Most of the characters within the story are from the Anime Series, Ranma 1/2 and are property of Rumiko Takahashi, and whoever else may own the rights. I write this without permission and do so with no attempt to profit off of the marvelous works, rather I do so for everyone's benefit. Please enjoy and tell me what you think. Time passed and eventually everyone grew up, even Ranma Saotome with two years of constant strife centering on his relationship with Akane Tendo. Engaged against their will, they eventually grew to love each other. Unfortunately, not everyone of their would-be suitor's agreed with their choice. This is the story of one such person, going through great lengths to keep them separate. *********************************** *A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction: Vengeance* *********************************** by Ryan Erik ------Key------- ------- ---"Japanese"--- ---'Thoughts'--- --/Panda Sign\-- ---------------- _____________________________________________________________________ Begin Prelude: Ryouga Plots Revenge The rain poured endlessly over the near-flooding streets of Nerima on that Monday morning. Merchants along Nerima's streets closed shop early due to the storm and the people's unwillingness to leave the safety of indoors. Hitoshi Yoshida was one such merchant, owning a flower shop which did oddly well in all seasons. Hitoshi gazed outside through his glass door watching the rain wash the street clean of anything and anyone who stupidly attempted to brave it. He didn't care much for the very odd weather patterns that Nerima had picked up in the last couple of years, but business, certainly, had never been better. Strangely enough, his best customer hadn't been seen for days. "I wonder what happened to that fool Kuno?" he muttered to himself. He didn't think that he would see anyone else today, so he went to flip the 'Closed' sign, but before he had the chance, the door gave way to allow a young man enter. Hitoshi looked at this customer closely not recognizing him to be one of his regulars. 'Only Kuno would be foolish enough to actually buy flowers on a day like this... but maybe not.' He smiled and moved out of the way allowing his customer to enter. The young man closed his red umbrella very warily and attached it to his backpack, giving Hitoshi a good view of the stranger. Standing quite tall, the man loomed over the short merchant by a good foot or more. His black hair was pretty short, but somewhat shaggy hiding a yellow and black spotted bandanna, only visible on the back of his head. He wore a look of confusion on his face that suggested he was lost. He looked like a boy who lost his way from home, but this was no child. The young man looked Hitoshi's way giving him a good view of his face even though it was somewhat dark in the shop. His young, but roughened features, looked as if he had been through much weathering. Many girls would find him quite attractive, or so Hitoshi thought. His eyes were what made the man seem unordinary seeming to carry a great burden and hopelessness that were probably fueled by some inner self-loathing. Hitoshi considered himself a good judge of people who he had just met, and this young man seemed very troubled. "Can I help you, young man?" Hitoshi asked a few moments after the young man had entered his shop and settled himself. "Are you looking for something or just trying to get out of the rain?" The man looked at him with a definite internal struggle going on within. The youth seemed very unsure of himself at that moment. "Umm... well, I'm looking for Nerima. You wouldn't happen to know where that is?" He looked at the merchant, who smiled warmly at him. "You do not have to look far, young one. You are standing in my flower shop that is within the center of Nerima." The shock on the youth's face turned to ecstasy after a few moments. Hitoshi thought he heard the youth mumble something about thanking fate. "Well, you might as well make yourself comfortable. No one with any common sense would walk out in that downpour." The youth smiled at him revealing his fang-like teeth. "Now why don't you tell me why you are so troubled while we wait for this storm to pass us by?" The youth took a seat and set his large pack on the floor. "Oh, I forgot my manners. I am Hitoshi Yoshida, owner of this fine establishment, the Flower Emporium." He stood up briefly and bowed to the youth before returning to his seat. The young man stood up bowed and said, "I'm Ryouga Hibiki." He sat down once more and appeared to be thinking deeply. The merchant relaxed in his chair and gave Ryouga his time to answer his first question. The youth looked eager to pour out his woes just as the heavens poured rain upon them this very day. "I'd rather not," Ryouga confessed, trying not to think of his troubles himself. Lately, he found himself becoming more and more unable to control the raging depression that lurked within him. At times, it felt as if something was residing within him making him do things that he would not normally do under most circumstances. Controlling his depression was less of a problem than controlling the rage that followed. Quite a bit of property damage had begin to accumulate to his name where usually he could get away without the consequences. Weeks before he had lost himself for the thousandth time, he had been helping some folk in a town outside of Hokkaido repair the damages that he had caused with his pent up chi energy in the form of a Lion's Roar Bullet. While he repaired more damage than he had actually caused, he still felt very bad about endangering so many lives. "It has to do with a girl, ne?" The merchant caused Ryouga to sigh going into a deep fantasy of the girl who possessed his heart. "Oh, Ryouga!" she would say to him. "Akane, my love! I will never let Ranma hurt you with his words again!" A smile bloomed on his face. "What would I ever do without you?" She fiercely grabbed him into an embrace and they became one. His lips closed in on hers; everything was right in the universe. Akane tried to speak only coming out with muffled words causing him to pull away. "What is it, my love?" "Ryouga-san, are you well?" Ryouga's eyes focused in on the speaker shattering his fantasy. "Hai." His mind still on Akane, he couldn't answer any better. "I was right; it is a girl," Yoshida-san said with a grin. "Why don't you tell me about her?" Ryouga considered the merchant's request. What could it hurt? "She is like no other," Ryouga began, trying to concentrate. "Her kindness goes is only rivaled by her beauty." He closed his eyes, Akane firmly pictured in his mind. "Before I met her, life made no sense. I was alone. I had been alone for the majority of my life." Unshed tears formed in his eyes threatening to copy the sky outside in its downpour. "Now, just a thought of her brightens my day and the sight of her addles my brain." He focused on the picture of Akane looking at her intently. Glittering, her beautiful brown eyes blinked in response. He looked into them so deeply. "Her eyes suck my very soul from my body! Oh God! How unfair life is!" The merchant placed a hand on his shoulder comforting the younger man. "You know you love her. Does she return yours at all?" "I don't know," was all Ryouga could say. "She..." He paused for a moment collecting himself. "She has a fiancee." His shoulders slumped and his head fell low. He forced himself not to block out the rage of depression that began to generate within him. "I know she doesn't love him though! He is a horrible person and can only insult her." The merchant looked at him confused and Ryouga explained further, "It was an arranged marriage." Yoshida nodded in solemn empathy having been in that situation himself when he was a youth. He fell in love with the daughter of a wealthy businessman at an early age, only to have his love shattered by her father arranging her marriage to another. She didn't have the courage to go against her father's will and they were forced to part ways. No matter how far in the past it lay, the thought of it still hurt as if it were yesterday. "You should tell her of your love, and let her make of it what she will. That is the only way you'll ever know if she loves you, or could love you back." Ryouga looked like he was on the verge of tears. "You are having problems working up the nerve, ne?" Ryouga nodded and Hitoshi spoke again. "Well, you have to tell her now, or never." Before it's too late... * * * The rain stopped and Ryouga Hibiki bid the very generous flower shop owner farewell. He looked at the beautiful bouquet of roses that he held in his hands, which Hitoshi had generously offered to him half-price. He would win Akane's heart tonight. He neared the Tendo dojo at dawn the next day and was exhausted from lack of sleep. He daydreamed as he walked in the doors... "Oh Ryouga-kun!" Akane fell into his arms and embraced him. His fantasy was short-lived though, for he failed to watch where he was going and walked straight into the koi pond. "Bwee!!" A small black piglet, wearing a familiar black-spotted yellow bandanna with black spots, emerged from the pool instead of the young man. The small pig squealed, swimming to the edge until he was lifted up by his bandanna. "So Ryouga, you decided to show up after all." The black pig glared at the young redhead, who held him, trying to bite her. "Hey now! No need to be rude, sheesh." She dropped him on the ground squarely on his behind, causing pain to spread throughout his entire being. The young woman collected Ryouga's gear from the koi pond managing to grab the flowers before they were ruined. "Are these for me, Ryouga?" she teased. "You shouldn't have." Anger flooded the mind of the small black pig. The flowers that he got for Akane would now be stolen by Ranma, the bastard. 'You are so dead!' the small black pig thought. The girl, named Ranma, managed to pick Ryouga up by the bandanna and carry him into the dojo. "You stay right here. I'll get us some hot water." She left him alone on the blue floor mats. He thought of all the horrible things he wanted to do to Ranma. A handsome young man returned in her place, his hair soaking wet. "So, did you get our invitation? We knew we'd have to send one out to you earlier then everyone else's so you'd arrive on time." As the young man poured hot water over Ryouga, changing him back into a human, the lost boy could only stare at him in confusion. Ryouga quickly dressed himself and picked up the flowers. "I don't know what you're talking about Ranma, but I won't fall for any of your tricks today!" He passed Ranma, brushing by him angrily. Ryouga turned to look at him and glared. "Invitations for what?" His face wrought with confusion and anger. "Well, the wedding of course! So, you didn't get it?" "Who's getting married? Did Dr. Tofu finally ask Kasumi to marry him?" Ryouga asked, causing the pig-tailed boy to laugh out loud. 'He will pay for mocking me.' Ryouga attacked him with a fierce punch to the face, which Ranma dodged with ease. "Cool down, man!" Ranma tripped Ryouga and sent him sprawling onto the floor. "Akane and my wedding, you dolt!" Anything Ryouga could or would have said stopped short. He started to pull himself off of the floor but his legs were unwilling. His whole world seemed to be crashing down on top of him at that moment, and he hoped it would crush him. There was nothing left. Nothing. He felt nauseated and fell back to the floor unconscious. * * * Ryouga opened his eyes and stared into the eyes of his goddess. He gazed into those brown orbs and drowned himself in them. Moaning softly, his head flooded with the pain of memory. "Oh, I think he's awake!" came a voice, the soft voice that he loved so much. It was the owner of the voice that cared for him so many times when he was down or injured. "Are you okay, Ryouga?" Ryouga came to and looked around. He was in the Tendo's living room, and leaning over him was his one and only love, Akane. "Yeah," he muttered faintly. He sat up watching Akane smile at him. 'Can this be a dream? I'm with her and I'm not a pig! She seems happy to see me!' He then noticed Ranma a few feet back and realized the gravity of the situation. "Is it true Akane? You're getting married?" Akane's eyes dazzled and she beamed at him. "Yes! We're getting married in the spring!" That was like a dagger in the heart to poor Ryouga who fell back on the sofa. Ranma had won. Ranma had won a battle so final that there was no second chance. His mouth ran dry and his thoughts simply vanished. She was marrying his most hated enemy. Ranma came over and smiled at him but Ryouga's icy return caused him to back off. "I'm going to head out. I'll be back soon, Akane." Ranma's departure enabled Ryouga to breathe once more. How could this be happening? A few moments passed and Akane stood up. "Can I get you some tea or water, Ryouga? You've been out for most of the day." He knew what he had to do. "Ryouga?" Akane pressed her hand against his forehead trying to feel for a temperature. "You don't have a fever." He stood up next to her and grabbed her hands gently. "Akane... I... I... I'm sorry. I have to go for good this time." She looked at him with a compassion that only she could show to him, the lost boy. He released her hands, and she tried to stop him as he turned and fled. "Ryouga, wait! Please don't go!" Her pleas turned his heart to mush as he ran from the accursed house. "Ryouga! Please stop..." He ran as fast as he could, putting as much distance as he could between Akane and himself. Tears flooded his eyes and he had no idea where he was going, but he didn't care anymore. His heart of glass shattered, and he had only himself to blame. He never had the nerve to tell Akane his true feelings, and Ranma beat him to the punch. Ranma. The name was the only thing in his head right now. The name that brought him so much pain in the past was the name of the person who delivered the fatal blow. 'How could Akane love such a worthless piece of shit??!!' Wandering sounded pretty good at the present time. * * * Ranma Saotome left the dojo in low spirits. He didn't want to be on bad terms with any of his old friends, especially not so near to his wedding. Ryouga showed up on cue and he expected the pig-boy to listen to reason and just live on. 'I expected that? from Ryouga?' He laughed inwardly, but he found little humor in it. He set his mind up for what he was doing next. Ukyou Kuonji, his best friend, was leaving town today and he was going to her restaurant to wish her farewell. Another friend was leaving his life today. She had refused his invitation to the wedding stating that it would be too painful, and that she needed to move on into the next chapter of her life. Life without her wouldn't be as pleasant, but life always goes on. He neared Ucchan's, the restaurant she had named after his pet name for her. There were no customers today, for she was packing up and moving out. He walked in receiving a cheerful greeting, "You came, Ranchan." She seemed to say that to reassure herself more then anything. She smiled and greeted him with a hug. "Of course I did, Ucchan! What are best friends for?" His last words seemed to make the mood a little more dim, but she brightened up quickly. "I'm sad that you have to leave Nerima... I'll miss ya." He smiled faintly at her, and she beamed one back. "You'll have very little time on your hands, especially with Akane becoming your wife and the two of you running the dojo." He nodded but it was only half sincere. "Since you're here, why don't you help me pack?" He nodded and they the rest of the day packing her equipment, and other items. Day turned to night and their job was finished. "Thanks, Ranma." She walked over to him from her seat at the grill. "I'm going to miss you so much." Tears started to flow from her eyes and she reached out for him. "Don't cry, Ucchan. I'll always be there for you when you need me." He always hated when girls cried, especially when he was to blame. He held her tightly, and then she tilted her head and kissed him fully on the lips. After she released him, he stumbled back a little embarrassed. "You have my promise that I will never interfere with yours and Akane's lives again." He nodded sorrowfully as she walked him out of her shop and closed the doors behind him. Tomorrow would be a day of new beginnings for her, and he only could hope and pray that she would recover quickly. He headed back to the dojo, not noticing the figure who witnessed the whole scene from across the street. * * * Night fell upon the lost boy, and he once again was somewhere unfamiliar. His eyes, still red from a recent cry, scanned his surroundings, which placed him within a city. He noticed the signs were still in Japanese, so he couldn't have wandered too far from Nerima, though it was his intent. As he chose to lose himself in the vastness of the world, fate took over and guided him to where he was meant to be at the right moment. He hated putting his life in its hands, but the majority of the time he had little or no choice. Why he ended up at Ucchan's, he did not know, but he decided to approach it and maybe get a few bites to eat. Ukyou was always a good friend to him when it came to feeding him. