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If you want to change your direction
If your time of life is at hand
Well, don't be the rule, be the exception
A good way to start is to stand

Put one foot in front of the other
and soon you'll be walkin' across the floor
Put one foot in front of the other
and soon you'll be walkin' out the door

Saotome's Choice
by JP Buckner
ajaff@poky.srv.net
http://onewest.net/~ajaff/manff.htm

Chapter Six  - A Week in the Life

Ranma 1/2 situation and characters are not owned by me. Last time I
checked, my name was NOT Rumiko Takahashi. Last time I checked.
"Put One Foot in Front of the Other", lyrics by Maury Laws and Jules Bass



"Arrgghhhhh."

Ranko woke up to the beginning of a brand new day. She stretched,
trying to shake off the ever lingering vestiges of sleep. Slowly,
she stumbled out of her bed, silently cursing whatever inner demons
brought her THAT dream once again.

"I've got to be a pervert, to keep dreamin' about bein' with me like
that. It just ain't natural," Ranko whispered to herself.

Continuing to stretch, Ranko walked over by her mirror, and began to
remove her sleepwear. After removing her top, Ranko noticed her
reflection and began to chuckle.

Mom had a field day with me when I told her I slept in my bra the
other night, Ranko thought to herself. Well, live and learn. I just
wonder what other 'girl stuff' I'm going to end up learning during
this. Nothin' can be as disgustin' as the stuff she told be about
periods and junk. Ranko began to shudder at the very thought of her
body doing something like that. It's just so weird that somethin'
like that could be considered natural.

Ranko thought about going out and making breakfast for her mother
again. She closed her eyes, and she could nearly feel her mother's
presence in the house. She's already up, I won't be able to surprise
her again. Too bad, that was kinda fun yesterday. I'll just get my
gi, and go in the back and practice some before breakfast. It won't
be as rough as my mornin' spars with Pop, but it will have to do.

Ranko went and picked up one of the sports bras she and her mother
picked up the day before. In time, she was dressed and ready for her
workout. She exited her room, and headed towards the kitchen to greet
her mother. Her instincts proved right, for Saotome Nodoka was
present in the kitchen, preparing the morning meal.

"Mornin', Auntie."

Nodoka turned towards Ranko and smiled. "Good morning, dear. I hope
you slept well."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good. I see you wish to practice some before breakfast?"

Ranko grinned and responded, "Uh huh. Uncle, Ranma and I usually spar
before breakfast. I don't wanna slack off too much."

"Your martial arts is very important to you, isn't it, dear?"

"Yes, Auntie, it is. It's kind of hard to imagine my life without
it."

A gleam came into Nodoka's eye. "I see, dear. Well, then, go out and
get your workout in. I'll call you when breakfast is ready. And after
breakfast, we'll talk about your martial arts... and some other
things, okay?"

"Umm, sure, I guess."

Ranko paused for a moment, not quite ready to leave her mother's
company. Nodoka began to chuckle, and she picked up nearby serving
spoon and shook It in her 'niece's' direction.

"Go, already! Shoo! Scat! Don't distract me while I'm making your
breakfast.

Ranko threw up her hands in defeat. "Okay, okay, I'm goin', I'm
goin'." Ranko retreated towards the back yard, laughing on her way.

Nodoka continued to chuckle. "Spirited young girl. Her mother must
have been quite a hellion in her day." Turning her attention back to
her meal, Nodoka began to hum the song, a song she hadn't hummed to
herself in many years. Not since her husband and son left her.

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

Nabiki groused and grumbled as she headed towards the Tendo kitchen.
Why, she wondered, why does morning have to be so early? Today, she
had to begin the chore of creating a past for Ranko. A paper past.
Which meant dealing with people she had no great desire to deal with.
Not to mention Tofu. If she was to get his cooperation with the
medical records, she would have to come clean with him. Yesterday was
stressful enough, what with Cologne, Ranko AND Mrs. Saotome. Today
would be no better, but she made a promise to help, and she wasn't
going to let Ranko down. This is payback, I guess. I heard somewhere
that payback was a bitch. Well, it seems I'm proving that adage
right.

Nabiki slowly sat down at the table, holding her head in her hands.
Her head was pounding, she felt like her blood-pressure was shot to
hell, and if anyone said a word to her, she was ready to do her
full-blown best impression of her younger sister.

"Good morning, Nabiki." Nabiki brought her head up and saw Kasumi
look down at her with her typical Stepford face. Some days...

"Kasumi, how can you be so cheery so early in the morning, every
morning?"

Nabiki winced as she saw a forlorn look in her sisters eye.

"Because I have to be, Nabiki."

Nabiki shook her head. "No, you don't. Isn't it time you did
something, something to get you out of this... this non-water based
curse you're in?"

"I... I... I wouldn't know where to start."

Nabiki got up, and quickly gave her older sister a hug. "Kasumi, you
can start the same way I started. Remember the doctor I told you
about? He is as good of a place to start as any. I can give you his
card if you like. All you have to do is say the word."

Kasumi broke out of the hug, and looked Nabiki straight in the eye.
Nabiki saw a single tear make its way down her sisters face.
 
"I don't know. I'm afraid, I'm so afraid."

Nabiki reached over, and exiled the lone tear from Kasumi's face. "So
was I when I first went. And Ranma? Don't you think he was afraid to
leave us and go to his mother? Even if he felt he needed to spend
time with her, wasn't he afraid?"

Kasumi hung her head down, her eyes intently studying the makeup of
the floor. "But that's you and Ranma. You two were always strong.
Much stronger than I have ever been."

Nabiki brought her sisters face up, to once again make eye contact.
"Pardon my language, but bullshit. You are strong. You are probably
the strongest member of the Tendo clan. You are the one who held this
family together when it was ready to fall apart. You are the one, who
when you were 9 years old, decided you were the adult of this family.
In all of the time you have been our mother-figure, so to speak, you
have never let us down. Never. You have always put your family's
needs above your own. Isn't it time to be a little selfish? Isn't it
time to put your own needs first for once?"

Kasumi shook her head. "That is just it, Nabiki. I do not even know
what my needs are! I have been at this so long, I do not even know
who I am anymore!"

"You'll never find out staying here, and going on as if this was all
that was in your life. Never. Kasumi, you have to take the first step
yourself. You just can't expect all of your problems to solve
themselves. You have to take some control in your life!"

Kasumi slowly nodded. "I know you are right, but I am just not ready.
I am just not ready. Maybe one day, but not right now. I need time."

Nabiki nodded, and headed back to her seat at the table. Before
reaching it, she stopped and turned back towards her sister. "Say,
would you like some help with breakfast?"

Kasumi's eyebrow shot up. "Why, are you offering?'

