Subject: [FFML] [Ranma][fanfic][dark]Can't Let Go Part 7/7
From: "Cass Chia" <sailormercury107@hotmail.com>
Date: 12/1/1999, 11:30 PM
To: ffml@fanfic.com

CAN'T LET GO
------------
(A Ranma 1/2 fic by Cass and GSL)

Authors' Notes aka stuff we wanna say now or we might end up being sued or flamed:
We have written this story out of fun. In no way do we own the
characters of this story, they belong to Takahashi Rumiko, Shogakukan
Inc, Shonen Sunday Comics, and Viz Video.  This story is meant for
entertainment, non-profit purposes.

Comments, criticisms and MSTs are welcome. You can reach us at
chiaty@singnet.com.sg
You can view this at http://web.singnet.com.sg/~chiaty/fanfics.htm

We also would like to thank our pre-readers, Justin Baugh,
Jed Bidwell, Arthur Edwards and Maurice Phillip.

[ ] = dream sequence
< > = character's thoughts
{ } = conversations in chinese


Part 7: Light At The End Of The Tunnel?
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    Nabiki slipped back into her room soundlessly and started to
remove her black T-shirt even before the door was fully closed.  She
felt as though there were insects crawling all over her body and she
couldn't bear to be in those clothes for another second.  To her,
irrational as it might seem, her clothes and her body were contaminated by the visit to the morgue.  Before her mind could replay that grotesque scene again, her table lamp flickered on, illuminating the room and its two occupants.

    "Kasumi!  What are you doing in my room?" Nabiki asked,
surprised.

    "Waiting for you," replied Kasumi as she absently fingered her nightgown.  A sure sign that she was nervous.

    "I couldn't sleep so I went out for a brief stroll.  I can take care of myself, there's no need for you to worry."  Nabiki pulled out her favourite pair of pyjamas, the one with the yen signs all over it, and donned it.   But despite her clean clothes, she still had the creepy crawly feeling.  Oh, how she itched for a bath right now.

    Sensing her elder sister didn't believe her, Nabiki sat down on her bed, next to Kasumi and offered another explanation.  "If you
really must know, I was out taking some very enlightening photographs
of my schoolmates.  So enlightening that I think some will pay a nice
sum to have those photos."  She smirked.

    Faking a yawn, she continued, "Now, I really need to get some
rest, ok?"

    Kasumi hesitated, torn between believing her sister and following her instincts.  She fiddled with her cotton nightgown again, stopping only when she realized what she was doing.  "I don't believe you," she murmured.  "Please, Nabiki, for once, tell me what is really going on.  Ranma came back paralyzed, Akane keeps visiting Ranma even though she has Ryouga now and I can't stop her.  And you," Kasumi shook her head.  "I don't know what you are doing.  But I know you are doing something regarding Ranma, or at least you are planning to.  Please, I'm your sister, don't keep me in the dark."  She paused to keep her emotions in check, then added, "I'm really worried for you and Akane."

    "I'm not hiding anything from you, Kasumi.  I'm merely busy with my usual business dealings, that's all.  You have nothing to worry about, at least from me."

    "But..."  Kasumi wanted to probe further but relented instead.  She sighed, "Ok, Nabiki.  Whenever you feel like talking, I'll be available."  Her hand twisted the doorknob as she smiled warmly and wished her sister 'sweet dreams'.

    Nabiki stared at the door for several long moments after Kasumi had left, snippets of her conversation with Seiyu minutes ago replayed in her mind.

    <--  "Tell me the full story, Nabiki.  No obfuscations this
time," demanded Seiyu after he had silently led them out of the morgue and into the cold night.  He made no comments about her vomiting out supper and for that she was grateful.  Such an embarrassing incident should never have happened in the first place, and she would much rather treat it as if it never did.  For now, it seemed Seiyu felt the same way too.  Still, she kept mum, walking slowly to where his car was parked.

    Seiyu pulled her arm and forced her to face him.  "What the hell is going on?  First you tell me to ruin Shampoo, then sent me to China to investigate Ranma's accident.  I find Cologne's body and get
captured by the Amazons.  And then, you asked me to sneak you into the morgue and the panda transformed into a human!  How did you know that would happen?  Come on, spill the beans.  You owe me that much at least!"

    Nabiki shivered and fought the impulse to vomit.  She could feel goose-bumps appearing on her exposed skin.  It was one thing to suspect that the mutilated panda buried in the Okinawa Park was Saotome Genma but to actually pour hot water on the decayed panda's arm and see it slowly transform into a human arm...  True, she didn't like Genma but they had lived under the same roof for months.

    Changing his tactic, Seiyu spoke, "Look, Nabiki, you can't handle this alone.  This situation is way beyond the ability of a single person to handle.  I want to help but not without knowing the full details first.  You have got to let somebody in sometimes, Nabiki.  Help me help you, ok?"  -->

    Nabiki pondered over his words, wondering if she should have told Kasumi.  Kasumi deserved to know and so did Akane.  <Especially Akane> Nabiki amended.

    Her mind made up, she entered Kasumi's room.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

    Nabiki hugged a pillow and waited for Kasumi's response.  She had only told her the main points and none of her suspicions, unsure of how Kasumi would react.

    Kasumi wiped off her salty tears with a piece of tissue paper.  <So many people dead - Cologne and Genma.>

    "I can't believe you cried over Uncle Saotome's death," commented Nabiki coldly.

    Instantly, Kasumi defended him, "How could you say that?  He was our father's friend.  He always appreciated my cooking and he-"

    "And he, together with Ranma, almost ate us out of house and
home.  Never paying rent, always idling around the house playing shoji.  Admit it, because of his ravenous appetite, you had to stretch every dollar. And did he ever help out around the house?  Never.  All he did was to ask for a second helping or more tea," argued Nabiki.

    "Nabiki!"  Kasumi reproached her sister.  "You shouldn't talk bad about the deceased."

    "Why not?  He isn't around to hear me speak the truth."

    Kasumi could feel a headache coming on and hurriedly changed the topic.  "Does Ranma know about his father?"

    Nabiki stared at her sister.  She hadn't thought about that.  "I don't know."

    "Well, I think somebody should tell him," suggested Kasumi.  She hesitated for a moment, then added, "While he's alone."

    Nabiki caught onto what her sister was implying and asked
curiously, "Why alone?  Don't you think Ukyou should know too?"

    "Ukyou is a really nice and sweet girl.  And I respect her for not abandoning Ranma now that he is paralyzed.  But she is the most likely suspect based on the facts you've told me.  Unless she is
cleared, I think it would be best not to say anything," replied Kasumi slowly, reluctant to badmouth the young chef.

    Nabiki smiled, her respect for Kasumi rising several notches.  Kasumi had reached the same conclusion as she did earlier.  "Explain why."

    Kasumi looked at Nabiki beseechingly, not wanting to accuse the chef.

    Nabiki glared at her sister.  "You're not getting out of this, Kasumi.  I'm staying put until you give me some answers.  You do want to help Ranma, don't you?"

    Kasumi sighed, knowing her sister could get her to do almost
anything.  "Fine.  Let's start from the beginning, shall we?  Ukyou
spent ten years training and searching for Ranma to seek revenge.  Then just because Ranma said she was cute, she fell in love with him all over again.  It is good that she was able to forgive and forget but I wonder about her actual motive.  Could it be that during her first duel with Ranma, she realized that she was going to lose and so came up with a backup plan for revenge?  One that gave her time to master new skills and plenty of opportunities to be near Ranma?

    "Then there is Uncle Saotome, the one who ran away with her
dowry.  She could have forgiven Ranma because he didn't know of the
engagement but what about the man who did?

    "Ranma could have told her about the letter his father left
behind and she could have followed suit.  Perhaps it was raining or
perhaps she deliberately splashed Uncle Saotome with cold water,
triggering his panda form.  He was more vulnerable in that state and
she could have defeated him.  Then she dumped the body, hoping that
nobody would discover it."

    Nabiki smirked.  "Good.  But Ranma didn't tell Ukyou about his father leaving for China until several days after receiving the letter.  Because Ukyou was missing at that time.  Daddy told me that Ukyou was the one who handed the letter to him, so she could have read it and then headed out immediately to kill him."

    "Oh."  Kasumi frowned.  Ukyou looked more and more suspicious by the minute.  <I really hope Ukyou is innocent, for her and Ranma's
sake.>  She raised another point, "We only have Ukyou's word about what happened to Ranma in China.  Maybe she was the one who pushed him off the cliff."

    "Then why did Ukyou return, along with Ranma?  Why bother looking after him?  Wouldn't it be easier to just finish him off?" asked Nabiki.

    "Guilt, perhaps?  Maybe she regretted her actions."

    "I don't think so, sis.  I think bringing him back to Nerima is just another part of her plan.  She is probably getting a kick out of our admiration and sympathies towards her for continuing to care for Ranma, when in actual fact, she was the one responsible."

    She paused, her throat felt dry after the long conversation.
"What about the identity of the female who helped Mousse defeat
Cologne?  Do you think it's Ukyou?"

    "It could have been almost anyone.  A friend of his or a person he hired?  Maybe someone who had a grudge on Cologne.  Have you informed the police about your suspicions?"

    "No, not without hard evidence."

    "But how are you going to find out more?"

    "It seems like I haven't visited Ranma for awhile, maybe it is time for a social call."

    "No!  It is too dangerous.  What happens if Ukyou finds you
sneaking around or asking Ranma questions?  She doesn't let anyone
spend more than ten minutes alone with Ranma.  In fact, she pops in and out of his room to serve tea and snacks several times during that ten minutes."

    "That's why I need your help in distracting her.  She will never suspect you."

    "No!  What if I couldn't distract her and she discovers you?
It's too dangerous, Nabiki.  Let's call the police."

    "No.  I told you, not without more evidence.  What I have now are pure conjectures.  We can't risk alerting Ukyou.  Look, either you help me or I go alone.  It is that simple."  <Or I get Seiyu or somebody else to help> added Nabiki mentally.

    "Fine." Kasumi sighed, dreading the visit already.  "I'll do it."

--------------------------------------------------------------------
(The next day)

    He could hear footsteps approaching.  Despite his immobility, his sense of hearing still functioned normally.  <At least I still have that to be thankful for> though Ranma sarcastically.  But he didn't let his mind linger on his fate, knowing how much Akane liked to see him happy.  <Oh let it be Akane walking through that door> he wished fervently, almost as hard as he wished for his own death, his release from this man-made hell.

    Ranma held his breath as the door slowly opened to reveal...
Nabiki.  Disappointment coupled with anger towards the unfeeling Gods, Ranma paid no heed to the 'mercenary girl', preferring to retreat into his own world.  In it, he was Ryu, the streetfighter, battling the evil Bison.

    They fought for hours, good versus evil, light versus dark, the handsome versus the ugly, the righteous versus the greedy.  But
finally, a crack in Bison's defense!  Ryu rushed forward for the kill, savouring the sweet thrill of success.

    Smack!  His cheek flaring with pain, Ryu looked up to view the face of his attacker.  Who was so dishonourable as to interrupt a
battle that decided the fate of mankind?

    <Nabiki> thought Ryu, no, Ranma as he stared at her impassive
face.

    "Have I gotten your attention now?  Or do you want another wakeup call?" inquired Nabiki softly, not wanting to alert Ukyou.

    Ranma stared back at her, his own impassive mask a mirror of
hers.

    "No?" Nabiki smirked.  "Good."  She stood next to the tall,
large closet, keeping an eye out for Kuonji Ukyou.  If Kasumi failed at her task, she could hide in the closet.  Hopefully, the backup plan would never be employed.

    <Why are you here?  There's no money to be made off me now.
Which girl would still want to be my fianc�?  Which guy would be
jealous of me?  You never cared about my welfare, so why don't you just leave.  Sorry, I can't show you to the main door though.>  Ignoring the slight twinge of remorse at his harsh thoughts, he continued to stare at Nabiki, his gaze cold as ice.

    Nabiki smiled at Ranma, a gesture that only made him more
suspicious of her motive.  "I'm here to tell you a story."

--------------------------------------------------------------------

    "Good afternoon, welcome to Ucchans!" said Ukyou cheerfully as the door opened.  Busy tending to the stove, she didn't notice who her newest customer was until the latter sat down on the bar.  "Kasumi?"

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    "There was once a boy.  A boy with great skills.  And this led him to have many enemies as well as admirers.  But this boy wasn't interested in any of the beautiful girls or boys that paraded in front of him.  He wasn't moved by their devotion, their willingness to do anything and everything to win his heart.  But never once did he truly told them of his disinterest, preferring to keep the status quo."

    Outwardly, Ranma remained aloof, though Nabiki could sense his growing irritation.