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the young man in the red Chinese shirt and baggy black pants. "Rannnnma," he growled under his breath in an attempt to avoid drawing attention to himself. He watched the scene before him intently. Ranma and Ukyou were talking when suddenly they embraced and he saw them began to kiss deeply. His thoughts burned with hatred and renewed anger for Ranma Saotome. He would kill him right now if he were able but that would only bring more trouble than good it could possibly do. Now anyway. 'Ranma, you will pay for his unfaithfulness to Akane!' He concealed himself in the shadows as Ranma exited Ucchan's and walked down the street. He thought about following for a moment, but it was already too late, for Ranma had disappeared out of sight. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to visit Ukyou after all. * * * Four days later. It was another one of those long days for young Ranma Saotome. As always, his father woke him up early for a special training idea that he concocted from his stupid panda brain. As if on cue, he fell into the koi pond requiring hot water to reverse his curse. Unfortunately, he never got to use it for Akane punted him far away for commenting on her horrible cooking. He landed squarely on Kuno, who in turn chased him around Nerima for a good half an hour before he could get back to the dojo and change back with the hot water that he had prepared earlier. Now, he was off to try and convince Cologne and Shampoo, for the thousandth time, to back off and let him marry Akane. "Airen!" The expected cry came from the restaurant that he was approaching and a familiar purple-haired girl came rushing at him. He sighed an prepared for the upcoming glomp, but it never came. "You get rid of Violent Tomboy and marry Shampoo now, yes?" Ranma sighed. He knew this wasn't going to be an easy task, but it had to be done. "Shampoo, please listen to me for a minute." She nodded in consent and he continued. 'Shampoo, I can't marry you. I love Akane, and nothing is going to break the bond that we share. Great, now all I have to do is say it!' "Umm... Shampoo?" "Nani?" She smiled at him affectionately. "I don't love you." His heart started to race and he regretted his words right after he said them. 'Good going, slick,' he thought to himself. She only stared at him, her eyes filled with sorrow. She was about to say something but he cut her off. "I-I... love Akane, and nothing anyone can do will ever make me change my mind." His heart beat quickly as he held his breath, waiting for a reaction. She sighed aloud and spoke, "Great-grandma prepare Shampoo for while now. Shampoo no cry." He finally took in a breath. He hated seeing women cry. "Come here, Ranma." She pulled him by his collar into a vacant side alley. Deep consideration in her eyes, she looked at before drawing him close into an embrace, kissing him for a moment before releasing. "Uhh... Sh-sh-shampoo?? What was that for?" he wondered how the old Ghoul had prepared her for him and he started to panic even more. Shampoo let him take a few steps back then she sighed. "That how Shampoo say bie liao, Air... Ranma." * * * From across the street, once more Ryouga watched Ranma take advantage of another girl! 'His day of death is now!' * * * Ranma started to make his way away from Shampoo and back to the Tendo Dojo when he heard a familiar battle cry. "Prepare to die, Saotome!" He rolled his eyes and took a defensive stance as Ryouga charged him. "You'll pay for what you've done to Akane!" Ryouga closed the ground between them quickly and Ranma prepared for Ryouga's very anticipated attack. "Bakusai Tenketsu!" The ground exploded, spraying pieces of concrete everywhere, but Ranma was well aware of the range that Ryouga's over-used move gave him. "Die for Akane!" He rushed Ranma like the fool he was and jumped into the air bringing his foot down to crush the life from his victim. Ranma dodge this attack, moving just far enough not to get hit then closed in on Ryouga. "Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!" Ryouga managed to block a few of the punches, but nearly one hundred slipped through his defense. "Gah!" Ryouga, taking the beating, then attacked Ranma with a few swipes of his umbrella. Ranma dodged his strikes again and then countered with several punches that struck Ryouga. Unexpectedly, Ryouga jumped back and instead of his normal "go for the kill move," he unleashed a storm of bandannas. Ranma dodged the missiles and made his way towards Ryouga cautiously. Ryouga's battle aura was flaring now, and he jumped high into the air in preparation for another jump kick. 'What a fool.' Ranma, as a near master of the Anything-Goes Martial arts system, was a aerial combat expert. Ranma threw himself up into the air and engaged the lost boy like he has done with his father every morning of every day. Ryouga was quick to fall and Ranma realized his mistake. "You are going to die!!!! Bakusai Tenketsu!" The blast caught Ranma, near full on this time, as he landed from their aerial brawl. He had barely enough time to bring up his arms and protect his face from the blast. Ranma, bruised and bleeding in more than a few areas, angrily lunged at Ryouga, kicking him in the face hard. Ryouga tumbled backwards with the blow, but still got up. 'Man, he just won't quit!' Ryouga, once again, charged with a barrage of punches, kicks, and umbrella slashes. Ranma used his Chestnut fist to block every single attack. Angered at his failure, Ryouga jumped back. "Come on man, let's talk about this?" Ranma offered which Ryouga answered with a rising battle aura. 'Damn it! He's going to use the Lion's Roar Bullet! He'll level the whole area for sure!' Without a second thought, Ranma charged Ryouga and leveled him with a kick that would have destroyed a brick wall. Ryouga fell to the floor obviously unconscious and beaten. "Stupid P-chan! Why do you gotta always go pickin' fights with me?" He looked at Ryouga's limp form and decided he'd had enough of him and left him on the street. He examined his favorite red shirt, which was now blood-stained and ruined. 'I'm getting careless. He shouldn't have hit me.' He took one last look to see a small crowd looking over the unconscious fool. 'He'll be okay enough to attack another day...' * * * "Ryouga, you took some nasty concussions, but you'll be fine." The voice seemed confident, and concerned for him. He managed to shift one eye open, but his vision blurred and the bright light hurt his adjusting eyes. 'How many times this week will I need to be revived?' he wondered. He shifted his other eye open and tried to focus on what was in front of him. White. He was staring at a white ceiling. "You're going to be okay, Ryouga." The familiar voice said, reassuring him. "You took some pretty nasty blows to the head, but you should heal pretty quickly and be ready to leave tomorrow." He returned Dr. Tofu's stare. Ryouga tried to pull himself into a sitting position but Tofu held him down. "Try not to strain yourself. You'll recover quicker that way." Yes. He must recover to exact revenge on Ranma somehow. All of a sudden he felt very drowsy. 'I... can't stay... awake.' Ryouga's eyes shot open and he sat up immediately. He felt strangely refreshed, and his head barely hurt at all. He remembered the events of the day before and tried to hold back his anger. 'No reason to get upset now... I must concentrate and get revenge on that filthy cheating bastard.' "I'm glad you're awake. You can go whenever you want now. I held you back a couple more days so you could at least be in good shape before you go out charging into a fray once again." Dr. Tofu knew him too well. Ryouga gathered his gear, after thanking the good doctor, and made his away towards the Tendo Dojo which, because of fate, he would not see for a good deal of time. End Prelude: Ryouga Plots Revenge _____________________________________________________________________ Begin Part One: The Answer Akane looked into his eyes so deeply that he could not turn away. He then realized how close they were to each other, but neither wanted to back off. Their mutual gaze broke only when Ryouga tilted his head to kiss his beautiful goddess' lips, giving way and parting, allowing his tongue to explore her mouth. They held the kiss so long that he almost thought it would last forever, but rather he broke it off started playfully caressing her face, then her neck and he started to go lower when he heard something. "Oh, don't stop love!" Akane called out and he shifted his attention back to her, but that noise seemed to be growing louder, and the room they were in started to vibrate. "Don't stop!" He heard Akane's cry but couldn't do anything about it, for the bed they were sitting on gave way and he fell onto a grassy surface. His eyes scanned the area looking for his one true love, but she was no where to be seen. "Akane! Where are you?" The trees around him only swayed with the wind in response. "No! I will not lose you!" He frantically cried out as he searched his now jungle-like surroundings for any sign of her. After a few moments he found a rock and sat down, more frustrated than anything. "Why does fate separate us? Why?!" "The only reason she even tolerates your petty existence is because she thinks your a pig!" the voice of Ranma taunted. Ryouga spun around to be face to face with the pig-tailed boy, but now they were near the koi pond in the Tendo Training Hall. "She'll never love you, and if she ever finds out your P-chan she'll skin you alive!" Ryouga scowled at him, his depression and anger rising. "Hey pig-boy! Why don't you do us all a favor and skin yourself? I bet you taste pretty good!" Ryouga's depression became a pure beam of chi energy as he yelled, "Shishi Hokodan!" The blast left nothing of Ranma but I pile of smoking ash. His reality changed and he now was sitting on the booth at Ucchan's. Ukyou came from the back and scowled at him. "You good for nothing pile of shit, what the hell are you doing back here?" Ryouga's face became one of surprise as Ukyou had never treated him like this before. "Wha..." he didn't even get to start his question when Ukyou again started yelling at him. "Well, while your here, I can fry you up and make plenty of bacon!" His eyes narrowed in anger. "What's wrong, Ryouga? Pig got your tongue?" That was the last straw. Ryouga felt the burning anger inside of him and channeled it out in one blast of dark green chi energy, reducing Ukyou and the rest of Ucchan's to nothing more than ash. "You're pathetic, Ryouga! Slightest bit of anger and you kill all of my friends! Why I even considered you a friend of mine, I haven't the slightest idea." He turned to the newest voice and noticed that he now stood inside Akane's room facing... Akane. 'No! Anyone but her!!!' he thought frantically. "You sicken me, Ryouga! I..." He held his head and concentrated on building what little chi energy he had left. 'This is it,' he thought to himself as he released the blast against himself. * * * His breathing shallow and irregular, Ryouga awoke from his nightmare drenched in sweat. He searched for his elusive inner calmness, but it was a fruitless effort. Ever since he fell in the waters of Jusenkyo two years ago, his dreams had never been the same. Almost fearing to sleep, Ryouga had decided back then that it was safer to walk around half-awake than to suffer through the horrid nightmares that plagued him, but he was very wrong. That was when the dreams started to terrify him while he was conscious. When he was at his lowest point, the point where cowards choose suicide as a way out, was when it struck him. Waking dreams sent him into his virtual living hell, one where his humanity seemed to be slipping... piece by piece. Only in the arms of his beloved Akane, or when he was in one of his private fantasy worlds, the desperation seemed to fade allowing him a little comforting vacation from the horrors that lurked from within him. What was he becoming? His only cover for the happenings was his horrible direction sense. While a child, it was a horrible curse that would leave him hungry and alone, but now as an adult he found it to be quite liberating. Sometimes he would lose himself in places that took his breath away and cleared his mind of his troubles. Sometimes when he visited a shrine or another holy place, he would be able to find that elusive calm that had evaded for so long now. Those were definitely the times that made life worth living. How he ended up back at the Tendo Training Hall, time and time again, would never cease to amaze him. Whether finding his way back was a curse or a blessing in disguise was left to be contended. Akane, his goddess and reason for living, resided there but she seemed like a fruit that lay on a branch forever out of his reach. Though on the downside, his arch-nemesis, Ranma Saotome, stayed with her taunting the both of them endlessly until either he or Akane attacked the miserable excuse for a human being. While Ryouga could never manage to defeat him, Ranma let Akane mallet him into submission. It was nearly as satisfying as doing it himself. Nearly. Unfortunately, the latest development in Ranma and Akane's relationship took a turn for the better leaving Ryouga high and dry. What she could possibly see in that cheating bastard was completely beyond his ability to comprehend. If only he had a chance to tell her before... The cold chill in the air caressed his body sending a shiver up his spine. He rubbed his eyes, still feeling the effects of waking up from his poor sleep. His surroundings became clear, revealing him to be in a forest swaying in the wind as if dancing to a slow, sad tune. No discerning landmarks showed that he was, not only lost again, but also most likely out of Japan. "Curse you, Ranma! This is all your fault!" His voice seemed strangely muted. Whenever his luck was down, it was just too easy to pin all of his blame on Ranma. Of course, Ryouga wasn't a fool to believe it all the time, but recently it rang painfully true. He took a deep breath filling his lungs with the bitter-sweet fresh air. The polluted air that made up the atmosphere of Tokyo really got to Ryouga after a long enough stay. Sleeping out in the open under the stars and in the fresh air became an addiction after a while. Picking up his pack, he started off in a random direction. The afternoon sun shown down upon Ryouga's face as he hiked through a heavily wooded forest. Raising his arm to his sweat soaked brow, he attempted to dry his face. While it was not a particularly hot day, the heat could not free itself from the confines of the forest, making the air very stuffy. His eyes took note of a clearing ahead of him and cautiously walked towards it. As he approached, he could make out few a man-made structures appearing to be houses. Upon further investigation, he realized that he had finally found a village. "Now to find out where I am." After a few minutes, he came close enough to see a few children play-fighting with sticks while supervised by an elder man. One of the children saw