Somehow, the discussion got around to the breaking news of
the stolen pandas.  Kasumi expressed some concern that the wild
animals could be anywhere, even just outside.  The others assured
her the pandas were, probably, far away from populated areas only
looking for food and a place to sleep.
     "Besides," Nabiki chirped. "Akane can protect us."  She
reached over and playfully squeezed Akane's biceps to show how
strong she was.
     Akane shot her older sister a warning look.  She may be a
trained martial artist, but she was also a girl and didn't take
too well to being treated otherwise.
     Jeff knew when to become scarce and beat a quiet retreat
back to the men's group.  Returning, he found Ranma and Mr.
Saotome missing.  Upon being told they went outside to checkout
the country club's Japanese garden, Jeff figured he better tag
along in case they got into trouble.
     Too late.  Ranma, expecting his father to pull one of his
famous "training is a 24 hour a day job" routines, was ready when
his father attacked him in the garden.  Yelling this was no place
for such foolishness, Ranma bounced the elder Saotome off a palm
tree and into a conveniently placed garden pool.  The panda that
came out, needless to say, was displeased.
     "What's the matter, pop?" Ranma chided. "Getting slow?"
     His answer came as the panda tried to exit the pond. 
Slipping on the algae covered bottom, Genma did a belly flop,
splashing water everywhere, including on a startled Ranma.  The
transformation was both unfortunate and immediate.  Immediate in
that Ranma now looked like a drowned female Chinese street
urchin.  Unfortunate because the commotion attracted the
attention of the snooty club manager.
     "What are *you* doing here?" the club manager demanded from
the doorway to the main dining room.  "This club is for members
and their guests only."
     Ranma, scouring his mind for any useful phrase he could
remember from the English classes he used to sleep through, tried
the first thing that popped into his head: "Good Evening, Mister
Brown."
     "Good evening my aunt's fanny, young lady." the manager
started towards the garden.  He only got three steps from the
door when his eye caught on the dripping wet panda emerging from
his garden pool.  The man's eyes got huge and he stood for a few
moments, his mouth working but nothing coming out. 
Unfortunately, Genma-panda decided to try and explain the
situation.  All he did was make threatening growling sounds that
had the least desirable affect on the manager.  Like a shot, the
man retreated back into the dining room screaming like a Hawaiian
Paul Revere: "The pandas are here!  The pandas are here!  Run for
your lives!"
     Jeff was just coming through the dining room when he
collided with a panic stricken club manager screaming something
about killer pandas loose on the club grounds.  Scrambling to his
feet, Jeff bolted out the door to find the garden empty.  The
only clue that Ranma and Mr. Saotome had been there were a fresh
set of wet tracks that led out onto the golf course.  Upon closer
examination, panda tracks.
     <Great!  Just great!  I knew those two couldn't stay out of
trouble.> he thought as he quickly retreated back into the club
to find the others.
     By now, the news about wild pandas rampaging outside the
country club had swept through the clubhouse like a wildfire. 
Jeff's parents were concerned for the safety of their guests and
kept trying to gather the girls together for their protection. 
The girls, however, understood exactly what was going on.
     "I knew it! I knew it! I knew it!" Akane yelled at no one in
particular.  "I knew those two would do something like this!"
     Kasumi just wondered out loud if, maybe, they were really
the escaped pandas.
     Nabiki grabbed Jeff and hauled him off to a quiet corner. 
"What the hell happened?" she demanded.
     "How should I know?" Jeff tried to protest.  "Ranma and his
dad went outside and the next thing I know, the club manager is
screaming about wild pandas on the rampage."
     "We've got to find them!" she insisted.
     "Are you nuts?" Jeff argued. "It's dark out there.  What if
it really is the escaped pandas?  Can you tell Mr. Saotome from a
real panda?"
     "Well, I..." she started, suddenly unsure of the proper
course of action.
     "What about Mr. Saotome?" Jeff's mother asked as she
approached the pair.
     "Ah...he and...ah Ranma...ah" Jeff struggled.
     "Hai.  They...ah..." Nabiki was no help.
     "Mr. Saotome wasn't feeling well and...ah...he and Ranma
took a cab back to the hotel." Jeff lied.  All the while he heard
a voice screaming in his head:  You can fool all of the people
some of the time, and you could fool some of the people all of
the time, but you CAN'T FOOL MOM.'
     Obviously, the voice was right.  Mrs. Lawrence gave Jeff a
look that told him he better come clean, or else.  Jeff swallowed
hard.
     Fate saved his bacon that night as his father scurried up
and suggested they get their guests to safety.  Still giving Jeff
a look of warning, mom agreed and ushered Nabiki out to the
waiting van.
     "What was that all about, son?" Jeff's dad asked.
     "Dad, You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

     Meanwhile, out on the golf course, Ranma-chan and a large
panda were running for cover.  Amazing how little  cover' there
is on a golf course when you're not hitting a golf ball.
