Welcome, yet again, to another Epic Episode of our Beloved "Fragile Clay" Series! I am your Host, Kaoru Shimitsu. This Fic seems to be building up a little popularity <Though I don't rightly know why....> so I decided that now would be a good time to start on another episode.

        I think that, through the beginning of the first episode, I had despaired ever finishing the pilot.... and look, here I am on the 4th episode, cheerily plugging away at a storyline that everyone seems to like.

        Of course, comments and criticism are very helpful, and I am actually begging any of you out there who like this to send your C&C to my e-mail! Opinions, Ideas of what might make the story better, things you like, things you didn't like..... Anything is welcome. But just don't flame me needlessly.

        As before, I would like to thank a few people.....

        Frank-Kun of the Ranma 1/2 Library for Tolerating me and putting up with my stories on his Page....

        Tokibana Yumeko, for being a great C&C fan, and for conversing with me in the wee hours of the morning about this fic, giving me some ideas and input about it, and pointing out a few things I never thought of.

        Emry-kun <Nabiki> From #RanmaRPG on Starchat, for helping my creativity with the story, delving into a future character's Psyche, and for just being an all around great friend.

        I'd also like to thank my Adopted Imoutochan from Starchat #RanmaRPG on mIRC as well, for being such a great player, friend, and always being there for me. ^_^

        And I can never forget the people who have gifted me with their love, both in the past and the present, and hopefully the future. My family, Sera, Josh, Ken... Lots of love you guys.

        Then there are all the people who have actually e-mailed me.... <You guy's know who you are....> Thank you for actually responding to me about this beginning fic.

        Then there's all the rest of the fans, who I am doing all of this for..... I hope you like it. If you don't, well then why are you reading episode four, Bakas? ^_^

                Sin.

Kaoru-Ryuu, Of Ryuu Shimitsu

{kaoru@mosquitonet.com}

<Disclaimer here:Rumiko Takahashi owns the Ranma 1/2 Characters. Deal with it. I own All original Characters, so ask me before goin' and stealin' them away, okay you tools?>







                                                                                                Fragile Clay: Volume 2

                                                                                                        Episode:4

                                                                         "The Ballroom Blitz?! Akane's Prom Night Challenge!"







        The cracking of a cement block rang out through the clear morning air, and a flock of birds took wing as the sound resounds through the calm, breaking the still that seems to surround Nerima Ward. The brisk scent of winter hangs over Tokyo, ominously foreshadowing that perhaps winter is in a bit of a late swing.... but no less prominent in it's arrival. It would be here soon, by the chill of the air. 

        The loud sound had resounded from the Dojo of the Tendo family, where three daughters lived with their widowed father. 

        Recently, over the past 6 months, the Tendo household had been housing the Saotome's. Ranma and Genma. Along with these two followed, to most it would seem, all the chaos the world had forgotten.

        From a dojo destroyer, to princes of lost lands who come seeking a bride, from ancient martial artists well over 300 years old, to various victims of the Accursed Springs of Jusenkyou.

        Recent events, however, had been quiet.... too quiet.... and quiet in Nerima is like fish in the Sky... it was far too odd to the residents. Which, through simple deduction by most people, foretells that it was not to last.

        And undoubtedly to be the center of whatever happened was the man whose life fate had decided to smile upon, the young soul whose destiny was forever bound by a curse that held his fate in the balance, the young Saotome boy.....

        Ranma Saotome.

                                                                *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *

        "HIIIIYA!" Another slab of concrete snapped in half, almost effortlessly. Ranma huffed for a moment, looking at the two halves of the block he had just split. It never ceased to amaze him how easy it seemed.... focus, concentrate, and strike.

        Of course, he was not used to breaking blocks. That was more of an Akane type thing to do.

        Ranma walked over to the pile of cement blocks, and carefully picked one. He returned to his place and set it on the platform before him. He assumed his proper stance and gazed at the block a long moment..... his mind, for some reason, wandering back to the contest four days before.

        It had been the first direct challenge he had made against his once fiancee, Akane Tendo, since he had set foot on the Tendo's doorstep. A cooking challenge. Now, most people who were familiar with Akane Tendo�s cooking skills would think anyone was mad as a hatter to initiate a challenge involving cuisine..... but, in a way, it had been something Ranma had to do. Hiroshi had pointed THAT out to him.

        "Man, 'Roshi, now I'm in more of a mess than before!" Ranma sighed, and struck the block with his fist, smashing it in two effortlessly. 

        His friend, Hiroshi, had been the one to suggest the idea, so that Ranma could smooth things over with Akane after one of their many fights. Hiroshi seemed to be doing a lot recently to help Ranma out of the insanity that infested his daily existence.

        Of course, things did not go as planned..... Ryouga Hibiki, Ranma's arch-rival, had barged into the cafeteria, and promptly destroyed a table.... initiating a very short battle which ended quickly due to Akane's renowned temper.

        In fact, Ranma ended up with a table smashed over his head. Not at all a pleasant feeling. *Why'd she hafta go'n do that?* Ranma shook his head, and wiped his brow with his arm. He could still imagine that his head smarted from the blow.... even though the pain had quickly passed after the initial attack.

        Because of Ryouga's interruption, Akane had ended up losing the challenge.... which didn't make her at all happy. While Ukyou and Shampoo tried to calm down the youngest Tendo girl, telling her that winning wasn't what was important, she insisted on a formal challenge involving martial arts.

        Ranma sighed, slumping his shoulders. *Ranma, if you had kept your fool mouth shut she wouldn't have thought a second about another challenge.....* Ranma brought his gaze back up to the pile of broken concrete around him.

        "Gonna clean that up, Ranma, or are you too much of a girl to lift the rubble?" Ryouga..... his voice was a constant taunting jest to Ranma. Whenever Ryouga found something that got to the Saotome boy, he pounded on that nerve until there was little choice left but to pound on his face.

        Ryouga leaned against the dojo entrance, staring at Ranma with a smug expression on his face.

        "Shutup, Ryouga.... I told you last time not to push me, and I almost hurt you seriously. You can't be tellin' me that you LIKED having your ugly face beaten in, do ya?" Ranma turned to Ryouga with fire in his eyes. If there was one thing Ranma couldn't stand, it was Ryouga making fun of his female side, and demeaning his masculinity.

        Ryouga shook his head. "No, but you sure seemed to like it, Ranma. Makes me wonder if you won't fly off the rocker and hurt Akane like you did me," Ryouga scoffed, turning to look at the blocks.

        Ranma clenched his fists, glaring at the Hibiki child. "You better watchit, Ryouga, or you'll regret what I do to you. You pushed the line last time.... You..... You've got no idea what I've been through, man....,"

        Ryouga returned his smug expression to Ranma. "Maybe not, but I think you're losing it Ranma. What self respecting man would wear make up and dresses?"

        Ranma growled and began running to Ryouga. "RYOUUUUGAAAA!" Ranma began throwing a furious amount of punches at Ryouga, and Ryouga began blocking them, while still holding his smug expression.

        For a good ten minutes, Ranma and Ryouga exchanged attacks, neither seeming to gain any footing to launch a counter offensive. They both seemed evenly matched to each other, and locked in a dance of graceful deadliness. Then, Ranma found an opening...

        "KACHUU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!" Ranma yelled, breaking into a furious blur of fists, Ryouga's smug look vanished as Ranma pummeled him to the ground.

        Ranma heaved a breath. "Thanks, Ryouga. I needed that." Ranma grinned, picking Ryouga up and setting the boy against the wall.

        "That.....wasn't..... very nice, Ranma.....," Ryouga huffed, gritting his teeth as he looked at Ranma.

        "Yeah, and where did it say in the rules that I gotta be nice to a meat-head like you, piggy?" Ranma laughed, turning and bowing to the Dojo, then put his slippers back on and stepped outside. Ryouga was bright red as he left.

                                                        *                     *                     *                     *                     *                     *

        Ranma walked into the Tendo Household and silently slipped his shoes off, yawning in the process. The past three days he had been practicing alone in the dojo, and casually wearing himself out every night. It beat having to deal with Akane mentioning the challenge she had initiated.

        Ranma slowly padded through the living room, where Nabiki was Reading a book titled, "The Economics of Money in Japanese Society," and Soun and Genma were playing a game of Shogi.

        Ranma glanced casually at Nabiki, then headed upstairs as he thought to himself. Nabiki had been strangely silent for the last four days, not muttering more than a few sentences to him at any given time.

        He had asked her about it, but had received only a cold glare in return.... the glare Nabiki gave people when she thought it was better they not ask, for their sake.

        Ranma slowly pushed the door to his room open and plodded in, somewhat tired from the fight with Ryouga and the exercises he had been doing all night since dinner had ended.

        He virtually collapsed on the futon, the events of a very vigorous day wearing at him. He'd been busy today exercising with his father. Genma hadn't been talking to him much since their fight seven days ago, but had agreed that today they would train together.... if only to keep Ranma's abilities up to par.

        Of course, Genma had said almost nothing during the day except to give Ranma some encouraging advice, or to comment on something important. It unnerved Ranma that he could have driven his father to such a reaction.

        Of course, when Ranma had yelled at Genma he had said some fairly strong words that had struck deep to Genma's heart. Ranma wasn't so sure it could be repaired so easily, even though he regretted it now.

        Ranma heard the door to his room slide open, and he sat up, looking at the doorway. He instantly recognized the sillouhette, and sighed again.

        "Heya, Akane....." Ranma said half-heartedly. Somehow, he had been somewhat depressed recently, although he didn't know why. Maybe it was because Hiroshi had begun avoiding him again, even after their talk.

        *I hope it snows soon, I'm not sure I can take much more of this from him....* Ranma mentioned to himself. He didn't know why, but having Hiroshi happy had become a major driving force in his life recently.

        "Is that all? Heya Akane? No, 'Sorry Akane for avoiding you so much recently' or 'Sorry for what happened at the Cooking Contest'?" Akane walked in slowly.... there was very little anger in her voice, Ranma noticed.... and Ranma wondered if she had calmed down over the entire cooking ordeal.

        "Well.... I dunno what to say, really..... I accepted your challenge, Akane, what else do you want from me?" Ranma rested his elbows on his knees, and looked at Akane as he tilted his head.

        Akane took a seat beside Ranma, a worried expression on her face. "You've been trying to stay away from me, as if I wanted to hurt you again. I think the table did enough damage to that poor brainless head of yours...." Akane smirked.

        "Hey! Watchit, you Kawaiikune Tomboy.... I'm jus' as smart as anyone else," Ranma was a bit red from Akane's comment, but turned even brighter red when Akane laughed.

        "Oh Ranma, I was just kidding. Geeze, you never know how to take a joke, do you?" Akane placed a hand on Ranma's shoulder. "I have to know, Ranma, there's something bothering you, isn't there?"

        Ranma stared at Akane for a long moment, then looked over at the mirror. For a moment, an image flickered in it.... an imagining by Ranma's psyche.... a flash of red hair. "Well....."

        "I know there is. It was back when we went to Tofu's, isn't it?" Akane assumed a similar posture beside Ranma, staring at the mirror in front of them.

        "Uh.....yeah..... I guess that's a little responsible...." Ranma rubbed the back of his head, unsure what to say to Akane. He was still so new to opening up to people. *How Hi does it.... I'll never know.*

        Akane brought her legs up and wrapped her arms around them, looking at Ranma sideways with her knee's under her chin. "I'm sorry, Ranma. When I saw your reaction, I thought that you just brushed it off.... I didn't think that you might be just as upset as I was."

        Ranma laid down straight, and looked up at Akane. "Yeah.... I was pretty freaked, actually. It's not every day that a guy is told he's grown another inch in the bust and hips...." Ranma shuddered as he repeated what Tofu had told him. *How does it feel, knowing you�re growing into a woman? Damn scary....* Ranma whispered in his mind.

        Akane looked at Ranma sadly. "You don't know anymore, do you?" She ran a hand through her hair as she looked down at him.... recently, Ranma had begun having doubts about his gender. It worried Akane to no end.... and it scared her.

        Ranma bit his lower lip as he looked up at the ceiling, where the Gundamn poster was hung. "Nope..... there's a lot of things I'm unsure of nowadays, Akane. I mean, who would have ever thought that you could learn to cook Sukiyaki."

        Akane turned red for a moment, but quietly pushed her anger down. "You're trying to change the subject, Ranma," Akane stared at the mirror, wondering what Ranma could have seen in the mirror that would disturb him so.

        "Yeah, I know Akane. It's just that I'm scared too...." He turned to look at her with a solemn look on his face. "Jus'.... don't tell Pop I said that, okay??"

        For a long moment they gazed at each other, Akane's soft brown eyes with Ranma's deep blue..... then they both leaned forward simultaneously, lips touching for a moment.... and drew back, instinctively. Akane slapped Ranma, also instinctively.

        "HEY!!!" Ranma rubbed his cheek, and was about to say something to Akane, but paused when he saw the look on her face.

        "I Love you, Ranma Saotome," Akane whispered softly, her fists clenched. Her mind was reeling, and seemed to be thrown back in time, to a single moment that heralded a change in her life.... *Hello, I'm Akane.... would you like to be friends?* Echoed in her mind. Her first words to Ranma.

        Ranma's hard, prideful air seemed to melt away for a moment. "Yeah.... I know, Akane. I Love you too." She had kissed him.... He had kissed her. HE had kissed her, in MALE form.... He'd finally done it!

        Then Ranma shivered a moment. "It's jus'..... I don't think I'm ready for this. Somethin' keeps buggin' me, Akane, and before we can.... you know, get engaged again, I gotta find out what that somethin' is. It has a lot to do with me, which is becoming more and more difficult to figure out for myself...," Ranma sat up on his futon, and reached over.

        Akane's face was solemn, and a bit disappointed.... Ranma's hand took hers, holding it softly he lifted her chin and looked into her eyes.

        "I promise you, Akane, we'll always be close. We'll always have what we have now, what we've worked so hard to find....." Ranma lifted his hand from Akane�s chin, gently brushing his fingers across her cheek, as if she was some delicate flower to be treated carefully.

        Akane smiled, looking at Ranma�s eyes, then blushed nervously. "...R...anma." She said.. pulling a bit away from his gentle caress.

        Ranma sighed, feeling a bit of that old barrier coming between them again. "Yeah, Akane?" he suddenly found himself picking nervously at a loose string on his pants.

        "I came in here to ask you something." Akane�s eyes looked back at Ranma�s, her mouth in an unsure smile.

        Ranma smirked back at Akane. "So, the strong, Fierce, independant Akane comes to Ranma for advise??"

        Akane slapped him across the cheek, looking a bit upset. "It�s not like that, Baka. I came to ask you for a favor."

        Ranma rubbed his cheek, a bit of the old flair edging back into his voice. "What would that be?" His sore cheek was a bit red from the slap. *Kawaiikune.... she could at least ACT female for another minute or so.*

        "I... invited some friends over tomorrow night, they�re going to be sleeping over. It�s kind of a slumber party, really...." Akane looked down at her knee�s, studying them intently, her mind half wondering the expresion on Ranma�s face at that moment.

