(Previously:  In this alternate universe, the Jyuusenkyo Springs 
change minds as well as bodies.  Thus Ranma's female form is a completely 
different personality who calls herself Ranko.  Despite this, Ranma is 
still engaged to Akane.  Ryouga has fallen into the Spring of Drowned Boy 
(or something very like it) and his alter-ego is called Shinnosuke.  In 
the last chapter, Shampoo (now called "Princess Shampoo") arrived from 
China with her entourage, seeking a husband.) 

				TWILIGHT EXISTENCE
				by Scott K. Jamison
			      (Takahashi disclaimer) 
				  Chapter Eleven

	Dinner was very interesting.  Kasumi and I had put a lot of 
effort into making traditional Japanese dishes suitable for foreign 
nobility.  Because there were so many people, we ate outside in the 
garden.  
	Shampoo had gone back to talking only through her interpreter, 
which was a bit of a disappointment.  Apparently, she felt uncomfortable 
using her less-than-perfect Japanese in front of men.  But she told how 
the Amazon village came to be, and Akane told the story of the founding 
of the Tendou clan.  I realized I didn't know very much at all about the 
history of the Saotome family, and that made me sad.  
	Nabiki was interested in the legal status of Joketsuzoku and its 
trading policies.  She even convinced Cologne to speak a few sentences on 
the subject. 
	The younger Chinese girls were obviously getting impatient to 
speak, and were finally allowed to.  Their names were LinLin and LanLan, 
and this was their very first trip outside the village.  They were 
interested in absolutely everything about Japan, and how the food was 
prepared, and if we really killed ourselves at the slightest provocation, 
and a thousand other things. 
	Poor Mousse was nearly beside himself trying to keep up with 
their questions and our answers, especially since he had to keep 
reminding people not to look at him when responding to the girls.  It 
also became apparent that he had carefully memorized where everyone was 
sitting, as when Nabiki and I switched seats, he immediately began mixing 
us up.  I learned later that he had very poor eyesight.
	The man in black robes never said anything more than "please 
pass" and "thank you" in a very quiet voice.  It seemed that he was 
Shampoo's father.
	"Then that makes you a Prince?" asked Father.
	"The Amazons have *no* male nobility," answered Mousse for the 
man, a hint of resentment in his voice.  
	Father and Mr. Tendou did manage to get Shampoo's father to come 
with them for a walk after dinner.  I helped Kasumi clean up, careful not 
to go near the hot dishwater.  Akane and Nabiki kept our guests 
entertained as best they could, Ryouga having wandered off somewhere.  
	The sleeping arrangements were a little cramped.  Akane was in my 
room, Kasumi in Nabiki's, and Mr Tendou in Father's.  This was so that 
Shampoo and Cologne could each have their own room, and LinLin and LanLan 
bunked together.  Mousse and Shampoo's father (no one ever called him by 
name) slept out in the dojo.
	"I'm nervous," admitted Akane as we snuggled into our futons.  
"It's the first time I've slept in the same room as a boy." 
	"I am *not* a boy," I replied, blushing. 
	"But your other half is.  Ranma's just a splash of hot water 
away.  It's weird, knowing he's right in front of me, but can't see or 
hear me.  Then when he's there, I'm so reminded of the same about you."  
	"It's not quite the same for me.  Ranma's always a person who's 
just left the room, and no matter how fast I run, I'll never catch up 
with him."
	"I think I know a little of what you mean.  Grampa Tendou died 
just before I was born, and when I was little, everyone talked about him 
as though he'd just left, and I couldn't understand why he never came to 
visit."
	"I wonder if I have grandparents?"
	Whatever Akane's reply was, it was cut off by a rapping sound at 
the window.  We turned to see Shampoo hanging upside down from the 
eaves.  She put a finger to her lips for silence.
	We got up, and Akane opened the window.  "What is it, Sh--mmft!"  
	Shampoo covered her mouth with one hand, and yanked her out the 
window with the other, then up out of sight.  A pretty amazing physical 
feat, if you think about it.
	Not being the brightest girl on Earth, I leaned out the window to 
see what was happening.  Shampoo came swinging back down, and --whoosh-- 
I was on the roof.  
	It had cooled since the afternoon, and I shivered a little in my 
pajamas.  
	"Ranma was right," said Akane.  "The stars are beautiful from up 
here." 
	I looked up.  The night sky was brilliant, and it looked like a 
meteor shower was going on.  
	"Shampoo wish there time look at stars.  But must be quick, 
before Great-Grandmother notice she missing."  She'd switched back to 
clothes like the ones she'd worn back when I first saw her in 
Joketsuzoku.  
	Akane turned her face from the sky.  "What's so important you had 
to drag us up here for, anyways?"
	"Akane love Ranma?"
