It's nearly 10 p.m., Dec 31st, 1999.

  I failed....

  I scrubbed over half of it a little over a week ago in a fit of displeasure and I wasn't able to rewrite to my liking it in time... Gomen!  :(

  I feel really bad about this.  I'll be able to resume work on it after Jan. 2nd...

  This is *nowhere* near complete.  The very interesting bits are yet to come.

***************************************


  Lines Of Destiny

  A Sailor Moon/Ranma 1/2  Crossover

  By Louis-Philippe Giroux
  <dragon@anime.sobhrach.com>

  Thank you for all your comments!  Keep'em coming!
  C&C is always welcome!!!

  Sailor Moon was created by Naoko Takeuchi and Ranma 1/2 by Rumiko Takahashi.  Please don't sue me.

  The latest versions of the previous chapters are always the ones on my WWW page at
http://www.anime.sobhrach.com/~dragon/lines/lines.html


  Chapter 12


  The first thing Ranma heard as he came out of the Neko-ken were shouts and cries, coming from all around him.  *What happened?*  he thought confusedly .  *Last thing I remember is...  is...* his eyes widened.  *Happosai... the Nannichuan!* He tried to blink away the daze he was in and scrambled to his feet, looking around wildly.  The first thing that caught his attention was the sight of Akane and Mamoru running towards him.
  "RANMA!  Are you okay?" Akane asked worriedly, helping him stand up.
  For a brief moment, Ranma stared at Akane uncomprehendingly, then his voice suddenly became frantic as he grabbed Akane by the shoulders.  "The water!  Tell me the Nannichuan is safe!  Please!!!"
  Akane winced, and it wasn't because she was being shaken like a doll.  "I'm sorry, Ranma...  Happosai's Happo-daikarin knocked it out of Ten'ou-san's hands and made it crash on..." she never got a chance to finish as Ranma snarled and threw his head towards the heavens.
  "CHIKUSOOOOOOOOOO!!!" he howled in anguish.  *So close...  So _damn_ close!*
  Akane took an unvoluntary step back when she saw the hate blaze in Ranma's eyes.  It was strong enough that could practically taste it, and sensitivity to Ki was not one of her strongest talents to start with.
  "This time, the pervert's gonna pay," Ranma said, saying each word slowly, softly.  "He's taken my cure away from me when I needed it the most.  This is the _last_ time!"
  Akane winced at the venom she heard in the words and she wasn't the only one.
  Mamoru had actually stepped back and was throwing very concerned looks towards Ranma.  Even though he'd tried to put a shield between Ranma and himself, the whole Neko-ken episode had rattled him badly enough that he could still feel the "aftertaste" of Ranma's ailurophobia.  Some images had leaked into his mind, too.  Something about a pit filled with hungry monsters and slashing claws and... well...  He decided he'd seen - or felt - enough.  And now, there was this... rage.  He tried to shield himself again without success. Apparently, Ranma wasn't being careful with his psychic talent right now...
  Akane looked around at the chaos in the shrine yard and gave a silent thanks to the Kami that grandpa Hino wasn't present.  Auntie Nodoka was just staring at the whole scene with a dazed look and Katsunishiki, well she wasn't sure what the sumo pig was feeling right now and she didn't really care.  "Ranma, I meant to tell you... The Nannichuan landed on someone."
  Ranma came out of his rage and looked at Akane uncertainly. "What?  Who!?"  *Not the Princess!*
  Akane looked miserable and pointed towards the steps of the shrine.
  Ranma seemed to take notice of the rest of the courtyard for the first time since his awakening.  Hotaru and Makoto were near Haruka, who was laying unconscious on the ground, scorch marks all over her clothes.  Hotaru had her hands pressed against Haruka and could see a small glow coming from her hands.  *The Happo-daikarin,* Ranma guessed.  He'd been the target of those firecrackers often enough to recognize the damage those things could do.  He quickly surmised that the glow he was seeing came from Hotaru's healing powers, which Akane had mentioned earlier.  Makoto seemed to be standing guard over both of them, although she was throwing worried looks over to where the rest of the girls were huddled.
  All the other girls were standing in a circle, obviously huddled against someone.  He quickly noticed Usagi and Rei among those who made the ring, so it couldn't be her.  *Why the hell do I care if they're alright anyhow?* he thought grumpily.  He began walking towards the group of girls.  Let's see, it wasn't Usagi or Rei, and he could see Minako and Ami on the other side, so who did that leave? Something made him look at Haruka again, and suddenly, something clicked.  Haruka had a girlfriend, and she was the only one he couldn't see.
  "Kaiou-san?" he said weakly.  "Oh, no..."  He hurried up, Akane and Mamoru following him.  Reaching the knot of girls, he forced his way through and winced when he saw who had collapsed unconscious.