A huge grin shot across Nabiki's face. "Me? No, heaven forbid. I
could wake Akane up if you'd like. I'm sure she'd be real happy to
help you with breakfast." Nabiki then began to chortle.

A disapproving frown found its way to Kasumi's mouth. "Sis, that is
not even close to being funny!" After a second, Kasumi began to join
her younger sister in laughter.

After a couple of moments, Kasumi regained her composure, and found
some words. "To change subjects, Nabiki, I'm still in disbelief about
the Amazons. I mean it is so strange that they are just leaving, just
like that."

"I know, I feel the same way. I won't miss the constant repair bills
from Shampoo's frequent visits here. You'd think by now the girl
would learn how to use a door. But the entertainment factor from
their presence here has been quite enjoyable."

Kasumi shot her sister a wicked glance. "And you didn't complain
about all of the financial benefits their presence gave you."

A smirk came to the side of Nabiki's mouth. "Hey, when opportunities
like that come knocking, I am surely going to answer the door."

Kasumi paused for a second. In time, she found her voice. "Nabiki,
are you considering her offer? It is hard for me to imagine you or
Akane going to China and becoming Amazons."

"I can't see it either, Kasumi, but I'm not going to blow it off
without thinking it all the way through. I mean, Akane and me
Amazons? Just imagine it. Can you see Akane or me in one of those
outfits Shampoo wears?"

Kasumi began to blush just a little. "Akane, no. But you, sometimes
you have no shame, you know that don't you?"

"Hey, when I want to impress people, I don't go second class. It's
all about control, Kasumi, it's all about power. People, men
especially, are much easier to control if you knock their socks off
first. Shampoo has the right idea about that, she just takes things
to extremes at times."

The two Tendo sisters shared yet another laugh, and Kasumi returned
to her morning routine. Neither noticed that they were not the only
ones up at this hour.

Tendo Soun stood in his hiding place in the next room for a few
moments more. I knew those two were not telling me everything
yesterday. I knew something was up. So, Akane and Nabiki have been
offered Amazon membership. Like there's any chance I'll let my little
girls go there! Still, the part about the Amazons leaving. That's the
best news I've heard in a long time. Akane, she needs to know this.
I'll go tell her, she'll be so glad to hear that Shampoo girl is
going to be leaving.

Soun slowly crept towards the staircase, making sure his oldest two
daughters did not catch him spying on them. He knew they wouldn't
understand. The future of the Tendo clan was at stake. Making it
without a sound to Akane's bedroom, he slowly opened the door and
went in, closing the door behind him.

Looking at his daughter, he saw she was still asleep in her bed,
holding on tightly to THAT stuffed animal. Well, Soun thought, some
old habits die hard.

Brining his head down to his daughter's side, Soun whispered, "Akane.
Akane, wake up."

It was no good, Akane did not stir. Soun gently took his hand and
started to slowly shake Akane. "Akane, please wake up. I have some
good news for you."

"Huh, wha... " Akane began to waken.

"Akane, sweetheart."

Her eyes opened, and she looked out, unfocused from the haze of
sleep. Her unfocused eyes, plus her ears sent a quick message to her
brain.

"Pervert! Get out of my bedroom, now!" And in an almost instinctive
movement, she grabbed the figure in front of her, and threw him to
the wall.

"Ooof!"

A few seconds later, her eyes focused, and she saw her father, head
down, splattered on the wall next to her door.

"Daddy, I'm sorry! I didn't know it was you. I thought... "

Soun righted himself, and began to chuckle. "Think nothing of it,
Akane. You handled yourself well. I see you are still strong in your
training."

"But daddy, that had to hurt."

"Just a little, Akane. Ranma was right you know, you do hit hard
enough."

"Sorry."

Soun raised a hand, indicating that there was no more that was needed
to be said. He walked over to Akane, and sat down next to her on her
bed. "Sweetheart, I have some good news for you."

Akane leaned in closer, her eyes wide in curiosity. "Oh, please
daddy, tell me."

Soun smiled and said, "I overheard Nabiki and Kasumi say that the
Amazons will be leaving soon. They will be returning to China."

A great smile crossed Akane's face. "Shampoo's leaving? She's really
leaving?"

Soun nodded.

Akane brought her stuffed pig up to her face. "Did you hear that,
P-Chan? Bimbo go bye-bye! I'm finally going to have that Shampoo out
of my hair!"

Tendo Soun brought his hand down to his daughter's shoulder, and gave
her a giant hug. "You see, Akane, I told you. I told you everything
would work out just fine!"

"Yes, you did, and you were right. Now that I know about Ryoga, he's
no longer a real problem between Ranma and me. And with Shampoo gone,
that just leaves Ukyo and the Kunos."

Soun nodded. "And I'm sure Saotome will soon bring the cure back with
him, and Ranma won't have to hide from his mother anymore. The other
problems will work out too, you just see. Everything will be fine,
you two were meant to be together."

Akane began to return her father's hug, at a level Soun could just
barely tolerate. After a moment, she broke it off, and looked at her
father with a questioning expression on her.

"You said you overheard Nabiki and Kasumi say this? They didn't tell
you straight out?"

Soun shook his head.

"Why... why would they keep this a secret?"

"I don't know, sweetheart. But since they want to play games with us,
let's play games with them. If they won't tell us the truth, we won't
let on that we know the truth. Deal?"

Akane grinned. "Oh, yeah. Fine by me."

Soun held onto his daughter for awhile longer. I don't need to tell
her that she's been offered a place in the Amazon tribe. I know she'd
never want anything to do with the likes of them.

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

Ranko finished her breakfast with, well not quite the gusto she was
used to. She tried, she really tried, to keep her eating habits under
control. After all, if her mother would be saddened to see Ranma eat
that way, it was time to break herself from that habit.

"So, dear, did you enjoy your breakfast?"

Ranko's head nodded up and down in great enthusiasm. "You bet,
Auntie! You're a great cook, I'd never grow tired of eatin' your
food."

"I'm real glad to hear that, Ranko. Now, there is a very important
question I need to ask you."

Ranko sat in silence, preparing herself for whatever this might be.

"Dear, what would you think, well how would you feel if... Ranko, do
you miss your mother?"

"Yeah. I miss her a whole bunch."

Nodoka tried to gather her courage to continue this. "I know I could
never really replace your mother, dear, but how would you feel if I
became your mother?"

"Wha... whatcha mean?"

Nodoka gave her young charge a smile, and tried to focus her eyes
with as much warmth and understanding as she could. "Dear, how would
you feel if I adopted you as my own child? How would you like to
become a Saotome? Would you like to be able to call me mother, and
not auntie?"

Looking in the child's eyes, Nodoka could swear it seemed like the
girl was trying desperately to hold back tears. As if crying right
now would be a sign of weakness or something. She watched, and
listened intently on Ranko's reply.

