Well people thought I'd share my latest mangling of the Ranma Universe. 
It's this little idea I've been playing around with.  Just a thought of 
what if Genma took Ranma on the training trip a little. . . . . . . 
earlier
	Again I will repeat that none of these characters belong to me so 
please don't sue me it's not worth it. 
	
	
		Prologue 1
	The admiral listened to his aide go on about the success of the attack. 
As he listened he could tell that something crucial was missing, and he 
knew he would have to make sure. "Did we get the aircraft carriers?" He 
asked. 
	"Aircraft Carriers, Sir?" the aide looked puzzled. 
	"That's right," The admiral said, impatiently, "were the aircraft 
carriers destroyed?"  
	The aide adjusted his glasses, and checked his notes. "No sir. There 
weren't any aircraft carriers, but the attack was a total success. We 
took them completely by surprise. We must have wiped out half their 
fleet." 
	The admiral leaned against his desk, feeling the weight of the world on 
his shoulders. "Kuso," he muttered.
	"Is something the matter, Sir?"
	"We just lost the war," The admiral said, rubbing his temples. 
	"Lost the war? I'm afraid I don't understand, Sir." 
	"I told them." The admiral said, now barely aware of his aide's 
presence. "I told them that only a quick and decisive victory could 
work. Anything less and we would wake a sleeping dragon. The aircraft 
carriers were vital." 
	Slowly, the impact of what the admiral was saying took hold in the 
aide's mind. " I see sir," he said, turning pale.
	"Well, there's nothing for it, but to fight or die. You can go now, I 
have to write my report." 
	"Very well. Good luck sir." The aide saluted and left. 
	Walking out of the admiral's office, the aide began to think. Could it 
be possible? Was there no hope at all? He couldn't imagine it. Hadn't 
they beaten the Russians less then 35 years ago? Hadn't they taken 
Korea? What about Manchuria? The empire was unbeatable, wasn't it? 
Despite of his patriotism, and his faith in his country's power, the 
aide was devoted to the admiral and respected his opinions completely.  
If anyone knew if there was any hope at all, it would be him. If the he 
was right�How much time before the enemy retaliated? They would probably 
attack as soon as they were able to rebuild their fleet. And after that 
how much time would he have before they won? Two years? Three at most? 
There was no way of knowing. 
	It was best to play it safe, the aide reasoned. One of the first things 
that his sensei had beaten into him, as a student, was a well-developed 
survival instinct. But it was more than just that. While he was 
concerned about his own safety, he was also concerned about his legacy, 
and the future of his son who would carry it out. Whatever happened to 
him, and his country, the legacy of his school must survive.
	 And anyway, the admiral did say he could go.
	On December 7th 1941, several hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor, 
Captain Genma Saotome, of the Japanese Imperial Navy, personal aide to 
Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto, and grand master of the Saotome School of 
Anything Goes Martial Arts, practiced his schools ultimate secret 
technique, and deserted. 
		Prologue 2
	Nodoka Saotome watched, her husband, of seven years, in shocked 
disbelief, as he put on his old gi. "A training trip?" She asked.
	 "Yes, Dear, to make Ranma a strong martial artist and, dare I say it, 
a man among men, I have to take him away from here. Civilization, and 
the coddling of women, will only soften him. To become a true warrior, 
he must train in the hardness of the wilderness. What will not kill him 
will make him stronger." Genma said with a smile on his face, as he tied 
a white bandana on his head, to cover his bald spot. He prayed she 
wouldn't ask any more questions. The truth could be dangerous, 
especially for him. He decided the best way to handle this, was to 
ignore her completely. He picked up his young son, and walked to the 
door.  
	"No." She said, hitting him over the head with her slipper. "I will not 
let you take our son! You will not take Ranma!" Genma ignored her futile 
attack, but she continued with larger and heavier objects. "Do you hear 
me? You will not take my baby!" 
	Genma collapsed under a final blow, from an ironing board. In a minute, 
he thought, she would probably go for that blasted sword. For a moment, 
he thought of trying to appeal to her, slightly dated, sense of honor by 
promising to commit Seppuku, if he failed. But then it occurred to him, 
he had no idea how the war would end, who knew what the Americans were 
capable of? Could, even, he leave his wife to that? For once in his 
life, Genma Saotome decided to do the honorable thing and act for the 
good of his family. "Nodoka-chan please!" He begged. "We will make him 
into a man together." 