  The man Minako and Usagi were trying to wake up was wearing a fashionable, short-sleeved green dress that would have looked pretty good on any female, but looked pretty ridiculous, not to mention undersized, on his rather large frame.  The hair was styled the same way Michiru wore hers, except for the fact that it was now of a deep, royal blue color.  His angular face sported a few facial cuts, but mostly a big bruise on the forehead.
  Ranma turned halfway around and looked at Akane, who was looking positively sick at the scene.
  "Of all people around here, I think she's the worst possible victim," murmured Mamoru.
  Ranma found himself shrugging.  "Which is why it doesn't really surprise me," he muttered.
  "Ranma!" Akane protested.  "You could show some sympathy!"
  "I didn't say I didn't _care_!  I just said it didn't surprise me! There's a difference!  I really am sorry for her..."
  The sound of Ranma's voice acted as a catalyst for the girls' attention.
  "Ranma?" asked Usagi, looking up.  "You're okay?"  Ranma nodded. "Tell me!  What happened to Michiru-san?!" Usagi asked quickly.
  "That was a bottle of Nannichuan water.  Pool of Drowned Man." Ranma sighed.  "That bottle was supposed to cure my curse and... damn...  Just what the hell happened anyway?  Last thing I remember is Happosai trying to uncork the bottle and then..." he shuddered. They...  The c-c-cats aren't around anymore, right?"  He didn't notice the nervous twitch Mamoru gave behind him.
  "Um... no.  I think you scared them, acting like that..." Usagi said uneasily.  Actually, they were hiding under some bushes, but she left that out.
  "Was _that_ the Neko-ken?" asked Rei.
  Ranma nodded.  "Apparently, the Happo-daikarin was enough to shake me out of it."  He looked at Minako.  "Go get some hot _and_ cold water; we'll need'em."   Minako threw one last nervous look at the male Michiru, then nodded, running up the steps of the shrine.  Ranma pointed at Michiru with a shake of the head.  "How exactly _did_ she get splashed?"
  It was Ami, who was checking Michiru for injuries, who answered in a detached, clinical tone.  "After the dwarf tossed Luna at you, you began acting like a cat.  You managed to separate the flask from him for a while and Haruka managed to save the flask before it spilled over.  Happosai," she continued, emphasizing disgust at the name, " tried to recover the flask, but you... hit him and he went flying over the rooftops.  Unfortunately, he dropped one of those firecracker bombs near Haruka before you got rid of him.  Haruka shielded herself from the explosion as best she could, but the flask went flying.  Michiru was running towards Haruka; she was knocked out by the flask's impact with her forehead."
  Ranma blinked a couple of times, then looked at Haruka, who was still out.  *"Shielded _herself_? Haruka's a girl?  Geez, am I gonna run into every crossdresser in Tokyo?*  He shook his head and took a deep breath.  "So... she doesn't know she's cursed?"
  Ami looked up briefly, then shook her head.  "It's unlikely."
  "What's going to happen to Michiru-san?" cut in Usagi anxiously.
  Ranma shrugged.  "I'm sorry about it, but she's now cursed just like I am, except in reverse.  Each time she's splashed in cold water, she'll flip into this form and hot water will turn her back into girl."
  "I suppose that if this Nannichuan had cured your condition, then the Nyannichuan could cure Michiru-san's condition, am I correct?" asked Ami.
  Ranma nodded.  "It would, but the problem is that Jusenkyou is in China and Saffron and I kinda..."
  "Ranma?  Is everything alright, son?" suddenly asked a voice from behind them.
  Ranma's eyes widened as he turned around.  *I can't believe I forgot about Mom!*    "Uh, yeah, Mom, I'm alright.  Except for my cure, that is..."
  Nodoka who had spent the last few minutes in a sort of daze, reached the circle of girls just as Minako came back with a glass of water.  "I saw the flask fly.  What happened...?" she trailed off, seeing the new Michiru on the ground.  "Oh my.  This isn't good.  Not good at all."
  "Well thank you for that brilliant observation," Rei muttered sarcastically.
  "You should show your elders more respect, Rei-chan!" Nodoka scolded.
  Rei stared at Nodoka.  *Is she for real?*
  Ranma interrupted before the pair got too far.  He'd seen enough of Rei's temper to guess that the outcome wouldn't be all that pretty.  "Mom, I'm sorry, but it looks like my cure is going to have to wait for now."  He looked around the courtyard, frowning. "Where's Pop?"
  Nodoka scowled.  "Your father ran away when Happosai threatened to take him on another training trip.  I will need to speak to him about that."
  Ranma shook his head.  Just like his old man to run away when Happosai was involved.
  "Um, Ranma?" asked Minako.  "What do I do with this?" she held up two glasses of water.
  "Pour half the hot water on her head.  She might freak less than if she just woke up as a man.  We'll just have to tell her slowly."
  Behind them, Haruka stirred.  "Haruka-papa is waking up!" Hotaru called out.
  Ranma grabbed the glass of water from Minako's hands and quickly upended half of it on Michiru's head.  There were a few gasps when the change occurred.  Dark blue hair became turquoise, and Michiru shrunk a bit, filling the dress in the right places.

