Memories (a Ranma 1/2-with-cameos! fanfic)
by Nikholas "Mayhem" F. Toledo 


To those of you who have the time to check and read your mail and find 
this vain attempt in literature, thank you. 
The author had been reading fanfics for some time now and has decided to 
leave his mark as well. This is my first foray into this art form and 
there will be some grammar and spelling errors.
To those of you who would want to give comments of suggestions, please 
understand that I cannot answer your mail immediately since I *don't* 
have an Internet account at home as of yet and the lines at the place 
where I have access are verrrryyyy, verrrryyyy looonnnngggg. Please do 
understand.   

Perhaps this part should be reserved to thank those special people who 
need to be thanked. And it is! 
Special thanks to the Rumic One for the fantastic world of Ranma where we 
common people, who in a million years will not find the creativity to 
write (and draw) a world like this. 
Thank you also to Nikholas "Switch" F. Toledo who introduced me to Ranma 
as a whole and to the fanfic world. See to it that you read NFT fics for 
their freshness and vibrant... stuff inside. 
And of course for the Great Writer (fanfic and otherwise) for everything 
else...

	The Ranma 1/2 Universe was created and therefore owned by Rumiko 
Takahashi, Viz Communications and Shogakukan. If you do own Ranma and I 
have failed to mention you, that is because I am not worthy to even write 
your name since you are really incredible people and earn a million 
dollars just to write up the characters in the Ranma 1/2 title.  I would 
also declare that I will not get a single cent from this work and that I 
am only doing this to pass away time and for my own personal artistic 
fulfillment.


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|Mayhem!Mayhem!Mayhem!Mayhem!Mayhem!Mayhem!Mayhem!Mayhem!Mayhem!Mayhem!|
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Chapter Two
A Moment's Respite

	There are rather odd times of the day in Nerima where, from the 
regular chaos, comes a brief period of order. These are, of course, at 
dawn (because of the rather long reason stated in the last chapter), the 
early afternoon (where some people have the tendency to snooze, and it 
would be too hot for perverts to do their work), and whenever it rains 
(frilly things disappear from window ledges to avoid getting wet).
	There is also the time after sunrise to around after breakfast, 
which comes only to certain areas of the town. For the Tendo-Saotome 
families, the master would be out of the house, creating trouble 
elsewhere. The two other trouble-producing elements, Ranma and Akane, 
would be currently too busy doing their own morning rituals to mind each 
other. (That is, of course, until Akane enters the bath, to which Ranma, 
not of his conscious knowledge, will follow and *WHAM*.)

	Nabiki was allergic to quiet times like this, due to her want of 
action. There are moments where it seems nothing will happen for the rest 
of the day, and she was in the middle of it. Having dressed up in the 
generic school uniform, she waited patiently for breakfast, patience 
being one of the virtues a person close to martial artists would 
inherently get. 
	Taking care not to place too much weight on the 10th step, (which 
was cracked, by the way), she stalked downstairs, now using this lull to 
take care of other matters.
	 The phone was located near the front entrance, at the foot of the 
stairs. Dialing the number from her black book, she waited for the 
connection to be made. After a few seconds' wait, the phone rang at the 
other end. "Hello," a distinctly muffled voice answered. "Who is this?"
	"Is this the Kuno Mansion? I would like to speak to Kuno - tell him 
it's Akane Tendo." There was the sound of running as the master of the 
house hurried to the phone.
	"Oh, Akane Tendo, my love! At last, you cast away your shyness and 
show your burning love for me! My love for you is as strong as the tides, 
as enduring as the mountains, etc. etc." Nabiki had increased the 
distance between the receiver and her ear as the Blue Thunder delivered 
his messages of love in a slightly loud voice.
	"Kuno! KUNO!"
	The voice stopped. Then it resumed. "Who are you, fiend! How dare 
you impersonate the fair Akane Tendo! I SHALL FIND THEE AND SMITE THEE 
INTO THE GROUND!!!"
	"Kuno, it's Nabiki."
	He calmed down. "So it is the middle sister of Akane Tendo. Tell 
me: what is your need for such an urgent communication, so early this 
fine morning?"
	"We have a deal, remember. I have the pictures. Do not forget to do 
your part."
	"I am honor-bound to our coalition. The objects you requested will 
be there when you come to school."
	"Thank you, Kuno. Remember, if this goes out, you will regret it."
	"I shall keep our affairs in the deepest recesses. Goodbye, fair 
Nabiki. Do not forget to send my love to your sister - know that you know 
how much I love her..." 
	The phone clicked and Nabiki set the receiver down. "At least 
that's finished." That was the second time that day that she had to talk 
to someone that had a screw loose in their main processing device. This 
scheme better return profit or people will get hurt. 
	Then, for a brief second, she felt lighthearted and warm inside, 
something she had felt very rarely. But the moment she acknowledged its 
presence, it disappeared just as suddenly. "Must have been the 
weather..."

	Ukyo had already eaten breakfast. While cooking earlier, she had 
found that she had few ingredients left over. "Do I still have to go 
out?" she sighed, noticing what a great state of disarray her abode was 
in. She won't be needing new supplies, anyway, after-
	Then she remembered. It was a Monday and Ranchan would be in 
school. She couldn't let him eat the food served at the cafeteria, since 
the cooking there was almost akin to Akane's. Also, that hussy Shampoo 
would also think of the same thing - and there could be those certain 
ingredients Shampoo would certainly add that would illicit certain 
reactions from Ranma which would certainly not be to her liking.
	Oh, well...
	The morning shone in all its beauty as Ukyo sang a happy tune on 
her way to the market. The just-risen sun had not warmed the atmosphere 
and the dew hung lightly on the grass. There was a distinct freshness to 
the air. The happy tune became even happier...
	Until she noticed a slight change in Nerima's skyline. "Wasn't 
there supposed to be a building over there?" Curious, she decided to take 
an alternate route that wound its way past where the structure used to 
be. Arriving at the site, the erection had been reduced to a pile of 
rubble and there was this certain martial artist in the middle of it.

