[CHAPTER 7 Starts here]

~~Chapter 7~~

A Clue in the Moonlight...

	Nearing the outskirts of the city proper The Tick bounded merrily. He 
precisely followed the directions of his newfound ally, Spatula-Girl. 
Between bounds The Tick carried on a one-way conversation. "You know 
Spatula-Girl, you really need a more efficient means of locomotion. Although 
traveling, while being cradled by another hero, is safe and easy, it IS 
somewhat restricting to your partner. "
	Ukyo listening to the prattle of her abductor was more concerned with other 
matters. She mentally ranted, "I must be cursed somehow. Having to live life 
without Ranma by my side is hard. Then, losing customers to that damn 
Okonomiyaki Hut. Now this...". Her mental train of thought was suddenly 
siderailed by a bellow of disbelief from her new companion. 
	Stopping on the roof of one of the last buildings in the urban portion of 
Tokyo, Ukyo was set down. She had the sinking feeling that her companion 
finally lost it. He loomed over her, pointing his finger to the moon. He 
seemed very agitated about something particular. His pointing arm began to 
shake as he blabbered on about something. Ukyo looked at the moon and noted 
nothing of significance. It was full, nothing more.
	"Obviously , Spatula-Girl isn't catching on," The Tick noted. He couldn't 
figure out any other way to tell her. "Perhaps she never really looked at 
the moon before?" he thought. "Its missing!! Its gone!! The 'CHA' !! The 
'CHA' !!" His exclamation was not getting through to her. "We must get to 
the Saotome Hideout! "The Tick announced as he, unceremoniously, scooped up 
Spatula-Girl.  
	"What does Ran-Chan have to do with the moon?" Ukyo wondered. 

Questions abound at the Tendo's...

	The scene inside the Tendo living room is much like that of a hastily 
thrown slumber party. Kasumi is gently sleeping by a chair near the kitchen. 
Genma is sprawled out on the couch sleeping. Soun is spending his turn at 
sentry duty at the base of the stairs. Akane, apparently unfazed by fatigue 
is staring at the oven, intently. The kitchen is still a mess. The various 
food products splattered about the room are quite dry and crumbling. 
	Soun is startled by Nabiki's sudden trot down the stairs. Emitting a quick 
"yipe" he realizes its only Nabiki and settles down. "Nabiki, please don't 
scare your father. I don't think that I can take much more. Who's that?"
	Nabiki, herself set aback by the scene in the living room, hits the bottom 
of the stairs with a "thump". "I thought I already introduced Shione to you. 
She's my new serv... no [quick smile] my new assistant. She'll be staying 
with us for a few days." 
	"What... since when? I don't recall..." Soun's reply quickly being cut off 
by Nabiki.
	"I really don't have time to explain. There's some weird girl in our 
backyard!" Nabiki says while passing Soun.
	**Ring** **Ring**
	The phone's sudden ringing wakes the rest of the group. Akane stands 
unfazed in front of the oven. Kasumi, nearest the phone, sleepily answers 
it. "Hello... who? ... yes ... oh my! ... who? ... OK ... he's what? ... Oh 
dear! ... I'll tell them ... good-bye."
	Nabiki, Soun, and Shione, not staying for the conversation, left the room. 
Genma, still on the couch, looked at Kasumi. "You seem confused Kasumi, 
what's wrong?" he asked.
	Kasumi, her arms folded in her lap, addressed Genma. "Some person named 
Sasuke called from the Kuno Estate. He addressed me in a very familiar 
fashion. I've never spoken with him before. He warned me to beware of Kuno 
because he may be heading to confront Ranma. It appears that Kuno partook of 
too much sake while watching old samurai movies. Sasuke is concerned about 
the welfare of Kuno because he will receive the wrath of Kuno should any 
misfortune befall Kuno."
	"Hmmm.... that may explain where my boy is... 4AM !!! Ranma better have a 
good explanation!" Genma fumed.
	
Meanwhile...

