I've decided to continue this story for a least a short while.  I've
finished the introduction scene from before.  Enjoy!

Disclaimer:  All characters portrayed in this story are the property of
Rumiko Takehashi and co.

C & C welcomed.  Flames not.

Another Time, Same Place

by

Donny Cheng

Prologue

	Ranma jumped up and down excitedly.  Finally, he was going to be
cured.  He held the ancient amazon artifact up and gazed happily at it. 
It was a broach that granted the wearer one wish every one hundred
years.

	"Will you stop all that jumping around already?  We know how happy you
are.  Just make the wish and be done with it."  Akane glared at Ranma,
but inwardly she was just as happy for him.

	Ryoga and Mousse looked at Ranma with disdain.  Mousse looked at Ranma
crossly, "Just be sure to say the wish correctly.  Shampoo and I do want
to be cured also."

	"Don't worry Mousse.  I got it covered.  I know exactly what to say." 
Ranma couldn't help but feel optimistic after all that had happened over
the past year.  To think that Cologne had been keeping them in the dark
about this artifact.  She probably wanted to use the wish herself.

	"Yeah, stupid Mousse.  Airen can do it."  Fortunately, Shampoo found
out about the artifact.  She had been looking through a book filled with
descriptions of artifacts and spells that could help her win Ranma.  She
came across a listing of various items that granted wishes, including
the broach, and it's last known owner was none other that Cologne.  She
also discovered that the broach was stored in China.  Ranma had then
tricked Kuno into taking a certain 'pig-tailed girl' on a supposed
romantic trip to China.  Naturally, this ended up with all the various
Nerima residents joining them and wanting a piece of the wish.

	Ranma carefully and happily pinned the broach to his shirt.  He then
placed list with the names of the Nerima residents upon it.  "I, Saotome
Ranma, wish for those, whose names are on this list, to be happy."

	A bright flash of light surrounded Ranma.  Smoke emitted out from
around the light.  When it cleared, Ranma was gone.

	Cologne had at that moment caught up with stunned group.  "No wait,
son-in-law.  Do not make that wish."  She was of course too late. 
"Idiot.  I told you that wish was not to be used."

	Shampoo stared in shock as her beloved disappeared.  "What happened
great-grandmother.  Where Ranma?"

	Cologne could only shake her head in sadness.  "That broach was
cursed.  Oh, it did grant wishes, but only in a way that would help the
wearer the least.  The curse had already taken effect the moment Ranma
touched the broach.  There is nothing we can do now.  That fool boy is
lost to us.  We have to return to Japan.  We can not return to
Joketsuzoku now.  There is no way for us to regain our honor."  She
turned to leave, but noticed Shampoo staying behind.  Seeing Shampoo
crying, Cologne did not have the heart to make her leave Ranma's final
resting ground just yet.

	The Nerima residents could only stare in shock.  The boys were
strangely quiet.  They did not feel at all happy at Ranma's fate, for he
died trying to make all of their dreams come true.  His love interests
all cried and unknowingly drew closer to each other for comfort as they
were the ones that loved Ranma the most.  Soun's tears would not stop as
Kasumi and Nabiki tried to comfort him.  Genma and Nodoka held each
other closely.  Happosai had fainted.  The truth had finally sunk in. 
Ranma was gone.

			* * * * *

	Happosai sat alone in the small grove where his most beloved Ranma-chan
had last disappeared.  He was now the last to believe in the eventual
return of Ranma.  Ranma's fianc�es were to last to leave.  Cologne had
decided enough was enough and dragged them kicking and screaming back to
Nerima.  Happosai sighed and settled down comfortably.  It would be a
long wait.

			* * * * *

	Kodachi moaned.  She tried moving her hands.  Again, she found that she
could not.  The jacket she wore restricted any such movements.  Why
would they not let her end her life?  Her Ranma-sama was gone.  His
beautiful face would never grace the world again.  She then cried.  It
was not the first nor the last time she would cry, for a long time.

	Sometime much later, on a typical normal day, a doctor at the asylum
found Kodachi dead with a smile on her face.