		Prologue 3
	"So. They'll be here in a year, eh? The vendor asked. 
	Genma nodded. "I'm afraid that's being optimistic. It really is only a 
matter of time."
	The Vendor nodded. "Yeah, I was afraid of that." He said sadly. "Aint 
it always the case. Just when you think things can't get any worse�" He 
turned to watch the two children playing together, and shook his head 
sadly. "Ironic, dontcha  think? You cook for a living, and you don't 
have enough to feed your own kid." He sighed. "Damn, I love her. I'd 
give my right arm for her, but if it's as bad as  you say it is." He 
started coughing violently. Genma reached over to see if he was alright. 
The vendor stopped him. He looked at his daughter again, and sighed. 
"She's too young to know why her Daddy didn't get drafted." He said 
sadly.
	The Vendor looked Genma straight in the eye.  "Look Saotome-San, we've 
only been friends for a few weeks. So I know I can at least trust your 
wife." He laughed, hard, at his own joke, until he started coughing 
again. "Take my daughter with you. It should be all right, I mean, 
they're friends already. " He said, gesturing towards the two children. 
"look at it this way. You owe me for all the food, your brat stole the 
first week," He said with a predatory grin. 
	"I just don't know." Genma stammered. "A life on the road is hard, and 
fraught with peril. I don't think it," he stopped, as a gentle, but 
firm, hand rested on his shoulder.
	"You honor us with this responsibility Kounji-San." Nodoka said 
sweetly.	
		"By the time we're done with dancing,
		Elsewhere darling you'll be glancing
		And the night's a river-torrent tearing us apart.
		Merely melody entwined us,
		Easily the ties that bind us 
		Break in fibrillations of the heart. 
		Don't cry out or cling in terror
		Darling that's a fatal error
		Clinging to somebody you thought you knew was yours.
		Dispossession by attrition is a permanent condition 
		That the wretched modern world endures,
		
		You drift away, you're carried by a stream.
		Refugee a wanderer you roam;
		You loose you way, so it will come to seem:
		No Place in Particular is home. 
		You glance away, you house has disappeared,
		The sweater you've been knitting has unpurled.
		You live adrift, and everything you feared
		Comes to you in this undoing world.
		
		Copper-plated, nailed together, buffeted by ocean weather
		Stands the Queen of Exiles and our mother she may be.
		Hollow-breasted broken-hearted watching for her dear departed 
		For her children cast upon the sea.
		At her back the great idyllic land of Justice
		For exilic peoples ponders making justice private property.
		Darling never dream another woman might 
		Have been your mother
		Someday you may be a refugee.
	
		A Refugee, who's running from the wars,
		Hiding from the fire-bombs they've hurled;
		Eternally a stranger out-of-doors,
		Desperate in this undoing world.
		
		Mother for your derelicted
		Children from your womb evicted
		Grant us shelter harbor solace safety
		Let us in!
		Let us tell you where we traveled
		How our hopes our lives unraveled 
		How unwelcome everywhere we've been"
	
				An Undoing World
				By Tony Kushner
	
			A Refugee's Tale
	                                    	   By Bill Morse 
		Chapter 1: Refugee's Return
	       
	"And here's some good news to start your day" chirped the announcer, on 
the radio, "it looks like the United Nations troops have regained 
control of Seoul. Gives you hope, doesn't it ? Well here's a little 
music to keep you happy." With that, the lyrics to "Shoeshine Boy" 
drifted through the kitchen, of the Tendou Dojo. 
	Kasumi Tendou hummed happily, with the music, as she chopped 
vegetables.  It was going to be another beautiful day. It had not 
surprised her that the rain had only lasted a little while. Nor had it 
surprised her when it started. Her leg never lied.
	"Kasumi!" She heard her father shout, before he entered the kitchen. 
Soun Tendou rushed in, looking extremely excited, clutching a water 
stained post card. "Kasumi! come to the living room! I have an 
announcement to make." He said gleefully. He paused, looking at her with 
concern. "Kasumi? Do you want me to help you before I get the others? I 
can carry you."
	Kasumi smiled, slightly exasperated by her Father's concern. "Don't be 
silly, Father." She said sweetly. "You know, I can manage perfectly well 
on my own." She picked up the cane, leaning against the kitchen counter, 
and limped out to the living room. 
