"HER"

Darkness, all around. The air seemed thick and dense, almost liquid,

tendrils of pale mist swirling, suspended in the oppressive atmosphere.

The dark-haired teenager took all this in, and moved cautiously forward

in a randomly chosen direction. It was incredibly hard to move in this

swirling air, like trying to walk on the floor of an ocean or...

Or the bottom of a lake. That's what was going on here. This wasn't air,

it was water.

Instinct and human nature told him to panic, told him to flail about,

try to lift himself off the basin of this body of water. However, to his

own amazement, he was somehow able to breathe in this water as though it

were actually air. Satisfied that he wasn't going to drown, he continued

his slow hike across the level rock floor.

He saw a number of large, pearl-like spheres scattered across the ground

at various points, shedding a soft, eerie luminescence. There was no heat

from the glow, naturally the water would prevent him from feeling the

heat. He noticed something that looked like a wall farther ahead, and

went in that direction, trying to pick up his pace.

He had covered about half the distance when he heard the most agonizing

thing he could remember ever hearing in his life. A female voice, soprano

in tone, somehow seeming to be shrill and soft at the same time, unless

that was a trick of the water on his hearing, screamed out in pure terror

and agony over and over again. No words emerged from the incoherent

scream. Immediately he began to run through the water, using his hands to

chop through it as though trying to swim, yet not able to actually swim

in it. He had to find her, save her, whoever she was, whatever was going

on, he couldn't just ignore her cries. The sound of her voice told him

she had to be around his age. The thought that someone might be doing

something unspeakably cruel to a poor defenseless young girl enraged him,

and his speed increased. The water ahead of him was now illuminated by

more than just the glowing pearls; his chi had flickered into the visible

spectrum, and he now glowed with a thin, faint blue aura, which

brightened as he ran.

He finally was within sight of her. He stopped cold and all the blood

rushed out of his face. His aura abruptly vanished and he sank to his

knees, not only having dispersed the chi he had summoned in preparation

for a fight, but also the chi that was propelling his charge through the

water.

Before him, in a vast cavern, he saw two spheres floating serenly in the

water. The smaller of the two spheres had a reddish tint to it. Inside

the sphere, suspended in its center by a thick gel of some sort, was the

girl he heard screaming. He realized her mouth was not opening to scream,

and there was no air for her to fill her lungs with. The screaming he

heard was inside his mind. But there was no doubt that is was HER

screaming.

He took his first good look at the outer of the two spheres. A faint

bluish glow seemed to flow around the inside of the sphere like a river

or a waterfall. A figure floated from behind the red sphere, and smiled

down at him, almost wickedly. In his mind, he heard the voice of this

figure. "You should never have seen this. It's just going to haunt you

from now on, and you'll never be able to do a damn thing about it." A

dark laugh echoed in his mind, along with the continued screams of the

imprisoned girl.

The figure laughing....the girl screaming...he knew them all too well.

Especially the laughing one. He hoped that he would never in his life

laugh the way this mirror image of himself was laughing, in his own voice.

The laughter continued. The screaming continued.

His mind finally gave up, and joined in the screaming, but his voice

held one coherent word:

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO........................!!!"

********

"NOOOOOOO!!!!!!" The scream was cut off by a loud splash, followed by a

crashing sound.

Saotome Ranma peeled the bucket off his...actually, her...head and

glared at the dark-haired girl who'd thrown it at her. "HEY! Whatcha do

that for!?"

"You were yelling in your sleep, baka!" Tendou Akane glared at her

iinazuke...ugh, sometimes it really made her sick that she was engaged to

this walking sexual identity crisis.

"Yeah well you didn't hafta bean me with the bucket! Bad enough ya

splashed me, ya violent, kawaiikune tomboy..." Ranma-chan was silenced by

a mighty blow from Mallet-sama. That damn mallet has to go, Ranma-chan

thought to herself. Definitely has GOT to go.

Mallet-sama vanished to wherever it went to without Akane even moving

her hands. To this day, not even Cologne had figured out where the thing

came from or how Akane could make it appear and disappear without anyone

ever seeing it. Not even Mousse, who specialized in hidden weapons, could

figure it out. Recently they'd begun applying the nickname Mallet-sama to

it. One time Nabiki used the nickname in front of Akane, and Akane asked

what she meant by "Mallet-sama." Nabiki smiled and said, "Hey, gotta show

that thing some respect. It's called playing it safe." Akane had just

blinked at that, and decided to accept the weird nickname.

Presently, Ranma was picking herself up off the floor and stumbling

toward the door shakily. She paused in front of Akane, seemed to be about

to make some remark, then just sighed wearily and stomped heavily toward

the bathroom.

Akane stared after her for a minute. Ranma not picking a fight?

Something's got to be bothering him. And he looked pretty worn out, too.

It nagged at her all through her morning routine.

At breakfast, everyone became very concerned about Ranma. He looked

awful. He barely even touched his breakfast, shoving it in front of his

father. Kasumi took the plate away just as Genma was about to dig into it,

and offered it to Ranma again. "Come on Ranma-kun, you need to eat!" The

others around the table murmured agreements, along with comments of

concern. Ranma mumbled "Leemealone" and passed the plate back to his

father without bothering to look at it.

After breakfast, which Ranma didn't eat, Akane, Ranma, and Nabiki

grabbed their bookbags and headed off to school. They barely got outside

the dojo walls when another figure leaped off the fence to join them. The

new arrival smirked when he saw Ranma. "Heya Saotome, you look like hell."

"Get lost Ryouga."

"Whassa matter, Ranma, go twenty rounds with Mallet-sama this morning?"

Akane smirked at that, she couldn't believe the nickname had gotten so

far that even Ryouga was using it now.

"Leave me alone, you jerk."

Ryouga's attitude changed almost immediately. He did not like what he

saw. Usually any taunt about Akane pounding Ranma into the ground all the

time would be the same as a bell for the start of a fight. The fact that

Ranma hadn't attacked him or even made a pig joke yet set off all kinds

of warning indicators in Ryouga's mind. His smirk replaced itself with a

worried frown. He moved to walk beside Ranma, and placed his hand on his

arch enemy/best friend's shoulder. "Ranma, what's wrong?"

Ranma shrugged off the hand. "Why do you care?" Their unsteady

friendship/rivalry was not lost on Ranma. Both he and Ryouga knew that on

some level, even though they fought all the time and loved to insult each

other, if either one of them was ever in a jam, the other would

definitely show up to help out. That's just the way things worked around

here. Among all of them, the rivalries and bickering would always be put

aside whenever something was seriously wrong.

And something was SERIOUSLY wrong now.

Ryouga never got a chance to reply. A bicycle descended upon them,

missing Ranma and knocking Ryouga down. "Nihao!" Shampoo called happily

as she hopped off the bike and glomped Ranma, otherwise known as Patented

Shampoo Entrance #2. (#1 always annoys the people Shampoo is visiting

since it leaves holes in their walls, but that never bothers her.)As

usual when Shampoo did this, Akane glared, twitching one eye and starting

to glow blue. Nabiki just smirked. Ryouga lie twitching underneath the

bike.

Then, something unusual happened. Ranma pried Shampoo off of him, and

threw her at the fence HARD. Shampoo collapsed in a heap on her butt, and

stared at Ranma in shock. Akane stopped glowing and glaring, and also

stared in shock. Nabiki was hard to read, she seemed rather amused, but

one never knows what's going on in her head. Ryouga had managed to unbury

himself, and was looking back and forth between Ranma and Shampoo as if

not sure he'd really seen what just happened.

Shampoo said quietly, "Ranma, why you do that?"

Ranma closed his eyes for a minute, and when he opened them again his

tone was unusually cold. "Stay the hell off of me, you stupid, crazy,

horny Chinese airhead. Don't make me have to tell you again."

Ryouga winced.

Nabiki flinched.

Akane fainted.

Shampoo blinked a couple times, then quietly said, "That really how you

feel Ranma...then I go...sayo...sayona...sayo..." She couldn't get the

word out. All coherent speech robbed by a wave of racking sobs, Shampoo

picked up her bike and took off for the Nekohanten as fast as she could

pedal, crying all the way.

Akane sat up, still staring at Ranma in shock. Even Nabiki's face now

carried the message that there was something wrong here. Ryouga looked

right into Ranma's eyes, and he saw something there that looked very

familiar to him: depression. And something else, like terror, or horror.

Something was definitely feasting on Ranma's mind.

Akane finally snapped into some form of conscious thinking capacity. "R..

Ranma...maybe you better go home and take it easy, okay? Come on, I'll

walk you back."

Ranma shook his head. "You go on, you're gonna be late. I'll take Ryouga

with me. I gotta talk to him anyway."

Akane's eyes were shimmering slightly. "Al...alright. I'll be home as

soon as school's over. Ryouga, help Kasumi take care of him okay?"

Ryouga nodded. For once he was too deep in thought to register more than

Akane's question. None of the usual daydreaming and trances had a chance

of breaking through the concern Ryouga had developed. "Hai, Akane-san."

The girls headed off to the school, Akane casting worried glances over

her shoulder every few seconds until Ranma and Ryouga were out of sight,

already going back inside the dojo walls.

********

"Oh my, Ranma-kun! Ryouga-kun!" Kasumi was a bit surprised to see them

enter the house.

"Ranma's not feeling well. Akane asked me to help you look after him

today," Ryouga said. He turned to Ranma and said, "Come on, better get

upstairs."

Ranma nodded. He said, "Hai, I gotta lie down or I'm gonna pass out."

Ryouga nodded, Kasumi appraised Ranma with a deeply concerned and almost

maternal gaze. She finally turned and re-entered the kitchen. Ryouga

started helping Ranma upstairs. As they walked toward the stairs, Ryouga

said, "You said you wanted to talk to me about something..."

Ranma nodded. He spoke, but his voice was strained. Whatever had him

down was physically fatiguing him. "Yeah...wait...till I've had a chance

to rest a few minutes."

They got up to Ranma's room, and without even thinking about it, Ryouga

picked Ranma up and laid him gently on his futon. Ranma didn't protest or

make any noise about it. That especially worried Ryouga. He and Ranma had

one thing in common, they were both pretty stubborn and very proud. Ranma

would never show such weakness in front of a friend or a rival. Ryouga

was silently thankful that Ranma was not in his girl form right now. If

he had been, Ryouga would probably have stroked her forehead or something

similar that he might do to soothe an upset girl...if that were to happen,

and Ranma remembered it when he got back to normal...it would embarrass

him to the point that he wouldn't be able to look at anyone. As much as

he may hate Ranma at times, Ryouga didn't think he could ever bear to see

him like that. That would be even worse than what lay before him right

now.

A moment later, the door opened. Kasumi stepped in, and set a tray with

a couple glasses, a small ice container, and a six pack of sodas beside

Ryouga, who thanked her, and then she withdrew silently from the room,

closing the door.

Ryouga set about filling the glasses with ice and soda, and placing a

straw in each one, he handed one to Ranma. Ranma took it, sipped it, and

set it down between the futon and Ryouga. Ryouga took a long sip of his

soda and set it down on the tray.

Ranma closed his eyes for a moment. Ryouga steeled himself, then asked,

"Ranma, what on earth happened to you? I've seen you come out of battles

that you should have been killed in still cracking jokes and insults as

if it was just another usual day. I've never seen you rattled this badly.

What the hell did this to you?"

Ranma took a deep breath, let it out in a soft sigh. He opened his eyes,

and looked up at the ceiling. He spoke softly. "Ryouga...y'ever think

about...y'know...him?"

Ryouga blinked. "Who?"

"Y'know, P-chan."

"Huh?" Ryouga was beginning to wonder if Ranma was even sane enough to

carry on a conversation right about now.

"The original P-chan. The pig that drowned in that spring over 1000

years ago in Jusenkyo."

Ryouga blinked. "I never really gave it much thought...I mean, I guess

I've wondered just how much I look like that little pig when I'm P-chan...

other than that, I don't really think about it that much."

Ranma swallowed. "I do," he said quietly.

"You think about the pig?" Ryouga was feeling a little lost here.

Ranma blew out another sighing breath. "That's not what I meant."

Swallowing again, he said, "Sometimes I just wonder. Who was she? What

kind of girl was she? Did she have a iinazuke or a boyfriend or anything

like that?" He let out another of those sighing breaths.

Ryouga nodded, understanding at last. "I probably would too if it was me

who fell in there. I mean, you don't give much thought to a pig, it's

just an animal...but that girl who drowned there..."

"She was a person, she had a life, and whatever she was doing at

Jusenkyo, however she wound up getting drowned, it was too soon. Nobody

should ever have to die that young."

Ryouga nodded, closing his eyes for a moment, trains of thought about

the poor unfortunate girl forming in his mind now as well. "It's like the

guide always says. Terrible tragedy."

Ranma opened his eyes, and turned to look at Ryouga, who met his gaze.

"Ryouga, I'm beginning to think that...well..."

Ryouga urged him on with a nod.

"Did you ever wonder if maybe the springs carry more than the form of

whatever drowned there?"

Ryouga was confused again. "I don't follow."

Ranma sighed yet again. "I suspect there's something that maybe even the

guide doesn't know about those springs. I think...I think that the souls

of the things that drowned there are in those springs."

Ryouga wasn't sure what to make of this. "What makes you think that?"

Ranma swallowed again. He closed his eyes. "I've...I've been having a

dream. It always stopped short before, but last night...last night...."

The water, the spheres, the screaming, the laughing, his face, her face,

all of it ran through his mind over and over again. His eyes opened, and

Ryouga saw in them sadness, anger, grief, agony, fear, terror, shock,

pain...the amount of negative emotion reflected in Ranma's eyes was

actually enough to scare Ryouga. He knew more than anyone else about

suffering and misery, it became his greatest weapon through the use of

the shishihoukoudan technique. He'd become a good judge of these emotions.

He figured that from what he saw in Ranma's eyes, if Ranma were to throw

one of those right now, he'd blow up half the district. Seeing that kind

of agony in anyone other than himself, especially in Ranma, threatened to

numb his mind.

"She's alive, Ryouga."

Ryouga blinked. "What!?"

"The girl. She's alive. The pig, the duck, the cat, the panda, the...

well you get the picture. They're all alive."

Ryouga was now pretty sure Ranma's mind had gone fishing and didn't

intend to come back for quite some time. "That's crazy!"

Ranma shook his head. "No, it makes perfect sense. I can't believe what

it took for me to realize it. There are very old souls trapped in those

springs, Ryouga. And I think when we got cursed..." he swallowed. "I

think we got more than their bodies."

Ryouga shook his head. "Ranma, you're saying that we all have the

spirits of the things we turn into and we carry them around with us!?"

Ranma nodded. "Where the hell did you come up with that!?"

Ranma took a deep breath, and told Ryouga everything about the dream.

When he was done, Ryouga believed.

When Akane and Nabiki got home from school, they found Ranma and Ryouga

sitting at the shogi board Genma and Soun usually sat at. Genma was

watching TV and Soun was reading a newspaper, and both men seemed to be

trying to avoid looking at the boys. Akane looked into Ranma's eyes and

saw the same disturbance there that was there this morning. She looked

over at Ryouga, and was surprised to see the same look there.

Kasumi came in, and said quietly, "They've been like this all day. Ranma

went up to rest and Ryouga was in there with him, I think they were

talking, then a little later they both come down looking like that, and

they sat down at the shogi board, I can't imagine why. Father and Saotome-

san weren't too happy about that, but I think the boys' eyes scared them.

They've been keeping their distance all day."

Nabiki frowned. "This is getting intriguing."

Akane glared at her. "Nabiki! Two very close friends are going through

something so awful they can't tell us about it! And all you can say is

intriguing!?"

Suddenly, Ranma and Ryouga called out at the same time, "Kasumi, water

please."

Kasumi came in with two glasses of water. Ranma and Ryouga each took one,

and in perfect synch, proceeded to empty the water onto their heads.

Both were too lost in thought and in horror to care that Akane would see

Ryouga turn into P-chan. Now, Ranma-chan and P-chan sat at the shogi

board. The same look of horror was still in their eyes. They didn't move,

didn't blink. Akane was staring in shock at P-chan, as her mind ran

frantic circles. "I don't believe it! All this time, I've been sticking

up for Ryouga because he's so sweet and nice, and I found out he's been

sneaking into BED with me? That...that...OOOOHHH!!!"

Kasumi came in just as Akane was about to reveal Mallet-sama. "Akane-

chan...I know you're upset with Ryouga-kun. But don't do this right now.

He wouldn't have turned into a pig right in front of you unless he had a

very good reason."

"But...but...how'd you....he's a pervert! I'll...I'm gonna kill him!"

Kasumi sighed. "Forgive me, little sister." Everyone in the room who

wasn't in a trance gaped in shock at Kasumi as she briefly glowed a pale

yellow, and raised one hand with the palm facing Akane's chest. "Silent

Stun Technique," she said softly and calmly as a shocked Akane looked at

the hand pointed at her, as did Nabiki, Genma, and Soun. A small flare of

chi erupted from Kasumi's palm, and Akane slumped to the ground

unconscious. Kasumi's aura vanished, and she smiled cheerfully and said,

"Anyone want some cookies?" The others didn't need to be blasted to pass

out.

"Oh my."

********

About an hour later, everyone had woken back up. Ranma-chan and P-chan

were still in their trances. Akane wasn't about to disturb whatever was

going on. She wasn't too keen on finding out what else her sweet,

innocent older sister might be capable of.

Nabiki seemed to be reading her mind. "Who knew, eh Akane?" Akane nodded.

Suddenly, Ranma-chan snapped out of her trance, and looked considerably

more horrified than before. "No way," she breathed.

P-chan came out of it, as well. He let out a quiet squeal, and the look

of horror in his eyes had not diminished at all. In fact, it had actually

gotten a bit worse.

"Hot water, please, Kasumi," Ranma-chan said, still very quiet. Kasumi

appeared with a kettle. "Good, you two are done then?" She poured the

water on them both. It took Ryouga less than 3 seconds to dress after

changing. Kasumi turned to Akane now, and said, "Now, Akane-chan, I'd

rather you not go attacking Ryouga-kun now, understand?"

Akane gulped and nodded. "I'm too curious about what's going on anyway.

I'll kill him later."

Kasumi smiled sweetly. "Good girl."

Ranma and Ryouga were staring at each other rather intently now. They'd

managed to tune out the little conversation going on between Kasumi and

Akane.

Ryouga looked at Ranma for a while, and said quietly, "Ranko."

Ranma took a long look at Ryouga, and said, "Ryokuroi."

Both blinked a few times. Then Ryouga smiled slightly. "Damn ironic

isn't it?"

Ranma nodded. "I'll say. But I just don't buy it...I mean she couldn't

be..."

Ryouga frowned. "She is."

Ranma shook his head. "It's just too weird to accept it."

Ryouga smirked. "I---he---WE were there. Nobody would know better than

us."

Ranma sighed. "Well, one way to be positive..." He went over to Soun.

"Tendou-san, I need to take a look at your ancestral records."

Soun, as well as everyone else in the room, blinked. "Why, son? What's

going on anyway?"

Nabiki said, "Yeah Ranma, you guys definitely have some explaining to do."

"Some more than others," Akane muttered, glaring at Ryouga. To

everyone's surprise, Ryouga actually snapped at her. "Don't start with me

right now Akane-san. I'm not in the mood."

Mallet-sama came close to burying Ryouga in the foundation of the dojo.

Suddenly Kasumi was there in front of him. Akane couldn't break the swing

in time and the mallet slammed into Kasumi's head. Kasumi gave Akane a

maternally disapproving look and said, "Now, now, Akane-chan...do be a

little more courteous. Ryouga-kun has a lot on his mind right now...let

everything settle down first." She removed the mallet from her head--it

hadn't even left a bump or a bruise--and pointed it head-first at Akane.

Then she flared pale yellow again. The next thing anyone knew, Akane was

being propelled out into the yard by a chi-charged Mallet-sama. She

landed in the pond. Everyone stared in shock.

"Kasumi, was that really neccessary?" Soun asked.