			* * * * *

Chapter One: Here comes Ranma again.

	"Get off of me, you old lech."  Ranma glared at the aged master of
Anything Goes.

	Happosai had tears in his eyes as he again leaped towards Ranma.  "I
still can't believe you're back!  Oh, how Happy has missed you."

	Ranma sighed as he finally relented and gave the pervert a bra that he
kept in his pocket for emergencies such as these.  The lech immediately
grabbed it and nuzzled it to his face.  Ranma shuddered.  He looked
around him and noticed he was alone.  From what he had learned from the
master some time had passed in the world.  That would explain why
everyone wasn't here.  He just wondered how much time had passed.  He
looked towards Happosai and grudgingly smiled.  The pervert had been the
only one who waited for his return and Ranma couldn't help but feel
grateful.  He went over to pick the master up and started the long
journey home.

			* * * * *

	Ranma breathed heavily, trying to catch her breath as she reached the
shore.  She made it back on Japan.  She glared at the old man nestled
between her breasts.  "You can let go of me now.  We're back in Japan." 
When Happosai didn't comply, Ranma forcefully punted him away.  That
would be the last time Ranma felt sorry for the old lech.  She thought
back to all the mobs that chased her through China and of the long swim
home.  She didn't understand how the pervert could survive under water
for such a long time.  Ranma felt her debt of gratitude had been paid in
full to Happosai, after all of the things the pervert had put her
through.  Now was the time to go back to Nerima.

			* * * * *

	Wow!  Ranma thought to herself.  Furinken sure had changed since she
left.  Her first stop in Nerima was the school.  At the moment it was in
the middle of a school day.  She hoped to catch her old friends first. 
She looked around the school.  The school seemed to have been converted
into a large dojo.  There was even an arena in the middle of the campus.

			* * * * *

	Perfume raised her hand victoriously as she punted another challenger
away.  She smiled as she knew she would win the tenth annual Furinken
high martial arts tournament for the fourth time in a row.  She had been
competing even before she finally enrolled this year.  There was no one
in her age group in Nerima that could defeat her.  She patiently waited
for the next challenger to come up.  It was Hibiki Ryoko next.  Perfume
grimaced.  She did not want to fight her best friend again.

	Ryoko sighed as she warmed up for her match with Perfume.  Damned her
grandfather.  Why did he always want her to fight Perfume?  Couldn't he
see that she and Perfume were best friends?  Who cared who was the
strongest martial artist in Nerima?  Ryoko looked up at Perfume sadly. 
Their respective prides as martial artists forbade them to let the other
win.  With that thought in mind, Ryoko charged at Perfume.

			* * * * *

	"The next challenger is from the Hibiki School of Anything Goes, Ryoko
Hibiki."  There was a great cheer from the audience.  This proved to be
a good match.

	Ranma's ears perked at what the announcer had said.  "The Hibiki School
of Anything Goes?  Nah!  I couldn't be that Ryoga has started his own
school.  That girl up there looks like she is the same age as him.  It
must be another branch of Anything Goes that Happosai never told us
about."  Ranma then did a double take.  The girl looked almost exactly
like Akane.  The only difference was that her hair had brownish tints in
it instead of blue and she had fangs.  Ranma approached the arena to
watch the fight. It was not going well for the girl, named Ryoko.  The
other combatant, also a girl, was clearly the better of the two.  She
had an exotic face with long black hair.  Her catlike eyes were her most
distinctive features.  With a mighty yell, Ryoko again charged at the
other girl, only to be flung out of the ring.  Ranma stared.  The girl
was going to land pretty badly.  She quickly jumped and intercepted the
girl.

			* * * * *

	Perfume grabbed Ryoko's outstretched arm and with practiced ease, threw
her away.  Oh no!  She had accidentally used too much force.  Ryoko was
going the hit ground very hard.  She was about to see if her friend was
going to be okay, when suddenly a red blur intercepted Ryoko and landed
safely on the ground.  It was Ranko that saved Ryoko.  No wait!  The
girl couldn't have been her friend.  The mysterious girl had red hair
and appeared to be a lot younger.  Also, Ranko wouldn't be caught dead
wearing such male clothing with her hair tied in a pigtail.

