-- Attached file included as plaintext by Listar --
-- File: sc6b.txt


"Order up!"

Mu Tsu placed a delivery order up on the counter. Grimacing to
himself, he was annoyed at the fact that not only did he have to
spend time packing, he had to cover Khu Lon's work while she was out
looking for a buyer for the restaurant. At first he was excited about
being able to spend some time with Xian Pu without the Elder around,
but the apple of his eye continued to ignore him as much as before.

Xian Pu approached the counter, eyeing the order suspiciously. In
Chinese, she mused, "Pretty big order, especially at this time of the
day. Still, I have to do what I have to do. I'll be back soon, Mu
Tsu. Don't slack off while I'm gone, or I'll let Great-Grandmother
deal with you when she gets back from wherever she went." Taking the
order in hand, the young Amazon then exited the Nekohanten, and
proceeded to pedal her way to the delivery destination.

Mu Tsu relaxed for a moment, as the restaurant was currently empty.
Odd, he thought, Xian Pu is right. That is an awful big order for
this time of day. A moment later, he heard the door open, and turned
to greet whatever customer may be walking through the door. He
stopped short when he saw who it was.

"Akane? What brings you in today? Shampoo's not here right now,
neither is the old crone. Is there something I can help you with?"

Mu Tsu watched as a slight smile came to Akane's lips. "I know
Shampoo's gone. I watched her leave. I didn't want her around, so I
had some friends call in a order that should keep her away for
awhile. I wanted to be able to talk to you or Cologne without any
complications. Things tend to get a little... out of control when we
see each other."

Mu Tsu nodded in understanding. "So, what can I do for you, Akane?"

Akane beamed a grin. "I could use your help. I'm glad you are here,
Mousse. We've always gotten alone fine, even after you kidnapped me
that one time."

"Again, sorry about that, Akane, but I never meant you any real
harm."

"I know. You know, maybe we've gotten along better than most of the
lunatics around here do because, in a way, we both want the same
thing."

Mu Tsu eyed Akane curiously. "And what would that be?"

"Well, I want Shampoo out of Ranma's life. And you, you want Ranma
out of Shampoo's. Different viewpoints, but in the end we are both
wanting the same thing."

"I guess you have a point there, Akane."

Akane paused for a moment, bringing her head down, eyeing the floor.
"Is it true, Mousse? Are the three of you leaving?"

Mu Tsu nodded. "Yes, we are. We should be heading for home in a few
days."

"I'm both happy, and sad to hear that. I won't miss Shampoo at all,
no offense to the girl you love, but I will be happy to see her out
of my life. But I'll miss you, and Cologne too, in a way. I kind of
like the old woman, even after everything that has happened. So, how
is Shampoo dealing with the thought of heading for home?"

Mu Tsu returned Akane's question with a sad look. "She doesn't know
that it's for good. The Elder told her it was only for a short time.
She doesn't know we are not coming back."

Akane considered that for a moment. A mischievous look came to her
eye. "Ahh, she is going to be surprised. Well, I certainly won't tell
her the truth. I take it you won't either?"

"True enough."

"I suspect Cologne will have her hands full with her once Shampoo
learns the truth."

Mu Tsu slowly nodded. "So, Akane, you know. Now, what is it you want
of me?"

Akane paused for moment, looking for the words to say. "Well... you
see, I could use some help with Ryoga."

"Ryoga? What about him?"

Akane's eyes narrowed, as hatred flowed through her veins. "The other
day I learned that he had a curse."

"I see, so you finally found out about that."

Akane sent optical daggers in the direction of the master of hidden
Weapons. "You knew? And you never told me?"

Mu Tsu shook his head. "Wasn't up to me to tell. Anyway, both Shampoo
and the Elder made it quite clear to me that they did not want you to
know. Ignorance in that made it easier for them to try to separate
you and Saotome. That was their theory, for better or worse."

"I can't believe no one told me!"

Mu Tsu let out a sigh. "Look, I'm sorry about that, but I'm sure if
things had gotten out of control, someone would have spoken up. I
know Ryoga isn't the top carrot in the patch, but he never tried
anything out of hand."

Akane's fuming came to a new level. "Never got out of hand? The
pervert slept with me! I thought you were my friend, and here you are
defending him?"

Mu Tsu eyed Akane carefully. "Yes, but it was just sleeping, right?"

"Yeah, but..."

"What does Ryoga, or even Ranma have to say about this."

Gritting her teeth, Akane shot back. "Ryoga wasn't around when I
learned of this, or he would be pork flambe right now. And I didn't
hear of this until Ranma left."

"Then perhaps you should wait to hear what they have to say. Ryoga
has always acted in an honorable way when I've been around him,
Akane. Maybe you should give him the benefit of the doubt."

"Whatever. I take it you won't help me then?"

Mu Tsu slowly took off his glasses, and closed his eyes in thought.
"You have been kind to me, Akane. I should at least hear you out."

Akane breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you. I was hoping that maybe
you would have something that would..." Akane then proceeded to tell
Mu Tsu the basics of what she was looking for.

Keeping his eyes closed, Mu Tsu listened, then stood in stony
silence. After a few moments, the wait became unbearable for Akane.

"Well, can you help me or not?"

Returning his spectacles to his face, Mu Tsu reopened his eyes, and 
watched Akane with a sad look. "Yes, there is something that would do
what you ask. But I don't think it would be a good idea to give it to
you."

Narrowing her eyes, Akane asked, "Why not?"

Mu Tsu shook his head in sadness. "Think, Akane. Why do you think
neither Shampoo or the old bat haven't used this on Ranma by now?
Because it's too dangerous.

"The stuff works exactly like you say. However, sometimes there are
also side effects."

"What kind of side effects?" Akane was most curious now.

Mu Tsu leaned against the counter, and after a moment found his
voice. "It depends. It works differently for different people. There
aren't always side effects, but more often than not there are.
Sometimes the effects can be good, such as clearing the mind and
giving the recipient enlightenment. It can make them more virile or
more fertile. Sometimes the oft chance of one of these drives members
of our tribe to use the stuff, but it rarely works the way people
want it."

Turning his head down, Mu Tsu continued. "Most times, however, the
effects are bad. The user becomes sterile, even impotent. They become
consumed with depression, at times even suicidal. A few have become
insane."

Akane stood for a moment, then pulled up a nearby chair and collapsed
in it. Finding her voice, she replied, "I don't care. Whatever
happens to Ryoga, well as far as I am concerned, it's his own damn
fault. He should never of used my trust the way he did. Will you help
me, or should I wait for Cologne or even Shampoo to return? And why
would you even have this stuff here in the first place, if it is as
bad as you say?"

Mu Tsu frowned. "I think Cologne brought it as leverage, as a last
resort to assure Shampoo that Ranma would be hers. I doubt the old
woman would have ever used it, she wants Saotome too badly to risk
it.

"As far as helping you goes, well you are my friend, but so is Ryoga.
If I do give you the stuff, you have to promise not to use it in
haste, to be absolutely sure about what your doing."

Oh, I'm sure, Akane told herself. To Mu Tsu, she replied. "Of course,
I won't do anything rashly. You have my word."

Mu Tsu seemed relieved by that, and headed into the back of the
restaurant. After a couple of moments, he returned, holding two small
vials.

"Here you go, Akane. These are two normal doses. Be very careful with
them. You wouldn't want to touch or inhale the stuff yourself."

Akane took the vials, and smiled. The white powder in the vials
seemed to call to her, promising her peace of mind.

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

One, two, one, two, one, two.

Ranko slowly, but steadily, moved down the streets of her
neighborhood.

One, two.

For the past few days, Ranko had gotten into a simple routine.

One, two.

Each morning, she would awaken, and would head towards the kitchen.
It had become a bit of a game with her mother. Whomever awoke first,
ended up making breakfast that morning. If her mother 'won', Ranko
would use the time to practice in the back. If not, she would
practice after breakfast. This morning, the two reached the kitchen
nearly simultaneously, and after a good laugh, had prepared breakfast
together.

One, two.

After breakfast, and her workout, Ranko would begin to study. Her
mother would work with her at first. As the morning progressed, the
older woman would excuse herself for parts unknown, only to return
later for lunch.

One, two.

After studying for awhile, Ranko knew she needed a form of exercise
besides her katas. Taking a page from Akane's book, she took up
jogging.

One, two.

Finding the park the other day, thanks to that stupid dog, had been a
blessing for Ranko. She ended up incorporating the park into her jog.
She would jog through the neighborhood, ending up at the park, where
she would take a break. After revigorating herself by the pond, she
would take a different route back home. Afterwards, it was a date
with a cold bath, by which time her mother would return and lunch
would be next on the schedule.

One, two.

After lunch, her days became fairly quiet. More studying, more
practicing in the back, then dinner. After dinner, her mother would
go over the days lessons and praise Ranko when a particular part of
the lesson stuck, and scold her when it didn't. There was more
scolding than praise, especially at first. Slowly, Ranko began to
feel more comfortable with the school work. She wasn't totally there
yet, but she did feel like there was a chance to make this work.

One, two.

Ranko smiled to herself as the melody of the music ran through her
mind. At first, she thought her mother's idea of using classical
music as an aid to her studying was stupid, but not anymore. The more
time she listened to it, the more it seemed to help her concentrate
on her task. So much so, that she asked for, and got, a portable tape
player to wear while she was jogging or practicing her katas. She
quickly found that the music got her in closer contact with The Art.
Ranko always thought that she was in perfect harmony with The Art
before. Well, live and learn.

