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Author's notes.

I'd like to say I'm sorry that this took so very long to come out, and that
it's so short. It also does not likely cover matters that many of you have
hoped to see covered.

That is part of the problem.

In addition to real life, and a bad case of being bone idle, the sheer
volume of material I needed to put down to take this chapter to the point
I had originally intended was so daunting, that I could not work up the
enthusiasm to work on it.

That brings me to this section. I have decided that I am simply going to
let the story move at it's own pace, and will work on it as steadily as I
can, publishing chapters whenever I feel I've come to a good point to
end my current section. 

I hope that this will allow me to publish material far more often than I
have been. 'Knock on wood.'

Last chapter I promised Kagato. Ain't going to happen. Not for some
time I'm afraid. I don't know how many chapters it will take to move
through the coming together of my two story lines, but until that has
happened I will not be moving on to Kagato. 


So, once again, I say I'm sorry for the slow progress, and hope that this
smaller chapter will keep you for now.
I won't promise a new chapter soon, but I will try to work more
consistently on it. 


And don't stop writing. Letters from fans are the only reason this section
exists. Knowing there are people who like your work, and want more is
a great incentive for any author. 


Now, enough of my blather. On to what you're here for. The story. 


Tenchi and Ranma, Together, Forever!?
Chapter 13



     It would likely come as a surprise to many people, but for an
acknowledged space pirate, Ryouko was really not very good at being
sneaky. Now, mind you, this wasn't out of any sort of moral
compunctions. Ryouko didn't believe in those. It was rather because her
idea of a stealthy approach ran more along the lines of kicking in a wall
instead of a door. Unfortunately, due to the light-of-her-life's rather
narrow view on assault and battery, she had been forced to adopt a
different modus from her preferred in the current situation. Despite that,
she was not as handicapped as others might have been. Her natural
ability to phase through solid objects, and to teleport over short
distances, did give her certain advantages not available to your average
ninja wanna-be
     When Ryouko poked her head up through the floor of the girl's
bedroom, she was pleased to see that she'd lucked out. She had come up
just behind, and out of the line of sight, of her target. Her eyes glinted
evilly, as she floated up high enough to expose her shoulders and arms,
not to mention a healthy amount of cleavage. It was almost a pity that
there was no one awake in the room to appreciate the view. 
     Ryouko was reaching toward her unsuspecting victim, her fingers
bent into claws, when she was shocked to find a tanned arm circling
around her neck. The fierce space pirate suddenly found herself pulled
backward against a body that was even better padded than her own. A
wash of scented blond hair fell over her face as her attacker snuggled up
close to her body.
     Mihoshi murmured happily in her sleep, and hugged Ryouko
tightly. The former pirate found herself being strangled as the
deceptively well muscled blonde exerted pressure. That, is, until she
remembered she actually had no real need to breathe. Despite that, it
was not exactly a situation that lent itself to calm rational thought, not
Ryouko's strong suit at the best of times. Her situation was made worse
by the fact that she didn't dare make any loud noises, lest her intended
prey wake. She did not even dare phase, as her sudden absence might
wake the idiot blonde and blow the whole setup.
     Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Ryouko forced her hands
under Mihoshi's arm, and slowly pressed the limb outward till she was
able to slip herself free. Holding the arm with one hand, she shoved a
loose pillow into the place formerly occupied by her throat and let go.
The soft cushion was pressed flat, and Mihoshi once again murmured
happily, loudly enough this time for Ryouko to make out the name,
Kiyone. The opportunist in Ryouko filed the name away for future
reference while the rest of her returned its attention to the petite redhead
laying on her side in front of Ryouko.  Much to the curvaceous
brigand's pleasure, Ranma had not woken during the struggle with
Mihoshi. Ryouko reached forward once again and this time was not
interrupted as her hands latched onto Ranma's shoulders. A second
later, Ryouko, Ranma, and Ranma's bedding shimmered out of sight.
The last trace of the pair was Ryouko's rather evil smile, which seemed
to hover in the air for a fraction of a second longer then the rest of her,
before finally fading from sight. 



            ***************************************
                    
     In a household bathing room a tall well-formed, brown-haired boy
lifted a wooden bucket and dashed the contents over his head.    
     "Brrrrrrrrr! Cold," Ukyou said with a shiver, as the water washed
over his head. The cursed girl, currently male, was sitting on a stool in
the Tendos' bathing room. Near him, a large furo was filled with
steaming water. 
     At another time Ukyou would have been looking forward to the
upcoming hot soak with great anticipation. Real hot baths were a rarity
in his life. A life on the road did not lend itself to private baths. And the
public baths was not an option for her, or him.  When he had been
nothing more than a girl, pretending to be a man, she could not risk a
public bath, and exposure. Now that she was a girl, who was cursed to
turn into a male, the situation was even worse. Between the cold wash,
and the hot soak, he'd be in trouble no matter which bath she used.
None of that was in Ukyou's mind at the moment, however. One
thought crowded out all others.         

