Subject: [FF][Ranma][Magic] Adjustments
From: Richard Lawson
Date: 4/21/1997, 3:05 PM
To: Fanfic Mailing List
Reply-to:
fanfic@fanfic.com, sterman@sprynet.com

This is an "aftermath" story based on my Ranma 1/2 fanfic, "Magic". 
This story will make zero sense if you haven't read "Magic".

I don't plan on a slew of "aftermath" stories like I wrote for "Thy
Inward Love".  Frankly, the interest in "Magic" was not that great. 
Still, I just wrote this for fun, to see what Nouma's life after
acquiring the curse would be like.

This takes place immediately after the events of "Magic".

The haiku is my first attempt at such (a poet I am not).  Let me know
what you think.

-- -Richard sterman@sprynet.com |-------------------------------------------------------| | All of my fanfics can be found on my fanfic web page: | | http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/sterman/fanfic.htm | |-------------------------------------------------------|

Adjustments

Magic: Aftermath

by Richard Lawson

Comments & Criticism Welcome!
sterman@sprynet.com


"Minmay, access."  Nouma pressed his palm against the door plate.  
During his extended absence, he'd put his apartment's security at 
the highest level.

His palm tingled for a moment, then the computer answered him.  
"Welcome home, Nouma."  The door's locks clicked and it swung 
open.  Nouma walked into the apartment.

Khu Lon followed him in.  She was carrying a duffel bag very 
similar to the one Nouma had slung over his shoulder.  She stepped 
past him into the living room, where she stopped and looked 
around, her face impassive.

Nouma gave the door a nudge; the motors took over and it swung 
shut.  He was feeling more than a little awkward.  He'd known Khu 
Lon for about ten days.  He'd kissed her passionately once.  
They'd exchanged minor intimacies since then.

And now she was moving in.  It seemed a little rushed somehow.

He dumped his duffel bag on the ground and spoke into the air.  
"Minmay, messages."

"Three personal messages and seven solicitations."

"Delete solicitations.  List personal messages."

"Message one from Yotsuya.  Subject: Where the hell are you?"

"Save.  Next message."

"Message two from Director Miyagi.  Subject: Project Status."

Nouma sighed.  He had a big decision to make about his continued 
employment at Aunt Nabiki's company.  So far, he hadn't figured 
out how much of an impact his... current condition would have on 
his life, and whether he would be able to meet his obligations as 
an employee.  "Save.  Next message."

"Message three from Ambassador Xian Pu to Khu Lon.  Subject: 
Greetings and Update."

Khu Lon turned to face Nouma at this.  He raised an eyebrow.  She 
nodded, and he walked over to his vid screen.  "Play message."

Shampoo's face appeared on the screen.  She was evidently sitting 
in an airplane, and her husband was sitting next to her.  She 
spoke in carefully enunciated Japanese, which Nouma took to mean 
that she wanted him to hear the message too.

"Khu Lon, I understand that this will be your new address from now 
on."  Her eyes sparkled with amusement.  Nouma glanced briefly at 
Khu Lon, sharing with her a puzzlement over why their relationship 
seemed to be a source of humor to the older generation.  "I have 
finished my work in the United States, and am on my way back to 
Joketsuzoku.  I anticipate being there for a month.  I do hope you 
find time to visit.  And bring Nouma with you as well.  I'd like a 
chance to become better acquainted with him.

"I would also like to hear more about what happened in Canada.  I 
have Kuno Tachi's report, and it is quite thorough, but I want to 
hear your perspective as well."

Shampoo looked over at Mousse, then back to the screen.  "Nouma, 
probably no one can better help you understand what's happened to 
you than your father.  However, Mousse and I were once cursed as 
well.  Also, I may know a little more about Jusenkyo than anyone 
in Japan does.  If we can answer any questions for you, please let 
us know."

Mousse nodded.  "The period immediately after being cursed can be 
quite difficult.  People adjust differently; some take to it right 
away," he flicked his eyes over to Shampoo, "and some, like your 
father, need months to accept it.  For each one, the experience is 
unique, and sometimes very traumatic.  Please know that we can 
help, if you need it."

Shampoo flashed a smile at Mousse, then looked forward again.  
"That is all for now.  Khu Lon, please contact me when you get 
settled."  She then spoke a phrase that sounded like Mandarin, but 
Nouma was unable to figure out what it meant.  The screen went 
blank.

The house computer's bubbly voice spoke into the silence.  "End of 
message."

"Erase.  That's all for now, Minmay."  Nouma looked over to Khu 
Lon, to see a look of mild distaste on her face.  "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."  She turned away and began to walk towards his bedroom, 
then stopped.  "My parents have run every aspect of my life for 
twenty years.  They kept me from joining the military, not caring 
that it was something I very much wanted to do.  Now, even as I 
break free, they attempt to reassert their control over me.  I 
find that... displeasing."  She continued on into the bedroom.

Nouma frowned slightly.  All he'd seen in the message was two 
parents trying to be helpful, and wanting to see their daughter 
and her new boyfriend.  There were obviously undercurrents here he 
was missing.  Still, his initial impression was that Khu Lon was 
overreacting.

He snorted in amusement; he wasn't about to share that observation 
with her yet.  He really didn't know her or her parents well 
enough to judge such things, and Khu Lon would likely attack him 
on the spot if he tried.  Best for now to observe silently, and 
wait to see if she wanted his opinions.

He went over to the kitchen to prepare himself a sandwich; he was 
hungry.  "Want anything to eat?"  He opened the refrigerator door.  
"Um, I've got bread and some lettuce -" He broke off and picked up 
the lettuce, which looked a little brown and didn't smell so good.  
"Damn."  He closed the refrigerator and threw the lettuce into the 
garbage.  "Well, I've got some frozen stuff.  Uh, a couple of 
soybean dinners - do you like soybean stuff?  - or I've got a 
pizza."

"I am not hungry."  Nouma jumped at the voice right behind his 
head; he hadn't heard her enter the kitchen.  He turned, shutting 
the freezer as he did so.  Khu Lon had her arms crossed and was 
eyeing him critically.  "You have been focusing on mundane tasks 
since we came here.  Can you think of no better way to spend your 
time?"

Nouma smiled; as usual, Khu Lon cut right through to the heart of 
matters.  "I'm sorry.  I'm a little nervous.  This is... so new.  
I, I don't know how to act."

Khu Lon raised an eyebrow.  "Why not act like yourself?"

"Because 'myself' would either be hacking away at my computer or 
working out right now.  Neither one is good for entertaining 
company."

"Hmm.  Am I 'company' then?"

"Er, no, that's not what I meant.  Look, I love you, Khu Lon.  
Getting to know you is going to be wonderful."  He paused to smile 
widely at her.  "However, right now I feel a little awkward.  
It'll get better, I promise."

Khu Lon gazed at him without expression.  As good as he usually 
was at reading people, he still had problems sometimes trying to 
figure out what Khu Lon was thinking.  Mostly because she usually 
kept her face neutral, and her Japanese, while flawless, didn't 
convey a lot of emotion.  After a moment, she continued in her 
formal tone of voice.  "Where do you go to work out?"

"Well, when I don't go home, I just work out here."  He walked 
past her back into the living room.  The walls and floor of one 
corner were covered with mats.  In the center was a wooden dummy.  
He walked up to it and did a couple of half-speed attacks.  "I do 
this for an hour or two."

Khu Lon had followed him.  "It hardly seems sufficient."

"Well, for the past couple of years I haven't really been 
interested in staying in top condition."  That decision had almost 
cost him dearly in his fight with Mikanma.

Khu Lon seemed to follow his unspoken thought.  "It is time you 
began to develop an interest.  If your experiences are going to be 
anything like your father's, you'll need to hone all of your 
skills to a fine edge."

Nouma looked over at her and nodded.  "Yes, I guess you're right.  
I suppose I should find a nearby dojo or something like it for 
serious workouts."

"That would be good."  Khu Lon tilted her head and considered him 
for a moment.  "Let's practice now."

Nouma frowned slightly.  "It's a little late to be looking for a 
dojo."

"No need."  Khu Lon took a couple of steps backwards towards the 
center of the living room, then set herself in a ready position.  
"The Amazons have developed a technique for indoor combat.  It is 
most effective."

Nouma looked around the living room.  While his furnishings 
weren't nearly on par with Nabiki's, he had no desire to see any 
of them destroyed.  "Is it safe?"

"The Amazons have practiced this technique for generations and 
perfected it.  Seldom does anything get broken."

Nouma shrugged.  "Okay, let's give it a try."  He relaxed into his 
ready position, focusing his attention on Khu Lon's body, watching 
it for signs of attack.  "How does it work?"

Khu Lon gave him a hard smile.  "I trust you will figure it out as 
we go along."

Nouma chuckled.  "A challenge.  I like it."  He bowed his head to 
her.  "Let's begin."

***

Nouma lay on his back, completely exhausted.  Never had he felt so 
drained, and that was saying something considering some of the 
workouts his father had put him through.  He simply had no energy 
at all.  Even keeping his eyes open was an effort, but his mind 
was in too much of a whirl to permit him to close them just yet.

"Minmay.  Take a note."

"Recording."

"Whenever Khu Lon mentions Amazon techniques, make sure that she 
explains in detail what exactly is involved.  End note.  Save as 
'Amazon Reminder'.  Mail 'Amazon Reminder' as a private message to 
myself every Monday."

"Note saved.  Mail rule applied."

Khu Lon stirred next to him and made a sound halfway between a 
satisfied sigh and a laugh.  Nouma looked over at her.  She was 
lying on her side facing him.  Her eyes were closed, but she was 
smiling.  Her dark red hair covered half her face and arrayed 
itself on the pillow.  One of her arms rested on his chest.  Nouma 
spent long minutes watching her face as the smile relaxed and her 
breathing became slow and regular.