"I... I... I would like nothing more than to be able to call you
mother."

These words brought tears into Nodoka's eyes. Unlike Ranko, the wife
of Saotome Genma had no qualms about dealing with her emotions
openly. "Really, dear?"

"Really. Auntie. Ever since you first visited my cousins' home, I
wanted so much to be able to call you mother."

Nodoka couldn't believe her ears. "As far back as that?"

Ranko slowly nodded.

Nodoka tried to catch her breath. "Your cousin Nabiki will be
bringing me your birth records, and other documents in a few days.
When she does that, I can go and legally adopt you. You can become
Saotome Ranko, my daughter, for real. If that is something you want."

Ranko's mouth opened wide. The words she wanted to say came out
without hesitation, for once the words she truly wanted to say
matched the words she did say.

"I want to be your child. I want you as my mother. I've dreamed of
having you as a mother."

Nodoka came over to the young girl, and gave her a warm embrace.
"Then you are my child. From this moment on, you are my child. Even
though it will take a few days for you to legally become my daughter,
from this moment on, I am your mother, and I want you to call me
that. Go on now, give it a try."

"Mom... mother. It feels wonderful, Mom. Thank you, thank you!" Ranko
closed her eyes, and returned her mother's embrace with as much
emotion as she could muster. She could feel the tears building up
inside of her, but she would not let them out. It just wouldn't be...
manly, she convinced herself.

"Mom," Ranko said, her voice cracking, "Mom, I love you."

"I love you too, daughter."

A part of Ranko winced at that. Daughter. She sees me as a daughter,
not a son. Well, it's a start. Maybe in time. Maybe one day.

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

Man, this is harder work than I thought.

When Saotome Genma signed up on a fishing boat, he was thinking a
nice leisurely cruise and a relaxing time at sea. He was not
expecting this.

Genma looked around him. A number of the crew were with him,
desperately trying to hold on to the large fishing net under some of
the worst conditions he'd seen so far in his life. It has hard enough
for him to hold on tightly to the net, but dodging the spray of the
sea water made his job even worse. Well, at least it isn't raining,
Genma reassured himself.

Turning his head slightly, Genma could feel the captain's gaze peer
into him. The fisherman had been rough on Genma since the group had
started out this morning. The head of the Saotome School was annoyed
by the captain's treatment, until he saw that his fellow crewman were
treated just as harshly.

"Eyes front! You should be watching what you're doing, not me!"

Genma shrugged, and returned his attention to the task at hand. As he
did so, he immediately saw his life pass in front of his eyes. A
giant swell of water was about to splash the part of the deck where
he was situated. And there was nothing he could do to avoid it.

Moving ever so slightly, Genma tried to turn as much as he could, in
an attempt to avoid as much of the water as possible. Watching in
horror, he saw the wave crash against the boat, and begin its journey
up the deck, towards him. Closing his eyes, he steeled himself
against the inevitable, and he felt the coldness of the sea hit
against him. He did not have to open his eyes, and look down at
himself, to know the consequences.

Instead of looking down, Genma did open his eyes and turned towards
his crewmates. As expected, he noticed that all eyes were turned
towards him. Most of the crewmen's faces were stuck in shock, mouths
hanging agape. Every face in front of him was frozen in that
tableaux. Every face save one.

Captain Tajima just started at him impassionately, not showing the
slightest bit of shock. If anything, his face showed more annoyance
than anything.

"Okay, men, break times over, back to work. We have fish to catch, if
you want to feed your families. That includes you, Saotome. If you
think this is going to get you out of work, guess again. Let's just
see how strong of a worker a panda can be, shall we?"

Slowly, the crew returned to the task at hand. In time, none of the
men thought twice about working side by side with a panda. In time.

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

Ranko did not want to leave her mother's embrace. It felt so good to
be here with her right now, even under these circumstances.

"Mom?"

Nodoka looked down at the young girl in her arms. "Yes, sweetheart?"

"You said you wanted to talk to me about my martial arts n' stuff?"

Nodoka nodded, and released her daughter. "Dear, there are a few
things we need to discuss, now that I'm your mother and not an aunt.
First, I would like to talk to you about your martial arts."

Ranko geared back, in order to prepare her for the worse. Please,
don't want me to give up The Art. Please.

"Where do you want to go with The Art, sweetheart? How far do you
wish to take it?"

Ranko looked at her mother with questioning eyes. She was not sure
of what to make of this. "I don't understand, Mom. What do you mean?"

"I'm asking about your future, dear. What do you want when you grow
up? What do you want to be? What do you want to do? Where do you want
to take The Art?"

Ranko paused for a moment before answering. "Well, Pop, he wanted me
to be a sensei one day."

Ranko watched as her mother's head shook in resignation. "No, dear,
that is not what I asked. This is not about your father. And
sweetheart, calling your father 'pop' is very disrespectful.
Especially now that he is no longer with us. I want you to be more
respectful towards him in the future."

Ranko's eyes turned down. "I'll try. But he acted like such a moron
most of the time."

"I understand, dear, but he was still your father, and he deserves to
be treated with respect from his daughter. Raising you all by himself
could not have been easy, I'm sure he did the best he could under the
circumstances.

"But as I said before, this is not about your father. This is not
about what he wanted for you. It's about what you want. Do you want
to be a sensei? Answer truthfully now, Ranko. Is this something you
want?"

Ranko looked at her mother in shock. "Nobody's every asked that of me
before. Everyone always assumed that's what I wanted. No one ever
bothered to ask."

Nodoka gave her daughter the most reassuring smile she could. "Well,
I'm asking now, Ranko. Is this something you want?"

Ranko closed her eyes, searching into herself for the words. "I... I
don't know. I've always assumed this was what was going to happen.
I'd be a sensei, get married, raise a family, run a dojo. It was
always there, in the future. I tried not to think about it, just
dealing with the here and now. I never really thought about it, I
guess."

Nodoka reached over, and gave Ranko's hand a gentle squeeze. Ranko
felt a sudden warmth from the gesture, feeling her own fears
disappear for a brief moment.

"Mom, I don't know if I want to be a sensei or not. I like The Art.
No, I love The Art. I feel so alive when I do the simplest kata, and
when I spar or fight, I feel alive in a way I don't feel in any other
way. But to teach? I don't know, I don't know if I'd enjoy that as
much as doing."

"I see, dear. Well, then, maybe between the two of us, we can
discover if that is something you want to do. Once we determine that,
we can move on from there."

Ranko slowly nodded and tried to give her mother a warm smile. It
seemed to work, as Nodoka returned Ranko's smile and Ranko sensed
the warmth coming from her mother.

"Now, sweetheart, you mentioned that you were expecting to marry and
raise a family as well. Is this something you want?"

