Given that Part Vc is finished and ready to ship, and having observed
that traffic across FFML seems quite low, I have decided to ship Part Vc
out earlier than planned. I was going to wait until after midnight, but
there seems little purpose in that. This is the last section of Part V.
I am now working on Part VI and hope to have it out to pre-readers by
the end of this next week.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
       Most of the characters in this piece and the setting for it, were
conceived of by Rumiko Takahashi for her Ranma1/2 series of Manga. All
such characters and the setting are the property of Takahashi-san and
her licensees. All other characters in the piece are purely fictional
and any resemblances to actual persons living or dead, are purely
coincidental.
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------

Comes the Cold Dragon: Part Vc Revision 3




-- Attached file included as plaintext by Listar --
-- File: CtCDPrtVcR3.txt
-- Desc: Unknown Document

       Akane was downstairs when it happened. She had agreed 
to study near the telephone while Doctor Tofu was out to 
lunch. This required her to leave Ranma alone upstairs. He 
had been sleeping very peacefully, showing no trace of the 
nightmares that had plagued him since the battle of Jusendo. 
The cold, white mist sliding down the stairwell told her that 
things had changed. She ran up the stairs, only to find Ranma 
thrashing about on his futon, arms and legs badly entangled 
in his covers. The white mist was nearly forty centimeters 
deep, and the room temperature had dropped to a point 
suitable for storing fresh vegetables.
 
       "Ranma!" 
 
       "Akane!" Ranma bellowed, as though trying to be heard 
over a great deal of noise.
 
       "Wake up, Ranma!"
 
       "What?"
 
       "Wake up! It's just a dream!" Akane said, kneeling as 
close as she could to the futon without being struck by the 
violently thrashing Ranma. The air in the room was quite 
cold, nearly matching the temperature of a refrigerator's 
interior.
 
       Ranma woke up staring Akane in the face, his blue eyes 
hard with fear and anger.
 
       "Are you all right, Akane?"
 
       "Yes, Ranma," Akane said, struggling and failing to 
keep the concern out of her own voice. "I'm fine. You were 
having another nightmare."
 
       "Where's Doctor Tofu?"
 
       "He went to grab a bite to eat," Akane said. "He'll be 
back in just a few minutes."
 
       "He went out to eat and left you here alone?" Ranma 
asked, sounding annoyed.
 
       "He's been seeing patients all day without a break, 
Ranma," Akane said, sounding aggravated herself. "Doctors 
have to eat too, you know. Besides, I am not here alone. 
You're here."
 
       Sharp anger glittered in Ranma's sea-blue eyes for a 
moment, then faded.
 
       "Yeah, I guess you're right," Ranma said after a 
moment of silence. "He has gone way out of his way to take 
care of us."
 
       Akane watched her fiance for a moment. He looked 
troubled.
 
       "What's wrong, Ranma?" Akane asked. "You look as 
though the world were about to come to an end."
 
       "Ah, I don't _think_ it's quite that bad, Akane."
 
       "Oh, yeah? You want me to bring you a mirror so you 
can see for yourself?"
 
       "Huh?" Ranma asked, looking puzzled. "No! I'm not 
talking about the way I look! I'm talkin' about trouble bein' 
on the way."
 
       "Trouble?"
 
       "Yeah," Ranma said, looking grim, "I guess my danger 
sense triggered the nightmare. I can feel it coming."
 
       "Are you sure, Ranma?" Akane asked. "It might just be 
all the stress we've been through, you know."
 
       "Oh, believe me, Akane," Ranma said, "this is way more 
than just a nightmare."
 
       "Ranma, I..."
 
       Akane did not finish because she suddenly found 
herself locked in Ranma's tight embrace. He held her close 
and said nothing. He just rocked back and forth as though he 
were trying to comfort a child.
 
       Akane did not mind being held in the arms of Ranma's 
male body, but his behavior worried her greatly. Will he get 
better? She asked herself. How long will it take? What is he 
worried about now? Is it something real, or is his 
imagination in control?
 
       "What do you think it is, Ranma?"
 
       "The trouble, you mean?"
 
       "Uh, huh."
 
       "I don't know," Ranma said. "It's still a pretty good 
ways away."
 
       "When do you think it will be here, whatever it is."
 
       "Hmm, tomorrow I think. Maybe the day after."
 
       "You don't have any idea what it is?"
 
       "I've felt it before, Akane," Ranma said, sounding 
very certain, "but I can't put a name on it. I just know it's 
dangerous and that we've faced it before."
 
       Akane sighed. Assuming Ranma was actually detecting a 
threat, and not simply suffering from stress-induced 
paranoia, which she could not rule out at this point, the 
list of threats they had faced before was a long one. The 
only good news in what Ranma said was that the threat, 
whatever it was, would be a familiar one and would likely be 
easier to deal with than something new and completely 
unfamiliar.
 
       "I'll think about it for a while," Ranma said, 
breaking into Akane's reverie. "Maybe I can figure it out if 
I just think about it for a while."
 
       "Hmmph!" Akane snorted. "I think you just need an 
excuse to hold me."
 
       "An excuse to hold...Why would I want to hold a...I 
don't need an excuse to hold a..."
 
       "You're floundering, Ranma."
 
       Ranma kissed her full on the lips.
 
       "How'zat for flounderin'?"
 
       "Not bad," Akane said with a giggle. "Betcha can't do 
it twice!"
 
       "Is anyone here?" A voice called up from the first 
floor.
 
       "It's Konatsu," Ranma said. "I guess you win that 
one."
 
       "What's he doing here?" Akane asked.
 
       "I don't know," Ranma said. "Go on down and talk to 
him. I'll be down as soon as I get my pants on."
 
       "You aren't wearing any pants?" Akane asked. "Why 
didn't you tell me?"
 
       "I've been asleep!"
 
       Akane just grinned, then wriggled cutely as she made 
her way towards the stairs.
 
       "Coming!" Akane called as she went down the stairs. 
"Just a minute!"
 
       "Good afternoon, Tendo-san" Konatsu said with a deep 
bow as Akane entered the hallway.
 
       "Hello, Konatsu," Akane said, returning his bow. "What 
brings you all the way out here?"
 
       "Is Saotome-san here?" Konatsu asked. 
 
       "He's on his way down," Akane said. "I just woke him 
up. He...Here he is."
 
       "Yo, Konatsu! What's going on?"
 
       "Good afternoon, Saotome-dono!" Konatsu said as he 
bowed again. 
 
       This took Ranma back a bit. He did not think he 
warranted the honorific "dono." That was something used for 
the mayor or a member of the neighborhood council or 
something. People sometimes addressed Akane's father that 
way, but never Ranma or his father. After a moment, Ranma 
realized that Konatsu was holding his bow while held out a 
couple of expensive looking envelopes. Ranma hastened to bow 
as he took them from the cross-dressing ninja's hands.
 
       "Arigato, Kenzan!" Ranma said, deciding that one good 
honorific deserved another.
 
       One of the envelopes was addressed to Akane, the other 
to Ranma. He handed Akane hers, then carefully opened his 
own. It was an invitation to a Cha No Yu. Ranma looked at 
Akane and raised an eyebrow. She gave him a quick nod of the 
head.
 
       "Please tell Ukyou that we'd be honored to attend, 
Kenzan," Ranma said with a deep bow.
 
       Konatsu returned Ranma's bow and said, "Ukyou-sama 
will be very pleased, Saotome-dono."
 
       "Thank you for coming all this way, Kenzan," Ranma 
said unaware that Akane was staring at him. "Would you care 
for some tea?"
 
       "Thank you, no, Saotome-dono," Konatsu said. "I must 
return quickly. The evening rush will begin soon and we must 
be ready for it."
 
       "I understand, Kenzan," Ranma said, then bowed again.
 
       Konatsu bowed and left.
 
       "Well, you seem to have manners when the occasion 
really demands it," Akane said, sounding faintly annoyed.
 
       "Hey, I was wingin' it!" Ranma said, feigning 
irritation then asked,  "Did I do it right?"
 
       "Mostly," Akane said, giving Ranma a sunny smile. 
"It's just that I have never seen you try that hard before."
 
       "Hey! Konatsu's kinda weird, but he's an okay guy."
 
       "Maybe I should get Happosai to hit you on the head a 
little more often."
 
       "Hey! Hey! Hey!" The air around Ranma darkened 
briefly.
 
       "Well you have been trying a lot, lately."
 
       "Yeah, well..."
 
       "Well what?"
 
       "Ya can't stay a kid forever."
 
       "Says who? And what's being a kid got to do with 
having manners?"
 
       "Are you gonna be okay with this tea ceremony, Akane?"
 
       "Sure. Ukyou is just trying to do the right thing," 
Akane said, "but I don't think for a minute that she's giving 
up on you."
 
       "Oh, man!" Ranma said, sounding aggrieved. "I figgered 
she wanted to make peace and let me go."
 
       "Ranma," Akane said as she stepped in close to her 
fiance and put her arms around him, "I don't know that she 
_can_ give up. I wouldn't be able to."
 
       Ranma sighed as he put his arms around his un-cute, 
yet very beautiful fiancee and patted her back.
 
       "I must've been a very bad little boy in my last 
life."
 
       "I don't doubt that for a second," Akane said with a 
giggle, then kissed him on the cheek. "Hadn't you better go 
finish your nap?"
 
       "Yeah, I guess so," Ranma said, then began walking 
towards the stairs. "Be sure to stay inside until Doc gets 
back. Okay, Akane?"
 
       "Okay, Ranma," Akane said with a note of sadness in 
her voice. She could not help but notice that the air around 
Ranma had darkened a little when he asked her to stay 
indoors. 
 
       I wonder if this will ever end?" Akane softly asked 
herself in the now empty hallway.
 
 
 
                              -----------
 
 

       Kasumi woke feeling better than she had in many 
months. The break in my routine must be doing me some good, 
she thought. Meeting up with Nodoka on the other hand, gave 
Kasumi second thoughts. The older woman was red-eyed, bored 
and cranky, being in need of sleep and having run out of 
things to do early on in the day.
 
       "Shall I wake you for supper, Aunt Nodoka?"
 
       "No, dear, I think I might well sleep through until 
morning. If that's all right with you?"
 
       "Oh, certainly!" Kasumi said cheerfully. "It's no 
problem at all."
 
       "Nabiki called and asked if you could arrange supper 
for Ranma and Akane," Nodoka said. "Apparently, her extra-
curricular work is interfering with her studies and she has 
some catching up to do."
 
       "Oh, that's wonderful," Kasumi said. "I wanted to go 
see them and Doctor Tofu anyway."
 
       "I thought it would work out nicely for you, dear," 
Nodoka said with a smile. "What about your father?"
 
       "Oh, I think he'll be fine for the evening, but we 
should probably go after Uncle Saotome soon. Father will 
become fretful in another day or so without company."
 
