*         *         *         *         *         *         *

     A group of teenagers were ignoring the cries of amazement
from the ordinary pedestrians as they leaped from rooftop to
rooftop across Nerima.  To the passer-bys on the streets who saw
them, they looked like two boys and five girls.  A closer look,
however will definitely confirm that they were three boys and
four girls instead, since Konatsu wasn't in makeup nor in drag
anymore. 

     "Ryoga!"  Mousse called out to the boy leading the group.

     "What?!"  Ryoga asked without turning back.  He was in a
race against time after all.  

     "WHERE EXACTLY ARE WE GOING?!"

     Ryoga froze in midstep. "I don't know."

     Everybody facefaulted and almost slipped off the respective
rooftops that they were on.  After burying Ryoga under a wide
assortment of weapons, the group began to really think hard about
the situation at hand.

     "We need to stay calm."  Akane said, crutching her chest and
breathing heavily.  "Think!  Where on earth could he be right
now?"

     "According to logic, he's probably hiding out at where he is
least expected."  Mousse said, trying to show his intelligence in
front of Shampoo.

     Konatsu looked puzzled.  "Which is?"

     "I still think that Ranma-sama would be coming to my place
in search of my affection."  Kodachi said matter-of-factly.

     "That no good suggestion.  It BEYOND least expected."
Shampoo discarded the idea with a serious air, enraging the
gymnast.

*         *         *         *         *         *         *

     "You . . . all this time . . . all this time you have been
the pigtailed girl?!"

     "That's right.  So you have finally got it after all this
time."  Ranma-kun smiled viciously, enjoying the shock and
disbelieve on Kuno's paled face.  "How do you like my spirit now,
huh?  Still think you can keep your big words about LOVE, HONOR,
and all that JUNK?"

     Kuno was speechless.  The pigtailed goddess that had
enchanted him so had been nothing more than a beautful cover for
his hated rival.  He had been in love with an illusion all this
time!  He fell down onto his knees. 

     "Even one like yourself cannot stand up to your own promise. 
You people are all alike. . ."  Ranma lowered his eyes and
whispered to himself.  "I wonder if Uc. . ."  He closed his eyes
in pain.  "Better not take the chance to find out."

     "Pigtailed . . ."  Kuno mumbled through his rapidly receding
somberness. 

     Ranma's large eyes snapped open and shot him a cold look. 
"It's Ranma Saotome, the *honorless clad* whose *spirit* you had
never liked much before.  Now just give me back my backpack and
let me go."

     Kuno couldn't move, apparantly tramatized.  Without a word,
Sasuke walked up with his backpack.  Ranma strapped it on, and
left in disgust without turning back.

     "Love!"  He spat out the word like a curse.  

*         *         *         *         *         *         *

     Gathering her wits, Ukyou dragged Ryoga out of the pile of
weapons.  "Ryoga, you're obviously a much closer friend to Ranma
than we all thought you were in the past."  Ukyou was referring
to the fact that he was the one who get the suicide note from
Ranma, and was mildly puzzled by the sudden blush on his face. 
She ignored this for the moment.   "Have you any idea WHO it was
that he wanted to drag down with?"

     "Well. . . not really." 

     "Think harder!  This is a life and death moment for
Ran-chan.  Any second now, he might be a goner.  If we know who
he is after, then at least we will still have a chance of saving
him by waiting where his target is!"  

     Ryoga tried, but without much success.  After all, he had
never seen Ranma really hating anyone before.  Then suddenly, he
remembered something that he didn't think was all that important
in the past.  That fateful conversion in that garden of
fluttering sakura petals . . .

###########################FLASHBACK#############################

     "Anyway, the reason that I was away was that someone here
was after me, Ryoga.  I have been hiding from him all this time."

     "Who is that guy?  Someone else that you have pissed off
like you did me?"  Ryoga asked, jokingly.  Ranma's eyes lowered
and Ryoga began to look concern.  "Ranma?"

     Ranma looked up at his innocent face.  "Can't tell you yet. 
You probably won't understand until years from now."
     
#################################################################

     But who could Ranma be running away from?  And why did he
say that he won't understand?

     Then suddenly, the answer hit him like a ton of bricks. 
Really, who else could it be?!   Ukyou saw his expression and
leaned forward in expectation.  "Well?" 