Ranko sat in silence, realizing she was walking in dangerous
territory here.

"Nabiki told me you liked one boy an awful lot. Did you think about
being with him, and having children together."

Ranko's eyes got very wide, and she tried her very best to keep from
over-reacting to this. Nabiki said what? That I liked... a boy? Like
that? What was Nabiki thinking?

Ranko closed her eyes and tried to think. When Nabiki, Kasumi and I
talked last night, this was one topic we did not discuss. Quick,
Ranko, think, what was Nabiki thinking? Liking a boy like that,
indeed, I mean the only person I ever thought about like that was...

Ranko began to smile. I get it. I bet Nabiki got cornered into this
question, just like I am right now. She knows how I feel about Akane,
she probably talked about my feelings for Akane, changing the proper
gender references when necessary. Well, I can go along with that.

"Well, yeah, Mom, there was this one... boy. I liked him lots, but he
didn't think much of me."

Nodoka nodded at this. "So Nabiki told me."

Ranko smiled to herself, yep, I got it right. You go girl.

"Po... father arranged an engagement between the two of us. However,
my fiance did not take too kindly to being stuck with me. And he let
me know it, over and over again. Eventually, the engagement ended,
and I'm sure he danced until dawn when I left his life for good."

"I'm sure even now, dear, he's realized what a great mistake it was
to let you out of his life. You are special, Ranko, and you deserve
better than someone who cannot appreciate you for what you are. I'm
sure in time, the young boys in this neighborhood will be beating
down the front door to be close to you."

That's what I'm afraid of, Ranko groused to herself.

Nodoka sat still for a moment, lost in thought. In time, a smile
graced her face, and she addressed Ranko. "Dear, if I were to leave
for a couple of hours later this morning, do you think you would be
fine here by yourself?"

Ranko grinned and responded. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Maybe I can explore
this neighborhood. It could be kinda fun."

Nodoka beamed back. "This is a very nice neighborhood, dear. I'm sure
you will enjoy it. And it's very safe, you shouldn't have any troubles
in that regard. Especially with your martial arts expertise. I'm sure
you will enjoy yourself."

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

Ranko began to walk down the sidewalk in her new neighborhood. After
her workout, Ranko had put on a light green blouse, and a pair of
jeans. Ranko couldn't believe just how expensive those jeans were,
she wondered just how her mother could afford them, as well as the
other new clothes. Still, she liked the jeans. They did feel fairly
comfortable, if just a little snug. The snugness reminded her too
much of her current gender, or at least it reminded her of the
absence of her former gender.

It was a beautiful summer morning, just over an hour before the
afternoon hit. Ranko felt the day couldn't be much better, but she
didn't want to say so aloud. No reason to tempt fate and all.

"Good morning, young lady."

Ranko turned her head towards the new voice, and noticed a older
woman, maybe in her fifties. The woman was standing outside a nearby
house.

"Good morning, ma'am."

The woman smiled in return. Ranko thought that this woman and
serenity could be on a first name basis, the peace in that smile was
so true. Ranko wondered if perhaps she knew Kasumi.

"I haven't seen you before, dear, and I thought I knew everyone in
the neighborhood. Are you visiting someone?"

Ranko nodded. "Yes, ma'am, in a way. I'm currently living at the
Saotome home."

The woman's eyes shot up. "With Nodoka? She so rarely gets visitors,
it's so nice to see someone with her. Say, would your name be Ranko,
by any chance?"

Ranko grinned and vigorously nodded in reply.

"Thought so. Nodoka has told me all about you and your cousins. So,
how long are you staying with her?"

Ranko shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, yet. I hope for a while."

"That's nice, I know how lonely she gets all alone in that house. I
hope her husband and son return soon. I can't wait to see how Ranma
has grown up since he left."

Ranko was a bit surprised by this. "You knew Ranma before he left?"

The woman began to laugh. "Oh, yes. I even helped baby-sit the boy.
Most of the people in the neighborhood remember Genma and Ranma. This
is a very stable neighborhood, little one. Most of the people living
here have done so for many years. I remember when Nodoka and Genma
moved in right after their wedding. They were so sad then, I never
learned why, but in time the two became the life of the neighborhood.
Especially after Ranma was born. I remember after first seeing Ranma,
Nodoka had me give a reading for the child. I'm a bit of a fortune
teller, you see."

Ranko gulped hard at this. "Ma'am, if you don't mind me asking, what
future did you see for Ranma?"

A smile came to the old woman's face. "Strange reading that was. I
never told Nodoka everything I saw. I couldn't quite understand it
myself."

"I promise not to tell Mom anything you don't want me to tell her.
But I want to know."

The woman's eyebrows raised at this. "Mom?"

Ranko nodded enthusiastically. "She plans to adopt me, to raise me
as her child. It's not done yet, but she wants me to call her Mom."

"I see. Odd that she's adopting you, I mean now that I notice it, the
resemblance is quite striking. I would swear you were related.

"Well, I see no reason not to tell you. Like I said, it really
doesn't make much sense anyways. I'm not that good of a fortune
teller. Now my older sister, who lives in Shinjuku, she's very good.
If you ever want your fortune told by a real pro, I'll give you her
card. But she's not cheap, not cheap at all."

"Umm, Ranma's fortune?"

"Oh, yes. Of course. I guess it's okay, since you're going to be his
sister and all."

Ranko tried hard not to grimace at that statement.

"What I told your... mother was that Ranma would grow up and become
one of the finest martial artists of his generation. That he would
grow up strong, and that his ties to his mother would never waver. I
told her that he would fall in love, and would one day give her fine
grandchildren. That he would bring honor to the name of Saotome.

"That is what I did tell her. All of which I saw. What I didn't tell
her..."

The woman began to stroke her chin, lost in thought for a moment. "I
did not tell her that while I saw Ranma falling in love, and knowing
happiness, that he would also know the true pain of what love can
bring. That Ranma would experience a great emptiness in his life.
That he would lose someone and something of great importance to him.
That he would one day recover one, but not the other.
 
"I did not tell her that Ranma would experience things no man would
experience. That Ranma would only find true happiness by making a
hard decision. I did not tell her that I saw Ranma as seeing himself
all alone when he was never alone."

The woman took a deep breath. "I know, I know, it doesn't make much
sense now, does it? I can only see some things, not understand what
they mean. Does anything that I have said make any sense to you,
young lady?"

Ranko shook her head.

"Silly me, I've been rambling on and on for no reason, and here I
haven't even introduced myself. My name is Tanaka Reiko, dear, and
it is a pleasure to meet you."

Ranko grinned to Reiko. "It was nice to meet you, too."

A Cheshire grin came to Reiko. "Just one second, dear. Since you are
new to the neighborhood, let me get you a welcoming gift. I'll be
right back." Ranko watched as the older woman scampered into her
house, and she waited for her to return.