	Ryoko struggled in the arms of the girl that saved her.  Anger
overwhelmed her.  Who dared interfere in her battle?  She looked in
shock at her savior.  The person looked exactly like a younger Ranko
with red highlights.  She recovered from her shock and yelled at the
girl.  "Who do you think you are?  You can't interfere in a match
between two people"

	Ranma looked at the girl incredulously.  "What?  If I hadn't just saved
you right now, you would have been hurt.  Man, what macho tomboys you
girls are."

	Ryoko's eyebrow twitched.  If there was one thing she hated more than
fighting her friend, it was her femininity being made fun of.  She
grabbed the rude girl by the collar and punted her away.

	Perfume watched as Ryoko kicked the girls towards her.  Good.  She too
wanted to punish the girl for her poorly chosen words.  "Since, you are
on the arena, you are now my next challenger.  Prepare yourself."

	"What?  I can't fight you.  I don't like to hit girls."  Ranma then
tried to jump off the arena.

	Perfume blocked her way.  "You're a girl yourself, dummy.  I think
you're just using that as an excuse because you're afraid of what I will
do to you."  Perfume smiled as the pig tailed girl bristled at her
comment and got into a martial arts stance.  "I am, Perfume, heir to the
School of Chinese Amazon Martial Arts."

	Ranma was too stunned by what Perfume had said to answer.  Did she say
Chinese Amazon?  Instead, Ranma mumbled out, "I'm Ranma."  Dazed by the
Chinese girl's comments, Ranma barely dodged her attack.  She quickly
gathered her wits and prepared for Perfume's next onslaught of attacks.

			* * * * *

	Perfume was getting frustrated.  This Ranma was matching her speed for
speed.  Ranma did not attack back, instead she only dodging and blocking
her attacks. She didn't think there was anyone who could compare with
her in that department other then her parents and
great-great-grandmother.  She had thought this would have been an easy
fight.  It looked like she couldn't afford to go easy on the girl and
setup for her special attacks.  Charging at Ranma, she yelled, "Katchu
tenshin amaguriken!"

	Ranma was again shocked as she heard Perfume utter the words of the
technique Cologne had taught her.  Hundreds of blows landed on her.
However, Ranma was conditioned to be able to withstand a certain amount
damage.  She staggered slightly and gazed at the girl evenly.  There was
no way she was going to be caught off by a girl again.

			* * * * *

	Ryoko joined up with the rest of her friends as she watched the fight
unfold.  Yukio and Yuu stood to her right.  "Wow, that Ranma sure is
good."  They were twin brother and sister and tended to say the things
at the same time.  Other that for a few minor differences, Yukio looked
like her father, while Yuu looked like his mother.  Their father looked
feminine and their mother looked masculine.  That was one weird family.

	To Ryoko's left were her cousins Tatewaki and Kasuga.  Tatewaki snorted
as he watched the battle.  Though inwardly, he was very impressed. He
shared both his father's and mother's features in both physical and
mental aspects respectively.  With his skills he was easily the best
male fighter in Nerima, but he still fell behind Ryoko and Perfume.  He
prided himself on his skill with the bokken and his skill with the Tendo
School of Anything Goes.  He gazed at Ranma with an analytical eye. 
What he saw could help him in his battle to win the heart of Perfume. 
His mother had taught him to always look for the advantage.

	Kasuga smiled at the battle going on.  Oh my!  I do hope they don't get
hurt.  That reminded him, he had to tend to Ryoko's wounds. Kasuga
picked up his first aid kit and watched over his cousin.  His mother had
always taught him to be nice and courteous, while his father taught him
some of the skills he would need to help others.  He couldn't help but
glance at the girl atop the arena.  She reminded him of Ranko.  Sigh. 
There was a sickening crunch.

