THANKS FOR BEING KIND ENOUGH TO GIVE IDEAS!!

This is a more advanced draft of the story, still possibily with
contradictions in areas that I have forgot about during the two
month span that I have spent on this fic.  So please no need to
grammar check yet, but just tell me about anything that isn't
right about the story so that I can rewrite some less than
desirable parts. 

**Your name, along with those of the other prereaders, will be
mentioned at the finished product that I am going to post to the
r a a c.**

BTW, do you know the name of the Madonna song that I was using in
this fic?

THANKS AGAIN!!

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                        P r e l u d e :

     In a tidy, medium sized restaurant that hadn't even open
yet, the chef was already cooking on the griddle.  With intense
care despite unusual speed, a large piece of starch was flippped
over and over to ensure that it could solidfy completely
without being burned.   The chef smiled at the enticing scent
comming from the pastry:  the product of exceptional cooking
skill.

     If only that chef could have had the same skill in the art
of loving as well. 

     She signed as she add in the meat and vegetable onto the
pastry, turning it into an extra large okonomiyaki.  A slight
panick ran through her body.  What if he was actually angry at
her?  Should she still go, and make a fool of herself?  Maybe it
would be better for everybody's sake if she could just give it
all up.

     But she can't.  Despite all the barriers between them, some
set by him, some by her rivals. . . mostly by his honorless
father, she could still feel the yearning emmitting from the
captor of her heart, whether the others realized it or not.   

     The same yearning for companionship that had attracted her
like a moth to fire since she was six.  She hadn't ever seen
anyone who could be dazzling both in his happiness as well as
sadness.

     She could still remember that day as if it was yesterday:

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

     After one of their more intense sparrings, two little
martial artists rested under the shades of a large tree.

     The armed one wiped off the sweat on her face as she
breathed out a sigh.  "Ranchan . . . you can REALLY be tough when
you want to . . ."  Not getting a response, she turned sidesways,
and saw her friend already fast asleep, looking as innocent as an
angel. 

     The little girl smiled as she stared at that face.  Even
though her macho disguise as a boy had restricted her to being 
his friend, there was always something about him that led her to
think that they could have been a little bit more.  

     Suddenly, the little boy rolled over, and encased the little
girl in a hug, causing her to yep. "Ran-chan!  What do you think
you . . ."  Not wanting that hug to be broken off, she silenced
abruptly.  

     "Ucchan . . ."  Ran-chan mumbled as he smiled with
contentment in his sleep. 

     Ucchan was shocked.  A thousand possibilites going through
her child's mind.  Finally though, she settled on one of them:
Ranchan had found out that she was really a girl, and genuinely
liked her!

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

     It was then that she had asked her father to arrange for a
formal engagement between her and Ranchan, so they could live
happily ever after.

     What an awful mistake.

     Ten years later, as they met again, he tried shutting her
out with his apparent obliviousness.  Yet there's no way that she
would give up on a bet before all the cards had been shown.

     Before her devotion and sacrifrice had been shown to be
one-sided and futile.
     
     Dark eyes hardening in determination, she packed the
okonomiyaki into a delivery box.  "Konatsu!"

     "Yes, Ukyou-sama?"  A long-haired, slender young ninja
appeared in front of her out of nowhere.

     Being used to his skill demonstrations, Ukyou didn't even
raise an eyebrow.  "I have some business to attend to this
morning, mind the shop for me until I come back, okay?"

     "Ukyou-sama!  You've finally allowed me a chance to prove
myself to you!  I'm so happy!!"  The overtly pretty boy exclaimed
excitely.

     Ukyou liked his enthusiam. . . even though it often resulted
in disasters that were left to her to clean up after.  "Just
remember, for any type of okonomiyaki that you sell, DO NOT LOWER
THE PRICES DOWN TWO 2 YENS LIKE THE LAST TIME!!"

     "HAI!"   The ninja boy saluted her, and skipped over to set
up the assortments from behind the grill.  Happiness was written
all over him.  

     As she walked down the streets under the glistering but hazy
sunrise, Ukyou couldn't help but marvel once again at the amount
of devotion Konatsu was giving her.  If only this was the night
and there was a wishing star, she'd made a wish that her Ran-chan
could be the one loving her like Konatsu did.   

     It was then that she caught sight of a cross far and away,
on top of the pointed tower of the newly finished cathedral that
towered over all the household rooftops of this side of Nerima.

     Ukyou didn't know much about Christianity.  But she knew
enough of the bits and pieces about it from past religion
teachers as well as some of her customers.        

     The cross . . . the symbol of the son of God.
     
     A thought entered her mind at remembering that.

     Shouldn't He, who stays with His people always, be much more
powerful than a wishing star that comes and go in a flash?

     Ukyou's dark eyes flashed with a suddenly playful thought as
she stood still to stare at the far away cross, intending to make
a quick wish for herself.  

     <I wish for Ran-chan to lov->

     She stopped, remembering Shampoo's and Kodachi's repeated
attempts to accomplish just that through various potions, all of
which somehow managing to push Ran-chan further away with
distrust.  Perhaps it wasn't such a great wishing line after all. 

     Ukyou started again.

     <I wish for the ability to reach out to Ran-chan once more .
. .>

     Yes, that's a better start.  Ran-chan had been gradually
shutting her out nowadays . . . and even after that successful
reunion with his mother, he still looked tired and sad . . . when
he thought that nobody else was watching him.

     <. . . to see his dreams and learn his nightmares . . . to
help in defeating the darkness haunting him . . . and to rejoice
in the light of his trimph.>

     Ukyou shivered at the melodramatic turn that her wish had
taken.  Yuck!  She was even worse than Kuno.   She stood there
for a moment, idly trying to rephase her wish.  Then she noticed
the shops on the streets beginning to open up for business.

     <It's getting late.  Better not waste time day-dreaming
here.>  

     With that, Ukyou looked away from the cross and took the
short cut to the Tendo Dojo via rooftops.