone and depart! You are not fit to associate with us!" he said, a smirk on his face. Ranma released his hold on Akane and turned to face him. "It seems the tournament starts one week earlier then!" he snarled, falling back into a stance. "Fine with me! I shall complete your disgrace by defeating you in battle!" Ryoga stated, taking his own stance. "STOP!" both martial artists turned at the sound of Soun Tendo's voice. Behind him, Genma stood, open-mouthed in shock. Ran-ko promptly ran up to her brother and hugged him, tears streaming down her face. "Oniichan! Don't leave! Please don't go!" she cried. Ranma smiled sadly and patted her gently on the back. "I have to, Ran-ko...It's the last honorable thing I can do..." he replied. "...Though I won't stop until I find out the truth behind this whole...plot!...Until I do, I have to go...I'm sorry, Sis..." he wiped away a few tears before hugging his distraught sister back. "If you're going then I'm coming with you!" she stated flatly. Ranma shook his head. "No, you stay here with oyaji and okaasan..." "NO! I'm coming with you!" Ran-ko yelled back, tears streaming down her face. Ranma smiled weakly at her and wiped a few away with the back of his hand. "Don't cry, Sis, please..." he said. "...it hurts to see you like this." Ran-ko nodded and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself. When she was calm, Soun began to speak. "Due to the events that has transpired here tonight...I regretfully make this announcement..." he cleared his throat. "...Ranma's engagement to Akane is now officially void and Ranma, no longer being a Saotome, is hereby asked to leave the dojo..." Soun paused, he'd been about to say 'never to return' but stopped himself. He still held hope that someday Ranma could redeem himself and come back to marry Akane. "...Until such time that he has redeemed himself of the shame which he has inflicted upon the Tendo and Saotome names..." After giving his speech, Soun broke and ran into the house wailing. Ranma turned and walked over to Nodoka and Genma. He fell to his knees before them and spoke. "...I now depart in shame for the disgrace I have inflicted upon you..." he said solemnly. "...If I am able to redeem myself of this shame and disgrace, I will return, if not, then I will never return...I bid you, a final farewell..." he said. Nodoka choked back tears as she touched Ranma on his head. "Ranma...Son...Please take care...No matter what happens, you will always be my son..." she sobbed. Ranma nodded and bowed three times to her before standing. He then walked over to Akane. "Akane...I'm sorry you had to see this..." he said, forcibly keeping his emotions in check. "...Believe me when I say, I'll be back for you one day...I will find out what it is the old hag is pulling, she won't get away with this!" Akane nodded and buried her face into Kasumi's chest, sobbing. "Kasumi...Thank you for taking care of me while I was here...Please take care, the family needs you..." Kasumi nodded and wiped a few tears away. "I will, Ranma-kun, take care now..." she said. He then turned to Nabiki. "Ranma-kun...I never thought I'd be sad that you'd be leaving us someday but now...I can only say, it was fun while it lasted..." she shot him her trademark grin. He grinned back as best he could. "...Take care Ranma, life's no fun without you." "Thanks Nabiki, Ill see you around...Tell the teachers at school they probably won't see me for a while and tell them to drop my classes ok?" Nabiki nodded. "It'll cost you, you know?" she said before giggling. "...I'm just kidding, Ranma-kun." The look on his face was priceless. He then picked up his backpack and turned to leave. As he did so, Genma called out. "What about me? You ingrate?!?" Ranma turned and spoke in as calm a voice as he could muster. "Oyaji, I have no reason to bid you farewell, in many ways I'm glad to be leaving you!" "You ingrate! After all I've done for you!...Fine! Leave, you are a disgrace to the Saotome name!" Genma yelled back. Ranma clenched his fists. "You DARE to speak to ME of honor!?! You! Who sold me many times for food then running away when it was time to pay!? If anything, YOU are the biggest disgrace!!..." Ranma gulped in air before continuing his tirade. "...If you still cannot see your faults and admit them, then you are in no position to lecture me! Goodbye!" Ranma flashed his mother a sad smile before turning and walking out the gate. Ran-ko broke down crying and clung onto her mother for support. "Ran-ko-chan ..." Nodoka said after a moment. "Y...Yes, okaachan?" "Go with your brother...He needs you now more than anything else..." she said. Ran-ko nodded and quickly ran to catch up with Ranma. The gate shut slowly behind her. *************** To Be Continued..... Author's Notes: Well, after a LONG delay (gomennasai, gomennasai, gomennasai...) Chapter 4 is finally done. Please let me know what you think about this turn of events. Especially on how I handled the bit regarding honor as I'm not overly familiar with how it really works. Chapter 5 is in the works and the first draft should be done soon. Let me know if I should bother posting drafts to the FFML or not, I usually don't as people might not appreciate the amount of spam it generates. Thanks...C&C greatly appreciated. ^_^ Ranma Nibunnoichi Jusenkyo's Curse Chapter 5: Breaking Points ------------------------------------------------- Opening Theme: Give a Reason for Life Me magurushii jikan no mure ga Time's crowd is drastic, hashiri nukeru machi wa sabanna The city that it runs through is a savanna. kawaru ga waru syuuru na nyuusu Sure news of an ill change... asu ni nareba, dare mo wasureteru We'll get used to it tomorrow, everyone will forget. Ikiteiru ima, Ikiteiru I live now, I live... sonna naka de nani ka moto me Like it's inside, something searches... mogaku you ni nukedasu you ni As if it were struggling, as if it were sneaking away, kono chikara o tameshite mitakute It wants to test this power. kitto dodo ka ni "kotae" aru Surely, somewhere there lies "the answer," the answer which Umarete kita kotae ga, was born, That is what all people wish for, hito wa mina, sore o motome Facing the dreary dream that they can't let go. yarusenai nogasenai yume ni mukau no kizutsuku koto wa kowakunai I'm not afraid of getting hurt, but it's not hard to erase. dakedo keshite tsuyokunai It's just the way it is without doing anything, and I don't want tada, nani mo shinai mama de any regrets. kuyandari wa shitakunai Here we go! go! Keep on running! No one can stop us. Here we go! go! hashiri tsudzukeru I want to give a reason for life to my future self. dare ni mo tomerare wa shinai mirai no jibun e to, Give a reason for life, todo ketai. 'Give a Reason for Life' Sung By: Megumi Hayashibara **************** Somewhere in the forest nearby, a small fire crackled quietly in the near-darkness. Near it, a small tent had been erected. The flap was slightly ajar, showing it's almost bare insides except for a large, well-packed travel pack and a sleeping bag neatly laid out, ready for the night. Outside, a lone figure sat near the fire, knees hugged to his chest, thinking. Ranma really didn't know what to feel, he hated Shampoo and Cologne for doing what they had done, but in a way he sensed that they were telling the truth. They wouldn't lie about something like that, he reasoned. But then again, if it was true, why couldn't he remember doing the deed? Whatever the answer, he had to find out quickly, if he wanted to have any hope of being allowed to return home and back into the family...and Akane. Ranma's eyes began to water at the name. What he'd thought would never happen had happened, he'd lost Akane. Not to Ryoga or another man, that much he could take solace in, but he'd still lost her, and that, to him, was like losing a vital part of himself. When he'd hugged her goodbye and left, a part of him died then and there. In his mind, Ranma Saotome of the Saotome School of Indiscriminate Grappling, was dead. He'd died in sorrow that night, under the unforgiving blade of the Saotome dai-katana. A lone tear ran down the side of Ranma's face, he wiped it away angrily. "Kusoooo...Why?!? Why did you do it Shampoo?!?" he yelled to the surrounding forest. The startled cry of the nocturnal beasts and the chirp of crickets answered his desperate yell. "...Why?" the word was almost whispered as he buried his head in his knees and cried quietly. Ranma had never shown emotion in public, not like this, always deeming it 'unmanly' as his mother would put it. Well that didn't matter now doesn't it? He no longer had a mother, or a father...Or Akane... "COLOGNE!!!..." he shouted the name to the heavens. "...Damn you to HELL!!! You accursed old bag!" It was undoubtedly another plan of the Amazons, he reasoned. There was no other feasible explanation for it. Well they had sown the wind, and now they shall reap the whirlwind. One way or another, there will be stone cold hell, to pay. Ranma stood up, his form hunched over slightly. He shook himself, trying to shake off the overwhelming feeling of depression that had washed over him. he cursed inwardly. <...Stand up, you mewling coward! Be a man!> Ranma straightened up and wiped at his eyes angrily. No! He would not cry, not like this. "...Huuuuuuu..." Ranma took a deep breath and began to charge his ki. The spiritual flame of his battle-aura flickered into existence around him. This time however, it was different. Instead of the bright blue flame of complete and utter confidence, the color of the flame was a dull, almost violet color of depression. Ranma turned away from the campsite and focused on a large rock some ten meters away. Getting into a horse-stance, he cupped both palms inwards. A ball of blue light formed between them and began to grow in size and intensity. "...Mou...ko..." Ranma began the name of the technique slowly, trying to focus on control. "...Ta...ka..." His usually confident voice held a slight shudder as he continued. "...Bi..." Ranma took a deep breath and thrust both palms outwards, releasing the stored energy. "...SHAAAAAAAAAA!" he screamed as the deadly blast of ki-energy struck the rock and, to his utter surprise, dissipated harmlessly around it, the rock was barely scratched. Ranma tried again, powering up the attack and throwing it again. Once again, the blast of energy struck the rock and dissipated harmlessly. Ranma slumped to one knee, suddenly feeling tired, more tired than he'd ever felt in his entire life. His confidence left him like the shadow of night being dispelled by the morning sun, leaving him hollow, empty. More had happened this night than he could ever deal with. He'd already died once tonight, now he felt like he was dying again, this time in spirit. His body trembled slightly as silent tears ran down his face. <...Akane...