------------------------------
The Pursuit of Happiness
Act 2: The Kings of Nerima
Part 3: Major Arcana
rough rough rough rough rough rough beta
------------------------------

[Furinkan High, Lunch Hour]


"Good days these are, my friend," said Hiroshi happily.  "Good days
indeed."

Daisuke scowled and paused in mid-count of a handfull of yen.  "Shut
up, man, you'll make me lose count."

"Hi boys," said one voice, definitely female and somewhat sultry.

"So, I heard you boys were really cleaning up in the tournament,
hm?"  said the other female voice.

Daisuke froze, wide eyed, frozen in mid-yen-count, while Hiroshi
had enough presence of mind to stuff his fist full of yen in his
pockets. 

"Um, ah, hey!" stumbled Hiroshi.  "Sayuri!  Yuka!  Ladies!  Um,
hey!"

Yuka settled down demurerly by Hiroshi while Sayuri took a seat
next to Daisuke.

"So, what'cha gonna do with all that money?" asked Sayuri, idly
running a finger over the fistfull of cash that was still in
Daisuke's hand.

"Oh, well, nothing much, really," stuttered Daisuke.  "I mean, we
still have to gamble on today's matches." 

"Yeah, what he said," added Hiroshi, definitely uncomfortable
with the way Yuka was suddenly so friendly with him.  There were
warning bells going off in his mind, but the heat generated by
the nearby female contact was short-circuting most of his
suspicion functions.

"How DO you end up picking the winners all the time?" asked
Sayuri coyly. 

"Um, well, gosh, it's nothing, really." stammered Hiroshi. 

"We just, well, we know these guys pretty well, so we know what
to expect," said Daisuke. 

"I don't suppose, you'd, oh, tell us who your picks are for the
next round, Daisuke-chan?"  Sayuri blinked cutely and leaned
against him ever-so-slightly.

"Um, sure, I guess," said Daisuke. 

"Don't see why not," said Hiroshi, smiling nervously. 

-*-

"... and Copycat Ken is the final pick."  Sayuri flipped her
notebook closed and tucked it away in her pocket.  "It worked
like a charm, just as you said it would, chief." 

Nabiki smirked.  "Of course it would.  Like I told you, men's
minds are weak.  With a wink and a smile, they become putty in a
woman's hand.  Now... adjust our odds as follows..." 

-*-

Somewhere in the streets of Nerima, a young girl was strolling about
and humming happily.  The long streams of the headband she wore flowed
with the wind.  She took a deep breath and enjoyed the moment. 

These were good days indeed.

Her path towards repeating as the champion of the King of Nerima
tournament was free and clear so far.

And she was even getting...

"Excuse me... aren't you..."

She nodded.

"Kasugano-san!  Can I have your autograph!"

"Sure, no problem."

It was a good time to be the reigning King of Nerima... even if the
title should've technically been Queen.

-*-

Currently sitting at the bar, staring out the window, Ryoko Muhoshin
was following a time-honoured tradition amongst bar folk.

Ryoko Muhoshin was mulling.

Normally, her older brother would be doing this sort of thing, but
she'd observed far too much in the past month to ignore things.

She was, although she disliked the term, stalking Ryouga.

Whenever she had time off from the cafe, she'd spend her time watching
from afar as he made his way through school.  Her heart would reach
out for him when he was lost and frustrated, wandering aimlessly
around the neighborhood.  Her heart would sing with passion as she
watched through his window and watched him sleep peacefully at night.

She fell into an absolute murderous rage when she thought of what else
she saw.

There were others.  Other girls.  Falling for Ryouga.

Her Ryouga.

The Kuno girl she despised easily.  The arrogance, haughtiness, and
obscene manner in which she pursued Ryouga infuriated her so.

There was that girl... the girl who often was seen with her elder
brother's weakling lookalike... Ryoko'd seen her looking at Ryouga
many times with the unmistakable look of love unrequited.  As long as
it stayed that way, she didn't mind.

The next two, however... she was wondering if she was becoming as mad
as her brother.