    "Now, there were those who believed that this boy had fell in
love with one of his admirers but lacked the courage to admit it to the girl, to others and most importantly to the others.  I, on the other hand, believed that beneath his occasional courageous actions was a coward's heart.  He loved only the Art.  Yet he didn't dare to tell everyone that he was too young to even consider marriage, that he found their relentless pursuits of him tiring.  He didn't have the courage to try to escape from the life filled with meaningless battles.  And that was his greatest mistake."

    She needed to rile him up.  To enrage him and to make him feel guilty if he was ever to help her.  It wasn't exactly the nicest thing to do to a helpless person but she had no qualms about it.  If she was ever to expose Ukyou's misdeeds, Ranma would have to provide her with crucial information.

    Glancing at her watch, Nabiki continued, "My time is precious, so I'll skip to the really interesting parts.  Out of those admirers, there were three who were thought to be the most likely contenders of this boy's heart.  One of them was the most popular and most sought-after girl in school.  She acted as if she hated this boy and indeed they did end up quarreling more often than not.  But those who truly had the patience to observe, could see the affection she held for that boy.

    Ranma steeled his heart, having already anticipated what she was going to say next.

    "However, due to certain incidents, she gave up waiting for the guy and settled for his long-time rival instead.  No, I shouldn't have used the word 'settled'.  You see, the boy had disappeared for a long time.  During that period, she got to know his rival better.
Eventually she fell in love with him, as deeply as he was with her.
Now, no one knew if this new love of hers was stronger or deeper than
her love for the first boy.  But the fact of the matter was that she
was happy.  She _is_ happy," stressed the brunette.

    Ranma looked away from her piercing gaze.  His grief, his regrets were his and his alone to bear.  Tendo Nabiki wasn't privy to them.

    "There was another suitor, a Chinese girl who probably had never heard of the word 'subtlety'.  She was so enamoured by him that she didn't care what the others think of her, using her charms and feminine wiles relentlessly.  When that proved unsuccessful, she practically pulled every single trick in the book to force him to love her.  Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on who you ask, her magic potions, spells and charms didn't work out the way she had planned.  Some say that out of desperation and frustration, she poisoned her rival.

    "To make a long story short, the boy proved he had some guts and rejected her once and for all.  Heartbroken, she married another boy who worshipped the ground she walked on and had been in love with her for years.  Once they were married though, he changed into an abusive monster, torturing her, keeping her locked up in a cage.  Bit by bit, he stripped away her self-esteem, her warrior spirit, until all that is left of her is a girl, frightened and jaded."

    "No," mouthed Ranma.  He didn't want to listen anymore.  He
didn't need to be reminded of how radically Shampoo had changed, just
like he had changed, a little by little.  Alive on the outside.  Dying inside.

    "The irony in all this is that we can't be sure if Shampoo was the one who had poisoned my sister.  She claimed she was innocent and ... I believe her... now," continued Nabiki softly.

    <No.  No.  She must have done it.  The purple strand of hair
found in Akane's hospital room!  It proved that she was guilty!  I
couldn't have wronged her...  You said she was guilty, Nabiki!>

    "The strand of hair could have been planted in the hospital room to cast suspicion on Shampoo.  We were all so enraged, so eager to find someone to blame that we didn't bother to look beyond the surface.

     "There's something else I've got to tell you, Ranma.  Shampoo was the one who had blinded Mousse.  The incident happened when they were kids but you of all people should know that a grudge could be borne for decades.  And Cologne is dead.  Killed before you had left Nerima.

    "There are so many things regarding Cologne's murder and Mousse's murder that we don't know.  Shampoo is currently the prime suspect of his murder but she has suffered so much at his hands that she's become somewhat of a nervous wreck.  She says she didn't do it but the police think otherwise.  She's going to jail, Ranma, unless you help her.  There is no way she could possibly survive prison life, not as the present Shampoo.  Ranma, you're the only one who can help her now."

    <Shampoo...  Why did all this have to happen to her?  Why didn't I believe her when she swore that she didn't poison Akane?  Why didn't I?  If I had, she wouldn't have married Mousse, wouldn't have been abused.  Oh God, it is all my fault!  All mine!>

    Lost in self-recrimination, he almost didn't register Nabiki's next sentence.  "Tell me what happened during your training trip.  How did you end up this way?"

    Her voice was so soft, so gentle, that he could easily delude
himself that she was concerned for him.  But no one cared for him any
longer, only pity.  And that was one thing he never wanted.

    Nabiki silently paced the length of the bedroom, itching to do anything, even if it was to go downstairs and force Ukyou to confess her crimes.   It was almost five minutes since her last words to Ranma, five agonizingly slow minutes since her almost-begging speech.  The lunch crowd would be disappearing soon and the chef would be coming up to check on her favourite patient.  Kasumi wouldn't be able to delay her for long.  Damn it!  She was running out of time!

    Forcing herself to remain calm, Nabiki stalked towards Ranma.  She lifted her chin and forced him to look at her.  "Tell me what really conspired the day you were injured in China.  Tell me now!  You may not trust me but I'm the only one who will listen.  Last chance, Ranma.  Was your injury in China an accident?  Yes or no?"

    Fear, guilt, anger and regret.  These emotions and more swamped his entire being.  He promised to himself awhile back, not to let the Tendo sisters get hurt, not to give Ukyou any reason to kill them.  And by keeping silent now, he would be ensuring their safety.  Wouldn't he?   However, Nabiki would not be so easily deterred.  Information that was hard to ferret out, would only make her more interested.

    She waited expectantly for half a minute, staring intently at his face.  But he never responded.  "Fine, if that's the way you want it," said Nabiki, pretending that she wanted to leave.

    There was the slightest hesitant look in his eyes, then he slowly shook his head.

    "Did you fall down a cliff?"

    Another slight shake of his head.

    "Was Ukyou directly responsible for your paralysis?"

    Time stretched as he remained motionless, his internal struggles unknown to the inquisitive amateur detective.

    Acutely aware of how little time she had left, Nabiki repeated the question.  "Was Ukyou directly responsible for your paralysis?"

    In his mind's eye, he saw images of his past, back when he was a mere child.  Swiping an okonomiyaki from the kind seller and his kid.  Being chased by the kid.  Staging mock battles that he always won.  Making a solemn pact that they would be friends forever.  Waving goodbye to his friend as he sat on the moving okonomiyaki cart, missing his best pal already and trying desperately not to cry.  Then he remembered the savage, cruel look on his Ucchan's face as she kicked him repeatedly.  The absolutely gleeful expression as she informed him that he, Saotome Ranma, would be an quadriplegic forever.  <My fault.  It's my fault, as well as Pop's.>

    A single tear trickled down his dirty cheek as he nodded almost imperceptibly.

    "Was it poison?"

    He stared at her helplessly while shaking his head, then nodding as well.   Despite it all, he still remembered Ukyou as a helpless girl whimpering in her sleep, tossing and turning.  Ukyou fighting a monster that only resided in her memories.  And all he could do was to sit there and try to soothe her.  Was she still having those same nightmares?  Or was she dreaming about her mother and that hauntingly beautiful melody?

    "You're not sure?"

    A nod.  He hummed the melody in his head, seeking comfort in that familiar tune, yet finding none.

    She glanced at her watch again.  By now, Ukyou must have closed shop.  <Better skip ahead to the other questions.>  "When Genma left, was Ukyou in Nerima?"

    He shook his head.  <What does that have to do with anything?>

    "How long was she gone?  A day?"

    Another shake.

    "Two days?"

    A nod.

    "Ranma, did you hear about-"  Nabiki stopped suddenly and
hurriedly asked another question.  "Did Mousse ever come to visit you
or Ukyou?"

    A shake.

    "Did Ukyou ever talked about Mousse?"

    Again, he shook his head.

    "Did she ever leave Nerima during the period Akane was warded
till the day you two left together.

    A tentative nod.

    "How long?  A day?  Two?"

    He nodded.

    "Do you remember exactly when?"

    Ranma shook his head, exhausted by Nabiki's questioning.

    <A great help he's been> thought Nabiki sarcastically.  "Why
didn't she kill you?  Because she couldn't do it?  Because she felt a
perverse sense of pleasure seeing you this way?"

    Ranma's uncertain gaze revealed the answer.

    "Why come back to Nerima then?  Isn't she afraid of getting
caught?"

    He shook his head.

    "Instead of choosing to start a new life elsewhere, she chose to come back here, where most of your friends and enemies are.  She wants to taunt you with memories of who you were, doesn't she?"

    He nodded wearily.  Ukyou had kept ranting on about that,
claiming that his suffering brought her pleasure, far more pleasure
than if she had killed him straight away.  Sometimes, he believed her.  Her hard gaze and the way she spat out his name, served to enforce that belief.  But sometimes, he would think about Ukyou's smile as she prepared an okonomiyaki especially for him and her triumphant look as she managed to catch more fish than he could down in the river.  And his belief would falter.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

    The large man waddled out the door, patting his bulging stomach with a self-satisfied grin.  Delicious food, pretty chef and an even more beautiful waitress.  Who could ask for more?

    "Thank you, please come again."  The female chef said with a
smile, as she wiped the tables.  Beside her, Kasumi was sweeping the
floor.

    "You shouldn't be doing that," complained Ukyou half-heartedly.  "You're a customer, not some hired help."

    "I'm also a friend and friends help each other out," commented Kasumi.  "Besides, I love to do household chores.  There is a certain sense of peace and satisfaction that I derive from ...  Sorry, I must be boring you."  She blushed and continued sweeping.

    Ukyou shook her head empathetically.  "No, you're not.  And thank you for waiting on the customers and helping me clean up the place now."  She bowed, then continued, "You're here to visit Ran-chan, yet I'm delaying you."

    "No," replied Kasumi, almost panicking.  Somehow, she managed to keep her voice calm.  Keeping her head down while sweeping, she blurted out the first excuse she could think of.  "I'm here to visit you.  Because you are my friend.  And it must be hard for you to manage this restaurant and look after Ranma as well.  If you need me to help out again, just ask."

    Ukyou beamed.  Sometimes she wondered if Kasumi and the other
Tendo daughters were related at all.  One was so sweet, gentle and
caring.  The others were either cold-hearted or prone to a fiery
temper.  Still, there was no way in hell she could allow Kasumi to help out regularly. If the eldest Tendo daughter discovered something
incriminating by chance, then she might have to... take appropriate
corrective action.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

    Nabiki sighed inwardly.  All that trouble getting into Ranma's room unseen and all the time wasted on questioning him was for naught.  She had hoped that Ranma would provide the key answers to her questions.  However, Ranma could only communicate to her certain things, one of them being how dangerous it would be to keep coming back.  Ukyou was determined enough to eradicate all obstacles without remorse, that much Nabiki knew and understood all too well.  Perhaps, it was time to clue Akane and her beau into what she was doing.

    But before that, there was something she had to say to the pig-tailed boy lying wearily on the bed.  "Ranma?  Have you heard from Uncle Saotome since he left?  Or have you heard anything about him recently?"

    He shook his head.

    Her heart sank.  Speaking softly and slowly, she told him about the panda's corpse found in a town nearby and that this panda
transformed when splashed with hot water.  Watching as Ranma realized
the implications, as he tried to mourn for his father, a man he both
disliked and loved, the ice queen melted just a little bit.  "I'm
sorry, Ranma," she started to say before catching herself.  Tendo
Nabiki did not _do_ apologies.

    "Look, I'll have to leave now.  But don't worry, it will all be over soon.  One way or another."  Smiling, she patted his hand once.  "And you know how I hate to lose."

    Ranma only looked more worried.

    She moved towards the open window.  "You know, I was wrong about the story I told you earlier.  The boy did not reject his many suitors, not because he was a coward but because of his compassion.  He cared about every one of them too much to refuse their romantic overtures outright.  He might not have done the intelligent thing by bottling up his true feelings but to me... his intentions were good and deserved my respect."

    Having said her piece, Nabiki, the not-so-cold ice queen, climbed out from the window and slowly walked on the rooftop.  Possessing the grace of a cat, she made her way till the next block before heading home via conventional means - walking on the streets.

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(The next week)

    The market was buzzing with the usual morning activities, hawkers selling their wares and housewives making purchases for their families. Everybody seemed to be congregating in the area. And a certain restaurant proprietor was also in the crowds, haggling with a shop owner over the price of a fish.

    "If I buy this fish as well, can you charge me a lower price?" Ukyou asked, batting her eyelids, not forgetting to flash a megawatt smile. By the look on his face, she knew she had emerged victorious once again. Kuonji Ukyou was a man killer, no man was able to resist her charms.

    Taking stock of her new purchase, she moved to a less crowded
spot. She double-checked her purchases with her grocery list to see if she had gotten everything she needed.