     Ranma Saotome was alive! 

     The object of Ukyou long quest for vengeance was staying at a
place only a few hours by bus from this present location. Ukyou, and his
prospective adoptive mother, Nodoka, Ranma's mother, had been on
their way to the bus station to make that very trip. The two of them had,
in fact, reached the gate to the street when they had been stopped by
Akane's older sister, Nabiki. That girl, slightly out of breath, had
informed them that she had just checked, and that if they left now, the
bus schedule for the area they were going to would leave them stranded
in the middle of the city when the busses stopped running for the night. 
     Neither Ukyou or Nodoka had the means to pay for a hotel at the
moment. So they had been forced to take the Tendos' offered
hospitality. It was one thing to camp out in the wilds of China, quite
another to do so in a Japanese town or city. The last thing Ukyou
wanted to happen this close to his goal was to be picked up for
vagrancy. That did not stop him from burning with desire, however. He
would have his long awaited vengeance soon. 
     "Your ass is mine Ranma!" Ukyou vowed, as he stood up and
moved toward the furo. The sound of the door sliding open behind him
startled him. Reflexes honed over ten years of disguise kicked in. Ukyou
crossed an arm  over his chest, and a hand over his groin as he turned a
head to see who had just entered the room. 
     "Oh, my!" The girl in the doorway said, a light blush coloring her
cheeks. "I'm so sorry," Nabiki exclaimed, pulling the very small towel
she was holding tighter against her body. The small scrap of cloth just
barely covered Nabiki's torso. Her breasts expanded above it, pushed up
by the forearm she had crossed over her chest, and the bottom hovered
tantalizing high on her thighs. Ukyou gulped, and hastily moved his
visual focus to Nabiki's wide brown eyes while silently cursing her
curse.  "I didn't know there was anyone else in here," Nabiki said
apologetically.
     Ukyou suddenly remembered that he had no current need for an
arm across the chest and let it drop. Adding his now free hand to the one
currently covering those bits that still needed coverage.  For a brief
moment he gave into temptation, and let his eyes roam slightly over
Nabiki's barely covered form, and then quickly wrenched his eyes away
before two hands became inadequate for the task of maintaining
modesty. Thank goodness his back was still toward the door. 

     Unseen by Ukyou, Nabiki's mouth quirked into a knowing smirk,
and then quickly resumed its previous expression of embarrassed
surprise. She let her eyes roam freely down Ukyou's sculpted back, to a
pair of the finest male cheeks it had ever been her pleasure to view. He
even has dimples, she thought in pleasure.

     The tableau held for an eternity to Ukyou, and far to short a time
for Nabiki, when a voice from behind the voyeuristic girl sounded a
rescue.  "Why, Nabiki, how nice. Have you come to join me and Ukyou-
kun in our bath?" Nodoka's voice asked. 
     Nabiki eyes opened wider, this time in genuine surprise, and the
blush on her cheeks became suddenly much deeper and widespread as
she jerked a quick look behind herself. As she did, the towel she was
holding drooped slightly, and Ukyou, who had dared a glance back over
his shoulder spotted the top of a bathing suit peaking out from under it. 
     Annoyance warred with amusement, and a slight bit of
disappointment, quickly suppressed, inside Ukyou. Amusement won.
The small interruption had been enough to let Ukyou regain his control.
He'd spent years perfecting his flirting technique while still being one-
hundred percent female. Even having to cope with an idiot body was not
enough to lose all that.  Dropping the hands that had been cupping his
groin, Ukyou turned around.  Smirking slightly, he said, "Why yes, why
don't you join us, Nabiki-chan. I'd be happy to . . .wash your back for
you." As he said the last few words, Ukyou dropped his voice an octave.

