DISCLAIMER: Ranma Nibunnoichi is the property of Takahashi Rumiko,
Shogakukan Inc, Shonen Sunday Comics, and Viz Video. It is used without
their permission and is not intended for profit but only for the
enjoyment of fans of the Ranma series. All characters within this fic
that are not the property of the above mentioned are copyrighted to the
author, Joseph Kohle, January 1997. This work of fiction is the result
of the author's hard work and is for the enjoyment of others. Please do
not change, modify, or use any segment of this story without the
author's knowing and written consent. Feel free to archive this work.

************************************************************************ 

                       Meiyo Ai soshite Nikushimi

                       A Ranma Nibunnoichi Fanfic
                            by Joseph Kohle

       		        Part IV: Separate Paths
                     Chapter I The Pictures We See


                                -- 1 -- 


     After Kasumi left, P-chan sat silently on the bed trying to figure
out the older Tendou daughter's words. What was going on? And why was it
upsetting Akane?  Both questions were a quagmire for his mind, sucking
him further down with each sluggish step forward. Having been gone four
weeks, he had no inkling of what could be happening. With Ranma and the
insanity that followed him like a bear followed honey, it was impossible
to even hazard a guess at a situation, so he did not even try. When
Akane came back, he knew his questions would be answered. She told her
P-chan everything.
     So P-chan climbed to his stubby legs, padded over to Akane's
pillow, and pushed at the blankets on Akane's bed with his snout,
burrowing a small nest in the sheets. Curling up in the nest, he rested
his head on the edge of one of her pillows. Snorting contentedly, he
breathed in Akane's distinctive scent. Something wasn't right. He
burrowed his nose in the sheets and inhaled deeply. It wasn't just her
scent on the bed.
     Although Akane's held preeminence over the other scents, hers was 
mingled in with two others which were still strong because they were
fresh. One of them he could recognize as Ranma's. As a pig he had been
held enough by Ranma in both of his forms that he could recognize his
odour. It was not uncommon for Ranma's scent to be on Akane's bed, since
Ranma often requisitioned the bed when he and Akane studied together. P-
chan, therefore, ignored it. 
     It was the third scent that puzzled him. He had never smelled
anything like it. It was a rich, musky scent that permeated the sheets
and, though it was more similar to Akane's scent, it also reminded him
of Ranma. Although the scent wasn't unpleasant, it's presence still
confused him. What could have caused it?
     With a questioning grunt, he jumped from the bed and began rooting
around Akane's room, looking for the source. Knowing the mayhem that
revolved around Ranma, he deduced that it could be anything, and he
wanted to make sure it wasn't something dangerous to Akane like a drug
that would make her susceptible to Ranma, or, perhaps, it was another
one of Akane's and Ranma's fathers schemes to get them together. If it
was, he was determined to find it and crush the patriarch's misplaced
hopes.
     He poked his snout into every corner of Akane's room. He rooted
through her closet, under her bed, and even in her desk drawers and
bookshelf, but he could find nothing out of place. To make matters even
more difficult, once he was away from the bed, he lost the scent and
could only smell Akane on everything.   
     He was digging through a box of candy Akane kept under her bed
when Kasumi returned. At first he didn't notice her, he was too busy
making sure the smell was not coming from a piece of candy Akane might
eat. Because of that, he squealed in fright as Kasumi's hands grasped
his body and lifted him from the floor. "If I knew you were that hungry,
I would've hurried," Kasumi said as she set him back on the floor and
placed a dish of vegetables and another bowl of water on the floor, "but
you shouldn't eat candy. It's not good for you. These are much better.
Now be good, Akane should be home soon."
     With that she left, and P-chan was alone with a bowl of raw
vegetables. Snorting in disgust, he bounded back to Akane's bed and the
mysterious scent. If there was one thing he hated as much as Ranma, it
was being treated like a pig, even when he was one. Akane didn't treat
him like a pig. She treated him like a person. She feed him pieces of
meat, seasoned vegetables, and even rice balls on occasion. There was no
way he was going to demean himself by eating like a pig.
