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Hello,
before reading, please note I've made a minor revision to both Chapters One and Two. Please head to
http://www.crosswinds.net/~silentnova/index.html
to read them, if you're intrested in the changes, and want to understand some events in Chapter Three.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy what I have here,
Troy

***

Comfort in the Eye of Chaos
By Troy Thomas <Silentnova@go.com>

Ranma 1/2 and its characters are the creations and properties of Rumiko Takahashi. Tenchi Muyo and its characters are the creations and properties of Masaki Kajishima. Excepting flames, if you have any comments or criticisms, feel free to send them my way.

***

Chapter Three

Two walked a dark quiet street in the district Nerima, in the city Tokyo. It was a grandfather and grandson, Katsuhito Masaki and Ranma Saotome.

As they walked down the street, the grandson always under the streetlights, and the grandfather hidden by the darkness, their minds far away, youth in battle, elder in the starlit heavens.

"Ranma, what of your future?" Katsuhito asked, taking his thoughts from the stars to the earth. "What else is there, besides the Art?"

Ranma looked at his grandfather, who never seemed to walk under the streetlights, avoiding the light's revealing nature.

"My future?" He rubbed the back of his head, and breathed deeply, the cold night air. "I don't know."

Katsuhito smiled, Ranma's answer honest.

"What do think of the Tendo's?" he asked, prodding.

"Um..." Bring his hand to his face, Ranma rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "They're good people, and they have a nice dojo." He scratched the back of his head. "Mister Tendo is really good, at the Art."

Katsuhito sighed. "The Art. It's fine, but I'm surprised you didn't mention how cute Mister Tendo's daughters were!" He grinned at his grandson. "Especially his youngest. I saw you watching her in the dojo! She was sparring with her father, whom I recall you weren't watching!"

"It wasn't like that!"

"Ranma, I'm your grandfather. There's no need to be shy!" Katsuhito teased. "Are you going to ask her out before we return to the shrine on Sunday evening?"

Slumping, Ranma looked forward to returning to the dojo, if not the shrine. His grandfather could only get worse.

***

It was quiet, as the two walked through the Tendo property gate, both lost in thought, of today and tomorrow.

Nodoka was waiting, with Soun Tendo' eldest daughter, Kasumi.

Nodoka smiled at the two. "Where were you two? You both suddenly disappeared after dinner."

"Ranma and I took a walk around the neighbourhood, looking for evil spirits to vanquish, and cute girls to save." replied Katsuhito. He gave a hearty pat on Ranma's back, before his grandson could reply. "Well, I vanquished the spirits. Ranma did all the saving."

"My, how manly." Nodoka said, smiling at her son.

"It was only a walk. Nothing even happened! There weren't any ghosts!"

"Okay, I admit it. There were no ghosts." In shame, his grandfather bowed his head.

Paying little attention, Ranma began to nod his head, but before his mind caught up to his grandfather's words, Katsuhito said, "However, that didn't stop him from saving the girls anyway."

To Ranma's relief, his face red, Kasumi quickly entered the conversation, "Mister Masaki, my father asked me to tell you when you returned, that he'd like to speak with Missus Saotome and you."

"Really?" Katsuhito smiled, an expression shared by his niece. "I wonder what for?"

It was his voice, somehow Ranma knew it sounded as though Katsuhito already knew what Mister Tendo wanted. However, he ignored the strange and helpless feeling in his stomach, and said, "I'm going to the dojo, if anyone needs me."

"I'm afraid Akane's already finished training, Ranma." said Kasumi.

Ranma's ears burned. "I wasn't going...I mean, that's not why..."

The smiles on Katsuhito, Nodoka, and Kasumi's faces told Ranma they weren't listening. He turned away. "Well, I'm still going over there." he said, before marching away.

***

He looked up, and watched a star, falling from heaven "The only certainty in life, is doubt." said Ranma, to himself, as he walked to the dojo from the Tendo's front yard.

Slowing, he looked away from the stars towards the Tendo home and dojo. "Would I be different if my dad trained me? If he didn't...die?"

Reflecting, he wished his own father...

Tenchi and his father, Ranma knew, often did things together. The occasional hike, boat-ride, camping trip...activities he participated in.

However, he realised while watching Akane and Mister Tendo spar...

"It'd be nice to spar with my own dad."

A door behind him slid open, just as he was opening the door to the dojo.

Turning his head, he saw it was Nabiki, Akane's older and Kasumi's younger sister, who had opened it.