One, two.

Over the music, Ranko heard the sound of someone yelling at her. She
turned her head, and saw a older woman waving to her. Smiling, she
waved back. One extra bonus of her daily jogs was that it allowed her
to meet even more of her new neighbors. She had quickly become
aquainted with many of the women in the neighborhood, and adjusted
her route to pass by them each day. Ranko had gained, in no time, a
small but constant group of watchers and well-wishers on her jogs.
This group generally fell into two parts.

The first group was made up of women like the one she just passed.
Ranko had almost become adopted by many of these women, or so it
seemed to her. Many had stopped by during the evenings, to visit
Nodoka and see just how her 'daughter' was doing. While some of the
'girl talk' of these women annoyed Ranko, she found their attention
most satisfying. She liked having a group of people treat her kindly,
without asking for anything in return. This group did not bother
Ranko at all.

One, two, keep the pace steady.

No, it was the other group of watchers that bothered Ranko. It didn't
take long for THEM to notice her presence in the neighborhood. It
didn't take long for THEM to start watching, gawking, eyeing her as
she made her way along her route each day. It didn't take long for
the boys of her new neighborhood to come out in force and make their
presence known to her.

Perverts. Well, at least they are keeping their distance, and are
just watching. For now. None of them are as forward as Kuno, or some
of the other jerks I had to deal with.

Ranko's eyes rolled as she saw a batch of the boys waiting ahead of
her, standing there waiting for her. Keep your distance, you jerks,
unless you want a quick beating. Some of these boys were younger than
her, just at that right age when boys really started to notice girls.
Ranko remembered full well when her attitude changed. Of course, she
never stayed in one place long enough to get to know any of the girls
she had met, not that she would have been able to talk to any of them
or anything like that even if she had stayed. She remembered quite
well how awkward she felt just thinking about girls. Good thing most
of these boys are just like I was, she mused to herself. They're just
not ready to deal with a real girl, let alone someone like me, just
yet.

Of course, some of these boys are older, even older than I am. What,
don't they have anything better to do? The looks in some of these
jerks eyes, you'd think they'd never even seen a girl before. Just
the glares they are givin' me, I so much want to go over and pummel
them.

Ranko sighed. By the time I met a girl I wanted to know, and had
wanted to be able to talk to, I found myself with so many problems.
Not to mention, these problems conspired to make sure that Akane
would see me as nothing but a complete pervert, and a total jerk.
It's not fair, it's just not fair.

As her jog continued, Ranko was thankful for one thing. She was
definitely thankful that her mother had insisted that she wear the
proper female undergarments. The panties still felt so weird to wear,
but the bra. Man, as bad as these boys are now, just imagine how bad
they would be if I were jogging without a sportsbra right now. They
would be drooling a river. Especially now that my outerwear is not as
baggy as it was before.

Ranko winced at the thought. Anyways, mom was right. I was a fool to
hold out on this as long as I did. It just makes sense for me to wear
this, especially considering how active I am. I mean, even should I
go back to my old life, I need to keep this in mind. Pops may not
like it, but as long as I have this curse to deal with, I just can't
ignore it, no matter how much I want to. It is a part of my life, at
least for now. It's just common sense. And anyways, he's a fine one
to talk, all of the times he goes panda to avoid responsibility.
Yeah, some role model I got myself there.

One, two.

While most of my new routine had caused no troubles, there was one
major problem. Hot water. That first day, when Mom nearly spilled the
tea on me, I thought that was bad enough. It was only the beginning.
Each day, it seems I have to deal with more hot water incidents than
the day before. Yesterday, I had to dodge water four times. Four
times! A spilled teapot, a bowl of soup, that's one thing. But a hot
water heater breaking, right in front of me? Not to mention the hot
water balloons. I mean, really, what kid in their right mind uses hot
water in their water balloons? I don't even want to know where that
flying hot water bottle came from. The old ghoul was right. It's
almost like there's come kinda hot water conspiracy against me or
somethin'. If it keeps up like this, I don't know much long I can
successfully deal with it. Sooner or later...

One, two.

Ranko was in the home stretch now, her home in sight ahead of her.
A smile came to her. A quick bath, and soon Mom will be home. I
wonder where she has been going every day? Slowly stopping at the
front door, Ranko exhaled a breath. Man, that was a good run. I can
see why Akane enjoyed doin' that. Collecting her thoughts, Ranko
opened the door, and entered her home. As she entered the house, she
found her mother there, waiting for her.

"Dear, did you have a nice run?"

Ranko winked and gave her mom a big thumbs up. "You bet. I've come to
really enjoy my daily runs. Well, parts of it, anyway."

Nodoka motioned Ranko to take a seat. "Dear, why don't you rest for a
few moments, then I have a surprise for you."

Taking a seat, Ranko blinked in surprise. "What kinda surprise, Mom?"

A mischievous grin came to Nodoka's mouth. "Well, if I told you that,
it wouldn't be a surprise now, would it. Now rest, dear, you will
want your full energy for this surprise."

Ranko sat back, collecting her energy. I wonder what Mom's up to now?
I'll find out soon enough, I guess. At first, her surprises kinda
worried me, but they've all turned out fine so far. I'm sure this one
will, too.

A short time later, Ranko was walking with her mother in a nearby
business district. Changing into her jeans, and a dark red blouse
that reminded her of her Chinese outfit before leaving, she was busy
taking in all of the sights around her. There were so many people
here, including a lot of people her age. She watched in fascination
as groups of teenage girls were busy roaming the streets, laughing
and talking with each other. Ranko listened in as best as she could.
The conversations seemed trivial to her, but the girls seemed to be
enjoying themselves greatly. Man, that would be great, to just be
able to have friends to hang out with, not a care in the world, and
just have fun.

Glancing over to her mother, Ranko watched as she slowly made her way
through the streets, holding a bag with her. Prior to leaving the
house, Ranko watched with curiosity as her mother entered Ranko's
room and came out carrying something in a bag. Her mom had refused to
answer when Ranko asked what it was she was carrying, so Ranko
figured it was all part of the surprise.

A short distance later, Nodoka stopped, and turned towards her
daughter. "Dear, do you trust me?"

"Of course, Mother."

Nodoka smiled, and warmly told Ranko. "Then, dear, I want you to
close your eyes, and let me guide you the rest of the way."

Close my eyes? Just what is going on here. "Okay, Mom, if you say
so." Ranko closed her eyes, and held out her hand. She felt her
mother's hand grab on, and she tentatively moved as her mother guided
her on her way. She stopped at one point, as her mother led her
through what Ranko believed to be a series of doorways. In time, they
stopped.

"Okay, dear, you may open your eyes now."

Ranko slowly opened her eyes. She began to look around, and as she
did so her face dropped further and further.

"A dojo? You brought me to a dojo?"

Glancing around, Ranko couldn't help but notice the many people here,
each in a gi practicing one form of the art or another. She watched
as one man, around her father's age, began to approach her mother and
herself. There was no doubt as Ranko watched him move, he was one
with The Art. Not only was he fit, but his movements screamed of
someone who had been studying for years.

As he reached her, he bowed. "You must be Ranko. Your mother has told
me so much about you."

Eyeing her mother carefully, Ranko replied. "Has she, now?"

Nodoka simply nodded. "These past few days, I have looking around for
the right dojo, not to mention the right sensei, for you, dear. Of
all of the dojo's I visited, Furukawa-sensei's is the one I felt most
comfortable with."

"Furukawa Jiro at your service, Ranko."

"Nice to meet ya."

Mr. Furukawa eyed Ranko impassionately, and asked, "So, Ranko, would
you like to spar?"

A grin the size of Tokyo Tower seemed to spread itself across Ranko's
face. "You bet!"

Nodoka passed the package over to Ranko. "Here, sweetheart, is your
gi."

Her new sensei pointed off to one area. "The women's changing area is
over there. When you are ready, I will be here."

Ranko grabbed her gi and rushed, as fast as she could, over to the
changing area.

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

Xian Pu frowned, and looked over the now empty dining area of the
Nekohanten. Business, not to mention her great-grandmother, had
been keeping her hopping these last few days, and she had found
little time to think.

Now, she had a little bit of quiet time, though not much. Tables
needed to be cleaned, floors needed to be swept, and countless
assorted sundry chores were waiting to be done. Mu Tsu was busy in
the back, taking care of the kitchen area. The dining room was her
responsibility, and though she thought the task to be below a warrior
of her stature, she still found herself dealing the mundane tasks on
a daily basis. Her great-grandmother told her that even members of
the Council were required to do mundane tasks for the tribe, that no
task for the betterment of the tribe was ever beneath even the
Matriarch. Whatever, she fumed to herself, like I ever see her do
anything but stand and boss Mu Tsu and me around.

Looking at the dining area carefully, Xian Pu decided to start by
watering the potted plants that decorated the room. After going to
the kitchen to fill up a pitcher with cold water (being especially
careful not to spill any of the water on herself), she glanced around
at the plants, wondering where to start.