     With his nose held disdainfully in the air, he returned to the
nest he had made. He was tired, frustrated, and slightly annoyed at
himself for going on that pointless search. So what if Akane's bed had a
different smell in it. It wasn't like there could be much importance
attached to it. Maybe it was just a new perfume she had been wearing, or
maybe she had spilled something, or Ranma had while in her room. Most
likely Ranma, P-chan decided as he snarled as fiercely as a pig could.
     He couldn't prove Ranma had anything to do with the defilement of
Akane's scent, but P-chan blamed Ranma for everything on basic principle
and hated him because of it. But what was the point of fuming over Ranma
when Akane was in trouble? At least he thought she was in trouble.
Kasumi had not painted a picture of a happy Akane with her words, and if
Kasumi was worried, P-chan knew there was a very good reason for it.
     The trouble lay in the fact that he was a pig, and pigs by
definition never became sympathetic ears. Unless they were cute and the
pet of a misunderstood teenage girl, P-chan quickly reminded himself.
Yet even then, to be informed of happenings, that girl had to be in the
room, they had to be alone, and she had to talk. All three were quite
impossible to achieve given the fact that Akane was somewhere in Nerima
and not in her room with him.
     P-chan sighed and sank back into the sheets. He considered himself
Akane's self-appointed protector; however, it vexed him that he was
unable to fulfill that duty when it was most needed. No matter what, it
always seemed like he would arrive after the fact, helpless except to
give support to a stricken or angry Akane. 
     This in itself was enough to fuel his rage against Ranma, who was
invariably the cause, directly or indirectly, of all of Akane's misfor-
tune. As her self-appointed protector, he assumed he had an honour-bound
duty to seek out and challenge Ranma for Akane's sake. So why was he
sitting here? Should he not be out searching for Ranma? Challenging him?
Defeating him? 
     If he did that, he reminded himself, he would be leaving Akane
when she needed someone. He could not, would not do such a thing. If she
needed him he would be there, he decided. Ranma would always be there,
waiting to fight him, but Akane, who needed his sympathy and reassuring
presence, would suffer if he allowed his hatred to rule him. As her
protector, he had two duties, to defend her and to comfort her. If she
was in pain, it was the latter that held. After he comforted her, then
Ranma would fall under his hand like wheat under a scythe.
     With his decision made, he curled up and waited for Akane. He did
not have to wait long. Just as he was getting comfortable he heard the
floor boards creak and the door slowly opened inward. P-chan's eyes went
to the front of the room and waited patiently as the door swung open to
reveal Akane standing dejectedly in the hall.
     Ranma and revenge disappeared from his thoughts like a candle's
flame in the wind. Akane stepped gingerly into the room and nudged the
door with her foot. It swung shut behind her, leaving a small opening to
the hall. Akane didn't notice. Obviously, something had happened to her.
Her head was bowed, her arms wrapped about her stomach protectively. Her
steps were faltering and unfocused often coming too close together as if
she were drunk. 
     Like a somnambulist, she didn't seem to notice or care, only
taking a few steps into the room before stopping at the end of her bed.
Her eyes had not once left the floor, and now she simply stood like a
lost soul, her shoulders shaking. For a few moments she was a statue as
P-  chan watched, unable to fathom why Akane was like this, too shocked
to do anything but watch. Finally, a shudder ran through her body, and
she slumped against the wall and slid down to the floor, pulling her
knees tightly against her chest.
     Still P-chan was held in place by what he saw, trying to convince
himself he had just imagined what he saw. A soft, coughing sound brought
him to reality though. Scrambling to his feet, he barreled down the bed
and leaped off it. Landing on the floor, he padded up to Akane and
nudged her exposed shin with his snout, softly grunting in sympathy and
confusion. When she didn't notice him, he bweed worriedly and put his
front hooves on her shin. 
     Lifting her head from her knees, Akane looked down at him.