> he thought. The name of his beloved caused another shudder to run through him. He stood up on shaky legs and got into the stance once again, he had to at least succeed here. Tonight, he'd lost everything that he had held dear, his friends, a loving mother, a home to call his own...and a fiancee he'd loved dearly. All of that had been taken in one brutal sweep, a cruel and unjust twist of fate. Ranma concentrated and powered up once more, the ki aura that surrounded him this time was a deep, almost black, sickly-grey color. He began once more. "...Mou..." the ball of light that gathered between his palms now was a deep, almost rotting, blue. "...ko..." As he continued, he felt no confidence. Tonight he'd already lost everything that he had held dear, and as he was finding out now, he was also losing his abilities. 'Mouko Takabisha?' it hardly seemed fitting now. Ranma shut his eyes, blinking away a few tears and tried to concentrate. Try as he might, he could not push the visage of Akane's face that continued to swim through his thoughts, almost as if it was taunting him. Dear, sweet Akane, how he'd loved her...And now, it was too late. Ranma's eyes snapped open, his body heaved with the dark, heavy ki of his sorrow as he thrust his palms outward. "ShiShi...HO...KO...DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!" he screamed, his eyes burning with hatred as the blackish-blue blast of lethal energy struck the intended target. The rock blasted apart, completely annihilated as the blast bore onward, uprooting several trees and killing many unsuspecting night creatures as it did so. Ranma held the stance for a moment longer, then sunk to his knees. the thought once more flowed through his mind. Unable to bear it any longer, Ranma Saotome, of the Saotome School of Indiscriminate Grappling, broke down and bawled for the first time in his life. *************** Ran-ko was on one knee before her mother, panting and out of breath. She'd tried to follow her brother like her mother had asked her to, but he most probably had sensed her and, not wanting her to follow him, had masked all signs of his ki and had begun covering his tracks. After a fruitless hour wandering the streets of Nerima, she had given up and decided to return home. Nodoka reached down and helped a tired Ran-ko to her feet. "What happened dear?" Nodoka asked, eyes full of concern. Ran-ko took a few more minutes to regain her breath before she began to speak. "I...I couldn't find oniichan..." she gasped. "...I ran all over town looking for him...but...but..." she paused and gulped in a lungful of air before continuing. Nodoka nodded in understanding and helped her tired daughter to a chair. "Wakatta no, itoshigo..." she said reassuringly. "...I'm not surprised you couldn't follow him...From what Akane has told me, he can hide his tracks well and obviously he didn't want you to follow him..." Nodoka sighed. This couldn't be happening to her, just a few days ago, she'd been happily reunited with her son and was delighted to find that he indeed was, a 'man among men'. But nothing could have prepared her for what she was forced to do tonight. The pain of passing judgment on her own son, her flesh and blood, a child she had not seen for ten years, had been almost too much for her to bear. To her credit she had followed the painful ceremony through to the end. Now that it was over however, she could express herself a little more freely. Ran-ko peered up at her mother with eyes shining with tears. "Okaachan...Will...Will oniichan come back?" she asked hopefully. Nodoka smiled weakly down at her daughter. "I don't know dear...I just don't know..." she said, shuddering slightly. "H-he isn't coming back...I-isn't he?" Nodoka turned at the sound of Akane's voice. "I certainly hope he is, Akane-chan...I hope he is..." Nodoka replied sadly. Akane wiped away a few tears at this. "Auntie..." she began. "What is it dear?" "...Why? Why did you have to chase Ranma away?" Akane asked, almost sounding angry. Nodoka gazed sadly at the distraught child standing before her. "I had no choice dear...It was a matter of honor...I..." "Honor!...Why does everything have to have something to do with honor?!?" Akane interrupted angrily. "...Why must Ranma be punished when his stupid panda-of-a-father gets off with hardly honorable deeds like selling Ranma out for food..." Akane's eyes narrowed at the thought. "...And I don't see anyone kicking HIM out?!?" Nodoka flinched at the outburst and peered at the ground, not saying anything. "I...I can't answer that, Akane-chan..." Nodoka replied sadly. "...My husband has his faults but..." "Oh, I'll say he has!" Akane interrupted. Ran-ko looked up at Akane and frowned at her. "Don't insult otousan like that!..." Ran-ko began. Akane cut her off with a sharp look. "You wouldn't be saying that if you knew what your 'honorable father' has done to your brother!" Akane shot back, angrily wiping tears of frustration away. Ran-ko flinched at her words. "...I'll say this here and now! Genma-ojiisan is the reason why Ranma, your brother, has had to leave tonight!" Ran-ko's eyes widened. "...N-no! That isn't true!..." she replied hotly. "...I-I won't let you say such things!" Ran-ko moved as if to slap Akane but felt a strong hand grab her wrist. "Ran-ko-chan...Don't..." Nodoka said simply, looking at her upset daughter sadly. "...In a way...It's true." "In a way?...IN A WAY?!?..." Akane shouted. "...If he hadn't taken Ranma to China in the first place, that...that bimbo Shampoo wouldn't be here now! None of this would have happened!!" "O...Okaachan...Is what Akane-oneechan saying true?" Ran-ko asked, tugging at her mother's sleeve. Nodoka nodded sadly. "I am ashamed to admit it is true..." Ran-ko's eyes began to fill with tears. She buried her face in Nodoka's shoulder and began to cry quietly. "O...otousan! H-how could you?!?" she sobbed. Nodoka wrapped her arms around her daughter and rocked her back and forth gently, trying to calm he down. "I can't believe this!" Akane exclaimed. "...Shampoo..." Akane practically spat the name. "...and her pet mummy Cologne could have used some sort of magic to trick you for all we know! You saw how Cologne reacted when you accepted Ranma's pact! She wanted Ranma to marry Shampoo! Don't you see?!? It's all an elaborate trap!" Akane half-screamed, tears of frustration flowing freely. Nodoka appeared to consider this for a moment. "I...I saw my son's memories with my own eyes, Akane-chan, magic could never have conjured up something as...vivid...as that!" Akane refused to believe her. "I still think it's all a trap! Can't you just see..." "Akane! That's enough!" Akane turned in surprise to face her father. The usually ineffectual head of the Tendo clan didn't seem ineffectual now, not at all. "Dad! I..." Akane began to protest but was cut off with a wave of Soun Tendo's hands. "Enough! You will not question this matter of honor! The pact has been settled...Ranma will not set foot beyond our doors until such time that he has proven himself worthy..." Akane practically snapped. "'I will not question this matter of...honor' eh?..." Soun flinched at the dangerous tone in his youngest daughter's voice. Nodoka sensed an explosion building. "Soun-kun...I think this is a bad time to..." Nodoka began before Mount St. Helens erupted in the form of one irate Akane Tendo. "YOU CAN TAKE YOUR 'HONOR' AND STICK IT WHERE IT FITS!..." she screamed with fury. "...I will have NO part of it! If your so-called 'honor'..." Akane spat the word. "...Means showing favors to excuses for human beings like him..." Akane jabbed a thumb at the panda walking in the door. "...Then it is not worth the breath needed to make mention of it! I'll tell you..." Akane's tirade was abruptly cut off with a slap from Soun. Akane reeled back in shock. "That's enough Akane!" Soun commanded. Akane wondered where her father had found a backbone in such a short time. "...Ever since your mother died, our family's honor was all we had to live on! I pledged to Genma-kun that you and Ranma would marry and carry on the good name of the Musabetsu-Kakutou Tendo Ryuu but time and time again you and Ranma have tarnished that honor by your stubbornness and refusal to follow the honorable path...You have NO right to speak of our family's honor in such a way!" Soun stated forcefully. Akane peered up from the floor at her father and spat. "...Don't you speak of mother like that!..." she snarled back, tears beginning to form again. Her father had hit her, he'd never done such a thing in his entire life. None of her family had ever hit her as far as she could remember. To Akane, this was a sign that her family, now no longer dependent on her or Ranma to carry on the line, had had enough. She stared at the floor and began crying softly. "...Mother...Mother would turn in her grave if she knew how you..." Akane broke off and ran upstairs crying. "Otousan, what's wrong?...Oh my!" Kasumi slapped a hand to her mouth upon entering the room. Being greeted by two distraught women and a dejected father wasn't the best thing to see around the house. "Nothing's wrong, Kasumi..." Soun replied, sighing. "...I think I'll go to bed now, it's late...Oyasumi..." Kasumi smiled innocently at her father. "Oyasuminasai, otousan, sleep well." She said. Nodoka stood up after a while and picked up Ran-ko from the chair. Ran-ko clung onto her mother and cried quietly. "...Oh my! Is Ran-ko all right Auntie?" Kasumi asked. "She's fine, just a little upset over what happened tonight..." Nodoka replied, smiling as best she could. Kasumi nodded understandingly. "...Wakarimasu..." she said. "...Well, I think it's time we all got some rest... Oyasuminasai, Auntie..." "Oyasuminasai, Kasumi-chan..." Both women turned and headed upstairs. The coming of the dawn would not dispel the cloud of darkness the hung over the dojo tonight. **************** About an hour after everyone had gone to sleep, the door to Akane's room opened slightly. She flinched and froze as the plastic duck with her name emblazoned on it clattered against the door. she thought as she silently shut her door and crept downstairs with a large travel pack slung over her shoulders. She crept downstairs silently, praying to god that the stairs would not creak and give her away. Her mind was still reeling with the fact that her father had slapped her a few hours ago. It was a clear indication that he no longer wanted her around. Well fine, if that was the case then glad to oblige. She tiptoed as silently and as quickly as she could to ground floor. she thought. <...If Dad doesn't want me around, I won't give him the pleasure of hitting me again!