There was a look, that _look_ in her eyes, when she was looking at
Ryouga sometimes.  And the few times they talked together, they seemed
to be uncannily comfortable with each other.  And yet... it didn't
make sense.  Why, she wondered, why did it seem that Akari and Ryouga
were a little too close?  Paranoia?  Her own anxieties?

There WAS something between Ryouga and Ukyou, though.  The way they
looked at each other when the other wasn't looking.  The way she
fussed over him.  The way he blushed sometimes when he was around her.

She denied it.  He denied it.  But Ryoko saw it.

This situation was a multi-faceted time bomb waiting to happen.

The only question now was what to do about it.

-*-

Kurumi and Natsumi stood on the street corner, looking with
longing at the Tendo home.  They'd always been treated well
there, even when it was revealed Soun Tendo wasn't really their
father.  It was the only place they ever knew that felt like a
normal home.

But it wasn't their home, and they knew it.  They weren't worthy
of it.  Not yet. 

"Do we really have to leave?" asked Kurumi.

"You know we do," said Natsumi sternly.  "We must continue
training."

"I know, I know."  Kurumi sighed.  "I wish we could at least say
goodbye to Prince Toma."

Natsumi rolled her eyes.  "You shouldn't be distracted from the
art by boys, Kurumi."

"Oh?  Is that so?  What about you and Ryuu?  Hmm?" asked Kurumi,
poking Natsumi on the side.

Natsumi blushed.  "I-I don't know what you're talking about," she
said quickly. 

-*-

                    ------- Round Five ------


This was it.

This was the matchup of the day.

In the center of Nerima Stadium, Ranma Saotome warily eyed his
opponent.

This was not going to be easy.

Not because the odds were against him.  He honestly thought that if he
went all-out, he'd win.

Not because of his fading endurance.  Despite being worn down by the
constant and daily matches, he felt he had plenty enough left to make
it to the end.

Not because his opponent was the defending champion.  It didn't really
count in his mind.  After all, he was stuck on Toma's Island when the
tourney was held last year.

It was, however, going to be a bit tricky winning.

You see, Ranma Saotome didn't hit girls.

And the defending champion was a girl.

"Hi!  I'm Sakura Kasugano," said the girl.  "Nice to meet you!"

"Hi.  Ranma Saotome.  You the reigning champion?"

She nodded cheerfully.  "That's me!"

There was something awfully familiar about the girl.  Short dark hair,
hand guards, white headband, and that stance, definitely shotokan
karate.

There was something definitely familiar.

-*-

The first words out of Ryouga's mouth when he saw his opponent was
this:

"Oh no."

The man was... well... big.

He defined the phrase 'big man'.

Sumo wrestlers looked like infants compared to him.

The Dojo Destroyer was a size medium next to him.

This man was just _big_.

//RYOUGA HIBIKI VS. MUU!//

Ryouga just boggled at the hulk.  "Muu?"

Muu replied in an odd, slow sort of animalistic "Muu" of his own.

This, thought Ryouga, was not good.  From the stands, Ukyou cheered
him on, which, in Murphy's Law, was sure to mean he was going to make
an utter fool of himself.  He really hoped this match would be much
less... embarrasing than his previous ones. 

-*-

This was embarrassing.

"Hadouken!"

Ranma ducked as another blast of ki flew past.  A small strand of hair
smoked, singed by it.

Akane always told him this would get him in trouble one day.  He just
didn't think it would happen.  She sighed and shook her head as she
watched the match continue.

"Sempuukyaku!"  Sakura spun in the air, leg extended, and struck at
Ranma multitple times.  He blocked easily, but still felt the power
behind those kicks.

He _really_ was reluctant to hit her.

There was an unexpected pause in the match.  Ranma blinked, frozen in
a defensive stance as Sakura stood there, frowning, her arms crossed
and foot tapping the ground.

"Just WHAT are you doing?" she demanded to know.

"Huh?"

"You're not attacking!  We're," she looked at a nearby clock, "THREE
MINUTES into the fight and you haven't thrown ONE punch at me!  What's
the deal?"

Somewhere in the crowd, Akane was burying her face in her hands.

