Something seemed to have happened inside the cathedral.
Pieces of paper were showering down, and soon afterwards,
the father of her rival dragged her rival away from Ranma as
Shampoo blinked.

     <What the hell is going on?>

     Even more shocking was the fact that people were now
piling out of the cathedral hastily, as if the ever act of
having been there had brought them shame somehow.

     It was then that she saw Kuno and his ninja troop right
beneath the tree that she was on, and overheard what they
said.

     Immediately, she leapt down from the tree and landed
right in front of him.

     "What Kuno talk about?" She asked with a steely edge to
her voice.

     Kuno looked a bit startled at first, but he quickly
composed himself.

     "What don't you go in and find out yourself?"  Kuno
said as he causally walked away with his ninja troop
following close behind.       Shampoo was about to go after
him, but thought better of it and ran into the cathedral
instead to see what had happened.

       Once inside, Shampoo was shocked to see that Ranma
had sank to his knees on the marble floor, his eyes obscured
by unruly bangs.  Before Shampoo could have gone up to him,
an anguished wail stopped her in her tracks.  She
immediately recognized that voice as Akane's.

     Akane was pleading with her father as Kasumi stared at
her disapprovingly while Nabiki looked at her with
impatience and disgust.

     "An entire year, Daddy!"  Akane wailed as tears steamed
down her eyes.  "Me and Ranma had spent AN ENTIRE YEAR
trying to overcome our differences and to open our hearts to
each other!  How could you possibly try to separate us
now?!"

     Soun, for once, was a mask of sternness.  "I did not
know about the truth then . . . I do now, and while it is
nothing personal against Ranma-san, I WILL NOT ALLOW THE
BLOODLINE OF THE TENDO CLAN TO BE TAINTED BY SUCH  . . .
DIRT!"

     Shampoo gritted her teeth at hearing that.  This man
that had schemed for so many times to manipulate Ranma into
marry his daughter is NOW calling him DIRT?!

     "What you talk about?"  Shampoo asked in a loud enough
voice to make her presence known.  "Who you call dirt?!"

     Soun turned toward her with much contempt.  "Go home
and play with your Chinese potions, girl.  This does not
concern you!"

     Kasumi spoke up in a cool, calming voice, "Now, Father,
you shouldn't talk to Shampoo like that."

     Nabiki stared sideways at Shampoo as a taunting smile
crept onto her face.  "Especially not when she is the only
one left who can get that Ranma off Akane's hands."

     Shampoo's eyes widened in size as she heard NABIKI said
that.  "WHAT?!"

     "Ranma is mine!!" Akane turned violently to Nabiki as
the latter looked vaguely amused.  Kasumi sighed as she laid
a hand on Akane's shoulder and spoke up.

     "Akane, please control yourself.   Nabiki was just
trying to help you to get over your . . . misplaced feelings
and to make the right choice.  You don't have to shout at
her."

     Not used to confronting the calm and loving Kasumi,
Akane could only mumble, "I . . . I am making the right
choice . . ."

     Kasumi looked pained.  "Are you?  Did you remember what
Mother's dying words were?  She wanted us to grow up healthy
and to marry well so that we can each pass on a part of her
in our bloodlines."

     "Mother . . ." Akane's moral defense shattered at
hearing that, while Shampoo simply looked puzzled.  At this
point, Nabiki spoke up with a smile so relaxed and playful
that it looked scary under the circumstance.

     "I can just envision Mom now, up in the heavens,
smiling ever so tenderly at the sight of  her little Akane
placing her lover boy above the reputation of her family."
She chuckled as she turned toward Akane.  "I'm sure that
she'll be SO proud, ne? "

     "I LOVE HIM!!!"   Akane was forced to shout out her
true feelings before her decision changed.  "Doesn't that
count for anything?!"

     "Love . . .hahahahaha."  Nabiki laughed tauntingly.  "I
see, because of your love for this man, you are willing to
accept a life of being looked down upon.  That's all very
touching, little sis.   But have you EVER consider what I
will have to go through shall you choose this . . . person?
Just listen to this: I, Nabiki Tendo, 18 years old, a
schoolyard opportunist who nobody want to do business with
no more cause she is living in a house together with a guy
considered unsanitary by social standards.  And also, she
can't extort money from her dates no more, cause those damn
jocks now suspect her of being unclean as well."  Nabiki's
laughed even harder .  "I'm telling you, it's funny!  My
little sister gets to play the heroic romantic while
everybody else have to suffer for her sake!"