Nouma gently extricated himself and stood up.  He grabbed his robe 
and put it on.  Quietly, he made his way back into the living 
room.  It was quite a mess, although nothing was broken.  He sat 
in the chair at his desk and removed a strip of what had once been 
his shirt from the keyboard.  Tapping the space bar activated the 
computer with a soft hum, and he began to page through his 
projects.

He had several pieces of code he was working on, one in particular 
of high priority.  His mind filled with the ideas he had come up 
with... had it only been a week ago?  A little more than a week.  
It felt like years.

With a sigh he moved on.  There was the personality he and a 
couple of his friends were working on for the android they were 
building.  So far everything was a spectacular failure, but they 
were having fun.  True artificial intelligence was still a long 
ways off, but they were working on a response system that would 
fool someone for a while.  Nouma read the notes he had made, and 
the responses that had been made to them by his friends.  He 
smiled and added a couple more notes.

Nouma saved the project and looked through his email.  Lots of 
things to respond to.  He was heavily involved in several 
newsgroups; he spent an hour or more each night just keeping up.  
Now he was so far behind, he'd need to spend most of a day to 
catch up.

He leaned back and switched off the computer.  A cold lump was 
twisting his stomach.  His gaze moved around the room, looking for 
what he didn't know.  Perhaps his former life.  It had been a good 
one.  Very pleasant.  Peaceful.

He hung his head a second, then shook it and stood up again.  He 
wandered up to look at a painting his paternal grandmother had 
done.  It was a lovely picture of Mt. Fuji.  He read the haiku in 
the corner, frowning thoughtfully.

His feet led him back to the bedroom.  He looked once again at Khu 
Lon.  Tantalizing curves lay under the bed sheet.  More 
importantly, an intriguing mind lay behind those closed eyes.  In 
his eyes she almost seemed to glow with the love he felt for her.

And yet, for the first time, he felt less than utter joy at the 
sight of her.

He crawled gently into bed, extremely tired.  He needed sleep.

He didn't get much.

***

Nouma woke abruptly.  He blinked and sat up, trying to figure out 
what was wrong.  There were sounds coming from the living room.  
He wondered briefly how they had gotten past the apartment's 
security.  Then he remembered.

He smiled and got up, realizing that he'd forgotten to take off 
his robe last night.  He walked into the living room.  Khu Lon was 
doing a kata as best she could in the padded corner.  He watched 
her for a moment, then moved around picking up the bits of cloth 
that littered the area.  He dumped them into the garbage chute, 
then began to make some tea.

Khu Lon came into the kitchen, evidently finished with her 
exercise.  She opened up a cupboard, closed it and opened another.  
She took out a glass, then went over to the sink and began to fill 
it with water.

Nouma turned to the refrigerator, opening it and wondering what he 
could conjure for breakfast.  He was still inventorying its 
contents when cold water was poured onto his head from behind.

Nouma whirled and glared at Khu Lon.  It bothered her quite a bit 
that she had to look up to do so.

Khu Lon lowered the glass.  "I thought you should perhaps start 
getting used to it.  You've been female twice, for a total of an 
hour.  If you're going to accept the magic of Jusenkyo, you need 
to adjust to your other form."

Nouma bit back a reply and turned to the tea kettle, which was 
whistling.  She finished making the tea, pouring a cup and 
offering it to Khu Lon before taking one for herself.

Her robe was threatening to fall open.  Nouma grimaced and set 
down the teacup to rearrange it.  She felt so strange.  Her 
balance was way off.  The robe, when tightened across her chest, 
pressed against weights that were curiously sensitive.  Nouma 
tried to ignore it all and picked up her teacup again.  She sipped 
and stared at the teakettle.  There was still hot water inside; it 
was probably well below boiling by now.

Nouma finally turned her eyes away and walked over to her desk.  
She turned on the computer and called up the morning news.

"Are you going to eat anything?"  Khu Lon was looking into the 
same refrigerator Nouma had just abandoned.

Nouma shook her head and paged the display.

"You should eat."

Nouma shrugged.

The news was somewhat uninteresting.  Nouma smiled wryly; after 
having just saved the world, the results of national elections 
seemed quite banal.  She lost herself in wondering what would have 
happened if they'd lost.  Either the creature would have begun 
conquering Canada (how?), or it would have sought out other 
magical power sources and either destroyed them or acquired them 
for itself.  Nouma would have done the latter.  This led her to 
another interesting fantasy; how would she conquer the world?

Khu Lon, meantime, had eaten and dressed.  She walked up and held 
out one of Nouma's pants and shirts.  "I believe we should go 
shopping and get you some clothes that would suit your present 
form."

Nouma grimaced; one couldn't begin the road to global domination 
dressed in oversized clothing.  She got up and took the clothes 
into the bathroom.  She washed her face, surprised at how smooth 
it was.  Even so, it wasn't until after she'd turned on the 
electric razor that she realized that it wasn't necessary.  There 
were some advantages after all, she decided.  She wondered what 
would happen after she changed back.  Would her beard have grown 
as if she had been male all along?  Would it go back to the length 
it had been at the time of the change?  Would it be gone, starting 
over from scratch, as it were?  She hoped the last case proved 
true; she hated shaving.

She decided she was ready.  She walked out of the bathroom and 
nodded at Khu Lon.  Putting her shoes on turned out to be a 
problem; they didn't fit.  She frowned, trying to remember what 
Father had done.  She didn't remember him having different shoes.  
Had his feet been the same size regardless of gender?  It seemed 
unlikely, given how diminutive his female side had been.  Yet his 
shoes had never fallen off.  She had to ask him.  In the meantime, 
Nouma got a pair of socks from the bedroom and stuffed the toes of 
the shoes with them.  While not comfortable or elegant, it was 
sufficient to keep them on.

Nouma glanced at Khu Lon, who had been watching her without 
comment.  She then turned to the computer.  "Minmay, reduce 
security levels to normal.  Begin security procedures to grant Khu 
Lon unrestricted access."

The computer buzzed softly.  "Insufficient rights."

Nouma blinked.  "Minmay, explain."

"User has insufficient rights to change access privileges."

Nouma closed her eyes and muttered an imprecation.  Of course; the 
computer didn't recognize her voice.  She opened her eyes and 
walked over to the apartment computer's console.  She began 
manually changing the access rights, using her password and 
palmprint, which fortunately was the same, just smaller.  After 
granting herself full access, she repeated the procedure for Khu 
Lon.

They finally escaped the apartment.  Nouma led Khu Lon out into 
the street.  There she paused, trying to figure out where to go.  
She finally decided a mall would be best, although it would 
require taking the train.  She indicated a direction to Khu Lon, 
and they began walking.

They reached the station, and didn't have to wait long for a 
train.  They boarded and stood, the train being very crowded.

Khu Lon was glaring at the press of people around her, seemingly 
taking offense that there should be so many of them.  She 
eventually caught Nouma's eye.  Nouma raised an inquisitive 
eyebrow, and Khu Lon made an annoyed sound.  "I am not used to so 
many people.  Everywhere I go with Mother is in chauffeured 
transportation to relatively secured areas.  These people - all I 
see are security risks."  She looked a tall teenaged boy up and 
down as he gazed back at her.

Nouma reached out and squeezed her arm, smiling at her 
reassuringly.  Khu Lon only seemed to get more irritated, and 
turned to continue to shoot hostile looks at the teenager.

Nouma shook her head.  It didn't help that Khu Lon was wearing a 
form-hugging bright red outfit.  Khu Lon had to know that such 
clothing was destined to draw attention.  She wondered why Khu Lon 
chose to wear it if such attention made her uncomfortable.

They reached their destination, walked to the mall, and began 
their shopping spree.  Khu Lon took charge, picking out clothing 
and offering comments on what would look appropriate for what 
occasion.  They matched several blouses and pants and even a 
couple of skirts.  Khu Lon even managed to talk Nouma into a 
couple of dresses, arguing that whatever adventures they were 
about to undertake might require a complete and convincing female 
performance out of Nouma.  Ranma had certainly done his share of 
"undercover" work "disguised" as a woman, so Nouma saw the wisdom 
in that.  Nouma's only contribution to the shopping bonanza was to 
point out that all clothing they bought should be able to survive 
an unexpected drenching with hot water.

The last stop was a lingerie shop.  Nouma dug her heels in when 
she realized where Khu Lon was leading them.  Khu Lon turned and 
saw her distaste.  "Nouma, we must.  Some of your new clothing 
just won't work without bras, and mine are too big for you."

Nouma looked down at Khu Lon's chest, for the first time making 
size comparisons.  Khu Lon was right.  Nouma looked down at 
herself, wondering where she fit on the spectrum.

"Come on, Nouma.  You can ogle yourself any time, although I'd 
prefer you didn't do it in public.  At least, don't do it when I'm 
with you."  Khu Lon turned and began walking into the shop.

Nouma followed reluctantly.  She was not looking forward to this.

Khu Lon had immediately gone to the bra section and had picked out 
bras of several different sizes for Nouma to try on.  Nouma was 
slightly relieved to note that Khu Lon had chosen strictly 
utilitarian designs, without lace or frills.  She directed Nouma 
to the dressing room to try them on.

Nouma entered the room and winced at the sight of the mirror.  She 
immediately turned her back on it and took off her shirt.  She 
tried on the first bra, which was more of a struggle than she'd 
thought it would be.  She took a breath when she was finished, 
surprised at the difference.  It seemed more... comfortable, 
somehow.  She took a couple of steps and decided that a little 
restriction made a world of difference.  She took it off and tried 
another one.  This one was tighter, and Nouma tried to figure out 
whether it was more comfortable or not.  She walked around the 
dressing room several times, looking down at the ground, trying to 
gauge the difference.

A shriek from the next dressing room made Nouma snap her head up.  
The shriek, while loud, was not one of fear.  Rather, it was one 
of outrage.  Someone was very unhappy about something.  Before 
Nouma could think further on the subject, the door to her dressing 
room burst open, and something grabbed for the bra she had just 
taken off, cackling gleefully.

