Chapter 2 - Someone old, someone new...


        Kune managed to make it home after being thrown out of the
Nekohanten, he had learned from experience it was best to avoid Megumi
while she was on a tirade.  Things would cool down and in the end they'd be
the happily engaged couple once again.

        Despite being a Hibiki, Kune was able to get close enough to home
for Shirokuro to find him.  His parents often worried about him getting
lost so they often let the dogs out to help him home.

        Actually the original Shirokuro died many years back but her
grandchildren all possessed her white and black markings which made them
impossible to distinguish from each other.  Nobody was really sure how many
of them there were since most wandered the streets at any given time but in
the end it was just easier to give them all the same name and care for
whichever ones got them home.

        Whenever Kune or his Father needed to get somewhere there was
usually a Shirokuro nearby to help them out.

        Ryouga had formed his own successful construction/demotion comapany
which allowed the Hibikis to live comfortably.  Ryouga designed the house
himself off the plans for a studio apartment.  It had one main room, two
bedrooms, and a bathroom.  All rooms were clearly marked to assure privacy.

        Kune began his daily katas in the exercise section of the main
room.  He had to work off some steam and regain his focus on his fiancee.
He made it a point to practice whenever a girl caught his eye until he
either forgot about the girl or started thinking about Megumi insted.

        About junior high Kune become very good at his drills.  Kune and
Megumi were engaged at a young age when they were friends above all else.
Everything was fine right up to the point that Kune started to really
notice girls, it had been mostly downhill from there.

        Akari could tell from the look of concentration on her son's face.
"Trouble with Megumi?"

        Kune finished a flurry of jabs.  "It wasn't my fault mom, really it
wasn't."

        "Was she cute?"

        "Beautiful.. NO!  I mean well umm.. I guess she was kinda cute."
Kune hastily got back into a stance.

        It was times like these Akari got annoyed with her husband.  She
still loved Ryouga dearly even if he wasn't the most perceptive person in
the world.  Even after ten years she wasn't quite sure what to think of the
engagement.

        Akari sighed and left her son to finish his drills and went to
sleep.  Ryouga found his way home a few hours later and considered himself
lucky to have a son who was so devoted to the martial arts he even did them
in his sleep.

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

        Mousse checked in on Spice before going to bed himself.  She rarely
slept except for occational naps during the day, but her first day of work
had been a hard one.  It made her life back home training seem easy in
comparision.

        Mousse tucked her in and gave her a quick scratch behind the ears
which Spice greeted with a low purr.  She couldn't help but reminded him of
her mother which brought a sad smile to his face.

        Mousse closed up everything else for the night and got ready for
bed.  He decided to sleep in the main dining area since the security system
wasn't up yet.

        Spice awoke the next morning with a growl before slamming the alarm
clock into submission.  She got an extra two minutes of sleep before the
other eight went off.  "DADDY!!!!!"

        Mousse made it a point to enroll Spice in school, he felt that she
needed a standardized education in addition to what she was taught in the
village.  Back home it was mostly physical training.  The extent of Spice's
reading was Sun Tsu and the Ancient Art of War, the village wasn't big on
literature.  Mousse did somehow manage to teach her basic Japanese at some
point though.

        Cologne did most of Spice's training personally and to a higher
degree.  She felt she never trained Shampoo enough to do the job properly
but mostly it was because she felt her failure in Shampoo could be redeemed
in Spice.

        With some reluctance Spice headed off to school, uniform and all.
She ran into Kune on the way to school, who was quite lost at the time.
"Kune-kun!"

        Kune was only dimly aware of her, for some reason he felt
incredibly tired this moring.  "Umm.. your name is Spice right?"

        "Yup, are you going to Furinken high?"

        "Well I'm trying to.. I think it's in that direction somewhere."

        Spice smiled at her good fortune, "can you walk me there?  It's my
first day and I want to make a good impression."

        Kune yawned as Spice took his arm.  "Sure, no problem."

        Kune was so out of it he missed the looks everyone gave him as he
entered the gates with Spice on his arm.  From the second story, Megumi
began to glow brightly.