     Kasumi held a hand to her cheek as she stared at Akane.
"Are you really going to do that to your own family, Akane-
chan?"

      Akane was so angry that she could barely contain her
voice.  "You . . . you two . . . Fine, we won't want to be
where we're not wanted!  Me and Ranma can leave the dojo and
survive on our own somehow!"

     Nabiki shook her head as she stared at Akane with a
tired smile on her face.  "As you wish.  But as a sister, I
should remind you that even if you two can leave the dojo,
you two would still be in Nerima. Even if you two can leave
Nerima, you two would still be in Tokyo.  Even if you two
can leave Tokyo, you two would still be in Japan.  Stuck
with a man that can't possibly make anything of himself in
Japan, how can you two *lovebirds* possibly survive?  Get
real."

     "We . . . I . . ."  Tears began steaming down Akane's
eyes as she broke down and sobbed.  "Oh, God . . ."

     "Akane?"  Shampoo was getting seriously worried now as
she tentatively approached the crying girl.  "Please tell
Shampoo what wrong with Ranma?  Why all people suddenly
treat Ranma like disease?!"

     Akane looked down, as if she didn't want to extract the
effort to deal with Shampoo at that moment.  With a shaky
hand, she took off her tiara and dropped it onto the floor
with  a clang.  Afterwards, she turned away form Shampoo and
back to her family.

     "Let's go." she whispered.

     Together, they walked off the Cathedral under a heavy
and slightly eerie atmosphere.

     "AKANE!"  Shampoo shouted after her, frustrated.  "Why
not answer Shampoo?!"

     Akane turned back and stared sadly at Ranma, completely
ignoring Shampoo.  "Goodbye, Ranma.  I . . . I can't.  I'm
sorry.   I . . . I wish you happiness, and that . . . you'll
remember me . . ." she pressed down a sob, "without
bitterness."

     This time, she followed her family and left without
turning back.

     Just when Shampoo thought she couldn't get anymore
shocked and confused, she heard a strange sound from behind
her.  Turning around, she came face to face with the most
formidable sight she had ever seen in her entire life.

     Curled up into a ball, Ranma, the most macho teenage
boy alive, was crying like a lost child.  Sure, she had seen
Ranma cry before.  At Mount Phoenix, when he thought Akane
was dead in his arms, he had shed anguished tears in front
of Shampoo.  But never had she seen him crying with such . .
. hopelessness before.  It was almost like he was no longer
a top martial artist, no longer a man . . . no longer a
human being.    Shampoo moved toward him with cautious
steps.

     "Ran . . . Ranma?"

     Ranma stared up at Shampoo with his now teary and
slightly swollen eyes, and spoke up with some effort.

     "Shampoo . . . you looked . . . surprised . . . at
seeing me . . . cry . . ."

     Shampoo knelt down beside him, her expression a mixture
of nervousness and concern. "Ranma, Shampoo . . ."

     A sad smile could be seen on Ranma's tear-stained face.
"But . . . I don't have the strength to keep myself from
crying . . . not anymore . . ."

     "I mean . . . men can't cry . . . boys can't cry either
. . . nor do strong willed girls like yourself and Ucchan .
. ."

     "But . . . I . . . can cry now . . . I can now make up
for all those years that I wasn't allowed to . . . cry . .
."  a look of utter despair could be seen on his face.  ". .
.for a burakumin can never be strong anyway . . . "

     With that, Ranma's crying renewed with renewed vigor.
Not knowing how to handle such a situation, Shampoo did the
only thing that she could think of: she hit his sleeping
point and carried him back to the Nekohanten.


     *         *         *         *         *         *
     [Hiba-chan, what is burakumin?]  Shampoo, now back in
her own bedroom, asked her Hiba-chan in Chinese as she
pulled up the covers for the sleeping Ranma.   [That's what
Ranma called himself.]

     [So that's why the Tendos discarded him like this.]
Cologne said as she stared at the boy's sleeping face with
pity in her wise eyes.  [Burakumin, sometimes called Eta,
are the descendants of Japanese who did `unclean' jobs
during the Tokugawa period.]

     [Unclean jobs?]  Shampoo asked.  [You mean . . .
prostitution?  But in ancient times, those jobs were forced
upon women!  That was why we set up the Joketsuzoki in the
first place: to provide a place for oppressed women to turn
to!  So how . . .?]

     [Not those kinds of unclean jobs, child.  We are
talking about `unclean' as in
animal slaughter and disposal of the dead.]