     By the sand trap on the tenth hole, the two had lost sight
of each other as Ranma veered off the course and Genma continued
straight down the 11th fairway.  Stumbling through some bushes,
Ranma-chan emerged in the back yard of an exclusive residential
neighborhood.
     "Okay, Ranma," Ranma-chan muttered to herself as she walked
towards the street.  "All I gotta do is figure out how to get
back to the country club without being seen.  If I can just sneak
back to the van, I can hide behind the seats."
     Apparently, one of the houses had a motion sensor light
system as the entire back yard suddenly became light as day. 
Ranma-chan's thoughts at that point were unprintable but
understandable.  On instinct, she bolted for a nearby yard that
was dark and surrounded by a 6 foot high privacy fence.  Clearing
the fence in a single bound, Ranma-chan quickly discovered why
the fence was there.  Waiting for her to land were three large
German Shepards; each vying for the first bite.  Using a
technique learned long ago, Ranma-chan literally bounced from dog
head to dog head; never harming the dogs but escaping every
attempt to bite.  As she cleared the fence on the far side of the
yard, having never touched the ground once, three dogs
simultaneously collided with the fence.  The resulting crash,
combined with the sounds of three dogs going berserk in their
frustration, attracted enough attention to bring just about every
homeowner outside.
     Ranma-chan rolled to a stop against a wooden swing set,
tearing most of her top open.  As the backyard lights came on,
she spied a small pup tent nearby and ducked in.
     Imagine the surprise of two 10 year old boys when they were
suddenly awakened in the middle of the night by a semi-topless
red head girl diving in on them.  They yelled.  Ranma-chan
yelled.  The homeowner from his back porch yelled and Ranma-chan
was hit from three different directions with the beams of three
flashlights.
     "Cool!" the first kid yelled.  Both kids eyes were feasting
on the results of a good Jusenkyou dunking.
     Ranma-chan suddenly realized her  exposed' position and
yelled: "Hentai!!" before pulling shut her torn shirt and bolting
for the next yard.
     "Hen what?" the first kid asked his tent mate.
     "Beats me.  Maybe she was looking for chickens?" his friend
replied.  "Can I spend tomorrow night here?  Maybe, she'll come
back."
     "Cool!  I'll bring my camera."

     Further up the street, Genma was experiencing his own
problems.  He too, decided to try through the bushes that lined
the golf course and struck paydirt on his first attempt.  There,
in an unfenced yard, was a bubbling pool of salvation; an unused
hot tub.  The back yard was totally dark, only the underwater
lights of the tub provided a guide.
     <What a stroke of luck.> he thought as he waddled on two
legs towards the tub. <A few seconds in there and I can sneak
back to the country club.>
     It might have worked too, except just as he reached the
small deck where the hot tub sat, a light went on and naked woman
came giggling out of the house.
     "I'll wait for you in the tub, honey." she called back into
the house as she scampered towards the tub.  Two thirds the way
there, she collided with something large and furry.  Bouncing
off, she froze in place, her eyes wide and mouth agape.  Genma,
being within three feet of a very attractive and very naked woman
had a completely different reaction.  Seconds seemed like hours
as the woman saw her life pass before her eyes.  Genma saw
something entirely different.
     <WOW! Nice pecs!> he thought as he quickly toured her body.
     His mistake came when he tried to grin.  Unfortunately, on a
panda, a grin looks more like a snarl.  That did it.  The woman
screamed louder than an air raid siren and frantically scrambled
for safety of her house.  Genma, on the other hand, did a quick
triple take between the hysterical woman and the hot tub.  No
time.
     [Pardon me!] his sign read as he turned and beat a four
footed retreat back the way he came.
     By now, every light in the neighborhood was on.  Dogs were
barking, people were yelling, and the lady was still screaming. 
All things considered, the golf course was looking pretty good
right now.

     Ranma-chan had just escaped the backyard lights as he ducked
around a small storage shed, over a chain link fence and into
some thick bushes (tearing more of her clothes in the process).
In the bushes, she ran smack into something warm, furry and
familiar.
     "Oh, pop." she gasped as she patted the sitting panda on the
leg.  "Good thing I found you.  We gotta get out of here."
     The panda just sat there an stared.
     "What's the matter with you?" she yelled. "We can't let them
catch us like this.  Come on."  She grabbed the panda's front paw
and tugged it towards the golf course.  The panda, having had
enough of the conversation, smacked Ranma-chan up the side of her
head, rolling her clear of the bushes.
     "Still mad, huh." she growled.  "I can still take you, no
matter what form you're in."  With that, began one of the
strangest fights Ranma had ever been in.  Repeatedly, she struck
the panda and just as repeatedly, she was cuffed about.  Her
father's  new technique' was something she had never seen before.
     <He's been holding out on me.> she thought as she dodged a
furious series of blows. <I don't recognize anything he's doing.> 
Two more dodges and Ranma-chan delivered a knockout blow.
     Gasping for breath and hearing police cars approaching, she
suddenly realized what she had done.  She could escape but her
father would have to be left behind.