    Satisfied, she started heading for home. It was a cool morning, she noted with a yawn, the best time to sleep. It was definitely taking the toll on her to go to school, work and looking after that invalid.

    She never knew that it would be this tiresome to keep Ranma
alive. Once again, she questioned her decision to allow his miserable
existence on this world. Or should she have finished him off earlier
like she did to that panda father of his?

    But she remembered little of the pleasure. The kill was too
quick, too short. There was no satisfaction. It might have thrilled her to see him turn in his last breath but that was that. Nothing more, just a moment of fleeting pleasure then emptiness.

    She wasn't going to make the same mistake with Ranma. Long and painful, that was the way it was going to be. Even if it meant some degree of danger to keep him alive.

    Another yawn. That was when she decided that she needed more
sleep. And that school was out for her today. As she rounded a corner
approaching Ucchans, in her sleep-dazed mind, she recognized a familiar figure in front of her.

    A tall male wearing a white Chinese robe.

    He had long hair flowing past his shoulders. She couldn't get a better look at him but the implication was great.  She stood rooted for a second, only for a second, and she sprang to action. Giving chase to the man who began to merge with the crowd, she mentally chanted to herself that the person wasn't Mousse.

    She started to weave between the crowd, running and looking out for him at the same time. She was getting nearer to him, just almost within reach. One more step. Shoving aside a poor innocent housewife, she was sure that she could find the imposter there.

    There was none. Instead she found unfriendly faces staring back at her but no man in a white robe. In her overworked mind, she barely registered the wincing sounds made by the housewife on the floor.

    She turned, not to look at the middle-aged woman she had pushed to the ground, but for any signs of the Mousse imposter. None. She turned again. And again, pointedly ignoring the weird looks that
everyone else was giving her.

    She was rewarded, in a sense. She found her man turning into
another street. Dashing out of the circle that had formed around her,
she dropped her purchases and concentrated only on the fleeting shadow.

    She cursed when she couldn't find him in the similarly crowded street. No matter where she turned and how hard she strained her eyes for him, there was simply no sign of him.

    <It could be just a coincidence.> Ukyou tried to convince
herself. Afterall anyone who has Mousse's built, hairstyle and wore a
Chinese robe could easily pass off as him. Maybe it was just someone
who shared his horrible taste in clothes.

    Calming down, she was about to leave and disclaim everything that she had seen, blaming it on an over-imaginative mind, until she
recognized the shop in front of her.  Nekohanten, the cat caf�.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
(That night, in the Nekohanten)

    <Why am I here?> The woman in black groaned to herself. In her nightclothes, she could avoid being seen since Nekohanten has been closed off for police investigation.

    Slipping into the main room where the dinning area used to be, Ukyou heaved a sigh. <There's no such thing as ghosts.>

    Pointing her torchlight at the surroundings, she observed that everything seemed to be the same as the last time she was here. <What I'd seen is just someone whose appearance is similar to Mousse. I didn't even see his goddamn face and I freaked out.>

    She stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes lingering over a table. A vision conjured up in her mind. Mousse sitting there, his back facing her. <He's dead.> She shut her eyes, and mentally shouted to herself. Opening her eyes, everything was as it should be. No Mousse, just chairs and tables.

    Her heartbeat was loud to her ears. Just as her chanting was loud to her mind. Yet words failed to calm her heart down. <Come on, you are too old to believe in ghost stories. Once people die, they stay dead.>

    Seeing nothing unusual on the ground floor, she began her ascent up the stairs, purposefully avoiding the basement. The stairs creaked under her weight, scaring her a little. <Just the stairs, nothing to worry about. There's only one person in here. There are no others and definitely no ghosts.>

    She checked Cologne's room first. Her flashlight did little to illuminate the room but her tensed martial arts instincts more than made up for it. It was not as if she was looking for anything tiny. That was not the purpose of the trip.

    The only reason she was here was to squash the tiny voice in her head that Mousse was back. And she hated every second since she stepped into this dreaded place.

    Backing out of the room, she went next to Shampoo's room. Opening the door slightly, she was happy to see that the room was just as she had expected, uninhibited.

    She didn't stay long, quickly adjourning to the next room. Hand on the knob, she was hesitant to twist it. <There's nothing in there. I can go home once I get this over with.>

    She took a deep breath and held it as she opened the door to
Mousse's room. The air seemed cooler and she shuddered, releasing the
breath that she was holding. The bed was still there, as with the rest of the furniture. More importantly, no being was in the room,
supernatural or otherwise. Nothing in there that should alarm her.
Mentally, she gloated. <See, there's nothing to be worried about.>

    Just as she was celebrating her little judgment, a sound could be heard downstairs. "Thump." This sent her backing to the wall, in a martial arts stance. More of such sounds travelled to her ears as it got louder, then gradually softened.

    Seeing that nothing was coming out to attack her, she let her
guard down for a moment. Placing one hand at her chest, she attempted
to calm her heart down. "What is it?" She whispered to herself. <It
sounded like wood tapping onto the floor.>

    The sound was vaguely familiar, yet she couldn't identify it.  Like the forgotten lyrics to a song, the cause of the thumping sound remained elusive. Determined to remember, she relaxed and took a few cleansing breaths. Her eyes widened as she thought of a possible answer. <Cologne's stick.>

    Cautiously, she began to follow the sounds. She made her
footsteps as light as possible as she descended the stairs and came to a door; the door that leads to the basement.

    As the sounds ringed in her ears, she could almost see what
happened on the other side of the door. An image of her immobilizing
Shampoo in the cage; Mousse coming in through this door; the act of
plunging the knife into his heart; her planting the knife onto
Shampoo's hands; memories that she didn't want to remember.

    <Forget it!> Ukyou willed herself as she stood before the closed door. Just as suddenly as it started, the sounds stopped. This
distracted her from her painful memories. In the quiet Nekohanten, she debated with herself if she should open the door.

    The decision was quick. She sped away from the door as fast as her legs could carry her. Out into the dining area, bumping onto some chairs. If it was possible, she ran even faster as the wood tapping sounds resumed. Not caring to hide her presence, she dashed out of the main door towards the street and freedom.

    She felt like she had been running for hours, although it was
only for a few minutes. Looking behind her, she was relieved that she
wasn't being followed.

    Slowing down to a stop, she tried to catch her breath. <There's nothing to worry about. Nothing! Ghosts simply don't exist.> Slumping to the floor, she hugged her legs to her chest. It warmed her a little, providing some sort of a calming relief. <It could have been anything. Maybe there were cats playing there or the wind or...>

    Her mind froze. Next to her on the ground was a shadow. It took the figure of a dwarf on a stick. Staring at it, she couldn't believe her eyes. Turning her head ever so slowly, she trembled slightly, afraid of what she would see.

    There was nothing.

    She turned back to the shadow; it was gone. She wasn't about to stay and find out where it went. Up on her feet, she raced towards
home, not stopping this time.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
(Late afternoon)

    Dr. Tofu poured himself a cup of hot green tea, grateful for a lull in patients.  It would give him an opportunity to ponder over why he had went to Ucchans trice and yet each time, he was unable to visit Ranma.  The first time, he had over-reacted again, to the unresistable charm of the eldest Tendo daughter.  The second time, Ukyou said that Ranma was sleeping and he should visit him another time.  Two weeks later, Ukyou firmly but politely refused him entry, stating that she was going out to run some errands.  Strangely though, she never left her restaurant-cum-home.  Either he had the worst timing known to mankind, or she had something to hide...

    Knock. Knock.

    "Come in."

    Tendo Nabiki opened the door and sauntered in.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

(Night. Ucchans)

    Her senses were at full alert. The alley was dark, barely
illuminated by the streetlights. Straining her ears, she could hear the sounds of crickets creaking but fortunately no wood tapping. Her
trained eyes then proceeded to seek out the lurking shadows in the
alley. Used boxes, broken tables, and chairs were stacked along the
walkway. <All of them a convenient hiding place,> she realized.

    A shadow suddenly moved, prompting her to move into a battle
stance. Adrenaline already pumping in her veins, she stubbornly refused to succumb to the urge to go running back to Ucchans.

    <Stay calm. Don't jump to conclusions.> Ukyou moved nearer to the source of the movements. Her ears picked up a scarcely audible sound, warning her of what she would find behind the boxes. It was a soft meow and her eyes confirmed the presence of an alleycat grooming itself.

    She heaved a huge sigh of relief, mentally scolding herself for being paranoid. The cat upon seeing Ukyou, started to approach her and rubbed itself against her leg. It meowed pitifully, as if beseeching her to take it home. Unfortunately, its intent was misread.

    A startled Ukyou on other occasions would have been more
compassionate to the cat. But now there was only one question burning
in her mind, <Is it Shampoo?> In the dark she couldn't check for the
pink fur but better safe than sorry.

    Her expression hardened and reached down to grab the cat around its neck. Probably she had used too much force or the cat's sixth sense had alerted it, it squirmed away before she could get a good hold.

    Cursing slightly, she watched as the cat disappeared behind some boxes. The decision to chase after it was snuffed when she realized that she was still in the back alley of Ucchans. <A very dangerous position,> she noted. The poor visibility would be against her if there was a need to fight the shadowed creatures. The many things stacked here would aid any ambusher against her. One wrong move and her body would not be found until the next morning, assuming if the enemies let her have a full corpse.

    Hastily, she grabbed the rubbish bag from the backdoor of Ucchans and dumped it in the rubbish chute situated near the end of the alley. It was a mad dash to and fro, hoping that if she was fast enough, others wouldn't have the chance to attack.

    It was only after she was inside the restaurant with the door
firmly locked behind her, did the foreboding feeling quell. <So much
for dumping rubbish.>

    Having recovered her breath slightly, she ventured towards the main area of the restaurant. At first, she didn't take note of it but the persistent knocking was kind of hard to miss after some time.

    Her first thought was Cologne, spurring her to scan the room for any unusual signs. Then as the knocking continued, she gradually
realized that someone was actually knocking on the main door.

    With apprehension, she leaned on the door, putting her ear on the wooden surface, which separated her from whatever that was outside. Voices, a male and a female.

    She recognized them immediately, yet she didn't open the door to let them in. What if the shadows assumed the two forms to make her let down her guard? She began eavesdropping on their conversation.

    "Akane, it's late, we'll visit another day."

    "But Ryouga, you promised. It's been ages since I- no we last
seen Ranma."

    There was a sigh and then more knocking. Though it was supposed to be a harmless gesture, the effects were more profound on Ukyou whose ear was pressed against the door.

    She backed away suddenly, nursing her ear, cursing.

    "Ukyou, is that you?" Akane's voice was heard over the door. Then more softly, presumably speaking to her companion, "Did you hear
anything? There's someone inside, I wonder if anything is wrong."

    More knocking was heard, even more persistent than the last.
<Guess I can't hide here forever.> Ukyou opened the door begrudgingly. Unfortunately for her, Ryouga was not looking at where he was knocking. He had not registered the door opening. But fortunately for her, she had quick reflexes, a skill trained well by Ranma.

    She caught the fist, stopping it in its track to hit smack onto her face. Her little display had earned her two gasps.

    "Wow. Ukyou, you have been training. I never seen you move that fast before." There was almost a trace of envy in Akane's voice.

    Ukyou's eyebrow twitched involuntarily. "Uh," she laughed
nervously. <If they knew how good I became, would they link Ranma's
accident to me?> The idea seemed far-fetched and real at the same time, yet she needed a response fast. "Ranma gave me some lessons during the training trip." The exact truth without detailing how much better she had gotten. "Come in."

    "Sorry about that, Ukyou," Ryouga apologized as he let Akane walk into the restaurant first.

    "No damage, bygones." She sought to calm herself down. It was
just two friends visiting, not that she had never had them over. Yet,
Ukyou couldn't explain what had unsettled her. Tension sipped into her voice, making it slightly higher than usual. "So what brings you here at this late hour."

    "Sorry, school assignments have kept me in and this is the only time that I can squeeze out." Akane gave a weak smile and continued, looking at Ryouga briefly. "I haven't visited Ranma for a long time. I hope he's not angry." Her tone dipped before slipping back to her cheerful mode. "Besides I need to pass you your homework. You haven't been to school lately, is everything alright?"

    Ukyou took over a pile of paper from Ryouga and flipped through it, avoiding eye contact to both her guests, trying to contain her nerves. "I guess the running of Ucchans and looking after Ran-chan have taken the toll on me. I'm just too tired to go to school."

    She nearly recoiled when she felt a hand on her shoulder, about to hit it away from intruding into her personal space. Only the words that followed had stopped her, betraying only a slight movement of the shoulders.

    "You have to take care of yourself. I can come over and help you if you need?" Ryouga's voice was gentle and warm, so much so that Ukyou felt that she was being cared for. A feeling that was alien to her after such a long absence.