     Shampoo frowned.  [But those jobs are needed by the
society: it has nothing to do with being unclean.]

     [The culture that Ranma is brought up in, that we've
moved into for so long, certainly thinks it has.]  Cologne
said dryly.
     [So what if one of Ranma's ancestors is a Burakumin?
That was over a century ago anyway.  Why were the Tendos so
upset to find out?  Do people make fun of Burakumin saying
that they are dirty?  Seems kind of childish for people of
this day and age . . .]
     Cologne sighed.  [Shampoo, obviously you still don't
understand the full . . . seriousness of how the Japanese
view the Burakumin.]

     [Well, how do they view them then?]

     [Let's just say that the most common job for a Japanese
PI is to check for evidence of Burakumin ancestry.
Companies often refuse to hire people with burakumin blood,
saying it would give the corporation a "dirty" image.]

     Shampoo was outraged.  [You . . . you mean that people
won't hire Ranma for work because they see him as
unclean?!?!?!]

     Cologne continued. [Not only that, teachers and
students will often refuse to eat or associate with
burakunim.  Not only will it be impossible for Ranma to get
a job after he comes of age, but it is very likely that he
won't get to finish high school either.  In Japan, Ranma
will not be considered as anything more than a humanoid rat.
Whatever hopes and dreams that he once had will remain as
nothing above hopes and dreams: and the same goes for his
future descendents as well as his relatives.  That's why the
Tendos had abandoned him so utterly: they wouldn't want him
to "drag them down", so to speak.]

     Looking at Ranma's sleeping face, now momentarily
spared from that agonizing look that will surely return once
he woke up, whatever left of Shampoo's bitterness was gone,
replaced by sympathy and sympathy alone.

     A boy, brought into this world not out of his own free
will, was now to be the scapegoat of ancient prejudices that
had somehow managed to persist in this so called "modern"
country.

     And such a country dared to label her and her great-
grandmother barbarians?  Fire flashed in Shampoo's large
eyes, making her look like an enraged feline tensing to
strike.

     Cologne, seemingly reading her thoughts, patted her on
her shoulder (while supported by the height of her staff).
[Every culture has its own drawbacks along with its glory,
child.  It is not in our place to condemn others' cultures:
for that way leads to racism and madness.]

     Shampoo bit down on her lower lip.  [I understand.  Oh,
Hiba-chan, if only we don't have to go back to Joketsuzoku
so soon, maybe we can actually stay and help him somehow . .
.]

     Cologne studied her expression.  [So, Shampoo, you
still have feelings for him, even now.]

     [Hiba-chan!  Ranma and I have been through so many
battles together.  Of course I . . .]

     [Do you still want him to be yours?  After how he had
turned down even your friendship for the sake of Akane?]

     Shampoo looked away.  [It would be so easy to just have
him as my own, now that that other girls have all turned
away from him.]  Reaching out her hand, she gently ran her
hand through Ranma's unruly bangs, savoring the sight of his
handsome face.  [He's just so . . . beautiful . . .]

     Cologne sighed.  [Beauty fades with time: I know this
better than anyone.]

     Shampoo lowered her eyes.  [That's true.  Besides,
Ranma obviously doesn't love me now, and I've already mailed
back to the village, saying that he had refused me after
all.  But still . . . I won't ever forgive myself if I
abandon someone who was once so close to me in his time of
need.  I still want to be his friend . . . and I don't want
to lost him like I did Mousse: I can't afford to lose any
more of my friends.]

     Cologne smiled at Shampoo.  [Well done, Shampoo.  You
have finally managed to learn to give love even when knowing
that it can't be reciprocated: even I couldn't have done the
same at your age.  This extended stay in Japan isn't for
nothing after all.]

     Shampoo smiled as she blushed in a slightly kittenish
sort of way.    [So what do we do now?]

     [Leave that up to me, Shampoo.  I need to have a little
chat with Ranma here first before I can decide on anything.]
*         *         *         *         *         *

     In a world that was a mixture of stale green and dim
yellow . . .

      Ranma was falling, falling blindly through the turgid
medium that he was trapped in, as voices echoed in his mind.

     /. . . hands off my daughter . . ./

     /. . . didn't tell me . . . before we had Ranma . . ./

     /. . . will not allow the bloodline of the Tendo Clan
to be tainted . . ./

     /. . . I hope you will remember me . . ./

     /. . . by such . . . dirt . . ./

     /. . . without bitterness . . ./

     With that, his surrounding shattered into pieces as he
screamed out in horror.

