This is part 2 of the Hawaii stories. C&C welcome, as usual. 
  For part 1, check the synopsis list for the previous week. 

____________________________________________________________

                  #8: Doco in Hawaii, part 2: Maui
			The Longest Three Days of Life
			The Wheel of Fire, Part 3: Doco-- Turning Point

  Written by Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@hotmail.com)
  http://www.crosswinds.net/anaheim/~slythe/ranma/ranff.html
  Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 and characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. And 
all that other good stuff. Proper licenses belong to respective properties 
and characters. The manga has precedence over material in the anime. 
  This file can be freely distributed so long as it appears in its complete 
form and proper credit. No part may be reproduced for monetary gain without 
permission from the author. (to which the answer is probably "no")

  Author's note: This series takes place after the final manga story, Vol.
38. It follows after my previous fics, "Moments of Transition," "Team Ranma 
vs. the Orochi Assassins," "End of the Beginning," "Descending Spiral," 
"Specters," "The Law of Amazons," "Doco in the Battle of the Bands," and 
part 1 of "Doco in Hawaii." See "Plot Points" below for important 
developments in the storyline. The second part of a three-part story in 
Hawaii. 

Plot Points (from previous stories)
==================================
1. Ranma and Akane are married. 
2. The Nerima crew (Doco, consisting of Ranma, the Tendo sisters, the Kunos, 
Shampoo, Mousse, Ling-ling and Lung-lung, Ryoga, Akari, Ukyo, and Konatsu) 
have won an all-expenses paid trip to Hawaii. 
3. The so-called 'Kiss of Death' law has been forcibly-repealed by Cologne. 
4. Mousse is now an outsider of his tribe (banished by Cologne). He's now 
living and working at Ucchan's, since Cologne's still mad at him for defying 
traditions. 
5. Ryoga is looking for his mother to get permission to marry Akari. 
6. Mousse and Shampoo have reached an understanding in their 'relationship.' 
7. Kodachi and Tatewaki have reached an understanding. Unfortunately for 
Ranma, both Kunos hate him-- period. 
8. The ex-Ranma-fiancees have reached an understanding. Now they treat each 
other like old friends, as there's no reason to fight anymore. 
9. Both Kunos know that Ranma and the pig-tailed girl are the same person. 
While Kodachi accepts this, Kuno's hatred of Ranma was intensified, since 
the sorcerer Ranma toyed with his fragile heart. Kodachi sees the curse as 
an 'added incentive' to give up on Ranma and look for 'more perfect' guys. 
10. Ukyo discovers she can manipulate chi, but as of yet it manifests only 
in her okonomiyaki. With proper training she could become more powerful than 
Ranma, according to the minions of Orochi. 
11. Kuno and Ranma's latest battle ended in a draw. Both itch for revenge. 

------------------------------------------------
Opening: Earth Orchestra (aka the Principal's song)
(with the Ranma Guys: Ranma, Mousse, Ryoga, and Kuno)
(a jazzy, upbeat tune that sounds like a celebration)

(Ranma) If you listen closely, far out of sight
you can hear singing voices.

In this city, somewhere, 
the machine sending those voices,
you can't see it, not at all!

Those voices never reached
as far as here;
since they were wiped out,
you can't hear that clear song.

(horns blow)

Listen there!  A little sound--
next to your eyes and
the tip of your nose

The verdant sound starts to overflow,
so long as no one obstructs it.

You too, are a single sound
born on this wide world.
Let's return!  Into that sound!

(Ryoga) Fondly-remembered --
(All) If you mark the rhythm
with the rumbling mountains
you can see the dancing earth
resound vast, blue, and high,
Earth orchestra.

(Ranma) By that well-loved song,
I want to be enveloped.

(Kuno) Look --
(All) If you mark the rhythm
with the rumbling mountains
you can see the dancing earth
resound vast, blue, and high,
Earth orchestra.

(Mousse) You too,
(All) If you mark the rhythm
with the rumbling mountains
you can see the dancing earth
resound vast, blue, and high,
Earth orchestra.
				*  *  *  *  *

  Previously, the gang has traveled from the Big Island and Kauai. A week 
has passed since the beginning of the trip, with four days on Hawaii, and 
three on Kauai. 

  This Hawaiian island was named Maui. It wasn't quite a short flight from 
Kauai, but it was definitely short compared to the trip from Japan to Oahu. 
  As soon as the small plane landed the fourteen teens from Nerima gathered 
their luggage and rented another extra-long van, similar to the van they'd 
rented back at the Big Island. After checking into a hotel and leaving their 
luggage the group decided to go sight-seeing for the rest of the afternoon. 
  What they ended up doing was renting bicycles to ride down the twisted 
road on the large mountain that dominated the island. 
  The group waited at the top of the mountain on the road, checking their 
equipment to make sure it worked properly. Ranma approached the group 
surrounding Kuno, consisting of Ukyo, Konatsu, Ryoga, and Kodachi. 
  "...allow me to demonstrate the multitude of talents possessed by myself, 
Tatewaki Kuno, as I navigate the twisted snaky road down the mountain...." 
  "So, think you're hot stuff, Kuno?" interrupted Ranma. 
  Kuno's head turned away, unconcerned, and waved Ranma away. "Be off with 
you, cretin, for your praise and acknowledgment are more minuscule to me 
than the smallest speck of dust that rest on my fingertips." 
  "I think you'd better put on that helmet tighter then," suggested Ranma, 
"as you'll need it as you eat pavement!"
  "Ranchan, I don't think that's a good idea...." Ukyo warned. 
  "Did I hear a call for a challenge, Saotome?" asked Kuno, meeting Ranma's 
confident gaze. 
  "You heard me!" replied Ranma. "First one to the bottom wins. Loser gets 
to carry the winner's luggage for the rest of the trip!" 
  Both Kunos laughed. Kuno said, "I accept your challenge, Saotome! You're 
out of your element!" 
  "Phaw!" scoffed Ranma. "Anything physical is my element!"
  "Either way," Kodachi added, "the loser gets to carry my luggage, too!" 
  "Deal!" Ranma agreed. Smugly, he added, "Well, Kuno, I hope you're in 
better shape than you look, because three sets of luggage is mighty heavy!"
  Both Ranma and Kuno departed to their respective bicycles. Just then, 
all four members of the China gang zoomed down the road ahead of the others. 
  Ranma looked at his helmet with disdain. "I don't need this," he said, 
tossing the helmet aside. He watched Kuno strap his helmet on, waiting 
impatiently. 
  Kuno produced a set of leather gloves and put them on. "Beware, Saotome! 
After today's race you'll be put in your place!" 
  "Enough squawking, let's go!" Ranma called, then zoomed off ahead of Kuno. 
  Kuno's eyes watched Ranma coldly. "Haste makes waste, Saotome!" The 
richman pedaled after. 
  As he pedaled faster and faster, a sudden thought struck Kuno. Where the 
hell were the brakes?! 
  That was his last thought as the first curve in the road came and passed. 
Kuno's surprised scream echoed throughout the area. 

  After three snaky curves in the road, Ranma lost sight of Kuno behind 
him. Fool, maybe he still has the kick-stand in place, Ranma thought as he 
slowed his pace. He allowed those behind him to pass, not once spying Kuno 
once. 

  Almost a half-hour later Ranma arrived at the bottom of the mountain road, 
where the others were waiting. Still no Kuno. 
  "Hey, guys!" Ranma called. "I made it!"
  "About time, Ranma!" yelled Mousse impatiently. "You're the last one 
left!"
  Ranma stared at Mousse in confusion. "Last one? But what about Kuno?"
  "How unfortunate, Saotome, that you've lost this challenge."
  Ranma's jaw dropped as Kuno emerged from the group. "You! How...?" 
  "He took the scenic route," explained Nabiki. 
  "Oh, that must be wonderful!" exclaimed Kasumi. 
  Kuno nodded. "Fortunately for my person, I was equipped with the 
appropriate safety gear to ensure that my... scenic trip, so to speak, 
brought as little pain as possible. In result, I was first to reach the 
bottom of the mountain, which makes you, Saotome, the loser of our little 
wager." 
  "But, but...." Ranma stuttered. 
  "He got you there, Ranchan," Ukyo said. 
  "But that's not fair!" Ranma yelled. 
  Kodachi brushed up against Ranma's arm. "So gentlemanly of you to carry 
my HEAVY luggage for me, dear Ranma! T'ha, hahahahaha!" 
  Ranma spared a worried glance at Akane, who seemed ready to either laugh 
or explode. From her look Ranma could read, 'you got yourself into this, 
you jerk.' 

