CAN'T LET GO
(A Ranma 1/2 fic by Cass and GSL)

Authors' Notes aka stuff we wanna say now or we might end up being sued or 
flamed:
We have written this story out of fun. In no way do we own the
characters of this story, they belong to Takahashi Rumiko, Shogakukan
Inc, Shonen Sunday Comics, and Viz Video.  This story is meant for
entertainment, non-profit purposes.

This story deviates from the Ranma universe after Ukyou arrived in
Nerima.  Some of the characters have been given mind-altering drugs by us 
and that's why they act out-of-character.  8-) This is generally a dark fic.

Comments, criticisms and MSTs are welcome. You can reach us at
chiaty@singnet.com.sg
You can view this at http://web.singnet.com.sg/~chiaty/fanfics.htm

We also would like to thank our pre-readers, Justin Baugh,
King Chan, Jed Bidwell, Sam Vere and Arthur Edwards.

[ ] = dream sequence
< > = character's thoughts
{ } = conversations in chinese


Part 5B: Opposite of Love is Hate
---------------------------------


	Night after night, Ranma continued his vigil over Ukyou, coming to soothe 
her when she had nightmares, smiling when she didn't dream of such things 
the whole night.  He would lie down and pretend to fall asleep but once 
Ukyou was in slumberland, he would sit up straight and wait patiently.  He 
knew he dozed off sometimes but usually her cries, however soft, would 
awaken him.  Siting next to her in a flash, he chased the imaginary Daddy 
away, comforted her and sang a relatively unknown lullaby (he remembered his 
mother singing it to him when he was small) to her.  Throughout all this, 
Ukyou never once awakened, though she came close several times.  So she was 
unaware of what Ranma was doing.

	The lack of rest naturally made Ranma more tired and it was even more of a 
struggle to get him to wake up in the mornings.  And his exhaustion showed, 
as his martial arts moves started to get sloppy.  Desperate, he took 
afternoon naps, rather than to clue Ukyou in on what was really going on.

	Once, he heard her humming a tune while cooking, recognizing it to be the 
lullaby he had sang to her.  When he asked, she smiled and replied simply, 
"I think my mother sang it to me when I was little."  Ranma beamed for a 
whole hour after that.

	As days went by, Ukyou became more cheerful and she frequently hummed the 
lullaby.  Also, her nightmares grew infrequent.  All these changes did not 
go unnoticed by Ranma, who was secretly pleased.  To hear her hum that tune 
was enough to spur him on those long vigils.

--------------------------------------------------------------
(Meanwhile...)

	"Ryouga?  Can I come in?"

	"Yeah, sure!  Oh, wait just a minute!"  Ryouga frantically surveyed his 
room for any messes.  He stuffed his clothes and book into the closet and 
shouted, "Ok!"

	Akane opened the door and let herself in.  She smiled and said haltingly, 
"I just wanted to say that, uh, I had a great time today."

	"Even though Mr Tendo came into the restaurant and started hugging the 
other patrons, shouting that his daughter was dating?" asked Ryouga.

	"Despite that," laughed Akane.  "I wonder if Dad is still there?"  They had 
discreetly left by the back door when Soun's back was turned.  Then, they 
had went home and watched an old movie, mimicking the actors' famous lines 
and reenacting some scenes.  Akane beamed as she recalled the fun they had.  
"I uh, would like to do that again."

	"How about a date tomorrow?"  He cursed under his breath.  He didn't want 
to seem too eager.  The fact that she had asked him out on a date today was 
already a miracle.

	Akane grinned.  "Ok.  We can go to that new amusement park."

	"and ride on the 360 degrees rollarcoaster ride!" they said in unison.  
Both teenagers laughed.

	"Well then, see you tomorrow.  Good night."  She pecked his cheek and 
rushed out, leaving a dumbstruck Ryouga frozen in his spot.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
(8pm in Nekohanten)

	Today, according to the Chinese almanac was an auspicious day for 
marriages. Couples would have life-long marriages and plentiful descendants. 
And because of this, they have chosen to get married on this fateful day.

	The last few days were spent on making marriage preparations. Since they 
were both Chinese, a Chinese wedding was planned. Being Amazons, it was not 
customary to register their marriages as state regulations were normally 
ignored. So the couple decided that a simple dinner and wedding ceremony at 
home would suffice.

	There would not be any guests, as they did not have friends here anymore. 
It would be a ceremony consisting of the two of them only.

	Straightening her red cheongsam for the last time, Shampoo smiled 
satisfactorily at the image on the mirror. They didn't get the traditional 
marriage costumes as it was too expensive. Even though Cologne had left them 
a considerable sum of money in the bank, they decided to watch their 
spending since they have no income with the Nekohanten being closed.

	She became panicky as the auspicious hour drew near. Very soon, she would 
become Mousse's wife. It was kind of funny that she spent most of her life 
rejecting his advances and now, she was to be married to the man willingly.

	So far, her decision seemed correct. It didn't matter if she didn't love 
him as much as she loved Ranma. Mousse was there for her, and the past few 
months have proven that she could be happy with him.

	Knock. Knock.

	She checked herself in the mirror again to make sure that she was 
presentable. A knock on the door was heard again, followed by her groom's 
voice, "{Shan Pu, may I come in?}"

	"{Yes,}" she called out, turning expectantly to the door. He appeared 
wearing a matching red Chinese robe. <Well, he isn't too bad a catch,> she 
thought.

	"{Hmm, you are really beautiful.}"

	"{Thank you.}" She made a full turn to let him have a complete view of 
herself. He just continued to smile. She noticed that he had brought an 
envelope with him and asked him what it was.

	"{Oh, the lawyers' office sent a person up just now. Didn't you hear the 
bell ring?}"

	"{No.}"

	"{Anyway before we can sell the Nekohanten, we need to transfer the shop to 
your name first. So, we need Cologne's death certificate...,}" he stopped 
suddenly as if realizing his mistake.

	"{Must we talk about this today?}" Her mood was greatly dampened.

	"{I'm sorry.}" He seemed apologetic. "{Why don't you authorize me to handle 
the sale, like that you can just concentrate on being my wife.}"

	He was grinning now, much to her chagrin, "{Must I remind you who is the 
boss of the house?}"

	"{Yeah, you are...}" He had a resigned tone, which made her feel bad about 
bullying him.

	"{What must I do?}"

	"{Huh?}" He gave her a bewildered look. Then, he realized what she was 
referring to and promptly took out a document from the envelope. "{Uh, just 
sign the form here.}"

	Without reading, she signed the legal document. "{Now, can we revert to our 
wedding?}" She slung her hands around his and they began to walk out of the 
room.

	It was the moment of truth. The time has come. Together, they came to the 
doorstep of the restaurant. Facing the moon up in the sky, they made a bow. 
Next, they came to the offering table. On it, there was a picture of 
Cologne. To it, they made another bow. Finally, they bowed to each other. 
The ceremony was complete.

	Normally, there would be a tea ceremony where the couple would present tea 
to their elders. But since there wasn't any relatives around, they scrapped 
this.

