*    *    *


                        Ranma Ichibunnoni
                       Episode Twenty One

                           *    *    *

     The truck rolled to a stop.  "You lookin' to hitch a ride?" 
asked the driver, as he leaned out of the cab.  He peered at the
hitchhiker, but the gloomy darkness of pre-dawn Tokyo made it next
to impossible to make out any details.
     "Yes, please," said the hitchhiker.  She shivered in the cold
night and stepped into the circle of light provided by the lamp
above.  Slowly, the driver smiled.  
     "Sure, hop in," he said, leering at her.  "I'll take ya
anywhere ya want ta go, baby.  Whassyer name?" 
     "Ranko," said the huddled form.  "Ranko Saotome.  I'm going to
Kyoto.  (1)"


(1)  For the purpose of this episode, a short tour of Japan is in 
order.  Honshu is the biggest island in Japan, and is where both 
Tokyo and Kyoto are located.  Nerima, the location of most of the 
series, is a suburb of Tokyo (Tokyo is a metropolitan city made up 
of several cities amalgamated into one, much like Toronto or 
Chicago).  Traveling to Kyoto from Tokyo can be done in various 
ways, but probably the most common is to travel along the highway 
to nearby Yokohama, then following the southern coast westwards 
through Shizoku, Hamamatsu, and northwards to Nagoya, still along 
the coast.  From Nagoya, you can travel northwest through Gifu or 
southwest directly, both of which will land you in Kyoto; this is 
also the route when you wish to reach Osaka, another large city to 
the southwest, or Kobe, slightly more westwards.  Hiroshima, for 
those of you who only know three Japanese cities (2), is far to the 
west of where we're discussing; Kyoto is around the center-west of 
Honshu, Tokyo around the east coast.  Kyoto and Nagoya share the 
same, smaller strip of land which connects eastern and western 
Honshu, making them popular for shipping routes.  Travel times vary 
depending on method of transportation used, but the trip is several 
hundred miles and can be expected to take a day.  Don't worry, 
there's no exam at the end of this, and you don't need to know it.  
This is just included for those of you who might get confused at 
the cities mentioned in this.

(2)  Many Americans know only three Japanese cities: Tokyo, 
Nagasaki, and Hiroshima.  Hiroshima is on western Honshu, Tokyo in 
eastern Honshu, and Nagasaki in southern Shikkoku.  All three are 
(still) large and bustling cities.
 
                           *    *    *

     "All aboard!"  
     "Come on, Godai, you *know* we don't have any passengers this
time o' night," said the engineer, a tall swarthy man named
Hiro.  "We just carry cargo."
     "I know, I know," replied Yusaku Godai, "but I can't help it. 
I just want to be the best train attendant there ever was!  I
really need this job--but it's just for the season, you know, until
I get a job offer from one of the big companies," he explained a
little apologetically.  
     "Sure, sure," said Hiro gruffly.  "Whatever.  Just so long as
you do your stuff, I don't care."
     "I'm really only doing this for Kyoko," explained Yusaku.
     "Oh?" asked the tall man, against his will.  "Your
sweetheart?"
     "Well...sorta," explained Yusaku.  "She's the most beautiful
woman you could imagine--"
     "So why's she hanging out with the likes of you?" asked the
engineer.
     "--and she's really nice and everything," continued Yusaku,
impervious to such insults, "the only problem is that she's older,
and I've gotta show her I can keep down a job and earn money to
raise a family."
     "Great, just great, Godai," said the engineer in a futile
attempt to shut up the young man.  "But listen--I'm heading up
front now, okay?"
     "I'll come with you!" said Yusaku brightly.
     "This just isn't my day," said the engineer darkly as the door
shut behind the two.
     There was silence, save for the rhythmic vibration of the 
train as it sped along towards Kyoto.
     Then a dark form dropped down into the car from up above. 
"Man," said Ranma under his breath, "I thought they'd *never*
leave!"  He carefully brushed his clothing off.  "Ugh," he said to
himself.  "They sure don't make guards like they used to--I didn't
even break a sweat coming in, and those locks were so simple a baby
could'a picked them."  He brightened.  "I must be getting better. 
Yeah, all that training in the dojo--"  He reconsidered.  "'Course,
I don't have Pop along to screw things up this time."  He grinned
at the memories of the Saotome elder trying to explain his way out
of things on the Tokyo express.  Then his grin faded again as he
remembered his *other* companion he'd had on such trips.  
     "Damn it, Ranko," he whispered.  "Why?"

                           *    *    *

     "Why are we stopping?" asked Ranko suspiciously.  There was
nothing around for miles.  
     "Gee...I guess I must've forgot to fill up," said the driver
with a leer in her direction.  "We're outta gas.  Too bad," he said
in a sly tone.  
     "Funny," said Ranko in flat tones, "the indicator says we're
half full."
     "Don't get fresh with me, girl!" snapped the driver.  Ranko
gagged at his breath.  He smiled at her again, showing all his
teeth.  "Indicator's broken," he told her with a smile.  "We're
stuck."
     "But I imagine you've got some way to get us going again--if
I'm nice to you," said Ranko tiredly.  "Is that right?"
     "You've got it," purred the driver as he leaned over her. 
"You learn fast, baby--this should be easy for you."
     A moment later, the door to the cab flew open and the driver
hit the ground face first, screaming and clutching at his groin. 
Ranko stepped daintily out and hopped down, grabbing her pack and
setting down the highway on foot.

                           *    *    *

     Ranko plodded on listlessly through the mud.  It was some
ungodly hour in the morning and she was stuck on a featureless
highway in the middle of nowhere.  And it looked like it was going
to rain.  This just wasn't her day.  Ranko was beginning to regret
turning down the driver.  But not much.  She *was* beginning to
wonder whether going to Kyoto was such a good idea, though.  Maybe
right here would be better.  Maybe...
     "'Scuse me miss," came a voice from behind her.  
     Ranko wheeled, ready for combat.  An old man looked at her
from his truck.  "You lookin' for a ride?" he asked her.  "Mighty
long walk, otherwise."
     "Maybe," said Ranko guardedly.  
     "Where you headed?" asked the driver.  
     "Kyoto.  Why?  What's it to you?"
     "Well, I'm headed to Hamamatsu myself," admitted the driver,
naming a city on the southern coast of Honshu, "but I can
at least drop you off in a truck stop where you can get a ride if
you want.  But I'll warn you--there's some tough customers out
there.  A pretty girl like yourself shouldn't be out by her 
lonesome."
     Ranko eyed him warily.  "I've met 'em," she said.
     The old man nodded.  "I figgered," he said.  "I didn't expect
you just walked here by yourself, and I couldn't see any cars out
of gas along the way.  I usually stop and try to help out if I
can."
     Ranko eyed him again.  He didn't *seem* to be dangerous.  But
she was so tired...she'd be easy pickings, even for him.  Still...
"You got any kids, Oyaji? (1)"
     "Two sons and a daughter," said the driver.  "Why?"
     "Well, I've just decided to take a ride with you, that's all,"
she said, smiling up at him.


(1)  Oyaji = 'Old man'.  Sometimes used in reference to one's own
father, but more commonly as the vernacular 'Gramps'.