A second later, a frown covered her face. Something is not right
here, she thought to herself. I can't put my finger on it, but
something is out of place. Xian Pu closed her eyes, and began to
visualize the way the dining area should look. Once she was
comfortable with the proper image, she opened her eyes and began to
compare her visual image with the one spread before her.

Her eyes slowly moved around the room, comparing each and every nook
and cranny. Coming to one section of the room, where one of the
plants stood, she froze. Closing her eyes again, to regain the
picture in her mind, she once more compared the two images. No doubt
about it, she told herself. A playful smile came to her. Well if
that's the way it is, it's time to have myself a little fun. I sure
haven't had much of that these last few days.

Xian Pu began to whistle an old Amazon battle song. If he only
understood the meaning of this song, he'd be getting real nervous
right now, she thought. She started at one edge of the dining area,
beginning the routine of watering the plants as if nothing was out
of place.

Slowly, she made her way to the part of the room in question. Her
right hand, holding the pitcher, began to rise as if she were about
to water this plant like all of the others. Right before the pitcher
got into position, her left arm moved, quickly, her left hand
clinched into a fist burying itself with force into the midst of the
plant.

"Ouch! Hey, that hurt!" A second later, Xian Pu watched with
amusement as a face made its way out of the plant. The nose on the
face seemed a little red. Good, Xian Pu thought, direct hit. Am I
good, or am I good?

"That general idea. Now disguise girl tell Shampoo what you want."

Tsubasa's eyes narrowed, and he started to fume.

"Disguise boy! I'm disguise boy, not disguise girl!"

Xian Pu waved her hand in disdain. "Whatever. You tell Shampoo why
you here, no?"

"I'm looking for my darling Ukyo."

Xian Pu's eyes blinked a half dozen times in wonder. "Spatula girl?
You got wrong restaurant. You lost, like lost boy."

Tsubasa shook his head. "I'm not lost. The Ucchan is closed, I
haven't seen her around, and I've looked everywhere. I was hoping you
would know where to find her."

Xian Pu's eyebrow raised in wonder. "Maybe Shampoo know, but why come
to me?"

His head dropping down in sadness, Tsubasa replied, "Well, first I
went looking for Saotome. Not that he would have told me easily, but
I figured he'd be the one person who'd know where Ukyo was. But he's
disappeared too. So's his old man, and all of the people over at the
Tendo dojo are acting real strange."

"Hmph, them acting strange is not strange, it normal."

Tsubasa began to laugh. "No, I mean strange for them. Akane's moping
around a lot, and her sisters aren't much better. You don't think
Ranma and Ukyo have run off together, do you?"

Xian Pu eyes began to bulge, and Tsubasa swore the eyes themselves
were Beginning to glow. "Ranma better not run off with spatula girl!
Not if he know what good for him. Wait a minute, Ukyo at stupid
convention, that what she tell Shampoo."

"Convention?"

Tsubasa received a nod in confirmation. "Yes, a convention dealing
with oko... what do you call it again?"

"Okonomiyaki." answered Tsubasa.

"Yes, that is it. She is at convention dealing with okonomiyaki."

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

"I personally prefer using rice flour to wheat, but I do know some of
you like wheat.""

Boring!

"Of course, the secret to okonomiyaki lies in the stock, your own
special sauce."

Kid's stuff!

Ukyo sat back in pure boredom. I can't believe father talked me into
this. Ukyo, he said, this convention is very important, the Kuonji
clan must be present. I will meet you there, and we will spent the
time catching up on things. Yeah, that's what he told me on the
phone. Then I get here, and guess what? He leaves a message saying he
won't be able to make it, but at least the clan will be represented
by my presence. Like I want to spend time away from Ranchan right
now. How am I supposed to convince him that I'm the perfect fiancee
for him when I'm not there?

Father, sometimes you are such a jackass!

And these lectures! Any decent okonomiyaki chef just out of diapers
knows this stuff! I could cook circles around these clods in my
sleep, and right now I'm halfway there! This is so dull!

Ukyo continued in sit with the rest of the conventioneers, in total
silence, when all of a sudden...

"Aaachooo!!!!!"

Ukyo's face began to turn beet red as the eyes of everyone in the
room turned towards her.

"Sorry," she replied meekly.

Now where did THAT come from? It's not cold in here, and I don't see
anything I'm allergic to. Very strange, if you ask me.

In no time at all, the speaker returned to his lecture. Ukyo sat
back, and mused over the indignity of it all. I am in hell, that is
all there is to it.

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

"Waaaahhhh!," Tsubasa cried, "It's all a lie! I bet there's no
convention. It's just a stupid lie. I bet Ukyo's with Ranma now. Oh,
I can't bear the thought of it!"

Xian Pu picked Tsubasa up by the collar of his... dress. Figures, she
mused, that cross-dressing girl would be chased by a freak like this.
"Shut up! There no way Ranma run off with her."

"You really think so?"

"Shampoo sure." Xian Pu was a little unsure, but did not want to show
that to this boy. She placed Tsubasa down, and watched as the
cross-dresser started dancing up and down in joy.

"Yes, there's still a chance for me to win the heart of my darling
Ukyo!"

Xian Pu's eyes narrowed, and she slowly came up from behind Tsubasa,
lining up for the proper angle. "Okay, you got what you came for. Now
leave. Here, Shampoo help you go." Xian Pu reared back her right leg,
and let loose a mighty punt. She watched as her uninvited guest flew
out of the restaurant through the roof, screaming all of the way.

Good riddance, she mused, and she returned to her chores. Well, that
broke up the monotony for a moment. I guess I should be thankful of
that, at least.

Overhead, Tsubasa flew screaming across the Nerima skies.

"Wheeeeeeee!"

Slowly, he brought his finger up to his mouth, and after wetting the
finger, held it out to gauge the wind around him.

Hmm, he thought to himself, good hang time, decent velocity. Overall
not bad, not as good as Ukyo, of course, but not bad at all. Not an
e-ticket, but it will do.

With that, Tsubasa watched the scenery unfold around him, and enjoyed
the rest of his free trip.

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

Ranko stood in the dojo, dressed in her gi. She slowly studied her
opponent, standing across the way from her.

He slowly bowed to her, and stated. "Okay, Ranko, let's see what
you've got. Anytime you're ready."

Bowing in return to show her readiness, she positioned herself into a
ready stance. She watched as the sensei took up a stance himself, and
slowly she began to move around him, waiting for the proper moment to
make the first move.

He made the first move, however. He charged her, firing a quick jab
with his right hand. He's fast, Ranko thought, just not fast enough.
Without hesitation, she dodged his attack. Jumping off to the side,
Ranko riposted back with an attack of her own, sending her right foot
out in a leaping thrust at his chest.

He surprised her by grabbing her foot with his right hand and threw her
backwards. Smiling broadly, she set up her left foot in order to land,
and used the force of the landing to spring back with a counter-leap.
Flying towards her target, she used the force of her momentum to
execute a power kick with her left leg.

"Oooofff!"

Target hit! Ranko grinned as the sensei slowly got up from the force
of her strike. She looked around at the other students in the dojo,
as they watched with awe. Many of these students had their mouths
open wide, in utter shock. Probably not used to seeing their sensei
get hit. Good, give 'em a wake up call.

Furukawa once again bowed towards Ranko. "Nicely done. You have great
skill. I obviously underestimated you. Shall we try again?"

Ranko nodded, and once again set herself into her ready stance. She
moved around him, waiting for an opening. A grin flashed across her
face as she spotted an opening. Quickly, she moved towards the
sensei's left side, ready to jab at his exposed rib area.

Except that the opening closed itself in a fraction of a second, and
Ranko found her accelerating punch caught by her opponent. The sensei
grabbed her arm, and threw her across the room, where she landed,
head first.

Rubbing her head, more in disgust than in pain, Ranko said, "Man, I
can't believe I fell for that. I guess I underestimated you, too."

Slowly he nodded, not allowing any expression to cross his face.
"Then shall we continue?"

Ranko got back to her feet, her eyes narrowed in concentration. I
have to focus now, I have to be serious here. A slight nod, and Ranko
faced her challenger once more.

Slowly, the two combatants paced around the other. I will not rush
into another mistake, Ranko kept telling herself. Ya ain't gonna fool
me twice. Every so often, one or the other would feint an attack,
gauging their opponent. Sometimes, the attack would not be a feint,
but the attacker soon found their prey had easily dodged or parried
the blow. This went on, minute after minute.

He's good, Ranko told herself. Not as good as Pop or Ryoga, but he's
pretty good. I think it's time to end this. Shame though, this has
been a great workout.

Ranko quickly feinted a power kick towards the sensei's left ribcage.
As she had expected, he swung around to his right, dodging where the
blow would come. Except, of course, that now the real attack came to
the area he had moved into, with a series of rapid punches.

Jiro managed to avoid or parry many of the punches. A few hit their
mark, and he backed up, grimacing from the power of Ranko's attack.
She pressed on her advantage, moving her body briskly, without going
to full chestnut fist mode. It would be dishonorable to use the
special techniques in a friendly little spar. Still, the speed of her
blows kept him on the defensive, until he finally staggered and fell
from the onslaught.

Ranko moved to stand over him, waiting for his next move. He looked
at her impassionately, and slowly raised his right hand, simply
saying just one word.

"Yield."

Ranko held out her hand, and helped Jiro regain his feet. Slowly, he
turned towards his students, the shock of their faces still evident.
He wordlessly motioned them to get back to their practicing. Slowly,
the students began to break up and return to what they were doing,
muttering among themselves as they did so.