     Nabiki's head jerked back around toward Ukyou, and her eyes
dipped slightly as she suddenly took in his new position. The red in her
cheeks became incandescent, and she backed away from the doorway
quickly. "No, no, that's all right. I'll just, er, wait my turn." 
     "My, such a nice girl," Nodoka said as she came into the room, her
head turned so she could, presumably, watch the departing Nabiki. She
paused for a second, and then continued. "That is very rude, Ranko. I'm
sure Nabiki had no such idea in mind. And I don't think she's very
manly at all. A bit forward perhaps, but not so crass as all that." 
     By the time Nodoka turned her head back Ukyou had entered the
furo, and the hot water had converted her back to her natural state of
femininity. A brief look of disappointment flashed across Nodoka's
face, quickly replaced with one of good cheer. Ukyou was not fooled.
She knew that Nodoka would prefer it if she stayed male at all times.
She was also not deceived by the bland look of cheerfulness Nodoka
assumed as she began to wash up. Ukyou knew the older woman had to
be as eager as she herself was to find Ranma, if for different reasons.
That was a matter she intended to discuss with her future mother.

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

     Nabiki Tendo did not stomp. Such a thing was unthinkable for the
self-controlled girl. Her sister . . . sisters, stomped, and bashed, and
otherwise carried on in noisy and demonstrative ways. But Nabiki did
not. Therefore, she was not currently stomping down the hallway of her
home in a high dungeon. She was simply walking with great vigor. 
          "How dare he!" She exclaimed with venom. In her mind, she
could still see Ukyou's supercilious expression as he had called her bluff
in the bathroom. Nabiki fumed. She was used to being the one in
control, and leaving her partners baffled and befuddled. How dare that,
that, that male, act like that!
     "Nabiki, are you alright!" a concerned voice asked in stereo. 
     Nabiki looked up to see her sister . . .sisters, looking at her with
worried expressions on their faces. The sudden visual reminder of the
weirdness that had invaded her life acted as a very effective cold
shower. Nabiki gave her head a shake, and smiled tightly at her sisters.
"Nothing that I can't handle. Now, if you'll excuse me. I need to go and
get dressed for Daddy's big announcement." 
     "Big announcement?" the Akane who was holding a small black
pig asked.
     "What big announcement?" her twin said at the same time.
     "You'll find out in a while. I'm sure that Daddy's just waiting for
Ukyou-kun and Aunty Nodoka to finish their bath before giving it."
Nabiki started down the hall toward her bedroom, and then paused,
turning back toward Una and Annakane. "Say, girls, is there anything
between you and Ukyou-kun?"
     Both Akanes blinked at Nabiki in surprise, and then together they
flushed red with anger, and said with great heat," What!? What sort of a
pervert do you think I am, Nabiki!?" 
     "So, he's not deeply, madly in love with either, or both of you?"
     "What! NO! Wait! What have you heard? He isn't is he?" both
Akane's chorused in perfect harmony, genuine distress on their faces. 
     A look of satisfaction crossed Nabiki's face. "Sorry, forget I said
anything. Just wanted to check that I wasn't treading on any toes," she
said over her shoulder as she resumed her walk toward her bedroom.
"Or that I'm not wasting my time on a lost cause," she added softly to
herself.
     "The nerve of her!" Annakane, fumed to her twin.       
     "Yea, accusing us of being interested in another girl," her twin
agreed.
     "So when did she find out Ukyou was really a girl?" a gravely
voice asked. 
     Annakane looked down at the small pig nestled in her arms, a
frown on her face. "What?" she asked. 
     "I asked when did your sister find out that Ukyou was a girl?"
     "I don't think she has," Unakane said in a doubtful voice.
"Though I suppose she might have. Nabiki's very good at finding out
secrets," she added in a voice that contained just a bit of bitterness. 
     "So, how could she have been accusing you of being interested in
another girl?" the pig asked.
     "Well . . ." the twins both said, and both trailed off. 
     "I suppose," 
     "She couldn't have been," they said with some reluctance. 
     "Hey!" Unakane suddenly said. 
     "She was asking if we were interested in,"
     "Ukyou as a boy!"
     "And what she said after," Annakane said, her eyes going wide.
     "She's interested in 'him'!" Unakane finished in shock.
     "We have to tell her the truth!" Both girls chorused and headed for
Nabiki's room. 
     Nabiki looked up with a frown as her sisters barged into her room.
She had dropped her towel, and was covered in only a skimpy one piece
bathing suit. In front of her the door to her closet was wide open,
showing a wide selection of outfits. She hastily shoved about half of
them out of her sister's line of sight. The half that had originally hung in
Akane's room. 
     "Nabiki! I have to tell you about, Ukyou!" the twins yelled. 
     "Wait, let me guess," Nabiki said, holding up the palm of her hand
to silence her sisters. "He's not what he looks like. Right?"
     "That's right! He's a. . ."
     "Dirty pervert. Who's not to be trusted, and who'll take advantage
of me the first moment he's able. I've heard the song before, Akane. . .
and, Akane. Well, guess what? I'm a big girl, and I can squash a pervert
with the best of them."
     "Nabiki! You don't understand!" 
     "Oh, I understand perfectly," Nabiki said, turning back toward her
closet. "But not all of us are so lost in our own private world. Believe it
or not, little sisters, some girls actually have good times with boys.
Some of them even enjoy the fact that they are a little perverted.  God
knows, if it weren't for their hormones, my bank balance would be a lot
smaller. So why don't you let big sister get ready, and you can go do
whatever boy hating tomboys do."
     "Nabiki!"
     "Shoo, shoo," Nabiki said, waving a hand in a dismissive gesture
toward her bedroom door. Her attention was fully on her clothes
cupboard, and it was clear that as far as she was concerned, the
conversation was over.
     Annakane fought down the urge to slam Nabiki's door behind her
as she left. The last time she'd done that, they'd needed to replace a
large section of wall. But she wanted to. "I can't believe her!" Annakane
groused to Unakane. 
     "Yea, we were only trying to keep her from making a big mistake,
and embarrassing herself."
     "Yea, she can't blame us now, we tried," Annakane said, and as
she spoke, her eyes widened slightly, and her face took on a look that
would not have looked out of place on her feline form. "You know," she
started to say.
     "She's going to be really, really embarrassed when she finds out,"
Unakane finished.
     "Especially if it takes a while," her twin mused.
     "Yea, like weeks."
     "Or even months."
     Both girls were now grinning in anticipation, but then their
expression sobered a bit. "But what if Ukyou," Annakane said.
     "Does something perverted?"
     "Yea, she's got that boy type body now."
     "What if it makes her crazy?"
     "Like real boys are?"
     Nestled in Annakane's arms. Agent P gave a sigh, and shook his
head in disgust. He didn't say anything however. Sometimes it was just
better to let matters go at their own pace. When dealing with stubborn
students it was often the only way they learned. 
     While these thoughts went through the small pig-like alien's mind,
the girls had been thinking themselves. 
     "We're just going to have to make sure,"
     "That Ukyou doesn't try to take advantage of Nabiki."
     "I'm sure she'll listen to us."
     "If we ask her right." 
     Both girls grinned at each other with smiles that showed a lot of
teeth.
     