Kasumi smiled sweetly. "I warned her to let it go for a little while,

she shouldn't have forgotten about that." Suddenly, her aura was gone

again, and a wet Akane was trudging back into the house, pausing to glare

at both Kasumi and Ryouga before stomping upstairs. Kasumi produced a

very old scroll from the pocket of her apron. "Is this the one you were

looking for, Ranma-kun?"

Ranma nodded. "That looks like it. So long as it's the one that covers

1500 years ago."

Ranma and Ryouga were poring over the old scroll when Akane came

downstairs. Everyone was sitting around watching, wondering what they

were looking for. Finally, Ryouga exclaimed, "Aha! Found it! Right

here!"

Ranma looked, and said, "Well whaddya know? It's true after all!"

Ryouga snorted. "Duh, Ranma. Her pet tried to tell you that."

Ranma snorted. "Yeah yeah whatever. I still say what could a dumb pig

know."

Ryouga was a little mad. "We are NOT dumb!"

Ranma blinked. "Hey, what's with all that 'we' stuff anyway?"

Ryouga blushed a little. "Ryokuroi is happy with the current situation.

We spend more than enough time as a pig for him anyway...he does wish I'd

let him lead more often though." Both of them broke out in laughter at

that.

Akane had had enough of this. "Is someone going to tell us what the HELL

YOU TWO ARE TALKING ABOUT!?"

Ranma and Ryouga looked up, and blushed, smiling nervously. "Well...

y'see Akane..." Ranma began.

"It started with me having these dreams lately, where I'm walking

underwater but I can breathe, and there's these spheres...."

After Ranma finished telling about the dream, Akane said, "So that's

what was wrong with you this morning." Ranma nodded. "I can see why,"

Akane said. "If it was me I'd have gone insane from that." She looked to

Ryouga. "I'm going to put aside the fact that I hate you for right now.

Have you been having the same dreams too?"

Ryouga shook his head. "I didn't know about any of it until Ranma told

me about it this morning. It's not the dream itself that's got Ranma, and

myself, upset. It's what the dream implies."

Soun asked, "Exactly, what, DOES it imply?"

Ranma's turn. "Well, see, Tendou-san, after I had the dream, I realized

something about Jusenkyo. I figure that everything that drowned there

left its soul behind in the springs, and whoever falls into one of those

springs takes the soul of whatever drowned there with it as well as the

body." There was a collective gasp from all present who didn't know this

part already.

Ryouga nodded and spoke next. "I didn't think Ranma was right about that

at first, but I had to admit it was possible. So we came up with a way to

find out for sure."

Ranma nodded. "We've been in deep meditation since this morning trying

to touch the souls of our cursed forms. I think we managed to get some

kind of telepathic rhythm going because we both figured out at the same

time that it would be easier if we were in our cursed forms.

"It worked," Ryouga said.

Soun and Genma both gave a low whistle. "Incredible," Genma said. Soun

nodded. "If you two boys continue to demonstrate this kind of dedication,

someday you could both be wiser and more formidable than Shampoo's great-

grandmother. Wouldn't you say so, Saotome-kun?"

Genma nodded. "My son never ceases to surprise his father."

Akane was anxious for the story to move on. "Okay, so what did you two

get from this little communion with the spirit world?"

"Well, first of all," Ranma said, "They're not in the spirit world.

They're trapped on earth by the magic of Jusenkyo, imprisoned here.

They've spent 1500 years in those springs, now they're inside us." Ryouga

nodded.

Genma spoke up. "Hey, wait a minute...Ryouga, didn't the guide say the

spring you fell into was formed 1200 years ago?"

Ryouga nodded. "Jusenkyo made a clerical error. Apparently whenever the

historians were preparing the information on the cursed springs, someone

accidentally put a 2 where they should have put a 5...they should have

stuck to the traditional numbering system instead of trying to do it in

Arabic."

Ranma smirked. "Aw, come on man, we both know you don't really know what

kind of system they were using. The only reason we know the date the

Guide has is wrong is because Ranko and her pet both remember being alive

1500 years ago and drowning around the same time."

Everyone blinked. Akane said, "Ranko!?"

Ranma grimaced. "That's the real irony in all this...well, one of em

anyway. When I was able to touch the drowned girl's spirit and

communicate with her, naturally one of the first things I wanted to know

was who she really was. I thought she was putting me on when she said her

name was Tendou Ranko."

Everyone facefaulted.

Ranma smirked. "Hey, I wouldn't claim that if it wasn't so. Ryouga can

back me up and so can the old scrolls."

"And how would Ryouga know?"

Ryouga spoke next. "Because the spirit of the drowned pig is a lot

smarter than you'd think, and because spirits don't have that language

barrier thing." Pausing, he added, "Of course, with this curse I speak

pig anyway..."

"Anyway," Ranma interrupted, "Ryouga's little soulmate was Tendou

Ranko's little pet pig Ryokuroi."

Meanwhile, Soun was reading the old scroll now, and suddenly looked up

in surprise. "I don't believe it. He's right!" He pointed to a spot on

the scroll which Genma looked at and nodded. "Just over 1500 years ago,

one of the heads of the family did indeed have a daughter named Ranko."

Ranma nodded. "The Tendou family was still mostly made up of peasant

farmers at the time, but a couple of household heads who were spread out

from the main group were determined to bring a warrior into the bloodline.

One of those houses had a daughter, Ranko. She was the classic tomboy.

She drove her parents insane. They wanted her to dress like proper girls

dressed, she refused. They wanted her to accept an arranged marriage or

at least try to go out and snare herself a husband, she refused. One time

her father tried to get her to get rid of the little pig she'd found and

brought home with her and she told him no. She was always getting into

arguments and fights, she beat up any guy who tried to win her affections,

the girls all made fun of her and looked down on her. Finally when she

was fifteen, her father had had enough of her, and cast her out of the

family, and told her that for her sake she had better get out of Japan.

Ranko took her little pig, who was her only real friend in the world, and

set out to go to China."

Akane shuddered. "That's...barbaric."

Soun sighed. "At least we don't treat our tomboy daughters like that

anymore...URK!" Mallet-Sama had introduced itself to Soun's skull.

"Well anyway, Ranko spent a year travelling across China. A year into

the journey, she made the stupidest mistake anyone could possibly make...

ironically, one I repeated in her body 1500 years later."

Akane had calmed down now. "Which was?"

Ranma gulped. "She wandered into Juketsuzoku."

Everyone shuddered.

"Ranko was given a fairly civil welcome to the village, and it was going

alright for her until this guy named Deodorant noticed her and started

hitting on her. This made the guy's girlfriend, Lotion, mad. Ranko was

trying to explain to Deodorant that she wasn't interested, when Lotion

showed up and started smacking her around. Ranko got ticked off, and she--"

Ranma cast a nervous glance at Akane, and said, "Uhh....this is not

going to amuse someone here who has a tendency to pull a giant mallet out

of thin air and bash people with it."

Akane grew red in the face, and snapped, "What?"

Ranma gulped, and said, "Well...Lotion started smacking Ranko around,

which made her mad, so she pulled a mallet out of nowhere and pounded

Lotion into the ground."

All around the room, people were trying to hold in snickers, and failing

miserably. Akane looked very angry, and almost everyone was sure that

Mallet-sama was going to be making a round trip. Then, she smiled, and

said, "Well, I had to get it from somewhere." She giggled as everyone

blinked at her.

"Anyway, when Lotion came to, she gave Ranko the Kiss of Death. Ranko

had no idea what was going on and just stood there babbling instead of

making a break for it." Suddenly Ranma winced in pain and doubled over,

gasping. Everyone looked at him in surprise. Akane cried out, "Ranma!"

Ranma straightened up after a minute, and took a few deep breaths,

rubbing his head. "Ow," he said. "Damn little..." He winced again and

inhaled sharply.

Ryouga suddenly figured out what was going on, and broke into a wide

grin. "Forgot that the link between you is still open, eh?"

Ranma nodded. "Yeah, and just my luck she'd wake up and start listening

in."

Everyone looked confused, then Ryouga explained, "The links we made to

talk to their souls didn't go away when we were through talking to them.

They've been at rest from the strain of communication ever since. But it

seems Ranko's paying attention through the link, and I guess Ranma said

something that ticked her off.

"But what did she DO to you Ranma?" Akane asked.

Ranma smirked. "She yelled in my ear."

Ryouga gave him a look. "Baka! They're in our heads! They don't talk to

us through our ears!"

Ranma smirked. "Jeez, it was a figure of speech okay? Anyway, Ranko had

no idea what was going on, and she was trying to communicate to Lotion

that she didn't understand. A few minutes went by quietly, then Lotion

grabbed Ranko by the neck and tried to strangle her. Ranko broke loose

and decided it was time she needed to get out of town.

"The only road leading out of Joketsuzoku leads right into Jusenkyo

Valley. Once they got down there, Lotion caught up while Ranko was

looking for an escape route, Lotion got hold of her, and pushed her head

down into one of the springs. Ranko struggled but Lotion was too strong

for her, and eventually Lotion managed to kill her in there."

Everyone gasped. Ranma, Akane, Ryouga, and Soun all seemed to be crying

a little.

Ryouga spoke next. "Ryokuroi was devastated when he realized his beloved

owner wasn't alive anymore. He threw himself at Lotion, biting and

scratching at her. She got mad and threw him off, and he landed in one of

the other springs. Ryokuroi couldn't swim, and he drowned as well."

Akane spoke. "That's...that's so sad."

There were lumps in everyone's throats.

Kasumi finally broke the ensuing silence. "So, what happens now? What

will you do about the souls?"

Ranma looked uncomfortable suddenly.

Ryouga had no problem, however. "Well, Ryokuroi is perectly happy to

coexist with me as P-chan, and I don't have a problem with it. He's

smarter than you might think a pig could be, and he's very nice. Couldn't

ask for a better traveling companion." With a dry chuckle, he said, "Wish

I'd found out about him sooner."

Ranma, on the other hand, looked miserable.

Akane was worried. "What's wrong Ranma?"

He swallowed. "I personally wouldn't have a problem with coexisting with

Ranko and letting her take over when I'm in that form, since she's almost

exactly like I am as a girl anyway, but for us it isn't that simple."

"What do you mean?"

"It doesn't work the same for human curses as for animal curses."

Everyone looked at him. He swallowed again, looking depressed and

miserable.

"A pig or a panda can coexist with a person easily because they're not

from the same species. But when you have two human souls in a Jusenkyo-

cursed body, it's a different story. If both are the same gender then you

wind up with someone with split personality syndrome. However, if they're

of opposite sexes..." He gulped. "It can't be done. The female soul would

confuse the male body, and the male soul would confuse the female body.

Eventually, the cursed person won't have any sense of sexual identity in

either form. It presents a lot of danger for the person involved."

Genma nodded. "I can see where that would be a problem."

Kasumi said, "So what about Ranko then?"

If Ranma had looked miserable before, he looked like he was ready to die

now. "Ranko's soul is imprisoned by my own. She can't get out, and I

can't force myself to release her. She's only got two ways out."

"Which are?" Soun asked.

"One way involves separating my female form from my male form. The magic

would have to be done perfectly. If it could be done, and done correctly,

there'd be a male Ranma and a female Ranma...me, and Ranko. Completely

separated, and Ranko would be free.

"What's the other way?"

Ranma suddenly looked very tense. He began to sweat.

"What's wrong Ranma?" Akane asked.

"Hey Ranma you okay?" Ryouga asked. Ranma shook his head, and sighed.

"There's only one other way to get Ranko out of there."

He took a deep breath, and released it in ragged gasps.

"If a technique can't be found to split me in two, then the only way for

Ranko to be free from her imprisonment is..." He closed his eyes,

swallowing a huge lump in his throat. "...is for my body to be locked in

female form, and my...my..." He was fighting back tears now.

"I'd have to be exorcised out of my body."

"WHAT!?" shouted everyone in the room.

Ranma gulped again, this time his voice wavered as he talked.

"If we can't free Ranko by splitting me in half, then...then the only

way to free her is for me to be destroyed."

Ryouga was stunned.

Soun wailed.

Genma stared at his son in shock.

Nabiki didn't know what to think.

Kasumi was worried for everyone in the room including the girl and the

pig who none of them could actually see.

Akane got on her feet, and ran from the house, crying.

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

Ranma sighed as he walked out of the clinic, waving goodbye to Tofu-

sensei. Damn, he thought to himself, not here either. Where the heck

could she be?

His eyes glazed slightly as that now-familiar voice spoke from the

depths of his mind. *She's very upset, she'd go to a close friend.*

*Yeah, but she's close to Tofu-sensei, I mean, she goes to him a lot

when she's got something on her mind.*

*Maybe this time she didn't think he could be any use to her. She

probably wanted to talk to another woman about it, ne?*

*You got a point there.*

*Hey, ya spend 1500 years in a magic spring, you learn a few things, ya

know.*

Ranma smiled to himself as the inner conversation ended, then thought,

hmm....where might she have gone? Who...

"Aha!" He turned a corner and broke into a flat run.

********

"You're not serious!"

Akane sniffled, and nodded. "He's determined to help that girl's soul,

even if he has to...has to..." She broke out in a fresh bout of tears,

crying into her napkin.

Kuonji Ukyou took her friend's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Don't worry

sugar, if there's one thing I know about Ranchan, it's that he always

wins. He'll come out of this just fine."

Akane stopped crying, and sniffled a couple times. Looking up, she said,

"You really think so Ukyou?"

"Sure thing sugar. Come on, you know him just as well as I do."

Akane wiped her eyes, and smiled. "You're right Ukyou. There's nothing

to worry about." She stood up and hugged Ukyou, who returned the hug and

said, "Now why don'tcha run on home, okay? Ranchan and the others are

probably worried sick about you!"

"Yeah, we are."

Ukyou and Akane both turned around, startled to see Ranma standing there

in the doorway. Akane ran over to him. "Oh Ranma...I'm sorry...I didn't

mean to worry you like that..."

"It's okay Akane. Let's just go home. Seeya Ucchan." Ranma waved goodbye

to Ukyou, and walked home with Akane almost clinging to his side.

********

"Look you guys, there's nothing to worry about!"

Soun was in full wail. Genma had a thoughtful expression on his face.

Nabiki was going over some figures on her abacus, but seemed to be

rechecking something an awful lot. Kasumi had just put down a tray of

cookies and given everyone a glass of lemonade, but nobody had touched it

yet. Akane, Ranma, and Ryouga all sat around the table. Akane alternated

between casting worried glances at Ranma and trying her hardest to stab

Ryouga with her eyes. Ryouga seemed oddly serene and calm today. He'd

been a bit out of it the night before, especially after the events

revolving around Ranma's statement that he intended to free Ranko or die.

Today, Ryouga was like a completely different person. He wasn't the

least bit nervous about being in the same room as Akane, where after

yesterday he should have fled the area a long time ago in fear of his

life. He wasn't angry with anyone, which didn't really count for much

since Ranma was behaving himself for once. But there was something not

quite right about him that nobody had been able to place yet.

Nobody had spoken for a while. Soun had stopped wailing and was now

playing go with Genma. They'd finally grabbed a couple of cookies and

were gulping down their lemonade. Both still had rather worried

expressions however. Nabiki finally straightened out her calculation, but

her face fell when it didn't balance out right. She just KNEW she

couldn't possibly owe Ranma 300000 yen. Akane was still dividing her

attention between the Stare Of The Concerned Iinazuke and the Anything-

Goes Martial Arts Stare Attack. Her opponent wasn't even fazed. Kasumi

was busily distracting herself by thinking about menu plans for next week,

making a mental shopping list, recalling the important points in that

last book she'd borrowed from Tofu-sensei, observing the level of

everyone's chi...

Chi. She froze.

Chi. That was it.

"Ryouga-kun...your chi is a lot lower than usual."

Ryouga blinked. "How--how could you tell?"

Kasumi smiled. "It's a knack." Everyone facefaulted.

Genma said, "I don't understand. What could cause Ryouga's chi to drop?

He hasn't been fighting, he isn't ill..."

Ranma thought for a minute, then snapped his fingers. "I think I know.

Hey P-chan, let's go outside for a minute."

Ryouga stood up, and followed Ranma outside, without even making a

remark about being called P-chan. Everyone got up and went to the doorway.

Ranma stood with his arms behind his back. "Okay Ryouga, fire one off."

Ryouga blinked. "Huh?"

Ranma smirked. "A shishihoukoudan. Hit me with your best one."

Ryouga frowned. "I dunno Ranma, that's not a very good idea."

Ranma looked annoyed. "I know what I'm doing, you idiot! Blast me

already!"

"Ranma, no! You can't take a blast like his!" Akane called.

"Son, what are you doing?" Soun wailed.

Genma smirked. "Ranma, this is no way to prove your bravery to anyone."

"Will you all just butt out? I know what I'm doing. Do it now, Ryouga!"

Ryouga sighed. "Alright...don't say I didn't warn you..." He held his

hands up in front of him, let all his depression build up in front of him,

fueling his chi. His eyes were closed, his breathing controlled, his

mind focused on pushing it all down to rest between his hands. He waited

a couple of minutes, until he felt that enough energy would be gathered

to make a blast that couldn't do more than knock Ranma out cold.

"SHISHIHOUKOUDAN!" he yelled as he extended his hands forward.

Akane closed her eyes.

Soun wailed.

Genma shook his head sadly.

Nabiki smirked.

Kasumi watched patiently.

Ranma stood there, a smile on his face.

He was smiling because there was no glowing ball of pure depression

coming at him.

Ryouga stared. He blinked. He stared again. He looked at his hands. He

rubbed his hands on his arms. They didn't feel any warmer than usual,

there were no lingering traces of the blast on them.

That's because there was no blast.

"What the--?"

Kasumi looked mildly confused. Genma stared in disbelief. Nabiki smiled.

Soun stopped wailing. Akane uncovered her eyes, and was relieved to see

Ranma standing there unhurt.

Ryouga blinked. "I don't get it."

Ranma grinned, and walked toward him. "Isn't it obvious, man?"

Ryouga stared at him, frowning. Ranma sighed. "Ryouga...how do you feel?"

Ryouga blinked, and said, "I feel fine, why?"

"Anything buggin' ya?"

"No, I mean, I'm worried about your problem with Ranko, I wish Akane

would quit glaring at me like that because it's a little annoying, I'm

confused as to why that didn't work, other than that nothing..."

Ranma grinned wider. Ryouga blinked, then a grin slowly spread across

his face.

Akane was annoyed by what Ryouga said about her glaring at him. She was

also confused as to what these two idiots were celebrating.

Soun just looked lost.

Genma was trying to figure out what he'd missed in that conversation.

Kasumi didn't know quite what to make of all that, but she did know that

whatever was going on, whatever caused Ryouga to lose his Roaring Lion

Bullet attack was making him very happy.

Nabiki, who'd known the second the attack didn't happen, was busily

trying to figure out how it was possible that Akane, her father, Saotome-

san, and Kasumi could be standing there looking clueless when she'd

figured it out and she was the only one here who knew nothing at all

about chi attacks except what she overheard in conversations.

Akane finally blew up. "Will someone PLEASE tell me what the hell is

going on?"

Ryouga flashed her a slightly annoyed glance, but it was quickly

replaced by a calm smile. "You do know what the secret of the

shishihoukoudan technique is don't you?"

Akane blinked. "Well...not really..." She tried to think. Something

about heavy chi...what was it again? "I remember hearing something about

heavy chi one time, but that's about it."

Suddenly Kasumi understood. "Oh, heavy chi! That's what it is!" Suddenly

she was smiling. "Oh, Ryouga-kun, how wonderful for you!"

Soun was still clueless. Genma, however, caught on after a moment.

"Isn't heavy chi the force of someone's feelings of depression, anger,

and pain?"

Ryouga nodded. "That's right."

