I sent in the first part of this fanfic quite a while ago. It took me a lot longer than I expected to get the second part done, but here it is. You may notice some inconsistencies, and places where it doesn't follow either the anime or the manga exactly. If you don't notice now, you'll no doubt notice in future parts, if this story survives. These little quirks were put there intentionaly. Also, I am still not completely decided on the names of the old man and the bird, but I've had such a hard time thinking up good ones that I just decided to put temporary names on them. So, if anyone still remembers the first part and is interested in taking a look at the second... Here it is. Once again, this is my firt real fanfic, so all C&C is more than welcome.





Divided We Stand



A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction by Algerhorn the Inadequate



Chapter 2

The Man With The Umbrella







   It was a cool, rather gray morning, and Ranma was not in high spirits as he left for school with Akane. There was a damp feeling in the air and the sky promised rain. This didn't cause him to worry as it would have a few days ago, but it still did nothing to help his mood. Out of habit, he leapt up to take his usual place on the fence as he walked. Neither he nor his companion were in any real hurry, as they had left on time for once.



   The grayness and general dismal feeling of the day influenced their already dismal moods and resulted in complete silence. The air was not cold enough to make breath visible, but it was enough to make Akane wish she had a jacket. The temperature didn't seem to bother Ranma though; he was in a world of his own.



   His other half had stayed home of course, as she had since she had been 'born' two days ago. Her parents wanted her to go back to school, but she had absolutely refused to go if it meant wearing a girl's uniform. Nabiki had pointed out that she had always gotten away with going out of uniform before, and for a while it had seemed that she might give it a try... Until her mother had made the mistake of suggesting that she call herself Ranko for the sake of appearances and to avoid confusion. She'd turned to her father for help, but a look from his wife was enough to silence any argument he may have given on Ranma's behalf. Seeing Genma cave in, she had punted him into the pond and retreated to Kasumi's room for an hour, then to the dojo for the rest of the day. No one dared disturb her; Ranma because he was still very nervous around her, and everyone else because they didn't want to risk becoming the focus of her irritation.



   Akane said nothing for a few blocks, occasionally glancing up at Ranma, who was walking with a measured pace as if he had planned each and every step. He stared straight ahead, apparently lost in thought. Akane didn't quite know what to make of this. Though she had often wished that Ranma would use his head a little more often, this silent brooding was not what she'd had in mind. Normally she would have yelled at him, and a few times she had been forced to practicaly beat down the urge to scream "SNAP OUT OF IT!!" and whap him a few times. But she reigned in her temper because she knew that he had good reason. If what had happened to him had happened to her, she didn't know what she'd do. She didn't think that she'd react as he had, but then again she wouldn't have expected him to react this way either. It just wasn't like him and not only was it annoying, but a little frightening as well. She wanted the old Ranma back.



   Finally, about five minutes from the school, Akane couldn't take it anymore. She had to say something.



   "So, have you talked to her yet?" she asked, looking up at Ranma and wondering if he'd hear her.



   "No" he answered.



   "You really should you know" she said, turning to look ahead again. "You can't avoid her forever."



   "Geez Akane, don't you think I know that? She does live in the same house. Or did ya forget? I just don't know what I'm s'posed to say to her. Sorry for stealin' your fiancee, your body, and your life. Wanna be pals? Sure, that'd work great."



   "You didn't steal anything from her, Ranma, it was the spell that did this."



   "Yeah, but I was the one who said I wanted to try it" he answered.



   "So did she" Akane shook her head. "You were both the same person at the time, remember?"



   Ranma frowned. "Yeah... I guess... But don't start in on that, it makes my head hurt. And anyway I... we... uh... I didn't know what was gonna happen. I didn't think it would split me....... us..."



   "But what good is blaming yourself going to do?"



   "Who else can I blame?" He snapped. "Not Cologne. She told me it'd be dangerous and I said to go for it. I jumped at the chance to cure my curse, just like I always do. And same as always, I got screwed over."



   Akane's temper started to rise and she fought to control it. She couldn't keep the irritation out of her voice as she answered him though. "Listen Ranma, you can make up all the excuses you want but you're going to have to face her sooner or later."



   Ranma hopped down as they neared the school and landed lightly beside her.



   "Akane I know, I just can't do it yet. I don't even know what I'm gonna say to her. I gotta think about it okay?"



   "Fine Ranma, but if you don't talk to her soon, I will."



   "I don't think that'd be a good idea" Ranma said with a frown.



   "And why not?"



   "It just wouldn't okay?" he snapped. "Give me a few days."



   You've had two" Akane said, crossing her arms. "The longer you put this off, the worse it's going to get."



   Ranma scowled as they walked through the gate and entered the school grounds. He looked up at Furinkan's enormous clock, then back at Akane.



   "We're on time for once, let's not blow it. I aint in the mood to play bucket brigade."



   Again, Akane had to supress her irritation.



   "Fine" she said. "We'll talk about this at lunch."



   "Yeah whatever" Ranma sighed, making a mental note to make himself scarce at lunch. 



   Part of him, a large part of him in fact, knew that she was right, but he didn't think he was ready to sit down and talk with his other self yet. Was he supposed to tell her that it was all right? He knew better than that. If it was him in her situation he knew how he'd react to his male half telling him it was 'all right' and since it was him in a sense, he was pretty sure he could guess what she'd think. Besides that, the mere thought of talking to someone that was actually him, a  person that he knew had been not only part of him but one with him until a few days ago just creeped him out. He'd never admit it to Akane but that girl scared him witless. Not only that, but whenever he thought of her he couldn't help but feel guilty even though he knew that her predicament wasn't really his fault. He wished he had someone to blame; someone he could pound for this. His brain had tried to force him to blame Cologne a few times, but every time he started thinking about laying into her he just couldn't bring himself to do it. Although she was a terribly powerful martial-artist, much better than Ranma himself (And he wouldn't admit to many people being better than him), the main reason was that he just couldn't put his heart into an accusation. She had warned him, and given him a choice. A choice she knew he'd probably take, but a choice nonetheless. It wasn't her fault.



   "Saotome!" a familiar voice behind him called out in a theatricaly imperious tone. "You dare to show your face here after what you did to Akane? After the dishoner you caused me and all those who fought for her hand?"



   Ranma turned around with an exasperated sigh. "Great" he muttered. "This is all I need."



   Before him stood a tall young man with very short brown hair dressed in a hakama and wielding a bokken. His feet were bare and in his eyes burned the fires of heaven. Or, more accurately, the fires of an obsessed egomaniac who didn't have the intelligence to tell a plastic cow from a real one.

   

   "Thou thought all thine enemies vanquished but thou failed to reckon with The Blue Thunder! Though I was wounded in the great conflict fought for the hand of yon maiden I have returned to claim vengeance! Stand now and face the wrath of heaven vile cur! By unjust methods and evil sorcery hast thou won the fair Akane Tendo from those who did pursue her, but on my honor and the honor of my family I do swear this day that I, Tatewaki Kuno, Blue Thunder of Furinkan High, shall right the wrongs done at thy foul hand and rescue my huntress from the unholy bond thou hast forced upon her!" Here, he raised his bokken high and one would almost have expected to hear thunder. "Behold! By my holy blade thou shalt perish! Prepare to...."



   Ranma, who had been waiting impatiently for Kuno to finish his ranting, all the while glancing at the clock, finaly decided that the upperclassman's speech was not worth being late over.



   "Damnit Kuno, you're gonna make me late!"



   WHAM!!!



   He sent the bokken-wielding, would-be rescuer of the fair Akane flying into a nearby tree with a quick punch, then glanced once more at the clock.



   "Gyaah!! C'mon Akane, let's move it!" Ranma said as he grabbed his fiancee's hand and dragged her toward the school building at a run before she could protest.



* * * * * * * * * *



   "Ranma, come inside and get some breakfast!"



   "Just a minute Kasumi!" Ranma called, without pausing in her kata. 



   Akane and her other self had left for school over half an hour ago and she had been in the backyard training ever since. Or what passed for training anyway. Genma hadn't woken either her or her... damnit what was she supposed to call him... brother? No, not likely... Double was still the closest description she could come up with. Genma hadn't woken either her or her double up for the usual morning sparring session (if you could call it that) since the spell had been cast so they had been training alone for the past few days. Her in the mornings and during the day, and him after school and at night. If his presence didn't turn her stomach so much she'd almost be curious what it would be like to spar with him. Quite a match that would be... His slightly superior strength versus her slightly superior speed, and both with the same fighting style and all the same moves. Not to mention the same way of thinking and analyzing their opponent. And if she won... Wow. How many people could claim that they had actually fought and defeated themselves in combat?



   She finished her kata and stood for a few moments with her eyes closed, breathing deeply. The stress that had started to build watching from the sidelines as her double and Akane got ready for school without her was gone, at least for the time being.



   "Ranma, your food's getting cold!" Kasumi's voice floated from the house, snapping Ranma out of her reverie and causing her to open her eyes.



   "Sorry Kasumi, I'm comin'!"



   Ranma crossed the yard and entered the house, taking a seat at the table. Kasumi set a plate down in front of her.



   "Thanks Kasumi" she said, and began to eat without looking up.



   "I had to reheat it so it might not be as good as..."



   "S'okay Kasumi, thank you."