> Her eyes teared slightly at the thought. No one in her family had ever done that before. They say the first rejection was always the most painful, well whoever said it wasn't far wrong. Akane sniffled and wiped away the tears. She was almost compelled to turn back and forget this whole idea, but she steeled herself. Akane took a deep breath then made her way past the kitchen and headed toward the living room. As she tiptoed past, a voice startled her. "Going somewhere" Akane blinked and turned to face a stern-faced Nabiki lying on the couch. "Nabiki?!? How..." Akane was confused as to how her sister knew what she was going to do. "I heard the noise you and Daddy made and I came down for a peek...I must admit it sure surprised me when Daddy hit you...Though you have to admit you had it coming Akane..." "What do you mean?!? I was only..." "C'mon Akane, you know what Daddy's like...His honor is all he has left besides us you know...It really hurt him when you came out and insulted it like that." Akane had recovered her facilities by now and glared angrily at Nabiki. "Hmmph, you're a fine one to talk Nabiki...what would YOU know about honor anyway?!?" Nabiki caught the spike in Akane's voice but didn't bite. "A whole lot more than you do, imouto no Akane..." she said evenly. "...I know that..." "You?!? Hah! Don't make me laugh, oneechan..." Akane cut her off. "...It's cracking me up you know...hearing someone who would gladly sell out their own sister just to make a hundred yen profit profess about honor!" Akane snapped. Nabiki stopped and stared at Akane. Time seemed to stop and she felt cold, unable to move as the cruelly-barbed words pierced her heart as if years of defense did not exist and somehow suddenly she knew, knew with crystalline clarity, that her sister was right. She felt trapped, frozen in ice as the facade she had carefully erected fell away and some of the things she had done in the name of the all-mighty dollar flickered through her mind, only half-sensed but each leaving a residue of revulsion, embarrassment or despair. She couldn't stop one fist from clenching spastically on her thigh and she grimaced briefly at the strength of the feelings. She hung her head, hot tears starting to spill down her cold cheeks. Akane quickly caught herself and, shrugging off her backpack, knelt by Nabiki's side as she cried quietly. "Oh, Nabiki-oneechan...I...I'm so sorry...I didn't mean to say that..." Akane stammered out an apology. "...I meant..." "I...I guess I deserved that..." Nabiki replied softly, interrupting Akane, and she was right. Laid out before her she saw all the little things she had done, some not so little, and the way in which she had taken insults and barbs and turned them into compliments in her mind. "I've been such a fool..." For a long moment she regretted lost opportunities that were laid open before her to change, she had spurned them all. 'Nabiki, I'm so sorry...I...I really didn't mean to..." Akane stammered. Nabiki sighed and looked into Akane's beautiful hazel-brown eyes. "Tell it like it is..." she said, wiping away her tears sadly. "...It's true you know, truth does hurt..." she said, grinning weakly. Nabiki turned to look at Akane's traveling pack. "...I kind of guessed you'd try something like this..." "Nabiki...I...err...I mean..." Akane struggled to find the words but none came. Nabiki laid a finger on her sister's lips to shush her up. "Sssh, it was bound to happen sooner or later...I knew you couldn't bear to be away from Ranma for too long..." Akane promptly blushed but didn't deny it. Nabiki sat up and hugged Akane's head to her chest. "...Akane, promise me you'll be careful okay?...I'd really hate myself if anything happened to you..." Akane nodded. "I...I will oneechan...And please, don't tell Dad ok?..." Nabiki nodded. "I'll keep it quiet for as long as I can, but it probably won't take them long to work it out you know?" Akane nodded and sighed. "Don't I know it...they'll probably have bloodhounds Furinkan Boys Club on my trail before the sun rises if I'm lucky..." Nabiki grinned at the visual she got. "Well, you better get going if you want to catch Ranma, I have a feeling he will be moving around as soon as the sun gets up..." Akane walked over to her pack and picked it up. Nabiki sighed and stared longingly at Akane. "...I'm going to miss you around you know...You and Ranma always made life fun..." she grinned. Akane couldn't help but grin back. She waved and made to leave, then turned around again. "Oneechan..." "Hai?" "...Arigato..." Nabiki smiled and waved goodbye to her little sister. It will most probably be a long day before she saw Akane again, and she was sorry to see that it had to come to this. Akane turned and walked out of the dojo. She stopped by the koi pond and took a last look at the large building she had called home for as long as she could remember. She smiled at the pleasant memories and wiped a few tears at the not-so-pleasant ones. she thought, turning to go. <...I'm sorry, but...This is for the better...> The gates swung silently shut behind Akane as she left on a journey with seemingly no end in sight. ************* Akane blinked at the sight that greeted her at the edge of the forest. It seemed that all the trees in a straight line from a point somewhere in the middle had been uprooted, not by excavators or anything normal, but by some great destructive force. She could sense the residue of heavy ki that hung in the air. Being of a darker nature, it was not as readily accepted back into nature as normal 'light' ki was. Her first thought was that Ryoga had been practicing in the woods somewhere, but brushed aside the thought after a while. Ranma hadn't been at his favorite spot under the bridge nor at the Ucchan's. She had expected him to visit Ukyou and tell her what happened, she'd always been a friend that he could talk to. But he hadn't been there either, most probably didn't want to wake her. Well, technically he had, it wasn't hard to miss the lingering trace of dark ki that hung in the air, a trace only a martial artist or one attuned to such forces could detect. The trail had led her here to the edge of the forest. "Ranma must be here..." Akane muttered, stepping past the uprooted trees. She winced when she saw the remains of some nocturnal animals that had been caught unsuspecting in whatever had caused the damage. She mouthed a silent prayer as she proceeded deeper into the forest. Pretty soon, the damage to the surrounding greenery had worsened, she was sure she was getting close. Try as she might, she could not bring herself to think that it was Ranma who had caused this devastation. It simply wasn't...well, it just wasn't him. After half an hour trudging through the forest, she came upon a small clearing. A dying campfire was burning in the middle of the clearing next to a small one-man tent that had been neatly erected. Akane hid behind a few bushes to observe without being seen. After another half an hour of waiting, she was about to give up and walk into the campsite when a lone figure exited the tent. Her heart leapt when she recognized Ranma but it also cried when she saw the condition he was in. He looked terrible, hair was completely disheveled and there were small rips and tears in his red Chinese-style shirt. Strangely enough, his trademark pigtail was undone, hair cascading freely over his shoulders to a point near the middle of his back. Akane wondered why it did not grow as she remembered him saying that another curse required him to braid his hair with the Dragon's Whisker or it would grown continuously and uncontrollably. She came to the conclusion that Shampoo's cure must have transferred every curse he had to Ran-ko. Akane almost felt sorry for the poor girl, not knowing what she was in for. He turned to face the spot where she was hiding and she crouched lower, hoping he had not seen her. No matter how much her heart wanted to be with him, she knew that it wasn't the time. She almost broke when she laid eyes upon his face. He looked like he'd been crying, that much was clear, but he also looked like a completely different person. He had dark rings under his eyes and the white of his eyes were horribly bloodshot. He'd also looked like he'd aged considerably, she could see small tufts of what appeared to be a beard on his chin, but she could be wrong. Needless to say, Akane was shocked. She had no idea what the whole situation was doing to Ranma but now she had seen it with her own eyes and a new hatred for Shampoo began to burn within her breast. There was no question about it, she had done this to him, she had forced him to become what he is now. There would be...there could be, no forgiveness. This time, there would be hell to pay. Akane, silently fuming, hadn't noticed that Ranma had turned away from her and had moved closer to the fire, sitting cross-legged near it. He picked up some dry twigs nearby and threw them onto the fire, causing sparks to fly as the dry branches ignited. Ranma sighed, his breath coming long and tired as he hugged his knees to his chest. "...Come on out Akane, I know you're there." He said to the fire. Akane started in surprise, how could he have known? She slowly left her hiding place and stepped out into the open, looking rather sheepish. "Ohayo, Ranma..." she said with a twinge of sadness in her voice. "...How did you know I was there?" she asked, out of curiosity. Ranma didn't turn to face her. "I sensed your ki..." he replied after a while. Akane nodded an 'uh huh' but didn't push the issue. Ranma spoke again, still not turning to face her. "...What do you want?" "I...I...I w-wanted to s-see you Ranma..." Akane stammered, a few tears running down her face at his cold attitude. "...I-If you d-d-don't want me here, I-I'll leave..." she said, sniffling. Ranma didn't answer her but from the way his shoulders were moving, she could tell he was crying too. Akane turned to leave. "...N-no, don't go..." Ranma began, his voice soft and pleading. Akane turned back. "...P-please don't go..." he said, shuddering slightly. Akane wasn't surprised at the almost overwhelming presence of a dark, heavy ki in the area. But never in her life did she ever expect to feel this type of ki emanate from Ranma. She unshouldered her pack and walked over to Ranma, kneeling beside him. "Ranma...What's wrong? W-why don't you look at me?" she asked, tears running freely down her face. Ranma simply buried his face in his knees but didn't answer. At any other given time, Akane would have malleted Ranma into orbit