     <Sorry, pop.  But it's your own fault.> she thought as she
sprinted across the golf course.

     The police, backed by anxious zookeepers armed with
tranquilizer guns, swarmed the neighborhood.  They quickly found
the unconscious panda and, in minutes, had it bound for transport
back to the zoo.  A shout from further up the street attracted
their attention to a second panda running on two legs towards
their position.
     "Damndist thing I've ever seen." one police officer said. 
"I didn't know pandas ran on two legs."
     "Don't matter," a zookeeper said as he raised his
tranquilizer gun. "We better drop him before he causes any more
mischief."
     Genma came to a screeching halt ten feet from the police and
armed zookeeper.  Looking back over his shoulder, he could see
more police coming from behind.  He was trapped and he knew it. 
There was only one thing left to do.
     "Hoooooly...," one officer said to his partner.  "He looks
like he's trying to surrender."
     "Naw," the zookeeper replied as he fired his gun. "Bears do
that just before they attack." 
     Genma, his front paws still raised, was struck in the rear
leg with the first dart.  He felt the sting of the needle and
tried to waddle away from his attackers.  A second dart struck
squarely in his rump and the world began to get fuzzy.  The giant
panda seemed to wobble for a moment before collapsing on the soft
grass of the 10th fairway.
     <Damn, I'm hhuuuunnnnnnnngggggyyyyyy....> Genma thought as
he passed out.

     Kuno was in a bad mood when he reached the hotel.  It was
late, he had spent the entire day trying to convince the
authorities that he and his crazy sister weren't international
terrorists, just scared tourists, when their lethal assortment of
rhythmic gymnastics equipment was discovered.  They even
confiscated her bundle of black roses.
     <Cretins!> she thought. <What a barbaric country.  They
don't realize the beauty of such a flower.>
     Kuno, for his part, was only interested in a hot bath and a
soft bed.  At the front desk, he stared intently at a clerk who
was sorting mail and doing his best to ignore the odd couple.
     "If you don't mind..." Kuno said in his most commanding
voice.  "My sister and I would like two of your finest rooms and
be quick about it."  He smugly folded his arms and looked every
inch the samurai he believed himself to be.
     Unfortunately, the desk clerk didn't understand a word of
Japanese and just stared at Kuno like he was crazy.  Actually,
the desk clerk was close; it was his sister that was crazy.  He
was just demented.
     "Just a minute." the clerk said in English as he disappeared
into a back room.
     "Brother, you obviously don't command the respect you
deserve in this establishment." Kodachi said fingering the only
 weapon' she was able to salvage from the airport authorities,
her ribbon.  "Perhaps, I should try."
     "Fear not, my sweet but brain damaged sibling." Kuno crowed
turning to face his sister.  "For I, Tatewaki Kuno, known
throughout our native land as Blue Thunder, shall deal with these
common innkeepers and, rest assured, they will rue the day they
crossed me." Kuno was smugly confident.
     He wouldn't have felt so smug if he saw what emerged from
the back room.  The night manager was large enough to play
defensive tackle for the San Francisco 49ers.  Heck, he could
have played the entire line.
     "May I be of assistance," he said in perfect Japanese.
     "Of course, you..." Kuno hesitated when he turned back to
the desk and got a look at who (or what) he was talking to. "I...
I... would like a room... or two...please."
     Kodachi just rolled her eyes.
     "Well, we're quite full right now." the manager said looking
through his reservation book.  "Do you have a reservation, sir?"
     "I, Tatewaki Kuno, needn't bother with such things." Kuno
said resuming his arrogant posture.  "There is always room at the
inn for a Kuno.  The penthouse suite, perhaps."
     "I'm afraid all the suites are booked, sir." the manager
silently chuckled.  "Perhaps a room for two."
     "A common room?" Kuno said shocked at the suggestion.
     "Well sir, that's all we have left."
     "I don't believe this." Kodachi moaned.
     "Is this your wife?" the manager asked Kuno.
     "My sister!"
     "My condolences."
     Small puffs of smoke shot out of Kuno's ears as he attempted
to form in his mind an appropriate riposte.  Fortunately, his
sister, who wanted to get a room before morning, intervened.
     "We'll take whatever you have, thank you." She said with a
syrupy voice.
     "Very well, miss." the manager finished registering the odd
couple and handed both keys to their room.  "One room, two beds. 
Enjoy your stay."
     Kuno snatched his key from the manager and turned to glare
at the poor bell boy who was struggling with the mountain of Kuno
luggage.  Somehow, the kid got the feeling he wasn't going to get
much of a tip tonight.
     Kodachi demurely accepted her key and apologized for her
brother.  "He's a little stressed tonight.  You see, we came all
this way to stop a wedding."
     The manager was about to say something but decided he didn't
need the trouble.  Instead, he just smiled and pointed to the
elevators.
     "See brother, if you're nice to people, you can get anything
you want." Kodachi chided as she led the procession to the
elevators.