       "Well, why don't we try to squeeze that in during the 
mid-morning tomorrow?" Nodoka asked. 
 
       "Yes, that should work out nicely!" Kasumi said. "Then 
we can go shopping again."
 
       "No doubt we'll need groceries with my husband back in 
the house!" Nodoka said, sounding as though she were bearing 
a heavy burden. It made Kasumi smile, knowing full well that 
Nodoka was mostly joking.
 
       "He doesn't eat nearly as much as Ranma, you know," 
Kasumi said, "but then Ranma still a growing boy."
 
       "Good night, Kasumi."
 
       "Good night, Aunt Nodoka!"
 
       Kasumi hummed to herself as she began to prepare a 
large, evening meal that could be successfully carried out.
 
 
 
                            -----------
 
 
       After sending Konatsu to the clinic with the 
invitations, Ukyou hung out a sign telling everyone that her 
restaurant would be closed until six that evening, then 
rushed over to the tea garden. The tea house she had rented, 
and the path leading to it, would have seemed beautiful and 
perfectly kept to a gaijin, but to the eyes of a nihonjin 
about to host a serious Cha No Yu, the place was in 
unspeakably bad shape. She would have to do an enormous 
amount of work before the place would be even halfway decent 
and Ukyo was determined to have it in far better than decent 
shape.
 
       The proprietor stopped by and watched Ukyo's furious 
pace for a few moments, then sent her gardener to help. Much 
of what Ukyou was finding necessary to do should have been 
taken care of by her staff, but this little tea house was so 
seldom used and the others so busy that it had been 
neglected. It is generally expected that the host of a Cha No 
Yu will make all the necessary preparations for the ceremony 
herself, but Ukyou made no objections to the gardener's help. 
Even with all the pruning and general policing of the grounds 
done, which meant there would not be a single leaf nor blade 
of grass out of place, she would still have to arrive two 
hours early the next day and do one more round of cleaning. A 
serious Cha No Yu, at which one hoped to offer apologies and 
make peace, required everything to be perfect. The tea house 
and its grounds would have to be positively immaculate. Much 
to Ukyou's relief, Konatsu joined in the work shortly after 
three, speeding up the things up considerably. With a bit of 
luck, we'll just manage to re-open the restaurant in time for 
the evening rush, she thought.
 
 
 
                                  -----------
  
 

  
       "I think my ass is dragging out my tracks," Nabiki 
said in English to one of her minions. 
 
       "What does that mean?" The girl asked.
 
       "It means I'm tired!" Nabiki said. "What time is it?"
 
       "Five-thirty," the girl said with a grin. "At least we 
made a lot of money today."
 
       "That we did," Nabiki said. "Why don't you go on home. 
All I have to do now is study."
 
       "You do need to spend a little more time on 
schoolwork, Boss."
 
       "I will," Nabiki said, "as soon as we get this current 
crisis out of the way."
 
       "When is there not a crisis around here?"
 
       "Well there are problems and there are crises. This is 
a crisis."
 
       "What makes it a crisis?"
 
       "My sister's life and millions of yen hang in the 
balance."
 
       "I think I see your point."
 
       "Good! Now go home."
 
       "See ya tomorrow, Boss."
 
       "Ja, ne!" Nabiki said tiredly. It really had been a 
long day. In addition to attending class, she had negotiated 
a bargain with the owner of the Northside Tea Gardens, 
settled two violent disputes between Miyagi and Uchigawa, 
that work was going well despite Miyagi's usual antics, 
delivered Ranma and Akane's homework and picked up their new 
assignments, kept tabs on all the latest rumors, kept track 
of Xian Pu's deliveries, ran the rest of the gambling pool, 
and even managed to get a peek at Thibbideaux's Bicycle Shop. 
Now all I need are a couple of kids to feed and mollycoddle! 
Nabiki thought. Wait a minute! I do have a couple of kids to 
mollycoddle, not counting Dad, Uncle Saotome and Happosai. 
I've got to make sure Ranma and Akane's kimono get to the 
clinic before noon tomorrow. She paused long enough to call 
Kasumi and ask her to take care of it when she carried supper 
over for them, then returned to her studies.
 
       By six-thirty, her stomach demanded enough attention 
to end all hope of serious study. Nabiki briefly considered 
going home to eat, then decided that the Nekohanten would 
probably be a better idea. It was time she and Ko Lon had a 
talk. Fortunately, it was a short walk from Furinkan to the 
Nekohanten. She arrived just in time to see Xian Pu depart on 
her new bicycle. The young Joketsu pedaled away towards 
Forges Street with what must have been a hundred kilograms of 
orders. 
 
       Much to Nabiki's surprise, the restaurant itself was 
nearly empty, save for a very busy Mu Suu and Ko Lon, who was 
sitting at a table taking a smoke break while Mu Suu tried to 
catch up with washing bowls. The old woman cackled when 
Nabiki walked through the door.
 
       "Konnichi wa, Tendo-san!" Ko Lon said in a cheerful 
voice. "I've been hoping you'd stop in to see us. How are you 
doing, my dear?"
 
       "Tired and hungry, at the moment," Nabiki said with a 
genuine smile. Despite everything, she really did admire Ko 
Lon. "I don't suppose you could spare me a bowl of noodles?"
 
       "Oh, I think we can scrape a small order together for 
you!" Ko Lon said with a casual wave of her pipe. "Mu Suu?"
 
       "Coming right up!" The tall, young man said. "Will 
chicken be all right, Tendo-san?"
 
       "That would be perfect, Mu Suu," Nabiki said as she 
sat down at Ko Lon's table. Mu Suu set a steaming bowl in 
front of Ko Lon, then a another in front of Nabiki. The smell 
was glorious. Nabiki paused to appreciate Mu Suu's whipcord 
figure before digging into her soup. Mu Suu returned rather 
quickly with a teapot and two mugs. The tea was the hard to 
find and quite expensive Oolong-Suuchong variety, smelling of 
rose petals and old oak with just a touch of tar. It was 
rich, dark and delicious.
 
       "So, what brings you here besides hunger, Miss Tendo?" 
Ko Lon asked Nabiki in shockingly proper English.
 
       "I thought a talk we should have," Nabiki replied in 
the same language. "How is my English?"
 
       "Surprisingly good, considering where you studied the 
language," Ko Lon answered. "Do you speak any other 
languages?"
 
       "I study the French have been, but I very little of it 
speak yet."
 
       "Hmm, French is an exacting language and takes quite a 
while to master," Ko Lon said. "English should be safe enough 
for our purposes."
 
       "Your English sounds very British, Honored Elder. You 
study in Britain did?"
 
       "Yes, as a matter of fact, I did," Ko Lon said with 
yet another cackle. "I am afraid my English is a bit dated. 
You see, Victoria was still Queen the last time I visited 
England."
 
       Nabiki's eyes widened at this.
 
       "You really must give in and tell me some of your 
beauty secrets, Ko Lon," Nabiki said, inadvertantly speaking 
in Japanese.
 
       Ko Lon howled with laughter.
 
       "Sorry, child," Ko Lon said at last. "At least half of 
my secret is genetics."
 
       "Oh, poo!" Nabiki said, in Japanese while feigning 
great disappointment, "I was hoping there was a spring of 
drowned, eternal virgin or something."
 
       "You and millions of other young women!"
 
       Both of them laughed at this.
 
       "So tell me," Ko Lon said in English. "How is  my son-
in-law doing?"
 
       "Ranma," Nabiki said carefully, "quite well physically 
is. He best shape in is not, but completely healed is. His 
temperament worrisome is."
 
       "So I have gathered," Ko Lon said. "Having 
difficulties controlling his ki, especially in the late 
evening?"
 
       Nabiki nodded her head.
 
       "It will pass," Ko Lon said. "The boy is nothing if 
not resilient."
 
       "That, my conclusion also," Nabiki said. "My sister I 
worry about most."
 
       Ko Lon drew a deep breath and sighed. 
 
       "And not without good reason, Miss Tendo," Ko Lon 
said. "I am glad you wanted to discuss this with me."
 
       Nabiki looked up in surprise, only to find that Ko Lon 
had become quite interested in her soup. They ate in silence 
for a moment, then Ko Lon took a long, noisy slurp of her 
tea. She put her cup down and refilled both hers and Nabiki's 
mugs.
 
       "I am very sorry about what happened at your sister's 
wedding," Ko Lon said. "Had I known what Xian Pu was up to, I 
would have prevented it."
 
       "I believe you, Honored Elder," Nabiki said. What Xian 
Pu had done never had any hope of working. Her actions had 
done the only thing they could have done for her. They had 
made matters worse.
 
       "Unfortunately, by the time I caught up with her, 
things were already a great mess," Ko Lon said. "And I must 
say, I was more than a little worried about Ranma's 
condition. He looked to be in a rather poor shape when his 
father carried him to the clinic."
 
       "Doctor Tofu said you several days of his recovery 
time probably saved," Nabiki said in a quiet voice.
 
       "Good!" Ko Lon said. "Now about your sister and Xian 
Pu..."
 
       "Before you con-tin-ue," Nabiki said, interrupting Ko 
Lon, "there things are you need know I think. Things no one 
the good sense or politeness? Manners! Manners have you 
before now tell."
 
       "Oh?"
 
       "Yes," Nabiki said, then gulped. She had been dreading 
this in more ways than one. She would be making targets of 
herself and Kasumi once she had said it, but there was no 
other way out that she could see. "The marriage agreement 
between Saotome Clan and Tendo Clan is. Just our two families 
is not."
 
	There was a moment of silence while Ko Lon sorted out 
Nabiki's idiosyncratic English.
 
       "O-o-o-h, ho-o-o!" Ko Lon said. "Which means that if 
anything happens to your youngest sister, you or Kasumi would 
be obliged to take her place, yes?"
 
       "And of us none able to meet the obligation is not, 
one of our cousins will," Nabiki said. "As long Ranma Saotome 
lives, member Tendo Clan marry him obligated is."
 
       "What can you tell me of your family's history, Tendo-
san?"
 
       "Our history?"
 
       "Yes," Ko Lon said, "Would you prefer to speak 
Japanese?"
 
       "No," Nabiki said, "Speaking English good practice for 
me. I cannot say you our family's history much about, but a 
lot of it there is. I know Nerima Tendo Fief prior to the 
Meiji Restoration was."
 
       "Hmm, how far back do your records go?"
 
       "Not sure am I," Nabiki said. "I record dated 1299 or 
something like have seen, but I sure cannot be. Japanese that 
old difficult read."
 
       Nabiki had a sudden thought that made her sit bolt 
upright.
 
       "Something wrong, Dear?"
 
       "Nothing wrong. Ranma those older records could read."
 
       "Oh, really? I never took him for a scholar."
 
       "Ranma studious when he interested is," Nabiki said 
with a grin. "He ancient Japanese and old Chinese can read. 
Many scrolls about The Art in those languages written were."
 
       Ko Lon slapped her thigh and laughed.
 