  Michiru groaned and put a hand to her head.  That had _hurt_. *That will teach me not to duck quickly enough...* she chastised herself.  How long had she been unconscious?
  "Michiru-san?  Are you okay?"  Usagi's voice.
  Michiru tried to get on her feet and found herself helped by quite a few pair of hands.  "What?..." she asked weakly.  She absently noticed that she was all wet.  Why was that?
  "You were... um... knocked out by the flask when it hit your forehead," Ami answered.
  Why was Ami so hesitant?  The flask?  Ah, yes, the flask that Haruka was holding.  It all came back in a flash.  Haruka had caught the flask Ranma had tried to use...  Akane said something about it. Right.  It's water would turn the one who touched it into a man. Then there had been an explosion of some sorts, Haruka had been thrown backwards and...
  The flask had exploded all over her.
  Michiru stiffened, closed her eyes and quickly patted her chest. Nope, they were still there.  They were wet, but they were there. She let out a relieved sigh.  She opened her eyes and looked at the other girls who were looking at her with worried expressions. Mamoru, Ranma, who seemed to be sane again, and Akane were also there, looking worried as well.  Ranma's mother, Nodoka, if memory served well, was standing behind Ranma.  She looked worried too.
  And seeing so many people looking worried made her worried, too.
  "Um...  Michiru-san?" said Usagi timidly.  "Are you okay?  I mean..."
  Michiru waved away her concerns.  "I'm alright Usagi-chan.  I've had worse at times..." she trailed off, unwilling to go further with Nodoka present.  Her eyes widened as she remembered something. "Haruka!" she said quickly, struggling free of the helping hands. "Is Haruka all right?"
  Curiously, it was Ranma who restrained her.  "He... I mean _she's_ okay.  She got a bit burned from Happosai's Happo-daikarin, but Hotaru took care of it."
  "Michiru?" came Haruka's slightly unsteady voice
  Case in point.
  "Haruka!" Michiru said, relieved.  She quickly hugged her slightly scorched love.  "I was worried about you!"
  Haruka smirked, her usual demeanor quickly coming back to the fore.  "Nothing can keep me down for long," she said with a smirk. Said smirk quickly vanished when she saw the bruise and the small cuts that Michiru had on her face.  "Are _you_ okay?  That bruise and those cuts..." she twisted around.  "Hotaru-chan?  Michiru's hurt. Could you come and heal her, please?"
  Hotaru smiled weakly.  "Right..."
  Michiru swatted Haruka, almost petulantly.  "I'm not an invalid! Hotaru-chan is tired.  Let her rest!  Besides, I didn't even feel the bruise until you touched it."
  Haruka looked back at Michiru and nodded reluctantly.  "Okay..." she blinked, when it finally seeped in that Michiru was all wet and that her dress seemed ripped in some places.  "What happened to you anyway?"
  "That flask you were holding blew up all over me," Michiru said, shrugging.
  A lump of ice formed in Haruka's gut.  "But...  Akane said that..."
  Michiru put a finger on her significant other's lips.  "Nothing happened.  I'm just wet, okay?"
  Haruka was about to relax when the heard several coughs from behind them.  Both of them turned around too see everyone looking at them with really strange expressions.  Haruka's left eyebrow twitched.  "What?"
  "Err... um...  well, you see..." hedged a very nervous Usagi uncertainly.  Something did kind of happen and... well..." she trailed off and suddenly turned around, hiding behind Mamoru.  "I can't say it, Mamo-chan!" the pony-tailed blonde wailed, clutching the young man's shirt tightly.  "It's too horrible!  Rei-chan, you tell her!"  To the side, Ranma frowned.
  Rei blinked.  "Hey!  That's not my job!" she protested.  She looked around wildly and pegged the first person she saw.  "Minako, tell Michiru!"
  Minako's eyes bugged out.  "Me? No way!  I'm stupid, not crazy!"
  Everyone looked at Minako strangely, except Ami, who groaned.

  Under the bushes, Artemis shook his head in disappointment.  "That was a bad one, even for her..." he muttered.
  Luna swatted him.  "Be quiet!"
  "We should be out there helping them," complained Artemis.
  "Ranma's mother and that monstrous pig creature are still there. Besides, do you want Ranma to relapse into the Neko-ken?  Thank you, but once was enough for me!" shot back Luna.
  "We are _definitely_ going to have to fix that problem," groused the white cat.

