<continued from part 1>

  After school that day Ranma and Akane encountered Shampoo. Riding her 
bicycle at top speed, they heard the unmistakable greeting, "Nihao!"
  "Go away, Shampoo," Ranma told her. 
  "Shampoo glad Ranma okay, so bring you snack!" Shampoo produced a bowl 
of take-out ramen and presented it to Ranma. "Eat in good health!" she 
said, handing over the bowl before taking off. 
  "Well, she seems fine to me," observed Akane as Ranma consumed the 
ramen. "So if everyone else is taking things in stride, why isn't Ukyo? 
She got what she wanted. She's just like the rest of them."
  Ranma slurped the soup water. "Are you sure about that, Akane?" He set 
the bowl down and held Akane's hand. "There's more going on than what 
appears on the surface, Akane. For as long as I've known Ucchan, I can 
tell. You have to let it go."
  Akane sighed. "How can I, Ranma? She helped ruin our wedding."
  Ranma hugged Akane, holding her in a steady embrace. "Tell me, Akane, 
if I were secretly getting married to Shampoo, no matter how unlikely, 
and you found out at the last minute, not knowing the full details 
behind the wedding, would you have done the same?"
  Akane nodded. "I guess so...." Was this what Ukyo meant when she said 
Akane betrayed her? Betrayal of trust? "Maybe Ukyo did what she did for 
theright reasons, but that still didn't excuse her actions." 
  "You should apologize to Ukyo, not me, Akane," replied Ranma. "She 
needs all the help she can get for whatever it is that's eating her."
  "But we can't do anything for Ukyo," concluded Akane. "I think we'd 
only add more fuel into the fire. She needs time to sort things out by 
herself." Especially after Ranma confessed his love in front of Ukyo. 
That must've been the killing blow, Akane thought. Poor Ukyo, the cheery 
and optimistic girl of yesterday was a torn wreck. 
  Friendships had their ups and downs, their hills and mountains, but 
this one was a sheer vertical cliff. 

  A couple weeks went by, business as usual, sort of. Word that Ranma 
and Akane confessed their love for each other spread through town like 
wildfire. After that, nothing was the same. 
  Both Ranma and Akane noticed glaring changes in the behavior of the 
others, most visibly in Kuno, Kodachi, and Ukyo. 
  Whereas Kuno would antagonize Ranma before, he notably kept his 
distance, only staying long enough to spout a few words of insult at 
Ranma. Akane was all that kept Ranma from pounding Kuno into the round. 
It was strange, really, that Kuno continually failed to express his love 
to Akane directly, or toward the pig-tailed girl. Nabiki was upset after 
her sales of pictures to Kuno dropped to nothing. What happened that 
made him change? 
  The strangest behavior exhibited by Kuno happened one day after 
school. As the students exited the building, the air was filled with the 
sound of a lone flute. A quick search of the area revealed Kuno, seated 
atop the clock tower, playing alone, oblivious to the rest of the world. 
Ranma and Akane had no idea what he was doing, but some speculated he 
was in mourning. No one dared to ask. Afterthat day the flute solo came 
almost every day. 
  Kodachi rarely visited any more. Whenever she did arrive it was only 
for a short while, inquiring to the health of Ranma. Before long she'd 
convinced others that it was genuine concern, but Ranma and Akane hardly 
bought it. At least it was better than chemical warfare from yesterday. 
Ranma couldn't help but note a hint of sadness in her eyes whenever she 
visited. While she continued to laugh in her usual spirits, Kodachi 
didn't seem to be as perky as before. Kuno servants would note that 
their mistress spent much more time with her pet alligator, Midorigame, 
than usual. Sometimes they could hear her crying in the middle of the 
night for no particular reason. 
  Whenever he could Mousse kept close taps on Shampoo's movements, 
watching her, making sure she doesn't try something stupid. Of course, 
Shampoo slipped by every once and a while, especially during delivery 
runs. Shampoo seemed to deny the fact that Ranma and Akane loved each 
other, and made the least change in her lifestyle.
  And Ukyo... the one who's made the biggest change of all. Whereas Ukyo 
once greeted others with cheery optimism, now she barely acknowledged 
their existance. She devoted most of her spare time running her 
restaurant, notbothering with pleasurable persuits. Whenever Ranma 
dropped by Ucchan's Ukyo merely served okonomiyaki quietly, failing to 
draw pictures or messages with the sauce as she used to do. 
  Ranma was going nuts dwelling on the fact that he didn't know what to 
do to help Ukyo. Of course Akane knew what the problem was, but had no 
good way to help solve it. She decided it would be better if Ukyo told 
Ranma about it herself, when the time was right. Ukyo had to make the 
first move.