       "He much history knows also," Nabiki said.
 
       "Tell me. What is his mother like?"
 
       Nabiki took a deep breath and held it a moment before 
answering.
 
       "She a formidable woman is," Nabiki said, then paused 
again. "And she goofy as wooden watch."
 
       "Oh, really?" Ko Lon asked, sounding surprised.
 
       "She driven by something seems, but what I know not."
 
       Ko Lon held up her hand, then spoke.
 
       "There is far more to this arranged marriage than you 
know, Miss Tendo. In all probability, there is more to it 
than I know, yet. Certainly, there was far more to it than I 
knew before just a few days ago."
 
       Nabiki was shocked speechless. Getting this kind of 
news from this particular source was not something she had in 
any way expected.
 
       "I will not speak of it now, for I am not entirely 
sure of its accuracy, but rest assured that I am keenly 
interested in having peace between the Joketsuzoku and Tendo-
ke."
 
       "Peace with Tendo-ke, or with Ranma Saotome?"
 
       "Both, of course!" Ko Lon said with a very open smile. 
"But there is much more involved than I can rightly discuss 
with you at the moment. I think in the meantime your fatigue 
campaign against Xian Pu should continue--within reason of 
course."
 
       Nabiki smiled at Ko Lon. It was from her very best 
imitation of the great white shark.
 
       "I happy hear you like it."
 
       Ko Lon grinned right back, and it was every bit as 
toothsome as the smile Nabiki had given her.
 
       "It is a brilliant ploy, my dear! Worthy of a true 
Joketsu!"
 
       "Thank you, Honored Elder."
 
       "Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?"
 
       "That on the question depends."
 
       "How do you feel about Ranma?"
 
       Nabiki blushed violently.
 
       "I thought so," Ko Lon said, as she squinted her eyes 
at Nabiki. "I suppose then you can understand my great-
granddaughter's infatuation with him?"
 
       Nabiki had to admit that Ko Lon had a point. For a 
person such as herself, Ranma was the sort of guy one might 
consider dragging off to bed for a night or two, not the sort 
she would ever marry. For a girl like Xian Pu though, to whom 
martial arts and fighting were the be-all and end-all of 
existence, Ranma had to be irresistible. Who are you trying 
to kid, Nabiki? She silently asked herself. You have 
regretted the day you palmed him off on Akane for almost a 
year now. You would marry him in an instant and support him 
the rest of his life if you got the chance.
 
       "I understand can, Honored Elder."
 
       "Don't think that I am immune either, my dear."
 
       "Nani?" Nabiki was so surprised by this she lapsed 
into Japanese, then quickly remembered to speak in English. 
"You in love with him as well are?"
 
       "Hah-ha-ha!" Ko Lon laughed. "No, not really. I do 
think of him as a son, though. He welded himself to my heart 
shortly after I arrived here."
 
       "When this happen? That day on beach?"
 
       "No, a few weeks before that. In this very 
restaurant."
 
       "What happened?"
 
       "He marched in here just as big as you please and 
demanded that I give him the Never Dying Phoenix Pill. When I 
did not give it to him, he promptly tried to take it from 
me."
 
       "Then what happened?"
 
       "I threw him out the front door! He landed head first 
in that same garbage can sitting out there by the curb at 
this very moment."
 
       Ko Lon paused to laugh.
 
       "He levered himself out of the can and marched right 
back in here for another try. I threw him out the door again, 
only that time, I threw him much harder. He hit the wall 
across the street back first and upside down. He slid down 
the wall and landed on his head. After scrambling to his 
feet, he noticed my help-wanted poster. He snatched it down 
off the wall, trooped back in here and informed me that I had 
just hired the cutest waitress in town!"
 
       Ko Lon broke out laughing at the memory.
 
       "It was all I could do to keep a straight face at that 
very moment, but from that day since, he has had a very 
special place in my heart."
 
       "You that impressed by simple, physical courage were?"
 
       "Physical courage?" Ko Lon asked sounding shocked. 
"Tell me Tendo-san, have you ever tried walking a mile or so 
in a man's shoes?"
 
       "You the truth I tell, Honored Elder, difficult not I 
think," Nabiki said with a bit of a smirk. "This Japan is, 
Joketsuzoku village not."
 
       "Hah! I could arrange for you to be a man for a few 
days if you should ever want to give it try, Tendo-san," Ko 
Lon said with an evil glimmer in her eyes, "but try to 
imagine how it must be for a man to cope with being a woman 
for a month or more, here in Japan!"
 
       "Now that something I appreciate can, Honored Elder," 
Nabiki said. "Real courage necessary."
 
       "For a sixteen-year-old Japanese boy, the stress of 
becoming a girl is horrendous. Ranma's friends and enemies 
both came in here for weeks, just to ogle his bust and to 
have a go at patting that heart-shaped little arse of his."
 
       Nabiki began to giggle uncontrollably. Now she 
suddenly understood why so many of the boys at Furinkan had 
spent some time wearing casts. Some of the idiots had 
actually spent a month or more with casts on both limbs!
 
       "But he never lost sight of his goal. He tried every 
day, all day long to take that pill from me."
 
       Nabiki began to cackle.
 
       "He became so good and so fast, that I feared he might 
actually succeed. I took the precaution of removing the real 
medicine from its case and replaced it with a piece of 
chocolate candy."
 
       "And contest at beach ended. He Neko-ken used," Nabiki 
said, finishing the tale for Ko Lon. "I that fight saw. It 
magnificent was."
 
       "And I was shocked beyond words by his use of the 
Neko-ken, believe you me! Do you have any idea how many have 
died or became complete wrecks trying to master that 
technique? Thousands, Miss Tendo! Thousands! Just enough of 
them have succeeded to keep more fools trying to learn it. 
The boy's father should be strung up by his toes for that 
one."
 
       "Is why you relented? You what he through had gone 
knew?"
 
       "Yes. That and the fact that what he was going through 
by being stuck in his cursed form was only making matters 
worse. Besides, he did give me a sound thrashing that day. No 
one had done that in fifty years."
 
       "Fatigue campaign, go on not long, Honored Elder. If 
too long, your business, or Xian Pu be hurt."
 
       "We only need to keep it going for another week or so, 
a fortnight at the most, Tendo-san. I expect to receive word 
from the Council within that time, then I think you and I and 
possibly Ranma's mother will be able to engage in some 
serious negotiations."
 
       "Over Ranma's hand?"
 
       "That among other things, yes."
 
       Nabiki had been about to say that Ranma's nuptials 
were not on the table, but decided silence was the better 
part of valor. Ko Lon was showing every sign of wanting to 
settle the matter without requiring Ranma to marry Xian Pu, 
or resorting to violence against Akane. That would be worth a 
considerable price, even if the Joketsuzoku had no legal 
claim to Ranma under Japanese law.
 
       "I had best be going, Nabiki said in Japanese. "It is 
getting late."
 
       "Yes, it is. Do try to arrange a little more time for 
study, Tendo-san," Ko Lon said in Japanese. "It would never 
do to have a youngster as bright as yourself held back by 
poor grades during her last year of schooling."
 
       "Thank you for your concern, Elder," Nabiki said in 
Japanese and sounding more than a little surprised. "I will 
do as you suggest."
 
       "Good night, Tendo-san."
 
       "Good night, Ko Lon."
 

 
 
                                     -----------
  
 
       At five-thirty, Akane woke Ranma up. He had not 
suffered another bad episode, but the room did feel nicely 
air conditioned. She went back downstairs so that he could 
change in private. Just as she reached the first floor, the 
telephone rang.
 
       "Akane?" Doctor Tofu called out.
 
       "Yes?"
 
       "Would you take that call for me? I am not quite 
finished here."
 
       "Okay!" Akane said, cheerfully and picked up the 
telephone.
 
       "Ono Clinic, may I help you?"
 
       "Akane?"
 
       "Oh! Hi, Kasumi."
 
       "I just wanted to call and let you know that I'll be 
bringing supper over in a little while."
 
       "Okay!"
 
       "I'm also bringing some formal clothes for you and 
Ranma. Which kimono will he want for tomorrow? Do you know?"
 
       "Ah, just bring both, Kasumi. He's in the shower right 
now and I can't ask him."
 
       "Okay, that makes sense. See you soon."
 
       "Thanks, Kasumi. Bye."
 
       "Was it urgent?" Tofu asked just as Akane put down the 
receiver.
 
       "No, sir. It was for me. I really should talk to 
Nabiki about getting us a cellular telephone, that way our 
calls won't be mixed up with yours."
 
       "It hasn't been bad so far, Akane."
 
       "No, but it could be inconvenient," Akane said.
 
       "Is Ranma awake yet?"
 
       "Yes, he's in the shower."
 
       "Bring him to the lab when...Oh, there you are, Ranma. 
How are you feeling?"
 
       "I'm okay, I guess Doc. I had a nightmare this 
afternoon."
 
       "Was it bad?" Tofu asked.
 
       "He was making things pretty cold, Doctor Tofu," Akane 
said. "I had to wake him up."
 
       "It was about..." Ranma cut himself off and glanced at 
Akane, "I can't remember the details all that well."
 
       Tofu cocked an eyebrow at Ranma and smiled.
 
       "I think I finally found something that will help you 
with that, Ranma."
 
       "Really?" Ranma asked, sounding genuinely pleased.
 
       "Come on into the lab and I'll show you how to make it 
up. You'll be taking this for quite a while, so you may as 
well learn how to prepare it."
 
       "Okay," Ranma said, sounding faintly dubious. "What is 
it?"
 
       "A medicinal tea," Ono said with a grin. "It isn't too 
complicated so you should be able to make it yourself."
 
       Ranma and Akane followed their friend and doctor into 
his tiny laboratory.
 
       "You need two small pots of water and a thermometer," 
Tofu said, as he began to go over the instructions with 
Ranma. 
 
       Akane watched in silence. The tea was really not that 
complicated. It used four herbs and required that one of them 
be steeped in water just short of boiling, the other three in 
water of exactly seventy-degrees centigrade. It seemed like a 
pretty dull recipe to her. Some cinnamon and cilantro would 
help it a lot, perhaps a touch of cayenne as well. She would 
remember to try that the first time she made it for Ranma.
 
       "Is this all there is to it?" Ranma asked.
 
       "Yes," Tofu told him. "You need two cups when you get 
up and three an hour before going to bed. Just be sure to put 
these three herbs in the cooler water and never add anything 
to the mix, not even sugar. You must remember that this 
medicine and treat at as such."
 
       "Akane?"
 
       "Yes, Doctor Tofu?"
 
       "I want you to drink one cup of this  in the morning 
and two before going to bed."
 
       "Why should I drink it, Doctor Tofu? I'm not sick am 
I?"
 
       "Well, you have been under quite a bit of stress as 
well, Akane," Tofu said, as he handed Akane a steaming cup.
 
       "Oh."
 
