ROUGH DRAFT ROUGH DRAFT ROUGH DRAFT ROUGH DRAFT!

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A wish come true, part 3: Forever my Ran-chan
A Ranma 1/2 fanfiction by Brian

Author's notice:  ALL HAIL TAKAHASHI-SAMA!!!  All credit for these
characters goes to the people who created them... that is not me.  You
should know this by now.

Auth. Note: << >> Means telepathic communication.
*-*-*-*

The story so far...  Akane got a wishing ring from Urd.  Then she got
mad at Ranma.  Now he and she never met, but she kept her memories.  Oh
my!

*-*-*-*

	Akane reentered the house.  Her photo shoot with Nabiki had been
almost... boring.  Nabiki had seemed completely uninterested in what she
was doing.  She still made certain that the pictures were quality, and
didn't show too much.  But she hadn't had the usual vitality that she
did when she had been sneaking pictures of Akane or Ranma.  She seemed
subdued, somehow.  She had left shortly after the shoot to go get the
film developed.
	Running upstairs Akane paused by the door to her father's room, it was
slightly ajar.  She chanced a look inside and was almost scared by what
she saw.  Soun was in his bed, asleep, but that wasn't what scared her. 
All around the room, and on the floor, were newspapers, some new, some
old.  Mounted on the wall opposite her father's bed was a postcard with
a picture of a panda on it.  She was already kneeling down to examine
her father by the time she realized that she had entered the room.
	Her father's face seemed a tad harder than it had been,  but even in
his sleep tears worked their way down his cheeks.  The pillow that he
was lying on was soaked clear through with the salty water from his
eyes.  She looked closer, examining the papers on the floor.  Newspaper
clippings detailing battles involving Ranma Saotome or a girl using the
same name in Nerima.  Akane found one from almost two years ago.  The
headline read 'Saotome-Hibiki brawl results in massive property damage'
it went on to detail accounts from bystanders.  Apparently Ryoga had
jumped from the sky shouting his usual "Ranma prepare to die!" battle
cry.  The ensuing battle had resulted in the destruction of several
stores and ended with Ryoga unconscious when the police arrived.  Ranma
had been cleared of liability due to eye-witness accounts that he had
not been responsible for any of the property damage, and had been acting
in self-defense.  Police had been unable to locate Ryoga for
questioning.
	<Yeah right, it was always Ranma's fault, he was always picking on poor
Ryoga, when I get my hands on Ranma he'll wish he'd...>  Akane stopped
herself before she lost control.  Anger had gotten her into this, she
wasn't going to let that happen again.  Not again.  When she spoke to
Ranma she would be nice and considerate and careful and she would
convince him to come to the dojo and they would all live happily ever
after.
	She stood up, intent on her goal, and turned to find herself staring
into the stern face of Kasumi.  But it wasn't Kasumi, the Kasumi that
Akane knew was full of life, always smiling, and never got angry.  The
young woman standing before Akane seemed drained, as if she were
fighting a battle that she knew she couldn't win, but kept fighting
anyway, and would continue fighting until either she, or her opponent,
fell.
	Kasumi spoke up in a voice that barely qualified as a whisper.  "You
shouldn't be in here, Akane-chan.  You wouldn't want to wake father.  He
might get upset again.  Let's go to the kitchen."  Kasumi turned and
began to walk down the hall towards the staircase.  She was walking
deliberately, as though it took great strength for her to do so.  When
she began to descend the staircase Akane knew what was the matter,
Kasumi was limping.  She was favoring her left leg just a little bit
when she walked.
	"Kasumi, are you alright?  You're limping."
	Kasumi turned around and favored Akane with a smile that couldn't hide
the fact that it was forced.  "I am fine, Akane, why don't you go change
into something more... suitable.  I will be in the kitchen making some
tea."
	Akane realized she was still in her swimsuit, she blushed dark crimson