In a flash, she reached out and grabbed the intruder - a small, 
older man, as it turned out.  The man had a cloth tied over his 
head and under his nose, and had a bag slung over his shoulder.  
He looked at Nouma and his face lit up.  "Akane!"

The sound of Mother's name surprised Nouma a little bit.  The name 
was not unusual, but it was still disconcerting to be called by 
it.  While she was reeling slightly in shock, the older man 
struggled out of Nouma's grasp and grabbed her breasts, burying 
his face between them.

Nouma went rigid.  The sensation was nothing like she had ever 
felt before, and decidedly unpleasant.  She wanted to throw up, 
and swallowed heavily to prevent it.  She grabbed the pervert and 
flung him into a corner of the dressing room, wondering only after 
she did it where he would be seriously hurt.

He merely turned in mid-air, hit the corner with his legs, and 
sprung himself back at her, his arms opened wide.  "Akane!"

Nouma could only watch in horrified fascination as the pervert 
drew nearer.  Fortunately, several throwing stars caught his 
clothing, carried him to the wall, and pinned him there.

Nouma whirled to see Khu Lon standing in the doorway, another 
throwing star in her hand, her eyes glinting murder.  Behind her, 
several people were peeking curiously into the small room.  Nouma 
wondered if Khu Lon was always armed, and decided that she already 
had her answer.

Khu Lon shot a glance at Nouma.  "Put on your shirt."

Nouma felt a little heat rise to her face.  She quickly pulled her 
shirt over her head, making a mental note to be sure to pay for 
the bra she was wearing.  She walked out of the dressing room, 
then turned to give the pervert her own violent gaze.

Rather than being intimidated, his look was adoring, almost one of 
rapture.  "Cologne, my sweet!  How good to see you again!"

Nouma turned to give Khu Lon a startled look.  "You know him?"

Khu Lon seemed flabbergasted.  "I've never seen him before."  She 
made the throwing star disappear, and somehow produced a slim, 
deadly-looking knife.  She entered the dressing room and put the 
knife under the older man's chin.  "Who are you and how do you 
know me?"

The pervert seemed unaware of the knife at his neck.  "Cologne, 
the years have been kind to you.  Let's spend the night together 
like we did all those years ago."  He struggled to free himself, 
and would have cut himself on the knife if Khu Lon hadn't pulled 
it back slightly.

Khu Lon growled.  "You're crazy, old man.  Where do you live?  
We'll take you there and let whoever's present deal with you.  It 
isn't as easy as killing you, but it's less likely to get me 
thrown out of the country."  She pushed his chest against the 
wall.  "Who are you and where do you live?"

The man beamed.  "I'm Tendo Soun, and I live at the Tendo Dojo!"

Nouma's jaw dropped open.  "You are not my grandfather."

Khu Lon gave the older man a little shake.  "The truth.  Don't lie 
or I'll know.  Who are you?"

The old man finally seemed to perceive a bit of the reality of the 
situation.  His eyes glinted dangerously, and his voice became 
menacing.  "I am your master!"

Suddenly, somehow, he wiggled out of Khu Lon's grasp.  The 
throwing stars came loose from the wall as he pulled loose, and he 
was up and over her shoulder before she could blink.

Nouma reached out to grab him as he ran past.  He ducked as her 
fingers stretched for him.  She got a hold of something as he got 
by her and fled the shop.  She turned her hand over to see that 
she was holding a yellow ball.  A ball that had a small string 
sticking out.  A string that was burning.

Nouma spent an entire second considering her options.  There were 
people all around her.  No good.  Khu Lon was only now twisting 
around to look behind her, and didn't see what Nouma was holding.  
She wouldn't be able to leap away in time.

Nouma spun away from the press of people and fell to the ground 
face down, holding the ball to her chest.  At least no one else 
would get blasted.  She tried to form a chi shield, surrounding 
the ball with a protective layer of chi.  At the same time, an 
errant thought reflected that this was probably the shortest 
tenure of any Jusenkyo-cursed office holder.

The ball exploded, ripping through the still-forming chi-shield 
and lifting Nouma off the ground.  No shrapnel cut through her 
body; this was some sort of chi-bomb.  The chi still did plenty of 
damage, burning her clothes and skin.  Nouma fell back to the 
ground, stunned, her face pressed flat against the floor.  That 
had *hurt*.

And yet, she was alive, which she had not expected.  That fact 
filled her with relief and a bit of joy.

She had also expected to be deafened, so the sound of Khu Lon's 
strangled cry was another surprise.  A hand felt for a pulse at 
Nouma's neck.  Then it reached under for her chin and turned her 
head to the side a little.  "Nouma, are you all right?  Say 
something."

Nouma flopped onto her back, holding her burned hands carefully 
away from her body.  She stared at the ceiling for a moment before 
focusing on Khu Lon's worried expression.

Khu Lon gingerly lifted away the scraps of Nouma's shirt.  "You do 
not appear to have taken any shrapnel.  What was it, a 
firecracker?"

It had been more than a firecracker.  The chi-bomb had hammered 
her... soul, for lack of a better term.  Someone with less 
experience handling chi could have been seriously injured.  As it 
was, Nouma was only now beginning to feel how badly she'd been 
shaken up.

She sat up and looked into Khu Lon's eyes.  "Happosai."

Khu Lon blinked.  "What?"

"I thought he was dead."  Nouma stood up, frowned at the remains 
of her shirt, removed it, walked back into the dressing room, and 
pulled one of the blouses she'd bought earlier out of a bag and 
put it on.

Khu Lon frowned.  "Who is Happosai?"

Nouma examined the remains of the bra she'd been wearing, noted 
the size, then walked out and picked three more like it from a 
rack.  She walked up to the counter, where a dazed salesperson 
eventually came up.  Nouma put the three new bras and the fourth 
destroyed one out on the counter, and handed the salesperson some 
money.

Khu Lon followed her, carrying the packages.  Nouma lifted the bag 
with the bras off the counter and walked quickly out of the store.

They made their way to the train station.  Nouma stopped on the 
platform and waited.  Khu Lon walked around in front of her, and 
turned to face her.  Khu Lon's expression was a curious mixture of 
anger and hurt.  She stared a silent accusation at Nouma.  Nouma 
looked into her eyes, trying to figure out what she should be 
feeling.  She didn't know.

The train arrived, breaking the tableau.  They stood together 
during the ride home.

They walked side by side from the train station.  Nouma looked 
around, at the familiar sights of her neighborhood, trying to draw 
strength from it.  She drew a breath.  "I hate the sound of my 
voice."

Khu Lon turned her head.  "You what?"

"I hate the sound of my voice.  I open my mouth and words come out 
but they're not *me*.  It's someone else's voice.  It scares the 
hell out of me."  She took a couple of deep breaths.  "That's why 
I don't talk much in this form.  I'm sorry.  You deserved more of 
an explanation.  You... I should have been... I shouldn't have 
shut you out."

"I see."  Khu Lon sounded thoughtful.  "We need to get you used to 
that form."

This irritated Nouma.  "Khu Lon.  Did you hear me?  I apologized."

"Yes, I heard you."

"Then acknowledge it."

"Nouma, there is no need.  You've given offense, and subsequently 
offered an apology.  There is no reason to linger on the subject."

"There *is* a need.  I need for you to tell me that you 
understand.  I don't need a teacher, Khu Lon.  I need a friend."  
Nouma stopped and turned to face Khu Lon.  "More than a friend.  
Someone who... who feels my pain with me.  Hell, I've got lots of 
people who can teach me.  My parents, your parents, even my 
sister.  But you're the only one I've even hinted to about how 
much this whole thing frightens me.  I don't need lessons.  I need 
help."

Khu Lon stared evenly back at him.  After a moment, she lowered 
her eyes.  "I don't know if I... can offer you what you're looking 
for, Nouma."

Nouma sighed and nodded.  She had begun to suspect as much.  She 
turned and started walking back to the apartment.

Khu Lon wasn't following.  Nouma swallowed and continued walking.  
If this was her choice, she would respect it.  Despite the way it 
squeezed her heart.

After a minute, she heard the sounds of someone running up behind 
her.  Khu Lon dropped the packages she was carrying, grabbed 
Nouma's shoulders, stared at her for a second, then pulled her in 
for a hug.

Nouma dropped her own packages and hugged Khu Lon back fiercely.  
They clutched at each other for a second.

Khu Lon finally pushed Nouma away.  Her expression was uncertain, 
and a little fearful.  "Nouma - I'm sorry.  My mother..."

Nouma waited.  She squeezed Khu Lon's shoulder reassuringly.

Khu Lon looked down and began picking up packages.  "My mother is 
an Elder of the Amazons, and the Ambassador to the United States.  
She performs both duties admirably.  She is strong and dedicated 
and wise.  Despite all the time she spends on her duties, she has 
dedicated herself to my upbringing as well.  She has been strict 
and demanding in raising me.  She has always challenged me to 
improve myself, to never be satisfied with complacency.  I think 
her efforts have been beneficial; I am grateful for what she's 
taught me."

Nouma frowned, puzzled.  "Weren't you just saying that you didn't 
like the fact that she controls your life?"

Khu Lon winced slightly.  "I... That is more an issue of when it 
is appropriate for my parents to let me lead my own life.  I feel 
confident enough in my ability to make my own choices, and no 
longer appreciate their attempts to steer me in other directions."

Nouma nodded, accepting this at face value.

Khu Lon sighed.  "So.  My mother is a remarkable person.  Destined 
to be one of the greats of the Amazon tribe.  An example for all 
Amazons to admire and attempt to emulate."

Nouma nodded again, wondering where this was all leading.

Khu Lon had finished picking up her share of the shopping bags, 
and held them in front of her, her hands clasped together.  "And 
yet, when she is alone with my father, she changes.  She becomes 
less serious.  Almost playful.  She smiles and laughs with him and 
holds his arm.  She kisses him and teases him and sometimes 
engages in mock battles with him, which seem to end with both of 
them on the ground laughing together.  The great Amazon warrior 
and world leader becomes almost a child when she's with my 
father."