	"That idiot!?  He--I don't know.  We're engaged, but that's an 
honor thing.  Sometimes we get along pretty well, but most of the time we 
argue.  Why do you ask?"
	"If Ranma...go away...forever, would Akane be sad?"
	Akane sat there for a long moment.  "Yes.  I don't know if I love 
the jerk, but I don't want to lose him before I find out."
	"Shampoo not here find husband.  Great-Grandmother here *make* 
Shampoo find husband.  She must have strong husband, keep tribe great."  
	"You don't want to get married?" I asked.  "Then why are you 
letting her do this?"
	"Great-Grandmother is matriarch.  Must do as she says.  Is Law of 
Amazons.  Shampoo is strongest fighter in village, no husband there 
worthy of her.  So come to Japan instead.  Shampoo fight many warriors, 
if any win then Shampoo must marry him.  It no matter Shampoo like or 
hate, must marry."  She hung her head.
	"But why are you telling us this?"
	"If Akane no want Ranma to marry Shampoo, he no must beat 
Shampoo." 
	A sudden chill went through me as I understood.  If Ranma 
challenged Shampoo and won, Cologne would insist on her marrying him.  
I--we would be taken away from all we knew to that awful little village.  
And I would either be locked away as much as possible or have to face 
Shampoo every time I woke up, knowing neither of us wanted the other. 
	"No!  I won't have it!"
	"Sssh!  Great-Grandmother mustn't hear.  Lan Ko have idea?"  
	"Not really, but I have to try."
	We returned to our rooms as quietly as possible, and I began to 
scribble in my diary, warning Ranma of the fate awaiting.
	In the morning, I took Ranma's new gi and reluctantly took a 
hot bath.
	When I woke up, it was dark outside.  My body ached terribly, and 
there was considerable bruising all over.  One of my eyes wasn't opening 
all the way either.  Akane and Kasumi came into the bath room and began 
rebandaging me.  (The ones used on Ranma had loosened when we 
transformed.)
	"What happened?"
	Akane looked a little sad.  "Well, a lot of boys and a few men 
showed up for the challenge.  Guess that "Princess" thing really sucked 
them in.  I recognized a bunch of them from when I used to get attacked 
every morning at school.  Upperclassman Kunou was there, and Ryouga got 
back just a little late.
	"Of course, Kunou just *had* to be first.  He spouted some 
poetry, and babbled about how reluctant he was to hit a girl, especially 
a delicate flower like Shampoo."  Akane snickered.  "It was all she could 
do not to clobber him before the match actually started."
	"I take it he lost?"  
	"And how!  Shampoo's really good with those bonbori things of 
hers.  The only thing that kept him going more than five seconds was his 
hard head."  	
	It's a bit mean of me, but I giggled at the image.
	"Then a bunch of miscellaneous losers, most of them didn't even 
last as long as Upperclassman Kunou.  After a rest break, Shampoo started 
in on some real contenders.  I'll have to show you the pictures as soon 
as Nabiki gets them developed.  
	"Then it was Ranma's turn.  He actually looked kind of handsome 
in his clean white gi.  Uncle Saotome kept yelling about the honor of the 
school, but I knew he was also thinking of what you and I'd told him.  So 
he did the only thing he could."
	"And that was?"
	"He fought Shampoo to a standstill.  No more, no less.  They both 
collapsed at the same time.  Very cinematic."
	"So why the sad face?  Ranma upheld the honor of the school, 
without getting married to Shampoo, right?"
	"Right, but that's not the way Ryouga saw it.  He said that Ranma 
was obviously a weakling for not being able to beat a girl.  And Ranma 
said that if Ryouga thought it was so easy, he should try it himself."
	"Oh.  No.  That jerk!"
	"Yep.   We tried to warn Ryouga, but Ranma had got him so mad, 
he wouldn't listen.  He fought Shampoo, and he won.  Quite a fight, too.  
Against Ranma, she was just fighting not to lose.  Against Ryouga, she 
was trying to win."
	I realized this probably meant I would never see Shinnosuke 
again.  For some reason that made me feel even sadder than I thought it 
would.  "So, what now?"
	"Well, Shampoo had to give him some kind of engagement kiss, and 
Ryouga got a really bad nosebleed.  Guess being lost all the time, he 
never had a girlfriend before."
	"But does he really have to marry Shampoo?  And what about 
Shinnosuke?" 
	"I don't think they know about Shinnosuke yet, and if Cologne 
didn't care about *you* being dragged along, I don't suppose she'll 
excuse him either.  As for having to marry Shampoo, apparently there's 
still some sort of ritual they have to go through back in the village.  
Until it's completed, Ryouga can be challenged by any other man who wants 
to marry Shampoo." 
	"But who else would *want* to marry Shampoo that could actually 
defeat Ryouga?"
	Kasumi smiled.  "You'd be surprised, Ranko.  You'd be surprised."


		TO BE CONTINUED

SKJAM!
"Living in the spotlight,
Can kill a man outright,
'cause all that glitters,
is not gold."