   Kasumi remained standing by the table, trying to think of something to say. Ranma had been like this for the past few days and it was starting to worry her. She knew that the girl was going through a very difficult time but she didn't like the way that she stayed home all day refusing to go to school, go out, or socialize with anyone else in the house.



   "So, do you have anything planned for today Ranma?" she asked, putting on her best smile.



   "Nah, not really" the red-head answered, still shoveling food into her mouth.



   "You haven't been to see Ukyo in a while, why don't you go visit her after school?"



   "She'll be busy with her customers."



   "She's always seemed to find time for you before."



   Ranma frowned and put down her chopsticks.



   "That was very good Kasumi but I'm not really hungry this morning. I'm goin' back outside."



   "Ranma you need to do something" Kasumi said, her voice starting to show some concern. "You won't go to school and you won't go out... How long are you going to stay home and do nothing?"



   "I dunno" Ranma shrugged.



   "I'm worried about you, and so is everyone else. I understand how you feel but..."



   "No you don't" Ranma answered, her voice flat and unemotional. "My life's ruined. He gets everything... Nobody even knows who I am... Just 'cause he got to be the guy when we split, it's him that everybody thinks is the real thing. He gets cured and he gets Akane and I get a lot of pity and a bunch of people who don't know what to do with me."



   She stood up from the table and went back outside before Kasumi could say anything else. What was there to say? She was right. She was right and there was nothing that could be done about it. For the life of her, Kasumi couldn't think of a way to make this better. For Ranma to be stuck in her cursed body was bad enough, but she knew what was really eating her, even if she had only mentioned it briefly, and that was Akane. Despite the fact that Ranma had proposed to her only a few weeks ago, she was still not too great at expressing her feelings. She wouldn't admit it, but seeing her other self with Akane was killing her.



   Not knowing what else to do, Kasumi picked up Ranma's plate from the table with a sigh and went into the kitchen. She washed the plate, put it away, and went to the closet for the vacuum.



   What Ranma needs she thought to herself as she plugged the vacuum into the wall and went to work on the downstairs rooms, is something to get her mind off of this, at least for the moment. Something to keep her occupied. Funny, I haven't seen her friend Ryoga around in a while. Those two always had so much fun together. I wonder if we have his number... Oh, wait, her travels a lot. But he used to show up so often... I wonder why he hasn't stopped by lately.



   Outside, Ranma had begun another kata. She had been tempted to go to the roof and think for a while but that usually just led to feelings of self-pity and made her miserable. She found that it was easier to think after a good workout, and while doing katas alone couldn't make up for a match with her father or Ryoga, it was still good for clearing her mind.



   She knew Kasumi was right. She couldn't just sit around the house for the rest of her life, she needed to do something. Maybe she should go visit Ucchan. What could it hurt? She was her best friend after all. And anyway, it would give her something to do once Akane and her double returned from school. She didn't like shutting herself up in Kasumi's room but she just couldn't stand to be around him. Yes, she'd go to see Ukyo after school. Now that she thought about it, it might be fun. She might get a free meal as well as someone to talk to.



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



   Nabiki drummed her fingers on the desk top as she scanned the computer screen once more. She'd been searching the internet for the past half hour for some kind of information on Jusenkyo and spells related to it. There wasn't a lot of information on the place at all, but that was to be expected. What little she did find wasn't much help since most of the people who had written about the place considered it to be nothing more than superstition and not enough to warrant an in-depth look at how the curses were supposed to work. She was becoming increasingly frustrated over the amount of people who wrote Jusenkyo off as nonsense. Since Ranma had come to live with her family she had seen so much of it, and so many people whose lives had been affected by it, that to dismiss it as nothing more than whimsy seemed ridiculous to her. Of course, before meeting Ranma, Genma, Shampoo, and all the others, she wouldn't have believed it herself.



   She didn't know exactly why she was looking. Boredom probably had a lot to do with it. It had been raining off and on all day, so eating outside wasn't a good idea. Under what passed for 'normal circumstances' around here, there were the usual lunchtime issues to be seen to, but recent events, combined with the nasty weather, seemed to have everyone in a funk and she was no exception. Today was a 'go lay down in bed and wait to die' kind of day, but as she was in school at the moment and there were no beds handy, the 'net provided a temporary distraction.



   No more than five minutes ago, by an apparent stroke of luck, she had found a site created by a certain American professor dealing with ancient civilizations and their beliefs. This man, unlike so many others, showed an intense interest in the extinct civilization of Jusenkyo. Though he was not altogether convinced that the curses were real, he found the idea of such a place as Jusenkyo captivating and romantic and definately worth a closer look.



   Captivating and romantic huh? she'd thought to herself as she read it. Zany would closer to the mark. Let him try living with a Jusenkyo victim for a while.



   According to the page, this man had done a great deal of study concerning the nature of the curses and yes, even spells supposedly related to them. In fact, he had spent the past three years researching the legendary training grounds and planned to visit them soon himself. Apparently, there were no known spells to completely cure a person. There was a bucket that locked a victim in the curse, a kettle that unlocked them, and several spells that affected various aspects of it. There was even one that, if cast correctly, would supposedly allow a person some limited control over the curse's effects. So far though, a spell that would rid a person of Jusenkyo's magic had not been found. There was also no mention of a spell to split a person from their cursed form though, so obviously the man hadn't found everything.



   Nabiki sighed and stretched, then looked up at the clock hanging on the wall nearby. Lunch would be over any minute. She turned back to the computer to shut it down when something caught her eye.



   Though I have, as of yet, found no evidence that the people of the Jusenkyo tribe ever developed a spell that would allow one to be rid of the magic of the springs, it is most likely because there may have been no need of one.  Apparently, a cursed individual could be cured simply by immersion in the spring matching that of the original shape. A woman would be cured by the Nyannichuan (spring of drowned girl) and a man would be cured by the Nannichuan (spring of drowned man). Because cures were so readily available to those who had access to the valley, I believe the only thing preventing someone from aquiring one would be their honor as a martial artist. Warriors who had completed their training and wished to move on to the higher schools were required to be tested at Jusenkyo. Those who chose to do so and were found wanting in their skills were forced to live as only half of what they had once been until they could earn the right to either be tested again, or use the water from either the Nannichuan or Nyannichuan.



   Of course, this is only one hypothesis and there is still the matter of the origin of the springs and their curses. Although it is possible, it is also very doubtful that the residents of Jusenkyo purposefuly drowned hundreds of people and animals simply to create a proving grounds for their warriors. What we know of their attitude toward life and their overall culture would disprove that fairly quickly. To even guess at the origin of the valley's enchantment, we must look back to...



   Well now, this was interesting. Hadn't the Nannichuan already been tried? Of course, this guy was probably just grasping at straws like the rest of them had been. Since the Nyannichuan would change a man into a woman, common sense stated that the Nannichuan would change said woman into a man again. But then, common sense really didn't seem to apply to magic most of the time. Still, the man had studied Jusenkyo in depth, which is something none of them had ever tried to do. With the luck Ranma seemed to have sometimes, Nabiki wouldn't have been too surprised if it was only for him that the Nannichuan wouldn't work. Not that any of this was important anyway. Ranma's curse was, essentialy, over. And though he'd probably rather have it again than be in the situation he was in now, there didn't seem to be a way to make that happen, so how it could be cured was pretty much a moot point.



   Her thoughts were interrupted as the bell rang, signalling the end of the lunch period. She quickly shut down the computer, grabbed her school bag, and rushed to her next class, hoping that it wouldn't rain again tomorrow.



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



   The school day went by quickly for Ranma despite the pressure of the past few days. Though he still felt terrible about what had happened, and scared as well, he couldn't help but enjoy the feeling of freedom a little. Several times today he had been accidentally splashed with cold water and had flinched and grit his teeth, waiting for the curse to take effect, and then looked down at himself and realized that his only problem was that he was wet and a little chilly. After what had seemed like such a long time being stuck with his curse, and so many failed cures, he had begun to wonder if there weren't some universal law written somewhere concerning him and his problem.



   The sky is blue, fire is hot, ice is cold, the earth revolves around the sun, and Ranma Saotome will not be cured. Some might even be inclined to add, so sayeth The Lord. His mind's first reaction upon being splashed was: Ha! In your face universe! Then he would remember his double and feel rotten again. Damn universe got him every time.

   

   He had managed to avoid Akane at lunch, but was beginning to think that might not have been such a great idea. He had met her at the gate after school and if looks were mallets he'd have been reduced to street pizza right then and there. Now, as they both made their way home, he was glad he was up on the fence and out of her immediate reach.



   "Where were you at lunch today, Ranma?"



   "Oh... I was, uh..."



   "You were what?"



   "I was... workin' on... on... on..."



   "Working on what?



   "Somethin'..." he said lamely, already feeling bad about trying to lie to her. It wasn't something he did often.



   "Yeah right. I told you we'd talk at lunch and you didn't show up and now you're lying."



   "Aw c'mon, I just forgot. You barely mentioned it."



   "Hmph."



   Ranma sighed and put his hands in his pockets, deciding not to say anything else. After a few moments of silence, Akane realized that he wasn't going to come back with a snappy retort and looked up at him. He was looking down at his feet, walking with the same measured pace that he had this morning. She almost said something and had to literally bite her tongue to keep herself from doing it. A few minutes later though, she couldn't help speaking again.