	Ryoko bopped her cousin on the head angrily.  "Stop thinking of Ranko
already."  She hated when Kasuga did that.  He was the spitting image of
his father when he was like that.  Her bones were quickly snapped back
into place as Kasuga looked at her sheepishly.  Ryoko relented.  Nobody
could get mad at Kasuga for long.  He was just too much like his
mother.  She instead turned her concentration back at the fight.

			* * * * *

	Perfume sank too her knees.  She was getting tired.  After she had
first hit Ranma with the chestnut fist, she was sure she would win.
Incredibly, Ranma was able to withstand the five hundred punches.  When
she tried to use the move again, Ranma had yelled out "Katchu tenshin
amaguriken revised!"  Ranma managed to block all of her punches with
that technique.  She was feeling depressed at the moment.  It was time
to use the other move her great-great-grandmother had helped her learn. 
She gathered up her chi and fired a shi shi hokodan at the offending
girl.

	Amazingly the girl just smirked and blocked with her own chi blast.
Perfume was ready to cry.  Was there any way for her to win?  With half
a heart, she charged the girl again.

	Though Ranma didn't show it on the outside, she was very tired. This
girl was giving her the toughest fight she had ever had.  This girl was
just as fast, if not faster, as she was.  She could barely dodge
Perfume's attacks and had to actually block many of them.  Her arms hurt
from all that blocking.  She could see the frustration on the girl's
face when she didn't attack her.  An angry opponent was much easier to
fight since they often made more mistakes.  Ranma had then purposely
went on the defensive to make the girl madder.  Her body paid the price
as a result.  She fought the urge to rub his sore arms and forced
herself to appear more confident than she felt.  Her confidence grew as
she saw the girl prepare a chi blast.  Now for the final demoralizing
blow.  She blocked the blast with her moko takabisha.

	Perfume gazed at Ranma with undisguised hatred and ran right at her,
ignoring all her training.

	Ranma smiled.  This was what she had been waiting for.  She sidestepped
out of the enraged girl's way.  Perfume fell out of the ring.  Perfume
had lost.  That was when the chaos started.

			* * * * *

	The parents looked worriedly at the prone bodies of all the children
lying about the Tendo dojo.  They were all hurt pretty bad.

	Cologne was angry.  Who could have done this to the greatest group of
young martial arts talent ever assembled?  From what Perfume's
incoherent ramblings had told her it was a girl about the same age as
they were.  The girl was also using Chinese Amazon Martial Arts.  When
the children had seen how the girl had humiliated Perfume, they had all
charged the arena.  They had then fallen prey to the hiryu shoten ha
technique.  With so much anger, the resulting tornado lasted a full ten
minutes.  In fact the user, herself was also flung away by the power of
the technique.  Could it be an amazon from Joketsuzoku?  Cologne had not
been back in China for a long time, so that was a possibility.  It was
then the doors to the dojo slid open.

	Ranma, still in girl form, staggered in.  "Hey, everybody I'm back!" 
Ranma then noticed the stares from all his old friends.  She also noted
that her 'old' friends were a lot older than from what she remembered
and that they were tending to the people who had tried to beat her up
before.  Ranma fainted.

			* * * * *

	Ranma awoke to find himself surrounded by his friends and the people he
had fought earlier in the day.  He was in male form.  "What the hell is
going on around here."

	Cologne then hopped over to him on her staff.  She had a glint in her
eye as she smirked.  "Ranma, I assume that you don't know that twenty
years have passed since made the wish with that cursed broach.  Still
dense as always.  Didn't it ever occur to you to find out what the date
was?  No, I thought not."

	Ranma tried his best to ignore the glances given to him by most of the
children in the room.  There seemed to be open hostility on him by most
of the girls and boys.  However, he couldn't help but hear some of what
was being said about him.

	"That's the evil boy, Father was telling me that tried to steal mother
from him."  "You too?  Dad told me the same thing.  I can't believe we
didn't recognize him until now."  "Father has told me of his treacherous
ways, but alas I will not condemn a man until I see it with mine own
eyes."  "Oh my!  Tatewaki is right.  We shouldn't judge him yet."  "I
don't know, but I think he's cute.  Mom was right about him."  "I know
what you mean, brother.  His girl form's not bad either."