Bloodshot and puffy eyes stared at him. Tear streaks covered her cheeks,
and he could see fresh ones pooling in the corner of her eyes. For a
moment she only looked at him, and then with a low sob, he was lifted
from the ground and crushed against her chest.
     P-chan could hear Akane's heart racing, her breath rasping in her
throat as she began to cry. Hot tears splashed on his black skin and ran
into his bandanna. With a comforting grunt, he craned his neck to rub
his snout against her chin, hoping to help her in some small way. At his
touch, the floodgate burst open.
     "P-P-P-chan," she cried, pulling him tighter against her chest,
"I-I don't...don't know wh-what to do. I-I can't-can't be. Not when he's
gone." P-chan was lost. He could only weather the storm of her tears and
strangled words as they poured forth on him. He could tell she was
hurting deeply, but she was not explaining. He just had to hope that at
some point she would.
     "Wh-why did he leave me? He could've trained him here. He could've
stayed with me...I can't...not without him." Her words disappeared again
as she began sobbing, her body shuddering with each gulping breath.
     "I can't deal with this. I'm too young. What about my father?
We're not even engaged anymore, and I'm...I'm...I can't have a baby!"
she wailed as she buried her face in his side, muffling her cry. 
     P-chan's mind blanked. He couldn't have heard her correctly. What
she was proposing was impossible. Her? Ranma? A...a baby? Turning his
face upward into her tear-streaked one, he shuddered as he saw the
despair in her eyes, the helplessness, but he refused to believe her. It
went against everything he knew of her and had ever suspected of Ranma. 
     "What do I do, P-chan? I can't tell my father. I don't even want
this. I don't want to have a baby. Not without Ranma, and he's gone. How
can I find him in China? I don't even know where in Hong Kong he's
going, or where the Amazon village is. What can I do? What will Ranma
do? Why did this happen?!" She began to cry again as P-chan listened to
his world collapse around him. 
     It had to be a dream, but if it was, he knew he'd never wake from
this nightmare. She was pregnant. She had been with Ranma. Ranma. He had
done this to her. He had brought her to this. She had probably not even
wanted to. Not his beloved Akane. No, it had to be all Ranma's fault. He
had gone too far this time. Insulting her was one thing. Running off
with his other  girls' was somewhat understandable. But to defile Akane
like this? To use her and then leave her? And to leave for what? To go
to China, to the Amazon village where his precious Shampoo was from.
This time he had gone to far. This time his actions were unforgivable. 
     In a sobbing Akane's arms, P-chan was well beyond reason. His rage
burned like a small star, fussing his own humiliations and anger against
Ranma with his duty to avenge his Akane into a tempered blade. The fire
burned within him, washing away reason, doubt, compassion, only to leave
a cold, hard diamond of hate. Ranma would die. If it took him the rest
of his life. He would kill the bastard.
     Akane was forgotten as he struggled from her arms and began to race
for the door. All that mattered was to find Ranma. No, to find and
destroy Ranma. He didn't hear Akane's calls to him, her heartbroken
voice as she chased after him. He pushed the door to her room open and
bounded down the stairs and out into the backyard. He needed hot water.
He needed his weapons. He was going to China, and he prayed the Kami
would avert their eyes from Ranma when he found him.


                                -- 2 -- 


     Slipping her shoes off, Nabiki stepped inside the house and set
them in a cubby hole. Stepping from the entry mat, she walked down the
hall to the dining area. Through the open shoji, she could see her
father and Saotome-ojisan playing their normal game of shogi. From the
kitchen, she could hear her older sister making dinner. It was almost
too normal for her. 
     "Kasumi?" she called out walking into the kitchen. 
     "Hai, Nabiki," Kasumi replied. She smiled over her shoulder at
Nabiki and then turned back to chopping some carrots.
     "Have you seen Ranma?" Nabiki asked. "We had some business to take
care of."  