	They started to have their dinner. It was a small feast, which they 
prepared together. Lighthearted conversation ensued but it didn't hide the 
uneasiness that both had.

	Somehow, she had become apprehensive that they were going to be intimate. 
It was probably the wedding jitters, she thought.

	He, on the other hand had waited his whole life for this moment. And it was 
funny that he had second thoughts of what he was going to do. There was some 
part of him that begged him not to carry out the plan, to take her as his 
wife and they could live happily ever after. And that urge was getting 
stronger as he saw the beautiful face of hers. But how could he allow her to 
get away without punishment? She caused the deterioration of his eyesight, 
and she never even apologized once. How could he forget the insults and 
jeering that arouse due to his poor eyesight or the way Shampoo had treated 
him in the past? There was no way he was going to let that pass.

	Finishing their meal, Shampoo attempted to clear the dishes. She felt a 
hand on hers, turning, she saw Mousse shaking his head. He gave her a warm 
smile and kissed her lightly on the lips.

	Breaking off the kiss, he bent to carry his bride. Whistling to the tune of 
the Wedding March, he marched to their room where their lives would change 
forever.

(Insert any lemon scene between Mousse and Shampoo of your choice.)

	Totally spent, he lay on top of his bride. He was still recovering his 
breath and fought defiantly against the lethargy. Pushing himself up, he 
looked at his flushed bride.

	He couldn't believe that it had happen. And yet it was laid in front of 
him. He laughed uncontrollably. He has truly succeeded. The years of 
planning, the agony that he suffered under her hands, all ruptured into this 
one moment. The first step to his plan was completed.

	Shampoo was giving him a startled look. She called out to him, asking what 
was wrong and shook his body to get his attention. He didn't seem to notice 
and continued to laugh. She was confused, with a dreading feeling of what 
was to come.

	Finally stopping, he gazed menacingly at his wife. It was time for the 
second step. She attempted a smile but he could see the fear in her eyes. 
Speaking in a taunting voice, "{So, did I do well?}"

	"{Mu Tsu...,}" she was still weary of her husband, especially his words had 
intensified the dreading feeling that she had. Somehow, she was afraid to 
speak, fearing that she might say the wrong thing. However, he was still 
waiting for her answer and quickly she formed a reply, "{Yes, it was very 
satisfying.}"

	"{I'm glad. I've enjoyed it a lot too. I have waited so long for this.}"

	She smiled weakly.

	"{Do you love me?}" He asked in sudden seriousness.

	Relaxing slightly now that they were on familiar grounds, both her hands 
rose to cup his face lovingly, "{Of course, who else would I love?}"

	"{I was so afraid that you would call out Ranma's name...,}" Mousse said 
casually, flashing an evil grin.

	"{MU TSU! You're my husband now and I love you. Ranma's all in the past.}

	"{Really?}"

	"{Yes!}" Pausing for a moment, she professed her love again, "{I. Love. 
You.}"

	"{That's great,}" his eyes were sparkling. The seriousness of Shampoo's 
face, the finality of her words added to his good mood. After giving her one 
of his more passionate kisses, smiling wryly, he continued, "{'cos I 
don't.}"

	"{Huh?}" That shocked her all right.

	"{What? You expect me to still love you after all that you had done to 
me?}" Mousse said, pulling a straight face as if he was stating the obvious.

	"{No...}" She was overwhelmed by confusion. "{You...,}" she stuttered, 
disbelief written all over her face. She could still smell his sweat from 
the love-making and remembered his tenderness, she just couldn't accept that 
all he did was just an act. As self-denial set in, she sought for the reason 
that Mousse would say such things to her. "{Mu Tsu, stop playing with me. 
This is not funny.}"

	"{Oh, you think this is a game,}" he smiled as he saw the pair of hopeful 
eyes staring at him. His grin grew wider as he proceeded to eliminate her 
hopes, stealing the sparkle from her eyes. "{Sorry, but I will have to 
disappoint you.}" He leaned down on her, talking softly to her ears, "{Guess 
I'm not the lovelorn boy who was desperately in love with you 6 years ago. 
That boy died on the day when you threw him into the river.}"

	Stunned, she didn't know she had started crying. Emotionally scarred, she 
knew she couldn't take another rejection, or another failure. She had 
deposited all her hopes on him and it would certainly crush her if he had 
used her.

	Relishing the effect his words on his antagonist, he carried on willfully, 
squishing the little voice in his head that told him not to. "{I only wanted 
revenge. And what else would be better than to give you a taste of your own 
medicine.}" He wanted his every word to torture her. It was like he lived 
his whole life just for this moment. "{The reason that I chased after you 
was to capture your heart and crush it with my bare hands. I stopped loving 
you a long time ago. How could you be so na�ve that I would still be 
attracted to you? But you were great, the sex and all. Don't worry, I'm not 
going to throw you away like a used tissue paper; I had lots of plans for 
you. You would repay every single debt that you owe me, plus interest.}"

	He didn't need to see the despair on her face. The aura that she was 
radiating showed that. However he wasn't perturbed by it as he didn't need 
to hold back on their fights anymore. He could show her his true prowess 
anytime.

	She had finally seen his true colours. It devastated her that the past few 
months were just a ploy. She was sad and angry at the same time, angry with 
herself for not seeing through Mousse's true intentions and angry that she 
had truly fallen for him.

	"{BASTARD!}" With a push, Shampoo tried to shove him off. He was flung to 
the end of the bed but he didn't seem to mind. She followed up with a kick 
to his chest and almost got him when he swiftly caught hold of her leg and 
pushed her crashing onto the wall.

	"{My, aren't you feisty tonight?}" Mousse winked at the fallen body. He 
didn't take advantage of his superior position. Instead he leapt off the bed 
and stood, watching Shampoo trying to pick herself up.

	He was prepared when she came charging at him. She was trying to execute 
one of her moves and he knew exactly how to respond to it. Her left arm 
stretched aiming for his head, which he brushed away forcefully and hurried 
to defend his abdomen area. As he anticipated, Shampoo's true intention was 
to hit him in the stomach. He caught her hand and saw the surprise on her 
face. He went behind her, and cruelly, twisted her arm until a crack sound 
was heard. "{It's no use, I know all your moves, having watching you on the 
sidelines for so long. Surrender and I...}"

	"{Never!}" Shampoo screamed before he finished his sentence. Her free left 
hand grabbed the back of his neck and tried to flip him over. He was 
surprised that she nearly got him, but stood his ground and half-carried her 
over him and promptly dropped her.

	Without letting her recover her breath, he jumped on her and crushed her 
with his bodyweight. "{This is for the times that you ignored me.}" Then, he 
picked her up and threw her across the room. "{This is for throwing me into 
the river.}" Not letting up, he ran to where she was laying on the floor and 
kicked her which she blocked feebly.

	"{This is for the times that you hit me.}" He came down on her like a 
raging bull, losing all senses except the pent-up anger that he had 
accumulated for the past few years. Strangely his tears flowed as he threw 
punch after punch at her which she could hardly block. Shampoo's world 
turned black as a forceful punch connected to her face.