After a few moments, the woman returned, carrying a basket. "Here you
go, dear. These are some goodies I was making for myself. They are
probably better served for you and your mother. Tell Nodoka I said
hi, and that she can return the basket to me at any time."

Ranko waved her hand back and forth. "No, I can't take this."

"Don't be silly, here I insist. You wouldn't refuse the kindness of
an old woman now, would you? I think you'll find me to be a better
cook than a fortune teller."

Ranko took the offered basket, and smiled. "Thank you, ma'am. This is
very kind of you."

"Think nothing of it. I'm pleased to meet you, and I hope to see you
from time to time. Kami knows this neighborhood could use a fine
young girl like yourself. I'm sure the young boys in the neighborhood
will agree as well." Reiko gave Ranko a playful wink at that last
comment. Ranko inwardly winced.

"Umm, yeah. Thanks again, ma'am. It was nice meeting you." Ranko
watched in fascination as the old woman re-entered her home.
Interesting old lady, Ranko thought. I really couldn't tell her that
some of that babble made sense. I mean, experiencing things no other
man does. Yeah, that's the story of my life, right there in a
nutshell.

Ranko began walking down the sidewalk, towards... home. It is my
home, my real home, even if Mom doesn't understand that. Looking down
at the basket she was carrying in her right hand, Ranko smiled. What
do ya know, even when I wasn't tryin' to get free food, I get some.
Some days there are advantages to this damn curse. Boy, I sure hope
the old lady is a good cook. I'm getting hungry just thinking about
it. Maybe I can dig in right now. Nahh, I'll wait until I get home,
and share with Mom.

Continuing to head down the sidewalk, Ranko began to whistle a happy
tune. Keeping an eye on her surroundings, to get a better grasp of
her new neighborhood, Ranko did not notice the figure approaching her
from behind.

All of a sudden, Ranko felt a breeze race past her. Her looked down
to where she felt the disturbance, and noticed her hand was empty,
the basket full of goodies was gone. Stunned, she brought her head
up, and noticed the form sitting in front of her.

The dog just sat there, looking at Ranko with innocent eyes. It was
black, with short hair, and the thing that Ranko noticed most, was
the basket sitting there in the dogs mouth.

Ranko slowly began to approach the dog. "Nice doggie. Be a good
doggie and bring my food back, okay? You want to be my friend, don't
you, dog?"

The dog's head tilted to one side, as if taunting Ranko. Then it
quickly turned, and started to run down the sidewalk. Ranko quickly
picked up the pursuit.

"Hey! Come back here with my food, you mangy mutt!"

Ranko began to chase the dog with fervor. She found the task daunting
as she did not know the neighborhood. So she tried to keep the dog in
sight, while at the same time keeping track of her surroundings. The
last thing she wanted was to get lost. I will not become Ryoga, she
muttered to herself.

As the chase continued, Ranko was given a thorough tour of her new
neighborhood. In time, she found herself in the middle of a park.
Looking around, Ranko saw a handful of people, but the thing she was
looking for was there, all right. In the middle of a grassy area sat
the dog, the basket sitting down by his paws, watching Ranko as if he
were expecting something.

A crooked grin came to Ranko's mouth. "Well, ya gave me a merry
chase, I'll give ya that, mutt. Now if ya don't mind, I'll take
what's mine."

The dog's head turned to the side, and as it did so, he stood up on
all fours, and his tail began to wag furiously. A second later, Ranko
noticed a young man headed her way. Barely acknowledging Ranko, the
young man approached the dog.

"There you are, boy. Where have you been, I've been looking all over
for you."

Ranko cleared her throat to get the young man's attention.

"Excuse me, I take it that mutt is yours?"

Turning to Ranko, the man replied, "Why yes, he is. He's not
bothering you, is he?"

"Bothering me? That little mongrel stole my food, and had me runnin'
nearly half the district chasin' him. He practically kidnapped me!"

The man began to laugh, and in time turned towards his dog. "Bad boy,
picking on this young lady." Turning back towards Ranko, he said,
"Sorry about that, miss. He just has a bad habit of playing games
like that with young girls."

"Oh really? I wonder where he might've learned THAT."

Raising his hands in defeat, he replied, "Okay, you got me. I did
teach him to do stuff like that. I figured it was a great way to meet
pretty girls. It's been some time since I did that, and I thought he
was broken of that habit. Sorry."

A loud grunt escaped Ranko's lips.

Turning his attention back towards the dog, the man said scoldingly,
"Bad dog, bad dog. Let's give the young lady her basket full of food
back, and apologize to her, okay, Prince?"

Ranko shook her head in disbelief. "His name is Prince?"

The young man nodded. At which point Ranko let out a raucous laugh.

"What's so funny?"

Ranko tried to collect herself in order to respond. "I can't believe
it. *I* was kidnapped by a Prince!" The laughter couldn't stay
contained any longer, and Ranko's glee became uncontrollable.

The man stared at Ranko in shock. "I guess I'm missing something.
Sorry to have bothered you, miss. Come on, Prince, let's leave the
nice young lady alone, shall we?"

The man then turned, and walked away, with Prince following close
behind. Ranko stood there, alone save for the basket sitting all by
its lonesome.

Having finally collected her senses, Ranko walked over and retrieved
the basket. Smiling to herself, she then took a closer look at her
surroundings. The park was lush and green, and Ranko felt soothed by
its atmosphere. In the distance, she noticed a couple of swings and a
merry-go-round for the children to use. Off to her left, she eyed a
small pond. Walking over to the pond, she nearly felt a sense of
deva-ju.

This pond, she reflected, is so like the one at the Tendos. It is
very peaceful and calm, quite nice without all of the usual insanity
that tends to take place near that other pond.

Ranko sat down near the pond's edge, and gazed into the water. This
is nice, she told herself. Without the canal, or the Tendos' roof, I
could use a place like this when I need a quiet moment to myself.

Finding a small pebble sitting on the pond's bank, she tossed the
pebble into the pond. 

Ranko sat quietly, and watched as the ripples caused by the pebble's
entrance spread across the pond. A smile came to her, and she stayed
at the bank, oblivious to time and her surroundings. After many
minutes, her stomach growled in hunger, and she slowly got up and
left for home.

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

"Well, my dear doctor, there you have the tale, more or less."

Nabiki sat back and watched as Tofu took this all in. For the second
time now, Nabiki had related this story, and she knew it was only the
beginning.

Tofu shook his head in disbelief, and pondered what he had just
learned.

"You want me to falsify medical records?"

Shaking her head, Nabiki calmly responded. "It's not really
falsifying records. All the important information would be accurate.
Just a couple of minor details would need to be changed, that's all."