and sped for her room.  She emerged in record time wearing a very
conservative blue house dress.  It looked alot like her school uniform. 
She stopped to close the door to her father's bedroom and made her way
down to the kitchen where Kasumi had just begun to pour the tea.
	"I am sorry, Akane, but the tea might be a little cold.  I don't want
to risk letting it boil.  The whistle, you see."
	Akane nodded her acceptance of this.  Kasumi could have just told her
that there was rat poison in there.  She wasn't going anywhere until she
found out what she needed to know.  She sipped the tea, it wasn't cold,
but it wasn't quite hot either.  She decided not to drink anymore.  When
Kasumi walked over to the stove to turn off the heating coil, Akane
noticed the way she was walking once again.
	"Kasumi, what happened?"
	"It is nothing Akane, really.  Mistress Kodachi's pet alligator,
Midorigame, got loose again.  Nothing truly bad happened, just some
broken dishes and a little bruise on my leg.  She made up for it by
doubling my salary for tonight.  I gave my check to Nabiki as she left. 
With any luck, you wont have to do another photo shoot for awhile."
	Kasumi shot Akane a smile that almost seemed genuine, if it weren't for
the fact that it never reached her eyes.  Suddenly Akane realized what
Kasumi had just said.
	"*Mistress* Kodachi, Kasumi?"
	"I'm sorry, I spend most of my time over at the Kuno house either
cleaning or with Sasuke, their little ninja, it just sort of rubbed off
on me after awhile.  I don't usually refer to her like that though.  She
insists that I call Kodachi-chan.  She says that's more proper as I am
slightly older than her, and more like a friend than a servant.  I get
along rather well with her.  I usually don't see either her or
Tate-kun.  She spends alot of her time planning to woo some boy"
	Akane was stupefied, <RANMA!> but she retained her calm so as not to
betray any information.  <Maybe I can get some more information from
Kasumi.> "What's this boy's name, Kasumi?"
	"Oh my, I never did hear either of them say his name.  I've always been
in such a hurry to keep their mansion clean.  It is a truly enormous
household.  Usually if one of them is planning something I am already
headed somewhere else."
	"Well, I'm sure it can't be that important then."
	"I guess not Akane..." At the sound of Nabiki reentering the house and
heading upstairs Kasumi glanced over at the clock, it read just past
nine.  "Perhaps it was time you went to bed, you have school tomorrow. 
I think I need to head upstairs as well.  I'll clean up in the morning."
	Kasumi exited the kitchen and headed towards the stairwell.  Akane
followed closely behind her.  Kasumi wobbled a little as they ascended
the staircase, but with help from Akane she remained on her feet.  After
they had reached the top Akane led Kasumi to her room.  Kasumi smiled at
Akane as she opened the door, her limp had apparently been aggravated by
the climb up the stairs.
	"Kasumi, perhaps you should go see Tofu-sensei tomorrow.  He can help
you with that limp."
	Kasumi's visage turned slightly crestfallen at the mention of the good
doctor.  "Perhaps, Akane.  I think he could use with some cheering up as
well.  He doesn't joke around nearly as much as he used to.  He always
seems sad whenever I go to see him for some reason."  She shut the door
and Akane could hear her heading to bed.
	Akane gazed sadly at the closed door for a few minutes before turning
and heading towards her own room.  She flicked on the light and glanced
around the room, several things were different, the picture she had
kept, treasured, held when she was lonely, the picture of all of them at
Togenkyo, was gone.  Along with it had vanished any link she had to
Ranma.  She realized that that picture was the only thing she really had
that could qualify as an actual picture of him.  The thought made her
even sadder than she already was.  She failed to notice that none of the
souvenirs that she had gotten from Ryoga were there either.
	She changed into her nightclothes, flicked off the light and attempted
to sleep.
	<Dad, Nabiki, Kasumi... I'm so sorry.>