Ranma chimed in. "See, you have to be a pretty depressed person to be

able to use the shishihoukoudan. It's a technique I'd never be able to

master. I know how to do it, but I don't generate a lot of heavy chi. And

when I'm really angry in a fight, I usually rely on the kachuu tenshin

amaguriken or the hiryuu shoten-ha anyway. But Ryouga here, he's always

been the most depressed being on Earth. On a good day he'd have enough

heavy chi to throw off ten or twenty Roaring Lion Bullets big enough to

blow up cars."

Ryouga nodded. "That's right. But when Ryokuroi and I decided to coexist

as one person, and his soul and mine joined together, I gained a lot of

insight. He helped me take a step back and look at my life, and realize

that being angry and depressed just doesn't work. All it does is make you

a walking time bomb. People like me are just disasters waiting to happen."

Everyone understood now. Soun spoke up. "So when you got over your

depression and your anger..."

Ryouga grinned. "I stopped radiating heavy chi. No heavy chi, no

shishihoukoudan."

Genma said, "But to lose your most powerful attack..."

Ryouga silenced him with a raised hand. "Eh, who needs it. It's too

dangerous to be practical anyway. I mean, I've used it in battle a lot,

sure, but what if I unloaded without thinking? What if I got real angry

at someone and released a Roaring Lion Bullet, and it wound up hitting

people I care about? What if I got drunk, and started wallowing in my

depression? My God, I'd blow myself up without even being sober enough to

realize I was doing it, and I'd probably end up taking half of Tokyo with

me!"

Genma thought about that and nodded. "You're absolutely right, boy. That

technique really is too dangerous."

Ranma said, "But now, Ryouga's calm, and happy. So the bomb's diffused."

Ryouga nodded, smiling serenely. "Yep, it's nice to be happy. And I

don't have any reason to want to fight Ranma anymore."

Akane blinked. "Ryouga not fighting Ranma anymore?"

Ryouga shook his head. "Nope. I wanted to kill him in the first place

for stealing my bread in junior high. But now I realize, he didn't steal

anything. I hadn't caught it yet so it was still fair game. It's my own

fault for not getting to it first. And besides, when I came here looking

for him, he DID go out and buy all that bread for me to make up for it.

And it was good bread too." Everyone laughed. "And of course, I was mad

because I got knocked into that spring at Jusenkyo when I followed him to

China, and when I found out it was actually Ranma who knocked me into the

spring I was even madder. But if I'd been watching where I was going and

paying attention, I wouldn't have been standing on the edge of a cliff

like that anyway, and besides, falling in that spring was the best thing

that ever could have happened to me. As for Ranma being the one who

pushed me off the cliff, it was an accident. He probably couldn't even

see me with his dad running right past me. Besides, he did me a favor by

knocking me off the cliff anyway. I should be thanking him for it."

Ranma asked, "And the other thing you were mad at me about?"

Ryouga shrugged. "That. It's cool. I mean, I'm always gonna be her

friend, if she'd ever stop glaring at me like that, but she's your

iinazuke. You two belong together. I'll even start helping keep the

others off of you, okay?" Ranma grinned. Akane looked confused. "HEY!

What're you two talking about?"

Ryouga stopped smiling for a second. "Oh, that's right. Nobody ever told

her did they?" Ranma shook his head. Ryouga gulped.

Akane looked mad. "Told me WHAT!?"

Ryouga swallowed, and smiled a little nervously. "Ah, Akane?" She fixed

a glare on him that made him sweat. "Umm...you see, ever since I first

came here, well...I'd never met anyone as kind and as caring and as nice

as you, and well...I kinda, ahh, well...fell in love with you."

Soun and Genma blinked. They'd had no idea. Kasumi smiled. At least he

finally told her, she thought to herself. Ranma was glad this was over

with but he had a feeling Ryouga would be spending some time in Tofu-

sensei's clinic getting a mallet extracted. Nabiki started calculating,

trying to figure out what services she could offer to both sides and how

much she could charge.

Akane blinked. Her face turned a nice bright red. Then she scowled, and

glared at Ryouga. "BAKA! Why didn't you just tell me in the first

place!"

Kasumi spoke up. "Well Akane, considering that for most of his life

Ryouga's only had negative emotions to express, maybe he didn't know how

to express a positive one?"

Akane blinked. That made sense. Damn. That meant she couldn't justify

pounding him with Mallet-Sama. That annoyed her. Great, she thought. Of

all the stupid...damn you Kasumi. Oh well. She settled with glaring at

Ryouga and giving him the finger. Not much but it'd have to do.

Ryouga and Ranma exchanged glances.

"Definite tomboy."

"Yep."

"Cute though."

"Man you crazy?"

"Oh get off it Ranma. You just say she's uncute to piss her off."

"Well yeah, you got a point there."

"She's still a tomboy though."

"Yep."

"Thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"

"I dunno, maybe?"

Ryouga grinned mischeviously, then whispered in Ranma's ear. Ranma's

eyes lit up, and he grinned. "Perfect."

Everyone was watching them curiously, even Akane.

"OK Ranma you ready?"

"Let's do it! On three! 1, 2, 3!"

Both shouted at the same time, "TICKLE ATTACK!" and dashed at Akane.

They knocked her over onto the ground and proceeded to tickle her

viciously.

"Hey! Heeheehee! Lemme go! Hey! Cut it out! Heeheeheehahahaha!"

Everyone was laughing. Ranma and Ryouga got off of Akane and helped her

up. She was actually smiling.

********

Ranma saw fog everywhere. He also saw Kunou.

"Oh my beautiful pigtailed goddess! Come to me and express your love!"

Ranma looked down at himself. Yep. Female. She sighed. "Come on Kunou,

give it a rest already willya?"

"Never, my love! We shall be joined by the bonds of devotion to one

another!"

"You're sick, jerk. How many times do I gotta tell you I'm a guy you

moron?"

Suddenly Kunou's face became serious for a minute. "Perhaps thou may

have at one time indeed been male. Perhaps indeed thee are still clinging

to the last vestiges of that masculinity. But know this, Saotome Ranma,

you are no man. You are not a man! You are the pigtailed goddess! Come to

me now, my love! We are fated to be together!" Ranma stood frozen in

shock.

.we're fated....to be....together..."

*fated to be together....*

*fated to be together....*

*fated to be together....*

*fated...fated...fated...fated...fated...*

<continued next post>

Ranma snapped awake at the sound of something squealing in his ear. "Ow!

Hey! Cut it out already! I'm up!"

Ryouga stopped squealing, beamed up at Ranma, and kweed softly. Ranma

chuckled. "The kinder, gentler alarm clock, eh?" Standing and stretching,

he picked the little pig up and carried him into the bathroom with him.

Ryouga had decided that in order to be less trouble on the Tendous, he'd

sleep in Genma and Ranma's room as a pig and turn back to normal in the

morning after waking Ranma up early enough to avoid the rude awakenings

Akane loved to dish out. Nobody had a problem with it, but Akane warned

him if she ever caught him in her room she'd be having bacon. He promised

her that he wouldn't even think of sleeping in her room anymore. They'd

been getting along better over the last week, and Akane had stopped

glaring at him after only four days. Of course, Kasumi had chi-blasted

her at least twice a day over those four days, but it did the trick.

Everyone was treading a lot more softly around Kasumi these days. Genma

and Soun had even stopped sneaking snacks from the kitchen and cheating

at shogi.

Ranma and Ryouga washed up and brushed their teeth, took care of their

other bathroom business, got dressed, and went down for breakfast. So far

only Genma and Nabiki were seated at the table. Soun always slept a

little later than everyone else. Akane, on the other hand... Ranma

grinned evilly as Kasumi greeted him and Ryouga. She glanced curiosly at

him. "What's on your mind this morning Ranma-kun?"

"Akane's not awake yet." Ranma was almost laughing.

Kasumi frowned for a second, then as understanding hit, she giggled.

"Thinking about a little revenge?" Ranma nodded. Kasumi smiled. "Allow me.

"She closed her eyes for a second, her hair rising slightly as though

from a breeze. Very softly, she said, "Flash."

Suddenly a startled shout came from upstairs. Kasumi grinned. "I think I

put a little more into that than I needed to." She winked at Ranma and

Ryouga, then turned back to the kitchen. "Breakfast will be ready in a

few minutes, boys. Have a seat."

Ranma and Ryouga sat down just as a very angry and still pajama-clad

Akane stormed downstairs. "KASUMI!" Akane yelled, headed for the kitchen.

Suddenly there was a bright flash and a scream. Ranma and Ryouga stood up,

ready to charge in there. Then Akane burst out through the kitchen doors,

screaming, and being chased by a ghostly, glowing image of Kasumi's face

smiling. The image disappeared. Kasumi leaned out of the kitchen. "Go get

ready for breakfast, Akane. It'll be ready in a few minutes." Akane

scowled and stomped sullenly upstairs, muttering. Ranma and Ryouga

snickered.

A few minutes later, Kasumi came out with serving plates, and everyone

helped themselves to the delicious breakfast. Kasumi served herself last,

even though Soun and Akane still had not come down. Soun emerged first,

followed by a grumpy Akane, dressed in a sweater and jeans since this

wasn't a school day.

A few minutes into the meal, Ranma asked, "Kasumi, how did you learn all

those techniques anyway? I've never seen you practicing any form of

martial arts."

Kasumi finished chewing and swallowing the bite of food in her mouth,

then spoke. "They're not martial arts techniques, Ranma. They're healing

techniques."

"Oh yeah, some healing," Akane grumbled.

"Well, some of those do have their uses in the clinic. Like the Silent

Stun technique. If you need a patient to be unconscious to administer a

treatment, you can Silent Stun them painlessly, and without putting any

sedatives in their body."

"Okay then how about when you blasted me into the pond?"

"I used a technique that's normally used to do tricky broken bone

resetting. You use chi to charge the bone you intend to move, and then

guide it into place."

"Okay but what about the thing you did this morning? I was asleep and

then something bright and flashing woke me up."

"That's called Flash. It locks onto another person's chi and causes it

to flicker in and out of sight in front of the eyes like a strobe. It's

used to wake patients up."

"Well, then, explain that...that...THING from the kitchen."

"Oh, that. That's just a fun little trick I figured out. It doesn't

actually do anything at all." Akane facefaulted.

Soun said, "So Kasumi, is that what's in all those books you borrow from

Tofu-sensei?"

Kasumi shook her head. "No, those are usually books on herbs, medicines,

first aid, meditation techniques, and such."

"So where did you learn the chi techniques?"

Kasumi smiled. "Tofu-sensei hasn't ALWAYS been helpless around me you

know. I saw him use some chi one time when he was working on an old man's

back, and I asked him if he could show me how he did that. It took me

about a month to learn all those techniques, and I've been practicing

them whenever I could get the chance."

Nabiki said, "That's odd...I've never seen you use that stun thing on

anyone until last week."

"Oh, I get a lot of practice with that one. In fact, almost every time

Akane cooks I have to use it."

"HEY!"

"I'm afraid to even ask," Ryouga said. Ranma nodded.

Akane was scowling and turning red. "It's not like it's my fault that

sometimes what I cook is a little too spicy..."

Kasumi sighed. "Akane-chan, chicken curry is spicy. One time you made a

beefbowl that tried to molest me." Everyone facefaulted. Akane's chi had

begun to flare around her in a blue aura. "IT WAS NOT TRYING TO MOLEST

YOU! IT WAS JUST BEING FRIENDLY OKAY!?" Then realizing what she'd said,

she blushed, her chi flicking out, and giggled embarrassedly. "Uh...heh

heh..." Everyone fell over. Kasumi just smiled and resumed eating her

breakfast.

Ryouga and Ranma spent half the morning playing mah-jongg with Genma and

Soun. The men had agreed to play with them readily enough, sure that this

would be an easy cleaning. It was definitely that; around an hour before

lunchtime, the boys walked away from the table having taken the old men

for over 2000 yen between them. "Kasumi! Me and Ryouga are goin' to the

movies! We'll be back this afternoon!"

"Have a good time you two!"

Soun sat crying at the table. Genma was just looking at what was left of

his money. "Who knew?" he said. Soun bawled. Kasumi called out, "Father!

Saotome-san! Lunch is ready!" The prospect of food caused them to forget

about their woes, and they sat at the table. Akane was breaking bricks in

the dojo, and Nabiki was out collecting some debts. It promised to be a

rather peaceful day.

"Hey Ryouga, ever think about fate?"

Ryouga looked at Ranma. "You didn't have another dream did you?"

"Well, yeah, kinda. I dreamed that Kunou was chasing after me again when

I was Ranma-chan, and he started his usual nonsense. His last words were "We're fated to be together" and then he died. But I kept hearing that word "fate" over and over again until I woke up.

Ryouga frowned. "Sounds like you had a nightmare and a pleasant dream

all in one." Ranma chuckled. He had forgotten the part of the dream where

Kunou knew who he really was and had said that he wasn't a man anymore.

All he remembered was the last part of the dream. "Wonder what it means?"

he said.

Ryouga shrugged. "Probably just means that it was fate for you to fall

in Nyanniichuan and release Ranko's soul from the spring. Same with me

and Ryokuroi."

"You're probably right. Hey, let's go grab some okonomiyaki."

Ryouga smiled. "Great idea! I'm starving!" They headed off to Ucchan's.

Akane just had to face facts. She was going to have to start controlling

her violent nature a lot better. She'd never had any idea Kasumi even

knew what chi was. She certainly never expected her to be that powerful.

And Mallet-sama wouldn't do her any good against Kasumi. Nobody had ever

withstood a whack from her mallet before, but Kasumi didn't even feel it.

And even if she tried to whack Kasumi, it wouldn't do any good. It'd just

get her blasted again. She sighed. She sat down and started to meditate,

focusing on...ugh, how disgusting....being calm.

Nabiki was very angry. She'd been cheated out of a cool 10000 yen, and

she had absolutely no dirt on the person who did it.

She'd been waiting for Kunou about three blocks from Ucchan's, with a

set of ten great shots of Akane and Ranma-chan, some of her best work yet

if she did say so herself. Kunou had arrived, and Nabiki was about to

show him the photos, when suddenly something whizzed through the air

between them. The photos were sliced to ribbons. Nabiki stared at them in

disbelief. Kunou said he'd return when she obtained some more pictures,

and departed.

Nabiki walked over to a nearby trash bin to dispose of the ruined

pictures. As she dropped them in, she noticed something dropping to the

ground about a half a block away. She ran over, and just as she got there

a yellow and black spotted bandana touched down on the sidewalk and

skidded to a halt. She picked it up, thought about it for a minute, then

realized what had just happened. She angrily crushed the bandana in her

fist and growled, "Ryouga...." Hibiki would roast for this. You don't

interfere in Tendou Nabiki's business dealings and get away with it. One

way or another, Nabiki would be avenged.

Ranma and Ryouga were laughing like hyenas when they walked into

Ucchan's, which wasn't too crowded now, the lunch rush being over. They

had decided to hang out in a bookstore for a little while and look at

some new manga before they went to eat, so they'd get a chance to talk to

Ukyou. Now, the okonomiyaki cook extraordinaire noticed them, and waved.

"Hey guys!"

"Hi Ukyou!"

"Heya Ucchan!"

Ukyou skipped around the counter and led them to one of the vacant

tables in the back of the restaurant. "Two specials comin' up!" she said

cheerily as she made her way back over to the grill. After about a minute,

she came back and placed a plate of okonomiyaki and a glass of soda in

front of each of them, then set down a third plate and glass and seated

herself with them. "Thanks Ucchan!" Ranma said. He dug in. Ryouga smiled

and took a few bites of his. "It's great Ukyou!"

"Why thank you! You seem a lot happier these days Ryouga, someone new in

your life?" She nudged him on the shoulder playfully. He laughed.

"Nah, I just started seeing life a lot differently. There's just no need

to walk around depressed and angry all the time. It's like asking for the

h-bomb to drop on your head." Then he smiled and said, "By the way, are

you doing something different with your hair Ukyou?"

She absently touched her white hair ribbon. "No, why?"

"Hmm. I dunno, I just wondered if maybe you were trying a new look or

something, cause you look prettier than usual today."

Ukyou blushed fiercely. "Th...thank you, Ryouga!" Ranma blinked, and

stared at Ryouga. Ryouga caught it, and flashed a grin and a wink at

Ranma, who couldn't help but smile now.

They ate and talked for a while, Ryouga occassionally flirting a little

with Ukyou (much to her delight and embarrassment.) They finished eating,

wrapped up their conversation (with Ryouga even kissing Ukyou's hand as

they stood to leave), and left the restaurant. Once outside, Ranma

clapped one hand on Ryouga's shoulder. "You sly little pig you! I never

knew you had it in you!" Ryouga grinned. Then he snapped his fingers.

"Oh! Hang on a sec okay?" He turned and quickly dashed back inside the

restaurant. A little bit later, he came back out, grinning even wider.

Ranma gave him a curious look. "What was that about?"

Ryouga grinned and started twirling his umbrella. "Oh, nothing. Come on,

let's go see what's playing at the movies."

"Yeah, let's get going!"

With a mischevious little smile, Ryouga added, "Then you can help me get

ready for my date."

Ranma fell over. Ryouga grinned.

A few hours after lunch, Akane was whistling a merry tune as she made

her way to Ucchan's. She'd come to enjoy having gossip sessions with

Ukyou, and despite being competitors for Ranma, the girls had become best

friends, and almost always had a good time together. "Hmm...wonder if

they ate there today?" Akane said quietly to herself. She got to the door

and was surprised to see a sign in the window that said "Closed For

Business For The Afternoon." She tried the door and was relieved it

wasn't locked. Entering and closing the door behind her, she called out,

"Ukyou-chan? You home?"

"Come on up, I'm in my apartment," Ukyou called. Akane went upstairs,

slipped off her shoes on the landing, and walked into Ukyou's modest

little studio apartment. Ukyou rushed over and hugged her friend. "Hey

sugar how's it going?"

Akane returned the hug and smiled. "Pretty good. You seem awful excited

about something."

Ukyou giggled, and grabbed Akane's hand, pulling her over to the closet.

Akane giggled. "What's with you today Ukyou? The last time you were this

hyper was that time you were playing a round with some new sauce recipes

and..." Ukyou clamped a hand over her mouth. "Don't remind me. I'm never going

near corn syrup again." Akane cracked up. Ukyou tapped her playfully on

the back of the head. "Come on girl, help me pick out something to wear."

Akane looked in the closet as she said, "Where you going?" She snuck a

glance back at Ukyou and grinned mischeviously at her. "Hot date tonight?"

Ukyou giggled. "Hai!"

Akane's eyes widened, and she giggled too. "Wow, go Ukyou! So who's the

guy?" Mischevious grin again. "Maybe Tsubasa? Hmm?"

Ukyou whapped her one upside the head. "No, ya jackass!" Akane giggled.

"Seriously, who're you going out with?"

Ukyou smiled and blushed a little. "Ryouga."

Akane's eyes widened. "Nani?"

Ukyou giggled. "Yep! Ranchan and Ryouga came by for lunch today, and

Ryouga..." She blushed hard. Akane prodded. "What?"

Ukyou got an almost dreamy look on her face, and smiled. "Akane-chan, I

swear, he could probably even make Shampoo smile." Akane blinked. "Wow,

someone's in love!" Ukyou blushed. "I am NOT! But he is cute. Anyway,

we're going out tonight to see a movie and to eat someplace that isn't

all okonomiyaki all the time...hey, even I get a little hungry for

something else once in a while," she said at Akane's curious glance.

"Come on, help me decide what to wear already!" The girls dove into the

closet, gossiping and giggling as they worked.

Ranma was certain that Ryouga's date was going to be perfect. They'd

worked hard on dressing him up, the end result of their efforts was an

outfit that impressed everyone. He wore a yellow turtleneck with a black

blazer Ranma had found in Soun's closet, and a pair of black slacks Ranma

owned. Even Shampoo, who had stopped in to deliver some ramen Kasumi

ordered for dinner for the group that was staying at home, had done a

double-take when Ryouga came downstairs.

"Aiyah! Ryouga?"

"Oh hi there Shampoo!"

"Ryouga dressed very nice tonight. You taking someone to date?"