Cologne ignored the hushed gossiping.  "Since your unexpected return, I
have discovered what happened after you made the wish.  Your wish was
for everyone to be happy.  Well it seems your wish was granted.  The
broach brought you to a time and place when everyone got what they
desired the most.  Though they may not be the same desires when the wish
was first made, it hardly made any difference as you are now here."

	Ranma could not believe what he was hearing.  "What?!  It took twenty
years for everyone to be happy.  Who could possibly stay sad for twenty
years?"

	Cologne sighed.  "It was Kodachi.  She had never given up on you.  Her
obsession with you caused her to snap and she was put in a mental
institution.  She died three months ago, finally at peace with herself. 
That was when you came back, I assume."  Ranma shoulders slumped at
hearing this.  Nodoka hugged her son tightly to comfort him.

	Soun and Genma quickly came over and grabbed Ranma while they cried. 
Soun was the first to speak.  "Ranma, you're back.  Now the two schools
of Anything Goes can finally be united.  Here is my fourth daughter,
Meiko, age sixteen."  Soun grabbed a girl that resembled Hinako sensei
and put her in front of him.  In fact the girl looked to be a younger or
older version of Hinako sensei.  A pair of hand's bopped Soun on the
head.  Nodoka did the same to Genma.

	Hinako grabbed Soun by the ears and admonished him.  "Honey, you're
scaring Meiko.  You've got to forgive him, Ranma-kun.  He's just excited
to see you, that's all."

	"Ms. Hinako?  You're... you're not small anymore!"  Ranma tensed
himself as if awaiting a blast of chi from his former teacher.  His body
had gotten used to it every time he saw her in her adult form.

"You can relax, Ranma.  I won't be blasting you anytime soon.  My
husband, Soun, has cured me.  Yes, that means I can't absorb chi
anymore.  I knew you would be the most happy at hearing that bit of
news."

Meiko blushed furiously as she had remembered how her father spent his
nights 'curing' Hinako.  That had been how they came to have her as
Nabiki had been fond to tease her.

	Genma escaped his wife and again grabbed Ranma.  "Boy, the engagement
between you and one of the Tendo daughters had never been broken.  So,
your new fianc�e is now Meiko."

	A girl that appeared to look exactly like Ranma's girl form calmly
tugged his father away.  "Do not listen to what father says.  I'm Ranko,
your younger sister.  Actually, I think I'm older than you.  I'm
eighteen.  I always wanted to meet my famous brother after hearing so
much about him."

	Ranma's head was spinning with all these introductions being made all
at once.  He felt another person tap him on the shoulder.  It was
Cologne.  "Well, Ranma, it is nice to see you again.  Or should I call
you, son-in-law.  I've heard of how you have defeated Perfume in
battle."

	Perfume glared at Ranma angrily as she spoke to Cologne. 
"Great-great-grandmother, those amazon traditions are old fashioned.  I
won't marry that creep just because he defeated me.  Besides, he is not
an outsider to Nerima."

	Shampoo and Mousse took hold of their daughter before she could say
anything more. Shampoo looked at Ranma affectionately.  "I am sorry for
my daughter's outburst and for thrusting such hardship on you once
again.  I'm sorry but amazon traditions does force me to engage you to
her.  You were not here when she was born and have not been since the
fight.  Great-grandmother thinks that is sufficient enough to qualify as
an outsider."

	Mousse smirked at Ranma in a very condescending way.  "First Shampoo. 
Now my daughter?  Have you no shame Saotome?"

	Ryoga, who on the sidelines until now, spoke up, "Heh, first day back
and he starts picking up all sorts of women.  Once a womanizer, always a
womanizer."

	Kuno sniffed and turned his nose up at Ranma.  "True, Hibiki.  Very
true.  The cad is showing his true colors all over again."

	"Knock, it off you jackasses.  He just got back from that dumb wish he
made for us or don't you remember?"  Ukyo growled at the three men.