	Washu, knowing that her activities in the backyard were observed, waited by 
the door. As the door slid open, Washu stepped back and pointed at the tied 
up Happosai. "Is that yours? You really should keep a leash on him," Washu 
said in a sharp tone.
	"Master...you did that to the master? Please come in. Who are you?" Soun 
asked in a hushed voice. Kneeling down to whisper at her level, Soun asked, 
"Can you do that again, he'll be quite angry when he breaks free."
	"Oh him, your Master, eh? Too bad for you. Actually, he's conscious and 
listening to us right now. He's just playing dead to learn as much as he can 
about me." Washu explained as she walked into the house. 
	The fear of Happosai's wrath flooded Soun's face as he looked at the prone 
figure in the back. He looked to Washu, then to Happosai, then back to Washu.
	"So, Daddy, who do you follow? Your master or the girl who beat your 
master? Then again who do we have to live with if she doesn't stay in town?" 
Nabiki added breaking Soun's silence.
	"Yes, Soun... what's your decision?" Creaked the voice of Happosai from the 
backyard.
	Soun quickly untied Happosai and retreated back into the house.
	Nabiki walked with Washu, showing her to the living room. "You'll have to 
excuse the condition of our humble home. Its been quite an unusual day. We 
normally don't have food on the walls or people sleeping in the living room. 
By the way just what were you doing in the backyard?" Nabiki asked directly.
	Washu, standing with her hands at her hips, surveyed the room. In response 
to Nabiki's question, Washu cocked her head back and look towards Nabiki, 
"Apparently, the forces that be deemed my presence in this dimension, 
necessary. Aside from that, I really don't know why I'm here."
	"That figures ... add one more act to the circus, " Nabiki commented under 
her breath.
	"Well, I suppose that you can stay in Akane's room," Kasumi added, "you'll 
need a place to stay while in this dimension." Kasumi then walked upstairs 
to Akane's room.
	"Well, miss, um... just what is your name?" Genma queried walking towards 
the kitchen.
	"My name is Washu, the top scientific genius in the galaxy!!" Washu proudly 
stated.
	"Well, I'm quite honored, Miss Washu..." Genma said walking into the kitchen.
	Quite suddenly and without provocation, Akane spins around and crescent 
kicks Genma straight out of the kitchen. As Genma sails out, Akane screams, 
"IT MUSTN'T BE DISTURBED!!"
	"I think I'll wait until Akane's done in the kitchen for a snack." Nabiki 
comments dryly, watching Genma sail past.
	With a resounding crash, Genma hits the floor in the living room. Soun and 
Happosai enter the room in time to see the crash. Soun just stares at Genma, 
comprehending the event with no overt reaction. Happosai just laughs and 
walks to his closet upstairs.
	"So, is your house normally this violent?" Washu asks. 
	Soun, helping Genma to his feet, "Well yes and no... around here things are 
never 'normal', especially since the boy moved here. I've come to accept 
life with all its twists." Soun stops briefly to light a cigarette, his 
trembling hands make the action difficult. "But now something bizarre is 
happening to my daughter." *sob* "I just don't know what to do." Soun breaks 
down into tears.
	"The boy?" Washu asks, sitting on her chair which phases in as she sits down.
	"He's referring to Ranma," Nabiki chimes in. "Ever since he moved in, 
things have been quite memorable."
	"Hmmm.... This Ranma seems quite the interesting specimen. I'll have to 
meet him." Washu said, pensively rubbing her chin.
	"He's quite overdue. He should be home at any moment." Nabiki answered, 
looking at Washu trying to figure her out.

~~Chapter 8~~

Homeward bound...

	Running...running...running...it was taking forever. Never had it ever 
taken this long. A simple jog home from school would only take so long. 
Since the school was located not far from home, Ranma figured it wouldn't 
take much longer when he passed that point, yet he had been running for 
hours, it had seemed. He couldn't explain it. Everything that was familiar 
was present, but different. Roads and landmarks were somehow rearranged, yet 
he still knew where to go. 
	The presence still followed him. He was positive of that point. It didn't 
speak again after Ucchan's. The presence felt cold, evil. What really 
confused him was that he could not sense it. He knew it was there only by 
the effect it had on him. Every since he learned to control his Ki, he 
always sensed the Ki of others around him. He seemed more in tune with 
everything. This thing contained no Ki energy.
	"Finally!" his confidence flooded back into his heart. He was home. Never 
before had home looked so good, so safe. With reckless abandon,  he lunged 
towards the outer gate, only to be stopped dead in his tracks. 
	"Shaotome, my honor (hic) will be ... avenshed (hic) BY'SH MY SHOWN 
HANDS!!!", Kuno slurred. His breath was just as obnoxious as his attitude.
	He avoided the forceful swing of Kuno by jumping to the left. Kuno's own 
inertia pulled him forward a few steps, placing him directly in front of the 
gate. Kuno quickly recouped and sliced downward at Ranma, his bokken 
smacking the cement, cracking the pavement. Ranma avoided the swing by 
stepping to the right. 
	"I don't have time for this, Kuno!" Ranma said heavily, between breaths. 
Ranma knew that he could easily disarm Kuno, even in his present condition. 
He just didn't want to take the time. Also, Kuno's bokken hurts when it 
connects---another chance he didn't want to take. So Ranma quickly jumped 
onto Kuno's head. Using Kuno's head, he propelled himself to the top of the 
gate. The concussive blow of Ranma, mixed with the effect of the sake, was 
enough to put Kuno out. Kuno simply slumped against the left side-wall of 
the gateway.
	Ranma, perched atop the gate, leaped towards the house. Only then did he 
realize that the gate was not locked. Again, with his balance lost, he 
plummeted towards the ground into a bush. He warily got to his feet. 
Removing the debris from his face, he realized the next step that he took 
was much longer than it should have been. "Oh great," he muttered angrily as 
he again descended. **SPLASH**
	"I really hate this pond!" she screamed. "This pond must be here solely to 
annoy me," she barked as she climbed out of the stone pond. "To hell with 
ceremony. I'm draining it tomorrow," she growled as she walked to the porch. 
As she dripped up the porch to the door, she noticed that the lights were 
all on. She could hear conversations emanating from the inside. Everybody 
was awake. Her stomach knotted with the thought that they were all waiting 
up for her. Trying to open the door, Ranma found it locked. "Leaving the 
gate open, but locking the door? What's going on?" Ranma knocked on the door 
hesitantly.
	