  The next day the group decided to make a trip to Hana, a small town that 
lay on the other side of the island. Hana was relatively rural compared to 
the other side of the island, which displayed itself most by the road one 
must travel to reach Hana. 
  It was a two-lane mountain road that took twists and turns along the 
coast, with the mountain on one side and a sheer drop on the other. It took 
all of Kuno's ability to maintain his concentration on driving over the 
loud screams and bursts of terror spewing from the back of the van. 
  "Lean to the right!" someone called when Kuno turned around the bend. 
  Ukyo leaned forward from her seat and called, "If we went any faster 
there wouldn't be enough time to turn!" 
  The color from Akane's face drained rapidly as she clutched her stomach. 
"Ooooohhhh... I hate these car rides...."
  Kuno tried to ignore the complaints until Kodachi cried, "Slow down!" 
Kasumi and Nabiki, who were sitting up front with Kuno, noticed he was 
starting to lose his patience. 
  "Oh, what a lovely view!" Kasumi said as the van turned another bend. The 
view of the ocean was indeed spectacular, if one didn't look a little more 
downward, of course. 
  Nabiki tuned out the world as she read the travel guides. At present she 
was looking at the small road map on one of the pages, noting the rest stops 
along the road. 
  "Hey, Kuno-chan," started Nabiki, "there's a rest stop about 400 feet 
from here, on the right. I think we'd better pull over before the others 
really lose it." 
  "For once, my dear Nabiki Tendo, I agree," replied Kuno. 
  The one-lane bridge that came before the rest stop panicked the others 
even more as cars traveled in the other direction at the same time. 

  The turnoff Nabiki called a 'rest stop' was actually a clear area for cars 
to park, for travelers weary from their journey (or perhaps, give travelers 
some time to calm down a bit from the road trip). The turnoff sported an 
elevated area from which to stare at the ocean, but no bathroom facilities. 
Not even a pay phone for emergencies, but fortunately Nabiki purchased a 
cellular phone days earlier just for such cases. 
  As soon as Kuno removed the keys from the ignition, the eleven band 
members in the back piled out the sliding slide door, all landing in one 
large heap of people. Nabiki leaned out the window and watched the others 
embarrass themselves: Ryoga was kissing the dirt, Mousse was dancing in 
the middle of the turnoff, happy to be free from the stuffy van, and Akane 
ran off to find a good place to upchuck breakfast. 
  "Hey!" called Ukyo to the retreating Akane. "You didn't have to eat ALL of 
those hotcakes at breakfast!" 
  "Don't forget to lock the doors while we're away from the van," Nabiki 
said, slamming the door after Kasumi exited the van. 
  Kuno walked around the front of the van, bokken resting on his shoulder. 
"Where has Akane Tendo disappeared to, and why are my lessers, even my 
sister! making fools of themselves in full view of the public eye?" 
  "I take it they don't like the way you drove on the road," Nabiki 
answered. 
  Kuno shrugged. "The road wasn't much worse than some others I drove on 
back in Japan...."
  Kodachi gathered herself from the ground and approached her brother with 
one finger pointing at him accusingly. "That's the last time I'll let you 
drive this road, Brother! Now give me the keys so I can drive!" 
  "You insult the way I drive?" Kuno asked, unconcerned. 
  "Give me the keys, Brother!" Kodachi insisted. 
  "Very well," Kuno replied, digging his free hand into his pockets. At 
that moment, Kuno's expression became one of panic, as his bokken dropped to 
the ground, and both hands searched pockets. 
  "Don't tell me, you lost the keys...." Nabiki guessed. 
  "Impossible," Kuno cried, "I KNOW I had them!" 
  "Maybe you left them in the van," Kodachi suggested. 
  Frantically, Kuno ran back to the other side of the van, and pressed his 
face against the rolled-up window. Sure enough, there were the keys, lying 
on the driver seat, in plain view for the world to see. Kuno tried to open 
the door, but without success, then realized the door was locked. Quickly, 
in panic, Kuno dashed back to Nabiki and Kodachi. 
  "Someone tell me there's still an open window or door!" Kuno cried. 
  "You idiot!" Kodachi said, slapping Kuno across the face. 
  "I think the sliding door is still open...." Nabiki said. 
  *SLAM!* 
  Three sets of eyes stared at Ranma leaned against the closed sliding van 
door. The three rushed to Ranma in panic. 
  "Ranma," Nabiki started, trying to stay calm, "did you lock the door?" 
  "The door?" Ranma said. "Oh, that? Yeah."
  "AAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHH!!!" screamed Kodachi, Kuno, and Nabiki in unison. 

  While the others were stretching out and relaxing, Kuno, Ryoga, Ranma, 
Nabiki, Mousse, and Kodachi sat by the side of the van, trying to think of 
ways to get back inside. 
  "Well, I could try to blow a hole in the van," suggested Ryoga. 
  "Really?" Kodachi said sarcastically. "Yes, I really, REALLY want a new 
sunroof on the van. Oh, no problem, we'll have to pay the rental car 
company for the damages." 
  "Well, this IS an all-expenses paid trip, isn't it?" replied Ryoga. 
  "I'd prefer not to damage the van like that," Nabiki said. "Remember, 
we're stuck with it for the rest of our stay here." 
  "We could use Kuno's bokken to shatter a window," suggested Ranma. 
  "That's the same kind of thing, Ranma," replied Nabiki. 
  "This bokken," Kuno began, "is my favorite, most prized of all. It took 
many weeks to carve from a tree that was struck by lightning, and fashioned 
and cared for by my own loving hands. I won't allow the sorcerer, Ranma 
Saotome, to lay his filthy hands upon it!" 
  Nabiki pointed to Mousse. "I'm willing to bet you've got a lockpick or 
something in those robes of yours." 
  Mousse shook his head. "Sorry. All I have are weapons." 
  "Well, then, how about something of similar size?"
  "Nope." 
  "Not even a dart?" 
  "They're too big." 
  Nabiki looked around at the others. "I don't suppose someone's wearing a 
hairpin now, huh?" 
  "Even if someone did possess a hairpin," Kodachi said, "the door couldn't 
be picked anyway. Didn't you take a good enough look at the lock? They're 
not the same as with any other door." 
  "Then why don't we find some clay, and mold it in the shape of the real 
key?" suggested Ranma. 
  "Oh sure, good idea," returned Kodachi sarcastically. "Not only would this 
duplicate have to be precise to the tiniest fraction of meters, but we don't 
have a way to mold both sides of the key." 
  "I thought Nabiki had that cell-phone," Ryoga voiced. "We could call for 
help." 
  "No good," answered Nabiki. "I left that back in the van, too. Besides, 
we'd be stuck here for hours until help arrived." 
  Ranma threw up his arms in disgust. "Well, then, what DO we do?" Standing 
up, Ranma strode over to the passenger-side door of the van, and stared at 
the window. "I say we break a window!" Before the others could stop him, 
the inheritor of the Tendo dojo smashed his head into the window. 
  *THUNK!* 
  "Well, I always knew Ranma was thick-headed, but it seems the window is 
even thicker," commented Nabiki as she watched Ranma reel back in pain. The 
window remained unfazed by the attack. 
  "I believe the Americans who designed this vehicle placed strong windows 
there to help deter theft," noted Kuno. "Obviously, even cracking the window 
requires a greater mass and force than that of the sorcerer's head." 
  Ranma rubbed his sore head. "I'm not letting a window, of all things, to 
get the best of me!" Taking several steps back, Ranma let out a cry as he 
charged toward the passenger-side window of the van. He leaped, fists-first, 
and cried, "Take this, you stupid window!" 
  One-two punches beat against the hard surface of the window, backed by 
the momentum of Ranma's body. 
  *Ratta-tatta-tatta-tatta-tatta!* 
  "Obviously, the window isn't just thick glass," commented Nabiki. 
  Ranma yelled out in frustration as the window he pummeled remained intact. 
Not even a scratch marred the surface of the window. 
  "I have heard of certain chemical compounds that could serve as a 
substitute for thick glass," Kodachi said, "and yet remain almost half as 
thin. This window must also have been treated with a scratch-resistant 
coating, I'll wager." 
  Ryoga approached the window and studied it carefully. "How strange, this 
compound... even the weakest point of the window is strong enough to keep 
it together!" 
  Ranma took several more steps back. "Okay, window, looks like it's just 
you and me, and...." Throwing both arms forward, Ranma shouted, "Moko 
Takabisha!" 
  Not surprisingly, the chi-bolt of pure pride washed harmlessly off the 
side of the window. 
  Ranma threw himself into the air, one leg outstretched to attack the 
window with a flying kick. He channeled his chi into his forward leg, 
shouting, "Shooting Star Kick!" 
  For Ranma's efforts, he was rewarded with immense pain shooting through 
his forward leg. 
  Nabiki helped Ranma to his feet. "Seriously, Ranma, I think you need to 
take a different approach to the window." 
  "Nobody," Ranma began, "but nobody, beats me! Not even an inanimate, 
no-skill loser like a window!" 
  "I believe Saotome has finally met his match," commented Kuno. 
  "The more I stay around him, the less of a man he becomes," Kodachi 
snorted. "Surely he deserves Akane Tendo!" 
  Kuno shot a dirty look at Kodachi, but said nothing. 
  Mousse was busy inspecting the rest of the van while the others stood 
on the right side with Ranma, watching make several more failed attempts to 
break the window. Holding his glasses before his eyes, Mousse inspected the 
rear van doors. Then, with the other hand, he reached out to the handle and 
swung it open. 
  As Mousse rounded the open back door, he called, "Hey, guys, the back door 
is open...!" 
  At that point Mousse spied Ranma, almost floating in the air, throwing 
one-two kicks, one leg after another. The window hardly budged as Ranma 
landed on his back. 
  "What?!" Ranma cried. 
  The others were elated. 
  Nabiki rushed pass Ranma. "Well, I suppose it's lucky for us that someone 
forgot to lock the back door. Now to get the keys before something else 
goes wrong." 
  "But, but...." Ranma stuttered, staring at the unfazed window in anger. 
  "As soon as the others get back, we're back on the road," Kuno said. 
  Ranma stood up and stared coldly at the window. "It's not over between you 
and me, you hear that, you stupid piece of rock?!" 
  Not far away, Akane, Ukyo, and Kasumi walked down the path from the 
lookout point to the parked van, greeted by the odd sight of Ranma yelling 
and kicking at the van. 
  Ukyo slapped herself on the forehead and shook her head disappointingly. 
  "Oh my, what do you suppose Ranma's mad about?" asked Kasumi. 
  "Seems to me he's having another ego trip," decided Akane. 

