Final Duty 

By  Kyokukou							        


Disclaimer : I don't own the characters from Ranma 1/2 only the characters that 
I write myself . So please don't sue me ! But if you try to use my characters 
.....there will be ...unpleasant consequences if I find out . Do not repost or 
reprint this without my permission , however if you do ASK there is a good 
chance I will let you . 
 



         Part 1  'Clarity'

   * During the formative years of the human life the brain goes through two 
main bursts of neurological development . The first is during infancy . The 
second during the teenage years is a longer , less furious burst . This is where 
the teen 'grows up' either gradually or 'one day'. This is followed by a period 
in the late teens and early twenties where the brain hardwires itself for 
certain tasks and functions . However being pounded in the head almost daily 
tends to slow down such hardwiring . But all of the connections do eventually 
get made . *
     
    I woke to find myself shaking my head . Normally this would be followed by 
looking up to see Ryouga barreling down on me screaming 'DIE RANMA' . To my 
pleasant surprise this wasn't the case . I was lying on my futon in my room , 
Pop was snoring away still , and all was well . 
    Then I found that somehow I had turned into a girl in the interval between 
falling asleep and now . Nothing really serious , or even out of the ordinary , 
but something that I always found annoying to say the least . Still , something 
felt odd today . It wasn't like it was anything bad or nothing , but something 
wasn't quite normal . 
    Feeling odd and befuddled I dragged myself out of bed and staggered more or 
less to the bathroom to void my bladder . Stupid girl form has a smaller one 
than my normal one . Of course I'm still trying to figure out what's different 
about my world today and I'm not really paying full attention . 
    So the first thing I know is I just finished pulling up my pants when a very 
naked Akane walks through the door out from the bath . I'll admit I had some 
trouble getting my mouth to work or blinking for that matter , but she didn't 
even give me the chance . Just WHAM ! New Saotome Ranma shaped impression in the 
wall . After prying myself out I changed clothes and form before breakfast .
    So here I am eating my breakfast as fast as I can , which happens to be PDQ 
with the speed from Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken . Akane is still sitting beside me 
, brooding , well more like boiling if you can sense ki . I don't know why the 
girl insists on sitting beside me when she's mad at me . 
    Thank the kami that today isn't a school day . Even so I finish , thank 
Kasumi quickly and leave my scraps to be snatched up by Pop . But before I can 
hustle out of the house I'm caught . Which is funny , seeing as how I wasn't 
sneaking out .
" Where do you think you're going , baka ?" Akane growls at me .
    I know what look she has on her face even though I still have my back to her 
. There wouldn't be any point on turning around and looking would there ? But 
something is still different about today , that something is nagging me from the 
back of my mind . But , more pressing matters take the lead before some weird 
nag . 
" Out , what's it look like ?" I say noncommittally .
" I hope you know that the family was going to go out to the park today ?" Her 
tone is as close to ice as she can make it , which turns out to be more like a 
avalanche rather than an iceberg .
" I had this ..." Quick , must find right word . " appointment made before 
Ojisan decided to go to the park today , sorry ."
" No you're not !" She snaps . " You insensitive jerk ! You're not sorry at all 
are you ?!"
" YES I AM !" I shout back without turning around . " Now I gotta go or I'm 
gonna be late !" Before she could give me a physical retort I leap off .
    The morning air is cool but humid . The cool mist of the air gently moistens 
my face as I leap from roof to roof . I'm glad the air isn't enough to trigger 
my curse , finding hot water would only make me terminally late . I can't afford 
that .
    I know that I'm never going to win the big-mushy-sensitive-guy-of-the-year-
award anytime this life , but I'm not the 'thing' that Akane makes me out to be 
. I started this job as volunteer work . They just liked me doing it so much 
that they started paying me to keep it up . Not that I'm gonna argue , between 
Pop and Nabiki I really need the money . 
    It's not much really , I like doing it . There's no challenge to it , but 
just seeing the smiles on those kids faces and the applause is more than enough 
incentive . My stage act is simple , I just break things basically and do couple 
of stunts they saw in the last Jakie Chan movie . For twenty minuets I punch , 
kick or whatever through whatever the staff hands me . So far only that stupid 
three hundred pound block of dry ice was the only thing that gave me trouble . I 
gotta be some superman for the kids . No small feat . I can't curse , frown , or 
make any real social blunders around them . But being some superman to adoring 
kids does stroke the ego . 
    After my stage act they turn me loose to visit the kids who can't make it to 
the stage . That's gotta be the hardest part of my week . To hell with Kuno , 
Mousse , the Freak , and alla the others . Being a superman martial artist for 
some terminally ill kid tears at my heart like nothing you'd believe . Then 
there's that smile , the clapping , that look of awed joy . My heart gets torn 
up and warmed at the same time . I guess it was the time I nearly started 
bawling after one of my eight year old regulars passed away that they started 
paying me to keep doing this . 
    Everyone at Nerima's hospital knows me by name and face . A lot of it's 
patients do too . Today's a good one . For twenty minuets I did the stage act 
without a hitch . I did all of the flashy katas the loud battle cries , the high 
jumping acrobatics , and of course breaking things . One of the docs decided to 
get cute and had a tempered steel bedpan sent up . No idea how they got one 
tempered , but just like everything it just took one shot . But then my arm got 
stuck halfway through the damn thing . 
    No biggie , the kids laughed , the docs laughed . I made a super exaggerated 
face and drew out tearing the bedpan in two for comic relief . 
    Then I made my personal rounds for two hours . Kami-sama was gracious today 
, no names were missing on my list and no new ones were there either . The kids 
are great , all they want to do is have fun while they still can . 
    I left the hospital today in high spirits . Money in my pocket and the 
smiles and cheers in my mind . 
    Now I just had to find that store again . Akane has blabbed about that 
necklace again yesterday . Finally I could buy it for her .

                           *         *          *

    Today had been a horrible one for her . She had a nightmare last night , 
then first thing in the morning Ranma had done more than try to peep in on her . 
He had blatantly stood there are gawked . If that wasn't enough , he had blown 
the whole family off to run off and do whatever useless thing he had planed . 
    All she could think of was yelling at him when she got home . After a few 
Kuno related disasters at the park she needed to blow off some steam . The baka 
happened to be the perfect target .
    
                           *         *          *

    I smiled a the small parcel in my hand . It had been costly , almost all of 
two months salary , but I hoped it would be worth it . 
    With a spring in my step I walked to the Tendo Dojo . Only to be ambushed by 
a flurry of throwing knives . 
" DIE !!" Mousse screamed at me .
" What'd I do now ?" I barked back at him , dodging the volley .
" I saw you !" Mousse jabbed a spear at my parcel instead of the customary 
pointing of the finger . " You were planning on giving that to my darling 
Shampoo ! NEVER !" The Chinese boy hurled the spear before charging in , weapons 
sprouting from nowhere .
" Hey you got it all wrong !" I protested , knowing that no one would listen to 
me , no one ever did .
    I dodged the first flurry of attacks , but with only one hand free , and 
pockets too small for the box I was in trouble . When Mousse goes nuts he really 
overdoes it . Even my reflexes were hard pressed to keep ahead of the 
practically thrashing boy . But when a naganata sliced through my red shirt and 
gave me a small gash along my chest I expected him to stop . Only he apparently 
wasn't paying enough attention to realize he had drawn first blood . Drawing my 
blood tends to piss me off . 
    I threw the box high into the air and counterattacked with full force . 
Mousse was flat on the ground and on a day trip to la la land within a second .
" Feh , listen next time ." I snarled , holding my hand out to catch the box .
" Oh for meeee !?" Preceded a all too familiar cackle . 
    Looking up I watched the box be snagged by Kodachi's ribbon . 
" NO !" I bellowed at her , already in motion . " Give it back !"
" Oh MY !" The crazy girl had already opened it and was staring at the parcel's 
contents . " I'm so happy Ranma-sama !"
" Give it BACK DAMNIT !" I know I'm quick to annoy and maybe anger , but it does 
take something as compounded as this to really enrage me .
    I don't hit girls , but that's not to say I can't get rough with them if I 
need to . Before the wacko knew what was coming she was sailing into the nearest 
drainage ditch . I didn't worry about her , I knew that it was still brimming 
from yesterday's rain . Straightening from my over the shoulder Kodachi toss I 
winced at the pain from my wound . Damn Mousse .
    Then I examined the necklace , to find that the damn Rose girl had been 
holding the chain when I threw her . Apparently she still held half of it , for 
that was all that was left of the silver chain .
" The rest is fine . I can get a new chain ." I said to myself , not knowing 
whether to feel relief or anger .
" Aww shit !" I exclaimed after noticing that my wound had bled on the box . 
Dried blood does not go well on a white jewelry box .
    Well now I knew I couldn't give it to Akane tonight , I had to get a new 
chain and stop off at Tofu's to get my cut patched up . Why couldn't they all 
just leave me alone ? 
    I gave the twitching form of Mousse a withering stare before rushing off 
towards Tofu's . Maybe tomorrow Akane would be in a rare good mood to start off 
with .

                           *         *         *

    " He's late ." Her younger sister growled at the door .
" So ?" She asked . It was not unusual for Ranma to come in late after being 
gone all day . Also it was not unusual for Akane to be mad at him for this . A 
sad state of affairs .
" He should have been home an hour ago ." Her younger sister tried snarling 
instead of growling . 
" Whatever ." She waved Akane off . 
    What concerned her about Ranma currently was the odd fact that he was 
spending money like normal , but he had yet to come to her for another loan for 
quite a while now . It was almost as if he had a job . That I idea was laughable 
, Saotome Ranma holding down a job ? 
    Actually , now that she sat down in her room and thought about it some . 
That was not the only concern with Ranma right now . 
    Ranma and Akane's relationship was not normal actually . In the past few 
months it had been deteriorating . Akane was staying mad longer , and getting 
mad quicker , Ranma was getting more intense in his anger and getting more 
personal in his insults . If this kept up one day Akane would never get over it 
and Ranma might actually say he hated her . That would change things real quick 
. Akane had tried to break off their engagement several times so far , but Ranma 
never had . Up till now he had kept his insults distant and almost impersonal , 
never stooping to hitting Akane's ego directly . As she had done to him since 
day one . But that was beginning to change . 
    Ranma and Akane's engagement breaking up .
    That was something very , very bad for her . Ranma was still honor bound to 
marry a Tendo daughter . Now theoretically he still could marry Kasumi , in fact 
she was sure that her older sister would agree to the switch of engagements 
without hesitation or protest . That was the main reason she could not allow 
this to happen . Kasumi had already given up so much for the family , her hopes 
of collage and a life outside her family , her social life , on and on . No , 
Kasumi had sacrificed too much already . So if it came down to it , if there was 
no hope of Ranma and Akane being married then she would have to throw herself on 
the bomb . 
    The thought was one she never took much farther than that . For she feared 
where it would lead . Revulsion , and dread at spending the rest of her life 
with Ranma , no hope of real romance ? Or perhaps finding that it might not be 
so bad after all ? Ranma would be a husband she could dominate and control . 
    Shaking her head sharply she cut that chain of thought off abruptly . 
" So how do I get you two together ?" She asked the picture on her desk .
    The one that had been taken only weeks ago , Akane and Ranma stood together 
. But it was painfully obvious to anyone who knew them that the happy 
expressions on their faces were forced . When the world seemed determined to 
push them together and tear them apart at once what could she do ? Any overt 
efforts would just be adding to the maelstrom about the pair , covert methods 
might not have any effect at all . 
" With everything and everyone tearing at you two how do you even know your own 
feelings ?" She asked the pair's image .
    Their only answer was to stare back at her with pained masks of false 
happiness .

