Disclaimer: Ranma and Company are property of Rumiko Takahashi. Original characters are property of me, but I don’t expect they’re all that original. < >‘s mean thoughts “The Return of Pantyhose Tarou” Prologue. The old man looked down into the valley, still lit by the last traces of sunset. The pools shimmered in the fading light, broken only by the bamboo poles rising from their depths, and it seemed as if the magic they contained was for once, obvious rather than hidden. However, it was not the valley of cursed springs the old man looked to, but rather the dark speck flying above them. As it drew closer, its shape became apparent. Imagine a 15 foot high minotaur only, instead of a human body, below its head is a body similar to that of a great ape, but somehow more exotic and terminating in hoofed feet. Next, add the tail of an eel and the wings of a crane sprouting from its back, somehow keeping it aloft. Finally, look to the sides and see eight octopus tentacles also coming from its back, hanging limply as it propels itself through the air. Perhaps strangest of all, around its neck is wrapped a pair of pantyhose, like some obscene sash. Such was the sight that greeted the old man, as it settled to the ground beside him. The old man displayed no fear, nor for that matter any other emotion. He merely turned and walked to pick up a pail of water lying by the embers of a dying campfire a short distance away. Remaining where it had landed, the monster took the opportunity to study him in turn. His skin was pure white, devoid of any pigmentation whatsoever. The irises of his eyes, however, were so dark they blended undetectably into his pupils, making him look slightly inhuman to any who might chance to meet his gaze. His hair was as white as his skin, cascading both from his head as a tremendous mane and from his face as a thick, full beard that obscured most of his facial features. For clothing he wore a white robe, covering his entire body, save for face and hands. Under the robe, his body appeared bulky and muscular, suggesting great strength. Retrieving the water, the albino returned and extended the pail toward the monster, which snatched it with a tentacle and promptly splashed itself. The creature underwent a transformation familiar to any who have had dealings with Jusenkyo. Standing there now was a young man of indeterminate age, clothed in a dragonscale vest and bracers, as well as pants, all of which had appeared from.... somewhere. His hair was dark, forming ringlike curls by his ears, and his face seemed almost feminine. His body looked athletic, though not particularly muscular, and when he adjusted the pantyhose sash across his chest, his movements were incredibly quick and graceful. The old man spoke for the first time. “You’re late, Tarou. I summoned you weeks ago.” “I’m no one’s servant.” Tarou spat out harshly. He then softened his tone, speaking without the arrogance that usually permeated his voice. “I came as quickly as I could. I was delayed by a demon goddess and a dojo of fools..... but forget it, it’s nothing you’d care about.” He paused to rub what might have been a burn on his arm. “You’ve called me to repay the debt I owe you, correct?.” “Perhaps I just wanted to invite you for tea.” The old man chuckled evily, in a manner that would have been familiar to anyone who had extended dealings with Tarou. “I saw you managed to follow my instructions correctly, unlike many a fool. Magic is after all, a dangerous business. Still, those tentacles must serve you well in combat, and I’m sure you picked up a few other tricks from the spring of drowned octopus.” He paused for a moment and shook his head. “I have told you before, Tarou, there are other ways of gaining power, ways less dangerous than meddling with curses.” “Quit peddling your chi tricks, Shiro. I’ve told you before, I defeat enemies with skill, speed, and strength, not flashy pyrokinetics! A real martial artist doesn’t rely on light shows, and only an idiot thinks throwing energy bolts makes him invulnerable.” Tarou trailed off from his rant and recalling recent adventures in Nerima, smiled nastily to himself. The memories evoked a soft laugh. “Call me Kuramato-san, not Shiro! I’m your elder and with all I’ve taught you, you owe me respect!” “Owe? I’ve repaid you for everything you’ve ever taught me, you’ve always made sure of that. But enough of this..... Kuramato-san. You called me here for a reason, want to tell me what it is?” The Pantyhose Boy finished and glared at Shiro, more with impatience than hostility. “To the point then. Something has