for 'being a jerk', but not now. She could guess from the amount of dark ki in the area what he was going through right now and she didn't blame him, it wasn't his fault. "...R-Ranma...P...P-please...Why?" she begged. After a while, he answered but didn't look up. "...I...I don't w-want you to see m-me like this Akane..." he managed to get out between sobs. Akane laid a comforting hand on his back and patted him gently. "Ranma...It's ok...It's going to be ok..." she said, trying to calm him down. She was startled when he suddenly shot up and turned to face her. Akane's heart shattered when she saw his face. It was much worse than what she'd seen at a distance. "...R-Ranma..." she cried. "...W-what have y-you done to yourself?" "You call this 'okay'?..." he asked, a sharp spike in his voice. "...This?" he pointed to himself. Akane didn't answer. "...No! I didn't think so!" he snapped. He buried his face in his knees again and began to speak, not in his usual voice betraying the confidence he felt, no, it was the voice of a defeated person, a person who no longer had a reason to go on living. "...Everything I ever cherished...E-everything that I had in my whole life...gone..." he sobbed pitifully. "...E-even m-my skills have left me...I...I have nothing left..." Akane found herself crying as well, crying for him. "...I-I didn't mind being chased o-out of the d-dojo...I can take that...I didn't mind losing oyaji...I didn't really mind losing Mom even..." he continued, drawing in ragged gulps of air as he did so. "...Oh it hurt...Akane...You have no idea how much it hurt...But...B-but I c-could take it...I never h-had a M-Mom for t-ten years any...*sob*...way...W-why would it b-bother me now?" he asked, peering up at the sky visible through the canopy. "...Nope! I'm n-not bothered at all...I'm s-supposed to...*sob*...t-take it aren't I...'A Martial Artist can take anything!' oyaji said...W-well, sure! I c-can t-take it!" he half-shouted to the heavens before slumping and burying his face in his knees again. "...Only o-one thing r-really hurt though...I c-couldn't t-take I-I-i...*sob*...it...I couldn't take it, Akane...N-no m-matter h-h-how h-h...*sob*...hard I-I t-tried..." Ranma forced out, his sobbing becoming stronger as he continued. "W-what w-was it Ranma?" Akane asked, wiping away he own tears. It pained her greatly to see Ranma like this. Granted she didn't like his stuck-up, arrogant air of confidence but anything is better than this, anything. "Y...Y-you...A-Akane..." he said finally. Akane blinked. "M-me?" Ranma turned a tear-streaked face toward her and nodded slightly. "...W-what do you m-mean Ranma?" she asked, her heart thumping hard in her chest. "I c-couldn't t-t-take it...Oh, I t-t-tried...G-god knows I tried...B-but it w-was too m-much...I l-l-lost the m-m-m...*sob*...important p-person I e-ever c-cared f-for in my life, w-what was t-there l-left?" he asked, on the verge of breaking down once again. "...I-I-it c-could h-have been s-so easy, y-you know?" he asked. "W-what could h-have been?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his shuddering form. Then, realization hit her like a tidal wave. "...Y-y-you d-don't m-mean..." she asked in utter shock. "...I-it c-could have b-been so easy y-you know?..." he smiled without mirth. "...I c-could have e-ended I-it all s-so quickly...A-a simple strike, o-one s-s...*sob*...s-shiatsu p-point...and I-I would n-never have t-to f-feel the p-pain a-again...I'd f-finally b-be f-free..." he sighed, making a slow, deliberate stabbing motion into his throat for emphasis. Akane hugged him tighter, almost desperately. "NO!..." Ranma flinched and she realised that she'd just shouted in his ear. "...I-I...I mean...no, y-you m-mustn't...R-Ranma...You c-can't kill y-yourself...Y-you j-just c-can't...I...I...I w-won't let you!" she yelled before she broke and bawled. Ranma turned around to face her and pulled her into his arms. She sat on his lap, hugged him tightly and cried her heart out, knowing that if she hadn't come along tonight, she'd never see her fiancé again. Ranma hugged her back as best he could, crying on her shoulder as he did so. "I was g-going to d-do it t-to...B-but t-then I-I thought t-that if I did, I'd n-never rest in peace...T-there I-is one t-thing I must d-do b-before I die..." his sobbing slowly calmed, to be replaced with the shudder of rage. "...The old hag will p-pay!...I swear I w-will rip her insides out w-with my bare hands!" Ranma snarled. Akane pushed herself off him, shocked at the raw fury in his voice. "R-Ranma..." she said timidly. Ranma lowered his gaze to her eye level and she blanched when she saw the animalistic look in his eyes. It was Ranma's eyes but it wasn't him, Ranma's eyes held a kind and gentle look, the look of a person who would never intentionally hurt someone unless provoked. The eyes she was staring into now were the eyes of a demon, completely devoid of any conscience. The inhumanity within them scared her the most. She knew then and there that he would do it, if he ever got his hands on Cologne, he would carry out his threat without regret and without remorse. she thought. Ranma held her gaze for a moment, his temper cooled by Akane's sad look. There was no way he could stay angry, not after looking into those beautiful, hazel-brown eyes. He felt his anger slowly melt away like a bar on chocolate left in the open on a hot summer's day. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand then hugged Akane to him again. "...I-I'm sorry Akane...I didn't mean to lose it like that..." he sighed, sadness evident in his voice. "...W-what must you think of me? I must be n-no better than an animal to you now..." Akane pushed herself away and shook her head. "No..." she replied softly. "...No, Ranma...I don't think that at all...H-how can I blame you after what you've been through?...Oh Ranma...I...!" she tried to continue speaking but words would not come. Ranma smiled at her, it was weak but full of warmth and compassion. "...Wakarimasu, Akane-chan..." he said, hugging her to him again and stroking her hair lovingly. Akane simply buried her face in his chest and cried, she couldn't stop if she wanted to. She cried for Ranma, she cried for herself, she cried because of the sorry state they were both in now. She cried because she couldn't do anything else. She couldn't deny now that she loved Ranma deeply. She couldn't even begin to imagine what life would be like if he'd committed seppuku like he said he was going to do, save for the one fact that life wouldn't be worth living. It was painful even thinking about it, the thought itself caused fresh gouts of tears to flow and she let them. There was no hiding it now, not now. "R...Ranma..." "Hmm?...What is it Akane?" Akane slowly pushed herself away from the embrace. "I...I..." she stammered, still finding it hard to speak. Then she gave up and in one swift motion, pulled Ranma's face to hers and kissed him full on the mouth. Ranma blinked in shock for a moment then wrapped his arms around her and tentatively began to kiss back. He felt her mouth open beneath his and he felt her tongue begin to probe his mouth. He stuck his own out in response and they twined playfully for a moment. Somewhere deep inside, Ranma was crying in happiness, happiness of realising that he hadn't lost Akane after all, happy that finally they'd been able to do what they'd wanted for so long now. But yet another part was saying it wasn't right, she was no longer his fiancée after all. That one part continued nagging at him, tugging at his mind, until he could bear it no longer. Ranma slowly broke the kiss. He saw Akane's face dissolve into silent tears, her eyes big but her face expressionless. He sighed and slowly began to push her away. She blinked in surprise and a little shock. Now that she had laid her heart open to him, she was beginning to wonder if it was the right thing to do. She felt a tightness begin to creep up, slowly strangling her heart and other vital organs. the though ran wild through her head, threatening to drive her insane as she struggled to find an answer but couldn't. "R...Ranma, w-what's wrong?" He sighed and gently slid her off his lap before standing up. "...I...I can't do this, Akane..." Akane felt her world blacken, shrivel and die around her. "W-w-w-why?...Ranma...I...I love you!...D-don't y-you l-l-love m-me too?" Ranma turned and looked straight into her glistening hazel-brown eyes. "Akane-chan...Believe me when I say...I love you more than anything else in the world..." "So why?!?" Akane interrupted, desperate to find an answer. "...I was far too proud, far too stubborn to admit it before...Akane, I do love you..." Akane breathed a sigh of relief, the tightness fading from her chest. "...But...But I just can't...not now..." Almost immediately, the strangling feeling was back. "...Why not?!?...What's wrong? I love you, you love me...That's all there is to it..." Akane retorted, her voice raised in frustration, then became soft again. "...Isn't it?" Ranma shook his head. "...No...I only wish it was...You see Akane..." he paced the campsite before speaking again. "...The man you love, Ranma Saotome, is dead!" Akane's eyes became huge upon hearing his words. "...W-what do you mean?! You're standing right there!" "Yes, I am here...But who am I?" Ranma asked, looking at her sadly. "Who else would you be? You silly baka!...How many Ranma Saotomes do I know?" "None...Ranma Saotome is dead..." he stated flatly. Akane's eyes began to water when she caught what he was trying to say. "...Ranma Saotome, of the Saotome School of Indiscriminate Grappling, died tonight under the unforgiving blade of the Saotome-ryuu katana...He died in dishonor and failure." "Ranma no!...Y-you aren't a failure...Y-you...I-it isn't your fault...Cologne could have used magic to fool your mother for all we know!" Akane protested, hoping to make him reconsider. Ranma looked at her sadly. He knew full well what she was trying to say but, as honor demands, he is no longer a Saotome until he has redeemed himself from his shame and dishonor. "Akane...Please try to understand...I..." "NO! I won't!..." Akane shouted, hot tears of anger and frustration spilling down her cheek. "...It's about honor isn't it?!?...ISN'T IT?!?" Ranma nodded slowly. Akane stood up and threw her hands in the air in exasperation. "...Honor, giri, loyalty, is that all your life is tied to?..." she asked, razor-sharp spikes in her voice. "...If this was the Feudal Era, I would understand but not now!...Hell not now!..." "Akane, the code of Bushido stands no matter how far into the future we progress..." Ranma protested. Akane cut him off with a