It was Sunday afternoon and Ranma was helping his 
mother out with the laundry as part of his chores.
	"Mom," he said in a determined voice, "I want to go back 
to training with Tendo-sensei."

Chapter 5: Back to School

	This had not been an easy decision for Ranma to make.  He 
knew that his mother wouldn't approve of it, not after what had 
happened, and her approval was one of the most important things 
to him.  Mr. Tendo was also the man who got him cursed and so 
wasn't one of his or his mother's favorite people right now.  Yet 
Aeka had charged him and Tenchi with the protection of her and 
her sister yesterday.  The fight with Ryoko had shown that 
Ranma's skills just weren't up to the task.  Tenchi had that magic 
sword, but all he had were his fists.  What if a threat came that was 
even stronger than Ryoko?  They could all get hurt or killed; him, 
his cousin, the princesses, and even his mom.  He needed to train 
even harder than he had ever before in order to fulfill the promise 
that he had made to Aeka and to his departed father.
	 "Oh, and what brought this on?" Nodaka asked, though she 
had some idea.  She had noticed that her son and the princess Aeka 
had been out long after it had stopped raining.
	Ranma silently cursed the fact that his mother could read 
him so well that she'd spot a lie before he'd even finish saying it.  
"Well, we've got more people in the house now and it�s at least 
partially my responsibility to protect them from harm.  And with 
all that's happened recently I know that I have to be better, 
probably a lot better, than I am to defend against some of the 
dangers that I could face.  I mean Aeka's an alien princess.  Who 
knows what kind of creep could be after her and she doesn't even 
know about?  And Ryoko as well.  She used to be a space pirate 
and if Aeka could find her, so could someone else."
	"A noble reason my son, I am proud of you.  I will let you 
go back to training with Soun on one condition."
	"Sure, whatever," Ranma said, surprised and delighted that 
it had been this easy.
"That you attend Furinkan High School at least until your 
own school is repaired.  You can't afford to miss so many classes 
and I don't want your grades to slip any lower than they already 
are."
	Ranma knew that it had been too good to be true.  The one 
good thing that had come out of all of this was no more school.  He 
had actually thanked Ryoko for destroying it, which caught her by 
surprise.  While she had been wrecking things for a long time, no 
one had actually thanked her for it.  But Ranma didn't have any 
choice, he had to go back to training, therefore he had to go back to 
school.  It was a matter of honor and his honor was something very 
important to him.
	"All right mom."
	"That's my son.  You better go to sleep early tonight, since 
you have school tomorrow and Furinkan is some distance from 
here."
	"Tomorrow?"  he asked a little weak, feeling that somehow 
his mother had tricked him.
	"That's right, I was planning to let you continue your 
training anyway.  You will go to school and go to the Tendo Dojo 
to train afterwards, just make sure you call if you're not going to 
make it home for dinner.  And you can tell Soun for me that if he 
tries anything as crazy as this China trip he will find out just how 
sharp I keep my katana."

