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 < > - English
 // // - emitted from a P.S. system, telephone, or other
        electric medium.
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 The Pursuit Of Happiness
 Act 2 Prelude
 Kings, Queens, and Assorted Pawns
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   She had no idea what to say. 

   What do you tell someone when you unexpectedly wake up in
the same bed with him?  Especially when you might've been
kissing him?  Ukyou certainly had no idea.  Her mind was a
mess after the realization of the situation settled in.

   Before they could talk about it, Ryouga got lost.  He was
stumbling around one moment, gone and probably off to
Siberia the next.  For better or worse, that's just how he
was. 

   She didn't know whether to be mad or thankful. 

   What were they going to do?  How did he feel about her? 
She wasn't even entirely sure how she felt about him.  All
she knew was that she missed him when he wasn't around. 

   Why did things have to get complicated?  She didn't want
this. Things were simple before, and that's the way she
liked it.

   Hey, wait a minute... 

   This was Ranma's fault.  Definitely.  If he'd just let
her go home like she wanted to, this mess wouldn't
have happened.

   He was joking about her and Ryouga being romantically
involved all the time.  Could he have set them up?

   Of course he could have.  He was GENMA'S son.  Maybe he
thought he was doing his old friend a favor, but she TOLD
him to keep his nose out, didn't she?  She'd have to give
him a good swift kick in the ass the next time she saw him. 
The jerk.

   And so there she was, standing there at the crack of
dawn, polishing her grill, staring at the sun. 

   And she still had no idea what to say. 

*

   Ryoga had no idea what to do. 

   This... absolutely nothing prepared him for the disaster
that THIS might be.  What was she thinking?  Was she mad at
him?  Did she think he was a pervert?  Was he a pervert? 
What if... what if he DID do something?! 

   He stopped where he was (in some urban street, he didn't
even care where anymore) and leaned warily against the lamp
post. Things were simple before.  She was there.  He worked
for her. They kept each other company.  She was his friend. 
He was her friend.  Although sometimes, just sometimes, she
made him feel light-headed and a bit self-conscious, and
when she smiled it was just... 

   No.  Nononono.  That was the same line of thought that
probably got him into this mess to start with. 

   *Sigh*

   If only she-

   No. 

   He didn't want to lose what he had, even if the reward
might've been something better.  The possibility of being
alone again was something he couldn't bear to even think
about. 

   With that inner conflict temporarily resolved, he had one
thing left to worry about. 

   "What am I gonna say to her?" 

   "Say to who?" 

   Ryouga froze. 

   The voice was young, a bit sharp, and definitely female. 

   Surely, he thought, that couldn't be Ukyou. 

   He turned around. 

   It was. 

   "Um... er... nothing, never mind," said Ryouga.  He
laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head, and
laughed nervously yet again.

   Ukyou didn't seem amused. 

   "Just in time to be late to school," she said with a
frown.

   She was clearly upset.  He hated it when she was upset,
and right now he was too tired to deal with it. 

   "Just... go ahead without me, okay?" 

   "Don't be stupid.  You'll get lost again without me," she
snapped. 

   "If you wait for me you'll just be late," argued Ryouga. 

   "I'm just trying to be nice, you jerk!" snapped Ukyou. 

   Ryouga threw his hands in the air.  "THIS is what I was
trying to avoid!  Now you're late AND you're mad!" 

   "I wouldn't be mad if you weren't being stupid about
this!"

   "You're the one that's being stupid about this!" 

   "Just go and change already!" bellowed Ukyou.  Without
waiting for any more arguments, she grabbed him by the ear,
stormed back into Ucchan's, and tossed him in his room. 

   The door slammed, equally by both parties.  Ukyou took a
few steps away from the door then leaned against the wall.

   Well.  Things were back to usual. 

   Thank goodness. 

   There was a part of her, a small part, that was
disappointed. It screamed that this was one hell of a way to
get out of the situation.  Pretend it didn't happen? 
Nonsense!

   She managed to ignore that voice. 

   Ukyou smiled, ever so slightly, and sighed in relief. 