     "No, I don't know where he is," Kasumi answered quickly, tripping
alarms in Nabiki's mind. She was about to pursue the matter when Kasumi
beat her to it. "Why don't you ask Akane? She mentioned something about
him this morning." It was offered cheerfully, but Nabiki had the feeling
Kasumi was trying to get out of an unpleasant situation.  
     "Are you sure? I mean..." 
     Her words were interrupted as Akane's voice could be heard crying
out. "P-chan! Don't leave me. P-chan!" Nabiki turned around fast enough
to catch a glimpse of a black form darting out of the house and into the
yard. A few moments later, a very frantic and disheveled Akane rushed
into the dining area, glancing around desperately until her eyes latched
on Nabiki. "P-chan? Where did P-chan go?" Nabiki pointed at the open
shoji, and her younger sister dashed out of it, nearly bowling over Soun
and Genma.
     Glancing over her shoulder, Nabiki saw that Kasumi was contentedly
continuing to cook, either oblivious to the goings on or unconcerned
about them. Nabiki was betting on the latter, but sometimes she was
unsure. She had seen her sister's face, and Akane had been crying.
Something was bothering her, and it was obviously not a wayward pig.
Maybe a wayward horse, but definitely not a pig.
     With a sinking feeling in her stomach, Nabiki made her way outside
to find Akane. She had hoped Ranma would consult her before doing
something stupid, but as always, she had underestimated how stubborn,
stupid, and down right single-minded he could be. 
     It took her only a few moments to find Akane by following her calls
for P-chan. Akane had wandered around the house until she was by the
dojo, heading for the open gate to the street. She looked distraught as
she repeatedly called for her pet. When she saw Nabiki, she ran up to
her. "Will you help me find, P-chan? Please, I don't want him gone too."
     Nabiki wanted to say no, but the desperate look in her sister's
face convinced her otherwise. "I'll help, but I don't think it will do
any good. You know how P-chan is, Akane. He'll come back." Akane gave
her a hurt look, and Nabiki, for some inexplicable reason, found herself
walking over the neighborhood for the next thirty minutes looking for a
pig with about as much luck as Ryouga getting somewhere on time. Nabiki
was, therefore, in a foul mood when she returned to the house. 
     Walking in the rear gate, she found Akane seated against the dojo,
She jumped up as soon as she saw Nabiki. "Did you...?" Nabiki shook her
head, and Akane sank back down to the ground. "It's not fair. Why does
everyone leave me? What did I do wrong?" 
     At her sister's despairing tone, Nabiki lost some of her anger at
the wasted time. Feeling sorry, she sat down next to Akane. "No one's
left you, sis. P-chan will be back. I'm here, Kasumi's here. We have
father and Saotome-ojisan. You have Ranma. What more could you want?"
     "But he's gone. He's off to China, and I'm pre...alone" 
     Nabiki missed her sister's quick cover-up in her own building
anger. "What?" The exclamation tumbled from her mouth before she could
control her surprised anger. "He went to China? And you didn't tell me?"
     "Weren't you listening?" Akane snapped back. "I told you. He left
this morning. He went to Hong Kong. I only got to see him for a few
hours," she finished softly, almost wistfully.
     Nabiki ignored most of her sister's words, only catching Ranma's
destination and when he had left. Her mind was burning in anger and
frustration. The idiot had run off without telling her. How the hell was
she supposed to keep Cologne and Shampoo occupied while he trained
Mousse? And what about all the others? The nerve of him. He had left her
his mess to clean up while he flitted away on his walk-about vacation
with Mousse. 
     "Shimatta!" she seethed between clenched teeth. "Why does he do
these things to me?" She turned on her sister. "What else did he say?"
     "I-I don't know. Just that he wouldn't be back for several
months." Akane stopped and looked at her sister. "He isn't in trouble,
is he?"
     "He will be when I get my hands on him," Nabiki stated flatly as
she began to walk from the yard, her sister forgotten in her anger. She
was beginning to regret allowing Ranma to railroad her. With him gone,
she was in the untenable position of covering his ass. Why couldn't he
have waited one day before running off with his pants still down? Didn't
he realize how many things had to be set in motion here? She did not
even know the time frame. How was she supposed to do this? One thing was
for sure. His bill was going to be a large one.