   "Well, I guess I'll have to do it then."



   "Do what?" Ranma said, turning to look down at her.



   "Talk to her. You're obviously going to avoid it for as long as you can get away with it."



   Ranma frowned. "What's with this 'talk to her' thing anyway? Talk to her about what? Just what am I supposed to say? What would you say? Talkin' to her aint gonna fix nothin'."



   "I don't know, but it has to start somewhere. You're an even bigger idiot than I thought if you think you can dodge her forever. Just ask her how her day was, or something. Anything."



   "Ask her how her day was?" he muttered. "Oh, that's real good Akane. Gee, I wonder what she'd say."



   Akane just scowled, Ranma returned to staring at his feet, and the two walked in silence for a few minutes more. Thunder rumbled in the distance and enormous dark clouds loomed menacingly overhead. A light breeze began to blow, and dry leaves could be heard skittering softly across the pavement. The first few drops of rain fell just as they reached the Tendo house. Ranma hopped down from the fence and landed in front of Akane as she was reaching out to open the gate.



   "I'm sorry" he said. "I'll try, okay? I don't know what I'll say, but... I'll try and say somethin'."



   Akane blinked and stared at him, not sure how to reply. He was just full of surprises lately.



   "Ranma..."



   "She scares me Akane" he whispered.



   Akane took his hand in her own and squeezed it briefly. For Ranma to admit that he was scared was no small thing.



   "I... I know... And I'm sorry too. Let's go inside before this storm comes. Maybe we can get her to eat dinner with us tonight."



   Ranma nodded and gave her a little smile. She smiled back, opened the gate, and turned toward the house. When Ranma didn't follow her, she turned to see him looking into the distance at the sky.



   "Are you coming Ranma?"



   "Yeah, I'll be there in a minute. Can you give me a sec?



   "Is something wrong?"



   "Nah, I just got somethin' to do."



   Akane nodded and headed for the door. Upon reaching it, she turned once more to look at Ranma. The rain was just becoming noticable as what had been only an occasional drop became a light drizzle. He was still standing and staring at the sky with his hands in his pockets. She smiled quietly to herself before opening the door and going inside.



   Ranma looked up at the enormous black clouds. Thunder rumbled, much closer this time, and the drizzle began to increase in strength. The drops fell faster and soon the drizzle had escalated into a downpour. Ranma stood, feeling the rain on his face; feeling his clothes weighed down by the water. 



   Nothing happened.



   He smiled for the first time in several days. He used to love the rain. It had been so long... When he'd first acquired his curse he'd come to dread rainstorms. Even after he'd gotten used to it they were still a terrible nuisance; Nature's way of laughing at him. Now, for the first time in quite a while, he remembered why he used to like the rain.



   "Enjoying yourself?"



   "Huh?" Ranma turned his eyes from the clouds to the one whos voice had interrupted his thoughts.



   She returned his gaze with one of her own, her blue eyes boring into him like daggers. She still wore his favorite outfit, the red chinese shirt and black pants, despite the fact that they were far too big for her and would probably never fit her again. Her red hair was pressed against her forehead by the pouring rain and the expression on her face was enough to chill his soul. The same thing ran through his mind that had run through it every time he had been near her since the spell had been cast. That's me... That's me... How did this happen?



   Ranma's mouth opened and closed but he couldn't think of anything to say. Here he was, enjoying his freedom, while the one who had to pay for it looked on. He felt so guilty that his chest hurt.



   The girl continued to stare at him, her fists clenched at her sides. Why had she said that? She had been leaving for Ucchan's and when she saw him standing there in the rain, smiling, the words had just slipped out. Something had welled up inside of her and for a brief moment she was unbelievably furious.When her eyes met his, she felt something she had never felt before. Something she had said and heard said often enough, but had never truly known until now. Those eyes... They were her eyes. HERS! Why did he have them? That face was HER face staring back at her. The girl who had passed her as she left, giving her a nervous glance that nearly broke her heart, was HER fiancee. He had them all, and she had nothing. He was out here enjoying the rain, something she hadn't been able to do for what seemed like forever. And her? She stood here in a body that wasn't hers, in clothes that no longer fit her, and had to accept it because she had no claim on any of those things that he did not have himself. They were all his as well, maybe more so, for they all still wanted him... None of them wanted her any longer. She had been cast aside. After all her fighting, all her struggles, and everything she had gone through, she had ended up as nothing more than a leftover.



   She continued to stare into those eyes that were rightfuly hers and the feeling built up inside of her to such a terrible degree that the loudest shout, or the longest scream, would not be enough to express it. When she thought she could bear it no more, that the feeling would cause her to explode, it formed itself into two words. Those two words had behind them all the power, rage, depression, and roaring fury of a million shishi hokodan. If they could somehow have been projected into a chi blast, it would have been enough to level half the planet.



   "Enjoying yourself?"



   So this was hate. Nothing she had ever felt before could compare. Not even the love she felt for Akane. While that was just as strong, it had taken her a long time to recognize it for what it was, sort it out, and at last to admit it. This was different. This was easy. It didn't need to be sorted out or explained. Though she had many reasons for feeling it, none of them mattered. Nothing mattered, but the fact that her life had been destroyed and someone had to pay. Who better than the one who had gained everything from her loss?



   Her other self continued to stare at her, his eyes wide, and his mouth working furiously, trying to form words that wouldn't come.



   He knew.



   No one else would have known... They would only have heard a quiet voice laced with venom. But he knew... He and she were closer than most people on earth would ever be, and somehow, through whatever God-cursed, unnatural link they shared, he had felt every bit of white-hot hatred carried on those two words. And as she continued to gaze into his terrified face, the feeling faded and was replaced first by fear, then by confusion, then by guilt. The indescribable burning fury dwindled inside of her until it finally smoldered and died. She hoped she would never feel it again.



   The boy in front of her finally managed to choke out: "I.. uh..."



   She turned her eyes from his and stared at the ground. This seemed to snap him out of his daze somewhat.



   "You... uh... goin' somewhere?"



   "Ucchan's" she answered, still looking at the ground.



   "Akane was hopin' you'd have dinner with us."



   "I... Just need someone to talk to."



   His promise to Akane came to mind and he was about to suggest that she talk to him, but caught himself in time. After that look she'd given him, he was pretty sure that he was the last person she wanted to pour her heart out to. And the fact that he knew that heart almost as well as she did was undoubtedly one of the main reasons. Besides that, he wasn't too crazy about the idea just now either. Suddenly, he had an overwhelming urge to dart past her and into the house, where Kasumi's cooking and Akane would be waiting. He just needed to get away from this girl.

   

   "Uh... Yeah, okay. You'll eat with us tomorrow?"



   "I dunno, maybe" she answered. Ranma had the distinct impression that she was feeling exactly as he was right now; she just wanted to get away from him. He nodded to her and made his way to the house. Upon reaching the door, he turned to see her just closing the gate behind her. She glanced at him, but it was too quick and the rain was falling too hard for him to read the expression. Pushing wet hair away from her face and shoving her hands into her pockets, she turned away and hooked the edge of the gate with one of her feet, dragging it closed behind her as she left..



   "Ranma, you're letting in the cold air." he heard Kasumi say from inside.



   Ranma stepped into the house and closed the door. The smell of food and the comfortable sounds of dinner cooking came from the kitchen. His father (in panda form) and Mr. Tendo were playing Go in a corner of the room, and the television was on at low volume. He let out a long breath and shook his head lightly.



   Just forget about her for now he told himself.



   Kasumi came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel, and smiled. "How was your day at school?"



   Ranma smiled back. No matter how down he was he couldn't help but feel a little better around Kasumi.



   "Not bad I guess."



   "That's good. Dinner will be ready soon, but you should have time to get out of those wet clothes and have a bath first."



   Ranma nodded and headed upstairs as Kasumi returned to the kitchen. On his way to the bathroom he noticed that Akane's door was open and paused to peek into her room. She was sitting at her desk, her homework spread in front of her. She put down her pencil as she noticed Ranma and turned to smile at him. He smiled back a little nervously.



   "Hey Ranma."



   "Hey" he answered. "I... uh... ran into her outside. She's goin' to Ucchan's but she said she might eat with us tomorrow."



   A slight expression of worry crossed Akane's face. "Oh" she answered.



   Ranma scratched the back of his head and sighed. "I tried Akane, I really did. She looked at me like..."



   Akane looked up at his face, her frown deepening. "Like what?"



   "It was... Well, I just don't think she was in the mood to talk."



   He waited for Akane to say something but she only looked down at the pencil in her hand and twirled it between her fingers. A minute or two passed and she remained silent so Ranma started to turn toward the door. "I'm gonna go take a bath. I'll see you at dinner Akane."



   She nodded, still twirling the pencil and looking at her hands. Just before he left, she looked up.



   "Ranma..."



   He stopped and turned. Akane looked up at him and seemed to be holding back tears.



   "What is it?" he asked, a few ideas as to what it was already popping into his head. She looked as if she was about to say something, but changed her mind at the last second.



   "Close the door behind you" she said, and turned back to her homework.



   Ranma considered asking her again, but decided against it and left, shutting the door quietly. He reached the bathroom, opened the door, and blinked as a small black piglet with a yellow and black bandana around its neck peeked out.