	 Feeling no resistance from Shampoo, he continued his blows even when she 
was knocked unconscious. Only when his tiredness took over, did he come out 
of his trance. The rage that he had a minute ago had dissipated, his sanity 
returning.

	Looking at the battered body, heartache overwhelmed him completely. He 
didn't know why, according to his plans he should be doing a wacky dance 
routine now. But happy was the last thing on his mind. He didn't understand 
his emotions or why he hit her except that he had to. He reached out to her 
and cradled her body to an embrace. Hugging her tightly, his tears began to 
flow more freely and murmurs of sorry were spoken.

--------------------------------------------------------------
(Morning, Nekohanten)

	She dreamt like everyone did, only hers was a nightmare. Most people forget 
their dreams after they wake up but she did not. Probably because it was a 
reality that Mousse had attacked her. Despairing, she realized that even in 
her dreams, the horrors didn't leave her.

	She had awoken to find herself still naked with her arms and legs chained 
to the wall, in a standing position. She was in a room, and despite the 
darkness, she recognized that she was in the basement of the Nekohanten.

	Pulling at the metal chains, she tried to free herself. She couldn't muster 
any strength on her right hand since Mousse had broken her arm. The chains 
didn't budge and what she succeeded in was getting more bruises.

	She stood as the time passed, unable to do anything else. In the beginning, 
she cried regretting how her life has turned out. She was sorry that she had 
caused Mousse's misfortune but it was an accident. She was deeply hurt that 
the man whom she thought would treasure her had only wanted her for revenge. 
It was a grimly realization that there was not one person in the whole wide 
world that truly cared for her.

	She felt very lonely and dejected, only her tears accompanied her. It was 
only after a long time, presumably hours, did the tears stop. Being an 
Amazon, she was a strong person at heart. She realized that crying wasn't 
going to settle anything and being sad would just fall nicely into Mousse's 
plans. No, she wouldn't let him have the pleasure.

	A door cracked open, letting light into the basement. Squinting, she saw a 
figure descending the stairs. <Mu Tsu,> she thought as anger began swelling 
inside her. He switched on the lights to the basement, allowing her eyes to 
relax.

	He slowly approached her with a medical kit. And she didn't lose any time 
in voicing her thoughts. "{Damn you Mu Tsu, release me at once!}" It ticked 
her off when he just smiled. "{To hell with you!}" He remains unconcerned. 
"{You piece of shit.}"

	He was standing in front of her now. With a quick move, he jabbed a point 
few inches below her left shoulder, immobilizing her and putting an end to 
her foul language. "{A lady shouldn't say such things. Besides it just eggs 
me on that you're having such a wonderful time.}" He didn't wait for a 
response and instead opened up the medical kit. Taking out a bandage and 
some ointment, he proceeded to tend to her wounds. "{Best not to let you die 
from infection or internal bleeding, right?}" He grinned, looking up at her. 
"{Furthermore, I haven't had enough fun yet.}"

	Returning to the bandaging, he continued to talk to his unwilling audience. 
"{Who would have guessed that the future leader of the Amazons would have a 
fate like this? Being trapped in a basement, with no chances of escaping by 
a mere man; a man you thought was useless. Didn't the old crone tell you 
never to underestimate your opponents? Hell to it, she didn't even practice 
that. So, I guess you should be forgiven for making that mistake.}"

	He looked up to her again. His control nearly slipped but he checked 
himself in time. <Follow exactly to the plan! Don't be deceived by her 
beauty!> Faking an appearance that he was satisfied with the wide-eye look 
that she was giving, he reverted to his task at hand. "{I'm a hidden weapons 
expert but weapons are not the only thing that I hide. I knew that by 
concealing my skills and emotions, I would have an advantage in the form of 
an element of surprise. Khu Lon was too old, it was just time for her to 
meet her maker. In a way, she was killed by you.}"

	<NO!> She screamed in her mind.

	"{I got an impersonator of you to kill her. So she thinks that her beloved 
great granddaughter had ended her life.}"

	Anguish welled up within her. She wanted to scream out her grievance and 
injustice but no sound came out. Tears flowed as she realized that Cologne 
had thought that she had murdered her.

	"{Even though I didn't get to kill her myself, I did make mincemeat out of 
her.}" Grinning madly whilst looking away from her sorrowful eyes, his hands 
gesturing as he spoke, "{I used a screwdriver and repeatedly plunged it into 
her body. It was a bloody mess. Blood scattering everywhere, pieces of her 
flesh flying to the surroundings... I couldn't even recognize her when I'm 
done.}"

	Never in her life did she desire to kill a man. Now, her aim in life would 
be to slaughter him in cold blood. At the same time, she wanted to inflict 
pain on herself, to slap herself, to beat up herself for causing Cologne's 
death, no matter how indirectly. If it weren't for her, Mousse had no reason 
to bear a grudge against Cologne.

	 He nearly cringed when he met her deadly gaze but he held on his mask for 
dear life. He was losing control and he needed to end it fast.  "{I guess 
it's very tiring for you to keep standing like this, I'll make other 
appropriate arrangements. I don't suggest running away as you will find the 
stay enjoyable. There is something that I want to give you; something that 
would make you high and take the pain away.}" Finishing up the bandages, he 
retrieved a syringe from the medical kit and injected a substance into a 
vein in her hand. "{Its called morphine. Hope you like it.}"

----------------------------------------------------------------

	Hastily, he came out of the basement and closed the door firmly behind him. 
Locking the door, he leaned heavily on it. His heartbeat has finally begun 
to slow down.

	Breathing deeply, he tied to assess the situation. He managed to taunt her, 
jeer her and told her that Cologne had died because of her. She was hurting 
deeply now. The plan has gone accordingly but it nearly went haywire.

	He gave himself a tight slap and berated himself, "{I don't believe I 
nearly spoiled that. All I have to do was to follow the plans and I...}"

	Getting away from the door, he punched a nearby wall in frustration. Why 
did he feel the guilt? Why did he feel reluctant to follow up on what he had 
planned for years? Why was it so hard on him?

	"{She must have cast some spell over me. That's why I'm hesitating.}" 
Breathing normally now, "{She won't get away that easily, I swore that she 
would get her desserts and I fully intend to accomplish that. The next time. 
The next time that I have my fun, there will not be any hesitation, any 
guilt. I will fully enjoy it.}"

---------------------------------------------------------------------

	"So what are you two planning to do today?" asked Kasumi as she passed a 
bowl of rice to Ryouga.

	"Roller blading in the park," he replied as he placed some tofu in soy 
sauce on top of his rice.

	"And sharing blue cotton candy," added Akane with a smile.  Ryouga looked 
at her in surprise.  <That's what we did the first time we went out 
together, weeks after she was discharged from the hospital.  A kid was 
eyeing our cotton candy and I gave him my pink cotton candy.  So I ended up 
sharing Akane's blue one.  She remembered!>

	"I remember buying my three daughters cotton candy a long time ago," 
reminisced Soun.  He sniffed a few times and progressed into a loud wail.  
"Wahh!  Now my Akane has her fianc� buying her cotton candy!"

