(Previously:  Nodoka came into possession of the remains of the Nanban 
Mirror and turned it into brooches for each of Ranma's fiancees.  Shampoo 
and Kodachi used theirs to see futures where they were married to Ranma.  
In each case, it wasn't what they expected...)

			DEEP REFLECTIONS
			by Scott K. Jamison
			(Takahashi disclaimer)

			Chapter Three:  Ukyou

	"K-shew!"  Ukyou dabbed her sore nose.  Thankfully, the worst 
symptoms of her flu had faded, but the runny nose persisted.  She 
swallowed another glass of orange juice.
	"Do you require assistance, Mistress Ukyou?"
	"No, Konatsu, carry on."
	The crossdressing ninja resumed cleaning.  He was good at that.  
Now if she could just train him to a happy medium between parsimony and 
spendthriftiness when it came to okonomiyaki toppings.
	The mail brought a package.  To Ukyou's surprise, it was from 
Ranma's mother.  It was a mirrored brooch; the note said there was one 
for "each of Ranma's female friends."
	Well, she was that, even if lately Ranma had been a better friend 
to her than the reverse.  During Ukyou's recent illness, he and Akane had 
attempted to help Konatsu keep Ucchan's open.  Somehow the shop had 
survived anyways.
	Thinking of Akane gave her a twinge of conscience.  Her rival 
fiancee had been amazingly nice, considering Ukyou's recent behavior.  If 
only they didn't have to be enemies... But nothing had worked.  Not 
fixing her up with Ryouga (that twit!), not gentle persuasion, deception 
or even magic.  Despite everything, even their own protests, Ranma and 
Akane grew closer every day.
	That relationship had to be broken up, for all their sakes.  
Ranma and Akane were just so wrong for each other.  You could tell by the 
way they fought all the time, and she kept hitting him and kicking him 
and bashing him... Besides, Ranma was rightfully Ukyou's.  She'd made him 
the focus of her life since she'd met him years before, while Akane's 
engagement had only started a year before.  Unless Ukyou found some way 
to advance her own cause considerably, or got Akane out of the pictures, 
Ranma would be trapped in an abusive marriage to a girl he despised.  And 
she'd be...alone.  It might have to come to violence.
	She reread the note.  The Nanban Mirror,eh?  Ranma had told her 
about it.  He'd traveled through time to when Cologne was young with its 
power before the Mirror was shattered, and hinted at another encounter 
with the Nanban magic.  Did it still have power?
	It had something, anyway, given that the reflection showed 
Shampoo, rather than her.  She watched, fascinated, as the Amazon 
activated the Nanban.  The Mirror clouded.  So, the brooches were 
connected by their collective magic.  And it would seem weakened, so only 
one could be used at a time.
	Some customers came in, and she had to supervise Konatsu's 
cooking.  Yes, he was finally getting the hang of it.  This distraction 
kept her from witnessing Shampoo's return, and she was just in time to 
see Kodachi's departure and know what she had asked.
	This time the Mirror stayed clouded for over half an hour, but 
Ukyou kept an eye on it as she ran the restaurant, so was able to see 
Kodachi's face return.  The gymnast's expression was pale and trembling.
	"Ran-chan never liked you anyway.  My turn."  She considered 
carefully what she was going to say, then crushed an onion and breathed 
deeply.
	"Please take me to my sweet home with my husband Ranma, ten years 
from now."  Her tears fell on the brooch, and she noticed there was still 
a little clouding around the edges.
	She nearly tripped over the doll that was suddenly next to her 
feet.  Ukyou was now in someone's living room, alphabet blocks scattered 
on the floor.
	"We have children!" Ukyou exclaimed with glee.  Then she saw the 
wall.  Though some of the pictures had changed, she knew most of them, 
and where they hung.
	"Th-this is the Tendou house...but that means--"
	Someone was coming.  Thinking fast, Ukyou jumped into the closet 
and pulled the door almost shut so she could peek out.
	It was a naked little girl with waist length flame-colored hair, 
about 2 or 3 years old.  She zipped around the room squealing like P-chan 
on a sugar high.
	*Red* hair? thought Ukyou.  Where'd that come from?  Well, just 
as long as they didn't name her-- 
	"Midori!  You little imp!  Get back here!"