"Yep. I'm going out with Ukyou tonight."

"Aiyah! Shampoo hope spatula girl no dress like boy tonight then!"

Akane giggled. "Trust me, Shampoo, Ukyou's gonna look good tonight too."

After Shampoo left, Ryouga checked himself one more time, working on his

hair just a little more (of course the bandana stayed put), then checking

his wallet again just to make sure he hadn't blown too much money today

to pay for this date. Ranma nudged him, and handed him a wad of money.

"Here, just in case."

Ryouga smiled. "Thanks Ranma. I'll pay ya back." He stuffed the bills

into his wallet and pocketed it. Akane looked at her watch. "Ooh, you

better hurry up and get going. It's just twenty minutes till seven."

Ryouga nodded. "Okay, see you all later!"

Ranma waved as Ryouga walked out the door. "Have a good time!"

"You bet!"

Akane frowned. "Shouldn't...someone go with him? He's only got twenty

minutes to get there."

Ranma grinned. "Don't worry. That's something else that's changed about

him. He doesn't get lost anymore."

Akane blinked. "Ryouga with a good sense of direction?" Ranma nodded.

Akane just shook her head in disbelief.

Three hours later, Ryouga walked in the door. Ranma was watching TV

while Genma and Soun played shogi and Nabiki balanced her books. "Hey

Ryouga!" he waved. "How'd the date go?"

Nabiki looked up. "Yes, however did it go?" An evil smile was plastered

on her face.

"Why hello Nabiki!" Ryouga said, gritting his teeth. Ranma turned his

full attention to Ryouga now. He looked a bit pissed.

"Aww, what's a matter piggy boy? Things didn't go too well with Ukyou?"

Ryouga smiled. "Actually, Nabiki..." he said her name through clenched

teeth "...everything went great. We saw a great movie, ate at a great

little Italian restaurant, and oh, by the way..." He now reached out and

grabbed Nabiki by the throat. "Your little traps didn't work. Next time

you might want to set something up that has a little thought behind it.

Even an idiot could have figured out the ice cream vendor that kept

following us, and the watermelon that rolled out of the alleyway when we

left the restaurant was a dead giveaway. Oh, and next time...DON'T use

Kunou and Tsubasa. At least make it more interesting for me, like maybe

Mousse or maybe even Kodachi. Really, you disappoint me, I thought the

great Tendou Nabiki could do a better job of wrecking a date than that."

He released her throat, and walked away, then suddenly he stopped and

turned. "Oh, by the way..." He reached into his pocket and pulled out an

envelope. "Kunou and Tsubasa are probably going to be a little mad at you

seeing as how neither one of them got paid off." He headed upstairs,

pausing to toss the envelope to Ranma, who opened it, saw what was inside,

and tore it to shreds.

Nabiki was having a new experience. For the first time in her life, she

was actually generating a battle aura. Ranma fell over laughing at her

expression. Nabiki was smoldering with rage. She glowed bright blue,

almost as bright as Akane usually glowed. "I'll GET you for this you

swine."

********

Ranma had been here before. He groaned. He didn't want to do this again.

Walking through the water, he heard the screaming and started running as

fast as he could through the water. There were the spheres again, the

inner one red, and containing Ranma-chan...or rather, Ranko. The outer

one still held the swaggering, grinning, laughing Ranma-kun. And the

screaming continued. Ranma began to scream as well. But this time,

something was different. He looked down at himself. The shock of what he

saw woke him up instantly.

Ranko had been screaming. The evil Ranma-kun had been laughing. And

Ranma himself had been screaming.

Only the voice that ripped from his throat was his female voice.

And in the dream, he had been male.

The next night, Akane, Ranma, and Ryouga were playing poker. Soun, Genma,

and Nabiki had gone off to a Kabuki theater, and Kasumi was busily

tidying up her kitchen and preparing a few snacks for the others.

"Okay, game's five draw. Sevens and jacks wild." Ryouga dealt the cards.

Akane said, "I heard Kunou and Tsubasa tried to wreck your date with

Ukyou last night. What was that all about?"

Ryouga smirked. "Little Miss Yen-On-The-Brain tried to get revenge on me."

Akane blinked. "Nabiki set that up?"

Ryouga nodded. "I smelled a trap when I noticed the ice cream vendor

that had been following us all night. And when I realized he looked

familiar, I was sure something was up. Then when me and Ukyou were coming

out of the restaurant, someone rolled a watermelon out in front of us

from an alley. Soon as I saw that, I knew what was going on. So I punted

it out of sight before Kunou could see it--I figured out that he was the

ice cream vendor. After I got rid of the watermelon, I jumped the vendor

and the cart.

"The cart too?"

Ryouga nodded. "The vendor was Kunou, Tsubasa was disguised as an ice

cream cart. Anyway, they both passed out, and an envelope fell out of

Kunou's pocket. As soon as I saw what was in the envelope I knew Nabiki

had set that up."

"What was in the envelope?"

Ranma growled. Ryouga scowled and said, "No comment."

Nabiki was glad she'd stopped in that one-hour photo shop on the way to

the theater. Ryouga didn't bother to force her to give him the negatives..

which worked out perfect for her. When she went home tonight, she was

going to have a hundred copies of that picture she took of the scene she

caught going on in the bathroom that one day. That had been a good day.

She'd happened to catch the most interesting tickle fight going on, and

wasted no time getting a snapshot. She could think of a lot of potential

buyers for a picture of Ryouga, wearing only a towel, tickling the crap

out of a totally naked Ranma-chan. She grinned. Revenge could be so much

fun.

Ranma threw down his cards in disgust and uttered an oath which made

Akane blush. "Ranma, have you been fantasizing about me?" She giggled.

Ryouga snickered. Ranma just grumbled as he watched Akane come out of

another hand with a large chunk of his money. Ryouga was just glad he'd

folded. The betting had gotten a bit ridiculous on that hand.

Ranma was about to deal the next hand when suddenly his eyes glazed over.

After a minute, he dropped the cards and shouted "YOU WANT ME TO WHAT!?"

Ryouga and Akane glanced at him curiously. He blushed. Then his eyes

glazed over again. He was blushing even more, and now he was gritting his

teeth. When his eyes finally cleared, he buried his face in his hands and

muttered, "No, no, no" over and over again.

"Ranma?" Akane asked, worried. "What's wrong?"

Ranma looked up. His face was pale and he looked like he was going to be

sick.

"Hey Ranma, you okay? What's going on?"

Ranma sighed. "I really don't want to talk about it." His eyes suddenly

glazed over again. He sighed more heavily. "Alright alright, but I'm

gonna change into a girl first. Even THINKING about it while I'm a guy

makes me want to puke." He went into the kitchen, and soon came back in

his girl form. Ranma-chan sat down at the table, very pale and still

looking ill. "Ryouga...you know the secret dream they have?"

Ryouga thought for a minute. Then his eyes widened in shock. "You don't

mean..." Ranma-chan nodded. Ryouga turned as pale as Ranma-chan, and

looked almost as ill. "PLEASE tell me you're joking."

"I wish I was. I wish SHE was. But she's serious. And I'm guessing

Ryokuroi knows what's going on by now and is pretty excited about it."

Ryouga nodded. "Yeah. He's singing inside our head. It's getting annoying."

Akane said, "Excuse me, can someone fill me in here?"

Ranma-chan and Ryouga exchanged glances, then looked back at Akane. "You

really don't wanna know, Akane," Ranma-chan said.

"Yeah. It's bad enough we HAVE to know." Ryouga shuddered.

"Oh no, you two aren't going to keep something from me. Out with it."

Ranma-chan looked at Ryouga who just sighed. Ranma-chan looked even more

ill now, and blushed brightly. "Alright, but you're really gonna wish you

hadn't heard this."

"Just tell me. I'm used to weird things going on."

"Well, did I happen to mention to you the reason Ranko's father threw

her out?"

"You said he got fed up with her being such a tomboy," Akane said,

smirking.

Ranma-chan sighed. "There's a bit more to it than that." She looked at

Ryouga, who looked very ill. She swallowed. "Well, you see, as a little

girl, Ranko met someone who became very special to her, and in time they

fell in love."

"And her father didn't approve? I thought he'd be happy to have a son-in-

law."

Ryouga said, "It's a bit complicated."

"Why? Was he an outcast or something? Peasant farmer? Ronin?"

Ranma-chan swallowed. "It was Ryokuroi."

"WHAT!?"

Ryouga nodded. "It's a strange story."

Akane smirked. "Yeah, a girl falling in love with a pig? I'd say that's

strange." Ryouga winced at that.

Ranma-chan began. "Ranko found Ryokuroi when she was only nine. She

decided to keep him as a pet, and he was very happy with that. It wasn't

long before Ranko realized that her kawaii pet pig was a lot smarter than

she ever would have thought. Everyone else thought he was just a dumb

little farm animal, and they wouldn't have believed Ranko if she tried to

tell them how smart he was. Although he was pretty much limited to grunts,

squeals, and snorts for communication, Ranko was able to understand him

perfectly. She was amazed at how smart the little pig was."

Akane smirked again. "Sounds like one of those kid stories with magic

talking farm animals." Ryouga shook his head.

"Akane, tell me something, can farm animals do this?" He reached over to

the table next to him and grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil. He spent

a couple of minutes writing, then handed the paper to Akane. She read it,

then smiled. "That's a very nice haiku, Ryouga."

Ryouga smiled. "You're talking to our Ryokuroi half right now." Akane

shut up after that.

Ranma-chan continued. "By the time she was 13, Ranko and Ryokuroi had

grown very close. He was her only real friend. She didn't get along with

anyone else. She'd spend long afternoons sitting up in trees with him in

her lap, telling him everything that went on with her life, and all her

innermost thoughts and feelings. She also had grown to discover that

Ryokuroi was very sensitive and he had feelings just as strong as any

human. One afternoon, during one of their tree lounging conversations,

Ryokuroi told Ranko something he'd been keeping to himself for almost

half a year. He told her he was in love with her. She was very surprised.

She didn't expect her piggy friend to ever say that to her. But what

surprised her even more, is that she was beginning to fall in love with

Ryokuroi."

Akane was wide-eyed. "That's...strange."

"That's what her father thought when he found out shortly after her

fifteenth birthday. He asked her why she never accepted any of the men

chosen for her, and she finally told him that there was someone she was

in love with but she wasn't ready to tell him who it was. Her father

demanded to know, and threatened to make her sleep outside the house

stark naked in the freezing weather. He also said that if she didn't

cooperate he'd make sure she never saw her pet pig again. Finally, Ranko

was forced to tell him."

"Bet that went over well."

"Her father was beyond shock. He was so terribly shamed that he finally

lost it with Ranko. He couldn't bring himself to kill her since she was

still his daughter and you just didn't kill girls anyway. So he told her

that she was to gather whatever belongings of hers she'd need and get out

of the house. He also told her that she had best be out of Japan within a

week. That's when Ranko and Ryokuroi set out on their journey."

Ryouga spoke up now. "Ever since they'd fallen in love, their secret

dream was that they wanted to find some way to turn Ryokuroi into a human,

even for just a little while, so that they could be together like any

other couple. But they never did find a way. Lotion made sure of that."

Akane wiped a tear from her eye. "As bizarre as that is, it's still so

sad that they couldn't have had the happiness they wanted."

Ranma-chan said, "That brings us to this. Now, since we've awakened them,

Ranko has been able to experience and feel everything that happens to me

when I'm in this form. She can't control my body or take it over but she

can feel what happens to it."

Ryouga spoke up next. "And since Ryokuroi and I bonded, he can feel

everything that we do in both our pig and our human forms."

Akane gasped. "In other words, he's...turned human now." Ryouga nodded.

Ranma-chan spoke up next. "They want me and Ryouga to let them have

their dream. They want....they want to be together."

Akane frowned. "You mean a date, or what?"

Ranma-chan shook her head. "They want more than a date."

"A kiss maybe? Hold each other?"

Ranma-chan sighed and shook her head again. Ryouga was looking pale

again, and Ranma-chan looked like she could throw up at any time. "Think,

Akane. They've been separated for 1500 years, and now that they're awake

again, their secret dream has come true. After all that time, what would

you want?"

Akane thought about it for a minute, then her eyes widened. "Not...?"

Ranma-chan and Ryouga nodded, blushing and looking even sicker. Akane

blinked a couple times, then suddenly burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Ranma-chan asked, annoyed.

"S--sorry it's...just...the thought....you...and Ryouga...doing THAT...."

She was rolling around in hysterics now. Suddenly, Ranma-chan's eyes

glazed over, and while they were glazed, Ranma-chan stood up. She loomed

over the laughing Akane, who looked up at her. She sat up. "Ranma? You

okay?"

Ranma-chan glared at her with her glazed-over eyes, and from out of

nowhere she produced an EXTREMELY large mallet. Ryouga winced, because

half of him had seen that mallet before. Akane stared wide-eyed with

shock. That sucker would make Mallet-sama look like a gavel, she thought.

*WHAM!*

Akane lie twitching, pounded perfectly into the floorboards. The wood

was splintered all around her. The mallet vanished, Ranma-chan sat down.

Suddenly her eyes unclouded. She blinked. "What the--Akane!?"

Akane slowly peeled herself out of the floor, and turned to glare at

Ranma-chan. "What the hell did you do THAT for you stupid jerk?"

Ranma-chan looked confused. Ryouga helped out. "Akane...didn't you

notice Ranma's eyes? They look clouded to you?" Akane nodded, frowning.

Ranma-chan realized what had happened. "Aw jeez. Akane, try not to piss

her off again okay?"

Akane realized what was going on now. "Th--that was Ranko that did that?"

Ryouga and Ranma-chan nodded. Akane sat down weakly, shaking her head.

"Incredible...she's even worse than me. Hey, I thought you said she

couldn't take control of you?"

Ranma-chan nodded. "She can't. But she can pull me into a conversation

with her and guide my actions. She flooded my mind with an image of

bashing you with a mallet, then the next thing I knew she was telling me

how to do the mallet trick." Ranma-chan smirked. "Lousy tomboy took it

all back too. Damn."

Akane giggled. "You have to be a real girl to do it anyway, Ranma."

"Oh."

Akane smiled. "So anyway, would you two lovebirds like to be alone? I

wouldn't want to keep you from enjoying each other's company--OW!!" Akane

winced as she rubbed the mark on her cheek where a gavel had just struck

her in the face. "Who threw that?" She looked around the room but nobody

else was there except Ryouga and Ranma-chan. Ryouga was looking at Ranma-

chan wide-eyed. Ranma-chan looked like she was in shock. "No way, that

did NOT happen," she said. Akane blinked. "Y--You mean...?"

Ranma-chan nodded. Out of nowhere, another gavel appeared in her hand,

and she flung it off over Akane's head. Akane was stunned.

Ranma-chan frowned. "Now I know something's wrong with me."

Damn this dream was beginning to piss him off.

Ranma once again found himself running through the water and facing the

two spheres. This time, Ranko sat huddled up in the bottom of the sphere

crying. The evil version of Ranma-kun that held her trapped there saw

Ranma charge up, and began laughing again. And to make matters worse, he

was taunting Ranma. His gestures indicated that he thought Ranma was too

weak to take him down.

That did it. Time to fight.

Ranma charged the outer sphere, launching into his chestnut fist attack.

His punches didn't even make the sphere shake. His image within the

sphere doubled over in laughter, then gave him the finger. Ranma kept

trying but it was just no good. Eventually he collapsed from exhaustion.

The crying of Ranko and the horrible mocking laughter of the evil Ranma-

kun haunted him as he...

Awoke to the sound of his little black alarm clock. "Mornin' Ryouga," he

said drowsily as he dragged himself off of his futon and padded off to

the bathroom, pig companion trotting faithfully alongside him.

"Gee Ranma, you look like hell this morning. What's up?"

Ranma sighed. "The damn dream again. I've been having it a lot lately."

Ryouga frowned. "That's odd. You should have stopped having it after you

discovered Ranko was there."

Ranma nodded. "That's what I thought to. But it's been changing a little

every time. Like this time, Ranko was crying instead of screaming, and

the other me was taunting me, mocking me. So I attacked him, but none of

my punches could touch him. He just laughed me off and gave me the finger.

I kept trying but it was no use. Finally I just dropped from exhaustion,

and I kept hearing his mocking laughter and her crying..." He closed his

eyes. "I just wish I could figure it out..."

Ryouga laid a hand on his shoulder. "Hey man, it's okay. It'll come to

you eventually." He smiled. "Hey, haven't you heard by now? Saotome Ranma

never loses." Ranma looked up at him and smiled. "You'll figure it out

sooner or later. I'm sure of it."

"Yeah, you're probably right, you know?" Ranma felt a lot better now.

"Come on, let's go get some breakfast."

After the delicious Western-style breakfast Kasumi treated everyone to--

Ranma was glad she cooked those continental breakfasts every now and then,

he really liked American breakfast foods--he and Ryouga went outside to

spar. Akane went out to watch, not having anything better to do.

"Hah! Getting a little slow there Ranma!" Ryouga slammed a punch toward

Ranma's gut, which was barely and badly blocked. Ranma hissed slightly as

the angry red mark on his left arm throbbed.

"Oh yeah? Take this!" Ranma lashed out with a forward kick, which was

blocked easily, then immediately snapped off a roundhouse, which should

have caught Ryouga under the chin. Somehow, Ryouga managed to block that

one to. Ranma couldn't figure out why that didn't work. The fight

continued like this for a while, Ryouga pressing his advantage and

driving Ranma back toward the wall on his side of the yard. Akane was

watching and studying the attacks carefully. At first she wondered why

Ranma was holding back. Now, she wasn't so sure he was.

Ranma tried a sweep, which caught Ryouga offguard as he was in the

middle of a spin. As soon as Ryouga got to his feet, Ranma used the

kachuu tenshin amaguriken. Ryouga couldn't hope to block all the punches,

but he did block a lot more of them than he usually could. All three of

them noticed that Ranma had also thrown a lot fewer punches than usual.

What's wrong with me? Ranma wondered. Ryouga hammered him in the gut with

a punch, then snapped his head back with an uppercut.

"Okay, this is beginning to suck. Time for a desperation move." Ranma

vaulted over Ryouga's head, and dashed for the pond. Ryouga spun in time

to see him leap in. A few seconds later, Ranma-chan leapt out, and said

"Alright, let's go!" She dashed at Ryouga, who resumed his ready stance.

Ranma-chan drew back for one of her faster punches. Ryouga got ready to

block it, anticipating when it would hit.

He anticipated wrong however. The punch slammed into his chest a lot

faster than he was expecting. He took a step back. The next thing he knew,

Ranma-chan was a blur around him, raining down blows he couldn't even

hope to block. He dropped to one knee. "Yield," he said. Ranma-chan

stopped blurring and stood in front of him, smiling. "Had enough?"

Akane was watching this with a mix of disbelief and curiosity. Ryouga

stood up and said, "Yeah, I think that's enough for one day."

"Hang on a second guys," Akane said. She turned to the house and called

out, "Dad! Saotome-san! Can you come out here for a minute?" Ranma-chan

and Ryouga blinked.

"Yo Akane, what's up?" Ranma-chan asked.

"I just want to see something." As the men emerged from the house, Akane

turned and said, "I need your help for a minute."

"What is it, Akane?"

"What's up?"

Ryouga moved to stand by the porch. Ranma-chan stood out in the yard.

Akane said, "I want the two of you to fight Ranma for a little bit."

Genma nodded. "Alright then. Tendou-kun, shall you go first or shall I?"

Akane shook her head. "At the same time."

Everyone blinked. It was pretty unusual to spar two-on-one, even if they

all knew Ranma-chan would probably have no problem beating them anyway.

"Alright," Soun said. He and Genma moved into position. Ranma-chan stood

ready.

"Ready? Fight!"

Genma and Soun charged Ranma-chan. They each aimed a punch at her

stomach. Their fists passed through nothing but air. Ranma-chan was

already behind them. She blurred into motion. A few seconds later, Genma

and Soun were both down. Ranma-chan stopped moving and relaxed her stance.