Suddenly, Nouma understood.  "Weak.  That seems weak to you."

Khu Lon reddened slightly.  "I love my father, and am thankful 
that he gave me life.  But sometimes I think he drains something 
vital from my mother.  She becomes less of a person with him 
around."

Nouma drew her eyebrows together.  "But when he wanted to come to 
Canada, you told him that he needed to accompany your mother, that 
the two of them worked best together."

Khu Lon's eyes widened, then narrowed.  "You were eavesdropping."

It was Nouma's turn to redden slightly.  "Yes.  I was.  I 
apologize."

Khu Lon shook her head slightly, and relaxed her features.  "Well, 
I did say that only sometimes I think he weakens my mother.  Other 
times, I see them as a team, each working to better the other.  
And yet, I have difficulty accepting that interpretation when I 
see Mother act silly the way she does sometimes around him."

Nouma sighed and tried to tie it all together. "So... your view of 
a relationship is one where a man tries to make a woman dependent 
on him, and then leeches vitality from her?  When you started our 
relationship, you made an effort to take charge of every situation 
involving us, so as not to lose control of your independence.  And 
just now, when I asked you to help me deal with what I was going 
through, did you see it as an attempt on my part to suck something 
from you?  To take something that couldn't be replaced, to weaken 
you?"  By Khu Lon's expression, Nouma's guesses were very close to 
the mark.  "And, unless I'm mistaken, that repels you, right?" 

Khu Lon stared at her, the blood draining from her face.  "When 
you walked away from me, hurt, my heart felt that same hurt a 
hundred times over."  Khu Lon began trembling a little.  "I don't 
want to see you hurting.  But it frightens me to think what might 
happen to me if I allow you to... to take... something from me."  
Khu Lon hung her head.

Nouma put her finger alongside her nose, trying to organize her 
thoughts.  After a moment, she nodded to herself, then reached out 
to gently lift Khu Lon's chin.  "I'm no expert at relationships.  
But I've been incredibly blessed to be born into an extremely 
loving extended family.  I've grown up seeing very different 
people in love with each other and sharing that love with everyone 
else.  It's taught me a few things.

"I think love - *true* love - is not about what you get from 
someone else.  It's about what you give.  Love means being there 
*all* the time, helping another person without having to be asked 
for help.  The nice thing about it is, giving someone your life 
and energy doesn't drain you.  It enriches you.  Makes your life 
more complete."

Nouma grinned.  "The *really* nice thing is, when two people are 
in love with each other, they give each other help all the time, 
and thus are continually bettering each other *and* themselves.  
It's a cycle that only grows stronger over time.  I've seen it in 
my parents, and in my aunts and uncles.  Your parents are such 
great people because they love each other, thus improving 
themselves as the years go by."

Khu Lon seemed to be absorbing the words, studying Nouma intently.  
"I... but my mother, she acts so..."

"Did it ever occur to you that, as harsh and demanding as your 
mother's life is, sometimes she needs an outlet?  That your father 
knows that, and is there to provide such an outlet?"

It evidently hadn't.  Khu Lon's eyes grew wide again.

Nouma smiled.  "Sometimes my parents insult each other almost 
casually.  My mother calls my father an idiot, and he calls her 
uncute.  But they're really reinforcing their love for each other, 
I think.  Such behavior may seem cryptic to other people, but to 
them, it makes sense.  I think the same thing is going on between 
your parents as well."

Nouma moved her hands down so that they were lightly clasping Khu 
Lon's shoulders.  "Do you trust me?"

Khu Lon slowly nodded.

"Good.  Then give it a try.  Let yourself go.  I promise, as long 
as we work together on our relationship, the rewards will be 
greater than the sacrifices.  You'll lose a little of your self-
reliance, but you'll gain immeasurable support in return."

Khu Lon stared off into space for a couple of long minutes.  
Finally, she focused on Nouma again.  "How can you be so sure?  
Have you been in love before?"

Nouma nodded.  "Sure.  There was this woman in college... well, 
the details aren't important.  What ended our relationship was 
that we couldn't give each other enough of what we needed.  I've 
learned more about love by watching my mom and dad.  They 
complement each other nicely.  It took them a while to recognize 
that.  You and I will be spending the next few months learning 
about each other, and trying to come to terms with how we can best 
help each other."

Nouma shrugged her shoulders.  "We may decide that our needs and 
wants are incompatible, and choose to end our relationship.  
However, if I thought that was going to happen, I wouldn't be here 
now.  I love you, Khu Lon.  I think it's going to work.  Give it a 
chance.  Give *us* a chance."

Khu Lon stared at Nouma for another minute, then seemed to relax.  
"I promise to try, Nouma.  It... may be difficult at first.  Will 
you understand if I seem a little hesitant or unsure at times?"

Nouma laughed.  "I love you, Khu Lon."

Khu Lon blinked, then smiled slightly.  "That's an answer, isn't 
it?"

Nouma slapped Khu Lon's shoulders a couple of times.  "You *are* 
learning.  You'll get the hang of it; I have confidence in you."

Khu Lon dropped the packages once again and reached up to grasp 
Nouma's shoulders as well.  "I love you, Tendo Nouma."

The words sent a thrill up Nouma's spine.  She leaned forward and 
kissed Khu Lon.  A small, tender kiss that went on for some time.  
Nouma finally broke it off, a little uncomfortable for some reason 
that she didn't feel like exploring right at the moment.

They picked up the packages and headed home.

The computer gave Nouma no problems this time, and let her in.  
She dropped the packages and leaned against the closed door.  She 
was tired.  It had been a rough day, physically and emotionally.

Khu Lon seemed to understand.  "Go lie down, Nouma.  You have some 
wounds that need tending to.  And I think you need some rest."

Nouma frowned.  She looked down at her hands.  They still stung 
considerably, as did parts of her chest.  She'd had worse happen 
to her.  Still, Khu Lon was right.  They needed attention.

She went into the bedroom, turned her back to the bed, and fell 
into it.  She closed her eyes and replayed the events of the 
dressing room altercation in her mind.

She heard Khu Lon come in and sit on the bed.  One of her hands 
was lifted and carefully washed.  Then a lotion was rubbed gently 
into her skin.  The lotion cooled her hand and made it stop 
stinging.  Nouma sighed in relief; she could take a lot of pain, 
but that didn't mean she didn't appreciate it when it ended.  Khu 
Lon went on to do the same to her other hand.

Then Khu Lon unbuttoned her blouse.  She opened the blouse and 
began washing Nouma's chest.  And breasts.  She then began working 
in the lotion.

The sensation was doing... something to Nouma.  She frowned.  
"Stop that."

"You need to have this lotion applied to all of the burns, Nouma."

"Then splash me with warm water first."

"You know, if you're going to truly come to terms with your female 
half, you should learn everything about how it works.  I'd be 
willing to - "

"Well, I would *not* be willing.  This is an aspect I do not wish 
to pursue.  Nothing Father went through involved ever having sex 
as a woman.  I do not imagine the curse will require anything of 
the sort from me."

"You never know."

"I never want to know.  Please, Khu Lon, I'm not ready for this."

Khu Lon had continued her ministrations throughout the 
conversation.  Her fingers brushed a part of Nouma's chest that 
sent a strange jolt right through her.  "You seem ready enough to 
me."

Nouma opened her eyes and fixed Khu Lon with a steady look.

Khu Lon chuckled.  "Very well.  As it happens, I'm done.  I do 
think you shouldn't change back for an hour or so, to give the 
lotion a chance to work before you wash it off."

Nouma nodded and closed her eyes, trying to control the strange 
sensations.  She didn't much succeed.  Come to think of it, she 
hadn't succeeded too well when she was male, either.

Khu Lon, fortunately, provided a distraction.  "Who is Happosai?"

Nouma sighed.  "We need to examine Tachi's databases regarding 
him.  I only know a little bit about him myself."

"Tell me what you do know."

"He's the founder of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts."

"I thought your father was."

"Oh no.  He learned the Art from his father, and my mother learned 
it from hers.  Happosai was the one who taught my grandfathers the 
Art."

"He must be very old."

"Yes.  Yet he seemed quite capable of evading our attacks and 
producing those chi-bombs."

"Hmm."  Khu Lon sounded thoughtful.  "We'll need to find out all 
we can about his abilities and prepare a strategy for facing him.  
Perhaps your grandfathers can help."

Nouma opened her eyes.  "Why do we need to?  It's over.  He's 
gone."

Khu Lon raised an eyebrow.  "Strange, isn't it, how of all the 
places in Japan he could have gone to steal underwear, he chose 
the store where you were trying on bras for the first time."

Nouma's eyes widened.  "You're saying it's the curse?"

"Do you believe in coincidence?"

"I used to.  But you're right, this is stretching things."  Nouma 
stared at the ceiling for a moment.  "I'm not sure our job is to 
beat him in physical combat.  He seemed quite out of touch with 
reality.  He called me by my mother's name, and seemed convinced 
that you and he had once been lovers."

Khu Lon snorted in disgust.  "You're right.  He *is* deranged."

"Maybe all he needs is help.  Someone to guide him back to the 
real world.  Aunt Kodachi once needed similar help.  After she got 
it, she became a productive member of society.  And a great 
person, too.  She taught me a lot.  Maybe Happosai can follow the 
same path to recovery."

"Hmm.  Well, either way, we need to learn all we can about this 
Happosai."

Nouma nodded and closed her eyes.  "I'm going to take a little 
nap, then I'll do some research."

"That sounds like a good plan."  Khu Lon lay on the bed beside 
her.  Her hands began removing Nouma's blouse.

Nouma frowned.  "I told you I'm not ready for anything like that."

"Are you going to sleep in your brand-new blouse?  Really, Nouma, 
you'll need to learn to take care of these clothes."

"All right, dammit.  Hey!"