"I... I don't like to hit girls, okay?" he answered, irritated.

"Well that's a chauvenistic viewpoint, you jerk."

The crowd 'ooh'ed.  Personal insults.  This was good.

"You're probably not man enough to take me on anyway!" Sakura taunted.

"What?!  Why you..."

She stuck her tongue out and taunted.  "Nyaaaaaah!"

Right.  That was it.  He knew of an alternative to winning, a
Anything Goes Pressure Hold Knockdown technique.  It was
designed to knock out an opponent using pressure points.  

There was a big drawback.  

It was created by Happosai.

Needless to say, the points to be pressed were going to make him
look like a real pervert.

But hey, he figured, he was already looking like a real jerk, and
his reputation was damaged anyway from the Hinako incident.

"Ah, what the hell."

*GLOMP*

"EEEEEK!"

*

-THWAP-

"Muu."

-THWAP-THWAP-THWAP-

"Muu?"

"DAMMIT!  FALL DOWN ALREADY!  HYAH!"

-THWAP-

"Muu."

Ryouga retreated a safe distance, getting his breath back back,
and stared at the monolithic Muu.  It was aggravating that Muu
didn't seem to be affeected at all, but it was baffling that Muu
had gotten this far in the tournament.  After all, he was
spectacularly slow.

He looked, briefly, into the stands.  It seemed Ukyou was yelling
something.  Ryouga strained to listen through the roar of the
crowds what Ukyou was trying to say.

Finally, he heard.

No... that couldn't be right, could it?

Ryouga looked at the massive Muu one more time, and thought it
over.  Muu, and the plan, were both just stupid enough to work.

Ryouga walked up to Muu solemnly and held his fist out.  Muu
looked confused for a moment, then a spark of recognition hit
him.  He held his fist out in a likewise manner.

The crowd held its breath.

"JAN-KEN-POW!"

Ryouga had a rock.  Muu had scissors.

//WINNER: RYOUGA HIBIKI!!!//

The crowed nearly facefaulted.

"Wow," said Ukyou, "it really worked."

***

                   ---------INTERMISSION---------

***


Once again, at King's Cafe...

"So, what's with the big slap mark on the face, Ranchan?"

Akane gave Ranma a slight glare as he winced.  "I don't wanna
talk about it." 

"Hey hey, here's the man that beat last year's champion!" cheered
Hiroshi as he and Daisuke made their way to the table.
"Congratulations, man!  And may I say you did it in fine style!"

"That he did," said Nabiki wryly as she joined them.

"Shut up, you guys!" snarled Ranma.

Akane whapped him on the back of the head.  "Pervert!"

"Hey!  What'd ya do that for?!"

"For being a jerk, that's what!"

"Hey, I don't hit girls!"

"Wait... so if he didn't hit girls," asked Ukyou, "how'd he win."

"I don't wanna ta-"

"I'll tell ya!" said Daisuke.  "Pressure points!"

Ukyou and Ryouga gave blank stares.  Akane continued to glare at
Ranma, who was at this point looking terribly embarrased.

"Pressure points?" asked Ryouga.

"What's so bad about..." asked Ukyou, thinking it over.  "Oh.
The pressure points... exactly where were they?"

Ranma grumbled.

"Didn't hear ya, Ranchan," said Ukyou.  "What was that?"

"He won't tell you," said Nabiki, pulling out a camcorder.
"But you can see for yourself here."

"Oh hey, thanks."

Ranma's eyes widened and he lunged for the camera.  "Give me
that!"

-CLANG-

_thud_

"Just hit <play>, Ukyou.  It's already at the good bit."

Ukyou put her spatula away then looked into the eyepiece of the
camera and hit the <play> button.

Her eye widened and she blushed.

"Oh my."

Ryouga nudged Ukyou.  "Hey, lemme see."  She rewownd back a bit
then handed him the camera.  As he watched, his eyes grew wide.

"Jeez.  He really is a pervert... oh, that explains the slap on
the face... and down she goes."

"They got the results of this round on line yet?" asked Ukyou.

Nabiki opened her laptop.  "Good question.  Let me check." 