She smirked. "Ranma, Akane's finished training already."

Her smile faded, with Ranma's reply, "Nope, just going to train by myself." Strangely, her smile returned as he continued to speak, "Mister Tendo told me to treat this dojo as though it was mine, and to make myself at home."

Nabiki's smirk grew into a grin, and turned around. "You do that, Ranma." she said, before disappearing back into the house.

Shrugging away the confusion caused by Nabiki's reactions, Ranma removed his shoes, and stepped into the dojo.

***

Sitting on the balcony with his father, watching the stars, Tenchi noticed one falling. It was an instant, but it triggered his memory, of gentle hands, caring arms, beautiful...purple eyes.

He shook his head, not knowing why purple eyes were important.

He lied back. They weren't, at least not at the moment.

Of course, he thought, in contradiction, Grandfather also has...purple eyes.

Why would his grandfather be afraid of somebody with purple eyes?

He sat up, and then looked at his father. "Dad, Mom had purple eyes right?"

"Yes, the most wonderful eyes I've ever looked into..."

Standing up, Tenchi turned about towards the house. "Dad, I'm going to ask Grandpa a question."

"Who is the purple eyed stranger?" he silently asked, when out of his father's hearing range.

***

She watched, waited. The two children were in her reach, if they were who she suspected them to be.

A test, for one, would prove both their heritages.

Agent Amaya crouched down on a shadowy roof neighbouring the Tendo property, watching the boy named Tenchi enter the Tendo home. She knew the boy named Ranma was in the dojo, training for the tournament, her test.

She smiled, her blue eyes cruelly glinting from a light of the Tendo home. If they were who she believed them to be, her Lord Kagato would be most pleased. However, if the boys were nothing, mere humans, then...

Mistakes often occurred in the course of a lifetime, Amaya knew. Two more errors wouldn't...

Again she smiled, and then she... moved from existence, in a burst of light.

***

Staring out her window, something caught Akane Tendo's eye.

It was a sudden light, which disappeared before she could she what it had been.

She stared at the neighbour's roof, before bringing her gaze down onto another eye-catching light.

It didn't disappear, the dojo light. Peering closer, Akane noticed the lights inside were on.

"Is Ranma training?" she asked. "It's nine thirty!"

Turning about, she walked to the hallway.

In the hallway, immediately to her left, she saw her elder sister Kasumi gently yawning, and who seemed to be walking into the bathroom.

"Kasumi, is that Ranma in the dojo?" asked Akane.

"Yes." Kasumi smiled. "He certainly does train late into the night, doesn't he?" She smiled, and folded her hands in front of her. "Could you tell Ranma the bath's ready for when he's finished?"

Taking aback, Akane quickly asked, "How'd you know I was going outside?"

Placing her hand over her cheek, Kasumi rested her chin in the palm of her hand. "I think it's called...deduction." Smiling, and then humming, Kasumi entered the bathroom.

Resuming walking, Akane approached a flight of stairs, but accidentally walked into her sister, Nabiki.

"Oh, sorry Akane." said Nabiki.

Allowing Nabiki to walk past her, Akane then began to walk down the stairs. However, she stopped when she felt a poke on her shoulder.

"If you're looking for Ranma, he's in the dojo."

Akane turned about, but before she could say anything, Nabiki added, "Boy Akane, I never knew you were so forward!"

"What?" asked Akane.

Ignoring her younger sister's question, Nabiki turned around, and began walking to her room.

"My sister's are so weird!" Akane commented, long after Nabiki was out of sight. "This doesn't have anything to do with boys and girls or anything!" she huffed. "It's about martial arts!"

Turning, she marched down the stairs, and at the bottom marched around Ranma's cousin, Tenchi Masaki, who was standing outside the living room. Strangely, the door to the living room was slid closed, and had attached to it a sign reading, "Please do not disturb."

"I think he's in the dojo..." Tenchi said, lazily. "By the way, your name's Akane, right? My name is Tenchi, just in case you were wondering."

Akane took a full step backwards. "How does everyone know that I'm looking for Ranma?" Looking at the surprised Tenchi, Akane regained her composure. "Yes, yes, my name is Akane."

Meekly, she finished, "Thank you. I'll just be on my way now." She ran outside, purpose in her stride.

***

The living room door slid open, and Soun Tendo stuck his head into the hallway. Looking at Tenchi, he smiled. "Was that Akane, I just heard going outside?"