   "Ryoga?"

   

   "Bwee!" the piglet answered, with a glare that seemed to say, "No kidding. Who else would I be?"



   Ranma stepped into the bathroom, then set the pig in the tub and turned on the hot water.



   "I'll go get you some clothes" he said. "Don't wander off."



   The piglet bweed at him again.



   "I mean it Ryoga, if you get lost I aint lookin' for you." He left and shut the door before the pig could attempt to protest.



   A minute later, he returned with an orange shirt and blue pants. He heard someone get out of the tub and the sliding door opened. Ryoga, now human, stepped out and Ranma handed him the clothes, which he quickly put on.



   "So, you lost?" A rhetorical question, and with a definate edge of sarcasm. Ranma smirked as he asked it.



   Ryoga frowned as he wrung his bandanna out over the sink. "I've been staying in Kyoto, at a little place under a... I mean, down by a... At least, I think it was..."



   Ranma shook his head. :"Man, you're hopeless."



   "Don't start, Ranma" Ryoga said with a scowl. "I'm havin' a really bad day."



   "No kiddin'. What else is new?"



   "Ranma..." Ryoga gritted his teeth and squeezed  in an irritated tone. Ranma held up his hands.



   "Okay okay, forget it. You want to stay for dinner or somethin'?"



   Ryoga twisted the last of the water from his bandanna, shook it out, and tied it around his head. "I don't want to intrude..."



   "Nah, we're used to it. Never know who's gonna be droppin' in around here, so Kasumi almost always makes a little extra. Come on, I'll take you downstairs."



   Ryoga looked about to protest, then mumbled, "Fine."



   "You need me to hold your hand?" Ranma asked with another smirk.



   "Knock it off, I'm not that bad!" Ryoga yelled.



   Ranma just shrugged, the grin still on his face. He was about to leave the bathroom again when he noticed something.



   "Hey, Ryoga, the window's closed and I know the door was too... And you were in your pig form. How'd you get in here?"



   Ryoga blinked, glanced at the window, then at Ranma, then at the window again.



   "I... uh..."



   Ranma shook his head. "Man, you're somethin' else."



   "Will you shut up already" the pig-boy growled, and punched Ranma in the shoulder. As his fist made contact with the wet shirt, he yanked it away as if he'd been burned. Suddenly, he did a double take, looking at Ranma and his wet clothes in turn.



   "Ranma, your clothes are wet!"



   "Gee Ryoga, you're quick." Ranma said, crossing his arms.



   "But... It's cold water... And you aren't..."



   Ranma frowned. "Oh yeah, that."



   Ryoga was about to grab him by the front of his shirt but stopped himself in time, instead clenching his fists at his sides. "You found a cure?! There's a cure for these curses?!"



   "Well... uh... Kinda..."



   "How?! Where?! Tell me! Ranma, if you kept it all to yourself, I'll..."



   "No no no, it's this spell Cologne brought from China, but..."



   "Cologne?! Is she still here?!"



   "Yeah, she's still stayin' with us, but..."



   "Could she cast the spell again?!"



   "Yeah, probably. But if you'd just listen..."



   "Then get her to do it! Come on, Ranma, you owe this to me!"



   "If you'd shut up for a second, I'd... Ack!" Ranma was brought up short as someone grabbed his shirt from behind and pulled the collar tight around his neck. He fumbled at it with his fingers, his eyes bulging.



   "What's with all the noise? I'm trying to do my homework!" Akane snapped, as Ranma began to turn purple. She blinked as she noticed who was with him, and let her fiance, gasping and wheezing, fall to the floor in front of her. "Oh, hey Ryoga."



   Akane had, quite by accident, found out all about Ryoga's secret life as P-Chan shortly after the engagement had been formalized. While she'd pretty much forgiven him by now, she still hadn't looked at Ryoga in quite the same way since then. Ranma had been almost certain, from her initial reaction, that she'd never allow him in the house again. After she'd had a week or so to calm down, however, she'd begun to feel sorry for him. She'd even mentioned one or two times how lonely he must be. It had left Ranma fairly disgusted, but he supposed it was better than having her stay mad, as she found it convenient to take out her frustrations on Ranma when her real target wasn't around.



   "Oh, Akane. Hey..." Ryoga said, looking in her direction a little nervously. "We were just... Uh... but, Ranma's... He won't share his cure with me!" He thrust a finger in Ranma's direction, and would have poked him in the eye if he hadn't leaned back fast enough.



   "Hey, trust me Ryoga, this is one cure you don't want" Ranma said, picking himself up off the floor.



   "Oh yeah, and why's that?" Ryoga asked, turning to glare at Ranma again.



   "It don't just cure you, it splits you."



   "What are you talking about?"



   "I mean it splits you from your cursed form. It makes two of you and puts one of 'em in your cursed body."



   "Come on, you can't really expect me to believe that you..."



   "There's another Ranma now, Ryoga" Akane interrupted. "A girl Ranma with all of the same memories as this one. For him it's a cure, but for her, it's like being stuck forever. If Cologne cast the spell on you there would be two Ryogas, and one of them would be stuck as a pig."



   Ryoga blinked again, stared at Akane for a moment, then shivered as if from a sudden chill. 



   "Oh..." he gulped, putting his hand behind his head. "Well..."



   The three stood in silence until Akane took Ryoga by the hand.



   "Come on, why don't you stay and eat dinner with us?"



   Ryoga nodded and allowed her to lead him away. There was a time not too long ago when Ranma wouldn't have liked this much, but those days were behind him. Despite the fact that he and Ryoga still didn't appear to get along all that great, an odd sort of friendship had sprung up between them.



   Reentering the bathroom, Ranma removed his wet clothes, opened the sliding door, and seated himself on the stool to wash up. For some odd reason, Ryoga's arrival had lifted his spirits just a little. While the episode with his double by the gate was not forgotten, the unexpected visit from his one-time adversary had lessened the shock, which in turn allowed him to stand back and look at it without becoming terrified. Her reaction was to be expected really, and he was fairly certain that the only reason he had felt it so keenly was because of his undeniable connection to her. Yes, they had been the same person only a few days ago and it would stand to reason that they would instinctively know a little about what the other might be thinking and feeling, but it was more than just that. It was as if their minds... No, not just their minds, their souls were linked so that they could read each other somehow in a way neither of them liked. When Ranma was near her he could feel her sameness. He could feel that she and he were the exact same person inside. It was as if the rest of the world fell away and all that remained was her, a black hole that would suck him in if he allowed himself to get too close. It wasn't right... He could feel the unnaturalness of it every time he saw her. It wasn't something he could describe in words... Just something he knew somehow whenever he was around her.



   Ranma finished his washing, rinsed the soap off of himself with a bucket of water, and slid into the tub to soak. Man, what a wierd few days this had been. He wondered how long this would last. He couldn't just avoid his other half forever. Hopefuly the connection they had would fade over time; preferably a very short time.



   Ranma could hear the rain falling hard outside and the sound of its steady drumming on the roof had nearly lulled him to sleep, when he was awakened suddenly by a loud crack of thunder.



   Wow, that sounded close he thought. Better get out of the water.



   Sighing regretfuly he got up and stepped out of the tub. He had hoped he could stay in for awhile; a good hot bath always helped ease his mind. Oh well, at least he was feeling much better. He was more relaxed than he had been all day, and he was looking forward to dinner. He could almost taste Kasumi's cooking.



   He slid the door open and suddenly his heart was in his throat. Someone was in the room with him. He couldn't tell where they were, but he could feel them. They had a very 'loud' presence. Ranma snapped into a fighting stance and reached out with his senses, probing the surrounding area for the intruder. The feeling became stronger, and he grit his teeth in anticipation of... something. He felt as if any moment something would leap out and attack him, or grab him from behind, or...



   But suddenly the presence was gone. Without even daring to blink, he moved so that his back was to a wall and scanned the room with his eyes. Nothing at all... There was no place for anyone to hide, and no one was clinging to the ceiling. Nonetheless, he was certain someone else had been here. He'd better go tell Ukyo, before... Wait a minute. What was he doing in the bathroom? Hadn't he been at Ucchan's just a moment ago? No... wait... He had come inside, talked to Akane, dealt with Ryoga, and taken a bath. He hadn't gone to Ucchan's. Ranma shook his head. He could have sworn he was somewhere else. All of this tension must really be getting to him.



   Thunder crashed outside once again, and he muttered under his breath as he grabbed a towel and dried himself off. Stupid thunderstorm; he had really wanted to finish that bath. Throwing on the clean set of clothes he had brought with him, he exited the bathroom and made his way to the family room.



   The television was still on and his father and Mr. Tendo appeared to have started another game of Go. Nabiki was seated at the table reading a book, Ryoga was beside her watching the television disinterestedly, and Akane had brought her homework downstairs and was working on it in a corner of the room. Nearby, a small gas lamp sat on a folding table. Outside, the rain was pouring harder than ever and Ranma winced involuntarily as thunder crashed again, this time very close and very loud. The lights and television flickered briefly, and he noticed for the first time how dark it was. Though it was still only late afternoon, one would have thought it at first glance to be much later. Taking a seat at the table, Ranma propped his chin in his hands and watched the storm quietly.



