I kinda feel dumb sending this small package......



     "I'm a guy again!  I'm a guy!"  Ranma almost delirious with joy danced
around in the bath tub, splashing liberal amounts of hot water everywhere.
Rapidly drying himself off, Ranma rapidly wore his clothing, and ran about
Nerima screaming.  "I'm a guy!"

    He ran straight into Kasumi, who was doing her daily shopping.  Kasumi
was surprised to see Ranma-kun.  "Ranma, you found a cure?"  Ranma helped
Kasumi with her groceries as he retold what happened.

    "You see, for some reason, Cologne finally out of the blue gave me the
Phoenix Pill."  Kasumi looked surprised.  It wasn't usual that a head strong
person, such as Cologne suddenly do a 180 and take back what she had done.
'Maybe Shampoo found a way to convince her.'

    She smiled.  "Well, it's nice to see you so happy.  Oh my!  We walked
past my home."  The two backtracked, and entered the Tendo Dojo.

* * *

    Akane was exercising in the backyard, when she was surprised by the
appearance of Ranma, in his boy form.  She frowned slightly as she watched
Kasumi and Ranma so close, and obviously in conversation.  She decided to
interrupt.  "Hey Ranma!  You found a cure?"  Ranma nodded as he dropped the
bags of groceries for Kasumi in the kitchen, and he walked out to talk to Akane.

    Akane grumbled as Ranma disappeared into the kitchen, but she was
satisfied when he reappeared a minute or two later.

     Kasumi sighed as she watched Ranma walk out of the door, after helping
her quickly put all of the groceries away.  'He's so helpful.  But Akane
obviously likes him.'  Kasumi remembered the look on Akane's face, when she
first saw them.  She had seen Akane frown.  'And Shampoo, and Kodachi.'  She
sighed yet again, as she started dinner.

    Nabiki poked her head into the kitchen.  "Hey,, Onee-chan!  Have you
seen Ranma?  He's back to normal!"  Kasumi nodded as she continued working.
Nabiki shrugged her shoulders.  "Well, I'm going out to talk to Ranma.  You
can come if you want."  Nabiki hated it when Kasumi constantly slaved away
trying to be a mother.

    "Oh never mind me.  I need to finish dinner." Kasumi calmly replied.
Nabiki disappeared, obviously overjoyed to see Ranma a man again.  Kasumi
sighed, and added Nabiki to her mental list.

* * *
     

     Kodachi greeted Ranma by hugging him.  Of all the people Ranma knew,
Kodachi was the first to venture to hug him, and he really didn't mind.  He
always though of Kodachi as one of his closest friends, not because she was
cute and all, and not because she lived in his home.  It was just that with
her, he had a certain empathy that he couldn't explain.  Ranma hugged
Kodachi back, and he walked into his home.

    Nodoka greeted Ranma.  "Here, you can have some dinner."  and then
wondered out aloud.  "I wonder where is Genma?  He never misses a meal."
Ranma suddenly realized why the house was suddenly quiet, calm, and
peaceful.  His father was missing.

     Nodoka looked nervously at the darkness that hung outside of the house,
and spreaded infinite onwards.  'I hope Genma is alright.'  She
absentmindedly poured some tea into Ranma's soup.  Ranma watched as his
mother drained the entire pot of tea into his soup bowl, and she walked
away.  'She must be worried.'

    Kodachi followed Nodoka.  "Ranma, I'll keep an eye on your mother."  She
walked into the kitchen after Nodoka.  Ranma was alone in the dining room.

* * *
    
     Meanwhile, Akane was walking home alone.  She closing her eyes against
the cold bitter wind, she walked ahead, wishing that she was home.  'I hate
it when it gets dark.'  She passed by a vacant lot, and by some reason,
ventured to take a look into the empty yard.  

    "Mr. Saotome!  Do you know what it feels like to be abandoned as a small
child?"  Genma paled, and he ducked a giant spatula which wizzed past him
and brought a tree down.  "I thought not, because you're a poor excuse for a
father!"  The spatula swung backwards an knocked him to his knees.

    "But I couldn't take you honest!  My son is already too much for me!"
Genma adapted a pleading tone, as his hand slowly picked up a handful of
sand.  "For my sanity, I couldn't take you at all!"

    "Well, too late Pop's!"  A boy leaped out of the darkness, and he
brought the spatula swinging downwards at Genma.  Genma flung a handful of
sand into the air, and the boy immediately shifted his spatula from the
offensive to the defensive, and deflected the sand from his face.  Genma
tried to scramble off, but the fist crashing into his face, knocking him
senseless, prevented him.

    Akane silently ran off.  'Did he say "Pop's"?  I must get Ranma.'

* * *

    Akane came running into the dining room.  "Hey Ranma!  Come quick!  It's
your father!"  Ranma sprang up, and ran after Akane, who led him to an
abandoned lot.  Genma was laying on the ground, his face locked in perpetual
terror, mumbling up at the sky.  Ranma grabbed his father and started to
shake him

    "Yo Pop!  You ok?"  Ranma watched his father twitch, but he offered no
other response.  "Who beat you father?"  Ranma watched as his Father
continued shaking.  Impatient, Ranma slapped his father.  "Hey, are you alive?"

    The slap woke Genma from his stupor, and he immediately nailed Ranma in
the head.  "Of course I'm fine, Ranma!"  As soon as Genma shouted his son's
name, Ranma heard the particular sound of something flying through the air.
Instinctively, he leaped onto Akane and pushed her out of the way of a giant
spatula.