	"Curse you, RANMA!!!" Ryoga roared to the near-dawn sky. Buried 
from the neck down in building remnants, he did the only thing that any 
person would do: he tried to free himself. 
	However, the beans he ate for his early morning breakfast decided 
to do something really horrible to his stomach. "Eep," he stuttered as 
the Hibiki digestive system went into a gastric meltdown. "What would I 
do for anti-constipation medicine?" he asked himself, and found out that 
thinking made his bottom feel a little bit heavier. He blanked his mind, 
not even daring to think of anything, even Akane- uh-oh... too late.
	Martial artists have to have control over their body, even normal 
bodily functions. But, in situations like this, control seems to leave 
when you need it the most.
	When the sun rose up, Ryoga was filled with hope since people would 
be coming by, if he was not using all of his concentration to prevent 
that thing to go down the drain rather prematurely. When Ukyo came up to 
him, his eyes were glossed over. Ryoga did not even recognize her at 
first, taking a long time gazing at her face. Ukyo felt a slight flush 
wash over her. 
	"Ukyo, help me..." Ryoga squeaked. His voice was not as loud as it 
used to be.
	"Sure, hon," Ukyo snapped out of reverie. She shook her head, 
trying to remove the cobwebs. "I must have imagined it..." She dug him 
out, wondering why he couldn't do it himself. The answer became apparent.
	Ryoga was sweating hard. "Ukyo, can I use your bathroom?" Before 
Ukyo could even say yes, he ran away like a bat out of hell. Worried that 
Ryoga would get lost, as usual, she ran with him, having trouble catching 
up. 
	Ryoga's largely unused sense of direction kicked into overdrive, 
taking the direct route to Ucchan's (a straight line), bashing through 
houses, the Cat Cafe (the store was on the other side of the vacant lot 
across the street from the wrecked building), trees, a laughing martial 
artist (Duh?), the water fountain (he ran too fast for the cold water to 
even touch him), even took out part of the front of Ucchan's before 
finally settling down to the foremost destination in mind.
	(To avoid any gross explanations and to keep the reader from 
suffering the same fate as Ryoga, the author will avoid describing any of 
the character's activities in the little boy's room. All the author will 
say is that for a brief period of time lasting for around a quarter of an 
hour, Ryoga would have kissed the hand of the blessed owner of the 
fabulous contraption he was sitting on.)

	Mousse had been transformed back by Shampoo and was now helping 
clean up the mess he had made earlier that day. He picked up the plates 
and was currently fixing the tables when he overheard the following 
conversation (and sound effects) from the kitchen:
	<Sound of ladle stirring liquid (soup) in stainless steel cauldron>
	"Must be breakfast," Mousse thought.
	<Sound of pages being turned>
	"Uh oh, sounds like the BIG BOOK," Mousse thought again.
	Shampoo: "Granma, where put Powerful Love Potion #276?"
	"Sounds like really powerful stuff," Mousse alarmingly thought. 
	Cologne (from somewhere else): "Herbs like that are too strong to 
keep in the spice rack. It's here with me in the cellar."
	"The spice rack! That's what made me sneeze!" Mousse slapped his 
hand on his forehead. "It's a good thing Shampoo didn't check the 
cupboard or she would have found the whole thing in disarray." And guess 
who will be for dinner...
	Mousse waited, until...
	<Sounds of Shampoo moving towards the cellar>
	"Now!"
	Mousse ran towards the kitchen and took out the more basic tools a 
Master of Hidden Weapons should never leave home without.
	"Scattered powder gatherer and bottler!"
	<Sound of powder being gathered and bottled>
	"Universal Tool Kit!"
	<Sound of Spice Rack being reassembled>
	<Sound of Shampoo returning to kitchen>
	<Sound of Spice Rack being reassembled in a hurry>
	Shampoo: "Mousse, what you doing?"
	<Sound of Spice Rack finished and cupboard door being shut 
discreetly>
	"Gotta think fast..." Mousse started to sweat. "Uh, I was just 
tasting your wonderful cooking, Shampoo!"
	Shampoo: "Okay..."
	<Sound of Powerful Love Potion #276 being placed on the kitchen 
counter>
	<Sound of Mousse being slammed around the kitchen pathetically>
	"Ouch!" "Pain." "Mommy!"
	*WHAM*
	Mousse fell in a blooded heap on the floor.
	"Serves you right, tasting husband lunch," she wiped her hands. 
"There no way in world that I get to marry you, stupid duck brain."
	It was then that Ryoga decided to take a shortcut passing through 
the Cat Cafe.
	<Really loud sound of Ryoga passing through the Cat Cafe>
	<Sound of sneezes as dust entered Shampoo's nasal openings>
	When the dust settled, a new door from the kitchen to the dining 
room to the back in the shape of Ryoga was formed. Debris littered the 
floor. The kitchen counter and the newly fixed tables were destroyed. 
	However, there was something else missing...

	"HO-HO-HO-HO!" Kodachi Kuno was really happy. The lipstick that she 
had been working on all night was finished and today will see its first 
field test. "Ranma Saotome, your lips will be mine, at last." Jumping 
from roof to roof, she went on a direct line to the high school. 
	She did not notice the other person also on a direct line but 
having a relatively different objective.
	*SLAM*
	Kodachi was shot back by the impact of the intestinally challenged 
Ryoga. Twisting in midair to achieve a proper fall, as gymnasts were 
trained from birth to do. However, the place where she was landing was 
definitely not a carpeted exercise hall.
	A dumpster decorated the rarely seen back of the Cat Cafe. Today, a 
large population of cats congregated around it, as if waiting, watching. 
Kodachi fell like a angel from heaven.
	Instantly, when the contents of the dumpster were exposed, the cats 
twisted and turned to give reverence to the great cat in the sky.
	Kodachi rose up from the trash bin. "And I just took a bath," she 
wailed. Seeing the cats and not understanding the homage they were giving 
her, she blasted away to where her future husband was waiting.
	The cats watched her until she had disappeared into the distance. 
Then they scattered, spreading the gospel. 

	Powerful Love Potion #276 - Formerly known as Love Potion #3493-A 
	   until the Lao-Tze potion reclassification system gave it its 
         present name
	Its discovery was attributed to...
	The formula must be ingested with hot liquid, preferably ramen. 
	This mixture must be used with extreme caution. Inhalation would 
	   cause the subject to fall in love with the first person seen 
	   after the first sneeze. The next nasal seizure will revert the 
	   victim back to original emotional attributes. Subsequently, the 
	   next sneezes will flip back and forth the target from original 
	   and indoctrinated cardial focus. Symptoms last a few days.
	The effect is very similar to Opposite Potion #54 or commonly known 
	   as Blue-Haired-Housewife-Turned-Blond-Rambo Formula from its 
	   first successful test.*

* This excerpt was taken from the Big Book of Chinese Amazon Cooking (for 
dummies) 1598th edition published 1993 with permission from the authors.

	Cologne worked quietly in the massive storeroom below the Cat Cafe. 
	Rows upon rows of herbs and spices greeted her vision. She fixed 
the new shipment from China and placed them in carefully labeled sacks 
with clearly defined warnings on their use at the back. The sacks were 
then places on shelves, some refrigerated, for the more fragile 
foodstuffs. Thanks to the Lao-Tze Classification system, which most 
modern Chinese Amazon storerooms implement, she was able to find the 
potion Shampoo was looking for rather quickly. 
	"#276 is rarely used, Shampoo," she lectured. "Remember, treat 
herbs with care, or you will be the one needing treatment." She handed 
her the sack. 
	"Thanks, Grandma." Shampoo happily ascended the stairs.
	She wondered whether Shampoo was experienced enough to handle 
spices that strong. There was always the danger of them backfiring on 
you, or them having the wrong effect, as what was the common problem on 
son-in-law. She could also mix the wrong ingredients, resulting in a 
totally different result, most frequently disaster. 
	The laboratory-blowing mixtures of the West were no match for the 
earth-shattering explosions that occurred when inexperienced people fool 
around with Chinese herbs. "There's always a first time for everybody," 
she thought, assuring herself.
	Assurance went out the window when an earth-shattering explosion 
happened on the first floor of the Cat Cafe. "Shampoo!" she ran up the 
stairs, and was shocked by what she saw.
 