   Were she able to see through walls, she'd see that Ryouga
was too.

*

   It was a fine morning, with skies that had that certain
perfect balance of clouds and blue sky.  The pleasant nature
of this morning was lost to most, as they were busy rushing
from point A to point B.  Two individuals ignored the
morning rush. They had a point A and a point B, but unlike
the others they just didn't have strict time limits. 
Therefore, they were enjoying the morning.

   At first glace, there were two young boys, both in suits,
sitting at a table in a recently opened western style cafe. 
Upon closer inspection, one would notice that one suit was
somewhat baggy and a little soot-stained, and the other was
tailored to fit exactly and was spotless.  After even
further inspection, one would find out that the one in the
soot-stained suit was, in fact, a girl. 

   If anyone were to ask if the boy and girl were a couple,
a severe mauling (possibly to death) by both parties would
have been the result.

   As it stood, this was more of a negotiation for peace
than a breakfast date.

   "Noori, how very... surprising to se you," said the boy,
a touch of acid in his voice. 

   The girl merely gave a one-eyed glare.  "Muhoshin, up
yours."

   "Finally learned to say it in Japanese, I see." 

   Now that the opening insults were traded, they settled in
for the morning meal.  A waitress arrived a few seconds
later and they placed their order.

   "Kyoto omelette for me," said Ryo. 

   "Mt. Fuji special for me," said Noori. 

   "Separate checks," they said in unison. 

   After a brief puzzled look from the waitress, she
departed, leaving the two to discuss current matters in
peace.

   "I assume you've registered to be in the King of Nerima
tournament," said Ryo.

   Noori nodded.  "You?" 

   "Hibiki will be there.  Can't pass up this opportunity." 

   "So until then... cease fire?" asked Noori. 

   "Unpleasant prospect," grumbled Ryo. 

   "It is only a few days away now," said Noori. 

   "Very true, very true." 

   There was a moment of silence as the two sipped their tea
in a surprising moment of tranquility.  They watched
impassively as the people on the street buzzed back and
forth in the 'rat race'. Neither martial artist envied the
masses, considering them all a part of the life less
interesting.

   "It is generally known," said Ryo, "why I'm out to skewer
Hibiki.  Your motives, however, are a mystery.  Care to tell
your tale?" 

   Tanya thought about it, then shrugged. 

   She took a deep breath, then told it. 

   Ryo blinked. 

   "That's... it?" he asked. 

   Tanya scowled.  "What do you mean, 'that's it'?!" 

   "That's it?  That is all?  Nothing else?"  Ryo was
expecting something rather earth-shattering, like, say,
Ryouga being an ex-boyfriend, or perhaps a bitter rival. 
Neither was the case.

   "Is there nothing more?" he asked again, clearly mocking
her.

   Noory 'hmph'ed, turned away from Muhoshin, and finished
her tea.  <S'important to ME, an'that's enough.>

   "And people thought I was shallow." 

*

   Breakfast at Furinkan was not unlike the prelude to a
boxing match.  At first, a few people would wander in early,
usually getting the good seats.  These people were either
the Accidentally Early or the Fanatically Early.

   Manami was a part of the Accidental group.

   She'd come to school earlier than she'd expected to, and
had some time to kill.  She grabbed a breakfast sandwich at
the cafeteria and a soda, then looked for a good spot to
relax for a bit.

   While wandering around, she couldn't help but notice the
growing crowd of students making their way to the front of
the school.

   Some were watching from the windows of classrooms, others
were taking seats by the courtyard.  Manami wondered what
was going on as she wandered around the front doors, then
noticed two girls waving at her.

   "Hey, Manami!  Over here!" yelled Yuka.

   "Um, hi guys."

   "C'mon, you'll miss the morning show," said Sayuri.

   "Morning show?  What morning show?" asked Manami.

   The two girls stared at her.

   "What action?  Manami, you've been in this school for a
couple of months and you DON'T know?" asked Sayuri.

   "Um, no?"

   Yuka grinned.  "Come with us, then.  We've got a good
view and some binoculars."