"Yes..." replied Tenchi.

Katsuhito and Nodoka stuck their heads out.

Tenchi's grandfather solicited, "She was going to the dojo, I presume?"

"Uh...yes."

Katsuhito looked at Soun and Nodoka. "I think that now there's nothing left to discuss." He smiled. Soun and Nodoka smiled too.

Not wanting to feel left out, Tenchi also smiled.

***

Fate, is it anything, or is it, nothing?

Ranma swept his foot forward, tripping an invisible opponent. Quickly, he brought his leg down onto the opponent's neck, but didn't use enough force to break the neck, instead keeping his leg level so his opponent couldn't move.

Naturally, the invisible opponent didn't move, its invisible neck being held.

Ranma knew he had no faith in fate. However, he didn't believe in coincidence either. Both had never played any part in his life, rather his life played itself out, like a feather in the wind.

A fist, not invisible, was thrown towards his head.

Reacting, Ranma leaned backwards, and let it occupy the space his head had been.

"Uh, hi?" he asked, the situation completely new to him.

"This is the Art, right?" a girl asked.

Ranma looked at the girl who had tried to punch him. "Of course, but why do you ask?"

"I mean, it doesn't matter that I want to actually talk to you, does it? Ask about your school, and if you want to spar, I mean." The girl, Akane, was yelling her questions.

"I don't think so, I guess."

Where do the winds under the feather come from though?

Akane kicked towards Ranma's knees, but he lazily jumped over her foot. Quickly, she swept under Ranma's feet, which were in the air.

"Wha?" he said, or tried to say flopping onto the dojo floor.

Perhaps, Ranma decided, fate and coincidence were the wind, pulling him from his life, towards his life. After all, whether weathering aflight the winds of eventual destiny or a simple end, his life was still being lived.

He pushed himself off of the floor landing on his feet, and flipped backwards from further kicks and punches from Akane.

"It's not like the world always revolves around boys and girls, coming together, now does it?" Akane screamed, as a battle cry, as she spun and kicked towards Ranma's midsection.

Jumping again, over Akane's kick, and jumping again, off of Akane's leg, Ranma replied, "I think I agree with you on that point."

As he landed, he moved out of the way of another punch. He moved in towards Akane, but was elbowed in the side. Pushing Akane away, Ranma began to move his body, trying to lessen the pain in his ribs.

Faith and belief, could he trust his own opinion? He was only sixteen years and a day old.

Fate and coincident were ideas, and ideas were thousands of years old.

He noticed Akane rushing towards him, so he thrust out with a jab, sending Akane back-pedalling towards a wall with bokken and bo's adorning it.

Akane grabbed a bokken. "Life is so much more, then matchmaking sisters, and assuming strangers, isn't it?" She tossed a bokken to Ranma. "There's the Art, and school, and friends..."

"And strangers...weirdos..."

"You do understand!" Akane smiled, jabbing towards Ranma's chest, a blow he deflected safely towards the side.

He brought the bokken down, aiming for Akane's shoulder, but she wasn't there. Instead, she was swiping the bokken at his head, which Ranma barely defended against, bringing his own bokken up at an angle designed to create a deadlock.

They stood, their weapons shaking against each other under the two individual's forces, staring at each other.

"I'm surprised you're willing to hit a girl." Akane mentioned, straining each word.

The two broke away from each other, and stood three paces apart, watching the other warily.

"My mother helped train me. I had to get over it, the...dunno what to call it...of hitting a girl."

Ranma smiled, and then ran towards Akane. He began swinging his bokken upwards towards Akane's head, but instead was surprised to be caught in another deadlock.

The two circled each other, swords shaking under stress, tension growing.

Is there a definite end? An ending where everyone is happy, all problems are solved?

Fate, coincidence, the winds of the two forces opposite were too strong, too determined to ever end an ending everyone, everything could find appealing. Believing only in an end, was hopeless though.

The tension imploded, the two agreeing to disagree.

Ranma hastily retreated, Akane following, swinging determinedly, her swipes each deflected away.

"I have a question." said Ranma, deflecting a thrust towards his heart away. "Are you in the tournament?"

"Yes."

"Do you believe in fate?" asked Ranma, suddenly and surprisingly.

"No."

If fate didn't exist, then in the end, everyone died.

"Do you think that, we'll all just end up six feet deep then?"

"What?"