	Mousse woke up to find Shampoo peering over him with jaded eyes. 
Then, a weird change took over her form: jaded eyes were transformed, 
becoming warm and friendly, an event Mousse saw sometimes, whenever she 
looked at Ranma and even, rarely, very rarely, when she looked at him. 
	"Wo ai ni," she whispered softly.
	Jaws dropped. "Eep" was all he could say before Shampoo glomped 
him. "Oh, Mousse," she held on tightly to him, "Shampoo sorry for bashing 
Mousse to ground." She sighed, looking at his face. "Oh, Mousse..."
	"Maybe this is going to be a nice day, after all..." he thought.
	
	Ukyo ran as fast as she could to catch up to Ryoga. She didn't have 
the trouble of losing him anyway, as an easily discernible path of 
destruction led directly to her quarry. 
	Jumping over buildings, she kicked a pail of water that happened to 
be blocking her way, dumping its contents on a very angry couple. The 
shouts turned to animal sounds. "Sorry!" she yelled back. "Gotta hurry, 
or Ryoga would get lost." 
	Nearing the path's end, she was surprised to find the Ucchan's. 
"Hey, his mind's working properly!" The door was wrecked and the same 
amount of damage the Cat Cafe had had that morning was experienced by the 
okonomiyaki shop. Walking inside, the trail led to the lavatory, proof of 
the superiority of the Hibiki navigational instinct, when used. 
	Ukyo waited for the occupant to finish with his business, thinking 
of the momentary loss of awareness when Ryoga looked at her. Why did she 
feel a warm rush? Martial artists should have complete control over all 
bodily functions and that included emotional expressions as well. She had 
been always able to prevent herself from revealing any indication of what 
was happening in her heart at any time, except from Ranma. 
	Does that mean that she cared for... She couldn't answer that. 
Ranma was the only one... Ranma was the only one in her heart, as it was 
then, now and-
	There was the sound of falling water inside the room. But that was 
not the only thing that went a-flushing.

	Ryoga was soo happy! 
	Having finished his primary objective, he wanted desperately to 
thank the proud owner of the magnificent machine and kiss her hand and... 
	He stopped. Kiss her hand? What was he thinking? He had reserved 
his first kiss, hand and otherwise, to the only person he loved. Now he 
was thinking of giving it away, just to Ukyo? 
	He loved Akane alone, no matter who she chose. He will love her for 
the rest of his life. Then why did he feel so warm inside just thinking 
of her? 
	He shrugged it off, "Must have been the beans getting to me..." He 
opened the door and found said owner staring into his face. 
	"Uh oh..." as another thing went a-flushing.

	 Ranma was currently busy fixing the mess that he did not make. The 
anger he had felt inside him began to wear off as time passed by, due to 
the sheer amount of ladies' wear. 
	That Akane, always hitting him before he could have a chance to 
explain. Macho chick. He wondered why he ever protected her from all 
those perverts and monsters and villains who came to Nerima every so 
often. All he got for thanks is that blasted hammer in his face. 
	It was his dumb father's fault, promising things that he couldn't 
keep, expecting his son to honor the agreement. He was a martial artist, 
he shouldn't think of fianc�es and stuff like that. 
	Why didn't he just leave? Why not go to China and go to the Spring 
of Drowned Man to be rid of this curse? That would have been a better way 
to spend his time, instead of staying with stupid Akane. 
	Not that he didn't try - how many times had he planned of leaving 
and yet returned? What kept him there? It was that same girl who drove 
him away. That same chick that was the worst cook in the world.
	There were times that Akane was nice - and cute, too. Whenever she 
was not mad at anything, she had this nice smile... 
	He remembered the first time they went to Dr. Tofu's. He tried to 
stop it, but the feeling of jealousy kept coming up. He had wished Akane 
would be that gentle to her. He couldn't even believe she could be that 
compassionate. 
	Then, Dr. Tofu said, "Akane is a very understanding girl. You will 
find that out soon anyway," and hit a pressure point. On the way home, 
his legs gave out and Akane had to carry her. 
	He did not want to, at first, since it would be embarrassing since 
he was "a guy and guys have to be the ones to carry girls." Akane poured 
cold water over him as a compromise and piggybacked her home. How the 
stars shone that night! Everything seemed to stop as he held his hands 
loosely around her. He remembered the soft smell of perfume that wafted 
in his nose as he gently placed his head on her shoulder. He regretted 
having shouted at her, but what was done was done.
	"Her hair was still long then..." he thought. He cared for her a 
lot, even though he wouldn't admit it, even to himself. He hated himself, 
he hated himself for saying the wrong things to her. Just that, when he 
opens his mouth, all that keep coming out are Akane-bashers. 
	He couldn't tell her. He just can't. Whenever she was near tears, 
he couldn't comfort her, fearing his presence would push her over the 
edge. 
	He wished that he was a better person. He couldn't let mentally 
unstable people like Ryoga and Kuno ruin her life. He simply couldn't let 
any pervert take her, anyone...
	"Anyone but me..." he dared thought, and felt a soft fuzziness 
around him. Snapping back, he finished the rest of the job. 
	Dragging himself to Akane's room, he placed the lacy objects in a 
neat stack outside her door. Hearing movement inside, he knocked, not 
wanting to be at the wrong place at the wrong time again. 
	"Akane, I placed your things by the door." He stood up to take his 
bath, adding, "And I did not take those!" He wanted to say that he was 
sorry, but that might be taken as admitting guilt. 
	A heavy heart walked down the stairs. "There is always tomorrow..."

	Nabiki prowled in her younger sister's room. "I shouldn't have 
fallen asleep," she murmured. Stealing was not really a mainstream aspect 
of any of her schemes, even the most conniving ones, but desperate times 
called for desperate measures. 
	"If I was a picture, where would I hide?" she asked. She had 
planned to take Akane's picture while she slept as an additional trump 
card - however, she herself fell asleep. Her eyes lit up when she found 
Akane's pictures in a drawer but clouded when she heard Ranma knock. 
	"Akane, I placed your things by the door."
	"Stupid, I didn't expect that." Nabiki was in trouble now - the 
whole thing would be destroyed. 
	"And I did not take those!" Ranma shouted as he went downstairs. 
	She breathed a sigh of relief. "That almost got me." 
	Achieving her goal, she discreetly went out of the room. "I guess 
excitement will come soon enough," Nabiki thought as she noticed Ranma's 
eventual destination.