     Kuno wasn't listening.  He was too busy herding the poor
bell boy and growling about having to share a room with the Black
Rose of Insanity.

     The Kunos weren't in the elevator two minutes when the
Tendos and Jeff returned.  Akane quickly scampered up to the
front desk and carefully asked if either Ranma Saotome or a
shorter red haired girl come in.  The night manager, having a
soft spot for damsels in distress, quickly checked with the rest
of the staff.  No one had seen either but, he personally assured
her, they would keep a look out for both.
     Disappointed but grateful for the manager's help, Akane
joined her family and Jeff in the elevator.  While everyone else
talked excitedly about the evening, Akane was quietly lost in her
own thoughts.  Only Kasumi noticed, but then she had a way of
doing that.
     Instead of going directly to her own room, Akane followed
Kasumi into hers.
     "Oh, Akane." Kasumi said in a slightly startled voice.  "I
didn't see you there.  Is there something wrong?"
     Akane quietly closed the door and strolled into her older
sister's room.  Kasumi calmly sat on the end of her bed.  She
could tell Akane wanted to talk about something but was reluctant
to start.
     "It was a lovely evening with Jeff's parents, wasn't it?"
she started.
     "Hai, oneechan." Akane said looking out the window.  "I
really liked his mother.  He's very lucky to have a mother like
her."
     Kasumi agreed and quietly waited for Akane to get to her
point.
     "I wonder what happened to Ranma." Akane said almost in
passing.  "I... I hope he's all right."
     Kasumi smiled to herself.  She, alone, knew just how much
the two really felt about each other.  She just attributed their
bickering to the fact they were still, really, children.  In
time, she reasoned, they would realize how much they really cared
for each other.  Maybe, Akane was already starting to take that
step.
     "I'm sure he's all right, Akane." she said in a motherly
way.  "He's a big boy and can take care of himself."
     "I know." Akane sighed as she turned to face her sister. 
"It's just he doesn't speak enough of the language to even ask
where a toilet is.  If I didn't let him copy off my test papers
in English class, he would have failed for sure."
     Kasumi just looked at a worried Akane for several seconds. 
"There are many people in Hawaii that speak Japanese.  He's sure
to find one sooner or later and they'll direct him back to the
hotel."
     "Oneechan," Akane started.  "When he first disappeared, I
was angry.  All I could think of was how he was screwing up our
trip to Hawaii.  Then, on the way back here, I began to think
just what my life would be without him.  What if he never came
back."  Akane paused and swallowed hard.  "I guess, I really do
care about him."
     "I always thought so," Kasumi said matter-of-factly.
     Akane stared at her older sister for a few moments.  Once
again, Kasumi seemed to know more about their relationship than
even Akane.  While that should have unnerved her, it somehow was
comforting to know that she always had someone to go to.  Someone
who could help her navigate her relationship with Ranma.  Nabiki
was right, Kasumi *was* the best combination of mother, older
sister, and best friend.  With a modest chuckle, Akane said:
"Just don't let him know."
     "Not a word."
     The sisters hugged and Akane quietly returned to her own
room.  Kasumi just sighed and thought: "If only my own life were
that easy to solve."

     Meanwhile, down the hall, Nabiki and Jeff were working out a
few things of their own.  As she unlocked the door to her room,
Jeff's arms surrounded her slim waist.
     "And just what do you think you're doing?" she asked with
mock sternness.
     "Well...I just thought that since we'll be married in a few
days anyway..." Jeff muttered in her ear.  He gently nuzzled the
nape of her neck.  Nabiki struggled with her own feelings.  The
invitation *was* appealing, heck, she'd dreamed about just such a
situation many times over the last year.  But now was neither the
time nor the place.  Too much going on and too many family
members close by.  Besides, as she once told him, she had her
reputation to protect.
     Carefully, Nabiki reached down, took hold of his thumbs and
easily pealed herself free.  Turning to face her fianc‚, she gave
him a seriously hard look.  "I have only three words for you:
After The Wedding."
     It must have been the determined look she gave him because
with a sigh, Jeff just nodded, shrugged his shoulders and turned
to leave.
     "Just a minute, buster." she said with a touch of menace in
her voice.  "Come back here."
     Jeff meekly did as he was told.  To his surprise, Nabiki
took him into a passionate embrace and kissed him deeply right
there in the hall.
     Moments later, she broke the kiss, stepped into the room
and, with only her head showing, bid him good night.
     "Cold shower?" he asked with a smile.
     "Cold shower." she replied before closing the door.
     "Well, It could be worse."  He muttered walking down the
hall towards the elevators.  "Cold water could activate a really
rotten curse like Ranma's."
     Ranma, he had almost forgotten about the poor fellow. <I
wonder what ever happened to him.> he thought as he pushed the
elevator button.  A tall maid, pushing a housekeeping cart,
slowly passed behind him as he got onto the elevator.  As the
doors closed, he heard two loud  thumps' on the door.  Thinking
it was someone trying to catch the elevator, he quickly punched
the  Door Open' button but was too late.  The elevator had
already started its decent.
