Ranko was a born fighter.  Ryoga had the strength and rage of a 
monster.  Neither could get an advantage over the other; Ranko's skill 
balanced the lost boy's stamina.  Ranma, who was studying the duel with 
the eye of a expert, couldn't tell who would win.  That worried him.
	Ryoga was acting strange... well, stranger than usual.  His parries 
were too slow, and his attacks, while still earth-shakingly powerful, 
lacked the focus Ranma had come to expect from his friendly foe.
	There was no denying the fact that Ranko was very, very good; 
that much was obvious, and Ranma could not but feel proud of his supposed 
daughter.  Good as Ranko was, though, the Ryoga Ranma knew should have 
wiped the newcomer all over the street.
	Akane slugged her fiance in the back of the head, bringing an end 
to Ranma's analysis.  "How can you stand there and let Ryoga fight with my 
daughter?"
	Ranma winced as he probed his new bruise.  "And whaddaya expect me 
to do about it?  It's not like I made her fight.  She volunteered."
	"But she could get hurt!" Akane protested.
	"Of course she could get hurt!  If you never take any risks, then 
you'll never learn the true martial arts."  Ranma pointed at the battle; 
the combatants had migrated to the other side of the street.  "Look at 
her; she's doin' fine.  You know I'll step in if she's in trouble.  I 
mean, when you get in over your head, don't I always-"  Ranma shut his 
mouth and looked away.  Akane blushed.
	Meanwhile, the two brawlers continued their no-holds-barred 
conflict.  Ryoga bared his fangs and growled, his frustration redoubling 
his strength.  Ranko met his attacks with renewed determination.  _Kuno 
was just the warm-up act.  This is the real show.  Anyone can beat 
Tachi's dad, but Ryoga was in Pop's class.  If I can beat him..._
	Ryoga's thoughts were much less structured.  _Must kill Ranma... 
must save Akane... must kill Ranma's brother... must save Akane._
	Both combatants gave no quarter, but the battle couldn't last 
forever.  Someone had to lose.
	Ranko wanted to match Ranma's skill more than anything else in the 
world.  Ryoga was torn between his desperate love for Akane and his 
desire for revenge.  The time-displaced heir to the Saotome Ryu was the 
more focused of the two, but the eternally lost boy lived his life in a 
bottomless pit of despair.
	Ryoga had somehow learned the Shishi Hokodan.
	Ranko didn't know the Moukou Takabisha.
	A bolt of solid despair slammed into Ranko and knocked him back across 
the street.  Ryoga, bloody, battered, and drained, stared at Ranma.  "You're 
next," he managed to gasp.
	"In your dreams, P-chan."  One punch from Ranma sent the 
bandana-clad teen to dreamland.
	Akane, meanwhile, sat on the sidewalk cradling Ranko's head in her 
lap.  "Please be all right," she whispered.  "I just met you... I don't 
want to lose you now."
	Then it started to rain.