  Meanwhile, Minako blinked, then mentally went over what she'd just said.  She frowned.  "That didn't come out right, did it?"
  Everyone shook their heads this time, except Haruka and Michiru who were beginning to sweat.
  "Minna," said Michiru nervously.  "What is it?"  It couldn't be _that_.  She was still a girl, wasn't she?  Haruka was clutching her hand, saying nothing.
  Michiru began sweating even more when she saw Minako pass the buck to Makoto, who passed it to Hotaru, who quickly claimed she was too tired to talk about anything and passed it onto Ami, who refused as well.
  Haruka was getting _really_ nervous at this point.  Ami refusing to explain something?  This was bad.  Very bad.
  Ami passed the buck to Ranma.  The martial artist was about to pass the buck to someone else when Michiru, in an uncharacteristic burst of annoyance, stepped up and shook Ranma by the shirt.
  "Will you stop all this and tell me what's wrong!?" she said, annoyed.
  Ranma was sweating.  *Why does this always happen to me?*  Michiru obviously wasn't going to let go anytime soon, so it looked as if it was going to be up to him to explain.  He turned sideways and glared at Usagi, who was peeking from behind Mamoru.  "You owe me for this," he growled.
  Usagi nodded, ponytails bobbing.
  That somehow annoyed Ranma even more.  He turned back to Michiru, who was developing a dangerous glint in her eyes.  A quick look revealed that Haruka was getting there quickly too.
  *Tell her slowly, I had to say.  This sucks.*  Out loud, he said: "Err...  what's the last thing you remember?"
  Michiru calmed down.  Just a bit.  "The last thing I remember is the flask hitting me in the head.  It knocked me out," she said carefully.
  "What?" said Haruka, startled.
  Ranma took a deep breath, ignoring Haruka's subsequent apologies to Michiru.  "Did you know what was in that bottle?"
  Nononononononono....  "Akane said that the water would turn the one who touched it into a... man," Michiru said, stumbling on the last word.  *What's wrong with me?" she thought frantically, looking at everyone's faces.  Pity and sorrow were all she could find.
  NO!
  "But I'm still a girl, so that wasn't it, right?" she asked nervously.  Why did they all flinch like that?
  "You... did get hit, Kaiou-san," Akane said softly.  "The reason you're wet is because we splashed you with hot water before you woke up..."
  This time, it was Haruka who spoke up nervously.  "This is a joke, right?  Or we're dreaming all this?"
  Ranma sighed.  "You don't wanna believe?  Well, I don't blame you, but it ain't gonna go away..." he said reluctantly.
  "NO!" Michiru vehemently replied, becoming more agitated.  "You're lying!"
  Ranma frowned.  *This is getting us nowhere!*  He took the glass of cold water from Minako's hands and sprayed some of it on her.
  "Hey!" the blonde protested.  "What was _that_ for!?"
  "See?" Ranma said, pointing at the glass.  "Regular cold water." He spilled some of it on himself, activating the curse.  "It turns me into a girl, and it turns _you_" he said, splashing Michiru with the rest, "into a guy."
  Michiru had stared at Ranma's transformation just long enough for the martial artist to spray the rest of the cold water on her.  She felt a tingle all over her body and later on, she would liken what came next as being moulded like clay.  She felt parts of herself shift, her chest contracting and blinked when she realized that she had _grown_ slightly.  When the tingling vanished, the first thing she noticed was that her dress now felt very constricting.  That and her shoes were know killing her.
  Slowly, still staring straight ahead, she patted her chest.  They were gone.  She took a look at her hand and the arm attached to it and realized that both were bigger than she remembered.  *It's... true?...*
  Darkness.

  Haruka watched slack-jawed as Michiru's female features simply melted and reformed into those of a man who could easily pass for her brother.  Michiru's new, more angular facial features were the first thing she saw.  Then came the deep blue hair and the change in height.  *Michiru?...* she thought dazedly.
  She was about to put a hand on her...  _his_ shoulder, but halted when she saw him pat himself on the chest, then look at his hands. Haruka barely had time to recuperate from the shock when Michiru suddenly passed out.  The sandy-haired woman managed to catch her now male love before the body hit the ground.
  Cries of concern burst from everywhere at once.