	Akane let her thoughts drift in the tub, quietly letting the suds 
cleanse her lithe body. She remembered the dream she had last night. It 
was during the play Romeo and Juliet. (The events that happened in the 
real thing was way different from the version by Shakespeare, but she had 
let Ranma kiss her, with tape over his lips, of course.) It was the final 
scene where Ranma had some difficulty to kiss Akane. 
	Akane asked, "Ranma, do you hate me that much?"
	"No, if I did, then this would be easy."
	He sighed and looked into her eyes and suddenly the stage and the 
audience disappeared, and they were alone.
	"Akane, I do care for you," he whispered gently in her ear.
	"Oh, Ranma," she was overjoyed. "I've waited so long for you to say 
that." Ranma reached and his hand softly caressed her face. 
	Then she woke up. 
	"It seemed so real..." Akane felt her face - the tingling sensation 
still there when she opened her eyes. She wished that the dream could 
have lasted a little bit longer. But it never does. 
	Waking up earlier, she had half-expected Ranma to still be that 
way, to continue where they left off. She hoped that he would be nice to 
her. But he even stole her underwear. 
	"That jerk," she said aloud, getting angry again. The temperature 
in the tub crept past her zone of comfort as the battle aura she was 
emitting heated the water. She let go of her hate and waited for the 
water to become lukewarm. Her thoughts cleared, she found out that she 
couldn't think of Ranma anymore in a negative light. 
	She sighed. Ranma kept complaining that she never listened to him. 
But, whenever she did, all she kept hearing were, "Macho chick, thick as 
a brick, can't even kick," the list went on and on. 
	Why did he keep doing that? What did she ever do to him? Is it 
because of her? Is it that he wanted her away from him? Akane did not 
dare think of the statement's affirmation. 
	Ukyo and Shampoo were better than her at everything. There's no way 
she could win him back if he decided that one of them was better for him 
than her. All she wanted was that Ranma care for her as much as she cared 
for him, although she wouldn't admit it to herself. 
	What if she lost him? There wasn't space for anyone in her heart. 
She felt so helpless that she couldn't show her feelings to him, even 
when he was trying so hard.
	She even kept hurting him, like the time in Ryugenzawa. She saw how 
his heart went to pieces. She could see it in his eyes - eyes trying to 
cover the pain inside, yet not succeeding. 
	"Akane, why did you choose him instead of me?" The words kept 
echoing in her mind, hurting her as well. 
	"But, Shinnosuke was dying," she tried to explain. She wanted so 
much to throw her hands around him, to show him that she cared, to show 
that everything would be all right. But nothing seemed to matter to him, 
except that he had lost her forever. Akane was too afraid. 
	Ranma had almost killed himself in the battle with the Orochi, 
trying to save her. In the monster's mouth, thinking that she would die, 
Akane wished for another chance - a chance to tell Ranma that he is the 
one. 
	She blacked out, waking up to see Ranma's face smiling over her. 
"You and your crazy stunts." She could have told him then, thanking God 
for the chance to see his face again, but Fate did not smile that day. 
The Orochi continued on in its rampage. "Shinnosuke, take care of Akane" 
could have been his last words, had not she saved him. 
	Akane felt Ranma's love for her there, during the moments when it 
counted. Ranma would die for her sake. When he thought he had lost her, 
death seemed the only way out, to do the greatest battle against the 
Orochi, since life wasn't worth living anymore - not without her. 
	And still, Akane couldn't respond. 
	"Ranma, I'm sorry but I just can't." Akane sobbed softly, tears 
diluting in the water, remembering how she held his hand then on the way 
home and the long train ride, wanting to tell him then, but still too 
afraid. The only person she knew who cared for her so much - and she just 
punched him into the ground just this morning. 
	"Maybe I doesn't deserve him. Maybe I should marry Kuno. Why can't 
I tell him? What's wrong with me? Why can't I just say it." She took a 
deep breath. "Ranma, I care for you..." she said softly to herself, and 
felt a warm flush. 
	She didn't hear the bathroom door open and then close.

	Ranma dragged himself downstairs. He did it again. He should have 
said sorry, then. Maybe she was mad at him, very mad. Passing the 
kitchen, the smell of breakfast cooking failed to raise his spirits. 
	Entering the bathroom, he took off his clothes and put them in the 
nearby hamper. "Oh, Akane, I'm sorry for all the mean things I keep 
saying," he spoke softly to himself, practicing. 
	What if that was the final straw? What if he was booted out of the 
house? What if he really lost her? 
	"Akane, I wish that I could tell you straight out. I care for 
you..." He did not know if he thought his or said it aloud, it didn't 
matter.
	Two pairs of hands slid open the shower curtain, one going in, the 
other going out...

	Cologne found the future leader of the Chinese Amazon tribe glomp 
the dumbest man on earth. 
	"Oh no!" She knew she shouldn't have trusted Shampoo with the 
formula. She rushed to stop them from doing something Shampoo would 
regret in her proper senses, but was beaten to it by a pail of cold 
water. 
	"Sorry!" the departing martial artist yelled back. 
	Thanking her lucky stars, Cologne retrieved the cat, placing pepper 
on her nose. Then she returned them to their proper form. 
	Mousse, not knowing better, glomped Shampoo. "You dirty old monkey! 
Your plans are over! Shampoo loves me and will become the mother of my 
children!" 
	A large battle aura signaled Mousse to the futility of his last 
words.
	<Really loud sounds of Mousse being bashed around kitchen, this 
time for blood>
	"PAIN!" 
	"STOP!" 
	"HELP!" 
	"MOMMY!" 
	"BLOOD!" 
	"DIE, MOUSSE!"	
	*WHAMMM!!!!*	
	Once again, the broken body of Mousse slammed on the floor.
	"Pervert Mousse, you never touch Shampoo again!" Shampoo screamed, 
kicking him for emphasis. 
	"Grandchild, why did you not take care of the formula as I said?"
	"No fault, granma. Place formula on counter then stupid lost boy 
make kitchen all kaboom!"
	"I knew this was not going to be a nice day. Shampoo, I think you 
should finish your cooking in time for lunch for son-in-law, and take 
extra precautions this time. Powerful Love Potion #276 symptoms last for 
a few days." She continued on, warning Shampoo. "If Mousse shall take 
your lips when you," she frowned at this, "are crazy, the indoctrinated 
effect will become permanent. Surely, you want Ranma to be your husband?"
	"Yes, Granma! Shampoo make Mousse go to very bad place if he 
tries."
	Cologne made a mistake, that Mousse was by now unconscious. Hanging 
between light and dark, he grasped the importance of the past statements 
before passing out. 

	Ryoga and Ukyo stared at each other in complete silence. The toilet 
bowl had already finished its washing cycle and was ready for its next 
occupant when anyone dared speak. 
	"Ryoga," "Ukyo," they spoke at the same time. 
	"Can I get you...?" "Thanks for..." 
	"Don't mention..." "Sorry 'bout the..."
	"It's okay..." "I'll fix it for..."
	"No need, Ryoga. No need for repairs," she finally managed to get a 
coherent sentence through. As an afterthought, she added, "for now..." 
She was afraid Ryoga would see how red her face was.
	Ryoga laughed nervously. His mind screamed, "Gotta get out of here 
before something happens." 
	"I guess I better go now..." he chuckled, backing out.
	*GROWL*
	Once again, Ryoga's stomach became a traitor.