him and called out to the older man who gathered the children with a call. Ryouga didn't think anything of this and continued to approach the house. The cold prick of steel pressed up to his neck caused him to halt himself. a very feminine voice yelled at him in Chinese. He heard her feet shuffle and felt the removal of the weapon from his neck. He turned and faced a very beautiful Amazon warrior whose hair was an abnormal light blue. She was a half-foot shorter than him and probably could not hold up to him in a fight, but the position of her weapon would not allow much time for a reaction. Her light green eyes seemed to scream in annoyance at his presence. Her thin lips parted and her face lit with concentration. She probably was no older than fourteen or fifteen years of age. Although he was very tempted to draw his umbrella and show this girl a thing or two, the consequences of marrying her were not ones he was willing to pay. Drawing up all of his skill in Chinese, he responded, He did not need to ask where he was. The exotic warrior before him explained that all too well for his liking. He drew in a breath when she pushed the point of the spear to his side and nudged him to his left. her sultry voice snapped. he said and started his on his way to the right. She pointed her spear where he was headed away from. Shrugging, he turned a round and walked until she was completely out of sight. * * * Mascara watched Ryouga's retreating form until he disappeared out of sight. As soon as she could no longer see him, she released a breath that she had held onto nearly the whole time while he had been in her presence. Swallowing and taking a deep breath, she slapped herself a few times to wake herself out of that state she had been in. The moment she had seen the young man walking towards her house, she ran to defend it just in case he meant her family harm. Though he did not fight nor mean anyone harm, there was something about him that she did not like. There was something about the way he carried himself and his confident manner that made her shudder inwardly. Could a mere male have defeated her? She figured that he could have easily done that and more. Something about him made her want challenge him and find out just how good he really was, but she wasn't prepared to get married to a complete stranger yet, but he was handsome. Too bloody handsome for her own good, she figured. When she realized what direction he headed, she slapped herself again. While it did lead away from Joketsuzoku, it lead somewhere that was forbidden to travel. Running along the path, she tried to catch up, but his trail mysteriously ended after he walked around a large rock. 'Damn! He must have realized I was following!' How that was possible in this soft soil, she had no idea but he must be good. Right about then, she strongly wished she had challenged him. * * * Two girls walked hand in hand through the rain. The first, a pretty, pig-tailed redhead wearing a red Chinese shirt, untucked and hanging out of her baggy black pants, smiled as she walked. Her whole outfit, being very oversized, did not fit her very well and was completely soaked. The other, another pretty girl wearing an equally soaked white gi, looked a bit self conscious as she walked with her friend. Her short black hair fell into her face causing her to push it aside with her free hand. She blushed a bit seeing her friend's gaze fall on her but it was quickly replaced with her happy, confident smile. The two seemed oblivious to everything else that surrounded them. "I love you, Akane." The redhead released Akane's hand, putting her arm around her shoulders, and receiving an arm around her waist in response. "I love you too, Ranma." The mutual love between them kept their spirits high and bodies warm as they walked along the side walk with no hurry to get to their destination. "This was a good idea, love." Akane said to Ranma, who smiled sweetly at her kissing her on the cheek. 'He can be sweet when he wants to be...' Akane couldn't remember a time when she was happier. The day started strangely peaceful for once and they didn't fight at all before school. He didn't even walk on the fence like he usually did, so that they could walk together holding hands. Of course, they couldn't avoid Kuno's challenge, but Ranma quickly dispatched of him so they could continue in relative peace. After school, he asked if she wanted to go to the park for a little practice, because the dojo was under repairs. She dressed in her gi and he in his normal Chinese outfit. When they got there, her jaw dropped in surprise and she fainted in shock. He had set up a surprise picnic. She awoke in his arms and they stayed there, embracing for an eternity. After they ate, they fed the ducks at the pond with some extra bread that he had packed along. They could have stayed there forever, and she really wanted to do so, but Nerima's strange weather patterns called for today to rain. They took shelter under a grove of trees where they stayed for a bit, but the rain didn't let up, so they walked home. They arrived at the gate to the Tendo residence stopping short of entering, when they looked intently at each other. Akane wondered what Ranma would do? As if answering her, Ranma put her arms around Akane and held her close, tilting her own head kissing Akane full on the lips. At first, Akane was a little shocked, but after a few seconds she eased into the embrace. After a few moments Ranma released her and opened the gate. They entered the compound, closing the gate behind them. They walked through the grounds and into the house without seeing anyone. 'It must be late,' she thought as walked through the main living area. Then she felt how tired she really was. "You okay, Akane-chan?" Ranma asked in a near whisper. Ranma was very close for she could feel her warmth, but her eyes started to close in exhaustion involuntarily. She then felt herself being picked up and carried upstairs when sleep finally claimed her. Ranma smiled as she placed Akane on the bed after putting a towel down so that she wouldn't get everything wet. 'This is the best day I've ever had.' Ranma thought knowing that it was truth. She had never gone a day without being harassed, attacked (Kuno doesn't count), and flattened (by Akane) all in one day. Ranma, like Akane, started to feel extremely drowsy, but wasn't about to go to sleep on Akane, no matter how tempting it was. She exited the room and walked into the bathroom, stripping her clothes off. She grabbed a towel and walked up turning the bath on. She went over to the mirror and looked at her reflection seeing a young redhead, a beautiful young redhead for that matter, standing looking back at her completely nude. Of course, she stared at her own reflection, but this still seemed like a stranger whose body she was occupying. 'I don't know if I'll ever be completely used to this curse.' She always told everyone that she'd give up her curse in the blink of an eye, but from all of her chances she wondered if she had to keep it for some plot that fate had for her. She turned to the bathtub and turned off the faucet. 'Either way, its better to be half-girl than a girl all the time.' She could not imagine being like this full time. She always considered herself a male, in thought and in body (half the time), no matter what form she currently occupied. Recently though, she was becoming more and more at ease with some things that would normally bother her, but it mattered little. She could get a cure later, when things settled down. After scrubbing herself down, she entered the tub of hot water and underwent the transformation that she, now a he, never really noticed. Every time hot or cold water would hit him, he never actually felt the change until obvious anatomy became apparent that he was in his other form. He might never fully be used to the curse, but it was slowly becoming more comfortable now that Akane accepted him in it. Lately, things between Akane and him weren't too bad at all. She still used her mallet every now and again, but rarely with enough anger to send him flying to far away from the Tendo dojo. After settling the problem of multiple fiancee's, he felt a lot more light hearted about the future. Shampoo had taken it rather well, as did Ukyou, but Kodachi lost her remaining tidbit of sanity and tried to kill Akane. This landed her in an insane asylum outside of Tokyo, which he felt bad about, but it wasn't his fault. Now he was only interrupted by Kuno and Ryouga, whenever he would actually show up. Other than those two, no one was actually trying to split them apart. The couple's parents actually started to give them privacy, and less encouragement since they decided to get married. Everything was going very well in his opinion. * * * Finding himself lost in the forest again, Ryouga thought nothing of it. He only hoped that whatever direction he was heading took him far away from those bloody Amazons. The last thing he needed was to be forced into a marriage with someone he had only met in combat. It wouldn't be the worst thing that happened to him and might actually be a good idea, if he didn't have an obligation to Akane. Ryouga couldn't leave her in Ranma's clutches. How he would ever get revenge on Ranma was left to be seen. Ranma's blind luck and pure skill combined were enough of a weapon, but he also was a very intelligent fighter. Though he may not be the smartest person in the world, when it comes to martial arts, Ranma became a monster. His quick adaptation to all of Ryouga's tricks and techniques, even impossibly hard ones that he learned from the old ghoul, Cologne, was simply amazing. There had to be some way to defeat him so that he would give up his claim on Akane's hand. Unfortunately, Akane had some misguided conception that she wanted to marry the perverted bastard. A slight rumble in the sky caused Ryouga's instincts to unsheathe his umbrella from his backpack and hold it securely above his head. A few streaks of lightning could be seen on the horizon, and but a second later the thunder sounded. Though no rain fell from the heavens, Ryouga kept his umbrella above him. He would not risk a transformation way out here. There had to be something he could do to separate Ranma and Akane, but anytime Ryouga found out something he would be unable to find his way back to the Tendo Training Hall. He had to get Akane to see the light, but he, better than anyone, knew that she was so thick-headed that she would never see any wrong doing. Plus, if he said anything bad about the pig-tailed boy, Ranma would just expose Ryouga's curse. He, himself, would see the vengeance that Akane could give out instead of Ranma. Tears streaked down Ryouga's face as he continued his journey into the unknown. He needed to get rid of Ranma, or do something to him that would disable his claim to Akane. He had to save Akane from a fate worse than death - being married to Ranma. "Why not just kill him?" a deep raspy voice inquired to him. Ryouga spun around looking for the person who had intruded in on his thoughts. Scanning the area around, he could see nothing. Nothing at all. Not a creature stirred. "Who's there?! Show yourself!" "Why not just kill Ranma?" the voice repeated itself. "Why not?!" His voice muffled by dense foliage screamed. "I'll tell you why not! I can't defeat him, and killing him will just make Akane sad. I could never hurt her..." Ryouga's eyes scanning his surroundings, he scowled at the unknown person. "Just imagine how much good you would be doing everyone," it reasoned. "The only reason Akane isn't madly in love with you is because Ranma is fooling her with his lies." Ryouga's battle aura began to gather. "The only reason Shampoo and Mousse aren't in their homeland and married is due to Ranma's lustful ways. He lead her on for two years! Two years, and now he marries your true love!" Ryouga's head fell and his aura penetrated the darkness around lighting up the whole area. "Think of poor Ukyou... his crimes against her stretch far into the past. From the tender age of six, Ranma was a devil in disguise! He probably encouraged his father to steal Ukyou's yatai." His teeth gritted together as the voice continued. He didn't want to think of all the sins Ranma had committed. Killing the gender changing pervert, like Ryouga promised every battle cry, seemed like a really good option, but there had to be some way around it. One thing that Ryouga liked less than Ranma was death. Though it seemed to be like the cure-all be-all of answers, his death would probably cause more problems than it was worth. "You will regret not killing him in the future, Ryouga." It did not relent, pounding the option into the subconscious mind of the lost boy. "He will ruin Akane's, and not to mention your, life. Think about it, boy. Think about it." * * * Ukyou Kuonji stared at the night sky from atop the roof of her new restaurant now far away from Nerima, far away from the crazy things that went on there, and far away from Ranma. Her heart still ached every time she thought of him, but being an independent, strong-willed woman, she would be just fine, eventually. Why, just yesterday, she met a nice gentleman who offered her a date, which, of course, she couldn't turn down. Through it all, she still wore her mask of self confidence covering her self pity. She wanted to hate Akane for having Ranma, but that was not her way. She would pull through this, and every other obstacle that lay in her path from now on. 'Why does it have to hurt so bad though? How could he choose someone who hurt him on a daily basis? Couldn't he see that I am everything Akane isn't?' Something odd took her attention from the sky; her chimney was moving towards her! After a moment of confusion, she reached for her spatula and growled one name in anger, "TSUBASA!" This was then proceeded by a loud crunch, a flying cross-dresser and a falling shredded chimney disguise. 