*********************************

     Despite the hot furo she was sitting in, Ukyou gave a shudder as a
cold chill ran down her back. Boy, I needed this hot bath more than I
thought, she thought. Settling herself deeper into the hot water she
turned her attention toward Nodoka, who had just joined her in the furo. 
     Ukyou gave silent thanks for the effect of hot water on curse
victims. She'd just spent five minutes listening to Ranko rant about the
evil Nabiki, and how Ukyou had better not fall into her clutches.
Somewhere in the yelling Ukyou had finally picked up on Ranko's real
problem. Nabiki had as good as called her a liar earlier in the evening,
after the first panda attack. It seems Ranko was not one to forgive such
thing easily. Having had her say, Ranko had given into Nodoka's
urging, and had washed up and entered the hot furo.
     Barely giving Nodoka time to settle, Ukyou asked, "That panda, it
was Genma. Wasn't it?"
     "Yes, I believe it was your father," Nodoka said with a sigh.
     Ukyou flinched. She'd forgotten that little detail. The thought of
Genma as her father was not a happy one. If she'd not already felt that
way, the trip through China would have assured that. Time after time
they'd come across stories of Genma and Ranma dining and dashing.
Hanging was too good for them to Ukyou's restauranteur sensibilities.
Despite that, it looked like she was going to have to get used to the idea.
Obviously, Nodoka still intended to adopt her, even though Ranma was
still alive. She put this into words. "Why do you need me as a 'son'?
You have Ranma now?"
     Nodoka looked hurt. "You don't think that's the only reason I
asked to adopt you, do you? My Husband made a promise to you, and
the only way I can honor it, even in part, is by adopting you into our
family. But even if that was not the case. I would be honored to call you
son. You have shown yourself to be manly in trying circumstances. You
have all the qualities I could ever wish for in my son."
     With each comment Ukyou winced. Even if she was starting to
admit that she was not a very feminine female, it was painful to hear
herself declared a paragon of male virtues. Once Nodoka finished,
Ukyou said, "But the reason that was the only way you could settle the
debt owed me was because Ranma was dead. With him still alive, you
could make him honor the original agreement. I could still join your
family the traditional way now," she finished in a slightly bitter tone. "I
could marry, Ranma." 
     An expression of surprise crossed Nodoka's face. "Marry Ranma!?
I would have thought that would be the last thing you'd consider."
     "It is!" Ukyou affirmed with vigor, suppressing an old desire. 
How could she possibly confess all the dreams she'd had where her old
childhood playmate had begged forgiveness, after she had beaten him to
within an inch of his life, and then asked to be her husband. She was an
adult now, and had put such childish wishes behind her. "I was just
pointing out that there is another way for me to join your family. If I
don't want to marry Ranma, that's my choice, and your honor is not
involved."
     "I see. . ." Nodoka said thoughtfully. "Still, it would be nice if you
would reconsider that, now that I think of it. If you were to marry
Ranma it might be a solution to the problem." 
     Nodoka's voice and expression had a distracted quality to it.
Looking at her, Ukyou realized that Nodoka was focused on something
besides what they were discussing.  But if that were the case, what
problem was she talking about? Before she could ask, Nodoka
continued, "I have to think about this, Ukyou. Could you please give me
this evening. I promise I'll let you know before we reach the shrine."
     Ukyou felt a sense of unease that told her to push the matter. She
started to do that, but when she looked into Nodoka's eyes, and saw the
expression of entreaty there, she couldn't. "Ok, I guess I can wait," she
said. Mentally, she made a wish that she wouldn't regret not pushing.
     A knock on the door drew both of their attentions, and Ukyou
submerged till only her eyes were above the water, just in case. "Aunty,
are you in there with Ukyou-kun?" Kasumi's voice asked. 
     "We're both here, Kasumi-chan," Nodoka asked. "Do you need
the furo? We're almost done."
     "No, I just wanted to let you know that Daddy would like to see
you and Ukyou-kun downstairs as soon as you are done and dressed."
     "Very well. Would you please tell your father that we will join you
as soon as we can."                
     "I will, Aunty."
     "Now I wonder what Tendo-san wishes to speak to us about?"
Nodoka mused, as she exited the furo. 
                                             