"Are you going to sleep in your pants as well?"

"I'm just going to sleep for an hour or two."

"You'll be more comfortable this way.  There, better?"

"Yes, now let me sleep."

"You're still too tense.  I know a technique that will relax you."

"I'm not falling for that again, Khu Lon."

"Hmm.  How's that phrase go?  Your mouth says no but your body 
says yes."

"I can make my body say no quite forcefully.  Don't make me do 
that."

"For someone who hates the sound of her voice, you're using it a 
lot."

"I'm being especially motivated to do so.  Move your hand."

"Like this?"

"Stop that!"

"Are you saying that you don't want me to continue?"

"I'm saying you're about five seconds away from having your 
stomach shoved - oh my."

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that."

"D-damn you, Khu Lon."

"Maybe later.  First... there we go.  How's that?"

"Don't.  Stop."

"What was that?"

"Don't.  S-stop."

"Say it one more time."

"Don't stop..."

***

Nouma dragged herself into a state of awareness.  She had needed 
the sleep, she knew, but she was also anxious to begin dealing 
with her first case.  She smiled a little at her own phrasing.  
She felt a bit like a detective from the old American movies.  The 
case - Happosai - had appeared from nowhere, but it was somehow 
her responsibility.  The police certainly wouldn't be up to the 
task.  It was her duty to deal with the panty-pilfering perverted 
palooka.  Or something like that.

She got up and put on her robe.  She walked into the living room, 
noting that Khu Lon was intently studying the computer screen.  
Nouma smiled; it was probably in her own best interests not to 
even think about Khu Lon as her ditzy blonde secretary.

Nouma went into the bathroom and took a hot shower.  He sighed 
after the change.  Khu Lon had had valid reasons for turning him 
female this morning.  He *did* need to get used to it.  But he was 
a man, and would always feel most comfortable in his male form.  
The only reason he was able to accept being female at all was the 
knowledge that he was only a bucketful of warm water away from 
being male again.

He finished his shower and felt his face, pleased to note that it 
was quite smooth.  No more shaving unless he wanted to; he was 
ecstatic.

After putting on fresh clothes, he came up behind Khu Lon.  "Been 
keeping yourself busy?"

"Yes."  She turned and gave him a somewhat mischievous smile.  
"You look... relaxed."

He sighed and decided this was as good a segue he could hope for.  
He swiveled Khu Lon's chair around and sat on his haunches, his 
eyes slightly below hers.  "We need to have yet another serious 
talk."

Khu Lon's smile faded.  "What is it?"

"Everything good in my life has happened to me without my 
consent."

A puzzled look came over Khu Lon's face.  "What?"

"My father began teaching me martial arts almost as soon as I was 
born.  I am grateful for the skills he taught me.  But I was never 
given a choice about whether I wanted to learn the Art.

"When I graduated college, Aunt Nabiki offered me a job.  A very 
good job, doing stuff I'd dreamed about and making good money, 
too.  I took it, of course.  But I never applied, never asked her 
for a job.  She just gave it to me."

Khu Lon thinned her lips slightly.  "I pushed you into the pool.  
Even if you knew it was the right thing to do, you didn't choose 
to do it."

Nouma nodded.

Khu Lon looked down.  "I'm sorry."

"I told you before, don't be.  It needed to happen.  I needed it 
to happen to me.  I think that eventually I would have gone to 
China.  I would have talked to the Guide, and she probably would 
have told me that it was necessary to be cursed.  I would have 
done it to myself.  I think.  It might have taken a while, but it 
would have happened."

Khu Lon looked up again, and this time her face was soft with 
understanding.  "But it would have been better that way.  
Everything's better if it's something you choose, rather than 
something that's forced upon you."

Nouma nodded again.  "That's why I hope you won't repeat what you 
did earlier.  I asked you not to do it, and you did it anyway.  I 
enjoyed it, don't get me wrong.  But in the future, wait for me to 
consent to it.  Please."

Khu Lon drew a deep breath.  "I... I've always been so sure I knew 
what was best for everyone.  I get impatient when I see people 
unable to make what I think is the correct decision.  So 
sometimes... I make it for them.  It's gotten me in trouble 
before."  She leaned forward and clasped Nouma's hands.  "I 
promise, I will not make any decisions without your consent."

Nouma frowned.  "That's a fairly blanket statement.  This isn't a 
game of power; neither one of us has sole responsibility for 
making decisions.  If our life is going to be as adventurous as I 
think it is, then sometimes you will need to think and act 
quickly, make decisions that affect us both.  All I'm asking for 
is a little judgement on your part.  And... when I say 'no', I 
mean 'no'.  You can try to talk me into 'yes', but please don't 
force the issue."

Khu Lon looked at him thoughtfully.  "I used poor judgement 
earlier.  I apologize."

Nouma smiled.  "Thank you.  I accept your apology.  What have you 
found out about Happosai?"

Khu Lon smiled back, squeezed his hands, then turned back to the 
computer screen.  "Quite a lot and not enough.  I think I can 
explain some of his actions."

"Oh?"

"He was sealed inside a cave for many years.  He must have used 
some sort of chi technique to put himself in a state of 
hibernation.  Tendo Ranma has some theories on how it was 
accomplished, but he has not wanted to try it himself for fear of 
the consequences.

"When Happosai freed himself from the cave, he went around calling 
all young women he met 'Akane', thinking they were your mother.  
Evidently he has reverted to the behavior."

Nouma grunted.  "I remember that now.  He even fondled my father 
while calling out my mother's name."

"Yes.  Now, as to why he called me 'Cologne'," Khu Lon's voice 
became disgusted as she spoke the mispronunciation, "he had a... 
relationship with my great-great-grandmother a long time ago.  
Evidently he mistook me for her."

Nouma frowned.  "But you look nothing like her.  At least, not 
based on the descriptions I read in Tachi's notes."

Khu Lon shrugged.  "Perhaps he saw I was young and Chinese, and 
decided that was reason enough to call me 'Cologne'.  As you say, 
he is not entirely sane."

"Well, true.  What do we know about his fighting technique?"

"Those 'chi-bombs' you described were something he used quite 
often, but he had many different techniques.  As you said, he was 
the creator of the Anything Goes School.  He doesn't rely on a 
single set of moves.  He can draw an enormous amount of chi, more 
so than even your father.  He appears to derive his strength from 
harassing young women.  Why that would be, no one knows.  That is 
at the same time his weakness.  He will leave a fight to ogle or 
fondle nearby women.  Your father would use his female body to 
great advantage when dealing with Happosai."

"But he'd never enjoy it."  More and more things about Happosai 
were coming to Nouma's mind.  "They had a big fight once, for 
control of the School."

"Yes.  Your father, in consultation with Tendo Soun, Tendo Akane, 
Saotome Genma, Saotome Nodoka, Ono Tofu, and Ono Kasumi, changed 
many of the precepts of the School to make them more honorable.  
They developed a code that was consistent with duty and honor, and 
moved the emphasis away from winning at all costs to betterment of 
the spirit and body.  Happosai was unhappy with that, and 
challenged your father over the acceptance of the new code."

Nouma nodded.  His father had spoken often about the fight.  It 
had raged on for four hours, which was truly remarkable given that 
most of Ranma's fights lasted less then five minutes.  The dojo 
had been destroyed and the house had been heavily damaged.  
Finally, Ranma had dumped Happosai's unconscious body on the 
ground and collapsed into Akane's arms.  Ranma's arm and three of 
his ribs had been broken, and the rest of his body covered with 
deep bruises.  He had spent a week recovering in the hospital.

Happosai had bounced back almost immediately, but his spirit had 
been broken.  He had spent the week moping on the roof, not 
speaking to anyone.  When Ranma had returned from the hospital, 
Happosai had fled.

"Has anyone seen Happosai since that fight with my father?"

"No.  Not until today."

Nouma stood and put his finger alongside his nose.  "We need to 
know more."

Khu Lon nodded.  "That was my thought as well.  I called your 
father and arranged for us to come over for dinner and speak with 
him and your grandfathers."

"Good thinking.  When is dinner?"

"We should leave now."  Khu Lon stood and gazed at him steadily.

Nouma smiled and prepared to leave.

***

Nouma came up to the front gate and frowned at it.  He stretched 
his senses to the limit, then opened it.

The sound of Khu Lon's voice nearly made him whirl and attack.  
"What's wrong, Nouma?"

"Nothing.  Wait here a second, please."  He took a step into the 
yard and looked around.

As usual, he couldn't find her.  He ran over the pattern of her 
attacks, trying to figure out where this one was likely to come 
from.  He took a step towards the front door and stopped.  Nothing 
happened, so he took another step.

He didn't know what, but something made him look up.  Mikanma was 
descending on him from above.  Where she came from, he had no 
idea.  He dove to the side, rolled in a somersault, then sprang to 
his feet facing Mikanma.

She smiled and nodded her head, acknowledging his success in 
avoiding her first attack.  She moved towards him, making no 
effort to be cautious.  She was getting bolder and bolder.

Nouma jumped at her, feinting an attack at her head, double-
feinting to her body, and then trying to give her an old-fashioned 
uppercut.  It came very close to connecting; Mikanma snapped her 
head back to avoid it and left herself open.  Nouma grabbed her 
shirt.

Unfortunately, it was a trap.  He realized that as soon as he 
somehow found his arm grabbed and twisted behind his back.  She 
moved so *fast*, as if the rest of the world was frozen in amber.  
She wrapped an arm around his neck and bent him backwards.

Nouma grunted and gasped for air.  He put his free hand on her 
wrist and applied a pain hold, hoping she'd let go.  In the 
meantime he tried to think of something he could do with his feet.  
Perhaps, if he pushed up hard enough, he could flip over and 
perhaps bear Mikanma to the ground.  If he didn't twist his arm 
out of its socket first.

He was about to attempt it when Mikanma unexpectedly let him go.  
He drew in a deep breath and whirled around to face her again.