   "Oh my" Kasumi's voice came from the doorway of the kitchen. "I hope Ranma-chan's alright, that sounded very close."



   "She was leavin' for Ucchan's when I came in, she'd have gotten there by now" Ranma said absently, as he stared out at the storm.



   "Yes, you're probably right. Still, I wish she would have called before it got this bad."



   Ranma just shrugged.



   "Well, dinner's ready. Has anyone seen Cologne?"



   "She's still out in the dojo" Nabiki said, without looking up from her book. "I don't think she's coming in."



   "Oh... All right" Kasumi said, slightly dissapointed that someone would be missing dinner. She turned to go back into the kitchen and emerged a few moments later, bearing the food for their meal. Genma and Soun abandoned their game temporarily and joined the rest of the family.



   As they all ate, Ranma tried hard to let his mind drift but it wasn't easy. Conversation was strangely absent and the silence was eerie despite the quiet droning of the television in the background. Thinking would not be good, as he didn't seem to have anything good to think about at present. If he started thinking, he knew he would regret it.



   The silence seemed to grow louder by the minute, and his mind, deciding it wasn't going to wait for his permission, began to form pictures on its own. Unfortunately, the first picture it formed was that of the strange presence he had felt not long ago. He knew that it was only his imagination, but the silence continued, and the stillness pressed, and shadows began to look a little more alive than they had a moment ago. He really wished someone would say something.



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



   Fluttering wings, and the familiar feel of taloned feet on his shoulder. Dead senses awakened, and he saw once again with the help of his avian companion. 



   His eyes had returned.



   "Welcome home. You were gone for a long time. I have not been able to see since first light."



   A brief sense of appology, followed by a gnawing worry entered his mind. Though he felt the emotions as if they were his own, he knew they were not.



   "Something troubles you my friend?"



   The emotions that were not his confirmed this.



   "What is it?"



   More emotions, mixed with thoughts, ideas, and a few other odd things. With practiced ease he sorted through the information, laid it all out in comprehensible order, and examined what he saw.



   "I see... Twin souls eh? It has been a while."



   A query, which took him a moment to sort out, followed by the same gnawing sense of worry.



   "Yes, it will be dealt with in the usual way I suppose. It's sad, but there's little to be done about it."



   The worry grew stronger.



   "What? Why does this one concern you so? Normaly it is I who pities ones such as he, and you who insist that the weave is only protecting itself."



   More thoughts, followed by a quiet squawk, and the sound of feathers rustling beside his ear.



   "Bah. That's nonsense and you know it. There have been many great warriors before him, and there will be many more in the ages to come. Do not attempt to decieve me old friend. We have known each other for many years. What is so different about this one?"



   Silence then, both in his mind and on his shoulder.



   "You know that we cannot help every person who runs afoul of our world's unwritten laws. We used to try when we were younger, if you recall." 

    

   More silence.  He sighed, and reached for his staff.



   "I'm going for a walk. I've been stuck inside all day thanks to you."



   His companion gave no response other than a grudging agreement.



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



   Ranma was freezing. Both the air and the rain were extremely cold and she wondered for the tenth time since leaving the house why she hadn't brought a jacket or an umbrella. She thought several times about turning around and going back for them, but never actualy did it. She just wanted out of that place for now, especially after what had happened at the gate. She quickened her steps, cursing the rain with every footfall. Besides the endless pattering against her skin, the storm filled her nose and obscurred her vision. The smell of rain and wet was everywhere, and she could barely make out the street signs and shop curtains through the downpour. Damnit, where was Ucchan's? Had she passed it? She slowed a bit and squinted at the nearest shop, trying her hardest to read the sign. No, if she read that correctly, the restaurant was a little further down the street.



   As she walked, the ordeal at the gate came back to her continually. His stunned face stuck in her head as if the image were a wedge that had somehow worked itself into a crevice in her mind and refused to come out. What she had felt toward him back there, the feeling that had been building since the moment she'd first laid eyes on her other half from the outside, had left when she'd spoken two words to him and he'd responded with that stunned, innocent stare. It had burnt itself out and the ashes had been washed away with the rain.



   She couldn't hate him. Damn her, she even felt sorry for him; sorry that he had to feel so guilty over her. The hate she had felt when she'd looked into his stupid, innocent eyes had frightened her immensely and filled her with self-loathing, but now that it was gone, she felt empty. She even tried to bring back the rage, if only to fill the emptiness, but all she could manage was mild irritation. Even then, most of it was caused more by her lack of success and the endless pattering of the rain than jealousy of her other self.



   Ucchan's was just ahead; she recognized the familiar shop curtain even through the rain. The windows were bright, and the faint buzz of conversation reached her ears as she approached the door. She had placed her hand on the knob and was about to turn it when a small sound at her feet froze her still as stone.



   mew



   She stood rooted to the spot, not daring to turn her head. Maybe if she waited it would just go away.



   mew



   Of course it wouldn't go away. It was probably trying to stay out of the rain. Unless the storm suddenly stopped it wasn't going anywhere.



   mew



   Very slowly, as if her neck were rusted, Ranma turned her head toward the sound. A young cat, really not much more than a kitten, was huddled in the doorway, staring up at her with pleading eyes. Dark grey fur clung to a shivering body that seemed little more than skin and bones. As she continued to stare, Ranma slowly realized that something was wrong. Or rather, something wasn't wrong. She could still think. There was no irrational fear or mind-numbing panic. She certainly didn't feel comfortable with this situation, but she hadn't lost her marbles.



   Glancing up and narrowing her eyes to peer through the rain, Ranma spotted the entrance to an alley not far away. She looked down at the kitten again and prodded it gently in the direction of the alley with the toe of her shoe.



   "Go on."



   The kitten only mewed again and continued to stare up at her.



   "I said go on" she repeated irritably.



   The kitten still refused to budge, and she turned back to the door, intending to leave the animal where it was.



   mew



   Ranma looked back down at the kitten, its small body shivering from the cold. If she left it there she'd have that little bit of guilt to gnaw at her along with everything else. Gritting her teeth, she reached down slowly and scooped it up. Remnants of past episodes involving cats and a fleeting memory of herself with the mind of a frightened animal flashed through her head but passed quickly. Looking down at the small bundle of wet fur in her arms, Ranma wondered what she had seen in these creatures these past years that frightened her so. Feline screeches echoed in her memory and her skin stung in remembrance of dozens of claws and small sharp teeth. That was what she had been afraid of... But why wasn't she flipping out now? Shuddering, she opened the door and stepped into Ucchan's.



   A wave of warm air, along with the smells of beef, pork, shrimp, and Ucchan's special sauce washed over her, and her stomach growled in response. She hadn't eaten since Kasumi's breakfast this morning and that she hadn't even finished. The restaurant looked fairly busy. Most of the tables and about a third of the counter seats were occupied and the pleasant buzz of conversation filled the room. Ukyo, in her blue and black chef's outfit, was behind the counter flipping an okonomiyaki with one hand, and sprinkling ingredients on a finished one with the other. Her long brown ponytail looked somewhat bedraggled, and the white ribbon holding her hair in place was limp and wrinkled, as if it had been removed and hurriedly retied several times. Her face shone slightly with sweat, but as usual had a cheerful expression on it. Ukyo believed firmly in providing a good atmosphere for her customers and tried never to let things like weariness show when she was working. She didn't tire easily, but from what little Ranma had heard recently, things hadn't exactly been easy for her lately. Business had picked up quite a bit since she'd first opened Ucchan's, and the crowds weren't getting any smaller. She was probably feeling the lack of help pretty keenly. She slid the plate toward a customer, then stopped for a moment to wipe her forehead. As she looked up, she saw Ranma and gave her a weary grin.



   "Heya Ranchan. Have a seat, I'll..."



   Then she noticed what Ranma was carrying and did a double take.



   "Um... On second thought, why don't you take that up to my room. You can borrow some clothes too."



   Ranma nodded and headed for the stairs as quickly as possible, ignoring the looks she got. Some of the customers probably weren't too thrilled to see a sopping girl carrying a half-drowned cat into the restaurant.



   Reaching the top of the stairs, she found the bathroom and went in for a towel, then made her way to Ukyo's room and slipped inside. The interior was not exactly spartan, as was the room she used to share with her father at the Tendos', but it was rather drab. Nothing more than a bed in the corner, a small desk with a reading lamp, schoolbooks, a few manga, a closet in the wall opposite the bed, and a little compact television on a low table at one end of the room. There had once, Ranma remembered, been more than a few photographs of 'him' hung about. Most had probably been purchased from Nabiki, but two or three were group shots taken in the rare moments of peace between her 'aquaintances'. All were gone now, apparently. The few times Ranma had been up here, she had found all of the pictures unnerving, but now the room seemed incredibly empty.



   Ranma lay the kitten on the towel and turned on a small heater in the corner of the room. The cat immediately stood, shook itself, and set about arranging its fur. Not much came of it, as it was still completely soaked, but after a few moments it seemed satisfied and lay down again. She almost smiled, but couldn't quite manage it. This was still, after all, a cat.