'Will that baka ever give up?' Well, things were almost able to be considered normal. A little piece of Nerima would always be with her. Whether that was good or bad, she did not know, but either way, she would make it out okay. * * * Time was of the essence and Ryouga Hibiki just didn't have enough. When he had left the Tendo Training Hall, only a month and a half remained of winter. While for any normal human being this would be plenty of time to make a plan and carry it out to stop the impending tragedy, he was not a normal human being. The two curses that made his life hell also stopped him from developing any skill in scheming, since he relied on an element that required none, chaos. Not knowing where he was going to be from one moment to the next carried a great toll for the lost boy. He simply took chances that fate allowed him playing the hand that he was dealt. Would fate see him through to his destination allowing him to exact vengeance upon the demon in human guise, or would it once again elude him? Ryouga could only pray that the answer would be positive. He was most likely now somewhere in China or one of its bordering neighbor countries. This gave him little comfort and knowing it only made him more nervous. This was supposed to be a time of action and planning, but it would do him little good when he needed to be in Japan to do anything about it. It seemed like fate had given up on him. A thick fog fell low reducing his vision to that of only a few feet. With his luck, he would probably end up walking straight into the Pacific Ocean. A sigh escaped his lips as utter despair set in. Ranma would end up marrying Akane and there was almost nothing he could do about it. His only love. The only one who cared for him in both of his forms, though she did not know they were the same. Fighting to hold back tears, he cried to whatever god was listening, "DAMN IT ALL TO HELL! I'LL DO ANYTHING TO BE ABLE TO STOP THEIR MARRIAGE FINALLY! DO YOU HEAR ME?! ANYTHING!!!!" He quietly sobbed to himself thinking no one cared. No one cared. Eerie seconds of silence followed. "Kill Ranma and they can never be wed," replied the raspy voice. Ryouga had no doubt that he stood alone in this forest. Pressing his hands to his ears he fell to his knees, fresh tears falling to the ground. Eyes closed, ears covered and breath held, Ryouga silently prayed that the voice would go away. "You said that you would do anything to end the marriage, so why not just kill him and get it over with?" No matter how much sense it made, Ryouga didn't want to listen. He didn't want to be a murderer, whether it was a fair fight or not. As if it sensed his answer it continued, "So you do not wish to kill a human, even if he is a wolf in sheep's skin. I can empathize with you. If I tell you how you can make their marriage impossible, will you let me help you?" His hands fell from his ears and eyes opened. Could this voice do such a thing, or was it just his sanity slipping away? To be able to destroy the impossible marriage before it hurt Akane, he would be willing to do anything. It was worth a chance. "It's a deal! Tell me how!" "Remember though, that as long as Ranma lives he is able to try and get revenge on you for what you will do. You accept this?" Ryouga nodded vigorously. "Good, now just follow the path and you will find everything you need to defeat Ranma." As the voice stated that, the fog cleared revealing a path that seemed to stretch on as far as the eye could see. An angry snarl left Ryouga's mouth stating his obvious contempt. "Follow the path you say! How am I supposed to do that?! I couldn't follow it if my life depended on it!!" It was taunting him; voices in his head were taunting him. "Concentrate. I said I would help you and I mean it. Just try it." Ryouga stared at the ground by his feet. The pathway was obvious, but with his directional sense he would never be able to make it. "I-I don't think I can, but I will try for Akane's sake." Gritting his teeth he took a few steps, then a few more until he walked a slow but steady pace. After nearly a minute, he stared back down at the ground and nearly jumped for joy. "I'm doing it! I'm still on the path!" * * * "RANMA NO BAKA!" The familiar cry was yelled out, but there was no mallet to bash him into unconsciousness. Ranma opened his eyes and looked at his fiancee tentatively as if it were a ploy to catch him off guard. "Ranma, you're such a jerk! My cooking is not *that* bad!" She apparently put her mallet back wherever she had gotten it from in the first place. "Akane. Look, I'm sorry but it just tastes so bad that..." He let his mouth go before his brain again. Now he prepared to be smashed but instead Akane glared at him then calmly walked upstairs most likely to her room. "Akane, wait! I didn't mean it like that! Please wait!" She didn't stop so he tried to follow her up, but as he went to enter she slammed the door in his face and he heard it lock behind her. "Akane, please open up?" he pleaded at her door. He was answered with silence. He pressed his back up against the door and slid down it sitting down. He heard her softly crying inside. 'I hate it when girls cry, especially when its Akane.' He sat staring at the wall, and wondered why he always let his mouth get himself into trouble. Then again, why didn't she just stop and realize that her cooking WAS bad. He wasn't trying to insult her, but her food was just plain unedible. "Akane, I may not be the best cook in the world, but I promise that I will show you a few pointers if you open up." Her crying stopped from within and he heard her walk slowly up to the door. "You will?" "Yes. Please open up. Let's talk." With that he heard the lock rotate and the door slide open, taking away his backrest, causing him to fall back a bit. "Baka, get in here." He smiled at her and stood up and she moved aside to allow his entrance. The door then shut behind him and she jumped on her bed, motioning for him to sit down. He sat and she rested her head on his shoulder. Completely honest, he said, "I really didn't mean to insult your food, Akane. I know you worked hard on it, but that brings me to my point." She looked at him taking in what he was saying. "Well, you tend to try too hard. You make simple mistakes which cause the food to taste... not so good." "What do you mean?" "Let me start by giving you those few pointers. First of all, I've learned... well... er... you should first gather all your ingredients together, and measure everything first off so that you don't make a mistake. Don't stray from the original recipe by adding or subtracting anything, that way what you cooked should stick pretty closely to what its supposed to be like." He continued on explaining and told her to make sure she grabbed the correct ingredients, and check them more then once. She listened to his very in depth tips, and stared at him in awe. "When did you learn all this?" she asked. "Well... umm... I kind of watch Kasumi once or twice." He had to stretch the truth for that one. Actually, he had questioned Kasumi and watched her quite a few times, while she cooked. He mainly did it out of boredom and curiosity, never fully intending to learn that much. Akane bought that and he then told her a few other things. "So, tomorrow ya wanna cook with me helping? I'll only do this if you listen to me without bashing me. Okay?" She playfully punched his arm and nodded with a broad smile on her face. He then stood up to leave but was pulled back roughly. "You didn't give me my goodnight kiss." * * * The look on Ryouga's face as he approached the docks in Hong Kong explained everything he was planning on doing. He finally figured out how he would ruin Ranma's chances with Akane and the bastard's life forever. His confidence soared more than it ever had before in the past since Ranma entered his life nearly a decade ago. His mind wandered dreaming of his long awaited revenge. Vengeance would be his... just as soon as he could find the Tendo residence. End Part One: The Answer _____________________________________________________________________ Begin Part Two: Friends Genma Saotome and Soun Tendo sat across from across from each other, both on opposite sides of a black and white checkered shoji board. With their minds concentrating on keeping the other from cheating, they stared at each other carefully not missing a single move. Lately, their minds had been rather clear, for their children finally decided to get married with the wedding to be held on the first day of spring. Life was good at the Tendo home. "Your turn, Saotome." "Of course." Genma moved one of his pieces and grinned evilly at his opponent. "I have you now." Soun looked at the board, pondering on what he should do next. Then a voice was heard from the kitchen, "Breakfast is ready!" which was followed by Genma running straight to the table. 'Good move Saotome, but now I have YOU!' Soun then quickly switched a piece here and there before heading to collect breakfast. A loud crash was heard from upstairs which was followed by a sprinting Ranma coming down the stairs, with Akane right on his heels. "Ranma, you baka!" Seeing that she didn't carry her customary mallet, Soun and Genma passed a smile to each other. "Good morning, everyone." Ranma then took his normal seat in between his father and Akane, wolfing down his food at an incredible rate. Akane shook her head before sitting down and grabbing whatever food that remained. "Where's Nabiki?" No one answered for a few moments; they were to busy eating. "Ahem! Didn't anyone hear me?" "I believe she said she went to the Kuno estate in the morning." Kasumi always had the answers. Akane looked at Ranma and placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned and smiled at her happily, giving Genma enough time to steal most of his food, which was stolen right back a few seconds later. 'Will those bakas never learn that they always end up with more or less what they started with?' Akane was in good spirits this morning and she was determined to let nothing change that. All in all, they carried out their morning pretty normally. That was until Ranma stopped in the middle of his meal and turned to Akane, whispering low enough so no one else could hear, "After breakfast, I have somethin' to show to ya." He turned back to his meal and continued eating. 'What could he have to show to me?' The thought stayed on her mind all morning, and when Genma noticed she wasn't eating up to normal speed he turned to her. "You going to eat all that?" The warning mallet that appeared in her hands was all the reply he needed. Genma wiped away the drips of sweat that formed on his brow and grinned at her nervously. With breakfast out of the way, Akane stared expectantly at her fiancee. "Aren't you going to show it to me?" He looked at her quizzically and remembered the whole point in his pause of eating earlier. He grabbed her hand and dragged her upstairs into his and Genma's room. He then motioned for her to sit. After she took a seat, he sat across from her. "You know, I was thinkin' about how this whole marriage thing was forced on us, and I sort of wanted to show that I am very serious about wanting to do this. I also want to prove that this is of my own free will." Akane looked into her fiancee's eyes, trying to figure out what he meant to do. A few thoughts later she was blushing. Oddly enough, he patted his pocket and then begin to search around his futon. "Umm... I'll be right back, Akane! Don't move a muscle!" She stared at him curiously as he ran out of the room. Where was it??!! He had purchased Akane's ring only a few days ago and he already lost it? He went into Akane's room and briefly searched everywhere he had been. He then ran downstairs and checked around the table. His eyes filled with dread as he looked over to the koi pond. "Is something the matter, Ranma?" He didn't even hear Kasumi's question as he sprinted over to the pond and jumped in head first. "Oh my." He searched frantically for the object, but there wasn't enough light to make out the bottom of the pool. He began feeling the bottom with his hands only to come up for air. "Please be down there," he prayed as he went down a second time. The koi in the pond regarded him oddly as he began to panic. 'Oh lord... where is it? I hope I didn't spend a month of servitude to Nabiki for nothing!' His head came up for breath a second time and he remembered all the horrible things that she made him do. He didn't know whether he hated modeling or being her personal servant/bodyguard worse. He took a deep breath and plunged under once more. "Ah hah!" he gurgled as he found the metal object that he was looking for. Ranma ran inside, not even bothering to dry off, and ran past the two fathers, who didn't even regard this as out of the ordinary. He didn't even take the time to notice that he was now a she, as she ran back into the room where Akane nervously chewed on her top lip. She looked up at her, obviously quite confused. "Is everything okay, Ranma?" Ranma caught her breath after a few seconds and started working up her confidence. 'You can do it... just come out with it all at once.' That wasn't the best thing she could've thought but it got her to speak. "Umm, Akane?" "Huh?" "Err... well..." She then thrusted up the ring that lay hidden in her hands. "Will you... mmm... mm... marry me?" A broad smile quickly replaced the shock on Akane's face. She stared into her lover's sapphire eyes and answered, "Yes! Yesyesyesyes!" Grabbing Ranma into a tight embrace, she kissed her mercilessly. "I love you!" Ranma fell over with Akane on top, kissing the life out of the smaller redhead. * * * After losing a game of shoji that he thought he would win for sure, Genma-panda walked upstairs to the room he shared with his son, in preparation to take a nice nap and dream of eating. Days at the Tendo dojo were getting surprisingly good now that Ranma and Akane started getting along. He decided to rephrase that. They are getting along VERY well. /Pardon me.\ He closed the door to his room and grinned like a child getting candy. Even though his son was in girl form at the time, the picture of Akane on top of Ranma made him chuckle. 'Yes, they are getting along very well indeed.' * * * Happiness was not a word that could describe Ryouga Hibiki's mood at the present. Rational was also a word that couldn't be placed near Ryouga at the moment, if ever. Anyone passing by him could see the anger burning in his eyes, but for once, he had it under control. He knew what he had to do and he was not going to fail this time. * * * Mascara rolled her eyes and pushed her hand through her silky light blue hair, as she was once again patrolled the outskirts of her village. She had always been told on what an honor it was to be doing such a job, but no one ever told her that it would be so utterly boring. Besides that stupid boy that came around a few days ago, no one was seen near the borders of her village at all. Life, currently in Joketsuzoku, was a living hell. When Cologne had returned with her great grand-daughter, life took a turn for the worse. Shampoo had come home without killing her target and was, therefore, dishonored. She then took off on a self-imposed exile only a few days after this had happened. Mascara thought back to the odd exchange between Shampoo and herself that was only a few hours after her encounter with the stupid boy. She turned her head and saw the purple-haired woman whom everyone had been talking about lately. she asked in reply. The younger girl observed her former superior with a scrutinizing eye. Her hair was very disheveled looking as if she had just woken up, and her clothes were ripped in more than one spot. Though she might have seen better days, Shampoo looked like she could give an elder a run for her money in a fight. Shampoo's question surprised her. The girl wondered why she would care about such an event with all the things happening around her, especially one that involved a mere male outsider. Shampoo didn't look surprised by her answer and seemed to go into a deep state of thought. She didn't really mean it, but the fact that she thought of initiating combat with him and losing on purpose (which by law means she would have had to marry him) made her feel a little nervous. He was cute though. Shampoo then ran towards Jusenkyo. * * * For Shampoo, life had never been worse. She had been dishonored by her inability to bring Ranma home, but that was not the main reason behind her sadness. Ranma was to marry in a few weeks, and it wouldn't be her. Though she had been required to marry him by tribal law, she had loved him more than life itself. Thinking back, maybe trying to drug him left and right wasn't such a good idea to gain his love and respect. Despair was the only thing that was real in her life now that he was out of it. He had filled the void of her existence, but no longer would he be there. Her heart ached with loss and there was nothing occupy that empty feeling... no one to soothe her... no one left to love her. She looked at the well worn card that was in her hand and tried to focus on it. She read the writing, his writing, for the hundredth time out loud to herself. "You are hereby invited to the wedding of Saotome Ranma and Tendo Akane..." She read it to herself so many times just to hear her own voice. Tears seemed to permanently stain her beautiful face. Why did he hold her heart so? Was it because he was the strongest man she had ever encountered? Was it because he was so God damn handsome? 