What he saw made him blink his eyes rapidly.  Khu Lon had a very 
good sleeper hold on Mikanma's neck.  In fact, Mikanma was turning 
a nice shade of red.

She jumped up with her feet and grabbed Khu Lon's waist with her 
legs.  She reached up her hands to grab Khu Lon's head, and 
somehow jerked herself forward.  Khu Lon was lifted off her feet 
and pitched forward.  Mikanma fell gracelessly, but she was free 
from Khu Lon.

Nouma rushed in before she could recover.  Mikanma was lying on 
her stomach; Nouma sat on her back facing her feet and grabbed her 
legs, hooking them over his shoulders.  She now had no leverage, 
and was not going to rise without his consent.

She tried for a while anyway, but eventually conceded.  "All 
right, Nouma, you win."

Nouma basked in his success; this was the first time since she was 
fourteen that she had said those words to him.  He released her 
legs, stood up, and helped her to her feet.

Mikanma glared at him, then at Khu Lon.  "You cheated."

Khu Lon shrugged.  "I merely saw my partner under attack, and came 
to his aid."

Mikanma scowled.  "This is between me and Nouma."

"You should understand this very clearly, Tendo Mikanma."  Khu Lon 
moved so that she was standing next to Nouma.  "Nouma is no longer 
alone.  Whatever threats he faces, I face with him.  Whoever 
attacks him has to defend themselves against my attacks.  That is 
the way it will be from this point forward.  Get used to it."

Mikanma stared at her with narrowed eyes.  After a moment, she 
laughed.  "Well, that will make it more interesting.  Anyone can 
surprise me once.  Next time, I'll be prepared."  She looked at 
Nouma.  "One for you, Brother."  She turned and walked into the 
house.

Nouma smiled after her.  "She took that pretty well.  Still, next 
time won't be so easy."

Khu Lon sounded surprised.  "Shouldn't she just concede future 
battles as well?  What's the point?"

Taking Khu Lon's arm, he led her to the house.  "You don't 
understand.  I'm not sure if the two of us together could take 
Mikanma if she's on her guard.  We'll have to come up with a 
strategy for next time."

Khu Lon looked at him out of the corner of her eye.  "An 
interesting family you have."

"Oh yeah.  Interesting."  Nouma grinned as he stepped inside.

Akane met them inside.  She greeted them politely before encasing 
Nouma in one of her famous bear hugs.

Nouma suffered it a moment before gently breaking it, smiling.  
"Should you be doing that, Mother?"

Akane snorted.  "I once fought when I was seven months pregnant 
with you, Nouma.  A few hugs aren't going to hurt me."

"Of course not.  Forgive me, Mother."  Nouma chuckled briefly, 
then turned to escort Khu Lon to the dining room.  Straightening 
from setting the last of the dinner dishes on the table, Ranma 
smiled and indicated they should sit.  Nouma's grandparents were 
already sitting, along with Mikanma.

Dinner proceeded pleasantly.  Conversation started with general 
comments about Akane's pregnancy, and the prospect of yet another 
practitioner of the School of Anything Goes.  After a while, 
Mikanma asked Khu Lon a question about her martial arts technique.  
Then the cross-examination began in earnest.  Some of the fiercest 
came from Soun and Genma, who seemed determined to find out 
everything about Khu Lon they could ferret out.

Khu Lon took it pretty well, answering all of the questions coolly 
and rationally.  Nouma thought that she was rather enjoying the 
challenge.  He learned a couple of things himself; it reinforced 
how much he still didn't know about her.

Akane finally brought a halt to the proceedings.  "Enough; she 
passes.  As if we had any say in it anyway."  She smiled at Khu 
Lon.  "Welcome to the family."

Nouma bristled slightly.  "Mother!  We are - "

" - *not* engaged."  Ranma finished for him.  "Give it up, Son.  
Didn't work for me, either."

Everyone laughed while Nouma felt his face turning a little red.  
He looked over to Khu Lon; her expression was a mixture of 
embarrassment and amusement.

Nodoka stood up and smiled.  "You all have business to discuss.  
Let me clean up so you can get started."

"Mother-in-law!  Don't; let me do it."  Akane jumped up and gently 
clasped Nodoka's arm.

Nodoka smiled.  "I am not as fragile as you might think, Daughter-
in-law.  I've been cleaning up after both of our husbands on and 
off for almost fifty years; I've developed a bit of a talent for 
it."

"I'd say that means you've earned a break, Grandma."  Mikanma 
grimaced and stood up.  "Ain't nothin' I can contribute to Nouma's 
meeting that'll be super useful.  Let me do it."

Nodoka laughed gently.  "Ah, you both touch my heart.  The three 
of us will do it.  That way you needn't be overly concerned about 
any strain on my part.  And Mikanma and I can have a little talk 
on proper language use."

Everyone chuckled including, to Nouma's surprise, Mikanma.  Soun 
led everyone else to the dojo as Nodoka, Akane, and Mikanma began 
to clear away the dishes.

They knelt in a loose circle.  Ranma looked quickly around, then 
nodded to Nouma.  "You want to take it, Son?"

Nouma related the tale of what had happened in the lingerie shop, 
including his and Khu Lon's speculations on Happosai's state of 
mind.  And how the whole thing seemed to be curse-driven.

After he finished, he looked around for reactions.  Father looked 
thoughtful, and both of his Grandfathers seemed puzzled.

Ranma finally spoke.  "This is very strange."

"I'll say."  Genma peered at Nouma.  "You were buying a bra?"

"Pop!"  Ranma shot him a disgusted look.

"I was sure the Master had passed on."  Soun managed to remain 
focused on the topic at hand.  "He has to be... what, over a 
hundred?"

Genma, not looking the least bit abashed at his son's upbraiding, 
offered his opinion.  "I'd say he went into another chi-trance for 
a while, like the one he used in the cave."

Ranma frowned.  "But why?"

Genma shrugged.  "Who knows why the Master does what he does?  His 
only thoughts are those of self-gratification."

Soun snorted.  "That would make you the most likely one to 
understand him."

"At least I was able to provide him a male heir.  And, as I 
recall, I was the only one of us who could fight him to a 
standstill."

"After your son and I softened him up.  I recall someone trying to 
convince the Master that they were of animal, not human, 
derivation."

"And I seem to recall someone pretending deathly illness at the 
mere mention of the Master's indiscretions."

"Coward!"

"Wimp!"

A hands-only battle broke out between them.  Khu Lon turned to 
face Nouma, looking slightly concerned.  "Do they hate each other 
that much?  Shouldn't we stop them?"

Nouma grinned.  "Nah, they're best friends.  Let them work it out 
for a bit.  They'll be okay."

Khu Lon shook her head and muttered in Mandarin.  All Nouma could 
make out was "weird" and something about heredity.

Finally, Soun and Genma slowed down, stopped, and turned their 
backs on each other.  Ranma looked at them for a moment, then 
turned back to Nouma.  "Your Grandfather Tendo makes a good point.  
All of our victories against Happosai came when we teamed up and 
distracted him."

"He is easy to distract."  Soun turned his head to look at Nouma.  
"Young female flesh works best."

Genma faced Nouma as well.  "I'd recommend that you turn yourself 
female, and wear a shirt that parts easily in front.  Oh, and 
leave your bras at home."

Ranma nodded reluctantly.  "He will attempt to attach himself to 
any pair of breasts he sees, no matter whatever else he's doing.  
I think you can use that to your advantage.  Really, it should be 
easy for the two of you.  One is the bait while the other attacks 
when he attempts to glomp.  You can do this several times; he'll 
never fail to rise to the bait."

Nouma frowned.  "But what then?  I'm not sure just beating him up 
will accomplish anything.  I was thinking that we should get him 
some help.  Take him to a doctor or something."

Shocked silence met his words.  Nouma glanced at each of his 
elders, seeing nearly identical expressions of bewilderment.  
Clearly, such a thought had never occurred to any of them.

Soun was the first to recover.  "He's a monster!"

Genma followed on the heels of Soun's words.  "A devil in human 
form!"

Ranma wasn't far behind.  "A pervert!"

"Degenerate!"

"Despicable!"

"A pervert!"

"Unrepentant!"

"Irredeemable!"

"A pervert!"

Genma frowned at his son.  "You keep saying that."

"You never had him fondle *your* breasts."  Ranma shuddered.

"Guys."  Nouma gathered their eyes.  "He will continue to be these 
things if no one offers to help him.  I plan to do that."

"Grandson."  Genma sighed.  "I happen to know that Happosai is 
almost one hundred fifty years old.  He's spent part of that time 
in chi-trances, true, but he's lived a great deal of it.  He is 
set in patterns that he *cannot* change, no matter how much 
therapy he gets.  Indeed, his very strength relies on satiating 
his lusts.  He is who he is; changing him is not only impossible, 
but the attempt would likely kill him."

Soun nodded vigorously.  "I agree.  There is no spark of anything 
human in him; he is nothing but a perverted old lecher."

Khu Lon leaned forward, frowning.  "Didn't he save your wife's 
life when she was young?"

Soun blushed and looked away.  "What he did for my wife was only 
so he could continue his lecherous ways while she drained those 
who pursued him."

"And yet he found a way for her to live.  He's shown himself to be 
perfectly capable of being perverted without her help."

Soun stayed silent and didn't meet her eyes.

Ranma sighed.  "You're right, Khu Lon.  He does the occasional 
good deed.  Not very often, and he usually finds a way to turn it 
so that it helps him continue to be a pervert.  But maybe it's 
worth trying to reach that part of him."  Ranma shook his head.  
"Frankly, I don't think your chances are good.  Miniscule, I'd 
say.  But if there's anyone who can pull it off, it'd be you 
guys."

Nouma smiled at the compliment.  "We could use your help, Father."

Ranma shook his head again.  "He'd likely run away at the sight of 
me.  He's too ashamed to face someone who's beaten him in a 
serious fight."  Ranma thinned his lips and lowered his eyes.  
"And... this is your affair.  Your fight.  I'm not the one cursed 
any more.  You two are.  Best that you face it without my 
interference."