------------------------------------------------------------------
                - The King of Nerima Tournament -
                           Day 3 Results

 Saotome Ranma d. Kasugano, Sakura
 (recap) (statistics) (highlights)

 Happosai d. Monron
 (recap) (statistics) (highlights)

 Muhoshin Ryo d. Magical Girl Kuruma
 (recap) (statistics) (highlights)

 Copycat Ken d. Won Ton
 (recap) (statistics) (highlights)

 Hibiki Ryouga d. Muu
 (recap) (statistics) (highlights)

 Konjou Mariko d. Kaede
 (recap) (statistics) (highlights)

 Kumon Ryuu d. Shingo
 (recap) (statistics) (highlights)

 Rodumanu d. Yojojimbo
 (recap) (statistics) (highlights)

-more-   -previous results-   -main-  -statistics-  -odds-

-next round-

------------------------------------------------------------------

Nabiki blinked.  "That's surprising.  They have the next round
lineup ready?" 

Ukyou shrugged.  "Hey, don't look a gift horse in the mouth." 

At this point, Ranma groaned as he made his way back to
consciousness, but nobody noticed. 

------------------------------------------------------------------
                - The King of Nerima Tournament -
                       Day 3 round 2 lineup

 Saotome Ranma vs. Happosai
 [statistics] [insider]

 Muhoshin Ryo vs. Copycat Ken
 [statistics] [insider]

 Hibiki Ryouga vs. Mariko
 [statistics] [insider]

 Kumon Ryuu vs. Yojojimbo
 [statistics] [insider]

-more-   -previous results-   -main-  -statistics-  -odds-

------------------------------------------------------------------

Ranma peered over Nabiki's shoulder and into the screen.  "Aw
man! Not the old freak!" 

Nabiki was pleased.  Everything was going according to plan so
far.  The people who were supposed to be winning were winning,
and at the rate things were going, there was a great potential
for an upset. 

It seemed almost too well arranged, and according to some of her
sources it _was_ well arranged. 

Things were coming to a close soon.  Now was the time to make
sure certain variables were going to behave in the manner they
should. 

***

"Did you really have to be so violent today?" asked Akari,
leaning on his shoulder.

Ryo gave a good imitation of a warm smile and patted Akari's arm. 
"It's part of being a martial artist.  Didn't we have this
discussion?" 

"I know," said Akari, "but seeing you like that scares me." 

Ryo hmmed for a moment, then shrugged and reached for his drink. 
He lifted it for a moment, then shook it slightly. 

"I'll be right back, darling.  Drink's empty." 

He strolled over to the bar, twirling his umbrella, and took a
seat.  The bartender seemed to be busy with other customers at
the moment.  He hated waiting, but there seemed to be no other
choice. 

"Mr. Muhoshin, I presume?" 

He turned around.  "Nabiki Tendo, yes?" 

She nodded and took a seat next to him. 

"You know," said Nabiki, looking at the drink list, "I've heard
there's someone behind the scenes fixing the arrangements on the
fights." 

"Is that so?" he replied cooly.  "I wouldn't know." 

"If it was true, then I'd be curious as to the motive," said
Nabiki.  "Like, say, money?" 

Ryo stood perfectly still and silent. 

"Or perhaps a personal vendetta..." 

Ryo coughed. 

"Against one of the fighters..." 

Ryo blinked twice. 

"And I wonder if... any of the fights were fixed?" 

Ryo remained still.  Nabiki smiled. 

"Mm-hm.  It certainly does seem that Ranma and Ryouga have had a
tougher set of opponents than the rest of the field.  Ranma
especially." 

Ryo scratched his chin. 

"At the rate they're going, they might not have much left if they
make it to the final round." 

Ryo whistled innocently and looked off into the distance.  Nabiki
paused a moment, then shrugged.  As long as none of the fights
were going to be fixed (without her knowing about it), then she
didn't have a problem with it. 

"See you 'round, Muhoshin." 

"Adieu." 