		* * * * * *	
	An American soldier, walking in the Nerima business district, watched 
in amazement as a redheaded girl dashed down the street, chased by a 
giant panda bear. She was dressed in a red silk shirt and black silk 
pants. The panda had nearly caught up with her and tried to grab her, 
but she leaped out of the way. Then, yelling something in Japanese, she 
landed on top of it placing a painful looking kick to it's face. The 
Panda went flying, and nearly landed on the soldier, who got out of the 
way at the last minute. With a grunt, the panda got up and attacked the 
girl. The girl avoided its attack with ease, and continued to yell at 
it. Finally she managed to grab its paw, as it tried to hit her, and 
flipped it. She made what could have been a snide remark, and walked 
away. 
	"Look out!" The soldier shouted. It was too late. The Panda had gotten 
up, and hit her over the head with a stop sign it had ripped out of the 
street.  It picked up the girl, slung her over it's shoulder, and 
waddled away. 
	"Hey stop right there!" The soldier shouted, pointing his gun at the 
Panda.  He was just about to fire, when someone tapped him on the 
shoulder. In surprise, the soldier forgot all of his training and spun 
around still pointing his gun. 
	The person, was a Japanese woman, somewhere in her mid thirties. She 
was dressed in faded khakis, and carried a battered backpack and 
something wrapped carefully with burlap. A teenage girl stood behind 
her, trying to hide. Her hair was long and brown, tied with a white 
ribbon. She was dressed identically to the other girl, except her shirt 
was blue. The woman smiled sweetly completely unfazed by the gun pointed 
at her face. She pointed at the Panda "It okay, Joe," she said, in 
broken English, "they play."
	The soldier looked to see if the Panda was still there. It wasn't. He 
nodded to the her and went on his way, scratching his head.  The girl  
looked at the woman  in shock. "Mother! Your English is better then 
that!" she whispered.
	The woman said nothing as she watched the soldier walk away. When she 
was sure he was gone, she turned to her daughter ,and smiled. "That's 
very sweet of you to say, Ucchan," she said, "but that man doesn't need 
to know that. Now, we had better hurry. If I know your father, it's best 
that we be at the Tendous first."
		* * * * * *
	Soun Tendou watched his three daughters gather in the living room, 
before him. Kasumi had gotten there first, of course.  Despite her bad 
leg, she always managed to arrive before anybody else. Slowly, but 
daintily, she sat down in front of him, laying her cane down beside her. 
It always amazed Soun that even though Kasumi had suffered the most 
hardships in the household, she was also the one who also brought it the 
most joy. 
	Nabiki his middle daughter came next.  She was still dressed in her 
work clothes, and looked fairly impatient.  Soun frowned, although she 
was doing well in school, and had a part time job as a clerk in a nearby 
company, she did seem to enjoy giving him problems. Did she really think 
he didn't know about the cigarettes? 
	Finally, there was his youngest, Akane, she was still dressed in her 
yellow workout gi. Of the three girls she was the only one who had any 
interest in the Tendou legacy. She had studied the art since her mother 
had died, and it would be only a matter of time before she could beat 
even him. He had heard that she was having trouble in school, something 
about fighting.  He had to admit his darling youngest daughter had a bit 
of a temper.
	 Seeing them together made him realize just how lucky he was. In the 
firebombing, that destroyed most of Tokyo, the Tendou dojo had been only 
slightly damaged, and the Tendou family had suffered only one casualty. 
Soun nearly burst into tears, when he thought of his dear departed wife, 
but managed to retain control. This was supposed to be a happy time 
after all.
	"A Fianc�e?" Kasumi asked, snapping Soun out of his reverie. 
	"Yes, Ranma is the son of an old friend of mine. If one of you were to 
marry him, the future of the Anything Goes School would be assured." He 
said, now on comfortable ground.
	"Daddy, how could you?" Akane demanded. "Engaging us to a complete 
stranger."
	"I'm afraid I have to agree with Akane, Father." Kasumi said. 
	"Well that problem will be solved quickly enough. I just got a postcard 
from his father, Genma Saotome; they will be arriving soon. " Soun said 
unconcerned by his daughters concern.
	"Is he cute?" Nabiki asked.
	"I hope he's older." Kasumi said.
	Soun laughed. "To be honest, I have no idea. I've never seen him 
before. You see they've spent the last ten years training, in China."
	"Ten years?" Nabiki asked. Soun nodded. "Good timing," she said 
facetiously.  
	Before Soun could say anything, there was a knock on the door. "That 
must be them now," he said, getting up. "Saotome! Old friend! At last 
you're here!" He shouted running to the door with Nabiki right behind 
him. Kasumi, with the help of her cane, got up to follow. Akane rushed 
over to help her sister. 