	Nodaka found Aeka humming under her breath as she 
straightened out the room that she and Sasami shared.  Unlike 
Ryoko, she seemed to want everything to be neat and tidy.  She 
also felt guilty in letting her sister do all the work for so long.
	"You seem to be in a better mood," Nodaka commented.
	Aeka smiled as she turned around.  "I know that my brother 
is alive. He is out there somewhere and I will find him."
	"Are you sure that it isn't something else?"
	Aeka blushed, looking down at the floor, and said, 
"Whatever do you mean Auntie?"  Nodaka had insisted that both 
girls call her auntie, even though the sisters were actually her great 
aunts.  This made much more sense to Aeka than the truth since 
Nodaka was admittedly more mature than either her or Sasami.
	Nodaka closed the door behind her.  "I mean why you and 
my son turned beet red when Tenchi mentioned finding some burnt 
cinders in the storage shed.  Also why both of you turned ever 
redder when Ryoko said, 'Well, obviously something very hot was 
going on in there Tenchi.'  She even looked at you and winked.  
Something happened, but what?  You two didn't do anything . . . 
inappropriate, did you?"
	"Miss Saotome!" Aeka said shocked, "I would never . . ."
	Nodaka cut her off with a laugh.  "I was only teasing Aeka.  
I know my son to be strictly honorable, especially with women 
(sometimes a tad too honorable, she thought to herself). But I still 
wonder what could make him blush so?  As you as well Miss 
Aeka?  Something must have happened."
	"We only talked, nothing more." Aeka insisted.
	"And what did you talk about?"
	"Well, I explained why I came here and he told me of how 
he got cursed."  Aeka could tell that Ranma's curse was still a sore 
issue with his mother by the way she flinched at the mention of it.
	"Nothing else?"
	Aeka was tempted to tell Nodaka the whole truth about 
what Ranma had said near the end, but was a little too 
embarrassed.  Besides, she must have misunderstood him.  "No, 
nothing."
	"I only wanted to say that if you wish to formalize your 
relationship with my son, you have my approval."  After all, Aeka 
was such a nice girl and her son did seem interested in her.  If Aeka 
were engaged to him, it would be one less thing for Nodaka to 
worry about.  Besides, she wanted grandchildren, the sooner the 
better.
	"Miss Saotome, I've really only known Ranma for a few 
days now."  Though her protest lacked the emotion she wanted to 
give, mainly because she was dwelling on something similar 
Ranma had said in that storage shed.  Had he been serious then and 
then talked it over with his mother to get her approval?  Was that 
how courtship rituals were done on Earth?  Aeka was too 
embarrassed to ask either of them directly.
	"It only takes a moment," Nodaka replied mysteriously and 
left Aeka to ponder what she had said.  Never in her life had Aeka 
felt more confused.  What had started as a simple quest to find her 
lost brother, had ended up turning her whole life upside down.  Yet 
she found that she didn't mind it all that much.

	It was Monday morning and Nodaka noted that Tenchi 
looked bright and eager to be back at school and for once her son 
shared his state.  She suspected that Tenchi was eager to escape the 
attentions of a certain former space pirate.  Like her own son he 
was nervous around girls, but unlike Ranma he hadn't the 
experience of girls throwing themselves at him for years and so 
was going crazy trying to deal with it.  She didn't know why her 
nephew was largely ignored while Ranma was so popular since 
both boys were quite handsome.  She suspected something had 
happened early in their school career had brought Ranma to 
everyone's attention, but neither one had mentioned anything about 
it.  It didn't help that Ryoko was ten times worse than any of 
Ranma's boldest friends.  She seemed to lack the concepts of 
shame or modesty, or Nodaka suspected, pretended that she did.
	Ryoko materialized wearing an outfit that was conservative 
by her standards and snuggled up to Tenchi as the boy was trying 
to finish his breakfast.  "Oh why do you have to go to school 
Tenchi and leave me here all alone?  If you want to learn, I could 
teach you a few things."
	Aeka was shocked by the very suggestiveness of the words, 
while Sasami missed it and Nodaka had a slight smile, actually 
pleased to see a woman who could be so daring.  Nobuki was 
pleased as well for he had always thought his son to be too shy 
around women and Ryoko might help him to overcome this.  In 
fact, he had given Ryoko approval to act in whatever manner she 
saw as appropriate.  Ranma was too busy eating to notice anything 
but the food in front of him.
	"Miss Ryoko," Aeka declared to the space pirate who was 
still clinging to Tenchi despite his efforts to escape, "Such 
behavior is disgraceful while people are trying to eat.  Lord Tenchi 
must have a proper education if he is ever amount to anything in 
this world."
	"Oh I'll give him a proper education all right," Ryoko 
replied and chuckled as Aeka fumed.  "I really don't see what 
you're so steamed about princess.  After all, I'm not doing anything 
more that what you did with Ranma in that storage shed.  Even I 
have to admit that pretending to be scared was a good ploy, but 
shouldn't you have waited until he changed back into a guy first?  
Or are you really that way?"
	Nodaka could tell that Ryoko was only teasing Aeka and 
probably exaggerating what had happened all out of proportion.  
Still, she was curious to what had really occurred and how Ryoko 
knew about it.  Had the space pirate spied on them?  It was 
possible, but why would she do such a thing?  She seemed to be 
only interested in Tenchi.
Aeka's face was as red as Rama-chan's hair "And just what 
are you insinuating, you . . . you monster woman!"
	Before Nodaka knew it, there was a full on brawl between 
the space pirate Ryoko and the princess Aeka.  She used this 
opportunity to herd the boys off to school, despite their protests.  
The girls tended to calm down when they were out of sight since 
most of their arguments tended to revolve around either Tenchi or 
Ranma.