        Ranma sighed, laying back down and looking at the ceiling. "I guess you want me to leave, then. What time??"

        Akane spared a glance at Ranma, but found that keeping her eyes on him was a bit more agrivating than just staring at her knees, and decided that the latter was better than the former. "No.. It�s.. I mean, not really..."

        "Aww, c�mon, don�t tell me that you don�t know when you want me outta here. What, an hour before so you can get ready?? Hey, when�re they coming over anyways? I promise I�ll get outta your hair so I don�t ruin your evening." Ranma looked at the window, sulking silently to himself. *She was being so nice, and then she tells me all this....*

        "It�s.. Ranma, I don�t.. really want you to leave." Akane picked at her dress, wondering at why she found it so hard to ask something so silly of Ranma. *Oh... wait... maybe because it�s so silly.*

        "Huh??" Ranma looked back at Akane, mulling over the words for half a moment. "Oh... so you just want me to stay outta your way?? S�okay, I need to read some stuff anyways-"

        "Ranma, I- Kinda want you to come along." She looked up at the blank wall, her heart pounding in her chest. *Stupid idea.. stupid stupid...*

        Ranma did a mental double-take. "Huh?" he sat up again, looking over at Akane. "Uhm... why would you want a guy there, Akane?? I�d just ruin your �Girl�s Night� bein� there." Ranma felt more than slightly confused, usually a natural state until recently.

        "I want you to come as a girl... Like.. Like the beach, when you and I were friends," Akane spared another glance at Ranma, who�s face was one of shocked confusion.

        "A-a-a-girl?" Ranma�s mind flashed a picture of Ranma and the girl�s, singing at the beach, a moment of happiness for everyone. *It.. was so nice, but I never thought it would happen again.*

        "Hai, Ranma... uhm.."Akane looked away.... back at the door. *Bad idea, Akane. You know how Ranma is, this�ll just confuse him more.*

        "A-Akane. I... I liked it, but.. I dunno if I�m ready to... be like that again. It was a little scary, now that I think about it." He�d enjoyed it. That�s why he was so upset, he shouldn�t enjoy being a woman so much. It only served to enhance his confusion and insecurity.

        Akane turned and hugged Ranma tightly. "Please, Ranma, it would mean so much to me if you were there... I... I liked the time we spent at the beech. Just consider it, okay???" Those moments were so few and rare in Akane�s life, when she saw Ranma truly happy. The beech had always stuck in her mind as one of those precious few memories of Ranma�s happiness.

        Ranma was shocked at first, but wrapped his arms around Akane after a long moment of introspection. "....sure.....sure I�ll come, Akane. For you, I�d wear a Fuku..... well, maybe not that far.... but if it means so much to you, I�ll be there."

        Akane sighed... leaning back and looking at Ranma�s deep blue eyes, she saw there a tender caring and concern that was always well hidden. "Thank You, Ranma. You don�t know how much this means to me."

        Ranma sighed, looking away for a moment, then back. "Sure I do, Akane. I know what it means to you, because I feel kinda the same way."

        Ranma smiled...... and for once, it seemed a genuine smile. Not the brash, cocky grin that he used to flash around at everyone. This was..... a secret smile.... one Ranma had never shown anyone.

        Akane blinked. *No..... I've seen it before.....*

        But where, was the question....

                                                        *                     *                     *                     *                     *                     *

        "GERONIMOOOOO!" Hiroshi yelled, jumping hard against the end of the diving board and plunging into the air.... twirling gracefully in an intricate pattern before straightening as he dove into the pool behind his house.

        "Really Hi, you don't have to be so graphic, not that you can hear me underwater," Daisuke casually sipped his warm tea, dressed in warmer gear due to the coming cold. Daisuke didn't know WHY Hiroshi swam at this time of year. It was so close to winter the water must have been freezing.

        "Yeah, Uncle 'Roshi.... you should be more quiet, too," Kaehmi hugged Jessabelle, her stuffed cabbit, closely against her. She resumed humming the soft lullaby song in an effort to put her cabbit to 'Sleep'.

        "Actually, verbal resonation is what I was meaning, Kaehmi," Daisuke muttered, setting his tea down and picking up a book titled, "The Principles of Technological Revolution in the Late 90's,". He casually adjusted his glasses.

        Kaehmi giggled at Daisuke's words. "Uncle Dai say's funny words... doesn't he, Jessabelle?" She whispered to the stuffed animal. Daisuke grinned and winked at Kaehmi.

        "Indubitably."

        Hiroshi surfaced, shaking his head to get rid of the water. "Brrrr.... it's a little chilled, but not bad for this time of year. I can't believe you two don't want to come in, it's not THAT cold....," Hiroshi muttered, splashing some water at Kaehmi, who began emitting shrill shrieks and backing away from the pool.

        Memeko walked up to the pool, looking at Kaehmi, then at Hiroshi. "Hiro-kun.... you know I told you not to try and get her wet," Memeko gave Hiroshi a stern glare, which promptly caused his mischievous grin to waver, then wither completely.

        Daisuke turned a page. "Hey Hiroshi..... isn't the Prom this weekend?" Daisuke muttered half heartedly, not even sparing a glance up from his book.

        Hiroshi ceased his splashing and resumed his glum countenance. "Yeah, Dai... it is...." He murmured in a dejected tone.

        Memeko scooped Kaehmi up into her lap and took a seat. "Is something wrong Hiro-kun?" Memeko was worried for her brother, ever since discovering the identity of his secret girl, she had been waiting for him to make some sort of decision.

        "Nah.... just that I'm probably not going to go, that's all. Besides, it's just another dance. Nothin' special," Hiroshi tried to resume his previous glee, but could not.... so he floated slowly in the water, a sad look on his face.

        Daisuke looked up from his book. "Whyever not, Hi? Gimme a break... there's several girls that I'm sure would jump at the chance with going with you," Dai set his book down, and stood up, taking his glasses off and putting them in his shirt pocket.

        "Yeah.... but there's only one girl that wouldn't, and that's the one that breaks my heart...." Hiroshi sighed deeply, almost on the verge of a sob.

        "Why doesn't Uncle 'Roshi go with Auntie?" Kaehmi asked, which caused Memeko to jump in surprise and Hiroshi to turn a little pale. Memeko hurriedly tried to hush Kaehmi, who had an utterly confused look on her innocent little face.

        "Auntie???" Daisuke asked, looking back at Hiroshi. "You've got ANOTHER Sister???" From what Daisuke could remember, Memeko was Hiroshi's only sister.

        "It... She.... She's someone that Kaehmi knows, she just calls her Auntie... that's all. She's quite taken with her....," Hiroshi mumbled out slowly.

        Daisuke raised an eyebrow at Hiroshi's reaction, shaking his head. "Whatever. Sounds like Kaehmi thinks she's the top of the world," Daisuke sighed, sitting back down in his seat and rubbing his eyes.

        "Yeah, Auntie is the greatest!!! She tells me stories, and plays with me when Uncle 'Roshi and Mama are too busy....," Kaehmi said hurriedly.

        "Shhhhh, Kaehmi. Uncle Dai doesn't want to hear about Auntie, he's talking to Hiroshi right now," Memeko whispered softly to her child, which emitted a smile from Kaehmi.

        "Hi..... you only get ONE Prom..... you've gotta go!!! I mean, even I'm going. Granted, without a date, but I'm still going. This is a once in a lifetime deal," Daisuke chuckled softly a moment, putting his glasses back on his face.

        Memeko smirked for a moment, and Hiroshi sighed, dragging himself out of the water with a shiver.

        "Actually, Dai.... there was a Prom last year I went to... so that�s two Prom�s. There�ll be a Prom next year too," He murmured half heartedly.

        Daisuke shook a hand at Hiroshi as if brushing him away, an annoyed look on the boy-geniuses face. "Details, Details! Lighten up, wouldja!!"

        Kaehmi jumped down and rushed up to her Uncle Hiroshi, a pleading look on her young face. "Please Uncle 'Roshi!!! I know Auntie would love to go with you... she's always saying how nice you are to her, and I bet if you just asked her...." Kaehmi trailed off from the sad look on her Uncle's face.

        "I'm sorry, Uncle 'Roshi.... I said something bad, didn't I? I'm sorry....," Kaehmi looked abashed at Hiroshi, whom had a defeated look on his face.

        "That's okay, Kaehmi-chan.... it's not your fault. Uncle 'Roshi just doesn't feel very good," Hiroshi snatched his towel up and began trudging to the house. Kaehmi followed him, trying to cheer him up by taking his hand and offering him Jessabelle... but he shook his head silently.

        Daisuke stared after his friend, a slightly worried demeanor creeping into his usual jovial mood. "Oh gods, he's got it bad..... never seen him look so depressed about a girl before," Daisuke looked over at Memeko, who was staring after her brother as well. "Whenever Kaehmi kept mentioning Auntie, Hiroshi looked more and more depressed.... why would that be, Memeko-chan?" Daisuke had never heard much about an adopted Aunt...

        Memeko looked at him with a slightly surprised look. She had to think quickly... which was what she did best. In a moment she had thought up a reason. "Because Hiroshi couldn't bear to ask anyone else but his Lady Love to the Prom...."

        "Oh... so that's it. Geeze, and I thought Kaehmi had hit on something..... only to find out that mentioning other girls makes it worse. Glad I found out this way, instead of me trying to hitch him with one of the girls at school like I was going to," Daisuke shook his head.

        "Daisuke! I am ashamed you would do such a thing..... Hiroshi has told you, he can't handle other girls until he gets through figuring what he is going to do about this one.... and believe me, he has a lot of thinking to do," Memeko worried for her brother.... she hoped he would make a choice. She hoped it would be the right choice..... if any choice with Ranma can be said to be right.

        "Okay, Memeko-chan! I told you I wasn't going to... it was only a fleeting thought," Dai looked at Where Hiroshi and Kaehmi had gone inside and sighed. The more he watched Hiroshi suffer, the more he felt that things just seemed to be getting worse. *Things are never easy, are they Hiroshi. Heh.... All's fair in love and war.... should be more like Everything hurts in the War of Love.*

                                                        *                     *                     *                     *                     *                     *

        Sunlight shone into Ranma�s room, the slumbering form of the young Saotome child looked at peace. The gift of restful sleep always a quiet blessing in Ranma�s life of chaos and uncertainty, at least, for this night. Nightmares, which lately had troubled the gentle blessing of dreamless sleep, were blissfully absent.

        Then, without warning, they returned. Flashes of a man named Grim, two small children, a vast expanse of darkness and a dreadful feeling of loneliness.

        Ranma�s form stirred, a slight whimper issuing from his lips, rolling over the dream came to a climax... the masked man�s face suddenly drawing closer, and Ranma�s entire body being swallowed by those cold, socketless eyes in the porcelain face cover.

        Ranma gasped, sitting up in a cold sweat, the fear thick in his mind as his heart pounded. *...again.... Dammit, AGAIN!* The visions slowly faded, as they had for the past few weeks, leaving Ranma with a vague sense of dread.

        Light played softly through the window, casting Ranma�s face in a soft golden glow. Genma was, naturally, absent.. having been sleeping with Nodoka as of late in the Attic Room Kasumi had cleared out. *...well, at least they are getting along again... even if me�n pop are still not talking.*

        A moment later, the door opened, and Akane�s face peeked in. "...Ranma? You�re awake?" Her voice was full of surprise as she blinked in shock. *Funny... he is usually dead asleep until 2:30 pm on Sundays.*

        Ranma looked at Akane, his heart slowing down. *A dream... a nightmare, only a dream.* "Yeah... I.. kinda woke up, had trouble sleeping." Ranma looked around the room, suddenly noticing how empty it seemed, except with the Gundamn poster hanging above his head.

        "Oh.... Okay.." Akane stepped in, fully dressed in her pastel yellow and red floral printed dress. "I... was just about to go out to town to shop for some things for tonight."

        Ranma blinked, looking at the alarm clock. *12:00??? Not AGAIN!! Why can�t that dumb dream just leave me alone??* He sighed, hearing no forthcoming answer. Not that he had expected an answer.

        "Would you like to come along?" Akane leaned against the door, looking at Ranma as he was bathed in the light.

        "Huh??" Ranma blinked, suddenly being jerked back to reality by Akane�s inquiry.

        Akane sighed, shaking her head. "Ranma... I just asked you if you wanted to come shopping with me." Akane was a little upset that Ranma was so inattentive upon waking, but then she couldn�t blame him. He�d been getting less sleep, from what Kasumi had been telling her. *But.. the Baka could at LEAST try.*

        Ranma scratched the back of his head in confusion. "Urr.... why would I want to go Shopping?" Ranma suspected that Akane wanted him to carry her bags or something, this was the first time Akane had ever asked him to do such a think.

        Akane frowned, furrowing her brow. Her hands resting on her hips. "Well, maybe because it�s a pajama party, and YOU don�t have anything appropriate to wear?"

        Ranma�s mind seemed to halt for a moment, Akane�s words racing through them. *Pajama party??? What did you get yourself into, Ranma...*

        "Urr...." Ranma stated intelligently. His mind ran through a hundred different reasons to avoid shopping with Akane. 

        Akane saw the unsure, nervous look in Ranma�s eyes and spoke before he had time to formulate his objection. "Uh-uh! No backing out, Ranma! You promised me." Akane�s eyes told Ranma that this was something that really DID matter a lot to her.

        With a heavy sigh, Ranma got up and walked to Akane. "..okay.. okay.. I did give my word, so I guess I�ll go with ya. Just one thing, though. I already got some Pajamas, from Kaehmi-chan and Memeko-Sama."

        Akane blinked at Ranma�s latter comment, then smiled a bit at having won a small battle with her would-be-fiancee. *...Maybe things won�t be as bad as they were before. Maybe they�re getting better.*

        "BUT..." Ranma added, looking Akane straight in the eyes, a tone of seriousness in his eyes and voice.

        Akane dropped her smile, looking directly at Ranma.

        Ranma relaxed when he saw Akane was taking him seriously. "I am going to go with you as a girl, okay??? I�d feel funny goin� shoppin� for this stuff as a guy." He managed a smile afterwards, attempting to encourage Akane�s previously bright attitude.

        It worked, to a degree. She did smile a bit, although it was a bit half hearted. "Hai, I understand." She smirked after that... stepping aside and opening the door for Ranma. "You make it sound like we�re going shopping for lingerie or something."

        Ranma groaned as his mind was brought to attention of the arranged shopping trip. "Please, don�t remind me.... Mom has already planned to get me some stuff after the Prom this weekend."

        Akane stifled a giggle. "Really, Ranma, it�s not that bad. Bra�s and Panties won�t kill you, you know."

        Ranma shook his head, looking a bit concerned as he mulled over the past month. "Yeah... I know that, Akane, but I don�t like it in any case. If I didn�t feel more comfortable with the bra, I wouldn�t wear it."