	"Daddy, remember what I told you about not pushing them?" reminded Kasumi.

	Akane blushed and intertwined her fingers with Ryouga's.  She softly 
remarked, "I don't mind."

	"Congrats, Ryouga.  Welcome to the family.  Of course you'll still have to 
pay the rent." commented Nabiki.

	"I'm very happy for you, Akane.  And you, Ryouga," beamed Kasumi as she 
mentally thought of the dishes for tonight's big celebration.

	Soun stopped wailing momentarily to solemnly shake Ryouga's hand.  "Future 
son-in-law.  Make my daughter happy or I'll make you very unhappy."  Then 
the Soun fountain started again.

	Ryouga did the only thing he could do.  He fainted.

--------------------------------------------------------------

	Ranma sat down in a lotus position and meditated.  The new moves he was 
trying required a level of concentration and purity of spirit so high that 
most mortals could never qualify.  The manual was titled 'How I Ruled Chin 
and Seduced Xena by Lao Ma'.  It was a strange title but who cared so long 
as the skills contained within are powerful.  And this manual certainly 
fulfilled that criteria.  One technique called for the pugilist to 
manipulate his chi so well that objects could be destroyed by merely 
thinking about it.  And that was just the second level!  At the highest 
level, the pugilist could fly like the birds.  Such power contained in an 
unassuming thin manual!

	He remembered the day he found it.  It was after a vicious fight with 
Happosai which he won, of course.  As Happosai fled, a manual dropped onto 
the ground.  The old pervert's loss was his gain.  <Finders keepers, losers 
weepers.>

	Ranma slowed down his breathing and ignored all outside stimuli, to get 
distracted while he was practicing would mean internal injuries at least.  
He repeated the mantra stated in the manual over and over again, hearing the 
words in his mind, his blood and his soul.  He felt his chi building up and 
flowing through his body.  Slowly, he lifted his arms at chest level and 
waved his hands about, with the palms facing, always keeping one hand above 
the other.  It was as if he was holding a ball and rotating it in his hands. 
  Within minutes, a chi ball appeared in his hands, invisible to the naked 
eye.  But Ranma could feel it, as though it was an extension of himself.

	As the minutes passed, Ranma grew more excited.  Never before had he been 
able to control his chi ball for so long.  <If only Akane and the others can 
see me now> he thought.  The chi ball flickered, almost vanishing.  
Startled, he tried to concentrate on his meditation, repeating the mantra 
with a fervour.  However, with one errant thought came others.  <Is Akane 
out of hospital?  Does she hate me?  Does she even think of me?>  The chi 
ball vanished as Ranma coughed.  Breathing heavily, his heart racing like it 
was a locomotive, he felt as if he had just ran around the world.  When he 
finally caught his breath, he slowly stood up, only stubbornness keeping him 
from fainting.  Seeing the reddish patch on the grass, he thought, <Blood.  
I guess I should feel lucky for just having slight internal injuries.  I'll 
be alright in 2 days, maximum.  But that's 2 days of not practicing the 
skill!  I've spent so much time just getting myself into a suitable state 
for learning it and now...>  Ranma slowly walked back to camp, thankful that 
it wasn't far.

	Back in camp, he slumped down exhausted.  <If I hadn't thought about Akane, 
I would be alright> he complained grumpily.  <Even when she is not around, 
she still manages to injure me!  Must have owed her big time in my past 
life.>  His expression softened as he remembered the tomboy that had 
captured his heart.  Images of their past flashed in his mind's eye: their 
first meeting, the bath incident, a few of their quarrels, her going out 
with Ryouga, her collapsing due to his ki balls, resulting in a jumbled mess 
of emotions.  The regret, guilt and love combined to give him a heartache 
that no medicine could ever heal.

	He closed his eyes, trying to remember the happy times they had spent 
together but sadly there were too few of them.  Most of the memories he had 
dug up were sad or angry ones.  <Not like the memories I have with Ukyou.>  
He smiled as he remembered the day he had picked some wild flowers (he 
didn't have enough money for a decent present) as her birthday present and 
she smiled as radiantly as the sun, them sitting near the campfire telling 
ghost stories and jokes and their childhood days together.  And gradually 
his heartache lessened.  It was as if thinking about her was enough to 
lessen his pain.  <But then that had been going on for quite some time 
already, huh?> a part of him replied.  A tiny smile appeared on his face.  
Gradually, so slowly that he hadn't noticed until now, Ukyou had healed his 
wounds and crept into the crevices of his heart.

	<You two-timer!  Unfaithful jerk!> screamed his mind.  <How can you fall in 
love with Ukyou?  You love Akane, remember?  You promised to return to 
Nerima, to her!>  Ranma groaned and buried his face in his hands.

	A minute later, Ukyou arrived.  She had just finished her training regimen 
for today.  Ukyou beamed as she wiped off the beads of perspiration on her 
face.  "Ranma!  Finished training already?  I'll start on dinner right 
away."

	Ranma looked up, his spirits perking up a little when he heard her voice.  
His throat caught at the sight of her.  Ukyou's hair, tied up in a loose 
ponytail, was damp and messy.  Her pretty face marred by dirt and sweat.  
Her workout clothes, damp in some areas, dirty in others, didn't show off 
her figure.  Despite all that, he thought of her as Aphrodite.  <Wow, I must 
really love her to find her attractive like this.>

	"What!  What's wrong with me?"  Ukyou peered down at herself.  "Why are you 
staring at me like that?"  <And grinning like a fool, too> she mentally 
added.  "You never have before."

	"Huh?  Nothing.  I'm just in a good mood that's all."

	Ukyou looked at him for a moment, a silly suspicion forming.  Shrugging her 
shoulders, she walked off to prepare dinner.  But first, she had to make a 
detour to her bag where a mirror was kept.

	Watching her go, Ranma's good mood increased.  He now knew where his heart 
laid.  Akane was his first love and a place in his heart would always be 
reserved for her.  But their relationship was in the past.  Perhaps, if they 
both weren't innocent youths not knowing how to show affection, he might 
still be with Akane.  But perhaps they might have broken up or he might have 
suffered brain damage from all that malleting.  Who knew of the destiny that 
might have been if one path was not taken?  He certainly didn't.  And he 
could not, would not spend his entire life wondering about what might have 
been.  The time for regret had past or he'll find himself regretting about 
lost opportunities in China.

	No.  He wouldn't make that mistake again.  Not with someone like Ukyou.

--------------------------------------------------------------

	That night, Ranma acted really strange.  He stared at Ukyou a lot, with a 
gentle smile and eyes that hinted of a surprise.  Whenever Ukyou caught him, 
he would say something quickly like 'I love the fish stew you made', 'how's 
your training going?' and 'nice full moon we're having".  The only time she 
got a negative response from him was when he talked about suffering internal 
injuries due to lack of concentration.  Puzzled at his actions but not 
daring to ask why, Ukyou quickly retired for the night.

	Watching her sleep peacefully that night, Ranma couldn't resist stroking 
her hair and cheeks.  Nor could he stop smiling.  Maybe he would never stop. 
  Heck, he wouldn't mind it in the least.