*********************************

     The old pine was the patriarch of the valley. One of the few trees
to survive the battle that had stranded Yosho there over seven hundred
years before. It had only been a sapling at the time, sheltered behind a
rock outcropping that was striped away in the avalanches that followed
the crash. Over the years it had grown in solitary splendor, head and
shoulders above the secondary growth that moved in to replace the
pine's destroyed siblings. With abundant sun, good soil and frequent
rainfall,  it had grown tall and wide. It was well over a hundred feet in
height, but that was not what made it stand out from its fellows. With no
competition, it had spread out, as well as up. Its lower branches were
larger than most trees, and stretched for yards from its trunk. 
     A shimmering light appeared above a particularly massive branch.
One that was almost a yard thick. Gently, with not even a bump,
Ryouko materialized Ranma and her bedding onto this branch. Slowly,
she withdrew her hands, holding her breath in anticipation. Ryouko let
out a sigh as Ranma stayed where she was, snuggled in her bedding, and
oblivious to her change in circumstances. 
     "I suppose I could just leave you like that, Red," Ryouko
murmured in a soft voice. "But that wouldn't really be fair. After all,
you were considerate enough to make sure I'd wouldn't have a hard
landing. The least I can do is return the favor." So saying, Ryouko
floated downward. A few seconds later, indistinct sounds floated up
from ground level. 
                                   