wave. "...URUSEI!..." she screamed, falling to her knees sobbing. "...It's all because of Bushido, I'm going to lose the one man I've ever loved in my entire life!!..." she sobbed. "...Dad was no better either...I'll have you know Ranma, he hit me tonight..." Ranma's eyes widened in shock. "Tendo-ojiisan did what?!?"" Ranma demanded. Akane looked up at him and nodded. "You heard...he hit me..." she cried. "...I-I ran away, I came to find you, hoping you'd help me but as I see, you're no better either!" Akane screamed, beating the ground with her fists in frustration. "A-Akane-chan...P-please stop..." Ranma half-whispered, laying a hand on her shoulder. "NO I WON'T!..." she yelled back. "...I'm sick...Wakarimasu ka?!? SICK...and TIRED of my life being run by a so-called code of honor that favors selective people and punishes the rest undeservingly!" Akane stood up, shrugged Ranma's hand off her back and walked over to her backpack. She ruffled through it's contents and pulled out a small dagger. "...I've had enough, Ranma..." she said, tears flowing freely down her face to drip onto the ground. "...I think we've both had enough..." Ranma took a step towards her. "...Akane...don't be foolish..." he warned. "...Here, give me the dagger..." he said, holding out a hand. Akane shook her head sadly. "If I can't live my life free, free of the expectations of others...Then I'd rather not live at all..." she said, wiping away a flood of tears. "...Ranma, I can't live without you...If the man I love is dead...Then I shall join him in the afterlife..." she said softly, staring at the gleaming dagger in her hand. "...When I come to cross the Sanzen no Ka, I hope you can find a way to forgive me...For the spirits who inhabit the cursed river will not...Wakare, Ranma-san..." she fell to her knees and raised the dagger above her head. Ranma screamed. "NOOOOOO!" He made a split-second decision, mustering up as much ki as he could, he released a Mouko Takabisha straight at Akane's hands. In his current state of depression, most of the energy dissipated upon striking Akane but it was sufficient enough to knock her off balance, the dagger flying from her grasp to embed itself in a nearby tree. Immediately he was beside her and hugging her tight. "No! Akane...Oh God no!...You must NEVER...you hear me? NEVER! Do that!..." he shouted, holding her out at arms' length. "...Akane...Akane no baka!..." he sobbed, hugging her tight once more. "Ran...ma..." Akane half-whispered. "...Y-you came back..." "Akane! You must never leave me!...I...I don't know what I'd do without you...Y-you're all I have left!...P-please...Akane..." Ranma cried, clinging desperately to her. Akane didn't reply, she was happy to be in Ranma's arms, happy knowing that now, finally, she was free. *************** Cologne hopped out of the back of the Nekohanten, a weary look on her face. She'd been trying to console Shampoo ever since they'd arrive home to no avail. The stubborn girl had continued sobbing despite her best condolences. Mousse made to go look for Shampoo only to be stopped by Cologne. "" Cologne said, a hint of annoyance in her voice. Mousse turned to look at the ancient hag. "" "" Cologne finished for him then sighed. "<...My plan has gone wrong, instead of forcing Saotome to comply with our laws...We have only succeeded in pushing him further away...>" Mousse turned and glared at her. "" he stated angrily. He was still unable to accept the fact that Cologne would tell Shampoo to give herself to Ranma the way she did. In all regard, he now hated the old prune-on-a-stick(^_^) in front of him. Cologne flinched at his tone then whacked him over the head with her cane. "" Cologne shouted angrily. "<...Yes! I know you hate me for what I made Xian Pu do...But know this! She did so of her own accord! *I* never forced her into anything! I merely suggested the plan and she accepted...Her failure is of her own fault!>" Mousse, on the ground, turned and snarled up at the withered old prune berating him on the stick. How he wished he could strangle her with his bare hands right now! He visualized himself standing tall over the Amazon Matriarch, gloating in victory as Cologne begged and pleaded for her miserable life and laughed without humor. he thought. <...Someday, I will no longer tolerate this...this...slavery!> Ever since Ranma had left the Nekohanten four days ago, he'd been thinking. Maybe Ranma was right after all, the laws of the Joketsuzoku held no bearing here in Japan. Yet he and Shampoo had been following her commands like dogs for the past seven years.. They deserved better! Mousse got to his knees and bowed to Cologne. "" he began in a placating voice. "<...I have observed my error and rest assured it will never happen again, this I swear!>" Cologne nodded, satisfied with his apology. Mousse however, was seething inwardly at being so powerless, at being forced to kneel before a piece of history. "" Cologne said, looking down at the grovelling Mousse. "<...You may rise.>" Mousse got to his feet and put his glasses on. "<...Now take this to Xian Pu...>" Cologne hopped into the kitchen and moments later, a tray of ramen and tea came flying out. Mousse sighed and caught it on one hand. As he made to leave, Cologne poked her head out of the kitchen window. "<...One thing, do not try your usual wiles on her right now...If you wish to keep your eyes matching...>". She said with a smirk before disappearing into the kitchen. Mousse snarled inwardly at the cruel retort but bit his tongue. One day, soon, his time would come. For now though, it was best that he did as Cologne had ordered. Warily he headed into the back for Shampoo's room, the thought of seeing his beloved not causing any fireworks to explode this time. "" Mousse called, knocking on her door. A few minutes later a tired voice answered from inside. "" Shampoo asked through the door. Mousse could tell from her voice that she was still upset. "<...Wo pu xiang ni chow wo xian zhai..." Mousse took a deep breath and readjusted his grip on the tray of food he carried. "" Mousse answered, hoping she wouldn't tell him to get lost. "<...Chin lai ma, men may yo sor chu...>" Shampoo said with a sigh. Mousse tentatively twisted the doorknob and entered, shutting the door behind him. He moved to turn the light on. "" he asked. Shampoo, sitting over by the window on her bed, shook her head. "" Mousse nodded. He walked over to her dresser and laid the tray onto it. "" Mousse suggested. Shampoo didn't move. "" Shampoo said, her voice soft, almost tired. Mousse paused for a few minutes then walked over to her and laid a hand on her shoulder. "" he asked. Shampoo turned as if to slap his hand off her shoulder but stopped when she saw that he wasn't trying any of his usual tricks. "" she lied. Mousse wasn't at all convinced. "" he asked, patting her gently on the shoulder. "<...Tse lan-ma tse pu tse?>" Shampoo sighed and nodded after a few minutes. "<...What did I do wrong?...I did as Khu Lon told me to...So why does he hate me now?!?...>" Mousse sighed, he couldn't answer her. It was painful enough that he had to stand by, powerless, as Shampoo was forced, there was no other way he could put it, forced to 'degrade' herself in the way she did with Ranma. Though, it wasn't surprising that Ranma hated her now, after what she'd, no, Cologne, had done. "<...I...I can't answer that, Xian Pu...Though I know it isn't your fault.>" he said, trying to comfort her. Shampoo smiled, a weak smile without humor and turned to look at him. "" she exclaimed suddenly. "<...Where have we gone wrong? Why must we be forced to endure this hardship?...>" she cried, letting a few tears drip onto her silken Chinese dress, staining it slightly. Mousse winced when he saw her cry. It was all he could do right now to stop himself from hugging her. Oh, he wanted to, God knows he wants to, but he also knew that if he did so, it would mean that his eyes aren't going to match for the rest of the week. He moved to sit beside her and laid a hand gently onto hers, patting it comfortingly. "<...Xian Pu...Sshhh, don't cry...>" he said in a soft voice, trying to reassure her. Shampoo sniffled and nodded slightly. But try as she might, she couldn't stop. The tears continued to flow, as if years of frustration and rejection were now coming to the surface. Mousse tentatively put an arm around her and, sensing no resistance, gently pulled her to him and began to stroke her soft lavender hair. He was surprised that Shampoo hadn't sent him on a one-way trip out of the Sol System by now, that in itself meaning that either she was too depressed to care, or that he was finally getting somewhere with her. Shampoo tensed at Mousse's touch when he threw his arm over her but relaxed when she noted that, again, he wasn't trying to glomp-hug her like so many times before. She decided to relax her guard and let him hold her this time, feeling in need of company at the moment. To her surprise, she found that she was actually enjoying the feel of being held as Mousse was doing to her now. she thought miserably. She sighed when he began stroking her hair, the feeling was nice to say the least, but there was more, much more. She could feel that Mousse was trying hard to control himself and was going out of his way to try and make her feel better. She appreciated that. They remained in the position for a while, neither Amazon saying anything. Shampoo finally broke the silence. "" she asked. Mousse, completely lost in the feeling of holding his beloved, didn't hear her. Shampoo repeated the question, this time adding a bop on the head, jolting Mousse out of his trance. "Huh? What?...I'm coming! Five ramen, coming up!" he blabbered in Japanese, not knowing where he was for a moment. Shampoo sighed and bopped him again, this time pushing his arm off her shoulder to wake him up. The loss of contact did it. "" Shampoo repeated the question for a third time. Mousse turned to face her. "" Shampoo nodded. "" she replied curiously. Mousse shrugged and turned to look at his hands now in his lap. "<...It's Khu Lon...>" he said after a minute's silence. "<...I can't stand her slave-driving ways any longer.>" Shampoo blinked then whapped him upside the head. "" Shampoo stopped when she felt Mousse grab her shoulders. She moved to whack him but stopped when she saw the look in his eyes. He wasn't trying to glomp-hug her, instead, he wanted her attention. "" Shampoo blinked, whatever he wanted to say, he was willing to risk Cologne hearing him. "" she replied after a moment, sliding his arms off her shoulders. Mousse took a deep breath then began speaking. "<...I'm starting to think that Ranma was right after all...About our laws and what we go through every day in life...