	Thank you, Akane, but I am not made of glass," she said. There was a 
slight edge to her usual sweetness. 
	When Soun reached the door he found a woman, dressed in khakis, 
carrying a large backpack and what looked like a stick wrapped in 
burlap, waiting for him. "Good morning Tendou-San," she said, bowing. 
"My name is Nodoka Saotome, and this," she reached to the side of the 
door, and gently pulled a teenage girl, dressed in a blue silk shirt and 
black silk pants, who seemed to have an extreme interest in the 
pavement, into view, "is my daughter Ukyo." 
	Soun bowed to the woman. "Uh, good morning, Saotome-San, I'm delighted 
to meet you.  But I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage, I was 
expecting Genma."
	"I know," Nodoka said with a smile, "my husband, and my son, should be 
here soon. Could someone heat some water for me? I have something 
important to explain, when they arrive."
	Akane watched Nodoka and Ukyo enter the living room.  She could tell 
that Ukyo, who kept looking all over the room as if she were looking for 
a good hiding place, was very uncomfortable in this new environment. 
Taking pity on her, Akane walked over and tapped her on the shoulder. 
	Ukyo jumped, as she turned, almost as if she was expecting to be shot. 
Akane smiled assuredly. "I'm Akane," she said, "Do you want to be 
friends." Ukyo stared at her for what felt like a minute. Finally, she 
smiled and nodded. "Come on" Akane said returning the smile. "Let's go 
somewhere while the grownups wait." 
		* * * * * *
	"Wow, you were really good." Akane said, rubbing the bruise on her 
cheek, as she, and Ukyo, walked out of the Dojo.  Ukyo smiled and 
blushed. 
	"You gave as good as you got," she whispered, "I'm really nothing 
special." 
	"Don't be modest. That was the best sparring session I've had in ages." 
Akane said, slightly dismayed by her new friend's self deprecating 
behavior. Ukyo was about to make another denial, this again when they 
heard a loud shouting out in front. "What was that?" Akane asked. 
	Ukyo shrugged, "it sounded like Ranchan, and Pop," She said quietly.  
Akane looked puzzled, and headed to the living room to see. Ukyo 
followed. 
	When they got there they saw a handsome boy, wearing his long black 
hair in a pigtail, dressed in a red silk shirt and black pants, and a 
large fat man dressed in a faded white gi with a white handkerchief on 
his head.  Both of them were wet from the hot water that Nodoka had just 
poured over them. "Who are you?" Akane asked. 
	"I'm Ranma Saotome," said the boy. "Sorry about this." 
		* * * * * *
	The family sat in the living room again facing their strange new 
guests. Soun sat next to the man in the white gi. "I think this is a 
good time for formal introductions.  This is my good friend."
	"Genma Saotome" the man said, finishing Soun's sentence "this is my 
wife,"
	"Nodoka Saotome," Nodoka said, "and this is our daughter," she paused 
waiting for Ukyo to finish, Ukyo said nothing, as she was seemingly more 
interested in the floorboards. Nodoka sighed, "our daughter Ukyo and our 
son,"
	"Ranma Saotome," Ranma finished. 
	"I don't understand, how was that possible?" asked Nabiki "How did you 
change like that?" Kasumi looked equally puzzled, and nodded in 
agreement.  
	"Wait a minute. What are you talking about?" asked Akane. "Did I miss 
something?"
	Genma rubbed his temples, thinking. "Let me see, what is the best way 
to explain this. Ah of course." He grabbed Ranma by the shirt lifting 
him up.
	"Genma." Genma looked at his wife, who was standing in front of him, 
and put his son down. Nodoka picked up a glass of water. This will do 
nicely," she said, pouring the contents over her husband's head. 
	Genma turned into a Panda. The Tendous watched in amazement. Nodoka 
turned and poured the rest of the water on Ranma. Ranma shrunk turning 
into a redheaded girl. 
	Nodoka turned to the Tendous to gauge their reactions. "Hot water 
reverses it." She said producing a kettle and proceeded to turn her son, 
and husband, back to their original forms. She shook her head. "It is 
very tragic." She said, "but we will survive. It is what the Saotomes do 
best."
	"How did this happen?" Akane asked, utterly shocked, by what she just 
saw. 