     <Sorry pal.> he thought. <You'll just have to catch the next
one.>
     What Jeff didn't see were two daggers, still quivering,
imbedded in the elevator door and the  maid' snapping her fingers
in disgust at missing such an easy target.

     Somewhere, on the streets of down town Honolulu, a lone
figure slipped quietly from shadow to shadow.  Every time a car
passed, the figure melted back into the shadows and held her
breath.
     <I don't recognize any of these buildings.> Ranma-chan
anxiously thought to herself. <I wish I'd paid better attention
in the van on the way out.>
     She had just cleared the pool of light caused by a down town
gas station, when a roving squad car hit Ranma-chan with its
spotlight.  Caught in the powerful beam, she froze.
     "What do ya think?" the senior officer asked his partner. 
"It's a girl, I think.  She sure doesn't look like she belongs
here this time of night."
     "Yup, I guess we better check her out." his partner
suggested.
     With flashing lights, the Honolulu Police car pulled over to
the curb and one of the officers got out.  Holding his flashlight
on Ranma-chan, he asked: "Would you come over here for a moment,
please.
     Ranma-chan fought a wave of panic.  She was alone, with no
passport or other identification, wearing torn and dirty clothes
and couldn't understand a word the police officer was saying to
her.  A quick glance told her there was an alley just 50 feet
away.  It was decision time; deal with the police or make a break
for it.  She'd heard stories back in Japan of what police in
other countries were like.  It was an experience to be missed. 
Besides, didn't they try to arrest her father and Sensi Tendo
this morning?  Only the intervention of Jeff saved them from a
jail cell and Jeff was certainly not available here and now.
Fearing what would happen to her in the hands of the American
police at night, she chose to make a break for it.
     Bolting for the alley, she heard the officer shout and the
squad car's squealing tires as it began its pursuit.  She easily
gained the alley and turned quickly into its welcoming darkness. 
Passing dumpsters and trash, Ranma-chan ran with increasing fear. 
She could hear the pursuing foot officer's steps echoing off the
buildings and the revving engine of the squad car not far behind. 
She could feel the pounding of her heart matching the rapid
sounds of her own feet as she lightly dashed down the alley.  The
combined lights of the pursuing car and the officer's flashlight
showed an escape route.  Ahead lay a delivery truck blocking the
alley.  Next to it was a parked car.  With an agility only a
trained martial artist could possess, Ranma-chan ran up the hood
of the car, jumped onto the top of the delivery truck and then
onto the roof of the nearest building.  She could hear the police
officer trying to duplicate her feat with little success.  His
cries of pain as he landed short of the truck spurred her across
the roof.
     "Damn!" the foot officer yelled as he punched the hood of
the car he had just slipped off of.  "Call it in, Fred.  We've
got a runner."
     The officer in the squad car put in the radio call while
slamming the vehicle into reverse.  With tires squealing, the
squad car shot back out into the street.  While his partner
worked his way carefully around the parked truck, the police
officer in the car sped off down the street and rounded the next
corner.  Sirens of other patrol cars could be heard off in the
distance.
     Ranma-chan ran with fluid ease across the flat roof tops
until she rounded a brick structure on the last one.  There she
collided with two other bodies.  The three collapsed in a heap.
     "What the..." one of the bodies yelled.
     "It's a girl!" the other shouted.
     "Yeah.  Hey babe, what's your hurry." the first said to
Ranma-chan as he grabbed her wrist.  These were two burglars
interrupted in their trade by the appearance of a strange, and
partially clad, red haired Asian girl.
     "You know, Red, I think we can forget the break-in.  This
little sweetie is gonna provide us with a little  entertainment',
aren't you honey?" the second said with a greasy grin.
     "You don't mind doin it on a roof top, do ya?" the red
haired burglar said licking his dirty lips as he slowly reeled in
his intended prey.
     Ranma-chan quickly roped in her fear and took stock of the
situation.  Two would-be burglars, one tall and dark haired, the
other about her size and with the same bright red hair, unarmed
and looking for more than either could handle.  This was not
going to be their lucky night.
     By now the first patrol car had reached the end of the
buildings and was shining its searchlight on the edge of the roof
looking for any movement.  The officer didn't have long to wait. 
Almost immediately, a body came flying over the edge and landed
with a loud  ooooof' on the hood of his car.  With a groan, the
red headed burglar rolled off the hood and onto the ground
directly in front of the car's headlights.  The other burglar was
currently an ugly indentation in the brickwork on the roof.
     "Did you get her?" the first officer gasped as he rounded
the other corner of the building.
     "Yup.  Old Red here musta fallen off the roof in his attempt
to get away." the second officer said as he knelt down to examine
the red headed crook.  "Funny, I thought we were chasing a
female."
     "Male, female, what's the difference?   We got him.  That's
all that counts." his partner said as he pulled out his radio.