The men got up, not sure what had just happened. Akane nodded. "Mmm hmm.."

She turned to the house again. "Kasumi! Bring some hot water please!"

Kasumi came out with a kettle and poured it on Ranma-chan. As soon as

she cleared the practice area, Akane said, "Okay, now again! Fight!"

Genma and Soun decided to adopt a less hasty approach this time, and

began circling Ranma. Ranma snapped off a kick at Soun, who blocked.

Ranma began to turn just as Genma's sweep took him down. He bounced back

up, and threw a punch at Genma. Before he knew it, Soun was right beside

him, and tagged him in the side with a forward kick. It went on like this

for some time. Ranma wasn't able to recover from his attacks fast enough

to block or evade the attacks directed at him. After a while, Akane

called a halt. She was frowning thoughtfully. Ranma, Genma, and Soun

moved up onto the porch, taking towels from Ryouga.

"Ranma," Akane said, "Let me ask you a question."

"Go on."

"A couple of months ago, you would have easily been able to take down

both dad and Saotome-san no matter which form you were in, right?"

Ranma thought about it, and nodded. "Yeah. I should have won today, too."

Akane's frown deepened. "Yeah, you should have won both fights. But you

only won when you fought as a girl."

Ryouga nodded, understanding. "That's right. Remember when we were

sparring before, Ranma? I should never be able to block as many of those

punches from the chestnut fist as I did."

Akane nodded. "But when Ranma turned into a girl, he took you down

before you could get one hit off."

Ranma frowned. "Yeah, my speed seems a little off."

Genma and Soun were deep in thought. Akane, who'd been watching each

fight, was almost sure of what was going on. "You guys rest up for a few

minutes. I've got to make a phone call."

Half an hour later, Cologne, Shampoo, and Mousse were sitting at the

table in the Tendou living room. "Thank you for coming," Akane said.

"Shampoo no expecting Akane ask all three of us to come here. What going

on?"

"Indeed, child, your call was most unexpected."

Akane faced Cologne. "Well, you see, I was watching Ranma spar with

Ryouga this morning..." She proceeded to tell Cologne everything that

happened. Cologne nodded, looking thoughtful. "So you see," Akane

finished, "I figured that the only way I could be sure is for someone

else who knows the chestnut fist to fight Ranma, to test him."

Cologne nodded. "You kids never cease to amaze me. You're getting

smarter all the time. I'd be happy to spar with son-in-law. I myself am

very curious about this change in his speed."

Akane thanked her, then went into the kitchen, where Ranma was having a

cookie. "Ranma, come out here please." Ranma brushed the crumbs off his

hands, and went out with Akane. He was surprised to see the whole group

from the Nekohanten there, especially Cologne. "What's up?" he asked.

Akane said, "Ranma, I've asked Shampoo's great-grandmother to spar with

you."

"You did what!?"

Akane nodded. "It's the only way to see for sure what's happening to

your speed."

"She's right, son-in-law. Akane told us everything about the fights this

morning. We're just going to do a little test with the kachuu tenshin

amaguriken technique."

"Alright," Ranma said.

Everyone gathered in the yard. Cologne and Ranma faced off in the center

of the yard.

"Alright, son-in-law. When I call ready, I'm going to attack with the

chestnut fist, and I want you to block as many of my punches as you can.

Then I want you to attack me the same way. Ready? Now!"

Cologne's arms blurred into action. Ranma's arms also blurred, but

seemed to be moving much more slowly than the Amazon woman's. Cologne

finished her attack and smirked. "Now that's odd. The last time we

sparred, you blocked over half those punches. Your turn."

Their arms blurred again. After a moment, Ranma stopped, and Cologne

smirked again. "Very strange."

Akane picked up a bucket of water and splashed Ranma with it. "Okay now

do it again."

Cologne nodded. "Ready?" Ranma-chan nodded. "Okay, now."

Again Cologne's arms blurred, and Ranma-chan's arms matched her blur for

blur. Cologne's eyes widened when she stopped. "Impressive. Not a single

punch got through. Alright, your turn."

Ranma-chan blurred into motion. To everyone's amazement, Cologne didn't

even have a chance to block. The old woman went flying backward across

the yard and crashed into the wall.

"Aiyah! Great-grandmother, you alright?"

"Old ghoul? You okay?"

Cologne sat up, dazed. She shook her head to clear it, then stood,

picked up her staff, and hopped back over to Ranma-chan. Her eyes were

wide with amazement and maybe even shock. "That shouldn't have happened,"

Cologne said. "I haven't seen anything that fast in over 150 years." She

frowned, lost in thought. "Something is causing your male side to lose

power, and your female side is becoming much stronger and faster. This

bears watching." She turned back to the house. "Shampoo, Mousse, come. We

don't want to overstay our welcome, and we still have to get ready for

the lunch crowd." They left. Ranma-chan stood in the center of the yard,

lost deep in thought. Everyone was watching her with worry and confusion

etched on their faces.

********

That night, only Kasumi, Akane, Ryouga, and Ranma were in the house.

This time the others had gone to the movies. Kasumi was in the kitchen

and the other three were watching TV. Ranma's eyes clouded over, and he

doubled over in pain. "Argh!"

"Ranma? What's wrong?"

Ranma winced. He looked pale and sick again. As he did the night before,

he went to the kitchen and splashed himself. Ranma-chan sat back down,

and looked upset.

Ryouga paled. "Not again." Ranma-chan nodded.

Akane sighed. "I don't think you two have much choice. You're going to

have to do it."

Ranma-chan sighed, still looking queasy. Ryouga's eyes glazed over for a

minute. When they returned to normal, he blinked, then smiled softly.

Akane wondered what his inner conversation had been about. It didn't take

too long for her to find out.

"Maybe...maybe it won't be as bad as you think, Ranma."

Ranma turned to stare at him in shock. "Wha...?"

Ryouga was blushing slightly. "You remember that first time I saw you in

your female form? And you were complaining about everyone giving you a

hard time and how hard it was having that body?"

"Yeah?"

Ryouga blushed a little more. "I really meant what I said after that."

Ranma-chan frowned a little, trying to remember. Then she gasped, and

blushed. Akane had to stifle a giggle.

Ryouga smiled. "Come on Ranma, what do you say?"

Ranma-chan sighed. "I don't know, I mean..."

With a mischevious grin, Ryouga leaned in and started tickling Ranma-

chan.

"Hey! Ack! Cut it out! Aaaahhhh!!"

"I won't stop tickling you until you agree to go along with it!"

"Ack! Aaahhh!! That tickles! Aaahhh!! Okay okay! I'll do it! Now let me

up!"

Ryouga smiled and stopped tickling Ranma-chan. With an evil grin, Ranma-

chan leaped on Ryouga and started tickling him. Akane sat there laughing

as Ryouga suffered. Finally, when Ranma-chan let up, they both looked at

Akane, then looked at each other, then grinned and leaped on her. The

ticklefest continued for several minutes.

The souls of the drowned girl and the pig were happy.

Ranma-chan and Ryouga lay side by side on Ranma's futon, resting. They'd

actually done it. Ryouga asked, "So, did Ranko enjoy that?"

"Yep. She's bouncing around giggling in here. How about Ryokuroi?"

"He's in hog heaven." Both groaned at the horrible pun. After a moment

of silence, Ryouga said, "Ranma?"

"Yeah?"

"I...they're not the only ones who enjoyed it." Ranma-chan turned and

stared at him, eyes wide. He blushed. "I enjoyed it too."

Ranma-chan blushed. "Ryouga...I don't know what to say..."

Ryouga smiled. "It's okay, I knew that was going to shock you. You have

to admit that was nice though..." he trailed off, lost in his happiness.

Ranma-chan blinked, then thought about that. After a moment, she said,

"Actually, it was pretty nice...a lot better than I expected anyway." She

blushed harder.

Suddenly, Ryouga turned to her again, grinning wickedly. She glanced at

him curiously. "Ryouga?"

Grinning, he slipped his arms around her, and soon they were at it for

the second time that night.

********

Ranma was there in the water cave again. There were the spheres again.

Ranko was crying. No...that's not right. Ranma couldn't quite figure out

what was out of place. He knew something was different about the girl in

the sphere but he couldn't tell what.

There was the evil Ranma-kun again. He was laughing and making rude

gestures at Ranma.

This time for sure. Ranma attacked the sphere again, only to be blown

back across the cave. The evil Ranma-kun cackled menacingly.

The girl in the sphere was looking at Ranma. She seemed to want him to

do something.

Girl. That's it.

Ranma concentrated very hard on the water around him. Every time he'd

been here, the water was warm. That's why he was still a guy here. He

concentrated, trying to force the water around him to cool off. The girl

now closed her eyes too, working with him. Suddenly, the evil Ranma

stopped laughing. He was staring in shock. The water was now cold, and

Ranma stood there in female form. The evil Ranma sneered, and flashed her.

Okay, that was the final insult. This guy's dead.

Ranma-chan reached right through the sphere, and grabbed the evil Ranma

by the neck. She threw him up against the wall of the cave, and slammed

punches into his head repeatedly. Blood trickled down his face, strangely

it wasn't being washed away by the water. Finally, she reached down and

grabbed his asoko. He screamed as she tore it off and flung it away. She

turned away from him in disgust as he slid down the wall, crumpled into a

ball, and died.

The spheres vanished. The girl floated to the floor. She smiled at Ranma,

who smiled back at her.

She realized now what was different. The girl inside the sphere wasn't

Ranko at all.

She was Ranma.

Now Ranma understood.

And she felt more at peace than she had in a long time.

********

Ranma awoke the next morning still in Ryouga's arms. She smiled. Ryouga

really was a great guy. Kind, caring, sweet, gentle lover...and she hoped

he'd be able to deal with what she had to tell him this morning.

"Ryouga...c'mon...wake up..."

Ryouga stirred, and finally blinked himself awake. Ranma smiled at him,

and he smiled back. "Mornin' Ranma." He promptly realized how they were

lying there, and moved away, blushing. "Sorry about that."

Ranma giggled. "Silly." Turning serious, she said, "Ryouga, we need to

have a talk this morning. Remember the other dreams I had?"

"Yeah?"

Ranma smiled. "I know what they mean now.

Ryouga smiled too. "Really? What?"

Ranma shook her head. "I can't tell you here. Wait until after breakfast.

We'll find someplace private to talk."

After cleaning up and dressing, they went down for breakfast. Ryouga,

and everyone else, was surprised that Ranma came down in female form. As

Kasumi served breakfast, she said, "Ranma, would you like some hot water?"

"No thanks, Kasumi." Everyone stared at her in shock. Except Kasumi, who

gave her a curious glance for a second, then smiled and fought down a

giggle. Kasumi knows already, Ranma thought. How does she do that?

"So you two," Akane said after Kasumi had finished serving and sat down,

"Have...fun last night? Did you think of something to...do?" She was

grinning mischeviously at them. Ryouga coughed. Ranma just got annoyed.

"Oh come on, I'm teasing." She ate a few bites, then said, "So, what did

you two do anyway?" Ryouga looked like he'd rather be anywhere else.

Ranma was ticked off now.

"Nothing you'd know anything about, stupid tomboy!"

"Who are you calling a tomboy you pervert?"

Pervert? Why that...how DARE she? Any other time Ranma might have let

that go. Not this morning. It didn't matter to her that the tomboy didn't

know yet. Akane was going to pay for that.

"Why you....AKANE NO BAKA!!!" Nobody saw it coming, nobody sensed its

presence. But suddenly, Akane's face was ground into her breakfast, and

Mallet-Sama Mark II rested on the back of her skull. Mallet-Sama II

vanished as abruptly as it appeared. Akane sat up and stared at Ranma,

dazed.

"Impossible..."

Ranma just glared at her, and resumed eating.

That proves it, Kasumi thought. Ranma's a real girl now. She seems happy

enough about it. I wonder if she's in love with Ryouga? They would make a

cute couple...hmm...

********

Ranma and Ryouga went to the small, secluded park on the north side of

Nerima district. Ranma came here a lot when she was in need of some quiet

time all to herself. The place hardly ever had anyone in it.

They sat down on a park bench, and Ryouga asked, "So Ranma, you said you

figured out what the dream meant?"

Ranma nodded, and told him about the dream she'd had last night. "So

when I beat the evil Ranma, and the girl was free, I realized that it

wasn't Ranko at all. It was me."

"You?"

Ranma nodded. "I finally understood the dreams, and I finally understood

why my male body is losing power." She smiled. "Ryouga, I'm not a man.

Not anymore." Ryouga blinked. Ranma giggled. "All this time I wanted to

get rid of what I thought was a curse. But all along it was fate pushing

me toward finding out who I really am."

Ryouga looked lost in thought. "So the first dream was really telling

you that your male persona had you trapped?"

Ranma shook her head. "There were four dreams about the water cave. The

first one was actually about Ranko. After we woke her and Ryokuroi up,

the girl in the sphere in all the other dreams was me." Ryouga nodded in

understanding.

"So now what?"

"Well, now, I find a way to purge my male body...I'm sure Cologne or

Happosai can help with that...then I can fuse my soul with Ranko's." She

smiled. "And then..." Without warning, she leaned up and kissed Ryouga.

Ryouga blushed. Ranma giggled. "Ranma...?"

"Ryouga, you're a very sweet, kind, caring guy, and any girl would kill

for a guy like you." She blushed slightly. "I...I mean, that is...Ryouga,

could you ever, y'know..."

"Love you?" Ranma nodded. Ryouga looked at her, looked into her eyes. He

didn't see the man who he had fought so many times, usually over stupid

things, often for the love of a girl who would never love him. He didn't

see a guy who felt trapped in a girl's body.

He saw the most beautiful, wonderful girl he'd ever met in his life. He

smiled, and embraced her. She snuggled into his arms and sighed happily.

"PIGTAILED GIRL!!"

Ryouga and Ranma broke their embrace and sprang to their feet. "Kunou,"

Ranma said, smirking. "Jeez, that jerk sure has lousy timing."

Kunou pointed his bokken at Ryouga's chest. "Wretched cur! How dare you

attempt to force your foul intentions upon the beautiful, innocent

pigtailed girl? I, Kunou Tatewaki, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High,

shall thrash thee, vile dog!"

"Hey you jerk! Leave us alone!"

"Fear not, beloved! I shall rescue you from this base cretin!"

"He's my BOYFRIEND you idiot!"

"WHHAAAAAATT!!" Oh boy, Ranma thought. He's in this mode again. Kunou

wheeled on Ryouga and pointed the bokken at his head. "How dare you

entrap the affections of the pigtailed girl? You're even more wicked than

that sorcerer Saotome Ranma! Prepare to be delivered into Hell, demon!"

Ryouga wrenched the bokken from Kunou's grasp, and snapped it in two.

Then he grabbed Kunou by the neck, and delivered a punch to his face.

"Now you listen to me, you stupid bastard! She doesn't want to have

anything to do with you and never has! Leave her alone, you hear me? If

you go anywhere near her again, I will kill you." He threw Kunou to the

ground. Ranma stared at Ryouga. He will, she thought to herself. He

really will kill Kunou.

For once in his life, Kunou did something smart. He stood, and without

saying a single word, he left as quickly as he could without running.

Ranma walked over to Ryouga and threw her arms around him. "Ryouga...

that's the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me."

He smiled at her. "I'm not going to stand around and let him keep

bothering you. Not now. I won't let anybody harass my woman." Ranma

kissed him.

As Ryouga and Ranma stood there kissing, a birdbath silently slipped out

of the park and made its way to another part of town.

********

Akane walked into Ucchan's just as Ukyou was getting things ready to go

for the late brunch and early lunch crowd. Ukyou knew something was

bothering her immediately. "Akane-chan, what's wrong?" She started making

an okonomiyaki as Akane sat at the counter.

Akane sighed. "I really wish I knew what's going on," she said.

"Talk to me, sugar," Ukyou said as she placed the okonomiyaki on a plate

in front of Akane. Akane started eating it almost mechanically.

"I think something's wrong with Ranma," she said quietly.

Ukyou almost dropped her spatula. "Ranchan? Oh no! Are you sure?"

Akane nodded. she opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by a

voice coming toward her from the doorway. "Aiyah, Akane say Ranma sick?"

"Hi Shampoo," Ukyou said as the Amazon plopped herself down on a stool.

Ukyou started making another okonomiyaki which she plopped down in front

of Shampoo as Akane began again. Like Akane, Shampoo started eating it,

not even paying attention to it at all.

"I don't know exactly what's wrong with him. I just know that..." she

sighed. "This is hard to even think about."

"Go on sugar...take it nice and slow. We're here for you."

"She right, Akane. When Ranma in trouble, we no fight. We help each

other."

Akane nodded, and took a deep breath. "Ever since this business with the

soul of the drowned girl started..."

"Aiyah? Then it really true? Spatula girl no making that up?" Akane

nodded.

"Well...lately, Ranma's been acting odd. I think the first thing that I

noticed was about that problem with his speed." Shampoo nodded. "Shampoo

not getting over that one yet." Ukyou looked at them quizzically, and

Akane filled her in. "Wow," Ukyou said when she was done. "That's scary."

Akane nodded. "It gets worse. This morning, Ranma didn't change back to

his male self when he came down for breakfast." She decided to leave out

the thing with Ryouga. It made her pretty sick to think about it. "Then

at breakfast, we got in an argument. It was going pretty normal at first,

he called me a stupid tomboy, I called him a pervert...." She closed her

eyes and took a deep breath, struggling to go on. Ukyou and Shampoo each

put a hand on hers to comfort her. "Go on," Ukyou said. Akane took a deep

breath and opened her now damp eyes. "What happened next took me

completely by surprise. He yelled "AKANE NO BAKA!" and then...and then...."

The tears started to flow, and the next part almost didn't come out. "..

And then he hit me with a mallet!"

Ukyou and Shampoo stared at her in shock.

"Aiyah!"

"No way!"

Akane nodded, crying.

"That not possible! Only girls having mallet trick!"

"You sure it wasn't hidden under the table or something?"

Akane shook her head. "He pulled it out of thin air. Like this." Akane

brought Mallet-Sama out from wherever it lived, and then made it

disappear again. Shampoo and Ukyou both gasped.

"Aiyah."

"But if he did that..."

"Shampoo no want to think about what that mean."

Akane just cried. It wasn't long before Shampoo and Ukyou joined her.

"I told you going to the old ghoul was a bad idea, Ranma."

"I know, I should have listened to you. I just didn't want to deal with

the old lech if I could help it."

"I know, Ranma. I understand."

Ranma sighed. "Well, I guess we better go find the old freak."

The door to the restaurant slid open. "Ukyou."

The three girls looked up to see a slender, good-looking boy standing

just inside the open doorway. He had on a pair of navy blue slacks and a

pink button-up shirt. His long brown hair was pulled back from his face

but hung loose, not tied or braided. He looked awfully familiar.

"What can I do for you?" Ukyou asked as the boy stepped inside and slid

the door closed. "If you'd like to order something, have a seat, and I'll--"

The boy shook his head. "I have important information for you, Ukyou-sa..

san. It's also important to you two as well," he added, nodding at Akane

and Shampoo. He sighed. "This isn't going to be easy for any of you to

hear."

"It's about Ranma, isn't it."

He nodded. "I saw him at the park today, with Ryouga..." He told them of

the conversation he overheard, then Kunou showing up, and Ryouga

threatening him, and finally the kiss he saw just before he left.

All three girls were in complete shock.

"Ranchan..."

"Aiyah, he...he turn girl-type now..."

"Oh, Ranma...what's happened to you? I can't believe he'd...do you think

maybe his mind just snapped?"

"I don't know what to think, sugar."

"Shampoo know what think. Shampoo think she cry now."

The boy stood to leave. As he got to the door, Ukyou said, "Hey, how did

you manage to spy on them all that time without being seen?"

He smiled. "Nobody pays much attention to a birdbath." With that, he

left.

Ukyou stared after him. "Th....that was Tsubasa!?"

"Aiyah."

"He must be as shocked as we are."

