Okay, first off, this part was already written and after reading 
"Smoke And Mirrors," it seemed like the right time. However, don't 
expect any more of this for a while afterwards. Also, I was forced to 
change format slightly at a certain point in this installment because 
there was no way to do the scene in a document style. 
Anyway, on with the show...

---

    Excerpt from the "Tokyo Daily Herald," April 29.
    
                "JAIL BREAK AT NERIMA PRECINCT"
    A jail break occured last night at precinct 17 in downtown 
Nerima. Police managed to contain all prisoners but one. Ranma 
Saotome, 17, was found to have been missing. Witnesses described a 
young woman with red hair dressed in chinese clothes running from the 
scene. Police would like to question this person in connection with 
Saotome's escape.
    Ranma Saotome was arrested two nights ago on a charge of grave 
robbing...

    Transcript of Emergency Call made on Apr. 29, 9:30 PM
    
    Operator: Emergency, how may I help you?
    
    Caller: Quick! Send someone to the Ucchan's restaurant in Nerima! 
My girlfriend's been hurt!
    
    Operator: All right, calm down, sir. What exactly is wrong?
    
    Caller: I just came back from--er--running some errands. When I 
got here the place was a wreck and I found Shampoo lying on the floor 
with cuts all over her body.

    Operator: I'm sorry, sir? You say you found a bottle of shampoo 
with cuts all over it?

    Caller: NO! Shampoo is my girlfriend's name! Now, are you going 
to send an ambulance or what?!

    Operator: Yes, sir, I apologize. Now, where exactly are you?
    
    Caller: The Ucchan's in Nerima!
    
    Operator: And your name?
    
    Caller: My name is Mousse! Hurry!
    
    -END TRANSCRIPT-
    
    From the Journal of Akane Tendo, April 30
    
        Shampoo's in the hospital. She was admitted late last night 
with some pretty bad cuts. She had to get stiches for most of them.
    When I arrived at the hospital today, Reiko and her partner, Lt. 
Watanabe, were just leaving. Watanabe ignored me, but Reiko stopped 
and told me that Ranma broke out of jail last night and he was wanted 
for questioning in what happened to Shampoo.
    When I went in to see Shampoo, I was shocked. She had bandages 
covering most of her limbs and torso. She had a couple of IV tubes 
stuck into her arms. She looked pale, almost like Ukyou before she 
died. Shampoo was asleep.
    Mousse was sitting by her bedside, hunched over. I thought he was 
asleep, but he sat up as I sat down next to him. It was obvious he'd 
been crying.
    "Akane?" he asked. 
    "How is she?"
    "The doctor says she'll pull through,"
    "Any idea what happened to her?"
    "The police think Ranma did it,"
    "Do you?" 
    He thought for a minute. "I don't know. Things haven't exactly 
been the same around here since the funeral. It's possible, but I 
doubt it,"
    "Why?"
    Mousse shifted around, fumbled in the sleeves of his robes and 
handed me a small object.
    "I found this embedded in the wall,"
    It was one of Ukyou's throwing spatulas.
    
    Transcript of personal tape recording made by Sgt. Reiko Tsereba, 
May 1, 6:00 PM

    Akane Tendo came to see me at the office today. She showed me an 
object which she claimed was one of Ukyou Kuonji's throwing spatulas.
    This seems to be the case. It certainly looks like the ones in 
all the photos of Ukyou I've seen. According to Akane, Mousse, 
Shampoo's sometime's boyfriend, found the spatula in the wall of 
Ucchan's after finding Shampoo beaten on the floor and calling the 
ambulance.
    Watanabe remains convinced that Ranma Saotome has something to do 
with this whole mess, maybe even is the cause of the whole thing.
    If only I could talk to Saotome, to judge for myself...
    (Knock on door.) Oh, hell... (footsteps, door opens) Saotome?!
    
    Saotome: Get in, quick! (door slams)
    
    Tsereba: Saotome, what the hell is going on?
    
    Saotome: I'm being followed!
    