*-*-*-*

	Akane woke late, sleep having been a difficult thing to attain in the
first place.  She was jarred awake by a peculiar sensation.  The
sensation of being someone nudging her in an attempt to wake her up.
	"Akane?  Yo, Akane!"
	Akane opened her eyes and found herself staring into the face of a
pigtailed-boy in chinese clothes.
	"Pervert! What are you doing in my BEDROOM?"  She swung her fist
towards the pigtailed figure.  It passed right through him.
	"That's the sorta thing that got you into this mess in the first place
Akane.  Now..."  Ranma leaned next to her and put his mouth near her
ear, and Screamed. "WAKE UP!"
	Akane sat bolt upright in bed to find Nabiki staring at her.  The
brunette raised an eyebrow.  "Not quite the reaction I was expecting. 
But at least you're up.  C'mon, breakfast is ready, and dad'll get
pissed if we're late for school."
	Recalling her dream, Akane stared at her shaking fist in shock.  Before
remembering the events of the previous day.  <Maybe I can run into Ranma
at school, then I'll fix everything, and he'll love me again, and his
dad will force... no, his dad will recommend he become engaged to me and
he'll forget all about Ukyo.>
	Almost managing to convince herself that this would work, Akane dressed
in her jumper and headed downstairs for breakfast.

*-*-*-*

	Urd watched from somewhere between dreamspace and reality as Akane left
her room.  Disguising herself as Ranma and entering Akane's dream had
proven to be more risky than she had anticipated.  She couldn't have
Akane believing her whole experience with Ranma to be a dream.  That
would be more dangerous than locking Ranma in a room full of cats.
	She was lost in her reverie when a voice inside her head began to speak
to her.  <<Then maybe you should not interfere.>>
	"But Kami-sama, I have to set things right."
	<<Akane will work this out in her own time.  It is too bad that time is
one thing that she does not have.>>
	"What do you mean, Lord?"
	<<Trust me on this.>>
	"You locked me in dreamspace here temporarily for lying to her about
Ryoga so... do I have a choice?"
	<<It is only for a day or so, you will survive, and the answer to your
question is no.>>

*-*-*-*

	Akane sat at the table, eating her meager portions of food.  Soun was
at the head of the table, engrossed in a newspaper.  He hadn't touched
his meal.  When Akane had seen him as she first entered she was almost
certain that it was someone else.  <He's so thin...>  His face no longer
looked as open as it once had, and though there had been tears on his
face last night, this morning he looked as though he had been carved
from stone.
	Nabiki was eating quickly and not saying anything.  The moment she
finished she picked up her backpack and was out the door.  Akane
continued to nibble away at her breakfast, the quiet was beyond
disturbing.  If something insane didn't happen soon she was confident
that she would go nuts.
	Kasumi stood from the table and grabbed a basket from the side of the
room.  It had some of Dr. Tofu's books in it, but where Akane had
expected medical journals, these were books on psychology and clinical
depression.  She wasn't sure what to make of it but had a guess as to
what, or rather who, they were for.  Kasumi made her way to the door
with some difficulty as her left leg seemed slightly worse than it had
been last night.
	"I'll be going to Dr. Tofu's if you need anything father."
	Soun's eyes moved slightly so he could get a good look at his oldest
daughter.  "Kasumi, you appear to be limping, are you well?"
	Kasumi looked down at her toes as though they would provide an answer
that she could live with.  "I suffered a minor bruise on my leg
yesterday Father.  I think that I should have Dr. Tofu look at it."
	"Akane, you go to school.  I think that I will help Kasumi to Dr.
Tofu's today."  Soun stood up as he dropped his newspaper.
	Akane noticed that Kasumi looked genuinely surprised what Soun just
said.  Kasumi found her voice after a few moments of staring at Soun
strangely.  "Are you sure father, I mean, you haven't left the house for
no real reason in such a long time... almost a year... do you really
wish to go?"
	"Why, yes, Kasumi.  I think that maybe it's time for me to get back out
into the world... and if we should find Genma, I will hold him to his
vow... and he will explain why he did not arrive at the dojo that
night."  Soun clenched his fist as a red aura surrounded him and began
to glow darker, and darker.
	Akane stood and ran out of the house, the tears were threatening to
come again, and she had to be strong if she was going to do this.  Her
father hated Mr. Saotome now, could she still get him to go along with
the engagement.  If she could, could she get Ranma to?  <Wait a minute,
of course I can... I just have to meet Ranma.  I can get him to fall in
love with me again.  It'll be easy, and my dad doesn't really hate Mr.
Saotome.  He's just upset.>
	Akane took off towards Furinkan high, with her mind fixed on one
thing... Ranma.