Turning his attention back towards Ranko, he said, "You and your
mother please come into my office. There we can speak without any
distractions."

Finding her mother by her side, Ranko followed the sensei into his
office, where he took a seat, eyeing Ranko carefully.

"Your are quite skilled, young lady. I am very impressed."

Ranko's face beamed at the complement.

"Your mother tells me you could use a place to practice and spar. Is
this true? Would you like to use my dojo?"

Ranko nodded furiously. "Yeah, I could definitely use a place other
than the back yard. This seems to be a pretty cool dojo."

Hiro's face cracked a smile, showing life for the first time since
Ranko met him. "I tend to think so. Your mother also tells me that
you might be interested in being a sensei one day."

"I'm not quite sure, but I'd like to find out."

A twinkle came to his eyes. "Good answer. Perhaps we can make some
kind of arrangement, eh, Ranko?"

"What, what do you have in mind?"

Furukawa Hiro got up, and slowly paced around the room, deep in
thought. After some time, he turned back to his guests. "I will allow
you the use of this dojo any time you wish, for practicing, sparring,
whatever. Now, have you had any training in becoming a sensei?"

"Well, Pop... father has been training me in The Art for as long as I
can remember."

Shaking his head, he replied, "That's not what I asked. Has he
trained you in how to teach, as well as how to fight?"

Ranko's eyes raised in wonder. "There's a difference?"

"A big difference. Just because you can do something, and do it well,
does not mean you are going to be capable to pass that information to
others just like that. Teaching is a skill, Ranko, just like any
other skill. It needs to be trained, it needs to be learned, it needs
to be cultivated.

"A lot of people think that someone who is exceptional at doing
something is automatically a great teacher. This is not so. As a
matter of fact, a lot of highly skilled individuals are poor
teachers. They lack the patience needed to work with those who don't
have the same abilities or drive that they have themselves."

Jiro went over to his office door, and opened it, allowing Ranko to
see the students out in the dojo. "Look at my students, Ranko. Only a
handful of those I teach have the skills or desire to even strive for
the levels in The Art that we have. But that handful is just the tip
of the iceberg in the total number of students that I have. A dojo,
if it wants to be a profitable business, must open itself up not only
to those rare few who strive for what we have, but those who come
here for other reasons.

"Some of my students practice The Art as a hobby. Some use it as a
way of staying in shape. I have classes of women who want to learn
basic self-defense to give them the abilities to defend themselves
against any mugger, rapist or maybe even a violent boyfriend or
husband. The bulk of my students, Ranko, are children. Most of these
children won't take to the same kind of rigorous training that we
have."

Closing the door, the sensei returned to his chair. Eyeing Ranko
carefully, he continued. "Part of being a teacher, Ranko, is being
able to understand your students, and figuring out what methods will
work with each student. It requires great patience, and can be a lot
of hard work. It can also be quite satisfying when you succeed. How
are you in school, Ranko?"

Ranko shook her head. "My marks aren't that great."

"Try to work on that, Ranko. If you run a dojo, you must be able to
know the basics of running a business. Math, not to mention business
courses in college are a must. In fact, nowadays, Ranko, a college
degree is very important. As I said earlier, most of my students are
children, and it's the parents who decide whether or not they want
you as their child's sensei. Parents will feel more comfortable with
a sensei who has a college education."

Ranko lost herself in thought. "I guess, that kinda makes sense."

"As I said before, I will grant you use of this dojo. In addition, I
will work with you on how to be a sensei, I will train you on the
things you will need to know before you decide if this is something
you want to do with your life or not."

Ranko eyed him very carefully. "In exchange for?"

Jiro smiled yet again. "In exchange, well first, I would like to spar
with you on a regular basis. I would like to have someone good enough
to keep me honest, even teach me a thing or two. Second, well I could
use an assistant. After I feel you have learned enough about the
basics of teaching, I would like to have you help me with some of my
classes. This will naturally give you more insight on whether or not
you really want to be a sensei. Of course, we will work around your
school schedule, but that is the deal I am offering you. Do you
accept?"

Ranko wasted no time in her answer. "Yeah, I'd like that. Sparrin'
with you on a regular basis would be fun. Maybe in time, I could
even show you some special moves I've picked up."

Jiro's eyebrow shot up at that. "Now you've got me curious. Okay
then, it's a deal. Now, let's see if we can work out some kind of
basic schedule."

Some time later, Ranko left the dojo with her mother. The young
martial artist was sporting a giant smile, and she turned towards
her mother.

"Mom, thanks a bunch! That sensei's pretty cool. I can't believe you
went to all that trouble to find me a dojo."

Nodoka smiled down at Ranko. "Believe it, sweetheart. That's what
mothers do for their children."

"Yeah," Ranko exclaimed, "It's so great to have a mother again! So,
you looked at a bunch of different dojos?"

"Yes, dear. A lot of them were very nice, but I never felt completely
comfortable with the senseis. I really like Furukawa-sensei, though.
I feel real good about him."

"So do I, Mom. He's really cool, and a pretty good fighter to boot."

Nodoka smiled at that. "Yes, dear, and there's one more perk about
his dojo."

"And what's that, Mom?"

"There are a lot of manly looking young students there your age,
Ranko." Nodoka looked down at her daughter, and gave her a playful
wink.

"Mother!" Ranko's face began to flush deep red.

Nodoka began to laugh. "And that is another thing mothers have a
tendency to do. Just be patient with me, dear. Being the mother of a
teenage girl is new to me. I guess we'll both have to learn as we
go, okay?"

Ranko began to head down the sidewalk, whistling a happy tune. For
some reason, she felt the need to look up. In doing so, she saw a
glint coming from a window of the building in front of her. In
horror, she watched as something left the window, and was heading
down towards the street. She knew, she just knew what it was.

Without hesitation, she moved. Grabbing her mother, she jumped back
as hard as she could, trying to put as much distance between her and
the impact area.

"Ranko, what... oh my!" Nodoka watched as a large tub of water came
crashing down in front of her, landing right where she and Ranko were
just a split-second ago. She watched as the water splashed in a large
area near the landing site. Somehow, she and Ranko had escaped getting
soaked by the water. Nodoka's eyes got wide as she noticed steam
rising from the tub. Walking over to the tub, she gingerly put her
finger down into the water, testing it.

"Ow... this water is boiling! I would like to find whomever is
responsible for this. Somebody could have been seriously injured!"

Or killed, Ranko mused to herself.

Nodoka walked back over to Ranko, and exhaled a deep breath. "My,
what a day. Ranko, while we are in the area, I believe there is a
major sale going on nearby. Why don't we go take a look at it before
going home. I could use a break after that."

Ranko agreed, hoping this would help get her mind off of what nearly
happened. Man, that was close. Too close. I don't know how much more
of this I can take.

Off to the side, a slight figure stood in the shadows. Watching the
near miss, a crooked smile came to the aged face.

This time, I didn't even need to arrange an incident. Yes, it is now
working on its own accord, like a train wreck. Child, you need to
face facts, you cannot keep this up. Soon, you will forced to deal
with this, one way or another. I have done all that I can. It is safe
to leave now. First, I must go see why Mr. Tendo called the
restaurant, asking for me.

Grabbing her staff, Cologne began to leave the area, making sure that
she was not spotted by Ranko.

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

Kasumi sat quietly in the therapist's office. She looked down at her
hands, watching as she twiddled her thumbs.

"So, Miss Tendo, why did you come here?"

"Well, ummm, ahhh."

The doctor looked over towards Kasumi, and smiled. "It's all right,
Kasumi. It's only natural to be nervous. Most of my patients have a
hard time getting used to talking to me at first. Get comfortable,
okay?"

Kasumi nodded. She looked over to the side, and noticed a couch
sitting there. "Would it be easier if I was laying on that? That is
the norm, right?"

The therapist chuckled. "The therapist's couch, I'm afraid, is an old
convention that hasn't gone away that easily. Where you sit yourself,
Kasumi, depends on where you think you would feel more comfortable.
Some patients prefer the couch, maybe the old cliche soothes them.
Some like the chair. If you'd feel more comfortable talking to me
standing on your head in the corner, that's fine too, though I don't
recommend it. It all depends on you, Kasumi."

"I think, I think I will just sit here, doctor."

"All right, now why did you come to me?"

"Well, ummmmm, it is hard for me to say, really."

Placing his notepad back on his desk, the doctor leaned over towards
Kasumi and addressed her. "Before we start, maybe it would be best if
I explained what it is I do, and what you can expect from me, okay?"

Kasumi gave the doctor a slight smile. "Okay."

"I am here, Kasumi, because sometimes people need help, help in a way
that needs someone other than a close family member or a good friend
to deal with. My job, Kasumi, is to help people find the answers to
these problems. It's not to judge you, it's not to criticize or place
blame, it's just to help. Are you with me so far?"

"Yes, doctor."

"My job, Kasumi, is not to tell you how to live your life. Many
people think that's what I do. My job is to help you find the answers
and most importantly, help you find what you want to do, what you
need to do.

"How I do this, Kasumi, is both simple and complex. I have you talk
to me. I ask you questions, and you answer them. It is important that
you answer honestly. Sometimes the questions will be difficult for
you to answer. You must be honest, though, or any time you spend here
is wasted. It is important that you are completely honest, not only
with me, but with yourself. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I think so."