	 Nodoka paused as she recalled the memories. " It was the summer of 
1949," she said. "We had been traveling in the wilderness for almost 6 
months, to avoid the civil war. I had almost forgotten what people were 
like. Finally we returned to civilization, and arrived at the last stop 
in our tour, the Valley of Jusenkyo." 
	Nodoka remembered the valley clearly. It was quite beautiful in the 
morning mist, Hundreds of springs as far as the eye could see bamboo 
sticks poking out of each pool could be seen every where. Despite the 
valley's natural beauty, however, the first thing that she had noticed, 
was their guide's uniform. He was clearly a civil servant, but she could 
not recognize his uniform. It was clearly not one that she had ever seen 
any of the Nationalists wear. It was then when she knew that the 
Communists, under Mao Tse Tung, had won China.  She had a perfectly good 
reason to fear either side, Communist or Nationalist, but still she had 
to remain civil. "You have to excuse me." She had told the guide. "I 
can't read Chinese very well, but I am positive," she said, pointing at 
her brochure, "that this says cursed springs. Could you please explain?"
	The guide had laughed. "Ah Mrs. Customer is so funny. Their no curse. 
Is just dated bourgeois superstition used to draw tourists. You be 
surprised. No one come when we talk 'bout scenic views."
	"You see, Dear? I told you there was nothing to worry about." Her 
husband told her putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "So do you 
think you're up to it Ranma?" 
	"Heh. It doesn't look like much." Ranma said with his usual arrogance. 
	"Try to keep up. I won't go easy on you," Genma said, as he leaped up 
onto one of the bamboo poles, with Ranma close behind.  
	Nodoka grabbed Ukyo before she had a chance to follow. "Wait until they 
are done" she said. "You will have your turn." She watched at the skill 
her son had developed over the nine years of their trip. She hated to 
admit it but the trip had changed them all, her most of all. When she 
had first left, her family sword had been little more then an 
affectation. Now she was deadly with it. Nodoka sighed; she was no 
longer sure if she would even recognize the young woman who fancied 
herself a samurai's wife. 
	Her darling little Ucchan, who had always been so brash and impulsive 
had seen too much and retreated further and further into her protective 
shell. Ranma in contrast had become increasingly more outspoken and more 
arrogant. The only one who had not seemed to change was Genma. He was 
still the same lazy, greedy, cowardly idiot that she had married, always 
talking of honor and never practicing it. She imagined that the day she 
died, she would ask the gods why she loved him. 
	Ranma and Genma jumped from pole to pole. Neither able to get the upper 
hand.  Finally Genma leaped at Ranma with a flying kick. Ranma evaded 
him with ease and sent him flying into one of the tools. Genma 
disappeared with a loud splash. Nodoka beamed with pride. At last her 
son was a man. Admittedly, he looked like he was gloating a bit too 
much.
	She glanced at the bubbling pool with some concern. Genma had not come 
up yet. She hoped that he hadn't hit his head on anything. She could 
hear Ranma voicing similar concern from above.  Suddenly a Panda wearing 
the remains of a gi, with glasses hanging from one of it's ears, burst 
out of the spring and perched on one of the poles. 
	"Oh, no. Mr. Customer fall into spring of drowned panda. There very 
tragic tale of panda that drown there Eight hundred year ago. Now they 
say whomever fall in take form of panda." The guide said, as if he were 
commenting on the weather.
	"What?" Ranma demanded, staring at the Panda in shock, "Nobody said 
anything about," before he could say anything more the Panda struck and 
knocked him off his pole. Ranma went flying into a nearby pool. Nodoka 
rushed to see if her son was all right only to hear the horrified scream 
of a redheaded girl clutching her gi and staring at her breasts, 
terrified.
	"Dear me, dear me. Spring of drowned girl." The guide continued, in his 
dry monotone. "There very tragic tale of young girl who drown here one 
thousand year ago. Now whoever fall there take body of young girl."
	Nodoka turned to the guide, just now realizing what he was saying. "You 
knew," she hissed.  The guide, who had been enjoying his small bit of 
revenge for the bombing of his village, was very much surprised to see 
the business end of a katana pointing at his throat. 
	"So that is how it happened." Soun said. "I have heard stories of 
Jusenkyo but only now does the true horror become apparent."
	"What do you mean 'true horror'," Ranma muttered, "you don't know the 
meaning of horror." He turned to his father grabbing him by his shirt. 
"This all your fault, you old fool. If you had listened to Mother, for 
once, this would have never of happened."