        This time, she couldn�t hold back the giggle as she imagined Ranma wearing a bra as a guy, under his vest.

        "What�s so funny??" Ranma asked, suspicious of why Akane seemed to be trying to hold her laughter down.

        Akane waved Ranma off, stifling another bout of giggling with her hand. "Just wondering... do you wear that sports bra as a guy, so that if you changed.....?"

        Ranma�s face turned Red as he stopped at the bathroom door. "...remind me to hurt Nabiki." he wrenched the door open and walked in, closing it behind himself.

        Akane blinked, her mind feeling numb for a moment. *..R...Ranma wears....??* She shook her head. *That�s... silly.* Akane walked downstairs, sitting at the dining table and thinking carefully to herself.

        From Ranma�s reaction, obviously her �Imagined Joke� was very much a reality. It made some sort of sense, if Ranma had become so used to wearing a bra as a girl. *...they ARE more comfortable.. but... Ranma, as a guy, wearing one??*

        Then again, she�d noticed that recently Ranma hadn�t bothered changing back to a guy when splashed with cold water. It made SOME sort of sense, but... she couldn�t help but feel Ranma was being a LITTLE perverted for doing such a thing.

        *Baka.. he doesn�t HAVE to wear one so much.. I mean.. why can�t he just carry one in his school bag??*

        But then again, Ranma only had his bag at school, and he was only splashed on occassion at school. Usually, AFTER school some strange event would cause him to change... and that usually meant that his bag wasn�t with him.

        Kasumi set breakfast on the table, and served Akane a plate. The youngest Tendo daughter was so busy in her thoughts that she began eating a bit mechanically, her mind running over Ranma�s embarrassment over her �Discovering� the odd little secret.

        Kasumi noted that Akane was rather busy in her own thoughts, so kindly avoided making any comments, as her sister would hardly even acknowledge her words if she had spoken. *So many things have happened lately, it�s a wonder Akane hasn�t been thinking more until now.*

        With that thought, the elder Tendo daughter stood up and left the room, leaving Akane to her thoughts.

        After what seemed like but a few moments of silent thinking, Akane noticed that Ranma was sitting next to her in a dark red dress with gold buttons and trimming. "...so... you.. uhh.. want to go shopping??"

        Akane blinked, looking at Ranma carefully. For one, the red-head�s hair was unbound again, and showed the definitive wavy property that Ranma shared with Nodoka.

        After a long moment of staring, which upset Ranma, Akane shook the silent amazement from her face. "R...Ranma?? Why are you dressed like that??" Some part of Akane flared up in anger, noting that Ranma was very beautiful, even more so than Akane herself.

        Another part of her felt sadness, that her Ranma could be so beautiful yet be so afraid of his femininity.

        Still another part felt fear, that this was some sort of sign that the Ranma she knew was slowly slipping away, replaced by this unfamiliar girl. 

        Ranma, in response to the question lowered her eyes to the table. "I thought about some of the stuff that�s been happening recently, and I thought that maybe, if I was gonna be a girl tonight at your party, that I could spend the whole day as your... friend." Ranma looked back up at Akane, an ache in her chest growing in intensity.

        Why did she have such trouble with Akane??? So many times she had longed to just hold Akane and never let go. Yet more and more often, it was easier to get closer to Akane as a woman, not as a man. That had changed recently, but only because of a friend�s help.

        Akane put a gentle hand on Ranma�s. "....Ranma... you don�t have to go that far, you know." The same ache echoed in Akane�s own heart, the desire to wrap this lost girl in her arms and protect her from the world�s cruel touch floating through Akane�s soul.

        "I know, Akane... I want to do this." A smile drifted across the red-head�s face, it was an uncertain smile. One that someone in a particularly uncomfortable situation might give.

        Akane looked down at her hand on Ranma�s, a gentle touch that seemed to bring them closer together for a small moment.

        Her other hand slapped down on the surface of the table as she smiled. "Well, I guess we should get going then, ne?"

        With a firm nod and that unsure smile, Ranma stood up.

        Both girls made their way to the door.

                                                        *                     *                     *                     *                     *                     *


        The glowing ember of the sun had slowly climbed it�s way into the fierce azure sky, and like so many things that soar along with the clouds, it eventually began it�s slow trek downward in it�s eternal arc.... plumetting to earth as Icarus did in some long passed tale.

        The city of Tokyo was thriving that day, as the Sun began it�s lumbering descent, Yet the largest city on the island of Japan was always rushed and busy. There was a saying that solemnly stated that if a man was late in getting where he was going, his soul could be sold by the time he got there.

        Needless to say, the people of Tokyo were very hectic this day. Especially on a certain road, where a certain child of the Saotome lineage was patiently awaiting his lady love.

        Not to mention the high speed buzz of people down the main thoroughfair was a thing Ranma could do without. Of course, she also had a faint complaint of all the grocery bags that Akane had kindly bestowed upon her.

        The people hurried by as Akane took her time looking for some games to play at the slumber party. Ranma, who was sitting on a bench waiting patiently, let out a slow, weary sigh. *I don�t get it, why does she have to have all THIS for a slumber party??? Icecream I can understand. Hey, actually, she�d better hurry up.*

        Akane walked out several moments later, a small white bag in her hand. "Okay, I�m ready to go Ranma." She said in a cheery voice. The bright smile that she had worn on her face since that morning having never left her complexion, to Ranma�s delight.

        Akane silently thought about hwo the day was going, very commendable on Ranma�s part. Not once had her erstwhile fiancee commented about her own femininity. Which did worry Akane. It just seemed as the more time passed that Ranma just wasn�t Ranma anymore, but some whole different person.

        Shaking off that thought, she drew her introspection back to their current outing.

        She didn�t get to go out with Ranma by herself all that much. Ever since Shampoo got married to Mousse, things had been next to quiet. Not even Ukyou had tried to get between her and Ranma. 

        The thought of Ukyou slowly brought a brief worried expression onto her face.... mixed with a dose of Sadness. Akane knew that Ukyou loved Ranma, she knew that Ukyou would do anything to make Ranma happy, even...

        Give him up.

        Ukyou was a friend, in Akane�s eyes, and she knew that giving up Ranma would hurt her. The girl deserved to be happy, in Akane�s opinion.

        Looking up at Akane, Ranma blinked, wondering what the other girl would be thinking about. Ranma gently lifted the two bags of groceries. She stood up ready to make haste on their way home. "Uhhh.. so what did you get??" Ranma asked, curious what she had taken so long to buy. 

        Shaking herself out of her contemplation, Akane returned her attention to Ranma. "Deck of Cards, a Ouiji Board.... I�ve always wondered if these things work," She giggled, and slowly let her gaze meet Ranma�s. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Ranma," She said as she turned and began walking down the Street.

        *....Two...things?! She kept me waiting for all that time for two things?!?* Ranma thought in a faint bit of anger. Moments Later, Ranma followed her, a definite scowl forming on her face.

        "You mean you-" Ranma began, then had to mentally rip the sentance before she could finish. The jerk part of Ranma�s mind was grumbling about how a woman could take so long and buy two things that were OBVIOUS slumber party cliche�s. 

        "..Urr..." The half that had been taught of Hiroshi�s caring and concerned philosophy decided on a bit more tact than Ranma was usually used to. The two halves Struggled for a moment in Ranma�s head, until the more polite of the two bound and gagged the jerk-mouth.

        A Moment later Ranma smiled. "S�okay, Akane, I don�t mind, just so long as I spend my time with you." A blush crept into Ranma�s cheeks as she spoke.

        Akane felt her heart shift and flutter a moment at those words. *Will I ever get used to him saying that??? Kami, I love him so much....* "Don�t be so flattering, Ranma, it�s weird for you." She smiles.

        Ranma blinked for a moment, then let a smile similar to Akane�s drift slowly across her face. "Okay, Kawaii-"

        "Raaanmaaaaaa....." Akane started, feeling a slight rush of anger spread through her. WHY Ranma kept insulting her femininity she could not understand. *He always picks on me for-*

        Ranma�s smile grew from her response. "-Iinazuke." She finished with a certain finality.

        Akane slowly came to a halt in the middle of the crowd. The wind seemed to gently breeze by for a moment as all the disquiet of the cities tempest seemed to fade for a moment. *Did he say that?*

        Ranma walked on, oblivious to the fact that there was a definite something missing. It took her all of a minute to realize that Akane had ceased following her. Blinking again, she turned and began trekking back towards the shop they had left. She stopped on the way as she saw Akane standing in the middle of the sidewalk, staring at her. "What?? Did I say something wrong?"

        Akane just shook her head slowly. "Was that some kind of proposal?" Akane asked in a voice that shook with anticipation. Her heart surged and pounded in her chest, echoing that loud rhythmic sound in her head.

        Ranma blinked, yet again, in a slightly confused expression. *What does she.....* Then her own words played back to her. *....oops.....* A quick run of excuses ran through her mind.

        *What are you doing?!?!!* Her mind screamed with legitimate frustration. *You LOVE her, don�t you??* It asked her in a tone demanding an answer.

        Ranma blinked at the voice yelling in her head. *Yeah. but...... I�m not ready. It�s... it�s too soon. I need to sort some things out.*

        The voice gagged for a moment, making it�s obvious disgust and offense known. *Ohhh, you mean that OTHER Love problem....*

        *What does Ucchan have to do with this??* Ranma asked, getting a stern look on her face. If anyone were to note, it was a look as if she had forgotten something important and was upset with herself.

        The voice laughed at Ranma�s ignorance. *Oh please, this has nothing to do with Ukyou... I can�t believe you are so dense.*

        Ranma, feeling somewhat defensive, began to retort to the strange voice in her head. *What are you-*

        "Ranma?" Akane asked, looking concerned as she watched emotions flash across Ranma�s face. *...maybe...maybe he didn�t mean it..* A heavy sigh slowly escaped her lips.

        Ranma focused her eyes again and noticed the sad look on Akane�s face. "Huh?? Oh..... Oh. Akane.. I... I�m sorry. I.. uh...." Ranma articulated with apt skill, her eyes finding a place of comfort as she concentrated heavily on her feet.

        "It�s okay, Ranma... I understand. Sorry I overreacted." Akane felt her heart sink into her stomach as she spoke, and she continued walking, this time leaving Ranma behind.

        *Dammit! Now see what you�ve done???? Akane is hurt....* the voice murmured in her mind.

        Ranma shook her head. *....I.......you�re right...* She finally admitted with a firm level of defeat in her heart. Ranma caught up with Akane. "Akane, waitasec.... I... I did sorta mean it." 

        Akane stopped and looked at Ranma again, her eyes and heart filling up with a sense of hope once more.

        Her gaze met the redhead�s, a slight hope welling up where her heart had plumetted and causing it to lift a little higher. *No.... no, he said SORT OF.....* She reminded herself, just to keep the reality of the situation close at hand. "...what.. do you mean, Ranma?"

        Ranma looked at Akane, struggling to get the words out of her mouth. "..I....I would sort of.... like to consider you... I mean... I don�t want to... be engaged again or nothing....,"

        Turning away, Akane lowered her eyes. "...Oh..." Akane let herself say, feeling her heart sinking again. *I guess I�m not worth enough to ask.... not yet, or something....*

        Ranma saw that smile on Akane�s face starting to slip away again."....No, wait!! But.. i am really really considering it, Akane, okay?? I mean, I�ve almost asked ya, so could ya wait just a little longer?" She said quickly... trying to salvage the situation before she ruined Akane�s cheery mood.

        Akane looked back up at Ranma, and seemed to consider her carefully for a long moment. *...I Love him, I know he loves me.... I can wait a little longer.... it�s not like the world is going to end tomorrow.* Akane slowly forced herself to relax, letting the tension of the past several moments drain from her, her eyes locked on Ranma as she carefully considered his words.

        Ranma suffered the critical stare Akane used on her... her eyes staring back at Akane�s gentle brown orbs. A tense feeling tightening within her chest, and Ranma waited for the world to stop and listen to them.

        Gleefully, for the world, it was keenly oblivious to the two lovers that spoke on a street in Tokyo.

        "....Ranma...." Akane said gently... almost so gently Ranma couldn�t hear her. ".....Thank you...." She followed with, in a soft, comforting tone.

        She turned and began her slow voyage home, a little more spring in her step than before. 

        Ranma followed her for quite a while, just watching Akane carefully. *She is very cute......... when she wants to be. I�m so happy Hiroshi helped me get her back....*

        The thought of Hiroshi suddenly brought back all the tension that Ranma had kept in the box within her soul. *Hiroshi.... oh, Kami, Hiroshi.... why must you suffer so much. You�ve done so much for me.. so much for others, and you�ve never asked for a thing... nothing at all but for a single girl to love you.*

        Ranma made a silent vow that she would do everything possible to make this girl give Hiroshi a chance.... even if just for a day, she KNEW that Hiroshi could win her over. *...I swear I won�t abandon him to the darkness..... I�ll make sure that he has a chance, like he�s given me.*

        Akane, on the other hand, was planning out the night�s events. *Let�s see, I�ve got Yuka, Sayuri, Ami, Kiyomi, and Shiyori coming over tonight...... and I have Ranma joining in on the fun... I have icecream, snacks, Fruits, whip cream, chocolate syrup, cherries. I�ve got The Ouiji Board and a deck of cards..... okay...*

        Akane mentally checked off each thing as she ran through her shopping list. She didn�t take much notice of the dust cloud on the horizon as they began entering Nerima�s outer area.

        Ranma, however, did notice the telltale signs of a certain perverted master of the Art. "..urr.... Akane????" Ranma said tenatively, seeing Akane�s deep thoughtful expression.

        Akane waved Ranma off with her free hand. "Not now, Ranma, I�m trying to think." She said gently. *Okay, now am I forgetting anything??*

        Ranma attempted to Point with the two bags in her arms, not entirely successful. "Uhm... but Akane.... there�s-" Ranma was cut short.

        "Please, I�m trying to see if we forgot anything." She said in a shorter tone than she would have preferred. *He can WAIT just a second...*

        Ranma noticed that the Dustcloud was heading straight for them. *Typical, he runs towards Tokyo, then hops down an alley and heads back to the Dojo...........*

        "Akane, Happosai is coming this way." She said, rushing ahead and standing in front of Akane. "...here, you take these back to the Dojo.... I�ll take care of the old pervert." Ranma held out the bags.

        "Huh??? Happosai??" Akane looked around, and finally noticed the cloud of dust that was closing on them, then she carefully narrowed her eyes. "Oooh, so he�s on his daily pillaging."

        Ranma still held out the bags. "...I can take him.... don�t worry �bout it.. you take these and get home, or that Icecream is gonna melt."

        "But Ranma, I Can-" Akane didn�t get to finish as she was forcibly handed the bags and Ranma jumped up onto the wall, running at full tilt towards the cloud of Dust. *He didn�t even let me finish. Baka...* She sighed heavily, shaking her head. *He�s probably right anyways..... I guess I should be going home.*

        Akane turned and began walking down a side street towards the Tendo household.