	In emergencies, the first stable thoughts that come to mind are the 
most important. 
	In house fires, "Where is (nearest of kin)?" 
	Lost in the wilderness, "Where's my compass?" 
	While drowning, "Where is the surface?" 
	In the process of falling from a great height, "Did I pack a 
parachute?" 
	In front of a 16-wheeler truck, "Did I make peace with (beloved 
deity)?" 
	The situation where Ranma and Akane found themselves could be 
considered to be a bona fide emergency situation - at least in Ranma's 
viewpoint.
	"Did he/she hear me?"
	"..."
	"My face is so red, I hope Ranma/Akane couldn't see it."
	"..."
	"..."
	"WHAT IS HE/SHE DOING IN THE BATH!!!"
	"YOU JERK!!!/I'M DEAD!!!"
	*SPLASH*
	*SLAMMMM*
	"You jerk!" Akane cannot believe she had been thinking nice 
thoughts about the person currently suffocating underneath the bathroom 
door. "Ranma, I don't believe you..." she screamed. 
	Grabbing a towel, she stomped over the door (and the one below it) 
and upstairs to her room. 

	"What was that, Nabiki?" Kasumi asked as the *SLAMMMM* reverberated 
through the house. Nabiki helped Kasumi take the plates (!) from the 
kitchen to the dining room, perhaps to build up an alibi. "I don't know, 
sis. Maybe someone's getting what he deserved..."
	"Who got what, Nabiki?" Soun questioned her from the dining table. 
A cool breeze blew through the open door from the koi pond outside. Soun 
sat quietly at the head of the table. "Don't tell me it's Ranma again..." 
	"Oh, daddy, who else could it be entering the bathroom at this time 
of the day?" She smirked, remembering the other person also entering 
bathrooms at the most inopportune time. 
	"You mean Ranma did it again?" Kasumi cheeringly entered the room, 
bringing the fried eggs. 
	Nabiki and his father bigsweated. "Huh?" "WHAT?" (respectively)
	"You mean you forgot, Nabiki? You were there when it happened. 
Ranma almost came rushing in when I was taking a bath." Soun's eyes 
bulged out. "Good thing the shower curtain's closed or..."
	"You mean Ranma tried to peep on you?" Nabiki asked, incredulous 
that her bigger sister did not know who the real guilty party was. 
	"Hey, I heard that!" Ranma-chan came dashing in, carrying the 
bathroom door, being rather naked. "Kasumi, I didn't peep on you. I was 
asleep at the time!"
	"If you didn't, who did?"
	The shadows moved, spitting out a balding man. A empty kettle was 
thrown, hitting Ranma in the head. *PONK* "Ranma, how dare you peep on 
Kasumi!" Genma strode in. "And I raised you to become a man among men, 
and you do this?" He began to cry. "What kind of father have I been?"
	Soun cried, too. The sobbing fathers hugged each other, seeking 
support. "What kind of pervert have I engaged to my daughter..."
	Genma blinked. "Ah, Tendo... Let's not go that far, shall we? I 
know Ranma won't do it again, will you?" Before she could say anything, 
Genma continued, "See... He is a good boy. I know you didn't do it on 
purpose, Ranma." He patted her back. 
	"But I didn't..."
	*WHACK*
	A towel hit Ranma's face. "You're pathetic, Ranma." A uniformed 
Akane came up from behind. "First, you steal my underwear, then you peep 
on me, *then* you peep on my elder sister, and after all that," she 
yelled at his face, "YOU WALK ALL AROUND THIS HOUSE NAKED!!!" 
	A fist flashed in the early morning sunlight, *CRASH*, knocking 
Ranma backwards. "Take a bath, Ranma! The tub is empty now, or do you 
want someone to share it with?"
	Ranma screamed from afar, "Fine, then! Since no one wants to listen 
to me anyway, I'll just go ahead and take my bath!" She stomped. "And if 
any of you want to blame me if the city blows up, I'll be in the bathroom 
waiting!"
	A slightly shocked troop waited for Akane in the dining room. "Wow, 
you didn't have to hit him that hard," Nabiki broke the silence. 
	"Perverts deserve to die" was all Akane would say.
	"Speaking of perverts," Nabiki asked Mr. Saotome, "where were you 
when the crime occurred?"
	*SPLASH*
	<I'm just a cute little panda!>
	"Oh, shut up!"

	*GROWL*
	"You're hungry. Don't worry, I'll cook you breakfast," Ukyo quickly 
offered, a little too quickly for her peace of mind. She gathered up the 
ingredients and, a few minutes later, two okonomiyaki fried in the grill.
	The smell tickled Ryoga's olfactory lobes. He couldn't look her in 
the eye as the food sizzled. When was the last time he had felt so 
embarrassed with someone other than Akane? 
	He remembered the time when they (Ryoga and Ukyo) had conspired to 
pass Akane and Ranma through the cave of lost loves. They (Ranma and 
Akane) even thought that they (Ryoga and Ukyo) were in love, because of 
their secret meetings and hushed conversations. The rumors spread and, by 
the time, everyone got home, they (everyone else) thought that they were 
a couple. 
	They fought teasing from every side, and in the end, brought about 
by Ryoga's habitual disappearances, the taunts ceased. But when he left, 
there were so many unanswered questions - questions never asked, afraid 
of knowing what the answers would be.
	Ukyo finished and a plate passed before Ryoga's eyes. "Thanks, 
Ukyo," he said daring a short peek. Regretting it, he looked own on the 
food for the rest of the meal. 
	"Sure, *hon.*" 
	"Uh oh, didn't mean to put the emphasis there." Ukyo's palms 
started to sweat. Too fidgety to keep standing up, she sat down on the 
only other fixed seat, which was right across the table from Ryoga. She 
sat still, looking down on the floor, each wanting to start a 
conversation going, waiting for the other to speak first. 
	The meal passed in a thick silence, broken only by the occasional 
<sound of okonomiyaki being munched and swallowed>.
	Ryoga, becoming *really* uncomfortable, "Could I have a glass of 
water... please." He wanted to say her name but was afraid that the 
emphasis would show. 
	Ukyo was surprised (it's very hard to catch a martial artist off-
guard). "Okay." The hand that currently supported her head moved 
downwards, sideswiping a cleverly placed salt shaker.
	"I'll get it!" from one side of the table.
	"I'll get it!" at the same time, from the other side.
	"..."

	"HO-HO-HO-HO!" Kodachi Kuno laughed her distinct laugh. She had 
risen from the ashes of the dumpster to the glorious heights of pure joy. 
The clock tower of Furinkan High was very near and soon she would be with 
her Ranma darling.
	So great was her ecstasy that she failed to notice the massive 
horde of cats following her.