	"What the heck was that all about?" Ranma asked his 
cousin as they walked to school, having only caught the tail end of 
Ryoko's and Aeka's discussion.  Aeka was usually so demure and 
nice most of the time, sort of like a purple haired version of 
Kasumi, that it was strange to see her explode like that, but 
something about Ryoko really brought it out of her.
	Tenchi was way too embarrassed to mention just exactly 
what Ryoko had implied, so he skirted the issue by saying.  "I 
think they were only looking for an excuse to fight, like you and 
that kid with the bandannas from middle school.  From what I can 
understand they�ve known each other for a long time and don't like 
each other very much.  Grandfather always says that the oldest 
grudges are the hardest to settle."
	Ranma and Tenchi reached school to see a huge brawl 
taking place in the courtyard.  It seemed like half the male 
population was taking on one girl.  Tenchi was about to jump into 
the fight on her side, when Ranma noticed just who the girl was 
and held him back.
"Don't bother," he told his cousin.
	"Huh?" Tenchi replied, "What do you mean?  All those 
guys are attacking her, she could get seriously hurt."
	Ranma shook his head.  "I don't know why they are all 
attacking her, but that's Akane out there.  She's nearly as good as 
me and has nothing to fear from this bunch of amateurs.  In fact, if 
you jump into her fight she'll probably turn on you.  Nothing she 
hates more than someone trying to fight her battles for her."
	Soon all of the boys lay broken and groaning at her feet and 
she stood above them in triumph, brushing her short hair out of her 
eyes.  Ranma remembered when she had cut her hair short in order 
to beat him in a fight.  He had still won when he had told her that 
she looked cute with her new hair cut.  She was so stunned he was 
able to knock her over with a finger, but she was pissed afterwards.  
She always acted that way whenever he complimented her.  He 
didn't get it.  His mother had always told him that girls like 
compliments, but for some reason it only enraged Akane.  Maybe 
she was too much of a tomboy to appreciate it.
	Then a tall boy in samurai garb strode into view, boken in 
one hand, rose in the other.  "Truly such a boorish lot."
	"Oh damn," Tenchi swore, "I forgot Kuno went to this 
school."
	"That's Kuno?" Ranma asked, wondering exactly what was 
going on, "That guy who was undefeated until you came along?  
The one that keeps accusing you of cheating and using black magic 
in your matches?  That Kuno?"
	Tenchi gave Ranma a 'no, another boken-wielding nutcase 
named Kuno' look, which Ranma had the decency to look abashed.
	After Akane had slammed Kuno's head into the pavement 
hard enough to make everyone wince, Ranma asked a random 
passer by what was going on as they headed to class.
"Oh, upperclassman Kuno is really hung up on Akane even 
though she doesn't even like him.  In order to prove his prowess he 
declared that anyone who wishes to date her must defeat her in 
combat.  So since the school year began she's been beating up half 
the boys at school every morning.  She may be the cutest girl in 
school, but she isn't worth going through all that just for the chance 
to date her."
	Ranma was glad when he found out that he was in Akane's 
class, expecting her to have forgiven him since it had been weeks 
since she had seen him last, but when she turned and saw him, she 
looked even angrier than she had during the morning fight.  Ranma 
could feel his heart sink in his chest now that a good friend seemed 
determined to hate him forever.
	Ranma and Tenchi were introduced to the class as the girls 
eyed them speculatively, while the men silently cheered when they 
saw the look Akane gave Ranma.  Ranma wasn't bothered much by 
the stares, having got used to them, but Tenchi was feeling very 
uncomfortable as girls eyed him in a way usually reserved for his 
cousin.  Something he had wished for a week ago, but now 
regretted.