********************************

     Ukyou paused in the doorway to the Tendos' common room. The
setting in front of him had a slightly strange quality to it. Kneeling at the
head of the dining table, Akane's father was smiling broadly, tears
streaming down his face in rivulets. Kneeling on the right hand side of
the table, and next to her father, Akane's oldest sister, Kasumi, was
serene and quiet. She seeming oblivious to the strong emotions her
father was displaying. Her brown eyes turned toward Ukyou as he came
in the door, and they seemed to measure him, in a very polite way.
Despite that, he found himself blushing slightly under her gaze, and not
knowing why. At the opposite end of the table, still on the right hand
side, Annakane and Unakane knelt. Their faces were puzzled and wary,
and the look they gave Ukyou was both apologetic, and belligerent. 
     All this Ukyou took in quickly as the bulk of his attention was
drawn to the kimono clad beauty kneeling beside the dinning room table
between Kasumi and the twins. For a second Ukyou was puzzled,
thinking this was a new sister, then his eyes widened as he recognized
her.  It was Nabiki, but not the brash forward Nabiki who had brazenly
burst in on him while he'd been washing. This was a demure lady of
exquisite appearance and manners. Ukyou felt like he'd been punched
in the gut.  Demure and modest the kimono might have been, but the
fine silk clung to her body like a second skin, revealing, and concealing,
and making Ukyou's mind imagine things he didn't want to. Then the
girl lifted her head and looked at him. There in her eyes was the same
girl he had met in the bathroom, and he relaxed, giving her a cheeky
grin, and taking pleasure in the small blush that colored her cheeks as
she ducked her head in confusion. He still had it, he thought with
satisfaction. 
     A slight nudge from behind brought Ukyou back to himself, and
he stepped forward and allowed Nodoka to enter the room behind him. 
     "Come, sit down. Join us," Soun Tendo exclaimed with barely
contained excitement.         
     "What is it you wished to talk to us about, Tendo-san?" Nodoka
asked as soon as she and Ukyou knelt down at the table, opposite the
four sisters. 
     "I wished to formally present my daughter's to you," Soun
answered her.  
     "I beg your pardon?" Nodoka said in surprise.
     Soun, had already moved on. In an voice that was barely coherent
from excitment, he pointed at Kasumi and said. "This is my oldest
daughter, Kasumi. She's 19. She is an excellent housekeeper and cook.
Her husband will be well fed, and never lack for clean clothes." Kasumi
blushed slightly, but said nothing. Soun next indicated Nabiki. 
     "What the heck is going on here?" Unakane asked sharply.    
     Soun ignored Unakane, and said, "This is my middle daughter,
Nabiki. She is 17 years old. She is skilled at money management, and
will manage her husband's finances well. He will never have to worry
about his finances with her." 
     "Daddy, what the heck are you doing?" Annakane asked in an
annoyed tone of voice. She was blushing at her father's behavior. 
     "Be quiet you two," Nabiki hissed under her breath to her two
sisters while she directed a demure smile Ukyou's way. 
     "And this is," Soun started to say, pointing toward Annakane.
Then he paused, and his finger swivelled toward her twin. "And this is .
. .?" 
     "Unakane, and Annakane," Nodoka said in an amused, voice. 
     'Yes, ah, right, exactly," Soun babbled. He took a deep breath, and
made a conscious effort to get back on track. "Ah, Akane, I mean
Unakane, and Annakane, are skilled martial artists . . ." he paused, and
looked questioningly at his twin daughters. "You still are skilled martial
artists aren't you?" he asked. 
     "Of course we are," they both answered in impatient voices.
"What is this all about, daddy?" 
     Again Soun ignored them. "So these are my daughters. When you
meet your son Ranma, I hope you will be able to advise him on which
one you think would make the best wife for him." Nodoka and Ukyou
stared at him in surprise. 
     "What!?" Unakane and her sister shouted out in shock. 
     Nabiki was not far behind them. Her demure facade vanished as if
it had never been.  She scowled at her father. "What the heck do you
mean, Ranma!?" She asked with some heat. "Ukyou's right here." 
     "Yes, I know, but he's only an adopted son. And does not use the
Saotome school of martial arts.  Genma and I agreed to merge our
schools, so even if Ukyou were a blood Saotome, he would not be
suitable." 
     "I am sorry you feel that way, Tendo-san," Nodoka said in a quiet
voice that still managed to cut through all the conversations and yelling
going on. It also brought Ukyou out of the shock he'd experienced on
learning that Genma had arranged another marriage for Ranma, besides
the one he had set up with Ukyou's father.
     "I don't understand." Soun said.
     "I'm afraid that Ranma can not marry any of your daughters."
Nodoka said flatly. 
     "But Genma and I promised each other. It's a matter of honor."
     "It is also an impossibility. Ranma can not physically marry your
daughters due to an accident that befell him on the trip he and Genma
took."
     Soun's face collapsed. "No," he whispered in protest. "This can't
be. Now our houses will never be joined. All my dreams, dust." Tear
started to run down his cheeks in streams. "Are you sure?" he asked
Nodoka in a voice begging for hope.
     He didn't get it. "I am truly sorry, Tendo-san. As I said, it is not
possible for Ranma to marry your daughters. His accident makes it out
of the question."
     Ukyou listened to this with mixed feelings. He had known there
was something wrong from the way Nodoka had been behaving. He had
not realized it was this bad. Ranma had suffered some sort of injury that