                           *         *         *

    After a nice , if a bit too exciting , day in the park with most of her 
family she felt good . Not that she did not feel well most of the time , but her 
smile tonight was more warm than placid . Akane was fuming at the door , or to 
me more precise at the person who wasn't coming through the door . 
    That caused her smile to slowly die , but she made sure to replace it with 
her trademark serene smile before approaching Akane .
" I'm sure Ranma is fine ." She started out .
" I'll fix that if he is ." Her younger sister clenched her fists .
" Now Akane ," She admonished . " there is no need to hit him over being home 
late . You do hit him all too often ." 
" Not often enough or nearly hard enough ." Akane didn't even look up from the 
door .
" What did he do this time ?" She sat down beside her baby sister .
" Because of him I had to beat off Kuno half a dozen times at the park . Then 
there were those exorcists he hired to remove the spell that he thinks Ranma put 
on me . Then there were the martial arts gardeners who challenged me . I barely 
had any time to relax !" 
" And this is Ranma's fault ?" She tried not to sound too skeptical .
" Isn't it obvious !" Akane threw her hands up . " Ever since he got here we've 
been a magnet for creeps and weirdo martial artists ."
" But that happened before he arrived ." She said reasonably . Akane didn't hear 
her .
" Every month there's a new weirdo , some guy wanting to marry me , or another 
fiancée for Ranma ! There's no end to it !"
" Akane ." She placed a hand on her baby sister's shoulder . 
" Huh ?" Akane looked over at her as if seeing her for the first time .
" Akane ." She repeated . " It's late , why don't you go to bed ."
" But-"
" I'll send Ranma up to your room if he gets back before midnight ." 
    Akane looked like she was about to protest , but a motherly look silenced 
her . Without further protest the youngest Tendo got up and padded out of the 
room . She mentally counted to forty before speaking .
" You can come in now Ranma ." 
    Without further pause Ranma quietly slid the door open and stepped inside . 
He , currently a she , was missing both shoes , had a bandage showing through a 
long tear in her silk shirt , and in addition to being moist was quite haggard .
" Oh my ," Her eyes widened . 
    Ranma all but staggered over to her before collapsing more than sitting 
beside her . Now getting a much closer view in the dim light Ranma looked even 
worse . Red was soaking through the bandage , various cuts were caked with 
coagulated blood , bruises all along her exposed flesh were darkening , and 
Ranma seemed to wince with the end of each breath .
" What happened ?" She asked , too astonished to do more .
" Mousse , Kodachi , Pantyhose , Tofu-sensei ," Ranma paused to draw a pained 
breath . " Ryouga , the old Freak , then the old Ghoul , and one of Gosunkugi's 
spirits ." Another pause . " In that order , and those're just the highlights ."
" Can you move ?" She asked with no small concern . " I need to get you cleaned 
up ." 
" I guess so ." Ranma said even as she rolled over and got to her feet with only 
minimal straining and grunting .
" Good , wait for me by the table , I'll get some hot water ."
    After helping the injured martial artist to the table she rushed off to 
retrieve some heated water . Returning she found Ranma laying on her back 
holding a small white box streaked with rust colored stains .
" What's that ?" She asked after sitting down beside him with a pot of hot water 
in one hand and her customized first aid kit in the other .
" It was ," She painfully emphasized the past tense . " A present for Akane , 
I'd been saving up for a long time to buy this . Now look at it ." She handed 
the stained box to her .
    The first thing she noticed was a rattle , the second was the thin slit-like 
hole in the top . Upon opening it she discovered why . A blade of some sort had 
pierced the top and wrenched the sliver of the pendant , popping the stone from 
it's seat . The chain was already snapped in two with both the missing stone and 
other length of chain nowhere to be found . 
" It ain't fair Kasumi ." She heard Ranma's female soprano break with emotion . 
" The damn thing didn't even last long enough for Akane to see it . Now it's 
nothin' I'm supposed to be the best marital artist of my generation and I 
couldn't protect a stupid little necklace ." Ranma stared at the ruined work of 
jewelry craft with unshed tears shimmering in her eyes . " I can't do nothin' 
right can I ? It's just going to get worse ain't it ?" 
" You can get another one Ranma ." She assured the young marital artist . " You 
still have that job at the hospital , neh ? I'm sure Nabiki can help too ."
    Up until that last sentence hope had glimmered in Ranma's eyes . Only to be 
replaced with a halfhearted anger . 
" Nabiki , I'm still paying her back ." Ranma closed her eyes wearily . " And 
she's still making money off me even as I pay her back ."
    She said nothing as she began to wipe the minor wounds clean before 
bandaging them up . Ranma remained silent and motionless as well . Once finished 
with Ranma's face she helped sit her patient up .
" I need to change that ." She pointed to Ranma's bandage on her chest .
    Without word the marital artist slid her ruined shirt of her shoulders and 
let it fall to her waist . Exposing more injuries . None were cuts , but patches 
bigger than her fist were every shade of bruise she had ever seen , some 
overlapped in a way that just looked painful . Steeling herself she cut the 
bandage on Ranma . She had to pull it off of her , the clotting blood 
attempted to take some skin with it . Then she was faced with a long open gash 
that had apparently burst it's stitches . Most of them remained in the skin , 
the two ends of each broken stitch standing up like artificial hairs .
" Tofu-sensei sewed be up as a guy , my breasts snapped them when I changed . " 
She explained needlessly .
    Working quietly she tied the snapped cords back together as tightly as she 
could . The wound was shallow and closed easily . She worked as gently as she 
could , but Ranma tensed just the same at the pain . Once finished there she 
moved on to tend to her other injuries as best she could .
" There , that's all I can do ." She sighed , packing up her kit .
" Sorry for the trouble ." Ranma apologized , reaching for the hot water .
    She stopped Ranma's hand by placing her own on top of the younger girl's . 
Ranma froze for second before relaxing and looking up at her with wary eyes . 
Such beautiful blue eyes , so earnest in every emotion . Aside from a hue shift 
they were the only physical feature that the curse did not alter .
" Better not until the wound has had more of a chance ." She explained . " Hot 
water does not find you as easily as cold does ."
" Oh , no problem Kasumi ." She nodded .
" Oh and please stay clear of Akane until you feel better ." She added .
" I'll try ."
" Ranma ?" She looked down at her lap .
" Hai ?" Ranma replied quietly .
" Please take care of yourself ," For some reason she could not look up from her 
lap . " I know that both Tofu-sensei and I don't like seeing you in this kind of 
condition ."
" The life of a true martial artist is fraught with-"
" I know the words your Father drills into you ." She stopped him . " But that 
doesn't mean you have to get hurt ."
    The young marital artist failed to reply .
" Goodnight Ranma ." She all but whispered , releasing Ranma's hand .
    For a moment she fought to push down her emotions from the surface , to keep 
them from reaching her face . She won shortly after the struggle began .
" I know you'll feel better in the morning ." She said at normal volume , with 
her normal serene smile .
    Ranma wasn't there to hear or see either .

                           *         *         *


    I hurt all over it seemed . From the top of my head , where I took a nice 
heel drop from Ryouga . Down to my toes , that had to run on concrete heated and 
chipped by the old freak's bombs .
    Some days were worse than others , and some days just sucked . But this day 
hit me hard . I had been planning for this day for nearly three months and 
saving for almost two . It had taken was just about everyone out for my head to 
come at me to destroy the necklace , but destroy it they had . 
    Battered , bruised , sliced like ham , a girl , and pretty damn discouraged 
I took a old pillow and blanket up to the roof with me .
    Alone with my thoughts it became clear that the next ring , brooch , 
necklace , or date or whatever , would just meet the same fate . I reviewed my 
life at the Tendo's up to this point . Only more evidence there . Then under the 
chilling night wind I looked back into my past . I have always been a magnet for 
trouble . Now this doesn't bother me personally . It just provides and endless 
supply of new challenges . Things only go real bad when other people get 
involved .
    Ukyo . At six I had managed to screw up her life for the next decade just by 
being her fiend and having the Father I have .
    Even when I look back farther or to more recent times it's still all too 
clear to me . Ryouga . I actually stayed in one place long enough to go to a 
boys school for a while . Then I ended up making an enemy and giving him a 
horrible curse to someone already cursed to be eternally lost .
    It's clear to me now . I almost shake with rage at myself for not seeing it 
sooner . The problem is that I am a magnet for trouble . So when I stay in one 
place too long I start collecting trouble rather than coming across it . I was 
cursed long before China , just like Ryouga . We both have a curse with no 
outward origin . He's cursed to be eternally lost . I'm cursed to live in 
interesting times . 
    The cold night air on my wounds tells me just how interesting . The slump of 
the formally ever serene Kasumi's shoulders tells me too . So does the screams 
and accusations of my fiancée , Tendo Akane . She's screamed the truth at me for 
so long why am I beginning to listen only now ? 
    That question still rings in my mind as I slip off into shivering slumber .

         End of Part 1  'Clarity'




         Part 2 'To Try'

    Today marked a full week after Ranma's failed delivery of his gift to Akane 
. On a few occasions when she had found privacy with him she had checked his 
healing . Ranma's skill and ability in martial arts marked him as an 
extraordinary individual , but coupled with being an eidetic , and someone who 
practically regenerated made him almost inhuman . Only a week from that sadly 
eventful day and all he had to mark his pain was a thin pink line that was 
rapidly fading .
    Following her instructions he had basically avoided Akane the whole time . 
At first this only angered her youngest sister but now Akane had calmed down 
finally and seemed to take the situation rationally once more . 
    Sadly , both due to his injury and a training trip planned by his father and 
hers Ranma had to quit his job at the hospital . She had tried to talk him out 
of it but he had refuted her .
' What excuse will Pop and Ojisan accept ?' 
' Tell them about your job , I'm sure they'll understand then .'
' If they would I would have already told everyone !'
' Why wouldn't they ?'
' 'Cause it's unmanly and not part of the training .'
' But not everything has to be part of your training .'
' Tell THEM that !'
    She had . That conversation had met with no success whatsoever .
' Now Kasumi-chan ,' Her father had talked to her like she was a quarter of her 
age . ' It's Ranma's destiny to both unite our families and carry on the 
traditions of our Musubetsu Kakuto Ryuu .' 
' It's his burden and great honor ,' Genma had joined in . ' and you know that 
honor is very important to my son , Ranma .'
' He still needs to be himself sometimes .'
    They had stared at her , uncomprehending .
' He is himself .' Her Father had said .
' The art is his life .' Genma had swelled with pride .
    So now she cleaned away , inwardly brooding over the conversations of 
yesterday , and her lack of positive effect on any of them . All she could do 
for Ranma it seemed was bind his wounds with her own inept hands and attempt to 
sooth with words . All she could do for Akane was try to guide her anger away 
from Ranma . And all she could do for the parents of both families it seemed , 
was cook and clean . It had been a long time since she had felt so useless and 
inapt .
    Whether it was by some subconscious direction , or just serendipity , she 
found her cleaning quest had ended at the open door of the Dojo . 
    Inside Ranma was immersed in his own private world . Where mental , physical 
, and spiritual formed a powerful triumvirate in Ranma . He moved in a manner 
that transcended anything that she could classify as human . His speed blurred 
beyond her capacity to follow . The power behind each blow , each movement , yet 
shaped by a pure economy defied any description she could give .
    She had grown up in a Dojo , for the early years of her life she had even 
studied Musubetsu Kakuto Ryuu alongside her two sisters . Only the death of her 
mother had forced her to leave the path . Still out of all the memories of 
people who could perform feats of skill and power Ranma still stood apart from 
them all .
    But this was no exhibition , at least not of design . This was for Ranma , 
and him alone . Pushing himself to his upper limits , straining through his 
boundaries to form new ones . All of it was for himself and no one else . He 
never exerted himself on all levels like this for his Father , at least not 
anymore . Never for an audience , not even for an opponent who could be beaten 
another way . 
    Suddenly she felt like an intruder on some sacred moment . Her face flushed 
, she prepared to leave .
    Then it happened . 
    Hours of practice at his limits caused even Ranma to sweat profusely . 
Perhaps it was noticing her on some unconscious level or just Murphy-san's law 
at work . Whatever the cause Ranma landed in a puddle of his own sweat and 
slipped . Both legs flew out from under him , his back impacted a adjacent 
puddle . The sweat lubricated his rapid slide across the floor and into the Dojo 
wall . In one misstep the spell was shattered , the triumvirate was dissolved .
" DAMN IT !" Ranma shouted abruptly from his prone position . 
    The palm that slammed angrily onto the floor nearly shook the entire 
building . As it was all the puddles splashed away from the impact as if in fear 
of retribution .
    She had no recollection of starting towards him , only that suddenly she was 
kneeling beside him .
     The hand she placed lightly on his shoulder caused him to somehow levitate 
several centimeters off the floor in surprise . 
" NANI ! Oh , Kasumi ." He looked at her with surprised relief . " Sorry if I 
sacred you ."
" What went wrong ?" She asked , glancing at the offending puddle .
" Nothin' ," Ranma began bitterly . " I just screw up anything I touch . All I 
can do is hurt and destroy . Apparently myself included ." 
" Don't say that ." She looked down at him sadly . " Things will get better , 
you'll see ." 
    She saw no reassurance taken in his eyes .

                           *         *         *

    I never liked school . I know that puts me in the dumb jock category , but 
does it look like I give a damn ? Thought not . 
    Every morning I walk on the fence beside Akane all the way to school . Why ? 
Simple , because she's my fiancée and that makes it my honorable duty . Ain't 
being honorable a real stab in the back sometimes ? In the week that I was still 
healing up I avoided being beat up again but taking us on a different route to 
school every day . I convinced Akane that this was just tying to find the 
fastest way to school seeing as how we leave so late alla the time . Thank all 
the kami she bought it .
    I had a few close calls , Shampoo found us one time , Ryouga the other day , 
and we got lost once . But so far I had avoided any serious impacts to my body 
for a week . Now that I think about it I wouldn't mind tryin' for a record . Not 
having any pain throughout my body is a feeling I like . I guess in all the time 
I spent getting pounded I forgot that it's normal not to have at least one 
healing injury . 
    So aside from my slip up yesterday I feel wonderful . Of course that means 
that some great kami on high looks down and says ' OH NO ! Ranma's happy , this 
must not be permitted !' . 
" Tired of hiding , coward !" Kuno bellows at me from across the street .
    Damn .
" You're never going to stop loving the sound of your own voice are ya ?" 
" Fight , cur !" Then Bokken boy decides to charge .
    That clarity that hit me about a week ago has only gotten better or worse , 
depending on how you look at it . One of the downsides is that it shoves all of 
my mistakes in my face , but only in retrospect . A upside is that it also shows 
me my opponents mistakes in real-time . When in the past I would have returned 
the charge and taken him out with raw speed and power , I just stood my ground 
this time . 
" Ranma noh baka ! What are you doing ?!" I hear Akane yell at me .
    Knowing exactly what she's doing , what Kuno's doing wrong , and what I'm 
going to do , that's what . 
    Kuno comes in , lowering his wooden sword to swing at me on my perch on the 
fence . I wait until the last moment , only bending my knees imperceptibly 
through my baggy pants . Kuno strikes , I step back into empty air . Kuno leans 
forward in an attempt to strike once again before I plunge into the drainage 
ditch . Kicking out at the bottom of the fence my toes find hold between the 
links and I leap back . Now sailing up and over the ditch in a lazy backflip I 
watch Kuno smack face first into the fence .
    A moment later I land lightly on the opposite fence .
" Ready to call it quits Kuno ?" I call , feeling no small amount of 
satisfaction at beating Kuno without throwing a single punch .
" Die cur !" He bellows back at me , climbing the fence .
    I take one look at him as he crouched for his jump and I know ten things I 
can do , I pick one with a grin and leap .
    Kuno sees me and leaps to intercept , but I know his leg strength , putting 
it behind his sword-stroke let me gauge it . I know that I'll be out of his 
reach .
    I'm right . With my legs tucked under me the tip of his sword streaks under 
them , missing by a good twenty centimeters . I hear him yelp before plunging 
down into the water below . With a smirk on my face I land in the same spot I 
began , taking careful measures to end in the same position and stance as I 
started with . A little style never hurt .
" What the hell ?" Akane slowly breathed to herself .
    With my eyes half lidded , still holding my pose , I watched her look from 
the dog paddling Kuno to the fence then to me . I have to try not to smile more 
than I already am .
" Come on Akane , we still need to get to school ." I say nonchalantly .
" Sure ." She replies , giving me a strange look I can't quite read .
    Then we're off again , not jogging or running , but walking at a normal pace 
for once . I should have known better than to let anything be normal .
" So that's what you've been doing all last week !" Akane stopped in her tracks 
and pointed a accusing finger at me . I hate being accused .
" W-What ?" Not again .
" You've been blowing us off for the whole past week !" She jabbed the finger at 
me once more as if to hammer the accusation home .
" I've just been giving you you're space ." Quick think quick Saotome . " I 
thought you'd like some time to without me crowding ya ." Please let that work .
" Why am I not convinced ?" She crossed her arms . " Then how do you explain 
that stunt back there ?!" She jerked her head to indicate the scene of my most 
recent altercation .
" What ?" Stall , stall .
" You didn't even lay a finger on him ." 
    Alright I can't fall back on arrogance , that'll piss her off for sure . 
Can't deny it . Make an excuse ? Why not ? " Akane , I fight him just about 
every other day , today I just wanted a change of pace I guess ." I added a 
shrug for good measure .
" Baka !" She barked . " You're avoiding the question !" 
" Huh ? What's the question ." I regret my words as soon as their out of my 
mouth .
    She squeals in frustration and grips her bookbag tighter . One more misstep 
and she'll throw it at me . Then my record goes poof .
" Oh , you mean the new stuff Pop wanted me to work on ?" I hope that fixes it .
    She relaxes , a vindicated expression forms on her face . Yup , that was 
what she wanted to hear . 
" So you think that some new technique your Father made up is more important 
than us huh ?" She puts her hands on her hips .
" Akane ju-" The warning bell saves me from possibly cramming my foot into my 
mouth once more . "-st . Come on we gotta hurry now !" 