--------------------------------------------------------------

	4 a.m.  Darkness surrounded the forest, for the moon was hidden by a cloud 
strangely shaped like a croissant and the campfire had extinguished long 
ago.

	["Mama, I love you!" shouted Ukyou as she ran towards a tall woman wearing 
a plain blue dress that reached the floor, the latter's face hidden by a 
large straw hat.  She seemed to run forever, trying to reach her mother but 
always the distance between them remained.  Just as Ukyou was about to give 
up, her mother opened up her arms and beckoned for Ukyou to hug her.  With a 
burst of newfound strength, Ukyou raced towards her mother.  A few metres 
remaining, she jumped, straight into the arms of her mother.  "Mama."  Ukyou 
buried her face in her mother's bosom, not wanting to ever leave her side 
again.

	Suddenly, Ukyou felt her mother growing taller, bulkier and the latter's 
breasts shrinking.  Shocked, Ukyou could only stare as her mother morphed 
into Kenzo Kounji.  He grinned evilly, revealing his wolf-like teeth.  He 
licked his lips as he stared appreciatively down Ukyou's body, mentally 
undressing her.  Ukyou shuddered as his hand squeezed her left breast and 
slowly travelled downwards.

	"No!  Get away from me!" she yelled and ran off.  She turned to see if she 
had lost him and instantly regretted it.  Her father was gaining on her, one 
hand stroking his erection as though her resistance thrilled him even more.  
Spying a room, she went in.  Leaning against the closed door, she panted and 
surveyed the room.  Her old bedroom!  <No, not here.  No!>

	"Where's my beer, Ukyou?  Get your pretty butt here this instant!"  All the 
items in the bedroom morphed into her father's face.  And they were all 
yelling at her, taunting her.

	"No!  Get away from me!" Wielding her giant spatula, she destroyed every 
last one of them.  Breathing heavily from the exertion, she gaped as her 
father walked through the wall.  Finally, the impossibility of the whole 
situation clicked in her mind.  <I'm dreaming!>

	"You're dead, father.  I killed you!  Stay dead and out of my dreams!"  
Determination shining in her eyes, she lifted her weapon high above her 
head.  It lingered there for a second and quickly moved downwards in an arc 
to sever his head.  She watched as his head dropped down onto the floor and 
rolled to her feet.

	"Never", she heard the room whisper as the head jumped right back on top of 
the shoulders.  Enraged, Ukyou hacked away at the man, cutting him into tiny 
pieces.  Soon, all that remained of her father was a large pile of scraps of 
flesh and bones.  "Stay dead!" she shouted as the wind sent the pieces 
flying off into destinations unknown.]

	Ranma peered down anxiously at Ukyou.  Did she moan just now?  Staring at 
her, sleeping peacefully, the corners of her lips curled up in a tiny smile, 
Ranma smiled and whispered, "Sweet dreams, Ucchan."  Yawning, he went back 
to sleep.

----------------------------------------------------------------
(Night, Nekohanten)

	A sweet smell filled her nostrils, stirring her from her sleep. In her 
dazed mind, she barely remembered what happened after Mousse had injected 
morphine into her. The effects were still there though, she shook her head a 
couple of times to dispel the drowsiness.

	A voice startled her. "{Glad that you're awake. I was wondering how much 
longer I had to wait.}" She tried to sit up but found that she was 
restrained. Her hands and legs were spread apart, fastened to a stone table. 
She tried to shift around but the locks were tight, each movement brought 
pain to her wrists or ankles. "{Ah, you shouldn't do that. It's no use.}"

	"{Curse you Mousse, I'll never forgive you. I should have let you drown in 
that river.}" She hadn't got a chance to see Mousse yet, but from his voice, 
she could roughly guess where he was standing.

	"{Sorry, but you are 6 years too late.}" He walked towards Shampoo but 
stopped at the side of the table, near her legs.

	She strained her neck upwards and caught the grin that he wore. Her body 
began to complain and she surrendered, lying heavily onto the table again. 
"{Devil! You're the devil.}"

	"{Tsk, tsk. How could you treat the person who had given you so much 
pleasure a day ago?}"

	"{BASTARD!}"

	"{You were screaming my name, asking for ME. I say you were very high 
indeed.}"

	"{Shut up!}" Her eyes clenched tight, willing the memories to go away.

	"{Why, you weren't that shy a person?}" Hearing no response from her, the 
game was less fun. So, he decided to start the next one. Taking a tin from 
his robe, he asked, "{Hungry? You haven't had anything to eat since last 
night.}" There was no response, not that he was expecting any.

	He walked nearer to where her head was and opened the lid of the tin. "{I 
remembered honey was one of your favourite food.}" With that, he dipped his 
hand into the tin. Sucking at his finger, "{hmm... the top grade quality 
that you liked.}" Again, she didn't speak, turning her head defiantly away 
from him. It didn't matter that she kept quiet now, because she wouldn't be 
able to do so later on.

	She felt his hands on her cheek, forcing her to face him. The smell on his 
hands was familiar. Then, she realized that it was this smell that she had 
awakened to. Gathering all the hatred for this man, she glared at him.

	He had her attention and his fun could now begin. Spilling a little of the 
honey on her body, he began to rub evenly, whistling at the same time.

	She was becoming uncomfortable. Between the sticky substance on her body 
and the hands that were roaming freely on her body, she hated the latter 
more. She struggled, her body moving about, making his work more difficult. 
But instead of stopping him, he seemed to be encouraged by it.

	Before long, he came inches above her head. He brushed a stray strand of 
hair away from her face and immediately his attention was locked onto her 
face. Staring intently at her, his heartstrings pulled and again he 
hesitated. For that, he earned a spit on the face. Resolve returning, he 
swiftly wiped his face with the sleeve of his robe. Then, he proceeded to 
not so gently rub honey on her face.

	After that, he was finished, her whole body was coated with the sweet 
substance. He disappeared from her sight and the running of tap was heard. 
For a while, she was wondering what he was trying to do.  Was it some kind 
of sick sex game that he was thinking? She didn't need to answer it as he 
reappeared shortly with a small tank partially covered by old newspaper.

	She started to have panic attacks. What was he trying to do? And what was 
in that tank? She could not see that clearly as he had stopped near her 
legs. From what she could see, there was some black stuff inside the tank. 
Somehow, she didn't want to know what it was, having a bad feeling about it.

	Mousse wasn't about to have second thoughts. He had spent an hour hardening 
himself for this. And the spit nailed it. He was the revenge obsessed 
maniac, not stopping until she suffered a fate worse than death. This time 
he would follow through, nothing was going to stop him.

	He tore off the newspaper, revealing the gruesome sight within. There were 
tens or hundreds of big black fat ants creeping around, most of them 
concentrated on a cut tree branch.  He set the tank on the table where 
Shampoo was laid. Wearing gloves, he cautiously took out the tree branch and 
left it near Shampoo's legs. Shampoo hasn't been able to see all these since 
it was outside her line of sight.