The doctor gave Kasumi a smile. "Now, before we start, I need to be
completely honest with you, Kasumi. First off, it is going to take
some time before we get any answers. The idea of someone having a
major revelation or breakthrough in their first session is a myth. It
doesn't happen that way in real life. If it were that easy, you
wouldn't need me to help you. Any problems you may have to work
through is going to take time to deal with. There are a number of
reasons for this, the major one is trust."

"Trust?"

"Yes, trust. You see, Kasumi, like I told you before, in order for me
to be able to help you, you have to be completely honest with me, and
tell me things that you haven't told anyone else, things you might be
unaware of yourself. You are going to have to trust me completely
before you feel comfortable in sharing these secrets. The first step
we must take is one of building that trust. You will start to talk to
me about your life, nothing too personal, just a little background.
This helps me in getting to understand who you are, and helps you in
becoming comfortable talking to me. Do you understand?"

Kasumi let out a giant breath. She sat back in the chair, releasing
the iron grip she had on the armrests. "I think so, doctor."

"Good, now shall we begin? What is your name?"

"Tendo Kasumi."

"What is your quest?"

Kasumi's eyes raised in curiosity. "What you do mean by that?"

The doctor grinned. "What do you want of life? What dreams do you
have? Where do you see yourself in 5, 10 years?"

Kasumi glanced down at the floor. "I'm not sure. That's part of why
I'm here."

"Okay, that's a start. What is your favorite color?"

Kasumi sat back, dumbfounded. "What kind of a question is that?"

"It's an icebreaker, really. Some of my patients get a chuckle from
it. It helps if you are familiar with the movie."

Kasumi shook her head in wonder. "What movie?"

"Never mind, just out of curiosity however, what is your favorite
color? It's just a little thing to help me know you a little better."

Kasumi sighed in resignation. "Pink. I like pink."

The doctor proceeded to write in his notebook. "Okay, good. Now, let's
talk about your family. Tell me about the members of your family."

"But why? Surely you know all about my family from Nabiki."

The doctor placed his notebook down once again. "What your sister may
or may not have told me is irrelevant to our sessions, Kasumi. First,
what she has told me is from her viewpoint, not yours. It is
important to get your viewpoint, your feelings on your family members,
and your relationships with them.

"Second, anything she has told me in her sessions are for her
sessions only. I can't talk to you about anything she has told me,
just as I can't talk to her, or your father, or anyone else about
anything you tell me. Anything that happens in our sessions is
between us, and us alone. It's called doctor-patient privilege, and
it is a very important part of what we do here. Without it, it would
be difficult to help anybody. Can you figure out why?"

Kasumi sat back for a moment, thinking over his question. Eventually
she answered. "Trust. It has to do with trust. I have to be able to
trust you with my private most thoughts. If I feel you will share
those with anyone, I can't be completely honest with you."

The doctor nodded. "Yes, that is it precisely. It's all a matter of
trust. Now, shall we try again? Tell me about your family. Let's
start with Nabiki, first, shall we? Tell me about her."

Kasumi closed her eyes, and began to talk. It was difficult at first,
but soon she found it easier to talk to this stranger. It did not
take Kasumi long to consider that coming here was a good decision.
Just talking about the little things is relaxing me, she thought as
the session continued. I think this was a good idea. I will have to
thank Nabiki later.

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

Yawn! Here I am, shopping again. I just don't understand the appeal.
I mean, go in, find what you want, get out. That's the way to shop. I
don't see why girls have to make a whole day out it.

Ranko mused as she looked around at the various clothes laid out. Her
mom was right, there was a sale, a sidewalk sale, close to the dojo,
and her mom was having the time of her life. Ranko looked over to a
nearby group of tables where her mom was perusing the goods. I won't
complain, mom was great to me earlier, findin' me that dojo and all.
I'll just grin and bear it. I just hope this doesn't take TOO long. I
am so bored.

Ranko looked down at the item she was now holding, a maroon tank top
with the outline of a dragon on the front. Not bad, she thought, I
just might have to pick this one up.

>From behind her, Ranko then heard a voice, a voice that sent shivers
down her spine.

"Umm, ahh, excuse me, ummm miss. Umm, could you help me?"

Ranko closed her eyes, and silently cursed. No, not him, not now.
Just my rotten luck. Please, don't recognize me, don't recognize me.
Slowly, she turned around, and prepared for the worst. Her stomach
did a full back-flip when she saw him standing there, with a stupid
look on his face. So far, so good, he doesn't recognize me yet. Well,
let's play along.

Ranko batted her eyes just a little, and raised her hand to her mouth
in mock shyness. "Um, are you talking to me?"

Ranko watched as the young man in front of her cast his eyes down,
and once again began to stammer. "Umm, yeah. Could you tell me where
I might find the Tendo Dojo?"

"The Tendo Dojo?" Ranko tried her best to fein ignorance as to the
place in question.

"Ummm, yes. This is Nerima, is it not?"

Ranko rolled her eyes. Ryoga, you are such a moron, she thought to
herself. "Nerima? No, but it's not that far from here. Here, let me
help you." Ranko then walked up to him, and gently turned him, so he
faced 90 degrees to the right of where he stood before. Letting out a
slight giggle, Ranko then pointed in that direction and said, "Nerima
is that way. If you head straight in that direction, you won't miss
it." Well, any normal person wouldn't, but you on the other hand,
you'll be lost before you get 50 meters.

Ryoga chuckled a little. "Thanks, miss. You have been very kind."

"Don't mention it." With that, Ranko gave Ryoga a slight push to get
him moving. Watching him leave, Ranko sighed to herself, that was
easy. Too easy, if you ask me. This is still going to come and bite
me in the butt, I just know it. Yep, just give it a little bit of
time.

Ryoga walked down the street, happy for the assistance he had just
received. Nice girl, he thought to himself. She was pretty cute too,
with those blue eyes and that...

All of a sudden, Ryoga stopped cold. Slowly, the gears in his mind
began to turn.

Ranko, meanwhile, began to get very nervous. You know, she thought,
it has never been THAT easy to get rid of him before. Yep, any time
now.

Ranko began to count to herself. Five.

That was no ordinary girl, Ryoga concluded. That was Ranma! Damn you,
Saotome, how dare you try to make a fool out of me!

Four.

What sick game are you up to this time, Ranma? Well, whatever it is,
I won't allow it!

Three.

Ryoga began to turn, and started to scan the area for the object of
his thoughts.

Two.

Ah! There he is! Pretending to be a girl again, I don't know why
Akane puts up with him. Well, it's time somebody put him in his
place.

One.

Ryoga felt the cold harsh feelings rise in him. Now is the time, I
will defeat him once and for all. This time I will succeed!

One?

Ranko nearly breathed a sigh of relief when she finally heard the
words she had heard so many times before.

"Ranma! Prepare to die!"

A grin came to Ranko's face, as she put herself into a quick battle
stance. "Gee, P-Chan, it sure took ya long enough."

"Don't call me P-Chan, Ranma!" Ryoga stood there, eyeing his rival
for a sign to make his move.

Ranko grinned. "Okay by me, Porky. As long as you don't call me Ranma
right now."

A look of disgust crossed Ryoga's face. "Oh, and why not, Ranma? What
sick game are you playing now?"

Ranko's eyes narrowed, and she spat her words back at Ryoga. "I ain't
playin' no game, Ham-iki. Are you going to stand there all day, or
are we gonna fight?"

Ryoga began to scream, and rushed Ranko. His fists rapidly moved
towards their target, only to meet air. "Damn you, stand still so I
can clobber you!"

Ranko shook her head in disappointment. "You wanna hit me, you're
gonna have to earn it. Come on, I ain't got all day."

Ryoga positioned himself for another attack. He was about to leap
into action, when he felt a hand grab him by the shoulder. Turning
around, he came face to face with an older woman.

"Young man, why are you attacking my daughter?"

"Ma'am, please, this is a man-to... did you say daughter?"

Nodoka stood there, glaring harshly at the young man in front of her.
"That's right. Now explain yourself, young man."

Ryoga's face dropped, and he began to stammer uncontrollably.

Ranko felt like screaming to the high heavens. Man, if it ain't one
thing...

"Mother, this is Hibiki Ryoga. Ryoga, this is Saotome Nodoka, Ranma's
mother."

"Yes," Nodoka added, "and now Ranko's as well."

"Ranma's mother? Ranko? Wha... wha..." Ryoga stood in shock, trying
to recall just what he had heard about Ranma's mother. Closing his
eyes, he remembered some discussion he had overheard as P-Chan. How
he had overheard Akane talking about a blood oath of some kind. Now
what was it?

Ryoga's thoughts were interrupted by the voice of the elder Saotome.
"Now, young man, will you explain to me just why it is that you
attacked Ranko?"

Ranko? Ranko! That's it, now I remember. Oh man, when I heard about
that I didn't know whether to laugh at the jerk or pity him.
Certainly not pity. The jerk deserves it after everything he's done.

"You called Ranko your daughter? I don't understand."

Eyeing Ryoga carefully, Nodoka responded. "I plan on adopting her,
and raising her as my daughter. It hasn't been done officially yet,
but as far as I am concerned she is my daughter. And you still have
some explaining to do."