                           *    *    *

     "So tell me, Ryoga-san," said Akane.  "Tell me why."
     Ryoga looked at her guiltily.  The two were alone in the
passenger compartment of the Kyoto express.  There wasn't much call
for passengers at that time of night, but they'd managed to get
tickets and now they were on their way to the western port as they
spoke.  The rattle of the windows was somehow relaxing.  Or perhaps
it was the lights speeding by in the darkness, or the absolute
silence in the cab that the two teenagers shared.  
     "I..." he said.  He closed his mouth again.  "You can't
understand," he said at last.
     "Make me understand," said Akane, her arms crossed over her
chest.  "Well?  Go on."
     He flinched at her tone.  "You're not making it easy for me,"
he muttered, staring at the floor.  
     "I'm sorry," said Akane sincerely.  "But you know...it's
really hard to trust you right now."
     "Yeah, well..." He shrugged.  "I wouldn't trust me, either, if
I were you.  I mean, after what you've seen," he said quickly, as
she opened her mouth.  
     "Why don't you start at the beginning?" suggested Akane in
what she hoped was a friendly tone of voice.  "We've got time." 
That last was said a little ironically; the trip would take a 
couple of hours.
     "S-sure," said Ryoga gratefully.  For a while, there was
nothing but the sound of the train rolling by as he collected his
thoughts.  
     "I guess...I guess I'd say it all started when I challenged
Ranma to a duel back in junior high."
     "That's right," said Akane, "wasn't that over something silly-
bread, or something?"  Her eyes narrowed.  
     Ryoga flushed.  "Yes," he said.  "But it wasn't silly to me--
not then."  He sighed.  "But...well...that's in the past.  Before
I met Ranko.  Anyway, after Ranma skipped out on our duel--"
     "You mean, after you arrived three days late for it,"
corrected Akane, wondering why she was defending Ranma.  Then she
chastised herself; she *knew* why she was defending Ranma.  Old
habits died hard.
     "Okay, okay," said Ryoga miserably.  "Anyway, I followed him
to China."
     "Over BREAD?" asked Akane incredulously.
     "No!" he yelled.  "Not just bread!"  He softened his tone a
little hesitantly; being in a cab made to hold forty with just 
Akane for company made him nervous.  "For all the humiliation he'd 
caused me!  For all the times he'd made me look stupid and inept in 
front of others!  For being the closest thing to a friend I had, 
and the closest rival, and for making fun of me all the time!"
     "Oh," said Akane, a little surprised.  "Well...that's
still...I mean, you didn't have to follow him to China--"
     "What I did or didn't have to do is a moot point," said Ryoga
in a surprising show of composure.  "What's important is that I did
it.  Do you want to hear the story or don't you?"  
     Akane nodded.  "I'm sorry, Ryoga.  Go on."
     He sighed.  "I followed Ranma to China--but I got lost."
     "You don't say?" asked Akane sarcastically.  She instantly 
regretted opening her mouth.  "I'm sorry."
     Ryoga decided to let it pass and went on.  "While I was 
wandering, lost in the jungle, along came a 
panda."
     "Panda?" asked Akane before she could help herself.
     "Yeah, a panda--surprised me, too," he said.  "But what really
got me was the redhead."
     "Redhead?" blurted out Akane, beginning to see what had
happened.
     "Yep," confirmed Ryoga.  "Specifically, the redhead who kicked
me into the spring."
     "Oh!" said Akane, the light dawning.  "You mean the spring of
drowned..."
     "Black piglet," Ryoga finished for her.  "'Heitouennichuuan.'"
     "Oh," said Akane again.  "I...well..."
     "It's okay," sighed Ryoga.  "It's not exactly the kind of
thing you can say 'oh, I'm sorry' to.  It's more like 'oh, my God!' 
I get that a lot.  But...those next few weeks... were just plain
HELL!!"  His hands clenched into fists and he grit his teeth,
closing his eyes in remembrance.  "It rained almost every day I was
there...a pig, a meal on legs!  I was herded by pig farmers,
stampeded by wild pigs, nearly eaten once by a tiger!  I got caught
in a snare, and I was finally caught by a Chinese guide--for
dinner!!"  He shivered.  "It was a good thing he decided to boil me
first, or I wouldn't be here.  As it was, I *still* get nightmares
about sweet and sour pork."
     "Oh..." said Akane, a little unsure of what the best thing was
to say to that.  Whatever it was, 'that's my favorite Chinese
dish' probably wasn't it, she reflected.  
     "After I came back, I wanted Ranma to PAY!  Maybe it wasn't
all that rational...but I didn't care.  I just wanted to kill him!" 
He stopped as he remembered who he was talking to.  "Well, not
*kill* him...not exactly...but I wanted him to hurt.  To pay as
much as I did."  He shivered again, but not from fear this time. 
Akane sat silently, unsure what to say.  
     "And that's when I met Ranko," he said, his fists uncurling as
he remembered better times.  "She was like an angel of mercy...an
angel that I so cruelly cut down!"  He slammed his fists into his
arm-rests.  They broke.  
     Akane glanced down at them in some alarm.  "Um, Ryoga..." she
said.
     "But she forgave me," said Ryoga, in a wondering tone.  "She
didn't hold it against me.  Well, not for long," he amended. 
"But...but...what's more... when I challenged Ranma that night--"
     "You mean, when you snuck into his room and ambushed him,"
Akane corrected him.
     "No, I mean when I challenged him," Ryoga said sternly.  "I
was going to wake him up and challenge him--who knew when I'd get
another chance?  But his father threw us out."  He sighed. 
"Anyhow, I got turned into piglet form again, but this time, I knew
where Ranma was, so I tried to get to some hot water...but I got
turned around a little...and ended up in your room, I think."
     "WHAT?" Akane exploded.  "You were in *my* room?!?"
     "I didn't mean to," said Ryoga, embarrassed.  "I got lost!  I
do that sometimes."
     "Sometimes?" Akane muttered.  She sighed.  "It's okay, Ryoga. 
Go on."
     "Well..." said Ryoga thoughtfully, "Ranko found me and caught
me, even though I tried to escape.  I was just planning on running
away the first chance I got when Ranma came in.  He didn't know it
was me, and he started asking Ranko about me--as a pig, I mean. 
She wanted to call it--me--Ryo-chan."
     "So I heard," Akane said dryly.  
     "Think about it," said Ryoga earnestly.  "She wanted to name
it after me.  Did you ever wonder why?"
     "Well...uh..." said Akane, caught off guard.
     "She said it was because we were both cute--and both
stubborn," sighed Ryoga dreamily.  "Ranma teased her about it, and
she defended me--me, I mean.  Not Ryo-chan."
     "Well, that was nice of her..." said Akane hesitantly.
     "And then she kissed me!!"  He sighed in happiness.  "That was
the moment I knew she was the one for me."
     "Er..."
     "Then she took me into the bath with her," continued Ryoga.
     "Okay, that's it!  Stop!  No hentai stuff!" said Akane
sternly.
     "No hentai stuff," agreed Ryoga.  "I promise.  Nothing
happened, Akane."
     "But you--she--hot water--"
     "She decided it wouldn't be proper with a male pig, and I had
my eyes closed," explained Ryoga.  Akane stared at him in
disbelief.  "I found it a bit hard to believe, too," he said, "but
I wasn't complaining.  I was scared to death that she'd kill me." 
He leaned back.  "Anyhow, she didn't.  But I couldn't get out--the
door was closed.  So I waited until she was done, and she took me
to bed with her."
     "What did I say about--"
     "As a PIG!  A PIG!"  He was bright crimson now.  "I wouldn't
do anything like that, Akane.  Really--you've got to believe me."
     "All right, all right," muttered Akane, not really sure if she
*did* believe him or not.  
     Ryoga must have caught her tone, for he said "Anything we did
together, she did out of innocence, Akane.  If you're going to
blame either of us, you can blame me--but I *tried* to be a
gentleman with her."
     He sighed.  "And I tried to protect her after that, too...
tried to impress her, and be nice to her, and hope that maybe she'd
glance in my direction or smile at me.  Most of the time, she just
ignored me.  But I kept going on despite that."  He gazed out into
the dark night.  "She was worth it, Akane.  She still is, to me. 
Despite everything...despite everything I've done, everything she
said to me--or maybe because of it--I've fallen in love with her,
and that's not something I can stop.  Sooner ask me to stop
breathing than to stop loving her, Akane.  Haven't you ever felt
that way about someone?"
     "I--" Akane felt her breath catch.  She *wanted* to tell him
it was none of his business.  So why didn't she?  "Go on," she said
at last, not affirming, not denying it.
     "Well," said Ryoga sadly, "I couldn't always be with her, but
I *did* try.  And when Ukyou showed up...I thought I'd lost her. 
And when he--she--betrayed Ranko, I tried to be there for her the
only way she'd let me."
     "Ryo-chan," agreed Akane.
     "Right.  Which was why I got to hear her convince herself to
run away."