     His horror quadrupled as he came face to face with a
withered being that was staring down at him.

     "YaAAAAH!!"

     "Calm down, Ranma.  It's just me."  Cologne said.

     Holding a hand to his chest as he gasped for breath,
Ranma scrambled to reorganize his thoughts as he spoke up.

     "What . . . how did I get here?"

     "Shampoo brought you back here after you had . . .
collapsed at the Cathedral."

     Ranma looked shame-faced as he heard that.  After what
he had done to her . . . and now . . .

     Cologne hardened her face as she continued.  "You've
hurt my great-granddaughter a great deal, young man, a great
deal."

     "I . . . I'm sorry."  Ranma mumbled.  "I shouldn't have
gone along with them to keep you two from coming . . . "

     "I'm not finished yet, Ranma.  It isn't easy for a
rejected lover to put aside personal bias and continued in
being a friend to his or her beloved.   Even Mousse, of whom
I have such high hopes for, had turned away from Shampoo
after FINALLY admitting to himself that Shampoo doesn't love
him the way he wants her to.   In Shampoo's case, your
rejection is even harder for her to handle, for she had
promised our village to return with you as her groom.  Your
rejection of her serves to give her a failure mark in the
village's eyes."

     Ranma's eyes widened after hearing that.

     "But for your sake, Shampoo had managed to endure her
heartache to continued in trying to be your friend.  I don't
want to sound like I'm magnifying my own great-grandchild's
heroic dimension, but the sacrifices that she had made for
you . . . were enormous."

     "And I threw them back on her face . . . for the sake
of my own happiness."  Ranma breathed out.

     "Yes you did."  Cologne said.

     An uneasy silence fell over the room.  Finally, Ranma
spoke up again as he turned to Cologne.

     "If . . . if I am to marry Shampoo, will that make her
happy?"

     Cologne simply stared at him wordlessly.

     "If it can save her from dishonor, and that . . . she
would still tolerate me, I'll do it."

     "But you didn't love her . . . did you?"  Cologne
asked.

     "I can make her feel loved . . ." Ranma said, "in time,
I can grow to love her . . . like I did with Akane."

     "And if you can't?"

     Ranma looked weary.  "Then I might need one of your
potions to aid me in loving her."

     "Why are you doing this, Ranma?"

     "Because she is the only one left for me now.  All the
others were driven away by myself . . . even Ucchan."  A
stab of pain entered Ranma's heart at remembering that.
Only Shampoo was willing to keep on being my friend: I will
not let my only remaining friend suffer dishonor because of
my lack of consideration for her."

     "But what about Akane?  Isn't she the one that you
truly do love?    Shampoo had told me that she would have
continued in loving you had her family allowed her so."

     "Now that my family secret had been known, she would be
better off without me."  Ranma said as he stared into space.
"She's strong . . . she'll get over it."

     "So, you do care about Shampoo more than your own
happiness then . . . if not more than Akane's."

     "I care for her as much as I can for a friend."

     A smile formed on Cologne's face.  "Good, I'm glad that
Shampoo's willingness to sacrifice isn't entirely one-sided.
>From this day on, you, Saotome Ranma, will be an official
member of Joketsuzoku."

     "Thank you, Cologne."  Ranma said with a sad smile.

     Cologne looked slightly indignant.  "I was hoping that
you'd call me Honored-Elder or something along the line . .
. oh well.  Go look for a change of clothes in the drawer
over there: Mousse had left them here and I have modified
them to fit Shampoo's height.  You'll probably look bad in
them but they are the only men's clothes that we have till
we can get you new ones in China.  After you have changed,
go down to the restaurant area:  Shampoo was cooking for
you.  Afterwards, you two will pack up for our trip back to
China."

     Ranma nodded.  Cologne turned and head out of the room.
She stopped at the bedroom door, startling Ranma somewhat.

     "And Ranma?"

     "Yes?"

     "You don't have to marry Shampoo: her dishonor isn't so
great that she would have to settle for a loveless marriage.
I was only testing how far you would go to make up for
hurting her."

     Ranma looked incredulous.  "You mean you were just
joking about how I am now a member of the Joketsuzoku?!"

     "Will I joke about such thing?"  Cologne asked back
with a smile.

     "But you said that I ain't marrying Shampoo. . ."

     "Many boys from our village won't get to marry Shampoo
either.  So what's the point?"