        Spice looked around until she saw a sign leading to the Main
Office.  She gave Kune a quick kiss on the cheek before heading off.
"Thanks cutie, I probably couldn't have made it here without you."

        Kune yawned again and watched her go as thunder could be heard in
the distance.  "Same here, see you later."

        Spice took up a seat in the main office next to a young boy about
her age.  He was somewhat handsome but a tad conservative despite his black
hair tied back in a simple ponytail.

        She didn't have time to get a better look since a teacher arrived
with their room assignments.  "Kuonji Seki?  2-B.  Second floor, you can't
miss it... good luck."

        Spice looked up as her name was called.  "Spice?  1-A.  Right down
the hall."

        Seki aproached 2-B with caution, for some reason it emitted a sight
blue glow.  Upon entering he noticed the glow came from a cute red haired
girl in the back row.  Not seeing any other available seats he took one of
the ones next to the glowing girl and prayed for a short class.

        Spice peered her head into her class noting that there didn't seem
to be any available seats.  She did notice that Kune was in there trying
valiently to stay awake.  Without another course of action Spice walked up
to Toshi, who happened to be sitting next to Kune.  "Excuse me, but I could
I please sit here?"

        Toshi for the most part fainted, falling out of his seat.

        Spice looked to Toshi on the floor, "thank you."

-----------

        Ranma went down to the Nekohanten a little after noon.  He didn't
have any students today so it seemed like a good time.  The sign said
closed but the door was open so he let himself in, giving the little door
bell a gentle chime.  Everything was the way he remembered it, he felt like
a teenager again.

        He was half afraid to see the old hag behind the counter, but his
fears were quickly dispelled as Mousse emerged from the kitchen.  "Sorry,
we're not open yet.."

        "Yo Mousse, it's me Ranma.  Megumi told me you were back in town."

        "Ah, Saotome.  I've been waiting for you.  Have a seat."  Mousse
waited until Ranma grabed a chair before continuing, "How are things with
you and Akane?"

        "Good.  Things have never been better."

        "Does she still keep that mallet around?"

        Ranma thought about it for a few seconds, "actually I don't know."

        Mousse grinned in sad amusement.  "Well Saotome, you may be finding
out sooner than you think."

        Ranma could feel his muscles in his gut contract.  Mousse knew
something and that in itself was not a good sign.  He couldn't read the
emotion in Mousse's voice, but he could still tell there was thin ice
ahead.  He needed to break up the silence between them, "enough about me.
What about you?  None of us have heard anything since you returned to
China."

        Mousse sighed, "Where should I start?  I suppose you should know
Shampoo and I married.  It's not a good marriage but we have our
understandings.  She's in China helping to run the village, she'll be the
next matriarch as soon as Cologne steps down."

        Ranma could sense something amiss, "and you're here running the
Nekohanten?"

        "Isn't it ironic Saotome, when we faught those years I always chose
love over honor and when the time came I had to choose honor over love...
but enough of that.  I wanted to talk to you about about you and Shampoo."
Mousse lost his wistful look and gagued the level of fear in Ranma's face.
"Never told Akane did you?  I won't say anything.. but there is one thing
you should know..."

        Ranma suddenly felt very much like a teenager, a very stupid very
sheepish one.  His first instinct was to run, his second was to hide.  He
did neither as the front door opened and a burgundy haired girl walked in
with a school bag under one arm.

        "...congradulations Ranma, it's a girl."





***********

        .\\uahahahahaha... I have not yet begun to twist!
1. Chapter three may become part of chapter two.
2. Anybody want a flashback yet?  Maybe a dream sequence in part 3 or 4...
3. Chapter three is mainly the rest of the first day of school
4. Too tired to write the fight scene into this chapter.
5. Since 3 got put into this chapter looks like Ukyou may be showing up
next chapter as well.  No promises though.
6. If I haven't offended anybody yet... wait.
7. Dang, I started writing this chapter when I woke up seven hours ago.
Must have been the chicken strips.
8. I know there must be something wrong with this chapter, C&C would be nice.
9. *yawn* are we having fun yet?
10. No C&C on part one yet so no revision yet either.

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