     Behind her, Akane sat unmoving in the grass. She watched Nabiki
disappear out of the gate, lost in her own problems. Tears were in her
eyes as she stumbled to her feet and ran to her room. There she threw
herself on her bed and silently riled against Fate for leaving her alone
once more. "Okaasan, where are you?" she sobbed into her pillow, trying
to will everything away. Like always, nothing happened.


                                -- 3 -- 


     Nabiki approached Ucchan's in a more stable state of mind. Her
sister's words had caught her off-guard, and that was why she had explo-
ded. Although she felt guilty for leaving her sister like that, she knew
that Kasumi was better prepared to deal with Akane's moods. Besides, she
was not interested in discussing how much her sister missed Ranma. She
was glad her sister had found someone, but that someone was causing her
more headaches and troubles than a busload of screaming children.
     She wished she could just leave him hanging on his ledge, but she
had made a deal with him. He told her the story and she did whatever was
necessary to help him. Of course that simply meant keeping Cologne and
Shampoo in the dark. Since he had made it harder for her, why could she
not make it harder for him? A few carefully dropped hints, a few sold
rumours and she was going to make a profit and hopefully teach Ranma a
lesson for once in his life.
     The small bell heralded her entrance into Ukyou's well-lit restau-
rant. Of the many people who had come to Nerima in Ranma's wake, Nabiki
admired only one of them, Ukyou, and even she would not admit it. She
saw in the young chef, if not a kindred spirit, than a similar ambition.
The girl had been able to carve a business for herself in the often
fierce competition between private owners. What was more, she had made a
profit from it and gained loyal customers while continuing her
education. 
     Nabiki knew promise when she saw it, and Ukyou was promising. If
she could get her hands on enough money, she would invest in Ukyou. The
girl could do wonders if she opened several more restaurants in the
Tokyo area. With businessmen's propensity for comfortable restaurants to
entertain their clients in, Nabiki knew Ucchan's could grab a hold of
that market. 
     The clean unassuming environment of the dining room, the well- 
spaced tables that offered the illusion of privacy while giving the
restaurant an open appearance, the tempting aroma of delicious food
constantly being grilled by the cute chef and delivered by the even
cuter waitress,  waiter' Nabiki reminded herself, Konatsu attracted the
right kind of crowd. If she could just get the money...
     No, that wasn't it. If she wanted to, she could get the money. The
problem lay in the fact that she was unsure of how Ukyou would take a
proposition like that. Nabiki knew that the restaurant had only opened,
like the Nekohanten, to allow the proprietor to be near her intended. It
was not a stable foundation to build a business on, much less several
businesses. How could she be sure of Ukyou's intentions? So she let an
opportunity slide, waiting for the right moment. With Ranma going to
Akane, it was possible that she would get her chance. What she needed to
do, however, was to see what Ukyou did when that happened.
     She had already proved capable of sinking to lower levels to get
what she wanted. Although Nabiki doubted  removing' Ranma was considered
less than kosher, she knew that Ukyou was unaccustomed to being given
anything, and as such was eminently capable of striving toward and
gaining what she wanted. Just like her restaurant. Just like she wanted
Ranma. 
     It was because of this that her steps had brought her to Ucchan's.
She didn't want Ranma out of her control. She was unable to go after
him, but Ukyou was another matter. Hopefully dropping the right hints
would push her in the right direction.
     As the tinkle of the bell died, Nabiki glanced around the cozy
dining area of Ucchan's. "Can I help you?" a young girl's voice asked as
the waitress entered the main room.
     "Konban wa, Konatsu," Nabiki answered as she took a table and
glanced up. Konatsu was dressed in a baby-blue waitress outfit, cut
tight to accent his legs and slim waist. His brown hair was loose and
cascaded across one shoulder, obscuring the loose white shirt he wore
open at the throat. A carefully placed smile was on his face as he
approached her table.