       "Are you still up for a little pushing hands with me 
this evening, Ranma?" Tofu asked.
 
       "Sure, Doc," Ranma said, matching the doctor's 
enthusiastic tone of voice. "I'd love to!"
 
       "Good! I'll go change while you two drink your tea."
 
       "Okay, Doc," Ranma said.
 
       Akane gave Ranma a quizzical stare as Tofu left the 
room. Ranma sipped his tea and made a face.
 
       "Well it doesn't taste bad, but it's familiar to me."
 
       Akane tried a sip and agreed with him. The tea tasted 
pretty good, and it was indeed familiar.
 
       "Ranma?"
 
       "Huh?"
 
       "What did Doctor Tofu mean by pushing hands, with 
him?"
 
       "It's Tai Chi Chuan practice."
 
       "Tai Chi Chuan?"
 
       "Uh, huh."
 
       "I didn't know you practiced any of the soft arts."
 
       "Well I don't really, except that some our school's 
advanced techniques have a little Tai Chi Chuan in them. I 
picked up quite a bit of it while I was in China. Pop hated 
it."
 
       "It figures," Akane said. "Will you teach it to me?"
 
       "I think I'll let Tofu do the teaching, then you and I 
will practice together," Ranma said. "Will that be okay?"
 
       "What's the matter Ranma, afraid you don't know it 
well enough?"
 
       "I'm certain I don't know it well enough," Ranma said 
with a grin. "Besides, you'd love an excuse to practice with 
Tofu."
 
       Akane gave him a mock slap.
 
       "Kasumi's bringing supper over later, and our clothes. 
I asked her to bring both of your kimono because I didn't 
know if you would want to go to the Cha No Yu as a girl or a 
guy."
 
       "Yeesh, I hadn't thought about it much," Ranma said. 
"Think it'd be easier on Ukyo if I went as a girl?"
 
       "I don't know, Ranma," Akane said. "It may not matter 
to Ukyo. She adores your girl half as much as does your guy 
half."
 
       Ranma grimaced, then looked down at his feet. 
Suddenly, he snapped his fingers and looked up with a huge 
grin on his face.
 
       "What is it, Ranma?" Akane asked as her eyes widened 
with alarm. "I know that look! What are you thinking?"
 
       "I'm going to talk Tofu into wearing a blindfold while 
we push hands."'
 
       "Whatever on earth for?" Akane asked, her voice rising 
with increased alarm.
 
       "Kasumi's coming over, right?" Ranma asked. "Do you 
wanna be close to him when she shows up?"
 
       "Well no, not really, but why are you grinning like 
that?"
 
       "I owe the doc a good one."
 
       "Ranma-a-a-a!"
 
       "Easy, Akane! Easy!"
 
       "If you get my sister hurt I'll..."
 
       "Hey! Hey! Hey! It's desensifying."
 
       "What? Oh, you mean desensitizing."
 
       "Yeah!"
 
       "Oh, Ranma! You wouldn't!"
 
       "And why not? By the time Doc knows, he'll already be 
exposed. Have you ever pushed hands before?"
 
       "No." 
 
       "The beginning forms are a lot more like dancing than 
a martial art."
 
       "Oh, wait! I just remembered! Kasumi studied Tai Chi 
Chuan for a while when we were little. So did Dad."
 
       "See? It'll work, won't it?"
 
       "I think you're right, Ranma. It would be good for 
both of them."
 
       "I'm ready, Ranma!" Tofu called from the hallway.
 
       "Go ahead and warm up, Doc!" Ranma called back. "I got 
another cup of this stuff to drink yet."
 
       "Okay, but don't take too long."
 
       "I won't!" Ranma called back. "Jeez, Akane. I never 
had any idea how busy doctors are until we started hanging 
around here all day. He never wastes a minute."
 
       "Me either," Akane said.
 
       "Why don't you go on out and ask him to show you the 
basic steps while I finish this?"
 
       "Okay."
 
       (How long do you think, Saotome?)
 
       (Oh, it'll take Kasumi at least fifteen minutes to get 
here, more like twenty.)
 
       (So we spend ten minutes or so working on this tea, 
right?)
 
       (Yeah. Meanwhile, Akane is keeping Tofu plenty busy. 
You know how slow she is at picking things up.)
 
       (She's getting better at that, you know.)
 
       (Yeah, but let's face it, Akane is never gonna be as 
fast at learning new moves as we are.)
 
       (No, I guess you're right, Saotome.)
 
       (So what are we going to do, ask him to wear a 
blindfold while he pushes hands with us so we won't be 
embarrassed?)
 
       (Well, that might work, but you know how Tofu is. He's 
a born sensei. As soon as he thinks he's found a weak spot 
he'll start tryin' to help us get rid of it.)
 
       (So how are we going to get him into a blindfo...I got 
it!)
 
       (Yeah?)
 
       (Sure! We just challenge him. Bet him he can't do it.)
 
       (I don't know if that will work with the Doc, Red.)
 
       (He's a martial artist, right?)
 
       (Yeah, he is that. Okay, we'll give it a try.)
 
       (Okay, so let's go, Saotome! We got ten minutes before 
we get a Kasumi-storm.)
 
       Ranma looked out the backdoor and saw Tofu struggling 
to teach Akane the beginner's version of pushing hands. Just 
as he expected, Akane was trying too hard.
 
       (See? What'd I tell ya, Red?)
 
       (She's doing pretty good, all things considered.)
 
       (Think so?)
 
       (Think you could teach this to Hiroshi or Daisuke?)
 
       (Are you kiddin'? Those two klutzes...Okay, okay! You 
gotta point. She ain't all that clumsy, really.)
 
       (The thing is, we are used to working at this stuff 
six to eight hours a day, six days a week. Akane's never had 
that privilege.)
 
       (Privilege? Is that what you call it?)
 
       (Yeah, privilege, Saotome! How many of these other 
kids got to spend ten years doing almost nothing but study 
the Art?)
 
       (Hey! They got to do a lot of stuff I never got to do, 
like getting to know a mother.)
 
       (So what's your point? Akane didn't have a mother and 
Uncle Tendo isn't exactly the ideal father.)
 
       (In some ways, he's a bargain, Red.)
 
       (You're getting away from the point!)
 
       (Okay, okay! I'll cut her some slack. She's got it 
coming, okay?)
 
       (Okay.)
 
       (Shall we break in, now?)
 
       (Yeah, I think we better. I think we have about five 
minutes left. Work fast, Saotome.)
 
       (You work fast! I'm gonna sit this one out.)
 
       (That water was really cold, Saotome!)
 
       (It's training, okay?)
	
       Onna-Ranma stepped out the backdoor.
 
       "Pay close attention, Akane," Onna-Ranma said as she 
walked out the back door, "Tofu-sensei is one of the few 
people that could do this stuff blindfolded."
 
       "What? Blindfolded?" Akane asked, sounding credulous 
and slightly out of breath, "No way!"
 
       (Hey! She's pretty quick on the uptake, too!)
 
       (See? I've been telling you underestimate her, 
Saotome.)
 
       "Tell her, Doc!"
 
       "Well it has been a long time, but I'm sure I could, 
Akane," Tofu said in a low voice. Obviously he did not like 
showing off.
 
       "Think you could do it with Ranma?" Akane asked. "I 
wouldn't ask you to try it with a beginner like me."
 
       "I don't know, Akane," Tofu said, then smiled. "How 
about it, Ranma? Do you feel lucky this evening?"
 
       "Probably not as lucky as you, Doc," Onna-Ranma said, 
unable to suppress a grin, "but I'll give it a whirl!"
 
       Akane produced a large kerchief, seemingly from out of 
nowhere.
 
       (See, she thinks ahead, too! We are really lucky to 
have her, Saotome!)
 
       (Yeah.)
 
       "Here, Doc!" Onna-Ranma said, as he skipped over to 
Akane and Tofu. "You had better let me put that on for you."
 
       Akane stuck her tongue out at Onna-Ranma.
 
       "Hey! You can experiment on me later, okay? The doc 
here is too valuable to risk."
 
       "What sort of experiment did you have in mind, Ranma?" 
Akane asked, giving Onna-Ranma a smoldering stare.
 
       "Hey! Hey! Hey!"
 
       Tofu chuckled, while Akane gave Onna-Ranma an impish 
smile.
 
       (Simply irresistible!)
 
       (Yeah, and another cold shower for us, Red.)
 
       (Yeah, huh!)
 
       (Hey! Will you not think up stuff like that? It's not 
nice!)
 
       (Saotome, you are such an insufferable prude!)
 
       (Well somebody's gotta keep us outta trouble!)
 
       (Hah! Look who's talking!)
 
       "There! All fixed, Doc. Comfy?"
 
       "Yes, that will do quite nicely, Ranma," Tofu said 
with an evil grin. "Are you ready?"
 
       "Ikuzo, Isha!" Ranma said, in a hearty voice. ["Let's 
go, Healer!"]
 
       "Hai, Shatei!" Tofu answered ["Okay, little 
brother!"], and the non-contest of pushing hands began. 
 
       Tai Chi Chuan, translated from the Chinese can be 
taken to mean either the "Supreme Spirit Force" or "Supreme 
Ultimate Fist." In the end, they mean the same thing. It is a 
study in the art of recognizing, using, mastering and even 
neutralizing ki. The point of the "Pushing Hands" is not so 
much to have a contest, as it is to learn about one's own ki 
and how it interacts with that of other people. Think of it 
as a tennis match where no score is kept and where neither 
participant has the least interest in scoring. The idea is to 
keep the ball in constant transit over the net, volley after 
volley after volley, testing one's "aite" or "counterpart" 
with each return, never quite pushing him or her beyond the 
limits of their ability to respond, but forcing them to 
improve. This is pushing hands. One learns to listen for, to 
sense, the aite's ki and to respond to it. In Tofu Ono, Ranma 
Saotome found an almost perfect teacher. In Ranma Saotome, 
Tofu Ono found the ultimate student. The very air around them 
began to crackle shortly after they began. Their focus and 
concentration upon one another became total in mere seconds.
 
       "Oh, my!" Kasumi said to Akane. "That is so 
beautiful!"
 
       "Konnichi wa, Onee-san," Akane said to her sister. 
"Let me give you a hand with that."
 
       Kasumi did not respond. The whole of her attention was 
focused upon Tofu and Ranma.
 
       "Kasumi?" Akane asked, giving the large basket Kasumi 
was holding a gentle tug.
 
       "Hmm? Oh, I'm sorry, Akane."
 
       "Let's take this inside," Akane said, giving her 
sister a smile. "Do you remember how to push hands?"
 
       "I'm not sure, Akane-chan!" Kasumi said as they 
entered the clinic. "It has been a long time, almost five 
years now."
 
       "Let's take this upstairs," Akane said. "Then I'll get 
Ranma to let you have a turn at pushing hands with Doctor 
Tofu."
 