     "Oh..." said Akane breathlessly.  "That must have been
terrible, knowing--and not being able to do anything about it..."
     "But I *did* do something about it, Akane--didn't you notice
I left with her?"
     Akane frowned.  "I don't know...you kept on disappearing for
days at a time before, it didn't seem all that strange."  She
laughed.
     Ryoga smiled.  "I guess not."  He paused uncertainly.  "It's
good to hear you laugh," he told her.  "You've got a nice laugh." 
Akane laughed again, but blushed all the same, not really knowing
why.  She wasn't really used to compliments, she decided.  Nabiki
never complimented anybody unless she wanted something, her father
had long since forgotten his daughters needed some encouragement
from time to time, and Kasumi was...well, Kasumi.  Lots of
encouragement, but it just wasn't the same.  And as for *Ranma*...
well, the day he gave her a compliment would be the day Satan
skated to work!
     "Well..." said Ryoga, unheeding of her thoughts, "this is
where it gets confusing."
     "You mean it wasn't confusing before this?" asked Akane with
some surprise.
     "Trust me," said Ryoga wryly.  "I managed to get to the school
at the same time she did, by some miracle, and convinced her to
come with me.  For some reason, I managed to impress her, and as we
walked along, we talked--about all sorts of things.  About me,
about her, about Ranma.  She tried to be happy, but I could tell
she was really sad inside--and if *I* could tell, she couldn't have
been doing a very good job of hiding it."  He sighed.
     "I turned the conversation to her running away.  I guess...
well, I wanted to help her, but I wasn't sure running away would
help.  But you know, mostly I just wanted her to like me, and I
didn't really care who else got hurt.  And I guess I wasn't really
thinking at all, Akane...but I've had a chance to think a lot about
it since."  Outside, the lights flashing by stopped for a moment,
a section of lights burnt out.  "Around that time I...I managed to
tell her that...that I loved her."  He choked up and couldn't
speak.
     "It's okay," Akane said gently as she touched his shoulder. 
     "No, it's *not* okay!" he shouted.  "I've lost her!"  He
started crying.  "She wouldn't believe me at first, Akane!  And
when she did, she tried to talk me out of it.  Finally, she gave
in.  I think she must have thought I loved her like a sister...if
I'd been thinking at all, I'd have realized that."  He clenched his
hands into fists again.  "Right after losing Ranma...I was an
idiot..."
     "What did you do?" asked Akane softly.
     "I...I kissed her!" he sobbed.
     "Oh," said Akane, a little confused.  
     "How cruel is fate!  How stupid I was!  How big a fool could
one man get!  I don't deserve to live, the scum I am!  I--"
     "Um," said Akane, "I hate to interrupt, but, ah, *why* is that
a bad thing?"  She remembered another kiss, not too long ago.
     "Because she ran away," he said in a whisper.  "Because of the
look she gave me.  Because I betrayed her."
     "Did you?" said Akane to herself.  That kiss was very special,
but it was also a beginning, and not all beginnings are easy ones. 
Sometimes they are also endings, of sorts.
     Ryoga didn't hear her.  "I spent the night cursing my own
stupidity," he admitted.  "Near the dawn, she came back.  I
thought--I thought it was some kind of dream, until she kicked me."
     "Ranko always has been a little--uh--direct," said Akane
diplomatically.
     "She told me that she'd been the stupid one--that she loved
me, but that she wasn't good enough for me.  So...she splashed
herself with cold water."
     "SHE WHAT?!?"  Akane couldn't believe her ears.  "Why would
she do that?  She's terrified of cold water!  It makes her change
into--"  She stopped.
     "Right," said Ryoga.  "She felt that I'd only be happy with
her as her...other half.  The kind of girl that likes to cook and
raise kids and dress up in pretty outfits.  A truly *feminine*
girl."
     "Ugh," the pair said at the same time.  Akane looked at Ryoga,
surprised.  "Don't tell me," she said, "that you don't like that?"
     "Not one bit," he said.  
     Akane blinked.  "But you're a *boy*!"
     "Uh...last time I checked," said Ryoga a little confusedly. 
"I thought Ranma was the one that changed into a girl."  He started
looking down.  
     "No, no," said Akane, blushing, "I meant--well--every other
boy I've known only liked girls that were neat and pretty and,
well, feminine!  Except maybe one," she amended, thinking of Dr.
Tofu.  
     "Two, now," said Ryoga a little despondently.  
     "Three, maybe," said Akane a little thoughtfully.  "But why? 
I mean, it's the same girl, isn't it?"
     "I love Ranko," said Ryoga forcefully.  "Not some girl that
looks like her and talks like her.  Ranko herself.  I'd rather have
an independent wife, one with energy and...and one that fights and
can beat me up, than one that could cook."
     "Oh!" blushed Akane.  "That's...I mean...I wish Ranma felt
that way," she finished under her breath.  
     "Maybe he does, Akane."  Akane turned back around to see Ryoga 
looking in her eyes.  She couldn't 
take his gaze and turned around again.
     "Maybe," she agreed.  Why was he being so *nice* to her?
     Ryoga continued.  "The way she was...the way she wanted to be 
for me...it just
wasn't her.  And that broke my heart.  I want her to be happy--not
for her to make me happy.  And I love her blemishes as much as her
beauty.  Er, metaphorically, I mean."  Akane nodded.  She knew all
about loving people in spite of their bad points.
     "I tried to tell her about my curse, then--at the time, I
hadn't realized it wasn't her."  He sighed.  "She wouldn't listen. 
Her philosophy--that other Ranko's--was to ignore it until it went
away.  But...when I figured out what she'd done...I had to let her
go free.  Even if it meant spurning the gift she'd given me...even
if it meant her hating me.  Even...if it meant losing her.  So
I...I turned her back to normal."
     "That must have taken a lot of strength," Akane said.  She
realized she had ceased to distrust the muscular youth, although
she couldn't figure out just when.  
     "Not really," said Ryoga in a puzzled tone of voice.  "I just
threw a canteen over her."
     "I meant that it must have been very difficult for you to do,"
explained Akane patiently.
     "Oh...yes," said Ryoga as he figured out what she meant.  "The
hardest thing in the world."  He stopped, his story finished--for
him, at least.
     "But what I don't understand," said Akane as it became
apparent he wasn't going to go on, "was why she came back--I mean,
if *I'd* been in her place, I would've stayed with you!"  She
blushed as she realized what she said.  "I didn't mean that the way
it sounded," she said quickly.  Ranma was the only one for her,
after all.
     Ryoga blinked.  "I see," he said, not seeing.  "She was
*going* to stay with me, I think...except I got splashed with cold
water."
     "Oh!" exclaimed Akane.  "Oh," she said again, a little more
forcefully.  "Ack."
     "Exactly," he said despondently.  "She took one look and left. 
By the time I caught up with her, she was fighting for her life
against Happosai--well, for her single status anyway, which, when 
you look at it, is a more important than mere life or death.  
Married to that pervert?  I can't imagine it.  Even then, I tried
to help her--though I knew she was lost to me.  I'd made one too
many mistakes, and even *her* tolerance had been passed."
     "Ranko's...tolerance?" asked Akane slowly.  "Are we talking
about the same girl?"
     "That's why I was able to make the Shishi Houkoudan,"
explained Ryoga unheedingly.  
     "How does that work?" asked Akane.  "I've never even *heard*
of that move before--and I'm a martial artist!"
     "Yeah, you're one of the best I've ever seen," said Ryoga
honestly.  Akane preened.  He didn't notice, being Ryoga.  "The
Shishihoukoudan is a concentrated blast of pure negative Chi fueled 
by depression.  Or so I was taught.  You can only use it when you 
hit the bleakest point in your life.  Otherwise, it's not very
effective and you can only make a much smaller version."
     Akane stared at him.  "The bleakest point in your life? 
Ryoga, you're not going to commit suicide on me, are you?"  
     Ryoga shrugged.  "There doesn't seem to be much left worth
living for," he said.  "My one chance at happiness is gone...and
maybe for good.  But...but no, I don't think so.  Not yet, anyway,"
he finished.
     Akane reached out and touched him.  "I don't think Ranko would
want you to die, Ryoga.  You're still young.  You've got lots to
live for."  Ryoga snorted.  "I'm serious," continued Akane in an
angry tone of voice.  She softened it.  "Anyway...I know *I'd* miss
you if you went, Ryoga..."
     Ryoga looked at her in surprise.  "Really?  You're not just
saying that?  I thought you hated me!"
     Akane nodded.  "I did--but I don't anymore.  You're too nice
to hate, Ryoga.  In a lot of ways, you remind me of Ranma--if he
was a little less sure of himself."
     Ryoga blinked.  "Is that a compliment?" he asked her
dubiously.
     "The best kind," said Akane warmly.