  A day later the group decided to split up on their tour plans. While 
Nabiki wanted to take a boat tour, Ukyo wanted to take a helicopter tour 
instead. Since the helicopter accommodated at most five passengers, only 
Ukyo, Akane, Mousse, Ling-ling, and Lung-lung ended up on the helicopter 
tour, while the others ended up on the boat tour. 
  The small cruise ship was called the Pacific Watcher. The nine members of 
the band appeared to be the only Japanese tourists amongst the rest of the 
passengers (also tourists, mainly from America). Konatsu boarded the ship 
without a second glance after the captain noticed the sword strapped to his 
back. Consequently, two security guards followed Konatsu at all times around 
the ship, keeping their distance, but not enough distance for Konatsu not to 
notice. Obviously, they were bad at their jobs, Konatsu thought. 
  Among the nine on the ship, only Kuno, Kodachi, Kasumi, and Nabiki had 
enough ear for English to understand entire conversations at a time; the 
others could only pick up one word out of many every once in a while. 
Shampoo couldn't understand English at all. Silently, the Amazon cursed, 
mad that Mousse wasn't around to translate properly on her behalf, since 
Mousse understood and spoke English, among other languages, fluently as part 
of his training. Knowledge and information granted power, he reasoned. Now 
Shampoo faced the consequences of her choices. 

  Two hours out at sea, Kasumi sat down in the bottom cabin area at a table, 
and began writing a letter to her father back in Japan. It was then the 
commotion started. Droves of tourists ran into the cabin, yelling and 
screaming, and trampling over ones who didn't move fast enough. Over the 
commotion Kasumi heard someone shout, "Nobody move!" 
  Seemingly oblivious to her surroundings, Kasumi continued writing and 
said to herself, "Oh, if only those people would listen... then nobody 
would get hurt." 
  Nabiki rushed to Kasumi's position. "Get under the table, they have guns!" 
  Kasumi stopped writing, and stared at Nabiki in confusion. "Guns? Why 
would anyone want to bring guns on a cruise ship?" 
  "Argh!" Nabiki cried, then grabbed Kasumi and ducked under the table. 
"Don't you get it? We're being hijacked!" 
  "Oh my," Kasumi replied. "Does this mean we won't be finishing our tour 
on time?" 
  Four pistol-wielding men entered the cabin. One of them, apparently the 
leader, shouted, "Hands in the air! Drop all your valuables, and you won't 
be harmed!" 

  Meanwhile, on the balcony of the second level, Kuno and Konatsu watched as 
several men, armed with handguns, shoot into the air and herd the passengers 
into the bottom level cabin. Kuno noted that one of the men was preparing an 
escape boat, one which usually served as a life raft, probably for a quick 
getaway before the Coast Guard could arrive. Clever, maybe. Americans!  
  Turning his back away from the balcony, Kuno raised his bokken as he was 
confronted by one of the gun-wielding men. Konatsu had no time to draw his 
own blade. 
  "You two'd better come with me," the man said in English, in a deadly, 
low tone. 
  Kuno responded in English, "Point that silly and crude weapon away from 
me, my good man! Why use such an inconvenient weapon when something simpler 
would suffice?" 
  "Oh, a wise guy, eh?" the man said. Ready to squeeze the trigger, he 
continued, "Maybe this'll show you how crude this gun is!" He fired. 

  At the back of the boat Ranma, Shampoo, and Ryoga battled several thugs, 
back-to-back, in unarmed combat. Nearby Kodachi and Akari watched with 
enthusiasm as the trio beat back wave after wave of club-wielding men. 
  It was then when one of the opposing fighters got smart. With one arm the 
man grabbed Kodachi, and raised a knife to her throat. He shouted, "Nobody 
move, or the pretty lady gets it!" 
  The three fighters from Japan stopped, but not at the man's demand, but at 
a single gunshot coming from the front of the ship. It was then the three 
realized who was in danger. 
  "Leave her alone!" cried Ranma. But he realized the man probably didn't 
know Japanese. 
  "Okay, Bruce Lee, you and your buddies had better lay off my men and 
surrender, or the girl gets it!" the knife man repeated. Kodachi didn't dare 
reach for her ribbon, estimating by the time she caught something her throat 
would be in two pieces. 
  "I could care less if crazy-girl die," Shampoo spat. "Would rather fight!" 
  "Hey, that's not nice of you," Ryoga complained. "I thought you two were 
friends." 
  "Not that close," Shampoo replied. 
  How comforting, Kodachi thought. 
  Several more gunshots were heard. 

  As soon as the man fired his handgun, Kuno waved his bokken, catching the 
bullet in mid-flight. With motions almost too quick for the eye to see, Kuno 
batted the bullet away harmlessly. 
  "Care to try that again?" Kuno taunted, almost yawning. 
  "Why, you...!" The man fired off several more shots, all of which were 
deflected by Kuno's quick movements. 
  The scene continued as Konatsu drew his blade and leaped over the side of 
the balcony. At least, the shooting continued until the man ran out of 
bullets. 
  While the man stared at the clicking gun in confusion, Kuno made his move. 
He footswept the man, causing him to fall over. Soon Kuno stood atop the 
fallen gunman, and with one foot kicked the spent gun away. 
  "Unfortunate that your opponent should be the Blue Thunder of Furinkan 
High, Tatewaki Kuno," Kuno said. With one swipe, Kuno hit the man with the 
flat of his bokken, sending him off to Mr. Sandman. 
  He made his way to the rear end of the second level of the boat, 
tightening his hand into a fist of anger as Kuno spied Kodachi being held 
hostage at knifepoint by one blunderous man. Surrounded by several other 
men were Ranma, Ryoga, and Shampoo. Akari stood behind the knifeman. Kuno 
estimated six men in all, including the knifeman. 
  Kuno leaped over the railing, bokken held high, crying, "You leave her 
alone, you uncultured swine!" 
  The five men circling Ranma, Ryoga, and Shampoo were taken out in their 
moment of distraction by the trio. Kuno's descent landed him before the 
knifeman and Kodachi. 
  "Stand back!" warned the knifeman. "Do as I say, or your girlfriend gets 
it!" 
  "She's not my girlfriend, she's my SISTER!" corrected Kuno as he raised 
his bokken in an uppercut motion, quickly throwing the knife from the man's 
grip. 
  Kodachi, without anything holding her back anymore, grabbed the man's 
arm and flipped him over. The man who once held a knife landed hard on his 
back. 