been stolen from me, a magical artifact of great power. It’s known as the Staff of Jusenkyo.” “Who would dare steal from the great master Kuramato Shiro?” Tarou asked, voice dripping with sarcasm. Actually Tarou was rather curious. Shiro had a nasty reputation, a reputation he had lived up to more than once. Tarou himself wouldn’t have wanted to cross him, at least without good reason. “I believe it to be in the hands of the Suito Bandits.” Shiro continued, not exactly answering the question. “Unfortunately, I don’t know which group of them has it or nor where their guildhouse might be. I’m afraid you’ll have to do a bit of investigation on your own. Here’s what information I’ve managed to collect.” Reaching within his robes, Shiro pulled out a sheath of papers, loosely bound together and handed them to Tarou. “I need this soon. I’ve been hearing..... disturbing rumors about the bird people of Mount Phoenix.” The albino paused to point at the mountains encircling Jusenkyo to the south, directly across the valley from them. Lowering his arm, he continued. “They are making preparations for something, something of great importance. If I don’t have the staff, I may lose my chance, er, my chance to stop them that is.” Tarou noticed the slip, but he didn’t know what to make of it. In fact, a lot of it didn’t quite make sense. The Suito Bandits. True, this staff sounded like exactly the kind of object they’d be after. But, they weren’t exactly known for their courage. Why would they steal from Shiro? However, there were more immediate concerns. That stack of papers looked suspiciously thin. “Just how soon are we talking about? Even for me, tracking bandits who don’t want to be found will be difficult. It’ll take weeks.” “Don’t worry, whatever they’re up to, it’s still two or three months away from any critical point. I was worried when you didn’t show, though. In fact, I’d already made arrangements for others to search for the staff when I sensed your approach. Still, I was relieved to see you, since I hold little confidence in their efforts. I would go after it myself, but you are aware of my situation.” “Immortality at the cost of eternity trapped with within a few miles of that damned valley. Not a price I would pay.” Steeling himself, Tarou continued, “I owe you Shi... Kuramato-san, and I pay my debts. Without your knowledge of Jusenkyo’s magic, I could never have used the octopus water to modify my curse. But this pays my debt in full, agreed?” Tarou looked Shiro in the eyes as he said this, wanting to make sure they were agreed. He had learned a great deal from the old man over the years, but still... Being in Kuramato’s debt felt like mortgaging a piece of his soul. “Agreed.” After Tarou had left, Shiro again looked down upon the valley, though there was little to be seen, except the moonlight reflecting off the pools. He spoke for no one’s ears save his own, a habit years of solitude had brought him to. “Bwa-haha-hahaha. Trapped? We shall see my student. I grow sick of your arrogance, and once I have the staff....... your usefulness may just come to an end.” Chapter One: The Training Trip (Note: This story takes place soon after Tarou’s last appearance in vol. 32 of the manga. Things diverge from there.) Ranma was sulking. This was almost unheard of. Ryouga, Mousse, Ukyou, even Akane got depressed on occasion. But Ranma. Normally, nothing could ever bring him down. Even the worst of his fights with Akane never stopped him from getting a good night’s sleep. In fact, there was really only one thing that could cause him to sulk. *Losing.* To be more specific, the place and time he was experiencing this fit of depression was atop the Tendo roof, in the middle of the night. He’d been up here before, sometimes on those rare occasions he wanted to think, but more often to chase the old freak or some other martial artist. Sitting cross-legged, his elbows rested on his knees, allowing him to prop his head up with the palms of his hands. After a moment, he seemed to come out of some deep meditation, and straightened his back turning his head from side to side in order to better survey his surroundings. Right now, the ole’ roof wasn’t in the best of shape. There were chunks missing and barely patched holes everywhere, legacy of a fight that had occurred only a few days ago. That fight wasn’t the one that bothered Ranma so much. Considering that he had been up against a demon goddess and a tentacled monster, he felt he’d done pretty well. It was what had come after..... Suddenly, Ranma jumped to his feet, and began to concentrate. As