    "No but thanks for your concern, Ryouga. I just need a break." Of course she had to reject him, what if he stumbled into one of her secrets. Still she was grateful for his concern, sharing a genuine smile with him.

    "Excuse me, I'm still here, you know?"

    "Oops!" Ryouga withdrew his hand from Ukyou and scooted closer to his girlfriend. He began apologizing to her although it was obvious that Akane was just joking.

    Shaking her head, she began leading them towards Ranma's room. While she was walking in front, she was given the chance to think. With the Nekohanten incident, she hadn't bothered to deal with Ranma. Just offering him food to keep him alive.

    Coming to think of it, he hadn't been eating too much, kind of depressed in fact. Ukyou looked behind at the couple, and she got her answer. <Tendo Akane. She hasn't been visiting.> She knew that he had never gotten over her. <And who's he trying to bluff when he says he loved me?> If she gave him a chance, he would pine for the Tendo girl anytime. But his heart would break all over again.

    Ukyou couldn't suppress a smile as she figured out how best to exploit the opportunity the fates had presented. The old Kuonji Ukyou was back.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

    The door was opened without a knock, letting light into the
darkened room. <Must be Ukyou.> That was the obvious answer and because of that, Ranma didn't bother to open his eyes. Not until later, when he heard more approaching footsteps that he realized he had more company.

    The first he saw was Ukyou, who was leaning down on him, talking to him affectionately. "Sorry to disturb you, but you have friends visiting tonight." She spoke with the sweet tone of hers that he detested. It was all an act, and he was the prop.

    He hated this. It was so fake, the way she cupped his cheeks,
brushed against his hair and especially that gaze. <Loving? Yeah,
right?!> Now that he knew the truth, he would not be that gullible to
think that she actually loved him. Yet, he sometimes wondered if any of her award winning performances had some bearing of truth. Afterall, how could a person feign a loving gaze so convincingly?

    She moved away from him, finally letting him see the guests that have arrived tonight. His eyes widened and his heartbeat rose
involuntarily.

    There she was, Akane standing by the door, unsmiling. It confused him, why wasn't she happy in seeing him? Her eyes were reproaching him for something. The kind that she would give him whenever Shampoo hugged him or any other time that she suspected him of enjoying other women's company.

    But in a flash, the stare was gone. Akane had turned to Ryouga and flashed a smile to him. Together, they walked into the room on Ukyou's prompting. Akane had continued to put on that smile for Ukyou and even to him. It was then that he begged to have that reproachful stare back. For if she was angry with him, it meant...

    His hopes were dashed. Two intertwined hands that he never
noticed before were suddenly the most prominent sight to him, screaming loudly that Akane had chosen Ryouga. They walked in together, taking the seats by the bed and even so their hands never left each other. <So that's why she stopped visiting.>

    He hardly noticed Ukyou sitting down on the bed with him,
fiddling with his hair. In a world of his own, he hadn't paid any
attention to the conversation even if they were talking about him. It
was just the image of clasped hands that kept replaying in his mind.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

    Akane was trying very hard to keep track what was being said. One moment Ukyou was saying something and Ryouga replied the next. She was hardly participating in what they were saying, just murmurs of replies when required. Instead, she was highly disturbed by the closeness or affection Ukyou lavished on Ranma.

    A minute ago, Ukyou was holding Ranma's hands. Now, she was
stroking his hair gently. It was like a beacon to her howling that
Ranma belonged to Ukyou. Knowing that she should look away to stop the discomforting feeling in her heart, she could not bear to do so. It was a sight that reminded her that she could never be that carefree towards Ranma; an act that she was not able to replicate.

    Instead, Akane unconsciously began to stroke Ryouga's hand. She had given up listening to the conversation. Her attention focusing on how much Ranma had changed since her last visit.

    His eyes seemed sunken in, not holding the fire that brightened his being. She remembered her last visit, how much fun they were having with the puppet show, how his eyes sparked with joy... and now they were dead.

    Everything about him signalled doom, for a lack of a better word. It was as if time had backtracked to her first visit after Ranma was back from the China trip with Ukyou. He was non-responsive to Kasumi then, just like he was right now with Ryouga and her.

    <No, it is worse than the first time I visited,> realized Akane as she silently observed the invalid. His hair was in need of a wash. The stubble under his chin was enjoying a healthy growth. His
bedclothes were crumpled, not to mention dirty. And there was a salty
smell that permeated the room.

    Maybe she was too obvious for Ukyou caught her staring at Ranma, "He may seem dirty, but I'm... I'm just too tired. There's always so many things to do."

    "No, Ukyou," Akane said, alarmed that Ukyou might think that she was accusing her of not taking good care of Ranma.

    "I know I should have done a better job." Ukyou continued, her voice cracking, "I'm his fiance and I don't even have the time to have a decent talk with him. I can't even give him a wash as frequent as I would like to."

    Ryouga interrupted quickly. "You have done all you can and I'm sure Ranma will understand, right?" Looking at his former rival, he was exasperated when Ranma made no response.

    "Yeah, you have sacrificed a lot for him." Akane affirmed
Ryouga's point. She let her hand rest on top of Ukyou's, trying to
reassure her, "Nobody will blame you."

    "Really?"

    "Yes," Akane confirmed.

    "Thanks," Ukyou flashed a smile, and was met with the same
courtesy by the two. She turned towards her bedridden fiance and
winked.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

    A couple, holding hands were strolling along the dimly lighted streets. But instead of the guy leading the girl, it was the other way round. Nothing unusual although it was a must for this couple if they wanted to reach anywhere on time.

    Neither had spoken since they left Ucchans, as if afraid to
disturb the silence of the night. Akane was looking straight ahead, in deep thought. Ryouga, on the other hand, was stealing glances at Akane, observing her.

    <What is Akane thinking about?> He had always felt inadequate for Akane. Sometimes, he felt that he didn't understand her. <Isn't a
couple supposed to share their thoughts?> It was only through this,
could they communicate. He wanted their relationship to be free
flowing, for her to tell him everything and for him to do so too.

    He hated guessing because he would get all the negative results. He glanced at her again, unreservedly this time, such that she caught him staring. He knew he must be looking like a fool now. His face bearing a look that he wanted to say something but didn't know how or whether he should.

    "What's the matter?" Akane smiled curiously.

    "Uh..."

    "Why does this seem so familiar?"

    Ryouga remembered and surely Akane had not forgotten that too. In a night like this, he made a disastrous marriage proposal to her. <Is she thinking that I'm trying to propose again?> "No, no." He hadn't recovered enough to accept another rejection. "I'm just thinking that I should go help Ukyou more frequently. Although she rejected my offer, I think she needs help. Did you see how tired she looked?"

    Akane nodded affirmatively. "I agree. I think I should help out more often too, coach her in the lessons that she missed or even take up waitressing."

    Both shared a smile while silence resumed, to be interrupted once again, this time by Akane. "You know what?"

    "Huh?"

    "I was thinking about Ukyou too. I'm glad you brought that up. Hmm, now I wonder if you can read my mind?"

    She was teasing him, he knew that but he couldn't stop staring at her. She was laughing at him but he didn't mind a bit, and joined in.

    Akane opened a door. <Where did that come from?> A confused
Ryouga started looking around until Akane shouted "Tadaima." <We're
already back?> The faces of Kasumi and Nabiki sitting in the living
room answered his unspoken question.

    "Okaeri. I'm glad you're alright." Kasumi said as she hugged
Akane.

    "Oneechan?" It has to be said that the Tendos were not that
affectionate towards each other simply just because they have arrived
home. <Something's wrong.> Both Akane and Ryouga realized.

    Nabiki stood up, her face unreadable. "I'm going to tell you
something now. Don't argue with me until I finish the story. And
whatever I say is the truth, even Kasumi concurs with me. The situation is getting dangerous and I don't want anyone of you messing my plan or getting killed."

----------------------------------------------------------------------
(Few days later)

    Since the Nekohanten incident, there were no more Mousse
look-alikes appearing before her, nor were there shadows of Cologne
following her around. She had made sure of that by frequently checking behind her and keeping her senses up for any surprise attacks.

    To say she was tired was an understatement. She was dog-tired. She couldn't sleep, afraid of what laid in store for her when she was most vulnerable. But after two days of watching her back without any further discoveries, she had finally succumbed to her bodily needs.

    "Wha," a bleary Ukyou voiced, beginning to come back to the land of the conscious, "Slept in the bath tub again." There was a tint of satisfaction in her voice. Stretching out to wake her sleepy muscles, she commented with an air of contentment, "That was nice."

    She stood, letting the beads of water flow down her body.
Shuddering slightly from the cold, she quickly retrieved a towel and
wrapped it around herself, enjoying the warmth it gave her.

    "I nearly forgot how simple things like this can be so
pleasurable," a dreamy Ukyou mused. "Gotta do this more often." She
yawned and lazily put on her clothes.

    Checking the mirror, she paused somberly, looking at her
reflection, sadly noting the dark rings under her eyes and the paleness of her skin. This was not the Ukyou she wanted to see. With a resolve she was determined to start anew, so as to speak.

    Then she had a feeling that someone was watching her. She turned back abruptly, scanning the bathroom for her discomfort. It was for naught. She returned back to her image, shaking her head at herself and scolded, "You got to stop imagining things."

    With great effort, she managed a smile, trying to project the
confidence she needed. But her mind just had to play back the incident at Nekohanten. The tapping sounds, the shadow of Cologne...

    <No! Forget it. Nothing happened.>

    Forcing another smile, she took a deep breath, condemning all her fears to hell. Unable to face the pitiful stranger in the mirror any longer, she left the bathroom.

    Fear gripped her heart as soon as she stepped out. Her floor was dirtied with water marks and tinges of mud, taking the shape of large paw prints. Dumbstruck, she stared stupidly at the prints, ignoring the voices in her mind. <It's a panda's paw print!>

    She leaned backwards to the wall for support, trying to deny what she had seen. She shook her head violently, closed her eyes and
reopened them, but the prints were still there, leading from the
bathroom to Ranma's room.

    <That thing was in the same room as me!> Her mind screamed,
imagining what it had done without her noticing. None of them pleasant. She felt like screaming at the top of lungs but didn't. She had a better plan.

    Rushing to Ranma's room, she didn't hesitate to open it, anger fuelling the courage she needed to face the invisible beast. In the dark room, she saw no one except for Ranma who was apparently sleeping.

    Caring less for the invalid, she shook him awake. "Who was
here?!" she asked furiously. Ukyou didn't buy the shocked-cum-innocent look Ranma was giving her and shook his limp body fiercely, shrieking, "Was it your father?"

    There was no response from him.  She turned back, frantically
looking around thinking that she might catch a glimpse of the panda.
Seeing no furry animal, she settled for shouting at the air, believing that Genma would hear her, "I'm not afraid of you! You don't scare me. I've killed you once, I can kill you again. You hear that!"

    Silence was the only thing that replied her.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
(The next morning)

    Flip. Everyone has his own way of relaxing, Ukyou was no
different. Except that her way was to cook okonomiyaki, which was good since she enjoyed what she did to earn her living. There was no special recipe, just full concentration, making sure that it didn't get burnt. Timing was the most important aspect, not one second more or one second less on the stove. Focusing just on the okonomiyaki, mind devoid of any other thoughts.

    Flip. Another okonomiyaki landed nicely onto the plate. "One pork okonomiyaki for the mister." Ukyou said sweetly, her mind reminding her not to forget to smile to the customer.

    The bell chimed, signalling the arrival of a new patron.
"Welcome to Ucchans. Please take a seat," voiced Ukyou automatically,
not looking up from the stove.

    The customer found a seat at one of the tables, away from the hot plate, his back facing Ukyou. Settling down, he shouted his order to the proprietor.

    Ukyou flipped another okonomiyaki onto a plate and sent it to the rightful owner. Keeping herself busy, that was her way of dealing with the situation. Overwork so that she didn't have the time to think of things. As far as she was concerned, Mousse, Cologne and Genma didn't exist.

    Looking up to see where the new customer sat, she was forced to face her ghosts. Rooted to the ground, she stifled a scream that
luckily died in her throat. The familiar white robe, the long hair, the built, it all pointed to one thing. <It can't be.>

    The batter on her stove forgotten, she had only eyes for the
newcomer.  Everything stopped for her. Patrons ceased to exist,
okonomiyaki ceased to exist. Her lungs burned with the lack of oxygen, reminding her to breathe. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

    As if possessed, she walked involuntarily towards the new patron. <No, it's not true.> She wanted to tap him on the shoulder but held back at the last minute. <That's not Mousse. He's dead.> The customer as if sensing her presence turned back.