  Konatsu dropped quietly on the bottom deck as he heard several more 
gunshots where he left Kuno. The richman possessed enough skill to take 
care of himself, Konatsu thought, so I'd better make myself useful as well. 
  Hiding stealthily along the rail, Konatsu inched his way closer and 
closer to the life raft-made-escape boat. Only one man stood on the boat, 
readying it for a quick getaway at a moment's notice, no doubt. Konatsu 
could hear the loud roar of the motor. He reached into one of the many folds 
of his garb and produced a small glass vial. Sword in one arm, the vial in 
the other, Konatsu quietly chucked the vial over his shoulder and into the 
life raft. 
  "What the...?" was all the man could say before the smokescreen had him 
coughing. 
  Konatsu made his move. He leaped over the railing and landed in the life 
raft. He kicked the man in the shins, then uppercut the man's face as he 
leaned over in pain. 
  That done, and with the smokescreen dissipating, Konatsu sliced the motor 
with his sword, destroying it and any chance for the thugs to escape with 
any haste. Quickly and silently, Konatsu leaped back over into the cruise 
ship to take care of the rest of the unruly men. 

  One of the four thugs made his way to the table Nabiki and Kasumi hid 
under. Pointing his pistol at them, he said, "You two ladies had better 
dispense with your belongings, or lose a few pounds. Of blood, that is." 
  Nabiki scoffed. In English, she said, "Oh, puh-leeezze! What kind of a 
person do you take me for?" Pointing at herself, Nabiki continued, "Do I 
look like the type of person who'd carry diamonds and rubies on her person? 
I don't think so." 
  "I don't care about stuff like that, just empty your pockets," the man 
replied. 
  Kasumi emerged from under the table and stood up, meeting the man's eyes. 
"There are better alternatives than that tone of voice, sir. Perhaps if you 
and your friends asked nicely, maybe you would get better results." 
  The man stared at Kasumi in confusion. "Oh, c'mon! You MUST have some 
money on you or something?" 
  Kasumi smiled. "Why, of course! But wouldn't you be more satisfied with 
your money if you earned it yourself instead of stealing it from others?" 
  The man groaned in frustration. 
  At that point the man's three companions joined him. The leader asked, 
"Okay, what's going on over here?" 
  The first man's confusion grew. "She should be begging for mercy by now! 
Instead, she's mothering me!" 
  "Oh, I'm sorry about that," Kasumi said. "It's a force of habit, really." 
  "Ah, hell," the leader sighed. To Kasumi he said, "Fork over the cash, or 
I'll be less lenient than my associate." 
  Kasumi pointed beyond the four men. "Oh my, sirs, I think you'd better 
look behind you!" 
  "Hah, you think we'll...."
  *TWAP!* *TWAP!* *TWAP!* *THUNK!*
  Konatsu slid his blade back into its sheath with a loud *snick!* Having 
hit each of the four men on the backs of their necks with the flat of his 
blade, Konatsu's opponents doubled over with the force of the blows. 
  "Sometimes," Konatsu began, "I wonder at the intelligence of people these 
days. I suppose it's in their nature to ignore good advice." 

  Akane, Ukyo, Mousse, Ling-ling, and Lung-lung waited at the pier for the 
Pacific Watcher to arrive with the others. However, it was already fifteen 
minutes overdue, and nowhere in sight. Akane decided to go buy a snack 
lunch from one of the vendors at shore, and Mousse volunteered to go with 
her, leaving Ukyo alone with the twins from China. 
   The twins leaned over the end of the pier, watching the ocean water lap 
up against small but sharp rocks below. Every once in a while the two would 
spy a sidestepper or bird, then laugh and point like children. 
  Ukyo stood next to the two and said, "You know, you two'd better be 
careful, or you'll fall over the side like that." 
  "We not stupid!" replied Lung-lung. 
  "No need to treat us like children!" added Ling-ling. 
  "Well, you two certainly act like children," Ukyo said. 
  She leaned her back against the railing, then heard a loud *CRUNCH.* 
Realizing too late what that sound was, Ukyo was sent flying over the edge 
of the pier, back first. 
  Only to be caught by a lone man below. 
  Ling-ling and Lung-lung peered over the side of the peer, careful not to 
lean on the unsteady railing. "She's okay!" both cried. 
  Ukyo gave one good, hard look at her rescuer. The man was definitely not 
a native to Hawaii, but looked Chinese. He wore baggy white pants, a simple 
blue shirt with a scale pattern, with matching wrist braces, and, oddly 
enough, wore a pantyhose at his waist. Bandages riddled his face in several 
locations, not to mention on his arms and legs. 
  "Are you okay?" asked the man in surprisingly-fluent Japanese. 
  "Uhhh, yeah, I think so," Ukyo forced herself to say. "A bit out of wind, 
that's all." The mere sight of her rescuer melted Ukyo's heart. Damn, he's 
handsome! "T...thank you." 
  "That's great," the Chinese man replied. "I guess rescuing those in need 
is a part of me." Gently, he let Ukyo get to her feet. He thought, you look 
very familiar. Wherever I've met you before, you sure are cute.... His 
heart seemed to want to burst from his chest. 
  Ukyo barely knew she was standing on her own power. "I...I don't know how 
to thank you, sir...." Then she realized she hadn't introduced herself. "Oh, 
sorry!" Extending a hand, she said, "I'm Ukyo. Ukyo Kuonji. What's your 
name, sir?" 
  That question seemed to catch the Chinese man off-guard. "Uh... er...." 
  "What's the matter?" asked Ukyo. "Is there something wrong?" 
  "No, nothing," replied the man hastily. Oh no, it's happening again! Why 
does it have to happen again? He started to run off, but Ukyo caught his 
arm. "Let me go! Don't make me hurt you." 
  "You don't like your name?" guessed Ukyo. "Is that why you won't tell me?" 
  I can't keep running forever. This Ukyo's grip was pretty strong, so I 
might have to hurt her if I want to escape. No, she didn't deserve such 
treatment, not after you rescued her. 
  Sighing, the man forced himself to stop resisting. "Alright, just call me 
Taro, okay?" 
  Ukyo nodded. Rather generic name, she thought. Obviously, he's Chinese, so 
'Taro,' a Japanese name, can't be his true name at all. [NOTE: 'Taro' can 
translate as simply 'lad,' 'boy,' or even 'man'] "Well then, Sir Taro, I 
don't know how to thank you." 
  "It's nothing, really," Taro assured Ukyo. Thinking for a moment, he 
added, "And you don't need to call me 'sir,' okay?" Hmmm... she sure is 
cute, even if her name isn't cute at all; why in the world does this girl 
have a guy's name? Ah, who cares; all that mattered was that love was in 
the air... if that was what this feeling was. The emotion of love was one 
lost upon Taro. 
  "Taro it is, then," Ukyo agreed. 
  Taro shook his head violently, breaking his reverie. What if this girl 
didn't feel the same way? No use setting yourself up for the fall, boy. 
Best plan of action may be to play it safe; besides, I'm no good at this 
romance stuff. 
  For that matter, why was she being so friendly to a complete stranger? 
  It was then Ling-ling and Lung-lung approached the couple, running down 
the shoreline in all haste. 
  "Is Ukyo okay?" the twins asked in unison. 
  "Hey, I'm fine," assured Ukyo. "Thanks to Taro, here." 
  Both Chinese girls almost doubled-over at the sight of the handsome Taro. 
  "Nice to meet you," Taro greeted. Those two... they looked familiar as 
well, but Taro couldn't place his finger on it. Oh well, maybe later. 
  "Heaven has met the Earth...." babbled Ling-ling. 
  "I can die a happy girl...." babbled Lung-lung. 
  "Oh, these two are twins, Ling-ling and Lung-lung, from China." After 
introducing the twins, Ukyo asked Taro, "So, if you're traveling, where are 
you staying?" 
  "I camp out everywhere I go," explained Taro. "I don't have the money to 
stay in hotels." 
  "Hey, why don't you come back with us? We're staying at this nice place 
that has rooms that are like condominiums. I could introduce you to my 
other friends." 
  "That sounds very generous of you," Taro answered. "Perhaps it was time to 
get back to civilization." Maybe. 
  To the twins Ukyo instructed, "Go find Akane and Mousse, and tell them I'm 
going back to the hotel." 
  The twins nodded, and ran off, giggling. To them, handsome man plus 
beautiful girl equals romance. 
  To Taro Ukyo said, "Come on, let's grab some lunch first, and you can 
tell me about yourself." 