	Actually, they did remember.  Ranma spent twenty years away from his
family because of a wish he made for the all of them.  What does a grown
man say to a person after that?  The best they could do was just act the
way they always have with him.  It helped them forget that it ever
happened.

	Ukyo gave the men a withering glare until they finally relented and
reluctantly backed off.  She knew that they had grown into fine men in
the twenty years that she had known them, but some things were hard to
let go.  It was hard to face a once hated rival as a friend.  It was
also equally hard facing a person you once loved as only a friend.  "Hi,
Ranchan.  Long time no see.  Well for me anyway.  Those two over there
are Konatsu's and my children.  They're twins."

	Konatsu, wearing a more masculine garb than Ranma last remembered,
smiled warmly and gently prodded the two children nearby to walk
forward.  "This is Yuu and this is Yukio."

	Yuu gave Ranma an appreciative look over.  Very nice.  "Nice to meet
you Ranma-sama."

	Yukio repeated her brother's words almost simultaneously.  She resisted
the urge to fling a glass of water at the handsome boy in front of her. 
A Ranko that wasn't taken yet.  Well, Meiko and Perfume didn't count. 
They all just met Ranma, so it should be first come first serve.

	Ranma did not like the glances he was receiving from the pair. 
Especially from Yuu.  "Hi," Ranma weakly muttered out.

	Akane was the next to talk.  She couldn't think of what to say.  It had
taken her a long time to admit that she loved him and then finally get
over him.  To see him again, put all her emotions in a whirl.  She tried
sorting them out and found the simple truth that she had been looking
for.  She had gotten over him.  She still loved him but no longer in
that way.  "It's good to see you again, Ranma.  It's nice to know that
I'm given a second chance to prove you wrong.  I am a martial artist and
I can cook too."

	Ranma couldn't believe his eyes at Akane's appearance.  She looked very
matronly with her hair long again and wearing an apron.  He felt a stab
of pain in his heart when he noticed her hand enveloped between Ryoga's
fingers.  Fighting for his voice and losing.  He only nodded in
agreement with Akane.

	Ryoga felt a wave of relief as he felt Akane's comforting touch on his
hand.  He scolded himself silently for even doubting his wife of
seventeen years.  He saw the look on Ranma's face and thought that must
have been how he looked like when Akane discovered his curse.  It took
over a year of sleeping on the Tendo roof in the rain guarding his
precious Akane, being punted into the air at any given moment, and
hearing her cry in her sleep before she had finally forgiven him.

	Ryoga did something he thought he never would.  He walked over and
shook Ranma's hand.  "Sorry about what I said earlier.  Old habits die
hard.  We have two children.  That one over there is Ryoko and the
little one is Eiko."

	Ryoko's visage softened at the interplay between her parents and
Ranma.  Was he going to cry?  The almighty Ranma of myth?

	"I am not little!  I am nearly five!"  Eiko scowled at her daddy.

	Ranma finally found his voice and smiled at the little cute bundle of
energy that was in front of him.  "Wow!  Five?  Really?  You look almost
six!"

	Akane and Ryoga instantly frowned as the look on their daughter's face
suddenly lit up.  All things forgotten, they looked at each other and
nodded.  That pervert better not touch their daughter.

	Eiko didn't know why, but she suddenly had the urge to hug the stranger
that everyone was paying attention to.  At first she resented the idea
that someone was receiving more attention than here, but she now knew
why.  He deserved it.

	<Glomp>

	Ranma nearly doubled over at the strength the little girl possessed.  A
daughter of both Akane and Ryoga explained everything.

	Nabiki couldn't resist the urge to tease her former source of money and
fun.  "Another one, Ranma?  You work even faster than I can believe. 
You can't believe how bad it is for me to see you again.  Another
reminder of my age.  Why, I even have a son as old as you.  Tatewaki,
come here and meet your uncle Ranma."

	Tatewaki bowed low.  "An honor Ranma-san.  I have heard much of you
from both my parent.  Some I hope are true and others not."

	Ranma was surprised to hear the sincerity in the younger Kuno's voice. 
Sure he was similar to Kuno in speech and looks, but very different at
the same time.  How far could the apple have fallen from the tree? 
"Uh... thanks, I think.  Maybe we can spar some time."