	Tenchi watched sadly as Ranma tried to talk to Akane 
during lunch.  If anything it seemed worse than what Ranma had 
said before.  Akane wasn't even trying to be civil, alternating 
between ignoring and shouting at him.  Tenchi felt sorry for his 
cousin as the pig tailed boy sighed heavily and walked back to 
their table.
	Tenchi was about to ask Ranma how it went when a 
familiar voice spoke to him.  "When I heard that the foul sorcerer 
Tenchi Masaki was coming to fair Furinkan I hoped that it was 
untrue, but I see that alas my hopes were in vain.  What is worse 
but I find him staring at the beautiful and noble Akane Tendo, no 
doubt scheming to make her a slave to his foul lusts.  I, Tatiwaki 
Kuno, Blue Thunder of Furinkan High, can not allow it!  Defend 
yourself fiend!"
	Tenchi, guessing where Kuno's speech would lead since 
this had happened many times before, already had his boken out 
and soon the two were dueling on the cafeteria tables.
Nabiki was taking bets with most people betting on Kuno, 
unaware that she knew this to be the Tenchi Masaki who had 
beaten Kuno numerous times in the past.  Cousin of Ranma, who 
was ignoring the fight as he attacked his meal instead.  Nabiki had 
the urge to talk to him, in fact she had the urge since she'd seen 
him that morning, but there was just too much of a profit to be 
made off of the fight.  Well, she'd be able to talk to him later, since 
if she guess her father's sudden happiness right, he was again 
Tendo's student.
	The fight ended with Kuno unconscious on the ground.  All 
Ranma said to his cousin was, "You must be getting slow.  I could 
have had him beat five minutes ago, and your better with kendo 
than me."
"Kuno annoys me," Tenchi said with uncharacteristic 
anger, "So I wanted to make sure he had something to remember 
me by when he finally wakes up.
"I saw things didn't go too well with you and Akane.  I 
guess that she's still pretty ticked about what happened in China."
	"Yea, well, let's just get back to class."
	Ranma actually wanting to go to class? Tenchi thought, this 
whole Akane thing has effected him more than I realized.

	Ranma was in no rush to leave school, not wanting to walk 
home with Akane and endure her silence or cold stares.  He waited 
until just about everyone else had left class before he started for the 
dojo.
	He was surprised to see Nabiki leaning against the school 
gates, arms crossed like she was waiting for someone.  Nabiki was 
the kind of person people wait for, not the other way around.  They 
never really had gotten along, not since he accidentally walked in 
on her in the bath years ago, so he passed her without a word.
	Ranma was even more surprised to hear her call out his 
name.  He was absolutely shocked when he turned to see that 
Nabiki was actually smiling at him.  Had the world gone crazy?  
With all that had happened to him recently it sure seemed like it.
	"Since we're both going to the same place," Nabiki told 
him, "Is it okay I walk with you?"
	"Sure," Ranma said, still a little stunned by the way she was 
acting.
	"Well, let's get going then," she declared, pulling at his 
arm, "You've wasted enough time at school already."