  "So, you're from Nerima, eh?" Taro said after scarfing down the hamburger 
he was eating. Ukyo paid for the both of them, as Taro lacked money. 
  "Yeah, and I own and run a restaurant there, too," Ukyo added. "It's 
called 'Ucchan's,' just in case your travels take you to Nerima." 
  Taro and Ukyo sat in a restaurant called McDonald's, a worldwide chain 
that had several restaurants even in Japan. Ukyo learned that Taro traveled 
the world to find a way to 'convince' the one who gave him his name to 
change it. He was here in Hawaii in particular because he was looking for 
someone connected to his namer; the nature of the business, Ukyo didn't 
know, but she never bothered to ask. Taro went on and explained how he 
tracked this individual, described as a whinny girly-man, across vast 
distances to repay a past humiliation. So far Ukyo only spoke of her current 
place of residence, Nerima, and spoke only about herself when pressed. 
  The two shared quite a bit in common. Both had rather unhappy childhoods, 
both having being ridiculed by their peers, albeit for different reasons. 
Both tended to be loners, and sometimes, rather lonely. Ukyo devoted her 
life to cooking okonomiyaki, while Taro spent his time practicing martial 
arts-- it was a dedication to their chosen art. And, of course, both were 
rather attractive. 
  What a coincidence that this girl Ukyo, and Taro's quarry, Femme-boy, came 
from the same place! Hmmm, seems suspicious, but Taro couldn't recall the 
hermaphrodite having any friend named Ukyo. Besides, what were the chances 
that Femme-boy and his cronies were on this island yet? A week had already 
gone by and Taro saw no sign of Femme-boy or his pals in Maui, but they had 
to come by eventually, according to their supposive travel plans. 
  "Actually, I've been to Nerima before, almost or about five times, but for 
business. Perhaps next time I'll look up your restaurant." 
  "Well, people say I cook the best okonomiyaki in the world," Ukyo said 
proudly. "Cooking is my life, passed through my family for generations. It 
also helps to put me through school, too." 
  "I've never been to a formal school in my life," Taro commented. 
  "Well, judging from your behavior and knowledge, nobody would know the 
difference," Ukyo said. "I've never met someone quite like you. So, what do 
you do in your travels?" 
  "Mostly training myself in martial arts," Taro replied. "I've yet to meet 
a true match for my skills." Or, at least, one who deserved the skill they 
used to beat me, Taro thought, thinking of the cursed six-armed girl, Rouge. 
  "Hey, I've got a friend kinda like that, too. Of course, he doesn't ever 
train; he thinks he's all hot stuff, but the truth of the matter is, he 
can't even beat his school's founder. He doesn't train unless he gets 
shown-up by someone better than him." Thinking, Ukyo added, "His ego seems 
to attract a lot of strange people looking to marry him, or turn him into 
paste." She laughed. "It gets crazy sometimes in Nerima, but I'm used to 
it. I've had my share of strangers, too, like the time I got challenged to 
a duel by a takoyaki chef." 
  "I'd like to meet this friend sometime. Maybe we can spar together." And 
in the process better myself and smear the pants off this kid, whoever he 
is. 
  "Funny, I figured a guy like you would've stuck out in Nerima," commented 
Ukyo. 
  "Well, maybe," Taro started, "I'm not as strange as your friends. I'm 
simply a traveler." 
  Taro reached for Ukyo's hands across the table. "I've never met someone 
quite like you, either. I've never met someone so... tolerable, of strange 
things, never at all in my travels. Are you sure you don't want to know my 
name?" 
  "If you keep insisting, I'll have to ask, you know," teased Ukyo. Becoming 
serious, she added, "Look, if you feel you have to tell me, I won't laugh or 
anything. You can trust me." 
  Maybe, Taro thought. This was just too good to be true-- a tolerable, 
young, beautiful woman, sitting right here, just waiting for your next move. 
It WAS too good to be true. 
  Silence followed. Finally, Ukyo asked, "Do you want to go for a walk? 
Maybe we can catch a movie-- my treat." 
  "Sure." 

  Evening fell on the island of Maui. The entire group, minus Ukyo, gathered 
back at the hotel before setting out for dinner. Ranma was one of the last 
ones back, and when he discovered Ukyo wasn't back he started to panic 
until Akane found a note. Written in Ukyo's writing, she wrote that she'd 
be back late tonight, and for the others to go to dinner without her. 
  "What could Ucchan be doing that's better than eating with us?" asked a 
puzzled Ranma, holding the note in both hands, as if trying to decipher a 
hidden meaning in the words. 
  "Especially as a place like the Hard Rock Cafe," added Nabiki. "I've been 
building this moment ever since we got here!" 
  "And what, pray tell, is unique about this establishment that you, Nabiki 
Tendo, needlessly and recklessly throw yourself at it?" asked Kuno. 
  Nabiki took Kuno aside and explained, leaving Ranma and Akane behind. 
  "The twins tell me she's found a guy," Akane said, almost giggling. "I 
feel sorry for her, really, because we're leaving the island tomorrow." 
  "She knows better than to get in short relationships like that!" Ranma 
complained. 
  "Who said she was having a relationship?" Akane countered. "Maybe Ukyo's 
trying to find the best way to thank this guy. The girls did say this guy 
saved her life." 
  "Maybe you're right, perhaps there's really nothing to worry about," Ranma 
said. Another defeat, Pop would say, especially following the bicycle race 
and the loss against a mere window. 
  Unfortunately, that nagging thought hung on Ranma's head for the rest of 
the evening. 

  It was almost eleven at night when Ukyo returned to the hotel with her 
new friend. The lights in the condominium-like room were all out, except 
for one light in the living room. 
  "Wait here," Ukyo whispered to Taro. She strode forth to the light, 
where Ranma sat on the couch, watching late-night television. Actually, the 
program was more of an advertisement for tourism on Maui. 
  "Hi, Ranchan!" Ukyo greeted with her usual enthusiasm. 
  "'Bout time you got back," Ranma replied coldly. His head turned from the 
television set and stared at Ukyo. "Where have you been? I was worried sick 
about you!" 
  Ukyo laughed. "You're starting to act like a father!" Sarcastically, she 
added, "Don't worry, I made sure to come home before my curfew!" 
  Ranma's eyes shifted to the shadows near the entrance of the room. "So, 
aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" 
  "Ranchan! You sound like you're jealous!" 
  "I'm trying to look after your well-being. I mean, we aren't staying here 
much longer, and I don't want you fallin' in love with anybody or something. 
I mean, it just wouldn't work." 
  "Not this guy, Ranchan," explained Ukyo. "I've decided to hold off on 
serious relationships for a while. Anyway, he's from China, and he travels 
the world training himself in martial arts, like you used to do. You'll like 
him; he's kinda like you." 
  Ukyo walked back into the shadows. Ranma heard her say, "Okay, time to 
meet my 'dad.' Don't worry, he won't bite!" 
  He also heard the voice of the guest. "It's not that. It's just... that 
voice! Your friend sounds very familiar...." 
  Ranma stood up and stared in surprise as the guest stepped into the light 
of the living room. The first words that left his lips were: "Pantyhose!" 
  "Femme-boy!" Pantyhose Taro yelled back. 
  Ukyo looked at both men in happy surprise. "You two DO know each other!" 
  At the same time, both shouted, "Stop calling me that!" After that, both 
men were at each others' throats. 
  In short time the two made enough noise to rouse the others from their 
activities. Akane, Shampoo, Mousse, Ryoga, Nabiki, and Kasumi recognized the 
stranger immediately. 
  "Pantyhose Taro!" they all cried, that is, all of them but Kasumi. 
  "What a surprise!" Kasumi called. 
  Ling-ling and Lung-lung watched dreamy-eyed as Ranma and Taro battled it 
out in the living room, rolling around on the floor, grasping at each 
others' throats in a futile attempt to strangle the other. 
  Kodachi was next to emerge. The moment she laid eyes on Taro, her jaw 
just dropped. She whispered, "Who's that handsome fellow?" 
  "What is the meaning of this unnecessary racket?!" Kuno cried. 
  Ukyo separated the two belligerent men. "That was the same thing I was 
going to ask." She looked from Taro to Ranma. "I hope both of you have a 
really good explanation why you're fighting each other, because I can't 
stand to watch two of my friends fight like this." 
  Thunder clapped outside the hotel room. Soon thereafter one could hear the 
rain fall against the ceiling and the ground just outside the window. 
  "HE started it!" Ranma yelled, pointing a finger at Taro. 
  "Shut up, hermaphrodite!" Taro shot back angrily. 

