Nihao!
	This is going to be a short in-between chapter. I know that the last few have been somewhat dark, I'm hoping to change that. It's the New Year, and I plan to start it off with hope. (If you can't tell, 1998 wasn't very good)
Jusenkyo Guide

Jusenkyo Productions Proudly Presents
A Ranma � Fan Fiction
Journal of the Ages: Ranma: Prelude and Interlude 

	)Ranma � is owned by quite a number of people with big payrolls and lawyers. I have neither so please don't sue me.(

() Indicates Chinese, or anything else I can think of.  

Nerima, Present Day:
	
Ranma dialed the number by heart, on the other end of the line; he heard the phone start to ring. "Come on," he said to himself, "Be there."
					*********

Meanwhile, over in the other side of Nerima:
	
"What it is child?"
	"It is book, great-grandmother."
	Cologne looked at the battered black manuscript in Shampoo's hands and rolled her eyes, "I know that, Shampoo. I meant, why did you bring it to me?"
	"Arien read this book, his face look like he not there. Is magic book, yes?"
Shampoo asked.
	(Let's try this again,) Cologne said, switching to Chinese. (What is going on?)
	(I followed Ranma like you asked me to. All he did was go to the Tendo's house, then to his house. When he got there, he started to read that book. It was very curious, great-grandmother, his face was blank, like he wasn't there, but somewhere else. After an hour or so, he suddenly came back to himself, dropped the book and ran out of his room.) Shampoo said.
	"So then you brought me the book?"
	"Yes, great-grandmother."
	Cologne nodded, "Thank you child, you did well."
	Shampoo nodded happily, "Is good then, I go clean."
	Shampoo turned to go, but Cologne had one more question.
	"Shampoo?"
	"Yes?"
	"Why do you use the dumb routine?"
	Shampoo paused, "The dumb bimbo routine brings in more customers, and lets me gather more information because people think that I don't understand them," she explained. 
	"Have you been visiting Tendo Nabiki again?" Cologne asked suspiciously. 
						********

In another section of Nerima:
	
"So, Sasuke, that Chinese bimbo and her vile grandmother hold the book that my Ranma darling was reading?"
	"Yes, Mistress Kodachi, she took it to the Nekohanten and gave it to Cologne," the loyal ninja said, then he braced himself. 
	He was not disappointed. Kodachi threw back her head and gave voice to that nerve-rendering laugh that was her trademark. Sasuke once again compared that laugh with one out of his favorite anime and once again came to the conclusion that Naga the White Serpent and Kuno Kodachi might have been sisters. 
	"OH HOHOHOHOHOHOHO! If that Chinese hussy thinks that she can steal my Ranma-sama's diary to read about his love for me, she is sadly mistaken."
	"But Mistress Kodachi, I was unable to tell if that was Saotome's diary," Sasuke protested.  
	"Silence! Go tell my brother that I will be going out tonight. No one can steal the love of the Black Rose." Laughing insanely, Kodachi leapt into the night.
Later:
	"What? That vile cur Saotome keeps a diary? Hold! It might have information about how I can defeat him. And it might have information about Akane and my Pig Tailed Goddess! Come Sasuke, we must claim the book err my twisted younger sister does!" Laughing just as insanely as his sister, Kuno ran into the night, dragging Sasuke along.   
						*************

Yet another part of Nerima:
	
"And you're saying that Ranchan is acting strangely?" 
	The girl at the counter nodded, "From what I know, he got a book from his parents on his birthday. For the last few days, he's been wandering around asking questions about things that happened long ago."
	"How long?" the okonomiyaki cook asked.
	The girl at the counter held out her hand.
	Ukyo sighed, "How about I add another free one on your tab?"
	The mercenary thought about it for a second, "Alright, deal." She took a sip of the tea that sat in front of her, along with the remains of an okonomiyaki. "Really long ago. He actually went into the library to look up information on old England and ancient China. Earlier this evening, he even went to the Nekohaten to pump Cologne for information about a battle that happened 1,500 years ago."
	Ukyo looked skeptical, "And how do you know this, Nabiki?" 
	Nabiki smiled, like a shark, "I have my sources."
	Ukyo leaned forward onto the counter, "So, what do you want me to do about it?"
	Nabiki leaned back a bit, she would make sure that her sister got what she wanted, "My sources also tell me that the book is now in the possession of Shampoo and Cologne. I want you to go get it." 
	Ukyo blinked in shock and disbelief, "Me? You want me to go up against Cologne? Nabiki are you NUTS?" the last part was almost a shriek. "Ranchan has problems with her."
	Nabiki smiled again, you could almost believe that she was doing a favor for you, almost. "Not to worry, Ukyo, I've enlisted help."
	"Help? Who, Ranchan?"
	"No, Ranma wouldn't be the right person, after all, we ARE trying to find out what was in the book. No, this person will be almost as good, and he should be here any second now."
	At the end of Nabiki's little monologue, the door to Ucchan's slid open. The figure that was framed in it took a moment to get his bearings, "Excuse me, but where is the Tendo Dojo?"
	Nabiki looked at the stunned Ukyo, "See? I told you he would be here. Now if you will excuse me, I need to go home and make some more arrangements." 
					*********