     "Oh hello, Nabiki. What brings you here?" Nabiki recognized
careful neutrality in Konatsu's voice. She was used to that tone. Most
people deluded themselves into thinking that if they acted passive, she
would pass them over. In all actuality, that passiveness was like chum
in the water for her. 
     "Not much. I just wanted to talk with Ukyou and get something to
eat," Nabiki answered as she glanced at the small menu. "How about a
Seafood Deluxe?"
     "Sure, I can get the Seafood Deluxe," Konatsu answered cheerfully,
"but Ukyou's busy."
     "Oh, I can wait. Besides, it's about Ranma," Nabiki smiled, "and I
know she's worried about him." Konatsu's face darkened at the mention of
Ranma's name, but said nothing as he went into the back to get her meal. 
     As Nabiki had expected, Ukyou brought her meal to her. "What can I
do for you, Nabiki?" Ukyou asked as she took the seat across from
Nabiki, placing the steaming okonomiyaki between them.
     "Nothing really," Nabiki answered as she began to eat. "This is
really good, Ukyou. New recipe?" 
     "Uh, yeah...I mean thanks, but...Ranchan?" Ukyou answered
flustered as Nabiki calmly ate her food. 
     "He's fine," Nabiki answered. "Can I have something to drink?"
Ukyou nodded numbly and motioned for Konatsu, who was watching from the
kitchen, to bring in some glasses and soda. 
     "Wh-what are you here for, Nabiki? And where the hell is my
Ranchan?!" Ukyou snapped, finally regaining her composure.
     "China," Nabiki answered. 
     "China?" Nabiki winced as Ukyou's voice rose a few octaves.
     "Thanks," she said dryly as Konatsu placed a glass in front of
her, shooting her a dirty glare as he walked away, "and yes, he's in
China. Or actually going to China. Hong Kong I think."
     "But-but I thought you were going to help him. That's why I tried
to help you. And now you let him run off to China?" Ukyou shook her head
in distaste. 
     Nabiki took another bite and then fixed a level gaze on Ukyou. "I
never  let' him leave. He wasn't even supposed to go anywhere until we
figured everything out, but  your' Ranchan is the most thick-headed,
dim-witted idiot I've ever dealt with."
     "He's gone to be with Shampoo, hasn't he?" Ukyou asked fearfully,
her head sinking to her chest.
     "I really couldn't tell you," Nabiki answered evasively. "He
wasn't in a good mood when I talked to him. The only person he said
good-bye to was Akane, and she has been upset all day." Nabiki bit down
on the last piece of okonomiyaki and quickly emptied her glass of soda.
Ukyou made no movement as Nabiki finished her meal, staring at her hands
clenched in front of her on the table. "Well, thanks for the food."
Nabiki dropped a bill on the table and stood up. "Don't worry Ukyou, you
 know' what Ranma's like." With that she left the restaurant.
     Outside she glanced up and down the street, undecided about her
next step. Things had gone perfectly with Ukyou. She had planted enough
doubt to send Ukyou scrambling off after Ranma. That, however, only made
sure that Ranma was held up to his end of the bargain. Dealing with
Shampoo and Cologne would be a little more difficult. An idea about how
she was going to take care of those two had been forming over the past
few hours. A certain classmate owed her big time from his gambling
losses. His father was in real estate and could possibly help her. The
only problem was that she needed a decent sum of money. 
     There were several people she could get a decent sum from, but only
one was open to unlimited extortion. Despite the distance she would have
to walk, it would be worth it. Buying a chilled drink from a nearby
vendor, she began to walk through the streets of Nerima. Although there
were dozens of available cabs, she was not about to pay the 3000 yen it
cost to get to her destination. 
     By the time she got there, though, she was regretting that deci-
sion. Despite her exercises and her slim figure, she was not in top
condition and was breathing hard as she took the last few steps to the
main gate. She took several deep breaths, bringing her breathing under
control before she knocked. It was never a good idea to start out a
conversation at a disadvantage. 