     "All this time . . . it was his . . . his . . ."

     "His what?!"

     "His father."  Ryoga said as he gritted his teeth.

     "W H A T ? ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ?" 

*         *         *         *         *         *         *

     Inside a corner store, the daughter of the storeowner was
allowing a handsome young man to use her phone.  Right now, the
young man was deep in conversation in a slightly grave voice.

     "Yes, I know shouldn't have just left without telling
anyone.  . .  I'm sorry to have you worried. . . Anyway, please
come to the Tendo Dojo by the end of the day? . . . You shall
understand everything by then. . ."  With that, he put down the
phone with his head down.  

     "Thanks."  He said to the girl, who smiled back with a
blush, and left.

     <Cute guy. . .>  The girl thought to herself. <I'd rate him
a ninety if he wasn't wearing those weird and gloomy black robes.
. .>

*         *         *         *         *         *         *    

     The entire group of martial artists were racing back full
speed back to the dojo.  It was taking a long time since Ryoga
had a tendency to leapt off to the wrong direction every now and
then. 

     Mousse yelled in frustration as he pushed Ryoga back to the
right direction.  "How could you turn right when everybody was
going left?!"  

     "I. . ."  Ryoga knew that he was getting too nervous to
focus on where he was going anymore.

     "Ryoga!"  Akane leapt beside him and ran with his speed. 
"Why exactly did that baka want to kill his own father?!"

     "Yeah!"  Ukyou used her spatula to whack Ryoga back to the
right path as he headed off course again.  "Mr. Saotome is a
worthless scum of a thief, but that's no reason to kill someone!"

     "Could it be that Ranma is really a psychopath under the
guise of an idiot teenager all this time?"  Mousse asked as he
ran beside them, and was momentarily slowed down by a bonbori
strike.

     "You no say that!  Airen must have reason!"  Shampoo
shrieked, her originally pretty face distorted in anger.  How
could he even DARE to insult her love at a time like this?!    

     "Sorry."  Mousse muttered sheepishly as he put on a pair of
unsmashed glasses to replace his own smashed one. 

     Kodachi skipped past them, self absorbed and absent-minded
as ever.  "You're right, lowly illegally immigrated Chinese
waitress!  Ranma-sama is always honorable in his actions!"

     Shampoo swore in the name of her anscestors that she will
trash this mad girl to average her Amazonian dignity.  But not
now, not when Airen needed all of their help so much. . .   

     Konatsu leapt up to beside Ukyou.  "So what are we going to
do when we get there, Ukyou-sama?  Gang-up on him and beat him
senseless?"

     Ukyou frowned as she continued to run.  "I was thinking
about solving this non-violently. . ."  

     "Not possible."  Akane said as she turned to Ukyou.  "Ranma
ALWAYS prefer his fists over his brains. . . especially when
under stress."

     "Akane's right."  Ryoga said as he ran beside her.  "We
have to do whatever it takes to stop him from just throwing his
life away like this!"  

     "And why do you care?"  Mousse asked the lost boy with
curiosity as he caught up with him.  "I always thought you hated
him."

     "I. . ."   Ryoga fumbled for an excuse, unsuccessfully.

     "Leave him alone!"  Akane turned to the Chinese boy with a
sharpness to her voice due to intense stress.  "Can't you tell
that Ryoga-kun has been friends with Ranma for all this time?!"
     
     "Well. . ."  Mousse was a bit taken back as he mulled over
this in his head.

     Ryoga breathed a sigh of relieve as he silently thanked
Akane.

*         *         *         *         *         *         *

     The atmosphere of the Tendo dinning room was slightly
unnerving as the leaders of the two schools of Anything Goes
simply sat together and said nothing.  Soun tried to get Germa to
play a game of Go with him, but the latter declined.

     "What's the matter, Saotome-kun?"

     Genma was clueless himself. "I have no idea, Tendo-kun. 
Maybe it's just that Ranma had left without telling anyone. . .
not that I can't make him come back.  Somehow I just happen to
sense that . . ."

     "Great doom shall befall."

     The two middle-aged man immediately turned to the origin of
that even voice, and encountered the sight of Ranma leaning
against the doorway, wearing something that was definitely not
Chinese style.           

     A set of black, traditional, executioner's robes.