                           *         *         *

    She loved school , it was possibly her most prolific source of lucrative 
opportunities . Betting on fights and sporting events , acting as a rumor-mill , 
and exploiting events of opportunity . Then there was Kuno , and Ranma . 
    Before Ranma had shown up she barely gleaned enough money for her family to 
eke by . Now she had had enough opportunities to actually have money to invest 
on behalf of her family . Slowly but surely it was all growing , soon much more 
permanent repairs could be made to the Dojo . All the old things in their house 
would be replaced . She might even convince her Father to reopen the Dojo to 
students . 
    But that was still in the future . Last month her stock gamble had fallen 
through , now she needed a fresh injection of cash to start over . 
" Foul sorcerer ." A dripping Kuno grumbled . " Now he learns to fly ."
" My aren't you a bit soggy , Kuno-chan ?" She snorted in amusement .
" I would much prefer you not to refer to me in such a familiar manner ." Kuno 
quipped . " Address me as Sempai , not ," He screwed his face up in disgust at 
the name . " Kuno-chan ." 
" Fine Sempai Kuno-chan ." She waited only long enough for him to give her 
withering look .
" You know I despise you ."
" Whatever , anyhow you said that Ranma can fly now ?" 
" Sadly it is so ." He hung his head dramatically . " The foul one now defies 
the laws of even the great mother , earth , and her gravity ."
" So ka ." She nodded , while attempting to decipher what the reality was .
" Even my mighty leap was passed over by one who had torn himself from the 
graceful embrace of the celestial orb's embrace ."
" He jumped higher than you ." She deadpanned .
" The vengeance of heaven is slow , but sure !" He struck a dramatic pose as 
thunder boomed in the distance .
" Kuno-san ! Please sit down !"  Their sensei reprimanded .
" H-hai ." He replied dumbly before complying .
    With a crooked smile she began working all the angles in her mind . The 
latest Kuno-Ranma confrontation had always been a surefire money machine in the 
past .



    Using only her eyes she glanced at Ranma . For once he appeared to be 
studying just like he was supposed to . That almost worried her . Sudden changes 
in study habits or lack thereof was not like Ranma at all . Special training by 
his Father would not improve Ranma's study habits , of that she was certain . 
    The thought that he had been out with one of his other fiancées crossed her 
mind . She cast another glance , this one directed at Ukyo . Only the other girl 
was looking at Ranma with the same puzzled look . So that left Ukyo out , but 
what about Shampoo ? No , Mousse would be attacking him at every turn if that 
had been the case .
    Then what ? 
" Saotome-san ?" Hinako-sensei asked .
" Hai ?" He looked up expectantly .
" Please read from line twenty seven then translate ." She asked with a raised 
eyebrow .
" Alright ." He raised the book a bit and squinted in concentration for a brief 
moment . "< Mister Johnson , could you tell me where main street is ?>" He read 
in heavily accented English . 
" Good , now please try to translate ." The child-teacher asked . " It does you 
no good to read but not know what you're reading ."
    Ranma took a deep breath and squinted at the words once more , his eyes 
darting over the line and back to the beginning a few times . " Johnson-san , 
could you tell main street where I am ?" He ended his own translation with a 
note of self doubt .
" At least I know you're not cheating ." Hinako-sensei smiled slightly . " No , 
it's 'could you tell me where main street is ?'" 
    She expected Ranma to scowl and toss the book on the desk in frustration as 
usual . Again Ranma acted quite out of character .
" But how do I know what the subject is ?" He asked with only puzzlement instead 
of frustration . 
    It took Hinako-sensei a few moments to deal with the odd event of Ranma 
actually asking a real question . " W-well , English has no regular structure . 
No specific part of speech that always points to the subject . So you have to 
infer it from the rest of the sentence or by other parts ." She gained 
confidence with every word , a smile began to spread on her face . " In this 
sentence 'tell' is an action immediately followed by what is acted upon , 'me' . 
Subjects are always nouns unless it poetry ."
" But you have two other nouns here right ? Mister Johnson and main street ." 
Ranma began , pointing to each in his text book . " A noun is a person , place 
or thing , right ?" He waited until a pleasantly surprised teacher nodded in 
acknowledgement . " So how do I know which is doing what ? 'where' is an action 
right ? You are somewhere . So how do I know what's doing what to what ?" 
" You infer it , sadly . Think to yourself how much sense your translation makes 
. I know gaijn don't make sense all of the time but what's in your textbook does 
make sense . So how much sense does asking main street to tell you where Mister 
Johnson is make ?"
" So you just juggle the nouns around to see what works best if you're not sure 
about it ?" 
" Hai ." 
" Arigato Sensei ." 
    She caught herself before her head hit the desk . 
    Ranma went back to studying , taking a few notes and scribbling down what he 
had just learned in his note book . 
    A glance to Ukyo told her nothing . The other girl looked just as shocked as 
her . In fact Ukyo still had yet to close her dropped jaw .
    Just what was going on here ? 
    After nearly a full hour of agonizing over that question the lunch bell rang 
. Ranma quickly finished his note taking with a flourish before wandering out 
the door to find a place to eat lunch at . 
    Suspicious , she zipped over to his desk and opened his note book , 
expecting to find gibberish or doodles . Only to find two pages of legitimate 
notes .
" Ran-chan has certainly turned over a new leaf in his studying ." Ukyo observed 
, reading over her shoulder .
" What happened to him ?" She whirled to face the other girl .
" I have no idea ." Ukyo replied . " I was going to ask you that . Did Kasumi-
san give him a talking to or something ?" 
" Hey ." Two facts made a connection in her mind . " She has been spending a lot 
of time with him lately ." 
" Maybe she's tutoring him ." Ukyo offered . " You know Ran-chan , convince him 
that something's a martial art or that he needs to compete in it and wham he 
goes to work ."
" English as a martial art ?" She looked at the other girl skeptically .
" You know how he hates to lose . Maybe she got him to look at failing a subject 
as losing ."
" That would get him going ." She nodded , looking at the still open note book .
    Something told her that there was more to it than just that . When she got 
home she would have a long talk about this .

                           *         *         * 

   He was lost . Not that this was an unusual occurrence in his life , far from 
it . Much too far . Everyone said he had no sense of direction . It was more 
than that . If it were simply lacking a sense of direction and maps he would try 
for the bathroom and end up in the bedroom , not try for the bathroom and end up 
in Korea ! Seoul was a nice place with plenty who spoke Japanese . Still it did 
take some time finding a bathroom . 
    After voiding his bladder he had tackled the task of getting back to Japan . 
It had not been easy but he had made it after passing through five other 
countries . Once in Japan it was onward to Tokyo . That had taken four days and 
eleven wrong cities . Once in Japan he had come upon Ranma . Such a rapid string 
of successes had put him in a particularly good mood . So he had been quite 
congenial to Ranma . That was before Ranma explained what that red and white box 
contained and whom it was for . 
    Of course he could not allow the cad to lead Akane on like that . Most 
likely the bastard was attempting to get Akane into bed with him . Filled with 
righteous fury to protect his beloved Akane from such a low manipulator like 
Ranma he had attacked .
    Ranma , already tired from a few previous fights , was far from his regular 
level of performance . During his stay in Korea he had taken a few pointers from 
another traveling martial artist . He had learned how to use his leg strength to 
launch a rapid spinning kick or back-fist . Adding his own touch had developed a 
new attack . A whirl of spinning kicks and back-fists that came from every 
height . His massive leg strength had pumped the rate of attack to something 
comparable to Ranma's Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken . Only each blow was almost at 
his full force . Two kicks in a row getting past Ranma's defenses were enough to 
crack rib and bring Ranma to his knees .
    If only he hadn't kicked Ranma over that wall and lost him before he could 
move in for the kill . He still had yet to completely conquer the intense 
dizziness that prolonged or repeated use brought on . Ranma must have been 
counting on that . He must have let that kick hit him . Ranma must have been 
counting on him getting lost in the pursuit .
" DAMN YOU RANMA !" He bellowed to the sky . 
    Then more quietly . " Where on earth am I now ?" 
" Tokyo , Nerima ward ." A helpful voice called from an apartment window above 
him . " And my condolences to this Ranma's family when you find him ." 
" Uh , thanks ." He waved back his face coloring . 
" Think nothing of it ." The man waved before shutting the window .
    Now he knew where he was , but that still did not get him any closer to his 
goal . For all he knew he could be in Nepal two hours from now . 
    However , standing still would only be prolonging the inevitable . So he 
started off in a fashion that worked as long as he moved slow and never lost 
concentration . He looked at the sign with the street name on it and started 
walking towards it , eyes never wavering from his goal . Only his peripheral 
vision guided him around obstacles . 
    It was slow moving , just one block at a time , but as long as he maintained 
strict and total concentration it worked . Hours went by but finally he found 
himself on the street of the Tendo Dojo . 
" At last !" He sighed with relief . " Just a few hundred meters ." 
    Then something or rather someone unmistakable caught his eye . A red 
sleeveless shirt , black loose pants , and walking on a fence . It was Ranma .
" YOU !" He howled , the anger of their last altercation flooding back into him 
anew . " NOW WE"LL FINISH IT RANMA !" He charged his rival as he shouted , 
drawing his bamboo umbrella with one hand and a few bandannas in the other . 
" Aww man ." Ranma moaned .
" DIE !" He bellowed , hurling the now hardened bandannas like throwing stars .
    Ranma leapt high into the air over the lethal projectiles , which buried 
themselves in the wall .
    Growling he looked up to find Ranma silhouetted against the sun's glare . 
Cursing he used his now free hand to shield his eyes . He waited until Ranma was 
almost on top of him before taking his swing . A grim smile sprang to his face 
as he felt impact . Only to be jerked off his feet at the end of the follow-
through . Smashing through the curb and almost through the wall across the 
street annoyed more than hurt him . He brandished his umbrella as sprang to his 
feet angrily .
    Ranma stood where by the opposing wall , his stance was relaxed but 
defensive . He may look open to attack but long experience had taught him that 
when Ranma looked obviously open it was always a trap .
" STOP IT !" Akane jumped between them . " Stop fighting , what's this about ?" 
" Please don't interfere Akane-san ." He moved to circle around . " This is 
between Ranma and me ." 
    Before she could protest more he leapt over her . Ranma was ready for him 
even before he had cleared Akane . His initial kick was dodged easily , but 
Ranma's counter was also dodged . For an instant they were only centimeters 
apart , his furious eyes burning into Ranma's calm gaze . 
    The concrete shattered , practically exploded , from the force of his 
initial kick off . The thrust of inhuman strength propelled him in a tight spin 
that turned his arms and free leg into a cylindrical wall of blows . The speed 
of his revolutions created a sudden vacuum that drew his opponent into the 
barrage . He smiled savagely as he felt each blow connect , this time they were 
comparatively light , glancing hits , designed to wear Ranma down . 
    Just as he had to grow used to the bakusai tenketsu his body still had not 
adjusted to the sudden and extreme g forces he created with such a tight spin . 
though he could hold out much longer he did not want the dizziness to overwhelm 
him like last time . No , he would not make that mistake again .
    He dropped his leg onto the ground like an anchor . He halted after only a 
final two forty degree spin . His anchor foot had dug a trench in the concrete 
five centimeters deep . 
    He turned to face Ranma , expecting a battered opponent , barely standing , 
just like the last time . 
    Ranma stood pristine . 
" Nani ?" He stared at his rival in shock .
    Ranma just stared back at him blankly . 
" DIE !" He shouted , determined to fix whatever went wrong .
    His initial punch was overturned and as he was planted into the wall he felt 
that arm lock painfully under Ranma's vice like grip . Tensing in perpetration 
to exert his full strength he was almost unaware of the sharp mono finger jab to 
the base of his skull until consciousness fled him .