sweat beaded his brow, a glowing ball of chi appeared in his hand. He flung it skyward, foregoing shouting the technique’s name in the absence of an audience. It was impressive, very impressive. A normal person’s confidence would have had to be at a lifetime high level to duplicate it. However, Ranma knew what he was capable of doing with the Moko Takabisha, and he knew what he had just produced was far less powerful than his best efforts. He just didn’t feel as confident in himself as he had a week ago, as confident as he had been before..... before Pantyhose Tarou. Unable to stop himself, Ranma felt his mind drift back to the week before. The fight had been Ranma’s doing, there was no doubt about that. Tarou had been preparing to depart, having finally understood that the secret of Rouge’s power was merely ordinary backpads, and wishing nothing so much as to just forget the whole thing. The rain had let up and he had returned to human form, the better to purchase a few supplies for his journey (shopkeepers seldom serviced monsters). Ranma still wasn’t sure what had possessed him to follow Tarou. Perhaps he was simply too pumped on adrenaline to remain in the dojo. In any case, Ranma hadn’t been able to resist the opportunity to throw a few more insults at the departing martial artist. “Hey Pantyhose, forget to buy some backpads? You know, the ones you were going to use to take over the world!” Tarou despised Ranma to begin with, and to listen to this, this crossdresser mocking him was more than he could bear. “That does it fem-boy. Here and now, unless of course you’re..... afraid.” He gestured to a convenient park, located just off the street. Ranma, being Ranma, was unable to turn down the challenge. Once they’d faced off, Ranma suddenly opened with a Double Moko Takabisha, attempting to catch the pantyhose boy offguard. Tarou just dodged and let off a few mocking remarks about Ranma “fighting like a girl.” Then he rushed Ranma, moving in close and forcing Saotome to revert to physical attacks. Ranma tried to overwhelm Tarou with the superspeed he had gained from the Tenshin-Amaguiriken training, but Tarou easily dodged or blocked all his blows. Again and again they repeated this dance with Ranma occasionally able to get in a punch or kick, including a knock to Tarou’s side that would leave his ribs aching for days. However, Ranma was only able to keep up each attack for a few seconds, and whenever the pigtailed boy would pause to rest, Tarou took the opportunity to slip through his defenses and launch devastating attacks. Whenever he could catch a breath, Ranma taunted Tarou, hoping to get him to generate enough hot chi for Ranma to unleash the Hiryuu Shoten Ha or at the very least angry enough to make a mistake, but Tarou stubbornly kept his cool. As the fight wore on and it became more apparent that Tarou had the advantage, and Ranma grew desperate. He jumped into the air and grabbed the branch of a convenient tree, whirling around it and using it to launch a kick that, had it connected, would have broken through Tarou’s blocks and ended the fight. Unfortunately, he had once again underestimated his opponent and Tarou dodged to the side, unslinging his pantyhose sash in mid- motion. He snapped it through the air, letting the end wrap itself around Ranma’s foot, and with a mighty heave slammed the pig- tailed boy to the ground. That’s when it happened. Ranma lost the fight. Worse, Ranma had been defeated in such a way that he had to admit to himself that he’d lost, and lost fairly. He’d stayed a man the entire fight and so had Tarou. There were no excuses, no transformations, no interference, and no way for Ranma to lie to himself. The fight had been close, and the pigtailed-wonder had gotten a few good shots in. But in the end, Tarou had managed to put him on the ground, and before Ranma could recover his footing, he had quite frankly, beaten Ranma to a bloody pulp. Not that Ranma wasn’t fine again within a few hours. Anything-Goes style was good for that. He’d healed so quickly that when he returned to the dojo late that night, he was able to conceal that anything had happened to him. After all, he certainly didn’t want anybody knowing he’d been beaten. Though for some reason, Akane had developed this crazy suspicion that he’d spent the time with Shampoo. Since he couldn’t tell her he’d been trying to stand without puking his guts out, it had been hard to deny. Still, per Akane, she’d forgotten about the whole thing in a couple of days, and he’d been able to pass off any lingering injuries as related to her knocking him