        Ranma hesitated after several moments of Running and looked back, the wind gently playing through her hair as she stood for a moment, looking back at where Akane had been moments before. *Good... at least she listened to me just once.....*

        Turning, Ranma began once more the rapid staccato rhythm of her feet *Front, front, heel to toe, heel to toe..... front front.... balance, continue, heel, toe....* She gently chanted in her head in succession to the rapid beating of her feet on the stone walls.

        The cloud of dust moved just as rapidly towards her as she did towards it..... chaos running towards chaos.

        Fate rippled outward with each passing moment..... and the world hardly took notice as the two lovers travelled further and further away from eachother.

                                                        *                     *                     *                     *                     *                     *

        The dust rose behind him, as if some mighty storm had been stirred into being by the countless feet of his pursuers.

        He could feel the adrenaline rush through him as he thrilled at the excitement of the chase.... his back heavy with the goods of countless young flowers purged of their belongings by his adept hands. Age had never touched his heart, though it had shrivelled his body.

        *What world would there be without Happosai to give it life???* He wondered, a mad Lecherous grin on his face. *What world, indeed....* His thoughts silently murmured.

        Shouts of �Lecher!�, �Pervert!�, and �Come back here!� pursued him. His purpose clear, and his skin tingling from the rush of pure life running through him as he followed the firm and peaceful rhythm of his own steps.... drowning out the girls following him as he revelled in his freedom.

        None made Happosai do their bidding, he was master, and he was the one in control. None could stop him from his daily routines, and none had the power to try.

        *Well.... maybe one....* His sharp mind contemplated. *Yet he is too unskilled yet to match me in battle..... though he will learn.*

        A moment later Happosai saw a descending shadow in a familiar, female sillhouette. His skilled eyes watched the figure, locking on it�s ki as it descended.. *....Ranma...* It chortled inside.

        Then the shock of shocks, Happosai stopped in his escape as his mind visibly locked up. "..panties??"

        Happosai saw Ranma descending in a graceful flying kick straight for his aged and weathered face, yet all his mind could fathom or take note of was the fact that Ranma was wearing a dress, and under that dress was PANTIES.

        A moment and a half later, Happosai felt a violent surge of pain flash through his chest as Ranma�s foot connected, sending him sprawling back through the air in a smooth arc towards the group of pursuing girls, the wind in his lungs quickly escaping him. "Ranma....wearing....panties...?" Was all his mind could muster, and his breath could relay.

        It took several more moments for his mind to comprehend the trajectory of his flight, and that he was now lying on solid pavement, looking up at a large group of beautiful, yet angry faces. All of which who�s hands were hefting mallet�s, brooms, bokken, and various other instruments of pain Happosai had become accustomed to over his time knowing women.

        He attempted to use his most innocent, cute expression in hopes to divert the obvious torment that would follow, knowing that it was a nigh useless attempt at hope. "...Hee hee... now ladies, don�t overreact...." He begged, more than asked, in a pleading tone.

        "POUND!" A young brown haired girl cried out in righteous anger.

        A pretty black haired beauty added to the cry, "HIM!"

        "DEAD!!!" A brown eyed vixen finished with a certain finality as they all raised their instruments of destruction.

        "...urp..." Happosai managed before blow after blow of unending pain was rained on him from above. He felt the pain lancing through is limbs with every blow, his bones rattled in their foundations from the graphic violence the Girl�s anointed his small form with.

        With a heavy heart and a angry twinge in his demeanor, he bundled up the remains of his gathering and left them in the group of girls as he crawled slowly out, his body bruised and battered from the afflictions of the various girls.

        He panted for a moment, hiding behind a trashcan to avoid the girl�s eyes from catching him... wondering how the day could have turned out such a disaster after such a beautiful and fulfilling morning. The sun was bright, there wasn�t a cloud in the sky, and he had felt extra vigorous that morning when he returned to the Tendo Dojo.

        A familiar silhouette suddenly shadowed his little form, and he gaze up in anger at those fierce blue eyes. "..Ranma... how dare you interrupt an old man�s enjoyment!!!" He said, his body shaking.

        He was furious. Every time he had begun feeling even a moderate amount of enjoyment, Ranma had returned to thwart his peace. Just when he was beginning to feel the core of the art, too.

        He watched Ranma as she looked down at him, the obvious contempt in her eyes. His fury was mounting, as it so often did when his daily excursions were interrupted by the Heir to his school.

        "Bet you�re upset that I foiled your little game, aint�cha gramps?" She said with a healthy bit of bile in her voice and words. He hated it... that the boy showed him no respect.

        Inside he laughed a moment from his own folly. *Boy he is not..... hee hee... boys don�t wear panties.* With that thought, his cool demeanor suddenly returned, and he smiled a lecherous grin. His heart suddenly calmed, and he realized that perhaps today WASN�T so bad.

        "No, my Student, in fact you�ve provided me with quite a bit to think about... none of which is unpleasant...." He chortled, looking up at Ranma as he spoke in his calm, cool, collective way.

        Happosai noticed her flinch when she didn�t get the response she expected. *Always good to surprise someone.. hee hee...*

        "Quit staring at me, ya dirty old man..." He heard her say, her voice a little tinged with confusion as she fell into the fighting stance she had become so familiar with.

        Obviously he couldn�t startle her for long. It was no matter.... "...Ranma... I don�t wish to fight you..." Happosai murmured, turning his back and folding his arms in a smug pose. "It�s not in my nature to assault pretty young things..."

        Happosai could almost imagine Ranma�s face twisting in anger at that comment.... "Tha�s funny, I could swear that�s ALL you do every day." Happosai could hear the barely controlled bile in her voice as she spoke.

        *Odd, that�s new. Ranma, controlling his anger? Oh, my error, HER anger, heeheeeheee.* Happosai looked over his shoulder at the pretty redhead who was shaking with half-controlled rage. His eyes drifted across the firm and supple swell of her bosom, so likely to be encased by a bra.

        Drifting down across her wide flaring hips and flat belly. Images of the panties he had stolen a glance of firmly in his mind.

        "Stop ogling me, you perverted old freak!" Ranma snapped into motion, her leg cutting through the air towards Happosai.

        Happosai saw it as if it were in slow motion, bringing his pipe from out of his gi he caught Ranma�s ankle and hopped into the air, using the momentum from his jump to pull Ranma�s ankle upwards, tossing her off balance.

        Happosai bounced off of Ranma�s head as she began to topple backwards, and landed standing behind her.

        Little to Happosai�s surprise, Ranma turned the fall into a roll, giving Happosai a choice view of the silk-encased bosom he had intended to see..... Happosai chuckled, feeling a faint trickling of energy rush through him at the sight.

        Ranma was on her feet again in and back in her defensive stance. Happosai chortled internally, finally feeling a sense of unbidden rapture flood through him. Ranma was wearing both PANTIES *AND* a BRA!

        "Ranma, you disappoint me. The Heir to the Musabetsu Kakutou Ryuu should be much more prepared for a counterattack!!!" Happosai smirked self appreciatively. Happosai, seeming to stand at a relaxed position at all times, was ALWAYS prepared for an attack from anywhere.

        It was one of the many things that had kept him alive in his youth, and on his toes. It was what urged him to found the School... the need to defend himself from those he relieved of items, or those who tried picking on him since he was so diminutive. *Never again...* Happosai mentally noted. *Now I am the Master.*

        Happosai snapped out of his reverie when Ranma started in on a series of rapid punches and Kicks. Happosai dodged nimbly as a kick came close to his head, leaping up over a punch and thwacking Ranma in the head with his pipe, chuckling to himself.

        "You�ll have to be faster than that to beat me!!!" Happosai hopped on top of Ranma�s head, stealing a glance down her dress he chuckled and launched himself up into the air, where Ranma followed.

        "Shaddup, ya dirty old man!!!" Ranma spat out as she flew into the air after him, a firm look of concentration on her face.

        There was a quick exchange of several punches and a kick, then they landed back on the ground, Happosai used the kinetic force as a spring and literally bounced right through Ranma�s defense and attached himself to that full. soft, maidenly amount of flesh attached to Ranma�s chest.

        Happosai felt a wild surge of energy suddenly FLOOD into him as he sapped from Ranma�s resources. NEVER had he felt so much raw Ki!!! "Ohhh Ranma, how I�ve waited for this day...." He sobbed into her bosom, fondling them and squeezing them, rubbing them and massaging them in a few short seconds.

        He could feel Ranma shiver at the new sensation..... could see the sudden revulsion pass over her face as she felt something being violated deep inside of her, something being TAKEN from her unlike all the other times Happosai had attached himself to her bosom.

        "..you...." Ranma shivered, rage beginning to build. He knew she felt violated in a way she�d never felt before, the essence of her ki being sucked out of her in a single groping.

        Happosai knew he should have let go about then and made a run for it, but... his weakness had always been for the female body, and this time it was RANMA he was groping.... while she was wearing a bra!!!

        How often could that happen in Happosai�s life??? So he held fast to his quarry, trying to drain as much as he could before he was sent to LEO. The sweetness of Ranma�s vigorous ki swelling within him, filling him so fully he could not recall when last he felt so young.

        "...PERVERT!!!!" Ranma howled out, her voice carrying over several blocks of the Nerima district. The people wise enough not to ask questions or spare curious glances in exchange. They had grown accustomed to Nerima�s subsequent oddities.

        Happosai felt the solid steel punch of Ranma�s ki enforced fist.... and as he soared into the sky, he thought he had at last found true happiness in Ranma�s lovely bosom.

        *Oh wonder of wonders!! Rapture, Joy, Bliss!!!* Happosai recited to himself as he began his downward arc, back towards the cruel and unforgiving earth. *Now all I need to do is find some way to get Ranma to stay female!*

                                                        *                     *                     *                     *                     *                     *

        Akane was startled when she heard the front door slam with a resounding finality. She turned back to the phone as Yuka asked her if everything was allright. "Yeah.... I think Ranma�s upset. I�ll see you at 7, okay?"

        There was a slight pause before Yuka answered, surprising Akane, who had expected a modest amount of sulking from Yuka. The girl was offish about Ranma. "Sure, Akane..... I guess I�ll call Sayuri and make sure she�s bringing the tapes over, okay???" Akane�s friend asked on the other side of the line with a carefully sweet voice.

        "Yeah, Yuka... do that, I got to go see what�s wrong with Ranma," Akane knew she sounded slightly distracted, but didn�t care much.

        Yuka sighed into the receiver, probably thinking how bad of Ranma it was to worry Akane so much. "Sure thing, see you later, Akane!"

        "Bye," Akane said as politely as she could.

        Akane gently let the phone connect with the receiver, and looked up just as Ranma walked past. "Ranma, what is..." She stopped at the look on Ranma�s face. It was an expression she was used to giving him, one that she could read very well from years of experience.

        Sheer and unmitigated anger. There was something else under that mask..... maybe a strange fear or self loathing ran deeply through Ranma.

        Akane could only guess what had happened. She put a hand on Ranma�s shoulder, trying to put a calm into her voice. "Ranma, did Happosai.. did he-" Akane jumped when Ranma grabbed her hand in a hard grip.

        "..please, Akane... not now, please don�t touch me right now....." Ranma said, her voice quavering both with anger and barely controlled frustration.

        Akane looked at Ranma�s eyes, which were shimmering with angry tears. There was a fire burning in them, one that Akane knew quite well. Perhaps too well, she noted with melancholy disposition.

        Akane could only nod her head, sure that she wore a shocked expression on her face. *But why??? Happosai never upset him so much before!!!* She asked to herself, unable to ask Ranma, she found that she had to wait for an answer.

        Ranma let go of Akane�s wrist, and turned... walking upstairs, then into the the room where the Furo resided. Moments later water was heard.

        Akane sat down, once more mulling over what had just happened. For some strange reason, she concluded, Happosai had somehow upset Ranma.

        She spared a glance back at the stairs where Ranma had vanished. Happosai had DEEPLY upset Ranma. That had never happened before. Sure, Ranma had been upset with Happosai before.... the instance with the Moxibution came to mind.

        The little old man had often been purposefully hurtful, especially towards Ranma. He had even tried seperating Ranma�s female half from his body, Akane recalled. To very bad effect.

        *What could he have done that.....* Akane trailed, off, suddenly latching onto an idea. *Maybe nothing HAPPOSAI did was different.... maybe it was something Ranma did?*

        Akane shook her head. *I have to go call the others, make sure they�re still coming over....* With that, Akane pushed the thoughts of what could have happened to the back of her mind. 

        An hour passed as Akane double checked to make sure her friends were still on for the slumber party. As she hung up the phone from the last call, she found her mind wandering back to Ranma.

        *What could have upset him so much????? Honestly, he shouldn�t get so worked up about Happosai.* Akane found herself standing at the bottom of the stairs, and her face took on a slightly worried expression. *I hope he�s alright.... It�s rare if ever to see him so upset.*

        "Going to stand there all day, Akane, or are you going to go talk to him?" Nabiki�s voice caused Akane to almost jump out of her skin.

        She had noticed Nabiki reading in the corner of the room when she began her phonecalls, but had forgotten about her after Ranma walked in. Akane�s sister could be disturbingly quiet when she wanted to be.

        Akane turned, putting on her practiced expression of feigned annoyance. "Excuse me, Nabiki, but since WHEN do you give me free advice?" Akane knew her sister, there had to be something the older Tendou girl wanted.

        Nabiki raised an eyebrow, setting her book down on the table. Akane noted, strangely, that it was a book on something called Gender Dysphorics in Love. Whatever that meant.

        "Scuse for trying to give my little Sis some good advice, but Ranma needs you more than ever since Auntie started her psychologically disturbing plan to train him as a woman. Sometimes I wonder if anyone in the Saotome family is sane," Nabiki turned her cool gaze on Akane.

        Akane was normally just as adamant with expression as Nabiki was, but recently there had been something in her Sister�s eyes that made her turn away from that gaze. Determination, and fear. Nabiki was afraid of something, and that scared Akane to no ends.

        Akane steeled herself, and while not looking directly back at Nabiki�s eyes, she did manage to look TOWARDS her sister. "Don�t say that.... Auntie Saotome means well, Nabiki. You know that. She�s not trying to hurt Ranma," Akane had heard how out of control Ranma felt his life was becoming. How both his Father and Mother trying to push him towards her, his Father wanting him to be a man among men, and his mother wanting him to be a woman�s woman. Ranma was strong, but Akane had seen.... confusion in Ranma lately, but Nabiki couldn�t be right, Nodoka wasn�t as bad as Genma. Not by a longshot.

        Nabiki smirked and looked down at her book, then back up at Akane. "I have my own views, Akane. You don�t have to share them. I just told you to go talk to the idiot upstairs, because he likely needs it."

        Akane had nothing to say to that, so turned back towards the stairs. On a second thought she turned back to Nabiki. "Shouldn�t you be going to that Business Convention you were talking about?? It�s in an hour, and it�ll take a while to get through Tokyo."