Ryoga began to sweat, and sweat hard. "Well, umm, I, well..."

Ranko shook her head in disgust, and spoke up. "You see, Mom, Ryoga
he has a bit of a crush on Akane."

"I do not!" Ryoga spat out.

"Whatever. Anyways, he gets mad at me when I try to keep him from
getting too close to her."

Nodoka nodded. "That is quite proper of you, Ranko. After all, Akane
already has a fiance. Or at least had one. It would have been wrong
for Ryoga to chase after her under the circumstances."

"It's not chasing!" Ryoga's blood began to boil. "Akane never choose
to be engaged to Ranma, and she certainly deserves better than the
likes of him!"

"By better, you mean someone who would attack a young girl in the
middle of the street like a common hooligan? And young man, I will
not have you bad-mouth my son. I have not seen him in over ten years,
and I will not have his name tarnished by the likes of you."

Ranko began to get very nervous. The last thing she needed was for
Ryoga to do or say something stupid right about now. Watching him,
she could see his eyes begin to glaze over. He's losing it, Ranko
thought. I have to stop this in the bud, and right now.

"Mother, it's okay, really. Let me deal with Ryoga. Alone. He tends
to get flustered around strangers."

"Are you sure, Ranko? He did try to attack you."

Ranko tried her best to give her mother a reassuring smile. "Yes,
mother. He won't try anything now, will you, Ryoga?"

A smirk came to Ryoga's lips. "Yeah. I won't try anything." At least
not now.

Ranko stared at Ryoga, ready to pound the boy. "And anyway, I am a
martial artist. I can defend myself from him."

Nodoka shook her head. "Sparring in a dojo is one thing, but brawling
in the streets is not acceptable behavior. However, if this is what
you want, I'll leave you two alone for a moment. Remember I will be
keeping a close eye on you. A very close eye." Turning to Ryoga, she
coldly stated, "You had better keep your word, young man, and not do
anything. You will behave like a proper gentleman, do you
understand?"

Ryoga meekly nodded under the force of Nodoka's rebuke. He kept a
close watch as the woman slowly moved away, far enough to allow the
two of them to talk in private, but near enough to keep a close eye
on them.

Catching his breath, Ryoga turned to Ranko and asked, "Okay, what in
the hell is going on here, Ranma."

"Ranko. Please, call me Ranko."

A wicked grin flashed across Ryoga's face. "Sure, Ranko, I could call
you that. No problem. I'll be glad to call you Ranko, you little
freak."

"Ryoga, I'm warning you..."

"What, Ranko? You heard your mother. She doesn't want her precious
baby girl to fight in the streets. You wouldn't want to disappoint
her now, would you, Ranko? After all, I'm sure the two of you will
have so much fun together. So, Ranko, what sick game are you playing
right now?"

Ranko closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down. "Look, here's the
short version, okay?"

"Okay, like I'm going to believe you."

Keep calm, don't let him rile you up. "Look, I am just sick and tired
of the way you and everyone else treats me, okay? Mom, I like the way
she treats me, even if it is as a girl. She's the one person I feel
really cares about me, not about what they can get out of me. Or
pound into me."

"Ah, wah, poor baby, sick of everyone mistreating you. Oh, my heart
bleeds for you, Ranko. Not. As far as I am concerned, people treat
you too well. Let me get out a tissue, the little girl needs a good
cry. Boo hoo."

Ranko began to grit her teeth. "Ryoga!"

Ryoga began to laugh. "Oh come on, after all of the tricks and
teasing you've given me, what's the matter, you can't take your own
medicine? This whole thing is such a laugh, it's probably some sick
ploy to get Akane. Say, wait a minute. What did your mom mean when
she said Akane HAD a fiance."

A sad look came into Ranko's eyes. "It means I broke the engagement
with Akane when I left her home."

"Hah, you see, this is some kind of... say what?"

"You heard me, Ryoga. I am no longer engaged to Akane. It's over."

Ryoga stood there in shock, not quite sure of how to take this news.
"How... how did Akane react?"

Ranko grinned. "I'm sure after I left, she was happy, happier than
she has been in a long time. I'm sure she's thrilled that she's no
longer engaged to someone that she hates."

Ryoga's face fell, what seemed to him like half a kilometer. Hates
you? You can't be serious, Ranma. You really think Akane hates you?
Oh, if that were only true, it would have made things so much easier
for me. I've heard her talk about you in her sleep. Hell, Ranma, it's
obvious to all of us how she really feels about you. Why she cares
for you, I just don't understand. All you ever do is hurt her.

These were the thoughts going through Ryoga's mind. He couldn't bring
himself to say the words, however. He just stood there in total
shock.

Ranko blinked, and moved her hand in front of Ryoga's eyes, hoping
for a reaction. "Ryoga, are you okay?"

Ryoga just stood there, his mind now in debate over two concepts.

On one side was the argument, Ranma, how dare you do this to Akane?
She loves you, and you treat her like this? You deserve to be
punished for nothing more than breaking her heart.

Then the other argument came into play. Akane, she's no longer
engaged. That means, that means...

Ranko breathed a sigh of relief when she heard some words faintly
escape Ryoga's lips. "Akane's free."

Ranko nodded enthusiastically. "Took you long enough to figure that
one out, P-Chan."

"Don't call me that." Ryoga was so stunned by this revelation, that
he could only answer back in a low whisper. "Wait, this is still some
trick. You'll do something to try to keep me from Akane, like you
always do."

"Nope, I won't."

"I don't believe you."

Ranko raised her eyes to the heavens, and felt like banging her head
against a wall. "Look, Ryoga, Akane is no longer my fiancee, so I have
no business in who she sees or doesn't see. I promise you, Ryoga, on
my word as a martial artist, that I will not interfere with Akane's
love life. If she wants to be with you, that's great, man, but I do
promise one more thing."

"And what's that?"

Ranko gave Ryoga as serious of a look as she could muster. "I promise
if you ever hurt her, Ryoga, I will hurt you in return. She deserves
to be happy. If she's happy with you, well as long as she is happy,
that is what is important."

"You mean this? You really mean this?"

Ranko nodded.

Ryoga grinned widely, eclipsing any doubts he may have had before.
"Yes! The dojo, which way was it to the dojo again?"

Ranko walked over and once more positioned Ryoga so he would be
facing Nerima. "Okay, Nerima's that way. I could try to give you
more detailed directions, but let's face it, that would be a waste of
time. Head that way, and you'll be in Nerima before long. If you
don't get lost on the way."

Ryoga began to sputter. "Hey, I'm not that bad!"

"Whatever. Now get going." And once more, Ranko gave Ryoga a slight
push on his way, and watched as he began to head in the proper, for
once, direction.

Ryoga yelled back at Ranko. "Hey, buddy, thanks for the help!"

Ranko let out a big sigh of relief. "Anytime, Ryoga, anytime." She
continued to watch him leave, as he continued on his merry way. About
a block away, Ranko flinched as a passerby bumped into Ryoga,
altering his course. Ryoga took a right turn, when he should have
continued straight.

Can't even get one block. What a moron. Ah well, he'll find his way.
In time. He always had a habit of making his way to Akane. Or me. One
day, Ryoga, one day, maybe you'll get what you're looking for.

Nodoka watched on as the young man left her daughter. Good, he
behaved himself. There is something between those two, something
Ranko isn't telling me. I wonder, could this be the boy both Ranko
and Nabiki were telling me about? The one Ranko likes? Nodoka shook
her head in disgust. No, my daughter can do better than that.

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

Soun stared impassionately at the shogi board. He sat at the board,
shoulders slumped down, his eyes looking at the pieces in near
expectation.

"Hurry back, old friend. Already, I miss your company."

"So, it is true. One fool has left, and the other is just sitting
around doing nothing."

Soun nearly jumped out of his skin. Turning slowly towards the door,
he saw Cologne there, perched on her staff, eyeing him like a bird
watches its prey. He began to feel his nerves begin to break.

"What's the matter, you did invite me over here, didn't you? I could
turn around and leave if you want."

Biting his lip, Soun gathered what composure he had left. "No. I did
invite you. We might as well get this over with."

Cologne began to chuckle. "Such a fine way to treat a guest in your
home. After everything we've been through, we could be a little more
civil with each other."

"After everything we've been through, it's amazing I haven't killed
you, you old biddy," Soun muttered under his breath.

Cologne jumped down, and quickly gave Soun a quick tap with her
staff. "I may be an old biddy, but there is nothing wrong with my
hearing, sonny boy. Now, you asked that I come here, I'm sure it
wasn't for us to insult each other, true?"

Soun grunted in response.

"Well? I haven't got all day. I have things to do."

Crossing his arms in front of him, Soun tried his best to show a
serious demeanor. "I understand you are leaving us?"

"Ah, you heard about that? Yes, it is true. Do you wish to give me a
going-away party?"

"I also understand that you are offering tribal membership to my
daughters."

A gleam came into Cologne's eyes. "You are well informed. This is
true. Are you going to threaten me now, sonny boy? Are you going to
tell me you don't want your daughters anywhere near my people? Is
that what this is about?"

Soun shook his head. "I am not going to threaten you. That would be a
waste of my time, and yours. However, I did want to know whether it
was true that Nabiki and Akane were offered membership into your
tribe."

