<Continued from Chapter 16a>

   Ranma hesitated, and then said, "Let me show you. Miss
Hinako!"
   The diminutive disciplinarian looked up. She had been totally
absorbed in her ice cream, and had been paying no attention. Miss
Hinako quickly licked away the triple fudge chocolate moustache
(with sprinkles) she had cultivated and answered, "Yes, Ranko?"
   Ranko? thought Ukyou in bemusement. Ranma continued, "Would
you do me a favor, and tell Ucchan who I am?"
   Miss Hinako looked at Ranma dubiously. "It looks like she
already knows you pretty well." Ranma insisted. "Well, all right.
You did buy me ice cream. You're Ranko Saotome, my toughest
disciplinary case."
   "And what gender am I?"
   Miss Hinako giggled for a moment. "Don't be silly, Ranko.
You're a girl. Anyone can see."
   Ukyou spoke up. "What if I were to tell you that Ranko is not
her real name? That her name is Ranma, and he's actually a boy,
cursed by a magic spring to turn into a girl whenever splashed
with cold water, and back to a boy with hot water?"
   Miss Hinako considered that for a moment. Now, where have I
heard the name 'Ranma', she pondered. No sooner had the thought
crossed her mind, a compelling second voice echoed through her
brain, There is no Ranma, only Ranko. Of course, agreed Miss
Hinako uncertainly. "I'd say that you were fibbing, and a
delinquent besides," Miss Hinako answered Ukyou, a dangerous
glint appearing in her eye. Then she giggled again. "Besides,
that's the stupidest story I've ever heard. Ranko's always been a
girl." Then her eyes widened. "Of course if it were true, I'd
love to see you change..."
   "I'm kinda, er, stuck right now," Ranma responded, a little
embarrassed.
   "Thought so!" Miss Hinako chuckled.
   "You see, Ucchan, everyone's just like Miss Hinako, except for
you and me. And I'm stuck as a girl besides."
   "You, me, and Shampoo," Ukyou corrected.
   "Huh?"
   "You see, Ranchan," Ukyou began hesitantly. "Shampoo...well,
Shampoo has the same problem you do."
   Ranma looked confused. "What do you mean-" suddenly Ranma
blanched. "You mean, she's stuck as a c-c-c-c... a ca-ca-ca-" At
Ukyou's nod, Ranma shuddered.
   Miss Hinako smiled brightly. "Shampoo? You mean that cute
little kitty at the Neko Hanten? So what does she turn into,
then. A giraffe?" She giggled uncontrollably for a second, and
then looked thoughtful. "If you two really believe all this,
maybe you should see a doctor."
   "I've already been to see Dr. Tofu, thanks," Ranma muttered.
   The teacher persisted. "Really. You said yourself that no one
in town believes your little fairy tale. Isn't it more likely
that you two are...er, crazy, instead of the whole town?"
   Ukyou pondered that a moment. "Maybe I can convince you. I'll
show you that Shampoo's not just a dumb cat."
   Ranma's eyes became as wide as saucers. "SHE'S HERE?!?"
   Ukyou sighed. "Pull yourself together, Ranchan. I won't let
her anywhere near you. You don't even have to see her. She's in
the back room-" no sooner had the words left her lips, Ranma had
wedged herself into a corner at the front of the restaurant,
trying to look in every direction at once with a hunted look in
her eyes. "Er, just stay there, Ranchan. We'll be right back.
Miss Hinako?"
   "This is silly." Miss Hinako muttered, but followed Ukyou
anyway. When she spied Shampoo on the floor in the back room, she
said, "Yep, that's Shampoo. You didn't kidnap her, did you?"
   Ignoring her for the moment, Ukyou addressed the transformed
cat. "Shampoo, you remember Miss Hinako, don't you?" Shampoo
nodded, and meowed. She cut the meow short, and seemed to regard
herself crossly. "She thinks you've always been a cat. But you're
not a cat, are you?" Shampoo shook her head vigorously. "You're a
Chinese girl who's been transformed." Shampoo nodded.
   Miss Hinako scoffed. "You practiced this, didn't you. I'm
impressed. It's not easy to train a cat."
   "You tell her to do something, then," Ukyou challenged.
   "Change into a Chinese girl," the teacher suggested
impatiently.
   "Something you think she's capable of doing," sighed Ukyou.
   "Fine. Sit down and clap your paws."
   Shampoo looked at Ukyou and meowed indignantly. Miss Hinako
began to smirk. "Just do it, Shampoo," Ukyou sighed. "We need to
convince her."