Nouma sighed silently at the pain in Father's voice.  He obviously 
missed the life, no matter how much he talked about looking 
forward to the baby and a curse-free existence.  Nouma knew this 
was going to be difficult for him.

Khu Lon, meanwhile, was concentrating on another part of Ranma's 
words.  "What do you mean, 'you two are'?  I'm not cursed."

Ranma looked up at her.  "Oh, sorry, I guess I never mentioned it.  
Maybe because I'm not sure it's true.  But don't forget, you fell 
into the pool with Nouma.  I think you may be cursed too.  You 
turn into a woman when splashed with cold water.  The fact that 
you're already a woman is irrelevant; the magic is inside of you."

Nouma glanced at Khu Lon in surprise.  She was frowning 
thoughtfully.  Nouma could understand.  He wasn't sure he bought 
it, but he couldn't dismiss it out of hand, either.

Ranma shrugged.  "I could be wrong.  And it doesn't matter right 
now anyway.  Let's concentrating on getting you two prepared for 
Happosai."

Nouma gave himself a mental shake and concentrated on Father's 
words.  He could think of other things later; right now Happosai 
was all that mattered.

***

Nouma examined his newly-acquired female clothing, trying to 
figure out which one was the easiest to open and close.  That 
hadn't exactly been a priority when he and Khu Lon had picked them 
out.

He hung a blouse back in his closet and turned to Khu Lon.  "Maybe 
it'd be best if I just put on a gi.  I could pull it open and then 
tighten it up again."

Khu Lon nodded.  "Logical.  I will do the same."

Nouma lifted his eyebrows.  "There's no need for you to do that.  
I can be the bait."

"None of your chauvinistic attitudes, Nouma.  It's best that we be 
prepared for all contingencies."

Nouma accepted the rebuke.  He turned, took his gi out of the 
closet, and went into the bathroom to change.

Khu Lon was in the kitchen filling a strange-looking thermos with 
water when Nouma came out.  She walked up to Khu Lon and looked at 
it curiously.  "What's that?"

"I had it specially made."  She pointed to the controls.  "It can 
heat up or cool down water.  Cold water can be turned to hot water 
in twenty seconds.  Hot water can be cooled down in about three 
minutes.  We could significantly reduce those times if we could 
find out the exact temperature required to trigger your changes."

Nouma winced.  "Let's experiment some other time.  For now, that's 
good enough."  She gave Khu Lon a smile.  "Excellent idea, this."

"Yes, I know.  Are you ready?"

Nouma chuckled at the display of the famous Amazon humility.  She 
picked up her handheld computer - given to her by Nabiki after the 
end of their Canadian trip - and headed towards the door.  "Yes.  
Let's go."

Khu Lon followed him out of the apartment.  "Any idea where to 
find him?"

"Well, I figured we could just go around to lingerie shops until 
we run into him again.  Plus, I've got my computer monitoring 
police bands for reports of short older men terrorizing the 
populace."

Khu Lon spoke uncertainly.  "That's not the most efficient way to 
go about this.  We could spend days - weeks - futilely searching."

"Well, yeah.  Got any better ideas?"

This seemed to bring Khu Lon short.  "Er, no."

"Then we'll do it this way.  Besides, I'm counting on the curse to 
bring us all together."

"Nouma, relying on something as unpredictable as the curse strikes 
me as the height of foolish - "

"What a haul!  What a haul!"

Happosai zoomed past, carrying a huge bag over his shoulder.  
Screams of outrage could be heard in the distance.

Nouma decided the 'I told you so' could wait for later.  "C'mon."

They ran after Happosai.  He was amazingly agile, darting around 
people and through traffic effortlessly.  Nouma and Khu Lon had to 
struggle to keep up.

Fortunately, he stopped at a noodle vendor's.  He whipped a bowl 
from a flabbergasted customer's hands and gulped down the 
contents.  "Thank you, my good man!"

Nouma caught him as he turned to run again.  "Gotcha!"

Happosai twisted around to face her.  "Akane!"  He wiggled out of 
Nouma's grasp and glomped her.

Yesterday, the strange sensations had shocked Nouma and filled her 
with revulsion.  Today, they were merely annoying.  Nouma 
reluctantly admitted to herself that Khu Lon's efforts to... 
familiarize her with her body had been beneficial.  In more ways 
than one.

The noodle customer was just beginning to react.  "Hey!"

Nouma sighed and turned to Khu Lon.  "Would you mind?"

Khu Lon lifted her eyes from the sight of Happosai attached to 
Nouma's chest.  She waved her hands and produced two 1000 yen 
bills, which she gave to the bewildered customer.

Nouma started walking back to the apartment, doing her best to 
ignore the strange looks she was getting.  Thankfully, she was 
soon inside.

She sat on the couch.  Khu Lon stood opposite her a couple of 
meters away, eyeing Happosai warily.  Happosai, for his part, 
seemed perfectly content to remain where he was.

Nouma cleared her throat.  "Happosai."

He made no response other than to snuggle deeper.

Nouma reached down and gently tugged at him.  It took a couple of 
attempts, each of greater force, but she was able to separate him 
from her chest.  She held him at arm's length.  "I'd like to talk 
to you, Happosai."

"Of course!  Talk all you want, Akane!"  He reached for her 
breasts, just out of reach.

Nouma carefully controlled her reactions.  "I am not my mother.  
My name's Nouma.  Tendo Nouma."

This seemed to get his attention a little.  "Tendo?"  He examined 
her face closely, for the first time lifting his eyes from her 
breasts.  "You're a Tendo?"

Nouma suddenly wondered if this was a good idea.  She decided to 
see it through, not wanting to lie to him anyway.  "Yes.  My 
mother is Tendo Akane.  My father is Tendo Ranma."

That definitely produced a reaction.  Happosai went rigid at the 
mention of Ranma's name.  "Ranma.  Ranma.  Must hide, Ranma is 
coming.  He beat me.  Beat me!"  Happosai shuddered.  "No one 
beats me.  Not when I mean it.  No one.  Ever.  Ranma beat me.  
Must hide."

The rambling was not improving Nouma's confidence that she had any 
control over the situation.  She looked up.  Khu Lon shook her 
head; she had no idea what to do either.  Their plan had been to 
talk to Happosai, but such plans were meaningless if Happosai 
couldn't communicate coherently.

"Must hide.  Hid for twenty years.  Slept for twenty years.  Then 
Ranma would be gone.  Or he'd be old, easy to beat.  Genma was 
easy to beat when he got older.  He got fat, sloppy.  Surely Ranma 
would too.  I'd be on top again."

Happosai hugged himself, his eyes wide in fear.  He spoke rapidly, 
feverishly.  "Woke up, went to find him.  To beat him.  But he was 
young.  Young!"  Happosai was breathing heavily.  "Twenty years 
and he was *still* young.  Strong.  Vital.  I wouldn't be able to 
beat him.  Never will be able to, never will."

Happosai covered his face with his hands.  "I'm old, decrepit, 
second-best.  There's someone better than me.  I can't take it.  
I... s-simply c-can't take it."  Tears streamed down his cheeks.

Nouma spoke gently, softly.  "I'd like to help you if I could.  We 
can help you find a way past the pain."

"Of course you can!"  Happosai's voice instantly changed back to a 
bright, cheerful tone.  "Just let me cry in your bosom!"  He 
wiggled free to apply his glomp again.

Nouma grit her teeth, beginning to understand her father's and 
grandfathers' reactions in the dojo.

Khu Lon strode forward and snatched Happosai from Nouma's chest.  
She held him in front of her at eye level.  "Listen, old man, 
we're trying to help you!  Stop taking advantage of Tendo Nouma's 
sympathy and use it instead to rid yourself of these disgusting 
impulses."

Happosai merely leered at her.  "Cologne!  You're young too!  
Remember that shiatsu spot I showed you?"

Nouma could see Khu Lon trembling in an effort to control her 
anger.  "Is there nothing in you but lust?  I see nothing of the 
man who founded the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts."

"The School."  Happosai sounded almost wistful.  "Those were the 
good days, creating the School and teaching it to my two favorite 
students.  I was the best.  The best!"  He shuddered and his voice 
turned petulant.  "Until Ranma beat me.  He beat me!"

Nouma jumped in and tried to move Happosai's mind back to where it 
had been nearly coherent.  "But the School started with you.  The 
techniques, the brilliant, innovative ways of using chi... you're 
the one who thought them up.  We all owe you a lot, Master 
Happosai."

Happosai twisted around to look at Nouma.  "Yes, you do.  Although 
I don't know what a mere girl is doing learning the Art."

Nouma looked at Khu Lon in a panic.  Sure enough, her face was red 
with fury.  A knife appeared in her hand.  She held it so tightly 
her whole arm was trembling, but she wasn't trying to attack 
Happosai.  Yet.

Nouma felt her the situation slipping beyond her control again.  
She tried to defuse the issue.  "I'm not a girl.  I've just got 
the same curse that my father had."

"Oh!  That's why I keep running into you."  Happosai smiled.  "You 
must be my next student."

Nouma tried her best to keep the shock and dread off her face.  
This was something that had simply not occurred to her.  Happosai 
had justified a lot of his excesses in the name of 'training' 
Ranma.  Nouma thought it over quickly.  Happosai would probably 
stay near if not in the apartment.  He'd continue to find ways to 
terrorize the local populace.  If nothing else, the strange 
adventures with Happosai *had* improved Ranma's martial arts 
abilities, so Nouma could probably expect the same.  And Happosai 
would be in a position to listen to Nouma.  It might take a long 
time, but perhaps Nouma could get through to him.

She looked over at Khu Lon and nearly flinched.  The Amazon was 
boring her eyes into Nouma, anger giving her gaze a nearly 
physical component.  She appeared to know what Nouma was thinking, 
and was letting Nouma know very clearly what she thought of it.