Silence loomed for a long time.

>

********

"What do you MEAN you don't want them!?"

This was definitely a first.

Nabiki sat in the usual cafe with Kunou, and was showing him her latest

stash of pictures of the pigtailed girl. Kunou had, oddly, refused them.

"Alas, the day is done and the deeds of mere mortals have soiled the

virgin seed, poisoning her tender virtue and--"

"Yeah yeah, whatever, Kunou-chan...say, I KNOW you'll be interested in

THIS one..." Nabiki grinned, and pulled from her pocket a copy of the

bathroom tickle fight picture. Kunou would want this one so much he'd

sell Sasuke to her for it if she wanted him to. She held it out for his

inspection.

His reaction was not what she expected. He grabbed it and tore it into

shreds.

"Hey!!"

"Blind not mine eyes with such beauty that enraptured hearts hath denied

the noble Kunou Tatewaki! Dare you mock me, foul opportunist, with the

temptress of desire that threatens my very existence!?" He actually

started to cry. Nabiki was scared.

"Hey...Kunou-baby, you okay?"

"Nay, this day I weep, for fate hath thrown its cards in my face, and

its cards were the Joker and the fortune card of death." He was crying

harder. Nabiki absently pulled what she thought was a handkerchief from

her pocket and handed it to him.

It wasn't a handkerchief.

"VILE WENCH!!! DARE YOU MOCK ME WITH THE TRADEMARK FLAG OF MY OWN MORTAL

ADVERSARY!?" Everyone turned to stare at him. "Do you truly despise me so,

Tendou Nabiki, as to laugh whilst I weep, to kick me when I have fallen

in combat, to spit upon the noble Blue Thunder while he is upon his

knees!?"

"WHAT are you talking about, Kunou-chan?"

He held up the handkerchief she had given him. It was actually the

bandana she had picked up the other day. "I speak of THIS, Tendou Nabiki.

The banner of the foul and lecherous Hibiki Ryouga, enslaver of the heart

of the pigtailed girl."

"Ryouga...WHAT!?"

"Alas, I discovered my own true love, the beautiful, vibrant pigtailed

girl, in yonder park this very morning. I thought it a most glorious

opportunity to invite her to proclaim her love for me." He sighed. "Alas,

it was not to be. She was in the company of the scoundrel Hibiki.

Thinking her life and her soul to be in mortal danger, I approached the

heathen, and told him of the doom which he had brought upon himself. The

pigtailed girl did protest greatly to my oath of love, striking my heart

with the wretched words which will haunt my nightmares to my dying day."

"Which were?"

Kunou pulled out a hand puppet of Ranma-chan, and mimicked her voice:

"He's my BOYFRIEND you idiot!"

Nabiki's eyes widened in disbelief. "You don't say."

"Indeed I say, Tendou Nabiki. Upon the delivery of these words I

implored the cad to end whatever sort of black wizardry he had wrought

upon the heart of the pure and fair pigtailed girl." Kunou sighed again,

and crushed the bandana in his hand. "Alas, the knave gripped tightly the

throat of the noble Blue Thunder, and delivered his ultimatum. Never have

these eyes beheld such vicious loathing as was reflected in the eyes of

the cur Hibiki. I was held immoble, my bokken was destroyed. And lastly,

Hibiki spoke to me his warning, and I had no choice but to heed his words."

"And what, pray tell, did he say?"

Kunou pulled out a hand puppet of Ryouga and mimicked his voice. "If you

go anywhere near her again, I will kill you."

Nabiki gasped. Finishing her noodles, she stood. "Uh, Kunou-chan, if

you'll excuse me, I...I gotta go do something." She left the cafe and ran

back to the Tendou dojo as fast as she could. "What in the world is going

on here?" she asked of nobody in particular.

"You want WHAT?"

Ranma, Ryouga, and Happosai sat on the roof of the dojo. Happosai's

expression was a mixture of bewilderment and overwhelming joy.

"You heard me old man. You're always trying to use junk on me that

sticks me like this, I want to know if you have anything that'll do it."

"Let me get this straight...you're asking me to change you into a girl

for good?"

"You got it!"

"This isn't some kind of trick?"

"Nope."

"Hot-cha, well whatta ya know? Hmm, let's see...permanent Jusenkyo water.

Yes, that would do the trick." He stood up suddenly, eyes shining.

"I'll be back before you know it, cutie!" He leapt from rooftop to

rooftop, singing loudly, happily, and very off-key.

Ranma grinned at Ryouga. "Told ya he could help." Ryouga smiled. They

shared a quick kiss.

********

Completely unaware that the hot gossip topic of the day was sitting on

the roof, Akane walked into the house, trying hard to keep from crying.

"Tadaima," she said quietly and with no enthusiasm as she sank down at

the table and slumped against it, holding her face in her hands.

"Welcome home Akane-chan!" Kasumi said cheerfully, then taking a look at

her sister, she asked, "What's wrong Akane-chan?"

Akane sighed. "Kasumi, have you noticed Ranma acting unusual lately?"

She knows, Kasumi thought. This is going to be hard for her to deal with.

Sitting down beside her, Kasumi said, "I take it you figured it out."

Akane blinked. "You knew already? And you didn't tell anyone?"

Kasumi sighed. "I realized it this morning. I didn't say anything

because I figured she'd tell everyone in her own time, when she was ready."

Akane got angry. "HE! HE! RANMA IS A BOY! NOT A GIRL! A BOY!" She

started crying again. "He's my iinazuke....he's a guy not a girl...a guy..

Ranma..."

Kasumi hugged her gently. "I know this is going to be hard to accept,

and hard to understand. But for whatever reason, Ranma has become a girl.

If that's what she wants for herself, it's her choice. I know it's going

to hurt a lot of us...it's not easy for me to live with, I did so look

forward to seeing the two of you married...but if being a girl is what

makes Ranma happy, then we should be happy for her."

"I don't think I can be happy when my iinazuke's lost his mind and

decided he's really a girl."

Kasumi sighed. "Akane, remember the time Ranma lost his memory and

thought he was a girl?" Akane nodded. "How did he act then?"

"He didn't want to do anything but cook and shop and dress up, and when

we tried to prove he was a boy he freaked out and nearly lost it."

"Did Ranma seem like that to you this morning?"

Akane thought about that. "Well...no..." She paused before her next

words, contemplating the irony. "He was more like a tomboy..." She sat up

suddenly. "That's it! That must be it! The drowned girl's soul possessed

him somehow! Ranma's still really a boy, he just doesn't know it! I've

got to find a way to save him!" She jumped up and ran out of the house

just as Nabiki was running in.

"Oh my," Kasumi said quietly, and sighed.

Ranma came in the door a minute later, with Ryouga behind her. Both

looked very happy. "Tadaima!" she called cheerfully.

"Welcome home you two!" Kasumi said sweetly. Then she walked up to Ranma

and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I need to ask you something."

"Sure, what is it Kasumi?"

"Are you Ranko, or are you Ranma?"

Ranma blinked. "I'm Ranma of course, why?"

Kasumi smiled. "And the person you're in love with is who?" At Ranma's

nervous look, she gave a reassuring smile. "It's alright. I know what's

happened to you."

Ranma sighed, half with relief, half with worry.

"So who is the person you're in love with? Is it Ryouga, or Ryokuroi?"

Ranma replied, "He's both. Don't you remember the night we found out

about Ranko and the pig? And the day after?"

Kasumi smiled, and hugged Ranma. "That's all I wanted to know, Ranma-

chan." Then frowning, she said. "But if I were you, I'd be on the lookout.

Akane-chan figured it out, somehow, and she's convinced that you've been

possessed by Ranko's soul and that you're really still a boy. She's

likely to do something foolish."

Ranma smirked. "Great. If Akane knows then the others probably know too.

Just what I need, three half-crazy ex-iinazukes trying to exorcise a

demon out of me."

Ryouga hugged her. "Don't worry, we'll deal with it somehow." Ranma

smiled at her.

Kasumi thought about something. "By the way Ranma, what are you going to

do about your male half? You'll still turn back into a boy every time you

touch hot water."

Ranma nodded. "We've already got it covered. Happosai is getting some

kind of permanent Jusenkyo water for us." Grinning, she added, "He was

more than happy to do it too." Kasumi giggled.

Meanwhile, at Nekohanten, a war party was forming. Cologne, Shampoo,

Akane, and Ukyou sat around a table, discussing their strategy. The three

girls had just finished telling Cologne about the souls of the drowned

girl and pig, the changes in Ranma's personality and in Ryouga's, and

finally what happened this morning at breakfast, and what Tsubasa

witnessed. Cologne narrowed her eyes. "Most interesting. So you girls do

indeed believe that Ranma's body has been taken over by the soul of the

drowned girl and his own soul is locked away within him?" Akane nodded.

Cologne smiled. "It's wonderful to see you kids reasoning these things

out on your own. Why, it won't be too long before you'll all know what to

do without even needing my help!" Then she frowned and narrowed her eyes

again. "But right now, we need to figure out how to drive that soul out

of son-in-law's body so he'll remember who he is."

"Aiyah, but how we doing that?"

"Yeah," Ukyou said, "I mean, it's not like we can beat it out of him."

"I bet I could knock that baka back to his senses," Akane said, scowling.

Cologne whapped her with her staff.

"First off, simply beating Ranma half to death won't do anything. All

you'd do is take the risk of killing both Ranko's soul AND son-in-law.

Second, from what you've told me about Ranko and about the incident at

breakfast this morning, you wouldn't last long enough to use that mallet

of yours on him. With that new speed and the mallet trick too, you'd all

be on the ground before you could touch him."

"So how can we save Ranchan?"

Cologne thought for a moment, then spoke. "We'll need two things. Plenty

of hot water and lots of spirit wards."

Akane frowned. "Spirit wards? Don't those only work against demons

though?"

"No, child. There are many different kinds of spirit wards. There are

indeed wards that are used to cast out a benevolent soul. These are the

kinds of wards we'll need." She frowned. "However, there is a small

problem. This kind of spirit ward has to be drawn while in the presence

of the wayward soul. Which means we'll need to be fast enough to write

the wards and stick them on son-in-law." Cologne frowned. "That's the

biggest problem. Strips of paper are hard to throw, and none of us will

be able to get close enough to son-in-law to use them, not even myself."

Ukyou thought for a minute. "Do the wards have to be written on paper?"

Cologne blinked at her. With no warning, Ukyou's spatulas were in action

on a mini-grill that had appeared out of nowhere. Before anyone could

blink, Cologne's face was plastered with a fresh, hot okonomiyaki. "Oops..

sorry about that," Ukyou said, blushing. Akane and Shampoo were giggling.

Cologne peeled the okonomiyaki off her face, and grinned. "Girls, I

think we've got a chance at this after all." She quickly gobbled up the

okonomiyaki, then said to Ukyou, "Delicious! How about another?" Everyone

facefaulted. "Only joking. Now, I need to teach you the characters that

are to be written on the wards..."

********

Ranma and Ryouga were having a picnic in the same park they'd been at

that morning. Kasumi had prepared delicious bentos for them, and they

were enjoying the good food and the beautiful afternoon. Without warning,

their picnic was interrupted by a kettle of hot water smacking Ranma in

the head and dousing her. "Ow!" Ranma-kun looked up, and saw Akane, Ukyou,

and Shampoo looming over the two of them. "What the heck did you do THAT

for?"

"Sorry, sugar, but we gotta kick you out of that body. It's already

occupied."

"Stupid tomboy die many year ago! Should stay dead! Now pay for taking

Ranma!"

"I don't care if you're a Tendou or not, you're not taking him away from

me!"

Ranma and Ryouga blinked. "Do you have any idea what they're babbling

about, Ryouga?"

Ryouga shook his head. "Sounds like they've all lost it to me."

Akane smashed Ryouga's head in with her mallet. "Who asked you!!"

Ranma stood up, pulled a mallet out of nowhere, and drove Akane into the

ground with it. "Don't hit my boyfriend you baka!"

Shampoo and Ukyou blinked. "Aiyah, it worse than we thought."

Ukyou nodded. "Tag team. You distract him, I'll nail him with a ward."

Ranma looked at them in confusion. "What is WRONG with you people?"

Suddenly he was busy defending himself from Shampoo. Ryouga jumped up and

helped him.

"Ryouga, deal with Ukyou! I can handle Shampoo!" Ryouga nodded, and

charged the okonomiyaki artist. She whacked him with her enormous spatula

and sent him flying into the fountain at the other end of the park. "Butt

out you hentai two-timer!"

"Shampoo, will you cut it out already?"

"Shampoo no let stupid dead tomboy have Ranma! Shampoo defeat you now!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" Blinking, Ranma stopped,

almost being struck down by a bonbori blow. "Stupid dead tomboy?" He

gasped. "Oh no! I didn't kill Akane did I?"

The mallet that whacked him upside the head answered that question.

"Baka! She meant you not me!"

"Oh so now I'm a tomboy am I? Well guess what! You're a pervert!"

"Who are you calling a pervert you tomboy?"

*WHAM*

*WHAM*

Both stood there glaring at each other with mallets perched on their

heads. Shampoo blinked. Ukyou stared. Nobody saw P-chan dragging the tray

from one of their bentos in the direction of the fountain.

"Alright that's it! I don't want to have to beat up my ex-iinazukes, but

if you guys don't cut it out right now you're gonna be sorry!"

"EX-iinazuke? Oh no! You're not getting rid of me that easily, sugar!"

"Aiyah, Ranma no toss Shampoo aside like used tissue!"

"Ranma no baka!"

The three triple-teamed Ranma, who was doing his best to defend himself

but having a hard time. They were entirely too fast. Dammit, he thought,

I won't last long unless...

Suddenly the tables turned. P-chan charged into the fray, dragging a

bento tray full of cold water from the fountain. He jumped and landed on

one end of the tray, sending it flying at Ranma. The second the water hit,

Ukyou, Shampoo-neko, and Akane went flying in different directions,

crashing into trees, benches, and trash cans.

"Okay you three, I don't know what this is all about, but you ruined my

picnic, and I'm REALLY MAD!" She noticed Akane sneaking over to Shampoo-

neko with a kettle. "Oh no you don't! Ryouga! C'mere!"

Ryouga squealed and leaped into Ranma's arms. "This may hurt a little,

honey," she said to him. He nodded and kweed cutely. She reared back like

a baseball pitcher and hurled the piglet at Akane. With a crash, he

collided with the kettle, knocking it out of her hands. The hot water

doused both him and Shampoo. They both scrambled behind bushes to get

dressed.

Akane charged Ranma. Ranma stood there, unmoving. Akane drew back her

fist and threw her punch. Her fist went right through a tree trunk. Ranma

was leaning against another tree now, smirking.

"Keep him busy Akane-chan!" Akane nodded, and charged Ranma again, who

ducked this time and swept Akane's feet out from under her. Shampoo

emerged from the bushes and leapt into the fray, as did Ryouga. Ukyou

moved into position.

As Ranma dodged a bonbori and slammed a punch into Akane's gut, Ukyou

prepared an okonomiyaki spirit ward and flung it at Ranma. Ryouga spotted

it in the air, and nailed it with a bandana. Ukyou scowled. "Alright

sugar, let's see you deal with this!" Her hands blurred into motion, and

as Ranma continued to fend off Akane and Shampoo, a fleet of okonomiyakis

sailed through the air. Ryouga leaped into the air, and pulled off

several bandanas, sending them flying. He nailed most of them, but there

were still a few in the air, and more were coming. "Ranma! Look out!

Okonomiyaki at 12 o'clock!"

Ranma saw the flying food coming toward her. "No thanks, I already ate!"

she yelled, and blurred into motion, knocking Akane and Shampoo across

the park with the speed of her takeoff. All that was visible of Ranma was

a red blur as bits of shredded okonomiyaki rained down on the park. She

landed beside Ryouga, and said, "Sweetie, please let me borrow your

umbrella?"

Ryouga smiled and handed it to her. "Thanks!" she said, and charged

Ukyou. Ukyou stashed the mini-grill and let loose a hail of mini-spatula

shuriken, which Ranma deflected with the umbrella. Finally, Ukyou whipped

out her fighting spatula. As Akane and Shampoo recovered and Ryouga moved

to intercept them, Ranma and Ukyou parried with spatula and umbrella.

Finally, Ranma snapped open the umbrella, and slashed with it as Ukyou

swung. The razor edge of the umbrella sheared the handle of the spatula

in half. As the business end of the spatula flew across the park and

Ukyou stared at the broken handle, Ranma smiled. "FORE!" she yelled, and

swung the now-closed umbrella like a golf club, knocking Ukyou to the

other end of the park. A garbage can caught her, and set her gently on

the ground.

Meanwhile, Ryouga was having trouble with both Akane and Shampoo at the

same time. However, luck was on his side. The flying business end of

Ukyou's spatula smacked Shampoo in the back of the head, knocking her out.

Akane pressed her attack harder. Ryouga blocked her kicks, and finally

dropped her with a sucker punch. He walked over to Ranma. "Are you

alright?"

Ranma nodded and sighed. "Yeah, but I feel bad about having to beat up

those three."

Ryouga hugged her. "Don't worry about it. You didn't have any choice. We

just have to try to reason with them the next time they attack."

Ranma nodded. "Yeah I know. But I'm afraid they won't listen to reason...

I guess when they all found out about me being a girl now, they snapped."

She sighed, and snuggled into his arms. "Come on, let's go home." Ranma

and Ryouga left the park, headed for the Tendou dojo. Tsubasa shed his

disguise, dragged a wheelbarrow out from behind a bush, gently piled

Ukyou, Shampoo, Akane, and the pieces of Ukyou's spatula on it, and

carted them off to the Nekohanten.

********

When Ranma and Ryouga got home, they received another surprise.

"Welcome home you two! Ranma, you have a visitor!" Kasumi said

cheerfully. "You can come out now, Nodoka-san!" Ranma looked slightly

panicked. Saotome Nodoka came out of the kitchen, carrying a platter of

delicious-looking mochi. She turned and smiled at Ranma and Ryouga.

"Why, Auntie Saotome!" Ranma said, fighting to force a cheerful smile.

With all this craziness going on and people thinking she was possessed,

having to go by the name Ranko now would NOT be a good thing.

Fortunately, that wasn't even an issue. Nodoka laughed softly. "You can

drop the act, Ranma. Kasumi told me everything."

Ranma looked freaked out, and both she and Ryouga gulped. "E--everything?"

Nodoka nodded. Then she came over and hugged Ranma. "I'm so glad to see

you're alright, and happy!"

Ranma smiled nervously. "Exactly how much did Kasumi tell you?"

Kasumi and Nodoka both smiled. "I know about Jusenkyo, I know that you

and Genma were here all along, and I'm not too happy with him at the

moment. I know about the soul of the drowned girl." Suddenly grinning,

she said, "I also know that my son is now my daughter, and has caught

herself a rather handsome young man." Ryouga blushed at that comment.

Nodoka turned to him. "So, introduce yourself!"

Ryouga bowed and said, "I'm Hibiki Ryouga. You have a wonderful daughter,

Saotome-san."

Ranma blushed, Nodoka smiled. "Just call me Mom...I'm assuming you two

ARE planning to get married, ne?"

Ranma and Ryouga looked at each other and smiled. "Probably, someday,"

Ranma said. Nodoka beamed.

Kasumi looked worried for a minute. "I'm glad that your family is

reunited, Nodoka-san, and I'm happy for Ranma and Ryouga, but...there's

still the problem of Ranma's ex-iinazukes to deal with."

Ranma and Ryouga smirked. "Don't remind us. We just got attacked in the

park."

Nodoka gasped. Kasumi frowned. "Oh my. Akane-chan attacked you?"

Ranma nodded. "And Shampoo and Ukyou too. Apparently they think I've

snapped or something and they're trying to beat me back to my senses."

Nodoka frowned. "Won't those girls listen to reason?" Ranma shook her

head. "I tried, but they weren't even listening."

Ryouga put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll make them listen,

the next time they attack."