	They did.
	Akane entered, carrying clothing.  She had let her hair grow out 
a bit, and was wearing a stained t-shirt and jeans.  She looked good.
	"Have you no modesty?  Honestly, sometimes you're just like your 
father." 
	Midori upended a vase over her head and Ukyou was startled to see 
her undergo a familiar type of transformation.
	"Boy now!  Heehee!  Boy boy boy boy boy..." she (or he, now) 
chanted in that annoying yet oddly endearing way small children have.
	Akane rolled her eyes.  "*Exactly* like your father."
	Ranma entered from the foyer.  "You're taking my name in vain?"  
He was in a muscle shirt, which allowed Ukyou to see that he'd put on 
quite a bit more muscle, as well as gaining a few inches of height and 
some nasty-looking scars.  His hair was still in that silly pigtail though.
	"Papa-Mama!" cried the little boy.
	"And how's my little surprise package today?"
	"Rambunctious as usual.  I was trying to get her into some clean 
clothes to visit your mother, but Midori got away again.  At least she 
didn't get out into the street this time.  And how was work, Honey?"
	"Oh, fine.  A couple of the new students show some potential, but 
I had to discipline poor Atsuru again.  Kid just doesn't pay attention.  
I gather he's got girl problems."
	"We know all too well about girl problems, don't we?"  Akane 
managed to wrestle Midori into a jumpsuit.  "How about a kiss, then?"
	The couple clinched.  Ukyou forgot to breathe.  Unfortunately, 
she also forgot to cover her nose.
	"K-shew!"
	All three of the Saotomes turned towards the closet.  Ukyou 
decided she'd better face the music before things got out of hand.  She 
pulled the door open and walked out.
	"Hi folks."
	Ranma looked shocked.  Akane looked scared.  Midori waved.
	"Hi, Auntie!"
	"Uk-Ucchan, is that really you?"
	"It *can't* be her!"
	"Why can't it be me?...Oh God, I'm dead, aren't I?"
	"I've heard of skeletons in the closet before, but this is 
ridiculous." 
	"You don't look like a ghost, with that red nose..."
	"I'm not a ghost.  I used the Nanban Mirror to time travel."  She 
held up her brooch.
	"So that's what happened to that old thing.  Could've used it a 
couple of times."
	Akane forced a smile.  "I'm glad you're here, Ukyou."
	"What happened to me?"
	"Later.  Right now, could you make an okonomiyaki, for old times' 
sake?  I haven't had one in years."  Ranma grinned, though he too looked 
a little sad.
	"Okay."  Not in years?  There were other okonomiyaki stands in 
town, surely.  Maybe they just didn't satisfy after having the best.
	Akane led the way to the kitchen, which had a couple of new 
gadgets in it, but otherwise looked much the same as when Kasumi was in 
charge.
	"Akane's cooking has improved a lot." said Ranma, and his wife 
gave him a light punch in the arm.
	"Jerk."
	With a little help finding the ingredients, Ukyou soon had three 
okonomiyaki on the grill, a little one for Midori of course.
	Ranma looked at his.  "I love Ran-chan"?
	"Oops."
	"It was on all the okonomiyaki she ever gave you."
	"It was?"
	"You mean to tell me that not *once* did you ever actually look 
at what you were eating?"
	"If you know it's going to be edible, why waste time looking?"
	Akane punched him in the arm again, but she was smiling.
	"'Nother!" demanded Midori, holding out his plate.
	"Midori!  What do we say?"
	"T'ank oo!" as Ukyou slid another small concoction to the child.
	"Got her father's appetite, too, I see."  Everyone laughed, 
though Midori didn't actually get the joke.
	Ukyou made another round, and one for herself.
	"Thanks, Ucchan.  That really brings back memories."
	"Speaking of memories, if I find out how I died, maybe I can 
prevent it?"  Akane flinched.  Apparently she had been there...
	"If we must."  Ranma adjusted himself.  "It's difficult to 
explain..." he paused, his mannerisms very like his father's.
	"I'm sorry to say that towards the end, we weren't getting along 
so well.  Not since the first wedding."
	"*First* wedding?"