     It only took a few moments for the gate to open. "How may I help
you?" a soft voice asked from behind the gate.
     "How you doing, Sasuke?" Nabiki answered. "Could you tell Kunou
that I'd like to see him?"


                                -- 4 -- 


     "Ukyou-sama? Are you okay?" 
     Konatsu's soft voice floated into her blank mind, bringing her
back to reality. Blinking she looked at the empty plate in front of her,
the crisp bill laying next to it. Nabiki's words rang in her ears. Like
bells pealing in the morning, they would not give her peace. She could
only see Ranma wandering to China. Ranma walking into the Amazon
village, kneeling before Shampoo. Ranma raising his face and opening his
mouth, the words of acceptance...
     "No!" The restaurant snapped into focus as the denial tore through
her vocal cords. The table, the plate, the bill, and Konatsu's worried
eyes intent on her materialized within her foggy mind.
     "What's wrong, Ukyou-san? Can I do anything? Was it Nabiki?"
Konatsu's eyes hardened. "Did she threaten you?" When Ukyou didn't
answer, Konatsu stepped away from the table. Shucking his apron, the
petite ninja began to storm towards the door.
     Ukyou reacted quickly, grabbing the ninja's arm before he could
cause any trouble. "It wasn't Nabiki, Konatsu. She just told me
something I didn't want to hear," Ukyou assured her erstwhile suitor. 
     Silence fell between them. Konatsu slightly relieved yet worried
about Ukyou. He couldn't think of anything to say or ask, and Ukyou's
troubled expression offered him no advantage. Ukyou had set the rules
for their relationship a long time ago. He was her employee. He worked
in the restaurant and was given room and board with a small salary. She
would listen to his problems, but never come to him with her own. It was
a one-way street between them. He gave love and friendship, yet received
nothing in return. So how could he understand what was troubling Ukyou?
     Instead, he tried to ignore her problem and continue about his
work. Cleaning Nabiki's dishes away and ringing up her meal only took a
few moments though, and soon he was standing against the counter, watch-
ing Ukyou's troubled face once more. He wished he could do something,
but there was nothing to do. So he watched and wrung his dish rag in
frustration.
     Ukyou for her part had sunk into oblivion. She noticed Konatsu
cleaning the table and watching her from the grill, but the meaning of
those activities escaped her. All thought was submerged as she kept
hearing Nabiki's words, wondering what she had meant. Why had Ranma gone
to China? 
     She did not know, but she could guess. It was the thought of what
he might do that scared her. She did not want to lose Ranma. If it was
Akane, she might not have been as terrified, but it was Shampoo. That
meant Ranma would be in China, out of her reach for the rest of their
lives. She would not even have his friendship to tide her over.
     The tinkling of the bell broke her thoughts. She glanced up to see
a heavyset man walk in, a smile on his face. He was a regular and waved
at Ukyou and Konatsu before taking his table. Sighing, Ukyou pushed away
from the table and went over to the grill. 
     The man always wanted the same, but as Ukyou looked at the batter
and the grill, she could not bring herself to begin making the okonomi-
yaki. "Are you sure you don't need any help, Ukyou?" Konatsu asked.
     This time Ukyou, just looked at the grill for a moment. "Can you
run the shop for a while, Konatsu?" Ukyou asked. "I-I need to go sit for
a spell and think."
     Ukyou didn't wait for Konatsu's answer. She knew her companion
would take care of the customers. He was a good cook and could make
okonomiyaki almost as well as she could. And with her mind spinning in
its quagmire, he probably was better than her, she decided. Turning she
left the kitchen and Konatsu and made her way to the stairs and up to
her room.
     Pushing the door open, she stepped inside, closed the door behind
her, and leaned against it, fighting back the tears. With Ranma gone she
had nothing in her life. All she had was this restaurant and her few
personal possessions. And what were they worth?