	"Man, sis is really pissed at you," Nabiki said after they had 
been walking in silence for a few minutes. "Whatever happened in 
China must have been bad.  I don't think that I've ever seen her this 
mad before."
	"You mean that you don't know?"
	"What, that she turns into a tiger, my father a panda, and 
you a girl?  Pretty hard secret to keep with people you live with.  
But that wasn't really your fault, at least not totally.  It was my 
father's lame idea to go there in the first place.  She doesn't even 
seem to mind her curse all that much, says that she sleeps better as 
a tiger.  Something else must have happened between you two to 
get her this mad."
	"I don't know what it could be then, unless she's sore about 
that Amazon that was chasing us all over China, but she was after 
me and not her anyway so I doubt that was it."
	"Are you sure that nothing else happened?  Perhaps 
between you and her?"
	Ranma was sometimes dense, but he got what Nabiki was 
implying.  "Not you too!  My own cousin accused me of arranging 
the whole thing to have some romantic time alone with Akane.  I 
don't know where he got that idea from."
	"Are you sure it wasn't?  I mean you and my sister were 
pretty close and the way she insisted to come along it seemed 
awfully important to her.  Ever wondered why no one tried to date 
her before you went to China?  Its because everyone was sure you 
two were an item and didn't want to mess with you."
	"That can't be right Nabiki.  Sure we did things together, 
but more as friends than anything else."
	"Maybe she isn't mad about something that happened after 
all."
	"Huh?"
	"Maybe she's mad because something didn't happen."
	They walked in silence for a while as Ranma pondered 
what Nabiki told him.  Could Akane have liked him that way?  It 
seemed so impossible since she always seemed so determined to 
beat the snot out of him, yet their rivalry had always remained a 
friendly one, before at least.  She was frustrated by the fact that she 
couldn't beat him, but she never got really angry, or at least not a 
lingering anger.  There was also the recent revelations about Ukyo.  
He had always thought of them as friends, but they have thought of 
him as something more?  Ranma realized that he didn't understand 
women at all, even he now became one at times.  In a fight he 
could read an opponent easily, but outside of that he wasn't very 
good at reading people.  They often confused and bewildered him.  
Just like Nabiki was doing now by being nice to him for a change.
	"So why are you being so nice to me all of the sudden?  I 
mean you usually act like you hate my guts."
	"I was wondering when you'd ask that," she said and gave 
him another genuine smile, rather than her usual smirk.  "Well, a 
girl can change her mind about someone, can't she?  I mean it�s 
going to be hard enough around the house with one Tendo sister 
mad at you, you don't need another.  Besides, having you around 
taught me to make sure I put the sign out when I take a bath."
	They both laughed over something that hadn't been all that 
funny at the time.  Ranma had been coming to the Tendo Dojo for 
about a year to train and always took a bath after Akane was done.  
This time Akane had been away with friends so Ranma had sparred 
with Soun and got to use the bathroom first.  As he was used to 
Akane telling him when he could use the bath Ranma didn't even 
consider that someone else would be in there.  He was shocked to 
see Nabiki rise out of the tub just as he was coming in, her already 
developing body glistening with warm water.  Nabiki got her 
revenge later by tricking Akane to walk in on him.  That started a 
pattern between them, each taking revenge on the other.  He had 
expected it to start up again when he got back from China, but it 
was another thing that the trip had changed.  At least this one was 
for the better.
	"Thanks Nabiki, I really appreciate it.  I'd much rather be 
friends with you than enemies."
	Nabiki smiled and said, "No charge."