'No, it's probably some cruel hand that fate dealt me.' Reality penetrated her dream-like state when her ship arrived in Japan. She had to warn Ranma of his impending danger. She could only hope she would make it in time. was the first statement Shampoo made upon getting off of the boat that had transported her from China to Japan. She had barely managed to hold down water and was unable to eat the whole trip due to motion sickness. The only other time she had felt this sick was after she first heard Ranma's plan to marry Akane, and that was because she drank enough alcohol to make a larger number of people very drunk. She stealthily slipped away from the docks to avoid attention and made her way through town until she found a motel where she could spend the rest of the day and night. She paid the owner, received a key, and went straight to the room. Her legs completely cramped over the moment she laid down on the bed. She fell asleep almost instantly. * * * The chase had begun. It didn't take long for Shampoo to find Ryouga's tracks considering he disturbed enough plant life to mark his trail for years. Wondering what he was doing in China, she traveled silent but swift. She still had yet to figure out how the lost boy found his way across large bodies of water without realizing he left Japan. Thinking on it too much was a waste of time, but keeping him from falling into another spring wasn't. Turning into an animal made her very sympathetic to anyone else who suffered from the same fate. While she, in her cat-form, had some dexterity and speed, Ryouga was basically helpless in his pig-form. She followed his tracks around a large rock following them around in a large circle. Swearing in Chinese, Shampoo looked around for another hour until she rediscovered his tracks. With a few days head start, a normal person would have been able to create a sizable distance between any pursuers, but after walking in several large circles he only had the benefit of a day's journey. Taking a time out, she climbed up a medium-sized tree and took a brief nap in its thick branches. Her thoughts carried over to how much in common she and Ryouga had. Both were cursed in more ways than Jusenkyo. Ryouga had his directional sense, his being tongue-tied whenever he was near the opposite sex and his pig curse. She herself had only one obvious curse, the cat curse. Though no one actually thought of it as a curse, Shampoo considered her great-grandmother one. Her early life in Joketsuzoku turned out to be a great indicator of how her life as an adult would be. While she was very young, Shampoo had few friends, but she made do with those few she did have. Mousse quickly turned from friend to nuisance scaring others from pursuing her friendship. His possessive behavior was condoned by Cologne for a while, but this only further caused the young girl to draw up into herself away from others. This turned changed into her obsessive study of Amazonian Martial Arts. Her obsession turned into her life, warding off any chance for friendship that she might have before. Cologne taught her just as fervently as she learned. Though she was obviously the best of her age group, and several higher, Shampoo did not enjoy it. She required it. It was substance, something she didn't have had before. It was something she had to hold onto. Life made sense. Then Ranma showed up. Life would never be the same now that she was no longer the best. The only thing that kept her going was her fueled hatred for the redhead. She now had a new purpose, the destruction of the one who took away her constant. This was what she had in common with Ryouga. They both lived from one constant to the next; though, Ryouga had yet to give up his revenge against Ranma. Shampoo replaced the hatred with love for the pig-tailed boy and strove every waking hour to bring him to his senses and love her in return. Seeing her love as a one way thing, she gave up knowing he could never return her love. This left her as empty as she was before she took up martial arts with an unrivaled passion. Nothing came into her life to replace the love as it did the hatred and striving to be the best. Timelessly suspended within the air, Shampoo jumped down from the tree. The rush she felt from falling distances woke her from her trance and she made off to follow the lost boy's trail once more. After following his trail into two more circles, she found fresh tracks, made no more than an hour ago. Focusing on the hunt, Shampoo kept her mind clear of thought. Clear air rushed by her chilling her skin and giving rise to goose bumps. Outstretched branches caught her clothes tearing off small shreds making them even more ragged than they were before. Her perseverance was well rewarded upon her finding the lost boy. Approaching him cautiously, she meant to talk with him, yet she did not wish to enrage him. When dealing with Ryouga, one always had to be cautious and ready for any of his outbursts. Though he might be a kind and gentle guy sometimes, if he found any reason to be angry with you, he would go all out. Shampoo might be able to defend herself from his attacks, but she could not risk it. His prone figure shifted to his side in his apparent slumber. She took a deep breath creeping up to him. "No! Die, Ranma!" the youth blurted out, shifting in again in his sleep nearly causing Shampoo to jump back into a tree. She smirked knowing what his dreams contained. Ryouga would never learn that he could never beat Ranma in a fair fight. Ranma was just too good for his own health. She walked a few meters away climbing a tree and making herself comfortable. She would be here for a while. Morning brought with it pain for the girl's delicate eyes. She rubbed them and realized where she was, keeping herself as silent as possible. Ryouga seemed to have just woken up and started on his random-direction journey. Deciding that she would talk to him after observing him for a few days, she took her time and kept a safe distance between him. There was so much to think about, yet she did not want to face reality yet, so she kept her mind clear and absorbed her surroundings. Hours later, a thick fog fell around them like a cloak placed over their shoulders. Visibility reduced to that of a few feet, she closed the distance between them silently. Ryouga seemed to be getting upset, for his depression aura began to silently glow dark green. Then, abruptly, Ryouga stopped, stared towards the heavens and screamed, "DAMN IT ALL TO HELL! I'LL DO ANYTHING TO BE ABLE TO STOP THEIR MARRIAGE FINALLY! DO YOU HEAR ME?! ANYTHING!!!!" Taking a large step back, Shampoo's eyes widened in disbelief as the strong, proud warrior, who seemed to strive through all things horrible that happened to him, fall down to his hands and knees and weep to himself. She figured that he would have gotten over Akane since he had started dating Akari, or at least accepted the situation by now. Apparently, Ryouga planned to bring Ranma and Akane's wedding to an abrupt end. This, of course, was not unusual but something was wrong. She could feel it. Looking away, Shampoo gave him the privacy that he did not know he needed. Moments, seemingly hours, passed by when Ryouga removed his hands from his ears and spoke, "It's a deal! Tell me how!" The vigor in his speech made her wonder if he was losing his sanity. Though she could see no one near, he seemed to be listening to someone when he snarled. "Follow the path you say! How am I supposed to do that?! I couldn't follow it if my life depended on it!!" The boy was definitely losing his mind. Just when she figured he was done with his conversation with his imaginary friend, Ryouga stood up and simply vanished. Needless to say, her jaw dropped open in surprise. Checking the surrounding area, she found no clue to where he had vanished to. Mascara's words echoed in her memory causing dread to fill her. What she realized was that her path, though it was quite out of the way, did lead to Jusenkyo eventually. Not liking the situation, Shampoo carefully made her way towards the land of cursed springs. As soon as the fog cleared, she began sprinting. Her feet begin to fail her, but her effort had been good enough for she could see the springs in the distance. Only a few moments and she'd be there. The image that Shampoo saw at Jusenkyo took her aback. At the springs, Ryouga strode away, confidence imprinted on his face. What had startled her though, was his condition. Ryouga walked away dripping wet. Shortly on his heels, the Jusenkyo guide carefully led Ryouga to a spring, where he carefully collected its water in a flask provided by the helpful guide. She needed to consider this. Not only did he find his way to Jusenkyo by himself, but he also obviously found the right spring and was now collecting from another. What could this mean? Was he collecting enough water to cure his friends overseas, or was it for some other, darker purpose? The later seemed like the answer after she recalled his screaming earlier that day. Several thoughts went through the young lady's head after she witnessed this, from Ranma deserving the fate he made for himself to stopping Ryouga before he gave her former love a second curse, or worse. She decided to follow Ryouga a little longer while she made up her mind as to what to do about this. She watched the young man, his anger visibly controlled and fueled into keeping up a horrid pace that she had a hard time matching. Shampoo's concern for Ranma did not make her decision, nor did her hatred for his happiness. Thoughts of Ranma marrying her after she stopped Ryouga, she did not even take seriously. What did make up her mind was the strangeness of the whole event. Ryouga was going above and beyond the boundaries of sane revenge, and this scared her. She saw herself in the young man that she was now chasing. She saw what she was capable of before she came to her senses about Ranma and Akane's love. She was bound by honor to stop this maniac from doing something that would tear apart a family, true love, and not to mention her conscience. Never again would she think of Ranma as her husband, but now she could only hope to be his friend. She had pressed herself on him even though she saw how he rescued Akane without considering his personal danger and all the other things. Although he did lead her on for a long time, she could forgive him for that. He certainly forgave her for her crimes already. * * * Shampoo awoke from her dream, sweat covering her from head to toe. She had to get to Ranma quickly before Ryouga did or it could be to late for him... but she needed rest... yes... rest... * * * Nodoka Saotome arrived at the Tendo residence with high spirits. Her son was marrying the youngest Tendo daughter in but a few weeks! No matter how badly her stupid husband Genma had brought up Ranma, he turned out to be such a fine young man. Her pride for her son was overwhelming. "Mom!" her son, currently daughter, yelled to her in reception. The little redhead then bound up to her and hugged her. "I'm glad you could settle things so quickly! I was afraid you'd not make it back in time." She looked at her son, er daughter, and saw the reflection of herself when she was at that age. "Hello, Ranma-chan!" She smiled at her daughter and asked, "You think I'd miss the wedding of my only child?" She winked at her, releasing their hug, continuing into the Tendo home where her husband, currently in Panda form, and Soun Tendo sat, played their usual game of shoji. /Hello, Nodoka-chan!\ "Good day, Saotome-san!" The two greeted her at the same time but were too fixed upon keeping the other from cheating - without much success - to look up at her. Boys will be boys. After being greeted by the whole of the Tendo clan she found her way to the sofa and sat down next to her soon-to-be daughter-in-law Akane. "Mind if I have a word with you upstairs?" she whispered to Akane. The girl nodded and they went up to girl's room, shutting the door behind them. Akane sat on her bed and was shortly followed by Nodoka who then begin her questions, "How are things going with my son? Are you two getting along?" Akane smiled at this, apparently they couldn't be too bad off. "Hai, Saotome-san! Look at what Ranma gave me!" Akane held up her left hand and displayed a small but beautiful diamond ring. "He wanted to prove his love and commitment to me!" Nodoka smiled at the girl's euphoric attitude. She seemed so happy. "I'm so glad you two are getting along." In truth she was far beyond glad that they were getting along. She hated the two fathers' wish to marry off their children so quickly and early on. She thought it could only lead to disaster, but with Ranma and Akane she was completely and utterly wrong. They, not to mention Nodoka herself, couldn't be any more happy about it. The two talked for a while, the younger listening to stories of the elder's early married life and then the elder listening to how Ranma had been behaving in regards to her lately. After their conversation, they left downstairs to get to dinner before the others finished it off, in if Ranma and Genma hadn't been too busy fighting over the food to actually eat it, they would have been too late. Soon the two lovers would be married and all would be right for the two households. * * * The next day. Kasumi Tendo, while busy cooking dinner for the family, heard a knock at the door. Assuming that someone else would get it, she continued preparing dinner happily. After a few moments, she heard the knocking again. Briefly checking to make sure everything was in proper order, she walked calmly to the door and opened it to reveal a soaking wet Ryouga Hibiki. "Oh my! Ryouga-kun, you're all wet! Come inside and dry off!" It always seemed everyone around here was always getting wet for some reason or another. Ryouga thanked her when she handed him a towel and told him to have a seat. "Ranma and Akane are gone right now, but they should be back in a few minutes if you care to wait?" He nodded and she smiled at him. "I hope you'll be staying for dinner tonight?" Ryouga watched Kasumi go back into the kitchen and then pulled out a small jar full of a clear liquid. He considered it for a few minutes before putting it away, safely in his pack. 'How tempting it is to use it right away... but no, I must wait for the right time.' After a bit of waiting, his eyes slowly starting shutting by themselves and a few minutes later he was sound asleep. * * * Ranma and Akane spent the day shopping, which actually consisted of Ranma following Akane into stores and making stupid remarks while she did the shopping. This normally would have led into a conflict, but instead Akane simply took it light-heartedly. They bought what they needed and hadn't encountered water on their way once! Today was definitely a good day! He smiled joyfully and put his arm around Akane, receiving a sigh and her head on his shoulder in return. He kissed her forehead and closed his eyes for a moment, which seemed like hours for the two lovers as they passed silently over the streets of Nerima. He took a deep breath, taking in the smell of his lover. He playfully kissed her ear, and received the response he had hoped for. Akane turned her head toward him and they kissed. How he wish this moment could have been hours, or even days, but as one walks in the right direction he or she will eventually arrive at their destination. That excludes Ryouga, of course. The two walked through the gate and into the house. "We're back!" Ranma called out ritually, causing a sudden shifting noise from the living area. "I wonder what that was?" Akane shrugged and they walked to investigate. Upon seeing Ryouga's groggy form, Ranma cautiously approached eyeing the recently awakened individual suspiciously. The lost boy looked up at the two, like daggers forged of ice stabbing, and stood. "Hi, Ryouga! Last time you ran off I didn't think we'd get to see you again. I'm really glad you changed your mind!" Akane released Ranma and grabbed Ryouga in a friendly hug. He almost swallowed his tongue, but he gathered his wits. He couldn't let anything distract him. "Yeah... well, you don't think that I'd miss the wedding on purpose, now do you?" That came out too easy but Ryouga didn't think over his good wording for a moment. How badly he wanted to yell his trademark, "Prepare to die, Saotome!" and crush the asshole, but he wouldn't let anything tear down the confidence that he built up. Not even the smug little bastard who called himself Ranma. Ranma looked at him and responded with more than a little surprise in his voice, "Well, I'm glad you came around, buddy. It wouldn't have been the same without you." He wondered if Ranma really meant it, but it wasn't possible. It had to be some sort of trickery to catch him off guard. Ranma was always fooling him with something. "Well, I know we haven't been the best of friends, but I came with a peace offering." Ryouga then pulled out a rose in one hand and handed it to Akane, and then he held out his empty hand to Ranma. "I offer friendship." Sheer force of will kept Ryouga from blasting a hole in Ranma's head. 