    Today she had been surprised by Ranma many , many times . Now she found 
herself in shock once more . 
    At first it looked like all of Ranma and Ryouga's fights . Until Ryouga did 
the Tasmanian Devil impression from hell . Ranma had just set himself in forward 
stance then his arms had blurred in his familiar Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken . It 
seemed Ranma had negated every one of Ryouga's strikes with one of his own for a 
block . 
    After that Ryouga had been shocked himself , shocked into attacking headlong 
like some amateur . Ranma had handled Ryouga just so , locking the joint and 
redirecting the force of the punch . After that he had jabbed a nerve cluster 
and sent Ryouga into unwilling slumber .
    It seemed that even with that new attack Ranma still had no trouble with the 
eternally lost boy . 
" So far so good ." Ranma muttered .
" What happened ?" She asked , half to herself .
" Nothin' ." Ranma shrugged . 
" What do you mean nothing ?" She jabbed a finger at the C carved in the 
concrete . " What the hell was that ?"
" Just some new technique Ryouga picked up in Korea . Nothing special ."
" What'd you mean nothing special ? How in hell did you see something like that 
coming ?"
" He creamed me with it last week ." Ranma admitted . " After a week of looking 
at it in retrospect that was only one of 'bout eight counters I came up with ."
    She just stared at him .
" Come on I'm hungry ." He hopped back on the fence and waved for her to start 
walking .
" At least his appetite is the same ." She mumbled before following .
    They arrived at home without further incident . Dinner was ready and waiting 
for them . Ranma ate as usual , like a starving man about to be executed . She 
finished her meal at a much more civilized pace . 
    Finally after everyone was finished she had volunteered to help her eldest 
sister clean up . The rest of the family dispersed quickly . Once alone with her 
sister in the kitchen she found herself at a loss as how to open the 
conversation . Frankly she was at a loss as to exactly what the wanted to ask .
    Fortunately Kasumi saved her . " What is it you wanted to ask me ?" 
" Well ..." She tried to begin . " ...it's about Ranma . He's been acting 
...well 
different ." 
" How so ?" Kasumi asked mildly . 
" Well at school he did the weirdest thing today . He studied ."
" How is that so strange ?" Kasumi smiled .
" He never did before !" She cast a suspecting glance Kasumi's way . " And 
there's more , this morning he beat up Kuno without even touching him !"
" If he didn't touch him then how can he have beat him up ?" 
" Fine then he 'handled' Kuno without touching him . Then after school we ran 
into Ryouga and they fought as usual . But this time even though Ryouga had this 
weird new technique Ranma never even hit him once , all he did was joint lock 
him and use a pressure point ."
" Oh my , is Ryouga alright ?" Kasumi looked at her with some concern .
" Of course he's fine . But Ranma never hit him , Ranma never even got hit once 
the whole time !" 
" Oh that's good news ." Kasumi returned to washing the dishes .
" Oh !" She nearly squealed . " You don't get it Oneechan !"
" I don't ?" Kasumi asked , sounding a bit confused . " Ranma handled Kuno 
Tatawaki without touching him , did well at school today , and fought Ryouga 
without either of them being badly hurt . What am I missing ?" 
    She deflated at that . Kasumi went back to the dishes after politely waiting 
to be corrected for a minuet . The pair washed and dried in silence for a while 
until she had gathered herself once more and collected her thoughts again .
" You've been spending more time with Ranma lately ." She said , trying to sound 
casual about it .
" Hai ." Kasumi agreed .
    She waited but her older sister said nothing more . No change in facial 
expression , no change in body language . Nothing .
" Well , you never did before ." She tried again .
" Hai ." Kasumi agreed once more .
    Again she waited for more , and again she studied her sister for any change 
, and indication . Zip .
" So why are you now all of the sudden ?" 
" I didn't before so now I'm trying to do better ." 
    Now she hoped she was getting somewhere . Again she scrutinized her sister 
for any change . Nada .
" So what do you two do together ?" Now she tried to add some innocence into her 
casual act .
"  We talk most of the time . Sometimes I've helped him with homework , and now 
he's trying to get me to take up marital arts again ." 
    Her brain was halfway through sending 'Oh so you were the one to get him to 
work in school' to her mouth when it ground that to a halt after processing the 
rest of what Kasumi had said .
" He's what ?" She almost dropped the bowl she had been drying .
" Trying to convince me to start studying Musubetsu Kakuto Ryuu again ." Kasumi 
favored her with a wistful smile . " I'm so out of shape and practice I'd have 
to start all over again ." 
    She fell into defending her sister before following through with any other 
thoughts . " You ? Oh no , Kasumi , you used to be the best out of the three of 
us . You'd pick it up again in no time , just like riding a bike ."
" I wish I was that confident in myself ." Her older sister sighed before 
returning to the dishes .
" So how much time do you spend with Ranma nowadays ?" She returned to her 
former train of thought .
" I don't know really , I've never timed it ." 
" Have you noticed Ranma acting different lately ?" 
" Today ?"
" No , before today . Like this past week ." 
" Oh , that . Are you worried because Ranma was keeping his distance ?"
" He's avoiding me ." She put on a pout . 
" No he's not , Akane ." Kasumi put a gentle hand over hers . " I told him that 
you might need your space for a week ."
" You told him !? Why ?" Once more she almost dropped the bowl she had been 
drying . 
" With how angry you were that night and the fact that he was more than a bit 
injured that night too I thought it best . For both of you ." 
    Who was she to argue with the calm wisdom of her older sister ? 
" Hai ." She acknowledged . " Arigato ." 

         End of part 2  'To Try'


         Part 3  'Emotions'

    I guess I should be proud that I lasted that long . One week and two days . 
that's my record for going without getting clobbered . Of course it had been 
broken by Akane . I must have gotten too comfortable and let my guard over my 
mouth down . 'Cause I really shoved my foot in it that time . 
    We had been in the Dojo , I was holding cinder blocks in the air for her to 
break . But she had gotten mad at me when I upped the challenge a bit .
' Hold them still baka !'
' Real opponents don't hold still .'
' Cinderblocks aren't real opponents !'
' If you don't treat them more like a real opponent then what's the point ?'
' The point is to work on targeting power .'
' And non stationary targets don't do that how ?'
' I can't hit them if you move them !'
' Try .'
' I am , baka !'
' Not hard enough obviously .'
' I'm trying as hard as I can .'
' Then I guess you don't have what it takes to be a martial artist then .'
    So she had taken a swing at me to the tune of 'baka!' I blocked with the 
cinderblock . It had shattered , so like a moron I pointed at it and said 'more 
like that' . That had only pissed her off even more . Now backpedaling I had to 
dodge her attacks . If I hadn't made the situation bad enough I went and made 
sure it was beyond salvaging . 
' You see , real opponents move . I thought you were tomboy enough to understand 
that .'
    THAT had done it . She really got pissed then , now she was screaming at me 
as she attacked . When the tears started coming it was over . I never could 
stand to see a girl cry . When I saw that first tear I froze . 
    She had wasted no more time pummeling me into the ground , screaming at me 
the whole time . 
    I'm a real bastard . She said so , and she's right . Only damned bastards 
make girls cry all the time . I make Akane cry , Ukyo cry , even Shampoo . 
Kasumi never even frowned before I showed up . All I'm doing is making things 
worse for them . 
    Barely paying it any mind I plunge my hand down through the boulder I had 
been sitting on a few minuets ago . It all but explodes under my fist . Oh yeah 
, I'm real good at breaking things . 
    I look at the remains of the stone and anger wells up in me . All I can do 
is destroy . 
    Looking down at my hands I see them in fists . Fists that can kill in the 
blink of an eye , fists that rend and tear metal but can not give a gentle 
caress . I feel my teeth clenched . I can not open my hands .
    The urge to hit something , someone , make something pay for my anger , my 
pain is incessant and seductive . All too familiar was well .
    That just fuels my anger into rage , impotent rage . I'm angry that all I 
can do is destroy so what does that anger make me want to do ? Destroy . For all 
of my training , all of my life , all I am is destruction . 
    The rage passes , controlling it's urges has cost me . I fall to my knees in 
a cold sweat , my hands finally relax and open slowly . 
    Behind the trees , in a secluded corner of the park , I kneel beside a 
shattered boulder , and hate myself . I can't find any redeeming qualities about 
myself . 
    I'm handsome . Yeah , the most beautiful creatures in nature are also the 
most poisonous .
    I'm an honorable person . Which means that I'm trapped with hundreds of 
contradicting obligations . Then there is the fact that if my mother ever finds 
out about the flip side of Ranko I'll have to disembowel myself before she chops 
my head off .
    I'm a caring person . Am I ? No . I'm a selfish bastard , with an ego bigger 
than Russia . I use people whenever it's convenient , and I have the empathy of 
a grain of uncooked rice . 
    I help the community . Nope , had to quit that job , remember ? 
    I'm a good marital artist . Which translates to : I'm good a turning my body 
into a killing machine . Oh that's a plus ain't it ?
    I protect the weak . Whenever it'll stroke my ego .
    People care about me . Makes it easier to hurt them don't it ? Akane is 
proof of that .
" Why ?" I hear myself ask . 
    Ever since that morning I can see so clearly now . It's only gotten worse . 
Before I was blind to my own fault in the mess that is my life . Now it comes 
crashing down on me . 
    I used to think that everyone else was wrong . That Akane's accusations and 
insults were false and without foundation . Now I can see where it all comes 
from , like evidence brought before the jury . On the same token I thought 
Ryouga was nuts . Me put him through hell ? Now it's so clear why he hates me so 
much . I turned a already miserable life into hell .
    An hour ago I did the math with the help of a calculator . Ryouga spends 
roughly sixty percent of his time alone . As in no human contact at all . Twenty 
percent he spends in other countries , most of which he doesn't speak the 
language . The rest is what he spends here in Japan .
    None of that is my fault . But his curse is . I knocked him into that pool 
because I was too damn focused on beating up Pop . I cared about hitting my 
Father more than I did about someone else's life . What if he hadn't fallen into 
a pool ? Ryouga wasn't that tough back then , the fall could have broken his 
neck . If water finds him as often as it does me then Ryouga spends at least 
half of that time not even as a human . Kami-sama , I took part of his humanity 
from him .
    Why don't I just go off and commit seppuku ? That ain't a new thought . The 
problem there is that I'm an honorable person and I still have obligations . 
    So why not fulfill an obligation with seppuku ? Just take a thermos with 
cold water and one with warm , the family tanto , and skip off to Mom's place .
    But I don't want to put Mom through that . Damn clarity let's me see what'll 
happen there .
    She'll be overjoyed at first . Finally meeting me and all . Then she'll be 
confused when I calm her down and explain the curse . Most likely she'll be in 
denial until I demonstrate . After a quick faint she'll have the sword drawn in 
no time . After that it's pretty quick . Of course then she'll go off to hunt 
Pop down . Whether or not she gets him doesn't change the fact that she'll break 
down about me the next day . From there I guess she'll basically head downhill , 
maybe even following me in death . 
    My life was just as complicated now as it was before , but before I was 
blind . Before I couldn't see how much pain I was responsible for or just how 
hopeless it was trying to get out of it all .
    Now I wake up from the bad dream into the nightmare .
" Are you alright ?" A voice calls to me from the walkway beyond the trees .
" No ." I reply honestly , I'm amazed at how tired my voice sounds .
" Ran-chan ?" 
    On no . " Ucchan ?" I lift myself from the ground and come to my feet .
" Ran-chan ? What's wrong ?" She's pushing through the trees to be at my side , 
distress rings in her voice all the more clear to me now .
    Once more I grow angry . I ruined the last ten years of this girl's life by 
having the Father I have and she only shows selfless devotion to me . I don't 
deserve that from her . That devotion only hurts her as I cannot marry her and 
Akane , both equally valid engagements .
" Ran-chan ," She repeats . Her hand on my shoulder , a feather light touch 
banishes the anger in an instant . But the anger leaves only a tired void behind 
it . " please tell me what's wrong . I haven't seen outside of school for nearly 
a week ." 
    I'm used to being tired , but this isn't like fighting for hours or going 
without sleep for days . This is more of a worn feeling , like my emotions are 
tired . It's like my brain's been hitting the 'Angry' and 'Guilt' buttons so 
much and so hard that they don't want to work anymore . I'm not numb , it's more 
like a phantom emotion . 
" Don't worry Ucchan ." My words sound hollow even to myself .
" Sit ." She guides me down to the ground with a gentle hand . " Now tell me 
what's going on ?" 
" What do you mean ?" I'm staring at the ground now . 
" Are you avoiding me ?" The before I would have missed the hidden fear in her 
tone .
" No . Not you , I guess I was kinda avoiding everyone ." 
" Why ?" Relief slides into her simple question , but so does concern . How did 
I miss these things before ?
" Well I was under Kasumi's orders not to get hit for a week ." 
" Huh ?" That spoke for itself .
" I'll give ya a summary . I had just bought a necklace for Akane ," I feel her 
tense up . " I thought it would get me on her good side for a while ." While not 
wholly satisfied that explanation placates her . " Long story short , on the way 
I got jumped by Mousse . He slices my chest open so I knock him into this week . 
Then I have to get the necklace from Kodachi . On my way to Tofu-sensei I run 
into Pantyhose . He somehow got it into his head that I'm hiding the freak . I 
finally shake him , but the necklace took a beating . Finally I get to the 
clinic . Tofu-sensei patches me up , but then I had to go and tell him that 
Kasumi wanted to keep the book she borrowed for another week ."
    I hang my head at my own stupidity .
" It took me twenty minuets to reposition my joints after escaping the joyful 
lunatic . So I start for the Dojo again . Then I run into Ryouga .  Not too much 
of a problem normally , but he learned a new technique when he was last in Korea 
. He'll spin around throwing spin kicks and back fists just as fast as my Kachu 
Tenshin Amaguriken . I wasn't prepared for it . I got smeared all over the alley 
by that damn thing . But he's still working on it . It still makes him dizzy so 
he screwed up and kicked me into another alley and got lost before he could 
finish me off . 
    Once I could walk I started off for the Dojo again . This time it was the 
freak who found me . I was walking one second and then splash-glomp he's on me . 
But when I changed my breasts growing snapped the stitches on my chest . That 
ticked me off real good . I clobbered him but the damage was done . Then the old 
ghoul moved in . She had been watching me since Ryouga . It seemed like a good 
time to her to test how well I fought when wounded . I guess I passed , 'cause 
she left after a few minuets of slapping me around . Finally I thought I was in 
the clear . I thought too soon . Some stupid spirit of household appliances 
summoned by Gosunkugi's stupid magic came after me . It zapped me a couple of 
times before I finally punted it out of Tokyo . 
   " By this time the necklace is beyond ruined . The chain's snapped , the 
sapphire is gone , the silver body is twisted almost in half . So I'm feeling 
pretty damn low . Right before I get to the door my danger sense goes nuts . 
Then I hear Kasumi talking Akane out of ambushing me for being late .
    " Thank Kami-sama Kasumi convinced Akane to go to bed . I was about to faint 
right there . So after Akane leaves Kasumi lets me in and cleans me up as best 
she can . Then she told me that I better avoid being beat up by Akane for at 
least a week ." 
    The whole time Ukyo had been listening she had gone through a whole range of 
emotions . Anger , at the repeated beatings , pity for the ruined gift , and 
gratitude to Kasumi . 
" So why avoid me too ?" 
" Not just you , just about everybody . I mean I get near any of you and the 
rest jump me ." I give her a pleading look . " If I'm around Akane we fight and 
I get beat up . If I'm around Shampoo , Mousse attacks . If I'm around you the 
other three come looking for me . It just goes on like that ." 
    A shadow falls over her face . " So I just get you hurt do I ?" 
" No !" I quickly interject . " Not you , the others ." 
    She is silent .
" I'm trapped Ucchan . I can't marry all of you ." 
" Then why not just marry me !" She is suddenly incredibly close to me . Our 
faces almost touching .
" Honor demands that I marry you ." I concede . " But it also demands that I 
marry Akane . I can't do both ." 
" So you have to do one !" She presses her point . " If the others coming after 
you is the problem then why not elope with me ?"
" And run for the rest of our lives ? I hate running ." Her proximity stirs 
other parts of my mind , and my heart . I fight to remain in logical control .
" They'd give up sooner or later ." 
" No they wouldn't ." I shake my head , if just to break eye contact with her 
pleading , earnest , loving eyes . " Shampoo can't return without me , Kodachi 
is nuts , and the Tendos are just as honor bound as the Saotomes ." 
" Ran-chan ." She pleads . " It'd be so simple-"
" It's not simple ." I cut her off . " that's the problem , there is no simple 
answer . I have too many obligations to keep them all ." 
    Finally she sits back , now at a less intimate distance once more . " I'm 
not asking you to keep all of them . I'm just giving you a way out , Ran-chan . 
A way out of this mess , so you can be happy . I just want you to be happy ."
    I just wanna kill myself when I hear her say that . 
" I know Ucchan . I know ." No more words come to mind . 
    Even though I don't look at her I can tell she's staring at me . And that 
she's trying not to cry . 
    I've done it again . Damn it to hell . I've made another person I care about 
cry .