  The next time the thunder clapped Taro and Ranma sat across a table from 
each other, staring at each other, ready to fight at a moment's notice. 
Ukyo walked around the table, hands clasped behind her back, as the others 
stood silently in the shadows beyond the light illuminating the table. 
  "So, let me get this straight," Ukyo started, holding a hand before her, 
"Taro is cursed to become a huge monster," raising a finger, "Taro wants to 
beat up Ranma for calling him names," raising another finger, "Ranma wants 
to beat up Taro for calling him names and beating him in battle," raising a 
third finger, "and you two would do nothing to make up to each other, even 
over something as silly as this?" A fist closed. "Start talking." 
  "No way," Ranma replied defiantly. 
  "Never with the Femme-boy," Taro agreed. 
  "Somehow I don't believe Taro can turn into a monster," Ukyo said, talking 
mostly to Ranma. "That is immaterial to the matter at hand. Even if he did, 
you're too blind to see beyond the monster and see the person." 
  Taro looked ready to stand up. "Actually, Ukyo, I...." 
  "Be quiet!" commanded Ukyo, in such fury that even Taro was silenced. 
"Don't interrupt me like that." 
  Ranma lost his temper. "What's so hard to believe? The cuts and bruises 
on Taro right now match those we made to the monster we fought outside the 
Tendo dojo almost a week ago! Splash cold water on him!" 
  Ukyo scoffed. "You're trying to tell me I'm surrounded by a bunch of 
people cursed to transform in cold water? You, I've seen. Shampoo, I've 
seen. Mousse, I've seen. Your pop, I've seen. Don't you think four is more 
than enough for coincidences?" Ukyo threw her arms out in frustration. 
"Next thing you'll tell me, Ryoga is cursed to turn into a slab of ham!" 
  At that statement, Ryoga stiffened. Visibly, he began to sweat. 
  "And don't you know it, Pig-boy!" taunted Taro. 
  "Don't be silly!" Nabiki voiced. "We all know Ryoga isn't cursed. We've 
had plenty of chances to see that." 
  Akari voiced, "But he...." 
  Quickly, Ryoga silenced Akari, not wishing to let out his 'secret' in 
front of Akane. He shot a look over to Mousse, who looked like he was about 
to say something. 
  "I've come to the conclusion that you're jealous," Ukyo accused Ranma. 
"You can't stand that I'm siding with Taro. Well, guess what, Casanova? 
Not every girl wants you! I've gone beyond you now, so why can't you get 
beyond me?" 
  "It's not like that!" Ranma protested hotly. "You don't know Taro like I 
do! He's evil!" 
  "You're right, I don't," Ukyo agreed coldly. "Because the Taro you know 
is the one you fight, not the person." She pointed at Taro. "This man saved 
my life! I've never met someone with the intelligence he possesses, nor the 
patience, either! As far as I'm concerned, he's far more manly than you'll 
ever be!" 
  Taro objected. "I can take care of Femme-boy myself! I've no need to hide 
behind a girl. Leave this fight to me!" 
  "Shut up, you." Ukyo spat. "You know as well as I that I'm not just any 
girl." 
  "Why, you...." fumed Taro. 
  "But he fights without honor!" Ranma cried, cutting off Taro. 
  "Well, that's just fine! You don't want to understand any code of honor 
but your own. Honor isn't defined by any one person, no less you, Ranchan. 
>From where I stand right now, Taro's got far more honor than you do, you 
pig-headed jerk!" 
  Both Ryoga and Akari winced at the pig comparison. 
  Ranma stared at Ukyo in surprise. "You don't mean what you're saying!" 
  Ukyo jabbed a finger into Ranma's gut. "You were promised to me long 
before Akane...." 
  "She has a point," noted Konatsu. "You were promised to one of the Tendo 
daughters, not any one in particular." 
  "Whose side are you on?!" Ranma shouted at the kunoichi. 
  "...And what did you do? You married Akane! You soiled my honor, and the 
honor of my family! I've only gotten this far because I thought you still 
cared about me. I can't pretend that the promise was made in jest anymore; 
it's no longer an excuse for my own honor." Ukyo walked away from Ranma. 
"And I have you to thank for it! As far as I'm concerned, you have no 
honor, Saotome." 
  "That's uncalled for!" objected Akane hotly. "Ukyo, you can't mean it!" 
  Konatsu couldn't believe what Ukyo was saying. He covered his ears and 
retreated, hoping for the best. 
  Ranma thumped his head on the surface of the table in frustration. "That 
wasn't my doing, and you know it!" 
  Kuno walked over to Ranma's side. "Oh, how the mighty have fallen! What a 
glory it is to behold the evil sorcerer topple from his pedestal! If this 
day were all I lived for, I would die a happy man. I weep for the soiled 
honor of Akane Tendo this day as well." 
  "Bug off, moron!" Ranma shouted, planting a fist in Kuno's face. 
  Akane stepped into the lit area, fuming with anger. "What's with this 
nonsense?! Ranma has more honor than either of you Kunos put together!" 
  "I find that remark quite insulting," Kuno replied, getting up. 
  "Phaw, honor means nothing to me," Kodachi remarked. "Honor is intangible; 
actions are what matters!" 
  "Ranma's honor only becomes apparent whenever it is convenient for him," 
Mousse voiced. Folding his arms, he added coolly, "Whether in or out of 
combat, it is merely convenience." 
  Shampoo decked Mousse in anger. Glasses flew. "No talk about Ranma that 
way!" 
  "I've never known Ranma to act dishonorably," Akari said. 
  "But Mousse has a point," Ryoga said. "I've witnessed it first-hand." 
Folding his arms, the Eternally Lost Boy added, "He can't admit to himself 
that I'm the better fighter. Ranma had to resort to underhanded tactics to 
beat me." 
  "What just happened here?!" Ranma yelled, slamming his fists into the 
table in anger. "We're supposed to be against Taro, not me!" To Ryoga he 
shouted, "Well, what about you, Pork-face?! I've kept your little secret 
since the day I found out! I've never told Akane to this day!"
  "Ranma?!" Akane thundered. Of course, Akane had a good idea what this 
secret was; Ukyo told her a few days ago (accidentally) that Ryoga had a 
soft spot for her. "How long have you known?" 
  "You know?!" Ryoga cried in surprise. The color drained from his face. 
  "Of course I know! Ukyo told me herself that you loved me! But you have 
to understand, I think of you just as a friend, okay?" 
  Ryoga seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. The words he knew were spoken 
aloud, and Ryoga didn't feel depressed at all. He still had Akari, and 
Akane was happy with Ranma anyway. Nothing he didn't know before, but Ryoga 
was glad Akane knew his feelings. 
  Akari didn't seem to change in her expression, as she already knew Ryoga 
had a soft spot for Akane. She didn't care, as she still had Ryoga's love. 
That was more important. 
  "That was rather unexpected," Nabiki commented. 
  "I think that was rather sweet," Kasumi voiced in her usual cheeriness. 
  "We're getting a little distracted here!" complained Ranma. 
  "Oh, there goes the hermaphrodite, the chew-toy of the world, ranting on 
again!" Taro spat. 
  "Ucchan, how can you side with Pantyhose?" cried Ranma, ignoring Taro. 
  "Stop calling me that!" Taro cried as he socked Ranma in the cheeks. 
  "You just don't get it, do you, Ranchan?" Ukyo concluded, folding her 
arms. "Taro's my friend, too! How dare you try to force me to choose between 
my friends like that?! I don't care about his name, I don't care about his 
honor! Heck, I don't care if he ever gets his name changed! Why do you deny 
the good man that's within him? Pride?" 
  Ranma turned his back to Ukyo. 
  "Pride is it, isn't it?" guessed Ukyo, hands at her hips now. "You and 
your stubborn pride! You can't stand the fact that Taro can beat you in 
battle! You can't stand the fact that Taro IS better than you! That's why 
you can't like him!" 
  Taro shook his head in disgust, realizing saying something now wouldn't 
help the matter any. At least the hermaphrodite was getting thrashed by his 
own friend. 
  "So what if he is?!" Ranma said, turning. "You can't deny the terrible 
things he's done!" 
  "What HE'S done?!" Pointing an accusing finger, Ukyo's voice began to 
waver, but backed by the same fury from hell. "What about YOU! Your 
stubborn pride, what you call 'honor,' your ego...." She waved her other 
arm all about the room, gesturing toward those gathered. "You brought all of 
us together, because of you! Your problems spring from all of us, but whose 
fault is it? Yours! Dammit, Ranma, for once in your life, accept your blame, 
and stop tripping over your bloated ego! Admit it, you aren't the best!" 
  "Ukyo, stop it!" Akane cried as she grabbed Ukyo's outstretched arm. 
  With a violent jerk, Ukyo flung Akane away. Staring at her coldly, she 
said, "Stay out of this, Akane. I've made my peace with you, but it's 
Ranma Saotome that my fury's directed at. Don't make this any worse than it 
already is." Turning back to Ranma, she continued, "I watched you try to 
beat Kuno in the bicycle race. I watched you try to break the van window 
all by yourself. I watched your pride get in the way of reason, or from the 
rationality I've come to know from my Ranchan. This is the end, Ranma." 
  Ukyo turned a cold shoulder to the surprised Ranma. "If Kuno can submerge 
his ego enough to recognize the needs of others," she started, thinking of 
the increasing instances where Tatewaki spent time together with Kodachi, 
"you can too. Otherwise, you are not the Ranma Saotome I call my best 
friend." 
  To Taro she added, "I don't understand why you hate Ranma so, but if you 
can't find it in yourself to forget about beating up Ranma, then you're no 
different than he is. If there's anyone that deserves a beating, it's the 
old man. Lay a hand on my Ranchan, and you, PANTYHOSE Taro, will have to 
deal with me." 
  Taro was taken aback, as his name, spoken by the words of his new friend, 
bit hard, harder than any insult Ranma could hurl. Not only was she throwing 
hurting words, she was also defending the hermaphrodite. "You don't mean 
those things," Taro insisted. "Your anger is clouding your judgment!" 
  To nobody in particular, Ukyo threw up her arms and announced, "Some 
friends you guys are! You two deserve each other!" 
  With those words, Ukyo stormed out of the hotel room, into the hard rain. 
The door slammed shut, almost like another thunder clap. 
  Kuno was the first to make a move. Running toward the entrance, he 
shouted, "Ukyo Kuonji, Tatewaki Kuno is coming to join you! Wait for me, my 
precious beauty!" 
  Kodachi shook her head disapprovingly. Thick-skulled idiot, couldn't he 
see that she wanted to be alone? Then again, Ukyo might be touched by dear 
Brother's concern.... Or maybe not. 
  There was a loud *crack* as Kuno passed Mousse's position. Unfortunately 
for Mousse, that was his glasses, which fell off when Shampoo decked him 
earlier. Fortunately for Kuno, he was wearing his sandals. 
  Ryoga ran back to his room and produced his umbrella. He announced, "Ukyo 
shouldn't run off like this!" Sparing a glance at Akane, then Akari, the 
Eternally Lost Boy rushed after Kuno. 
  Kasumi, who hadn't said a word since she discovered Taro in the living 
room not long ago, said, "Oh my, I hope Ukyo doesn't try something 
dangerous...." To Nabiki, she said, "Don't you think we might lose Ryoga if 
he wanders off on his own?" 
  Nabiki slapped herself on her forehead. "Oh, great!" Grabbing Akane's arm, 
Nabiki headed for the door. 
  "W...wait!" Akane protested, trying with all her will to stay behind. 
"Where are we going?"
  The elder Tendo sister jabbed a thumb in the direction of the door. "We 
can't let Ryoga wander off now, not so far from Japan! He'll never get home 
and we'll never find him!" 
  Kasumi watched her younger sisters exit the room. The others made no 
movements. Finally, breaking the silence, she said, "I'll go fix some tea." 
  As Kasumi left, Ranma and Taro returned to their seats at the table. The 
two merely stared at each other, both in deep thought over Ukyo's 
unexpected outburst. Her words hurt both of them more than they were willing 
to admit. 
  The rain fell harder than before. Lightning illuminated the dark room 
beyond the table. 
  "Ukyo's out there," Ranma said, sounding utterly depressed. 
  "Aren't you going to talk to your friend...?" Taro said, refraining 
from using his taunt of 'Femme-boy.' For the moment, at least. "She might 
hurt herself. I can't live with myself if I helped cause some tragedy to 
my... friend." Friends can be such a burden, Taro thought. He wished he took 
back that thought as he remembered the afternoon he spent with her, talking 
about himself, his travels, and listening to Ukyo's stories in turn. Maybe 
friendship is truly a double-sided coin after all. Ukyo had said that true 
friendship endured through the best of times and the worst of times, always 
coming out in the end, for better or for worse. Despite having an unhappy 
childhood as Taro, Ukyo turned out optimistic and cheery; it was awful to 
see her in such a low mood. And you're not helping out any, Taro told 
himself. Time to do something about it. "What about you?" 
  When Ranma made no move, Taro got up and left. He returned a short while 
later holding a spare umbrella, dug out from one of the groups' packs, no 
doubt. "I'm going after her. She needs her 'friends' now." 
  Ranma watched Taro exit the hotel room. Silently, he pondered to himself 
while Shampoo sat down next to him. She talked, but Ranma heard nothing. 
How can I let Taro be the one there for Ucchan? Ranma thought. I promised to 
be there for her, so what am I doing here? 
  With determination, Ranma stood up from his seat, startling Shampoo. Now's 
my turn to be the friend. He almost tripped over the limp form of Mousse on 
the floor. 