>" Mousse said softly, almost dejectedly. "<...I mean, why must we endure this...torture...that Khu Lon makes us endure?>" Shampoo sighed, not catching his drift. "<...Ni tao ti xi zhiang xa mo?>" Mousse sighed then turned to face her again. "" he asked, taking her hands into his own. Shampoo blinked. "" Shampoo replied, her eyes betraying the confusion she felt. Mousse pressed on inexorably. "" Mousse asked in an almost disgusted tone. Shampoo shook her hands free from his and folded her arms across her chest, turning away. "" she replied stubbornly. "<...Khu Lon tells me to do what is good for our tribe...She tells me to do what is good for my honor...>" "" Shampoo flinched. Mousse was right, it was a dishonorable and downright dirty way to trap a man. She'd done it countless times before without feeling a pang of guilt. But for some reason, she was feeling strangely guilty now. Shampoo didn't answer, she couldn't answer. The weight of all the dishonorable acts that Cologne had made her perform simply so she could trap Ranma came flooding back to her in that one, painful instant. The passion spice, the Mao Mao Lin, the kairaishi mushroom, all the sins she'd committed in the past weighed down upon her, making her feel as if the weight of the entire world was on her shoulders. "<...Well?!?>" Mousse pressed. Shampoo hung her head and sighed. "<...Y...You're right...>" she said softly, letting a tear fall. "<...I...I...>" she stammered, words refusing to come. Mousse glared at her for a moment in satisfaction then stood. He began pacing the room. "<...I've just about had all I can take, Xian Pu...of Khu Lon and her slave driving ways...>" he turned and threw both hands in the air in disgust. "<...Mo men pu xi ren me?...Ta tui wo men xiang gou!...>" Shampoo sighed, Mousse was right. "<...But, she is our elder...If we question her word, it means we are against the tribe...>" "" Shampoo flinched at the tone which Mousse spoke the word. "<...Mu Suu! Watch what you say!...If Khu Lon hears us...>" "" Mousse snapped, putting emphasis on the 'you know!'. Shampoo didn't reply, she simply hung her head in shame. When she was born, she'd been taught that an elder's word was the absolute law. In the Joketsuzoku tribe, questioning an elder's word was to defile the entire tribe. She had been blindly following Cologne's directions for as long as she could remember, always losing sight of anything beyond that limited scope of vision. It hadn't been so bad before, when Cologne had first decided to return with Shampoo to Japan to help her make Ranma her bride, their actions were, well, unorthodox to say the least but at least they were honorable. As the years ticked by, Cologne's patience obviously wore thin. She began resorting to lower measures such as use of the passion spice among others. However, this latest act which she had Shampoo commit was the icing on the cake. For the first time since that day, Shampoo felt used, dirty. She had given herself to a man because she wanted to, but her partner obviously had not. If not for use of the drug which she slipped into Ranma's tea that night, nothing would have happened. To Shampoo, it was no more than an elaborate puppet show, devoid of any true feelings. When Mousse had found out, his attitude toward her had changed considerably. He no longer tried his usual tactics of trying to glomp her and proclaim his love for her. He appeared saddened on the first day, then angry. He had still been nice to her, but he now kept a respectable distance. As if he was unwilling to tread on someone else's property. Shampoo stood after a while and walked over to the now-cold bowl of ramen on her dresser table. She sat down and played with a few strings of noodle with her chopsticks. "" Mousse, standing facing the door, turned to look at her. "" "<...Do you...Do you think that we have been blind?>" She asked, staring into her bowl. "<...'Blind' isn't exactly the word I'd use...>" he replied, walking to the open window. "<...'Stupid', 'foolish', 'idiotic' and the like are what I'd say...>" he said, sighing. Shampoo dropped her chopsticks back onto the tray and walked over to him. "" she asked, sitting back onto her bed. "<...I don't know...But one thing's for sure...The next time she wants me to help in her dishonorable schemes, she can count me out!>" Mousse stated. Shampoo sighed and began to sniff quietly. Mousse turned to face her. "" she asked, looking up at him with shining eyes. "<...We've been here in this stupid country long enough...I'm sick of their ways, I'm sick of their culture, I'm sick of their language...I want to go home!>" she cried. "<...I don't want to be dishonored anymore...>" Mousse reached out and laid a hand on her shoulder. She responded by getting up and glomp-hugging him. Mousse blinked in surprise. He'd long lost count of the number of times he'd dreamed of this moment, when Shampoo would willingly hug him. Now it's come true and it wasn't what he'd envisioned. Not this, not like this. But that's not to say he didn't enjoy the feeling though. He hugged her back as best he could, gently stroking her hair. he thought. He was glad that he'd been able to keep his emotions under control ever since he entered her room. It was for certain if he hadn't, he'd have been on a one-way trip to the Moon by now. Shampoo calmed down after a while, she never stayed upset long, it wasn't like her. She disengaged from him and turned away, looking rather embarrassed. "" she said. "" "" Shampoo said, it was more of a statement than a question. Mousse sighed, it had been nice while it lasted. He made his way over to the door resignedly. "" she called just as he was about to leave. He turned to face her inquisitively. "" she said, smiling. Mousse grinned then stepped outside, shutting the door behind him. Then he turned and practically danced outside, feeling on top of the world. ******************* Jyusei glanced over to the clock on the wall. It read 3.30am, way too late for anyone to be up. His unconquerable spirit needed no rest, but the human body sure did, and he was feeling the effects now. He sighed and turned back to the assembled shadow-spirits before him. "No doubt you all have heard the plan which Ken and myself have discussed?..." the formless shapes before him nodded. "...The tournament commences in a week...Until that date, I want all of you to secretly observe all the participants and note their strengths and weaknesses...That information will be useful when the time comes." The assembled spirits nodded again. Jyusei took a sip from his glass. Seven empty bottles now stood tall on the bar in the corner. "...That will be all, I do not expect to see any of you for the rest of the week, by which time I shall expect results." His voice took on a dangerous edge. "...I am certain all of you are familiar with my punishments for failure!" The spirits before him gulped and nodded vigorously. He leaned back in his large chair and dismissed them with a wave of his hand. "...Go! You have your tasks..." the spirit forms before him scattered like papers in the wind, vanishing into the darkness. Jyusei let his breath out in a long, tired sigh before opening one eye. "...Except you..." he pointed at the spirit in question as it was about to phase through the wall. Jyusei beckoned it to return. It began to shiver nervously as it slowly made it's way back to Jyusei's desk and prostrated itself before it's master. "I am here a-as ordered...H-how may I serve your will, master?" it asked, bowing low. Jyusei smirked at the fear in it's voice. "Get up..." he commanded. The spirit nervously stood. "...Correct me if I'm wrong but you are the one who attacked the young Saotome girl, is that right?" the spirit gulped and nodded. "Y-yes Lord...B-but I-I never m-meant a-any harm...I-it was t-too good an o-o-opportunity to pass up!...I-I w-would never dare act w-without your orders, Lord! N-never!" it said in it's defense, talking extremely fast. Jyusei laughed, a soft, evil-sounding laugh. "Calm down! I'm not going to hurt you..." he said. The spirit was slightly reassured but was careful not to get too complacent. "...Rather, I have a special job for you..." the spirit's glowing eyes widened. Jyusei nodded, taking another swig from his glass. "...Listen carefully...The attack on the Saotome girl has left her mental gateways weakened and open to another attack...What I want you to do is enter her mind and hide yourself. Dredge up some obscure...pleasant..." he almost choked on the word. "...memories and hide yourself behind them. Whatever you do, never let her detect you..." Jyusei instructed. The spirit nodded, listening intently to it's master's words. Jyusei gestured at the bar and the spirit hurried over and returned moments later with a bottle with which it carefully refilled Jyusei's glass before putting the bottle back. "...Once you have succeeded in masking yourself, I want you to slowly corrupt her mind, tell her things in her sleep...Make her believe what it is you are saying instead of what everyone else is telling her..." the spirit looked confused. Jyusei took another sip then continued. "...Wait a week before attempting anything, at least after her first fight in the tournament...I want you to slowly change her way of thinking...Change it to the point that full possession will be possible later." The spirit nodded, now understanding what it was Jyusei wanted. "What shall I tell her, Lord?" it asked. Jyusei shrugged. "I want you to turn her against her brother...It seems to me that he is the one who she fully trusts at the moment, I want to change that...Make her hate her brother." The spirit nodded and bowed. "It shall be done as you command, Lord." It intoned. Jyusei nodded in approval then dismissed it with a wave. "Remember, take no action until she has fought at least once, until then, simply gain entrance and hide yourself well..." Jyusei repeated for emphasis. "...Do not fail...You know the consequence of that." The spirit gulped at the threat and nodded vigorously before turning to leave, vanishing into the darkness of the room. Jyusei finished his drink and stood up, turning to face the window. He drew open the blinds with a tug on the side rope, revealing the bright lights of Neo-Tokyo far below. He peered out into the distance at the multitude of lights and slowly smiled, his emerald green eyes glowing faintly in the semi-darkness. ************** Akane mumbled and awoke after feeling the empty space next to her for a few moments. Ranma wasn't with her. She snapped to full alertness after a few moments. Where was Ranma? her mind panicked. No, thankfully, his travel pack was still where he'd left it, beside her own. Akane yawned and exited the tent. It was still very early in the morning as the sun wasn't even up yet and she felt very tired, having not slept for most of the night. She had convinced Ranma that it was okay for them to sleep together in the tent as she hadn't brought her own. Ranma was insistent on sleeping outside before that. She remembered how uneasy Ranma had been at first, then he'd relaxed after a while and let her roll on top of him. That was the best part, Akane smiled as she remembered, falling asleep on top of him had been SO nice. Ranma turned at the sound behind him. "What're you doing up so early, Akane-chan?" she smiled inwardly at his use of 'chan'. She yawned and stretched. "I couldn't sleep..." she replied, leaving out the part that read, 'without you'. Ranma knew she was lying, it wasn't that hard to miss either. She looked like she could fall asleep on her feet. "I think you can..." he said, smiling at her. "...You look like you're about to drop on the spot...Go back and get some sleep, I'll wake you when it's morning." He said, walking over to her and hugging her briefly. Akane nodded, she didn't need much persuasion. Ranma smirked at the snoring noises that came from the tent shortly after. He turned away from the tent and walked over to the fire which had all but died out by now. He re-lit it and threw fresh branches onto the heap, watching them ignite. Ranma sat down to think. he thought, staring into the now-cracking fire. <...Today, I have a little promise to keep to Akane.