   Ranma turned quickly away and opened Ukyo's closet. The first thing she saw was a Furinkan boy's uniform, but after taking it down and trying to put it on, it was obvious that it wasn't going to work. The pants were hopelessly long and the shirt was insanely tight. On an upper shelf, She spied one of the bandages Ukyo used to bind her chest and started to reach for it, then just frowned and replaced the uniform. She glanced at one of Ukyo's blue chef's outfits, but decided against that as well. She would feel even more ridiculous in that than in the ill-fitting uniform. She continued to dig through the closet, pushing aside more boy's uniforms and blue wraparounds, a few 'get Ranma's attention' outfits, and even one girl's uniform. Finaly, she came upon a pair of jeans and a plain white T-shirt. Sighing in relief, she put them on and tossed her wet clothes in a corner.



   As she stood and was turning to go, she spied a small picture frame on the desk. Picking it up, she saw that it held a photograph of 'him'. A school picture probably. It wasn't a very good one and Ranma wondered why, of all the photos she had owned, Ukyo had chosen to keep this one.



   He was in Furinkan uniform for once. His dark hair looked as if it had been completely out of order a few moments ago, but hurriedly fixed. The expression on his face wasn't quite a scowl, but it was obvious that he was extremely uncomfortable. Then it dawned on her: Ukyo had probably kept it because she thought it was adorable. That would be just like her. 



   As Ranma continued to gaze at the image of her former self, a nauseous feeling grew in the pit of her stomach, and she quickly put down the photograph, her hands shaking just a little. She hated that he could affect her like this.



   Giving the kitten in the corner one last nervous glance, Ranma turned to leave the room and nearly choked at the sight of a tall black figure blocking the door. Before she could react, however, it was gone. It hadn't made a sound and she couldn't remember it vanishing. It was just gone, as if it had never been. She stood frozen for a few moments more, then slowly relaxed and let out a long breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.



   Man, all of this must be getting to me more than I realized she thought, as she left the room and started back downstairs.



   She was greeted once more by the smells and sounds of the restaurant and was about to sit down at the counter when she saw Ukyo motioning her over to a table. As she slid into one of the chairs, Ukyo sat down opposite her. The chef studied her for a few moments before asking, "So, what's with the... C-A-T?"



   "I dunno really. I just saw it all wet in front of your place and I kinda felt sorry for it. And it didn't really scare me. Don't really know why."



   "Oh..." Ukyo said, then stared for a bit, obviously fishing for something else to say. "Well... Um... What happened?"



   "What, with the cat? I took it to your room and put it in front of the heater. It should be okay."



   "No, silly, I mean what happened at home? What's... wrong?" 



   She had almost said "What's wrong now?" but caught herself in time.



  "What m... makes you think s... somethin's wrong?" Ranma asked, avoiding Ukyo's eyes.



   "Well, for one thing, you don't have a jacket or an umbrella so I'm guessing you left in a hurry. And anyway, the look on your face says it all."



   Ranma sighed and looked down at her hands.



   "It's just... everything. Do you really have to ask?"



   "No, I guess not. But..." Ukyo paused, her mouth slowly turning downward in a frown. "Listen, you gotta stop this. I know you've got every right in the world to be torn up, but hangin' onto it just isn't gonna help. Go back to school. Do something with yourself, sugar."



   "I dunno Ucchan, I..."



   "Listen, I got customers to take care of, but if you wait here for a few minutes I'll bring you something to eat. Don't move okay?"



   "Okay..."



   "You want something to drink?" Ukyo asked as she stood.



   "Coke's fine." Ranma said without looking up.



   "You were just out in the rain, you sure you don't want something hot?"



   "Yeah."



   Ranma sighed, put her chin in her hand, and stared out the window at the storm while Ukyo rushed back to work. She didn't know how long it had been when she returned, but when the okonomiyaki was suddenly  placed before her, she noticed that her arm had gone to sleep, so it must have been a while. She picked up the chopsticks Ukyo set down in front of her and began eating, just now remembering how hungry she was.



   Ukyo, who had decided to sit down again, just looked at her thoughtfuly as she ate, and Ranma grew more and more uncomfortable until finaly she put down her chopsticks. She felt a little silly, seeing as how she had come here to talk, but now that she was actualy here, she couldn't think of a thing to say. If Ukyo would get some sort of conversation started it might help, but she was just sitting there staring.



   "What is it Ucchan?"



   Ukyo continued to gaze thoughtfuly at her for a few moments more, and then said, "Ranchan, you want a job?"



   "A... job?" Ranma blinked.



   "Yeah, I've been kinda short-handed since... Well, since always, really. The crowds are growing, especialy with the Nekohanten closed down, and I could really use the help. It's not easy running this place alone anymore." She put a hand behind her head and leans back in her chair slightly, gazing up at the cieling from beneath sweat-soaked brown bangs. Ranma noticed that the white ribbon was a bit loose, and looked like it might come undone soon. "I should've hired some help a while ago, I guess, but..." Still leaning back in her chair, she rolled her eyes downward to gaze at Ranma. "Well... I guess I was too busy with other stuff to think about it."



   A hint of something distinctly different from Ukyo's usual friendly attitude lurked just beneath the casualy spoken words of that last sentence. Ranma frowned slightly as she remembered the day she thought she had lost Ukyo's friendship forever. She was the first person he'd told, after giving Akane the ring. He had hoped that she'd be happy for them. He would have liked nothing more than for her to give him that fantastic grin of hers, and say something along the lines of, "Way to go, Ranchan! I knew you couldn't put it off forever!" That was stupid, though, and he'd known it even as he was thinking it. She'd taken it rather well, he'd thought, until he'd heard the small hiss as a single tear struck the hot surface of the grill where she had been working at the time.



   Things had only gotten worse from there. She'd suddenly just... Well, he didn't think he'd ever seen her so angry. Ranma had been through some horrible things before, but this would probably stick in his mind as one of the worst days of his life. And when he had put a hand on her shoulder and tried to calm her down, she had grabbed his wrist, hurled him against the wall, and told him to leave and not come back, before running up to her room. Though Ranma had been expecting it, and hoped that she'd be able to forgive him, the words still stung quite a bit.



   "Damnit Ranchan, I love you! You just don't get that, do you? You don't even care! I bet the most you can do is feel sorry for me. 



   "Ucchan, come on, I..."



   "You do! You do feel sorry for me! Since I was six years old, you've been the center of my life, and all I have to show for it is your pity! Well, I don't need it! I don't need you! Get out of here, Ranma, and don't come back!"



   "Ucchan..."



   "Don't call me that! Not ever again! I mean it, Saotome, get out! Go away! Leave me ALONE!"



   A handful of razor sharp spatulas had followed him to the door as he beat a hasty retreat. Not long after, the war had begun, and even after it had ended, he hadn't dared to visit her. But when he had finaly got up the courage to drop by and peek cautiously in the door, she had greeted him cheerfuly, as if nothing at all had happened. He had no idea why... He was just glad to have Ucchan back. It did bother him a bit that she acted so normal, but he was afraid that if he pried, she would clam up or explode again.



   "Ranchan, you there?"



   "Hm?" Ranma looked up and realized that she'd spaced out. "Oh, um... Yeah. A job. Well..."



   A job... A reason to get out of the house and do something. Her first instinct was to say no, but when she realized that was the same part of her that was causing her to mope around the house, refuse to speak to anyone, and act like such a weak little... she was suddenly angry."



   "Yes!" she barked, causing Ukyo to start. Ranma noticed, and looked a little sheepish.



   "Okay, Ucchan, what did you have in mind?"



   "Oh, you know, waiting on tables, helping out in the kitchen... That kinda thing. C'mon, it's a restaurant sugar; figure it out" she grinned. "Think you can handle it?"



   "Yeah... Yeah, I can handle it." Ranma managed a smile.



   "Good! Can you start tomorrow morning? You can help me with the breakfast crowd before we head to school."



   "Ucchan, I'm not gonna..."



   "Yes you are, Ranma." Ukyo said, her cheerfulness fading a good deal as she fixed her gaze firmly on her friend.



   "Moping around doesn't do anyone any good. Trust me, I know." To her credit, those last words sounded only slightly bitter.



   "But Ucchan..." Ranma started to protest.



   "No arguments, Ranchan!" Ukyo said, her cheerfulness returning in full force. "I expect you here tomorrow morning at six. Don't be late!" Before Ranma could make any further attempt at argument, Ukyo rushed off again to tend to her customers.



   Sighing, Ranma picked up her chopsticks to finish off her food. No use trying to argue tonight. She'd just come to help Ukyo out in the morning and politely turn her down when asked to go to school.



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



   "Cologne! You in there?"



   Ranma slid the dojo door open and stepped inside. The interior was almost pitch black, the only light provided by two candles burning on either side of a low table in the center of the room. The Amazon elder was seated before the table, intently examining a white piece of copy paper covered in chinese characters. Ranma recognized it immediately as the spell that had provided his 'cure'. None of the building's walls could be seen because of the darkness and when Ranma closed the door behind him, the small circle of illumination surrounding Cologne made it seem as if the old woman was seated on a tiny island in the center of a great void. This, along with the dull roar of the rain on the dojo roof, created a decidedly eerie atmosphere and he couldn't help but shiver a little.



   "Hey Cologne, you missed dinner. Kasumi saved you some..."



   Cologne continued to stare at the spell, large eyes moving slowly back and forth, one gnarled finger gliding carefuly along the lines of foreign text. At first Ranma wasn't sure if she had heard him, and he cleared his throat to try again.