     "Ranma!  Where have you been?!  Did you know how worried we
all are about you?!"  Genma got up angrily.  "Did you know how
Akane had been worried about you for the whole night?!  What kind
of a man have I raised you up to be?" 

     Looking at this man who had fed off his life for so long,
Ranma's eyes narrored as he tossed back his now free flowing
hair.  "The mirror image of your essence, only way better
presented, thus much more profitable."

     "What?!  Now dare you talk to your father-"

     Ranma cut him off.  "As for Akane, neither of you need to
worry about HER worrying about me."

     Soun got up, his voice holding a hint of thunder.  "And what
exactly do you mean by that, Ranma-kun?"

     Ranma turned calmly to Soun.   "It means that I've already
nullified my engagement with her.  From now on, she's free as a
bird."

     "W H A T ?!  How. . . how dare you dishonor our families
like . . .  SAOTOME-KUN!!!!!!"  He roared at Genma, who looked
nervous and shamed.  "Ranma-kun. . . I don't know what kind of
trick you're trying to pull-"

     "What makes you think that I'm trying to pull anything?" 
Ranma asked with mock innocence.  Soun was growing into demoic
proportions as he advanced on the boy.  "DEFIER OF A MOST SACRET
PROSMISE-"

     Ranma shot the demonic being a cold look, and it sagged
immediately, returning into a sobbing mess.  "Wahhhhh!!!!!  He's
so scary!!"  Soun cried a river, as usual.  

     Ranma looked briefly at the unworthy master of the Tendo
clan with detached amusment, then turned back to his own father,
who was clearly in a rage.          

     "Let's settle what I've returned for once and for all out in
the dojo, old man, just you and me."  Ranma smiled coldly.  "It's
what I would call. . . a family affair."  

     "You. . ."  Genma growled, slightly unnerved by the drastic
change in his son.  No. . . it can't be.  He couldn't possibily
have the backbone to REALLY defy him. . .

     Yet the truth was right in front of him.

*         *         *         *         *         *         *

     "Finally we're here!!!"  Ryoga shouted in trimph as he and
the rest of the top teenage martial artists all leapt over the
exterior wall of the dojo into the Tendo yard.

     "Not so loud!  We need to take him by. . ."  Ukyou's hiss
was cut off by the sight of Soun crying in the dinning room.  ".
. . surprise."

     "Daddy!"   Akane leaped forward, landing beside her father. 
"What happened?!"

     "MY POOR POOR DAUGHTER!!!"   Soun hugged her as he continued
to cry.   "To think that wretched boy would dishonor his father
by withdrawing from the engagement. . ."   

     "Ranma. . . he's back already?!  Where is he?!"

     "He is in the dojo, hopely being given a lesson in honor and
duty by Saotome-kun. . . Daughter?"   Soun suddenly realized that
he was talking to thin air as a herd of footsteps could be heard
racing off to the dojo.

*         *         *         *         *         *         *

     The teenagers all slowed down upon being close to the
outside of the Dojo.

     "Now what we do?"  Shampoo whispered.

     "We will all soundless tiptoed to the entrance, then rush in
all at once!"  Ukyou said as she readied her spatula.  "We can
only hope that we came in time. . ."

     "It's about time for us to really talk about the dept that
you owe me, POP."  Ranma's unusually dark tone of voice could be
heard from inside the dojo.  Everybody breathed a sigh of relieve
as they continued to move toward the entrance, glad that he was
still with the living.

      "I'm your father!"  Genma growled angrily.  "Without me,
you won't even exist, boy!"  

     "Hahahahahahahahaha. . ."  A throaty, sinister laugh that
was strangely mixed with the elements of crying seeped out of the
Dojo, sending shivers up everone's spines.  Kodachi finally got a
taste of her own medicine for the very first time, and was deeply
disturbed by it.

     Ranma's voice became slightly raggard as he continued to
speak.  "I won't even . . . haha . . . exist without . . .hehe. .
.you. . . WITHOUT YOU I WON'T HAVE TO EXIST AND ENDURED THE HELL
THAT FOLLOWED, YOU LEECH!!!!!"  The boy apparently had some
trouble catching his breath after shouting like that.  "It's
about time... for you to see... what I've been through... because
of YOU."  Ranma laughed bitterly again.  "I'm beginning to sound
like Ryoga, aren't I?"   