  Ukyo's tears were hidden from view by the rainfall that drenched her. 
After running for a while, she sat alone, huddled under a stairwell not far 
from the room the band stayed at. What was it that brought out the worst in 
me, my friends? Ukyo wondered. No, don't be ridiculous! How can you stand 
watching your new friend and your old friend tear each other apart? 
  "Ukyo-sama?" 
  Ukyo searched for the source of the voice, then watched as a figure 
emerged from the shadows. Konatsu, of course. The kunoichi walked silently 
on his approach. 
  "Ukyo-sama, you have to come back." 
  "Go away," Ukyo replied, although she knew she didn't mean it. 
  "One of us needs to be strong right now," Konatsu said, walking slowly 
toward his friend. "If not you, then the task falls upon me." Unfortunately, 
it was rather hard to be strong if you were Konatsu Kenzan, the boy raised 
as a girl. 
  Konatsu sat down next to Ukyo. "Sometimes things we intend to work out for 
the best don't turn out the way we expect. I've come to understand that 
lesson from my step-mother." 
  "I know," Ukyo said, wiping her face with a wet sleeve. "It's just... why 
does Ranma have to be so pig-headed about things like this? I mean, the 
Ranma I know just isn't like that. Sure, he's dense sometimes, he flirts 
with other girls sometimes, and he's incredibly nice to me, but not outright 
stubborn for ridiculous reasons." Why would he go out and lie about Taro 
being cursed? Was he really lying? 
  "Was I expecting too much?" Ukyo wondered. 
  "It's in his nature," explained Konatsu. "You can't hope to change things 
in a day, but only in time. But then, it's naive to think you can change 
someone at all. Despite himself, that is the same Ranma you fell in love 
with." The last sentence almost choked in Konatsu's throat. 
  "Could I be so blind in my feelings, that I'm wrong about Taro, and 
Ranma's right?" 
  "I can't answer that. I don't know this Taro fellow myself." 
  "I just don't want Ranchan and Taro fighting like they do. I'm coming to 
like Taro, you know? I can't stand to see my friends fight like they do." 
  Konatsu nodded, shedding a tear of his own, hoping Ukyo wouldn't notice 
and dismiss it as another water drop. He let Ukyo enter his embrace, 
bringing back memories of the first hug he gave her, so long ago-- she'd 
been completely-embarrassed, as she thought he was a girl then. This time 
Ukyo was crying in his arms, trying her best to stifle any sniffling. The 
feeling was different for Ukyo, but much the same for Konatsu. 
  "Oh, Konatsu... you're always here for me...." The rest of the words 
seemed to trail from Konatsu's ears. "Thank you."
  "No, I should thank you, for everything." Konatsu said. Even if she did 
help bring about his own forbidden love. "We'd better go back," he 
continued, continuing to pat Ukyo's back. "The others are looking for you." 
  "You're right, we should go...." Forcing herself to stand, Ukyo whispered, 
"You don't need to be strong for me anymore...." 