   "Cologne, you..."



   "Hush Ranma." the old woman interrupted him, her voice sounding even drier and more papery than it normaly did. "I heard you."



   Ranma moved to stand behind Cologne, gazing down at the paper spread on the table in front of her.



   "What're you..."



   "Trying to find what went wrong." she replied, before he could finish the question.



   "Oh." he said, continuing to stand silently behind her, staring at the strange characters. They both remained like that for quite some time. Him looking over her shoulder and her slowly following the writing with her eyes and one aged finger. The rain continued to fall steadily; a constant muted roar, interrupted only be the occasional flash of lightning and the dull boom of thunder.



   "What's with the candles?"



   "I like them."



   "Oh, uh... Okay."



   More silence followed and Ranma didn't leave. Cologne tried to ignore him for a time before finaly letting out a sigh and drumming the fingers of her free hand on the table.



   "Is there something else Ranma?"



   "It aint your fault ya know" he said. He'd been waiting for a while to get that out, mostly because if he didn't say it soon, he was afraid he'd convince himself it wasn't true.



   "Maybe, but I'm the one who offered the spell" she said, resuming her perusal of the text. "It was meant as a cure, and all it's done is curse you further. It may not be my fault, but I still have an obligation to find out what went wrong and correct it if I can."



   As she said this, she reached the end of the spell, her finger stopping on the last character and staring at it hard, before finaly withdrawing. She dropped her hand into her lap and lowered her head, letting out a long sigh.



   "I don't understand it. I've reviewed the spell over and over again. Its purpose is crystal clear. Not a single character is out of place. All of the pieces were accounted for, and the execution was flawless. We didn't make a single mistake. There wasn't any reason for it to go haywire like that."



   "Well" Ranma said with a shrug, "You said magic was unpredictable. It just messed up, that's all. It aint like some of the stuff I've tried hasn't screwed up before."



   "No Ranma, you don't understand." Cologne said with a scowl. "I made certain that this spell was perfect. There wasn't a thing out of place. Magic doesn't always do what you expect, but a spell won't do something completely different than it's supposed to."



   "You sure?" Ranma said, looking down at the paper again. "It might just have..."



   "Listen" Cologne said, exasperated, "If you put together the ingredients for curry, do you come up with Ramen? If you make bread, following the recipe exactly, does it come out as a chicken?"



   Ranma scratched his head, "Well, I dunno. One time Akane tried to make muffins and they came out lookin' a lot like..."



   "Okay, bad example" Cologne interrupted with a shake of her head. "That girl's cooking defies all laws of magic and science. Let's try it this way: If you execute an Amaguriken does it come out as a Hiryu Shoten Ha? If you put together the moves of a specific kata, will you end up doing the hokey pokey when you try to execute it?"



   "No, of course not." Ranma answered. "But what's that got to do with magic?"



   Cologne sighed and reached for her staff, which she quickly used to thwack Ranma on the head.



   "Ow! What was that for?"

   

   "I wish you were still cursed. Maybe if you were a girl you wouldn't be quite so stupid."



   "Hey!" Ranma said, rubbing his head and frowning. "Who're you callin' stupid, you old..."

   

   "Shut up and listen boy. Magic's just like cooking, or martial arts, or anything else really. If you put too much of one thing or too little of another into a recipe, of course won't taste like it's supposed to. If you overextend a punch or a kick in a kata, or you don't turn correctly, you just might fall flat on your face. But the whole thing still won't come out as something completely different. Magic may be unpredictable sometimes, but it still follows its own rules. Something caused that spell to go wrong and I have to find out what it was."



   "But if you did the spell right, what else could it be?"



   "The only other thing I can think of is that someone interfered with the spell while it was being cast. But if that had happened I would have felt it. Even if I hadn't been able to prevent it I would have felt the disturbance."



   "You sure about that?" Ranma asked uncertainly.



   "Of course I'm sure!" Cologne snapped, whipping her head around to glare up at him. "I'm not an elder of my tribe for nothing child. Show a little respect."



   "Hey!" Ranma replied with a scowl, "I'm just sayin' that if somebody more powerful than you tried to mess it up, then maybe they could hide what they were doin'."



   "If someone had disturbed the spell from the outside I would have felt it, regardless of their power. I don't need an arrogant child assuming he knows more than me about an art I've practiced for well over a century. Besides, why would anyone want to prevent you from being cured? Use your head a little."



   "Yeah, fine, whatever." Ranma huffed. "But if you're so sure, I don't know why you're still starin' at that stupid thing like it's just gonna suddenly decide to tell you why it didn't work right."



   Cologne turned back to the spell and looked down at it dully. The flawless arrangement of the letters seemed almost to mock her with their perfection. Everything fit. Nothing was out of place. There was nothing that could have thrown the spell off, but something had.



   "Because I don't know what else to do." She folded the paper and placed it in her robe before getting slowly to her feet. "Is there any tea left?"



   "Yeah, I think so." Ranma muttered, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand.



   "Good." Cologne hopped onto her staff, bouncing over to the door and sliding it open. "I could really use a little."



   Ranma was about to follow, when something made him freeze. The rain and wind seemed to have stopped suddenly. Not as if they had ceased natrualy, but as if they had been flipped off like a switch. The stillness that surrounded him was absolute and unnatural, and under normal circumstances he would have immediately been on his guard. All he could do now, though he couldn't explain why, was turn slowly.



   Something was behind him.



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



   "Take care Ranchan!" Ukyo called as Ranma left the restaurant. "Six o' clock all right? Don't forget! And... don't oversleep!" She added that last comment with a grin and a wave. In spite of her rotten mood, Ranma couldn't help but grin back.



   "I won't forget, Ucchan. See ya tomorrow." And as she said that, she actualy felt better. It was probably the first real smile she'd been able to manage since this whole mess began. As she started down the road, a borrowed umbrella in her hand to ward off the rain, she even began to feel semi-cheerful.



   It was still pouring just as hard as it had been when she arrived, but with the umbrella and the jacket Ukyo had leant her, it was actualy kind of nice. It was no less difficult to see, but that didn't bother her too much. The streetlights and bright shop windows provided enough light that the sidewalk was easy to make out. Without realizing it, she had begun to hum something to herself; the theme song to some anime she and Akane had been watching regularly until last week, when...



   Oh damn. Akane.



   Ranma's mood immediately flipped head-over-heels and did a nose dive. During dinner and the short talk with Ukyo, she had almost forgotten her troubles. The lively, friendly atmosphere of Ucchan's, combined with the lively, friendly attitude of Ukyo herself had actualy worked for a short time. Ukyo had always had a way of doing that. But as soon as Ranma was left to herself, her thoughts had once again begun to stray. And the first place they strayed to was where she least wanted them to go. Akane, and 'him'.



   The rain continued unabated, but did not cease to be pleasant. Though Ranma's mood had once again sunk low, it was not quite as low as it had been. She no longer felt desperate or terrified or enraged. Just... sad. Where just over an hour before, the rain had seemed cruel, mocking her with its incessant icy drumming and cold, relentless wetness, pounding the curse deeper and deeper, giving her nowhere to run... It was now peaceful... A sort of comfort. How nice it would be to get home and go to sleep listening to the rain on the roof.



   She thought back to the dojo and remembered 'him' smiling up at the sky, and how she had felt so jealous. She had understood then, but had hated him for it anyway. His deliverance was her damnation, or so it seemed from her point of view. How dare he stand there right in front of her, flaunting it in her face?



   But would she have done any different in his place? Of course not. They were the same person after all. She thought back again to his beaming face, and smiled wistfuly to herself. Before the curse, she had liked the rain. Despite the many cold, wet nights it had inflicted upon both herself and her father during their years on the road, she had liked it. Loved it, in fact. She was never sure exactly why, any more than someone can be sure just why they prefer one flavor of ice cream over another. But she had loved it, and the curse had made it her enemy. Now she was free to love it again, despite the fact that Jusenkyo's change had apparently become permanent. She may not be able to change back, but the rain could do nothing more to her.



   Hello again rain. I missed you.



   Lighted windows continued to pass, as well as the occasional car. She wasn't, she noted with a smirk, splashed even once by a spray of water from a passing vehicle. The shops began to give way to houses, many of which she recognized even in the downpour.



   She was almost home.



   Large puddles were gathering on the sidewalk, and as she splashed her way through them, her shoes began to soak up quite a bit of water. All the more pleasant to get inside and warm her feet by the heater.



   Ranma looked up and around at the passing houses, smiling to herself again, and almost regretting that she'd missed dinner with the rest of the family. And family they were, even if an odd one. The wrenching pain in her chest when she thought of Akane had subsided to a dull ache for now. It wasn't over, she knew, but it could be put aside for the time being. After several days of being a slave to it, this was an immense relief.



   She was actualy beginning to feel almost pleasant again by the time she was a block or so from home. This, of course, made it the perfect time for something to happen, so it was then that she realized she was being watched.



   She froze, keeping her stance neutral and non threatening, but mentaly preparing herself to spring away instantly in any direction should an attack come suddenly from nowhere. Most of her old local foes had been taken care of, but she had lived looking over her shoulder long enough that she knew to expect anything when she felt herself being watched.



