Shampoo frowned as she lit yet another candle.  The purple-haired 
Amazon would have rather gone chasing after Nabiki, but the rain made 
that impossible.  Thus Shampoo was given the boring job of preparing the 
restaurant for some sort of ritual.  She'd already cleared the dining 
room of furniture, and next she had to help draw mystic symbols on the 
floor.
	The last candle flickered a bit, but then it settled down and 
started burning brightly.  Shampoo sighed at the sheer drudgery of the 
work.  She took the time to kick a small wooden cage as she left the 
dining room to fetch more supplies.  "Stupid Mousse.  If duck no 
interfere, Nabiki no get away."
	Mousse just quacked.  There wasn't much else he could do.
	
	*Great-Great-Grandmother, I'm home,* Spring called as she dragged 
a reluctant Tachi through the door.
	Cologne looked up from where she sat meditating in the center of 
the living room.  *So you are, little kitten.*  The old ghoul hopped to 
the doorway on her gnarled wooden cane.  She studied Tachi for a moment.  
"You must be the daughter Nabiki Tendo spoke of.  I am impressed that you 
managed to sneak up on me before; few have managed to do that."
	"Thank you," Tachi said primly.  She hugged P-chan a little 
tighter to mask her nervousness.  The heartbroken pig, lost in the depths 
of blackest depression, just cried little pig tears.
	*What should I do with her, Great-Great-Grandmother?*
	"Japanese, little kitten.  Speak Japanese in front of our guest."  
Cologne gave Tachi a wide, mirthless smile.  "That is the only polite 
thing to do, after all.  Wouldn't you agree, Tachi Kuno?"
	*There is no need to discomfort yourself on my account,* the 
short-haired girl answered back in perfect Chinese.
	Cologne's owl-eyes narrowed.  *I am impressed.*
	_And I'm an idiot,_ Tachi told herself.  _Sure, I did the honorable 
thing, and Father would be proud of me, but Mom wouldn't have revealed her 
secrets so soon.  That's one trump wasted._
	*Great-Great-Grandmother?* Spring asked.
	*Your parents have a bad habit of ruining the best of plans, Tachi 
Kuno.*  Cologne openly eyed the kendoist up and down.  *I see you have 
acquired many of their traits; I will not risk the chance that you have 
inherited that as well.  Tie her up, little kitten, and leave her with 
Mousse.*
	Tachi smiled ruefully.  *I suppose a hot bath and a change of 
clothing is out of the question, then.*
	*We are Amazons, Tachi Kuno, not barbarians.  A hot bath can be 
arranged.*  Cologne held out her hand.  *The pig, however, stays here.  
Spring needs to spend time with her husband.*
	Tachi gave P-chan to the ancient Amazon.  _There goes my last 
ace.  I hope Mom made it to the dojo all right.  Otherwise I'm in big, 
big trouble._

* * * * *

	Akane and Ranma helped Kasumi carry Soun back up the stairs.  "I 
don't understand, Kasumi,"  Akane asked her sister as they tucked the 
weakened old man in his bed.  "Daddy wasn't sick when Ranma and I left for 
school this morning."
	The eldest Tendo daughter put her hand on Akane's forehead.  "You 
don't have a fever," she said, puzzled.  "Ranma, did you use some sort of 
Chinese magic on my sister?"
	"Of course not!" she protested.  "Why would I wanna do something like 
that?"
	"Nothing's wrong with _my_ mind, Kasumi.  It's everyone else 
who's acting crazy."
	Kasumi led the others downstairs.  "I'm going to call Ono," she 
told them as she picked up the receiver.  "He should be able to explain 
everything."
	"You do that," Ranma said.  "Meanwhile, I'm gonna get changed."
	She met Ranko as the titian-haired girl was leaving the bathroom.  
"All yours, Pop," she told him.
	"Fine.  I'm gonna grab a dry set of clothes first, though."  
Ranma walked down the hall, wondering at the arrows painted all over the 
walls and ceiling.  _What gives?  It's like Ryoga moved in or 
something._  Then Ranma reached her room.
	Or, to be accurate, what _had_ been her room.
	If Ranma had been raised by her mother, she would have shouted 
something along the lines of: "Where the heck's all my stuff?"  
Unfortunately for her, Genma had a much coarser vocabulary than Nodoka.  
Ranma's exact words at this point were very colorful and descriptive.  
They were also very, very obscene.
	Akane and Ranko came running into the room.  Kasumi followed a 
moment later at a more dignified pace.  "What did you expect, Ranma?" she 
asked her.  "You moved to China with Shampoo, and your father ran away.  
Your old room was just sitting here empty, so when Akane started dating 
Ryoga, we set it up so that he could sleep over when he needed to."
	"Why does everyone keep saying I moved to China with Shampoo?"  
Ranma still sounded angry.  "I never did that.  I'd never do that.  I 
don't l-"  She choked back her words and glanced at Akane.
	"You'd better believe you'd never do that." Akane muttered.
	"You'd better not have done that," Ranko echoed.  "And what's 
this about you dating Mr. Hibiki, Mom?  The man's a pig."
	Kasumi blinked.  "But you did go to China, Ranma, and you are dating 
Ryoga, Akane, and yes, of course he is a pig... oh, I'm sorry, I don't 
know you're name."
	"It's 'Ranko,' same as it was when I ran into you this morning at 
Uncle Tofu's clinic."
	"But I haven't gone to see Ono today.  We were supposed to go out 
later tonight."
	"Aargh!" Ranma shouted.  "This is nuts!  Can somebody please tell me 
what's going on?"
	"I think I can explain." Nabiki said as she walked into the room.
	Ranma sighed.  "At least _someone_ can."  She dug into her 
pocket.  How much is this gonna cost me?"
	Nabiki shook her head.  "This one's on me."  She looked around.  
"Has Tachi been here?"
	"No..." Ranma drawled.  "And why are you bein' so generous all of 
the sudden?"
	"I was afraid of that," Nabiki said softly.  "And as for your 
last question, Ranma, let's just say this one is personal."