   The three walked up the stairs to the second floor, into
one of the classrooms where Nabiki was watching out the
window with binoculars while other girls were writing up
numbers on the chalkboard and talking to other students.

   The room was loud with the chatter of numbers.  The exact
nature of these numbers she couldn't tell.

   "G'morning, boss," said Sayuri and Yuka.

   "Good morning ladies," said Nabiki.  "Looks to be a good
show today.  Our stars are fully rested and they know their
lines."

   "What show?" asked Manami timidly.

   "Oh, Manami, didn't notice you there," said Nabiki.
"Sorry about that."

   "Not a lot of people do," she mumbled, unheard by the
others.

   Nabiki handed her a pair of binoculars.  "Here ya go."

   "Ah, what am I going to do with these?" she asked.

   "Watch the front gate.  It should start aaaaaany minute
now."

   The four watched from their 2nd floor perch, although
Manami still wasn't sure what for.

   "Blue-1 is in position," said Sayuri.

   "Red-1 on approach," said Yuka.  "Coming in fast."

   "Blue-1?  Red-1?" asked Manami.

   Yuka pointed to Kuno, who was now in the middle of the
courtyard in a battle stance.

   "Blue-1," she explained.

   Then she pointed out in the distance to Ranma, who was
running up to the gates at a high speed. 

   "Red-1," said Yuka.

   Sayuri focused on Ranma and announced, "Red-1 ETA 5, 4,
3, 2, 1... we have contact!"

   The whole classroom moved to the window and looked on as
Ranma ran right into Kuno. There was a brief scuffle, then
lots of violence as Ranma rained down dozens of hits on
Kuno, finishing with an uppercut that sent Kuno into low
earth orbit and over the school fence.

   "Time?" asked Nabiki.

   Sayuri looked at her stopwatch.  "15 seconds."  In
response, some in the room cheered, while many others
groaned.

   "This... happens every morning? asked Manami.

   "Yep," said Sayuri.  "This is the morning show."

   "And the gambling?" asked Manami.

   "A tradition since those two started their rivalry," said
Sayuri.

   "Ladies, how'd we do?" asked Nabiki.

   "Did good, boss, did good," said Yuka.  "Tho Hiroshi and
Daisuke nailed us again."

   "As long as we're in the green," said Nabiki.

   While Sayuri and Yuka walked with Nabiki back into the
room to tally the day's results, Manami continued to look
out the window, still surprised at the strangeness of the
situation, when she spotted someone else out there walking
slowly towards the school.

   "Hikaru-kun!  Hi!"

   Gosunkugi, who usually didn't get any greetings, looked
around in confusion.  Someone calling him?  Couldn't be.

   "Hikaru-kun!"

   Gosunkugi finally looked up to see Manami waving at him.
"Manami-san!  Hi!"

   The schoolground was abuzz.  A girl talking to Gosunkugi
was... not part of the normal.  It was abnormal.  There were
a few that knew the two were friends already, but only a
few.  The campus as a whole was generally surprised.

   Nabiki hmmed.  "Hey guys, how much you wanna bet those
two become an item?"

   Manami blushed slightly and turned around.  "W-we're not
like that, really!"

   Sayuri tsked.  "The way he's around you a lot, I'm
surprised."

   "Yeah," said Yuka.  "You two'd make a good pair."

   "You really think so?" asked Manami.

   "How many boys offer to carry your books anymore?" asked
Yuka.  "I see him doing that for you every now and then."

   "How many boys do you know pull a bouquet of flowers from
their sleeve and give'em to you?" asked Sayuri.

   "Or pull those cute rabbits outta hats and give'em to you
for pets?" asked Yuka, referring to the time a half dozen
small bunnies jumped out of Gosunkugi's hat during lunch
several days ago.  "Pretty good trick, that.  Impressed
everyone."  Then she paused. "Say, are you keeping all those
rabbits?"

   Manami frowned.  "Actually, they ran away the day after
he gave them to me.  I don't know how they got away,
though.  I thought the cage was locked.  Hm."