	Next to Tatewaki was Kasuga.  Like the former, he bore a striking
resemblance to his father, Tofu.  "Hi, I'm Kasuga.  Mother and father
are still at the clinic right now, but I'm sure they will be happy to
see you tomorrow."

	Ranma was proud of himself that his shock wasn't that noticeable.  It
was almost as if it were a male Kasumi in front of him.  "I can meet
them later.  Don't worry about it.  Wow, I can't believe how
everything's changed."

	"I know everything is new to you right now, but you will get the hang
of everything after awhile."  Nodoka gave her son another hug.  "We've
prepared a dinner while you fai... I mean asleep."  Fainting was not a
manly act.  Her son would never do such a thing.

	"Great, I'm starving."  Ranma felt that was the best news he heard all
day.

	"That's good Ranma.  Auntie helped me make a lot of food.  Heh, I can
show you what twenty years of cooking has taught me!"  Akane smiled,
oblivious the Ryoko's and Eiko's cringing.

	"Thanks, Akane.  I can't wait."  Ranma was eager to taste what Akane
made for him.  He remembered that she was improving, especially with her
curry dish.

	"Daddy usually cooks, doesn't he?"  Eiko managed to let go of Ranma
long enough to whisper her question to Ryoko.

	Ryoko shivered.  "Mom hasn't cooked in about a year and even then she
rarely did it."

	A moment later, sounds of a mallet hitting hard skull could be heard.

			* * * * *

	"Stupid Akane... Why'd she have to go and hit me for?  I complemented
on her curry, didn't I?"

	<Whack>

	Ryoko calmly removed her mallet from Ranma's head.  "Don't call my mom
stupid.  Besides, 'edible' is not exactly a compliment."

	"Enough talking already.  Class has begun.  Since, Ranma is new here,
Mousse and Kuno are going to help me demonstrate today."  Ryoga cracked
his knuckles in anticipation.  Twenty years was a long time to wait. 
His two old friends were also grinning.

	"What can you guys possibly teach me?  The last time I remembered, I
could beat you with both hands behind my back."  Ranma gave them a
confidant grin.

	"We'll see," Ryoga said simply.  He then proceeded to pound Ranma into
the ground in under five minutes.  Mousse and Kuno took about six
minutes to do the same on their turn.

	"Ranma's pretty good, isn't he?  You can't even go near any of the
daddies."  Eiko commented to her older sister and Perfume.

	Ryoka and Perfume growled at the younger Hibiki's bad choice of words
even if they were true.  Ranma had been holding back against her,
Perfume noted.  He was going to have to be taught a lesson about
treating her like an inferior opponent.

	"Very good," Yuu agreed.  "He's quite a guy."

	"I thought you might like him, brother.  His girl form wasn't bad also
at the tournament.  I would say she was faster."  Yukio commented as she
stopped in mid kata to watch the fight come to an end.

			* * * * *

	So engrossed were everybody in the fight they did not notice Meiko
entering the dojo.  She did not usually participate in the practice as
she had yet to develop her control over the abnormal amounts of chi in
her body.  She didn't want to accidentally blast any of her friends with
an errant chi blast.  Dr. Tofo explained that she was conceived during
the month that her father cured Mother.  Meaning that her mother was
filled with battle aura at the time and some of it transferred to her.

	She watched in fascination as Ranma fought against Kuno.  All through
her life, she had heard stories of Ranma's exploits.  To see him in
person had been a shock.  He was every bit the delinquent her mother
said he was.  But there was more to him than that.  She watched his
every move since he came into her life.  She felt his sadness as he
watched her sister, Akane hold onto his former rival, Ryoga.  She noted
his kindness towards her niece.  All in all, not a bad person to be
engaged to.

			* * * * *

	Ranma was immediately up on his feet again after Kuno's bokken nearly
broke a rib.  He couldn't believe twenty years let even Kuno of all
people beat him.  He couldn't even take advantage of their weaknesses
anymore.  Ryoga's gotten over his cure, Mousse's hearing compensated
even for his poor eyesight when Ranma knocked the glasses off, and Kuno
knew about his cursed form now.  Worst of all, the jerks were all too
happy to get mad at him anymore.