The Tendo Dojo:

'Ring-ring' it rang through the house. 'Ring-ring' it rang through the Dojo. 'Ring-ring' it rang upstairs and down stairs. Kasumi sighed when no one called out that they would get it. She left the dirty dishes from that night's dinner and went to the hall to answer the ringing phone.
	"Tendo residence," she said. "Oh, hello, how have you been� Yes, yes, she's here. Do you want to� OK, I'll go get her." Kasumi set the phone down and smiled to herself. Her earlier irritation about the phone call forgotten. The voice on the other end of the line had sounded agitated, almost as if he was struggling against something he couldn't beat. 'Well, finally,' Kasumi thought to herself. Then she raised her voice and called up the stairs, "Akane, phone call."
	Akane was sitting at her desk; her homework lay neglected in front of her. Her concentration was not on the proper punctuation and translation of 'I went to the store and bought milk, rice, and chicken.' But her most prized possession, a simple frame with a group shot, or rather one of the young men in that shot. 
	'He destroyed his cure for me,' was one thought.
	'You are just so un-cute,' a memory argued. 
	'You got that? Akane is _my_ fianc�e! Lay a lip on her, and I'll kill you,' another memory recalled. 
	'You're built like a stick, you're thighs are too thick, you can't even kick, you're dumb as a brick, you talk like a hick,' came another.
	'Tell me why? Why did you choose him over me?' and another.
	'And I'm better built to boot,' and another.
	'You know, you're really cute when you smile,' another.
	'I can't stand macho chicks like you,' another.
	'Take care of her. Tomboy. She's my fianc�e. You lie. I wouldn't lie about a thing like that. I don't have to eat it to know it's toxic. Merry Christmas, Akane. I'd just be in the way then. I'm glad to know that you agree. If I didn't care this wouldn't be so damn hard!' The remembrance of anger, the sensation of lips pressed up against hers. 'I'm not holding on to you because I like you or anything. Hang on, Akane!' Watching others hold him, remembering being held by him. He was leaving for China, the Moko Takabashi that took out the spring. He was fighting with Ryoga, a flash of red that jumped at the dragon. 'Who'd want a tomboy like you anyway? You idiot! If I don't fight for you, how will I ever get you back.' He held a grudge against her, his broken body before her, his hand still holding hers. Telling her that she is not wanted, him passing Kirin to catch her in the vortex. 
	'I never said that.'
	'I love you.'
	'Did you really say that Ranma? Or was it just a dream?' 
	"Akane, phone call," Kasumi's voice broke through her musings. 
	Akane got up from her desk and stuck her head out the door, "Who is it, Kasumi?"  
	"It's probably lover boy," Nabiki commented as she moved down the hall, "He just can't get enough of you."
	"That's not fair, Nabiki, he's having trouble with his homework and I've been helping him," Akane said. 
	Her sister turned and gave her an appraising glance, "Care to explain why he didn't ask for your help why he was here, Akane?" she asked.
	Akane lowered her eyes and started to blush faintly. 
	Nabiki came back to stand right in front of Akane, "You can't lie to me, sis. So don't lie to yourself." She waited until Akane mumbled, "Yes, Oneechan," smirked that particular smirk that she got whenever she just won big, turned and went downstairs in search of a snack. 
	But as she passed Kasumi she whispered, "All yours, Kasumi."
	"Come on, Akane. Ranma is waiting for you on the phone," Kasumi said.
	"Coming, Kasumi," Akane called back. She went down the stairs, convinced that there was some sort of conspiracy against her. That she had no choice in the matter. 
Akane was right.
	She passed Kasumi who smiled at her, and picked up the phone, "Hello?"
	"Akane, I need to talk to you."
End

Author's Notes:

Nihao!

Before you try and kill me, I'm just moving the players around so that I can cause general mayhem in the soon to be released fourth chapter. The above part is nessicary, but didn't fit in so...

Anywho, C&C of any kind is wanted of course. Ranma 1/2 is owned by Takahashi-sama. And great thanks goes to the pre-readers. The normal stuff.

JG 

---
Here sir we come to famous training ground of accursed springs
--------------------------------------------------------------
|Guide of the training grounds|Ranma 1/2, Tenchi Muyo, BGC,  |
|of accursed springs, 8th     |AMG, Tank Police, Gall Force, |
|Disciple of Eriond, President|YUA, GitS, ADP, Evangelion    |
|of the AMS, and proud member |Project A-ko, UY, VPM, BGC!   |
|of the #SkAS#                |Darkside Blues, Dragon Century|
|------- http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/6549 ----------------|
|Akane, Lina, Washu, Nene,    |Nene showed Mackie just how   |
|Skuld, Belldandy, Kiyone     |much she knew. Winter Blossoms|
---------------------------Jusenkyo---------------------------




Get your FREE Email at http://mailcity.lycos.com
Get your PERSONALIZED START PAGE at http://personal.lycos.com