> One week, the tournament would begin in a week. He had less than a week to train Akane and make sure that she would survive the tournament. Somehow, he knew that Cologne, Shampoo and Mousse would be entering the tournament and that would be the ideal place to face them. Then his mind switched gears. he pondered. He'd never felt more helpless in his life. He no longer burned with the confidence that was a trademark of the Ranma of old. This Ranma was downcast, depressed much like Ryoga was. Depression indeed is a powerful emotion, but it was too self destructive. Ranma no longer had the confidence to fight at his old level, he had to find another way. He turned to look at the tent and smiled at the thought of Akane, sleeping fitfully inside. Why she came after him, he didn't know, but he was thankful to the powers that made her do so. . He stood and proceeded to pigtail his loose hair, completing the task with speed and efficiency. He then picked up Akane's dagger from where he had put it earlier, inside the fire. The heated blade glowed red-hot as he blew gently on it. He then sighed and, with one swift motion, cut off his pigtail at the base, slightly scratching his skin at the same time. He held it in front of him and smirked. Principal Kuno would have loved to see this. Next, he took the bowl which he had eaten out of earlier on near the fire and dropped his pigtail into it. A strange sensation ran through him as he felt the back of his head. It was certainly different, no longer having a pigtail. In a way, he was sorry to see it go. He then picked up the red-hot dagger and slowly made a cut into his finger, wincing as the blood dripped into the bowl. He staunched the flow of blood when the bowl was half-full. Standing, he pointed at the bowl and a lancing blue-grey beam of energy shot from his finger into the bowl, igniting the contents. He nodded in grim satisfaction as the contents burned, a solemn marking of the death of Ranma Saotome. "Cologne..." he hissed, spitting as if the word was poison. "...Your passage across the Sanzen no Ka will not be an easy one, I swear upon my blood!...You will pay with your life and your soul!" he snarled as the fire in the bowl flickered and died out, leaving nothing but ash. He picked up the bowl and with a swing of his arm, scattered the ashes to the winds. Only then did he feel satisfied. ****************** The coming of the dawn marked an end to the night of pain, only to be soon replaced by a day of thunder. The sun rose slowly, grandly, casting a golden hue over everything it's light touched. The city slowly began to wake, people leaving their houses in the morning for their places of work. Outside Ucchan's Okonomiyaki, the breakfast crowd was already gathering, waiting for Ukyou to open. Outside the Nekohanten, a sign reading 'Closed due to unforeseen circumstances' was hung. People who passed wondered at what the 'unforeseen circumstances' would be. The area around the Tendo Dojo was peaceful, no sounds of fighting, no yelling, just quiet....For now anyway. Kasumi yawned and headed toward the bathroom. she mused tiredly. Somehow, she did not look forward to waking this morning. Already signs of the previous night's events could be noted as she walked down the corridor. A Panda and a girl sleeping in the room with one empty futon, a mess in the garden, Akane's door open and an empty bed inside.... Kasumi blinked and caught herself after a few minutes. That last part made no sense. "Akane..." she called, poking her head in the door. No answer. She entered and looked around. No one. It was clear that Akane wasn't there, so where could she be? Kasumi wandered outside toward the dojo, hugging her bathrobe about her in the chill morning air. No one, the dojo was deserted, as it had been for the past few days. Soun smiled at his eldest daughter as he walked toward the living room. "Ah, ohayo goshimasu, Kasumi..." he said cheerfully as she returned from the back yard.. "...Beautiful morning isn't it?" Kasumi smiled innocently and nodded. "Ohayo goshimasu, otousan...Yes it is beautiful...By the way, have you seen Akane?" Soun shook his head. "Isn't she in her room?" Kasumi shook her head. "No, I'm afraid not...Her bed hasn't been slept in all night..." The roof of the house rose a good two meters off it's foundation. "NAAAANIIIIII?!?!" Pretty soon, everyone was wakened by the commotion of Soun running around the house bawling and yelling the name 'Akane'. "Heyyy, what's all the noise? Can't you let me get some sleep?" Nabiki complained, yawning as she trudged into the living room and plopped herself onto the couch. "...What's Daddy so riled up about?" she muttered, gesturing to Soun who was running back and forth crying. "Oh, good morning Nabiki..." Kasumi smiled at her sister. "...It seems Akane is missing." Nabiki yawned, a disinterested expression on her face. "Yeah, I know...Oops!" she clapped a hand to her mouth. Kasumi blinked at Nabiki. "You know where Akane is?" Soun dashed into the room and pounced on Nabiki. "Nabiki! Where is Akane hmm? Where is my baby girl?" he cried. Nabiki winced and pushed him away gently but firmly. "Let's get one thing straight Daddy...Akane is NOT a baby..." she said, annoyed. "...And I can't tell you...Akane made me promise." Nabiki thought she could almost hear Ranma mouth a reply to that along the lines of 'Since when did promises keep you from anything anyway?' She closed her eyes, remembering Akane's words from last night. No, this is one promise she would keep. Soon, everyone was gathered around the living room with the exception of Soun who was still running around bawling. Kasumi served breakfast but no one seemed to be in the mood for eating, except Genma who cared for nothing but food. He was promptly whacked by Nodoka for lack of manners. The general topic of conversation was finding out where Akane had gone. Unfortunately this meant trying to squeeze the information out of Nabiki. "Look!...I told you I promised Akane not to tell anyone and I won't okay?!?" she snapped at everyone, annoyed. "...So stop trying to get on my nerves...No wait, make that stop getting on my nerves already!" everyone flinched at her words except Nodoka. "Nabiki-chan...We respect the promise you made to Akane and why you would want to keep it..." "Well, you guys sure aren't good at showing that!" Nabiki interrupted. Kasumi gaped at her, aghast. "Nabiki! How could you talk to Nodoka-obasan like that?!?" she chided. "...Honto ni gomen, obasan..." Kasumi said respectfully to Nodoka who smiled back. "...Nabiki didn't mean any disrespect." "It's all right, Kasumi-chan...We're all tired and Nabiki's anger is understandable..." "You're right about that!" Nabiki snapped, interrupting once more. Nodoka leveled her gaze at Nabiki. "...Nabiki-chan, though we understand and respect your promise to Akane...There are times when promises can be broken..." she said evenly. "...In keeping this promise to Akane, you are needlessly making your family worry." Nabiki looked up from her half-empty rice bowl at Nodoka who smiled warmly at her. "...Please tell us...It's only for the better." Nabiki stared down at her empty bowl for a moment. "...She's......She's went off to find Ranma..." Soun hit the roof. "NANI?!?" he jumped over to Nabiki and shook her. "You're not lying are you?...You're not lying to Daddy now are you?!?" "DA-AD!..." Nabiki muttered, a little annoyed. "...No I'm not...You wanted it straight..." She got up and made to leave the table. "...You got it! Now leave me alone!" She stormed upstairs and moments later, the slamming of a door could be heard. "Oh my! I think I better go talk to Nabiki." Kasumi said after a moment. "That may not be advisable at the moment, Kasumi-chan..." Nodoka said. "...She is rather upset we made her break a promise..." "It's not like she hasn't done it before though..." Soun interrupted, then gulped when everyone shot him a glare. "...Umm..." "Soun-kun! That wasn't a very nice thing to say about your own daughter!" Nodoka chided. "But...but..." Soun stammered, trying to get everyone's attention off him for the moment. "Be that as it may..." Genma began. "...We must assume that Akane could be in possible danger." "Danger?...But ojiisama...Isn't she with Ranma?" Kasumi asked. Genma stared down at the tabletop, not wanting to meet her gaze. "...She is but..." "But you can't even trust your own son to take care of her, is that it?" Nabiki snapped, walking back downstairs. Nodoka raised an eyebrow. "Nabiki-chan..." Nodoka began. "What? It's true isn't it?" she snapped back. "Nabiki...Ranma isn't my son...Not anymore..." Genma muttered to the tabletop. Nabiki practically hit the roof. "So that's IT?!? You're just going to FORGET?! After all...Oh no, wait..." she paused for breath. She sat down with a murderous gleam in her eye. "...I can't say 'After all you've done for him' ne? Considering what you've done for him all your life, I'd bet he's GLAD to be away from his worthless excuse of a father!" Nabiki snapped at Genma who looked at her in shock. "Nabiki! How can you say that to