    <Told you that it's not possible.> Her brain was gloating. <Dead people simply don't wake up from their graves and walk among living people.> Her smile was wide, maybe too wide for the customer was giving her a strange look.

    "Hey, what's this?" A customer to her right asked.

    She turned to see him pull something out of his mouth.

    "Is this white hair?" there was an unmistakable anger in his
voice.

    Ukyou was about to retort but another customer interrupted. "Hey, I have white hairs in my okonomiyaki too!"

    The rest began to dissect their food and the whispers grew
louder. "Me too!" Another shouted, agitated to find the alien
substance.

    Ukyou confused, found the offending material presented in front of her by an angry client. <I don't have white hair, how can it be?> Taking the strand, she became scrutinizing it. "Too short to be hair."

    Murmurs of agreement were heard.

    "More like fur." A voice announced.

    Loud gasps were heard and Ukyou became the target for their
staring. Her mouth opened slightly but words failed her. She didn't
bother to make an explanation, her mind was too messed up right now.

    "I'm not eating this anymore and don't expect me to pay." One
customer shouted and left, followed by the rest. Only Ukyou was left
with her thoughts, her hand twiddling the white furry strand. <Panda
fur?>

----------------------------------------------------------------------
(Nerima Police Department)

    "I heard you wanted to speak with me." Officer Muyo gave a top down scan on the girl standing in front of him. It wasn't often that he got teenagers coming into a police station, looking for him and demanding his immediate attention.

    Standing next to the girl, was a man, a person he came across
during his work. One thing for certain was that this Seiyu guy wasn't a good man, an agent of sorts with his underworld dealings.

    "Let me introduce myself. I'm Tendo Nabiki. Can we find a place to talk?"

    The girl met his eyes firmly, suggesting that he take her
seriously. A wry smile formed in his lips, this girl was intriguing.
She was associating herself with shady persons... the air of confidence she held around her... the look on her face promising of more interesting things to come.

    "This way please."

------------------------------------------------------------------
(The Women's Detention Facility in a district near Nerima)

    "Hello, Shampoo. How are you?" Kasumi put on her most pleasant smile. Through Nabiki she knew Shampoo had become some sort of a wreck but she still couldn't believe her eyes.

    Slumped on the chair, red-shot eyes, messy hair... Kasumi blinked away all the unpleasing images and concentrated on using the right words to say. "I've brought cookies, they'll pass it to you later."

    "Thanks." There was no gratitude in her voice. Not that she was ungrateful, but Shampoo wanted to be left alone, to wilt in her own misery.

    Kasumi braced herself to look at Shampoo again. And she wondered how the world could be so cruel, to inflict such misfortunes on a young person's life. The damage leaving a blazing trail in a person's life was most evident in the eyes. If Shampoo's physical appearance had startled her, the pain in her eyes had paralyzed her. "I don't know if it mean anything, but we believe that you didn't do it."

    Shampoo made no response to that. She was looking at Kasumi's
direction but not at her. It was as if she was looking through her.
Kasumi wondered if Shampoo had heard her, but certainly the words had
not registered in Shampoo's mind.

    "It's not your fault."

    The words had some desired effects, for Shampoo was finally
meeting her eyes. "Shampoo really want to believe that."

    Kasumi crumbled. Six little words had set her heart in despair. <The poor child is torturing herself. What wrong had Shampoo done?> The belief of a perfect world cracked, and Kasumi was beginning to see the flaws. <First it's Akane, then Ranma, Mousse, Shampoo, Genma... Whose next?> If only there was a way she could help to make the world a better place, instead of assuming it was.

    "If there's anyone to blame, it's not you." Shampoo remained
silent but Kasumi forged on, "Shampoo, you ask yourself, did you want
all these to happen? If you didn't, then you are not guilty of
anything."

    It touched a nerve which got Shampoo all worked up. "Yes! Shampoo want Mousse to die. Shampoo dream Mousse die. Shampoo wish Mousse die. And Mousse die."

    "But that's not the same..."

    "Shampoo not wish great-grandmother die, but great-grandmother die because of me." Her eyes were welling up. Shampoo cursed herself, she thought she was devoid of tears already.

    Kasumi felt so useless. In the past, she was always a figure in the background. Her life seemed so redundant. Now it was different, she  wanted to make a difference in someone's life. With Nabiki trying to outsmart Ukyou, the least she could do was to comfort the torn-up Amazon. And if she tried hard enough, she might just succeed. <No, I will succeed!> Her mind resolved.

    "Did you ask Mousse to kill Cologne-san?"

    "No."

    "Did you know Mousse killed Cologne-san when you married him?"

    "No, but..."

    Kasumi didn't wait for her to continue and jumped to her next
question, "Did you kill Mousse?"

    "No."

    "There, you have it. You were duped. You were a victim in an
elaborate revenge plot. You could do nothing to stop it." Kasumi was
exerting her best efforts, hoping that it was enough. The difficult
part was to get the logic through Shampoo.

    All the while Kasumi had this charm that everybody listened to her and she hoped that she hadn't used up all the magic. "It's alright to grieve, it's even okay to self-recriminate but there must be a limit. You cannot stay in this stage forever, you have to grow out of it, Cologne-san wouldn't want it any other way."

    "But nice nice girl no understand. Shampoo still lo.., miss
Mousse. And this guilt... How can I have feelings for murderer?"

    Shampoo was desperate, alone and in need of reassurance and love, Kasumi could see that. And in her own little way, a gentle smile, a nod of the head, a pair of firm eyes, she showed her that Shampoo still had someone who cared for her. "Because you loved him. And don't be ashamed of it, love works in mysterious way. You cannot will it away, the only thing to do is to accept it. Besides, deep down I think Mousse loved you. For what he did, the hatred must have originated from somewhere. And that somewhere comes from within his heart, his love for you."

    Shampoo closed her eyes, her heart was in knots. It felt better to know that Mousse had really loved her, even if subconsciously the fact was already apparent to her. For the words to come out of Kasumi's mouth, it must mean something and not something her deranged mind conjured up.

    "You are young, you can still start again. Cologne-san has placed all her hopes on you. You cannot forsake her by running away from your duties as an Amazon."

    An Amazon warrior.  She was always proud of her birthright. But now, she didn't know if she could still go back to her hometown. On the other hand, when Elder Lao Lao and Elder Mei Lian visited her, they didn't censure her. If she could go back to the Greenlands, she
might... "It's no use, I'll never get out of here."

    "The real culprit will be caught. Nabiki is working on it."

    When Kasumi said it, she found herself trusting her. And at this moment, Shampoo felt something alien within herself...

    "And when that day happens, please...Live, for Cologne-san and for yourself."

    A glimmer of hope.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

    [Ukyou was panting heavily, every direction she had turned had brought her to a dead end. It seemed like she had been running forever and no matter what she did, the shadows were always behind her. She didn't know why they had not attacked but she had to keep on running.

    A wall had risen from the ground in the narrow lane, stopping her in her tracks. It seemed low enough, just a jump and she might break away.

    "Ukyou, we were accomplices."

    The voices were getting louder now.

    "You think you killed me? I'm now more stronger and deadly than before."

    The tears wouldn't stop for Ukyou. They just kept flowing and
blurring her vision. She turned back to check on the shadows'
advancement, they were just ten feet away! Bending her knees, she
mustered all her strength on the one jump.

    She thought she was going to miss the top of the wall. It seemed so far away from her reach when she was in midair, thinking that her outreached hands would not touch the surface of it. And when she did, she nearly lost hold of it.

    Fumbling, with only one hand pulling herself to the wall, she
struggled to bring her leg over to the other side. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could finally see the faces of her tormentors. The
devilish grins that they wore froze her heart.

    "Little daddy's girl has nowhere to run."

    The words only drove her on. Doubling her efforts, she managed to hook her leg over the wall. And with all her might, she pulled herself over, letting herself drop on the other side. Except that, she didn't touch ground.

    She kept falling and falling...

    Into what seemed like an endless pit.

    Surrounded by darkness...

    Ghoulish voices...

    Bloodied hands...

    Clawing at her.]

    Ukyou's eyes snapped open. Reminiscences of the vivid dream
propelled her into an upright position. She was halfway out of the bed with the greatest desire to escape before a tapping sound alerted her to the current surroundings.

    The familiar layout and furniture reminded her that she was in her own room. As she began to settle back into reality, she fell back to the bed. Her legs were strangely too tired to support her weight.

    She buried her face into her hands, feeling the thin layer of
sweat that had formed. The fear and the helplessness were still fresh
in her mind, eating her away. She tried to brush away the dream as she had did so many times before, convincing herself that it was
insignificant and an impossibility in reality. But even if she
succeeded, based on past experiences she could never get back to sleep.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

    Outside, on the opposite building, a person with the figure of a dwarf was standing on the rooftop in the dark. It was intoning in a language that few had known. Stopping momentarily to observe the window to Ukyou's room, it was slightly agitated that nothing had happened yet.

    Continued chanting for the past twenty minutes was draining the person. <If this doesn't work, we may need to use the stone.> But it wasn't prepared to admit defeat yet and repeated the spell again.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

    Ukyou was rubbing her temple. <Am I imagining sounds now?> The tapping sounds were giving her the headache. She unburied herself from her hands and opened her eyes to seek out the disturbance.

    On the window ledge stood a bird tapping on the glass surface. Ukyou stared at it, annoyed at its behaviour. The bird didn't appear to stop at any moment now, still dead in its mindset to seek her attention.

    With zero tolerance level, she got up with the intention to shoo the bird away or there would be a bird feast. Unlocking the windows, she pushed outwards, the movement of the windowpanes forcing the bird away.

    A cool breeze welcomed her. While it was nice, she couldn't help shivering. The night was quiet, the air fresh, it would be a peaceful moment. But she was still intimidated by the dark, the unseen. The windows had to be closed and locked, refusing access to the room.

    She reached out for the windowpanes and caught something she
wished she hadn't seen. A person was standing right across the street. And what caught her eye was the white gi. Being dark, she couldn't see the man's face but she could imagine it all clearly. The face of a Saotome Genma would be a nice fit to the plump figure, donning a white gi.

    The man, if it was even a human was facing her, presumably
staring at her as she was staring at him. She did the first thing that came to her mind, she backed away from the window. In her hastiness, she slipped and fell onto her back.

    She scrambled away, placing more distance between herself and the windows while keeping watch. <Damn! It's still open.> She shot up, dashing for the windowpanes. Grabbing the handles, she proceeded to shut it tight before realizing that the silhouette she had seen wasn't there anymore.

    She frantically looked around for its trace and found none. There was a doubt, that she was losing her mind. Was she mixing up her nightmares with reality? She wasn't sure but she didn't want to think that she was crazy.

    In her dreams, she was always running, but no matter how hard she tried, she could never get away from them. <Is this what I'm doing? Am I going to run forever?>

    The dark form appeared again a couple of metres away from its
previous position. But this time, there was no fear, just anger. She
pushed the windows open again and jumped down onto the street, landing perfectly.

    However, she lost sight of the figure in the process. <How can a person move so fast?> Fear was slowly creeping into the cervices of her heart. But she refused to back down. <Tonight would be the night where everything comes to an end.>

----------------------------------------------------------------------

    "Mousse, step A was successful. She's on the prowl, lead her on." The dwarf spoke to the walkie-talkie. Being tired from exercising the mind meld, she rested on the rooftop. Siting in a lotus position, she started to mediate to recover her strength.

    The voice of the Team Leader crackled over the radio, "Okay,
Akane's group, you're on."

    "Message received, Team Leader.  Rescue Team over and out,"
whispered Akane excitedly, as she motioned her team mate to move
forward.

     "You've watched too many spy movies, Akane," grumbled Team
Leader.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

    <So what they are ghosts, I just slay them like before.> Ukyou looked around feverishly for a target. Maybe she had gone out of her mind with the sleepless nights and nightmares, but she had become the hunter now, refusing to play the role of a prey even if she was outmatched.

    A flicker of light, the rush of air, the feeling of a presence made her turn to the right. She could hardly make out the dark form that stood near the junction of the crossroads. But the white Chinese robe was easily distinguishable.

    Wasting no time, she charged. The form had moved also,
disappearing into another street. It was like a game of hide and seek. And they were hiding and reappearing, leading her on. Sometimes she thought she saw Genma, and Mousse would appear further away securing her attention. When she turned back to Genma, he would have vanished and similarly for Mousse too. It was just catching up to them as she caught glimpses of a dark form here and there.

    She took the bait, line, sinker and all. And here she was, led to a graveyard. The surroundings were eerily quiet, with a cloud of mist obscuring her vision. This was her first time here since she had no reason to visit this place. But the minute she stepped through the gates, she promised herself that this would be her last time here also.

    The place gave her the creeps, the air seemed colder, the night darker. <Why am I here? I could have been in bed, warm and staring into the ceiling.> Yet, there was no denial that she had come too far out.