     Ranma was puzzled.  "You mean . . .?"

     "I've declared you an official member of the
Joketsuzoku: not through marriage to Shampoo, but through
the approval of the village elder herself.  Tomorrow, I will
try to use my connections in obtaining Chinese citizenship
for you."

     With that, she closed the door behind her, leaving a
very astonished young man behind.

     Him, Ranma SAOTOME, is turning himself into a Chinese
citizen?

     He stared out the window, looking over the sea of
households around the neighborhood.  The sight of kimonos
stringed up to be dried,  the faint murmur of Japanese Pop
songs leaking out from distant radios, the scent of Sakura
trees . . . all that signified  the typical, stable Japanese
household . . .

     . . . all that he never could enjoy in the past (he had
spent most of his life wandering with his father), and not
likely to enjoy in the future.

     Had he even had a chance to become a normal Japanese
teenager in the first place?

     If he is to put all of this behind and start anew in
China, could it possibly be any worse than living once again
on the roads?   Like it or not, Japan obviously couldn't
tolerate him . . .

     What about the people that he cared about?

     His parents couldn't cope with this situation
themselves, much less help him to cope with it.  Besides, he
doubted if his ultra-conservative mother could even stand the
sight of him, now the truth has been revealed, and he knew
HE couldn't possibly stand the sight of his father now.

     Ucchan said she wasn't ready to see him again till she
can put the past behind her, and his new status wasn't
helping much either.

     Kodachi will probably just scorn him with distaste.

     Ryoga . . . would be very unlikely to be sympathetic to
his situation, he even chickened out at the wedding.

     Akane . . . strong but fragile Akane,  he can only wish
the best for her now.

     Opening the drawer, he pulled out a set of Chinese
robes and pants.  He hesitated: even though he was used to
wearing Chinese clothes, this time, it would be for real . .
.

     . . . and possibly forever.

     The image of Shampoo, teary eyes glistering like
diamonds on her ivory pale face, stabbed into his mind.

     / The sacrifices that she had made for you . . . were
enormous./ Cologne's voice echoed in his mind as tears
dropped down from the image-Shampoo's eyes.

     With that image in his mind mind, Ranma shed off his
tux and slowly changed into the Chinese robes.

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

     Washing off the bowls and pots,  Ranma has a thoughtful
look on his face as he stared out the restaurant window.
"Shampoo . . ."

     "What?"

     "Cologne had told me that once you go back to the
village, you will face . . . dishonor for not marrying me.
Is that true?"

     Shampoo looked embarrassed for some reason.  "Lets no
talk about it . . . it not that big deal."

     "If . . . if me marrying you can help you avoid this
dishonor, I . . ."  Before Ranma could have finished his
sentence, Shampoo tapped a finger on his lips, cutting him
off.

     "Ranma no have to marry Shampoo: it better if we just
friends for now.  But Shampoo happy that Ranma considered
doing this."  Shampoo smiled.  "But Shampoo now more grown
up than before: she no trap Ranma against your will."

     Ranma smiled back at Shampoo.  <And if you do trap me
now . . . maybe . . . maybe it won't be against my will
after all.>  "By the way, where is Cologne?"

     "Hiba-chan didn't say too much . . . something about
seeing old friend for last time before leaving."

*         *         *         *         *         *

     Up on top of a particularly high roof, two people who
had lived too long and seen too much were now getting
together for possibly the last time.

     "Ah, so you are going back to your village after all."
Happosai said as he took a long drag from his pipe.  "I
shall miss yo . . . your great-granddaughter's beauty."

     Cologne smiled.  Somehow, unlike her, Happy's
personality didn't seem to have been altered by the passage
of time.  Perhaps it has to do with the fact that she had
chosen to live her life as the Grand Matriarch of the
Joketsuzoku, while Happy had chosen to continue living his
life as he did in his younger years.

     But despite his youthfulness at heart, Happy was just
as wrinkled and shrunken as she was.  Time took its toll on
everybody.  While she had often told people of how ugly
Happy was in his youth just to spite him for raiding her
village for jewelry, she knew the truth.  But then again,
nobody could have believed that once upon a time, this old
troll was vital, tall, and even somewhat handsome, if a
lecher even then.

     "I'm sure you will,  Happosai."  Cologne said.
"Shampoo is my jewel and my pride."

     A moment of silence followed.

     Cologne spoke up again: "So, I understand that you are
rather . . . upset by the entire wedding disaster?"