***

                    ------- Round Six ------

***

[Furinkan High Soccer Field]

It was, to those in the know, a possibly great fight in the
making.  One was the founder of Anything Goes Martial Arts and an
infamous man whose reputation was known from Japan to China and
probably quite a bit beyond.  He was quite possibly the most
perverted old martial arts expert in Japan.  He was the Master. 

//FROM THE ANYTHING GOES SCHOOL OF MARTIAL ARTS, HAPPOSSAI!//

"Hello, Ranma." 

The other was the most promising student of Anything Goes Martial
Arts, a student that had often fought the Master to a standstill. 
On the occasions in which he had triumphed over the Master, it
was not due to his tremendous skill, but his master's terrible
weakness to women's undergarments. 

//ALSO FROM THE ANYTHING GOES SCHOOL OF MARTIAL ARTS, RANMA
SAOTOME!//

"Hey, old freak." 

The Student really didn't like the Master. 

//FIGHT!//

For a while, the two just looked at each other.  Ranma examined
Happosai warily, while the old man looked at Ranma with
amusement.  Any words they'd say at this point would be
redundant.  They'd fought that much and knew each other that
well. 

>From those that knew them, a fierce and prolonged battle was
expected.  Ranma had other plans. 

Suddenly, Ranma gasped and pointed behind Happosai.  "What a
babe!" 

Ranma readied himself for the opening.  Happosai twitched, but he
otherwise didn't move.  To everyone, this was a great shock. 
Happosai, the greatest pervert martial artist in the world, not
even peeking? 

"Heheh, it'll take more than that this time, boy.  I've been
training." 

"Oh?"  Suddenly, Ranma whipped out a bra. 

Happosai just laughed. 

"Why would I want that when I've got this?" he asked, pulling out
a bra of his own.  "Take a gander at this!  Top quality all silk,
with just the right amount of cushioning, AND the latest from
from the spring line of Megami's Secret!" 

The crowed 'ooh'ed and 'aah'ed in appreciation.  Even Ramna was
impressed. 

"And the previous owner had a WONDERFUL body perfume!"

Somewhere out there, in the city, Kodachi shuddered. 

"This baby'll give me enough energy to last for a month!" 

It looked to Ranma like there was only one option left.  Hit'em
while they're talking.  After that, he'd just have to work it out
as it happened like he usually did. 

"Why, with this bra I can take on th-ACK!"  *WHAM*

The crowed cheered as Happosai was flung back from Ranma's
lightning quick rushing punch.  Ranma followed his initial attack
with a flying kick, but Happosai dodged easily.

"So, that's the way it's gonna be, eh?" asked Happossai. 
"Happo-fire-burst!"  The old master tossed out dozens of small
bombs, far too many for Ranma to toss back at him.  With nothing
better to do, he dodged and ran.  The audience covered their ears
and closed their eyes as the explosions rocked the field of
battle. 

In the stands, Hiroshi and Daisuke 'tsk'ed.

"He went for the bombs this early?"  Hiroshi crossed out
something on a notepad.  "I knew I shouldn't have bet on that."

***

Ryouga was at a disadvantage.

He didn't like to fight girls.  The fact that he was fighting on
her territory wasn't good either. 

"Two four six eight!  Who do you appreciate!"

The field of battle was the Seisyun Gakuen High Soccer Field. 
His opponent was their champion and heroine, known as...

"M - A - R - I - K - O!  MARIKO!"

...Mariko Konjou, the champion martial arts cheerleader in the
district.  The crowd cheered wildly as Mariko emerged into view,
leaping over the top of a human pyramid formation of
cheerleaders, a blond, short-haired, overly happy looking girl

>From what he'd heard, Mariko was fast, agile, and very tricky. 
Like fighting Kodachi, he thought, except without the fear
factor. 

She landed on the ground perfectly on both feet, then waved to
the crowd with her pom-poms while jumping around.  The crowd
responded with more cheers.

The chant of "MA-RI-KO!" could be heard echoing through the
field.

//MARIKO KONJOU VS. RYOUGA HIBIKI!  FIGHT!//

Mariko opened the round with a volley of batons which Ryouga
deflected by quickly opening his umbrella.  He returned fire with
a couple of tossed bandannas, but missed as the cheerleader
easily dodged.