        Akane didn�t wait for a response, she headed upstairs to go talk to Ranma.

                                                                *                     *                     *                     *                     *                     *


        The door creaked ever so slightly as Ranma opened the door to her room. She had been about to step out, yet instead blinked in shock at Akane who was standing in the doorway getting ready to knock.

        Akane stood there blinking back at her, her hand raised and a confused expression on her face. Both of them stood there for a while, just blinking and staring at eachother before some motion was made to dispell the awkwardness.

        Ranma let an uneasy smile drift across her lips. "So, we gonna stand here all day or what?" She asked, falling into a relaxed mode.

        Akane giggled a bit and blushed. Ranma saw Akane�s eyes drift across her Pajamas, which started a slight flush in Ranma�s cheeks. *I can�t believe I agreed to this.... this is so embarrassing.*

        Akane looked back up and into Ranma�s eyes. Ranma saw Akane bite her lip, a sign of nervousness. "Ranma," Akane murmured as gently as she could, "Are you alright?"

        Ranma shivered at the question, and the dark anger returned to her face. "I don�t wanna talk about it, Akane." The redhead turned her back and padded back into her room.... sitting down on the futon facing the window.

        Akane watched for a moment, unsure as she lowered her hand and stepped into Ranma�s room. Her eyes drifted back and forth for a moment or two.

        The room contained very few personal items. It seems Ranma had always been on the go, and no matter the length of time spent at the Tendo household, she was always prepared to leave in a hurry. Akane had known this for a long time.

        There were a few odd objects that stood out. One was the Gundamn poster hanging from the ceiling, a gift from Hiroshi, according to Ranma. There was a dresser that Kasumi had put in as soon as Ranma and his Father had come to stay with them. It used to be barren, only a convenience to hold Ranma�s clothing, nothing of real importance.

        Now, though, there were some oragami puppets and lumps of clay resembling animals that decorated the top of the dresser, as well as a carved oak box, simple in design... but from it�s placement something of value.

        Akane returned her gaze to Ranma on her futon. Her hand gently caressed a stuffed Cabbit, as if absent mindedly.

        "What�s that?" Akane�s sudden question caused Ranma to jump.

        Ranma lifted her head instead of looking at Akane, looking out the window instead. "What�s what??" She said, attempting to sound innocent of whatever Akane was accusing her of. *That�s the old Akane....* He told himself. *This one�s... different.*

        Akane gently sat down aside Ranma, a fluid, almost floating motion. "I mean what�s this, Baka." She said, putting her hand on Ranma�s as the redhead caressed the Cabbit.

        Ranma snatched her hand, and the cabbit away, hugging it to her in a protective embrace, her fingers running through the artificial fur. "It was a present from..... Kaehmi-chan. She spent her allowance on it, I got her one to match." Ranma looked down at the stuffed animal, then set it in her lap.

        Akane tilted her head to the side. "You really like that little girl, don�t you?" She asked tenatively. Her eyes were intently locked on Ranma as the redhead looked down at the cabbit�s face.

        A gentle nod, just slightly, almost unnoticable. Akane noticed, being who she was. Being who Ranma was.

        "I dunno.... she�s such a sweetheart. I just find myself acting all childish around her, I guess that�s kinda stupid of me, huh Akane..." Ranma�s eyes drifted up, meeting Akane�s gaze in their own time. Hanging there for a long moment.

        Akane shook her head, the hair framing her face swaying like a ocean breeze for half a moment. "No, Ranma.... there�s nothing wrong with that. It means... well.." Akane pursed her lips in a somewhat puzzled expression, striving to find the right words, fearing that she would choose the wrong ones, she drummed her fingers for half a moment as she thought.

        Cautiously, she opened her mouth again to speak. "It means that you�re good with Children, Ranma. You can relate with them," Akane nodded, half to herself and half to Ranma.

        Ranma brushed some hair from her face, the slightly wavy red mane was wild at best, though Akane held a certain envy of it, Ranma was sure. "Do you really think so, Akane??? I mean.... some people might think a guy was weird for acting so.... so...."

        "Caring?" Akane offered, mostly sure it wasn�t the word that Ranma was looking for.

        Ranma nodded without skipping a beat. "Yeah..... caring, I guess."

        Akane let a smile assault her calm expression, winning over it. "Ranma, every woman wants a man who can feel. A man who is all guts and no heart isn�t really worth marrying anyone. Caring is..... it�s a big part of family. Of the future, I guess you could say."

        Ranma half nodded, then a sigh escaped her lips. "I dunno. I really don�t want to talk �bout much right now.... I need to calm down after...." Ranma�s expression turned a bit white, and her eyes flickered angrily for a moment. 

        Akane likened it to a Dangerous Fire that was almost out of control. It caused her to feel on edge herself. "Ranma, was it Happosai that-"

        "I DON�T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT!" Ranma suddenly screamed, then her eyes flickered to a distant setting, seeing through akane.

        In a flash, several emotions fell like night over Ranma�s face. Anger, Fear, helplessness, then finally revulsion. A mere moment. She was gripping the Cabbit firmly in her hands, as if she would tear it apart.

        Then calm. Calm as ice. Ice that could cut. Ranma looked down with a silent expression and relaxed her grip again on the stuffed animal. She stroked it several times while looking into it�s glass brown eyes.

        Akane had jumped after the scream.... then winced at the expression Ranma shot her. "..o..okay.. okay." Akane nodded, noticing she had cringed away from Ranma, and that there was a good foot and a half between the redhead and herself.

        Ranma turned her body away from akane. "S� not okay, Akane. It�ll never be okay so long as I�m..." Ranma stood up abruptly, cutting herself off in midsentance. "Gomen, Akane.... I.. please leave. I need some.. I�ve got to calm down." Ranma was hugging onto the cabbit as if her life depended on it. It seemed more like she was clinging to the cabbit than she was simply holding it.

        Akane reached out to Ranma, to simply touch her hand, but didn�t come within five inches. Ranma�s entire aura felt like steel.... sharp steel razors. All danger and threat. Akane could feel the stinging threat of tears and the burning at the back of her throat and nose.

        She drew her hand back with a sadness in her heart and nodded slowly. Just a little. Most people wouldn�t notice. Ranma wasn�t an exception at this point.

        Akane placed her hand on her chest, fingers clenched in a gentle fist as she fought back the worry for Ranma. She drew herself up from the ground, a gentle uncertaintly caused her to reach out to Ranma again, and for a moment she thought she could touch him.

        "Don�t." Ranma said in a voice that shook with barely suppressed emotion. Akane couldn�t place what emotion, but she knew it wouldn�t be good if she pressed anything. Not good at all.

        Akane found the strength to walk away. She didn�t know how, but she reached the doorway. *I have to turn back... just to ask.*

        "Yes, I will." Ranma said slowly, still facing away from Akane. "I�ll be there tonight, just go."

        Akane wondered if she should ask Ranma how he knew what question she would ask. Then those icy eyes returned to her mind.

        Dangerous Fire.

                                                                *                     *                     *                     *                     *                     *


        There was a soft, rhythmic chopping in the kitchen. The sunlight streamed in through the window, casting a sillouhette across the floor of the matronly figure at the counter. Slowly, she chopped the vegetables with a steady, rhythmic beat.

        There was a moment where the beat was accompanied by three very wooden, and echoing, knocks. Kasumi blinked for half a moment, and paused in mid chop, raising her head a little and waiting for several moments.

        There was no response to her silent inquiry.... so she began her steady pace until again she heard the stoccato of someone�s hand upon the door.

        Kasumi blinked, and set the knife down. She went to the kitchen and quickly rinsed her hand as she heard the knock return again. "Just a minute, I�ll be right there," She called, as she does so often. Just loud enough for someone to hear her.

        *I wonder who it could be?* Kasumi inquired to herself, as she slowly turned, drying her hands, and walked out of the kitchen.

        She opened the door, and a young girl about Akane�s age greeted her eyes, with brown hair up in a pony tail. "Konnichiwa, may I help you?" Kasumi chimed in a cheerful tone.

        The young girl had a dazzling smile, and was carrying a brightly multicolored backpack with various patches all over it from different places in the world, she held it in front of her with both hands.

        She was dressed in a pair of jeans and a loose fitting sweatshirt was an anime girl with a somewhat distant look on her face printed on the front. Below the picture of the girl was a caption that said "Key: The Metal Idol."

        "Hai, Akane�s home, right?" The girl asked, tilting her head slightly to one side and causing her pony tail to sway in the process.

        Kasumi smiled a gentle, matronly smile. "Of course she is. Yuka, was it??? How have you been recently?" Kasumi stepped aside, gesturing for Yuka to come in.

        Yuka gave a bright laugh. "Oh, I�ve been fine, school and all. Nothing really bad, how about you, Kasumi?" She inquired, stepping inside and slipping off her shoes.

        Kasumi gave a slow nod. "I�ve been okay. One of my best friends, Memeko Miramoto, moved back home to live with her brother," Kasumi padded back into the living room, with Yuka on her heals.

        Yuka blinked, turning and looking at Kasumi as they both walked , "Oh really, isn�t that Hiroshi�s oneechan he�s always talking about??? I thought she was in Europe somewhere?" Yuka carefully took a seat as Kasumi gestured for her to sit, folding her hands in her lap and fiddling with the ring on her pinkie.

        Kasumi stood, looking at Yuka carefully for a long moment. "Hai, she was in Europe since she moved out of Japan... but her husband died about a year and a half back, and her parents asked her to come back home," Kasumi�s eyes focused on some point far in the distance, a sad, wistful look in her eyes. For a moment Kasumi could almost imagine how Memeko and Connor had been, such a short time ago... yet somehow it seemed much longer.

        The wind chime on the porch twinkled with sound as the wind silently blew. "It can be pretty lonely in a big house all by yourself," She murmured, drifting out of her reverie then nodded to herself as much as Yuka. Kasumi bowed her head. "Scuse me, I must be getting back to Dinner," And with that Kasumi bustled back to the kitchen to finish her daily routine.

        Yuka stared after her, wondering what Kasumi could have been thinking about. *I hope I didn�t upset her.* Yuka wondered as she brushed a strand of her hair back behind her ear.

        "Yuka!" Akane�s voice rang out from the foot of the stairs.

        The girl turned her head to cast her eyes upon Akane, her brown ponytail swishing behind her for a brief moment before a smile seemed to ease it�s way into her features. "Heya, Akane!!! How is it going?? Hey, are you ready for tonight??? Lotsa fun, ne?" Yuka�s smile brightened as she recalled how much fun they had had at last year�s sleepover.

        Akane smiled half heartedly, or that is how it seemed to Yuka. "...Sure, it�ll be lots of fun and just like old times. I�ll love it," Akane took a seat across from Yuka, looking at her hands that were folded neatly in her lap. To Yuka, it was very obvious that Akane�s mind was not at all with her at the moment, and that it was likely on her baka fiancee.

        Yuka chewed thoughtfully on her lip, wondering if she should say anything to Akane, or if she should mind her own business. She brought a hand up, drumming her fingers on the table�s surface for half a moment before opening her mouth to speak.

        "Okay, what did he do this time??" Yuka tried to keep the half controlled anger out of her voice, after all, Ranma had been going through a lot recently. In fact, Yuka had come to the conclusion that Ranma wasn�t the huge chauvinistic jerk she had pegged him for.

        Akane blinked, looking up at Yuka. "Oh, No, Yuka... he didn�t do anything..." Akane raised a hand, shaking it in a gesture of negation. A worried breath ushered from Akane�s lips. "I guess something happened with Happosai, and it really upset Ranma for some reason. I tried talking to him about it, but he was... well, in a somewhat defensive mood." Akane�s shoulders slumped as she recalled how she had upset him with just a few simple words.

        Yuka shook her head, her eyes closed and her head bowed slightly. She fidgeted with the ring on her pinkie, which Sayuri had given her for one of her Birthday�s, turning it on her finger absently. "I don�t know why you bother sometimes, Akane. Ranma is nothing but trouble, it seems," Yuka looked back up, and right into Akane�s eyes.

        "No, he�s not Yuka... sure, he is a handful, but you don�t know all the things he�s been through. Even I only half understand. I mean, sure, I�ve been around him for so long.. but that just makes it even more tragic, because I really hardly know him." Akane sighed, rubbing her head with one hand.

        She�d been getting headaches more often in the last week and a half, since all the tension with Ranma�s identity had begun. She felt utterly useless in a battle that she needed to help Ranma win. Several times she opened her mouth to tell Yuka of what had happened uptairs, but instead she said nothing about it when she finally chose to speak.

        "I don�t know, maybe I just worry too much about the baka...." Akane said in a half tired tone of voice. She WAS tired... worrying so much all the time had worn her down. Not only from the past month, but just as much since Ranma first entered her life.

        Worrying if she wasn�t good enough, worrying over whether Ranma would win a battle, worrying over whether Ranma would save her from the madness that seemed to follow him everywhere, and worrying if perhaps she was pushing Ranma away too hard.

        That last was a very recent fear.

        Yuka frowned. "Well, at least you have tonight to relax and get away from it all, Yuka said she was going to bring some of the tapes over..." Yuka Trailed off as she noticed that Akane was once again staring down at her hands.

        For several moments there was a long silence, Yuka watching Akane in the interim. "What�s wrong?" Akane�s friend finally asked.

        "Yuka... I.. sort of invited Ranma to stay the night with us," Akane�s head slowly moved up, her hands interlocked on her lap clenching eachother as she saw the startled look on her friend�s face.

        Yuka shook off her shock after a long moment. "Uhm.... Did you just say you are letting RANMA stay the night in our girl�s slumber party???" Yuka gaze Akane a cross look, she had NOT planned on having any men in a girl�s only slumber party, no matter the circumstances.

        "Is there...a... problem, Akane?" Ranma was standing at the bottom of the stairs, dressed in her pajama�s and a pair of house slippers. She had her arms folded behind her, and a unsure, almost tense mood about her. "I wouldn�t want to make any trouble for ya.... I mean, it *IS* an all girl�s thing, Akane."

        Ranma�s head was bowed slightly, and her eyes were fixed on a floorboard several feet in front of her, the whole picture one of nervous aprehension.

        Ranma didn�t want to impose, he didn�t want to ruin a night where Akane could relax and forget all the problems recently. She wished that she could give Akane time out from the strange calm unsurety that seemed to invade her life as of late.

        Akane fixed her gaze on Ranma, and then turned it back towards Sayuri. She couldn�t tell Ranma to leave at a time like this, not after whatever had happened with Happosai.... besides, she liked having Ranma around. She would have hated even admitting it only months ago, but lately Akane had wondered what kind of friend she had given up on that first day, in exchange for a fiancee.

        Akane shook her head suddenly, her eyes softly closed. A moment after she opened them and gazed directly at Sayuri.