*-*-*-*

	Passing through the gates, Akane marveled at the sight of probably
three fourths of the male population of Furinkan lying sprawled on the
ground.  Some of them looked as though they'd taken a severe beating. 
Passing the large pile of boys by, the last thing she noticed was
Tatewaki Kuno lying unconscious with his head buried about a foot in the
ground.  Akane could hear him mumbling something and leaned down closer
to listen.
	"Ohh... my goddess of the griddle... she loves me well."
	Akane stepped on his head, driving him further into the terra firma,
punctuated with one of her favorite words.  "Baka!"  Not understanding
why she had wanted to hear what he had to say, she ran into the school. 
She was late again.

*-*-*-*

	She entered her classroom to find the teacher glaring at her.
	"Ms. Tendo... you no longer have any excuse for being late to class." 
He raised his hand and pointed towards the doorway.  "Buckets, hall,
now."
	Akane did a quick scan of her classroom before she grasped the buckets
and headed out into the hall.  As she stood there she went over it again
and again.  Yuka and Sayuri were watching her as though her being late
was the strangest thing in the world.  Hiroshi and Daisuke had been
half-asleep, and Ranma... Ranma hadn't been in there!
	Akane ran through the classroom in her mind over and over again.  Ranma
wasn't in there!  Ukyo had been, but where was Ranma?  It didn't make
any sense.  Suddenly, a commotion from down the hall distracted Akane
from her train of thought.
	"Dammit Kuno!  I don't got time to deal with you right now!"  Ranma
leapt out into the intersection a short ways away from Akane, he was
followed closely by a bokken strike.
	"Silence wretch!  I shall free my goddesses from thy most vile
sorcery."
Kuno swung his bokken in low attempting to remove Ranma's legs.  Ranma
leapt over the swing and planted a foot in Kuno's face.  Kuno flew
backwards through a wall, crashing into one of the Home economics
classes.  Several girls carrying trays of cookies looked out into the
hall.
	"I really hope you know that people don't talk like that no more." 
Ranma shook his head and sighed, "What a moron."  Ranma turned around
and looked at a clock on the wall.  He jumped up in surprise.  "DAMMIT
KUNO!"  He turned and jetted down a different hallway, "NOW I'M REALLY
LATE!"  Ranma's voice faded as he sped down the hall towards where Akane
figured his classroom to be.
	"Well, that explains that.  Now how to talk to him."  Akane set her
buckets down on the floor and began thinking.  No sooner had she started
than a high-pitched voice rang out a few feet away from her.
	"You naughty delinquent, you shouldn't put your buckets down like
that.  HAPPO-GO-EN-SATSU!"  Akane turned around about to say 'Huh?' when
she found herself falling unconscious due to a severe lack of Ki.  She
didn't notice the twelve year-old behind her morph into a shapely thirty
year-old woman.