    Ukyou visually scanned the area, seeing stabs of tombs lining in an organized fashion. Trees were placed at strategic areas, providing some greenery to the soul's final resting-place. Lampposts along a two-lane road, next to the cemetery provided lighting. As nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, she picked a tomb closest to her, reading the inscription on it.

    The picture of the girl was a beautiful one. Died at a young age of sixteen who would be remembered by family and friends. Somehow, she imagined her face superimposed on the picture and it scared her. She scooted away, looking around again. <Will anyone bury me when I'm dead? Will I be missed for that matter?>

    The longer she stayed around, the more her uneasiness grew. She was prepared for the worst, even to meet some ghosts but it didn't mean that she was not frightened. <Ukyou, you are a strong girl. Once you get this over with, everything will be back as it should be.> Just as she was calming herself, the orchestra had started.

    Her first clue was when she thought she heard the wind whispering her name. "Ukyou." Her body tensed up, her eyes darting back and forth. She was in the middle of the cemetery and could barely see a few rows of stabs ahead of her.

    "How could you?" A ghostly whisper, so faint that Ukyou could
only make out that it was a male's voice. She turned towards the source of the voice, ready for an approach.

    But then another voice originated in a direction behind her,
synchronized with the breeze that chilled her skin. "Why?"

    She turned back again. Almost immediately, towards her right,
another voice repeated, "Why?" She was lost, her mind on an overdrive. The fear, the helplessness were all coming back to her again and she hated it.

    Together, coming from every direction, the voices chorused,
"Why?" Fear grappling her heart, she thought she was surrounded by
things that she couldn't see yet. The voices were firm and familiar,
like those in her nightmares. In a gesture she was so familiar with,
she pressed her hands hardly to her ears.

    "WHY?" The intensity has grown, the loudness was almost deafening in her ears and in her heart. <I can't stand it anymore.> Ukyou released her hands, her eyes full of rage, "All of you deserved to die."

     "I did not wrong you." An ancient voice replied, soft in its
delivery.

    <Cologne!> True to her eyes, she saw a profile uncannily
resembling the slain Amazon. Her legs carried her towards the
diminutive figure, her spatula raised, happy to have a target, uncaring that she was outmatched. "Too bad! You were a term in the contract."

    In a swirl of motion, the figure evaporated into thin air. And Ukyou had to catch herself before she fell over a tomb where Cologne was standing.

     "I thought you cared for my son."

----------------------------------------------------------------------
(Ucchans)

    "Ranma?  Wake up.  Ranma," cajoled Akane in vain.  One thing
about him that hadn't changed was how difficult it was to wake him up.  But after some very persistent shaking, Ranma lazily cracked open an eye.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
(Cemetery)

    <To the left.> She dashed towards the speaker, but could find no one in sight, only stopping her search when the same voice came from a couple of rows behind her. "I was dishonourable to take the yattai."

    She ran only a few steps where the voice continued again, in
another direction, towards her right, further away. "I shouldn't have
agreed to the engagement but I don't deserve to die."

    She didn't know where to go, the voices were coming from every part of the cemetery. And true to her thoughts, Genma's voice
reemerged, nowhere near where she was or the last of his vocal
location. "Neither does my son. He's innocent."

    "Because of you, my life became a living hell. You had the most reason to die by my hands."

    "And me?" The long white robe was a distinct give away. She was almost expecting the image to disappear when she got near, so she
stayed put although she could not make out his features. This allowed
her to think, to squash that fearful Ukyou into non-existence. She
needed to be in control. To fight the ghosts, that was afterall the
reason why she was here.

    Clearing her mind she recalculated the situation, there was a
nagging thought that something was wrong. Well, things were not
happening like in her nightmares. They were not attacking. Instead it
was as if she was being interrogated. Though how the forms could move
so quickly was a mystery to her.

    "We were a team, yet you disposed me once I was of no value to you. And even frame my Shampoo for my murder."

    She didn't answer, preferring to watch their reaction, keeping a wary eye.

    "You made me think that I was killed by my great-granddaughter."

    Again, Ukyou made no reaction, as if not hearing the words.
<Maybe there are no such things as ghosts.> She was still watching
Mousse, observing every little detail.

    The diminutive figure stepped closer but far enough not to let Ukyou take a close look, "My Shampoo is innocent."

    <Why aren't they attacking? Why so many questions?> The whole
affair stinks of a trap. Tearing her eyes from the unmoving Mousse, she turned towards Cologne, trying to find if there was anything different about her. <Cologne would surely avenge her death. So how can Mousse be with her in one-piece? She doesn't need him to annihilate me.>

---------------------------------------------------------------------

    "Something is wrong here. I think Ukyou is suspicious." Nabiki spoke to the others through her walkie-talkie. She was the commander for the night, directing them with the aid of an infra-red video camera. "I know everyone is anxious, but we need to capture her
confession on tape."

    "I think we need a new plan, besides this Genma suit is not very comfortable."

    "Don't whine, Ryouga. We don't want to use the last resort,
remember? In the meantime, show your face, let's increase the horror
factor and get her to talk." Nabiki ordered, frustrated as to how
things had unfolded, with a premonition that things would go downhill
from here. <Why wouldn't you just confess, Ukyou? And everything would have ended.>

--------------------------------------------------------------------

    <What would they do if I don't make a move? Or should I make a run for it?> Ukyou's thoughts were interrupted when another figure
appeared. Its outline resembled Genma, but she should know better to
believe in appearances. It was she who had masqueraded as Shampoo to
kill Cologne. And she suspected that their disguise skills were
inferior to hers since they hadn't shown their faces yet. <I knew that befriending Tsubasa was a good move.>

    "You killed us. You can't run." Ryouga started, trying his best to imitate Genma's voice. He was quite good at it now, after being subjected to a strict regime enforced by Nabiki to listen to tapes of Genma. But he was now very careful of what he spoke in the Tendo dojo, who knew where the mini-cameras and microphones were?

    "There's nowhere to run. No escape." Together, the ghosts were harmonious in the delivery. Taking a step closer, they continued again. "Why?"

    <Damn, I confessed murdering Genma. I'm implicated.> Ukyou was almost certain that she was being set up. She was trapped now. <I can't run away, I need to destroy whatever evidence they have.> But doubts still exist. <Are there police officers lying around? Are they using a tape recorder on her? Where is it kept? On their bodies?>

    "My poor Shampoo being punished for your crimes." The one who
appeared to be Mousse spoke, and was joined by the others in his next
rendition. "You will be punished."

    Ukyou finally made her move, dashing towards 'Genma'. She could see his face now, it was Ryouga. The target, too surprised to respond, feebly blocked her first blow. She raised her spatula for a follow-up attack, and had a successful hit.

    <Ukyou is really fast.> Ryouga rolled away from his attacker. The pillowed Genma suit was limiting his mobility, even though it was
giving him some form of protection. Once he was up on his feet, he
stripped out of the suit, revealing his usual garb. There wasn't a need to worry about another attack since his comrades had reacted and kept Ukyou busy.

    Unheard by Ukyou, Nabiki was shouting over the walkie-talkie. "We want her alive. We need a confession, not a corpse."

    Dr. Tofu, disguised as Mousse was also thinking along the same lines. Although Ukyou had gotten better, she was still no match for Elder Lao Lao and him. While he was aiming for the shiatsu points to paralyze Ukyou, the elder was hitting all the deadly spots.

    Ukyou was sent flying a few metres when the Amazon hit her. Dr. Tofu was alarmed when Ukyou began spitting blood. The elder, who had been passing off as Cologne, was unsatisfied and pressed on in her vicious attack.

    Meanwhile, Nabiki was roaring over their earplugs, "Don't kill her, Elder Lao Lao. Or else no one would prove Shampoo's innocence."

    "I don't care about your laws. She killed one of ours." She aimed a blow to Ukyou's head, which was caught in the nick of time. "And your plan is not working, she won't be talking. Besides we can get Shampoo out anytime." A sweep of the legs wasn't successful also.

    Seeing that her opponent was avoiding some hits with the physical hand-to-hand-combat style, Elder Lao Lao decided to start the ki attacks. As the accumulation of energy peaked around her, she released the powerful blow at Ukyou.

    It was fortunate that Ukyou had quick reflexes. Even with the
injuries she sustained, she was able to get out of the way in time. <I can't keep this for long, I need a plan.> Readying herself for the next attack, she was surprised to see Dr. Tofu engaging the old Amazon in combat.

    Over the audio network, Nabiki's voice was heard, "You don't want to stain the Amazon's name by killing a person here. We can settle this peacefully. She already confessed to Genma's murder, we could persuade her for Mousse's too. And we're supposed to fight her, not ourselves!" She knew that the matter was getting out of hand now, she put the phone on auto-dial, assured that Seiyu would do the rest.

    Ryouga was about to jump into the fight when Dr. Tofu wasn't able to hold his own against the centenarian. But Nabiki' voice stopped him, ordering him to deal with Ukyou instead. He turned towards the injured girl and closed the distance between them.

    He still had trouble believing that Ukyou was a killer, even if she had confessed. Ryouga didn't have many friends and he considered her as one, even now.  "Ukyou, it's over. Give up. Surrender."

    "Nabiki, is it? I know she's an obstacle but I thought I had her covered. Guess I underestimated her or I overestimated myself. Where is she?" Ukyou sounded defeated, coughing into her hands.

    <Weird that she should mention Nabiki now.> With Nabiki's voice in the background persuading Lao Lao, he was slightly distracted and he didn't know what to do with Ukyou. "Ukyou," he began only to be deafened by the shouting in the earplugs.

    "Ryouga, Lao Lao is sending a blow your way!" Nabiki watched
fearfully as the loose ki-ball was progressing towards Ukyou and Ryouga was just standing too close.

    Ryouga lunged himself at Ukyou who apparently heard Nabiki's
warning and was glancing at her direction. Although they missed the ki blow, they didn't miss the tomb stabs. While Ryouga wasn't affected too much, Ukyou was spurting blood from the collision. Elder Lao Lao was advancing and he had to stop her from killing Ukyou, so he joined forces with Dr. Tofu to stall her.

    It was a mistake. Even in her weakened state, Ukyou sneaked away from the fighting trio, towards where Nabiki was, in a van parked along the roadside, just outside the cemetery.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Ranma peered worriedly into the night as Akane wheeled him to the cemetary. Amazon Elder Mei Lian had already rushed off after she had forced a pill down his throat.  Apparently Nabiki had engineered an outrageous plan to trick Ukyou into confessing.  Ghost hauntings?
Nabiki must be out of her mind.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Nabiki was trying to convince her accomplices from fighting.
"Stop, we should be pitting our forces against Ukyou, not each other." Then in a more alarmed voice, "Where is Ukyou?" That stopped everyone.

    "Right here." Ukyou spoke as she opened the van's side door.
Inside the vehicle, she could see recording equipment and a panic-
stricken Nabiki. She revealed a predator's smile, "The weakest and
potential hostage."

    Nabiki gingerly took out a cassette from the video camera, moving towards Ukyou as if to surrender the tape to her. Her intention was to surprise the chef by throwing her weight on the girl, knocking her onto the road.

    But it seemed that Ukyou had more foresight. Instead of grabbing the tape, she grabbed Nabiki's outstretched hand, yanking the Tendo off-balance and towards her. Once within reach, she pulled her into a stranglehold and tore the tape away from her.

    "Ukyou, give up." Ryouga tried, as the trio arrived and were
slowly approaching the girl.

    "No! Besides I already have the tape, you got nothing against
me." Ukyou retorted, pulling Nabiki away from the van and from the
others.

    "You don't think that I'm so silly to only have one tape. I have planted many cassette recorders in the graveyard. Even if we dig it out one by one now, it will be too late because my associate has already notified the police." Not only that Nabiki had to avoid tripping while back trekking, she also had to endure the tight hold on her neck. If Ukyou were to squeeze harder, she would be incapable of speaking.

    "You're bluffing." Disbelief on her face, Ukyou tug harder at
Nabiki to make her move in a faster pace.

    "No, she's not. We have microphones all over the graveyard to
pick up your voice. And the recorders record your voice." Dr. Tofu
matched Ukyou's pace, maintaining some distance but not too far away if
he needed to react.

    "Yes, we also use the recorders to play the pre-recorded tapes,
so that we can create the illusion of being in many places at the same
time." Ryouga added.

    "There's your evidence that we are not bluffing." Dr. Tofu picked
up from Ryouga's point. He could sense that Ukyou was starting to
believe him now. "The police will have their evidence. You're still
young. Do you want to be always on the run? How long can you hide? 40,
50, 60 years on the road, it will be so tiring."