Nodoka looked thoughtful. So did Kasumi. Then Nodoka remembered the

mochi and said, "Oh! I almost forgot I made snacks for everyone!" All

four of them sat down at the table. Each of them took one of the sticky,

sweet bean-paste filled rice cakes, careful to hold it by the bamboo leaf

wrapped around it and not touch the sticky rice. Ranma bit into hers and

smiled. "Delicious!" Ryouga was enjoying his too. Nodoka smiled. "I'll

teach you how to make these if you like."

Ranma beamed. "Oh, I'd like that!" Ryouga looked at her curiously.

Kasumi giggled. "Ranma's a good cook...even when she was still a boy."

Ranma blushed. Ryouga looked surprised. "I had no idea!"

Nodoka smiled. "We found it out the last time I was here and I was

trying to teach Akane-chan how to cook. I asked Akane to help me make

dinner, and Ranma volunteered to help too...of course at the time I

thought she was Akane's cousin Ranko..." Ranma looked embarrassed about

that. "Anyway, they got into this little duel in the kitchen while I was

taking the remains of Akane's attempt to cook carrots outside to Panda-

chan...if I'd had any idea that was Genma..."

"You'd still have fed it to him," Ranma said, giggling. Everyone laughed.

"So they each made a dish and when I got back to the kitchen they asked

me to test them. The dish Ranma made was delicious!" Nodoka beamed at her

daughter, who blushed. Ryouga grinned. Kasumi smiled.

"I hope Akane's dish didn't hurt you too badly," Ryouga said, prompting

a groan from Ranma and an embarrassed smile from Kasumi. Nodoka looked at

them quizzically. "Well, I hate to insult anyone's cooking," Nodoka said

simply.

Kasumi said, "At least Akane's getting a little better. Her cooking

stopped attacking people quite some time ago." Nodoka shot her a look.

"Kasumi-san, honestly! I know she isn't very good, but that's a horrible

thing to say!"

"Mom, she means it literally," Ranma said. Ryouga and Kasumi nodded.

Nodoka paled.

"I don't even want to know." Changing the subject, she smiled and said,

"I just thought about something ironic."

"Oh? What's that?"

"Ranma, dear, do you remember what I said to you after I tried your dish?"

Ranma blushed. Ryouga glanced at her and her mother curiously. She

smiled and said, "After Mom tried my dish, she said I'd make a wonderful

wife someday."

The four of them spent the rest of the afternoon laughing and eating

mochi.

********

Akane winced as Cologne cleaned her cuts and scrapes with alcohol.

Shampoo was holding a cold compress against the back of her head. Ukyou,

whose shirt lay on the floor next to her, was being careful not to move

too much as she examined what was left of her spatula. A set of bandages

had joined the bindings Ukyou usually wore to mask her femininity. A

little blood had soaked through the bandages on the side where Ukyou had

been hit. She winced as she turned to see how the others were doing.

"Shampoo, your head feel any better?

Shampoo frowned. "Shampoo still feel like herd of elephants is

stampeding inside Shampoo skull." She absently shifted her cold compress.

Cologne finished wrapping Akane's fists, and started preparing a splint

for Akane's right wrist. "You should have known better than to try

attacking Ryouga without a weapon," she said as she splinted the wrist

and went to work wrapping braces around Akane's ankles.

"Great-grandmother right, Akane. Ryouga built like Mount Fuji." She held

up one of her bonbori, there were dents in the metal where she had struck

Ryouga with it. Akane looked at it and shuddered.

"You should all be ready to try it again in a couple of days. We'll meet

here tomorrow to plan for the next attack," Cologne said.

Ukyou stood, wincing. "Come on Akane-chan, you can crash at my place

tonight." Akane nodded. "Thanks Ukyou. I don't think it'd be smart to go

home tonight." They waved goodbye to Cologne and Shampoo and left.

A spatula whizzed by Kasumi's head as she was sweeping the veranda and

stuck in one of the supports. She pulled it out, and read the attached

note. "Good," she said to nobody in particular, "If she came home tonight

her and Ranma might destroy the house." She went inside to tell everyone

Akane would be staying at Ukyou's place tonight. Akane leapt off the wall

around the house and landed in the sidewalk next to Ukyou, wincing as her

abused ankles took the force of her landing. They walked off to the

restaurant, slowly and painfully.

********

Ranma, Ryouga, Soun, Genma, Nabiki, Kasumi, and Nodoka sat down to

breakfast two mornings later. Soun was crying because Akane had not come

home yet. He was also crying because of Ranma.

"Soun-kun, now, quit that crying," Nodoka said. "I know you're worried

about your daughter, and I know you're upset that she doesn't have a

iinazuke now, but she'll get over this! There are other men in the world,

she'll eventually fall in love with someone and get married."

"I suppose you're right." Soun calmed down and started eating his

breakfast.

"Besides," Nodoka continued, "I think Kasumi-san is planning to marry

that nice man before too much longer." Everyone looked at Kasumi, who

blushed.

"Nodoka-san!"

"Well, it's true isn't it?"

Kasumi smiled. "Well, he is sweet. Even if he does have those silly

trances sometimes."

Ranma, Nodoka, and Ryouga smiled. Nabiki schemed. Soun wailed. "My

oldest daughter is getting married and she hasn't even told her father

who her future husband is!"

Kasumi sighed. "Oh, father, father, father. I thought everyone knew."

"This is the first I've heard of it!" Soun cried.

Kasumi smiled and patted his arm gently. "As soon as he's ready to

propose to me, I'm going to marry Tofu-sensei, father."

Soun blinked. "Really?" Kasumi nodded. Soun was in full wail now. "My

daughter is marrying a doctor! I'm so happy!" Everyone just sighed and

continued to eat breakfast.

Cologne, Akane, Shampoo, and Ukyou were gathered once more at Nekohanten.

Ukyou said, "Are we ready for today's attack?"

Cologne shook her head.

Akane frowned. "What's wrong? We're well enough to fight!"

Shampoo spoke up. "Shampoo been thinking, and Shampoo realize something.

Of all three of us, Shampoo train most, and Shampoo no match for Ranma or

Ryouga. If we try again we just get beat again, maybe get hurt much worse

too."

"She's got a point, sugar," Ukyou said. Akane sighed and nodded. "Yeah,

you're right...I just...I just can't give up on Ranma though..." She

raised her fist. "I have to fight! For Ranma!"

"Yeah, Ranchan needs us!" Ukyou raised her newly repaired spatula and

twirled it over her head.

"Shampoo fight too, but think we need much training first. Akane need

train in some weapon, and we all need get much better before we even

think of fighting Ranma and Ryouga again."

Cologne nodded. "I made a mistake last time that could have cost you

three your lives. I didn't consider Ryouga, and he's twice as dangerous

to this battle."

Akane frowned. "Twice as dangerous? How?"

Ukyou nodded. "I see. Remember when I threw him into the fountain last

time?"

"Aiyah, Shampoo see what you saying. When he turned into pig, we ignored

him."

"That's right!" Akane said. "And while we were busy fighting with Ranma,

he snuck off and got cold water!"

Cologne nodded. "Even when removed from the fighting, Ryouga is still

dangerous, because then he's free to look for cold water with which to

transform Ranma into his more powerful female form."

"And if we DON'T turn him into P-chan, then we wind up having to fight

someone who's basically indestructible," Akane added.

"That's right," Cologne said. "So next time, once you've weakened son-in-

law with hot water, your next priority is taking Ryouga out of commission."

"Turn him into pig, catch him, and tie him up," Shampoo said

enthusiastically.

"Yeah! Then we can get Ranchan back for sure!"

"You four are hopeless," came a voice from the doorway.

"Nabiki!"

"Why don't you girls give this up? You're way off about all this demonic

possession stuff. Ranma CHOSE this. She's not possessed."

"Stop stupid talking. Ranma possessed by soul of stupid drowned tomboy."

"Yeah. I could never accept that Ranchan wants to be a girl."

"We're gonna fight Ranko and drive her out of him for good!" The three

girls sent up a battle cry.

Nabiki smirked. "Then I suggest you send a formal challenge letter, if

you really intend to go through with this."

Akane frowned. "Is that REALLY neccessary Nabiki?"

Nabiki nodded. "You haven't been home in two days. Nobody's very happy

with what's going on." She handed Akane a note. Akane read it. Her face

paled. "You see. If you're REALLY that certain that you three are right,

then write a challenge letter, and I'll take it back to them." She sighed,

and said, "And Akane...no matter which side wins this, we all want you

back home when it's over."

Akane looked less pale. "Really?"

Nabiki nodded. "Everyone misses you, but Ranma wants this settled once

and for all, and if this is really the only way..."

Akane nodded, and reached for paper and ink. She said, "Guys, when

should we set the challenge?"

Cologne said, "I think a month should be sufficient training time."

"Sound good to Shampoo."

"Fine by me."

"Alright then. One month from today." Akane wrote the letter, signed it,

and passed it to the other girls for them to sign. Then she handed it to

Nabiki.

"Sayonara Akane. We'll see you in one month, at the Tendou-Saotome Dojo."

She left.

Everyone turned to Akane. "Hey sugar, what was that all about?" Ukyou

asked. Akane handed her the note Nabiki had brought. Ukyou read it and

her eyes widened in shock. "No way!" Shampoo took it and read it. "Aiyah!

They really taking this that far?" Akane nodded.

The note read:

Akane,

We are very sorry to hear that you and the others cannot simply accept

what has happened to Ranma. However, if you are truly certain that you

are right, you may choose to challenge Ranma and Ryouga to a battle

royale at the Tendou-Saotome School of Anything-Goes Martial Arts at a

time of your choosing. Know that if you choose to go through with your

challenge, you will not set foot within the gates of the dojo until the

day of the battle. When the battle is over, win or lose, you are welcome

to return home.

Signed Tendou Soun, Saotome Genma, Saotome Nodoka.

"Are you really sure you want to do this, sugar?" Ukyou asked.

Akane nodded. "I care about Ranma...I have to do this. I have to get him

back. If it means being banned from my home for a month, I can take it."

"Aiyah. Akane very brave girl. Would make good Amazon."

Akane smiled at Shampoo. "Thank you Shampoo. That's the nicest thing

you've ever said to me." She smacked a fist against the table. "Now, we

need to get busy preparing for this battle." They sent up a battle cry

once more.

Cologne looked thoughtful. "We have our tactics and our strategy laid

out. We had the right idea last time, but we forgot to consider Ryouga.

We've got a contingency plan for him now, all that remains is training."

She thought for a minute, then said. "There also remains one other

consideration: Akane needs to learn to use some kind of weapon other than

the mallet trick. It simply isn't practical in combat."

The girls all thought for a minute, then Ukyou looked up. "I know! Akane-

chan, why don't you let me train you in the art of okonomiyaki?"

Cologne and Shampoo looked panicked. Akane blinked. Ukyou frowned. "You

don't have to be able to cook to learn it. Besides, since you'll be

living at my restaurant for a month, you'll have no problem learning to

make okonomiyaki if I help you. That way you could help me with the

spirit wards in the fight. And of course, the main thing is to teach you

how to use one of these." Ukyou held up her spatula and grinned.

A slow smile spread across Akane's face. "Alright, you're on!"

About three days later, Happosai returned. He found Ranma and doused her

with a bottle of water.

"Ack!" Ranma turned around and saw Happosai. "Hey old man!"

Happosai grinned. He took out a kettle of hot water and poured it on her.

"AAAHHH!! That's hot! ....Hey it worked!" Ranma looked down at herself

and grinned. "Old freak, if you weren't such a lech I'd kiss you."

"Why don'tcha kiss me anyway cutie?" Happosai puckered up.

He ended up kissing Ranma's foot as she punted him into orbit. Smiling,

Ranma ran inside to tell everyone the good news.

Akane and Ukyou woke up to the annoyingly loud sound of their alarm

clock. Akane groaned. "Is it your turn or mine Ucchan?"

"Your turn Acchan. I'm too tired to blink."

Akane yawned, then reached over and grabbed the large spatula next to

her futon. The alarm clock shut off abruptly as its innards were

scattered by a massive blow. Akane put her spatula back down and went

back to sleep. "Nothing better than the snooze feature," Ukyou chuckled,

then fell back asleep.

About an hour later, they finally dragged themselves out of bed and went

through their morning routine. Ready to face the day, they went

downstairs. "Okay Acchan, let's see what you've got."

Akane nodded, and fired up the grill. Ukyou observed carefully as

Akane's hands whirred into motion, whipping up the batter, oiling the

grill, and flipping a rapidly cooking okonomiyaki. In almost no time,

Akane flipped the cooked okonomiyaki onto a plate and handed it to Ukyou,

smiling.

"Wow, 75 seconds. Not bad." Ukyou took a bite of the okonomiyaki and

smiled. "Wow, and it tastes pretty good!" Akane beamed. "You're getting

better by the day, Acchan!"

"Thanks Ucchan!"

"After breakfast we'll practice for about an hour. It's pretty late this

morning so we'll have to rush if we want to get in that practice time and

still be ready for the lunch rush." Akane nodded. Ukyou smiled. "And then

after that, I'm going to teach you a more complicated recipe, and how to

make...the sauce." Akane gaped. "Really, Ucchan?" Ukyou nodded. Akane

jumped up and down, excited. Ukyou grinned. They ate a couple of

okonomiyakis, and then moved out onto the floor. A wooden screen had been

set up in front of the doorway and across the windows. The tables were

stacked along one wall of the shop. When the restaurant wasn't open, they

used the floor of the dining area as their training hall. Akane checked

her gear; everything was in place. She smiled, she was getting the hang

of this and she loved it.

"Ready to start, Acchan?" Akane nodded, drawing her spatula. It was

basically identical to Ukyou's, except it had blue tape wrapped around

the handle. She also wore an okonomiyaki seller's outfit now, like

Ukyou's, except hers was yellow instead of blue. She wore the same tight

black pants.

Ukyou twirled her spatula, then darted in and took a swing. Akane

deflected, and brought the handle of her own spatula around to strike

Ukyou in the elbow. Gritting her teeth, Ukyou tried for a pancake toss

swing. Akane stopped the spatula with her own, then slid hers underneath

Ukyou's and flipped upward. Ukyou was hit in the face with her own

spatula. "Okay, time to turn up the heat," she said. She took a few steps

back, and readied four throwing spatulas. Akane took a defensive stance,

spatula at the ready. Ukyou threw the spatulas. Two clanged against

Akane's spatula. She sidestepped one of the others, and jumped over the

last one. Still in the air, she whipped out four of her own throwing

spatulas and sent them flying toward Ukyou. Ukyou swatted them in the air,

taking three completely down, but one was deflected toward her knee and

struck. She dropped down a bit, sucking in a sharp breath. She quickly

stood, and attacked again with her spatula. They kept this up for almost

an hour.

When they were done, Ukyou grinned. "You're really good at this,

Acchan!"

Akane smiled. "Thanks, Ucchan! I had no idea this would be so much

fun!"

Ukyou thought about that, and smiled. "Yeah, it is a lot of fun. Not

many people can fight with cooking utensils." Both of them giggled, then

started moving the tables around and pulling back the screen. After

washing up a little upstairs, they opened the restaurant.

A little before the start of the lunch rush, Tsubasa walked in. Simply

walked in. No disguises, and he wasn't crossdressing. "Tsubasa!" Ukyou

said, mildly surprised.

"Hello, Ukyou-sa..san." He noticed Akane, and blinked. Twice. "Akane?"

Akane nodded, and giggled. Tsubasa shook his head. "Man, maybe I better

go back on vacation."

"You went on a vacation?"

Tsubasa nodded. "After that incident in the park that day, I decided I

needed to get away from Nerima for a little while. Took a little cruise

to China, very relaxing. I actually got used to normal clothes." He

grinned.

Ukyou and Akane blinked. "So, no more crossdressing? No more disguises?"

"Nope. Well, the disguises aren't totally gone, I mean it's a handy

talent, if you want to spy on someone or something. But I'll usually be

dressed like this from now on."

Ukyou and Akane both smiled. "That's great, Tsubasa!"

"Yeah, looks like my timing couldn't have been better."

"How so?"

"Well, the thought of being whapped and hearing 'Tsubasa no baka!' in

stereo is enough to make me feel sick." He shuddered. Ukyou and Akane

bust out laughing. They filled him in about the challenge which would

take place in three weeks. When they were done, he nodded, a serious

expression on his face. "To be honest, I don't know whether to wish you

luck, or to hope you fail. All I can say is whatever happens, I'll be

here for you if you need me."

Ukyou actually smiled. "Thanks Tsubasa. I never thought I'd say this,

but that really means a lot to me."

Ranma sat on the roof, watching the sunset. Ryouga sat down beside her,

and she snuggled up to him. "Two weeks until the big fight," she said.

"Yeah. I guess there's just no way to talk Akane out of this. Or the

others."

Ranma nodded, and sighed. "I'm not mad at them anymore though. Not like

I was that day they jumped us in the park."

"Yeah, me either. I mean, it'd be nice if they'd listen to reason, but

they're only doing this because they believe it's right." Ryouga closed

his eyes for a second.

Ranma sighed again. "I know, and that's why I'm not mad at them. You

really can't justify holding a grudge against someone just because

they're fighting for something they believe in."

"How very mature of you two! I'm so proud!"

Ranma and Ryouga turned to find Nodoka and Kasumi had come up behind

them on the roof. "Hi Mom! Hi Kasumi!" Ranma smiled at them as they sat

down beside her and Ryouga. "What brings you two up here?"

"The same thing that brings you here, dear." Nodoka pointed at the sun

sinking below the horizon.

"It's so beautiful," Kasumi said.

They watched for a few minutes. They'd been sitting there a little while

when someone waved to them from down in the yard. Ranma and Ryouga stood

and jumped down. The brown-haired boy standing there walked up to them.

"Hi Ranma, Ryouga." They stared at him blankly for a few seconds.

"Who..." Then Ranma recognized him. "Tsubasa?"

Tsubasa nodded. "I just came by to wish you two well and offer the same

support I'm offering the others."

Ranma blinked. "Thanks Tsubasa! I figured you'd side with Ukyou."

Tsubasa shook his head and sighed. "I'm not going to take sides in this.

Something tells me that they're wrong, and you really have become a girl,

but then again they might be right, and after the fight you'll be back to

normal. I don't know. I'm just going to watch and wait. Oh, by the way...

I will tell you that Akane has gotten a lot better. She might actually be

hard for you to beat."

Ranma blinked. "Thanks for the tip. I don't get why you're telling us

this though."

Tsubasa smiled. "Mainly that's an apology for going along with Nabiki's

plan to screw up Ryouga's date that one night." He waved goodbye and left.

Ryouga shook his head. "I can't get over Tsubasa acting normal. It's

almost too scary."

Ranma nodded, then yawned. "We better get some rest. Don't forget that

tomorrow I'm going to start teaching you the kachuu tenshin amaguriken

technique." Ryouga nodded. Ranma leaned up and kissed him, then they went

inside.

Tsubasa went completely unnoticed disguised as an abandoned yatai as he

watched Shampoo practicing with Cologne.

"Alright, granddaughter, are you ready?"

"Aiyah! Shampoo ready!"

"Very well then." Cologne lit the small campfire she'd built, and dumped

a bag of sweet chestnuts into it. "Go!"

Tsubasa timed Shampoo as she plucked all the chestnuts out of the fire.

3 seconds. Not bad. She might be a match for Ranma.

"Very good, child!"

"With speed of amaguriken technique, Shampoo have a chance at beating

Ranma if something go wrong and he manage to turn girl-type."

Hmm...Tsubasa thought for a minute. If they were counting on keeping

Ranma in his male form, he thought, they needed to take that koi pond the

Tendous have into consideration. Tsubasa had no idea that Ranma could no

longer be turned into a male at all.

Shampoo yelped as the old wreck of a yatai that sat in the corner of the

lot moved toward them. "Aiyah! What that!?"

Cologne turned, and smirked. "We're being watched."

"Don't be alarmed." Tsubasa emerged from the yatai.

Shampoo breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, it you Tsubasa. No do that

again! You almost give Shampoo heart attack!"

