CHAPTER THREE

	Nuku Nuku awoke to the sound of fierce cries.
	She stretched lazily and blinked in the light of dawn, trying to
remember the events of the previous night.  First she had gone home with
this nice family, and were shown to their room.  For some reason the boy
she had saved seemed upset by this - something about it being his room -
but his father just hit him until he was quiet.  Then after a while they
had gone down to dinner, during which she got to talk to Ranma some
more, which was fun.  Akane seemed unhappy about something, though.  And
Akane's father was talking to Mama-san an awful lot, and making
funny-looking faces.  Nuku Nuku wondered if he was sick or something. 
	After that, this little pig showed up in a bandanna.  Nuku Nuku wanted
to chase it - after all, Ranma was doing it, too - but Akiko wouldn't
let her.  Besides, it turned out to be Akane's pet, so she would've felt
kinda bad about it.  They - Ranma and the pig - ran into the bathroom,
then for some reason Ranma came out fighting with another boy.  The new
boy was yelling at Ranma about something to do with cheating on Akane -
which Nuku Nuku didn't understand at all.  She hadn't seen them playing
any games.  Anyway, the fight ended when the new boy accidentally landed
face first in Nuku Nuku's... well, he kind of jumped back and got a
nosebleed, then fainted. 
	Later on they went to bed, and the night passed pretty quietly.  Before
the sun came up Nuku Nuku woke up and explored a little, then went back
to sleep on the roof of this other building.  And now it seemed like
there was something going on inside it.  She crawled to the edge of the
roof and poked her head down, her hair cascading almost to the ground. 
	Peering through a window, she saw Akane, dressed in a white gi, sending
punches and kicks toward an imaginary opponent.  Nuku Nuku wasn't used
to anything like this - her own style was mostly instinct - and watched
in fascination. 
	Akane continued her practice, unaware of the cat-girl's gaze upon her. 
Which was just as well - her attacks were a bit fiercer than usual, as
she was imagining beating Ranma to a bloody pulp for paying so much
attention to that... that... Ooooo! 
	She stopped, breathing heavily.  *Okay, Akane.  Take it easy.  Just a
couple of days, and she'll be gone.  As long as she doesn't try and make
herself into another fiancee, that is...*  She wiped her forehead with a
cloth.  *Just have to keep my eyes open.* 
	She moved onto the next phase of her routine, and grabbed some cement
blocks from the storage room.  Placing one on top of two others, she
crouched before them, bringing her body and mind into focus... then
struck downward with a battle cry.  The block shattered in a cloud of
dust. 
	"Wai!"  The sound of applause caused Akane to look up, and she saw a
giggling Nuku Nuku in the doorway, dressed in casual clothes.  "That was
cool, Akane - you're so strong!" 
	Despite her intention to dislike the visitor, Akane found herself
smiling.  Nobody ever made a fuss over her like that - her father would
have considered it just part of her training, her sisters were too used
to it by now, and Ranma would have just shown off, rubbing her nose in
the fact that he was better.  Someone who was actually excited by her
skills was a new experience.  Maybe she had the wrong impression about
Nuku Nuku... 
	"Uh, thanks," she said.  "Are you interested in martial arts?" 
	"Nuku Nuku fights a little, though it's mainly just for play." 
	"Oh."  Akane pushed the debris away.  "Would you like to try it?" 
	"Um... I don't know..."
	"Oh, come on.  Look, I'll start you out with wood - that won't be so
hard." 
	"Well..."  Nuku Nuku hesitated, then remembered that Mama-san had told
her to be polite.  "Okay!"  She skipped over to Akane, who set a
two-inch block of wood on top of the cement stand. 
	"Now, be careful,"  Akane warned.  "Don't hit with all your strength -
you might hurt yourself.  Just concentrate, and try to focus." 
	"I'll try, Akane-san."  Nuku Nuku glared at the wood in concentration,
the effect slightly marred by the tonguetip poking out of the side of
her mouth.  Finally she yelled in imitation of Akane's kiai, and swung
her hand downward. 
	There was silence.
	The cat-girl laughed awkwardly.  "I guess I overdid it again." 
	"Nuku Nuku!"
	She stood up at Akiko's call.  "Hai!"  She trotted outside.  "Thanks,
Akane!  That was fun!" 
	Silence reigned a few moments longer in the training hall, then Akane
sat down heavily.  Try as she might, she couldn't tear her gaze away
from the point of impact. 
	Nuku Nuku had, in fact, broken the wooden block.  That wasn't the
problem.  The problem was that her hand had kept going, and had ended up
creating a five-inch deep crater in the wooden floor. 