                           *    *    *

     Ranko woke up.  Then she panicked.  "AAAHHH!!" she screamed. 
"Where am I?  What have I done?  How could I have let myself fall
asleep?!?"
     "Er...you're in my truck," explained the old man.  "'Fraid I
can't answer the rest for you, though."
     Ranko spun in her seat, not an easy thing to do.  Then she
checked herself.  Her clothes were all okay.  She still had all her
bags.  She even had her change purse.  She stared at the driver. 
"I--I fell asleep!" she said, more of an accusation than a
question.
     "Indeedy," agreed the old man.  "Right 'pon sittin' down.  You
must've been plain tuckered out.  I let you sleep--didn't seem much
point to wakin' you up."
     "But--but--" Ranko stammered.  Tears threatened to form in her
eyes.
     The old man's face crinkled in lines of worry.  "Now don't you
fall to pieces on me, you hear?" he ordered her gently.  "I can't
take a girl crying on me.  Never been able to, never will."  He
smiled at her, a grandfatherly smile.  "Especially pretty girls." 
His smile faded.  "Looks like you've been through an awful lot
recently.  You want to talk about it?"
     "I--" Ranko stared at him.  Then something tugged at her. 
"Say, aren't we close to Nagoya?"  The road signs flashed out
directions to the city center.  The old man didn't follow them.
     "I didn't want to wake you," confessed the driver a little
apologetically.  "And besides, it's been a while since I was last
in Kyoto."
     Ranko stared at the old man even longer this time.  He kept on
driving.  "That daughter of yours," said Ranko at last, "about my
age?"
     "Yep," said the old man cheerfully.
     "Looks like me?" she guessed.
     "Pretty much," said the old man.
     She looked at him again, then leaned over and kissed the old
man on the cheek.  "Thank you," she said simply.  
     The old man blushed but said nothing.
     
                           *    *    *

     Ranma hopped off the train.  He looked worriedly at the clock
and then started off at a leisurely pace.  His speed was not so
much an indicator of how nervous he was--very--but because he was
thinking.  Finally, he sat down, realizing he wasn't getting
anywhere.
     "Now, if I were Mom's house, where would I be?" he asked
himself.  "Well, I'd probably be somewhere nice and pleasant," he
replied after a moment.  He considered that seriously for about
half a second before throwing his hands up in disgust.
     "I know!" he said suddenly, "I'll find the address in the
phone book!"  He leaped into action.  Then he sat down again.  
     "Now, if I were a phone book, where would I be?" he asked
himself.

                           *    *    *

     Ryoga sighed.  "I don't even know what I can say to Ranko even
if I do find her," he confessed.  "I feel so useless."
     "Oh, Ryoga," said Akane.  "You're not useless."
     "Yes I am," he said.  "What am I doing here?  I can't help at
all."
     "You're--you're *trying* to help," Akane said.  She had been
wondering the same thing about herself.  "Because you care.  And
that's important.  It'll mean something to her, at the very least."
     "I guess you're right," he said.  "I wish I was as strong as
you, Akane."
     "As ME?"  Akane laughed, but was pleased nonetheless.  "Ryoga,
I'm a bundle of nerves right now!"
     "You don't look like it," he said, a little surprised.  
     Akane liked the way he said things like that--you knew he was
being totally honest, if a little naive.  She smiled at him. 
"Thanks," she said.  "And come on, I'm sure you'll come up with
something to say to her when the time comes."  
     "Yeah," sighed Ryoga.  "'Hi there, I know you hate me, but
please come home anyway.'"  
     "She doesn't *hate* you," Akane said.  "Well, I don't think
so, anyway," she said thoughtfully after a moment.
     "Yes she does," he breathed.  "After all I've done to her." 
     "Oh, come on!" said Akane.  "You've been a perfect gentleman! 
You can't hate yourself for loving her!  I mean, I wish *Ranma* had
been half as nice as you've been to her--we wouldn't have had a
tenth of the arguments we did.  You can't hate yourself."
     "Yes I can," said Ryoga.  
     Akane shook her head.  "No...you...can't!" she said firmly. 
"Ryoga, you're stubborn.  You're pig-headed.  You can act really
dumb at times."
     "Um, hey, weren't you being nice just a second ago?" he asked
her.
     "But don't you see, oh Ryoga--your love, your love makes up
for all of that!  It makes you worthwhile!  Any girl would be proud
to have your love, Ryoga!  You're so devoted, so caring, so sweet
and sensitive.  Ranko is just--just a little rough.  That's all. 
And you've had some bad luck--like Jhusenkyou.  Look, just think
about it, okay?"
     Ryoga thought about it.  "I don't know," he sighed.  "I've
never been in love before."
     "Neither have I," admitted Akane.  "But that's how I feel. 
All warm and tingly sometimes, and sometimes a little afraid, but
mostly just confused all the time.  Except that Ranma keeps
screwing it up by saying something mean, or insulting me, and I get
mad at him for being an idiot."
     "Like me," said Ryoga sadly.
     "No!" said Akane vehemently.  "Like Ranko!  Ranko and Ranma
are alike in a lot of ways, really--more than I would have guessed. 
They're both so focused on each other they forget about the rest of
us.  And they're both rough around the edges--they've never learned
how to make friends or be nice to people, because they've never
needed to know how before.  But...maybe we can help them learn, you
and I."  Akane smiled at him, a genuine smile.  "We've both got a
good reason to," she said, thinking of a particular handsome boy in
a red shirt.
     He smiled back a little wistfully.  "Maybe," he agreed.  "But
first we've got to get there."
     Akane nodded.  "But we can't make the train go any faster by
wishing it to happen, you know."  Suddenly, she had a stab of
guilt.  Ranma wasn't in any danger, she knew, but what about Ranko? 
Here she was worried for herself and Ranma, but poor Ryoga--
     "Ryoga," she asked, "what would you do if--well, I mean, if
Ranko...doesn't come back?"
     "Huh?"  Ryoga looked at her.  "What do you mean, Akane?"
     "I mean...what if...well...she dies out there?"
     Ryoga's face crumpled into a mask of pain.  "Then I'd kill
myself," he told her flatly.  
     "Oh, no, Ryoga..." breathed Akane.  "Please, no.  I'm sure
you'd make any girl very happy.  You shouldn't restrict yourself to
Ranko.  There are other girls."
     "Not for me!" said Ryoga fervently.  "She's all that matters
now."
     Akane looked at him, then away into the night.  "I know what
you mean," she said at last.  "I feel the same way...about Ranma."
     Ryoga looked at her.  "Guess we're two of a kind then, huh?"
     Akane blinked in surprise.  Slowly, she smiled.  "Guess so!"
she agreed.  
     "I...I just hope...I pray...she's okay.  THEY'RE okay," Ryoga
corrected himself.  
     "Me too," agreed Akane passionately.  "Me too."
     There was silence again as the train sped along, the rhythm of
its passing making the silence less of a hardship to bear for the
two lonely passengers.  Then Akane spoke up.  "Ryoga," she began
hesitantly, "I..."  Then she stopped.  "Never mind."
     "No...what is it, Akane?" he said.
     "I...well...this is gonna sound strange," she said
embarassedly.
     "Like what I've said tonight hasn't?"  Ryoga snorted, then
smiled at her.  "Come on, Akane, you--we're friends now, right? 
You can say anything to me."
     Akane smiled at him.  "Yeah--friends."  She took a deep
breath.  "Ryoga, if.if you and Ranko don't work out.would you
come back and stay with me and Ranma for a while?  I think I'd.I
think *we'd* like that.  And it would do you a lot of good, I 
think. Come on, what do you say?  Better than giving up, isn't it?"
     There was silence in the car as Ryoga took in her words. 
Akane felt her cheeks burning and began to earnestly wish she'd
never opened her big fat mouth.  Ryoga opened his mouth to reply. 
     "Kyoto station, Kyoto," announced the engineer.  "All
passengers disembark."  Neither had noticed the train stopping.
Akane and Ryoga gave each other one surprised glance before they
grabbed their bags and scrambled for the exit.