	The ants smelled and they knew what to do. Shampoo was starting to itch and 
ache from bites. She knew that there were something crawling on her and it 
was scaring her. She tried to look up but she couldn't see anything yet. 
Meanwhile, she could feel her legs being swarmed and there was little to do 
except to panic more.

	Mousse was standing not too closely to Shampoo. He watched eagerly as the 
ants raced along his wife's shapely legs and commanded his mind to enjoy the 
sight. There were some red spots forming and when he turned to her face, he 
could see the scared little girl that she had become.

	"{What's happening? Dammit! Let me go.}" she scowled although fear was 
evident on her face.

	"{Can't do that. My buddy over there seems to be enjoying itself,}" he said 
pointing to the army of ants.

	"{What's ...,}" she managed before she screamed. She had finally seen the 
culprit for her discomfort. She tried to shake the ants off, but there were 
too many of them.

	It was a fascinating sight for him. To see her cower and quake before him 
just as he imagined it to be. The ants were playing their part very well. He 
visualized that very soon, the six-legged creatures would be traveling up to 
every part of her body, even to her insides where none had ventured. He 
especially looked forward to the sight of the ants making their way into her 
nostrils, ear... It was a very exciting time for him. Even as he mind 
recited the above, his hands were unknowingly clenched tightly by his sides.

	It particularly disgusted her when the ants took liberty with her sensitive 
regions. The pain she could take but shame was not something that she could 
handle. With renewed feverish, she tripled her efforts to shake the ants 
off, or at least stop them from biting her.

	It was a daunting task. She was growing tired. The creatures were crawling 
higher and higher up her body almost to her neck. Her heart was pounding 
vigorously in her chest. Her mind was set on an emergency alarm, her 
thoughts frantic, her resolve dissolving. Scared out of her wits, she cried 
for leniency. "{Please, anything but this. Mu Tsu, release me. 
HHHHHHEEEEEEELLLLLLLLPPPPPPPP!}"

	He laughed nervously to her plea, ignoring her and instead concentrated on 
the ant's advancement. They were moving along the contours of her neck. 
<It's happening,> he thought ardently. But as he continued to watch, bit and 
pieces of his control started to fall apart.

	<NO! She deserved it for what she had done to me.> The ants had climbed up 
to her chin. <She's a bitch! A witch!> They neared her mouth. <She's the 
cause of all my troubles.>

	He moved out of reflex. He didn't even think about moving. In fact, he was 
convincing himself not to move and to enjoy the sight. But it didn't work, 
no matter how strong the reasons, he couldn't stand the sight of Shampoo 
being hurt.

	Swiftly, he brushed the ants away from her face. Some of them got onto his 
hands while others fell to the ground. But there were too many of them. The 
ants kept coming and those that were on him were climbing up his sleeve, 
disturbing him.

	He knew that it was a lost cause if he kept on sweeping. There was no way 
he could sweep all the ants away from her and him. He needed to think. How 
was he going to kill the ants in his original plans? <Yes, that was it.> He 
ran towards the sink, attached a hose to the tap, turned the tap to warm 
water and brought the hose to where Shampoo was laid.

	Spraying the water at Shampoo, he managed to wash the ants off her. He 
continued for a while to make sure that no more ants were left on her body. 
Then, he turned the hose to himself, washing away any ants on him.

	When he was satisfied, he dropped the hose, the water still running and 
walked towards Shampoo. She still looked very frightened but there was also 
something on her face. A look of shock, astonished that he had saved her.

	That look shook him, his concern for her liquefied. Instead, he grew angry 
at himself for once again disrupting his owns plans. He couldn't let her 
know that he was feeling weak for her. Trying to salvage the situation, he 
tried his best to put on a smile. "{We'll have more fun later.}"
--------------------------------------------------------------
(In the morning)

	Ucchan, I... I got something to tell you.  I," stammered Ranma, as he 
nervously shuffled his feet, not daring to look at her.

	"Eat your breakfast first, then we'll talk," interrupted Ukyou as she 
poured him a cup of hot tea.

	Glad of a chance to compose his thoughts and slow his wildly thumping 
heart, Ranma sat down and gobbled his food.  <Don't you dare chicken out!> 
his heart cautioned him.  His relationship with Akane was full of missed 
opportunities and regrets.  Now that he's wiser and more experienced, he 
wouldn't let his relationship with Ukyou be like that.

	When they had finished their meal, Ranma thought, <Now is the time.>  He 
gazed fondly at her lovely face, bathed in the morning light, and his heart 
rate accelerated.  <But first, I want to drink more tea.>  He gulped down 
his tea and poured himself another cup.

	He saw Ukyou starting to get up and clear the dishes and panicked.  All he 
could say was "Wait."  Ukyou sat down again, smiling at him.  And he felt 
himself go numb at the sight of that smile.  He wanted so much to profess 
his feelings for her but what came out was "You got some sauce on the corner 
of your mouth."

	"No, not there.  Here, let me do it, " Ranma said as he leaned forward.  
His finger wiped away the offensive spot and touched her lips lightly.  <So 
soft.>  Impulsively, Ranma pressed his lips onto hers, trying to convey all 
his feelings for her with that simple act.

	When he pulled away, he was blushing furiously.  "Ucchan, I..." he 
stammered.  <Come on, it's just three little words.  Be a man and say them>  
He continued, "I love you".  His blush deepened.  "When we first got 
engaged, we were only 6 year olds.  Let me make it official.  Ucchan, will 
you marry me?"

	"But what about Akane?"

	"Akane and my feelings for her belonged to the past.  You, Kounji Ukyou, 
are my future."  He smiled and waited for her reply, already knowing what it 
would be.

	"If you want me to say 'yes'," Ukyou said coyly, her eyes conveying mirth, 
"then, you'll have to defeat me in battle.  Are you up to it?"

	<Defeat Ucchan to win her hand in marriage?  Had she been fraternizing with 
Kuno?>  "Yes," he confidently replied as he stood up.

	"Then, let the battle begin!" Ukyou shouted as she swung her giant spatula 
at him.

	Ranma leapt away, though that move was unnecessary, for the attack was way 
off.  <Is she just pretending to put up a fight?> he wondered.  However, the 
sight of Ukyou wearing her bandoleer of small spatulas, soon proved him 
wrong.  <That swing was just a distraction for her to get the rest of her 
weapons!  That's my Ucchan, cute and smart!>  He moved into an attack 
position, still smiling away.

	 Ukyou smiled back and winked conspiratorially as she began a series of 
slashes and strikes so fast that it would put Shampoo in shame.  Ranma, 
using his own Chestnut Fist skill, fended off each attack.  <If only I was 
still cursed, then Ukyou would be no match for my speed.  What am I saying?  
Wishing that I'm a girl?>  He grimaced at the thought and concentrated on 
increasing his speed but to no avail.  <I can't keep up this pace for long> 
he thought as he matched Ukyou blow for blow.  As Ukyou swung her spatula 
forward, he blocked it with one arm and punched her hard in the stomach.  
Ranma stepped back and asked, "Ready to give up?"