'Can't lose control now!' The look on Ranma's face was that of utter shock. Ranma glanced out the window for the briefest of a second (perhaps looking for a flying pig?) and then turned to meet Ryouga's glare, failing to see the hatred that burnt within them. Their hands shook and Ranma then hugged him saying, "I can't tell you how much this means to me, man!" Ryouga nicely shoved Ranma off of him and fought the urge to smash him into the next world. The sincerity in Ranma's voice made Ryouga think a bit. Could he have meant it? Why would Ranma care at all? "Don't mention it." That was the best think that he could force himself to say. He really didn't want Ranma to mention it. His lies were beginning to make Ryouga lose his cool completely again. If he had a yen piece for every lie that came out of the bastards mouth... Akane's eyes shined at him, softening his heart a bit. He had to save her from Ranma's treachery. There was no doubt that Ranma had to be out of her life, but normal methods couldn't be applied here. 'Oh God, help me do what I have to do.' * * * Ryouga woke up from where he had fallen asleep the night before. Ranma, Akane and he had been watching an early Jackie Chan movie and by the looks of it, not a single one of them made it through the whole flick. He focused his eyes and stared at his beloved Akane's sleeping form, resting up against her fiancee. Ryouga held his jealousy in check and tried standing up, but his legs didn't feel like responding right now. Ryouga thought over what they had talked about the night before. Ranma was having his bachelor party this very night and Ryouga was now invited. That would be the perfect time. He decided to go back to sleep since it wasn't dawn yet. Akane's eyes slid open slowly and she sat up and gazed down at her soon-to-be husband. He seemed so peaceful that there was no reason for her to wake him. She looked over at Ryouga, who also slept soundly. She was so glad that Ranma and Ryouga worked out their differences. Recently, everyone was getting along pretty well, and the fighting had nearly ceased. This did not include the Kuno's though, for Tatewaki was still trying his best to prevent the 'evil wizard Saotome' from marrying 'his' Akane and trying to force the release his pig-tailed goddess, which was, of course, Ranma's female form. That stubborn fool would never give up. She didn't want to even ponder Kodachi's fate. Even Akane felt sorry for her. She yawned and then got up. 'I bet they'd be so happy if I made them all breakfast!' Her hopes sank upon walking in the kitchen and seeing Kasumi already up to the task. "Hi, Kasumi." "Good morning, Akane-chan!" As usual, Kasumi, in her ever- cheerful mood, flashed her a big smile. "Breakfast will be ready shortly." How Kasumi managed to wake up every morning and beat her to making it was amazing indeed. The second breakfast was ready, Ranma's senses suddenly came to life and he jumped up and ran to the kitchen table ready to eat. He looked up at Akane with a smile as she and Kasumi walked in bringing food. "Aren't we punctual when it comes to food?" Akane commented. His response was muted by him chowing down. Genma and Ryouga walked in about the same time, followed by Soun a short time later. After they were well into their meal, Ranma spoke to Ryouga. "Hey bud, after breakfast ya wanna spar a bit?" Ryouga nodded as his mouth was very full at the time. Ranma smiled and went back to his food. Ranma and Ryouga stood across from each other in the dojo in defensive stances. They considered each other for a bit when Ryouga took the offensive. He charged and lashed out with a few punches and then ended with a kick, all easily dodged by Ranma who then counterattacked with a high kick of his own. Ryouga went straight into the attack and managed to score a few hits against Ranma who was expecting him to dodge. Despite taking the kick head on, Ryouga seemed relatively unfazed. Ranma went on the offensive and faked a left punch and then turned it into a back kick which sent Ryouga sprawling backwards. Ryouga's frustration began to build, but he released it while they continued their brawl which didn't quite go all out, but instead was a friendly test of skill. This continued, with Ryouga taking plenty of hits, and scoring plenty himself, but they did so without hitting that hard. Ranma was obviously doing more damage then he was taking, though, and Ryouga had to give up sooner. "That was a good match... thanks Ryouga." Ranma grinned at him as they went back to the house. How badly Ryouga wished that he could wipe that grin off of the fool's face. With anger carefully in its unusually submissive place, Ryouga scowled and followed Ranma closely as to not get lost. * * * Shampoo opened her eyes and sat up. She lay on the bed of the motel room that she had rented the day before. Noticing the very disgusting taste present in her mouth, she ran to the bathroom and swished sink water in her mouth. The tap water itself wasn't that good, but it at least did the trick. She walked over to the window of her room and pushed aside the blinds, revealing it to be night. A sigh of utter hopelessness escaped her mouth as she cleaned up and prepared to move on. She had to hurry for Ranma's sake. Fantasies, that she knew could never be, flooded her mind as she left the motel, leaving the key with the manager. She traveled by rooftop, jumping from house to house like super heroes do in comic books. Her pulse rushed as she kept moving as quickly as she could. She had to beat Ryouga... she just had to! * * * A maniacal giggle escaped the ancient man's mouth as he collected another bundle of his precious women's undergarments. Oh, how the poor little things cried out for him to take them up safely, and take them back with him. He beamed in pure satisfaction as he traveled the rooftops of a nearby district. Nerima had become a place where one couldn't leave their window open at night! What had become of it now that most people lock their windows and doors so tight? Another giggle escaped his lips as he noticed a figure bounding over the rooftops in the direction he was headed. How sweet it was indeed, when he noticed who the figure was. Shampoo nearly fell off a roof in surprise as a small ball of perversion latched itself onto her chest. She looked down and boiled with anger when she saw the familiar little demon, whose name, in Joketsuzoku, was a reminder that bad little girls would get snatched up if they didn't behave themselves. Her first reaction was to pull out her bonbori and smack the little freak into the top of the roof on which they stood, her to follow up in a punt, but neither happened. Instead, an idea came to her. "Shampoo no want fight you now! Need your help!" Happosai looked up at her with his eyes never leaving the girl's chest. She pondered on pounding him again, but if she was to get his cooperation he would have to be conscious. "Hmm," Happosai considered. "How can I help such a beautiful young woman as yourself?" He went from his perverted state to his "wise and most knowledgeable one" state looking up at her curiously. "Ranma in trouble! Pig-boy want take Violent Girl so he go to..." her words cut short when she realized what the ancient master held in his hands. Her eyes narrowed and she reconsidered her choice and attempted to knock the little man unconscious, which didn't work out quite well. The next thing she realized was that she was flying backwards and into an alleyway, pain flooding her. She refused to be knocked out for Ranma's life could be at stake. "That was very unwise of you, Shampoo. If someone is in danger, then you should spit out what you have to say." Happosai sounded very serious for once in his life. The ancient one helped her up and what she noticed next was that he now held TWO of her undergarments. She checked both under her top and bottom to find what was missing under her clothes. "AHH!! Hentai!!!" She then punted the gleeful master into the stratosphere. "When I come down, tell me what you were going to say!" he yelled before he winked out of existence. Now back to getting to Ranma! She leaped back up onto the roof towards Nerima. * * * All of Ranma's friends had gathered at the Tendo residence and were about to leave when Ranma spoke, "Anyone see Ryouga?" Everyone either responded in the negative or shook their heads, besides his friend from Furinkan, Hiroshi. "Hai, I saw him walk by my house an hour ago. I called out to him but he didn't hear me and kept going." Ranma scowled. They finally got to be somewhat of good friends and he gets himself lost. Typical. "Oh well, if he shows, great. If he doesn't, we really can't blame'em." The small group then left to the nightclub, where they were going to have the bachelor party. "Where am I now?" Ryouga asked himself for nearly the thousandth time this month. He had to get to Ranma's bachelor party, but like usual when he went looking for the bathroom he got lost and found himself quite far away from the Tendo residence. "Stupid, stupid, stupid! Oh, this is your fault Ranma! I hate you!" He started pounding holes into the ground with his fist. After a few moments of bashing inanimate objects, he felt a slight change in the temperature making him shiver from the sudden cold. 'That's odd.' Ryouga then looked at his surroundings. He stood in a forested area that was quite disturbed since most of the trees near him had fallen from his random smashing. 'Hmm, that seems like the way to go.' He then walked along the path that his destruction uncovered and followed it. Ranma and his friends shivered as they made their way towards the club. Looking up at the sky in dread, they heard the rumbling of thunder in the distance, causing them to hurry towards their destination. Just as they were about to enter, they were caught in a sudden downpour, not pleasing the now very wet and very female Ranma. "God damn it! We almost made it!" His friends, who were all well aware of his curse, chuckled ushering her into the building which seemed to thump from the music played inside. Ranma grinned and shouted to her friends over the loud noise from the night club, "Well, I guess this can be considered a bachelorette party now!" They all laughed some more and walked into the main part of the club. Ryouga tried to figure out the language the road signs on the street were in, but it was quite difficult through the heavy rain. He then gave up and walked down one of the streets continuing until he heard a loud thumping noise from a building that was on his right... or was it left? He looked around and seemingly right when his confusion would take him somewhere else, something about the building that was now in front of him told him that it was the one he had been looking for earlier. He approached it and was stopped short of entering by a large bouncer. "You have reservations here, boy?' Ryouga looked up at the very large man who held him back from his goal. Ryouga was about to show him the bright light that near death experiences always were supposed to contain, but he decided to keep all his anger for the one who made all of this a sad reality. "I'm Ryouga Hibiki... I'm expected." The bouncer looked at him suspiciously for a second and then moved out of the young man's way. "Ahh, you're with the Ranma party," Ryouga sighed relief at this. "Right this way... no this way!" He pushed Ryouga in the right way and was greeted warmly by Daisuke, one of Ranma's high school buddies, who led him to where the rest were. "Yo, Ryouga! Glad you could make it buddy!" Ranma said in his sweet female voice. Ryouga took a deep breath. This had to look good. "Hey, Ranma." That was the best 'nice' greeting that he could pull off in his current mood. He looked around and saw everyone talking over a few drinks. "Is this a party? I don't see you all drinking... waitress! Next round's on me!" Ryouga could only hope he had enough cash on him to pay for it. One of Ranma's friends that Ryouga had never met before, named Kenji, engaged him in an interesting conversation. Before long, they were all quite drunk excluding Ryouga. Ranma sat down next to Ryouga. "I'm sooo glad you're here man... wouldn't be the same without ya." Ranma weakly put her arm around Ryouga neck flashing one of the grins that would usually set Ryouga off, but not this time. "Come on, you think I'd miss your wedding? We may have not been friendly to each other before, but I've seen how Akane loves you. I won't get in the way of her happiness." Ryouga said that matter-a- factly and sipped his beer. He wouldn't stand in the way of Akane's happiness... but Ranma was going to ruin her. He couldn't allow that. Ranma suddenly pulled herself off of Ryouga, much to his relief, and said, "Eek, the men's... er ladies room calls." Ryouga glared daggers at the young woman's departure and glanced at Ranma's unattended glass. 'This is for Akane. I can't stand back now!' He pulled a capsule from his the pocket of his jacket and opened it over the drink and stirred the contents in. 'Phew, that's done.' His eyes glazed over and his thoughts all shifted to one thing, Akane. "Love! For you, I will do anything!" "Do you really mean it, Ryouga?" "Of course, dearest heart!" "Oh Ryouga! Why did I ever love that heartless beast, Ranma? He could never be you. You're my everything!" The two lovers melded together, becoming one. No one could destroy his fantasies this time. His heart of glass was reinforced with steel. His love was with him in his arms. "Uh, Ryouga? Could you let up? You're going to squeeze me to death!" His eyes opened in complete shock. Was Akane really with him? Ranma's sapphire eyes blinked at him in response. "Sorry, buddy... umm how much have you had to drink?" Ryouga instantly release his hold on the redhead, feeling very embarrassed. She patted him on the back and smiled. "It really is good to have you as a friend. Oh shoot... I'll be right back!" Ryouga watched her bound over a few tables and rush back into the women's bathroom. 'Fate is with me! I almost forgot to put the pill in Ranma's drink!' The fact that he did it already completely slipped his mind after his day dream of Akane. He looked over at Ranma's glass and back to the door to the ladies room. 'Okay Ryouga, don't chicken out now! You can't let Ranma get away with this! Its for Akane's own good!' He then pulled out another capsule and opened it over Ranma's drink once more, stirring it in. 'Phew, now I only have to wait for him to get sleepy and then I take him home like the good little friend that I am!' His mind shifted into a dream state as he imagined Akane and him living in a house of their own with children running all around the place. Ranma sat down next to him again and took a big swig of her glass. "So, bud. Tell me about you and Akari. How are you two doin'?" Ranma paused and took another sip of her beer. Ryouga seemed to snap out of whatever fantasy he was in to answer him, "We're doing just fine, Ranma. I guess you and Akane are good too?" Ranma took a few moments to answer, "We're getting along really well now." Ranma's eyes felt like dead weights, but she kept her gaze firmly on Ryouga. How many drinks did she have? Certainly not enough to be passing out this fast. "You okay, Ranma?" Ryouga asked with curiosity in his voice, to which Ranma nodded her head. "Seems everything�s turning out good for you." Ranma was too busy fighting to stay awake to notice the jealous hostility in Ryouga's voice. "Are you sure your okay, Ranma?" "I feel... odd." Ranma's vision blurred and she could hardly tell that the form in front of her was the lost boy. 