*-*-*-*

	Ranma slept through most of his classes, this was not abnormal.  He
woke up when he heard everyone heading out for lunch.  Following the
crowd, he soon found himself outside.  Taking up his usual spot under a
tree, he opted to wait for Ukyo before starting to eat.  After a few
minutes she walked towards the tree, her omnipresent spatula strapped to
her back.  She was waving as she walked towards him.  She sat down,
pulled her grill out from nowhere and began preparing herself a couple
okonomiyaki.
	"So Ran-chan, pleasant dreams in class?"
	"Yeah there was this one with..."  He caught himself.  "Who? Me?
Sleeping in class, you're the one who's dreaming Ucchan."  Ranma bit
into the sandwich he had brought for lunch.  Ucchan stared at him in
shock.
	"I could hear you snoring in MY classroom, that's quite a distance you
know, and you have a very distinctive snore.  Your pop's gonna be
upset."
	"He'll get over it, it's not like he ever did anything to encourage me
that school was important.  No, not school, just martial arts."  Ranma
shifted his voice and began imitating Genma.  "Oh yes boy, throwing you
into a pit of starving cats is a very wise thing to do...  This training
ground is perfectly harmless, just because it's name means 'pools of
sorrow' doesn't make it dangerous."  They began laughing.  Ranma took a
couple more bites, finishing his sandwich.  Ukyo noticed this time. 
"And what's with the sandwich, are you too good for my okonomiyaki?"
	"Ucchan you know I love your okonomiyaki, but there's other food out
there in the world."
	"Like what?"
"Well for instance there's..."  There was a loud crashing sound from
across the yard. "..ramen."  Ranma finished his sentence just as a
purple blur took the form of Shampoo, who latched onto him with her
standard vice-like grip.
	"Nihao!  Wo de airen, Shampoo bring lunch.  You eat then take Shampoo
to date, yes?"  Unwrapping one arm from Ranma's neck Shampoo reached
down at the ground by her feet, there was a small box there, Shampoo
pushed it into his face.  The ramen, which smelled delicious, had a
peculiar blue tinge to it, which faded into a purple, and slowly began
cycling through the entire spectrum.  Even bothering to stop at both
white and black.
	"Uh, sorry Shampoo.  I'm not exactly hungry right now, right Ucchan?" 
Ranma looked pleadingly at Ukyo as she watched the scene.  She was not
pleased that Shampoo was once again attempting to drug, poison or
otherwise herbally affect her fiancee.
	"That's right Shampoo, he's not hungry."  She gracefully removed
Shampoo's hands from around Ranma's neck.  "Now, my little lavender
tressed bimbette.  Why don't you go take a speech course?"
	"Spatula girl keep Shampoo and Husband from being together..."
	"You bet your life I do."
	"Shampoo kill!"  Shampoo brought her bonbori down towards Ukyo's head,
but found it blocked by one of her throwing spatula's.
	Holding it in one hand, Ukyo reached around with the other and punched
Shampoo in the face, sending her sprawling.  Shampoo looked up in
shock.  "Spatula girl been training!"
	Ukyo looked at Shampoo smugly and twirled her mini-spatula before
placing it back in her bandoleer.  "I live in the same house as Ranma,
what do you expect Shampoo?"  Ukyo's face changed from smug to serious. 
"Now go back to the Nekohanten and let me and my fiancee eat lunch."
	Shampoo smiled just a little as she looked at Ukyo.  "Spatula girl
gotten better, Shampoo no need hold back now."  With a loud 'Hiya!' 
Shampoo leapt towards Ukyo, bringing her bonbori to the ready.  Sphere
met spatula, and the battle was joined.  Shampoo tried a sweep.  Ukyo
jumped over it, performing an elaborate backflip while sending a barrage
of her throwing spatulas at the amazon.  Shampoo caught them and sent
them flying right back.  Ranma just stood on the sidelines looking
somewhat worried.
	The battle had raged for almost fifteen minutes when Ukyo ran out of
her throwing spatula's and Shampoo started showing signs of tiring. 
They had both been exerting themselves far too much.  Shampoo brought
her bonbori down full strength towards Ukyo's head.  The chef crossed
her arms in front of her face in an attempt to block, she closed her
eyes and braced for impact.  But a strong hand stopped the descent of
the balloon maces.  When Ukyo opened her eyes she saw Ranma staring
straight back into them.
	Ranma turned to face Shampoo.  "You should be more careful with these
things Shampoo, Ukyo coulda been hurt."
	Shampoo tried to spit in the chef's face, but her mouth had run dry. 
"That whole idea... get rid of stupid chef, then take Ranma to China. 
Ranma make Shampoo happy ever."  Shampoo sighed wistfully and fell into
a sort of semi-daydream state.
	Ranma waved his hand in front of her face.  "Yo Shampoo!"  She awoke
from the spell she had been under.  A question in her eyes.  Ranma
responded as best he could.  "Go back to the Nekohanten, we got class."
	"Ok, Airen, baibai!"  Shampoo turned to face Ukyo with a sneer. 
"Finish with Spatula girl later."  Shampoo leapt over a wall and began
sprinting from rooftop to rooftop.  Ranma turned to Ukyo, a smile on his
face. "C'mon Ucchan, we got class."  Pecking his fiancee on the cheek,
Ranma turned and leapt up towards the third story of the Furinkan High
School building.  Leaving Ukyo standing there, amazed, until the bell
rang.
	With a shriek of "I'M LATE!" Ukyo left a dust trail heading straight
for her classroom.