					* * *

	**Knock** **Knock**
	Kasumi stood up and approached the door. She was intercepted by Nabiki who 
asked her to sit back down. Kasumi seemed surprised, but a little relieved 
as she sat back down. The evening was certainly difficult for Kasumi. She 
was very concerned for her sister and her family. Being helpful was just in 
her nature. She wanted everybody that lived under the roof with her to be 
comfortable. Now the kitchen was a shambles, and the living room to a lesser 
extent. With this new visitor from another dimension visiting, she wanted 
the house to be its best, but she was just too tired.
	Nabiki looked over to Shione and gave a look. The look must have had some 
prescribed meaning because Shione immediately went over to the door. She 
readied a clipboard that she had been carrying and opened the door.
	"Tendo residence, do you have an appointment?" Shione asked politely.
	Ranma stared at her blankly, completely taken aback by the girl. "Huh? 
What?", she stammered out.
	"I'm sorry, the Tendos are very busy with personal matters at this time. If 
you would like to come back at a later time..." Shione said looking at the 
clipboard as she was cut off.
	"I live here!" Ranma retorted incredulously, still in shock.
	"I'm sorry, but you aren't Ranma. He ... she , looks nothing like you," 
Shione offers back, politely producing a picture of some black-haired girl. 
Shione took another look at the picture, "you do bear an incredible 
resemblance, though. Wait here." Shione went back inside.
	Ranma's head swirled as she thought about the image presented to her. 
"That's me, but its not?"
	A torrent of murmuring could be heard from the inside. Then the loud, 
booming voice of Genma, "What??"
	The door was quickly opened. Genma towered over Ranma. A look of total 
surprise washed over Genma as he was about to speak. The heads of Soun, 
Nabiki and Kasumi peeked out behind him, all were of total surprise. 
	"Why is everybody looking at me so strangely?" Ranma said in confusion.
	"Son, what have you done to yourself?" Genma said, just staring at his son.
	"Well, I think that shade of red looks pretty good, myself, " Nabiki added 
jokingly.
	"The purple eyeliner is well done Ranma. I never knew that you were so 
skilled," Kasumi chimed in. 
	"Girls, please behave, this is serious, " Soun said in mock discipline.
	Ranma slowly walked in, keeping a safe distance away. "I always look like 
this, "Ranma said trying to make sense of their reaction. 
	Genma, no longer containing his anger, erupted, "YOU BLATANTLY MISS OUR 
TRAINING SESSION, STAY OUT ALL NIGHT, THEN COME HOME DISHELVELED LOOKING 
LIKE SOME CHEAP GEISHA. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, BOY??!!"
	"I have no idea what in the hell you're talking about. I ALWAYS LOOK LIKE 
THIS!!", Ranma retorted angrily.
	Kasumi walked over to Genma. Genma, unable to direct his anger at Kasumi,  
sat down on the couch. Kasumi sat down next to him and consoled him. Nabiki 
grabbed Shione and ran upstairs. 
	"Sit down and tell us what happened. Its OK." Washu said, taking control of 
the situation. 
	Ranma proceeded to related the day's events. Then about 15 seconds into it, 
Ranma stops at mid sentence. Ranma just stared at the new lady. "Who are you?"
	"Oh. Me. I'm Washu, please continue," She said, urging him on.
	Ranma, really not caring anymore, continued on with his explanation of the 
days events. Nabiki, returning from her room, presented a photo album to 
Ranma. Ranma flipped through the pages and just stared at the black-haired 
girl that looked remarkably like her. 
	"I remember doing all that. Well, most of it anyway, but its not me. What 
happened here anyway? Hmm... somethin' smells good. Whatcha cookin', Kasumi?"
	Something did smell good. The group looked towards the kitchen. A grinning 
Akane stood by the stove. 
	"Its not my cooking, ask Akane." Kasumi said happily.
	"Akane's cooking something good? What is going on here?" Ranma wearily said 
as the weight of the day's affairs crashed over her like a wave.

[END CHAPTER 8]
***************************************************************************
JUSTICAR, Eric M Baker in Real Life
^^^^^^-- The ArchBishop of the Church of Nabiki - Join Us!
            -- Defender of the 4th Dungeon Gate (Washu-Chan's Little Lab) 
            -- Nabiki no Iinazuke 
            -- Member of #WASHU#
            -- Visit my hompage at-- http://pages.map.com/~ebaker 

         Factoid - 160 tons of sunlight falls on the Earth every day.
***************************************************************************