   "Anyway, the two of you just seem... like a good match," 
said Yuka.  "Two quiet shy people, y'know?" 

   "I-I guess..." said Manami uncertainly.

   Nabiki cut in, tapping Manami on the shoulder.  "Hate to
interrupt but class is in a minute."

   "Oh my!"  She gathered her belongings and scrambled to
the door.  "See you guys later!"

   Nabiki, Sayuri, and Yuka watched her leave with pleasant
smiles.

   "And the seed has been planted," said Nabiki.  "Very
sneaky, you two."

   "Well, they do seem good together," said Yuka.

   "Stranger things have happened," said Sayuri.

   Nabiki shrugged.  "Bets?"

   "Two weeks."

   "A month."

   Unnoticed by all, Kuno stomped back into the school
grounds.  As the bell rang, signaling his tardiness, he
yelled in frustration.

   Yet another morning in Furinkan High.

*

   "Sentaro, the time is coming soon." 

   Sentaro Daimonji turned around solemnly at his
grandmother's words. Next week was a very important time for
the Daimonji School of Tea Ceremony Martial Arts.

   "Today you shall meditate, grandson.  Think on all the
wisdom your masters have given you.  Soon, very soon, we
regain our lost honor."

   "We will, grandmother, I swear it." 

   Soon after, Sentaro was once more alone with his thoughts
and his tea. 

   But not for long. 

   His eyes, half-closed in meditation, opened slightly more
at the sound of feet approaching. 

   The voice was soft, sweet, a voice tat he loved dearly. 
"Darling... may I talk to you for a moment?" 

   "Satsuki, dearest, of course." 

   His fiancee scooted towards him in that odd
sitting-down-yet-moving maneuver that the Tea Ceremony
Martial Arts practitioners tended to do all the time. 

   "About the tournament," said Satsuki. 

   "Don't worry about me," said Sentaro, holding her hands. 
"This time will be different than the last."

   "I just... I..." 

   "Oh, Satsuki," said Sentaro, taking her into his arms. 
"Don't you worry."

   "But Sentaro... I... I just remember the last time you
fought him,"  she said quietly.  "I don't want to see you
hurt like that again...  your face planted in the ground...
with footprints on your... pants...  and an eyebrow
missing... and graffiti on your face, and-" 

   "I get the idea, Satsuki," said Sentaro miserably. 

*

   [Furinkan High, lunch]

   As usual, the lunch crowds in Furinkan were segmented
into the boys and the girls, and further into their
respective social circles. Ranma, Ryouga, Daisuke, and
Hiroshi were, as usual, observing the daily Battle for their
daily Bread.

   "Hey man, you ready for it?" asked Ranma. 

   Ryouga blinked.  "Ready for what?" 

   "The King of Nerima Tourney, man!" said Hiroshi. 

   "Oh yeah, that," said Ryouga. 

   "How could you forget, man!" exclaimed Daisuke.  "It's
the event of the year!  The show of shows!  And now that you
guys are in it, it'll be even better!" 

   Ranma, in a statement that summarized his grand and
supreme confidence, simply asked, "You guys bet on me,
right?" 

   "Of course," said Daisuke. 

   "Definitely," said Hiroshi. 

   Ryouga scowled.  "Hey!" 

   "Like you've beaten me yet?" teased Ranma. 

   "If I run into you in this tournament, I will this time!"
declared Ryouga. 

   "We'll see," said Ranma smugly.  "We'll just see about
that." 

   Coming up quickly behind Ranma was Ukyou.  She strode
right behind him silently, took a good, measured view of his
posterior, and... 

   *THWAP*

   "Ooooow!" 

   Ranma hopped around clutching his rear.  "Hey!  What'd I
do now?!" 

   "That was for last night, you jackass!" snapped Ukyou. 
Without another word, she stormed off, leaving Ranma and his
sore backside wondering what on earth happened for him to
deserve _that_. 

   "So, what'd ya do to her last night?" asked Daisuke
slyly. 

   "Nothing!  I didn't do nothing!" protested Ranma.  He put
his brain to work, thinking on last night and what she could
possibly be upset about. 