     "I won't be surprised. . . considering how you used to hang
around that incompetent lost boy ever since junior high." 
Genma's voice was dripped in venom.   Outside, Ryoga was gritting
his teeth in anger.  Genma continued on.  "I saw what was going
on that rainly day in the vacant lot, BOY.  To think my own heir
will behave in such . . .  perverse conduct . . .  It is poetic
justise that you got cursed as a girl, for you are not worthy to
be a MAN!!"

     Ranma was silent.  He knew?!

###########################FLASHBACK###########################

     On that first day in the vacant lot:   

     The two teens were trapped inside a length of pipe in a
vacant lot.  Out of the corner of his eyes Ranma could see Ryoga
looming closer to him.  He looked sideways, expecting a sneak
attack.

     What he saw instead shocked him to say the least.  The . . .
admiration in the other boy's eyes wasn't an alien sight for
Ranma.  But HIM?!  He who was quick-tempered and macho to the
point of being comical. . . guess one can never sterotype special
groups.  

     Then a bold plan suddenly came into his mind.

     Shocked out of his trance by Ranma's strange stare, Ryoga
immediately backed away.  How could he have felt that?!  It was
so. . . unnatural. . .  Immediately he put on his usual mask of
rage.  "Just thinking of ways to make you pay back, thief."

     "Hey, that piece of bread was fair game for anyone around it
who is the most capable."  Ranma made himself smile in a boylish
but arrogant fashion that he knew would irritate the other boy. 
If he succeed. . .  

     Ryoga's real rage returned with a vengence.  "Just wait
until
the rain stops. . ."     
     
     "But what's keeping you now?"  He leaned forward and asked,
continuing to push what he sensed were the right buttons.

     Ryoga scowled, and with a speed that was shocking even to
Ranma, he pushed the more slender boy down and straddled him. 
Grinning in trimph, he raised a fist in such a threathening way
it looked comical.  "Now, you shall pay."                         
    

     <Perfect!>  Ranma smiled, narrowing his large eyes.  

     Ryoga was confused.  Wasn't the kid supposed to be scared or
maybe even angry?  "Wha. . . What are you smiling at?!"

     Feeling the strength pinning him down, Ranma felt a sinful
thrill channeling through his body.  Yes, Ryoga WILL be helpful
to him.  "And how, may I ask, do you expect me to pay?  I have no
money. . . none that I can have a hold on anyway."  Ranma tilted
his head up, his eyes glistering as he studied up at his supposed
captor.  So utterly clueless and dense . . . so lonely . . . so
innocent. . . so unlike those . . . 

     "A man cannot allow himself to long for another that way." 
Pop's pathetic excuse to get him away from Ucchan all those years
ago rang through his head, fueling his decision.  Ranma's eyes
became slightly predatory, which could be easily mistook as a
sigh of passion under this circumstance.

     Slowly snaking his now free arms up over Ryoga's back, Ranma
drew the surprised boy closer down to him.  "However, if it is
something else that you want. . ."  With that, he proceeded to
use every last trick he knew that could have produced the most
powerful response from the teennage Hercules.  For once, Ranma
was pleasantly surprised to have noticed that these repulsive
acts wasn't that repulsive anymore when this boy was his partner.

     The two spent a long time inside that pipe.  Outside, the
rain continued to pour and the thunders continued to roar.  At a
far corner of the vacant lot, unnoticed by anyone, a pair of
glasses glinted under a large umbrella.


#################################################################

     Outside, everybody turned to look at the lost boy with
quardripled-sized eyes, who looked like he was under ice water. 
Mousse, and even Konatsu, turned slight shades of green.  

     "Aiya . . ."  Shampoo flushed.  "No think husband into . . .
this."

     "Ryoga-kun. . . you two. . ."  Akane whispered with
disbelief.

     "You'd better have a good explaination for this, Hibiki." 
Kodachi hissed as she took out her clubs.

     "Shhhhh!!!!"   Ukyou hushed them as she fought to suppress
the intinctive revulsion in her chest.  "Not so loud!"   She
whispered as she finally reached the entrance to the dojo and
peeked inside.  She was surprised to see Ranma's entirely
different fashion style, which she found to be. . . sinister. 
His head was lowered, and long hair from behind his short bangs
was obscuring half of his face. 
 