                           *    *    *

     Ranko watched the sun rise.  She sighed.  She was certainly
not achieving anything out here.  The phone book had only listed
one Saotome.  But how could she know she had the right person?  For
that matter, how was she even going to find out anything at all by
looking at shuttered windows?  
     She gathered her courage and rang the doorbell.
     The door opened a few minutes later, and a regal-looking woman
opened the door.  "Hello?" asked the woman.  "Can I help you?"
     Ranko smiled nervously.  She felt her teeth chattering.  "H-
hi," she said.  "Um...I was wondering if I could use your phone?"
     The woman smiled.  "Come right in, dear," she said.  "Are you
lost?"
     Ranko nodded.  "Un.  I'm looking for my mother."
     A shadow crossed the woman's face.  "Your mother?"
     Ranko nodded again.  "Yes...I-I haven't seen her since I was
a little girl.  My father took me on a training mission when I was
still quite young...and I never really knew her.  I've come to
Kyoto to find out who she is."
     The woman smiled sadly.  "Then...I wish you the best of luck,
my dear.  I once...I have a daughter who I have not seen in many
years, as well."  The woman seemed to stare at Ranko with piercing
eyes, then shook her head wistfully.
     Ranko's heart soared.  This was her!  "Really?" she asked. 
"Was she like m--I mean, what was she like?"  She blushed,
realizing how close she had come to letting her identity slip. 
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry," she said, trying to cover up.
     The woman smiled.  "It's all right, dear.  She would be about
your age, I think.  Except that her hair was red, not black like
yours.  Beautiful red hair...a good omen.  Her name was Ranko...
Ranko Saotome."  She smiled wistfully, but quickly erased it from
her face, beaming down at the younger girl with genuine pleasure. 
"Well, come right in--don't just stand there.  You need to use the
phone...and would you like some tea?"
     Ranko smiled up at her mother, tears beginning to form in her
eyes.  She blinked furiously.  "I'd love some," she said.  
     The woman smiled again and opened the door fully.  "Oh," she
said as an afterthought.  "What did you say your name was again,
dear?"
     Ranko panicked, once again showing off the Saotome trait of
thinking after she leapt.  Her smile faltered, then reappeared as
if by magic.  "My name is...Ukyou Kuonji," she said, hoping the
real recipient of that name wouldn't mind.  She owed her one, 
anyways.

                           *    *    *

     "Is anything the matter?" inquired Kasumi sweetly as she set
down her packages in the doorway.  
     "Is anything the matter, she asks," said Ukyou flatly.  She
dropped her own bags and waved a fist at the sky.  "Ha!  My whole
life is ruined, that's all!  But really, I'm fine!"  
     "Oh, that's good," said Kasumi with a smile.  "I was afraid
something was wrong."  She stopped smiling.  "Why are you beating
your head against the wall?" she asked.
     Ukyou stopped her masochistic activity.  "It's good exercise,"
she said sarcastically.  "Does wonders for the complexion."
     "Oh, really?" asked Kasumi.  "I'll have to remember to tell
the ladies sewing club that on Thursday."
     Ukyou just stared at Kasumi for a moment.  "You really mean
that, don't you?"
     Kasumi blinked.  "Well, the women there are always so
concerned about their complexion, so I thought--"
     Ukyou groaned and sat down on the hallway floor.  "Forget it." 
She sighed heavily.  "Look, Kasumi, I appreciate your concern, but
this really isn't helping.  I've never really liked shopping
anyway."
     Kasumi smiled down at her.  "Oh, I'm sure you'll look so
*pretty* in one of those dresses, though!"  
     Something inside Ukyou snapped.  "I DON'T CARE!!" she shouted. 
"Why should I?  He's gone!  They're all gone!  Do you know what I
had to go through to get here?  And now they're gone!"  She was
surprised to find that she was crying.  She hadn't meant to.  "I
HATE THEM ALL!!"
     "There, there," said Kasumi, dropping her bags and gathering
the younger girl into her bosom.  "Shh.  Don't say that...don't say
anything.  Just let Auntie Kasumi hold you until you feel better. 
Now cry...let it all out."
     Ukyou cried.