	When Ranma finally arrived at the Tendo household, he 
went off in search of its one member who he hadn't seen for 
months.  It had been hard being away from her for so long, 
because, after his mother, she was the most important person in his 
life. He found her where had expected to, in the kitchen.
	Ranma found all of his worries washed away by meeting 
with Kasumi again.  Ever since he was little, even before Mr. 
Tendo had become his sensei, he had always liked to visit the 
Tendo home just to spend time with the elder Tendo sister.  He 
always was overjoyed at how easily she welcomed him in and 
seemed as concerned for him as his own mother.  It was from her 
that he learned to love cooking.  It was her who helped him get 
over the horrors of the cat-fist and his father's death.  She was more 
than just a friend, she was the big sister that he never had and he 
honestly believed that there wasn't anything she couldn't do.  He 
hoped that she could help him with Akane, and perhaps some of 
his other problems as well.
	"Kasumi!" he shouted and caught her up in a big hug.  All 
of the troubles he had endured recently seemed so much lighter in 
Kasumi's warm embrace.  Normally Ranma avoided any display of 
affection, but with Kasumi it was different somehow.
	"And I'm happy to see you too Ranma," she said in her soft 
voice, "Its been much too long since your last visit.  I was about to 
do the laundry, would you like to help?  You can tell me all about 
China in the meanwhile."
	Ranma nodded enthusiastically.  At home he'd complain 
before doing any chore, but spending time with Kasumi made it 
seem like no work at all.  Besides, with all that she had done for 
him, he was always eager to help her out anyway that he could.
	While they were folding laundry, Ranma found himself 
telling the entire story of their trip to China and what had happened 
afterwards, not leaving anything out.  There were things that he 
didn't feel right telling his own cousin or his mother, but seemed 
right in telling Kasumi.  Even the more unbelievable parts with 
demons and aliens, but while he found it hard to lie to his own 
mother, it seemed impossible for him to lie to Kasumi.  There was 
just something about her that radiated trust that Ranma felt the 
need to return.
	The story was a long one and carried over into preparing 
dinner, which Ranma did with an unconscious grace due to the 
lessons of Kasumi and his mother.  While his own culinary skills 
often brought compliments, he felt that it paled in comparison to 
the works of magic that Kasumi and his mother could perform.  
Kasumi rarely spoke during the tale, usually asking about 
something to clarify, but mostly to encourage him to go on.
	"My, that's some story Ranma," she said after he was done, 
"and I can understand why you'd be sad and frustrated by it all, but 
you have to admit that it hasn't been all bad, has it?  You did 
manage to make a few new friends and your mother at least must 
be happy to have some more help around the house.  Also if that 
Ryoko girl hadn't attacked you, your mother may have never let 
you train with father again.  With this new determination, I'm sure 
that you'll be an ever better martial artist than before.  It is bad that 
you got cursed, but you must realize that if you hadn't then that 
Amazon would have caught you.  Besides, there must be a cure out 
there somewhere.  And Akane's angry right now, but now that 
you're going to be coming here again she'll get over it.  She always 
has in the past.  Nabiki even seems to like you now and she's the 
kind to hold grudges."
	"But I still don't get what Akane is so mad about.  I've 
thought and thought, but I can't come up with a single reason."
"Ranma, when you go into the Neko-ken, you don't 
remember anything that happens, isn't that right?  You said 
something about that before."
	"Yeah," Ranma replied, unsure of where this was going.
"And now that Akane changes into a tiger you must have went into 
the Neko-ken a few times on the way back from China.  You 
mentioned the time at Jusenkyo, but there must have been other 
times, right?"
"Right," Ranma said, thinking of a few blackouts that he'd 
always had associated with the Neko-ken.
"Well, what if something happened while you were in the 
Neko-ken?  You wouldn't remember it, but Akane would even 
though she might be a tiger at the time."
	"It's possible, but your pop never said anything happened."
	"Maybe he wasn't paying attention or it could have been 
something that he'd think was all right, but Akane would be 
offended by.  She may act tough most of the time, but we both 
know that she's really very sensitive."

	Soun shook his head in dismay as he watched Akane and 
Ranma 'spar.'  His sadness wasn't over their skills, since both had 
become martial artists more formidable than he had dreamed, 
easily surpassing himself at that age.  No longer in his prime, he 
wondered really if he could defeat either of them.
In their skills he felt a great pride, but in their relation to 
each other he was in sorrow.  Though this was supposed to be a 
friendly sparring session, Akane was holding nothing back and 
attacked with blows that could have caused serious injury if Ranma 
hadn't been going all out to block and evade them.  It drove him 
crazy to see her so mad still and not know what she was mad at.  
While the trip had been mostly a disaster, nothing had happened to 
justify this level of rage directed at Ranma and she refused to speak 
of its cause.
	Every attempt to placate her had been refused.  Not even 
Kasumi, who could normally work miracles in situations like this, 
seemed to be able to help.  Whatever had happened, it was clear 
that she now hated Ranma and it would be a long time, if ever, that 
she forgave him.  While not ideal, this wasn't a major stumbling 
block for sparring partners, but for other matters it was fatal.  Plans 
would have to be changed.
	It was clear that Akane was getting more and more 
frustrated with Ranma's skill.  Ever since they had starting training 
he had been better and no matter how hard she pushed herself she 
could never defeat him.  Even still, he was surprised when Akane 
dumped a bucket of water on herself, changing into a tiger and 
chased Ranma out of the house.  Soun shook her head and sighed.



_________________________________________________________________________
Get Free Email, Anime News, and The Best Prices at http://AnimeNation.com