  "Michiru-san!"
  "Michiru!"
  Ranma watched as everyone suddenly crowded around Michiru.  She mentally replayed the last few seconds and winced in sympathy.  The chest patting gesture had felt all-too-familiar to her.  It wasn't what she'd done the first time, but it was close enough.  She couldn't, however, decide if Michiru's passing out was a good or a bad thing.  But first things first.  She walked over to Nodoka, who was shaking her head silently.
  "Mom?"
  Nodoka started, as if disturbed from something.  "Yes, son?"
  Ranma shook her head.  "I'm sorry you had to see that, Mom..."
  Nodoka sighed.  "You were so close to being a true man once again. This truly is misfortune."
  Ranma grunted.  "Somehow, I should've known something like that would happen."  .
  Nodoka frowned slightly  "What do you mean?"
  "Every single time I get close to a cure, something happens.  You saw what happened the first time Akane and I were almost married... It's as if someone or something doesn't want me to get cured."
  "You _will_ be cured one day, son.  Even if it is not today." Nodoka looked at Michiru, who was being hauled back into the shrine. "What will happen to her?"
  Ranma sighed.  "Well, she'll be cured if she can get ahold of some Nyannichuan, but I don't know if she'll have as many problems as I did when she does try.  The good news is that she didn't scream or run away, so there's a chance she'll deal with it better than I did."
  Nodoka nodded absently.  Her gaze turned back to Katsunishiki, who was still looking at Ranma and she scowled a bit.  "I have to go, son.  I still have to track down your cowardly father."  She turned to her esrtwhile daughter.  "None of the girls here seemed very surprised when you changed, son," she said with an edge in her voice. "Did they already know of the curse?"
  "They're Rei's friends, Mom," Ranma said quickly.  "They found out by accident!  One of them tripped and dropped a glass of water on me by accident."
  Nodoka raised an eyebrow.  "And what did they say about the curse?"
  Ranma sweated.  "They didn't mind all that much.  They were startled, but that's about it."
  The older woman seemed satisfied with the explanation.  "Well, I must leave, son.  Have you found a new place to stay?"
  Ranma nodded.  "Yeah, just found it earlier today.  We'd planned on moving there this evening, in fact."
  Nodoka nodded and looked around.  "Where is Akane-chan?"
  As if she had been summoned, Akane appeared on top of the shrine steps and quickly jogged towards them.  When she came close, she held out an envelope in front of her.  "I was writing a letter to Ryouga-kun and Akari-chan," she said by way of explanation.  "I thought Katsunishiki could take the letter back with him."  She turned to the massive pig.  "Can you?"
  Katsunishiki grunted what Akane surmised was an affirmative.
  "Can I read it first?" asked Ranma.
  Akane nodded and handed the letter to her.  Ranma read it, wincing a bit, then nodded, giving it back to Akane, who went to tie it on the leftover of Katsunishiki's collar.
  *I hope Ryouga won't be too disappointed by what happened to the water...* the read-headed girl thought.
  Nodoka gave a hug to Ranma and Akane.  "I hope everything will go well here," she said.  She faced Ranma.  "I hope you will help that poor girl deal with her curse.  That would be a manly thing to do."
  Ranma gave a pained smile at her mother's words.   "Uh...  sure, I'll help her.  You bet."
  Nodoka nodded and turned to Akane, a pensive look on her face. "Akane-chan?"
  "Yes?"
  "Walk with me for a while.  I wish to ask you some questions." Nodoka's tone was neutral.
  Akane and Ranma glanced at one another curiously, then turned back to Nodoka.  "Sure, Auntie."
  They bade goodbye once more and soon, Nodoka, Akane and Katsunishiki were walking away at a leisurely pace.
  Ranma turned back towards the shrine, and let out a deep breath. *Time to deal with _this_ mess.*  As she trudged back up the shrine steps, she wondered why Akana hadn't made an appearance yet.  *Oy! Akana!* she hollered silently.
  No answer.
  Ranma frowned and tried again, without any more success.  *That's strange,* she thought, but quickly pushed the subject away when she met up with Usagi at the main entrance.
  "Ranma!  Is your mother still around?" she quickly asked.
  Ranma blinked.  "No, she left a minute ago.  Akane went with her..."  she didn't get a chance to finish, as Usagi flashed past her, running down the steps of the shrine.  The red-headed girl stared.  *What was _that_ all about?*  Her questions went unanswered, as Mamoru approached her.
  "Ranma!  Did you see Usagi somewhere?" he asked, a puzzled tone in his voice.
  Ranma frowned in confusion and pointed behind her.  "She was here, she asked me where my mother was and poof, she was gone."  She paused.  "Does she do that often?"
  Mamoru shrugged uneasily.  "Sometimes," he admitted.
  The two silently stared at one another for an entire minute before they blinked at the same time.
  "Soo..." Ranma said, suddenly eager for a change of scene, "Did Michiru wake up?"
  Mamoru nodded, still looking at Ranma curiously.  "We moved hi... _her_ into Rei's room," he corrected himself.  "Haruka's not doing so well, though.  She's either flogging herself for what happened or frothing at the mouth at the injustice of it all."
  Ranma rolled her eyes.  "Greeeaaat!" she muttered sarcastically. "Add two more people who'll want to kill me."
  Mamoru blinked in confusion.  "What's _that_ supposed to mean? Haruka's angry, yes, but not at you.  It's the dwarf, Happosai, she wants to kill."
  It was Ranma's turn to blink in confusion.  "What?!  You mean she isn't out to kill me or maim me?"  That was rather unusual.
  Mamoru looked at Ranma doubtfully.  "Nooo..." he replied slowly. "You do know who Haruka is, don't you?"
  Ranma nodded.  "She's a Senshi, I understand that much, but I don't know which one..."
  "Uranus, and Michiru is Neptune," completed Mamoru.  "From what I could gather, Haruka knows that it was Happosai who attacked Usagi and Minako at Juuban and since it was one of _his_ bombs that caused all this, well..." he shrugged uneasily.  "He'll be in big trouble if she catches up to him."
  Ranma nodded absently.  There actually was someone who believed it wasn't her fault?  That was almost something to celebrate about. "I'm going to go see Michiru.  I guess... I guess I'm the one who can best relate to her right now..." she said slowly.
  Mamoru nodded and they both went inside.