                           *    *    *

     "This is a really nice house," said Ranko.  "Did you do the
decorating yourself?"
     "Why yes," said Mrs. Saotome.  "I must admit, it was a lot
easier after my husband left, though, so you can't pin it all on
me."  She sipped at her tea delicately.  Ranko nervously grabbed
her cup and gulped the whole thing down, spilling some on her
shirt.
     "Drat," she muttered, and grabbed the nearby tablecloth to mop
up the spill.  
     "Oh, Ukyou-san, don't do that," said Nodoka, horrified (1). 
"Here, let me."  She leaned over with a small towel and started to
clean up.  Ranko blushed at this close contact.  "Oh, it's all
over," said Mrs. Saotome at last.  "I can't quite get it all out." 
She frowned, then brightened.  "Why don't you let me dry it for
you?  It won't take more than half an hour, and I can lend you one
of my shirts until then.  You're built like I was in my girlhood,"
she said. 
     Ranko paused, torn.  On one hand, she wanted to see more of
her mother.  But on the other hand, seeing more of her mother meant
more of a chance of letting her identity slip, which would be bad. 
She couldn't be stopped, not now...  "Um, I dunno," she said
hesitantly.
     "Oh, don't worry about it.  I don't mind, and there's nobody
else here.  Besides, do you really want your mother to see you in
that shirt?" 
     Ranko gave up.  "Okay, all right."  She looked around.  "Um,
is there someplace I could..."
     Mrs. Saotome tittered.  "Oh, Ukyou-san, we're both women.  If
you want, I'll turn my back."
     "But I..." Ranko blushed furiously.  She was never this
worried about Ranma seeing her, but somehow, this woman made her
feel like a little kid again.  "I...um...okay."  She undid her
shirt and handed it to the older woman.  Nodoka's eyebrows rose as
she saw that Ranko wore no bra, but she said nothing.  No more than
a minute later, she was back with a fresh shirt for Ranko to put
on.  The younger girl did so gratefully, feeling like her every
movement were clumsy and unsure.
     "Tell me about your mother, Ukyou-san," said Nodoka.  "I don't
remember any Kuonjis in the neighborhood, but I might be able to
help you find her."
     "Oh, th-that's all right," said Ranko hurriedly.  Didn't
Ukyou's parents live in Kyoto?  The last thing she needed was to
run into them!  "I-I just need to call them and figure out where I
went wrong."  She smiled nervously at her mother.
     "Oh, that's right," said Nodoka.  "Go ahead and use my phone. 
It's right there."  She smiled patiently at the girl.
     Ranko looked at the phone, then back at her mother.  "U-um,
that's o-okay," she said.
     "No, no, I insist," said the elder Saotome.  "It's much better
to do it now--you never know what will come up later."
     "Uh...well..."  Ranko could see no way out.  "O-okay," she
said, a drop of sweat running down her brow.  "Here goes..."  She
picked up the extension.  Nodoka nodded and smiled at her
encouragingly.  Ranko shakily reached out and put her hand on the
dial.  She gave Mrs. Saotome a shaky smile, hoping the elder woman
would leave.  Nodoka smiled back.  Ranko slammed the phone down.
     "Heh!  Wouldn't you know it - I forgot the number!" said
Ranko. 
     "Just dial '0' for directory assistance, Ukyou dear,"
suggested Mrs. Saotome.
     "Uh...right," said Ranko.  She picked up the extension again. 
She put her hand on the dial.  Another bead of sweat formed.  "Um,
what was that number again?" she asked nervously.
     "Zero!" said her mother, with a clear tone of annoyance this
time.  Ranko gulped and dialed zero.  
     "Hello, operator."
     "H-hello," said Ranko, her mouth dry.  "Um...could you please
connect me to Mrs. Sao--I mean, Mrs. Kuonji?"  
     There was a pause.  "Which one?  Can you give me a first
name?"
     "Uh--" Ranko started.  She thought furiously, putting all the
patented Saotome cunning to work.  "Ukyou Kuonji," she said.  She
froze.  "Wait!  Sorry, that's me!"
     "Pardon, ma'am?" asked the confused operator. 
     "I meant, um, RANKO Kuonji!" said Ranko confidently.
     "All right, ma'am...just a moment."
     Ranko froze again.  "WAIT!" she yelled into the receiver. 
     "Sorry, no, that's me again--I mean, that's NOT me again, but
I wanted to say Kasumi.  Kasumi Kuonji."  Mrs. Saotome was eyeing
her like a hawk.
     The operator hesitated.  "Um...no offense meant, ma'am, but
are you SURE this time?"
     "Quite sure," said Ranko nervously.  She started praying there
was no 'Kasumi Kuonji' in the phone listings.  "Please, please..."
she said out loud.
     "I'm sorry, ma'am, but there's no 'Kasumi' listed for Kyoto. 
Are you sure you have the right city?"  
     "YES!" yelled out Ranko in ecstasy.  "Thank you!  YES!  YES! 
YES!"  She stopped waving the phone as she realized her mother was
looking at her funny.  "Uh...they're connecting me to her now," she
explained, over the muffled yet unmistakably bewildered tones of
the operator.  
     "Oh...well then, I'll leave the two of you alone," said Mrs.
Saotome.  "I just wanted to make sure you weren't running away from
home," she said.  "So once the two of you start talking, I'll give
you your privacy.  Just call for me when you're done."  She smiled
at Ranko again.  Ranko smiled back, then flicked her eyes back to
the phone.  She gulped, then put the phone up to her ear.
     "Ma'am?  Ma'am?  Are you still there?" the operator was
saying.
     Suddenly, inspiration struck.  "MOM!" shouted Ranko.  "Hi,
Mom!  It's me!  Ukyou!"
     "What?"
     "Yeah, I'm fine," said Ranko.  "I just got a little lost on
the way."  Nodoka smiled and got up to leave. 
     "Ma'am, this is the operator speaking.  Can I help you?"
     "But there's this nice lady who's letting me use her phone,
and she's even drying my shirt because I spilled tea on it and she
made me take it off, and she's nice and lives in this big house and
*everything*," exclaimed Ranko.
     "What?  Listen lady, I'm not your mother!  I don't understand! 
What's all this about your shirt?  Is this a prank call?"
     "But just as soon as I get there, I'm going to cover you in
hugs and kisses!" said Ranko, desperately trying to think of things
to say.  The door shut behind her as Mrs. Saotome left the room. 
Ranko breathed out a sigh of relief.
     There was a pause on the other end of the line.  "I get off
work at 5," said the operator in a breathy tone of voice.  "1515
Nisei Street West.  Meet me at the front gate."  
     "Thank you..." whispered Ranko, aware of how close she had
come to breaking down in front of her mother, and slammed the phone
down on its hook in relief.


(1)  Throughout the rest of this text, Mrs. Saotome will be
referred to alternately as Nodoka or Mrs. Saotome.  

                           *    *    *

     Ukyou looked up at Kasumi tearfully.  She sniffled.
     "Are you feeling better now?" asked Kasumi gently.
     "Uh-huh," said Ukyou, a little confused.  
     "Good," said Kasumi firmly.  "I'll go make you some tea--your
throat must be sore after all that."  Kasumi gently disentangled
herself from Ukyou.
     "Uh-huh," agreed Ukyou, even more confused.  Kasumi returned
and Ukyou gratefully drank the tea down.
     "There...doesn't that feel better now that you've let it out?"
asked Kasumi.  
     "No, it DOESN'T!"  Ukyou snapped.  "Yeah, it does," she
admitted a second later, more to herself than anybody else.  "But
I--"  She stopped.  "I'm so confused," she sobbed.
     Kasumi smiled and stroked Ukyou's long hair.  "Shh.  It's
okay.  Everything will be okay."  
     Ukyou glanced up at her.  "How come you're acting this way?"
     "What do you mean?" asked Kasumi.
     "You're...you're not acting like you usually do," said Ukyou. 
"Well...I mean, you're still nice, but..."  She broke off.  "I
don't know how," she said stubbornly, "but you seem different."
     "Maybe it's just because you're getting to know me," suggested
Kasumi.  "Most people who visit us don't stay long enough to really
get to know me.and the ones who do, don't really try."
     Ukyou considered that.  "Maybe," she said at last.  "I...I
think a lot of people don't really notice you at all.  You're-
you're like furniture to them!"  She rubbed reddened eyes.  "You
cook for them and clean up their messes and wash their clothes and
never get a word of thanks in return.  Why aren't you bitter,
Kasumi?"
     Kasumi smiled down at her.  "Because I'm doing it for people
I love," she said simply.  "And because they love me."
     "They don't show it," said Ukyou.  She had the feeling that
the conversation was only marginally about Kasumi.  "They treat you
like dirt."
     "They don't really know *how* to show it," explained Kasumi. 
"Ever since Mother died, Father drew into himself...and poor Akane
and Nabiki never really got a chance to know her.  Now it's too
late.  They need someone to be there for them."
     "Someone unchanging and constant..." murmured Ukyou.  "But how
can you stand it?  I'd go crazy!"  
     "Life is never dull, around them," said Kasumi gently.  
     "But it's such a thankless task!"
     "Only if you look for thanks in words," said Kasumi.  "That is
the poorest kind.  Often people only show their love in the way
they act, the way they say something.  Even the way they hit
someone," she added thoughtfully.  "Sometimes we never know until
it's too late, because we didn't recognize the signs."
     Tears welled up in Ukyou's eyes.  "Do...do you think he ever
loved me?"
     Kasumi smiled at her.  "I'm sure of it, Ukyou.  But you were
too late."
     Ukyou cried.  "I'm always too late.  Always."
     Kasumi touched her shoulder.  "It's all right to cry.  Just
remember that you've got to move on."
     Ukyou sobbed.  "I don't know how!  My whole life--it's all
been--!"
     Kasumi soothed her wordlessly.  "But you're wrong, dear.  Your
whole life is ahead of you.  It's just starting.  You never know...
you could find the man of your dreams today."
     "Too late," said Ukyou.  "He's in Kyoto, chasing his sister. 
My heart is broken beyond repair.  It's too late."
     Kasumi patted her on the arm.  "I think what you need is a
trip to the doctor."
     "The doctor?" asked Ukyou in no little confusion.
     "Doctor Tofu," explained Kasumi with a smile.  "He can fix
ANYTHING."