As Nouma continued to meet her gaze, it softened and turned into 
an almost pleading look.  The knife disappeared and she set 
Happosai gently on the coffee table, her eyes never leaving 
Nouma's.

Nouma swallowed.  She could understand her point.  Life would 
likely be a living hell with Happosai around.  She and Khu Lon 
might not get a chance to establish their relationship.

And yet, how else was she going to get through to Happosai?

She focused on him again, noting that his eyes were staring at her 
breasts again.  "Master, I do not require instruction in the Art.  
I am not the heir to the School."

Happosai looked at her in puzzlement.  Khu Lon let out a none-too-
silent sigh of relief.

"However."  Nouma flicked her eyes over to Khu Lon and back to 
Happosai.  "I would like your company.  I'm sure you have many 
stories to tell that would be interesting.  Why don't you stay for 
dinner?  And come over for dinner whenever you want; you'd always 
be welcome.  We could eat and talk."

Happosai frowned, and for the first time looked almost serious.  
"Nouma, is it?  Why are you doing this, m'boy?"

"Because... because I want to help you.  My family does owe you 
something for what you've taught us.  We could learn from you, and 
maybe you could learn from us as well."

Happosai cackled.  "You're trying to change me!  You think you can 
*talk* me out of what I do?  Nouma!"  Happosai leapt from the 
table and attached himself yet again to Nouma's breasts.  "I will 
*never* change."

Nouma rubbed her eyebrows.  "At least maybe you won't have to 
steal food anymore.  And... I'd still like to try."

"Happosai."  Khu Lon walked up, crouched in front of Nouma, 
grabbed Happosai's head and turned it to the side so that he could 
see her.  "My great-great-grandmother - 'Cologne', as you call her 
- died before her time because she could not change.  In the end 
the people she loved and who loved her in return turned against 
her.  She was so set in her ways, so convinced that there was no 
other way to live then the way she knew, that she refused the help 
of her family and tribe.  She died horribly, separated from my 
mother and father by vengeful spirits, not allowed to say goodbye 
and denied the deathrights of the Amazons because of her dishonor.  
Happosai."  Khu Lon leaned forward.  "Do not continue on a path 
that will leave you hated and alone when it is your turn to pass 
on to the next life.  Let us help."

Happosai looked at her for a long moment, then looked up at Nouma.  
Slowly, he detached himself from Nouma - the first time, as far as 
Nouma knew, that he had ended a glomp voluntarily - and jumped to 
the ground.  "I will be here for dinner tonight.  On one 
condition."  He leered at Nouma.  "That you wear a dress.  The 
lower cut, the better."

Nouma fought down the irritation and disgust.  If Happosai was 
willing to try, Nouma had to meet him halfway.  "Yes, Master."

Happosai nodded happily.  "Now, I think I'll go find the heir to 
the School.  Surely *he* needs my instruction.  I need to find out 
how good he is myself.  Only the best should inherit the School of 
Anything Goes Martial Arts."

Nouma kept herself from chuckling.  Happosai was in for a rude 
shock.  Mikanma would certainly not put up with any chest-
glomping, and would be much more of a martial-arts challenge than 
Happosai had bargained for.  "Very well, Master.  Dinner will be 
at six."

Happosai grinned and nodded.  He turned to Khu Lon.  "Cologne, you 
were always the only one who could make me listen, when you really 
wanted to.  And you're as attractive as ever, which helps."

Khu Lon looked merely irritated, which was a vast improvement from 
previous moments.  "I am *not* my great-great-grandmother, 
Happosai.  Try to get that fact through your clouded brain."

Happosai cackled again.  "Genma tried to fool me, too.  Tried to 
hide in his panda form, but I knew his soul.  I know the souls of 
all of my students - and loves.  I look forward to seeing you grow 
up all over again.  Maybe this time you won't be so... close-
minded."  He grinned, ran to the window, opened it, and jumped 
outside.

Nouma and Khu Lon stared at each other.  Khu Lon's expression was 
completely blank.  Nouma felt that a tap on the shoulder would 
knock her over.

Nouma licked her lips.  "He is a little out of touch with reality, 
don't forget."

Khu Lon nodded uncertainly.  "He called you Akane."

"Right.  And I'm not my mother.  Don't worry."

"Of course I won't.  Why should I listen to the ramblings of a 
deranged mind?"

"You shouldn't."

"Okay then."

Neither of them spoke or moved for a long time.

***

Nouma sat at his computer, relaxing, catching up on his 
correspondence.  He was saying his good-byes to the newsgroups he 
regularly contributed to, and it was a more painful process than 
he had anticipated.  He was also drafting his resignation from his 
job at Nabiki's company.  He'd finish his projects but not start 
any new ones.  Khu Lon, as it turned out, had lots of money 
available to her, certainly enough to support them.  And Nouma 
suspected that Nabiki would offer to keep him on as a 
'consultant'.  That would allow her to continue to pay him as he 
settled into the life of the curse.  When he'd adjusted, he could 
maybe take on some free-lance programming projects.

He took a sip of tea and sighed in contentment.  As it turned out, 
Happosai had not appeared for dinner.  Apparently a major battle 
had taken place at the Tendo Dojo, which had somehow ended with 
Mikanma boiling mad, Ranma trying to calm her down, and Happosai, 
Soun, and Genma going out on the town to get drunk.  Ranma had 
passed on a message to Nouma that Happosai would be coming to 
visit soon.  Nouma found that he believed it.

He'd been glad for the chance to turn himself male and eat a quiet 
dinner.  Now he was relaxing in front of his computer, almost like 
old times.

Nouma glanced over to Khu Lon.  She had the handheld computer in 
front of her and was staring intently at it, her expression quite 
studious.  Nouma grimaced, pretty certain he knew what she was 
reading.

He went back to his tasks.  Soon he had everything in order.  He 
sent off his farewell letters and printed his resignation.  He'd 
meet with his boss in the morning and deliver it to him face-to-
face; he owed him that much.

Nouma closed down his computer, picked up his tea, and moved over 
to look at the painting of Mt. Fuji again.  Khu Lon's voice spoke 
from the sofa.  "Who painted that?"

"Grandmother Saotome.  It's about the curse of Jusenkyo."

"Hmm.  It must have affected her deeply to have both her son and 
husband touched by magic."

"Well, there were other things.  My paternal grandparents had 
quite a tumultuous relationship.  I'll tell you their story 
sometime.  They're at peace now, and she wrote this haiku when she 
was pregnant with Aunt Ranko."

"What does it say?"

Nouma read from the corner of the painting:

"Fuji-san asks me:
 'Is outward form all I am?'
 I smile in reply."

Khu Lon was silent for a moment.  "I think I like that."

"I think I like it, too."  Nouma turned away from the painting, 
walked over to the sofa, and sat next to Khu Lon.  She closed down 
a window on the computer's display as he sat.  Nouma mentally 
nodded, understanding what she was going through and deciding not 
to press.  She'd talk when she was ready.

He reached over and put his arm around her shoulders.  "How are 
you doing?"

A little to his surprise, she leaned into him, resting her head 
against his shoulder.  "I'm a little shaken up.  Will it always be 
like this?"

"I don't know."

"Of course you don't."  She didn't sound irritated, just tired.  
"This seems... unusual for a first-time adventure."

"It could have been worse.  Dad's first adventure involved meeting 
your mother and having her chase him all over China."

"Hmm.  I'd forgotten that was just after he'd been cursed.  And 
that adventure did accomplish much.  It got mother out of the 
village and led her to Japan.  Mother always said that she 
considers her life to have truly begun after meeting your father."  
Khu Lon sighed.  "It's just different than I thought it would be."

"Yeah, I know.  I mean, of all the things I was expecting, having 
an old man continually fondling my breasts was not among them."

Khu Lon laughed quietly.  "You took it well.  Like a warrior."

Nouma smiled.  "I thought a true warrior would have slit his 
throat for the affront."

"But that was not what you were trying to accomplish.  You were 
not trying to defeat him, you were trying to save his soul.  You 
did not allow him to distract you, and indeed used the tools you 
had to your advantage."

"You did well, too.  He was just humoring me, but he *listened* to 
you."

"I would never have even considered trying to help him if it 
hadn't been for you."  Khu Lon turned her head and looked into his 
eyes.  "I'm proud of you, Tendo Nouma.  I'm glad I know you."

"I'm overjoyed that you chose to let me share your life.  I think 
we make a good team, Khu Lon."

Khu Lon smiled, reached up, and drew his head down to hers.  They 
kissed slowly, not passionately and not tenderly but somewhere in-
between.

Khu Lon finally broke it off.  "I can't believe how much I've 
changed in the past week.  In the past day."

Nouma grinned.  "I have a bit of an idea of what you're talking 
about.  I've had to make some pretty radical adjustments 
recently."

"I, too, have adjusted much in myself that I thought would never 
change.  And yet, I am not unhappy."

Nouma's grin faded a bit, remembering how much she'd been bothered 
by Happosai's ramblings.  "Really?"

"Yes."  Her tone was firm.  "Who I was before I met you is 
irrelevant.  I'm happy with who I am now, and who I'm becoming.  
Mostly, I'm glad that my life is intertwined with yours.  Nowhere 
could I have found a better... mate.  Truly, my soul has found its 
partner, and is richer and better because of it."

Nouma smiled widely, deciding to share with her later about how 
her words reminded him of Uncle Tatewaki.  "I, too, am much the 
better for your companionship.  I love you, Khu Lon."

"And I you, Nouma.  Have I shown you the special technique Amazons 
use for indoor combat?"

Nouma laughed.  "Yes, and it makes me think that Amazons must go 
through a lot of clothing during the course of a relationship.  
Let me show you *my* technique.  It's not as... energetic as yours 
is, but I find it to be equally effective."

"Truly?  You will need to show me before I believe it."

Nouma demonstrated.  Khu Lon believed.

~*~