    Tsereba: Probably one of Watanabe's men.
    
    Saotome: Not unless one of them specializes in okonomiyaki 
martial arts.

    Tsereba: What?
    
    Saotome: Look,
    
    Tsereba: Oh, God, is that--?
    
    Saotome: Yep, one of Ukyou's throwing spatulas.
    
    Tsereba: There seems to be a lot of those things show up late--um-
-shouldn't we get that out of your arm?

    Saotome: What? Oh, yeah--HNNNGGGGHHH-OW! Thanks.
    
    Tsereba: Let me get some gauze, or--
    
    Saotome: Wait. First, look out your window.
    
    Tsereba: What?
    
    Saotome: Just DO it!
    
    Tsereba: What am I looking for? 
    
    Saotome: Look on the roof across the way.
    
    Tsereba: I see her--Ukyou?
    
    Saotome: Bet your ass it's Ukyou.
    
    Tsereba: What's she doing?
    
    Saotome: Taunting me,
    
    Tsereba: What?
    
    Saotome: INCOMING!
    
    (Glass breaks and a scuffle ensues)
    
    -END TRANSCRIPT-
    
    The Nekohanten, May 1, 8:00PM

    Cologne wandered through the empty restaurant. The Nekohanten had 
been closed since Shampoo and Mousse had moved out.
    No matter, they would return soon. The old woman had been to see 
Shampoo at the hospital. Shampoo was still unconscious, but Cologne 
had spoken to her anyway, telling her to return to the Nekohanten.
    "Ucchan's is not safe for you, Great-Granddaughter," she had 
said, "It is like being in the lion's den,"
    Oh well, if Ranma was successful, this whole nasty business would 
be over with soon enough...

    --CRACK!--
    
    Cologne turned. The sliding door of the restaurant had been 
broken down and a female form with a huge spatula shaped object on her 
back and oddly glowing eyes stepped into the main dining area.
    "Greetings, Cologne," she said, her voice oddly echoing.
    "You," the old woman replied.
    "Yes, me. I guess you thought you'd never see me again,"
    "I did. Feeling comfortable in your new form?"
    "Much. Ukyou had more of my life force than anyone thought she 
had,"
    "Really?"
    "Oh, yes. In addition to the amounts she's shown to Shampoo and 
Kodachi, there are little sections reserved for Akane, Ranma, Ryoga, 
and many others. Even you,"
    "Me?" Cologne raised an eyebrow.
    "You sealed your fate when you tripped Ranma," said the Ukyou 
impostor. "She saw you do it and that was enough to put you in the 
running,"
    "What do you intend to do?" said the old woman calmly.
    "You should know,"
    "Humor me,"
    The impostor laughed. "No,"
    "Why not?"
    "Because then Ranma will be able to figure it out,"
    "What's Ranma to you?"
    The glowing eyes narrowed as Cologne's own widened.
    "You wouldn't," said the old woman.
    "I would and I will," 
    "You can't. You already have one person,"
    The Shadow-Ukyou laughed.
    "By the time I'm finished, she'll be dead in both body *and* 
soul,"
    "Not if you can't get her body,"
    The glowing slits looked amused.
    "Who says I don't already?"
    "I grow bored with this," said Cologne, changing the subject. "I 
assume you are here to kill me,"
    "No,"
    "No?" Cologne, for the first time in many years, was confused.
    "No," the Shadow-Ukyou said, "I've set things up so Ranma will be 
forced to come see you. I want you to tell him everything,"
    "Why should I help you?"
    "If you don't I finish what I started with Shampoo,"
    Cologne hissed.
    "The choice is yours, old crone," said the Shadow-Ukyou. If it 
was possible to see it's face, which it wasn't, the Shadow Ukyou 
would have been smiling...

----

    That's part 3. Some stuff might be a little incorrect, such as 
the emergency call, since most of my experience with such things is 
limited to the odd episode of "Rescue 911." 
As always, C&C is accepted, but may or may not be acted upon.


                                        ---Erin 2.5