  A strange combination: Kuno, Ryoga, Nabiki, Akane, Taro, and Ranma. All 
six stood in the empty courtyard behind the hotel lobby. Only Ryoga and 
Taro held umbrellas. Ranma, of course, was now in his female form. Kuno, to 
his credit, didn't bother to glomp on the pig-tailed girl, as he remembered 
that the girl he saw was merely a simulacrum; Ranma in a different form to 
trick Kuno for whatever perverted reason. 
  "Ukyooooo!" each of them would call, one after another. Only silence 
answered them, if one didn't count the pattering rain or the occasional 
thunder. 
  Ryoga turned to Ranma and pointed an accusing finger. "It's your fault 
that Ukyo ran off like that, Ranma! I should've expected something like this 
to happen, after watching how you treated Akane before! First, your fiancee, 
and now your best friend! How could you?!" 
  "My fellow man has a point, Saotome," Kuno said. "Ukyo Kuonji, whom I have 
yet to date, has run off to who-knows-where, because of you. It's time to 
remove the stain of insult on her honor!" Kuno waved his bokken menacingly. 
"The vengeance of the Blue Thunder thirsts for your blood, Saotome; your 
evil ends now!" 
  "Oh, come on!" Nabiki said in disgust. "We don't have time for this now!" 
  "Geez, you two think you can take me on?" Ranma taunted. "C'mon, show me 
what you're made of!" 
  "Ranma, stop it!" Akane shouted, grabbing Ranma's arm in a tight grip. 
"What about Ukyo?" 
  "I can't back from a man-to-man challenge, Akane!" explained Ranma. "If 
they want to question my honor, then so be it!" Forcing Akane to release her 
grip, Ranma added, "I'll just have to teach them a lesson!" 
  "Oh, what a pity," Taro said, shaking his head. "This is exactly what Ukyo 
was talking about. How can you let your ego get in the way at a time like 
this, Femme-boy?" 
  It was when the fighting broke out in the courtyard when Ukyo, supported 
by Konatsu, walked by. Both rushed to the commotion in time to watch a 
female Ranma dodge quick jabs from Kuno's bokken, as well as Ryoga's 
bandannas. Taro tried to keep his distance, not wishing to surrender his 
body to the rainfall. Nabiki and Akane ran out of the way of the four 
combatants. 
  Taro laughed. Femme-boy's buddies were against him! Well I didn't need 
the help, but oh well.... 
  Soon Ranma gave Kuno a blow that sent him into orbit. Next Ranma engaged 
Taro in hand-to-hand combat, or, at least, as close as possible, as Taro 
had one hand busy keeping the umbrella in place. Taro had no wish to get 
wet and hope to walk indoors again. Not to mention that it would be much 
more enjoyable to beat the lousy hermaphrodite in human form. It would be 
interesting to fight with one hand. 
  It was then one well-placed, lucky kick knocked the umbrella from Taro's 
hand. Ukyo and Konatsu watched in horror as Taro's form unexpectedly 
transformed into that of a hulking, horn-headed giant of dark, brown fur. 
Octopus tentacles and a set of wings from a crane jutted from the minotaur's 
back, and an eel made up the tail. 
  "Oh no... it's... the monster!" Ukyo said in disbelief. For this was the 
very monster that attacked the Tendo dojo during the Battle of the Bands. 
"Taro, why?" 
  Pantyhose Taro, now in cursed form, finally noticed Ukyo's presence. Oh 
shit, she's afraid of me! Taro thought. Now what am I going to do? Ignoring 
Ranma for the moment, Taro stomped his way to Ukyo and Konatsu. 
  "Grrrfffff...." Taro growled, trying to form words with his yeti speech. 
  "You tried to ruin our chances to get to Hawaii, why?" asked Ukyo, staring 
into Taro's eyes. "No, I know why; you did it to get back at Ranma. I 
understand. I'm just sorry I really hurt you that day...." 
  Taro finally realized why Ukyo seemed familiar; this was the same girl 
that fought like a berzerker after taking out another, apparently a close 
friend. Perhaps it was Konatsu, the one standing beside her now? Her 
boyfriend? 
  Unexpectedly, Taro just stood there, staring down at Ukyo. No moves to 
pound her into a pancake, no moves to leave. Strange, she was asking ME for 
forgiveness! Not only that, she didn't care about what he tried to do 
before. What was this feeling? Taro wondered. For the first time in his 
life, Taro was at a loss. 
  He wanted to say, "You really are a strange girl," but all that came out 
was, "Grrooooorrrfff." 
  "This shouldn't have happened," sobbed Ukyo in Konatsu's arms. Raising her 
eyes to meet Taro's, she said, "You gotta make those two stop." 
  Nabiki and Akane turned their attention from the 'exchange' between Taro 
and Ukyo to Ranma and Ryoga, who were still battling it out. Akane, while 
she didn't wish harm came to Ranma, wondered why Ryoga wasn't going all-out 
like he usually did. Why was he hanging-on to the umbrella so? 
  "Dump the umbrella!" Nabiki called to Ryoga. 
  "Nabiki!" Akane exclaimed in disbelief. "Who do you want to win, anyway?" 
  Ranma continued to throw punches and kicks, putting Ryoga on the 
defensive as the blows got closer and closer to the hand where he held his 
umbrella. Suddenly, Ranma remembered his promise to Ryoga; it wouldn't do 
good now to reveal in front of Akane that Ryoga turned into her little pet 
pig, P-chan. Then again, how can Ranma back out of a fight like this? 
  When the fury of Ranma's attacks seemed to waver at that moment, Ryoga 
pressed his attacks, throwing one kick after another, careful to keep his 
umbrella overhead. 
  Without warning, a heavy hoof stomped between Ryoga and Ranma. Both 
combatants looked up at the hulking form of Taro, then back down to where 
Ukyo and Konatsu stood by his side. 
  "That's enough," Ukyo called. The rainfall made the only sound in the area 
for several tense moments. 
  Akane and Nabiki approached Ukyo and Konatsu, while Ryoga and Ranma made 
no movements. 
  "Ukyo...." Akane said, trailing off. 
  "Now I understand why Ranma hates Taro," Ukyo explained. "It's fear and 
stubborn ego. But you know what, Akane? I don't care if Taro's a monster, 
he's still my friend." 
  "I know," replied Akane. 
  Ukyo took slow steps toward Ranma. "I'm sorry about what I said earlier... 
it's not your fault, the way I behaved. I shouldn't have said anything. 
Especially about you not having any honor. I shouldn't have expected 
anything to change after my outburst." 
  "No," assured Ranma. "Maybe I have been a bit irrational lately, but I'm 
still the same Ranma. Look, I'm not going to force you to choose between me 
and Taro, okay? If it means that much to you, I'll try to... tolerate 
Taro's presence, okay?" 
  Ukyo glanced over at Taro, who nodded. "Thanks, Ranchan," she whispered. 
  Nabiki and Akane looked at each other in confusion. 
  "How long do you think this'll last?" asked Akane. 
  "Long enough," answered Nabiki vaguely. Long enough until Ranma's ego 
kicked back in, at least. 

  The next day the group stood in the airport, ready for the flight to the 
next Hawaiian island. Taro agreed to Ukyo's suggestion to travel with the 
band for a while, if not for the rest of the trip. Of course, in result the 
friction between Taro and Ranma seemed to intensify as they remained in 
each others' presence. 
  "Femme-boy." 
  "Pantyhose." 
  It just wouldn't end. Nabiki shook her head. 
  She stole a glance over her shoulder at Ukyo and Konatsu, walking together 
behind the others. Somehow it seemed kind of strange, seeing two mismatched 
people like them together: a girl who dressed and behaved like a guy, and 
a guy who dressed and behaved like a girl. No way, Nabiki thought, would 
that work out. Good thing both of them know it. 
  Up ahead Taro and Ranma resorted to pushing and shoving, while continually 
hurling insults at each other. Nabiki knew better than to think that this 
sort of relationship between the two was any sort of odd friendship, such as 
the one between Kuno and Kodachi (then again, it was perfectly normal for 
brothers and sisters to bicker, wasn't it?). 
  "Stop calling me that!" complained both Ranma and Taro. 


To be continued in part 3
Closing: Friends (Nabiki and the tinkling sound of yen....)
-----------------------------------------------
Author's Rant

  Ohohohohoho.... Ukyo and Taro meet, at last. Note how the only characters 
who initially come in contact with Taro have never met him before? A real 
piece of work, no? 
  Why didn't Taro beat the tar out of Ranma? Simple: he wasn't ready. The 
meeting with Ranma was a chance meeting, much ahead of his plans than he 
wanted. Taro does his best when he plans his battles; this was definitely 
NOT one of those times, and neither will the coming conflicts, either. 
Still, he is good enough to fight well without his tactics, too. From my 
understanding, Taro doesn't deliberately turn himself into a monster unless 
he either 1) wants a quick finish, or 2) he feels he can win as human, and 
he CAN beat Ranma as a human. The umbrella was unintentional, not to mention 
he didn't want to scare Ukyo off or something when he found her (after all, 
he believes this is his shot at love, since she seems so tolerable and all). 
  Thanks to input from the FFML and info from the Pantyhose Taro Shrine 
about Taro, someone who has lots of potential to do some good (for me, at 
least). Blade, if you're reading this, praise or flame on my handling of 
Taro ;) I tried. 

http://www.crosswinds.net/anaheim/~slythe/ranma/ranff.html

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