                           *         *         *

    He was not depressed for once . He was quite puzzled , a but angry , but 
more puzzled than anything . 
    Ranma had been able to beat him easy before . Like before Cologne had taught 
him the Bakusai Tenketsu . But this was beyond that , this time it was like 
fighting an entirely different person . Ranma usually overcame him through sheer 
speed and dodging skill , slowly wearing him down . But there had been none of 
that this fight . Ranma had never gone on the offensive once , and that was just 
not Ranma . It had almost been as if Ranma had not been really fighting , as if 
he posed no threat to him . 
'...like fighting an empty jacket , for he was not fighting at all ..' Came the 
quote to mind .
    It fit . Somehow Ranma had reached a new level . Not just improving , but 
surpassing the level that they had both been on . Now Ranma was in a league up 
from him . So what could he do ? Who could he ask ?
" Cologne ." He answered himself aloud . 
" Yes ?" 
    Looking over his shoulder revealed the small elderly woman stilling behind 
him by the campfire . Despite the feat of jumping four meters into the air 
without the use of arms or legs Cologne did not seem impressed .
" H-how d-did you get here ?" He asked , trying to steady his breathing .
" Simple , I knew of your spectacularly underwhelming performance against my 
future-son-in-law . I assumed you would like some assistance and guidance ." The 
amazon matriarch eyed him with an unreadable expression . " Or would you wish to 
end your quest to defeat Ranma once in for all ?" 
" NEVER !" His own vehemence surprised him , but not the elder .
" You would have made a fine Amazon . It's a pity , your gender ." She said more 
to herself than him before standing . " Very well . Tell me your view of what 
happened in your last skirmish with future-son-in-law ."
    He did . The fact that it only took a few moments to retell shamed him .
" Ah , another piece falls . How many remain ?" The elder mused before looking 
him in the eye . " I will train you . You will reach this new level , but the 
training will be hard . Much harder than what you previously experienced . This 
will involve mental training , as well . You may wish to die many times during 
it , a few times you might . Are you willing ?" 
    A part of his mind told him that this was making a deal with a demon , or a 
devil . Another just told him that it was just from the firelight and the eerie 
air about the elder , nothing more .
" I am willing ." 
    The matriarch smiled . " Good . Good my boy . Know that I'll not teach you 
simply one technique as I did last time . This shall be a shaping of you , a 
tempering of your edge . Both are done by fire . The first log on the flame 
shall be to refine your body . Come ." The ancient woman hopped up to balance on 
her staff and motioned for him to follow her into the night .
    With mixed feelings of foreboding and eagerness he dutifully followed . He 
knew she promised power through pain , but pain was something he was already 
very intimate with . Now he wanted the power he was due .



    She threw the pillow into her closet in disgust . This was the second time 
she had cried her eyes out into a pillow today . Now just looking at the tear 
stained thing threatened her control . 
    Why couldn't he see that she was trying so hard to get along with him . She 
had asked him to help her train in the hopes that they could share an activity 
without fighting . It had ended up worse than she could have imagined .
    It wasn't as if he was doing anything worse . It was just that it was 
compounding now . All the insults over the last year . Yes she got angry and hit 
him , but that didn't erase the memory , the sting of the words . Each insult 
was still there , burning in her . She was like a glass full to the brim , only 
surface tension preventing a spill . But every insult broke that surface , 
causing her to lash out in increasingly greater amounts of anger .
    Ranma avoiding her had hurt , it had hurt her a lot . He may be the source 
of her pain , but he was still a constant in her life that she had come to 
depend on . 
    Now it wasn't Ranma lashing out back at her that hurt the most , it was him 
leaving . After she had beaten him nearly senseless in the Dojo today she had 
bawled into her pillow for twenty minuets in anger and pain . When Ranma hadn't 
come back for dinner she had cried again . This time in guilt . 
    She knew she wanted to get along with him so badly . To at least make their 
relationship as friends work if their relationship as an engaged couple could 
not . Then why couldn't she let go of the insults ? 
    Because he didn't . He never apologized to her . Either he won an argument 
or he threw a fit . His attempts at apologizing were like his attempts at 
complimenting her . Merely vessels for his own self tribute . Whenever he told 
her that she was good at anything he had to mention in the same breath that he 
happened to be better . That was why she could not let them go , she had nothing 
to replace them with . 
" Akane ?" Nabiki poked her head in the open door . " Kasumi sent me to check on 
you ."
    Quickly she turned from her sister , trying to hid her tear stained face .
" Akane ?" Nabiki repeated in a very different tone . " You're crying ." Her 
older sister observed .
" Go away , Nabiki ." She didn't need this .
    A slender arm around her shoulders surprised her . She looked over to see 
Nabiki looking back at her with genuine concern in her eyes .
" Sit ." Nabiki guided both of them over to sit on the edge of her bed .
" Now what's wrong ?"
" What do you think !" She snapped , instantly regretting it . " I'm sorry , I 
didn't mean that ." 
" I'd hope not ." Nabiki nodded before pressing on . " What'd the oaf do now ?"
    She thought for a moment before answering . Now because no words came . But 
because all to many sprang to her lips eagerly . Each of them insulting to Ranma 
, derogatory , partially true , and something she'd said many times before .
" It's what he's not doing , Nabiki . He's not fighting back really anymore . He 
used to insult me , I'd hit him and he'd get back up and do it again . Now he 
just leaves . It's not like Ranma , and it scares me . He's not talking to me , 
he's avoiding me . But it gets worse . I miss him , I want to talk to him again 
. But when he gets back I'm more angry that before and then he leaves again !"
" Vicious cycle ." Nabiki nodded .
" I want this to work so badly Nabiki . If we can't really be a couple then I 
want us to be friends at least . But he's not trying anymore Nabiki , it's like 
he just gave up fighting back . Ranma never gives up !"
" No he doesn't . But he does try new approaches ." Her sister pointed out .
" What ?"
" Maybe this is a new strategy of his . He might be seeing if giving you time 
and space will let you cool down , you know run out of steam ?" 
" But I'm worse when he gets back and I can't help it !" 
" Why ? Why are you worse ?" Her sister probed .
" I don't know . Maybe because I'm worried sick the whole time ?"
" Are you worried now ?" Nabiki raised an eyebrow .
" Yes ! For all I know he's out with the bimbo or Ukyo , or Kodachi's got him !"
" Oh ." 
    The two sisters sat by each other for some time before she looked off into 
space and broke the silence .
" What am I going to do Nabiki if this doesn't get better ? What kind of life 
can I have with a husband I hate ?" She said softly .
" What do you mean ?" Her older sister did not seem to understand . " If this 
doesn't get better why would you marry him ?" 
    That caused her to give Nabiki a bitter look . " Remember the day Ranma got 
here . I was the one chosen to marry him . I have to , our family's honor 
depends on it ." 
    The hidden accusation was not lost on Nabiki . The middle Tendo daughter 
looked away . " All I could think of was not marrying a girl ," She replied 
softly . " well half girl ." She corrected herself . " I know it was selfish and 
unfair ." 
" So now I'm stuck with him ." She stated flatly .
" No you're not ."
" Huh ?"
" We may have volunteered you , but none of that was set in stone ." Nabiki 
still looked off into space in much the same manner she had done . " Daddy gave 
Ranma his choice out of the three of us . Since he didn't chose before we 
volunteered you , you got him . But we can still switch it to me ." 
" You ?" She stared at her sister incredulously .
" Why not ?" Nabiki shrugged absently , still looking away . " I'm pretty sure I 
could handle Ranma . I'd save me the trouble of finding a husband . I'm also 
sure that if I married Ranma he wouldn't interfere , much less overshadow my 
business career . I'm a perfectly logical choice ." 
" Logic ?" She almost shook her sister . " But what about love ? Could you love 
him ?" 
" I doubt it ." The answer sounded forced for Nabiki , but she didn't take the 
time to consider it . 
" Then why ? You don't have to give up a chance for love just because I'm too 
stupid to make my relationship work ." 
" Do you love Ranma ?" 
    This distant act of Nabiki's was beginning to scare her .
" I don't know ..." She answered truthfully . " I do care about him ."
" Just because you love someone or care deeply for them doesn't a relationship 
make , Akane ." Her older sister shook her head slowly , still staring off into 
space . " Much less a marriage . You can fall in love with the wrong person . It 
happens . I have my dreams Akane , I can realize them with Ranma as my husband . 
Can you say the same thing , Akane ?" 
    She stared at her sister's profile for a moment before answering carefully .
" I won't let you switch the engagement unless I know for certain that it'll 
never work between Ranma and I ." 
" Fair enough ." 
" Nabiki ?" 
" Hai ?"
" You never mentioned Kasumi the whole time ? Why ?" 
" I don't know about you , but she's already sacrificed too many of her dreams 
for us . I'm not going to let her sacrifice any more of herself ." Her older 
sister declared with determined finality .

                           *         *         *

    There was a definite change in the general ki of the Dojo . As an old Dojo 
that had seen countless battles , and decades of practice it had it's own unique 
impression of the flow of the area . 
    He was many things , few of them honorable , but none of those things 
disputed his skill in the art . Feeling the change in the flow was as natural to 
him as distinguishing between light and dark , hot and cold . 
    He lifted his head from gorging himself on the bag of potato chips . The 
change grew more pronounced by the moment . But this did not alarm him at all . 
In fact a small smile formed from the thin line of his lips .
    It was not a disturbance , it was just a change in the flow . More of an 
addition really . Like the gradual rise of a river . The current changed to 
accommodate the new shapes it flowed over as it engulfed new territory .
    He knew what was causing this addition to the ki of the old Tendo Dojo . It 
was Saotome Ranma . That fact alone swelled his burly frame with pride . Only 
absently did he continue to retrieve chip after chip and consume them .
    Before Ranma had shown little interest in training in pure ki . Little 
beyond dramatic effects such as his Moko Takabisha . It seems now Ranma has 
opened his eyes to the discipline and art of the inner balance and energy . But 
once his son had turned to the training he took to it as he had done with all 
other forms of the art , with the focus and determination of a zealot . Ranma 
had already developed a massive amount of raw ki as a side effect of his 
impressive physical and mental training . What a discovery it must have been for 
his son to look within one day and find a veritable mountain of unshaped , raw 
potential .  
    Only a few days ago Ranma had come to him asking for basic instruction on ki 
training and research . He had tried to delve into the branch of the art that 
Ranma had neglected for far to long with his usual fervor . Only to have Ranma 
verbally assault him for his ...enthusiasm .
    So , regretfully , he had given his son the basics . The meditation that 
would allow him to examine the flow of ki throughout his body as a mirror 
allowed him to see his physical stance . How to gently manipulate the flow . How 
to exercise his ki as you would flesh muscles . Finally the basic principals of 
interaction between his own ki , the physical realm outside his body , and 
rudimentary ki to ki interaction of his and the that of the natural world . Just 
enough to get him started . 
    But already his son had surpassed his expectations . He had guessed that 
Ranma would be at his point only a few months from now . It seemed that Ranma's 
learning curve had just leapt from extraordinary into the ludicrous .
    Currently , Ranma was practicing taking the flow of his ki to it's limits . 
Like forcing a river to flow faster and faster . Just the splash over , the ki 
excess ki that escapes Ranma's body like mist from a waterfall , was gently 
altering the sensitive flow of the Tendo Dojo .
    If he had not been expecting an event like this he would have missed it 
completely . He seriously doubted that even his friend Soun would notice the 
change . 
    All too soon the bag was empty . Hunger taking precedence over basking in 
his son's achievements he stood . Letting his attention drop from feeling the 
change , he focused instead on finding more to snack on . 