	"WHAT A HAUL! WHAT A HAUL!" Happosai screamed with pure delight. 
His grand tour was not even a quarter finished and already he had filled 
his burlap bag. 
	Placing his collection on a well-secluded spot, he took out another 
bag. Furinkan High was very near and there were the girls in gym class - 
enough to fill the other sack as well. 
	Jumping at high speed from building to building, he easily avoided 
1/4 of the female populace of Nerima out for his blood.

	"HO-HO-HO-HO!"
	"WHAT A HAUL! WHAT A HAUL!"
	*SLAM*
	"Eee!"
	"Arrgg!"
	*CRASH*

	Ryoga and Ukyo blinked. 
	Ryoga held the shaker in his hand, being faster. Ukyo held on to 
his. There was a slight twitch in his hand and, before they knew it, 
fingers intertwined. 
	She was amazed how comfortable her hand felt in his. The warm 
feeling and the temporary loss of awareness returned and she found 
herself liking it. Her heart beat faster. She looked into his eyes and 
saw herself.
	"Ukyo..." Ryoga talked first.
	"Yes..." She didn't speak further, knowing he was on the brink of 
saying something important.
	"I... I..." Ryoga felt that he couldn't continue. But Ukyo's deep 
brown eyes urged him to challenge his limit, to go where he never dared 
to go, to do the only thing he had been dreaming of, for his whole life, 
but never did. To say...
	"I think the okonomiyaki's getting cold."
	Ukyo facefaulted.

	Happosai was catapulted by the impact with the laughing martial 
artist to a point near his origin. The mob at his heels calculated the 
factors before and right after the impact, determining the crash site. 
Then, the many-headed monster turned, destroying everything in its path. 
It was the sure end to whatever uneasy yet essential peace a certain 
martial arts family temporarily enjoyed.

	Ryoga winced. Where did that come from? 
	"Arrrgghhhh, what did I do wrong!" He helped her to her feet. He 
wanted to say sorry. He wanted to say so many things. But the moment was 
lost. 
	Ryoga finished his meal rather quickly after that. Ukyo took her 
position again in front of him, amidst the rubble of the shop. She had 
wished something special could have happened to them. She wanted 
desperately to tell him about the... But, she couldn't.
	Ryoga stood up to leave. "Thanks, Ukyo," he said. "Where's the 
door?" 
	Ukyo, suddenly feeling to tired, pointed to the direction to the 
kitchen. He went out the exit. She sighed again. "I won't be seeing him 
again for a long time." 
	She looked down the street he was swiftly disappearing, until he 
turned down a corner, and was gone. By the time he came back, she would 
have been... 
	She wished that there could be second chances. Maybe fate could 
smile on her, this time...

	Fate didn't smile on Kodachi today. 
	She had taken a long bath that morning, then fell inside a 
dumpster. 
	She was in the middle of daydreaming about her beloved, and this 
perverted old man comes out of nowhere and bashes her into the ground. 
	And this rather large ball of fur bore down upon her wherever she 
went. 
	She had enough. She had had enough! 
	"DIRTY OLD MAN!" the battle-cry roared. "I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN TO 
THE ENDS OF THE EARTH!" 
	Lightning raged, thunder roared and a few nearby trees were torn 
off in the gale force winds as a storm appeared in the sunny skies of 
Nerima and then disappeared. Picking up some of the fallen weapons, she 
followed the cloud of dust that headed to where she was certain the freak 
was hiding, brining with her feline reinforcements. 

	Ranma had had a very very bad day. She sullenly splashed hot water 
over himself. "Some days, it just doesn't pay..." 
	In the past half-hour since daybreak, he had been charged with 
three crimes. The first one when he had just woken up: having fallen 
asleep at the scene of the crime, with no witnesses and the jury (Akane) 
being a little bit biased on the judgment (the said stolen objects were 
hers after all.) He was not given a chance to even speak in his defense.
	The verdict: GUILTY AS CHARGED. The sentence: DEATH BY AKANE'S 
HAMMER.
	If that was not enough to start one's day, he went over the 
invisible demilitarized zone extending from the bathroom door to the far 
wall, which was implemented when said fianc�e was inside. However, there 
were no clear warnings of any occupant inside. 
	The judge, jury and executioner was the *same* as the victim. Once 
again, the right to speak was withheld and the right to remain silent was 
strictly enforced. No one was available to pronounce his innocence, 
except for the mysterious person prowling inside the party of the second 
part's bedchamber.
	The verdict: GUILTY BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT. 
	The sentence: BE STOMPED REPEATEDLY UNDER A BATHROOM DOOR.
	The last trial was even more a farce. He had a perfect alibi for 
the second violation of the Bathroom Treaty. The victim could not even 
point to the guilty party, since she was not sure. However, his only 
witness, his own flesh and blood, was a traitor. His case was airtight 
and yet...
	The verdict: THE GREATEST PERVERT ON EARTH. 
	The sentence: A SLAP FROM AKANE'S FIST OF JUSTICE.
	What was he supposed to do? He was always the most outspoken person 
in the house. Everyone else had a reason why they couldn't be the one at 
fault: Kasumi was always exempted from any guilt automatically; Nabiki 
always had this way with words and plenty of strings to pull - tangling 
with her would be equivalent to revealing his secret to his mother 
(sepukku); Mr. Tendo was "a very high strung and upright man," a very 
shallow excuse for the said Tendo illegitimate daughters, which everyone 
stupidly believed; Mr. Saotome could change into a panda and remain 
inarticulate for as long as he wanted to be - now that was a good fringe 
benefit of his transformation; Happosai was already guilty of enough 
crimes of perversion to mete him death by cannonball squad or to even be 
tied on top of a nuclear bomb as it goes off - but why is he still 
unpunished?
	That left him and Akane. Now, she would either bash your head in 
before you even opened your mouth, or, very rarely, cry her guts out. 
Tears would make you feel ashamed (or, at least, Ranma) and any suspicion 
would be retracted. *Then* she would bash your face in.
	"Now, I'm all that's left," he said, finishing his bath. He took a 
nearby Chinese ensemble (with a blue shirt), and stalked his way to the 
dining room, carefully putting the door aside to avoid any further 
mishaps.
	The rest of the family already was in the middle of breakfast. His 
father had surreptitiously changed into a panda, amidst piercing looks by 
Nabiki. "He must have done something wrong," he watched, enjoying seeing 
the old man squirm. 
	Taking his usual place at the table, beside said fianc�e, he 
attempted to avoid any eye contact, concentrating all his anger on 
attacking the fried eggs and rice Kasumi had made for them, since any 
confrontation during breakfast would ruin digestion for the rest of the 
day.
	Soun vainly complained as Kasumi tried to apply an ice bag to the 
bumps on his head. "Thanks, *ow* Kasumi..."
	"Father, you should really go to Dr. Tofu's," she said, looking 
Ranma over to see whether any medical attention was needed on the recent 
arrival. "Akane, can you take dad over to the clinic on the way to 
school?" She added, "Ranma can come along, too, to save time..."
	"Okay, Kasumi," Akane took a bite from her sandwich. 
	"I don't need any help. I'm a tough guy," Ranma exclaimed, 
finishing what was left of the meal.
	"Tough guys don't wet their beds..."
	Ranma's eyes bulged out. He had forgotten all about that. "I-I 
didn't-" he stuttered.
	"Oh, you mean he did it again?" Kasumi unknowingly interjected.
	And a bomb went off.
	"AGAIN?" a chorus of voices (and a sign) greeted the housewife. 
	"Oh, my, I shouldn't have said that..." Kasumi apologized. But the 
damage had been already done.
	Akane was laughing out loud. "You mean <laugh, laugh> Ranma <more 
laughs> *again* <ha-ha-ha>...?!" The last part of the sentence was no 
longer coherent enough to be understood.
	Nabiki smirked, silently thinking how much she could charge Ranma 
to keep this thing under wraps.
	Genma put on a face of shame. <What kind of son have I raised?> 
"I'm free at last!" he laughed inside.
	Soun was too busy contemplating on the meaning of life and the 
bumps on his head to pay much attention. Laughing made his skull throb.
	Ranma was by now all red in the face. "I didn't do nothing!" he 
exclaimed, taking to mind once more the great saying, "Sometimes, it just 
doesn't pay to wake up in the morning."
	Suddenly, there was a splash from behind him as an object from 
above crashed in the koi pond, drenching the group near the window with 
water.
	"*RANMA, DEAR GIRL, GRANDFATHER'S HERE*" a diminutive martial 
artist shouted as Ranma-chan turned to look. She realized that the day 
was just beginning...