   This, of course, would take some time.  The thinking,
that is. 

   "She's been getting more violent since you started
working for her, y'know," said Hiroshi, elbowing Ryouga. 
"She that violent in bed?" 

   "NO!  I wouldn't know anything about that!" 

   Meanwhile, Ranma's brain was tallying up some facts and
figures.  Last night... last night... there was cards. 
Could Ukyou be sore about losing a few hands at the card
table?  That was ruled impossible a few seconds later,
simply because Ranma only won once last night, out of sheer
luck, against Akane.  After that, she wanted to go home, but
instead Ranma talked her into staying in.  And then she fell
asleep. 

   Oh.  Wait. 

   The next morning she was with Ryouga. 

   Hm. 

   That would mean RYOUGA DID SOMETHING and Ukyou was
blaming him for it!  Why that... 

   "RYOUGAAAA!"  Ranma grabbed him by the shirt angrily and
shook him around.  "What did you do to Ucchan?!" 

   Ryouga, irritated by this odd reversal of roles, grabbed
Ranma's shirt in retaliation.  "I didn't do anything!" 

   "Yeah, right!  You expect me to believe after last night
you tw-" 

   *POW*

   "Well, there they go again," said Daisuke. 

   "Say, I wonder what Saotome meant when he said, 'last
night you two...' hm?" wondered Hiroshi. 

   "Don't you dare bring that up!" roared Ryouga at Ranma. 
He heaved Ranma up and tossed him over a nearby fence.  From
there, Hiroshi could hear the sounds of violence that was
typical of those two.

   "'Last night' he says," observed Hiroshi.  "Sounds
interesting." 

   Daisuke nodded.  "I was gonna tease'em about it, but
Ryouga usually gets more violent than Ranma." 

   "Anyways," said Hiroshi, "It all starts up next week. 
Man, I can't wait!" 

   In the distance, a stormcloud rumbled.  Had anyone been
paying attention, it would have surely been a harbinger of
worse times.  As things were, the moment was lost on them. 

*

   [Furinkan High, after school]

   "So, is everything falling into place?" asked Nabiki. 

   "We've got 45% of the Nerima student body calling in to
place their bets, chief."

   "The roster of fighters is shaping up as you predicted,
boss.  Just got confirmation Sanzenin is on his way and
someone claims to have seen Ryu Kumon by the station."

   "We've got the roster for at-site operations staff lined
out, chief."

   "We have a guaranteed first-right-to-buy on all matches
and already have advance orders for the premium seats in the
first round." 

   "Good, good," said Nabiki, pacing back and forth at the
front of the classroom.  Meanwhile, her handful of
henchwomen and associates scurried about the room with
papers, reports, and laptop computers.

   "Just to confirm my beliefs," said Nabiki, "who's the
favorite so far?"

   "Ranma Saotome, chief, getting 80% of the bets." 

   "Figures," she said with a smirk.  "So, are the matchups
posted yet?"

   "Only a few, chief.  The full list hasn't been put out
yet."

   A frown appeared on Nabiki's face.  Something felt wrong. 

   "That's odd.  I was told it'd be done today by noon," she
said, rubbing her chin.

   "We tried calling, but they keep on saying the schedule
maker is out on his break or busy." 

   "Somebody give me a phone, I'll get to the bottom of
this."  One of her assistants handed Nabiki a cellular
phone, which she flipped open casually then dialed.

   It rang. 

   And rang. 

   And rang. 

   Nabiki started tapping her foot on the floor.  She hated
waiting on the phone. 

   "Ah, hello.  Is Noriamo in?" 

   //I'm sorry// said a voice, probably a secretary, //he's
busy at the moment.// The voice seemed a little familiar to
Nabiki, but she dismissed that as insignificant at the
moment. 

   "Tell him it's Miss N." 

   //Could you hold please?//

   "Okay." 

   Soft music was piped through the phone, making Nabiki
somewhat ill.  She never did take to being put on hold very
well, but in the business world it happened all too often.