  "I'LL KILL HAPPOSAI!" raged Haruka, pacing in the corridor.  In front of Rei's room, Minako and Makoto and Rei were keeping an eye on her, while Ami and Hotaru were waiting inside Rei's room for Michiru to wake up.
  "Why don't you yell louder?" groused Rei.  "I think some people on Hokkaido didn't hear that last one."
  Haruka glared at her.  "I don't care!  As soon as I figure out how to cure Michiru, we'll hunt him down and kill that stinking little piece of...  AAAARRRGH!!"  She breathed heavily for a moment.  "And then I'll kill him again because he hurt the Princess!"
  "Can I join?" asked Makoto seriously.
  Minako and Rei stared at Makoto.
  Haruka pierced Makoto with her gaze, then nodded after a few seconds.  "Sure."
  Minako and Rei looked at one another and winced.
  "You might find that to be a tad harder than you think," said a dry voice from behind Haruka.
  Haruka spun around, spotting Mamoru and Ranma, still in female form.  "You stayed," said Haruka, surprisingly calm.
  Ranma sighed.  "This whole mess is partly my fault..." she trailed off and looked at Haruka, who, while younger, was taller than her.
  Haruka cut her off.  "As much as I'd like to hate you for all this," she said sullenly, "Michiru wouldn't approve.  Yeah, it was your damn water that caused this, but you weren't the one who splashed Michiru.  Hell, you tried to use the water on _yourself_!" She shook her head and gave a mirthless laugh, then looked back up at Ranma.  "Tell me something.  Is it permanent?"
  "She'll be subject to the hot/cold water rule like I am, but the only true cure would be for her to be splashed with some Nyannichuan."
  "Where do I get some Nyannichuan?" asked Haruka quietly.
  "Jusenkyou, in China."
  "Michiru and I are well off.  We can afford the trip."
  "Don't bother."
  Haruka stared at Ranma.  "What?...  Why!?"
  "Jusenkyou is still flooded," said Ranma glumly.  "It might stay that way for years yet."
  "Whaddya mean, it's flooded!?"
  Ranma sighed.  "The last... adventure I had took me back to Jusenkyou.  I had to fight a Phoenix god by the name of Saffron and well...  We kinda destroyed the whole place while we were fighting and Jusenkyou ended up flooded.  If you tried to get some water from there, there's no saying what she might turn into."
  "Why'd you go and so something stupid like that!?" demanded Haruka.
  Ranma frowned.  "Akane's life was in the balance.  Besides, do you honestly think I would have _willingly_ destroyed the cure for my curse?"
  Haruka looked at a loss.  "So what can I do?"
  Ranma shrugged apologetically.  "Help her to deal with it.  And you might want to be aware that Jusenkyou tends to make us cold water magnets."
  "Us?" Haruka looked puzzled.
  "Me, Michiru and every other Jusenkyou-cursed person I've ever met," Ranma said.
  "You know other people who switch genders?" asked Makoto incredulously.
  "The don't change genders, they change into animals," the redhead explained.  Seeing the looks, she kept going.  "I know people who turn into pigs, pandas, ducks, even c-c-ats," she said, stumbling on the last word.
  Everyone stared at Ranma.
  "It's true!" she protested.  "There's also this asshole who fell into the Spring of Drowned Yeti Riding a Bull Carrying An Eel and Crane."
  Minako blinked.  "What does he look like?"
  "Like a giant, winged bull with an eel tail.  He got octopus tentacles later on, too.  You'd probably mistake him for a youma."
  There was some more staring.
  "I'm beginning to understand why the monster at the train station didn't bother you much..." Rei said slowly.
  Ranma smiled weakly.
  "What about Happosai?" Haruka said with venom in her voice, returning to the previous subject.  "You said it wouldn't be easy."
  Ranma nodded.  "He's a lot more skilled and devious than you think.  If you wanna take him on in combat, you're gonna need to train a _lot_ more.  Right now, you can't possibly match him, even in Senshi form."
  Haruka looked at Ranma for a long time, considering what she had seen and heard of Ranma's skill.  She smiled thinly.  "Can _you_ beat him?"
  Ranma nodded.  "If I don't mess up, sure."
  The sandy-haired woman smiled, but there was no warmth present in that smile.  "Good.  Then you can teach me."
  Ranma blinked.  "What?"
  "You heard me!  You want to become a sensei, don't you?  Well now's your chance.  Teach me how to beat that little creep!" Haruka demanded.
  Ranma weighed the consequences of teaching someone who wanted to learn the Art solely for revenge against the fact that it was Happosai who they were talking about.  "We'll talk," the redhead said.  She paused.  "Who told you I was studying to become a sensei?"
  Haruka calmed down and shrugged.  "Akane mentioned it in passing when she brought Hotaru-chan home the other day."
  Ranma frowned slightly, then nodded.  It wasn't like her desire to become a sensei was to be kept a secret at any rate.  "Well, I guess I should go see Michiru."
  Ranma opened the door to Rei's room and entered.  Haruka was about to follow her when Rei caught one of her sleeves.  She glanced questioningly at the black-haired priestess.
  "Haruka," Rei said quietly.  "It struck me just now, but where the hell is Pluto and why did she allow this?"
  Haruka started.  *I'd forgotten all about Setsuna!*  Her anger was suddenly rekindled.  *Why the hell didn't she stop this mess?*  She raised an eyebrow.  "Good question Rei," she replied just as quietly. "As soon as I get ahold of her, I'll share the answer with you."
  Rei nodded.