     Ranma spoke up again.  "Perverse conduct. . . hmph.  And
who. . . do you think TAUGHT me . . . to act in such . . .
perverse conduct, huh?"  Ranma's voice was clearly shaking with
disgust and anger at the same time.  "Who sent me off to . . .
the party for my twelth birthday. . . where that rich guy . . .
where that rich guy. . ." 

     Genma's voice seemed to have lost its previous strength due
to a dread of some form.  "Now hold on a second there, boy. . ."

     "Where that rich guy used me!!!!  Over and over!!!!  
TOGETHER WITH HIS SICKO PEDOPHILIC BUDDIES!!!!!!!!!!!"   Ranma's
head shot up as the memories drilled themselves back into his
concious mind, prompting him to recount the dreadful tale. 

########################### FLASHBACK ###########################

     It was a splendidly decorated  room, with a classical, long
table occupied with roast beef, roast chicken, and many other
steaming buffet items.  Two people were sitting across the table.
One was an expensively dressed man, who we shall call The Man for
convenience's sake.  The other side of the table sat a ponytailed
boy who was eating like there was no tomorrow.  He was obviously
a much younger version of Ranma, a lot more frail and innocent
than he was now.

     The Man smiled, innocent looking in the little boy's eyes. 
"So how do you like your birthday party so
far?"

     "It's the coolest!  I've never ate anything like this my
entire life!"  The boy said between bites.  "If only Ucchan
is here..."

     "Ucchan?"  The Man asked.

     "He is my very best friend!"  Ranma said brightly,
then his voice saddened a bit.  "My only friend... who I haven't
seen for years... If only Pop didn't have to move around all the
time for training... Actually, Mister, are you Pop's friend?  Pop
didn't told me much as he dropped me off here."

     "You could say that I'm his business partner."  The Man gave
a slightly mysterious smile.  Both stayed silent as Ranma
continued his eating. 

     "Ranma..."

     "Huh?"

     "Wild horse... Such a special name for a little boy."

     "I'm not just a little boy, I'm a martial artist!  Look!"
Ranma stood up and proceeded to do a kata, he frowned as
he swayed a bit.  "That shouldn't have happened..."

     "Very nice."  The Man licked his lips.  "But can you do it
without clothes on?   I want to see how you use your muscles."

     "But..."  Ranma instinctively turned a deep shade of red.  

     "What's the matter? I am your friend and I want to study
your technique."

     Ranma hesitates, then took off his shirt and tried
the kata again.

     "The pants."  The Man urged.

     The little boy looked scandalized, then steadied himself and
said.  "Sorry, Mister.  I can't."

     "Why not?  You are a big boy now, what have you got to hide?
We're both guys.  C'mon, it's no big deal."  The Man moved
forward, Ranma stepped back.  A perfect demonstration of predator
and prey.

     "I guess I should wait for Pop outside..."  Little Ranma
continued to step back with a nervous expression.  The man
smiled, continuing to approach him.  Then suddenly, his knees
buckled and he fell on his rear.  

     The man smiled, scary in his twisted hunger.  "Now, little
wild horse, you're obviously too tired to even walk out of this
house.  So why not let me carry you off to my bed so we can have
some further fun with some of my friends..."

     "I can't move . . . What did you put in those food that you
gave me?!"  Ranma looked shocked.

     "Just something to help you relax, little man."  The man's
voice was devious and the little boy's frightened look was almost
heart-breaking.  The Man picked him up and the boy couldn't even
struggle.  "If you... do anything... funny to me, Pop WILL kill
you!"   Ranma tried to act tough, but his voice wavered
considerably.

     The Man laughs as he carried the boy up to the more
frightful chambers of the mansion. "Your *Pop* knows exactly what
is coming to you, daddy's boy.  Why else do you think he brought
you here?  Besides, everybody knows that horses are meant to be
ridden."

     W H A T ? !   That's not possible!  Pop is the only person
that he could rely on. . . he wouldn't. . .

     In the bed chamber, the thinly veiled mask of respectability
wore off as the demon showed his face, together with his goons.
That night was painful, not only because of the combined
violations of his body, but also the warring voices in his head. 
     <He wouldn't. . .>

     <HE WOULDN'T!!!!>

     <. . . would he?>   
     
     As if further torturing him, the night stretched on and on,
reaching toward eternity.  The boy continued to hang onto the
notion that his father was guiltless like a fish to water. . .