        "No, you�re staying the night and that�s final. You are going to have fun with the rest of us, Ranma, and you promised you would stay for me. You PROMISED," Akane looked at Ranma sternly, but with a certain pleading in her eyes, her hands hurt from where she was clenching them so hard.

        Yuka opened her mouth to utter some words of objection, until Akane looked at Yuka with those worried eyes. The brown haired girl sighed, shaking her head. *I... guess we can pretend.* Yuka thought absently to herself.

        Yuka could tell SOMETHING had happened, it didn�t seem to be an argument. Or at least not the type she would expect of Akane and Ranma. 

        "I don�t have a problem with Ranma staying with us, Akane, but if he starts getting perverted....." Yuka�s voice trailed off in a tone of implied warning. Her face matched her unspoken threat with her brow furrowed and a stern look plastered across her face.

        Ranma walked a bit closer, her eyes looking from Akane back to Yuka. "I.. I�m a girl for tonight, Yuka. Akane said that she wanted me to be her friend, not her fiancee for tonight," Ranma fidgeted unsurely. 

        Ranma didn�t know where to go if Akane decided to make her leave. She instantly thought of Hiroshi, but didn�t want to impose on her friend. Hiroshi seemed to prefer being alone a lot in the past several days. She found herself hoping that Akane DIDN�T change her mind, and that she kept her to her promise, even though she wasn�t used to being around other girls, especially when it was an only girl sleepover.

        Sure, she had played her fair share of pranks, going into the girls locker rooms at times, but she�d never SOCIALLY been around girls. She�d always hung around the macho guy crowd.. well, when she wasn�t fighting of course...

        Yuka looked up at Ranma and growled internally. *What, am I some guilt target now??? Sheesh....* Yuka looked back at Akane. "Okay... I will PRETEND that Ranma is a girl for tonight, but he�d better ACT it, or he�s out, okay???" Yuka smirked slightly and crossed her arms. *Heh, let�s see if Ranma can survive the night.*

        Akane and Ranma exchanged a look, and both nodded... seemingly to eachother, yet also in response to Yuka�s query.

        "Sure, I can handle it..... it can�t be that hard, right??" Ranma grinned with a pompous smile, she was worried that getting the girls to go along with Akane�s wishes would be harder.

        "Well then, Yuka, I guess we have to get ready for the others to arrive," Akane smiled up at Ranma, as did Yuka. Yuka�s smile was one of mischief.

        Ranma blinked. *Somehow, I feel as if tonight is going to be very long....*

                                                        *                     *                     *                     *                     *                     *

        Ranma stared out the living room window, watching the tree�s sway gently in the breeze... some of the leaves that were still clinging to the branches slowly drifted down and joined their brothers on the ground.

        Ranma had been asked to wait while the Akane and Yuka talked to the other girls about letting her stay... several of the girls didn�t even know who she was, but were asked to come along anyways.

        Of course, Ami and Sayuri knew who he was, but the other two girls... Kiyomi and Shiyori were new to Tokyo, and hadn�t really heard that much about Ranma, seeing as how they had been gone several years in Kyoto, coupled with the fact that they were going to one of the schools just outside of the Nerima District.

        Ranma looked up at the sky, seeing the splotchy grey clouds that covered half the azure canvas. It had been getting colder, lately, and winter seemed to be taking it�s time getting here. It had frosted the night before, but other than that, there was no sign of snow.

        Ranma heard the soft pattering of some house slippers, and looked over her shoulder, up at the raven haired new girl, Shiyori.

        She was dressed in pale blue pajamas with white chickens printed on them, her hair coming to just about shoulder length, cut in a style resembling Nabiki�s.

        Unlike Nabiki, though, Shiyori was several inches shorter and had a innocent look to her face. her small nose and round face had more the look of a young girl than a teen on the brink of womanhood. Her body matched her faces youthful appearance, throgh the pajamas Ranma could tell that she had only a modest amount of development these past few years.

        All this was seen in the span of half a second, Ranma returned her gaze back to the yard, and a pregnant silence ensued for quite a while in many people�s terms.

        Ranma watching whatever it was she was watching, Shiyori watching Ranma, Ranma proceeding to watch that which she was, Shiyori looking out the back doors to check and see if she could determine what Ranma was watching.

        After many moments of this, Shiyori finally decided to break the tense silence.

        "Whatcha looking at?" She asked, smiling at Ranma in a patient manner. She sat down indian style right beside Ranma. While it frustrated her that Ranma seemed to desire no company, she did feel as if the girl needed some.

        "I�m watching the leaves Fall...." Ranma found herself saying, in a calm level tone. Her hair was unbound and framing her shoulders, and she fingered it idly for a moment, rubbing a lock between her fingers to feel the silky, smooth texture of it.

        Shiyori smiled brightly, she was a year younger than Ranma, and hadn�t known the hectic life that Nerima Ward was reknowned for. "Really?? Isn�t it kind of boring??" Shiyori joined Ranma in looking out the window, wondering at what could hold Ranma�s attention so Rapt.

        A long moment passed, the creaking of the tree could barely be heard from where the two girls sat. The wind slowly swept it�s branches back and forth, in a lulling, almost dreamy motion. The light in the sky illuminated the yard, casting shadows where the small clouds passed overhead.

        The sun seemed dull, as if even it was sleepy. Or perhaps the cold had only made the illusion more pronounced. It was a resilient moment in time, then Ranma spoke in answer to Shiyori�s soft inquiry.

        "...�The seasons pass and change with glee, from springs young blooms to summer�s prosperity, into the death of autumn�s kiss, winter�s dream, and rebirth�s bliss.... yet as we wander down our paths, we rebel change and fear it�s wrath. With calm acceptance should we step, forward, onward, a promise kept.�..." Ranma recited, watching yet another leaf fall from the tree.

        The leaf tumbed end over end... floating gentle down, torn from it�s safe home within the cradling branches of the tree, plumetting and falling... a gust of wind lifted it high up, and for half a frozen moment it seemed to hang in midair before once more it began it�s slow drifting back to the earth.

        It swayed, back and forth, almost floating as it drifted closer and closer to the ground. It shifted it�s path slightly, and then gently touched the surface of the koi pond. The ripples extended out from it�s gentle touch, glimmering in the dull light of the frosty autumn morn.

        Shiyori turned, looking at Ranma as she brushed a lock of hair from her face. There was an ageless feel to the moment, as if it could take place anywhere in the world and yet still hold the same simple awe, an awe that was wholely wasted on the young girl beside Ranma. 

        No, Shiyori had not traced the path of the leaf in quiet wonder, she had instead chosen to mull over the words Ranma had whispered in only half thought memory. "That�s very pretty, who wrote it???" She asked, giving forth a heartfelt smile. Her new inquiry slowly penetrated the haze enshrouding Ranma�s mind, lifted her up out of the calm void inside of her soul, much as the wind had lifted the falling leaf.

        Ranma bit her lip, and looked away from the window, looking seemingly at the wall for a long moment as she drummed her fingers on the floor. "A friend of mine... He said it means instead of worrying about tomorrow, we should accept that time passes and try and live our lives without fear of what will come."

        The wind was chill outside, causing Ranma to shiver just slightly from her close proximity to the door. it stirred her hair gently, a soft caress of unseen hands. Ranma looked up, seeing a small flock of birds drifting slowly with the wind, their wings beating gently to keep them afloat in the sky. They were flying south, to warmer parts of the world.

        Shiyori�s smile brightened, once more absent of what Ranma was truly seeing with her deep blue eyes. 

        "He sounds very smart, your friend," Shiyori pursed her lips for a moment as she watched Ranma nod. "Urr... Yuka and Sayuri said that you could come up, and that they talked about it and thought that you could stay. I dunno why you wouldn�t be able to, though." The girl Blinked in startlement as Ranma looked at her.

        Ranma looked Shiyori in the eye, a soft smile slowly etching it�s path into her demeanor. "I�m Ranma," She said, as if in some half waking dream. Ranma bowed her head quickly, her shoulders moving with it just a slight bit. A greeting of equals.

        Shiyori smiled. "Matsuno Shiyori. It�s a pleasure to meat you, Ranma-san," She copied Ranma�s example, bowing ever so slightly.

        Ranma looked at Shiyori for a long time, Ranma had this feeling of inner calm and relaxation that she had rarely ever reached before, as if everything is heard in sharp crystal clarity, yet muffled at the same time to a soft firmness. Everything had a sort of blur around it, as if in some sort of dream...

        "It�s nice to meetcha, Shiyori-San.... maybe we could be friends, ne?" Ranma smiled, a dreamy, half awake smile. She had her full mind about her, but somehow she just couldn�t feel the inner turbidity she had so often been accustomed to.

        No, it was still there.... her mind told her that, it was just so small and compressed that she could hardly feel it. Locked in a box.

        "Oh, I would like that ever so much... You seem like a very nice girl," Shiyori smiled brightly, squinting her eyes a bit as she did so. It was a cute smile, the kind you might be forced to smile back to.

        Ranma�s smile faltered for half a moment. *Girl..* She thought sadly, almost bitterly. Another half a moment later her smile returned.

        The brief lapse was not unnoticed by Shiyori, "I�m sorry, would you... rather be alone??" She asked, making to stand up.

        Ranma put a hand suddenly on her shoulder, startling her. "No, I am fine... I.. I�m Ranma, one of Akane�s friends. Uhm.... well, Sayuri and Yuka dunno if they should let me stay cuz I am.. well, they think I�m a pervert," Ranma blushed and looked away from Shiyori�s eyes carefully.

        "Are you?" She asked calmly, without any hint of agression or accusation.

        Ranma brought her eyes back up slowly to the new question, one she had never really heard before. Certainly one nobody had ever asked her. "Huh??" 

        Shiyori giggled softly, it was a girlish giggle that reminded Ranma of candy, red ribbons, and christmas presents. "You can be honest with me," She said, a questioning smile, an upturned brow, a sly inquiring look, "Are you a pervert??"

        Ranma smiled gently back at Shiyori. "No, I guess I�m not. I suppose they just misunderstand some of the things that... happen to me," Ranma tilted her head slightly, raising a skeptical brow. "Uhm.. do you-?"

        "Sure I do. You�ve got no reason to lie to me, right??" She giggled again, like Summer days and swimming, all rolled into one.

        Ranma could only giggle unsurely in response. "No, I guess not," Ranma smiled at Shiyori. "It�s very nice meeting you, Shiyori-San. You seem like a very kind girl."

        "Who, me?? Nawww.... I�m just always in the wrong place at the right time," She winked mischieviously, it reminded Ranma of secret girl-gossip behind closed doors.

        It made Ranma giggle sincerely. "Suuure, and I bet that you just hate being burdened by all these people claiming to be your friends."

        Shiyori feigned a weak, tired look. "I just don�t know what to do, all of them seem to rely upon me for some reason. Who am I to tell them I am not the goddess they think I am??" Her tone was Mocking, as if she were imitating someone she knew.

        "Goddess, huh?? I can give you a run for your money, Honey," Ranma winked that secret, girlish wink, which started Shiyori into a giggling fit.

        The two couldn�t stop laughing, and for several minutes they sat there, teasing eachother and mocking people they knew.

        It was inevitable that a shadow fell over the two giggling girls. Ranma looked up at the face of Kitsuragi Sayuri, her shoulder length brown hair tied up into two VERY girlish pony tails on either side of her head.

        Ranma pointed and snickered, which started Shiyori into a giggling fit again.

        Sayuri narrowed her eyes in mock anger. "Are you two quite finished bonding???" Sayuri asked the two of them through clenched teeth.

        "Hmm..," Shiyori scratched her head in a mock confused(Gourry-like) fashion. "Uhm... I dunno..."

        Ranma had to giggle at the sillyness that was rubbing off on her.

        Sayuri could only smile, "Okay, I�ll give you some time to think about it....," She turned around to go, then looked calmly over her shoulder. "I guess that means you don�t want any icecream after dinner?"

        It was as if two bolts of lightning shot down and electrocuted Shiyori and Ranma, the expressions on their faces one of genuine offense. "NANI!?!?!" 

        Sayuri ran upstairs laughing, heading in a beeline for Akane�s door.

        "Come back here!!!" Ranma yelled, chasing the pony-tailed brown haired girl up the stairs.

        "Yeah! No fair scaring us like that!!!" Shiyori asked, hopping after Ranma in her own innocent, girlish fashion.

        Ranma had to wonder, maybe the night WOULDN�T be all bad.

                                                                *                     *                     *                     *                     *                     *

        Ranma watched Silently as the girl�s sobbed at the ending to the movie, was confused at the dabbing of eyes and the sniffles the girls were making. It was about a woman trapped within her role as geisha to the emperor, and of a young Samurai under the emperor�s rule falling in love with her.

        It ended with the Samurai being brought back from war, near death... the Geisha woman was ordered to tend to him as he died. She could only admit her love to him on her deathbed, and soon after she took her own life in a very Romeo/Juliet type of manner.

        Ranma, herself, found the ending a bit heart wrenching, but certainly nothing to cry over. Ami muttered something about Ranma being insensitive, which got her firm words from Ranma�s new friend Shiyori.

        Of course, Sayuri, Yuka, an Ami all laughed at Shiyori�s stern attitude. Unfortunately, Shiyori hadn�t a clue about what they were laughing at, and was again wuite offended.

        So with Shiyori sulking, and Ranma feeling embarassed at having spoken up, Yuka popped in a new tape for them all to watch.

        Ranma continued watching in rapt attention as they watched some Anime that Sayuri had brought over, entitled "Key: The Metal Idol."

        Ranma liked this one much better since there was some action and real violence in it, although she got some very odd looks from the two new girls when she got excited about those parts, so stopped commenting.

        It was about some Robot Girl who wanted to be human because her grandfather was dead, that much Ranma had gathered.

        "I just didn�t get the point of the entire thing... I mean.... She�s probably faster and stronger, so why be human??" Ranma asked after the 3rd tape ended.

        Kiyomi sighed and rolled over, propping her head up with her hand, her elbow on the futon, "C�mon, Ranma... it�s not about strength or speed or how well she was made or what not.... it�s not even about the guys who are after her all the time, It�s really about how Key has wanted all her life just to fit in and be normal, alive like everyone else."

        Ranma scratched her head in a confused expression. "Urr... but.. uhm, isn�t that kinda dumb? I mean, life can really suck at times for some people, why would she want to be human?"

        Ami rolled her eyes and glared at Ranma. "Gimme a break, sure life might be hard sometimes, but at least we feel things like love and hope and happiness and at least we know what to cherish and protect. Key wants to feel because she wants to feel the good things as well as the bad, AND she doesn�t want to just stop working after so long."

        Shiyori nodded at Ami, and looked over at Ranma with a calm and gentle expression. "Sakura, her best friend, loves her a lot, and doesn�t want to lose her after just finding her again. Key knows what friendship is all about, even though she�s never felt it so completely before. Kinda makes you think, maybe we can all become more than what we are, exceed our programming so to speak," Shiyori smiled and looked back at Ami.