    Ukyou was very confused now. She had no idea of what she should
do, how she should get out of this mess. But Dr. Tofu was right in one
aspect. She was very tired, mind and flesh.

    "Even if you escape now, you will never survive because we, the
Amazons will seek you out wherever you are." The elder had left the
speaking to the other two until now. While she did not want to risk the
Tendo's life, she was even less willing to let the enemy slip away from
her clutches.

    Nabiki could feel the hold loosen slightly, and felt that maybe
persuasion would work afterall. "Ukyou. I'm sure you have your reasons
for killing. But you are starting to involve more and more innocent
people."

    "Maybe all this while you were wearing a mask, but I believed
that deep inside, you were just a very frightened little girl." Dr.
Tofu looked gently at the shivering Ukyou and couldn't suppress the
sorrow for her. <What had led you to this?>

    "Shut up! Don't think that I have no qualms in killing her. You
know nothing of my suffering." Ukyou could hear the distinct shrill of
police sirens. Anxious and agitated, she looked furtively around for an
escape route. She was in the middle of the road, on her left was some
shophouses, the cemetery on her right.

    "Then, do you need to spread your suffering? Not to count the
people you killed, Shampoo is being accused of murder and she doesn't
care if she lived or died." Nabiki countered.

    "That's not my doing, that's Mousse." Ukyou shouted with
righteous anger. The police sirens were becoming louder, indicating
that the police would soon be arriving from a direction behind her in
this one-way street. But in front of her were three uncompromising
individuals. <Running past them would be a very risky bet, especially
with the old Amazon's quick reflexes. And even if I try for the
cemetery or shophouses, Nabiki will slow me down. If I drop her, I'll
have no leverage against them. And surely, the Amazon would catch up
with me.>

    "Then do one good thing, help her. Don't let her pay for your
mistakes," persuaded the doctor.

    She could see the pity in the doctor's eyes. She didn't want
that. All she wanted was for the wrongdoers to get what they deserved. <What's wrong with that?> A sorrowful laughter echoed in the quiet night. "Am I at the end of my road now?" There was desperateness in her voice. <Maybe I can have my rest finally.>

    "No, Ukyou. You still have a long life ahead of you." Ryouga was trying to be supportive. But even he could see the irony of his
statement.

    "In jail." Ukyou continued softly.

    Silence.

    Her peripheral vision caught a flash of silver from the west.  <Ranma on a wheelchair?>  "I'm sorry, Nabiki. But I should have killed you in the first place." Ukyou tightened her hold on Nabiki's neck, her mind made up.

    The trio reacted instantly, Tofu grabbed Ukyou's hand, Ryouga
pulled Nabiki away, Elder Lao Lao serving a blow.

    "No!" Ranma shouted, his voice a hoarse whisper from lack of use, as Ukyou was sent several feet away in the way of the approaching police cars. He watched with horror as Ukyou crashed onto the windscreen and rolled off the car when it finally stopped.  "Ukyou!"

    The world was suddenly transformed in her eyes. It became a very quiet place no longer as cold as she viewed it to be. Lying amidst in her blood and scattering glass around, she was deaf to the sirens and blind to the flashing lights. It was just the beauty of the night, the breeze that she was afraid to enjoy before was welcoming her again. She was also cherishing the little things that she used to ignore, like the sight of the full moon, the stars...

    Ryouga had run to her side, cradling her head in his lap. There were tears in his eyes as he voiced out her name. She felt ashamed for using him when he offered his friendship.

    "Tha-nks," Ukyou tried and coughed out blood almost immediately.  Her chest protested painfully as she slowly breathed in.  As Akane wheeled Ranma forward, Ukyou tried to avert her eyes, unwilling to see Ranma's blue eyes conveying the hatred he must be harbouring.  Yet she felt drawn to his gaze. <Tears because of me?> asked Ukyou in shock.  <But why?  After all that I've done, why do you still care?>

    "You're gonna be ok, Ukyou," said Ranma haltingly, still unused to the return of his voice.

    <You were always a lousy liar, Ranma.  Wait, you can talk?  Of course, if they could get you out, surely they could find the antidote to the poison I fed you with to turn you into a mute> realized Ukyou.

    Dr. Tofu was trying his best to attend to her wounds. He ripped off the Chinese robe to provide some kind of bandage and to stop the blood from flowing.

    Nabiki was also helping in exerting pressure on the wounds,
whispering words of encouragement. "Don't die, Ukyou." She didn't
understand why. Why did she still care for the person who tried to take her life? Yet, there was a compulsion that she should offer her
support. The turn of events had frightened her, being so near to a
person who was dying. It might be na�ve but she sincerely hoped that it would not come to this. She just wanted to capture her, put her in
prison and not sent her to hell. The worst thing of all was that she
knew that Ukyou was not trying to kill her, because if Ukyou really
tried, she wouldn't be breathing.

    <Why do all of you still care?>

    She saw the mini-microphone taped to Ryouga's face, and reached out for it with a trembling bloody hand. But it was Ryouga who took it off and handed it to her. Her voice was soft and frail, "I'm Kuon-ji Uk-you." She could see the concerned, tearful expressions on the faces of everyone.  And she didn't felt that lonely anymore. <Why hadn't I realize this before?> "I ki-lled Mo-usse." It was a struggle for her to speak and she hoped that this was enough for Shampoo. "I f-ramed Sham-poo for mur-der." As she finished, she felt a burden released. Ukyou had never felt so free before, it was a very dizzy feeling.  She tried to smile for her friends but it turned into a grimace as her body shook violently.

    "Damn it!  She's going into shock.  Hang in there, Ukyou!" Tofu encouraged.

    Unaware of the tears streaming endlessly from his face, Ranma
helplessly looked on.  He didn't know what to say.  A part of him
rejoiced at the pain she was clearly in, at the fact that she was at
death's door.  But another part of him still loved his Ucchan.  And
that part of him screamed in rage at the heavens when Ukyou stopped
breathing.

    "NOOOOO!!!  Don't leave!" Ranma pleaded, unconcerned about how the others might think. At this crucial moment, the only memories of her, surfacing in his mind were the happy ones. "Ucchan, I love you.  I never stopped.  You can't leave, I love your okonomiyaki too much.  I won't let you leave.  You hear me, Kami-sama?  I won't let you take her!"

    Seiyu got out of one of the police cars, along with Officer Muyo. He didn't reach for Nabiki and watched sullenly as the youngsters try to resuscitate the girl. <I got the police here as soon as I can after getting your signal. Seems like my timing sucks.>

----------------------------------------------------------------------
(Five months later)

    "Hey, Ucchan.  I missed you.  Are you with your mother now?  I hope so.  I hope you've found peace and happiness, the kind I wasn't able to give you.  I thought I could but the wounds he inflicted on you were too deep.  Oh man, look at what I've done, reminding you of your unhappy childhood.  That's me, a guy with a PHD of sticking-my-foot-in-my-mouth.

    "Are you smiling often now?  You look so cute when you smile.

    "I wish I could see your smile once more, to hug you once more.  But then my arms will never let go. They say the dead hear our thoughts and see our actions.  Is that true?  Do you hear me wishing that you were here?  Do you know that you feature prominently in my dreams and my nightmares?  And that I'd rather you be in my nightmares than not dreaming of you at all?  That I'm so frightened of forgetting you?

    "I still love you, Ucchan.  You must know that, don't you?  I'm just sorry that my love couldn't soothe away your pain. And I forgive you for what you did.  After all, I was partly to blame...

    "...I hope you're not angry that Akane brought me here.  I don't feel comfortable asking anyone else to bring me here...

    "...Bye, Ucchan.  I'll visit you whenever I can," prayed Ranma as he sat in his wheelchair, staring at Kuonji Ukyou's tablet.

    Akane slowly walked forward and placed a single long-stemmed
white rose on the tablet.  "Ready to go?"

    Ranma nodded.  There was a moment when he thought he was going to cry.  But the tears stubbornly refused to fall.  And that felt so much like a travesty, a betrayal of his love for Ucchan, that only months after her death, he no longer cried.  <Cry, damn it!>

    They left the temple in silence.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

    It was only when they were near his home that Ranma finally broke the silence.  "Akane, I never thanked you for bringing me to visit Ukyou."

    She smiled.  "Kasumi, Ryouga or anyone else would also be willing to.  She's our friend too."

    "Is she?  She engineered the deaths of three people.  Can you
honestly tell me none of you hate her just a little?"

    "No!  No matter what, she was our friend," insisted Akane.

    "Don't lie to me, Akane.  Instead of walking on the fence, I'm a pathetic boy sitting on this blasted wheelchair.  She deliberately chopped up my dad into tiny panda pieces.  Do you think she poured cold water on him after or before he was chopped up?"

    "Enough!"  Her eyes brimmed with unshed tears.  "What do you want me to say?!  That we all hate her?  That we all wanted her to die?  We just wanted her to be punished for her crimes and rescue you.  We never wanted to kill her.

    "Sometimes I look around me and notice how much things have
changed.  And I blame her for it.  I can't even begin to understand why she did what she did.  But I remember that moment when she redeemed herself by confessing to killing Mousse."

    "That's why I wanted to thank you," interrupted Ranma.  "Despite of your conflicting feelings towards Ucchan, you still wanted to help me sneak out to the temple to visit her.  When I wanted to cremate Ucchan, give her the proper funeral rites and bring her tablet home, you were the only one who wasn't staring at me in shock.  When my mother found out and refused to pay for the funeral arrangements, you immediately offered to pay.  And you helped me find a temple nearby to place her tablet in.

    "I know you all don't understand why I still love her.  Truth of the matter is that to me, there were two Kuonji Ukyous.  The first
Ukyou was a tortured soul who thought she could find peace by seeking
vengeance against my dad and I.  I know I am partly responsible for her becoming this way.  The second Ukyou is 'Ucchan', the cheerful girl I got to know in Nerima and then grow to love in China.  In Ucchan, I see the way she could have been, if we had never crossed paths."

    "And because of 'Ucchan', you finally forgave Ukyou?" Akane
inquired.

    Ranma nodded.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
(Months later)

    The miracle had ended. When he was able to move his fingers, he had so much hope. But hopes were meant to be dashed. For nearly half a year, he willed himself to feel his hands and legs again. Everybody had given him so much encouragement and he'd failed them.

    His mother accepted him even when she knew of his predicament, never once complaining, just consoled to finally see her son. And he was glad to finally reconcile with the mother he never had, the person he was going to rely on for the rest of his life.

    Even as he stayed with her now, the Tendos would drop by every now and then, particularly Kasumi and Akane. What disturbed him was that the latter's visits had became less frequent. He couldn't get a straight answer out of anyone, but he suspected that Ryouga was
becoming jealous. Not that he blamed him, but seeing Akane was the only solace in his life.

    "Hi, Ranma."

    "Akane," he spoke softly, registering her presence. He hadn't
seen her for two weeks and already he missed her like hell. He wanted
to sit up, as if reading his thoughts, she was beside him, helping him.

    "I've just received a letter from Shampoo and I thought you would like to know how she was." She found a seat beside him, careful not to brush against him like she unthinkingly used to.

    He nodded lethargically, glancing directly at Akane, committing her voice, image to memory until the next time she visits.

    "She said she's well in Juketsuzoku, starting to settle down.
Told us not to worry about her." Akane spoke, alternating glances from the letter in her hand and Ranma.

    He smiled weakly.

    "I've brought Kasumi's cooking, you want?" There was a definite gleam in Ranma's eyes. That was Ranma, never one to refuse food. It comforted her that some things never changed.

    As she fed Ranma, silence reigned. Yet the act of just feeding him was causing turmoil in her heart. Him being so close to her, the need to concentrate on his face as he ate. How he was still handsome as before. She had managed a truce with herself and Ryouga. And she had no intention of breaking it.

    She realized that she was becoming attached to Ranma all over
again. And Ryouga and Kasumi had pointed it out to her already. Upon
reflection, she decided that she needed to keep a distance, no matter
how much her heart ached.

    She tried to find something to distract herself from such
thoughts. "Look, the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. I didn't know
you had such trees in your courtyard."

    "It's always been there. You just never noticed it before."

    Her eyes were transfixed on the flowers but her mind was
somewhere far away. She remembered the times they spent together under such a tree during lunch hours in Furinken High. Images of the two of them eating together flooded her mind. Those times didn't happen very often and she held those memories closer to her heart because of it.

    "It's funny that people tend to miss the subtlest things and when they do notice it, it's too late."

    She found herself wondering about her feelings towards Ranma.
<Wasn't it too late for them to realize the depth and nature of
feelings that they had for the other?> Turning to face him, she
questioned herself if Ranma had meant anything by that statement. His
eyes were oozing with sadness and longings, immediately freezing her in place.