* * * * *

	Happosai bounced from rooftop to rooftop, a bag full of stolen 
underwear slung over his shoulder.  Life was good.  Oh, he missed Ranma 
all right, but the boy had been a nuisance.  And disrespectful.  Soun 
and Genma would never have dared to hit their master, and they certainly 
wouldn't have interfered in any of Happosai's plans.  _Maybe I'll look 
Ranma up in a few years, but for now, it's panty-time!_
	A canal cut through Happosai's path, causing the dirty old man to 
stop for a moment.  He thought about jumping across the waterway, but that 
seemed like too much work.  Then he saw a blue glow coming from under the 
waves.  Like a crow spotting something shiny, Happosai made a bee-line 
for the source of the light.
	The master pervert left his bag of precious unmentionables on the 
bank, then carelessly waded into the canal.  Now and again the cold water 
splashed over his head, so it was a choking and sputtering Happosai that 
returned to shore.
	The source of the blue glow turned out to be a simple silver 
locket.  It was rather battered and abused; the chain was broken, and the 
latch was bent, effectively locking it shut.  At the moment, Happosai didn't 
care.  The locket was obviously magic, and the old fool had a craving 
for all things arcane.
	"Oh, you find locket for Spring," said a perky voice.  "Thank you."
	Happosai looked up.  And up.  The owner of the voice was balanced 
on the top of the fence.  She was a young, beautiful woman.  Happosai 
crained his head back for a better view, almost falling over in the process.
	The girl hopped down, then held out her hand.  "You please give 
Spring locket?" she asked again.  
	Happosai started to drool.  A beautiful girl was standing next to 
him, and she wasn't running away.
	Shampoo, in cat form, lay nestled in the crook of Spring's other 
arm.  The cursed Amazon hissed a warning at her daughter, a warning 
Spring didn't understand until she got a better look at Happosai.  *You!*  
Revulsion filled her normally cheerful voice.
	"Me!" Happosai agreed.  "Me what?"
	"Spring remember dirty old man.  Great-great-grandmother chase 
you out of village."  Spring kicked at Happosai, a vicious blow that 
would have launched him into Low-Earth-orbit had it connected.  The 
master pervert was on his guard, though, and avoided her attack with ease.
	"What fun!" cried Happosai as he danced around the purple-haired 
girl's attacks.  This was almost as good as fighting with Ranma.
	"You give locket back now!" Spring shouted.
	"You want this?" Happosai stopped his mad dodging for a moment and 
dangled the locket by its broken chain.
	"Yes!"
	"Then you'll have to catch me!"  Happosai took off running.  No 
man of his height and age should have been able to move that fast, but the 
ancient hentai was a master at breaking the rules.
	Spring chased after him.  She wasn't about to let the panty-thief  
steal her locket.  Besides, this was Happosai, and every woman born (or 
cursed, in her father's case) had the right to beat him to a pulp.

* * * * *

	Ryo ran through Nerima.  He knew where he wanted to go, and there 
was no sense in wasting time.  _She's the only other person I haven't 
talked to.  I hope she can shed some light on what's going on._
	The house wasn't as old as he remembered, but Ryo had been 
expecting that.  He studied a sapling growing in the middle of the 
yard; his mind saw it twenty years older, with a swing hanging from one 
of the branches.  _This is the place._  He walked up to the front door 
and knocked.
	A middle-aged woman, handsome despite years of separation from 
her family, answered the door.  "Yes, may I..."  Her voice trailed off as 
she studied Ryo's face.  "Ranma?"
	Ryo swallowed.  "No, I'm a... friend of his."  He watched the 
hope in Nodoka's eyes die, and cursed himself for not thinking.  This would 
cause her pain.
	"Oh.  Would you... like to come in?"
	"Yes, please."
	Nodoka set him down in the living room, then went to the kitchen 
to fix some tea.  She poured a cup for Ryo.  "Do you... do you know where 
Ranma is?"
	Ryo shook his head.  "No.  We were friends in Junior High, and I 
haven't seen him in a while.  I was hoping you could tell _me_ where he was."
	Nodoka bowed her head.  "Ranma's father used to send me postcards.  
Months ago he said they were going to China.  That was the last I ever 
heard from them."
	Ryo could hear the tears frozen in his Nodoka's voice.  _I've lied 
to my mother.  Now I've lied to my grandmother.  I knew Pop hadn't seen 
Nodoka  until he and Mom returned to Nerima, but I still came, and I 
still asked her questions.  This must be like torture.  What kind of a 
monster am I?_  "Ranma once mentioned a 'Tendo Dojo.'  Do you know 
anything about that?"
	"Ranma's father, Genma, and Soun Tendo used to be good friends."  
Nodoka set her teacup down.  "Poor Mr. Tendo has not been well.  He has 
been bed-ridden, and he hasn't spoken in months."
	"Oh."  _I needed to know that.  I need to know everything I can 
find out.  But did I need to hurt her so much?_  "I guess it won't do me 
much good to ask there, then."
	"No."
	Ryo and Nodoka sat in uncomfortable silence for a moment.  Then, 
finally, she spoke.  "Could you please tell me about my son?  I haven't 
seen Ranma in so long..."
	_I can't stay.  Every time I turn around I find a new lead to 
chase, and I'm running out of time.  I need to find a way home.  I need 
to find that purple-haired Amazon and pay her back.  I need to find out 
why Mom didn't recognize Ucchan's.  I need to get back to Bell-chan!_
	_I need to be a human being._
	"Ranma looks a little like me.  He wears his hair in a braid like 
mine... well, he started first, so I'm the one copying him.  He's never 
lost a fight in his life, but he's not a bully.  He's kind, and...
 ______
{B-{=__