"Sorry about that. I just wanted to see how the training was coming

along. 3 seconds on the chestnut fist. Not bad."

"Shampoo make sure she fast as Ranma!"

Tsubasa nodded. "You're holding this fight at the dojo right?" Shampoo

nodded. "And your plan is to keep Ranma from turning into a girl during

the fight if at all possible, correct?" Shampoo nodded again. "Okay, did

anyone ever think about the koi pond in the Tendou's yard?"

"Aiyah! Shampoo forget they have pond!" Cologne smacked herself in the

head. "What we do now?"

Tsubasa smiled. "I'll take care of it the day before the fight." He

explained his plan to them, and they smiled. Tsubasa went off to look for

a certain ninja.

"Alright, GO!"

Ukyou started jumping around the dining area and throwing mini-spatulas

at Akane while Akane worked furiously over a mini-grill, cooking an

okonomiyaki and occasionally deflecting one of the spatulas with her

cooking ones. She tossed the okonomiyaki at Ukyou, who blocked it with

her spatula. "Good shot! Keep going!" Akane started firing off

okonomiyaki after okonomiyaki as Ukyou jumped around dodging and blocking

them. Finally one got through her defenses and smacked her in the face.

She stopped jumping, peeled it off, and smiled. "Perfect. And you got the

characters for the wards down great."

Akane smiled. "I think we're ready to take them on, Ucchan." Ukyou

grinned.

Everyone was asleep in the Tendou-Saotome dojo. Sasuke slipped over the

wall, followed by another ninja. The second ninja took out a large fish

net and began catching all the koi in the pond and dumping them in a

small barrel full of water Sasuke had produced. Then, Sasuke dragged a

bag of quick-dry cement out from its hiding place, and the two ninjas

worked together to pour it all into the pond. Then the unknown ninja

produced an oar and used it to stir up the water. Satisfied with the job,

they hid the barrel behind the bushes in the corner of the yard, and

slipped back over the wall, unheard and unseen.

"Wake up you two! It's time for breakfast!"

Ranma blinked herself awake and groaned. "Already?" Ryouga yawned and

stretched.

"We're eating early this morning since today is the big fight, remember?

Now hurry up and get ready!"

Ranma and Ryouga shot out of bed and groomed themselves, and dressed.

Ryouga started to reach for his usual yellow shirt when Ranma stopped him.

He turned to her quizzically. She reached into the closet and pulled out

her sleeveless white shirt. "For luck," she said with a wink. Ryouga put

the shirt on, smiling, and also put on Ranma's gold arm bracers. Ranma

herself decided on her purple shirt. She looked at herself in the mirror

and frowned. "I think I want to do something different with my hair," she

announced. Ryouga blinked. "I've never seen you change your hairstyle

before."

"Yeah, I've only changed it one time in my whole life. I think it's time

for a little change don't you?" She smiled. She reached back and quickly

unbraided and untied her hair, handing Ryouga the dragon whisker that she

needed to keep it from growing. Ryouga had forgotten about this, and

watched in amazement as Ranma's hair slowly started growing right before

their eyes. She waited until it was almost halfway down her back, and

then she took the whisker back and quickly retied it. Looking at herself

in the mirror again, she smirked, and then snapped her fingers. "Gimme

one of those," she said, reaching up to yank a bandana off of Ryouga's

head. Rather than using it as a bandana, she fashioned a hair ribbon out

of it, tying it in a bow over the dragon whisker. She looked back at her

reflection and smiled. "Kawaii, ne?" she said, giggling.

"I like it," Ryouga said, and they went down to breakfast.

Kasumi smiled at them as they sat down at the table. "I like what you've

done with your hair, Ranma," she said. Ranma smiled. "Thanks."

Soun was wailing as he brought the newspaper in. "It's a catastrophe!"

Everyone blinked at him. "What's wrong, Soun-kun?" Nodoka asked.

"Someone has filled the pond with cement! Oh my beautiful, expensive koi

pond!" He was crying hard enough now to make a new one.

Ryouga frowned. "Now why would anyone do that, I wonder."

Ranma smirked. "Maybe a certain three people didn't want the pond there

because it's cold water, and maybe they sent someone to take care of it."

Ryouga blinked. "I don't get it."

"Baka!" Ranma said, smirking. "They probably don't know that I can't be

changed into a guy anymore, and they're planning to weaken me with hot

water." Ryouga nodded, understanding now. Then he grinned. "Won't they be

surprised."

Ranma laughed. "Heh, I'll say. I'm a little worried about you though."

"Me?"

Ranma nodded. "Yeah, if they're planning to splash me with hot water,

they might try to get you with cold water."

Nodoka frowned. "That's a possibility alright. And we can't say it's

against the rules to turn one of your opponents into a pig since it's

anything-goes martial arts." She smirked. "Kasumi, we're going to have to

make sure there's plenty of hot water available."

"Cold water also," Ranma said. Nodoka blinked at her. "To use against

Shampoo.

"Ah." Nodoka nodded.

Ryouga frowned. "It'll be hard to keep moving kettles and buckets in and

out of the house."

"Well why don't we use water balloons?" suggested Kasumi.

Ranma beamed. "Great idea!"

Nodoka nodded. "We'll get to work on them immediately. You two go warm

up...I have a feeling the girls have probably trained harder than we

think." Nodding, Ranma and Ryouga got up and went into the dojo for a

morning workout.

Soun was still wailing outside. "My pond! My fish!"

"Your fish aren't harmed, Tendou-san. They're in a barrel hidden in the

bushes over in the corner. And the person who did this apologizes

sincerely, and will help you refill your pond after the fight. But he

doesn't think it would be fair to anyone if the combatants kept turning

into animals and such during the fight." This was Ryouga, reading a note

he found stuck to the wall next to dojo door.

Soun stopped wailing and turned to him. "That's a note from the vandal?"

"More like guardian angel than vandal," Ranma said. "For BOTH sides. It

helps the girls more than it helps us...at least it would have if hot

water still turned me back into a guy...and it keeps Shampoo from falling

in and turning into a cat. But it also helps Ryouga too."

"Any idea who did this, Ranma?" Soun asked.

"Yep." Ranma said. "I know exactly who did it."

Ryouga and Soun turned to her quizzically. "Tsubasa," she told them.

Akane and Ukyou were finishing their morning aerobics when Shampoo and

Cologne arrived. "Are you girls ready?" Cologne asked.

"Yep!"

"Sure are!" They finished their exercises and grabbed their weapons

bandoliers. Strapping their spatulas on, they nodded to each other and

walked out the door. The four of them made their way to the dojo.

Ranma and Ryouga finished their light workout, and now they were waiting

for the challengers to arrive. Ranma had a row of water balloons attached

to her side...cold water, for Shampoo. The rest of the family was on the

veranda. Kasumi and Nodoka had a bucket full of hot water balloons

between them.

Tsubasa appeared on the top of the wall. "Sorry about your pond, Tendou-

san," he called out. "I promise I'll help you refill it after all this is

over."

"Hello Tsubasa!" Kasumi called, waving. "Why don't you come join us over

here and watch the fight?"

Tsubasa shook his head, crouching on the wall. "No thanks, I'll just

perch up here and watch. He turned his head to look down the street, and

said, "I think the girls are arriving."

Akane's voice shouted from outside, "Open the gates!"

Soun and Genma swung the gates open. Cologne hopped through first, and

perched herself beside the veranda. Then the challengers strode through,

stopping a few feet inside the gate and standing side by side. Everyone

gaped in awe.

"Akane!?" Ranma said.

Akane spoke in a no-nonsense tone. "We've come to drive out the spirit

we know is possessing Ranma to make him believe he is really a girl!

"We're gonna bring you back to your senses, Ranchan!" Ukyou said.

"That right! Stupid drowned girl go back where she belong!" Shampoo said.

Everyone was still gaping at Akane, dressed in her yellow okonomiyaki-

seller's outfit and carrying a giant spatula strapped to her back. The

three girls marched to the center of the yard, stopping about five feet

away from Ranma and Ryouga to face off with them. Akane taunted, "Nice

ribbon there Ranko. Let's see how much you like it when we're through

with you."

"For the last time, I *AM* Ranma, you idiots."

Nodding to each other, Akane and Ukyou drew their spatulas. Ranma and

Ryouga dropped into ready stances. Without warning, Shampoo threw a

bottle of cold water to Ukyou and a kettle of hot water to Akane. Akane

slammed the hot water into Ranma with her spatula. The kettle broke and

splashed all over Ranma.

"Aiyah! It no work!"

"Ranchan's still in his girl form!"

"Okay, that spirit has gone too far! Attack!"

Ukyou slammed the cold water at Ryouga, who couldn't block it in time

and turned into a pig. Akane and Shampoo rushed Ranma. The attacks and

dodges were coming equally fast on both sides. Nobody was doing any

damage to anyone. Ukyou snuck around to grab the pig. To her surprise,

something popped and sprayed hot water in front of her. Next thing she

knew, Ryouga's hands closed around her neck. "Why you..."

"Ah, heh heh heh..." Ryouga threw Ukyou across the yard. She slammed

into the far wall.

"Ucchan!"

"I'm alright Acchan! Get him!"

Akane broke off attacking Ranma and went after Ryouga, flinging a

barrage of spatulas at him. He whipped several bandanas in the air,

knocking the spatulas to the ground. Akane landed in close range, and

engaged him in spatula-to-umbrella combat.

Meanwhile, Ranma was having no success with the cold water balloons.

Shampoo kept knocking them aside before she was splashed. Ranma ran out

of balloons. "Damn," she said.

Shampoo smiled evilly. "Now we see who stronger, stupid drowned tomboy."

She whipped out her bonbori and began lunging at Ranma, who blocked or

evaded every strike, but with some difficulty. Shampoo's gotten fast,

Ranma thought to herself.

Meanwhile, Ukyou was up, and had her mini-grill out. Ranma was too busy

fighting Shampoo to notice her, but Ryouga did. As he dodged one of

Akane's strikes, he started to reach up for his bandanas. "Oooohhhh no

you don't," Akane said, and whacked him hard in the elbow. She pressed

the attack with fast strikes, and Ryouga was kept busy blocking and

dodging. "Ranma! Watch out for flying okonomiyaki!"

"Gotcha!" Ranma said as she tried to disarm Shampoo. It wasn't working.

Shampoo was entirely too fast. Ranma was pressed back almost as far as

Ryouga. As they were pushed against the wall, Ryouga leaned over and

whispered, "I have a plan. Try to get her over onto the pond. When I push

Akane over there, get out of the way." Ranma nodded.

Akane smirked. "You two ready to surrender?"

"No way!" Ranma said, launching into her chestnut fist. Surprisingly,

Shampoo was able to block a lot of the punches--Cologne must have taught

her the technique, Ranma thought--but she was still being forced back.

Meanwhile, Ukyou was busily preparing as many okonomiyaki wards as she

could while Akane and Shampoo kept Ranma and Ryouga busy.

Akane was still pressing her spatula attack. Ryouga tried to use his

umbrella to cut her spatula in half but it wasn't working. Akane didn't

give him an opening. Ranma called over her shoulder, "Use your new attack

Ryouga!"

"Right!" Ryouga stowed his umbrella, taking a hit in the stomach from

Akane's spatula. Shifting his body forward, he yelled, "KACHUU TENSHIN

AMAGURIKEN!" and delivered a flurry of fast punches at Akane. Not

prepared for this, Akane had no choice but to fall back. "Ukyou! Do it

now! Hurry!"

Ukyou started flinging the okonomiyakis. Shampoo and Ranma were now

grappling on the concrete pond, and Akane was almost backed up to its

edge. The okonomiyakis were getting closer. "Just a little more..."

Ryouga said, continuing to press Akane backward. She was almost on top of

Ranma and Shampoo. "There! Ranma! NOW!" Ranma dropped to the ground and

rolled away from the pond. Ryouga broke off his attack and dove at the

ground, one finger extended. "BAKUSAI TENKETSU!" The concrete exploded.

Akane and Shampoo collapsed in a heap in the middle of the blast. Ryouga

jumped back, and began flinging bandanas, taking out all the okonomiyaki.

Ukyou put away the grill and got ready to fight, flinging spatulas. Every

spatula she threw, Ranma caught and threw right back at her. Shampoo

scrambled out of the wreckage of the pond and threw herself into the

fight. Ukyou closed in and let fly with her spatula. Ryouga and Ranma

were busy blocking and dodging.

None of them noticed Akane setting up her mini-grill when she came to.

The fight was fairly even now, and stayed put, not leaving the center of

the yard. Both sides were holding their ground.

Akane's hands blurred into motion, making an okonomiyaki.

Shampoo attacked with the chestnut fist revised, using her bonbori

instead of her fists. Ranma was keeping up with the attacks but it was

tough. Ryouga had his umbrella out again, and was parrying with Ukyou.

Akane drew the characters on the okonomiyaki.

Shampoo and Ranma dropped back to normal speed after almost two minutes

of continuous chestnut fists. Ukyou and Ryouga were locked in an eye-to-

eye, umbrella-to-spatula contest of strength and will.

Akane placed the ward on her spatula, brought it around, and smacked it

against Ranma's face.

Shampoo and Ukyou broke off their attacks and backed up into defensive

stances.

Ranma stopped moving. Ryouga stared.

The characters on the okonomiyaki began to glow...

Then it slid off Ranma's face. It shriveled and turned black as it hit

the ground. Everyone blinked at it.

"Oh no," Akane said, "I guess I messed it up..."

Cologne shook her head. "No, child. You didn't mess up."

"Then what happen, great-grandmother?"

Cologne closed her eyes and sighed. She hopped over to Ranma and Ryouga.

"Ranma...please accept my apologies. I didn't think it could be true."

Ukyou, Shampoo, and Akane gasped. "Wh...what you talking, great-

grandmother?"

Cologne turned to the three girls. "You three fought well. I'm proud of

you for that. But it seems it was in vain. When a ward shrivels and

blackens like that, it means that there were no spirits to ward off after

all."

Akane's eyes widened. "Y..you mean...?"

Ukyou looked pale. "Ranchan...really...IS....?"

Cologne nodded. The three girls sank to the ground, and began crying.

Ranma sighed. "Look you guys, I'm sorry...but this is who I really am."

She explained to them about her dreams, and what she had realized they

meant.

Akane gasped. "Ranma...I really had no idea...I thought..."

Ukyou sighed. "Same here. I'm really sorry, Ranchan."

"Shampoo sorry too, Ranma."

"It's okay guys. I know why you did it. You thought I was in trouble and

you were just trying to help." She smiled. "That's what friends do for

each other."

They all looked at her. "You mean you're not mad at us?" Akane asked.

Ranma shook her head. "I never was, not after I realized what you were

fighting for. You were fighting for what you believed in. I can't hold a

grudge for that." Smiling, she added, "Besides, something good came out

of all this. Look at you three. A month ago, none of you would have had a

chance against me and Ryouga in a fight. But today, you actually beat us.

"

The girls blinked. Then a slow smile spread across Akane's face. "Hey,

we did, didn't we?"

"You girls make a great team," Ryouga said. They all smiled.

The happy moment was interrupted by a maniacal laugh as Kodachi leaped

over the wall. "Ohohohohohohohoho! Ranma-sama! I've come for you, my

darling!"

Everyone looked at her. Ranma cleared her throat and said, "Kodachi...

Ranma's dead."

Kodachi blinked. "What?"

Akane nodded. "Yeah. He's gone."

"He's been dead for over a month, sweetie."

"Ranma deader than doornail."

Kodachi shook, fighting back tears. Then she leveled a hand at the group

of them. "You four girls! You wicked little sluts drove my Ranma-sama to

his death, didn't you? I'll make you pay, do you hear me?"

Akane and Ukyou looked at each other and nodded. Moving in synch, they

walked over to Kodachi, spatulas in hand. Their spatulas swung in unison,

sending Kodachi flying off into the stratosphere, as their stereo shout

rang out: "KODACHI NO BAKA!"

Everyone fell over laughing.

--------------------------------EPILOGUE-----------------------------------

Ranma passed the Nekohanten on her way to Ucchan's. She poked her head

inside. Shampoo saw her and waved. "Nihao Ranma!"

"Hey Shampoo! How's it going?"

Shampoo smiled. "Shampoo still sad, but think she get over it."

Ranma smiled. "I'm glad. I really hated having to hurt all three of you,

but this is my destiny."

Shampoo nodded. "Shampoo understand that now, and happy for you and

Ryouga. Hope you have long life and many strong children."

Ranma blushed and giggled. "You know, Shampoo...I bet if you gave Mousse

a chance, you might be surprised. You may find out you like him after all."

Shampoo sighed. "Stupid Mousse...he never beat Shampoo, so no can marry.

Shampoo no even want date him unless he beat her."

Ranma thought about that, and grinned slowly. "Y'know...you COULD train

him. Then he'd beat you." She winked.

Shampoo giggled. "Aiyah! Shampoo never look at it that way before!"

Ranma waved. "Seeya around, Shampoo!"

"Ja ne, Ranma!"

Akane and Ukyou were waiting when Ranma got to the restaurant. They

smiled at her and waved her over to the counter.

"Heya Ranchan," they said in unison. Ranma blinked. "That's going to

take a LOT of getting used to," she said. The okonomiyaki girls giggled.

Akane whipped up an okonomiyaki and put it on a plate in front of Ranma.

Ranma looked at it suspiciously and raised an eyebrow. Ukyou nodded.

Ranma ate it and got another surprise. "Wow, it's good!" Akane beamed.

"This is going to take even MORE getting used to." Akane whapped her

playfully with one of her cooking spatulas. "Y'know," she said, "It's

gonna be hard to leave this place. I really like it here."

"You know you don't have to go, Acchan."

Akane sighed. "Yeah, I know, but they miss me back at home, and I miss

them."

Ranma snapped her fingers. "I have an idea! Akane, you can spend half

your time at home, and half your time here at Ucchan's!"

Ukyou nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, and you can still work here every

day, you know!"

Akane smiled. "That's a great idea! I'll do it!" The three of them had a

small celebration.

Tsubasa walked in. They all waved to him as he sat at the counter. Ukyou

smiled at him. "Heya Tsubasa! How's it going?"

"Great, Ukyou! We finally got that pond back to normal." He smiled.

Akane poked Ukyou in the side and stage-whispered to her, "Y'know...he

is pretty cute..." She winked. Ranma and Ukyou giggled, and Tsubasa

blushed.

Ukyou started making an okonomiyaki and said, "Hmm...well, I need a

little time to get over the loss of Ranma..."

Ranma said, "Look at it this way Ucchan. You haven't lost an iinazuke,

you've gained a girlfriend!" She giggled. Akane grinned and said, "Yeah,

someone else to gossip with and borrow clothes from!" They all started

giggling. "By the way, Ranchan, your hair looks really cute like that."

"Thanks Ucchan!" Ranma touched her hair ribbon and smiled. Akane giggled.

"Yeah, that looks good on you. So you and Ryouga are pretty serious huh?"

Ranma blushed and nodded. "We're engaged, and he's going to help run the

dojo. I'm glad that Mom moved in, too. And Tofu-sensei is going to

propose to Kasumi tomorrow night!"

Akane gaped. "Finally?"

"Yep!" Akane grinned. Ukyou finished making the okonomiyaki and set it

in front of Tsubasa. On it she had written one kanji character in sauce:

"hope".

After they closed up shop, Akane headed home, tired but happy. She'd

lost her iinazuke, the man she loved, and that wasn't easy on her. But

Ranma was still her friend, and she'd always be there for her. Things

were starting to look up. She wouldn't be married for a while now, of

course, but all in all, life was still pretty good.

A dark-haired, well-tanned boy dressed in an expensive-looking sweater

and slacks walked up to her. "Excuse me, miss...I was wondering if you

could tell me where the Tendou dojo is...I was looking for some old

friends, and..." He broke off. "Akane?"

She looked at him carefully. He was hard to recognize in these clothes,

but now that she looked at him... She smiled. "Toma! How are you?"