made it impossible to marry? Male instincts he didn't know he had
made him wince, and press his legs tight together. Part of him wanted to
cheer out, 'couldn't happen to a nicer guy', but part of him still
remembered the boy he had played with all of one hot summer, back
when he was still a girl, legally, and physically. The best friend he had
ever had. Ranma was also the one who had betrayed him the worst of
anyone in his life, however. For a few minutes Ukyou juggled those two
halves, the good and the bad Ranma. To his regret he couldn't simply
absolve Ranma. There was too much pain for that, but he could forgive
him, just a little. Maybe enough to not need his long sought vengeance.
After all, it there would be no honor in assaulting a cripple. A vision
rose in Ukyou's mind of a Chibi-Ranma, trembling with weakness and
leaning on two canes. He clapped his hands together three times, and
said a brief prayer for the poor unfortunate. 
     Ukyou suddenly blushed as he realized what he'd done in front of
everyone. He hurriedly looked around, but no one was looking at him.
Instead, everyone seemed lost in their own thoughts. Tendo-san was
crying, Kasumi and Nodoka were kneeling in silence, each thinking
private thoughts. Nabiki looked annoyed, and Annakane and her sister
were exchanging looks behind their middle sister's back. Even as
Ukyou watched, they leaned forward, evil smiles on their face. Ukyou
felt a sudden irrational fear. 
     "Wait!" Annakane, said, standing up as she did so. "You were too
quick to dismiss Ukyou, daddy," she said. "He's a really good martial
artist. I'm sure he could learn the Saotome style quickly once he has
been adopted." Soun's face brightened, and he turned to look at Ukyou,
who was waving negative signs at Annakane, which she was blithely
ignoring. 
     "Well, he does look very fit," Soun mused. Ukyou looked at him
in shock, and turned to his future mother in the hopes she would inject
some sanity into this discussion. To his horror she looked like she was
actually considering the insane ideas.
     Nabiki was watching her father and Nodoka intently. She really
had no intention of marrying Ukyou, well, not without knowing a lot
more about him, but on the other hand, he was handsome, seemed
intelligent, and best of all, didn't know her. Now if she waited for just
the right minute, she could likely get her daddy to agree to a provisional
engagement, one that Nabiki could break off if Ukyou could not master
the Saotome style. She was confident she could convince her father he
hadn't when the time came for her to seek greener pastures. She opened
her mouth to speak.
     "Nabiki will marry him."
     "Yea, she's perfect for him. 
     Nabiki suddenly found herself bracketed by both her younger
sisters. Each one holding her arm and pushing her forward slightly.
     "Really, you think so?" Soun asked eagerly. 
     "Oh yes, it's a perfect match, trust us," both girls chorused. 
     "No wait a bit," Nabiki tried to say, but she was drowned out by
her father.
     "It's settled then. Ukyou will marry Nabiki. I'm so happy," he
cried out, breaking down completely. 
     "Mother, I can't do this. You have to tell him," Ukyou said
frantically, tugging on Nodoka's sleeve. 
     Nodoka seemed oblivious. "It would satisfy family honor," she
mused out loud, much to Ukyou's dismay. She suddenly gave a firm
nod of her head, and said, "I think this would be for the best. Ukyou will
marry Nabiki."
     "What?" Ukyou and Nabiki exclaimed in shock. "What if he can't
master the Saotome style, daddy," Nabiki said a bit frantically, eager to
get her loophole in place.
     Soun waved this concern off as he continued to cry tears of joy.
"I'm sure that is not a problem," he sobbed in joy. "Your sisters vouch
for him after all. If they think he can do it, I trust her judgment." 
     Nabiki directed a dirty look toward both her sisters, who looked
back with innocent expressions on their faces."
     Kasumi stood up. Her face wore its usual expression of neutral
good cheer, with maybe just a touch of disappointment around the eyes.
"Oh my, I guess I should get out some tea and cakes so we can
celebrate, and maybe a little sake," she added before her father could. 
     "Could I talk to you two," Ukyou hissed angrily, taking both
Akanes by their arms. He practically dragged them out of the room.
"ARE YOU CRAZY!" he whispered in outrage to them as soon as they
were clear of the others. 
     Both Annakane and her sister were laughing so hard they could
barely stand. "Did you see her face," Unakane said to her sister. 
     "She was so sure she had it,"
     "All figured out."
     "Boy, is she in for a,"
     "Surprise." Both girls fell to the floor holding their sides.
     "This is not funny!" Ukyou yelled at them. He darted a quick look
back at the dining room, and then said in a quieter voice, "You know I
can't marry your sister!" He said angrily.
     "Of course not."
     "That's why it's so funny." the girls said. 
     "Relax, Ukyou. You know daddy won't hold Nabiki to the deal
when the truth comes out," Unakane said.
     "Yea, but until then, Nabiki's going to play it for all it's worth."
     "Yea, imagine what she'll feel when the truth comes out."
     "Buuuuurrrrrrnnnnneeeddddd," both girls said as one.
     "Ukyou," Nodoka said, entering the hallway. "you don't need to
worry. I've explained to Soun." 
     Ukyou heaved a sigh of relief, "Thank goodness," he said.
     "Awwww," Annakane and Unakane said sulking. 
     "He was very understanding about the curse, but as you are a boy
in reality, he saw no problem with continuing with the arrangement." 
     All three young people face faulted. Off to the side, a small black
pig snickered silently to himself. 
                                        