"Yes, as I said before, this is true. Kasumi would be welcome as
well, although I can't see her leaving her home. There is more to
this than a simple question like that. Why did you call me here?"

Soun closed his eyes once more, again trying to gather his strength.
"Give me a moment, Elder, this is not easy for me."

"Take your time. Just not too much, after all I am an old biddy, and
who knows how much time this old biddy has left in her now, eh?"

Soun slowly opened his eyes, and focused them on his guest. Finding
the words within him, he finally spoke. "I... I... I need your help."

Cologne grinned, and slowly brought a finger up to her forehead, and
used it to draw an imaginary line down the middle. "I'm not an expert
in such matters, but I do recommend the lobotomy. Quick, painless,
relatively speaking, and soon all of your troubles will be behind
you."

"That is not funny."

A cackle answered Soun's retort. "You, sonny boy, have no sense of
humor. Now how, pray tell, may I help you?"

Soun stood up, and walked over to the doorway, eyeing the pond in his
yard. "You understand, asking anyone for help, especially dealing
with him, is very difficult for me. But I don't know where else to
turn."

"You are not making any sense."

Turning back towards Cologne, Soun glanced towards the floor, almost
ashamed to look the woman in the eye. "My daughters, they have told
me I need to deal with The Master. That they do not wish Happosai in
their lives any longer."

Cologne's eyebrow shot up at this. "You can hardly blame them now,
can you?"

"No. But you, of all people, truly understand just how dangerous he
is. I wish I could deal with him myself, but I can't. So I am asking
you for help."

Cologne narrowed her vision, and gazed at Soun intently. "Dealing
with him is dangerous, especially for someone like myself. Yes, I do
understand just how dangerous he is. You must understand my position
as well. Why come to me?"

"One, you of all people understand what we are up against. To most of
the people we know, Happosai is just an annoying little old pervert.
Powerful, yes, but not that big of a problem. You know better.

"Two, you and your people have dealt with him before."

"Not with much success," Cologne interrupted. "Considering what he is
capable of, and his damnable little talent, we are not equipped to
really deal with him. I wish that were not so, but it is."

Soun nodded, and continued. "And three, well as you just confirmed,
you have offered tribal membership to my daughters. They now have the
responsibilities of the tribe. And the tribe has responsibilities in
return."

Cologne began to chuckle. "I see. Clever. You say by my offering them
membership, their well-being becomes our concern as well. So, what
exactly do you want of me?"

Soun smiled in response. "A promise. Call it a restraining order, of
sorts. I'm sure not even The Master would want the wrath of your
people to deal with. As long as he leaves my daughters alone, you
will leave him alone. But if he harasses my daughters, well it is up
to the tribe to come to the aid of its members, am I not right?"

Cologne looked at Soun with shock. You are a much bigger fool that I
gave you credit for. Do you really think THAT would stop him? Do you
really think he would be afraid of the wrath of the Joketsuzoku
people? Why, if I were to agree to such a plan, the first thing Happi
would do is to...

Cologne froze for a moment. She lost herself in her thoughts, and
thought her idea through. Yes, that is exactly what he would do.
This, this could prove to be a blessing in disguise. The old fool has
been a pain in our side for decades now, it is about time we dealt
with him once and for all. This could be the way to finally rid
ourselves of this scourge to humanity.

"I do not think Happi would take your word for it. It might be best
if he saw it in black and white. We should put our agreement in
writing."

Soun stood there, mouth agape. He had expected the old woman to need
some convincing. To come around so quickly was most surprising.

"In writing, eh? Yes, that is a good idea. Let me fetch what we need.
It should only take a moment."

Cologne began to chuckle to herself as she watched Soun rush out of
the room, frantically searching the vicinity. Yes, she told herself,
this is risky, but the time has come. It is finally time for us to
rid ourselves of the one blemish in our tribe's otherwise spotless
history. Leave it to this fool to give us the means of our final
victory.

Soun quickly returned with everything in hand. In time, the two had
written up an agreement which satisfied both parties.

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

Ranko nervously paced in the front room. It had been a week since she
had first come here, and a very important time was at hand. She was
both excited by it, and scared. She had to be sure. She had to
witness it with her own eyes. Luckily, Nabiki had informed her of the
pertinent information over the phone, and the time was close at hand.

"Ranko, dear, you seem preoccupied? Is there something wrong?"

Ranko stopped pacing, and tried to give her mother a grin. It wasn't
easy. "Mom, I need to leave for a little while. There's someplace I
gotta go."

Nodoka shook her head. "I don't know, sweetheart. It's getting late,
and I don't think it would be a good idea for you to be out by
yourself."

"Oh, geesh, Mom, I can handle myself. And I won't be gone long. This
is something I need to do. It's kinda important."

Nodoka was about to continue the argue until she saw the pleading in
Ranko's eyes. "You promise you won't be long?"

"Yeah, I promise."

Any further protestations were stopped short by the ringing of the
phone. "All right, dear. But if you are gone too long, I will be very
upset. Now get going before I change my mind."

Nodoka began to saunter over to the phone as she watched Ranko speed
out of the house. The incessant ringing quieted as Nodoka lifted the
receiver.

"Good evening, Saotome residence."

"Good evening, Nodoka."

A gleam came into Nodoka's eye. "Ah, Naoko. Good to hear from you."

"I have the test results back from Ranko. I have some good news for
you. And some good news."

"Well then, you'll have to tell me the good news first, won't you?"

A slight chuckle was heard through the receiver. "First off, Ranko is
in excellent health. She does show some warning signs of stress, like
I thought, but it's not serious enough to worry about. As long as you
don't add to the stress, Nodoka."

"I understand. Don't worry, Naoko. I'm trying my best to take your
advice, and things are going well so far."

"Did you ask her about becoming her mother?"

A giant grin crossed Nodoka's face. "Yes, and you were right about
that as well. It was like I was a fairy godmother who granted the
young princess a great wish. You should have seen her face, Naoko.
Any doubts I had were washed away then and there."

"Then this other news works out well for you, too. For both of you."

"And that is?"

"Well, if you are even in need of more blood than we currently have
on hand for you, Nodoka, you're covered. And so is she."

"I... I don't understand."

A slight pause filled the air before Naoko continued. "Nodoka,
Ranko's blood, it's the same type as yours."

"That's... that's unbelievable! Besides myself, the only people I
know of with that type are my father and my son. Not even Seiji or
Hitomi have that type. Ranko has the same type? This is beyond
unbelievable."

"I know, I know. It's quite a coincidence. 

Nodoka was close to shock. "It's almost like, it was meant to be.
Like we are destined to be mother and child."

Naoko paused before responding. "You know I don't believe in destiny,
Nodoka, but you are right, there is something about this that rings
true. Just the short amount of time I spent with her, I was convinced
she was your daughter, your flesh and blood daughter. I'd almost
swear she looks like you did at her age, Nodoka."

"You are not the first person to mention that, Naoko. Do you know how
many of my neighbors have said the same thing? I never really noticed
it before, but she does bear a slight resemblance to the clan."

"Slight? Nodoka, if I didn't know you better, I'd think you had an
affair with her father behind Genma's back. So were you holding out
of your old friend all these years? Is there something you haven't
told me?"

Nodoka was about to violently dispute that statement, when she heard
loud guffaws over the phone. "Sorry, couldn't resist, old friend. I
should be going now. Tell Ranko I said hi, and don't forget our
dinner next week."

Nodoka grinned. "Oh, it's that time already? I do enjoy our monthly
get-togethers. It's your turn to treat this month, right?"

"Good memory, as always, Nodoka. Yes, it's my turn. Till next week?"

"Till then."

Nodoka placed the receiver down, and stood in thought. You know, so
many of my friends have mentioned that Ranko and I look alike. If I
had ten yen for everytime someone said that... I'd have a lot of ten
yen coins. Still, the more I think about it, the more I see it. Maybe
it's just wishful thinking on my part. We do tend to see what we want
to see, and I have always wanted a daughter. Nodoka shuddered as
an old memory came back to her. I haven't thought about that for
years. I can't believe I even considered doing something like that, even
out of loneliness. Thank the kami I came to my senses in time.

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

Two figures stood side by side, the light of the moon shining over
the dock. With sadness, the two looked at the vessel sitting in front
of them, waiting for them to enter.

Xian Pu turned towards her great-grandmother. "I do not wish to go. I
hear Ranma has disappeared. Maybe he has run off with that strange
Ukyo girl."

Khu Lon felt like tearing into the youngster, but answered calmly
instead. "No, child. Son-in-law is not with Ukyo. I know exactly
where he is. Do not fret, great-granddaughter."

A gleam came into Xian Pu's eyes. "You know where he is? He is all
right?"

"Yes, child, he is fine. He is just visiting family, that is all. It
is break time for those that attend school here. There is nothing for
you to be concerned about. Now, get onboard the ship. It will not
wait for us forever. Mu Tsu is already on board, and hopefully the
fool has not lost any of our belongings."

Xian Pu stood silently, allowing the slight breeze to cool her down.
It was a warm evening, yet she felt so odd. A part of her felt that
she would never again see this place. The thought frightened her, for
though she cared little for Japan, this was where her Airen was.
Turning, and looking at the lights of the city one last time, Xian Pu
felt a pang of loss in her spirit. It will be good to see my home
again, but I feel like I'm making a big mistake. Ranma, I wish you
could have at least come and said good-bye before I left. It would
have been nice to see your face once more before leaving.