around with one of those damned mallets. When you got right down to it, the only permanent damage was to Ranma’s pride. Unfortunately, this was exactly the kind of attack that could hurt Ranma the most. It wasn’t just that he’d been beaten either. It was the way Tarou had spit on him and laughed that arrogant laugh of his. It was the way Tarou had sneered “Better luck next time, fem-boy.”, before walking away. So Ranma had spent the last several days with his confidence severely shaken, which was what had brought him to the sorry state of sulking on the roof in the middle of the night. He spent a few minutes staring up at the sky, which his chi-ball had lit up so briefly. he thought. The question was what? In Ranma’s mind, the problem suddenly became simple. He had been beaten. The reason he had been beaten was because he wasn’t good enough. The solution was obvious- he needed more training, so he could get better and pound Tarou into the ground next time he saw him. But where could he go? (Shampoo was the one who usually wanted something.) That was the problem. She helped him because she thought he was her son-in-law. He *wasn’t* her son-in-law, and going to the old crone would feel too much like admitting he was. If that made any sense. In any case, Ranma decided he’d better look elsewhere. Ranma managed to stop laughing a couple of minutes later. He’d at least managed to cheer himself up. , he thought. Ranma was better than his father, but the old man still knew a few tricks he didn’t. The problem was, he sparred with his father all the time and it obviously wasn’t enough. Anyway, the old man had been getting lazy ever since they arrived at the Tendos. Their regular fights in the mornings and a few sporadic training sessions were all he’d been good for in a while. Otherwise he just seemed to expect Ranma to train himself. Suddenly the solution hit Ranma like one of Akane’s mallets. Ryouga went off alone all the time, and he always came back at least a little better than before. For that matter, if he remembered Tarou’s story right *he’d* been training alone when he ran into Rogue. Of course, he would have to leave Nerima, go out into the wilderness. Trying to seriously train for any real length of time by just hanging around the dojo would be impossible. Even discounting the usual annoyances like the Kunos or Mousse, new weirdoes were constantly showing up to distract him and force him into all sorts of ridiculous situations. Heck, the more he thought about it, the more attractive the idea of just taking a vacation seemed. . Ranma would have never admitted it, but the constant chaos of his life was starting to wear him down, if only a bit. It was just one damned thing after another, and he’d found himself doing some awfully strange things, things that had seemed like good ideas at the time. Naturally, as soon as he’d begun to talk himself into going, he began to think of all the reasons he should stay. A month was a long time, longer than he wanted to spend away from the first home he’d known since, well since he’d said good-bye to his mother all those years ago. If he went, he’d miss everyone. Especially, (he was willing to admit it in the privacy of his own thoughts) that tomboy Akane. Try to ignore it as he might, whenever he thought about going away, an image of Akane’s smiling face forced itself into his head. However, whenever he thought about not going, an image of Tarou’s smirking face superimposed itself, and he heard the words “Better luck next time, fem-boy”. Dawn was just cracking open the sky when he finally managed to come to a decision. He watched the sky brighten and turn to crimson, enjoying both the sunrise and the peace of mind. ********* “A training trip?” Genma knew something had been bothering his son for the past few days, but he’d never anticipated this announcement. The four of them: Ranma, Genma, Soun, and Akane, were discussing matters in the Tendo dining hall. Ranma knew his father was a sucker for any talk of honor or sacrifice, as long as he didn’t have to do anything himself, of course. He figured he could get the old man’s support, and with him and Mr. Tendo there, maybe he could avoid getting Akane too mad at him. It was after dinner, Ranma having felt everyone would be in a better mood if he talked to them at the end of the day. “Yeah Pop. I feel like I’ve been slacking off too much around here. Sure I fight all the time but how often do I just spend the day training, like when we were traveling around? I figure I should take off by myself for about a month, get back in fighting shape, ya know?” Ranma spoke to his father, but his attention was focused on Akane. He wasn’t sure how she’d react. “Son, your devotion to the Art is commendable, but I don’t think-” Genma cut off in mid-sentence as Soun dragged him to one side. “Don’t be so hasty Saotome. Do you see the way he’s looking at Akane? He misses her and he hasn’t even left yet! They do say absence makes the heart grow fonder.” whispered Soun in an aside to Genma. Genma wavered. “Well, I don’t know. Letting him go off on his own for a month, who knows what trouble he’ll get into without someone to watch out for him?”