   Miss Hinako's smirk faded as Shampoo reluctantly plopped down
on her haunches and tapped her front paws together. Miss Hinako
frowned, and said, "Stand on your head." Shampoo looked at her
reproachfully, "Even if you can't, try."
   After another angry stare, Shampoo futilely attempted to push
her body into the air. She could never quite get her proper
balance, though, and finally collapsed with a squeak.
   Miss Hinako stared at the spectacle in disbelief. Could it be
that Ukyou's absurd story was true. Might Shampoo actually be-
   Shampoo is nothing but a cat, asserted a vaguely familiar
voice in her mind. But those tricks, no one could have trained a
mere cat-
   Shampoo is nothing but a cat. Miss Hinako was furious. "Don't
try to trick me! Shampoo is just a cat, you...you...delinquent!"
Miss Hinako jammed her hand into her pocket, searching for some
change. After a moment, her anger faded, to be replaced by
embarrassment. "Do you, er, have change for a 1000 Yen bill?" she
asked sheepishly, holding out a crumpled piece of currency.
Shampoo and Ukyou both collapsed in disbelief.
   A moment later, Ukyou and Miss Hinako returned to stand before
Ranma (after stopping a moment at the cash register to get the
disciplinarian her change, on the condition that she not use it
on Ukyou). "Sorry, Ranchan," Ukyou told him. "It must be some
kind of spell. Even proof wouldn't change her mind."
   Miss Hinako harumphed. "I didn't see any proof. Just parlor
tricks."
   Ranma merely stared at them both in blank terror.
   "Oh, come on outside, Ranchan. I'll explain once you stop
gibbering."
   Ranma was only too glad to comply. Once she was safely
outside, and far, far away from Shampoo, Ukyou explained again,
to Miss Hinako's irritation. "I still think you're both crazy,"
she complained. "But I promised Ranko I'd help her deal with all
the delinquents that stole Mr. Tendo's house, and I will."
   "Thanks, Miss Hinako. I owe ya big time," said Ranma. "Let's
get to the Neko Hanten. I'm sure the others are there by now."
Even Akane, Ranma thought uneasily.
   On the rooftops above, two figures silently followed Ranma.
One was Shampoo, who was following out of sight at Ukyou's
request. She was as unaware of the second stalker as the trio on
the ground below.
   Magus slipped invisibly from shadow to shadow, carefully
watching the four he followed. Unseen, he grimaced. He had hoped
that Shampoo would not have thought of consulting Ukyou--the two
were rivals, after all. Still, it might not make any difference.
As the dark sorcerer had planned, Ukyou had become Ranma's sole
link to sanity. Ranma would stay close to Ukyou, her one true
friend, and the only one who would believe her 'wild' stories
about her true identity. Better still, he would stay far away
from Ukyou's rivals; Kodachi because she was ill, Shampoo because
she was a cat, and Akane because of their...embarrassing
confrontation a few hours before. Given time, Ranma would come to
love Ukyou, and even if she didn't, she would choose her out of
gratitude for the hardships they had endured together. When Magus
was certain that Ranma would choose Ukyou, then, and only then,
he would invoke the proper counterspells, and all would
'miraculously' return to normal. And if Shampoo did try to cause
trouble, well, Magus would deal with that problem when it arose.
Magus chuckled mirthlessly.
   On the subject of problems, Magus did not care for Miss Hinako
one bit. The woman/girl was an enigma to a man who hated puzzles.
When Magus had first spotted her a few moments before her
altercation with Ranma, he had been shocked to discover that she
didn't have an aura. Upon closer inspection, Magus had found that
what she did have was sort of an anti-aura--an aura which drew
upon regular auras in a manner similar to the way black holes
drew on matter. All Magus's attempts to probe her negative aura
had been cut short, her aura ripping his magical probes into
nothingness and putting no small drain on the sorcerer himself.
Magus would not have been surprised if the woman could absorb any
magical attack in a similar manner, and the idea of one whom his
magic could not touch bothered him--even more so once he learned
that she could extend her anti-aura using that technique of hers.
Fortunately, her odd aura had done nothing to deter the spell
Magus had cast upon the town. That spell had depended more upon
the magical fields of the planet and of the spell components he
had utilized than on his own magical aura.
   After glancing at the foursome again, he came to a decision.
Miss Hinako was not the problem at the moment. It was time for
Magus to rejoin the others. He had been gone long enough. Any
longer might create suspicion. Besides, helping the Tendo's to
regain their home might help improve his image in the eyes of all
concerned. Wrapping his black cloak around himself, Magus soared
through the air on a straight path towards the Neko Hanten.