	"Uh, yeah, Mr. Tendou kinda steamrollered me and Akane into it.  
We weren't really ready to get married yet, so it was almost a relief 
when you and Shampoo crashed the ceremony.  But how you did it didn't 
exactly endear you two to me."
	"Um..."
	"Exploding food." put in Akane.
	"Oh."
	"You apologized later, but we weren't as close any more.  
I...didn't know if I could trust you.  I wish I'd found out sooner that I 
could.
	"About six months later, Kunou got hold of another cursed sword.  
Remember the one that made him think he was Musashi?"
	"Oh yes.  That was scary."
	"This one was worse.  Much worse.  The Daimaoh-ken boosted his 
strength and speed tenfold, and his bloodlust twentyfold.  His father was 
the first to die.  Kodachi's only alive today because she was just sane 
enough to play dead after he cut her. Anyhow, I was his next target."
	Akane took up the story.  "Sasuke managed to sneak away and phone 
a warning to us.  We rounded up everyone we could.  Even Gosunkugi showed 
up.  His Spheres of Protection actually came in handy!"
	"Spheres of Protection?"
	"Blessed marbles.  Kunou slipped on them at one point during the 
final battle.  Unfortunately, the police found him first."
	"Three officers dead, eight wounded," said Ranma. "Bullets did 
nothing to him, some kind of missile protection from the sword.
	"So it was up to us martial artists to stop Kunou.  I was the 
bait at first, so the others could gang up on him.  Not exactly honorable 
tactics, but he was way too powerful and crazy for a standup fight.  Not 
that ganging up helped much.  Mousse lost both eyes and an ear, Ryouga 
most of his left hand; Miss Hinako got off lucky just having most of her 
hair sliced off.  Everyone else was knocked unconscious or dazed by the 
force of his counterattack; did I mention he could do ki blasts now?  
Which left me.
	"It was a long, nasty fight, so I'll skip to the end.  Kunou had 
me dead to rights.  He was going to filet me like a trout, and there was 
nothing I could do about it.  I'd exhausted my ki, tried every trick and 
technique I knew and a couple I'd just made up.  I was going to die.  
Then Akane stepped between us."
  	"I guess I thought his obsession with me would make him hesitate, 
not strike the killing blow.  I was wrong." said Akane, fingering a faint 
white line on her throat.
	"I saw Akane's head fly off her shoulders, and my world went 
red.  It was as though Kunou was moving in slow motion.  I took that 
damned sword away from him and broke it over his head.  Then I started 
beating him and I didn't stop until Akane asked me to."
	"But I thought you said--"
	"That's where Ukyou--you--came in," said Akane.  "She had some 
kind of magic rod.  No one knows how she'd gotten hold of it.  The rod 
could restore a person's life, but only at the cost of another life.  She 
set my head back on my neck and called down the lightning to resurrect 
me.  Ukyou sacrificed herself for me!"  Akane's face was wet with tears; 
Ranma took her in his arms and comforted her.
	Ranma went on.  "Kunou lived, if you can call it living.  He was 
found not guilty by reason of temporary insanity and sent to a mental 
hospital.  Akane went to see him once."
	"They think there was brain damage when Ranma hit him with the 
sword and broke it.  He didn't recognize me, and he only talks in haiku."
	"Ukyou's funeral was small, but a lot of your customers came.  
Konatsu was really broken up about it, and Sasuke had him adopted into 
his clan so the kid could get his bearings.  They run a security 
business now, backed by Kodachi's money.  Oh, and Tsubasa came by from 
your old neighborhood to pay his respects.  He finally found a girl that 
didn't mind the cross-dressing, by the way.  They have four kids!"
	"Really?  How, uh, nice for them.  You mentioned students 
before?"  She didn't want to hear more about people missing her.
	"Yep.  I teach kempo classes at Furinkan High to supplement the 
income from advanced students here at the Dojo.  My mother in law got me 
the job."
	"Mother in law?"
	"Principal Hinako Tendou.  Go figure."
	"She--and Mr. Tendou--?!"
	"She learned to cook, aged a couple years on the low end so as 
not to look too embarrassing, and finally wore Daddy down.  She's been 
good for him."  Akane stood up.  "Ranma, why don't you take Midori for a 
walk before bed while Ukyou and I do the dishes?"