. “Exactly. Trouble he’ll get into and won’t bring down on us for once.” Soun took the opportunity to gesture around the room, indicating damage still remaining as evidence of Tarou’s latest visit. “We actually might get a few weeks peace, and maybe some of the troublemakers he attracts will calm down without him around. Who knows, with Ranma out of the city, perhaps those Amazons will decide to just give up and go home!” Meanwhile, Akane was making her opinion known. “I’m going with you! I’m a martial artist too, you know. Besides, you’ll need someone to cook.” At this last remark Ranma visibly winced and began desperately to try to dissuade her. “Akane, I gotta go by myself, you know? I can’t afford to let myself get distracted-” “Are you saying that I’m a distraction? You think I’ll just be in the way! That’s it isn’t it?” “Come on Akane, what do you think you’re gonna do anyway? You know you can’t train with me, you’re just not that good!” As he completed this last statement, Akane’s face twisted itself into an expression of anger, and Ranma paled. He hadn’t meant to insult her. It just seemed sometimes that when he talked to Akane, everything came out all wrong. “Ranma No BAKA!” She began searching the room for an object heavy enough to satisfactorily bash Ranma with. Fortunately for him, it was at this point that their fathers finished conversing. “Ranma, it has been decided! You leave the day after tomorrow!” Somehow, Genma managed to make it seem as though it had been his idea all along. Meanwhile, Soun was trying to calm his daughter down, using the time-honored technique of getting down on his knees and weeping. “Wahhhh! Akane, how will the Anything-Goes School ever continue if you kill your fiancé?” Akane was sufficiently embarrassed by this display to put down the table she’d been about to slam Ranma with. Still fuming, she shot out, “Fine, what do I care if that pervert leaves anyway?” With that she stormed off to her room. Ranma stared after her, his heart aching. He hated it when she got angry, hated it when he was the one to make her so unhappy. He wanted to follow her, to tell her he wasn’t going anywhere, but Tarou’s mocking words still echoed in his ears. Genma clapped his hand on Ranma’s shoulder. “Ah son, don’t let it trouble you. It’s nothing. Women are like that and, when you’re older, you’ll learn that sometimes the best thing to do is just to ignore them.” Ranma looked at his father dubiously. He didn’t think much of Genma’s advice, normally. Just this once though, he hoped Pop was right. Shaking his head, he returned to his room and began to pack up his things. ******************* Though none of the four were aware of it, another party had been watching their discussion with interest. P-chan ducked out of sight as Ranma trudged off to the room he shared with his father. Ryouga had only just arrived a couple of hours before, and Ranma wasn’t yet aware of his presence. Ryouga was planning to keep it that way. Unable to shout as a man, Ryouga had to content himself with letting off some muffled piggy squeals. He was tempted to go find some hot water and give Ranma the beating he so richly deserved. Ryouga hadn’t planned on staying as P-chan for long, at least not this time. He’d wandered into the Tendo dojo, and for once he hadn’t even been trying to find it. He had thought to just stay the night with Akane and depart the next day. It would mean giving up being P-chan, and staying at the dojo, he couldn’t try to find Akari. With that last thought in mind, the house’s self-appointed protector went off to find a quiet corner where a small black pig could stay unnoticed and out of sight. **************** The next day......... “Ranchan! Come in and have a seat!” The proprietor of Ucchan’s okonomiyaki shop flashed a brilliant smile, guaranteed to melt the heart of anyone who viewed it. Late-afternoon sunlight filtered through the open doorway, adding an extra bit of luster to her brown hair and highlighting the white ribbon keeping