    Looking deep into his eyes, she could feel the unspeakable love that he had for her. Maybe it was better that she visit less often, it was becoming more and more difficult to deny what they still have for each other. But she had already promised herself to Ryouga. <And I do love him.>

    And there was still a question of Ukyou. Even though that was the past and shouldn't be dredged up, she couldn't forget how Ranma had shouted his love for her during her dying moments. It tore at her heart to hear him say the three words that he'd never told her.

    And this was the thorn in her heart.

    He could feel his energy levels dropping, becoming very tired all of a sudden. Despite that, he focused his attentions to Akane. To him, it was as if she was staring into the depths of his soul. And likewise, he wanted to know what she was feeling right now.

    In her eyes, he could see a reflection of himself. <No longer
worthy of her,> his mind reminded. Turning away, he finally broke away from the spell that held their gazes together.

    "I hear that a neighbour looks after you while your mother is out working."

    "Yeah, Ami. She just left," his voice trailed off, his throat too dry to continue. After swallowing a lumpful of saliva, he went on, "after feeding me lunch, didn't you see her on your way in?"

    Seeing his discomfort, she automatically got ready a cup of water for him to drink, careful that it didn't spill over. "So, that's her. Very pretty."

    "Hmm."

    She started to appraise him, noticing the beads of perspiration on his forehead for the first time. Again she felt uncomfortable as she leaned closer to him to wipe away the sweat.

    "Do you know that you've been always played an important part in my life?"

    She was thrown offguard by the sudden confession. She drew away from him, unsure of what to do.

    "I'm sorry, forget about it. Just me babbling." As he looked at her, he reproached himself for saying something so useless as this, not to mention complicating matters and even if she agreed, he'd never let her waste her life on someone like him.

    Yet, he wanted to hear it from her mouth, just once and he would die with no regrets. "Akane, have you ever lo-ved me?"

    "Ranma?"

    "It's just that," swallowing another lumpful of saliva, he
continued, "my life is ruined now."

    "No. Ranma..." Before she could proceed further, she was
interrupted. "Don't lie to me. I'm paralyzed, there's no hope for me."

    "Don't be a pessimist."

    He smiled grimly. The Ranma who in the past never gave up against all odds was now being called a pessimist. "I've been thinking about reincarnation, there's where my hope lies."

    Her face showed shock, the danger signs in her head ringing.

    As if knowing what she was thinking, he reassured her, "I'm not committing suicide, don't be afraid." He put on a calming smile to dispel her nerves.

    His throat was dry again and after his prompting, Akane fed him more water. "If there's a next life, will you give me another chance?"

    "Ranma. I..."

    "This time I will again fall in love with you at the first
sight." There was a dreamy look in his eyes, his voice becoming hoarser as he went on. "Our families will not force us to get married. There will not be any fiances. We just date as normal couples, get married, have children, grow old together and even death does not part us.

    She was so touched by his words that she didn't realize the
streams of tears flowing down her eyes.

    "I promise you, this time I won't make any mistakes to push you away."

    It proved too much for her as she collapsed in his arms, hugging him tightly, crying onto his shoulders. "I promise, we'll be together."

    "I love you Akane." He whispered softly, beginning to lose his focus.

    "Ranma. I..." Words couldn't possibly express the deep emotions she had for him. It was said that actions speak louder than words and it was exactly what she did. She closed the distance between their lips and indulged herself in the last kiss. One that she promised she would never repeat again for it betrayed Ryouga.

    She could feel Ranma becoming more lethargic by the minute. His breathing patterns becoming less regular. Drawing away from him, she looked at him intently. Seeing that he was barely able to keep his eyes open, her concern for him took precedence. "You looked tired."

    "Probably the lunch that I just took." It seemed that he was
putting forth a great deal of effort to speak and it was also taking
him everything to remain awake.

    She laid him on his back again, gripping his hand. Her fingers tracing the contours of his face, taking note of the perspiration that had gathered on his face. "Sleep, you feel better when you wake up."

    His eyelids were heavy but he didn't want to close his eyes. He wanted to see more of Akane. He had a feeling that he would not be able to see her for a very long time. But his willpower started to diminish as drowsiness took over. He felt very cold although he was perspiring heavily. Then, he felt her touch. She was wiping the sweat on his forehead and she gave him a smile when their eyes met. He returned with a weak smile and soaked in her last image before he closed his eyes. He couldn't keep awake anymore. As his mind replayed the image of Akane, he fell into a deep sleep.

    After a few seconds, she felt his hand loosen the grip on hers. At that particular moment, her life suddenly seemed void. She couldn't help feeling that she had lost something very important. Ignoring her mounting uneasiness, she placed his hand under the sheets and readjusted it to cover him properly. Looking at his peaceful face, she couldn't resist but give a small peck on his cool forehead. "Sleep tight, Ranma." Seeing that everything was in order, she walked towards the door. As she was about to step outside, she took a last glance at the unmoving body and before leaving the room, she mouthed the words that she had never said to him. <I love you, Ranma.>

---------------------------------------------------------------------
(Five years later)

    The pink cherry blossoms swirled and danced around him as he took a shortcut to his destination.  The chilly breeze would have sent a normal man shivering and yearning for a hot cup of green tea but not him.  Instead, he embraced the chill, inhaling the scent of the suburbs, with a trace of the refreshing scent of the cherry blossoms.  He idly opened his palm to catch a falling flower, already fading away in accordance to Mother Nature's laws.  Glancing at his watch, he softly muttered a curse at his lateness.  Releasing the flower, he sprinted away, only stopping to catch his bearings once in awhile.

    When he reached the cemetery a few minutes later, he cursed again as he noticed all the white grave markers, similarly shaped.  How the hell was he going to find one grave out of the thousands lying around?  Why couldn't they have colourful marker, instead of white ones that showed neglect and the passing of time so clearly as they turned grey?  Or better yet, why couldn't they group graves alphabetically?  Was it any wonder that he could get lost here?  Growling at his difficult task ahead, he randomly picked a direction and walked.

    Finally, after two hours of searching and reading the same names on the tombstones trice in a row, he finally found the one he was looking for.  He placed his gift next to it and spoke, "How are you, Ranma?  I tried to visit you on the same day each year but you know how lousy my sense of direction is.  It is getting better, though.  At least I don't get lost at my own home now."  He laughed, revealing two gleaming fangs.

    "Little Tomoko-chan is three years old now.  Would you like to see her picture?"  He fished out a Polaroid from his wallet and placed it carefully on the ground.  "She's quite the little darling, happily soaking up all the adorations from her aunts and uncles and of course, Akane and me.  In fact, Akane sometimes complained that I pamper Tomoko-chan too much.

    "Sometimes, I think I'm the luckiest guy in the world, you know?  When I was younger, I never truly believed I could be a husband and a father someday.  Not with my two curses and my shyness around women.  Now, whenever I think about Tomoko-chan and Akane, " he smiled and continued, "I feel really blessed.  Of course, I owe it all to you, Ranma."

    Striking a match, he set the edges of his wrapped gift on fire.  "I'm sending you a martial arts manual, Ranma.  I hope you'll like it."  He watched silently as the flames dance hypnotically, bearing images of the past.

    The smile was gone in a flash, unable to keep up with the
forceful cheer. Instead it was with a somber expression when he
remembered their fights, their rivalry. It was just like yesterday when he would shout the phrase "Die Ranma" and proceed to have a match with the pig-tailed boy. But how many times had he meant it?

    The rising black smoke was scorching his eyes but he didn't move from his squatting position. Closing his eyes to quell the discomfort, he was slightly surprised that a tear escaped from them. The moisture was wiped away immediately but not the heaviness in his heart.

    Only when the manual had turned into a small pile of ash, did
Ryouga continue talking.  "I would like to think you forgave me for
what I had done.  That you understand my little gifts every year are a form of penance.  Or maybe you're waiting down there until it is time for my death and then we can have the final battle.  Are you?  Do you understand why I... ?"  He paused.

    The words were choked in his throat again. Even after so many
years, he couldn't bring himself to think of what happened, let alone
to speak of the misfortune. But this was the only time that he let
himself loose, to say the words that was buried in his heart. "I'm ... I don't even know whether I'm sorry or not." Letting out a small laugh, not one of cheer but one that sounded suspiciously of remorse, "Given what I have now, I think I would do the same thing again even if I have a second chance."

    Looking at the letters 'SAOTOME RANMA', he felt a compulsion to reach out and touch the lettering. His hands wavered in front of the tomb, but he couldn't bring himself to close the final distance.

    He was wrong; time had not healed him. And even the yearly visits could only do so little. The nights would still be uneasy but it was compensated with the presence of Akane beside him.

    For five years he came here, saying the same things. Words that he feared would sprout out during his sleep. Yet the few sentences were always on his mind to keep him sane and un-sane, as the case would be.

    "Did you ever consider how I felt when my girlfriend kept
visiting her ex-fiance?  Did you know how anguished and jealous I was, when she would rather take care of you when you had a fever than
celebrate our one-year anniversary?  I am her lover, so why was she
still thinking about you?!  I can't even compete with an invalid."  His pain-filled eyes stared at the tombstone.  Years of resentment, anger and jealousy resurfaced, lending a hard edge to his voice.  "Second place in Akane's heart.  I couldn't be nor would I want to be, content with just that.  So I hardened my heart and... did what I had to do."

    In his mind's eye, he recalled how he had 'spiced' the food meant for Ranma. It was so simple to kill a person but to cover one's
tracks...

    There were some questions asked but without evidence and Akane's statement that Ranma seemed to be in a depression, the police closed the file, citing suicide. He was fortunate in a sense that the law couldn't get him. But not his conscience.

    Time and time again, he had to remind himself, that he was forced by circumstances. He didn't want to do it but it was necessary for his happiness.

    "I hope you will forgive me someday.  I don't know if there's
retribution, or that heaven or hell exists. But I'm willing to be
damned in hell for Akane and Tomoko-chan. I just want to live happily
with my family, people that I loved dearly." Looking at the Polaroid,
he couldn't suppress a tear of happiness. Kissing the picture, his love for his daughter had inch by inch overwhelmed the guilt he held in his heart. "I guess I'm not sorry but there's still a price that I have to pay."

    Standing up, he gave a last glance at the gravestone. His face was hard and unyielding, his confidence returning but it wouldn't stay long. "Bye, Ranma. Until next year." With the final words said, he turned to leave, knowing that his wife and daughter would be waiting for him back home.

---------------------------------THE END-----------------------------

Authors' Notes
--------------

GSL: It was a joy writing this fanfic. I mean, how often can one get to kill characters?

Cass: [interrupting] Yeah, we are regular psychopaths.

GSL: [looks at Cass weirdly] And it was a joy that lasted 1 1/2 years. [horror in her eyes] I can't believe it! [resuming to usual demeanour] We certainly didn't expect to take such a long time to write this fic. There were the usual delays, school, work and on top of that, we added more scenes, went into renewed discussions, revisions of plots... And finally, here we are, mission accomplished.

[Cass jumps around, waving a banner that states "Please send us C&Cs"]

GSL: Our initial idea was to write a darkfic. But there was a question of who would be the bad guy. Ukyou was chosen since we strongly disbelieved that Ukyou could forgive Ranma just because he said that she was cute.

Cass: And mainly because I have very little voting power. Humph!

GSL: [getting ready for a fight] If you have little voting power, Ranma and Akane would be together.

Cass: [flexes arms and legs] Hey you owe me that! Ukyou is my favourite character, you know!

[GSL gags Cass off-screen]

GSL: Once that was settled, [Cass on the ground twitching] we need to
decide on Ukyou's past. After much discussion, persuasion on my part in the name of a more believable storyline, a consensus was arrived that Ukyou was to be physically and sexually abused so that she would hate the Saotomes more.

Cass: [escapes from her bonds] On hindsight, we shouldn't have said the words 'rape', 'murder' and 'torture' loudly in school.

GSL: We were not loud, the people in the lecture theatre were quiet.

Cass: I think our reputation suffered. Oh, the sacrifice we've made.

GSL: [nods readily] Then there was a problem with the pairings.

Cass: Ranma and Ukyou! Ranma and Ukyou!

[GSL shoots death glare no.1. Cass whimpers and scuttles off-screen.]

GSL: As you can see, Cass refused to let Ranma and Akane be together,
to which I reluctantly agreed.

Cass: Yeah, but look what you did to Akane and Ryouga.

GSL: Hey! This is a darkfic, right?!

Cass: Fine! If someone sends us death threats, I'll forward them to
you.

GSL: [opting for a different tactic] How could you do such a thing to a kawaii girl like me? [sobs]

[Cass sticks out her tongue. Not to be outdone, GSL jumps up and
strangles Cass.]

[Blackout.]

[Scene was censored due to excessive violence.]


REALLY THE END





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