   She could also name the song on the phone.  It was a
symphonic version of 'Barefoot in the Park'.  Nabiki winced
and shook her head.  Definitely too much time spent on hold
lately. 

   //N-Noriamo speaking.//

   "Ah, Noriamo-san, so good to hear you." 

   //T-Tendo-san!  What can I do for you today?//

   "The matchups for the first round.  Why are they not in
my hands yet?"

   //B-but I sent you-//

   "An incomplete list.  You know how I hate incomplete
work." 

   //I'm sorry but we've had a few snags.  It will be done
in an hour, I assure you!//

   "I hope so, Noriamo-san," said Nabiki with a hint of
menace.  "You know my e-mail address, I'll be waiting on
it."  With a frown, she hung up and put the phone aside. 

   "Things got settled, boss?" wondered one of her
underlings.

   "Seems to be," said Nabiki.  "Expect something in an
hour."

   "What's wrong, chief?  You don't look happy." 

   "If I didn't know better, I'd think Noriamo was up to
something...  but he isn't intelligent enough to pull off a
scheme on his own."  She looked out the window, thinking for
a moment, then shrugged.  "Maybe I'm just getting paranoid."

*

   "Back to work, Noriamo-san." 

   "Y-yessir," stammered Noriamo.  He breathed a sigh of
relief after the feel of a cold blade was removed from the
back of his neck. 

*

   Tarou stared at the envelope with great suspicion. 

   It wasn't often that the old freak wrote to anyone, and
it was even more unusual that Happosai wrote a letter to
him.  Life was either about to become a little more
interesting or a lot more aggravating.  He began to read the
letter, mumbling some parts aloud out of habit. 

   "Hrm.... Dearest Pant-"  Tarou took a moment to grit his
teeth. "Hm... mm-hmm... Change of heart... change of
name.... only if you win the King of Nerima tournament." 

   So, the old man was willing to change his name if he won
this tournament, eh?  Nerima... Nerima... fem-boy oughta be
there... along with all those other jokers.  Heheh, a little
entertainment and a cool new name at the end of it all. 
Should be a good time. 

*

   A bandanna-clad figure stood in an empty rural road,
under a tree. In the distance the sun was beginning to set. 
The light breeze lifted his hair in a nicely dramatic
fashion.

   Wandering from town to town, he started anew the process
he began so many years ago.  He trained in the Art.  He
traveled all across Japan, fighting, studying, growing
stronger, recovering from the defeat that had forced him to
start all over again. 

   Then he got a letter. 

   It was rather puzzling how he got it.  It was just there
one day when he woke up.  It was an invitation to a martial
arts tournament. 

   It was going to be in Nerima. 

   That, of course, meant that _he_ was going to be there. 
The one that had caused his fall. 

   Ranma. 

   Ryu Kumon stood up dramatically, the invitation gripped
tightly in his fist.  This would be a good test of his
skills, definitely.  He needed to prove, if only to himself,
that he was once again a formidable martial artist. 

   And a small measure of revenge wouldn't hurt either. 

*

   As was typical of the Hibiki line, Ryouga was... well...
you know. 

   "Could've sworn Ucchan's was down the corner." 

   He frowned as the skies rumbled.  If the weather was any
indication he wouldn't be staying a he for long.  The
rumbling sky and sudden gust of rain had him suddenly
stumbling down the street, struggling to keep the rain at
bay with his umbrella. 

   After a few more minutes of stomping around in the rain,
Ryouga had lost the battle to keep his gender.  She wiped
the rain from her eyes and found herself in a back alley of
sorts, in front of a door. 

   A rather familiar door. 

   Could it be?  Could he actually have found Ucchan's?  It
seemed too good to be true! 

   -click-

   "Uky.... oh." 

   It was. 

   He found himself in a very dark room, lit only by
candles.  Arcane and mystical items, figures, and drawings
were set everywhere.  At the center of the room, lit by a
solitary candle, was a girl with long brown hair clad in
dark blue robes.  She was, at the moment, peering in to an
odd glass object with odd shapes swirling from within. 

   "Welcome," said the girl.  "May I help you?" 