        Ami rolled her eyes and leveled her gaze on Ranma, folding her arms . "See, it�s not TOO hard to understand, Ranma... Everything doesn�t have to be martial arts, you know."

        Ranma did her best to ignore Ami�s snide tone, cocking her head to one side. "Okay, I think I understand what you mean... uhm.. sorry??" Ranma offered, unsurely.

        Akane sighed. "Okay... uhm.. maybe we should try a little something else for tonight, ne??? I think we�ve watched enough tapes for now," Akane stood up and slowly padded over to her closet, carefully picking up the old Ouiji board she had bought from the antique store in town.

        "Okay girls, pull up some seats," Akane gently placed the stylized wooden box on the bed, as the girls got pillows and chairs and made a small circle around it.

        Akane carefully opened it and placed the small cursor in the center of the board. Pulling her own chair up to the bed, she smiled supportively to Ranma.

        Ranma looked down at the board apprehensively, she scratched her head with an uncomfortable expression on her face. She didn�t know exactly WHAT a ouiji board was, or what it was for. It looked like some sort of board game to her.

        Kiyomi looked at Ranma, tilting her head gently to the side, her brown, short cropped hair making her look much younger than her actual age of 17. "What�s wrong, Ranma?? You look a bit uncomfortable," The nectar voiced teen chimed.

        Ranma blushed, hanging her head. "Uhm.. I dunno what this game is, really," Ranma mumbled half under his breath.

        Ami glared at Ranma with a accusatory gaze. "What was that, Ranma??" She asked, the care of controlling her voice plain on her face.

        Akane looked worriedly at Ami. *What is wrong with her??? I didn�t know she hated Ranma this much...* Akane shook her head, wondering if she shouldn�t have invited Ami. *She seemed nice all the other times.*

        "Urr.. I kinda... well, I dunno what this game is, ya know?? I don�t usually get t�play many girlish games, I guess," Ranma looked even more chagrined than before, without even looking up. She could feel the intense gaze of loathing on her from Ami�s eyes.

        What had she done?? She didn�t do anything to Ami, that she could recall. Ranma could tell that she was barely controlling her anger out of respect for Akane and the other girls...

        Ranma wished she knew what Ami was so angry with her about.

        Kiyomi didn�t seem to notice the killer looks from Ami, smiling softly and explaining to Ranma in her velvety sweet voice, "You see, Ranma, this is called a Ouiji board... most people think it is but a harmless game of fun, but the main idea is that we all put our hands on the little cursor and ask a question, and the spirits are supposed to make the cursor move to spell something out, or to move to yes, no, possibly, or the answer is unsure," Kiyomi smiled brightly after finishing her small speech.

                Ranma looked unsurely at Ami at first, then turned her gaze to Kiyomi, holding her left hand palm up about face level, in a questioning (And very feminine) Gesture, "Uhm, but how do we know for sure that none of the other girls are moving the thing on purpose???"

        Yuka was idly munching on some potatoe chips, "We don�t Ranma... *Gulp* But usually you can trust everyone to not screw with the thing. Especially if the question is a serious one," Yuka sucked on her fingers in a slightly annoying fashion, then wiped her hands on a paper napkin, tossing it in the trash can.

        Sayuri carefully looked at the board, putting her hands on it. "Okay, well.. I guess we should start. Uhm.. I guess we should all take turns in asking questions. Since it�s Akane�s party, how about she starts first and then we move counter clockwise?"

        Ami raised an eyebrow in a questioning manner, her arms crossed beneath her breasts, "Oh, so after Akane.. that would be... You, wouldn�t it??"

        Yuka rolled her eyes and pushed slightly on Ami�s shoulder, "Give it a rest, girl, we�ll ALL get our turns...," Yuka shook her head. Ami didn�t usually have this much of an attitude... she didn�t know why she was acting so flippish, it just wasn�t like the Ami she knew.

                Ami looked directly at Ranma with a self appreciative smile on her face, "Even the freak??"

        Shiyori got wide eyes and actually stood up, looking angry at Ami.

        Akane gave Ami a firm look. "Ami, Ranma is not a freak.. she is my FRIEND. Do you got that???"

        "I can�t BELIEVE you would be so-" Shiyori was cut off by Akane giving her a look that told her now would not be a good time to start this.

        Shiyori had to force herself to sit back down, she looked at Ranma with an apologetic look on her face. She hadn�t known Ranma very long, but she could tell there was an immense sadness that permeated the redhead�s essence, a ephemereal ghost that seemed to cling to the air around her.

        Indecision.... uncertainty.... Shiyori could tell that Ranma was a very shy girl who didn�t relate well with other women, and found herself wondering what kind of childhood Ranma might have been subject to.

        "Hands everyone!!!!" Sayuri said firmly, putting her hands on the small cursor... Akane following suit.... then Ranma, Ami, Kiyomi, and finally Shiyori as she winked at Ranma, causing the redhead to giggle a little.

        Everyone turned their gaze upon the hostess of the party... Waiting patiently in the still moment for her to speak, to say something, to ask a question of the small, inanimate cursor which all their hands shared.

        Akane smiled, and then said in a prompt and commanding tone, "Okay... well, let�s start by asking the spirits a couple questions to get a feel for this whole thing," Akane gently closed her eyes. "Everyone relax," She said calmly.

        Her eyes drifted closed a moment, and for a brief part of a single second she saw images flashing through her mind. A wedding dress. A Mask. Long stemmed roses, still thorned, lying on the ground amidst shattered glass. Tears running down Ranma�s face. Ryouga holding what looked like her in his arms, weeping over her still form. Then the images stopped.

        All took but 1/2 a second to sear through Akane�s mind, and left her senses reeling for a moment. She wavered a bit back and forth, blinking away the spots dancing before her eyes, wondering what just happened, since every image zipped by so fast that she couldn�t recognize any one.

        She clamped her eyes shut for a moment and took a deep breath, her head feeling a bit better afterwards.

        She opened her eyes a moment later, the muscles in her arms as relaxed as she could get them while maintaining her hold on the cursor. "Spirits...," She intoned solemnly, "When is my Birthday???" She asked, looking carefully at the cursor.

        Shiyori giggled a little then got quiet as the thing started moving. It felt as if someone around the board was pushing it one way or another... She looked carefully at everyone else, but everyone else was equally as confused, looking at eachother with critical eyes.

        A chill wind seemed to stir their clothes and hair, causing all of them to shiver as the Cursor began spelling out a word. Strangely the window was firmly shut and fastened.

        Akane was firmly focused on the board, her body relaxed as she watched the board spell out "MAY" Then move to the Number 9.

        "Wow, Akane... that�s pretty neat," Sayuri said, looking around unsurely, wondering if someone had moved the cursor... the only problem is, she and Yuka were the only two who really knew Akane�s birthday who were in the room other than Ami, but Ami didn�t really seem to care much about the little game.

        She was sure Ranma had no idea, because of the look she got on her face... as if she were making a mental note and telling her not to forget the date. Shiyori and Kiyomi both were new to Akane�s friendship, and didn�t know that much about her yet to really hazard a guess.

        And Sayuri was she she had not moved the cursor, she was completely relaxed.... she didn�t think Yuka would do so, since her friend was into some of that spiritual stuff, which left Akane, But why would Akane move the cursor??

        Akane smiled at everyone, "I think it works... Okay.. hmmm..," Akane sat in thought for a moment, looking at the small cursor as it returned to the center of the board.

        *What should I ask it... hmmm... Something personal, but not too.... urm.. too personal...* Akane looked over at Ranma, who promptly blushed and looked down at the cursor. *I know..*

        "Spirits..." Akane intoned once more, drawing everyone�s attention back to her. "When will I get married??" She asked in a mostly level voice. She hoped she didn�t sound too excited.

        Everyone smiled except Ami, who shot a burning glare at Ranma. This time she would move the cursor herself, instead of letting Akane do it.

        She looked down and tried pushing, but her arms wouldn�t respond.. it were as if she had no control of them!!! She turned a bit pale as the realization hit her... the board was actually working!

        The Cursor Moved around the board several times, it started spelling out a word, then stopped, then started again. It looked like May to most watching, but the date was unclear... then the cursor stopped on the word "UNCLEAR" that sat in the optional choices at the bottom of the board.

        Akane frowned, unsure of what to make of the board�s answer. It had not given the year or the day, but it might possibly have given the month. May?? On her Birthday???

        *How romantic.* She thought to herself, she wondered when Ranma would propose to her. She knew that her recent efforts at improving their relationship would pay off. She caught herself looking at the redhead with a wistful gaze, and immediately struck it from her features, hoping nobody noticed.

        "Congratulations, Akane!" Shiyori Said brightly, causing Ranma to blush from head to toe. "I sure hope whoever he is is as much of a good person as you are to all of your friends," She smiled, looking at Ranma, and suddenly noticing how deep the red that colored her cheeks really ran. "Did I say something wrong, Ranma??"

        Ranma shook her head. "Naah, you�re fine. Just.. sorta shocked Akane�ll be getting married," Ranma said, looking down at the board. It had to be some sort of trick, one of the other girls was moving the cursor. Ranma figured she would just not worry about it, after all, it was only a game.

        Yuka and Sayuri giggled as quietly as possible, looking at eachother. "It�s about time," Sayuri whispered to her friend.

        "It�s your turn, Yuka!" Kiyomi Said brightly.

        The Questions went around, most of them typical, about boys, or grades, or when THEY would get married. Yuka and Sayuri found out they were to be married on the same day.

        Ami asked several taunting questions about Ranma, asking if Akane�s Fiancee was a pervert.. which was a no, or if he even cared about Akane, which gave her a shocking yes. *But then, it�s only a game, right?* She tried to convince herself. She still couldn�t take her hands off the cursor.

        It was about 30 minutes into the game, and Ranma had as of yet to ask a question... she was nervous, and unsure about this so called game. She had that creepy feeling she got around the Old Ghoul or Happosai.

        "Come on, Ranma.. what�s there to be afraid about?? It�s only a game," Shiyori said, giggling that bright, sunshine giggle of hers.

        Ranma looked at the board, staring at the cursor unsurely. "I dunno.. I think it�s kinda creepy... ya know??" Ranma said in a bit of a wary voice.

        Akane cast her gaze towards Ranma, "C�mon.. ask, it�ll be fun Ranma!" She said, smiling gently, a supportive glimmer in her eyes.

        Ranma looked a bit unsure but opened her mouth after a long moment of thinking, "Urr... will.. uhm.. will Akane be happy in her marriage?" She asked a bit unsurely, as soon as the last words left her mouth the cursor slowly started to move.

        Ranma�s heart was thumping as the cursor slowly moved towards one side of the board. A shiver ran through her as it stopped on the yes. She breathed a sigh of relief before she noticed it moving again, it hovered on the ampersand.

        Akane�s breath caught in her throat as the cursor jumped from ampersand to the two letters on the opposite side of the board. N-O. That same cold shiver ran up her spine, disconcerting and utterly eerie.

        Ranma and Akane stared at the cursor in mute shock. Ami smiled a secret smile inside, Yuka and Sayuri gave eachother worried glances. Shiyori looked puzzled at the expressions on everyone�s faces. Kiyomi was equally as confused.

        Akane laughed a bit to break the tension. "It�s.. only a game, bahh!!! Who cares what the board says?? We�re here to have fun," She said, not sounding entirely too sure of herself. Luckily, Ranma was shaken enough to take the words seriously.

        *Akane�s right.. it�s only a dumb game, nothing to be worried about,* She told herself in an all too uncertain manner, *I hope* She amended. That shiver ran up her spine again.

        "Will Ranma be happy in.. her Marriage?" Shiyori asked, Following suite. The cursor once more began it�s gentle trek across the board. YES M-O-S-T-L-Y.

        "Yes Mostly?? What is that supposed to mean???" Ranma asked looking offended. "Yes Mostly? Sheesh, stupid board..."

        Akane was feeling uncomfortable, staring at the cursor that seemed to silently taunt her. *It�s a game.* She told herself, forcing the disturbing feeling out of her system with sheer will.

        "Is Cologne still alive?" Akane asked, as if in challenge to the cursor. There was a long pause, the cursor sitting immobile, as if considering whether it should answer the question.

        Shiyori exchanged a questioning look with Ranma, "Who is Cologne?" Shiyori asked before everyone hushed her, the cursor had begun to move. Gliding carefully and slowly over the board, it rested finally on YES.

        "Will her curse come true??" Yuka asked, looking intently at the cursor as it began slowly gliding across the board once more. YES was the response.

        "Guys.. urr..." Ranma stared uncertainly at the board, the eerie feeling only getting worse as moments passed. "Mebbe we should cut this out, I mean, this game is starting to give me the creeps."

        Sayuri nodded in understanding, "Okay, okay... I�ll change the tone, Ranma," She smiled mischieviously, light dancing in her eyes as she looked at the cursor. Several questions floated through her head, and she plucked one of the many and brought it to the forefront of her mind.

        "Will Tatewaki Kuno EVER catch a clue about his Pig Tailed Goddess�s True nature??" She asked, inwardly chuckling.

        "Fat chance, the pig," Yuka noted, sounding half amused at the question. Ranma was forced to smile at the thought of Kuno actually figuring it out.

        *That would be the day* The redhead laughed inside at the thought, she could imagine smoke coming out of Kuno�s ears as he tried to figure a way out of the truth.

        YES. Was the answer from the board, summoning shocked stares from everyone around. Kuno�s reputation preceded him, so even Shiyori and Kiyomi were shocked.

        Sayuri blinked at the board�s answer, completely confused. "Kuno... using a braincell? Since when???" She asked, meaning it rhetorically.. unbeknownst to the board.

        The cursor shifted again and began it�s answer to the question provided. 2 D-A-Y-S. Everyone laughed at the ridiculous answer. There was no possible way that the "True Blunder" of Furenkin High would ever cast off his delusional fantasy world and actually consider reality for even a moment.

        "Now I *KNOW* This Board is BSing us..." Sayuri wiped tears of laughter from her face, sighing. She had needed a good laugh from the tone that the board had started to take... she had actually believed for a moment that it might�ve been serious.

        Yuka was in the same boat, and was quite relieved that she had been reminded that it was only a silly game.

        "Does Akane�s Fiancee like dressing up like a girl and pretending he is a girl all the time like some pervert??" Ami asked, looking straight at Ranma as she spoke.

        Akane glared at Ami. *I am not inviting her again...* The girl had done nothing but taunt Ranma all night, which was getting to Ranma... Akane noticed.

        Shiyori narrowed her eyes at Ami, "If... *IF* this were not Akane�s house, and if I were not a guest here... I would.. I would-"

        "It�s okay, Shiyori-chan," Ranma said in a meak tone, which in itself was odd. Ranma�s eyes were downcast, looking at the cursor moving from YES to the ampersand. There was an abashed look on her face.

        "No it�s NOT okay, Ranma! She has been bothering you.. and Akane all night," Yuka said firmly, making sure to add that last part. 