                           *    *    *

     "Well, uh...Mrs. Saotome," said Ranko uneasily, "thank you for
the tea, and for letting me use your phone."  She bowed to the
matron.
     "You're very welcome, my dear," said her mother.  "Your shirt
will be done in just a few minutes.  But really, you haven't been
a bother...in fact, it's been a pleasure.  I so rarely get guests
these days, and having a child around the house is..." she stopped. 
"Not that you're a child," she said hurriedly.  "It's just that you
would be the same age as my daughter."
     "I know," said Ranko with a sad smile.  "Say..." she said
hesitantly.
     "What is it?" asked Nodoka.
     "Could you..." Ranko's throat tightened.  "Could you...tell me
about her?  What you'd like her to be like?"
     Nodoka stared at Ranko with piercing eyes.  Ranko flinched
under it.  Instead of laying her soul bare as Ranko half-expected
her to do, Mrs. Saotome sighed.  "I miss her.  I think I would wish
for her to be whatever she chooses in life, so long as she is
happy.  That's all."  She sighed again, glancing out the window. 
"Just that she be happy," she repeated, a whispered prayer.
     Ranko's heart sunk even lower.  "What if--what if she weren't
what you wanted her to be like?" she asked chokingly.
     Mrs. Saotome blinked, then looked at Ranko and smiled. 
"Dear," she said, "you needn't worry.  No mother could ever truly
hate her child.  No mother that had never seen her baby could hold
anything against her.  I'm sure...no, I'm *positive* that your
mother will be impressed with you.  You seem a fine young girl, and
any woman would be proud to call you hers."
     "R-really?" asked Ranko, blushing to her core.
     "Really," said Nodoka with a trace of humor.  "But to answer
your question--there is nothing that could make me disappointed in
my daughter.  She will always be a source of pride and joy to me...
no matter how much I miss her."
     Ranko smiled, tears welling up in her eyes again.  "That's
sweet.  I wish..."  She stopped, then started a new sentence.  "I
wish I had a mother like you."
     The woman smiled back.  There were tears in her eyes, too. 
"Thank you.  I only hope she does, too."
     Ranko blushed.  "Couldn't we...pretend...just for a while?"  
     The woman gave her a broad smile.  "I would love to.  Would
you like some breakfast, dear?"
     Ranko beamed.  "Sure...Mom."

                           *    *    *

     "Here at last," whispered Ryoga.
     "Here at last," echoed Akane.
     "So...um...what do we do now?" he asked.
     "I thought *you* knew," she admitted.  They looked at each
other.
     "We're doomed," groaned Ryoga.
     "No we're not," said Akane, even as her heart told her
otherwise.  "Not yet!"
     "We don't know where she's gone!  We don't even have a clue! 
We could wander the city for weeks and not find her--and she's
already got a head start on us!  It's hopeless!  Hopeless!"  He
struck out blindly in agony.  There was the sound of shattering
glass and groaning metal.  Akane turned to see a nearby telephone
booth fall over.  "Oops," said Ryoga.  
     "Look at this!" said Akane, her tensions finding an outlet. 
"Look at all this mess!"  She started scooping up glass, trying to
clean it up.  "People are going to think we haven't been brought up
properly!"
     "Oh..." said Ryoga.  "Were we?  I hadn't realized."
     Akane pulled away a splinter of glass.  "Look at this, Ryoga! 
Do you know how much glass costs these days?  It'll take hours to
put this back together!"
     Ryoga nervously shuffled his feet.  
     Akane pulled away the remnants of a telephone book.  "Look at
this, Ryoga!  It's ruined!  All ruined!"
     Ryoga picked up the book.  "Aw...it was ruined already," he
protested.  "Somebody's been writing in it."  He peered at the
page.  "Sao...tom...e..."
     "That doesn't make it bet--"  Akane paused.  "What did you
say?"
     "Oh, just some scribbling," said Ryoga guiltily.  He threw the
book away.
     "Ahhhh!!" screamed Akane, jumping and catching the book in
mid-air.  She opened it again, trying to find the page.  "Nope,
nope, nope, nopenopenope--ah!  Saotome!  159 Birchmount--" she
looked up at Ryoga, hope shining in her eyes.  "Do you know what
this means?"
     Ryoga hesitated.  "No?" he guessed.
     "We've got a clue!" shouted Akane.  "We've got an address!" 
She jumped up and down.  "We've got a chance!"
     "Yes!" yelled Ryoga.  "Let's do it!"  He started running. 
After only a moment, he fell flat on his face.  Akane looked down
from where she had tripped him.
     "Not THAT way, baka!  If we're to have any chance at all,
we'll have to take a taxi."  She started counting change.  "I just 
hope I've got enough."