"Does life have a point?" It was the question, Ranma realised. It wanted to be asked, shared. "If fate doesn't exist, then is there even a point to life?" It had been residing in his soul, waiting for his mind to catch up.

If fate didn't exist, then did good and evil, life and death?

But fate could only please one person, when Time stopped collecting. Everyone else didn't matter, if only to please one.

Ranma swung down at the girl's head, a blow stopped.

He wouldn't have it.

"Then what else is there?" he asked, pushing down, forcing Akane to her knees. "I don't believe in fate. I hate the thought of there being no point to life either."

"Then there's only a mystery." Akane said. Falling backwards on her back, she grabbed Ranma with her legs and tossed him over her head. "Something we'd all need to find."

There's only doubt, a question.

If fate doesn't exist, then what is the point of life?

Landing on his feet, Ranma turned towards Akane. Slowly, he smiled. He was only sixteen years and a day old.

He tipped his head, in a curious stance. "You're pretty good."

"Thanks, but I think all credit should go to my father. He's the one who taught me."

"Indiscriminate Grappling?"

Akane tossed her sword aside, and brought her hands up defensively. "Of course! Care to try your luck?"

"I never back down." He brought his own hands up. "I never lose."

"Perhaps though," said Katsuhito, from the other side of the room, opposite the doorway, shocking both boy and girl, "you should wait for another day." He smiled at the two. "Save your energy for the tournament. Perhaps you'll meet again there."

"That's a pretty good idea." Akane replied, bowing.

The door slid open, and Kasumi poked her head inside the dojo. "Akane, have you told Ranma about the bath?"

Shaking her head, Akane folded her hands over her lap. "It slipped my mind."

"That's alright." Smiling, Kasumi turned towards Ranma. "It's ready anytime." She turned back towards Akane. "You take one too Akane." Bringing her hand to mouth, Kasumi quickly remembered her words. "But only after Ranma's finished, of course."

"Kasumi!"

Ranma turned towards Akane, and saw the longhaired girl blushing. Shrugging, he decided a bath would be great.

***

Moments later, alone in the Tendo dojo, Katsuhito Masaki wondered aloud, "Indeed, if fate doesn't exist, then what else is there?"

Chuckling, he began to leave.

After all, he was still too young to be pondering such a question.

***

Sitting on the porch just outside the living room, Tenchi waited for his grandfather, who was exiting the dojo.

"Grandfather, yesterday, with the keys..." Tenchi smiled a little nervously, speaking of the keys. Ranma was the one in the family who gloated. "Why were you so shocked about a purple eyed girl?"

"Wouldn't you be surprised to heat about such a feature?"

Tenchi stood up. "I distinctly remember you asking, 'Her eyes were purple?'"

Katsuhito waved his hand in denial. "Well, purple eyes are a rather strange colour to have. I mean, it's so alien!"

"Your eyes are purple though."

"I must've forgotten." laughed Tenchi's grandfather. "It's my old age. I'm beginning to forget about these little details." He yawned. "Speaking of being so old, I should get to sleep..."

Tenchi made no move to stop his grandfather walking past him. He knew it wouldn't have solved anything anyway.

"When Gramps want to hide something, he really is something, isn't he?" Ranma asked, sitting down beside the standing Tenchi. He was towelling off his head.

Tenchi sat, resting his arms behind him. "He's hiding something...It's really important, I think."

Moments passed, until Ranma asked, "You have the keys? That's what I think I heard."

"I hid them."

"Oh."

Time passed by, carried on a gentle wind, towards...

It continued on, reaching for the stars, grasping for what it lost. However, it could never reach the heavens, its greed too heavy, the memories and moments too far.

Ranma smiled, enjoying the wind.

One fate was one too many. Else there would be no stars.

"Tenchi, do you believe in fate?"

Silence, and then, "No."

"Some people do." Ranma kept smiling. "But sometimes, things just happen."

Silence, and then Tenchi yawned. "It's pretty late."

"That it is." Ranma looked at his cousin. "You think we should go to bed?"

"Yes."

Slowly, Ranma stood. "Good night then."

"Good night." Tenchi replied, also standing.

Together, they walked up the stairs, and then towards their dreams.

Dreams of tomorrows, worlds, and stars.

Purple eyes and secrets were turned away and hidden for another day.

End Chapter Three

***

***

Check out my webpage:
http://www.crosswinds.net/~silentnova/index.html

I archive, write, link, and do almost all the wonderful things fanfic writers like. Check it out, today.
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