     "Upset ain't the world, Cologne.  I have known Soun
long enough to know that he had always wanted to get rid of
me for fear of me bringing shame to the dojo.  I deserve
that: I love panties and bras and I won't quit, and that
annoyed people.  It's just the way I am, old gal, and I
won't change my ways just so that people can respect me."
Happosai took a puff on his pipe and continued.  "But Ranma
didn't do nothing to deserve his rejection."

     "What he had or hadn't done is of no importance to the
Tendos: they just aren't willing to be dragged down for the
sake of his . . . status."  Cologne said as she eyed
Happosai with a raised eyebrow.  "You surprised me today,
Happosai.  I always thought that your students are but free
slave-labor for yourself."

     "Ah, that they are.  But Ranma . . ."  Happosai's
expression suddenly turned comical as he bounced around,
"his cursed form is the best babe I've ever laid eyes upon!
How can they possibly do this to my little sweetheart?!"

     Cologne simply stared at him with a lopsided smile on
her face.

     " . . . you ain't  buying none of this, are you?"
Happosai asked with a hint of embarrassment as he stopped
his act.

     Cologne shook her head.

     Happosai sighed as he composed himself again.  "You . .
. woman, always shoving the ugly truth in my face . . .
alright then.   I'll be honest.  After those incompetent
fools' attempt to banish me to the end of the world had
failed (see manga 19), the boy was the one who convinced
them to let me return to the dojo.  Of all the students I've
had so far, I'd say he is the best of the lot.  Mind you,
the little brat can be arrogant, insensitive to others, and
annoying as hell . . . but still, there is enough goodness
in him to make up for it all.  Your "pride and you jewel"
isn't chasing after him for no reason other than his looks
and skills, y'know."

     A slightly amused smile formed on Cologne's face at
hearing that.  "Actually, after today's events, the tides
had begun to turn."

     "Huh?  What do you mean?"

     "Now that he is finally given the chance to appreciate
the side of Shampoo that he seldom appreciated in the past,
Ranma will very likely be the one after Shampoo from this
point on."

     Happosai laughed.  "Now THAT'S something I would have
to see to believe, considering the boy's low-hormone
levels."  His face turned slightly wistful as he continued.
"But seriously, I wish it can work out between them."

     "Oh?  And why should you of all people care about their
relationship?"

     Happosai took another drag from his pipe again as he
spoke up in a tired, old voice.  "Because I'm getting old .
. . and I would like to see the promise fulfilled before my
days are over."

     Cologne eyes widened: she wasn't counting on someone
like him remembering that.

     Starring up into the stars as old memories flooded over
him, Happosai talked of a tale that was long forgotten .
"Once upon a time, back at Jusenkyo, a pair of foolish,
strong-headed young people had once made a promise under
these same stars: a promised that they were certain they
were going to fulfill."

     Cologne hesitantly continued the tale for him as she
looked up at the stars as well.  "Youthful pride had . . .
blinded their eyes. The foolish, strong-headed children had
thought that they deserved better than each other, thus
refused to gave in to their true feelings and be the couple
that they should have been."

     "Together, under the stars, in the land of a thousand
springs . . ."  Happosai said.

     ". . . they made a promise . . ."  Cologne continued.

     ". . .that once they had each spent their youths in
enjoying all the lovers that they could have had . . ."
Happosai's voice was beginning to show signs of emotions.

     " . . .they would come back to Jusenkyo, and drenched
themselves with the cursed spring of  youth . . ."
Cologne's eyes were actually shimmering with tears.

     " . . . and spent their remaining existence together
till eternity."  They said in union.

     Happosai turned to stare at the woman who was once the
only true love of his life.  "Fools, both of them."

     Cologne stared back at him. "Yes, they were fools to
think that the passing years wouldn't have turned them into
complete strangers worlds apart."

     Happosai smiled sadly.  "We've changed so much, and are
now both old and broken.   But . . . my Ranma and your
Shampoo are both still young . . ."

     Cologne sighed as she turned away and began walking off
the roof.  "They're not us, Happosai: they will do whatever
they want with their relationship."

     "Wait."

     Cologne stopped.

     "I ask of you as an old . . . friend: take good care of
Ranma, and help him to be the man that he could never get to
be back here in Japan."  Happosai laughed humorlessly.  "It
is funny, isn't it?  In my youth I had studied the art in
hopes of changing the world in ways I saw fit.  More than a
century of training later, with my years numbered, and STILL
I can't do a simple thing like getting my favorite student
accepted by his own country."