*-*-*-*

	Akane woke up to find herself in the infirmary.  The last thing she
remembered was a little girl in a yellow dress calling her a
delinquent.  <Oh, fantastic... Ms. Hinako.  That's just wonderful, now I
probably missed Ranma at lunchtime.>  She glanced up at the clock.  <No,
I missed lunchtime altogether... wonderful. Heck I missed most of
school.>  Standing up, wobbling a little.  Akane scanned the room to
find her bag wasn't there.  Hearing a moan from the bed next to her, she
walked over and pulled away the curtain.  Tatewaki Kuno, a legend in his
own mind, Blue Thunder of Furinkan high, and self-proclaimed true love
of any beautiful woman.  Was sitting up on one of the beds and clutching
his head as if to ward off an evil spirit.  He noticed Akane staring at
him.  "Ah, the noble Akane Tendo.  I see that your feeling for me has
not wavered.  I am sorry that I can no longer return your love.  There
are others in the world who require the Blue Thunder's noble presence. 
My flame-haired goddess in pig-tails awaits, as does my queen of the
culinary arts.  Has your sister yet captured their divine images for
myself to purchase?  I cannot bear the thought of another owning such
beauteous... uh... beauties."
	Akane was so busy glaring at Kuno that she didn't notice the person
walking up behind her.
	"The Blue Thunder doth protest too much Methinks."
	Akane and Kuno both looked towards the voice and recognized the
brunette with the short bob haircut for what she most likely was at that
time.  A source of information.
	"Ah, Nabiki Tendo.  I see you too have come to bask in mine divine
presence this fair day.  I will overcome that foul Saotome's sorcery
yet."
	"Yeah sure, Kuno-chan.  Akane could you go over there for a second.  I
have some business concerning his love."
	Akane looked over towards where Nabiki was pointing, the hallway. 
Akane walked into the hallway and stopped just outside the door. 
Nabiki's voice carried over rather well.
	"So Kuno-chan.  How much are you willing to pay for information on your
love's whereabouts?  Starting price is 20,000 yen."
	"Done."
	Akane could hear Nabiki's face-fault from out in the hall.  Obviously
Nabiki had not expected Kuno's unquestioning compliance.  She heard
Nabiki gather herself, the voice was cold and expressionless again. 
"Okay Kuno.  Fork it over."
	Akane heard the leafing through of large bills and a satisfied click
from Nabiki's wallet as it strained around the new wealth.  Kuno
sighed.  "Now what is the information that is costing me such exorbant
fees to obtain?"
	"The pig-tailed girl lives at 'Ucchan's Okonomyaki-ya."
	Kuno sputtered and Akane heard him choke on his voice.  "Bu-bu-but...
are you telling me that my fair pig-tailed goddess dwells in the same
building as Ukyo Kuonji and the foul sorcerer.  How can this be?"
	"Sorry Kuno, explanations cost extra."
	Kuno's response was as expressionless as Nabiki could ever hope to be. 
"I hate you, you know..."
	"That matters to me, you can tell."  The sarcasm in Nabiki's voice was
deeper than the growl coming from Kuno's throat.