       "Akane," Kasumi said, her voice grave, "are you sure 
that is wise?"
 
       "Don't worry, Kasumi. Ranma and I have it figured out. 
Did you notice that Doctor Tofu is wearing a blindfold?"
 
       "Oh, my!"
 
       Once the two sisters came back downstairs, Akane 
picked up a tiny pebble and threw it at Onna-Ranma. It hit 
him between the shoulder blades.
 
       "Doc?" Onna-Ranma asked, then panted for breath.
 
       "Yes, Ranma?" Tofu was a bit short on breath himself.
 
       "I think Akane wants another turn. Do you mind?"
 
       "Oh, not at all, if you need a rest."
 
       (I can't believe he said that!)
 
       (Oh, relax, Saotome! He's just trying to be polite.)
 
       "I really could use a break, Doc."
 
       "Okay, Ranma," Tofu said with a smile. "We'll have to 
do this for a few days and get your endurance up."
 
       (Grrrr!)
 
       (Down, boy! Down!)
 
       "Just wait here, Doc. I'll bring her to ya."
 
       Onna-Ranma walked hurriedly over to Kasumi and took 
her by the hand, while motioning for Akane to follow them 
with his head.
 
       "Here she is, Doc. Feel her hands?"
 
       "Yes, I'm fine, Ranma. Are you ready, Akane?"
 
       "Yes, Sensei," Akane answered before Kasumi could say 
anything.
 
       The results were nothing short of spectacular. Kasumi 
it seemed, remembered her old lessons well, and then of 
course, there was the little matter of love to consider.
 
       "My, Akane!" Tofu exclaimed. "You have improved 
considerably."
 
       Kasumi did something Ranma had never heard her do very 
much, she giggled. The air around Kasumi and Tofu turned 
blue, then red, then gold.
 
       "Maaa!" Akane said, in a reverent tone.
 
       "O-o-oh!" Onna-Ranma said in the most manly way he 
could.
 
       "They are so beautiful together, Ranma!"
 
       "Yeah, but the doc has had one hell of a workout 
today," Onna-Ranma observed dryly. "He's gonna be sore as the 
dickens in the morning."
 
       "Do you think he's figured it out by now?"
 
       "Oh, yeah."
 
       "He sure seems to be holding up well, if he has."
 
       "It's the technique, Akane," Onna-Ranma said. "It 
really helps you stay in focus."
 
       "Kasumi's pretty good, isn't she?"
 
       "With a little practice, she's going to be one of the 
greats," Onna-Ranma said in sober tones. "Tai Chi Chuan suits 
her to a tee."
 
       "Will you practice with me some more tonight, Ranma?"
 
       "Sure, right after we eat. I'm starving."
 
       "You and your stomach!"
 
       "Hey! I can't help it! I'm a growing boy!" Onna-Ranma 
said, gently thumping his ample bosom. Akane made no reply, 
other than to snort and give him a mock slap. Ranma scooped 
her up and gave her a quick kiss. Before she could react, he 
had already set her back on her feet.
 
       "Baka!"
 
       "Yeah, but I'm your baka, right?"
 
       "Experiments later," Akane said with a clearly ominous 
threat in her voice.
 
       "Ooh, hoo! I'm _so_ scared!"
 
       "You will be, boy!" Akane said as she gave him a 
menacing stare and tried to wrinkle her face as much as 
possible. "You _will_ be!"
 
       "Oh, my! That was marvelous, Doctor Tofu!" Kasumi 
said, causing both Ranma and Akane to look the older couple's 
way. "Thank you so much!"
 
       "Ah...It was my...ah...my...ah...my pleasure, Kasumi-
san," Tofu was stammering, but maintaining an even strain. He 
began struggling with the blindfold, but was having 
difficulty in removing it. This did not surprise Ranma. The 
Anything Goes School was very eclectic, and one of the 
martial arts little known outside Japan, but is in fact 
something of a Japanese specialty, is concerned with tying 
people up, gagging them and blindfolding them. Tofu would 
never remove the kerchief without help. Onna-Ranma watched 
and smirked.
 
       "Hang in there, Doc!" Onna-Ranma called out. "You've 
been doin' great so far!" Tofu visibly flinched.
 
       (Paybacks are a bitch, aren't they, Saotome?)
 
       (Yeah! And they're fun to watch, too!)
 
       "Here, let me help you," Kasumi said to the badly 
befuddled Tofu. He stopped struggling and let Kasumi remove 
the blindfold. Onna-Ranma and Akane sat and stared at them 
while Kasumi and Tofu stared into each other's eyes. Onna-
Ranma suddenly felt a crushing pain in his right arm. It was 
Akane, who in her excitement had closed her powerful fingers 
around his forearm. Only a large, hydraulic press could match 
Akane psi for psi.
 
       "Do you think they'll kiss, Ranma?" Akane asked, in an 
excited whisper.
 
       "I think they already have, Akane," Ranma answered in 
normal tones. Whispering, in his opinion would have been 
wasted effort on Tofu and Kasumi.
 
       "I...what do you mean?"
 
       "Hell! Look at 'em and tell me what you see."
 
       "Oh, I guess maybe you're right in a way."
 
       "I know I'm right," Onna-Ranma said with his usual 
cockiness. "Let's go eat."
 
       "We aren't going to wait for them?"
 
       "I don't think they are all that interested in food at 
the moment, Akane," Onna-Ranma said with a grin. "'Sides, 
looks to me like they could use a little privacy."
  
       Akane's stomach rumbled.
 
       "I suppose you're right," Akane said, "but it seems 
awfully rude."
 
       "Believe me, Akane," Onna-Ranma said, as he took Akane 
by the hand,  "they won't mind it a bit and I am starving."
 

 
 
                                                               
-----------
  
 
 
 
       Tofu Ono had realized right away that it was not Akane 
who had taken Ranma's place. This girl was not nearly as 
powerful as Ranma, but her technique was much more refined 
and subtle. After a few moves, he realized that it was Kasumi 
Tendo with whom he was exercising. The gentle sweetness of 
her ki was unmistakable. He felt his control begin to slip, 
then much to his surprise, Kasumi invited the rising tide of 
confusion into emptiness and he felt it die away even as it 
began. Kasumi then forced him to exercise in earnest, sending 
forth powerful streams of ki which forced him to "invite them 
to emptiness," and counter them with measures of his own. 
Soon, she began to find his weak spots and he had to work 
harder. He sought out hers, forcing her to work harder, to 
seek out answers to the problems he presented her. He would 
have loved for their play to last forever, but he had already 
been exercising for a while and neither he, nor Kasumi were 
up to more. It did not matter. He knew now that there would 
many tomorrows for the two of them.
 
       Struggling with the damned blindfold was embarrassing, 
and Ranma's urging him to "hang in there" did not help the 
problem at all. Tofu grinned to himself despite his plight. 
He had to admit that he had this one coming. Young Saotome 
owed him one, but he had not expected anything quite so 
massive as this. How did Ranma tie this thing on anyway? He 
wondered as he continued struggling with the kerchief.  I 
would never thought it possible to make blindfold difficult 
to remove! Finally, Kasumi removed it for him and he breathed 
a sigh of relief, only to find himself holding his breath. He 
and Kasumi were standing almost nose to nose and Tofu 
suddenly found himself swimming in the gentle depths of 
Kasumi's soul. For Tofu Ono, the rest of the universe ceased 
to exist. There was only Kasumi and nothing else.
 
       "I brought over a little something for everyone to 
eat," Kasumi said in a very quiet voice. "Are you hungry, 
Doctor Tofu?"
 
       There are times when there is simply too much for a 
man to say. Too many words required. Too many complexities in 
need of communication and those times invariably come at the 
wrong moment.
 
       "Why don't I treat you to something you did not have 
to cook, for a change?"
 
       "Oh, Doctor Tofu, I'm not really dressed to..."
 
       "Well, the place I had in mind won't care, Kasumi-
san," Tofu said. "The vegetables are always fresh and vine 
ripened. The kitchen is as spotless as your own and the chef 
is superb."
 
       "That sounds wonderful but..."
 
       "And it's quiet enough that we can talk, Kasumi-san," 
Tofu said, beginning to feel desperate, "and I desperately 
need to talk with you."
 
       Kasumi smiled and it was as though the gloom of late 
twilight had been banished by the noon-day sun for Tofu Ono.
 
       "Then let's go, Kasumi said. "Can you see well enough 
to find the way?"
 
       "Yes," Tofu said, "I see much better with my glasses 
than without, but I can get by without them for most things."
 
       "Where are you glasses, anyway?"
 
       "I think Ranma still has them," he said, "but I have 
another pair where we are going."
 
       "Oh!" Kasumi said, sounding somewhat surprised, "we 
are going to your apartment?"
 
       "It's a condominium, actually," Tofu answered. "They 
let me install several greenhouses on the roof for my 
medicinal gardens."
 
       "Oh, I would love to see them!" Kasumi said 
cheerfully. "Will you show them to me?'
 
       "Of course, dear...I mean, Kasumi-san," Tofu said.
 
       "Would you remind me to call Aunt Nodoka once we 
arrive?" Kasumi asked. "I don't want to worry her."
 
       They walked off into the rapidly falling night, arm in 
arm. 
  

 
 
                                                               
-----------
  
 
 
 
       "Tadaimaa!" Nabiki called out as she entered the front 
door of Tendo-ke.
 
        Nodoka, despite her intentions to sleep, had been up 
for almost an hour.
 
       "Konnichi-wa, Nabiki-chan," Nodoka answered, looking 
Nabiki over. "Oh my dear! You look worn completely out."
 
       "It has been a long day, Oba-san," Nabiki said 
tiredly, "and I still have tons of studying to do."
 
       "I kept some supper for you," Nodoka said. "Do you 
want it now, or would you prefer to bathe first?"
 
       "The furo sounds like the next stop for me, Aunt 
Nodoka," Nabiki said, then gave the older woman a smile.
 
       "Oh, good!" Nodoka said. "I'll join you and we can 
talk."
 
       "Oh...uh..all right," Nabiki said. I haven't bathed in 
a private bath with another person since I was seven! Nabiki 
thought to herself. Nodoka is really old-fashioned! Then 
another thought ran across her mind. Don't kid yourself, 
Nabiki, you fool! You left your ledger out this morning. Now 
she wants to know about Ranma. 
 
       "Your things are already laid out in the bath, dear," 
Nodoka said with a smile, as she relieved Nabiki of her 
books. "Why don't you get started and I'll join you?"
 
       "Thank you, Aunt Nodoka!" Nabiki said, trying to sound 
cheerfully grateful. Geez! She must not have nearly enough to 
do during the day. I wonder what she did with herself all 
those years Ranma and Shit-daddy were on their training trip?
 