	"I'm going to meet with the elder Kuno," Akiko announced, checking her
briefcase.  "Why don't you stay here with our new friends?" 
	Nuku Nuku looked downcast.  "Did Nuku Nuku do something wrong?  I
wanted to stay with Mama-san.  Are you mad at me?" 
	"Oh, no, dear.  Not at all.  I... ah... just don't want you to be
bored.  And I thought you might like to talk to that nice young Ranma
boy at the same time." 
	The cat-girl brightened up.  "He's nice.  I like him, and Nabiki, and
Kasumi, and Akane..." 
	"Yes, yes.  We'll see if we can arrange... eh?"
	A shout from outside caught her attention, and they both wandered over
to the window.  Nuku Nuku watched for a moment, then giggled.  "Look! 
Ranma and his father are playing." 
	The two martial artists were engaged in their habitual training session
over the dojo's reflecting pond.  As the ladies watched, father and son
would stand at opposite ends of the pool, staring each other down, then
leap at each other, colliding in a flurry of punches and kicks, until
they dropped back down to the edge of the pool. 
	Nuku Nuku laughed excitedly as she watched, clapping her hands in
approval.  Akiko smiled.  *Maybe she's ready after all...* 
	The training session ended abruptly as Genma leapt a bit higher than
normal, and landed on his son's head.  He bounded off Ranma to dry land,
easily evading the large splash that followed.  Akiko turned away from
the window.  "Come along, dear - let's go downstairs." 
	"Hai!"  They exited, closing the door behind them, and therefore missed
seeing the red-haired young girl bob to the surface of the pond. 

	The high-pitched muttering was audible before they opened the door. 
"Jeez... why'dja have to hit me so hard, old man?  It ain't like..." 
	"Raaaaaanmaaa!"  Akiko called as she slid the door open.  She blinked
and looked around the dining room.  "Ara? Where'd he go?" 
	Nuku Nuku's more sensitive hearing tracked the rapidly fleeing - though
slightly damp - footsteps into the kitchen.  There was a short pause,
then: "Argh! Hot! Hot!... aaaaaah.  Thanks, Kasumi." 
	A moment later Ranma returned, towelling down his hair.  "You wanted to
see me, Mrs. Natsume?"  He draped the towel over his shoulder and looked
up... then cringed back in surprise - Akiko's face was mere inches from
his own, eyes huge and glistening.  "W... what the..." 
	"Ranma," she said coaxingly, "I was hoping you would look after Nuku
Nuku while I'm gone today.  You'll do that for me, ne? Ne?" 
	"Um... well... I sort of have some stuff to do..." he hedged, noticing
Akane's angry stare in the background.  "You know... chores and stuff." 
	"Don't be rude, Ranma,"  Soun commanded, posing heroically.  "Our guest
is in need, and you would forsake her?  Shame on you!" 
	Everyone stared at him for a moment, then Kasumi stepped in. 
"Actually, Ranma, I need a few things from the market.  I'd be happy to
do your share of the chores if you'd go and pick them up for me." 
	"Excellent idea!"  Suddenly Ranma was surrounded by members of the
household.  "And buy your father a bag of rice cakes, m'boy..." 
	"I could use a little more film for my camera..."
	"And pick up a dozen roses for me,"  Soun whispered to him. "But let's
keep that between us." 
	Ranma burst out of the crowd.  "Ain't I got any say in this?!" 
	"It's okay,"  a soft voice announced, and all heads turned to see a
downcast Nuku Nuku in the doorway.  "Ranma-kun doesn't have to do it if
he doesn't want to." 
	"Well... it... it's not that I don't *want* to..." Ranma desperately
struggled for the words, until Akane pulled him aside.  He got a
panicked look in his eyes.  "Hey," he whispered, "don't get all mad or
nothin' - this wasn't my idea..." 
	She shook her head.  "I want you to go with her."
	"Huh?"  He looked at her, trying to detect any trance of sarcasm or
malice, but saw that she was just smiling.  "You mean it?  I thought
you'd be mad or something." 
	"I... I just have a good feeling about her.  I can't explain it."  She
smiled again.  "Go ahead!" 
	He stared a moment longer, still suspicious that this was a trick of
some sort, then turned to the guests.  "Um... Nuku Nuku?  Would you like
to go to the market with me?" 
	The change in her was immediate.  "Honto?  You mean it?"  He nodded,
and her face was lit up with a happy smile.  "Yokatta!"