* * * * *

	Cologne poured hot water over an unresponsive P-chan, turning him 
into an unresponsive Ryoga.  "I have need of you, boy."
	"I don't care," he muttered.  The eternally lost boy just sat on 
the floor, hunched over himself.  "Akane hit me.  She doesn't love me.  
Without her, the world is an empty place.  I might as well turn back into a 
pig and give myself to Azusa."
	"I can think of many more useful alternatives, boy."  Cologne 
circled Ryoga, whispering.  "You know who is responsible for your 
sorrows.  I can give you your revenge.  For a small service, or two."
	"Revenge."  Ryoga tasted the word.  Somehow the old ghoul made it 
sound so new, so enticing.
	"Ranma is coming here."  Cologne continued circling Ryoga.  "He 
intends to spoil my plans.  I will be busy, defenseless.  You can stop him.  
You can have your revenge."
	"Revenge!"  Ryoga stood up.  "RANMA, I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE!"
	Spring poked her head into the kitchen.  *Great-Great-Grandmother, 
is everything all ri-*  The Amazon blushed red when she saw what her 
newly-won fiance was wearing, or, rather, wasn't wearing.
	*Little kitten, why don't you get your groom some clothes,* 
Cologne suggested.  *I have much to do, and little time to do it in.*  
She chuckled dryly at the irony.

* * * * *

	Ranma, now a boy, and dressed in a set of Ryoga's clothes, 
scratched his head as he tried to understand Nabiki's story.  "So you're 
saying Cologne's to blame for all of this."
	"No," Nabiki explained for the third time, "_Spring_ is to blame, 
but Cologne is going to make the problem worse.  If we don't stop her, 
you _will_ end up married to Shampoo in China, and Akane _will_ really 
start dating Ryoga."
	"And what about me?" Ranko asked.
	"You probably cease to exist."
	"We can't let that happen!" Akane cried.  "We have to do 
something, Nabiki!"
	"That's why I'm about to call in some favors," said the mercenary 
girl.

* * * * *

	"Meet you at the Nekohanten?  Sure, Nabiki."
	"No, Ryo isn't here.  He left to find some answers.  I thought he 
was going to the dojo."
	"Don't we have time to look for him?"
	"I... see.  All right, I'll be there."

* * * * *

	"Ah, my angel of business acumen.  Hearing your voice is the 
sweetest of pleasures.  Surely heaven itself smi-"
	"Meet you at the Nekohanten?  Why, surely would I date with you, 
my goddess, but I do not know where that is.  And my accursed sister has 
good Satsuke running an errand for her, so I can not call upon him for-"
	"Why certainly, I have a pencil handy.  What true samurai would 
be so unprepared as to not keep an implement of writing near the ph-"
	"Very well, then.  Three blocks from school...

* * * * *

	"And you said Ryoga disappeared?" Nabiki asked.  Akane nodded, 
so the middle Tendo daughter crossed his name off of the short list she'd 
compiled.  "Well, that's six.  You, Ranma, Ranko, Kuno, and Ukyou."
	Ranko frowned.  "That's only five."
	"I'm going, too," Nabiki said.  "Cologne has my daughter.  I'm 
getting her back."
	"Fine," Ranma declared.  "But can six of us take Cologne, Shampoo, and 
my daughter?  I can handle any one of them, but that leaves the other two 
for the rest of you.  No offense, Nabiki, but even Akane'd eat you alive."
	"Hey," his fiancee shouted.  "What's that supposed to mean?"
	"There's no problem," Ranko interrupted.  "I mean, I can hold my 
own."  _I hope.  But if I couldn't beat Mr. Hibiki..._  The pony-tailed 
girl clenched her hands into fists to keep them from trembling.

* * * * *

	Ryo tore open yet another phone book.  _Five tries.  Who would 
have though that five people would want the same stupid page.  Was the 
restaurant really that good?_  He flipped the book to the appropriate 
spot.  The he blinked.  _It's here_  "It's here!"  He grabbed the page 
and started to tear.
	_What am I doing?_  Ryo read the address to himself aloud twice, 
making sure he had it committed to memory.  _Spring, there's no escape 
for you this time!_

* * * * *

	Kodachi watched her brother rush out into the rain.  "Where is he 
off to in such a hurry?" she wondered out loud.  "Well, there's only one 
way to find out."  The gymnast reached into her closet for an overcoat.  
_And if there's any justice in this world, I'll meet that spiteful little 
wench who ruined my best leotard._  "OHOHOHOHO!"

* * * * *

	"Be careful," Kasumi said.
	Ranma shrugged.  "This'll be a piece of cake."
	"I only wish Ono wasn't on duty today.  I had him paged, but he hasn't 
called back yet.  I know he could help you."
	Akane hugged her sister.  "Don't worry, Kasumi.  We'll be fine without 
him."
	"Mom, Pop, are you ready?" Ranko asked from the door.  She was 
carrying one of Ryoga's transuranic umbrellas to ward off the rain.
	"Yeah, I'm ready," Ranma called.
	Akane nodded.  "Let's do it, then," said Nabiki.
 ______
{B-{=__