it tied in a ponytail. As she spoke, she used a spatula to flip an okonomiyaki off the grill and through the air, to an empty plate in front of a customer sitting on the other side of the room. Ranma was in female form, wearing one of her trademark red shirt/black pants combinations and carrying a load of packages. She went to sit at a stool in front of the counter, dropping her purchases by her feet. “Hi Ucchan. Thanks for the seat, I’ve been running around ever since school let out.” She squirmed uncomfortably on her stool for a moment, then continued. “So..... Er, how are things going.” Ukyou gave her a questioning look. “You just saw me during school Ranchan. Actually, I did get something interesting in the mail today.” She waved an envelope in the air. “It’s a letter from Tsubasa” “Sorry, who?” “Tsubasa. You remember, that crossdresser who was chasing me. You and Akane thought he was really a girl.” “Uh.......” “Liked to disguise himself as trash cans and vending machines.” “Still doesn’t ring a bell.” “Beat you in that cuteness contest.” Ranma flinched at the words “beat you”, but a look of comprehension dawned on her face. “Ooooh, Tsubasa. Sorry Ukyou, but I run into a lotta weird guys, ya know. It’s not like he hung around all that long.” Leaning back a little, she put her hands behind her head. “So, what’s he got to say for himself?” “It’s a letter of apology, rather sweet actually. He says he’s sorry for chasing me around, and feels really embarrassed about the whole thing. Apparently he’s gotten a girlfriend and is apprenticed to a costume designer in the movie industry.” Putting the letter away, she focused on the redhead suspiciously and continued, “So anyway, what are you doing in the area and what’s with those shopping bags?” “Well, I’m sorta buying supplies for a trip. That’s why I’m in girl form. I figured I could get a little more help from the clerks this way, maybe even some discounts.” This was mostly true, but she’d also been walking around to take a last look at the area before leaving on her trip. “Trip? What kind of trip, Ranchan?” Leaning forward again, Ranma rested one arm on the counter and used the other to play with her pigtail nervously. “It’s a..... a training trip. I’m going by myself, nobody else, and I should be back in about a month.” “Uh-huh. What about school?” “Aw, I missed classes all the time when I was traveling with Pop.” It was Ukyou’s turn to wince when Ranma mentioned Genma. “Besides, what I’ll be learning on this trip is more important than a bunch of school stuff.” It didn’t take Ukyou long to make her decision. “I’m coming with you Ranchan.” This was exactly what Ranma had been dreading since the moment she’d decided to stop in and tell her friend about the trip. “Come on, Ucchan. I told you I was going by myself. I can’t afford any distractions.” “How do you plan to improve if you don’t have anyone to spar with? Anyway, this would help me too. I’ve been meaning to try and improve my skills for some time now. I know you, Ranchan. You’ll be lonely all by yourself. C’mon, I’m sure you can use the company.” Ukyou said all this in one breath, and had to stop and puff a bit. Despite herself, Ranma was swayed by her friend’s arguments. Ucchan was right, Ranma would be lonely. He’d really come to enjoy having friends (and even enemies) constantly around this past year. Even if Ukyou wasn’t up to Ranma’s level, she was still good enough to provide an effective workout. Be nice to have someone around to do the cooking, as well. It wasn’t like it would be with Akane. If he took Akane along, he be thinking about her or talking to her the whole time. It might actually do wonders for their relationship, but it wouldn’t help him fight any more effectively. In fact, there was really only one big problem with bringing Ukyou....... “Ucchan, if I bring you along,” Ukyou grinned at him hopefully. “you have to promise me somethin’. I got to use this trip to improve my skills, it’s important. That means I can’t afford any distractions. If you want to come along as my sparring partner, as my friend, that’ll be great. You have to swear though, you won’t bring up any of that fiancee stuff. If I have to deal with you that way, I’ll never be able to concentrate. So you gotta promise to come just as my friend and nothing about us being engaged!” Ranma had shouted that last bit just a little too loudly, and the restaurant’s sole customer stared at the two girls with curiosity. Ukyou gave him a hard look and he hurriedly returned his attention to his okonomiyaki. “Ranchan, if that’s the way you want it, I