	"What a way to start a day," Ryoga thought to himself as he 
struggled to get lost *real* fast. "Oh no! What have I done," he asked 
himself. He felt that warm feeling when he looked into Ukyo's eyes. He 
was really going to say it... He really was... 
	With his mind functioning normally (?), he regretted his actions. 
"I have been unfaithful to you, Akane!" he screamed. "I promised to love 
you for the rest of my life (although I haven't said it). I can no longer 
be worthy of your hand, ever again! I have done the worst sin!" He forced 
tears back, praying to the gods for a sign that the girl of his dreams 
will forgive him... just one little sign.
	Out of the blue, a massive storm hit. Lighting streaked across the 
once sunny sky. Thunder roared - trees tore from their roots by the gale 
force winds. Raindrops tore like bullets through his skin. Then, just as 
suddenly as it appeared, it vanished into thin air.
	"That wasn't what I had in mind..." P-chan whimpered softly. With 
the sun shining once again, he held his head low as he searched for a 
kettle to warm himself.
	Thunder roared once again raged near where he was. Turning around 
to look, his countenance changed from sadness to that of sheer terror.

	"Arrgghh! Get off me, you old freak!"
	Genma smiled. He had beaten Nabiki at her own game! He had removed 
the clutches of the middle Tendo sister from his neck and he looked at 
her with jeering eyes. Of course, his son had to be a sacrificial lamb to 
thwart her, but that was a small loss.
	Ranma screamed from his right. "Stop doing that!" She tried to pry 
the old man from his current position on her chest, but to no avail. 
"Akane, don't just stand there - give me a hand!"
	Akane stood up. "Sure, Ranma!" She clapped.
	Genma grinned like a prisoner walking out of jail. He gloated, 
staring into the frowning face of Nabiki. She seemed deep in thought. 
	"The greatest of plans call for improvisation," a wise man once 
said. Nabiki was brainstorming hard enough to cause a small battle aura 
to surround her, too weak to be detected by anyone with a wayward glance. 
	Finally, the last pieces of the puzzle clicked into place. "Hmm, 
sounds good enough," she murmured softly to herself, finally allowing 
herself to smile. She glanced to her right and found the panda's eyes 
bulging out, pretty far out. "Boy, do you look stupid."
	"Ranma, my boy, I'll let you go if you wear this for me..."
	Ranma bashed Happosai's head, but nothing seemed to faze him. Akane 
pulled at him from behind. "Why don't you just turn back into a guy or 
something...?"
	Kasumi stood up. "I'll go and heat some water for you." She turned 
and disappeared into the kitchen.
	Nabiki smirked, "Time to put other cards in play." She said aloud, 
"Ranma, I can't believe that you're letting the old man touch you like 
that."
	"As if I had a choice? You wouldn't say that if you were in my 
shoes." Ranma took one of Genma's signs and tried to use it as a crowbar.
	Nabiki crossed her arms and stalked out of the room. "If I didn't 
know any better, I say that you're letting him do that." She turned 
around the corner and as a parting note, "You're becoming more a pervert. 
First, you steal Akane's underwear, then you peep on Kasumi..." She 
didn't have to finish the statement.
	Nabiki's last few words had a weird effect on the master. "Ranma! 
How dare you peep on Kasumi!" The room was filled with a horrible red 
battle aura. 
	Oh, boy...

	"HO-HO-HO-HO!" Kodachi laughed as she joined the fray. 
	The feline mob joined forces with the anthropoid one, kicking off 
an even more violent dust storm. The crowd grew even more bloodthirsty, 
not even bothering to use convenient features like streets. 
	She put herself in the middle of the group and laughed even louder 
as familiar landmarks indicated where she was going. "Ranma darling, I'll 
be in your arms even sooner that I thought!" 
	She laughed again, not seeing the new but unwilling member of the 
troop.