     Until finally, after eternity had passed and he was once
again civil and decent, if not back to full strength, his father
came back for him. . .

     . . . and happily took a packed envelope from The Man before
picking up the shattered remains of his son and left.

     <He would after all. . .>

     "That's my boy!"  Genma beamed as if his son had gotten a
straight A report card, and the boy suddenly realized the
falseness of his Pop's infamous teachings about being manly.  The
man then promised his son that he would never have to do
something like that again.

     Even that turned out to be a lie, as the money was soon
wasted away by drinking and gambling.  Apparently, all that talk
about how a martial artist must have self-control was a lie too.

     "Go make your father proud, son!"  Night after night, Genma
would say those words with utmost sentiment before handing his
boy over to less than virtuous adults with ready checks.
It became Ranma's "career", something that his father would place
on the same level with his martial arts accomplishments.

     Two years passed by in this most twisted fashion.  Ranma
began to find his unorthodoxic "job" getting easier and easier as
time passed by.  Well, when a guy is stuck with doing something,
he would gradually learn to endure it.

     In the beginning, he still had the courage to resist his
fate for all that he was worth.  Not that it helped, since his
Pop wouldn't let him stop "working".  The boy never seemed to be
good enough to defeat his father.  His numerous escape plans had
all ultimately failed, gaining him more beatings and numerous
lectures with the old "honor thy father" theme.  Graduallly, the
drive behind his rebellion died down and he simply didn't care
anymore.   

     He knew that he could never be accepted by anyone who knew
the truth, not even himself.

     Probably not even Ucchan, shall he see him now.

     Then one day in a motel room, Genma came to him right after
he had finished his "work".  Pop had been putting on weight
lately: not surprising considering the amount of money his son
brought in every day.   It delighted Genma to no end seeing how
Ranma's prize was getting higher and higher as he matured,
instead of the other way around.

     "Good work, my boy."  Pop was so proud of him that he looked
almost fatherly.  

     "Sure, Pop."  The boy replied as he cooly observed his
father's figure.  <Getting fat on my blood, I see. . .>

     "I've got another good deal for you tonight.  It's a GIRL 
this time!"  Pop smiled, almost good-naturely.  "Go make your
father proud, son."

     The boy simply twisted his lips in distaste as he began
putting on his clothes.   The last "girl" his father set him up
with was a psychotic old hag who insisted the boy to call her
Mommy during the deed.   

     "By the way, son."  Pop said.  "You're going to school
starting next week."

     The boy looked weary as he looked up at his father with 
eyes that were lifelessly dim.  "Why now, when I have done
without school for so long?"  

     "Because one day, you will need it."

     "Yeah, right."  

     "I'm serious, son!  One day. . ."  Genma stared into the
future with much drama.  "You will marry someone whose dojo will
eventually be under the Saotome name!  And you will be clean-cut
and respected!!  I'll need to further your training . . . hmmm, a
training trip to China after your first school year should do the
trick . . . "

     Ranma simply turned around to blush his hair at the mirror,
shutting out the babbling glutton behind him.

#################################################################

     Ranma stared coldly at his father, who was trembling with a
red face by now.   Whether the cause was shame, or the fury
caused by a discoved shame, could not be determined clearly.

     Ukyou could almost felt the burning ache in her chest as her
whole body trembled.  A father, a martial artist for that matter,
corrupting his son like this?!  How could anyone even stand the
thought of doing someything like this to his own flesh and
blood?!  And for such a long time?!  How dare anyone torment the
only one that had mattered to her in such a perverse fashion?! 
Indescribable fury burned through the girl's body as she
unleashed her giant spatula.

     The fury was not hers alone to feel.  Akane was burning with
a red aura, a look of disbelieve on her face.  Shampoo took out
her bonboris, her look cold enough to freeze water.  Kodachi's
ribbon was already twirling, and for once, there was a glint of
righteous anger in her eyes instead of evil hatred.  Ryoga was
still in shock at the moment, while Mousse and Konatsu were
paralysed by one shocking secret after another. 

     Genma glared at his son.  "You liked being the whore that
you were!  I saw it with you and Ryoga: you had obviously enjoyed
it!"