	Ukyou's only response was a high kick to his face which he blocked with 
both hands.  He caught her foot and tossed her up.  He watched as she 
performed a quick double aerial somersault and landed perfectly, three feet 
from him.  He applauded the move, saying, "9 out of 10."

	Ukyou frowned slightly and turned, doing a spinning back kick to his head.  
Ranma ducked and brought his fist towards her face.  She blocked the move 
with her forearms and somersaulted out of his reach.

	Instinctively knowing where she would end up, Ranma ran to the spot.  
Before Ukyou finished her somersaults, Ranma had already punted her to the 
sky.  He watched as she twisted her body in mid air, used a tree branch as a 
trampoline and propelled herself towards him.  He saw the small spatulas 
flying at him and was able to dodge all of them.  <That was too easy.  There 
isn't enough speed on the spatulas to be a real threat.>  Just then, a pain 
in his left arm made him realize his folly.  <The small spatulas were a 
diversion!>  He glanced at the injured arm and was relieved that it was only 
a small shallow cut.  "You're not making it easy for me, are you?"

	Ukyou opened her mouth and then closed it, as if she wanted to say 
something but changed her mind.  She concentrated and a small ball of ki 
appeared in her palms and sent it hurling towards our hapless hero.  He 
sidestepped it and it exploded upon contact with a tree, two metres behind 
him.  He frowned and commented, "Hey, Ucchan.  Let's not use our ki attacks. 
  This is just a friendly match.  I don't want you to get hurt."

	"Are you sure I'm the one who will get hurt?"  She launched another ki 
ball, this one much larger than the first.  However, Ranma got out of its 
range.  She frowned, beads of perspiration forming on her forehead as she 
found the strength to throw some more smaller ki balls at him, one after the 
other.

	Leaping out of one ki ball's path, ducking under another and blasting the 
rest with his own Moko Takabisha, he recalled how he had taught Ukyou the ki 
blast technique.  Always one for practical demonstrations rather than 
long-winded theories, he had demonstrated his Moko Takabisha several times 
but to no avail.  Ukyou wasn't able to do one.  Realizing that she had to 
find her own intense emotion to fuel her chi, just like he used confidence, 
Ryouga used depression and Happosai used his pervertedness, he stood there 
silently as she reached into the depths of her soul.  Soon, he noticed a 
faint aura around her, flickering like a flame.  'That's it!' he had yelled 
and urged Ukyou to concentrate on that emotion.  Within the next few days, 
she was able to launch several small ki balls in rapid succession.  He asked 
her what emotion had fueled her ki but her lips were sealed.  But he could 
hazard a guess, for her eyes would become cold and dangerous when summoning 
up a ki blast, just like right now.  <It's anger> he thought as he launched 
a Moko Takabisha at her, knowing and praying that with her current level of 
skill, she would be either dodge or blast his attack away.

	She did neither.  He watched in mute horror as she stood her ground, 
gripping her spatula.  <No!  Get away, Ukyou!  NO!>  Unable to move, he 
looked on as the scene unraveled, in slow motion.  His blast was just half a 
metre away from Ukyou now.  Ukyou closed her eyes and sent her ki flowing 
from her hands and into the spatula.  It glowed pale blue.  She swung her 
spatula like a baseball bat, sending his ki blast, combined with her own ki, 
spinning towards Ranma.  Shocked and relieved, Ranma couldn't react in time 
and was sent flying to the distant trees by the force of his and Ukyou's ki 
blast combined.

	Ranma shakily got to his feet, trying to ignore the pain signals coming 
from all over his body.  <Something is wrong with this fight.>  He wasn't 
able to continue this train of thought for Ukyou had sent another ki blast 
his way.  Concentrating hard, he tried to form a ki ball of his own but 
failed.  With the internal injuries sustained yesterday and his present 
injuries, his ki reserves are almost gone.  The blast knocked him onto the 
grass.  Another blast nearly knocked him unconscious.

	"What are you doing?" he asked as blood oozed from his mouth.

	Ukyou laughed , taking delight in his confusion.  She grasped her giant 
spatula firmly, pointing it at Ranma's neck.  "What does it look like?  I am 
killing you!"

	She lifted the weapon up and swung it.  Ranma hurriedly rolled out of the 
way.  "Why?" he gasped.

	"WHY?!  You dared ask why!  You and your father ran off with my family's 
yattai and left me behind.  Because of that, my dad, he..."  A flicker of 
pain showed in her eyes.  She kicked his side viciously.  Her eyes were now 
furious like a blazing fire that has gone out of control.  "Did you really 
think that I can forgive you for years of suffering and humiliation just by 
saying that I am cute?!"  The spatula drew blood as it slashed his right 
arm.  "Did you really believe that once I saw you, I'll be bowled over by 
your charm and everything will be bright and cheery again?!"  The spatula 
slashed his forehead, causing him to see red.  "Are you really that 
egotistical?!  A kick and a blow.  "Or are you just plain stupid?!"  Two 
quick slashes at Ranma's chest.

	"Ucchan...  I didn't know... about the... engagement...  Only kids," he 
whispered as he watched her with his left eye.  The view his right eye 
offered was a sea of red.  "Sorry," he added.

	"Is that supposed to make me feel better?!  Will one 'sorry' make up for 
all the injustices in my life?" she asked rhetorically.  Her gaze hardened, 
reminding him of the look in her eyes whenever she did a ki blast.

	<It's not anger that's fueling her ki>, he realized belatedly, <it's pure 
hate>.  Trying to reach past her hatred and into the soul of the Ucchan that 
he knew and loved, he pleaded, "Please Ucchan...  Don't...  Pain doesn't... 
go... away with... revenge."

	"What do you know about my pain?!  Nothing!"  The spatula cut his body, 
leaving small and large wounds all over.

	"Ucchan," he managed to get out.  He wanted to say that he did know of her 
suffering, that he would do anything to change the past.  That it was him 
who comforted her from the nightmares.  That the lullaby she loved was what 
he sang to her every time she had a nightmare.  However, he had passed out 
from the pain.

	The spatula moved down in a deadly arc that was sure to sever his head.  
"I'm sick of hearing you call me 'Ucchan'."

---------------------------------------------------------------
(Afternoon, Nekohanten)

	Splash. He had used warm water so her curse was not activated. Bleary, 
Shampoo opened her eyes to see a smirking Mousse staring at her. Then, 
frantically she looked as much as possible around her body for signs of 
ants. No, there was none of them. But she still had the feeling that they 
were still crawling on her body.

	"{Oh, my Shampoo, the woman who was the soul of my life. A woman so hot 
that she nearly ate the fiber of my soul.}" Mousse scorned, his voice full 
of contempt. Having dropped an empty pail on the floor, he grabbed a nearby 
towel to wipe off the moisture on Shampoo's body.

	"{You make me sick. No, you are sick. You deserved to be confined in a 
mental institution. Kept in isolation, killed, hanged, electrocuted 
whatever... and KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF ME!}"

	He dropped the towel because she was dry but his hands continued to linger 
on her body. "{Had fun last night?}" He said with a glint in his eyes.