     Ranma-chan, still gasping for breath, made a clean getaway
back across the roof, down the truck and out of the alley.  All
things considered, she had been lucky so far.  Ducking into the
gas station, she avoided the clerk and slipped quietly into the
women's restroom. <Gotta hide till the police go away.> she
thought as she locked the door. 
     Looking across the bathroom, she saw it.  <A sink!  Hot
water!> she reveled in the thought of returning to normal once
again.  Turning both taps on high she waited for the warm liquid
that would reverse her despicable curse.  Disappointment slowly
engulfed her as neither tap would run hot.  With tired disgust,
she snapped the taps shut and slapped the cold porcelain surface
with her open hands.  Her head dropped to her chest in
resignation.  She was condemned to spend another night as a girl. 
     Ranma-chan dropped to the filthy floor and huddling under
the sink, listened carefully for any sign of activity outside. 
There was none.  She was still listening when exhaustion overtook
her. <Maybe...in the daylight...I can find my way back...to the
hotel.> she thought before noting bitterly <Now I know how that
idiot Ryoga feels.>  
     With her head on her raised up knees, Ranma-chan spent her
first night in Hawaii on the dirty restroom floor of a downtown
gas station.

     Meanwhile, in a veterinary office of the Honolulu Zoo, two
veterinarians were checking over the recaptured pandas.  The
first panda, a female, was quickly certified as healthy and sent
back to its compound.  The other, a rather portly looking male,
lay dozing on the office's small examining table.
     "Hey!" the first vet said as he examined the panda.  "I
thought both pandas were female.  This one is distinctly male." 
He held the animal's rear legs apart to show his partner.
     "Hmmm.  You're right." the other vet said examining the
panda carefully.  "Obviously, not much of a lover."  The two
snickered.
     It was at this point that Genma began to wake up.  While
still groggy and unable to understand what the doctors were
saying, he was certain of two things: This wasn't the hotel and
someone was examining areas of him that were better off left
unexamined.  He tried to move but found himself firmly restrained
by thick nylon straps.
     "I see he's waking up.  Good, good." the first vet said
releasing Genma's rear legs.  "I think we can put him in the
compound now with the other panda."  Then added: "I think they'll
make a lovely couple."
     As Genma was being wheeled out to the panda compound, he
kept thinking: <Hot water.  Gotta find hot water.  I wonder when
they feed a person around here?>

     The next day dawned as beautiful a day as Hawaii could
provide.  And why not.  Today was the day of the wedding
rehearsal for Nabiki and Jeff's wedding.  As the group gathered
at the little church, much was said about the disappearance of
the Saotomes.  Akane was visibly upset over not knowing the
whereabouts of her fianc‚, Ranma.
     "I'm sure they're all right.  I've notified the police and
they've assured me they will be on the lookout for both of them."
Jeff tried to reassure the Tendos.  "If either shows up, they
promised they would call me immediately."
     "Jeff" Nabiki said flatly.  "We can't have a proper
rehearsal without Ranma.  He's the best man."
     "We'll just have to make due for now and fill him in later
when he shows up."
     "If he shows up." Akane injected.  She was obviously taking
all this a lot harder than the rest.  She looked terrible from
the lack of sleep.  All night long, she would call down to the
main desk asking if there had been any word yet.  She hadn't
slept more than a few minutes all night.  Kasumi kept reassuring
her that all would turn out okay but Akane was clearly fearing
the worst.  Under most normal conditions, she was certain that
Ranma could take care of himself.  But this was America and
Americans carried guns.  All night long she was haunted by scenes
she had seen of crime in America, of dead and dying victims of
people with guns.  She feared he lay dead or dying in some dark
corner of the city, only to be found many days from now.
     It was shortly before noon before the minister, Reverend
Hasakawa, could get everyone in their places.  All went about as
well as could be expected with the best man missing, the maid of
honor distracted, and the bride-to-be growling at everyone over
their inattention.  More than once, sharp words were exchanged
between the two younger daughters.  Kasumi, who was standing in
for their departed mother, had to keep stepping between them to
keep the peace.  By the time the rehearsal was over, all parties
concerned were convinced the wedding would be a disaster.  In any
case, Nabiki badly needed a walk to calm down.
     "Sensi Tendo, why don't you and the girls take the limo back
to the hotel." Jeff suggested.  "Nabiki and I need to take a
little walk alone."
     "I...I think I would rather stay here awhile." Akane said
softly casting glances at Reverend Hasakawa.  It was obvious to
everyone that she was in need of a little comforting from a
higher source or at least someone outside the family to talk to. 
Kasumi agreed to stay with her sister and would wait for the
limo's return.  Gleefully, Soun Tendo bounced into the back seat
of the limousine, reveling in the luxury he had all to his self. 
Jeff gave instructions to the driver and sent the limo on its
way.
     It hadn't gone very far when Jeff noticed a large puddle
left behind as the car pulled away.  Kneeling down, he examined
the puddle closely.  It looked like...brake fluid.