     "I did, didn't I?"  Ranma spoke up, surprising his father. 
"In the beginning, I was . . . only trying to be Ryoga's friend. 
Just simple, ordinary friends.  I had none then . . .  What
happened afterwards was because . . . because I was afraid,
afraid that friendship alone cannot get him to help me in the way
I need him to.  I was desperate, because I NEEDED him to help me
. . . TO HELP ME GET AWAY FROM YOU!!!!!"  The boy shouted.  He
spoke up again in a low voice.  "I screwed up what could have
been . . . an actual friendship.   You have made me a whore,
you've made me selfish and manipulative . . . you've made me just
like . . . just like . . ."   He crenched his fists as he spat
out the last word.  " . . . YOU."

     Before Genma could spoke up, Ranma continued.  "And I'm not
the only one whose life you had screwed up either.  If only . . .
if only you hadn't dragged me away from that vacant lot, I would
have waited for Ryoga on the fourth day . . ."  

     "?!"  Ryoga's senses rushed back into him at hearing that
sentence. 

###########################FLASHBACK#############################

     On that lost day of hope and promise:

     With pink sakura petals drifting down all round him, Ryoga's
boylish face had looked sincere as he answered Ranma's request to
stick my his side.  "I promise."

     Ranma smiled as a strong breeze blew by, almost burying the
two under an infinite sea of pink.  Finally, he could be free,
together someone that he can truly trust and rely on.  

     Ryoga looked down at the outline of Ranma's body under the
red tanktop, and couldn't start his next sentence as his
attention was drawn to something else entirely.  He knew where
his true preference lay, and the number of time that he had
nosebleeded due to the sight of alluring actresses on TV
strengthened that belief.  

     But somehow, Ranma had proved to be an irrational exception. 
With his large eyes and delicate chin, the androgynous teenager
looked like a girl dressed up and acting as a boy: enough to
arose him, but not quite to the point of making him nose bleed. 
Ranma's eyes narrowed in a satisfied smile as he saw Ryoga's
intense stare.  He knew what would come afterwards.  

     That first day in the vacant lot had began as nothing more
than a scheme to gain his freedom.  But somehow, as the number of
their "sparring sessions" grew, Ranma had became increasingly
attacted to Ryoga's simplness and loyalty.  He was surprised by
how good a company Ryoga could make.  The act of "giving" himself
over turned out to be . . . surprisingly rewardable.

     Ranma's smile returned as a strong breeze blew by, almost
burying the two under an infinite sea of pink.  Finally, he could
be free, together someone that he can truly trust and rely on. 
Even if Germa managed to track them down yet again, he will not
be able to defeat BOTH of them at the same time now, will he?  
No longer will he be enslaved to that life-sucking glutton.  

     Sakura in its full bloom, passion at it's peak - neither of
them can last very long.

     Somehow, nobody seemed to know that.

     Ranma grinded Ryoga tight against himself in a sea of dead
but still beautiful flowers, secure and certain in a bright
future together with this loyal being.  Slowly, the two's
movements began to accelerate, crushing the unfortunate pink
petals caught between them.  Ranma kept on talking despite's its
increasing difficulty. 

     "We are leaving. . . tomorrow morning, Ryoga.  I'll be
waiting. . . at that vacant lot that we. . . fought. . . for the
first time. . . right behind your house.  Don't. . . be. . .
late. . ." 

     Eventually, both of them had exhausted their heat through
the straineous deed.  Feeling absolutely secured in that
entanglement of arms and legs under the blanket of flower petals,
Ranma allowed himself to fell asleep.

*         *         *         *         *         *         *

     Sitting on one of those pipes at the vacant lot, Ranma began
to get scared as two days passed by and still Ryoga hadn't
arrive.  Dammit!  Why did Ryoga had to wander off by himself at
the park?  Ranma was thinking about getting the lost boy back to
his house first, and have him STAYED there as he went to gather
his stuff to come back in the morning.  But Ryoga was gone as he
woke up: something that he hadn't anticipated in happening right
after his promise.

     But Ryoga would never have abandoned him just like that.  He
was probably just trying to find a washroom or something by
himself . . . and got hopelessly lost once again.  But either
way, this is bad.  He couldn't stay at the vacant lot for too
long each time, fearing that his Pop might find him there, and
all will be lost.     

     On the third day, as he went there again, Pop did find him
there. 

     And all was lost.

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