    This was the thirteenth time since that first incident a week after Ranma's 
recovery that she found herself in the exact same situation . After hours of 
cleaning and household maintenance she found herself at the door to the Dojo . 
Once again it was open . Apparently Ranma did not feel that he should actively 
hide his practice from the world . 
    This time she found him sitting across the Dojo , against the wall directly 
opposite her . The floor was once more decorated with scattered puddles from the 
sweat of hours of intense physical exertion . 
    Now he sat cross-legged , his eyes closed and his head slightly lowered . 
For a moment she feared something might be wrong . But his breathing was regular 
, his face calm . 
    The walls groaned softly . Anyone else would have tuned the subtle sound out 
completely . But she had learned to listen to every sound of the house . How to 
interpret them like a tracker looking at bend grass and snapped twigs . That was 
how she always seemed to have a supernatural sense of events in the Tendo home . 
    But this sound had no apparent cause , and meant nothing that she knew . The 
roof seemed to reply with a deep moan of it's own . The smooth boards of the 
floor creaked softly as they shifted almost imperceptibly . Looking now at the 
floor she noticed the puddles flowing . Small and extremely shallow , they slid 
silently across the floor as the boards rose and fell by measures of scant 
millimeters .
    The whole effect to her was one of quiet wonder and a bit of awe . Nothing 
about the odd happenstance scared her . Guessing that Ranma was the cause she 
looked again to the young heir to Musubetsu Kakuto Ryuu . 
    He looked at peace almost . His face was clean of the hard lines of worry or 
tension , but the expression still betrayed a burden that had not been lifted . 
The longer she looked at him the more a odd feeling grew in the back of her mind 
. It was almost like a buzzing , the quietly insistent voice of instinct . The 
nebulous feeling grew until , without warning it died the moment Ranma's eyes 
snapped open .
    At once the roof , floor , and walls groaned as each returned to their 
normal positions . Then all was eerily quiet .
" Hi Kasumi ." Ranma greeted her . " This place has is so attuned to the ki of 
martial artists ." He gestured to include the walls and floor . " Anywhere else 
and there wouldn't be such a noticeable effect ." 
" I'm sorry ." She apologized by reflex . " Am I intruding ?"
" Never ." He smiled at her and stood .
" What exactly were you doing ?" She asked as he walked over to her .
" Just some ki exercises ." He shrugged . " I feel pretty dumb , having 
neglected a branch of the art until now ." 
" How will this training help you ?" She fell into step beside him as he walked 
over to retrieve a towel .
" Umm . How can I put it ..." He dried what sweat still clung to him and 
pondered 
how to answer her . " I guess it's like up 'till now I've just been ..no ... 
Okay 
look at it like this ." He turned to her and gestured at his body . " If I'm 
like a sword . Then right now I'm a real strong blade , but I've never been 
sharpened . Alla my other training has shaped and strengthened me , but was just 
like one of Kuno's wooden toys , no edge . This hones all I've been doing these 
past ten years ."
" Oh my ." She attempted to imagine Ranma becoming much more powerful than he 
already was . Even with all she had seen her imagination balked at the task .
" Course it'll take me a while to catch up with those ten years , but so far so 
good ." 
    She watched as he took one of the floor cloths and proceeded to dash from 
one side of the Dojo to the other , pushing the cleaning cloth along the floor 
before him . Within a minuet he had the wet floor sparkling and bone dry .
    After finishing cleaning up Ranma exited the Dojo with her walking by his 
side . Their chat had turned to more mundane events and activities , but she 
enjoyed every moment nonetheless . 

                           *         *         *

    She stared at the open door to her restaurant . But no matter how hard she 
wished it he would not suddenly walk through . Nor would anyone else for that 
matter . Ever since the McDonalds opened up farther down the block she hardly 
ever picked up any impulse snackers between established meal periods . They all 
went for the damn western fast foods .
    Not that she was doing badly , far from it thankfully . But her growth this 
quarter had dropped ten percent due to the loss . Not something to just shrug 
off . 
    Still for all her other worries Ranma still stood out in her mind . He had 
changed in the last month . Ever since that necklace fiasco at the beginning of 
the month . 
    He was still her Ran-chan , still the man she loved with all her heart . In 
fact many of the changes she found she loved . But some were ones she could do 
without . Now he was much more moody . Problems that he wouldn't have noticed or 
cared about before he agonized over . His grades were up , his martial arts 
training was better than ever , and he was doing much better socially . However 
, he now avoided Akane after every beating she gave him . Once she would have 
thought that a good move , but not now . It was akin to the old adage 'never go 
to bed angry , stay up and fight' . Ranma avoiding Akane only hurt her and 
forced him to stew in his own misery when in self inflicted exile from the Tendo 
residence . 
    In her most recent letter to her Father she had brought up this dilemma . 
Her Father had came up with many insightful points and hypotheses . At the 
beginning of his reply he had stated : 'Ucchan , I do hate to say it , but isn't 
this what you were waiting for ? Isn't this your opportunity to finally show 
Saotome Ranma how happy you could make him ? Why do you agonize over your 
rival's imminent self defeat ?'
    She hated to admit it , but he was right . Why indeed ? The answer she had 
found was that she had matured too . Once she would have grinned , shoved Ryouga 
into Akane's arms and ran off with Ranma before anyone could blink . But not 
anymore . It wasn't so simple . Her past answer even pointed to her current one 
. She did not want to win her happiness at the cost of another's . Even before 
she would have tried to make sure Akane had someone . 
    However , now Ryouga was seeing Akari for one , and Akane really did show 
that she wanted Ranma and her to work . Ranma had already demonstrated his 
loyalty to Akane . Now it seemed that loyalty was the only thing keeping him 
with her . But with someone like Ranma loyalty could remain unbroken even 
through decades of personal torture . It wasn't so much getting him to want her 
, as allowing him to . Her love was being strangled in a hopelessly tangled web 
of twisted honor , promises , and duty .
" Yo , Ucchan ." Her beloved called before entering her establishment . 
    Quickly she composed herself . Seeing her worry over him would only hurt him 
even more .
" Ran-chan !" She called happy to him , already preparing his usual order .
" Not today ." He waved her cooking preparations off . 
" Not hungry ? You ?!" 
" I am , but no time ." He looked about for a second before producing a map from 
his shirt .
" Are we finally eloping ?" She asked jokingly , putting away her cooking 
utensils .
" You wish ." He snorted with a smile .
" I do ." She answered truthfully , but with a similar smile . " So what's up ?"
" I think I've figured out a way that we can talk every day like we used too , 
but without anyone finding out ." 
" Nani ?" She glanced from the map to him . " How ?"
" Well you know that building by the park , the one with the billboard of Goku 
on it ?" He began .
" Yeah ?" 
" Well you and I can meet there , the billboard will keep anyone from seeing us 
up there . Also it's out of any of the roof hopping routes that alla us martial 
artists use ." He pointed to various marked out paths criss-crossing the map .
    She stared down at the map for a few moments , amazed . He had every major 
martial artist's usual paths marked out , and color coded for each individual . 
Her routes were lined in green . 
" This must have taken you weeks to research ." She looked up at him , 
thoroughly impressed . 
" Naw . I just crossed what I remembered with the info I sneaked outta Nabiki's 
files ."
" Nabiki's ?" 
" Yeah , ever since day one she's been keeping info files on all of us ." He 
looked at her as if she should have known . " But since I learned Umi-sen-ken 
I've been keeping tabs on what she has ."
    She didn't realize her jaw had dropped until he reached across and closed it 
for her . 
" I had no idea you ..you....I just had no idea ." Even she wasn't sure what she 
meant by that .
" Anyhow I know that Nabiki would track me and you down . 'Cause some time or 
another one of my fiancée's would realize that you and me kept disappearing 
around the same time . So they'd pay Nabiki and she'd find out . But I got that 
covered too ."
" You have Nabiki outsmarted ?" She hoped her jaw would stay put this time .
" Wasn't easy . Well , yeah it was ."
    This time she thought her eyes would bug out . Outsmarting Nabiki , easy ? 
" Y'see Nabiki's a creature of habit . So am I , but she's worse . You see she 
never expects anyone she's thinks she's got figured out to surprise her . So I 
just give her the behavior she wants and she thinks she's got it covered ." Now 
he was grinning from ear to ear . " A few days ago I started a pre workout jog 
every day after I finish my homework , about the same time the dinner rush is 
over . I knew that Nabiki would either put the two times together or wonder 
about my sudden interest in jogging . So I waited until she followed me . Then I 
waited until she questioned everybody . Finally I made sure that she had filed 
her conclusion away and forgot about the whole thing . Now just to be sure I 
waited another day until coming here to let you in on it ."
" Ran-chan ," She began . " please don't take this the wrong way , but I had not 
earthly idea that you could pull something like this off ."
" Never tried before ." He shrugged , but glad for the praise .
" I'm in ."
" Great , check the map I've got six routes for you to follow . Never take the 
same one twice in a row ." He cautioned . " What I do is I put them in a bag and 
draw a number , that'll be my route for the day if it isn't a repeat ."

         End of part 3  'Emotions'



         Part 4  'Satori'
    
    " Where is Great Grandmother ?" She asked the blind one .
" Still out training that Hibiki guy ." He replied from behind his pile of 
dishes .
" Oh , and when you done wash dishes ?" She asked him absently . " We need be 
ready to close for night ." 
" We do ? How so ? We still have an hour before regular closing time ." He 
replied .
" Just do as Shampoo say !" She snapped . 
    Mu Tzu continued to wash dishes in silence for a time . She could almost 
feel the build up . Each had known the other far too long . 
" You are going to follow her aren't you ." 
    Only for a moment did she consider whether or not to respond . 
"< Of course , I know that Great Grandmother means well , but she has been wrong 
a few times . I fear she might underestimate Ryouga's desire to kill my dear 
husband .>"
"< Oh , he's you're husband ?>" Mu Tzu calmly switched to their native tongue as 
well .
"< You know our laws just as I do .>" For a moment she thought of getting up 
from counting the days earnings and striking him , only a moment . 
"< But the counsel declared that in light of the Republic's restrictions on our 
law's extensions into international affairs you are not married to him .>" 
"< I am married to Ranma .>"
"< Only on Chinese soil .>" 
"< Or if I secure a marriage license valid internationally .>"
"< Which requires his consent .>" The long haired boy snorted . "< Why pine for 
a man who will not submit to your will even simply binding himself to you ?>"
"< Mu Tzu , it would be wise of you to hold your tongue before I am forced to 
cut it out .>" She warned in all seriousness .
    He held his tongue , barely . 
"< I doubt Ryouga could kill Ranma .>" Mu Tzu began after a moments silence .
"< Oh ?>" This was odd .
"< From all of my experiences in combat with Saotome Ranma he as been holding 
himself back unconsciously .>"
"< He just doesn't want to kill you by accident .>" She smirked .
"< Exactly .>"
"< What ?>" Agreement had not been his expected reaction .
"< But when his life is actually threatened that ideal is cast aside .>" He 
continued .
"< How do you know this ?>" This time she turned about fully to stare at the 
back of her oldest friend and enemy .
"< Because I was curious not too long ago and actually tried using a lethal 
technique on him .>" He tensed , expecting her outrage .
"< Go on .>" She prompted tightly .
"< I barely hit him , and only then because he wasn't expecting me to actually 
try to kill him outright . It was a shallow gash along the left side of his 
chest , nothing more .>"
"< You said he cast his restraint aside ?>"
"< Yes . As much as I hate to say it , I was defeated before he even had worked 
himself up to full strength . Of course I was caught flat , I was expecting his 
sudden ferocity as much as he was expecting my lethality .>"
"< Ah , so my husband is stronger than I even thought ?>" A smile rose up .
"< In a sense ,>" He conceded . "< but I am too in that same sense .>" Mu Tzu 
finished ominously .
"< If you COULD kill my husband I WOULD kill you Mu Tzu .>" The promised .
"< Why do you think I did not kill him our first fight ?>" He countered .