  <two scenes to be written>


  That night, Ranma dreamed again.  He found himself in the Tendo Dojo, wearing a gi, standing in front of a training dummy.  He was almost beginning to wonder hat the dream was about when Akana appeared besides him in a silent flash, wearing a white gi.
  "Well," she drawled, "That was certainly unusual, even for us." She shook her head.  "You really do warp probability wherever you walk," she said.
  Ranma didn't bother correcting her use of the plural pronoun.  "I don't know.  I'm personally more surprised that Michiru and Haruka aren't out to kill me for some reason."
  Akana smirked.  "Someone didn't blame us.  Run, the end of the world is approaching!" she joked.
  Ranma blinked and looked at Akana warily.  "Are you okay?"
  Akana smiled lazily.  "Shouldn't you be asking yourself that?"
  Ranma stared.
  Akana suddenly frowned then shook her head violently.  She then stopped,a slightly distressed look in her eyes.  "That was certainly different..." she murmured.
  By that time, Ranma was becoming pretty worried.  "Hey, what's wrong with you?"
  Akana started slightly.  "Sorry, but that whole Neko-ken thing really rattled us badly.  It took me a while to... well... reassemble myself.  The walls that separate us are weakening.  Between Endymion's power and... well.. mentally stressful conditions like the Neko-ken," she said diplomatically, "I don't expect I'll be around for a long time."
  Ranma frowned.  "What's the Neko-ken got to do with the way you just acted?"
  Akana shrugged.  "What I did when I appeared...  I think that was your subconscious doing it."
  Ranma's left eye twitched.  "My subconscious?..."  *Great, my subconscious is laughing at me.  Why does this sort of thing happen to me?*
  Akana laughed out loud and Ranma glared at her.  She gave him a helpless look.  "Come on!  What did you expect?  That we'd be separate like this until the day we died?  You know better than that, Ranma."  She shrugged.  "Eventually, I'll vanish, you know that.  I don't know when or how, but one day, all you'll have of me are memories."  She looked at him for a while.  "I'm sorry you weren't able to get cured," she said after a bit.
  Ranma threw a sidelong look at her.  "Really?  I'd have thought you'd be happy I can continue to be a Senshi," he said sarcastically.
  Akana hopped over and swatted him.  "You know me better than that!"
  And he did, Ranma realized.  He would have known if she had tried to tell a lie, just as she could easily tell if he told a lie.
  "Besides," the redhead continued, "there's never been any conclusive proof that a man couldn't become a Senshi."
  "I'm sure I'd look real good in a fuku..." he trailed off and looked at himself.  Yep.  He was wearing the stupid skirted leotard complete with the ribbons.  Damn dreams.
  Akana's eyes bugged out.  "Wha?..."  She stared at him for a second, then burst out laughing.  Within seconds, she was on the dojo's wooden floor, rolling on the grounds, clutching her ribs.
  Ranma flushed crimson, then willed his usual Chinese attire back on himself.  As he stomped over to Akana, he noticed that there was a large badge stitched on the back of her gi.  A rainbow, shining over a river with a mountain in the background.  Looking closely, he could almost see birds on it, too...
  Ranma shook himself out of his small daze and banged the floor with his foot.  "That's not funny!" he yelled.
  Akana managed to stop laughing for a second, then looked at him, from her position on the floor.  She snickered, then burst out laughing again.
  "HEY!!" Ranma shouted.
  The redhead managed to prop herself up, still giggling insanely. "I... I'm sorry," she choked out, "but seeing you like that..." she had to fight off a fresh attack of giggles and snickers.  "It was just too funny."
  "I'm so glad you enjoyed," Ranma shot back sarcastically.  He grumbled for a bit while Akana was recovering.
  Akana quickly caught on to his mood.  "Hey, this is _your_ mind!" she warned him.  "I didn't have anything to do with that!"
  Ranma frowned, and decided to change the subject.  "What's gonna happen to Michiru, anyway?"
  All traces of mirth left Akana.  "I don't know," she said after a while.  "I can't do anything anyway, so why ask me?"
  Ranma shrugged.  "I feel bad for what happened."
  "Even if Haruka and Michiru told you it wasn't  your fault?" Akana reminded gently.  "You'll have your hands full training them both or even the whole group if they decide to agree to Mercury's suggestion."  She shook her head.  "It's too bad, really.  Given her reaction, I don't think _this_ Neptune is anything like her previous incarnation."