'I don't even remember drinking that much!' Ranma fell out of her chair as nausea suddenly consumed her. She felt like she was about to vomit but passed out cold too quickly. Ryouga's quick reaction saved Ranma from landing on the floor, but she passed out that same instant. His face beamed a sadistic smile as he looked at the unconscious girl. "Are you okay, Ranma? Ranma?" He had to make it look good. He couldn't allow anyone to be able to point their finger at him later on. He felt Ranma's wrist for a pulse and didn't find one. His heart beat quickened. He felt her neck trying to find a pulse there. Nothing. He then placed his palm to her chest in a desperate attempt to feel a heart beat. He felt it beat few and far in between, but she was alive. She would be alive for a very long time, suffering in the misery as he had been for so many years. "Heh, you're so drunk, Ryouga! That's Saotome! Hehe!" Daisuke promptly passed out. He wondered what the boy meant, when he saw his hand on a beautiful female's chest. It didn't cause the usual nose bleed; though, it was Ranma after all, but it did look bad. He removed his hand from her chest and propped her up in her chair and her head slumped over onto the bar. Ryouga stood up looking at all of the people he was drinking with, now all of them completely passed out besides Hiroshi who was obviously struggling for consciousness. He walked over to the young man and spoke to him, "I'm going to take Ranma home; you'll be okay here?" Hitoshi smiled at him and said he'd be fine and that his idea was good. Hitoshi wasn't in the right frame of mind to remember about Ryouga's little directional problem. Ryouga walked back to Ranma and picked her up easily carrying her up to the bar where he put some cash down covering his part. "I'm going to take her home before some stick gets ideas about taking her back with'em." The bartender nodded and told him to be safe as he walked out. The chill in the air caused adrenaline to fill Ryouga. His vengeance was almost complete. Nothing could go wrong now. He wouldn't allow it. * * * Shampoo arrived in Nerima and immediately headed to the Tendo residence. There could be no excuse for her if Ryouga beat her. She decided to enter calmly and assess the situation just in case Ryouga did beat her to the mark. She shivered in the cold air, and could only hope that she wasn't too late. End Part Two: Friends _____________________________________________________________________ Begin Part Three: More Than Fate Warm rays of sunlight washed over Nerima, bringing the dawn of a new day. Smells of some breakfasts cooking and others burning, drifted through the air. Dogs being sent out to fetch the morning paper, and other normal occurrences took place. All of this had gone completely unobserved by the exhausted figure that stood upon the walls bordering the Tendo residence. Long purple hair that most likely had not seen a brush for a long time swayed in the wind. Eyes, needing sleep desperately, were stained red with fatigue as they scanned the area within the walls. Motionless lips, parted and chapped, made no sound. Hands, weathered and cut, tentatively gripped the walls, holding the figure balanced. This person was poised and alert, watching the slightest move made beyond the walls. The once beautiful dress worn by the girl could barely be considered tatters now. Shampoo jumped down from the wall to get a closer view of the Tendo house. She had to warn Ranma of his impending danger, but the only problem with that was that he was not in his usual place. From what she remembered, before breakfast, Ranma and his father would always spar around the koi pond in morning practice. This was not the case this morning. She pondered the thought of sneaking into Ranma's room to talk to him there, but she would most likely get attacked by Akane, yet it seemed like the only reasonable choice. She gathered herself and made her way over to Ranma's window, sliding it open just enough to look in. She saw a giant panda sleeping on a futon, but the one next to it was unoccupied, looking like it had not been used recently. This could be cause for concern. She waited a little longer to see Akane leave the house in a rush on her way to school, shortly followed by Nabiki. Ranma almost always followed Akane, and if he didn't, Akane was pulling him by his pig-tail - but not today. This was cause for concern. Following Akane along the street, Shampoo kept at a safe distance to avoid being seen. Shampoo's exhaustion caught up with her, and she was unable to keep up. Unable to maintain Akane within her vision, she slowed to a walk, beginning a breathing exercise, but was interrupted by a sudden splash of cold water. "Meow!" she cried in anger as she pulled herself from her pile of clothing. Where could she go now? This was not turning out to be a very good day, or week for that matter. "Good morning, Sakamoto-san. I hope your husband is feeling better today. That's good to hear. Hmm? Really? That's very interesting. Oh, I see. I'll talk to you later. Bye." Dr. Tofu hung up his phone and sat down on the sofa in the waiting room. He didn't have any scheduled patients for today, and started heading out to go have breakfast at a restaurant. "Meow!" Dr. Tofu looked down and saw a small, pink cat at his feet, looking up at him with its big eyes. "Oh, hello there, Ms. Kitty. You seem familiar." He picked up the cat very gently and remembered. "Is that you, Shampoo?" The cat nodded. "Oh, you must want some hot water then. Let me go get it." He carried her into his office and started warming up some water in a tea pot. "Now, where did you get splashed?" He set the cat down and followed her out of his office, and along the streets. It didn't take them long and he gathered her clothes and Shampoo in his arms, walking back to the office. "I'll put you in your clothes and leave the room. Then you have to tell me why you're back. Okay?" The cat nodded, and he put her in her dress. With his back turned, he then carefully poured the hot water on the bulge within the clothes, and left the room. Transforming back into a human, Shampoo quickly adjusted her clothes to her body and calmly walked out to join the doctor. "Thank you, Doctor." Shampoo took a seat next to him and he handed her a cup of tea. Sipping the warm liquid, she sighed, trying to figure out how to tell the doctor her tale. "It's no problem, Shampoo. I'm always here to help the cursed." Tofu smiled at her before taking a sip of his tea. "Now tell me why you've returned. I thought that you were going back to China for good." "Shampoo do go home with great-grandma, but get in big trouble for not bringing Ranma too." She looked at the cup of tea in her hands sadly. "Shampoo still ask self why come back. Still no know why. Ranma can handle self." Dr. Tofu regarded her sympathetically, gazing at her with his unjudgmental eyes. "Why don't we continue this while we walk to have breakfast?" She looked up at him curiously. "You look like you could use a good meal, and I could use the company." He finished his tea, and set the empty cup on the table. "Shampoo thank you again, Doctor." * * * Dark clouds gathered above Akane as she angrily marched to school. This was one of the very few times that she had to go alone. Her anger faded for a brief second as she looked at the chain-link fence. When her eyes shifted and her gaze fell upon the concrete again, her anger flared once more. 'Where the hell is that stupid baka?' Earlier that morning, she had called Daisuke's house and found out that his mother had picked up quite a few of the boys, who were too drunk to make it home alone. This should have made her feel better, but his mother said that she did not see Ranma at club when she arrived. Akane had figured that he was too macho to accept a ride home and tried to walk it, passing out somewhere between the house and the club. Upon walking through the gates of Furinkan, she saw her friends, Yuka and Sayuri, conversing with a boy that she had never seen before. She looked at the clock, and figured she had enough time to see what was going on before school started. "...that's my final offer." She caught the last part of what the young man was saying to her friends before he walked off. "What was all that about?" Akane looked at her friends who seemed rather apprehensive about something. They looked at each other and then both put on their innocent faces. "Nothing!" Sayuri responded, obviously lying. "Just chit-chat." Yuka had always been a better liar. "Oh well, you two ready for class?" They both nodded and followed her into the school. Akane took her seat and the class began. She yawned and looked over at the two seats to her left, which were both empty. The one closest to her belonged to Ranma, and the one that was up against the window belonged to Ukyou. Things had changed dramatically ever since they had begun their senior year of high school. The constant conflicts, that bought Nerima an infamous name, escalated when Ranma arrived two years ago. It was rowdy before his arrival with Kuno and due to all of her would-be suitors, she never went a day without fighting. Through some twist of fate, Ranma brought with him some of the finest martial artist on the face of the earth, causing quite a bit of property damage. Her whole outlook on life changed when he arrived. Nothing was the same, but in those two years of chaos that broke her medium, she found her love. Nothing would ever be the same again. Ever since Ranma had decided on her to be the one that he would marry, everything had calmed down dramatically. Even Kuno had pretty much given up on her, but not on Ranma's girl side. She wondered if anything would drill the fact of Ranma's curse through his thick skull, but it was not likely. What would it have been like if Ranma didn't arrive? If Ranma didn't show up, would she have fallen for someone in school? Would she even be the same person that she was today? Whenever she thought of that baka, she felt the urge to get angry, but now she could only sigh and think of him in a better light. She had definitely smoothed out the rough edges he had acquired over the ten years of training with his father. Even after everything that Ranma had brought with him from his past, Akane still would not change a thing. Their tender moments in the past had been few and far in between, but they were all moments she would never forget. She would never have even thought that Ranma loved her the slightest bit until his revelation on Mount Phoenix. She hadn't heard it herself, but the way he held her and the way everyone else was staring at them brought her to her present train of thinking. He loved her and he would go through hell and back to save her from any danger. While that was surprising, the fact that she felt the same startled her even more. How could she have hidden these feelings from herself for so long? Life before their acknowledged love was filled with joy and sorrow. Life, now, was heaven. She sighed happily thinking of her baka fiancee, not noticing that the teacher had been trying to talk to her for several minutes now. * * * Shades of red and orange highlighted the evening sky as the sun slowly set. Trees, glowing in the diminishing light of the sun, swayed with the cool breeze that caressed the mountains. Life had ceased its daily activities, and the silence of night was slowly creeping its way over everything. As the warmth from the sun slowly left the area, the chill of night washed over the country side. A blade of light was all that remained of the sun as the figure stumbled across the land. Carried upon the back of the person, was another figure whose small frame and bright red hair completely opposed the much larger figure's dark black hair. The larger set down his burden and rested himself up against a large oak tree. Fatigue was obvious on his face as he looked over at the girl that he had been carrying along for such an extended time. Once again he had lost his way. For all he knew he could be somewhere in Europe! "It's all your fault, Ranma! I should just kill you right here and now!" He looked at his unconscious companion, his anger and depression starting to get the better of him. Had he kept his cool through so much, only to be denied what he paid for in blood? He carefully took a sealed glass jar, filled with water, from his pack and stared at it intently. His breath quickened as his eyes lay transfixed upon the liquid within the glass. "It's about time, Ranma. You can never fool me again! Akane will never again be yours! You will suffer like I did for all those years, if your mother doesn't think you're not manly enough that is! AHAHAHA!" He held the jar over her head and removed the top, gently pouring the liquid over her. Waiting for a brilliant flash of light, or some other extraordinary event, he dumbly stared at her. Moments passed but nothing happened. Remembering his own experience, he knew something went wrong. Shaking his fist at the sky, he yelled, "You can't deny me my revenge! I suffered in Jusenkyo for nearly an hour, and *nothing* happens to her?!" He had to get back, and soon. Trudging through a particularly thick part of the forest, Ryouga stopped to rest once more, this time for the night. 'Those pills are lasting much longer then I could have hoped. The druggist said that a half of a pill would be sufficient, and knowing you, Ranma, it would at least be double.' He thought over it for a few minutes, when he realized his mistake. 'I put two in your drink! Oh shit!' He put his hand under the girl's nose to feel for breath but felt nothing. He pressed his hand to her chest, and she responded with a moan and cough. He jolted upright and looked at Ranma with unease. Was she coming to? What if Ranma saw him here with her? All of Ryouga's finely laid out plans (finely laid out compared to what Ryouga's used to) would be ruined! He had to do something or he would be risking Akane's happiness! With increased vigor, he picked her up, resting her over his shoulder, and continued his aimless journey. Recently, he had been ending up exactly where he needed to go every single time, but not now when it was most crucial! "Oh, horrid fates! Why must you leave me now?!" "Ugh," behind him, Ranma stirred, her breathing becoming louder. Ryouga started getting really nervous when the girl started to mutter no louder than a whisper. He could not be linked to drugging and kidnapping Ranma, because it would simply look horrible. Akane would never forgive him and she would marry Ranma, despite the fact that he was no good for her and cheated on her, more than once. Both their lives would be thrown away because of Ranma. Unseen by anyone, a dark green light began to form around Ryouga's body. In his mind, his future was becoming dimmer, and if Ranma knew what he had attempted to do or if they think he tried something else, Akane would be probably try to kill him. She would have to live the rest of her life in shame because he couldn't do something as simple as finding the Tendo residence. 