  It was Saturday. Kasumi couldn't help but think about the old days. 
Nobody came by for a visit any more, especially Ranma's friends. That 
was what was missing from an otherwise routine life; Ranma's friends 
provided the difference in routine every now and then. Even Kodachi, who 
made frequent visits to the Tendo household, stopped altogether. Just 
what happened to them all? 
  That morning, after Nabiki, Ranma, and Akane left for school, Ryoga 
appeared at the front door. "Why, hello, Ryoga!"
  Ryoga returned Kasumi's greeting, and presented a couple bags to her. 
"I'm back from a long journey. One's for Akane, and one's for Akari. I 
don't think I can find my way to the Unryu farm from here."
  "Why don't you come on in?" Kasumi invited.
  Kasumi lead Ryoga to the dining room. Out on the porch Soun and Genma 
played go, oblivious to the world around them. Nodoka was in the 
kitchen. 
  Ryoga set his backpack down and relaxed as he sat down. "So, what have 
I missed since we last parted?"
  "Oh, not much," Kasumi replied. "Things have been awfully quiet since 
the wedding day. None of Ranma's friends come to visit any more."
  "Why's that a problem?"
  "It's quiet these days, that's what. You can count upon them to break 
daily routine. It's good to see activity." Kasumi smiled at Ryoga. "I'm 
glad you're around."
  "Thanks." I think.
  "You know, I have an idea. Maybe we can invite the others over for 
dinner this evening?"
  "That might not be such a bad idea," Ryoga replied. "But, are you sure 
it's a good idea to have all of them over at the same time?"
  "Don't be silly," Kasumi said, "as guests, they'll behave." Kasumi 
walked over to the phone. She looked over her shoulder to Ryoga. "Do you 
want me to invite Akari as well?"
  "Sure!" 

  Ranma and Akane returned home later that day, watching as Kasumi 
prepared dinner earlier than usual.
  "What's up, Sis?" Akane asked Kasumi.
  "Hi Akane!" greeted Kasumi. "We're having guests over for dinner 
tonight."
  "Yeah, who?" asked Ranma. 
  "Why, your friends, who else?" Kasumi replied. 
  Stone shock was the one thing that described both Ranma and Akane at 
that moment. Both knew exactly what Kasumi meant by 'friends.'
  Ryoga entered the kitchen. "I'm not the only one you know."
  "Ryoga?" Akane said. "When did you get back?"
  "Only this morning," replied Ryoga. "Kasumi insisted on inviting the 
two Kuno siblings, Shampoo and Mousse, and Ukyo and Konatsu. Akari can't 
make it...."
  "Kasumi, why?" asked Akane, trying to conceal her rage. 
  "I thought it would be nice to have them over," answered Kasumi. 
Silently, Kasumi thought, now would be a good a time as any for any of 
them to make up for past differences. 

  The first to arrive were the two Kunos, in a sedan chair carried by 
Kuno family servants. Then Mousse and Shampoo arrived on bicycles, and 
Konatsu and Ukyo on foot. And dinner was almost ready. 
  Ukyo was reluctant to go at first, but Konatsu insisted, telling her 
that it was time to let wounds heal. As she entered Ukyo couldn't meet 
the eyes of either Ranma or Akane, continually staring at the floor as 
she moved. 
  Quietly, the guests took their seats at the table: Kuno, Mousse, and 
Ryoga at one side, and Shampoo, Kodachi, and Ukyo at the other. Ranma 
and Akane took their seats as well as Kasumi finished up her work. 
  Mousse removed his glasses and set them on the table, waiting with 
eyes closed. He started talking to a vase, thinking of Shampoo. 
  Ryoga sat unmoving in his position. 
  Kuno rested his trusty bokken on his shoulder, the weapon that never 
left his side. When he started flirting with Akane, Ryoga responded in 
heat, unwilling to let Kuno sway Akane to him. 
  Shampoo took the opportunity to scoot closer to Ranma. 
  Kodachi went one step further and jumped into Ranma's lap. 
  Ukyo hadn't moved since sitting down. Her head was still lowered to 
the floor, as if studying something. 
  Konatsu, seated next to Ukyo, stood up and left, entering the next 
room for quiet time alone. 
  Akane couldn't help but fume in anger at Ranma. There he goes again, 
flirting with other girls....
  The others, Nabiki, Soun, Genma, and Nodoka, sat at a separate table. 

  In the shadows outside the Tendo dojo, a dark, robed man stood. Behind 
him were seven other figures, robed, but towering over the lead man. 
Well, except for one, who stood at half the leader's height, up to his 
waist. Then again, all seven of them were standing on the fence while 
the leader was standing on the ground. 
  The leader turned to his seven minions. "She's in there. As the 
Mastercommands, Akane Tendo must die. It must be quick, otherwise the 
others might interfere. Do not fail me."
  "Hai!" the seven said in unison. Then, each jumped away. 
  The leader turned his back toward the dojo, and reached for a jade 
medallion. The circular medallion was carved in the likeness of a giant 
dragon head, with seven smaller heads snaking around the center. 
  "And so it begins...." the leader of the Cult of Orochi said. 


To be continued in "Team Ranma vs. the Orochi Assassins"
http://www.crosswinds.net/anaheim/~slythe/ranma/ranff1a.txt

-----------------------------------------------
Author's Rant

  I felt this was something that needed to be said. None of the six 
teens would be overly disappointed after crashing the wedding, as some 
pointed out. But what really would hurt them is the knowledge that Ranma 
and Akane truly love each other. Mousse and Shampoo would be the least 
affected; Mousse because he wants Shampoo for himself, and Shampoo 
because she's too stubborn. 
  This fic spawned off Seravi's Ranma Public Opinion polls on 
rec.arts.anime.fandom, especially Blade's responses to them. Thought I'd 
_try_ to throw myself off the fanboy wagon for a while, if you know what 
I'm talking about :)
 
<!-- End File -->

  C&C appreciated by private e-mail: spiceoflife@hotmail.com
  Would really appreciate feedback before I try to post on 
rec.arts.anime.creative, provided at least one of my posts gets pass 
moderation. (It USED to work before....)


"That's my story and I'm sticking to it."--JMS, creator of Babylon 5. 
"Jump. Jump now!"--Kosh, "Z'ha'dum," Babylon 5, making some sense. 

--Razorclaw X
http://www.crosswinds.net/anaheim/~slythe/ranma/ranff.html

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