Saotome-kun?!?" Soun said, aghast. "...You apologise right this moment!" "NO!" Nabiki yelled back, causing Soun to jump. "...Daddy, I'm NOT going to apologise for speaking my mind! I have a right to say what I want you know!..." Soun looked like he was about to break into a wail, then made as if to slap Nabiki who just kept prodding. "What? What're you going to do? Hit me?!?...Like you did Akane?!?..." she snapped. "Fine! Go ahead! Do it!...See if I'll stay as well!..." Nabiki snapped. Soun did the only thing he could at the time, bawl. Nabiki turned away, disgusted. "...Akane was right...I've done a lot of dishonorable things in my life...But THIS..." she jabbed a finger at Genma. "...At least I know I'm not scraping the bottom of the gene pool!" With that, she turned and walked back upstairs, her door slamming after a moment. "Oh why?!? Why is this happening to me?!?" Soun wailed. Nodoka looked at him pityingly, then made to leave. "Ran-ko-chan...Lets go...Ran-ko?" Nodoka looked around for her daughter but she was nowhere to be seen. ***************** Akane walked out of the tent, yawning. It had been a long while since she'd slept properly. She shivered slightly in the cold early morning air and looked around for Ranma. "Ranma?...Ranma?...Anata wa doko da?" she called out. Her voice echoed around the clearing, with no response. Her first thought was to panic, then get angry. "Kuso! Ranma! If you left me here I'll..." she snarled. "Tadaima!" Akane looked over to her right, the voice had come from somewhere in the bushes. "Ranma?" she called back. "Hai! Be there in a moment!" came the reply. Akane gave a sigh of relief. She had actually begun wondering where she'd go if Ranma had indeed left. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself and went about freshening herself up with a bucket of water that was next to the tent. She didn't know where it came from but was glad for it's presence. Ranma stepped out of the bushes later and Akane gasped when she saw him. He was clad only in his usual Chinese pants and tank top. His exposed skin on his shoulders, neck and face were riddled with small cuts but the most noticeable thing was the lack of his pigtail. "Ranma...What..." Akane began, he cut her off. "Training Akane...I've decided to enter the tournament after all...Not for the prize that lies at the end, oh no..." his voice took a dangerous edge. "...but for the revenge that waits for me!" Akane looked into his eyes and saw that he was dead serious. He would kill Cologne, Shampoo and possibly Mousse if he ever saw the Amazon trio again. "Ranma..." Akane began. "...I...I mean..." Ranma turned to look at her. "What is it Akane?" "I...don't want you to do this..." she finished with some difficulty. Ranma looked at her strangely for a moment. "Why not?...You don't want me to punish those who forced us into this state?!?" he shot back. Akane looked up at him with an almost pleading look on her face. "Ranma, don't get me wrong..." she began, then realised Ranma wasn't listening to her. "No...This time, all is unforgiven..." he snarled, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "...That old prune has gone too far...I'll make SURE that no-one ever has to suffer at her hands ever again!" "...Ranma...It's not that...I agree that Cologne has overstepped her bounds...But you mustn't sink to their level just to get even with them!..." Akane stated after Ranma had calmed down slightly. "...What about honor?..." Akane jumped when Ranma screamed at that last word and slashed his right hand at a nearby tree, it collapsed with a loud cracking noise. "Don't EVER mention honor to me ever again! I've HAD IT with everyone's perception of 'honor'...From now on...I do things MY way!" He half-shouted. Akane flinched slightly. Ranma was so different now, no longer the person she used to know and love. This man standing in front of her now was a little less than a demon, borne by the flames of hate and vengeance. Akane stood back a few feet as he fumed silently for a few minutes, she spoke when he'd calmed down enough to listen. "Ranma...Do you remember what you said back in the garden?" she asked, changing the extremely-touchy subject. "Err..." Ranma scratched his head for a moment. ".....Hai." Akane caught the look on his face but didn't say anything to give it away. "...Remember what you said that if you entered the tournament, you'd take me along?" Ranma thought quickly. <...What would I ever want that kawaiiku...Okay, I guess I did...> "...Hai, I remember..." "...If you don't care about honor anymore, does that mean you won't take me along now?" Akane asked, looking right into Ranma's eyes. He promptly 'acked'. "Yes...No!...I mean, yes I won't...No!..." Akane smiled to herself as she watched Ranma stumble over looking for an explanation for a minute then decided to press her question. "I take it you won't then..." she said, looking downcast. "...Then I may as well go home, if you don't want me around..." she said, sniffling as she turned to walk away. "Akane! Wait!!" Ranma called out frantically. She stopped, not turning around for fear she might betray the smile on her face. It took her a few moments of 'rearranging' to get the sad look back. "What is it?" she asked, turning around, trying her best to maintain the front. Ranma walked up to her and placed both hands on her shoulders, sighing. "Akane, I meant it when I said I'd take you along, as well as Ran-ko..." he said, looking into Akane's eyes. "...And I also said I'd help you prepare for it." "Hai! You did!" Akane said, giggling. "...So when are going to do it?" Ranma caught the sudden expression change on Akane's face and knew that he'd just been had, but he didn't mind that much. "We can start now if you like...We have a week before the tournament starts..." he said. "One week..." Akane muttered. "Ranma, do you think that's enough time?" "Should be...If nothing goes wrong..." he turned to face Akane, a dead-serious look on his face. "...I have to warn you now, Akane, this isn't going to be easy...But compared to what you'll face in the tournament this will seem like a cakewalk later...You understand?" Akane nodded after a few moments. "...Hai...I understand..." Ranma nodded then took a deep breath. "Ok, here we go, this will be a very long week..." Akane nodded, then took a slow deep breath. "Hai...Ikuzo!" To Be Continued... ******************* Closing Theme: Just Fallin' Love (A Million Times During the Heartrending Night) Just Fallin' Love ~ ikutsu mono setsunai yoru no nakade ~ rasen kaidan yukkuri mai oriru Winding staircase, the time dropping lightly jikan no nakade, furi muku The moment you turned to me, jyunkan ni kanjita, mune no zawameki I felt the perplexity of my heart. anata to wa ichido, atteiru? Have we met before? sore tomo 'dejavu', Or is it just Deja Vu? fushigi na yume mitai ni... It's like a mysterious dream... Just fallin' love, umareru, maeni mo kitto Just fallin' love, maybe before we were born Take off with you, haruka na, Take off with you, looking down from a star hoshi kara mitsumeteita. far away. Garasu no youni, toumei na As clear as glass, the feeling taught me omoi ga, oshiete kureta within me flowing people, there is nothing nagareru, hito nami no naka ni wa, nani mo nai koto konna heibon na, mainichi ni In such an ordinary life umoreru maeni, watashi wo saraini kite.. Before I'm buried, please come take me Just fallin' love, deai wo, kanjite ita no Just fallin' love, I had a feeling we would Take off with you, setsunai, ikutsu mono someday meet. yoru no naka... Take off with you, a million times during the heartrending night... anata ni koishite, wakatta no I realized when I fell in love with you unmei no ito, itsudemo yureteru koto The strings of destiny are always shaking. Just fallin' love, umareru maeni mo kitto Just fallin' love, maybe before we were born Take off with you, haruka na, Take off with you, looking down from a star hoshi kara mitsumeteita. far away. Singer: Udagawa Ayako *************** Author's notes: Wow! This chapter has to be the darkest, saddest one I have ever written ever. I hope you like it, I really enjoyed writing this ^_^ (I love dark fics, especially Zen's 'The Bitter End'). If you have a dark, sad Ranma fic somewhere, send it my way and I'll be glad to C&C it for you. ^_^ Also, you may have noticed this is the first chapter which I've decided to add an opening and closing theme. Ok, I know these aren't Ranma songs but they are nice so I decided to put them in. ^_^ Comments and corrections on these also, please tell me. Also, please forgive my use of Mandarin (or over use as some of you may put it)I felt it appropriate for Shampoo and Mousse to speak in their native tongue and I simply used the language just to illustrate that point. A full translation/glossary is at the end. Originally I had written the entire dialogue exchange between the two completely in Mandarin, then decided to just leave some in and replaced the rest with english for slightly easier reading. Once again, I apologise. (Note: Mandarin/Cantonese romaji is hard to write as some pronunciations aren't exactly possible to write using english sounds, so some may be incorrect.) PLEASE (with whipped cream and cherries on top) PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE send me some C&C on this chapter. (begs pathetically on knees and kowtows.) I do require your valuable input and all C&C will be answered. I do need the input so I know what to not do in future, Jusenkyo's Curse is my first fic after all. (no lie) Japanese glossary: Itoshigo: lit. My dear child. (something a mother would say to a child.) Kakikesu: lit. 'to disperse' Uchikesu: lit. 'to counterattack' Oyasuminasai: Goodnight. Arigato: Thank you Oneechan: elder sister Oniichan: elder brother Imouto: little sister. Wakarimasu: I understand. Wakarimasu ka?: Do you understand? (if shouted it's taken as 'do you get it yet?!?') Urusei: Shut up! Sanzen no Ka: The Japanese equivalent to the River Styx. Chinese(Mandarin) glossary: Chin lai ma, men may yo sor zhu = Come in, the door isn't locked. Ni xiang sa mo, Mu Suu? = What do you want Mousse? Wo pu xiang ni chow wo xian chai = I don't want you bothering me right now. Lai, che ii tian tong xi ma = Come, have something to eat. Wo pu xiang chi xian chai = Leave it, I don't feel like eating at the moment. May tse la = Nothing's wrong. Tse lan-ma, tse pu tse? = It's Ranma, isn't it? Zhu cou = Shut up/silence! Hao, zhiang ma = Ok, speak. Ni tao ti xi zhiang xa mo? = Just what do you mean exactly? Wo pu ming pai = I don't understand Mo men pu xi ren me?...Ta tui wo men xiang gou = Aren't we humans too? She treats us like dogs! Hsieh hsieh = Thank you