	"The old man's really ticked off this time," Ranma realized as the 
old pervert jumped off her. His eyes were a blazing red. A sudden gust of 
wind filled the room.
	"Oh, master, please don't do this!" Soun and the panda pleaded 
remorsefully. "We shall punish him for you. We humbly prostrate ourselves 
before you and..." Their pleading became louder and even more desperate 
as the room started to shake down to its foundations. "MASTER, PLEASE!"
	"Ranma!" Akane screamed from somewhere, trying to be heard above 
the din. "Do something!" Ranma turned, just as Akane was knocked to her 
knees. "Ranma!"
	A cord snapped. "That's it, old man!" Ranma challenged him. "IT ALL 
ENDS HERE, NOW!" He knew what a desperate battle he was going to fight. 
He had no choice.
	Akane's mind screamed as massive wind blasts slammed around the 
room. She saw Ranma go into the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts 
traditional fighting form. 
	"This is it!" She groped around and tried to find something to hold 
on to. "RANMA!" Her heart thumped in her chest. What if he... if he... 
"Ranma! NO!"
	Happosai was ablaze. "Ranma! You have gone beyond the line! Even I 
have limits! Even I cannot even dream of doing that to Kasumi! And you 
dare pervert the hand that feeds you!" His voice was already disembodied, 
almost like a god. 
	The rumbling became louder and louder. "RANMA, PREPARE TO FACE THE 
WRATH OF THE FOUNDING SCHOOL OF ANYTHING GOES MARTIAL ARTS!"
	"I brought the hot water, Ranma," Kasumi cheeringly entered the 
room.
	"Why, hello again, Kasumi," the old man cheeringly smoked from his 
pipe.
	Ranma facefaulted.
	The two fathers breathed a sigh of relief. Too soon...
	"Why, you creep!" Akane menacingly approached Happosai. She was 
entering striking distance when she noticed something strange.
	The rumbling became louder and louder.
	"What the?!?"
	The far wall of the Dojo disintegrated and the large agglomeration 
of living things blasted through. 
	"DIE, OLD MAN!!!" the many-headed monster screamed.
	"P-chan!" Akane shouted, noticing the familiar snout somewhere in 
the crowd.
	"Kodachi!" Ranma shouted, noticing the familiar black rose petals 
somewhere in the crowd.
	"My girls!" Happosai shouted, noticing *the* crowd.
	"My house!" Soun shouted, noticing the amount of damage dealt *by* 
the crowd.
	<My breakfast!> Genma exclaimed as the eggs made flip-flops on the 
floor.
	"Oh my!" Kasumi said somewhere in the back.
	The onslaught moved onwards, gorging a trench from the street and 
rapidly approaching the house, particularly the living room. 
	Ryoga's prayers were answered. "Akane!" he bweed happily - he found 
her so quickly. Overjoyed, he almost forgot that he was in a middle of a 
hornet's nest.
	Kodachi's prayers were answered. She was in the same house as her 
one and only love, Ranma. Not only that, the old perverted man and the 
cursed pig-tailed girl were there just in front of her, shaking with 
terror (or, most probably, the mini-earthquake her present company was 
doing to the neighborhood, but she didn't spare a thought). She could 
destroy them both in one swift attack and then take her beloved, all in a 
minute! She unfurled her ribbon. "The time of vengeance is at hand!"
	The mob's prayers were answered. Finally, the old man will be 
crushed! The dreadnought moved on, a wake forming in its path as it 
marched on through the koi pond.
	Akane's reunion with her beloved pet was joyful but short. The 
house will be blasted to smithereens! "Ranma," she exclaimed, "do 
something!"
	Ranma stood up, "I'll just- <gasp>." She choked on the last word as 
she perceived the other half of the crowd. "C-c-cats!" Immobilized, she 
waited for the inevitable pain to arrive.
	"They've all come for me! How sweet!" Happosai said, waiting for 
the inevitable lace to arrive.
	Soun's head ached. "Oh no!" was all he could say.
	Genma was too busy retrieving his meal to give any regard to the 
doom that was fast approaching.
	Kasumi was in the back, throwing the kettle in surprise. It flew in 
the air.
	The hot water did not even faze the anger of the multi-racial 
throng. It came closer and closer...
	*BOOT*
	Nabiki instantly emerged from the chaos. She booted the old man 
into the stratosphere (hence the sound). The mob blindly followed his 
trajectory, turning left and skirting the side of the house. Two martial 
artists learned that individual aspirations disappeared in the face of 
collective interest.
	"Akane!" Ryoga called out as he and Akane parted ways.
	"Ranma!" Kodachi ribbon was tangled by the footsteps of the rapidly 
vanishing group.
	*CRASH*
	The masses moved on, destroying the part of the back fence of the 
Dojo before retreating into the distance, a large cloud of dust (and an 
occasional water geyser) marking their passage through the other parts of 
the town.
	The others walked outside, trying to see where they went. Kasumi 
rushed to the obliterated fish pond, to the side of the fallen fish. 
"There now, little fish. Kasumi will save you." Acting quickly, she took 
the dented but still functional kettle and gathered up the remaining 
water in the pool. She placed the fish inside. "I'll take you back as 
soon as your home is fixed," she quietly assured the carp.
	"My yard... My head... My yard... My head..." Soun repeated over 
and over, the two problems foremost in his mind.
	"Nabiki, thanks..." Akane turned to her sister. "If you weren't 
there..."
	"Don't sweat it, sis. Your home is my home, too. My savings would 
have been lost had they made it in." She turned and ran up to the dining 
room. "No use just gawking around. We still have classes, you know." 
	She stared at the panda absentmindedly scratching his head. "Have 
your fun, Mr. Saotome." Eagle eyes pierced through his panda skin. "I'll 
get you sooner or later." 
	Kasumi called from the garden. "Nabiki! Your lunch is in the 
kitchen!"
	She waved her thanks and went off to school.
	"I guess we'll have to go now, Kasumi. I wish we could stay and 
help around the house," Akane apologized to her sister.
	"Don't worry about it! Just go and take father to Dr. Tofu's. And, 
in the afternoon, you and Ranma could help in fixing the yard." She 
smiled. "I packed your lunch, there in the kitchen by the microwave." She 
put a hand to her face. "Oh, I forgot to do Ranma's!"
	"Don't worry about him. I'm sure his lunch will come," Akane 
frowned, knowing that *those two (maybe three)* would be more than happy 
to feed him. "By the way, where is he?"
	There was a hiccuping near the table as Ranma lay down in fright. 
"Serves him right," Akane muttered, entering a dark mood. She dragged him 
by the pigtail. 
	"Come on, Ranma. This is no time to be over-acting." She took their 
bags. "Dad, let's go!" 
	Soun followed. "My yard... My head... My yard... My head..."
	Kasumi heard their footsteps (and dragging), following them until 
she heard the front door shut. She sighed, a whole day of work lay in 
front of her. 
	"Guess I better start early," she said with a smile. Taking the 
kettle with the fish inside, she went indoors, footsteps like music on 
the grass, then on the wooden floor. Before entering the kitchen, she 
took a look at Genma.
	"Are you okay, Uncle Saotome?"
	The panda groaned. <Don't worry, just have tummy-ache.>
	"I'll get you some medicine," she said as she went out.
	
	The window chime twinkled softly...


@----------------------------------------------------------------------@
|Mayhem!Mayhem!Mayhem!Mayhem!Mayhem!Mayhem!Mayhem!Mayhem!Mayhem!Mayhem!|
@----------------------------------------------------------------------@

At last, Chapter 2 is finished.  It might be a longer time for any new 
installments on this fic.  Exams are coming up.

Anyway, please send any comments.  The silence sucks.  Please, just tell 
me anything.  If you send, "we hate your fic," I will go down on my knees 
and thank you, at least you saw this.


Watch out for the next thrilling chapter, Bumps and Bruises, around next 
month.  Coming soon to a text file near you.

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|Mayhem!Mayhem!Mayhem!Mayhem!Mayhem!Mayhem!Mayhem!Mayhem!Mayhem!Mayhem!|
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The Nikholas F. Toledo Zu @ WWW: The Entertainment Capital of UP Village
Vector, Switch, Yebah, Rain Man, goo, Pervert, Scruples, Hollie, NomaD, 
 Blitz, Gee, Datzo, Jewel, elf, Radler, Pinball, Mayhem, Chaos, Father, 
 Attar and Llewe @ http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Flats/3145/mezza9.html 
Fanfiction Page @ http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Flats/3145/fanfics.html
Perv's SI Archive @ http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Flats/3145/insert.html
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