   "Oh," said Ryouga-chan, "sorry, I thought I was somewhere
else." 

   "I see," said the girl. 

   Ryouga-chan reached for the door, but hesitated. 
Curiosity was nagging at him. 

   "Excuse me, what is this place?" she asked. 

   "This is just a humble little shop of magicks," said the
girl.  "And I am just a practicing fortune teller.  You can
call me Mio." 

   "Fortune telling?" asked Ryouga-chan.  "As in predicting
the future?" 

   Mio nodded. 

   Ryouga-chan had a feeling.  He wasn't sure what it was. 
A nagging feeling, a whispering suggestion in the back of
his mind, a suspicion that fate was giving him a big clue
and he should really take the time to listen. 

   "I don't suppose you could... ah..." 

   "Tell your fortune?" asked Mio, smiling slightly. 
"Well... on a cloudy and mysterious day like today, it would
seem the fitting thing to do, yes?  Please, have a seat." 

   Ryouga-chan took a seat across from Mio and peered
curiously into the glass object at its center. 

   "Hey, what is this?" she asked. 

   "Oh, this?  Lava lamp."  With an embarrassed smile, Mio
took the lamp away and pulled out a deck of cards.  She went
through a process of separating the deck and shuffling the
cards in a process that Ryouga lost track of.

   "Now... concentrate on your question and tell me," said
Mio. 

   Question?  Ryouga-chan didn't think she'd have to think
of a question, just get an answer about her future.  Oh,
that's a question.  Okay, good, now concentrate.... 

   "What does my future hold?" she asked. 

   Mio blinked.  "That's it?" 

   "Um... yeah, that's it," said Ryouga-chan. 

   "Kind of general, but I guess it'll do," said Mio.  "Now
concentrate on that question, okay?" 

   Ryouga-chan nodded, and Mio started to shuffle the deck
in various and complicated ways once more.

   Finally, she laid down a card.  It depicted the moon in
the sky, with some creatures emerging from the ground below. 

   "This is the moon," said Mio.  "It signifies your
immediate obstacles and concerns.  The moon symbolizes
unseen perils around you and trickery afoot.  There are
anxieties that you cannot overcome as well." 

   She drew another card from the deck and placed it atop
the first one.  A picture of an angel holding two golden
chalices was on it. "This is Temperance.  It symbolizes what
influences you are under at the moment.  There is a certain
stability and harmony in your life at the moment.  There is
friendship that keeps you feeling secure in things for the
moment.  There is no desire for extremes, only a longing for
peace and a search for the middle ground."

   She drew a third card and placed it below the two stacked
cards.  Mio smiled as she saw this card.  "Ah, the lovers. 
This is the goal you seek, a soul mate, perhaps for life." 
Ryouga-chan blushed visibly, but tried to pretend she
wasn't.

   Mio drew a fourth card and placed it to the left side of
the first two.  This one, however, was upside-down. 
"Judgment, but reversed.  This is the foundation of your
past.  Indecision, procrastination, separation, and a
failure to achieve your happiness." 

   Ryouga-chan winced.  She couldn't help but think of Akane
at that moment. 

   A fifth card was drawn and placed atop from the first
two, across from the third card.  A dark tower, crumbling to
the ground was show.  "The Tower.  This symbolizes the
recent past.  There was a loss of stability.  Things were
undone.  You were subjected to ruin and misery."

   Again, thought Ryouga, she was disturbingly on target. 

   Mio drew forth a sixth card, placed to the right of the
first two cards.  It depicted a rather disturbing creature. 
"Ah, the Devil.  This symbolizes what will influence you in
the future.  There will be strange experiences.  Black magic
is afoot.  There will be disasters, downfalls, violence, and
shocks." 

   Could this be the tournament? wondered Ryouga.  She
couldn't imagine what else could cause such events. 

   A seventh card was drawn, placed to the right of the
other cards and by itself.  It depicted an old man with a
lamp.  "The Hermit.  This represents you.  You seek answers
from life.  You're cautious.  You're denying yourself
something.... maybe love." 