   Quickly, she moved her eyes up, down, left, then right... And saw the figure standing near a streetlight, just out of range of its glow. She could make out no features and whoever it was did not appear to be moving, but it was quite obviously watching her. Her grip on the umbrella tightened ever so slightly and the corners of her mouth turned downward. She was not in the mood for this right now. Truth be told, she was never in the mood for it, but this was a particularly bad time.



   "Who're you? What d'ya want?"



   The figure's posture shifted slightly, as if startled to hear her speak; though it obviously knew she could see it.



   "C'mon, who are you? I aint in the mood for this."



   The figure shifted again, this time into what looked like some sort of combat stance. It was vaguely familiar, but the light was too bad to tell where she may have seen it before.



   "What, you wanna fight me? Why don't you say somethin'?"



   The figure suddenly leaped at her with incredible speed, nearly equal to her own, she realized. Caught off guard, she only barely managed to dodge the attack. She turned as her assailant landed behind her in a decidedly familiar stance. For some reason, she just couldn't seem to place it.



   The attacker began to approach again, this time much more cautiously. Ranma narrowed her eyes and held her ground, keeping a tight defense, not budging an inch. Her opponent seemed to be doing the same. After several minutes of this, he whispered something she couldn't make out through the rain. The voice was nearly inaudible, and she had no idea what had been said, but it was almost definately a guy's voice. She responded only by edging back ever so slightly. As soon as she did, the figure attacked again. It was just as fast, if not faster, than first attack, but this time she was ready.



   Catching the hand that shot forth, she blinked as she noticed that it held an umbrella. "Ryoga? Is that you? What the hell d'ya think you're doin'?"



   The figure ignored her and pressed his attack. Blocks and punches flew at blinding speed as each tried to get past the defenses of the other. Finaly, Ranma managed to hop out of the way of a swing, grab her own umbrella, and bring it up to meet her attacker's. He apparently wasn't stupid enough to try to overpower her and quickly dropped, attempting a sweep which she only barely managed to avoid by rolling out of the way. She came up three feet or so from her opponent and switched once more to a tight defensive stance.



   Damn, when did Ryoga get so fast? He's gotten a lot better since the last time I fought him. Why's he attackin' me now anyway? And why's he so quiet? What happened to 'Die Saotome!'?



   There was no more time for thought as her attacker leapt again. She slid to the right and tried to get in an attack at his exposed side, but he easily twisted and blocked the punch, triggering another minute or so of lightning fast blocks and strikes, though neither combatant was actualy able to land anything.



   He's not usin' his umbrella like he usualy does... Maybe it's not Ryoga after all. But who else do I know that fights with an umbrella? Damn, I wish there were more light.



   "Look, Ryoga, or whoever you are, can't this wait 'till tomorrow? Or next week? I really just wanna get home." 



   This proposition was met only with a horizontal umbrella slash that may have cut her in half if she hadn't leapt backward in time.



   "Geez! You tryin' to kill somebody? If ya got some kinda problem with me, we can settle it later okay?"



   Still the attacker ignored her, continuing the exchange as if he hadn't heard a single word she had said. He was fast, but not quite as fast as her. He was a bit stronger, but she had taken direct hits from adversaries who could probably smash a meteor the size of Tokyo if they really wanted to.



   He was very good though... Kick followed punch, followed block, followed strike, and it may have continued for a very long time indeed if her opponent had not suddenly hesitated for no apparent reason. It was only for a split second, but that was all Ranma needed. She grabbed both his wrists, rolled backward with him on top of her, and shot her leg up into his chest, hearing him let out a satisfying "oof" as his own breath was knocked out of him, and he was sent sailing over a nearby fence into someone's front yard.



   She quickly rolled to her feet and waited in a defensive stance. The yard looked almost pitch black from here and there was no way she was going to leap over that fence and engage him in there. He must have landed on his feet, as she hadn't heard a thump or any other sound. How he'd managed to land so quietly with his the breath having been so recently driven from him, though, she didn't know. He was good, but that moment of hesitation had cost him.



   She waited, and he didn't come. Minutes passed, and still nothing. She remained in her stance, waiting for him to leap over the fence and attack, or suddenly spring at her from behind, but nothing at all happened. Finaly, she dropped her defenses enough to walk the last few blocks to the dojo. She didn't let her guard down completely, however, until she was safely inside.



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



   The great machine screeched as Ranma's assailant sailed over the fence and into the yard. It sputtered, spat, groaned, heaved, and finaly managed to begin functioning as close to normal as it could under the circumstances. It had lasted for time uncounted and something like this, though troubling and quite painful, would not set it back for long. With a great churning of gears and pulleys, it resumed the process of repairing itself.



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



   "Ranma, I'm so glad you were able to make it back!" Kasumi said, the moment Ranma entered the family room. "We were worried about you!"



   Ranma glanced around the room at everyone else. Nobody besides Kasumi looked too worried. Nabiki was leaning on the table watching television with a bored expression and Ryoga was seated nearby, staring at her as if she'd sprouted a second head. Her father and Mr. Tendo were playing one of their games in a corner and didn't even seem to notice she'd arrived.



   Wait... Ryoga? If that was him outside, how had he found his way here so quickly? Normaly he'd have been obliged to make a pit stop in Australia first.



   "No need to worry about me Kasumi. It's just a little rain." She returned Ryoga's stare. "What? You got a problem?"



   Ryoga gave a half grin and looked sheepish, putting his hand behind his head. "Prob... Uh, hehe, no. No problem Ranma."



   Ranma narrowed her eyes and glared at him.



   "Well, did you have fun?" Kasumi asked brightly, cutting off the fight before it could start.



   "Yeah, I guess." Ranma grumbled. "How long's Ryoga been here?"



   "He showed up right after you left and stayed for dinner."



   So it wasn't him after all. Probably someone new then... Another enemy. Wonderful, just what she needed right now. Another psycho trying to kill her or humiliate her for something she may or may not even remember doing.



   "Where's everybody else?"



   What she really meant was, 'Where are Akane and the guy with my face?' but she couldn't quite get that out.



   "Up in Akane's room I believe. Is something wrong?"



   Is something wrong? Oh, that was rich. Only Kasumi could be so clueless. Sometimes her innocence was comforting, and sometimes it was just plain annoying. Ranma turned to look at the others again. Ryoga was staring at her once more, and Nabiki still didn't seem to have noticed her presence. Neither did either of the men at the game board.



   "Hey, pop!" she said, ignoring Kasumi's question. "I'm home."



   "Yes boy, I see you" Genma said, a little too distractedly. He never took his eyes from the board.



   "Oh yes, hello Ranma" Soun murmured, a little more nervously, glancing briefly in her direction.



   "Oh man, I don't believe this." Ranma growled. "I'm goin' to bed. Wake me up early tomorrow, I gotta be at Ucchan's at six." she glanced at everyone again.



   "I got a job" she said, emphasizing the j word.



   Nabiki started slightly and turned to look at her sideways. Her father and Mr. Tendo, however, seemed to be deliberately ignoring her. Ryoga just kept staring. Only Kasumi showed any real reaction.



   "Oh my, how nice! I'll be certain to get you up on time."



   Ranma sighed as her final attempt to get any sort of real welcome from the others failed.



   "Okay, well, g'night then."



   Nabiki turned back to the television and Ryoga's eyes followed her as she headed for the stairs.



   "So..." Ryoga said, after she'd been gone for a minute or two. "That's..."



   "Yup" Nabiki answered, not taking her eyes from the television. "That's our Ranma."



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



   Where am I... Zaki... I can't see. Zaki? Hanzaki, where are you?



   She tried to open her eyes, but they refused to obey. Did she even have eyes? Had she been blinded? She couldn't remember... Her legs wouldn't respond either, or her hands. Nothing. Everything was numb. She couldn't feel...



   Hanzaki! She cried out as loud as she could, screaming in her head, but that was all she was able to do. She couldn't remember where her mouth was, or how to open it. Was she dead? No, not dead. That couldn't be right. She wasn't dead, she was... Dreaming? Yes, that was it, dreaming... What was her name? She couldn't remember that either. She was tired of this dream, but she found that for some reason she was afraid to awaken. All she knew was that if she could only find Hanzaki, he would fix everything. 



   Hanzaki...



   HANZAKI!



   The old man bolted upright in his bed, blind eyes wide and staring. The same dream again... Her voice, calling out to him, begging him for help. It was so incredibly real. Whether her ghost was haunting him, or it was simply his own guilt at being unable to protect her so long ago that caused these dreams, he could never decide. He had almost grown accustomed to them after so many years, but they never ceased to be painful.



   A quiet squawk and a rustling of feathers near his bedsede turned his thoughts away from the nightmare.



   "I'm sorry Nin. Did my dream disturb you?"



   His companion clicked his beak and shook his head as if to cast off the intrusion into his own dreams.



   "I know, I appologize. If there were a way to prevent you from seeing them I would."



   The bird shook his head again and flapped his wings. The nightmares disturbed him just as much as they did the old man. They shared thoughts and feelings and could link their senses. It was their way of communicating. It allowed his friend to see, and him to understand things that he would otherwise never have been able to, but there were some very unpleasant side effects. The dreams were one of them.



   The bird ruffled his feathers and gave his own equivalent of a sigh before settling down to sleep again. Hopefuly they would both have peace until morning. The dreams rarely came more than once in a night.



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