	"Isn't it my turn?" asked Ranma.  He'd certainly become domesticated!
	"Yes, but I need to have some girl talk with Ukyou.  So go."
	"Right then, okay Midori, let's have a piggy-back ride, just like 
Uncle Ryouga's only without the getting lost part, shall we?"
	"Yay Papa-Mama!"  The transformed girl giggled with glee as she 
was hauled onto Ranma's shoulders.
	The women began the time-honored ritual of washing up.  When she 
was sure Ranma was all the way out of the house, Ukyou asked, "He really 
doesn't know?"
	"He always was a little thick when it came to women.  He might 
have thought something was wrong at first, but he put it down to me dying 
and coming back.  Over the years, he's just accepted that his wife is the 
way I am."
	"Did you know?"
	Akane looked Ukyou straight in the eyes.  "I didn't.  I honestly 
thought I was committing suicide.  I couldn't live without Ranma, and I 
realized he couldn't live without Akane.  It wasn't as though I had 
anything else important to do with my life.  I was...there is no word 
strong enough, really...surprised to learn the rod worked by transferring 
my soul into her body to heal it."
	"Where's Akane's soul then?"
	"Wherever good souls go, I hope."  I claimed partial amnesia for 
a while until I could get adjusted to my new life.  I had to give up 
cooking okonomiyaki, of course, and try to act like Akane would.  It was 
really tough to learn Akane's fighting style without letting on that I'd 
never used it before."
	"And no one guessed?" asked Ukyou.
	"Cologne figured it out almost immediately.  But I was able to 
blackmail the old bat into silence.  After all, I now had twice the claim 
to Ranma that Shampoo did.  Plus I knew some stuff she didn't want made 
public.  She got Shampoo to marry Prince Herb, eventually, as some kind 
of political alliance."
	"Prince Herb?  Of the Musk Dynasty?"
	"That's the one.  Shampoo writes that he isn't such a bad sort 
after all, once he got over his breast fetish.  No Ranma, but who is?  
And Cologne got some petty revenge against us last year."
	"How?"
	"Midori wasn't born a shapeshifter, you know.  It was an 
extra-special birthday gift.  We're hoping that since she's so young, 
she'll be able to learn to live with it as though it were normal.  I 
suppose we'll have to get her a more androgynous haircut for 
kindergarten, though.
	"Kunou spotted me as not really Akane, he thought I was Ranma in 
disguise.  But no one listens to him anymore, and haiku are pretty oblique.
	"Akane's sisters suspect something, especially since I stopped 
using Dr. Tofu, but they don't say anything about it to Ran-chan.  Oh my, 
I haven't called him that in so long..."
	Ukyou dried the last dish and wiped her nose.  "Are you happy?"
	"What's not to be happy about?  I have my Ran-chan, and a lovely 
daughter and son, and they love me back.  I'm not alone anymore."
	"But you're not Ukyou!  You're not me!"
	"What was so good about being Ukyou?  It's like how we renounced 
our femininity for all those years.  We dropped the part of us that 
hurt.  I dropped the part that Ranma didn't love."
	Ranma came back in, Midori snug in his arms.
	"Shh, she's sleeping."
	Ukyou watched the proud parents put their child to bed.  Her 
heart ached to be part of that scene, and yet...
	Ranma turned to her.
	"Ukyou, I'm so glad you came.  I never really got the chance to 
thank you."  He embraced her.
	"oh, Ran-chan."
	"And another thing I wanted to do, but I was always afraid to, 
because you might have misinterpreted it."  He kissed her on the cheek, 
like a brother.
	"Goodbye, Ran-chan."
	"Goodbye, Ucchan.  I hope you live."
	"Goodbye, Ukyou.  Be well," said Akane.
	"Take me back."  This time, Ukyou needed no artifice to produce 
bitter salt tears.

			To Be Concluded

	Thanks to the author of "Scoop of the Day", and the Ukyou 
spammers for ideas I used here.
	Also congrats to Raphael See for being the only one to spot a 
plot point I was going to use.

SKJAM!
(This chapter dedicated to the Silver Age LSH writers, and to Tom and 
Mary Bierbaum.)