     With alarm, his head shot up and turned towards the route
the limo had just taken.  Then he heard the impact.  Somewhere,
just around the first bend, the limousine had crashed into the
trees.  Jeff and the others ran quickly to the crash site.  To
everyone's relief, it wasn't as bad as it sounded.  The car's
front bumper and left front quarter panel were certainly damaged
but otherwise all was well.  The driver was out of the car
examining the damage when Jeff reached him.
     "Are you all right?" he asked looking around for Mr. Tendo.
     "No problem." the driver replied.  "Gonna be in the shop for
a while, though."
     Concerned for her father's safety, Nabiki yanked open the
rear door and looked in.  There, in a heap on the floor, was Soun
Tendo; a smashed cigar in one hand and what was left of a bottle
of white wine in the other.
     "Does this mean the ride's over?" he asked in a dazed voice.
     "Yes, daddy.  The ride's over." Nabiki said flatly.
     She helped her father get out of the car, but not before he
grabbed a handful of cigars from the humidor and an unbroken
bottle of wine from the bar.  He may not have gotten his
exclusive limousine ride but he wasn't leaving empty handed.

     Just down the hill, slightly around the second turn, a
greasy figure slapped his head in disgust.  Another failure.
Disposing of this  Jeff' fellow was turning out to be harder than
it looked.  Hopping on his motorcycle, the man thought: <It looks
like I'm going to have to take harsher measures.>

     After arranging for transportation for the rest of the
family, Jeff and Nabiki walked quietly through the trees to a
little clearing with a beautiful view of the ocean.
     "I'm sorry, Jeff." Nabiki said.  For the second time in her
life, she was apologizing to Jeff.  "I guess I just have a crazy
family."
     "Look, I understand.  Akane's just worried about Ranma."
Jeff observed.  "It's only natural.  After all, they are
engaged."
     Nabiki smiled and looked embarrassed.  "It's not your
typical engagement.  They were promised to each other by their
fathers."
     "Yeah, I think Ranma mentioned something about that." Jeff
said rubbing his chin.  "Kinda rough on both of them."
     "It's just... they're so young.  They haven't had a chance
to mature before having all this responsibility pushed on them." 
Nabiki leaned against a palm tree her arms and legs crossed.  The
wind whipped her skirt and blew hair across her face.
     "We're not much older."
     Nabiki smiled slightly.  "You're an only child and, well,
you know what I've been through.  That kinda ages you."
     Jeff took her hands and pulled her to him.  Resting her head
on his shoulder, she drew comfort from his embrace.  It felt so
safe, so comfortable, so right.
     "You ever wonder just what we are doing here?" she asked her
mind drifting.
     "I thought we were getting married." Jeff replied, a touch
of humor in his voice.   
     "I mean besides that." she looked up at him, a quizzical
look on her face.  "Since coming to Hawaii, I've had the oddest
feeling that I'm here for something else as well.  Something...I
can't explain."     "Quite so, little one," came a familiar
voice.
     Two sets of eyes snapped to the source and beheld a small
white haired Japanese man dressed in a traditional yukata leaning
on a shakujo staff, its six rings of enlightenment shining in the
sunlight.  His small, bushy mustache seemed to attempt flight as
he smiled.
     "M...Master Sato," Jeff stammered.  "How...?"
     "That is not important, Jeff-san." He replied sternly, his
smile gone.  "The elders have decreed this wedding must not take
place."
     Jeff's eyes grew wide with surprise, his mind a whirl of
emotions.  After all he had gone through.  Now, the person he
most respected in the world was demanding the nuptials be
terminated.  Jeff battled with an appropriate response.
     "The elders say she is not suitable, Jeff-san." 
     "Suit...Suitable?!?"  Jeff yelled back at his master.  "What
gives them the right to determine who is or is not suitable for
me to marry?!?"  Instinctively, Jeff moved between Nabiki and his
master.
     "You are the product of an ancient prophecy, my son." the
master quietly responded.  "You *must* marry from within the clan
in order to fulfill that prophecy."
     "You never said anything about this before."
     "As you will recall, you were 12 years old when you left my
care in London.  I didn't feel the subject of marriage or
prophecy would be suitable for a person of such age."  The
master's look remained hard and demanding. 
     "You can't stop me.  I'm going to marry Nabiki with or
without the blessings of these...elders."  Jeff softly enveloped
Nabiki in his arms and gave his master a stern look of warning.
     "Such insolence of youth." the master said his eyes narrowed
into slits.  "The elders await you."  He lowered his staff and
mumbled some something while slowly oscillated the tip in the
young couple's direction.
     Jeff and Nabiki's view of the world began to grow dimmer,
like they were passing inside a dark tunnel.  Both tried to move,
to stop the crazy old man from completing his spell, but quickly
found themselves rooted to the spot.  In seconds, the pair were
engulfed in total darkness, still holding each other, still aware
of their surroundings but suspended in a black void.  Neither
could speak, or move.  Moments later (or was it hours, it was
hard to tell time in such a place), the couple found themselves
in a chamber with unusually smooth floors.  Strange odors floated
through the room, some sweet some bitter.  All evoked memories
the pair fought to control.