'Oh God, what have I done?' He no longer watched where he walked, as his mind drifted further into one of his many depressions. "Cursed world!" "Ry-Ryo..." Ranma spoke for the first time after nearly twenty-four hours. Apparently, Ryouga was too far caught up in his own internal conflict that he failed to notice Ranma's voice. "Is that you, Ryouga?" Ranma tried, unsuccessfully, to move any part of her body besides her mouth. RShe felt like she had been beaten on every part of her aching body and dragged across all of Tokyo, all while severely drunk. She tried to concentrate on her vision, but everything was a blur, in addition to being carried over someone's shoulder like a sack. The little energy she had was used up when she tried to get the lost boy's attention. Even wiggling her finger seemed like a daunting task at the moment. What had happened to her to make her feel like this? After a few more minutes of the constant motion, she fell back into the depths of unconsciousness. What now? That was the question Ryouga faced. The only solution he could think of was unacceptable. He could not kill Ranma; it would be too merciful. He wanted Ranma to suffer like he did for so many years. Unfortunately, to accomplish anything he would have to bring Ranma to the Tendo residence, or at least drop her nearby; otherwise, she would find out who drugged her and carried her off. Ranma stirred again. Something had to be done right now, but there were no options to choose from. What would he do when Ranma married his one and only true love? Akane would think he betrayed their friendship. Could he deal with Akane's hatred? "No, I would sooner die then have her hate me - to be the cause of her unhappiness!" He looked up and was greeted by starlight. A tear rolled down his cheek. "I have become my own worst nightmare!" His yell echoed over a large area, but Ryouga was so caught up with his own tragedy that he failed to notice. He felt Ranma squirming, trying to mutter something. It was too late now. Ranma would be fully conscious and aware. It would be all over. He could never show his face in Nerima again. "RYOUGA, NO!!!" A heavy green blast of pure depression erupted from the lost boy in all directions, going through anything in a fifty meter radius. With his footing no longer secure, Ryouga suddenly fell downward, only to be saved by his quick reflexes as he grabbed onto the edge of the side of a sheer drop. The body he had been carrying fell, too. He caught her wrist at the last possible moment, saving her from a certain death. The beautiful night's sky shone down upon Ryouga, providing enough lumination for him to realize the gravity of his situation. Gravity being the case that if he fell, it would pull him down and he would most likely not survive. In any normal situation he could have easily pulled himself up, but with his pack and Ranma, he was not sure if he could manage to get all of them up. "You awake, Ranma?!" He had the ledge in his left hand, Ranma in his right. "Ye-yeah... p-pull us up, okay Ry-ry-ryoga?" He felt the grip on his left hand slipping; he only had a few more moments before they would fall to their deaths. "I can't! My grip isn't strong enough! Can you climb up me?" There was a brief pull from the girl, but with so little strength. "Nuh uh, I'm too weak..." Her voice was full of pain. He could tell she was barely able to speak. Her grip on his right hand was very weak, slipping, bit by bit. His breathing grew steadily heavier as his strength was tested to its limits. "I'm not strong enough to pull you, me and the pack all up." How badly he just wanted to release the grip of his left hand and plummet to his death, but someone had to be left to comfort Akane of the other's death and Ranma would probably just make things worse with his unreversable curse. "God, please forgive me." His whisper was barely audible to even himself. "Please forgive me, Akane!" The grip of his right hand released. The scream that followed would be heard, both sleeping and awake, for years to come. * * * Akane woke and sat up. Her eyes, transfixed upon the wall in front of her, widened in terror. Her heart raced as tears poured down her face like a geyser that would have made Soun proud. She tried to calm herself by taking deep breaths, concentrating on nothing but the breathing. Her crying started to slow, but the harder she tried, the harder it was to stop. What was causing her to be so upset? She felt a strong need to be with Ranma at that moment, but even if she could work up the courage to just sleep with him, it would not have mattered. His futon lay empty for the second night since his disappearance after his bachelor party. 'Oh Ranma, where are you?' She dried her eyes with the sleeve of her yellow pajamas and laid back down. Every second away from him was a bed of coals she walked over bare-foot. Now that they had each other, Akane wasn't about to let him go for anything. She even found it very hard to get angry at him now, and her mallets were becoming smaller and softer. She didn't want to hurt Ranma, let alone anyone anymore. "Come home soon, my baka." * * * Today was the day that she had to confront the Tendos and Saotomes. Shampoo wondered how they would receive her, considering the terms of their last meeting were that she had lost her temper and tried to kill Akane. If it wasn't for Ranma's intervention, she might have actually done it. The look on Ranma's face was all she needed to convince her of his true love for the violent tomboy. How he could love someone who abuses him for no reason was beyond her. Akane's anger was always focused on Ranma, whether he did anything to spark it or not. Shampoo couldn't stand it when she would unintentionally inflict pain upon him, but there wasn't really anything that she could do. If she would attack Akane, Ranma would defend her. She decided to switch her train of thought. Shampoo needed to decide what she was going to do with her life. Her future seemed so dim, but one good thing came out of her current position. She was free. She could now choose where she wanted to go, who she wanted to marry and what she would do. When she was forced to become the leader of the Amazons upon her great grandmother's death, though it might not have been that bad, it was not her choice to do so. Japan definitely would be her choice of countries, and the Nerima district of Tokyo was really the only area she knew well. While not outright friendly, people here were not hostile either, and though she'd occasionally overhear remarks about her clothes, words from cowards who could not say it to her face meant less than nothing to her. Either way, she should probably choose a more conservative attire so she could to fit in better. She would need a job and a place to stay. Dr. Tofu would probably provide both, but she would have to try and get a job elsewhere with her own place to stay so that she wouldn't be imposing on the kind doctor too long. Her thoughts were cut short by her arrival at the gate of the Tendo residence. She prepared herself, when a familiar figure, walking her direction, caught her eye, the familiar figure that she had followed from China to stop. "Stupid pig-boy! What you do with Ranma?!" This caught Ryouga's attention very well and his curiosity towards her turned to anger. She prepared herself as he walked up to her. "I haven't seen him in a couple nights! I did nothing to him!" She watched his battle aura brighten as he started to charge her. Jumping back to avoid his initial attack, bonboris instantly appeared in her hands to deflect the lost boy's metal-reinforced umbrella. This was a fight she had prepared for, and to win she had to disarm him as quick as possible. To do that she needed him very mad. "If pig-boy stop fighting, Shampoo cook you some good bacon!" Her insult worked wonders, doubling his anger, and he charged her with amplified vigor. She sidestepped his assault, bringing a bonbori down on his weapon wielding hand with no result. If she had been watching this from outside the fight, her jaw would have fallen to the floor in surprise. The pained expression on his face, however, showed that her counterattack had not been useless. He brought his umbrella down, slicing only empty air, as she moved out of the way of the strike. "Oink! Oink! Getting slow!" Her taunts fueled his anger causing him to attack her with a complicated maneuver, grazing her side and causing her to fly back into the wall of the Tendo training hall. She dropped low, barely avoiding his umbrella, and rolled out of the way of his foot stomp. 'This is not going well at all!' She had to do something, but hitting him was almost as useless as fighting him. It changes nothing. Enough was enough. She ran into his charge, startling him, yelling, "KACHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!" Using her bonboris instead of her fists, she laid out a fierce assault of nearly one hundred strikes upon the lost boy. Her Chestnut fist was pitiful compared to Ranma's, but it was more than enough to slow down Ryouga. "Oh... you're going to pay for that!" Amazingly, Ryouga seemed to be gathering his chi energy, a very dark green. Her eyes went wide in awe as chi flooded to his person. There would be nothing left of the town if he released it. If not for a person's interruption, she and half of Nerima's citizens would have been killed. "Ryouga?! Shampoo?! What is going on?" Akane and the rest of the Tendo clan were at the gate, watching them. As abruptly as his chi had gathered, it left him. Shampoo wasted no time in disarming the distracted Ryouga, and sending him to the floor. "Stop it! Why'd you have to come back?!" Akane ran over to her fallen friend, checking his neck and stared up and glared at her, assuming a fighting position. "Viol... Akane no understand! Ryouga try hurt Ranma! Shampoo here to help Ranma!" Her protests were all for not, as the fallen Ryouga was helped up by Akane. They then proceeded to attack her. She launched herself into a back flip and landed on the Tendo's wall. "Please, let's talk, okay?" "Talk after what you did to poor Ryouga?" Akane's attack was held back by the lost boy. She looked back at him and nodded. Shampoo was poised on the wall, ready for anything. "I'll talk, Shampoo. What's this about saving Ranma from me?" Ryouga's sudden calm unnerved the already apprehensive Shampoo. Akane's fierce glare, and the rest of the Tendo's looks, showed that she had better spill it now. Akane had enough of Shampoo's bullshit for one lifetime and was very glad when she had left. Now, she was back in Japan and it involved Ranma, and possibly his disappearance. Of course, she fully well knew that Ryouga could have had nothing to do with it, but she listened anyway. "Shampoo see Ryouga in China and hear him yelling bad things. He want kill Ranma and he go back to Japan. Shampoo no want see Ranma hurt, so follow him. Shampoo no see Ranma around; assume stupid Ryouga beat Shampoo so attack!" Her broken fragmented Japanese was well understood by everyone around. No one believed her either. "You're lying! Ryouga would never hurt Ranma! Ranma was the one who always picked fights with poor Ryouga, but they've gotten over it. They're friends now, so you can go home." Akane's glare softened and she turned to Ryouga. "What happened, Ryouga?" Ryouga turned to her, his eyes regarding her sadly. "I suppose then that Ranma is missing?" Ryouga continued upon seeing Akane's nod. "Well, I finally made it to his bachelor party. I was late, but they let me in. We had some drinks... I mean we had *lots* of drinks and almost everyone passed out. I was okay enough and figured I should take Ranma home, considering he was a she then, and I wouldn't let anyone take advantage of him... er... her. I had her on my back and I got a little ways out when she woke up. She then struggled a bit and was yellin' that she could handle herself. So, not wanting to pick a fight, I let her go. I tried to follow, but I ended up in some forest. I think I made a wrong turn back at..." Akane cut him off. "It's okay Ryouga, it's not your fault. That stupid baka probably got himself lost and passed out somewhere." She smiled at Ryouga. He was such a nice young man, so much unlike how Ranma acts sometimes. Ryouga's calm broke, and he started looking very embarrassed upon receiving her smile. Shampoo listened to Ryouga's explanation, but starting to wonder if he actually had told the truth. She remembered that Ryouga was such an awful liar, competing with Ranma for the 'worst liar in Nerima' award. His eyes and face expressed honesty, even if a bit coldly. This was cause for great concern. If he wasn't lying, Ranma could be anywhere right now. If Ryouga did do something to him, Shampoo couldn't do anything for everyone was on his side. She could only hope and pray that they found him. She decided to swallow what was left of her pride and call a truce. She owed Ranma that much. What little she owed him though, would be repaid in full after this. No more would she go to his need. She couldn't take it anymore. "Shampoo sorry for attacking lost boy. Help Shampoo find Ranma now?" "That would be wise, but let's all have breakfast first, okay?" Nabiki said to everyone with her usual arrogant manner. With that everyone went to their places with Akane leading Ryouga to through the gate, leaving Shampoo alone on the top of the wall to her thoughts. * * * Search of the Nerima district proved ultimately fruitless being that Ranma was not found, nor any signs of him. The Tendos, Saotomes, and various other friends of Ranma proceeded to comb the rest of Tokyo with as much luck. He had officially declared missing as two people, the redheaded girl and the black-haired boy. Nothing they did turned up results, or even a trace of anywhere Ranma had been. He had simply disappeared. * * * An evil grin spread over the ancient man's face as he held a pair of silky panties up to his face. "Oh my beautiful Akane, how lovely your panties are!" He followed that with a cackle as he snatched up some more of her under garments. Happosai hadn't been in a better mood in near over twenty years, ten spent trapped in a cave. His vitality had slowly been returning to him over the past few days, going a whole day only needing a bra or two. As he aged well past a hundred years, he had to replenish his strength with women's private wear more and more. Yesterday, he obtained a huge stash and had enough energy to level all of Tokyo with his Happo Daikarins. Of course, if his Ranma-chan finally came to her senses and modeled for him, his energy would be rivaled of the other day, but this much energy gathered from just a few gropes and a stash of panties, simply amazing him. He did not ponder on his luck too long, for he had a need of it. He did not want it to go to waste, so he needed to locate his Ranma-chan. He'd finally get her where he wanted her. Oh yes... Happosai's thoughts were cut off by the door to Akane's room opening. In a surprise attack, he leaped and tried to attach himself to Akane's chest. Unfortunately for the old man, her bountiful bosom was replaced with a very muscular and powerful chest. He looked up to see the face of a startled, and now very angry, Ryouga. The master leaped down. "Ah, Ryouga my boy, what business do you have in my little Akane's room?" He pulled out his pipe and twirled it threateningly. The lost boy's face fumed with a rising anger. "THAT is what I should be asking YOU!" Ryouga was then pushed aside by an equally angry Akane brandishing a gigantic mallet which read, "Hentai Destroyer" in English. She approached him with murder in her eyes. "My beautiful little Akane-chan, what are you doing with such a big piece of metal? Here let me take that." He then proceeded to disarm her and latch onto her chest. "Oh, you've grown!" Apparently this was too much for Akane's mind to register and she passed out cold on the floor. "What have you done to her, you devil?!" Ryouga threw himself at the aged master, but was slammed back into the wall with on twirl of his pipe. "You should know better than that, Ryouga. As to my little Akane, I would never do anything to hurt her." Happosai went from "Hentai mode" into "Aged Old Master mode" and examined the fallen girl carefully. With nothing physically wrong with her, he decided to make his exit. Ryouga regained consciousness and went over to his love, making sure she was well. He then picked Akane up placing her on her bed. He looked down at her, pushed her hair off of her face and sighed. Ryouga could take no more of that hideous old man's perverse pastimes. The vile creature had wronged his Akane for the last time. Happosai would pay - with his life if need be. End Part Three: More than Fate _____________________________________________________________________ His vengeance completed accidentally in a way he wanted to avoid, Ryouga believes he won, but the second round hasn't started yet and he doesn't even know who his challenger is. I thank you for reading my fanfiction, "Vengeance". The story continues in the sequel, "A New Life" which can be found at my webpage in its most up-to-date draft. I'd like to thank my pre-readers for all their help and support in producing my fanfictions: Lord Talon, Louis Phillipe Giroux, Miza, Ronny Hedin and Sam Vilsmeier. Though this is my first completed fanfiction, I think I did a pretty good job, do you? From the good responses I received, I'd say I at least managed to do something right. Send all C&C to the address below my name. Thanks! My Fanfictions can be found at http://members.xoom.com/RyanErik/ Ryan Erik ryanerik59@hotmail.com or magusbloodstone@hotmail.com--====================987654321_0==_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"