  Ranma blinked.  "What do you...  Oh yeah, Azalene _was_ a bit of a tomboy, wasn't she?"
  "Yes, she was.  Uranus was the refined one.  Go figure.  I wonder if the Queen put our personalities in a blender when she sent us forward in time?" Akana said wryly.
  This time, Ranma started.  "What's wrong with you?  That didn't sound like you at all..."
  Akana stayed silent for a while.  She then silently walked out of the dojo.  Ranma followed her outside, where what he saw stunned him.
  There was a golden glow outside, almost as if the sky was aflame with a gentle sun's rays.  And a sun it was, warm and inviting. Ranma suddenly felt the urge to just walk out into that cloud and revel in the warmth.  "What is it?" he managed to get out.
  Akana smiled sadly.  "Endymion.  Mamoru.  However you wish to call him in this time, but there he is."
  _That_ shook Ranma out of his trance.  "What?  Endymion?  What are you talking about?"
  Akana looked at the glow wistfully.  "Our bond, Ranma.  Endymion is the stronger of us, remember?  This is our subconscious' representation of his power.  It's growing, and it will keep growing until it reaches its former glory.  We're empathic siblings.  We're used to basking in the other's presence; it's as natural as breathing."
  Ranma fought back some unwanted images.  "I told him to stay out of my mind," he murmured.
  Akana sighed.  "And how long will that last, Ranma?  Why do you find it so revolting to have a brother?"  Ranma kept silent, but Akana's eyes suddenly widened to the size of dinner plates.  "RANMA!" she yelled, sounding shocked beyond belief.
  Ranma jumped in surprise.  "What?!..." he said in a defensive tone.
  Akana stared at him.  "How can you possibly think that?  He's our BROTHER, for Gaea's sake, not a long dead lover!  The bond doesn't work that way!  You can't fall in love with your empathic sibling!"
  Ranma said nothing.
  Akana shook her head.  "That's bull, Ranma.  It doesn't matter, man _or_ woman!  Our grandfather and grand-uncle were both men and they were both empathic siblings.  They never became lovers or anything!  The bond isn't about love, it's... it's about trust and confidence!  It's about having someone to confide in or to help you when you're in trouble!"  Akana shook her head.  "Endymion is in love with the Princess and none other; he may even be soulbonded to her for all I know.  And you love no other"  She paused.  "Tell me one tiny little thing, Ranma."
  Ranma kept silent.
  "Why?" asked Akana simply.  "Why are you so afraid to trust _someone_?"
  "I trust Akane," he replied evenly.
  Akana shook her head.  "You keep secrets, even from her.  Did you tell her you're a Senshi?"
  Ranma scowled.  "She doesn't need to know about that."
  "Why don't you let her decide what she needs to know?" said Akana gently.
  Ranma said nothing.
  Akana smiled sadly.  "You've led such a lonely life, Ranma. Always alone and no one to confide in.  You're so used to it that in time, it became a natural defense.  Don't let anyone close to you, so they won't be able to hurt you.  Look what it did to you and Akane. It took you both years to get over you distrust of each other and even now, you have a hard time letting her into your heart.  How long will that last?"
  She gave him a last smile and disappeared.


<No, it ain't anywhere near finished!>


Author's Notes.


- This ain't finished by a long shot.  I was using my father's computer to write this (mine is still in my university dorm room) and his 10-year-old Trinitron screen died a week ago (we refuse to blame Y2K for this... It'd be *too* easy...)  We were lucky and got it back 2 days ago, but I lost several very precious days.  I'm still posting the incomplete version because I promised to, but the full version will follow in a few days (pre-readers go first for the full draft, though).

  It didn't help that I scrapped about 45 Kbs of text the day before the screen gave out, but I definitely wasn't happy with the direction the story was taking.  It's simply amazing how a story writes *itself* at times...  :P     Not to worry, though.  There is still lots of good stuff left to write in this part, despite the very slow start!!!  :)

  Again, I'm sorry, but I had a social life in the Holidays, especially when you have 15 aunts/uncles and, at last count, 37 cousins.  Biiiiig family.  Lots of visits.  The good news is that on January 2nd, I won't have any more excuses not to write the rest because I have to go back on the campus and to my very own computer! :)

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