********************************

     Sunrise came late to the Masaki valley. The surrounding hills kept
the valley floor in shadows till the sun was quite high in the sky. That
meant the day almost always started in the dawns early light. Sasami
woke earlier them most everyone else in the general course of things,
though often Ranma would be up ahead of her, and out in the yard
training before breakfast. Rubbing her eyes, she made out that not only
was Ranma not present, but that's she'd also rolled up her futon and put
it away for the day. 
     "I'd better get a big breakfast on," Sasami yawned to herself.
"Ranma deserves a reward for being so neat." Unspoken was the hope
that a little reward might encourage to keep up the good habit. She
departed the room, scratching an itch as she did so. Behind her, Mihoshi
and Ayeka continued to sleep. Mihoshi making little high pitched
wheezing noises, and Ayeka snoring in a most unladylike fashion. 
Up in his room Tenchi sat up in bed, and rubbed the sleep out of his
eyes. Stretching, his arms, he gave a long yawn, and then stumbled out
of bed. He'd need to bring in a little firewood for Sasami this morning.
The house was getting low on gas, and they hadn't yet set up a regular
delivery. 
     Downstairs, Ryouko lay on her rafter, her eyes closed, but not
asleep. Any second now she thought with glee. There was no need for
her to be present. She had set up some recorders salvaged from Ryuu-oh
to preserve the moment for posterity. She would have liked to have been
present, but didn't want to take a chance of her presence alerting
Ranma. 

     Ranma sat up in bed, and scratched herself in an absent minded
manner left over from old habits. She gave a yawn, and looked around
herself in the dim morning light. "Wha . . ." she exclaimed in surprise at
seeing a tree trunk a few yards away. Her startled move was enough to
destroy the delicate balance that had kept her in place on the broad tree
limb. With a startled yell, Ranma found herself slipping off whatever
she was laying on. Her hand flashed out and hooked into the rough bark
of the limb her futon had been supported by. Looking down she watched
as her bedding fell twenty feet, and landed with muffled thumps on the
ground. She could just barely make out their pale shapes against the
darker ground in the early morning light. "What the heck," she said to
herself. Her eyes widened in understanding. "Ryouko," she said. Lifting
her legs, while still hanging from one hand, she spotted the rope tied
around her left ankle. 
     "No way, Mummy," Ranma chortled. "Ranma Saotome ain't that
easy." She reached out with her free hand, and carefully undid the
clumsy knot that secured the cotton rope to her leg. She looked around
herself carefully, and spotted what looked like a wooden ball floating a
few feet away. Not recognizing it, but guessing at its purpose, Ranma
pulled down an eyelid, and stuck out her tongue at the small visual
recorder. "Not even close, Pirate," she taunted. 
     Ranma let go of her handhold, and made a controlled fall to the
forest floor. Her feet touched down lightly on the forest trash, and kept
going. "Wha!" she had time to cry out in surprise before the liquid mud
the leaves had covered sucked her under with a wet slurping sound.

     Sasami almost dropped the bowl of eggs she had just taken out of
the fridge when a loud,"Bwhaaahahahahhahahahahah," shattered the
morning silence. She stuck her head out the kitchen door, and gave
Ryouko, who had fallen off her perch, and was laying on the couch
laughing, a chastening look. But Sasami was not one to scold.  So
instead of reproaching Ryouko, she merely said. 
     "Ryouko-san, could you go and find Ranma, and tell her breakfast
is nearly ready." 
     "Don't worry, Sasami," Ryouko said, still chortling. She looked
into the small mirror shaped object in her hand. "I think Ranma will be
here very soon." She suddenly faded from view. Sasami turned around
as her voice resumed in the kitchen. "It's such a nice day, I think I'll
have my breakfast up at the temple, and enjoy the sunrise," She said,
snatching up supplies. "Say good morning to Ranma for me when she
gets here," were her last words as she faded from sight again." 


End. 

Next. I hope -_-;;;

It's a nice day for a picnic, if not for the space pirates, assassins and
assorted police officers. 

 
                                                  













 






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