Xian Pu tried to visualize Ranma standing there before her, giving
her a lover's farewell. She closed her eyes, and nearly lost herself
in the moment. After a few moments, she turned, and began her journey
up the gangplank to the passenger ship. Halfway across, she stopped,
and turned towards Khu Lon.

"Great-grandmother, are you not coming too?"

Khu Lon gave her great-granddaughter a smile. "I will be following
you in just a moment, child. There is one last thing I must do before
we leave. Now hurry on-board, and check on Mr. Part-Time. Make sure
he has not lost anything."

Xian Pu nodded, and continued her journey to the ship. Once aboard,
she faced Tokyo one last time, and whispered, "Good-bye, Ranma, my
love. I will be back, and you will forget the others and stay with
me, forever."

Khu Lon watched as the young Amazon slowly left the deck, and headed
inside. Once she was sure it was safe, she turned towards a shadow on
the dock, and spoke. "Okay, you can come out now."

Ranko slowly exited the shadows, and eyed the Amazon Matriarch
carefully. "You knew I was there?"

"Of course, child. You are 100 years too late to fool me so. So, you
have come to see us off?"

Ranko tried her best to smile, but something seemed a little off to
her. "I had to make sure that you guys were really leavin'."

"Prudent under the circumstances."

Ranko's eyes darted around, as she tried to find the words. "Well,
you know, I won't miss you or anythin', but I do fell kinda sad to
see you leave."

"I'm sure, child, that we will see each other once more. So this is
not good-bye. Not really. So tell me, are you doing well? Having any
problems with hot water? Getting along with your mother okay?"

Ranko grinned a smile that nearly lit up the nighttime skies. "Mom is
great! Even better that I thought she would be. I can't begin to tell
you how good it is to be with her. Hot water, that is a problem. I've
been lucky so far, but it's getting tougher all of the time."

Khu Lon nodded in sympathy. "I told you it would be difficult.
Frankly, only one as gifted as you could have lasted this long.
Honestly, though, it is only a matter of time. You know that, don't
you?"

Ranko's nod came slowly, as a frightened look came to her. "I don't
know how much longer I can do it. Sooner or later, it's going to get
me. I'm scared."

"There is a way you won't be scared."

"No!" Ranko shot back. "I won't do it. I can't do it. I just can't.
But I don't know how much longer I can keep it up. Can you send me
some of the soap when you get home?"

Khu Lon nearly burst out laughing. You've already lost, you know
that, don't you. "Of course, Ranko. But it will take a couple of
weeks for us to return home, plus the time it will take the soap to
make it here. Do you think you can last out three weeks, maybe a
month?"

Resignation came into Ranko's eyes. "That long? I don't know, I just
don't know."

Khu Lon reached up, and grasped Ranko's hand, giving the youngster
some support. "I understand. I will do what I can. But I must leave
now. Take care, Saotome Ranma. May the Ancient Ancestors watch over
you."

Ranko smiled in return. "And may the kami make your journey safe."

Khu Lon walked over to the gangway, and headed up towards the ship.
"Till we meet again, Ranma." And we will meet again, of that I'm
sure.

Ranko stood and watched as the ship eventually left the dock, and
headed towards the sea. She felt a aura of loss, as she witnessed a
major part of her recent life sail away. As the ship neared the
horizon, Ranko spoke up.

"Okay, Nabiki, I know you're there. You can come out now."

Nabiki walked towards Ranko from another part of the dock. "Damn it,
Ranko, you're just as spooky as that old woman."

Ranko continued to watch the ship in the distance. "Are they really
gone?"

"You saw what I saw. They're gone. Barring some strange Amazon trick
we are unfamiliar with, they are on their way home."

Ranko took a deep breath, allowing the still air of the night fill
her lungs. "Another chapter of my life closed. I hope."

Nabiki watched over Ranko with concern. "What was it you two were
talking about, you know the hot water thing."

Ranko glanced over at Nabiki, and sighed. "Nothing. Not a damn
thing."

"Kiddo, I have something for you."

Ranko watched as Nabiki held out a large envelope to her. Nervously,
Ranko reached out and took the offered item.

"What it is?"

"A number of things really. Including a birth certificate for one
Tendo Ranko."

Ranko looked at Nabiki with a confused look on her face. "A birth
certificate? But how?"

Nabiki quickly waved her hand from side to side. "Don't ask, and I
won't tell. You don't want to know. Trust me on this, okay?

"Now go on home, Ranko. I'm sure you're mother is worried about you.
She is expecting those papers you hold. With that, she can now start
the wheels in motion to formally adopt you. Congratulations, Saotome
Nodoka, it's a girl!"

Ranko offered out her hand. "Thanks, Nabiki. I don't know how to
repay you."

A lone tear made it's way down Nabiki's face. "No, kiddo. This is the
first of many payments I owe you." Slowly, Nabiki grabbed onto
Ranko's outstretched hand. When Ranko grasped on, Nabiki pulled her
in tighter, surprising the young girl with a hug.

"You go home now, kiddo. Take care, and watch over that mother of
yours."

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

I don't know what to do! I can't take the thing, but I can't hold out
much longer.

Ranko lay quietly in her bed. The quiet sounds of the night were
amplified tenfold as she tried, unsuccessfully, to fall asleep. All
night long, her mind kept coming back to the same thing.

I can't! I just can't do it. But I can't leave mom either. It's even
harder now that it was when I started. I can't leave. I don't want to
leave. But I can't stay. I just keep going around in circles.

Ranko slowly got out of her bed, and headed towards the bedroom door.
I can't fall asleep like this, maybe some warm milk will help. Not
too warm, though. I wouldn't want to spill hot milk on me now.

Exiting her room, Ranko slowly began to tiptoe her way down the hall,
towards the kitchen. As she passed her mother's door, she heard some
sounds from within. Nervously, she opened her mother's door, just to
check on her.

"No, please, don't go. Please, don't go!"

Ranko stood in shock as she heard her mother yell out.

"Mom, are you okay?"

Ranko watched as her mother's head slowly turned towards her. She saw
that the eyes were closed.

Nodoka whispered, "Mother? Is that you?"

Ranko stood there, unsure of what to do next. She's asleep? She's
talking in her sleep?

Once again, Nodoka spoke out. "Mother? Please answer me."

She's dreaming, Ranko thought. She's dreaming, and she thinks I'm her
mother?

"Mother, please don't leave me!"

That's it, Ranko decided. She's suffering in this dream, and if she
thinks I'm her mother, well, I can play along. "Yes, daughter, I'm
here."

Slowly, Nodoka's eyes opened, and a chill ran down Ranko's spine.
She's still asleep, but somehow she's seeing and hearing me in her
dream. Ranko began to walk towards her mother's bed, eventually
sitting down next to where her mother was laying. The eyes, her
mother's sleeping eyes, followed her every step of the way.

"I'm here, I'm right here... daughter."

Nodoka reached out with her hands, and grasped onto Ranko's as if for
dear life. "Oh, mother, mother, I'm so sorry. Please, believe me, I
am so sorry."

What is going on here, Ranko thought to herself. "It's all right.
Everything is all right." Ranko tried her best to sound soothing,
Kasumi-like.

"No, it's not. I am so ashamed, mother. I brought disgrace to our
clan. I am so sorry. Please, forgive me."

Mother? Disgrace the clan? Certainly not the mother I know. I feel
like I walked into that weird zone, you know, like on that TV show?

"It's okay, daughter. I... I forgive you."

A smile came to Nodoka's sleeping face. "You do? Oh, thank you,
thank you. I've tried so hard, so hard, to live my life according to
the code, to live by honor. I've tried so hard to redeem myself. I'm
so glad, mother, I'm so glad you are here with me."

"And I am glad to be with you."

"Mother, you should see your granddaughter. I know, she's not your
flesh and blood, but she is such a fine young girl. So full of life,
so full of spirit. And she has a good heart, she does, mother. She
has so much potential. She is going to be a fine woman some day. And
somewhere out there is my son, your grandson. I know he's a good man,
mother. I know he'll do the family proud. I only wish I could see him
again. I so want my family to be complete."

Ranko held back her tears as she listened to her mother. I won't cry,
I won't cry. Oh, please, I don't wanna cry.

Nodoka took a breath,. "Please, mother, promise me you'll won't
leave. Promise you'll never leave me again."

Ranko sat in silence. This whole exchange was terrifying her. What
was it, what was it that gave mother such a dream? Why would she ask
her mother never to leave her? Pop. I'm sure pop is involved somehow.
Just like the old man to do something to his own family.

"Please, mother, promise me you'll never leave."

Taking a deep breath, Ranko answered, "I... promise. I promise I'll
never leave you again. Now get back to sleep, sweetheart. Morning
comes early."

As she smiled, Nodoka's head slowly turned back towards the pillow,
and she began to drift back to deeper sleep. Ranko stayed there for
most of the night, not letting go of her mother's hand. Eventually,
she got too tired to continue, and she slowly released her mother's
grip on her hand, and headed towards the door. She stopped one last
time to look at the sleeping form of Saotome Nodoka.

Quietly, she whispered, "I promise." Then she left, and headed back
to her own room, and her own bed, where sleep found her in time.


END CHAPTER 6






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