     In a small pool of light, Jeff was kneeling on a large, soft
pillow who's surface continually changed colors.  When he
realized Nabiki was no longer in his grasp, he frantically tried
to move, to search for her but found himself rooted to the pillow
who's colors swirled faster with every effort he made.

     Nabiki lost track of Jeff for just a moment, as if someone
or something simply removed him from her grasp.  She never felt
herself being deposited on a large multicolored pillow in the
chamber but her eyes smarted from the single bright light that
engulfed only her and the pillow.  As her eyes refocused, she
could make out Jeff sitting like herself on a pillow some 10 feet
away.
     "So, you are the young woman who would defy prophecy."  Came
a deep male voice from darkness in front of her.
     "She has captured the heart of our young clan member," came
another male voice.
     "I wonder," began a third.  "Would she be worthy of the
clan?" 
     There was a slight pause, as if the voices were considering
their next step.  Nabiki looked at Jeff, pleading for guidance. 
Jeff could do nothing to help.  When he tried to speak, he found
no voice.  It was if some unseen hand held his throat, squeezing
whenever he tried to speak.  When he tried to move, his muscles
refused to obey.  Whatever was to happen, unless he could summon
enough power to overcome whatever was holding him, Nabiki would
be on her own.
     "Child, would you care for this man?" asked the first voice.
     "Hai!" Nabiki answered, her voice tinged with fear but still
strong and clear.
     "Would you protect him?"
     "Hai!"
     "Would you... die for him?" came the third voice, harsher
than the others.
     Before she could answer, Jeff momentarily broke through the
force that controlled his voice.  "NO!" his cry echoed throughout
the chamber.  "I will not..."  The force that had silenced him
earlier returned ten fold and Jeff grimaced under the pressure. 
Beads of sweat from his exertion now running freely down his
face.
     "The question is hers!" the voice boomed, clearly irritated
at Jeff's interruption.  "Answer, child."
     Nabiki stumbled before she could answer.  Something held her
back.  Perhaps it was only the last vestiges of her materialistic
self.  Perhaps she had never considered having to commit to such
a proposition.  She loved him, yes; but sacrificing her own life
was another matter.  The voice had demanded an answer and Nabiki
was frantically searching for the words, any words. 
     "She fails to answer." the third voice crowed.  "She is not
suitable."
     Panicked, Nabiki instinctively felt to her chest.  It was
still there.  With a look a fear and apprehension, she reached
under her blouse and produced a small amulet.  Holding it as far
from her as she could without removing the chain from her neck,
she presented it to the unseen voices.
     "This is the mark of the clan of the Cold Moon." she began
her voice small and frightened.  "It belonged to my mother.  I...
I claim birthright in this clan."  She shouted at the darkness
still holding the tiny silver amulet.  She didn't know if such
would protect her or not, but it was all she had left.
     She had found the amulet in some of her mother's things soon
after her death.  At first, she kept it because it looked
valuable and she was determined to have it for herself.  But it
quickly took on another meaning when she had the crest examined
by an expert on ancient Japanese jewelry.  It was an ancient clan
marking, a shinobi clan.  But this discovery carried another
mystery.  Try as she might, she could find nothing recent on the
clan, its existence, or even if there were any survivors.  For
all she knew, the amulet might have been given to her mother.  If
not, it spoke volumes about her mother and meant that her mother
was clan-bound to the Clan of the Cold Moon, a mysterious shinobi
mountain clan not spoken of in over 400 years.  Bluff or real,
Nabiki was determined to play it to the hilt.
     "This would change everything." the first voice finally said
slowly.
     "The clan mark is true.  She is who she claims to be." the
second observed.
     "She is *not* true clan!" the third insisted.  "She must
prove herself."
     There was more silence as the voices considered what to do.
     Perhaps it was the elders' preoccupation that released
Jeff's mystic muzzle, whatever the cause, Jeff found himself able
to speak again.
     "Nabiki, you never told me of this." Jeff demanded.
     "I was afraid you wouldn't understand, at first." she
admitted.  "Then I found out about you and feared...  I hid it
because I was afraid... of what it might do... to us."
     Jeff just lowered his head and smiled painfully.   "I
wouldn't have cared.  I love you, Nabiki.  Nothing can change
that." 
     As Jeff looked at her again, their eyes met and an
understood bond between them was reenforced.  Nabiki noticed the
room began to fade into darkness.  "I love you, Jeff-chan!"
Nabiki yelled as she lost sight of her fianc‚.  
     "We shall see." came the third voice from the gathering
darkness.  It seemed to be coming from everywhere.  "We shall
see."

     When her vision cleared, Nabiki found herself standing in a
park, surrounded by playing children and mothers preparing their
picnic meals.  Nabiki turned slowly, taking in the familiarity of