	Horrible memories returned. She felt a deliberate soft brush against her 
right shoulder, immediately she turned to it. For a moment she thought she 
saw the six-legged creature again. Her skin began to itch and along came the 
fear also.

	"{Don't worry, I've run out of ants. Hmm... I've been thinking, what type 
of funeral do you want?}"

	She didn't answer him. She wanted to ask him to kill her now, that she 
wasn't afraid of death. But another part of her mind, the Amazon part told 
her that if she were to die, she had to pull him along with her.

	 "{How about burying you in a wasteland? Well, you know like matters 
congregate together. Furthermore, you would have the company of worms, 
ANTS...}" After taking a moment to enjoy the cringe on her face on the 
mention of ants, he continued, "{Didn't like it? Ah, I got it. Cats like 
fish. I throw you into the sea and you get the perfect scenery of the ocean. 
Colourful fishes swimming around, making a meal out of you.}"

	She couldn't stand it anymore, "{What is your game?}"

	Ignoring her, he carried on. "{Cremation. That may do it. Like the old 
saying, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Hmm, I wonder if you are able to feel 
anything when your dead body is being burnt.}"

	She knew she was in for another torture. If only she found a way to break 
free from him. "{Mu Tsu, damn you. Are you a man? The river thing was an 
accident, don't put all the blame on me. You had a part in it.}"

	He didn't bother with her and went on, "{Ah, I just burn you before you 
turn in your last breath.}" Smiling happily, he finally met her eyes and 
nearly flinched. Mentally reminding himself not to look at her eyes or her 
face more than necessary, he resumed his act. Taking out a cigarette 
lighter, he flicked it on, missing the look of horror on her face as he 
followed his own advice.

	Hardening himself, he began teasing her body with the flame. She shifted to 
avoid it but he followed her every movement. Until she couldn't shift 
anymore, he exposed her to the full flame. There was minimal pain but the 
fear was immense.  Trapped like a deer, she prayed very earnestly that he 
wasn't going to set her aflame now. She still hadn't given Mousse his 
rewards yet.

	He was very careful with the lighter, never lingering in the same place for 
too long. Being unclad, there was no danger of her clothes catching fire. It 
was just the naked flame and her naked body wiggling about. <Enjoy it! She's 
getting what she deserves.> Even as he tried to convince himself, his 
resolve was burning out.

	He stopped suddenly. Silently she thanked the gods when he walked away from 
her. But she knew that he wasn't over with her.

	There were some clanking noise and shortly his voice floated in the air. 
"{I always had the hots for you, even now. It's just that it's in the form 
of a metal rod.}" Reappearing and holding onto a lighted, heated metal rod 
by its wooden handle, he gave her a long view of the elongated item.

	He held the rod hovering over her body, threatening to scald her with every 
movement. Everytime when he looked like he was going to drop it, her heart 
skipped a beat. She knew that there was no escape for her but it still 
didn't kept her from fearing or hoping for the best.

	He tried to drop the rod on her but at the last minute, he held back again. 
Fighting an internal struggle, he told himself that he must do it but 
something kept holding him back.

	After a while, she was wondering why wasn't him making a move. He seemed to 
be in some kind of struggle himself. His face was grimacing, his hand 
shaking slightly as he held the rod. Could it be... could it be that he 
didn't want to hurt her? But that was not possible. He killed Cologne, 
injured her, trapped her in this basement and was torturing her. She 
couldn't believe that she would think that he still loved her. But yet her 
heart wasn't convinced of her reasons.

	At the end, he didn't scald her with the rod as it had cooled down. Blaming 
himself, he swore silently under his breath, determined that he shouldn't 
fail again. Recalling the next step of his plan, he moved towards the sink 
and picked up the hose which was still attached to the tap. Turning it on, 
warm water gushed out.

	He was next to her now, hose in one hand. Forcing her mouth to open, he 
stashed the hose into her mouth. She turned sideways and tried to force the 
hose out but he kept holding it onto her. She began choking onto the water, 
swallowing it on mouthfuls. Her breath was starting to expire. Her face 
turning green from the suffocation. Then, it happened, the water stopped 
coming. She threw out all the water that was still on her mouth and began to 
take quick breaths.

	A hose fell noisily onto the floor, water spraying everywhere. She turned 
and saw Mousse taking a few paces back, a disbelieving look on his face. 
When he met her stare, she could see the panic and agony in his eyes. She 
was even more surprised when he ran away from the basement without a word.

	Could she be right? Did he still have feelings for her? Somehow, she had 
become more confident of her answer.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
(China)

	<Oh man, I hurt all over.>  Gradually, he opened his eyes and winced as the 
sunlight glared down at him.  A face popped into his line of sight, sunlight 
forming a halo around it.  <Long hair.  Who?  Ucchan?>  Suddenly, he 
remembered.  The proposal.  The battle to win Ucchan as his bride.  Her 
moves becoming vicious and deadly.  Ucchan loudly proclaiming that she 
wanted revenge.  That she didn't love him.  <NOOO!!!!>  Ranma shouted.  
Nothing.  He paused in shock.  He swallowed and tried to speak.  Nothing.  
Only the sound of laughter, Ukyou's laughter.

	"You're finally awake, eh.  Good.  I wouldn't want all my efforts to go to 
waste.  Aren't you going to ask me why I spared your life?  No?  Oh I 
forgot!  You can't speak anymore."  Ukyou laughed, taking pleasure in his 
shocked look.  She watched as he opened and closed his mouth several times 
before giving up.

	He tried to get up but couldn't.  He concentrated on moving his fingers but 
he couldn't feel them.  He commanded his legs to stand but they wouldn't.  
<What have you done to me?!> he mentally screamed.

	"You see, I realized that killing you straight away was no fun at all.  
You'll be dying the way you wanted - in a battle.  Nope, no way.  After all 
that you and your father put me through, that is too light a punishment for 
you.  I want you to _suffer_."  She stared at him, her gaze cold and 
penetrating.  "I want you to be crushed by the fact that you will be a 
quadriplegic for the rest of your life.  To go back to Nerima and notice the 
looks of pity on the faces of your friends and joy from enemies.  To see 
your dear Akane and silently watch her get married and have kids with 
someone else because you are no longer a man, no longer Saotome Ranma, the 
greatest martial artist in Nerima."

	Ranma frantically shook his head, not wanting to believe her, refusing to 
give up hope.  After all, wasn't he Saotome Ranma, the guy who could 
overcome all odds?  <I'll recover.  I'm sure of it!>  He kept on encouraging 
himself, blocking out Ukyou's endless tirade of sarcasm.

	Sensing that her victim wasn't as depressed as she had hoped, Ukyou leaned 
down until her face was inches away from his.  "You still can't accept your 
fate, can you?  You think you can wake up one morning and everything will be 
the way it was."  Ukyou stared at his eyes.  "I'll enjoy seeing hope fading 
away from those pretty eyes of yours."  And she was right.

End of Flashback--->

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AUTHORS' NOTES:

1. What flashback, you ask?
The flashback began in Part 1, in which Ukyou was reminiscing to an invalid 
Ranma.







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