"A couple of minor details? I would hardly call name and gender minor
details. What you are asking is very shaky ground, ethically
speaking."

Nabiki smiled as best as she could. "The gender isn't a lie, at least
not right now. Tomorrow, who can say? As far as ethics go, aren't you
ethically required to do what's best for your patient? To first do no
harm?"

Eyeing Nabiki with skepticism, Tofu replied, "This is a fine line we
are walking here. A very fine line, you realize that."

"Yes, I am most aware of that. I've already made an appointment with
some people to deal with the other aspects of the identity of one
Tendo Ranko. The question is, will you help?"

"Other people? Just who are you going to deal with, Nabiki? I hope
you are not getting in too far over your head."

Me too, doc, me too, Nabiki told herself. "Trust me, doc, you don't
want to know the answer to that. Call it peace of mind, or plausible
deniability, you are better off not knowing. I'd rather I didn't
myself."

Tofu brought a hand up to his chin, and lost himself deep in thought.
After a few moments, he finally spoke up. "For Ranma's sake, I guess
I can go along with this. However, you must answer me something
truthfully, Nabiki."

Nabiki narrowed her eyes, trying to gauge what was to come. "Shoot."

"This has something to do with the book you borrowed yesterday. There
is more than you are telling me. What is it really going on here,
Nabiki."

Nabiki looked down at the floor, and tried to gather her wits. Well,
he is a doctor, she told herself, and the book is his. He could help
with this. Slowly, Nabiki began to relate what Cologne had told her
about Jusenkyo, and about how Nabiki believed that may have affected
Ranma.

"I see." Ono Tofu considered this, wondering if what Cologne and
Nabiki suspected could be true. "Have you had a chance to read that
book yet?"

Nabiki shook her head. "Things have been quite... hectic so far. I
haven't had the chance yet."

Tofu nodded in understanding. "Do you have the book with you?"

Nabiki smiled and pulled out the book from the bag she had brought
with her.

Tofu gave Nabiki a wary smile. "You expected that question?"

Nabiki returned a smile of her own. "I considered the possibility."

Tofu reached out and took the book. Scanning the pages quickly, he
came to one section and showed it to Nabiki. "Here, this is the part
you would be looking for. No reason to read through the rest of the
book. This is the part dealing with the subject of anima."

Nabiki found a small piece of paper in her bag, and used it as a
bookmark for the section of the book Tofu had shown her. "Thank you.
I hope to be able to read this, once things calm down for a moment."

"Come back here in a couple of days, Nabiki, and I should have the
paperwork ready. If you should read that before then, maybe we can
discuss this just a little more. I think you may be right, but
neither one of us should jump to conclusions. Not just yet."

Nabiki got up, and prepared to leave. "Thank you. I better leave now.
I have an appointment, and these people don't like it when you are
late."

Tofu frowned at that, and watched as Nabiki left his clinic. Sighing
to himself, he wondered if Ranma's life could get any more
complicated that it already had.

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

Ranko dried herself off from another cold bath. Her mother wasn't
home yet, and the run through the neighborhood had given her quite a
workout. She pondered on whether of not to peek into the basket. On
one hand, she would have a clue of what lay in store for later. On
the other, she might be tempted to give into her appetite here and
now, and she really wanted to wait for her mother. Her stomach ended
up winning this argument, so she headed over to the table where she
had left the basket. Just as she reached it, the front door opened,
and her mother walked into the house.

Ranko raised an eyebrow as she saw her mother carrying a couple of
bags. She smiled and approached the older woman. "Mom, would you like
some help? Huh, Mom?"

Nodoka smiled, and began a quiet chuckle. "No, dear, I'm fine. You've
taken to calling me mom quite easily, haven't you, Ranko?"

A playful grin found its way across Ranko's face. "Mom, I can't help
it. I feel like I have a lot of lost time to make up for, ya know,
Mom?"

Nodoka shook her head in exasperation. "You, dear. The word is you.
Work on that, will you, Ranko?"

"Ya... I mean, you bet, mom. Now, whatcha got in the sacks?"

Nodoka rolled her eyes, and muttered to herself. "Lots of work. I
have lots of work ahead of me."

Turning her attention back to Ranko, Nodoka responded. "I did some
special shopping just for you. As far as what it is, you'll find out,
right after lunch. Let me head into the kitchen, and get started on
it, okay, dear?"

"Okay, but before you start making lunch, I'd better tell ya... you
about what happened to me today."


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

Ranko sat back in utter bliss. That old lady was right, she is a
pretty good cook. I can't believe she went and made that much food.
Almost like she was expectin' to give it to somebody, or somethin'.

Nodoka wondered on she was going to pay Reiko back for this.
Everything was there for a nice quiet meal for two, even some nice
cold lemonade. Maybe I can fix something special for her, maybe one
of Naoko's recipes. Reiko has always liked those dishes in the past.

"That was really good, Mom. You sure got some pretty okay friends."

"Yes, dear. My friends have been the one thing that has kept me going
all of these years. It's not easy, living alone."

Ranko cringed at this, feeling enormous guilt. Even though she knew
it was her old man's idea to leave all of those years ago, she still
felt bad about not only leaving, but from the hiding and the lying.
Still she was glad to know that her mother wasn't totally alone. At
least she has friends, Ranko sighed to herself, which is more than I
can say.

Nodoka slowly got up from the table, and smiled towards Ranko. "Now
just sit right there, dear, and I'll get a little surprise for you."
With that, Nodoka left for a moment, only to return with the bags she
had brought back from her morning excursion.

"Wha... what's in the bags, Mom?"

"Why don't you look, and find out, Ranko."

Ranko gulped for a moment, wondering it could be. Could be stuff like
make-up or jewelry or stuff like that. Well, might as well get it
over with. Slowly grabbing the first bag, Ranko peered into it and
gasped. It was not what she was expecting.

Ranko looked in shock as she took one item after another from the
bag. Each item was similar to the one before, eventually she reached
the bottom of the first bag, and turned her attention to the second.
She found that bag was a repeat of the first, and in time both bags
were emptied, and their contents were displayed on the table in front
of her.

Giving her mother a questioning look, Ranko asked, "Books, mother?
You got me school books?"

"Yes, dear. I understand school doesn't start again for about a
month, so I thought it would be good for you to study until then."

Ranko was way past simple curiosity now. "How do you know that school
is out now, and that it doesn't start again for about a month?"

"I asked around, sweetheart."

Ranko shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe of all the things
ya... you coulda got me, you'd get me school books."

Nodoka slowly nodded. "I'm sure it has been tough on you, not staying
in any one place long enough, especially for school. Changing schools
all of the time can't be easy. Just how do you fare at school,
Ranko?"

"Well, um, I ain't much of a student."