	Ryoga, Mousse, and Kuno all looked at each other and sighed
contentedly.  If they were the type that smoked, cigars would have been
passed all around them.  "Come back in another twenty years, Ranma. 
Maybe then you'll be a match for us old doddering fogies."

	Tatewaki could tell things were going to become ugly when he saw the
murderous look on Ranma's face.  "Perhaps, Saotome would like to spar
with me now?"

	Ranma's attention turned to the younger Kuno.  He was dressed in a
similar kendo garb as his father.  From what he had heard, Tatewaki was
the third best of the children here.  This fight should boost his ego a
bit.  A minute into the fight, Ranma was surprised to find himself
absolutely wrong.  He tried using his same tactic against Tatewaki as he
used against the older Kuno.  To his shock, he felt a flurry of attacks
rain in on him as he closed in.  It seemed Tatewaki was well versed in
both kendo and kempo and used them simultaneously in his own style.

	Tatewaki staggered back at Ranma's burst of speed.  Ranma was not
fooled by the use of kempo and brought the fight to him.  Even with
kempo, he had trouble matching Ranma speed for speed in close combat.

	Ranma breathed deeply and relaxed his stance.  That boy was good. 
Nearly as good as him.  He could have sworn that he was also closer to
Perfume's skill than from what he heard.  After all he had fought them
both.  Maybe, Tatewaki was more similar to his father than Ranma first
fought.  Tatewaki quite possibly tended to let up when fighting a girl.

Kasuga noticed Ranma alternatively staring between Perfume and his
cousin, Tatewaki.  Ranma was very perceptive when it came to the art. 
He quickly caught Ranma's eye, nodded, and put a finger to his lips
indicating that he knew of Tatewaki's skill and the secrecy of it.  His
poor cousin could never fight well against girls.  Ryoko and Perfume
subsequently win over him every time.

	"Did Tatewaki look a little better to you?"  Ryoko asked Perfume
suspiciously.

	Perfume was just about to ask the same question.  Tatewaki lasted much
longer against Ranma than she did herself back at the tournament. 
However, she had been fighting the whole day was may have been a little
tired.  She decided that maybe it was time to have a little chat with
Tatewaki a little later.

	"I think that will be enough for today.  Not everyone has your recovery
ability.  Honestly, swimming from china, fighting in the tournament,
fighting against the three of us, and now against Tatewaki, and I bet
you're still not tired."  Ryoga shook his head in disgust.  He always
wondered how Ranma was able to do that.

	"I can show you you're room, Ranma!"  Eiko jumped up excitedly and
eagerly grabbed Ranma's hand.

	"Aren't I going to live with Mom and Dad?" Ranma asked.

	"They left with Ranko back home right after dinner.  You live right
next door from us.  I go there all the time, so I can show you to your
room," Eiko explained.  "Maybe, mom will let me have a sleep over."

	"No, little one.  My sister won't allow it," Meiko said from the
sidelines.  "It's past your bed time right now.  Off you go to bed.  I
will show Ranma-kun to his house."

	"Oh my!  Meiko, it isn't decent for a woman to be out alone at night
with a man."  Kasuga gently admonished his aunt.

"Kasuga's right.  I will show him out.  I know the Saotome home very
well."  Yuu quickly grabbed onto Ranma by the arm.

	"I will help my brother with his task.  Oops, sorry about that
Ranchan."  Yukio gave an exaggerated gasp as she 'accidentally' tripped
and splashed the glass of water she had been drinking all over Ranma.

	"Heh, Ryoko, I think Father was right.  The BOY is really as they
said."  Perfume could not believe that her great-grandmother wanted her
to marry that womanizing, half-girl boy.

	"I agree with you Perfume, one hundred percent," Ryoko nodded.

	Ranma just held his head and ignored the chuckling of his former
rivals.

			* * * * *

To be continued...