"BATON CRUSH!" yelled the cheerleader, whipping a baton outward.
With lightning speed, it extended ten feet and nailed Ryouga on
the jaw.  It was a strong enough hit to send him staggering back
a few steps.

Needless to say, the crowd went wild.


***


"Aaaaaagh!"  -THUD-

"Try again, boy!" cackled Happosai.  He was feeling good at the
moment, with the match being even thus far but with a little
momentum now going his way.  The little momentum came in the form
of two pipe throws in a row, both sending Ranma skidding
face-first across the field.

Ranma charged again and Happosai easily hooked him with his pipe,
heaving Ranma over his shoulder.

"Heh, aga-WHOOOOAAAA!"

This time, Ranma managed to hold on to the pipe, yanking Happosai
upwards with him.  In mid-air, they spun around trying to
establish control.  Ranma gained the upper hand and flung
Happosai down to the ground, hard, then followed up with a diving
double kick that had the audience 'oooooh'ing in appreciation.

The women in the audience cheered.

Ranma dusted off his hands with a smug grin on his face.  "Heh,
that was easy."

***BLAM***


***


With a wave of her hand, Mariko yelled "Ai no Toriko Kumo no Ito
Flying Tape!" and sent a rain of tape threads Ryouga's way.  He
blocked with his umbrella, only to have it yanked away as Mariko
pulled back on the tape.

Ryouga was taken by surprise by the loss of his weapon, leaving
him open as Mariko took advantage and tagged him hard with two
quick baton crush strikes.  Ryouga staggered back a moment, then
rushed forward with several kicks and punches which Mariko seemed
to easily dance around before she flipped safely away again.

In an amazing demonstration of tactical thinking which he would
have lacked several years ago, Ryouga noted that her agility was
definitely a problem.

He wondered if she'd be so agiile on shakey ground.

"BAKUSAI-TEN-KETSU!"  With all ten fingers he stabbed into the
ground, setting off a chain reaction of explosions around him,
until most of the battlefield was turned into uneven clumps of
rock and dirt.

Mariko, taken by surprise from the force and range of the blast,
stumbled and fell as the ground under her feet turned to rubble.

Ryouga grinned.


***


It was, the audience agreed, a grueling match.  Master and
Student clashed at lightning speeds on the ground and in the air.
The match had more ki attacks than any previous one, making for
an incredible fireworks display.

Hiroshi and Daisuke were ready.  They had their shades on.

"MOKO TAKABISHA!"  A burst of energy shot from Ranma's hands.

The crowed 'ooh'ed.

Happosai's battle aura flared and manifested itself into a fourty
foot tall image of the diminutive demon, taking the impact of the
ki blast easily.

The crowed 'aah'ed.

Ranma and Happosai both took to the air, meeting at the peak of
their jump with a flury of punches and kicks.  After an amazingly
long moment of hangtime, one fell flat on his face to the
ground.  The other landed gracefully.

The crowd gasped.

Happosai smirked.

"Bwahaha!  Had enough, boy?"

Ranma stood up slowly.  He was also smiling, which also confused
Happosai.  Then the old man saw why.

In Ranma's hand was the top quality, all silk, cushioned, and
latest in design bra from Megami's Secret.

Ranma grinned.  "Heheh."

"Oh no!  My precious!"

Happosai sprang forward desperately and recklessly, trying to
regain the source of his power.  Unfortunately for him, he also
left himself wide open.

"TENSHIN-AMAGURIKEN!"

"Awk!"

Several hundred punches later....

//AND THE WINNER, RANMA SAOTOME!//

The crowd cheered, the women definitely louder than the men.


***


The audience was surprised at how the match between Ryo Muhoshin
and Copycat Ken was progressing.  

Ken and Ryo were both impressive in their victories, but Ryo was
currently the leader in absolute domination with an average match
time of a minute and twelve seconds.  This match had gone well
beyond ten minutes, and it wasn't because both fighters were
battling to a standstill.

Ryo was, for the first time in the tournament, being trounced. 
The frequent change in tactics was clearly throwing him off his
stride, and by the end of fifteen grueling minutes Ryo was a
battered wreck on the floor while Copycat Ken only looked a
slightly worn down.

