Disclaimer: All characters that are used belong to their respective 
creators. I do this for fun and do not make any money off of it. Please 
don't sue me. The stories are mine, so please don't use them without asking 
me.
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	"What happened?"  Akane said, while looking around.

	As yellow fog swirled about, a feeling of helplessness swept through her.

	Ranma's voice came to her, "I'm fulfilling your wish.  You wished to know 
what it is like to be a genie.  This will give you that experience.  As to 
who you'll be serving, that you'll have to wait and see."

	"Ranma, where are you?"  Akane asked in a slight panic and looked around 
seeing nothing.

	"Nowhere.  This is a wish I'm fulfilling, so I can't be part of it.  Get 
ready."

	Akane was about to ask what that meant when a swirling bright, yellow mist 
enveloped her.  When the mist settled, she was wearing a yellow version of 
Ranma's genie outfit.

	"Ranma, if you think I'm going to be wearing this outfit...,"  Akane 
exclaimed while gripping the pants of the costume.

	She tried pulling off the pantaloons and found they would not budge at all. 
  After trying the top, she gave up and sat down.  Tears streamed down her 
face as she thought of her friends and family.

	"No one knows where I'm at except Ranma and he can't say anything, because 
of my wish.  I'll never see anyone else ever again," Akane said.

	She curled up in a ball on the ground and wept.

	"I'm stuck like this. Forever lost and wearing some silly clothes."

	Thinking of the clothes, Akane angrily tried to rip the sleeve off her 
jacket, to no avial.  She curled up even tighter.

	"I didn't know you couldn't get out of this while you were in your  ring,"  
Akane muttered, while wringing her hands. *I wonder where I'm at?*

	Noticing something, she stood up and raced around in a panic.

	"Where's the ring?!  I won't see Ranma ever again if I can't find it!"

	Akane raced forward until her progress was stopped by a force of some kind. 
  She pushed forward with her hands and found that she couldn't move her 
arms forward, even though she couldn't feel what was blocking her.  Sitting 
next to the 'wall', Akane felt alone and depressed.

	"Ranma said that I would know what it's like to be a genie.  But, this 
makes no sense.  What now, Akane?  Ranma is lost to you as well."

	Slamming her hand against the 'wall', Akane screamed, "I don't want to be 
alone!  I don't want to be a genie!"

	After a few more screams of protest, she brought her knees up to her chest 
and rested her head against them.

	Tearfully, she whispered, "Someone, please help."

	Akane sat thinking of all the good times and bad times that she had ever 
since Ranma showed up.  Her thoughts turned to the incident where Ranma had 
tried to cheer her up after she once ran out of Dr. Tofu's office.  She 
recalled how she felt when she saw Shampoo kissing his male form for the 
first time.  Akane als recalled every incident with P-chan and how Ranma had 
to tried to tell her without breaking his promise.  She considered what she 
would do, if she ever got out of this situation.  Her musings were 
interrupted by a tugging sensation throughout her body.  She had no time to 
ponder the sensation before her body was turned into yellow smoke and pulled 
upwards.  Akane's mind went blank as she passed through an opening in the 
swirling fog.  Akane materialized in a kneeling position before a person 
holding an Arabian oil lamp.

	"What is your wish, master," Akane said in a monotone.

	Still in a trance state, Akane tilted her head up and looked at her master. 
  Inwardly she groaned and wondered what was going through Ranma's mind.  
Whatever pleasure she might have gotten form seeing a familiar face was now 
in a shambles.

	Her master said, "Oh, how the fragrant flower of the Tendo genie graces my 
presence.  I, the great Tatewaki Kuno, has wrested your lamp from that vile 
sorcerer Ryoga Hibiki.  It would please me no end if you would dance for 
me."

	Akane was about to tell Kuno to shove it when she felt her body start to 
move.

	*I'm not dancing for that idiot,* Akane thought, as she tried to stop 
moving.

	Despite her mental attempts, Akane did a dance for Kuno. She did a slow 
waltz.

	Kuno frowned and said, "I was expecting a belly dance, oh beautiful one."

	Akane groaned as she started to belly dance for Kuno.  Her attempts at 
doing so were pitiful. Several times she fell flat on her face, and once she 
knocked over a table.

	"What?  What is this?  Answer me, my love.  Dost thou not know how to belly 
dance?"  Kuno asked.

	"No, master.  I do not," Akane replied, wincing mentally at the word 
master.

	"Ah.  How unfortunate.  I shall let thee practice for me for another hour.  
Hopefully, thou shall pick up a bit more skill," Kuno said.

	Akane mentally groaned, since Kuno's words had the implicit command to 
dance for another hour.  After she was done, Kuno waited until Akane's mind 
was restored.  She glared at Kuno with a lot of hostility in her eyes.

	"Kuno, what do you think you're up to?" Akane demanded.