Nodoka sighed to herself. "I see. Well, until school starts up again,
I would like you to work on your studies. I'll help you out, dear. I
tutor a lot of the youngsters in the neighborhood. It keeps me busy,
and I earn a little extra cash that way as well. I'm sure by the time
school starts up again, you'll be just fine."

Ranko eyed the books suspiciously. "I guess. I just don't want it get
in the way of The Art."

Nodoka sat down next to Ranko. "That's an odd thing to say, dear.
Just what do you by that?"

Ranko closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "It's just that Pop...
I mean father, he always told me that schoolwork was a distraction to
The Art."

Nodoka brought her head down in her hands, and began to shake her
head back and forth in disbelief.

"Mother?"

Bringing up her head, Nodoka eyed Ranko and replied, "I'm sorry,
dear. It's just that, well I hate to badmouth the dead and all, but
it sounds to me like your father was a first class idiot."

Ranko chuckled at that. "I've been sayin' that for a long time. Why
do think so, Mom?"

"Well, dear, I'm just reminded of something I used to hear my husband
tell Ranma constantly when they were here. He would tell Ranma that a
true martial artist can turn anything they are doing into training."

Ranko eyed her mother in shock. "I've heard Uncle tell Ranma that a
lot, too. You're right, I never thought about it before, but those
two ideas don't really go together, do they?"

Nodoka gave her daughter a slight nod. "No, dear, they don't. And
Ranko, now that I am your mother, that means that my husband is now
your father, and Ranma is your brother. You should start referring to
them as such in the future."

"I guess, I guess I can do that. I just don't know don't know what
schoolwork would have to do with martial arts."

"There's only one way to find out, dear. I'm sure if you put your
mind to it, and concentrate on your studies, you'll be surprised."

Ranko shook her head. "I don't know, Mom. I ain't never been good at
that kinda stuff."

Nodoka got up and grabbed one of the books on the table. Placing it
in front of Ranko, she then placed her hand on Ranko's shoulder. "I
think you can do it, dear. You just might surprise yourself. Think of
it as a challenge."

Ranko's head turned up towards Nodoka, and the elder woman swore she
saw a gleam in the girl's eyes. I must have pushed the right button.

"A challenge? I ain't never backed down from a challenge."

"Good. Then let's get started, shall we?"

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

Kasumi was midway through her daily routine of house cleaning. Done
with all of the upstairs work, she headed downstairs to the front
room. When she reached the living area, she found her father sitting
there, with a contented look on his face.

"Father, you seem to be in good spirits."

Soun gleamed over towards his eldest daughter. "Yes, Kasumi, I
haven't felt this good in some time."

"I'm glad to hear that, Father. Not to spoil the mood or anything,
have you given any thought to what you are going to do about what
we talked about?"

Soun's face shrunched up, and he asked, "What do you mean by that,
Kasumi?"

"I mean about Grandfather Happosai. Surely you remember our
discussion the other day."

Soun smiled as broadly as he could. "No fear, Kasumi my dear. Saotome
will be back from China soon, and once we get Ranma back, we'll come
up with a way to deal with The Master."

Harsh words came to Kasumi's mind. Trying hard to keep those words
from being spoken aloud, she gritted her teeth and found an
alternative way of saying what she was feeling.

"No, Father, forgive me for saying this, but what if Mr. Saotome
doesn't come back? What if there is no cure? What if Grandfather
shows up before he comes back? Father, please do not ask me to spend
another night under the same roof with him."

Soun shook his head. "Kasumi, please be reasonable. With Saotome and
Ranma gone, I can't deal with him all by myself."

Kasumi felt like mimicking her father's demon head technique. "Be
reasonable? With everything the three of us have had to put up with
since Grandfather has shown up, I think we have been very
understanding, and are being very reasonable. No offense, Father,
but if Ranma and the others can deal with him, so can you."

"No, Kasumi, you don't understand. The Master lets everyone think
they can deal with him. It's all just a big game for him. He's far
more powerful than you know. If he ever got serious, there's no way
I could deal with him. Kicking him out of what he considers his home
would make him get serious. Saotome and I managed to trick him once,
twenty years ago, but he'd never fall for that again. I can't deal
with him alone."

Kasumi walked over to her father, and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Father, no one says you have to do this alone."

"What?"

Kasumi tried to give her father the most serene smile she could
muster. "Father, there is no reason why you can't get help, if you
need it. If something comes up that is more than you can handle by
yourself, it is not a sign or weakness to ask for help. As long as
you ask for help, and do not try to push your problems onto someone
else, like you pushed Happosai on Ranma before."

"Really?"

Kasumi nodded. "Really. Sometimes life gives us problems that we just
can not deal with by ourselves. It is not weakness to get help, it is
just common sense. Even Ranma understands that. When that Taro boy
took Akane, Ranma did not try to rescue her by himself; he took
Ryoga, Shampoo and Mousse with him. A strong person knows when they
are in over their heads."

Kasumi stopped for a moment, her eyes beginning to glaze over.
Shaking her head, she turned her attention back to her father.

Soun scratched his chin, and sat in contemplation. "Perhaps," he
finally spoke up, "perhaps you are right, Kasumi. You have definitely
given me something to think about. Perhaps I have tried to tackle
this problem from the wrong angle."

"Father, it gladdens me to hear you say that. Now if you will excuse
me, I have other business to attend to."

Soun gave his daughter a slight nod, and a small grin. "Of course,
Kasumi. Thank you for your help. I'm sure your mother would be proud
of the way you handle yourself."

"Father, you flatter me." Kasumi turned her head slightly before
smiling, giving her father a little more peace of mind. She then
slowly turned, and exited the room, heading back upstairs. After a
moment, she found the door she was looking for. Pausing for a moment,
she closed her eyes, trying to find the strength in the step she was
about to take. After a moment, she knocked on the door.

>From the other side of the door, Nabiki replied, "Yes?"

Kasumi stood, pondering her words. "Nabiki, your doctor, could you
please give me his card?"

The door opened a few seconds later, and Kasumi found Nabiki standing
there, card in hand.

Kasumi began to laugh. "Am I so predictable, that you had that card
ready at a moment's notice?"

Nabiki began to chuckle as well. "What can I say? I know you pretty
well, almost like a sister. I figured you'd come around sooner or
later. I'm just glad it was sooner."

Kasumi tentatively reached out, and took the card from Nabiki's hand.
She looked at it, getting the feeling that there would be no turning
back now.

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

Nodoka sat there watching Ranko try to study. A part of her wanted to
start banging her head against the table. Slowly, she brought her
head down, resting on top of her arms as they spread on the table.

"Mom? Is there somethin' wrong?"

Nodoka brought her head up, and unsuccessfully tried to hide a frown.
"Dear, I don't know how to tell you this other than to say, well,
your study habits are just plain atrocious. It's no wonder you don't
do well in school."