To add insult to injury, he was currently immitating Ryo.

"So, had enough?" asked Ryo/Ken.

Ryo got up on one knee, looking very unsteady, and glared at his
immitator with narrow eyes.

"Now to finish you off," said Ryo/Ken, pacing around Ryo
steadily.  "Maybe... with speed?" he asked, suddenly morphing
into Ranma.  "Maybe I'll cut you to pieces," he pondered, turning
into Mousse, blades dangling from his sleeves.  "Nah, I'll just
do it the old fashoned way."  Ken morphed into Ryouga and cracked
his knuckles.  "I'll beat the crap outta... huh?"

Suddenly, Ryo was looking very angry.  And the dark fiery aura
around him was somewhat disturbing too.

***

He had to admit it.  He was feeling guilty.

//AND THE WINNER...//

Ryouga never did like hitting girls, and this match made him feel
like he'd been dishonorable.  The boos and jeers from the crowd
certainly didn't help. 

//RYOUGA HIBIKI!//

He sighed and looked at Mariko, who just beginnning to get back
on her feet.  Guilt being the wonderful motivator that it is, it
motivated him to help her to her feet.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked.

Mariko looked up at the boy who had beaten him.  Was that genuine
concern she heard in his voice?  Was that worry she saw in his
eyes?  Did he care?  She blushed slightly.  He was really worried
about her. 

She wondered how it'd feel to be in his arms.

"I..." she managed to say, then closed her eyes.  Mariko fell
into his arms.  Ryouga looked panic-stricken.  Somewhere out
there, he knew Ukyou was watching.

"YOU CASANOVA!"

Yes, she was definitely watching.

What to now?  He couldn't leave Mariko out here.  He'd have to
carry her off to the sidelines, at the very least. 

Unseen by Ryouga, Mariko's lips formed a slight smile.  It felt
good to be in his arms.

***

Ryouga/Ken was slammed face first into the ground for the tenth
time in a row.  Ryo, surrounded by a flaming dark aura, pulled
him up by the neck like a rag doll, then marched towards one of
the nearby cameramen.

"Stay RIGHT there," he snarled.  A second later, he smashed
Ryouga/Ken's face into the camera.

//AND THE WINNER...//

"KIND OF OBVIOUS, ISN'T IT?! roared Ryo.  He glared at Copycat
Ken once more, then strode off the field seething with anger. 

***

[4th floor, Furinkan High]

"Saotome's in, boss.  Just like everyone expected."

Nabiki nodded.

Sayuri checked further on her notebook.  "Also in are... Ryo and
Ryouga.  Still waiting on Ryuu vs. Yojojimbo."

"Any footage highlights of note?" asked Nabiki.

"The Ranma vs. Happosai match was a real light show," replied
Yuka.  "We're sure to sell lots of copies of those.  Oh yeah,
there's an interesting new rumor floating around..."

***

"You big womanizing pervert," sneered Ukyou.

"I didn't do anything!" protested Ryouga loudly, drawing looks
from the other pedestrians as they walked down the street.

"Yeah, right.  So what's that lipstick mark on your face, huh?"

Ryouga stopped.  "Lipstick?  What lipstick?"

She swung out her spatula and held the flat end out in front of
Ryouga's face.  He winced.

"Look in the reflection, idiot."

Ryouga blinked, looked up, then quicly tore off a bandanna and
wiped off a lipstick mark on his cheek.

"I-it didn't mean anything!" he stuttered.

"Whatever.  C'mon, the guys are waiting for us."  She took him
firmly by the hand and and started them moving through the crowds
once more.

"The cafe again?"

Ukyou nodded.

A few minutes later, they made their way through King's cafe,
where it seemed all of Nerima's martial artists were hanging out
lately.  Ranma, Akane, and quite a few others were seated at one
of the long tables.  Hiroshi and Daisuke were tallying their
gambling hits and misses for the day.  Sayuri and Yuka were there
as well, accompanying the boys.  Prince Toma and Ryuu Kumon were
there as well. 