       A few moments later Nabiki rediscovered how nice it 
was to have someone scrub your back for you, even if you did 
have to help them out in return. It felt good. The furo was 
even better. The hot water very quickly soaked away the 
tension in her neck and shoulders. Nodoka had joined her, of 
course, but Nabiki found it not all that unpleasant. Nodoka 
could be good company when she wanted to be. They talked 
about school and what Nabiki was planning for the future and 
much to Nabiki's surprise, Nodoka was very supportive.
 
       "The time for a woman to remain a simple housewife has 
come and gone, Nabiki-chan," she said. "Work hard and do well 
in college. Then you can afford to pick a man just for his 
looks!"
 
       They both laughed over that idea, even though Nabiki 
found it a bit too close to the truth for comfort.
 
       "So tell me. Has Genma done anything to help since he 
and Ranma have been here?"
 
       "You mean around the house, or with the money?" Nabiki 
asked.
 
       "Either or both," Nodoka said, sounding grim.
 
       "Well, he has gone out and gotten a part time job a 
few times," Nabiki said. "And he's been real good about 
helping out with the heavy repair work that has been needed 
around here."
 
       "But did he help out with the finances, Nabiki-chan?"
 
       "Not much," Nabiki said. "Ranma has done most of 
that."
 
       "But how?" Nodoka asked.
 
       "Oh, that has been very easy," Nabiki said. "He poses 
for me and I sell photographs of him at school."
 
       "Nani?" Nodoka's voice took on a cold edge.
 
       "Sure!" Nabiki said, with a huge smile she did not 
really feel like wearing. "You should see the girls drooling 
over him all the time. I never have a problem selling 
photographs of him."
 
       "Oh, my!" Nodoka said, with a giggle. "I would never 
have thought to try that! Girls in my day would never do such 
thing--not that we didn't want to, of course."
 
       Nabiki heaved a great sigh of relief.
 
       "The pictures were not too terribly naughty were 
they?"
 
       "Just enough to make their tongues hang out, but not 
enough to make them cover their faces," Nabiki said, with a 
sly smile. "With Ranma's looks, that is all that has ever 
been required."
 
       "Oh! I am _so_ proud of him!" Nodoka said, squealing 
like a teeny-bopper at a rock concert. "My manly son is a 
beefcake!"
 
       Nabiki felt her face begin to redden despite her best 
efforts to prevent it.
 
       "I think I have had enough of this hot water, Aunt 
Nodoka," Nabiki said, "and I really should be getting on with 
my studies."
 
       "Of course, dear!" Nodoka said, with hearty cheer in 
her voice. "If you don't mind, I think I will soak for a bit 
longer."
 
       Nabiki was careful to get out of the furo and turn her 
back before rolling her eyes towards the heavens and 
breathing a silent prayer of thanks to the kami. In a way, it 
made her feel a little shabby. Nodoka was glowing over her 
"manly" son's exploits and vicarious conquests, but without 
knowing the whole truth. At least it's mostly true, Nabiki 
thought. Several of the girls really do buy a lot of the 
beefcake stuff, especially Kodachi and Ukyo, but that has not 
been where the serious money came from. The less Nodoka knows 
about this, the better for Ranma and me alike. May the kami 
help us if she ever discovers the whole truth! Otherwise, 
there will be three for seppuku instead of two. I'll make 
Shit-daddy go first, Nabiki swore silently to the gods. I 
will volunteer to be his second! 

 
 
                                            -----------
  
 
 
 
        "Ranma?"
 
       "Mmm?" Onna-Ranma noised around a mouth full of 
chicken teriyaki.
 
       "Maybe we should go check on them."
 
       "No way!"
 
       "Why not?"
 
       "Because I'm still young and I want to go on living 
for a while."
 
       "I can't believe my sister Kasumi just ran off with 
a...with a..."
 
       "Doctor?"
 
       "A man!"
 
       "What have you got against Kasumi, Akane?"
 
       "I don't have anything against Kasumi! It's just that 
I..."
 
       "Yes?"
 
       "Oh, Ranma!" Akane said, covering her face with her 
hands. "I'm so happy for her!"
 
       Onna-Ranma rolled his eyes towards the ceiling, then 
took another bite of chicken.
 
       "But it's so hard for me to accept!"
 
       "Are you through eating, Akane?"
 
       "Yes!" Akane said, looking up so that she could glare 
at Onna-Ranma. "I mean, no!"
 
       "Well, then, eat! You haven't got all night. You need 
to get some sleep so you can study tomorrow. I need to study 
and we both want to train and snuggle, right?"
 
       "We could just snuggle."
 
       "Training first!"
 
       "Meanie!"
 
       "Hmph!" Onna-Ranma snorted. "Be glad you aren't 
trainin' with my old man!"
 
       "I'll pass on the pit full of hungry cats, thank you 
very much!"
 
       "Oh, that was one of the easier parts of my training," 
Onna-Ranma said in a casual tone of voice. "You don't know 
the half of it."
 
       Akane gave Onna-Ranma a disbelieving stare. Onna-Ranma 
answered with a cold stare of his own.
 
       "What? You don't believe me?"
 
       "I'm not sure I can."
 
       "Hmph! Eat!"
 
       "What could possibly have been worse?"
 
       "You don't want to know."
 
       "Yes, I do."
 
       "The swimming lessons for starters."
 
       Akane gulped. "Swimming lessons?"
 
       "See? I told you. You don't want to know."
 
       "You aren't planning to teach me the same way are 
you?"
 
       "Hell, no! Now, eat!"
 
       "Why are you so worried about me eating?"
 
       "Because you lost so goddamned much weight in China, 
that's why!" Onna-Ranma shouted. He clenched his fists and 
began to shake.
 
       "You really are worried, aren't you?"
 
       "Shouldn't I be?" Onna-Ranma asked, fighting to regain 
some small measure of control over his voice.
 
       Akane got up and walked around the table so that she 
could sit closer to her fiance.
 
       "Please don't worry so much about me, Ranma."
 
       "I can't help it you know," Onna-Ranma said, as he 
began to shake again. "Do ya think I feel good about all the 
crap that's happened to you since I came here?"
 
       Onna-Ranma suddenly found himself in Akane's lap. She 
cuddled his head to her shoulder and rocked him as though she 
were comforting a baby. Onna-Ranma decided it best to just 
relax and go with the flow. Some things, it did not pay to 
fight.
 
       "My life was pretty strange before you got here, you 
know."
 
       "Yeah, but it wasn't nothin' you couldn't handle on 
your own," Onna-Ranma said, then sniffled. Much to his shock 
and surprise, he was beginning to cry. He was crying like a 
girl!
 
       (Just relax and let her comfort us, Saotome.)
 
       (And where in hell were you when I needed ya?)
 
       (Hey! You didn't need me. You were doing just fine.)
 
       (Whaddaya mean just fine? I lost control!)
 
       (So? Sometimes you have to put love ahead of work.)
 
       (Yeah?)
 
       (Yeah! So let's just snuggle a while, then we'll coax 
her into eating something.)
 
       (You're worried about her too, huh?)
 
       (Geez, Saotome! We're the same person, living in the 
same head. I see the same things you do. We got reason to be 
worried.)
 
       (Okay, just so long as I'm not goin' off the deep end 
or nothin'.)
 
       (We're doing okay, mostly.)
 
       Onna-Ranma nuzzled Akane's neck, then stroked her 
cheek with his left hand.
 
       "I'm sorry I yelled, Akane."
 
       "That's okay, Ranma," Akane said, choking back a 
little emotion of her own. "I know you did it because you 
love me."
 
       "I shouldn't have yelled."
 
       Akane kissed him on the lips and Onna-Ranma felt his 
body begin to respond. 
 
       (Yo! Red!)
 
       (Yeah, I know! We got other stuff to do and this is 
dangerous. See if you can get her to eat something, Saotome.)
 
       Onna-Ranma reached over to the table with his right 
hand and picked up a piece of Kasumi's excellent chicken.
 
       "Ah-ah-ah!" Onna-Ranma said.
 
       Akane obliged him by opening her mouth. He placed the 
piece of chicken on her tongue. Akane closed her mouth and 
began to chew.
 
       "Mmm!" Akane noised around the chicken.
 
       "See? It's good, isn't it?"
 
       "Mm, hm."
 
       "You been just pickin' at your food for weeks."
 
       "Have not...gurk!"
 
       Onna-Ranma had taken the opportunity to feed Akane 
some rice.
 
       "Mm not a goose, Ranma!"
 
       "Eat!"
 
       Akane tickled him. They carried on this way for nearly 
an hour before Onna-Ranma decided that Akane had finally 
eaten an adequate meal.
 
       "You ready to get in a little more exercise?"
 
       "On a full stomach?"
 
       "Hey, pushin' hands ain't like regular trainin', now 
is it?"
 
       "What about all this food?"
 
       "Leave it out," Onna-Ranma said as they went down the 
stairs. "We're gonna have a short little workout. Then you'll 
shower and go to bed and I'll have a big snack later."
 
       It dawned on Akane as they stepped outside that Ranma 
had been getting by on just two meals a day.
 
       "Here you are fussing at me for not eating and you've 
only been eating two meals a day."
 
       "Naw, I almost always find some leftovers in the 
refrigerator." 
 
       "Not for the last two days, you haven't!"
 
       "It's no big deal for me Akane," Onna-Ranma said. "I 
didn't have any trouble eating the food in China, remember?" 
Food had been hard to come by, thanks to their shortage of 
funds and they had been forced to accept what they could beg, 
borrow or scavange. Game is not plentiful throughout much of 
China.
 
       "How could you eat that stuff?"
 
       "Hey! Live on the road with my old man for ten years 
and you'll learn to eat anything that doesn't bite you 
first."
 
       "Even my cooking?"
 
       "I said, anything that doesn't bite you first!"
 
       Akane gave him a mock slap. 
 
       "We'll get you past your cooking problem this summer," 
Onna-Ranma said, "I promise."
 
       "Oh, really, Sensei?" Akane asked, looking at him with 
a cocked eyebrow. "How are you planning on doing that?"
 
       "I finally figgered out what your problem with cooking 
is, Akane," Onna-Ranma said with a happy, evil grin. "That 
means we are halfway to a cure."
 
       Akane stared at him suspiciously.
 
       "No! You aren't going to like it!" Onna-Ranma said, 
still grinning. "But you'll learn to cook."
 
       "Hmmph! We'll see!"
 
       "Yes, we will," Onna-Ranma said. "Now remember! Tai 
Chi Chuan is about using your ki, not your strength, okay?"
 
       "Okay."
 
       They worked for about half an hour in the simpler, 
standing form of pushing hands, then Onna-Ranma went inside 
and got some hot water so that Akane would have the chance to 
work with someone significantly larger than herself. Ranma 
was pleased with her progress, for even though she was slow 
in picking up the technique, she did have very powerful ki. 
This could be both a blessing and a curse. Powerful ki is 
useful, but it is also easily read by another adept. Akane 
would have to work hard on the problems of control.
 