	"That's enough, Ranma, put him down" Nodoka said, in a tone that 
brooked no contradiction. Ranma obeyed, and sat down.  Nodoka turned and 
bowed to Soun. "Forgive our bad manners, Tendou-San. As I was saying, 
that when I began to question the guide, he was more then willing to 
provide everything, he knew, about the cursed springs.  He didn't seem 
to know of any possible cures though he was able to suggest several 
possible leads that with any luck we will be able to follow up on in the 
future."
	"Yes I see." Soun said stroking his mustache deep in thought. "Well, 
what you told me your problem isn't quite as bad as we thought." He 
patted Ranma on the back, "Well, now, I will formerly introduce you to 
my daughters. This is Kasumi. She is 19. Nabiki is 17. And finally, 
Akane is 16. Pick any one of them that you like, and she will be your 
bride."
	"Oh he wants Akane!" Kasumi said with a smile. Holding her younger 
sister by the shoulders, gently pushing her forward. 
	"Oh yes definitely."  Nabiki said slapping Akane on the back, with a 
predatory grin on her face. 
	"What why are you forcing him on me?" Akane demanded outraged. 
	"Well." Nabiki said looking at Kasumi to help. 
	"You're the same age," Kasumi said quickly, "and."
	"You're both martial artists," Nabiki finished. "You'll be perfect 
together!"
	"You're just dumping him on me because you don't want to be stuck with 
him!" Akane sputtered. Somehow, the other two sisters managed to look 
innocent. "I don't believe you too. Can you imagine how he must feel? 
Neither of us are a bundle of goods to be passed back and fourth for 
anybody's benefit. I won't be pushed into this, and neither will he." 
	 "That's right." Ranma broke in, a little surprised by the support that 
he was getting from a complete stranger. 
	"Look at that," Soun said to Genma. "They agree completely! They're 
perfect for each other!"
	"Ah young love. It's truly a wonderful thing." Genma said in agreement. 
	"That's enough! I told you before I don't want anything to do with 
this." Ranma said getting up.  
	"Ranma! The Saotomes will hold onto all of the honor they have left. 
You will stay here." Nodoka said sternly. 
	Ranma stopped and turned to his parents. "Honor?" he demanded. "What 
does this have to do with honor? This is like the time Pop tried to sell 
me to that warlord. I know his game, we are finally home and safe and 
there is no way that I will let him manipulate me any more!"
	"That was a matter of stalling for time while we could make our escape. 
This is a solemn agreement made between two families during happier 
times." Nodoka said calmly. "We will honor it, now sit down." Ranma 
stared at his mother wanting to rebel just this once." Slowly he sat 
down again saying nothing. Nodoka smiled, sympathetically. "Don't worry, 
Dear. You will have time for courtship."
	"But Nodoka-chan!" Genma jumped in quickly. "We can't just."
	Nodoka turned to her husband, looked him in the eye and smiled. "They 
will have time for courtship," she repeated. Genma sat back down, 
sweating. Nodoka continued, "now, Kasumi said she would show us our 
room. I'm sure we all need our rest. 
	Ukyo watched her brother and her new friend glare at each other, as if 
the entire problem was the other's fault. In truth she was slightly 
disappointed. She had believed that when they returned to Japan, they 
would no longer be living in interesting times.  Now she felt that it 
was just beginning.
	
	Well, that's the general gist of it. Hope you tolerated it. I'm don't 
thin I'll be able to do this thing any justice until I do more research 
on post war Japan and China. But here are some of my thoughts of where 
it will go when I've gotten more of a clue. 
	Ryouga met Ranma in Shanghai. He was one of the many Japanese civilians 
living in China. He got lost during the repatriation process. And, 
considering the food shortages at the end of the war, yes the bread 
thing was a big deal.  Regarding Shampoo, Cologne and Mousse, a lot of 
fanfics try to come up with reasons the amazon village survived the 
Maoist regime. In this fic that's a real easy question to answer. 
	I'm still playing with directions to go on this. One idea I had to drop 
was making Kunou a follower of Mishima. The dates are all wrong for the 
purposes of this story. (I still think it's a good idea if anyone wants 
to take a whack at it) Another one is I'm trying to figure out a 
rational way for Genma to get away with the Cat-fist training with 
Nodoka around. "Why hello dear. Back from your mothers already?" Not 
very likely. 
	As always C+C, suggestions and fact checking are welcome and 
appreciated. 
	

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