Ranko just sat there in silence, unsure of how to respond to that.

"Sweetheart, you jump all over the place in your studying, never
focusing on what you need to follow. Maybe you need to use your
martial arts training to help you in your studying."

Ranko's eyebrows shot up at that. "Huh? How can The Art help me in
studying?"

"Dear, when you practice a kata, or spar, what's the first thing you
have to do? What is the basic start of performing The Art?"

Ranko thought for a moment before replying. "Focus. I need to focus
and find a center."

Nodoka nodded. "Exactly, dear. You need to keep your mind calm, and
concentrate on the task at hand. The same applies to other areas of
life as well, not just The Art. Remember, for a true martial artist,
The Art is life."

Ranko grinned from ear to ear. "You are starting to sound a lot like
Po... I mean father."

"Well, I am the wife of a martial artist, dear, as well as being the
mother of two.

"Ranko, try to use your martial arts training for this. Clear your
mind, find your center, concentrate on the task at hand."

Ranko sat in silence for a moment, then began to laugh.

"Dear, what's so funny?"

A slight smirk came to Ranko's lips. "Martial Arts Book Learnin'.
Might as well give it a try. Can't be any sillier than some of the
other things I've gone through."

"Wha... oh, never mind, dear. Before we start again, let me do one
thing."

Getting up from the table, Nodoka headed over to a stereo system
sitting in the room. Looking through her music collection, she found
what she was looking for. Nodoka smiled to herself as the music began
to flow through the room.

"Umm, Mom, what's that?"

Closing her eyes to soak in the music, Nodoka replied, "This is
classical music, dear. Mozart. I find classical music has a most
calming effect on the mind. I think you will find it easier to study
with this music in the background. Now concentrate on your English
book, and I'll go grab us some tea."

Ranko shrugged. Well, it's worth a shot. She closed her eyes, and
tried to get in touch with the music. Focus, Ranko, focus. Try to
relax. You can do this. This music ain't too bad, if it doesn't put
me to sleep first.

A couple of moments later, Ranko opened her eyes, and turned her
attention to the book in front of her. Frowning to herself, she
wondered what was the point. I can't see what learnin' this will have
to do with anything. She began to read, and found it just as
confusing as before. Patience, I must show patience. I can do this, I
ain't gonna give up. Ranko continued to try to work her way through
the book, when she watched her mother return.

Nodoka began to approach the table, carrying a tray with a teapot and
two cups. While approaching the table, she kept her eyes on Ranko.
However, this caused her to not notice the skewed rug in front of
her.

A split second later, her right foot caught itself in the rug,
causing Nodoka to trip. The tray she was carrying left her grasp,
and the teapot flew towards the table. Towards Ranko.

Ranko's eyes grew wide as she noticed the danger rapidly heading her
way. She moved instinctively, with little time to spare.

Nodoka slowly brought her head up after her trip. She looked in the
direction of where the teapot was headed, towards Ranko's chair. Sure
enough, Nodoka saw the remains of the accident, as the empty chair
was covered in tea. The empty chair? Where's Ranko? Slowly, Nodoka
turned her head, glancing for where the child went. It didn't take
long.

There was Ranko, crouching on the table, somehow dry from the
splashing that seemed destined to find her. Two things came to
Nodoka's mind, first how did the girl move so quickly? Second, why
does she have the look of utter fear on her face?

"Ranko, why... how..."

Ranko sheepishly looked towards her mother, and began to stammer.

"Well, uhh, ya see, ummm, I just got these new clothes, and they're
really nice and all, and I didn't want them to get, ya know, ruined
the first day I was wearin' them, yeah, that's it."

Nodoka stared in disbelief. "That's very thoughtful, dear, but I
think I could get tea stains out, without too much trouble. Let me
get a towel and clean up the mess, while you get back to your
studies. This is not an excuse to slack off, dear, get back to work."

Exhaling a great sigh of relief, Ranko grabbed another chair, and
tried to get back to her studies. Finding her calm did not come easily
though, as the thought of what nearly happened sat heavily on her
mind.

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

Akane sat quietly in her room, holding onto her stuffed pig. Her day
had gone quietly. With her rehersals, Akane tried to keep her mind off
of her concerns, to no avail. Afterwards, the rest of the day was
uneventful, it had seemed like her sisters were keeping any possible
conversations minor. The chats had become totally meaningless drivel,
as if no one wanted to talk to her about the things that were really
on her mind. The things that consumed most of her thoughts.

Walking slowly to the bedroom window, Akane tried to lose herself in
the pristine beauty of the nighttime sky. It was a clear night, the
stars were especially bright, far brighter than Akane was used to
seeing in the city.

Ranma, Ranma is out there, somewhere in the city. A small tear found
its way into her eye. He's out there, maybe even looking up at this
sky right now. It's weird, ever since he came, I've been screaming to
the high heaven how I wanted him out of my life. Now he is, and I
feel so alone. So alone.

A small smile began to form on her face. She turned down and began to
address her inanimate companion.

"P-Chan, everything will work out, I know it will. I just have to
believe that, I just have to have faith. Father is right, things are
working out. Shampoo is leaving, good riddance, and when Mr. Saotome
returns with the cure, everything will be fine. I know it's going to
be fine, but yet I still feel so alone. I really do miss that
arrogant jerk. I guess what they say is true, you don't really know
what you've got 'till it's gone."

Moving slowly to her bed, Akane placed in the pig down, and looked it
over very carefully.

"The question remains, P-Chan, is what am I going to do with you? Not
you, of course, but that little pervert. When I realized what he had
done, I wanted so much to make a quick pork entree, but that's not
enough. I want him to suffer, and suffer hard. I want him broken, and
shamed, and in one piece so he can deal with it for the rest of his
life. But what do I do?"

Akane sat down on the bed next to the faux P-Chan, and watched him
carefully, almost as if he were alive.

"What's that you say? That... that would be horrible. It's sick, it's
wrong, it's... it's perfect! Give the little pervert a taste of what
he's been after, eh? I like it, but how do we make it work?"

Again, Akane sat in silence, nodding her head in response to the
one-sided conversation she was having.

"Maybe you're right, maybe they can help. Not Shampoo of course, but
Cologne, or maybe even Mousse. Yes, if there's a way to make this
work, they would know. Thank you, P-Chan, thank you. I think I can
sleep easier tonight, thanks to you."

Akane turned back her covers, and got into bed. Cradling the toy in
her arms, Akane tried to think pleasant thoughts to get her to sleep.
Thoughts of her and Ranma together. Thoughts of Ryoga, and the
revenge she hoped would one day be hers. Sleep finally came to her, a
peaceful sleep, filled with tranquil dreams.




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