*-*-*-*

	Akane walked down the hall with Nabiki, mulling over the information
that she had just received from her little bout of eavesdropping.  <So
Ranma and Ukyo are both staying at the Ucchan.  Maybe I should stop
by... I just have to make sure that I don't give anything away.  All it
takes is a little self-control when I'm talking to Ranma or Ukyo.  I'll
be fine.>  Akane smiled as she thought of how easy it would be to win
Ranma from Ukyo.  After all, Ukyo couldn't compete with her in the real
timeline, how much different could it possibly be here.
	Out of the corner of her eye, Nabiki saw Akane smile and noticed as her
step suddenly seemed that much lighter.  Something was up, and she
didn't know what it was.  Not good.  "So Akane, how was it you came to
be drained by Ms. Hinako anyway.  You're never late anymore, not since
those boys stopped chasing you, and I've never known you to get in
trouble during class.  So what was it?"
	Akane was slightly startled at the question.  "Oh, I was just thinking
about something.  I was a little distracted, otherwise Ms. Hinako would
never've been able to drain me."
	"Oh, and what was it that distracted you?"
	Before Akane could answer one of Nabiki's underlings called her over
for a private conference.  Nabiki seemed rather upset that she hadn't
had time to get a response, but the information she was about to receive
would more than make up for it.
	Akane was walking out of the doorway to the school when she heard
Nabiki's yell of "WHAT?  THAT ISN'T POSSIBLE!"  Akane fell into a
shocked daze when the voice rang out over the school.  <Nabiki is never
that excited, what could the news possibly be to do that to her.>  Akane
turned around and was almost plowed into by Nabiki who was running
faster than Akane would have thought possible.  Nabiki was almost
boiling by the time Akane had regained her balance.  When Akane was
standing again Nabiki ran off, shouting back behind her.  Not even
looking at Akane,  "SORRY!"
	<Nabiki?  Apologizing?  Something must be really wrong.>  Akane began
to run after her sister.  "NABIKI!  WAIT UP!"  Akane had to break into a
full out sprint to catch up to Nabiki, inside she was amazed at Nabiki's
speed.
	Akane grabbed her sister and turned her so that they were looking into
each other's eyes.  "Now, what's this about sis?"
	Nabiki visibly settled down under Akane's intense glare.  She sighed
before beginning to speak.  "You know that boy, Ranma Saotome."
	Akane nodded.  "What about him?"
	"Well, Akane, it turns out that both he and the pig-tailed girl... are
the same person.  Whenever he gets hit with cold water he turns into the
pig-tailed girl and whenever he gets hit with hot water he turns back
into a boy."
	Akane couldn't grasp the importance of this.  "Yeah, so what?  You
didn't know that?"
	Nabiki's eyes, if possible, got even wider at her sister's remark.  Her
voice betrayed none of that, however.  "You knew about this and you
didn't tell me?"
	Akane's first thought was <DOH!> followed quickly by <I guess I didn't
know about Ranma's curse in this life.>  She attempted a recovery.  "I,
uh, didn't think it was, um, that important..."  Akane gave sort of a
moronic giggle and began inching away from Nabiki.  Nabiki put her hand
on Akane's shoulder and squeezed just hard enough that Akane could feel
it.  Akane stopped moving.
	"Akane... for two years Ranma Saotome has gone to this school.  When he
first showed up we promised each other that we would have as little to
do with him as possible..."  Nabiki sighed.  "I discover that the two
girl's that Kuno would pay unimaginable amounts of money for spend a
large amount of their time around him.  This make things harder than
they ought to be, but I can live with that.  But when one of them
actually turns out to BE Ranma Saotome, I think it qualifies as
important.  Even more so when both he and Ukyo Kuonji have gone to
obviously elaborate lengths to keep it secret, I'm even more amazed that
they succeeded in keeping it from me as long as they did.  You've known
about this, judging from your reaction, for some time now and yet YOU
DIDN'T TELL ME!"
	Akane was thrown off balance by Nabiki's outburst.  She'd almost never
seen Nabiki mad.  Nabiki didn't get mad, she got even... with interest. 
"Um, actually Nabiki, I was um... just pretending, I don't really know
anything about him at all."
	Nabiki looked into her sister's eyes and was almost frightened by what
she saw there.  "You're lying Akane.  I know in the past I've done some
rotten things but I would hope that you'd still trust me to some small
degree."  Akane flinched under her sister's words.
	Nabiki continued her speech.  "Tell me the truth... you're in love with
him aren't you?  Just like all those other girls."  Nabiki stared at her
sister, hoping that the answer that was coming would set her fears
aside.
	Akane closed her eyes and bit her lower lip.  Then she nodded.

<more>
C&C me please