   The eight card was drawn and placed above the seventh. 
"The Wheel of Fortune.  This symbolizes what influences your
future.  You have a part to play in destiny, and luck will
be on your side." 

   A ninth card was drawn and placed above the eighth.  On
it sat a royal figure on a throne, holding a sword in one
hand and weight scales in the other.  "This is Justice.  It
symbolizes your inner emotions.  You've much integrity,
honor, and a sense of justice." 

   Ryouga's ego was swelling.  Badly. 

   A tenth card was drawn and placed above the ninth.  It
depicted a man hung from his feet.  "The hanged man.  This
is the final answer." 

   Ryouga's ego was deflating.  Quickly.  'Hanged man'
didn't sound good.  No, not good at all. 

   "The hanged man," explained Mio, "He symbolizes a moment
of transition.  There will be sacrifice, change, and
rebirth.  You will face a crossroads, and it will all be up
to you whether or not your goal is achieved.  The choice, in
the end, is yours." 

   Ryouga's mood was dragged down a great deal.  The future
sounded very... difficult.  Then again, nothing was easy. 

   "Well, that's it," said Mio.  "I hope it helps you out." 

   Ryouga-chan nodded absently, then looked outside.  "Say,"
she said, "do you have any hot water?" 

   "Yes, in the bathroom," said Mio, pointing to a nearby
door. 

   Mio watched the young girl enter the bathroom, then heard
the sound of water rushing from the sink.  A moment later,
and much to her surprise, a young man, dressed exactly like
the girl that had entered the bathroom, emerged and headed
somberly for the door. 

   "Thanks for the hot water and the reading," he said.  "I
guess I'd better go now." 

   "Um... anytime," said Mio, clearly surprised. 

   He headed out the door, leaving Mio there and utterly
baffled. 

   Mio shook her head, then put away the tarot cards. 
"Strange days we live in."

*

   Up in the second floor of the Tendo household, generally
bad vibrations were being emitted.  Kasumi didn't notice,
being surrounded by a constant field of Very-Niceness.  In
her room, Nabiki kept on looking around, as if expecting to
see something that was on the edge of her vision.  Soun and
Genma were downstairs playing shogi, as usual.  They were
used to this sort of thing. 

   The Master was probably very, pardon the pun, Happy. 

   Happosai cackled gleefully as he stared out into the
stormy horizon.  The invitations were sent, received, and
now chaos was to ensue.  Pantyhose was on his way, Happy was
sure of it.  So was Prince Toma.  And of course his old pals
Chingensai and Lukosai were coming in for the big tournament
as well.  All those, and so many more good 'friends' were on
their way. 

   Oh Happy day indeed. 

   In the distance he heard a knocking at the door and
grinned. 

   Ah.  That would have to be.... 

*

   In the doorway stood two young girls.  One, Akane's age,
was lean, with sharp, serious features and long brown hair. 
The other, a few years younger, had a softer face and a
generally happy disposition. 

   Akane stood there, holding the door open, a look of utter
surprise on her face.  She wasn't expecting to see _them_. 
A part of her was still afraid of them, even though she'd
proven herself their equal. 

   "Kurumi!  Natsumi!  Um... hi!" 

   Natsumi, the older girl, bowed respectfully.  "Akane, it
is good to see you again." 

   "Hi Akane!" cheerfully said Kurumi, the younger one. 

   "I, ah, guess you're here for the tournament?" asked
Akane. 

   Natsumi nodded.  "It is a perfect setting in which to
test our skills." 

   "And we missed you too!" said Kurumi. 

*

   "Heheheh, bingo." 

   Happosai pulled out a clipboard, checked two names off,
then resumed watching Keiko's Aerobics Workout.  These were
good days indeed. 

*

   "Hey, Nabiki, who was last year's champion anyway?" 

   She pulled out her laptop and showed him. 

   "Oooooh.  Her.  Ain't she that wanna be Ry-" 

   "Hundred Yen." 

   "Huh?  What for?!" 

   "Information services." 

   "*Sigh* Nevermind." 

   -end act 2 prelude-