   So intent was Magus on the four he had been following, that he
had completely failed to detect the aura of another hidden
observer watching him from a convenient alley. Nabiki, as had
Magus, had observed everything that had occurred within the
restaurant. So, thought Nabiki, you are up to something. That's
hardly surprising. But that you'd cast a spell on Ukyou, too--now
that's a surprise. What on Earth would you have to gain by making
both Ranko and Ukyou think that Ranko is a boy? Let alone by
making them think that Shampoo is a human girl! I think it's time
to pay Gosunguki a personal visit.

Afterword:
   Some may wonder about this magical reservoir thing. Is magic
supposed to be the same as chi energy, and fighting spirit in
this story? I'd have to answer no, though they are somewhat
related. Miss Hinako's altered fighting spirit affects both,
however, though in different ways. For instance, if Crono were to
try to hit Miss Hinako with a Lightning blast, the Lightning
would be harmlessly absorbed, and Crono would be sucked dry
through the magical connection between himself and his attack,
without Miss Hinako having to lift a finger to do anything about
it. If Ranma were to attack her with a 'Mouku-Takabisha', on the
other hand, Miss Hinako would be sent flying--unless she were, at
that moment, directing a 'Happo-5-Yen-Satsu' (or a variant) at
Ranma at the same time. Then, I imagine, Ranma's chi-based attack
would be absorbed, perhaps along with Ranma's own fighting
spirit.
   So, how, exactly, are magic and chi related? I don't think
it's particularly important. (Translation: The author is too lazy
to work out a theory himself.) The only real effect is that Miss
Hinako has been rendered utterly immune to personal magical
attacks, an enviable state.

Chrono Trigger Tip #16:
   I miss Crono! How can I get him back? Lavos pulverized him!
   So you want to try to save Crono, regardless of the fact that
changing the past can have dark, disastrous consequences?
   Uh huh.
   Well, if you're gonna go mucking about in time, the best
person to talk to on the subject is Gaspar, the Guru of Time.
   Isn't he, er, dead, or something?
   Maybe. Maybe not. Regardless, he's that guy standing under the
lamppost at the End of Time.
   But didn't Magus have him banished-
   Look, I told you it'd give you headaches to try to think about
it. Yes, Gaspar was sent to the End of Time when Lavos teleported
him, the other two Gurus, and Janus into the future. Yes, Gaspar,
Janus, and the two Gurus never encountered Lavos, because Magus
(posing as a 'Prophet') banished all the Gurus from the palace.
Yes, these two histories conflict. And yes, Gaspar is,
nevertheless, waiting for you at the End of Time, where he's been
since you first met him after Robo joined your group.
   I think I'm going to be ill.
   Whatever. The point is, Gaspar has a pretty good working
knowledge of time, and he can help you out.
   How?
   After you talk to him, he'll give you a small, egg-shaped
device called a 'Chrono Trigger'. Take it to the top of the
mountain near to Belthasar's laboratory in 2300 A.D. Make sure
you have a Clone of Crono in your possession. You can find it at
Crono's house if you won it at the Millennial Fair. If you never
won one, go to the House of Horrors, and bargain with the owner.
He'll give you a second chance.
   I can't get up the mountain. It's too windy.
   Talk to Belthasar.
   But didn't Magus have him banished-
   Shut up.
   Right.
   Anyway, Belthasar definitely is dead. Fortunately, as you
discovered when he gave you the Epoch, his memories are still
alive, well, and a good deal more sane in the body of his
assistant Nu-droid. That Nu-droid'll create a number of helpful
Poyozo-units which will help you climb the mountain. Three of
them will transform into trees, which serve as wind blocks while
you're climbing. Just hide behind a tree when the wind begins to
pick up, and you'll be fine.
   Ouch. These Lavos Spawn keep killing me.
   Make sure that none of your attacks damage the spiny Lavos
Spawn shells. Those shells retaliate viciously. If you still die,
you may simply not have powerful enough characters to handle this
part of the game yet. Go find something else to do.
   I can't seem to get to the very top! I see footholds in the
rock, but they're too high to reach! And how come this Lavos
Spawn left its shell behind?
   Think about it. Slowly.
   Er, I'm supposed to shove the shell against the cliff face by
the ladder, and climb it to reach the ladder?
   Bravo!
   You know, you really are needlessly sarcastic.
   Thank you. Incidently, if you feel like witnessing a touching
moment, make sure that Marle or Lucca is in your party once you
save Crono.