	Kuno puffed himself up and said, "I have freed thee from Ryoga Hibiki, fair 
genie.  It is my fondest wish that you would be grateful and embrace me for 
your freedom."

	Akane was about to tell Kuno just what she thought, when she rushed forward 
and hugged Kuno.

	"Thank you for saving me, Kuno," Akane heard herself say.

	Kuno placed a hand underneath Akane's chin and raised her face to his.  He 
slowly came forward with the intention of kissing her. Akane closed her eyes 
in horror.  She was going to kiss Kuno and she had no choice in the matter.
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	Ukyo was storming along a beach, hunting for any clues on where Ranma had 
vanished to.

	"How could Ranma leave me?  His cute fianc�e?"  Ukyo asked herself.

	She kicked a pebble and watched as Genma and Soun swim out to a small 
island off the coast.  Watching the pebble sink in the ocean, dark thoughts 
went through the chef's mind.

	"If those two idiots can't find Ranma, I should beat up Genma for losing 
Ranma.  At least they're doing all the legwork for me.  I know Akane knows 
where Ranma-honey is, but how do I get her to tell me."

	Ukyo decided nothing would be accomplished until tomorrow at school.  Then, 
she would confront Akane and demand where her fianc�e was. HER fiancee. Not 
Akane's.

	"I'm not letting you win, Akane.  Ranma is my fianc�e."

	Ukyo walked back to her restaurant and set up shop.  She hoped that 
business would get her mind off the problem until tomorrow.  Soon, a huge 
crowd had formed at U-chan's and kept the okonomiyaki chef so busy that she 
had no time to think to herself.
--------------------------------------------------------
	At the Nekohanten, Cologne was talking to some bald headed women.  She was 
a bit stunned at what had happened to the Amazon village.  She sighed and 
wondered what to do.  The Amazon laws didn't cover this kind of situation.

	Shaking her head, Cologne stated in Mandarin, "I have no idea on what can 
be done.  Technically, he has broken no laws that he can be punished for.  
But then again, no man has ever had the stupidity or bravery to shave the 
hair off all that many Amazons before.  What did you say his name was?"

	One of the bald women replied, seething, "I don't know his personal name, 
just his family name.  He said he was Principal Kuno."

	"So that's where that idiot's father went to," Shampoo blurted out.

	 Cologne nodded while the other women looked at Shampoo.  Shampoo explained 
how she knew of Principal Kuno.  After a short explanation on Tatewaki, 
Kodachi, and their father, the Amazons shook their heads in amazement at the 
sheer stupidity of the Kuno family.

	"What can we do, Revered Elder?"  one of the women asked.

	Cologne replied, "What can be done?  One of you will have to marry 
Principal Kuno.  It is Amazon Law."

	"There has to be a way out of this.  No one wants to marry that jerk."

	Shampoo stated, "There is a way, but if you use it, Ranma will be able to 
use it to get away from me."

	Cologne sighed. *Still chasing an impossible dream, aren't you 
great-granddaughter?  If it wasn't for the fact that Ranma is the best 
entertainment I've had for centuries, I would have left a long time ago.*

	Cologne took one of the Amazons aside and talked to her in private.

	"How did Kuno wind up in the village?"

	"I don't know.  He just appeared and fell on my head.  He was carrying a 
bunch of brooms with him as well.  He said that he was trying  to get some 
delinquent students to sweep the roof of his school and then he was at the 
village."

	*Delinquent students?  I think I know who they were.  How did Ranma do it?*

	Cologne nodded and waved the Amazon away.  Using her staff as a pogo stick, 
she bounced to her room, lost in thought.  Recently, she felt some sort of 
power nearby and wondered what it was.  Her instincts told her that 
Principal Kuno's arrival in the village was somehow connected to it.
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	Akane's face moved closer and closer to Kuno, as she desperately tried to 
fight the urge to kiss him.  She could see every strand of Kuno's black hair 
and the slighty vacant look that was always in his eyes.  Akane's stomach 
churned at the thought that she would be forced to kiss someone she didn't 
like.  She mentally struggled with her body to halt her advance to Kuno.  
She was only able to slow the progress to Kuno's face down just a bit.  It 
was pure agony, being aware and watching her body act like someone's puppet. 
  Ever so closer did her lips move closer to her master's.  Soon, they would 
be kissing each other.

	  Akane mentally screamed in fustration.  Before her lips touched Kuno, 
everything went blurry.  Akane looked down and saw she was wearing her 
ordinary clothes and had green gloves on. She also noticed that she was 
lying down.  A voice came to her.

	"That's all I can do in granting that wish, Akane."

	Akane looked up and saw that she was in her bed holding an exhausted Ranma. 
  The redhead looked at her wearily.

	"You are very lucky that I can't turn people into genies."

	Akane confusedly asked, "What happened?  What was that bit with Kuno?"