        "Ami, what is your problem with Ranma?? She is a guest tonight, just like you. You have no right to treat her like you are," Yuka was upset. Ami was one of her own friends, and she had NEVER seen her so snippish and snotty towards anyone.

        Ami was usually a bright, cheerful, caring person as far as Sayuri knew. This was a sharp contrast to her usual self, and it caused Sayuri to wonder if there was anything wrong with Ami.

        Nobody other than Ranma noticed the YES or the ampersand, since they were too busy bickering over Ami�s... everyone caught the NO.

        "Ami, I don�t want to hear another comment about... about my Fiancee or Ranma, do you understand?" Akane said, her temper barely in check as she glared at the girl she knew from school.

        Ami looked at Akane, suddenly seeming to notice how inappropriate her actions had been during the night. She sighed and nodded slowly, "..Look.. I.. I�m sorry, I just.. I�ve had.. well.. I�m sorry," She finished, sounding inadequate to her own ears.

        Ranma nodded, still looking down at the board in a very depressed manner. "..I.. I�d like.. to ask it a question, Akane," Ranma said quietly, almost so hushed that Akane hardly heard her.

        Akane turned her attention to Ranma, noticing the mood her love was in her own heart fell. She nodded slowly, "..you can ask it anything you want, Ranma... you�re my friend, and you don�t have to be afraid of anything," Akane smiled softly, trying to comfort Ranma in her depression.

        Ranma looked up at Akane with those beautiful blue eyes, "..thanks, Akane-chan," She said in a very soft, low tone. She whispered a question silently.. it was hard to hear.

        "..is..there... a... a cure... for... for... the problem.. I�m asking about?" She asked, her eyes closed softly.

        She held her breath, her heart thundering in her ears. *Please..* She asked as she felt the cursor lurch and begin movement.

        *PLEASE* She begged, her eyes clenched tightly shut as she felt it drift slowly across the board.

        There was a FLASH of a Masked figure with empty, bottomless eyes that flickered in Ranma�s mind for a moment.

        She shivered. *Please.. Kami Please*

        Another Flash, A pool rushing up at her. *No.. please, no... Please Kami...*

        FLASH, a clay statue gently caressing her face.

        *Why.. why kami...*

        FLASH, two children laughing, cut violently short by a scream.

        *A cure, let there be a cure...*

        FLASH, Her tears mingling with the rain, the ache of pain in her heart.

        Ranma slowly began to open her eyes...

        FLASH, Holding roses in her hand, glass cutting her fingers as she held them.

        NO.

        Ranma stared.


                                                                *                     *                     *                     *                     *                     *


        "It was only a game, Ranma," Shiyori was sitting by Ranma, who was still staring at where the board had been, her mind locked on the word it had stopped on.

        She stared at the Red head. Ranma was a very beautiful girl, marked with a very unique and beautiful gift of bright red hair... something which Shiyori had never seen before. 

        A smooth, flawless, unscarred face that seemed almost porcelain in it�s perfect complexion... and such fair skin as to seem almost pale, but a beautiful pale, not sickly.

        Her eyes were a shining, brilliant blue that seemed to flicker with passionate emotions, which was a very deep sadness or depression at the moment.

        Akane had taken Ami to another room with the other girls, who were having it out with the girl for being such a rude guest. Kiyomi was downstairs whipping up some munchies and icecream.

        Shiyori looked from the door back to Ranma, who was staring down at her hands. She reached over and gently took one of the girl�s hands, holding it in her own and looking it over, running her fingers over it. 

        It was smooth, and delicate.. with long fingers and beautiful fingernails... hands that were so very soft and gentle, but which looked strong enough in their own right. Shiyori could tell Ranma practiced martial arts, like Akane did, the soft hand was firm and somewhat rough on the palms and fingers, but not so much so as to seem unfeminine.

        "Hai... I.. I hope you are right," Ranma turned those bright blue eyes on Shiyori, and brought a half hearted smile to her face. She squeezed Shiyori�s hand to let her know that she was okay, if a bit shaken.

        Shiyori smiled a bit at getting a response from Ranma, "Seriously, sometimes people take Ouiji too seriously, I hope it didn�t bother you?"

        Ranma sighed and shook her head, turning and looking at Shiyori, "Look, Shiyori-chan.. there�s a lot of stuff that you don�t know about me. Secret stuff, personal stuff, and.. well.. it�s just that the answers to those questions, even if they were fake, kinda upset me a little."

        Shiyori nodded slowly. "You seem like a.. well, a weird girl. Not like most girls I know," Shiyori received a smile for her comment.

        "You have no idea how weird..." Ranma smiled a bit brighter at Shiyori, temporarily forgetting what had so upset her only minutes before.

        Shiyori didn�t know Ranma that well, but she liked the redhead. It was one of those times where a person meets someone completely new, but they cannot seem to dislike them, as if there was something about Ranma that was inherently charismatic.

        "What is your life like, Shiyori-chan?" Ranma asked suddenly, catching the black haired girl off guard.

        Shiyori had to think a moment, to gather her own memories and words. "Well... I go to Gakudai High School, I�m on the swimming team, my Boyfriend�s a big fan of the internet, plans on going to programming college after school. What�s scary is he�s actually good at that kind of stuff."

        Ranma tilted her head carefully to one side, "Why would that be scary?? I mean, I�m a good martial artist, it�s what I do best," She blinked as Shiyori giggled lightly.

        "It�s scary because I don�t know ANYTHING about computers... and when he gets to talking about those things, I just nod my head and smile, not really understanding a thing," Shiyori smiled at Ranma. She definitely liked the girl.. Ranma was.. shy was the best word for it. Around women, it appeared to her.

        "You think THAT is bad, Tasuki listens to real loud american music that I just can�t STAND... and he snores," Sayuri said in a mildly annoyed manner as she walked back into the room.

        Shiyori grinned, looking up at Sayuri, "And how do you know he snores, Sayuri-chan?" Sayuri threw a pillow in response to that suggestion.

        "I have done no such thing!! He falls asleep on the couch all the time, especially when we�re in the middle of a movie I like," Sayuri wore a pouty look on her face as she remembered her boyfriend snoring loudly as he leaned on her shoulder, ruining the movie for her.

        Yuka leaned in the doorway as Sayuri finished talking, "You think THAT is bad... Nobuo makes lewd jokes with his male friends all the time, so much so that I just can�t STAND being with him when he is at school..."

        "So dump him," Shiyori thought it was common sense, if a guy did THAT to HER, she would drop him in short order, no questions asked.

        Yuka rolled her eyes, walking in and plopping herself down on Akane�s bed. "It isn�t that easy, I mean.. I care about him, it�s just I don�t care for his social habits," Yuka looked at Ranma, smiling a bit supportively.

        Ami strode back in with a very sullen and angry expression on her face, "Sure it�s that easy, Yuka... if a guy is a jerk, I would tell him off... in public, if possible, to really get his goat," Ami cast a very venomous, murderous glare at Ranma.... but said nothing at all.

        Akane and Kiyomi followed Ami into the room, Akane sat down beside Yuka, "Actually, Ami, you don�t have a boyfriend, so you don�t know what it�s like loving someone... even for their flaws," Ami grumbled in response to Akane�s statement.

        "I personally don�t WANT a boy friend... all of them are the same, they all want one thing or another... usually more than you�re willing to give, and if there was EVER a man who I would date, he would have to be nigh perfect," She almost spat the last part of her statement, a vindictive defense edging into her voice.

        Kiyomi frowned, gently putting a hand on Ami�s shoulder, "Honey.. that�s the whole reason that you love someone, knowing that someone you love is less than perfect helps you feel better about the person that you are, knowing that YOUR imperfections are acceptable to them," Kiyomi attempted a smile of encouragement, but dropped the gesture when Ami just glared at her in return.

        Ranma looked down at her hands in her lap, "Not.. all men are like that.. There are some very nice men, who are just a little confused as to what to do with themselves," Ranma smiled brightly, looking up at Akane, who smiled back in return.

        Shiyori and the other girls took on a dreamy, wistful look, "If I had a man, he would be brave, with courage and honor that shines through his rough male exterior," Several of the other girls sighed, Akane smiled at Ranma gently, which caused the redhead to blush slightly.

        "My man would be honest, and he would never be afraid to share anything with me... He wouldn�t be afraid to tell me what he is feeling, and we would never keep ANYTHING from eachother!" Kiyome looked around shyly, blushing as everyone looked at her with silly, girlish grins on their faces.

        "I�d like a man that is never afraid to help out, no matter how unmanly some of the things might be... someone who isn�t afraid to take risks for me, because they love me so much," Sayuri smiled and leaned on Yuka, who sighed, wrapping her arm around her friend.

        "A man who cares more for others than himself... selfless to a fault, always keeping others more important than himself," Yuka nodded solemnly, her own vision of some knight in shining armor coming to her rescue.

        "You are all fools.. men are pigs. I�ve known enough in my life to tell you that for SURE, There is no perfect man, there is no wonderful messiah of your heart that is going to come along and make your life dance on cloud nine... And you�re ALL idiots to think so," Ami looked at Ranma for a brief moment, an accusatory look that said �I was talking about you, pig�.

        Ranma glared back in defiance.. a fire flickering in her heart. "I know a man like that.... and more, who is more than deserving of ANY girl in this room."

        Yuka blinked, then smiled... "Oh really, Ranma?? How about you tell us about this dream man then..."

        "Hai! Hai!! What kind of guy is he like???" Shiyori asked, her eyes dancing with that inherent merriment that seemed to permeate her being.

        Kiyomi giggled, "Is he handsome???"

        "Is he Compassionate?" Sayuri inquired.

        "Or gentle?" Yuka amended.

        Ranma blushed, looking down at her hands... Ami narrowed her eyes at the redhead.

        Ami crossed her arms, glaring at Ranma in mild irritation, "Well, go ahead, tell us about this godly perfect man, Ranma... we�re ALL listening..." She sounded slightly upset... but she kept it carefully under control.

        Ranma stared at her hands for a long moment, all of the girls watching her in silent wait for this revelation of some perfect man that all of them dreamed of, but seemed to glance over.

        Ranma continued staring as she looked up, as if looking somewhere distant, a straight and serious look on her face. Her mouth opened, and for the next several minutes the other girls fell silent as they listened to Ranma slowly tell them about a man that they had all known, or seen... that they had simply ignored.

        "It is like drowning.... where you feel like your whole world is being flooded by water, and all the control and self empowerment you have had for so long is washed away in a panic.

        Then, it is like coming up from that moment, and breathing air for the first time... this man, he is like that. He makes you value the world in a whole new way, as if before you were dying a slow and painful death, and now your eyes are wide open and you have life thrust under your nose on a silver platter.

        He can take a moment in time.." Ranma snapped her fingers, looking at them for a long moment. "And freeze it, make it pure and wholesome and 100% wonderful, undiluted without additives... He can take the simplest thing in your life, and fill it with purified sunlight.

        He sacrifices his own safety, his own welfare, his own fate for those he cares about, for his friends nothing is ever too much to ask. His arms are always open, welcoming whatever fate brings him, and his gentle heart isn�t just confined to his friends..

        He helps them with their problems too. He talks to people he doesn�t even HAVE to bother meeting, just to make his friends feel better." Ranma looked at each of the girls, as if for a first time as she continued. Each of the girls was held in rapt attention, Ami in mute shock.

        Ranma lifted her hands, as if she were holding a fragile rose in her gentle hands, "He is like a blossoming rose... so plain, so dull looking in it�s winter, but when you look closer.. and when you are patient, it opens slowly, revealing beauty that you never really knew existed....

        He makes your heart ache because even though he is so wonderful, so brave, and so selfless, he sometimes worries about others accepting him for who he is. His heart is an open book, if only others would look at it and see the truth about him, that there is more than they see every day.

        They see a bright boy, who daydreams in class, and who seems not to have a worry in the world, but what I have seen.. what I have witnessed is a fragile soul of clay, which a hard touch could break too easily, where a soft touch is needed to show that you care as well," Ranma looked at her hands, as if realizing for the first time that they were horribly empty.

        Ranma blushed, looking down. Everyone stared for a long moment at Ranma, blinking and then gazing at eachother.

        "Wow.. you�ve got it bad, Ranma hon," Shiyori smiled brightly, whoever Ranma had fallen for sounded simply WONDERFUL to her ears!!!

        "Yeah, who is the lucky guy, Ranma?" Kiyomi giggled, like sugar coated candy, she was almost envious of Ranma.

        "Huh?" Ranma inquired with as much intelligence as could be mustered.

        Ami rolled her eyes, "Are you purposely dense, or just stupid?? They�re asking what lucky GUY you FELL IN LOVE WITH," Ami grinned as she saw Ranma look very pale and then shake her head and wave her hands.

        "Nonononono!!! We�re just friends!!! I just want to see him happy, and he moons after this girl all the time!!" Ranma couldn�t understand where they had connected HER to HIROSHI from, but she didn�t like the direction that this conversation was going.

        Akane blinked, looking at Ranma, then at the other girls. What were they TALKING about??? Sure, Hiroshi and Ranma hung out all the time... but that�s because they were friends, and no better friends had she met.

        Sure, Ranma acted a little funny around Hiroshi... but then Ranma didn�t have a lot of friends, so who was she to be suspicious of such a close relationship? In fact, Ranma had trouble KEEPING friends.

        "Suuuuure, Ranma.. that�s why you were talking all dreamy about him, right???" Shiyori giggled and nudged her new friend in the side. Ranma gave her a scowl, which startled her.

        "Hey, we�re just friends, Okay??? Hiroshi and I.. we ain�t like that... He and I are honest with eachother, and we talk a lot to eachother, but we ain�t like that," Ranma said in a sharp and level tone.

        Ami smiled a mischievious smile, "Hmm... you deny it so strongly Ranma, that I think you really like him as more than a friend!!!"

        Ranma glared at Ami, her eyes burning with anger. "That ain�t funny, Ami... and I would please you not to talk about Hi like that, seeing as you are friends with.. with.. Mihoko," Ranma tightened her fingers, the knuckles popping.

        Yuka looked between the two... "Okay, that is enough Ami... I think you�ve prodded enough for tonight," Yuka spoke in a level and commanding tone, always the leader.

        Shiyori looked at Ranma uncertainly... perhaps she had misjudged Ranma�s reaction when telling about this Hiroshi??

        Ranma looked down, her body quivering in anger, shaking as her muscles tightened. "...I ain�t like that..." She said under her breath.

        Shiyori put a hand on Ranma�s shoulder, ina comforting gesture, Ranma shrugged it off and stood up quickly.

        "I�m sorry Akane.. but.. I just.. I just am a little tired. I hope you�ll forgive me if I turn in early," Ranma said in a barely level tone.. her eyes shimmered slightly, she clenched them closed a moment later and visibly controlled her breathing.

        Akane blinked and watched as Ranma walked out with a very tense look to her body.

        "I always knew she was a pervert," Ami said in a matter of fact tone.

        Akane�s slap could be heard outside.


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