       He sent her to the shower after another half-hour of 
exercise. Much to his pleasure and embarrassment, she 
insisted that he bathe with her in his girl form. He got out 
of the shower first and made the special tea she was supposed 
drink in the lab and brought it up for her. After she drank 
it, Onna-Ranma cuddled up to her back and purred, hoping it 
would help Akane sleep, but she wanted to talk.
 
          "Ranma?"
 
          "Hmm?"
 
          "What do you think will happen at the Cha No Yu, 
tomorrow?"
 
          "I think Uchan is going to apologize to you for 
what happened at the wedding."
 
          "You think that's all?"
 
          "Mmm, probably."
 
          "But that won't really settle anything, will it?"
 
          "Hey! As far as I'm concerned, everything got 
settled at Jusendo, Akane."
 
          "I know that!" Akane said, sounding slightly 
irritated. "But we can't just ignore Ukyo, now can we?"
 
          Onna-Ranma took a deep breath, then sighed. 
 
          "Ukyo may have something in mind, Akane. I'm hopin' 
she'll bring it up tomorrow."
 
          "You aren't planning on accepting whatever she has 
in mind, are you?"
 
          "Maybe, it depends on what you and Mom think about 
it."
 
          "That's all I needed to know, Ranma," Akane said 
and patted him on the thigh. "I can sleep now."
 
       Onna-Ranma got up and went to the shower to douse 
himself with hot water.
 
       (Time to study, big boy!)
 
       (Yeah, okay! But let's go downstairs. I'm not 
comfortable up here for some reason.)
 
       (Yeah, I know what you mean. Where do you think we 
ought to go?)
 
       (I don't know. Let's look around until we see the 
right spot.)
 
       (Okay.)
 
       He hunted around the first floor for several minutes 
until finally settling on the closet-like space where Tofu 
kept his copy machine and fax. 
 
       (Why here, Saotome?)
 
       (Beats me, Red. It just feels right to me.)
 
       (It feels right to me too, but I'm damned if I can 
understand why.)
 
       (Put the chair here?)
 
       (That looks like the place to me, Saotome.)
 
       (Good! You study! I'm gonna get some sleep.)
 
       (You are bound and determined to grow up ignorant, 
aren't you?)
 
       (Hey! I can't help but know what you do.)
 
       (That's true. Mind if I wake you up if I find anything 
interesting?)
 
       (What are we studying?)
 
       (Chemistry.)
 
       (Bleah!)
 
       (Oh, go to sleep!)
 
       (G'night.)
 
       (Good night, Saotome.)
 
       The light in the room dimmed slightly shortly after 
Ranma began to read, then the dark aura which had formed 
around his body reached out with a pair tentacles. They 
wavered and twisted around until they found their way behind 
the copier. There, they began to caress the two-hundred, 
twenty-volt socket in the wall. Ranma was so absorbed by what 
he was reading that he failed to notice what was going on 
around him. The sun would be well up on the horizon before he 
moved again.

 
 
                                  -----------
  
 
 
 
       Nabiki took a break from her studies shortly before 
ten and went downstairs to find a snack. Rather than go back 
upstairs, she decided to turn on the television and catch the 
evening news. One of her minions had left her a voice-mail 
suggesting she do so. She was disappointed at first. It was 
the usual folderol. The Americans were deploying troops in 
yet another obscure little country on yet another 
"peacekeeping" mission. Several of Japan's own, arch-
conservatives berated the populace because Japan wasn't 
"doing her fair share to establish world peace." An 
environmentalist group was vociferously alarmed about the 
habitat loss of _musca domestica_ or some other such obscure 
creature. There was yet another banking scandal and then 
there was the hideous traffic jam caused by some immigrant 
girl on a bicycle. 
 
       "What?" Nabiki shrieked loud enough to get her 
father's attention.
 
       "What's wrong, Nabiki?"
 
       "Look!"
 
       Sure enough, there was Xian Pu tearing along behind a 
milk truck on the west bound expressway.
 
       "Isn't that Xian Pu?" Soun asked.
 
       Nabiki nodded her head and turned up the volume.

       {{"...The truck and cyclist were traveling at a little 
over one-hundred, fifty kilometers per hour when the police 
caught up to them. This was the result, captured on tape by 
an amateur photographer who just happened to have her video 
camera on hand. This clip is quite graphic and sensitive 
viewers may wish to avoid watching it...}} 
 
       Soun and Nabiki watched as an unmarked police car 
pulled up alongside Xian Pu. The footage was grainy and the 
camera unsteady, but they could make out the officer on the 
passenger side of the cruiser, motioning for Xian Pu to pull 
over.  Xian Pu looked over at the police car, then reached 
out and touched it lightly with the index finger of her right 
hand. Rich, white smoke immediately streamed out of the tail 
pipe of the police car, cutting visibility in the cameraman's 
car to zero. The driver of the cameraman's car instinctively 
let off the gas, causing the cameraman to lurch forward and 
then to the right as he changed lanes in order to avoid the 
rapidly decelerating police car. The smoke cleared, as the 
cameraman panned right, allowing the camera to capture a 
glimpse of the cop on the passenger side of the car. It was a 
truly hideous sight to behold.
 
       "Oh, God!" Soun cried out.
 
       "E-e-ew! The poor guy looks like something out of a 
Picasso!" Nabiki said.
  
       "More like a Dali," Soun said, as he gulped his supper 
back down.
 
       The cameraman stayed on the cruiser. Soun and Nabiki 
watched in horror as the white smoke trailing from it 
suddenly turned blue-black and the car began to spin. By now 
it was well behind the cameraman's car. The drivers leading 
the traffic behind them and the police cruiser had begun to 
initiate panic stops. The cameraman kept filming through the 
back windshield of her car as the police car began to spin. 
After going through two complete turns, all four tires on the 
cruiser burst. These were not, Nabiki noted, ordinary 
blowouts. Bright orange flames gouted from each tire as it 
ruptured, adding a huge cloud of black, dusty smoke to the 
oily, blue-black smoke already streaming from the cruiser's 
exhaust pipe. 
 
       The sudden loss of its tires did nothing to improve 
matters for the police car. It kept spinning towards the 
median, trailing sparks beneath the heavy smoke as its newly 
bared rims skittered across the concrete roadbed, until it 
slammed nose first into the guardrail. It then began to spin 
back towards the shoulder, albeit with much less speed, until 
the passenger side of the cruiser made hard contact with the 
guardrail on the shoulder side of the expressway. There it 
finally came to rest, smoke curling up around it as though it 
were about to burst into flames. The interior of the car was 
filled with a fine, white mist.
 
       The driver of the cameraman's car whipped off onto the 
shoulder of the road and stopped. Soun and Nabiki watched in 
horrified fascination as the camera lurched backwards. The 
driver of the camera car had slammed it into reverse began 
backing towards the smoking police car. He stopped several 
meters short of the wreck. The driver of the cameraman's car 
got out first, not being encumbered by a camera, then 
sprinted towards the wreck. The cameraman lost the picture 
briefly as she got out of her car, then the picture bobbed 
violently as she too sprinted towards the smoldering cruiser.
 
       "I'll bet that's her husband," Nabiki said.
 
       "Seems likely," Soun replied, with a sage nod of his 
head. Nabiki smiled to herself. Her father's sagely nods 
never failed to amuse her.
 
       Just as the driver of the cameraman's car reached for 
the handle of the driver's side door of the cruiser, the 
camera's tinny little microphone picked up a loud bang. The 
police car immediately swelled up like a balloon as its 
windows and windshields turned into clouds of fast moving, 
gravel-sized fragments of tempered glass. The driver of the 
cameraman's car turned his face towards the camera, raising 
his arms in an effort to ward off the thousands of tiny 
fragments now whistling through the air around him. The air 
eructing from within the cruiser was traveling at high speed 
as well, for it blew the man's hair back and ruffled his 
clothing as though he were caught out in a short-lived 
typhoon.
 
       "Damn!" Soun and Nabiki chorused.
 
       The driver of the cameraman's car all but turned green 
as he grasped his nose with a thumb and forefinger. This was 
not enough apparently, because he then bent over double and 
vomited.
 
       "Yi-e-e-ch!" Soun and Nabiki chorused as both wrinkled 
their noses in disgust.
 
       The cameraman's driver again attempted to open the 
driver side door of the cruiser, but became too weak. He 
collapsed to his knees and again retched.
 
       "There must be a terrible odor coming from the car, 
"Soun said.
 
       Nabiki nodded her head in agreement.
 
       The camera lurched forward as its operator slowed her 
approach towards the cruiser and killed her momentum. Her 
driver forced himself erect, then still holding his nose with 
a thumb and forefinger, he jerked at the door handle. The 
driver's door creaked open to reveal yet another horrible 
sight. The steering wheel and steering column were both gone. 
The speedometer and other panel gauges had popped out of the 
dash and were dangling by their wires above a foul looking, 
brown slime filling the floorboards. In their places was the 
badly battered and bleeding face of Officer Tetsuro 
Shirikawa. The camera's built-in microphone, barely useful 
though it was, easily picked up his screams.
 
          "Help me! He-e-e-l-p, me-e-e-e! Help, me-e-e-e!" 
Shirikawa screamed.
 
          This was obviously more than the cameraman could 
take because millions of viewers were suddenly treated to a 
fascinating view of the pavement being painted with her 
partially digested lunch.
 
       "G-i-i-r-o-o-ss!" Nabki cried out, choking back on a 
bit of her own gore.
 
       "Argh," Soun said, as his own complexion turned 
slightly cyanic. "That was dreadful."
  
       {{"As you can see from these pictures, Officer 
Shirikawa's entire body somehow became wedged up behind the 
dashboard during the crash. His partner, Officer Norio Ohga, 
was not found for almost two hours. A search for his body was 
being conducted in the area, when someone thought to look in 
the police vehicle's trunk. He was found there. He had 
somehow been crammed into the spare tire well. This is 
amazing, given that Officer Ohga is one-hundred, seventy-two 
centimeters tall and weighs a little over eighty-two 
kilograms. Thankfully, both officers are reported to be in 
stable condition at the Kasuga Hospital. Their injuries are 
described as being slight. Lieutenant Hashigawa, their 
supervising officer, thinks that both men will be able to 
report for duty by noon tomorrow."}}
 
       "I can't believe they expect those poor guys to report 
in tomorrow!" Nabiki said, sounding outraged.
 
       "A policeman's life is fraught with peril, Nabiki-
chan," Soun said pompously, "It is only natural to expect 
them to report for duty if they are able."
 
       "Daddy! That is such...such...macho bullshit!"
 
       Soun tried to smother a chuckle at his daughter's 
response and almost succeeded.
 
       {{As all of you can see from the footage just shown, 
the police car seems to have suffered from a very peculiar 
mechanical disorder, or perhaps even several such disorders. 
We have had several callers suggest that the delivery girl 
used a powerful, martial arts technique to cause this 
accident.}}
 
       Nabiki suddenly found herself holding her breath. She 
glanced over at her father and was amazed to see him 
grinning.
 