	Ranma shook her head in an attempt to clear it.

	Still slightly in a trance, the genie answered, "You wished to know what it 
was like to be a genie.  I granted that wish, but I could only do so through 
a very vivid dream."

	"It was a dream?"

	"Yes it was.  That's why I wasn't in it.  I had to direct the dream from 
outside."

	"Why Kuno?"  Akane asked, getting a bit angry.

	Ranma sighed and responded, "I wanted you to have the worst possible 
experience while you could.  That would satisfy your wish better than having 
a pleasant experience."

	Akane silently fumed at Ranma's explanation, but kept silent.  She thought 
of Ranma's permanent condition and how her dream was just a temporary thing. 
  Her anger quickly left her at that point.

	"Is that what it's like for you?" Akane asked.

	Ranma looked away and didn't answer.

	"Ranma?"

	Silence answered her.

	Akane looked at her friend and genie, fustrated that she wouldn't get that 
many answers from Ranma and any she did get wouldn't be straight ones.

	*How do I get some answers from him?  I want to clear up this entire mess 
our lives are in, but I can't if he won't answer any of my questions.*

	She thought a bit more on the problem.

	*Ranma's not the only one who isn't answering questions.  I've been evading 
it as well.  I need to be honest with him as well.  But how?*

	She looked at the hand wearing her ring and came to a decision.  Akane 
remove the left glove and used the uncovered hand to probe the right hand 
glove.  Reaching the ring with her left index finger, she rubbed it.  Ranma 
snapped into a stiff pose with arms at her sides, throwing Ranma fully into 
trance state.

	"What is your wish, master?"

	Cringing a bit, Akane replied, "To talk.  I wish that for once, the two of 
us could have a talk where we answer each others' questions truthfully."

	Privately she thought, *At least this way, We'll be honest with each other. 
  Maybe it will help.*

	Ranma's eyes blazed red for a moment, as she said, "Wish granted."

	Akane waited until Ranma came to her senses before saying anything.  She 
decided to start with something other than the current situation.

	"Ranma, why did you chase Shampoo during the incident with the Contrary 
jewel?"

	Ranma hesitantly said, "I was after her attention, not her love. I-I was 
always on the go and never the center of attention by anyone other than 
Pops."

	Akane remained silent as she digested this bit of information.  She saw 
Ranma shaking her head and look at Akane.

	Ranma said, "Okay, Akane.  If this is the way you want to play it, I'll go 
along with it.  Do you want me cured of my curse?"

	Akane felt the same forces that compelled her to kiss Kuno to push her into 
answering the question.

	"Y-y-no.  It is the curse that makes you special, Ranma.  I find it easier 
to talk to you when you are a girl.  This genie business, I do want gone."

	Akane got in the next question, "Ranma, why do you lead Ukyo on like that?"

	Feeling confused by Akane's answer, Ranma replied, "She used to be a 
friend, before she became a fiancee.  I guess I feel guilty for beating her 
up when we were children when I didn't know she was a girl.  I also don't 
want to hurt her by telling her I don't love her.  I'd like to have my 
friend back, but..."

	Akane saw the distant look on Ranma's face as her words trailed off.

	*Do I ask Ranma that question or not?  Should I?  What if he answers no?  
I'll wait. It's his turn now.*

	Ranma took a deep breath and asked, "Akane, why weren't you able to tell 
that Ryoga and P-chan were the same?"

	Akane stuttered, "I-I didn't want to accept that anyone could do something 
that low.  I shut my eyes to all the clues that you were dropping."

	*I knew?  But... I'd better hold off on THAT question for a bit.  I scared, 
what if the whole bit with Ryoga forced him away.  I'd better think of 
something quick.*

	"Ranma, despite all the problems that your father causes you, why do you 
stay with him?"

	"He raised be, Akane.  Despite all the hardships he has caused me in ,my 
life, I still care for him.  I still don't like the way he is trying to plan 
my life."

	*Shoud I ask Ranma?  We're both acting like puppets to each others 
questions.  I could finally know once and for all, but should I?*

	Ranma asked, "Why do you insist on trying to cook when you don't know how?"

	Akane bristled a bit, but answered, "I want to be like my mother.  She was 
a martial artist and a cook.  I loved her and wanted to grow up to be just 
like her."

	"I don't even really know my mother," Ranma mumbled.

	*I could ask him now.  Should I?  I have to know?*  Akane thought, as 
gathered up her courage.

	"Do you love me?" the two asked in unison.

	They both answered the question at the same time, "Yes."

	They both blushed and looked away.

	Akane mumbled, "What are we going to do about the others?"

	"I don't know."

	The genie and her master just lay there as night fell.  Soon, they both 
went back to sleep.
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Tom Mathews a.k.a Disruptor

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We stuffed his head with cannoballs and powdered his behind.
And when we touched the powder off, the gator lost his mind.

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