                           *    *    *

     Kasumi smiled at Ukyou.  "Now, just stay here until I come
back out, okay?"  
     Ukyou grumbled at her.  "I still don't see what any stupid
doctor can do about this..."  She looked back up to see Kasumi
still waiting there.  "Okay," she said.  
     Ukyou sighed heavily and fell into a chair.  She picked at the
dress she was wearing.  She was *sure* she looked funny in it--
people had been staring at her the whole time.  And it felt funny,
too.  It pinched in all the wrong places.  There were sounds of 
crashing objects from the other room.  Ukyou blinked.  It sounded
like there was a fight going on in there.but Kasumi *never* got
into fights.  But what else could it be?
     "Well, hello there!" said a voice.  Ukyou turned to see a 
doctor walk into the room.  He was holding his head as if he'd just 
banged it into something, and his glasses were fogged up, but 
getting clearer.  "What can I do for you?" he asked.
     "Um.actually, I don't really know," said Ukyou.  "Coming here
was a stupid idea."  She sighed.  "Never mind."  She turned to 
leave.
     "Don't go yet," said Dr. Tofu, putting a hand on her shoulder.  
"Here, have a seat."  He pushed a chair behind her, forcing her to 
sit, and then spun it around so she was facing him.  And all 
without missing a beat.  This was *some* martial artist!
     "So.what seems to be the problem?" he asked, taking a seat 
opposite her.  "Back pains?  Broken arm?"
     "Broken heart's more like it," mumbled Ukyou.  
     "Ah," said the doctor, his kindly face wrinkling with 
understanding.  "That's the worst kind of injury.  Takes a lot 
longer to heal than a broken bone, you know."
     Ukyou snapped her head up and glared at him.  "Are you making 
fun of me?"
     Dr. Tofu looked surprised.  "No.no, not at all.  I was just 
stating a fact.  Look.would you rather have 
broken your leg or gone through what you've been through?"
     "The leg," said Ukyou instantly.  It wasn't a hard choice.  
Dr. Tofu waited.  "Oh, all right, I see your 
point," mumbled Ukyou.  
     Dr. Tofu smiled at her.  For some reason, it didn't seem 
patronizing, just.well.like he wanted her to smile back.  She 
didn't.  "A broken heart is a very painful thing.  And it takes a 
long time to heal.  But the important part is that it *will* heal, 
if you give it time."
     "Never," said Ukyou adamantly.
     Dr. Tofu smiled sadly.  "I hope someday you'll be able to say 
otherwise, young lady.  Until then." his voice trailed off.
     "Ukyou," said Ukyou.
     "What?" asked the doctor, genuinely confused.
     "The young lady's name is Ukyou," she explained.
     Dr. Tofu smiled.  "My name is Tofu Ono, " he told her.  "And 
I'm very pleased to meet you."
     Ukyou blushed.  "That's not.that wasn't what I meant," she 
finished a little under her breath.
     Dr. Tofu chose to ignore her.  "So, what are you going to do 
now?"
     Ukyou blinked.  "I.I don't know."  Then she shot him a glance.  
"Hey, aren't you going to give me 
advice and stuff?"
     Dr. Tofu smiled merrily at her.  "What, like `there's plenty 
of fish in the sea'?  I could, but I don't think it would make a 
difference.  Do you?"  He didn't really wait for Ukyou to agree.  
"Let's face it; hearts will never become practical until they 
become unbreakable.  But love is still something worth taking a 
chance on.  Always.  It's the most important thing a human being 
can achieve in her lifetime."  He sat back for a moment.  "But most 
of the time, it just doesn't work out, for one reason or another.  
And there are so many reasons, really.  In a way, it's amazing that 
love ever works out.  But the funny thing is.  It does.  Not often.  
But it does.  And even when it fails, when it doesn't work out the 
way we wanted it to, well, sometimes it's still a good thing.  And 
always, it's important, affects us deeply.  That's why I tell my 
patients to keep trying, as long as it's important to them."
     Ukyou looked confused and angry.  "But how can I try?  He's 
gone!"
     Dr. Tofu shrugged.  "Sometimes trying means sticking it out 
and changing ourselves, and sometimes it means trying to change the 
other person, and sometimes it means moving on.  You'll know what 
to do when it's time.  Life is funny.  No two people, no two 
situations, are ever alike.  Every human being could write a 
book full of life experiences that would be equally important.  But 
no book, no matter how good, will ever truly prepare a person to 
meet those experiences.  I can offer sympathy, Ukyou, and a little 
advice, a little understanding.  But beyond that, the rest is up to 
you.  Your body will heal the broken leg, in time.  Nothing 
a doctor can do will heal it for you.  And nothing I can do will 
heal your heart, either.  It will take time.  Weeks, months.  Even 
years.  You'll never truly forget.  But you can forgive, can move 
on, can find somebody else."
     "Never," said Ukyou again.  But not as forcefully, this time.
     "Never say never," said Dr. Tofu.  He smiled at her.  "You're 
always welcome to drop in to talk, Ukyou.  I'm afraid I've been 
doing most of the talking.  But whenever I'm free, you're welcome.  
Sometimes talking about it helps.  Sometimes crying helps.  
Sometimes going out and *doing* something about it helps.  It all 
depends.  I can't say for sure what will work in your case, but we 
can try, can't we?"
     Dr. Tofu seemed to be waiting, expecting a reply.  Ukyou 
looked down.  "Maybe," she said.  "No promises, though."
     Dr. Tofu beamed.  But looking down, Ukyou couldn't see.  
"That's all I ask for," said the doctor.

                           *    *    *
     
     Ranko wistfully closed the door behind her.  Nodoka Saotome
was everything she had dreamed of.  She only wished she could tell
her that.  She sighed, and looked again at the lamp in her hands. 
In the light of day, her idea was fast becoming less palatable to
her.  She looked at it sadly, then at the house.  A tear trickled
down her cheek.  She didn't want to...but she had to.  For Ranma. 
For her mother.  For everyone.  Even for Ranko, in a way.  
     She wandered to the park nearby, picking a random spot so she
wouldn't disturb anybody else.  She sat down and gathered her wits. 
Then she picked up the lamp and took a deep breath.  
     And put it back down again.  
     She picked it up.  And put it down.  She nearly screamed in
frustration.  She couldn't do it...but she had to!  It would be
painless...at least, she hoped it would be.  Ranko felt herself
sobbing again.  Wasn't this when someone was supposed to come along
and say "Don't do it!  It's not worth it!"  She waited expectantly. 
Nothing happened.  She sighed despondently.  Fine.  If that was the
way it would be, that was the way it would be.  
     She picked up the lamp, one last time.  
     Then she screamed in frustration.  "AAAAAAUUUUGGGHHH!!  HOW
THE HECK DO I GET PANTIES INTO THIS THING?!?"

                           *    *    *

     Ranma raced down the street.  Stupid city, with nobody around
to give him directions.  And stupid him, for not having a map, but
he'd finally found out where to go.  But he'd wasted precious time!
He swore under his breath.  So long as he remembered her, he still
had time.  He could do it.  He *would* do it.  He just hoped he'd
be in time.  And he kept running.

                           *    *    *

     Akane looked at Ryoga, still worried.  He was taking this
worse than she was; Ranko had been gone, too.  He really cared
about Ranko.  And, despite everything, Akane found herself liking
the young man.  He was honest, and kind, and caring.  Even cute, if
you liked fangs.  Akane sighed.  She hoped Ranma was okay.  She
even hoped Ranko was all right, too.  Most of all, she hoped she
could reach them in time.  
     "Can't you go any faster?" she complained to the taxi driver.

                           *    *    *

     Ranko gave one last scream of pent-up frustration before
throwing the lamp on top of the small mountain of stolen panties
she'd collected.  "Stupid thing!" she cried.  "I hate this!  I wish
I'd never seen--"
     She stopped.  To her amazement, the lamp had started to glow. 
Ranko hit her head on the ground.  "AAAAUGGGHH!!" she yelled. 
"THAT'S SO STUPID!!"  The glow faded and started to die.
     She grabbed hold of the lamp and licked her lips.  There was
no turning back, now.  She didn't know if the magic would come back
once it left.  "I wish..." she swallowed.  "I wish..."  The glow
seemed to hesitate in time with her words.  
     She swallowed.  Her throat seemed to be choked with tears, but
it would be over soon.  "I wish...that I...I...had never...been
born."  She ended in a whisper.  The lamp glowed stronger, gaining
power from her words, power and release.  The third wish had been
made.  
     "NOOOOOO!!" screamed Ranma, reaching his sister at last.
     Ranko spun around, terrified.  "Ranma!" she shrieked.  "What
are you--how did you--it's too late--you can't--"
     Ranma thrust his panties at the lamp.  Ranma grabbed the lamp. 
"Hey Genie!  There's your stupid panties!  I wish that Ranko and I
could never be separated!"
     Akane and Ryoga came running up the hill, shouting.  The lamp
grew in brightness, making the tableau around them seem surreal. 
Akane ran forward, tears in her eyes.  "No!" she shouted.  "Ranma! 
Don't do it!"  She dived at him, but her hands passed through him! 
She rolled away and gazed back up.  The lamp!  The lamp was her
only hope!  
     Ryoga was hot on her heels.  "Here they are!" he panted,
shoving the panties at the lamp along with the others.  Akane
grabbed the lamp.  It was solid to her touch.  "I wish--I wish--" 
She couldn't make up her mind.  She hadn't thought about this!  The
light grew again, making it hard to see.
     "I wish Happosai had never *found* this stupid lamp!" yelled
Ryoga, grabbing onto the lamp.  It was now a four-way struggle for
the precious artifact, the light so blinding it was impossible to
see.  An almost ethereal note grew in volume until it deafened
them, but was too quiet to even notice.  The lamp was growing hot
under their combined hands, and began shaking violently.  
     "Oh, I wish--I wish--" Akane sobbed.  Why couldn't she think
of what to say?  And why was it so hard to say the things that
mattered most?  "Ranma!  I l-lo-love y-you!"  The light was
everything.  "Don't leave me!  Don't!"  Over the roar that was in
her ears, she shrieked "I WISH FOR RANMA TO COME BACK TO ME...!!" 
Then, the light covered everything.

                           *    *    *

                    End of Episode Twenty One