    It looked like it was time to face the music . Even if she happened to be 
the one playing . Great .
" This is a all time low for you ." She told her reflection in her mirror . 
" What's next sobbing into a Dear diary entry ?" She continued in an attempt to 
both stall and lighten the mood before she would proceed .
    Finally she stood , walked over to her bed and stretched out on it's 
familiar mattress . This was it , no turning back from here . She might as well 
give the thesis statement to herself .
" It's apparent that Ranma and Akane are just not going to work . This means 
that now I have to either make them work or I marry Ranma ." 
    There , she had said it aloud , now it was done . Now she had to go beyond 
her comfortable planning zone . 
    Option one : Somehow make Ranma and Akane's relationship work . First 
problem there was how to go about it . Both had been fighting for so long that 
she doubted there was any way to repair all the damage there . Getting them to 
stop arguing might be the way . Ranma seemed like he was farther there than 
Akane was , but right now something else seemed to be going on with him . 
    From her observations his relationships with everyone else had changed only 
slightly . Ukyo and him seemed to be apart currently , not a good thing for 
Ranma . Ukyo was possibly his only truly supportive fiancée . He seemed to be 
distancing himself from Shampoo , a good move if done gently , and from Kodachi 
, also a very good move . Then there was the surprise of Kasumi . She now spent 
more time with Ranma than basically anyone else . This was so new to Kasumi's 
behavior that she didn't want to make any premature hypotheses yet . However , 
in her gut she felt it should turn out to be a good thing for both of them in 
the end . Kasumi spent too much time alone , and Ranma spent too much time 
without someone who wasn't 'on his side' . Then , of course , there was her 
little sister , Akane .
    This was the clincher , the thing that made her worry that it might be far 
too late . Ranma had always stayed at Akane's side . Even from very early on he 
had been there for her in times of danger . He was her protector , companion , 
occasional confidant , and one constant in her abnormal life . Even through some 
of her little sister's worst abuse he had remained at her side like a loyal 
fiancé . Now it was different . She could see it , even if Akane could not . 
Before he was loyal to her , but willingly . If asked or accused of loving his 
Tendo fiancée he would deny it vigorously . Too vigorously . 'Methinks Ranma 
doth protest too much' had come to her mind once . Now that emotional element , 
the fire that came with his duty was gone . He no longer seemed comfortable at 
all around Akane . Yesterday he had even sat across the table from Akane for the 
first time . He walked by Akane to school like a escorted prisoner . He was 
there , he would protect her with his life , but it would be from duty alone .
    He had to still feel something for her . He had fought too hard and far too 
often for her to just throw it all away . But love does go sour . 
    Once the analogy of taste came to her mind she stuck with it . At first his 
love for Akane had been faint and sweetly sour , like the taste of a drop of 
lemon juice in water . Over time it became more sweet and pronounced , the taste 
thickened . But perpetual arguments and abuses wore the sweet away . His love 
for her became sour , still something to be savored in the right mood . But now 
it seemed the sour had finally resolved to bitterness . Now the shouted insults 
she heard night after night through her closed door must outweigh the rare smile 
she had given him .
    Akane wasn't about to offer any real help now . Things were beginning to 
dawn on her . Her little sister was slowly realizing that this was the end , and 
she was too frightened to do much more than what she had always done to things 
that frightened her , she got angry . Akane expressed her own helplessness to 
stop the downward spiral by lashing out . That only served to further destroy 
things .
" Kami-sama , why , Akane ?" She rubbed her temples while she stared up at her 
ceiling .
    After reviewing her previous points it was still obvious . Barring divine 
intervention , or some earthy miracle , she couldn't fix the damage permanently 
. And this was either permanently or not at all . In good conscience she could 
not condemn her sister to a marriage that would struggle along for a decade at 
the most before collapsing . No , she would rather set her sister free to pursue 
a man she fit better with . 
    Which meant option two : she would marry Ranma . Now it was time to delve 
where she feared to before . 
    The big question first . Could she love Ranma ? 
    The answer : yes , in time . Ranma was not the sort she was used to viewing 
as husband material . He was quite handsome , that body of his had intruded her 
dreams many times since she had met him . He was a honorable person who she 
could count on when she needed him the most . Not something you found often . He 
was a powerful martial artist , and seemed to be a magnet for interesting people 
and situations . That meant her life would never be dull and a constant influx 
of money . His recent school performance did show that his mind branched farther 
than martial arts . She did not want to marry a man who was dumb as rock . 
    However , he did have numerable faults . Not many really mattered , but she 
could hardly say she saw him as perfect . He had an ego that could match China 
for size . Well she had one of her own , they both had them for good reasons . 
He was younger than her . She did not fancy being married to someone more that 
marginally less mature than her . He had little interest beyond marital arts . 
Well that seemed to be false if what she had heard from Kasumi was right . Then 
there was the curse . For all her open mindedness and teasing of Akane about 
Ranma's condition she had to look at Ranma's curse as a problem . While perhaps 
it might make the bed portion of their marriage interesting . It would pose 
problems in other areas . For one public shows of affection would have to be 
made after a quick check for any water lurking about . Even if she let all of 
her gender inhibitions go in favor of Ranma being a male underneath there still 
was his own apprehension about his curse .
    A month after Ranma's arrival she had posed the curse to a psychologist as a 
thought experiment . Over almost daily e-mail correspondence they had gone back 
and forth . She would provide the observations of the cursed subject . He would 
analyze them and give projections and hypotheses . That had proven to be 
disturbingly enlightening .
    It seemed that Ranma's curse had to be the second most emotionally shaking 
event of his life , second only to the neko-ken training . Ranma , being raised 
to be a stereotypical man-among-men , found suddenly being a girl more to be a 
worse fate than death . His entire purpose in life had been destroyed in one day 
. His self image was shattered and his identity was gone . Then his Father had 
chosen this time to tell Ranma that he was engaged . Only to find that his new 
fiancée hated him . Before they had gotten much farther than that Professor 
Takashinji had asked how MANY times had the subject attempted suicide since . He 
had gone on to give her a few insights into Ranma's mental state . Almost all of 
Ranma's posturing and obsession on becoming stronger in his art was an attempt 
to both protect his vulnerable self and distance others from him as he 
desperately tried to find himself again . 'My experience , having a martial 
artist for a brother , has been that they enjoy a "center" that we do not . This 
"center" is a heightened awareness of themselves that if disturbed is akin to a 
crippling injury .'
'So what happens if their center is destroyed ?'
'To their psyche it would be like the loss of a limb or becoming paralyzed .'
    Ranma defied very little of the Professors projections or explanations . 
Even then the only ones he did defy were from being much too strong of will to 
suicide or run away . He did defy one projection for no apparent reason , to her 
relief . Ranma had neither become completely indifferent to the sexuality of 
others nor had he tried to 'experiment' with sex in both genders . 
    Theoretically a cure to his curse would make all of the problems void . The 
only obstacle there was the fact that even the Amazon matriarch , Cologne , in 
over three hundred years of her life she had never known someone to have ever 
cured a Junsekyo curse . That was a rather large obstacle to be sure . 
    Still , as she had told Akane before she had her own dreams . Thankfully 
none of them were dependant on being single or married . She was telling the 
truth , she could and would fulfil her dreams even with Ranma as her husband .
    Sitting up she sighed deeply . All that she could do now was wait until 
Akane realized that it was too late to make her relationship with Ranma work . 
Then she would announce the switch of the engagement . That's all there was too 
it .

    

    The brick was across the Dojo , but I could see every detail of it as if it 
were right in front of my face . This was a new technique I had read about in 
the old texts that Pop had but never bothered to read . 
    The thing with it was to focus your senses . I've been doing that since I 
was eight . Then you extend them , reaching out of your body . Had that down pat 
when I was eleven . But now I was learning to sharply focus my extended senses 
and yet retain a sense of everything about me . The new element that allowed me 
to examine the porous brick in detail yet see everything around it was to expand 
the amount of info that my brain can process . How ? By directly exercising the 
good ol' gray matter during meditation .
    Now a new world of perception was open to me . It's like suddenly 
discovering peripheral vision . 
    Having my senses extended makes me aware of a lot of things . Kasumi walking 
towards the Dojo was just one of them . I'm standing up and looking at the door 
even before she's halfway to the door .
    After politely knocking she walks in through the half open door . Most 
people would be surprised . She isn't at all . I guess she knows me the best out 
of all of the Tendos . 
" Yo , Kasumi ." I wave to her , before walking over .
" Hello Ranma ." She replies .
" You don't get here until an hour from now ? What's up ?" 
    She blushes . Kasumi the serene actually blushed ! For a moment I'm actually 
startled .
" I do come here often don't I ?" She says to herself . " Well , I finished my 
chores a little early today , and I thought I would ask you why you wanted me to 
start training again ."
    I just blink at her . 
" Ranma ," She begins , not looking at me directly . " I stopped training when 
Mother died , I'm hopelessly out of practice . And I can't really see why I 
would need to train anyway ."
" Why not ?" I ask reasonably . " You do live in the same house as the martial 
artist-with-a-grudge-magnet , me . Akane , Ojisan , and Pop might not be there 
to protect you all the time ." I let a note of seriousness in my tone for my 
next statement . " All it takes is one of them not being there once ."
    Now she's staring at me with a look that I've never seen on Kasumi's face 
before . I could swear it's something like wondering suspicion . 
" Is that the only reason ?" She breaks eye contact for a moment . Even with my 
cursed clarity I can't read her .
" No , physical fitness , confidence , it'll get you out of the house if you 
want to compete in tournaments , an-" She cut me off before I could spout out 
more of what you would find on a Dojo ad .
" You know what I mean ." Now she has her back to me . 
    In the second before I answer I take in every detail I can , looking for 
some cue as to what she's thinking and feeling at that moment .
    Her shoulders are strait and relaxed , her norm . Her entire posture is 
relaxed but correct and poised . Still nothing to read . But then I notice that 
her hands are clenched around her ever present apron .
" What's wrong ?" The concern in my voice surprises even myself .
    Instantly her hands relax . She must have realized what tipped me off .
" N-nothing !" She stammered before running from the Dojo .
    I could have outran , out maneuvered her without any effort . But , if she 
doesn't want to talk to me about it . I'll not force her , of all people I am 
farthest from being able to deny Kasumi anything .
    Still her reaction puzzles me . But I have no right to intrude into Kasumi's 
affairs . 
    Now I'm not in any mood to practice anymore . I've already talked to Ucchan 
today . So I quickly clean the Dojo before walking out into the Tendo's 
extensive back yard . 
    The twilight air is cool , it'll be a cold night . I can almost feel winter 
on the wind . The cold raises hairs on my skin , but I don't care . The sky is 
awash with all the dark colors of a sun just below the horizon . The dying light 
dances it's final joy amid the feathery clouds so far above me . I cannot see 
them flow , so far above me , but they do and the light shifts with the moods of 
it's canvas . 
    I pass the koi pond and leap into the nearby cherry tree . The wind twists 
through the branches , the leaves are gone , airy notes play through my ears . I 
glance down at myself , the dying light plays on my skin and garb with the same 
gentle waltz as the high clouds . Again I look up to the clouds , it has not 
been more than a minuet yet the entire scene has changed . Now the ocean of deep 
reds and fading oranges shifts to fields of violet and indigo . 
    It wasn't until the last of the light danced it's final color and fades to 
the cover of night that I look back to the earth . Only know I realize that for 
that time I had had not been . I was not Saotome Ranma , troubled by Kasumi's 
reaction and burdened beyond my years . I was only feeling , surrounded by 
sensation and a pure quiet beauty so far apart from the world that consumed me . 
I had thought I lost those moments when I left the mountain tops and valleys for 
the Tokyo's concrete . 
    Kami-sama I'm such a pitiful being for all my training , trying , and false 
tenacity . Something so simple as appreciating the beauty around me , I had 
ignored it . It had taken opening my senses and this new damned clarity to make 
me notice how closed my eyes were .
    Now that I had let go it was even clearer than before . A part of me wished 
to scream and destroy . Everything just gets clearer . I know now that it was 
over long before now . I know the situation was hopeless long before I came to 
Tokyo . Before I even met Ukyo . It's clear to me that truly I am , or more 
precisely what I have become , that is the true source of all of this shit .
    The day that I stopped being Saotome Ranma , and became Saotome Ranma Man-
among-men , was the day that blazed this dark path . None of this will end 
unless I do .
" I'm the problem ." I say in a voice I don't recognize as my own . " There's 
only one solution ." 
    The moment my ears hear the words I only intellectually recognize as my own 
a calm settles over me . The same calm that I feel in battle . My mind and my 
heart are quiet , my duty is all that matters now .
    I am standing below the tree in less than a second . I must still strive to 
make things right . For all my new clarity I must not leave doubt . I find 
myself at Akane's door with little recollection of the journey there .
    I knock .
" Come in ." Is her reflexive reply .
    I open the door and walk in . Her reaction is immediate , she stiffens , 
clenches her fists and narrows her eyes accusingly . But now I know the cruel 
validity of those eyes . She has every right , but I must still try . Honor 
demands .
" Akane , can we talk ?" I begin slowly .
" You'd better have a damn good reason .." Is her reply . She sits roughly on 
the edge of her bed . Her hair bounces with the motion , her eyes jaw is set and 
her lips are tight . Even in anger she is beautiful .
" About our engagement-"
" What about it ?!" Her fists grow tighter .
"-I need to know , Akane-"
" You asked Ukyo that same question ! I remember !" She springs to her feet . 
" What now ? You looking to use me for an ego boost ?!"
    The validity of her earlier statement contrasts with her following 
accusation like fire and ice .
" No , no . Akane , I want to talk about us-"
" Where have you been ?" She snorts at me . Her legs are spread slightly , in a 
loose preparation for a fighting stance .
    Why must she make this more difficult ?
" Outside in the tree ." I answer , better to not anger her further . " Akane , 
please ."
" Fine . Ask ." She closes her stance , but gives me a withering glare .
    This is it . Either somehow I can make this work or not . No gray area this 
time .
" Akane , could we as a couple ever work ?" I begin .
" Nani ?" She is taken aback by the question .
" Could we ever really make a marriage work ?" I reiterate .
" You're going to run off with Ukyo aren't you ?" Sudden tears flow from her 
eyes even as she falls into a attack posture .
    No , no , please not like this .
" You bastard !" She nearly sobs the words . " You're just trying to talk me 
into ending you engagement !"
" No , no ." I deny . " I'm not , I just need to know ."
" Why !? Why !?" She screams , squeezing her eyes shut . " Why can't this work ! 
My life hasn't worked ever since you got here ! WHY DO I HAVE TO CARE ABOUT YOU 
DAMN IT !?"  She throws a punch I saw coming a hundred kilometers away .
    I made no attempt to dodge . Her fist impacts my chin , swinging my face to 
the side . 
" It was so simple when it was just the four of us , Daddy , Kasumi , Nabiki and 
me ! THEN YOU CAME !" Another punch .
    This one slams me into the wall , it holds but barely . 
" Why can't you just go away !" She grabs a lamp and hurls at into my face .
    The shattered plastic lacerates my face , but I don't bother to do much more 
than extract myself from the wall .
" Just go off and DIE !" She hurls a chair into my midsection .
" DIE YOU BASTARD !" This time it's a ten kilo weight to my ribs .
" DIE RANMA !" Now a drawer to my shoulder .
    How many times have I heard those two words ? Her streaming tears , her 
piercing screams give force to her words greater than anything she could throw 
at me . Her screams are of pain now , no longer anger .
" JUST DIE AND LEAVE ME ALONE !" She screams louder than I have ever heard her 
before .
    That finally snaps me out of my helpless trance . She is no longer the 
person I am trying to get to love me . She is the person telling me the answer 
to the Ranma problem in her life . 
    I caught the thirty five kilo dumbbell reflexively . 
    With a wordless scream she lunges at me lashing out in frustration .
    I am out her door before she can land on her bed from the gentle block and 
throw I executed . The dumbbell lays at her door . 
    Now my path has been chosen . I follow it completely , for it is a path I 
have set of my own will .
    In my room I pack quickly . Only two changes of clothing , what money I have 
in the house , a select few photos , pen and paper , and a few things I had set 
aside a long time ago . 
    Soon I am standing behind the wall that borders the backyard of the Tendo 
residence . Without looking back I set off , running , not leaping from roof to 
roof . I don't want any to see me . I need a safe place to plan .