"Hey guys!" greeted Ranma.  

Everyone else gave them a wave, except Prince Toma and Ryuu
Kumon.  Both were in shock at the moment.

"I don't believe she left," murmured Prince Toma.

"Just like that," sighed Ryuu.

"Oh, cheer up!  I'm sure you'll run into them again," said Akane. 
In reply, both Ryuu and Toma sighed and stared silently into
their drinks. 

"H-i-b-i-k-i-sama!"

Ryouga paled then dove under the table.  "I'm not here!" he
hissed.  

A moment later, a somewhat bruised but happy Mariko Konjou
pranced happily past, looking around.  "Aw, I thought I saw him
here!"  She looked around once more, then bounded away to another
part of the cafe.

Ukyou frowned and gave Ryouga a swift kick.

"OW!"

"She's gone now.  Get up, jackass."

Ryouga cautiously rose back up to his seat.  Ranma, meanwhile,
was grinning.  "So, what was that all about?"

"It wasn't my fault," he said firmly.

"Ryouga's picked up a new girlfriend," said Ukyou.

"Why that sly dog," said Ranma smugly.  "Ryouga, I didn't think
you had it in ya."

"Shut up, Ranma!"

Thus began another round of pointless Ranma-Ryouga squabbling.
By this time, everyone had learned to tune it out like the
background noise that it was.

"So, how'd your match go?" Sayuri asked Ryuu.

"Never thought a sumo guy could be so fast," said Ryuu.
"Yojojimbo wasn't easy."

"Yeah, he's the current leading rebounder in the caffeteria,"
said Hiroshi, not looking away from his notepad.

"Er, what?"

"Caffeteria.  Rebounding," added Daisuke, although he too was
distracted with penciling in figures on his notepad.

Ryuu still looked confused.  "Ah, right."

Daisuke looked up for a moment to stretch his neck, then his eyes
locked on to the nearby television, currently on the King of
Nerima Pay Per View channel.  He tapped Ryouga on the shoulder,
effectively derailing the Ranma/Ryouga squabbling.

"Hey, Ryouga.  I think you oughta look on the tv man." 

"IF YOU HADN'T- huh?  What?"

"The television.  You.  Look."

Everyone at the table looked to the screen, where a bruised,
beaten, and bloodied Ryouga was smashed face-first into the
camera's point of view.

//...and that was the end of the Ryo Muhoshin/Copycat Ken
battle...//

"Yow.  That was surreal," said Ukyou. 

***


In a park on Tokyo Bay, Ryo Muuhoshin sat moodily on a bench,
alone.  The night sky was rather beautiful.  The breeze was
refreshing. 

He didn't notice that.  He was reading a note. 

   Muhoshin-san. 

       We regret to inform you that we've found employment
       elsewhere.  Good luck on the Unryuu scam, though
       we really advise against it. 

                               - Oritatami & Shoberu

       -p.s. No hard feelings, right? 


Ryo crushed the note in his fist and flung the paper away
angrily.  He stood up, took a deep breath, and walked away.

A moment later, Tanya Noori emerged from the shadows.  She idly
tossed around a crumpled note and grinned.  The pursuit of a
goal, she felt, was always easier when there wasn't competition
around.  If she played her cards right, things were going to
become easier.

She read the note one more time and shook her head.  By way of
covert surveilance, she knew who the major players in Nerima
were.  Akari looked nice enough.  Rotten bastard, victimizing a
girl like that.

***

The people in 'Ranma's table' greeted Nabiki as she took her
seat.  "Hi guys, sorry I'm late." 

"Did they list the next round matchups yet?" asked Akane. 

Nabiki nodded.  "Ranma's going up against Ryo Muhoshin, and
Ryouga's matched up against Ryuu Kumon." 

Everyone at the table took a look at Ryuu, with his sleeveless
shirt, bandanna, and spotted leggings, then at Ryouga with his
sleeveless shirt, spotted bandanna, and leggings.  A few snickers
followed. 

"Hey, what's so funny?" asked Ryouga. 

Ryuu shrugged. 

-end part 3?-