swear by my okonomiyaki that I’ll come along just as your friend.” The redhead relaxed, releasing a breath she hadn’t been aware she was holding. “Thanks Ucchan, that means a lot to me.” “May I suggest though, that you don’t tell Shampoo about this trip. She’d probably just try to follow us and ruin things.” Ranma’s face stiffened. “Why would I? She’d never leave me alone. Probably think it’s the perfect chance to seduce me or something.” “You might not want to tell Akane about my coming along either. Sometimes she isn’t too...... understanding about these things.” Ranma froze. “You’re right, she wouldn’t like it. I guess I better just keep this our little secret, huh Ucchan.” She attempted a weak laugh. The pair spent a few minutes discussing travel arrangements, and then Ranma left to return to the Tendo dojo while Ukyou closed the restaurant to pack. ************** Next day...... “Wahhh! My daughter’s fiancé is leaving us for the whole month! Will their romance be able to survive.” “And what romance would that be, Daddy?” Nabiki arched her eyebrow and stared questioningly at her father. Soun, Akane, and Nabiki had come to the train station to see Ranma off. (Genma had declined to come, merely waving his paw in his son’s general direction and hefting a sign saying {Have a nice time boy.}) Ranma was hefting an enormous pack like the one Ryouga usually carried, and preparing to board the train. He was rather awkwardly attempting to say his good-byes to Akane. “So, I guess I won’t be seein’ you for a while. I hope everything’s, you know, OK while I’m gone. I’ve gotten sort of used to having you around, and I’ll probably sort of think of you once in a while.” “I can take care of myself, Ranma! But.... I’ve gotten sort of used to having you around too. Try not to get in any accidents or anything.” He blushed slightly, then cleared his throat. “Well, I better get going.” Ranma slowly climbed the steps to board the train. As he passed through the train door, the others shouted at him. “Uphold the honor of the Anything-Goes School!” “Remember, your debts are still accumulating interest even when you aren’t here!” “Ranma! I’ll, I’ll....” In a whisper. “I’ll miss you.” *** Walking down the length of the car, Ranma stopped by a seat and forcibly stuffed his pack in the overhead compartment, next to a giant spatula. “There you are, Ranchan! I was beginning to think you weren’t going to make it. You know, you could have checked that pack in with the baggage handlers.” “Um, I guess I just didn’t want to let it out of my sight.” Ranma smiled sheepishly and dropped into his seat. “Yeah, I know. I feel the same way about my spatula. I have to tell you Ranchan, I’m feeling good about this trip. I think we’re going to have a great time!” “I dunno Ucchan, I just have this terrible feeling something bad is going to happen.” Ukyou playfully smacked him on the head. “You’re beginning to sound like Ryouga. It’s a simple training trip. What could possibly go wrong?” End of Chapter 1 Author’s Notes: Well, this is my first fic. Like it or hate it, please just drop me a line to let me know you read it. I want to thank Blade and Hunter Kid whose discussion on rec.arts.anime.fandom inspired me to write a fic with Tarou as a major character. Also, I’d like to thank Robert Morrison who helped me come up with some names, and who as much as promised to C&C this first chapter . : ) I know a lot of times authors will say “characters may be OOC but accept it for the sake of the story”, but that’s not what I’m trying to do here. I want to keep them all as IC as possible, so if I’m messing up, tell me. I wanted to write an Ranma/Ukyou story, but by the end of vol. 32 he is too clearly in love with Akane. Then I realized that it is possible to write a Ranma and Ukyou story without writing a Ranma/Ukyou story. Hints on where the story is going. Lots of times Ukyou gets shuffled off as Ranma’s “best friend”. The thing is, she gets treated like a normal person’s best friend. I want to make her more like a warrior best friend. Ranma may forget her birthday, but when fighting the forces of evil he will trust no one else to guard his back. Think “blood brothers, er sisters”. Gee, do you think Akane will be jealous? One final question. This fic will probably end when U&R return to Nerima. Should I have the occasional interlude showing how the others are dealing with the events of the manga in their absence, or should that wait for the sequel (of which there may or may not be one, depending on response)? Next time: More Tarou. More and detailed fight scenes, and a mission!