         End of Part 4  'Satori'



         Part 5  'Labor'

    She shook her head sadly . That had to have been the worst fight Ranma and 
Akane had ever had . Akane had to face reality now .
    She knocked on the bent doorframe before letting herself in . Akane was 
sprawled on her bed , sobbing uncontrollably .
    She was most definitely not known for her sentimentality . But she did love 
her family and put them first in all things , including her ice queen persona .
    Akane didn't react even as she gathered the limp girl in her arms . Soothing 
nonsense noises were all she could think of as she rocked her sister back and 
forth . Most certainly she could not tell her little sister a bold faced lie 
like 'it's going to be alright' .



    Akane screaming at Ranma was not a new thing to him . He didn't even raise 
his head from the manga he had stolen from his son . But when Akane's scream was 
suddenly cut off and replaced by her sobbing he noticed . But did nothing .
    After all , he was not a man who knew much of matters of the heart . As his 
friend Soun was out of the room he did not feel compelled to do anything . He 
would intervene and guide with his wisdom once the situation was less volatile .



    She had been sorting out her own emotions when their latest argument had 
begun . It had stuck her as odd that even at the early and late stages she never 
heard Ranma yelling back like he used to . She never heard anything of Ranma 
aside from his body slamming into a wall .
    Quickly composing herself as she walked she made her way to Akane's room . 
To find Nabiki trying to comfort their baby sister . Who was sobbing her heart 
out , oblivious to everything except the fact that she had had her last argument 
with Ranma as his fiancée . 

                           *         *         *

    Ranma , Akane , and Nabiki were absent from school today . That was enough 
to worry her . So after school she headed for the Tendo Dojo . She would stop by 
, find out what was the matter , and if she couldn't help then she would open 
her restaurant .
    When she got to the door no one answered for quite some time . Finally a 
tired looking Kasumi greeted her .
" Oh , good afternoon Kuonji-san ." Kasumi sounded very tired .
" Are you alright ?" She asked , taking her shoes off before stepping from the 
entryway into the house proper .
" Just tried ." She smiled at her guest . 
" Why weren't Ranma , Akane and Nabiki at school today ?" She asked , following 
Kasumi into the living room .
    Kasumi stopped in her tracks .
" What happened ?" She reiterated .
" Well ," The eldest Tendo daughter looked away . " Akane and Ranma had their 
worst fight last night , and we haven't seen him since ." 
" Nani ?" She felt her jaw drop .
" We're not sure where he is . Could you help us ?" Still Kasumi refused to look 
her in the eye .
" S-sure . I don't think Ran-chan would have gone far ." 
" Thank you Kuonji-san , Nabiki will come with you ." 
    As if on cue the middle Tendo daughter entered the room . She looked much 
more rested , but she had a dark determination in her eyes that Kasumi lacked .
" Come on Ukyo , let's round up Ranma ." She gestured for her to follow .
    Soon they were walking down the street together .
" First , where do we check first ?" Nabiki sounded all business .
" The park ." She answered . " He has a few places there ."
" Good ." Nabiki waited until they were on a direct course for the park before 
speaking once more . " I have a few things to discuss with you also ." 
" Oh ?" She glanced at Nabiki . This did not sound good .
" I'm going to be Ranma's new fiancée now ." Nabiki stated flatly .
    That stopped her in her tracks much as Kasumi had . 
" Nani ?" 
" We're switching the engagement to me finally . Akane finally accepts that her 
and Ranma will never work ." Nabiki slowly came to a halt .
" So your family just tossed the chip to you ?" She snorted . This was far from 
welcome news .
" Ranma has to marry a Tendo . Kasumi is out of the question so I'm it by 
default ." Nabiki stated in a cool , unreadable tone .
" Why ? Do you even LIKE Ran-chan ?"
" Yes I do as a matter of fact ." Nabiki still kept her tone neutral . " But 
that isn't the point . The point is honor , and a family promise ."
" Same here sister !" She stomped up to Nabiki . " You just think you can mix 
and match him like he was nothing , don't you !?"
" It's not what I would want , it's not what he wants . But ," Nabiki suddenly 
whirled about to face her . The middle Tendo daughter's eyes burned with grim 
determination . " it will be done ." She stressed every word .
" Oh ?" She leaned back with a slight smirk on her face . This was Nabiki , no 
physical threat at all . " I've always based if I won in this contest as who 
made Ran-chan the happiest . I never thought Akane could do it consistently , 
and I damn well know you can't ." 
    Now with a confident smile on her lips she took one step away from Nabiki .
" So if you're determined to make Ran-chan so miserable that he has to run away 
while you interchange him like a light bulb then Ja ne !"  
    With that she leapt off , leaving the grounded Nabiki behind . Her confident 
smile melted as she leapt . This was possibly her moment of victory , but she 
felt no glory or happiness . She did not want to win like this . She wanted a 
happy ending . That meant that everyone was happy in the end .
    She reached the park by a longer route , but she knew that there was no way 
that Nabiki could reach this fast . She had ten to twenty minuets , depending on 
whether Nabiki ran or walked . Either way she had plenty of time . 
    Only even after close examination of each of his hiding places she found 
nothing . Not even any indication he had been there last night . Not even behind 
that Goku billboard .
    Leaving the park she stopped by her shop . No trace he had been there or was 
in the area . From there she began frantically checking every roof she had even 
known Ranma to stop on . Nothing . It was as if he had dropped off the face of 
the earth .



    She had not bothered to continue on to the park after sighting Ukyo hopping 
on another route , alone . Instead she opted to head to a local café and being 
asking around .
    That had not gone well . No one had seen or heard anything or anyone last 
night . Or anyone fitting Ranma's description going anywhere today . Many knew 
Ranma by sight and were very reliable .
    This did not bode well . Ranma , it seemed , was not going to be found if he 
did not want to be found . So she could lure him into the open . But what then ? 
Hog tie him and have a forced wedding ? She had seen Ranma break out of a solid 
cement block even while chained . There wasn't much that she could get her hands 
on that could actually restrain him for a useful length of time .
    That left waiting for him to either make a major mistake or come out on his 
own . Probably the latter .
    Wasting no more time she hurried home . Kasumi was belatedly going about her 
normal routine . Akane sat in the living room , looking like a person who just 
lost their best friend . In the background she heard her Father wailing about 
Ranma . 
    Hopefully Akane would adjust soon after Ranma was found . She knew her 
Father would be fine once Ranma was found and informed about the switch .
    Before either of her sisters noticed her arrival she headed upstairs . After 
booting up her computer she took out all of her files on Ranma . Quickly she 
scanned everything for some hint as to where he might be . None were evident .
    Then her stomach growled loudly . With a annoyed sigh she got up and made 
her way to the kitchen to grab a snack . Luckily Kasumi was out in the yard , 
hanging clothing up to dry , Akane was out there helping her . It was a short 
trip to grab an apple and a Pepsi before rushing up to her room .
    To find everything put back exactly as it had been before she had came home 
the first time . Everything except her computer and the envelope resting atop 
the monitor .
    A shiver ran through her . She had not been gone for more than a minuet or 
two , probably less than that .
    It would be futile to cry out and try to raise the guard . When Ranma had 
just been practicing the Umi-sen-ken none of them could ever find him . Even 
when he was in the same room as them . Once he had even stolen the floor struts 
from under the living room as they ate . 
    Fighting the urge to glance around she stalked across her room and picked up 
the envelope . It was thin , just a short letter inside probably . Opening it 
revealed just that . A letter addressed to her .
           'Nabiki-
         I know that you and I have never been on the best of terms .
       But I do not want to part on bad terms . 
         Please do not show this letter to anyone else , it is for you
       and you alone . I know that I have been nothing to you but 
       trouble since day one , and the cause of all the pain in your
       house . So I am at long last attempting to end this dammed
       mess of fiancées , martial artists , and conflicting promises 
       that make it all worse .
         I know there does not exist a good answer to this . I know 
       that as a Tendo your answer is 'Marry Akane' . This cannot be .
       I refuse to condemn her to a nightmare . But marring Ucchan or 
       Shampoo would only bring pain and dishonor to everyone . So I
       have come up with the best solution I can . Please trust me 
       one final time . 
                         
                                     -P.S.     Don't think I haven't
       extracted the revenge that I kept vowing to you . A good look 
       at you accounts will tell you that I have extracted half of 
       your personal profits from schemes using me . I have my share
       so we're even . (Half is quite a lot I might add , you'll do 
       great in business .)
         Please find someone for Akane .
                                                 -Ranma'
    Mechanically she folded the letter and replaced it in the envelope before 
sitting down in the chair at her desk .
    Knowing Ranma he had already placed similar notes to each of the Tendo's in 
their respective rooms . In all likelihood he was gone already . With the Umi-
sen-ken he was as good as invisible , and she had missed her window of him 
coming into the open on his own .
    Or had she ? 
    Knowing Ranma he was probably doing this for everyone he knew . They just 
had to act fast . She reached for her map of Ranma's roof hopping routes . to 
get a regular street map with a note attached .
                     'I said just trust me , not follow me !
                                                -Ranma'
    With a exasperated sigh she tossed the map aside and fled the room . Time 
was running out . 

                           *         *         *

    " Looks like we blew it ." Nabiki sighed at the dinner table . " Knowing how 
he can cover ground he could be out of Tokyo by now ."
" We can't track him ? Maybe he took a ship or a bus ?" Genma asked .
" Sorry , due to your damn Umi-sen-ken he wouldn't need a ticket ." Nabiki 
glared at Genma . " You do realize that a lot of this is your fault ."
" What matters now is finding Ranma ." She interjected reasonably .
    There were nods of agreement all around , and a request for tea . Feeling 
that this was a good a time as any to leave them be she complied and headed for 
the kitchen .
     She had read the letter Ranma had left for her two nights ago . She had 
found it on the pillow of her bed . He had cleaned her room before he had left , 
she had neglected her room during the chaos .
    It had been longer than she would have expected from him , and much more 
eloquent . She had broken down in tears that night .
           '-Kasumi-san
         When I first arrived I did not like you . Don't be shocked
       remember you and Nabiki were the ones that volunteered Akane .
       Of course I came to realize that it was nothing personal , I 
       mean who would want to marry a cursed freak ? That was all you
       saw me as , a curse come to upset the balance of you life and 
       destroy your dreams . Perhaps , although unwillingly , that is
       what I was . I know that's what I am . 
         Akane screamed the truth to me for so long that I can only 
       wonder why I could not hear it until now . She is right you 
       know . It is best I leave your lives and end my own before I 
       destroy any more . That really is all I can do , destroy . I 
       am the best martial artist of my generation after all . No one 
       even come near me for too long without me hurting them . That 
       held true for Ukyo . Ten years of her life warped by me . Then
       Ryouga . He speaks the truth when he shouts that I put him 
       through hell . I wish that even now I could clarify his pain .
       But another contradictory promise binds me . Just take me at 
       my word that he has . 
         Only now I am truly aware of just how much pain I cause those
       around me . Before I came you always smiled . Akane only had a
       group of boys to worry about . Nabiki schemed away , supporting 
       you family financially as you do domestically . I changed all 
       of that . Now Akane cries herself to sleep . Nabiki has to pay 
       for the damages that I cause . And you , gentle Kasumi-san , 
       you struggle to keep a family together that I'm ripping asunder
       . I wish that I could make at least some of it up to you . I 
       wish so hard , but that doesn't make is so . 
         I am bound by honor , no , I am strangled by it . So before 
       my life is choked I'll untangle this mess as best I can .
       It will only end when I do , but in the time I have left ...
         I have no illusions , there is no way to solve everything .
       But honor , my undoing , demands that I make one final try .
       Please trust in me this one final time , Kasumi-san . Before 
       the week is out it shall be done and I will have set you all
       free .
                                                 -Ranma'
    It had been that night when she had realized that she should have been the 
one . She should have been his fiancée , not Akane . She liked Ranma , and if 
she had not kept her distance for so long she would have fallen for him sooner . 
Now , when she had finally found her truth , he had found his . But his was only 
despair when hers held new hope . If only he had known her heart before that 
night .



    When she had returned home after her first day of fruitless search for her 
missing love she had found her restaurant cleaned and cared for . There had also 
been a note on a string , hanging from a ceiling fan .
           '-Dear Ucchan 
         I so wish that things could have been different . You are 
       and will always be my best friend . I do love you as such . In
       fact had things been different I would have married you . But 
       things are not different . No matter who I marry or who I do 
       not I will break promises and hurt everyone more than I already
       have simply by existing .
         I ruined ten years of your life , Ucchan . Don't let me ruin
       any more . You are a beautiful and talented woman , you will 
       go far in the business world . But , please let me go . If you