       "Don't worry, Nabiki," Soun said. "They are going to 
blame it all on the car, or leave the question dangling until 
everyone forgets about it."
 
       "How can you be so sure?"
 
       "I've been around a lot longer than you have," Soun 
said.
 
       {{"To examine this issue, we have invited a panel of 
experts in to discuss it with us. Hopefully, one or more of 
them will be able to shed a little light on this mysterious 
matter."}}
 
       A bald headed, pompous little man wearing black gi, 
and sporting a white, handlebar moustache strutted onto the 
set and took a seat.
 
       Soun snorted in disgust as soon as the man appeared.
 
       {{"Here we have Sensei Inoue, now teaching judo, 
aikido, kendo, tae kwan do, and aerobic dance at Tokyo 
University as part of their Adult Education Program."}}
 
       {{"Thank you for coming, Sensei."}}
 
       {{"I am honored to be here," the cocky little man said 
with a curt bow.}}
 
       Soun snorted even louder, "You should feel honored, 
you know-nothing little..." 
 
       The last of Soun's commentary was unintelligible to 
Nabiki, but she could easily infer two things. Firstly, her 
father did not like this man. Secondly, the man was not 
really much of a martial artist, at least not by her father's 
standards.
 
       {{"Also here with us tonight, is Mr. Akira Takamatsu, 
Chief of Forensic Engineering for Tomobiki Motors. Welcome to 
our news program, Takamatus-san!"}}
 
       {{"Thank you for inviting me," the middle-aged 
engineer said, as he took a seat next to Inoue.}}
 
       {{"And finally, Doctor Horatio Yeager, Professor of 
History and Hoplology at Tokyo University. Hoplology is the 
study of combat and how humans adapt to combat conditions."}}
 
       {{"Welcome, Doctor. We are very happy that you could 
visit with us and our viewers this evening."}}
 
       {{"It is all my pleasure," the man said. He bowed, 
then took a seat next to Takamatsu.}}
 
       Yeager was a very large man in his late middle-age 
with iron-grey hair and thick glasses. Nabiki was fairly sure 
from looking at him that he was blind in his left eye. He was 
overweight and out of shape.
 
       Soun's reaction to Yeager's presence was markedly 
different from the way he reacted to Inoue. Tears began 
running down his cheeks, even as he made his face as hard as 
stone.
 
       "Do you know him as well, Daddy?"
 
       "Yes," Soun said, "He and Genma and I worked together 
from time to time."
 
       "Oh, really?" Nabiki asked. "When?"
 
       "Later, Nabiki-chan," Soun said. "Let's see how this 
goes. It might actually prove interesting with Yeager-san on 
the panel.
 
       Nabiki turned her attention back to the television set 
with renewed interest.
 
       {{"Sensei, with your having seen the tape just shown 
earlier this evening, is there any possibility that a martial 
arts technique of some kind wrecked the police car?"}}
 
       {{"None whatsoever," the little man said arrogantly. 
"Anyone who believes that is just buying into a lot of 
foolishness and superstition about the use of ki, that's 
all."}}
 
       {{"So you think this spectacular crash was the result 
of a mechanical failure or a series of failures?"}}
 
       {{"What else could it possibly have been?" Inoue 
asked, then stared smugly at the camera.}}
 
       {{"Takamatsu-san, what do you think the cause may have 
been?"}}
 
       {{"We have yet to prove an exact cause, but we suspect 
some type of sabotage. We think it will be only a matter of 
time before we will be able to prove this."}}
 
       {{"What makes you think it must have been the result 
of sabotage?"}}
 
       {{"Well, the white smoke which poured out of the car 
when this incident began was the result of transmission fluid 
somehow finding its way into the fuel system. The oily, 
bluish-colored smoke was the result of engine lubricants 
being mixed into the fuel."}}
 
       {{"Won't an engine suddenly smoke like that without 
warning if it has begun to fail?"}}
 
       {{"Yes, but in this case, there is nothing wrong with 
the pistons or oil rings. Even the compression rings are in 
good shape, with only nominal wear. We checked the valve stem 
seals and everything. The only way this engine could have 
produced this particular kind of smoke, is by having engine 
lubricant mixed in with the fuel."}}
 
       {{"What about the spectacular failure of the tires, 
Takamatsu-san? That seemed very unusual."}}
 
       {{"It was indeed, a most unusual failure with a very 
unusual cause. The tires had gasoline vapor in them."}}
 
       {{"GASOLINE VAPOR!"}}
 
       The camera's cut over to the News-anchor, who did an 
excellent job of looking both shocked and outraged.
 
       {{"Yes!" Takamatsu confirmed. Gasoline vapor! There is 
no way for that to have happened on accident."}}
 
       {{"What do you make of all this, Doctor Yeager? Could 
it have been sabotage?" The news-anchor asked.}}
 
       Yeager gave the cameras a huge grin before answering.
 
       {{"I think it is too early to rule anything in or out 
at this point. In my opinion, we would do well to wait until 
the engineering reports are complete."}}
 
       {{"So you do not rule any of these possibilities 
out?"}}
 
       {{"It would be bad scientific practice to do so at 
this point in the investigation. Clearly, this was a very odd 
sort of accident, but it may well turn out to have a 
perfectly mundane cause."}}
 
       {{"How do you think the officers in that car reacted 
to the situation they found themselves in this afternoon?"}}
 
       {{"Oh, I'd say they reacted in a very human way, given 
what the man on the tape did after the windows blew out. I 
just imagine the smell was atrocious."}}
 
       {{"I see. Well, that's all the time we have tonight. 
Thank you all for coming, gentlemen..."}}
 
       "Good old, Yeager-san!" Soun said with a laugh, "He's 
still as crafty as ever!"
 
       "So where did you meet this Professor Yeager, Daddy?"
 
       "Well, it was a very long time ago. He was with US 
Naval intelligence in those days. They hired us to do one or 
two odd jobs for them and he was our contact."
 
       "Us?"
 
       "Ah, well...me and Genma and the Master."
 
       "Oh, really? What did you guys do? Steal panties from 
the Russian Embassy?"
 
       "No! Well, we only stole panties one time and then it 
was from the North Koreans, not the Russians."
 
       "You guys pilfered panties from the North Korean 
Embassy?"
 
       "The ambassadorial residence, actually," Soun said, as 
he began to redden around ears and nose. "I am not at liberty 
to discuss the details, of course."
 
       "I'll just bet you're not," Nabiki said with a grin on 
her face and tears of suppressed laughter in her eyes. "Was 
the mission successful?"
 
       "Well, yes," Soun said, looking even more embarrassed, 
"even though it didn't go quite as smoothly as we had 
planned."
 
       "How long before we'll be able read about this in your 
memoirs, Daddy?" Nabiki asked, struggling mightily to prevent 
an outbreak of hysterics.
 
       "Oh, in a decade or two, I suppose."
 
       "Ooh, I never realized that my Dad was a double-oh-
seven type."
 
       "I wasn't actually," Soun said, then cleared his 
throat. "Genma did all the flashy stuff while the Master and 
I skulked around in the shadows."
 
       "Uncle Genma?"
 
       "Oh, he was quite the rake in his younger days, 
Nabiki."
 
       This was too much. Nabiki broke out into peals of 
laughter. Soun stared at his daughter for a moment, then 
chuckled a bit himself.
 
       "He did look ridiculous a time or two."
 
       "A-a-a-ah!" Nabiki cried out between peals. "I can 
just imagine!"
 
       Soun smiled and stared at the ceiling. Seeing Yeager 
had obviously brought back many memories.
 
       "There is something I'd like ask that cannot possibly 
be classified, Daddy."
 
       "Oh? What's that Nabiki?"
 
       "Is there some ancient, historical connection between 
the Tendo Clan and the Joketsuzoku?"
 
       "Not that I know about, Nabi..." Soun fell silent in 
mid-sentence, then thought a long time before continuing his 
answer. "No, I don't think so. There are some old legends, 
but I don't think there is any real significance to them."
 
       Soun gave forth a mighty yawn, "Boy, I'm really 
sleepy! I think I'll go to bed now."
 
       Nabiki recognized her father's dodge almost 
immediately, but knew better than to try to press him at that 
very moment. She would have to be patient. Her father was not 
given to lying, but could and would very often make creative 
use of the truth, or part of the truth. He was obviously 
going to bed because he did not want to discuss those old 
legends, but that was very unusual for him. Soun Tendo was a 
great raconteur and loved nothing better than telling a tall 
tale. She stared after him as he shuffled down the hall. 
Whether there was a connection between Tendo-ke and the 
Joketsuzoku or not, there was obviously something about the 
family legends her father did not want to discuss.
 
       "I guess tomorrow I'll go buy a few bottles of saki 
and get him started talking after supper," Nabiki muttered to 
herself. "Daddy can't keep a secret from me to save his 
life."
 
       Nabiki studied until nearly eleven, then went tiredly 
to bed. Somewhere around two in the morning she began to 
dream about the accident she had seen on television. She woke 
up screaming when she realized that she knew the contorted 
face that was pressed out flat against the window of the 
police car. It was the guy that had placed the two-hundred 
thousand yen bet earlier that morning. She sat bolt upright 
in the bed and shivered.
 
       "Nabiki Onee-chan? Are you all right?" Kasumi asked 
softly from Nabiki's now open door.
 
       "Yeah, Sis. I'm okay. It was just a nightmare."
 
       "Are you sure?"
 
       "Yeah, I'm sure, Sis. Sorry to wake you up."
 
       "Oh, you didn't wake me."
 
       "What time did you come in?" Nabiki asked, as her mind 
began to put certain other events together.
 
       "About twenty-minutes ago."
 
       "You guys shouldn't be keeping Ranma and Akane up, 
like this! They both have a lot of studying to do!"
 
       "Oh, don't worry, Nabiki," Kasumi said, cheerfully. 
"We didn't."
 
       Nabiki stared at Kasumi. Her older sister seemed to 
have a glow about her.
  
       "I'll just go get a bath now," Kasumi said with an 
angelic smile wreathing her face.
 
       "Ah...okay, Sis," Nabiki said, still puzzling over 
what she was seeing. Kasumi close the door and the room 
darkened. Nabiki lay back down and had almost dozed back off 
when she suddenly found herself sitting bolt upright in her 
bed again.
 
       "What did she mean, 'We didn't?'" Nabiki asked herself 
out loud. "Who is we? Where did they go and what did they 
do?"
  
       It was at that point that Nabiki began to cry. Too 
much was going on too fast. Things were getting out of 
control and control was the one thing that Nabiki had to have 
in order to stay sane. She did not stop crying until she 
finally fell asleep from pure exhaustion at about three o' 
clock on Friday morning. It was going to be another very long 
day for her, longer than anyone, least of all Nabiki, could 
have possibly imagined.



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