     Looking around the room she could find nothing that made her life
worth living. It was a small room, bereft of furniture and decoration.
Only a small bed covered in a dark quilt and a wooden chair next to a
cheap desk that had been left behind by the former owner. She had no
possessions but a few changes of clothes, her bandolier of spatulas, and
her memories, all of them residing in a small picture album.
     Sniffling, she went to her desk and pulled open a drawer. Inside
was a small leather-bound book with her name emblazoned in gold on the
cover. Gently, Ukyou reached inside and removed the album. Cradling the
well-worn leather to her bosom, she made her way to her bed and sat on
the bed, drawing her legs up until she was sitting Indian style. 
     Placing the album on her legs, she ran her hands across the smooth
leather, enjoying the feeling of security and comfort it gave her. She
knew every picture in it by heart. Each image was branded into her mind
as permanently as a tattoo was on skin. This small little album held her
life in it. It was her diary. Her dreams, hopes, falls, peaks, her
triumphs and failures encapsulated within a few pictures of places and
people. Whenever she was troubled, this small album invariably found its
way into her hands. Then she could remind herself why she had chosen the
paths she had, why she had done what she had done. It put a perspective
on her life, a reality of goal and meaning that did not come from what
she owned or accomplished but from what she had experienced and endured.
     Absently, her hand flipped open the album to the center of the
book. Each page held a picture, and there were no pictures on the backs
of any pages. She did not why she had done it that way, but for some
reason the solitary pictures had more meaning, more impact than any
collage could ever have. In the picture, her father and mother, with her
younger brother between them, stood before the family's restaurant.
After one glance at the picture, she hastily turned to earlier pages.
     She hated that picture, but could never bring herself to remove it
from the album. It was not the picture itself that repulsed her. She
loved her parents and brother, at least she had tried to. It was the
memory of loss and emptiness that came with it. 
     Although they had never spoken it in words, Ukyou knew her parents
had been ashamed of her and disappointed because of the humiliation
brought about by Genma. She couldn't bring herself to condemn Ranma for
what had happened. Wanting to kill him had only come from the pressure
her parents had placed on her to regain her honour. "You're not our
daughter," they said. "We have no daughter. You're our son from now on."
     "But, Otoosan," Ukyou cried, "how can I marry Ranma as a boy?"
     The slap caught her off guard, causing her to cry out. With tears
in her eyes, she looked up to the loving man who had always been there
for her only to see her father's eyes burning like Hell's forge. "Never
speak that name. He left you. He is an honourless burakumin and has
dishonoured our family and our ancestors." There were no more words
spoken on the subject. Her father had made her duty clear. She was a son
now, an heir who would take vengeance for the slight of their family.
     She had grown up with that. Her mother had tried to comfort her at
first, but her father's anger was always there, pushing the family away
from her. Somehow they had put the blame as much on her as it had gone
on Ranma. The only approval she received was when she trained and acted
like a boy. Then her father would watch and nod his head in consent and
teach her. But even that disappeared when her younger brother was born.
     The family now had another child to carry on the line. What need
did they have of a disgraced daughter? She tried to bear it out, but the
loveless life became too much for the lonely nine year old. Everything
she did was meet with indifference. If she excelled, they were as
indifferent as the mountains. If she failed, they shrugged it off as
what was expected from a child such as she. Eventually, she had needed
an outlet, and she refused to go against her parents. She had wanted
them to love and approve of her, so she turned on Ranma, the only person
who had ever been her friend, and began to hate him. It was a major
change. She had always blamed Ranma's father up to that point. But the
constant badgering and the denunciations against Ranma had gotten to
her. It was easier not to resist and to go along with everyone else.
     Even then they did not care. Her hate was simply a way to keep her
going; it gave her a goal. She learned her mother's martial style. She
watched the attention lavished on her sibling that transcended even her
mother's martial instructions. As the indifference continued, the hate
and anger against Ranma and her life continued to burn. Finally, the
years of indifference and her vengeful anger boiled over, and at the
tender age of fourteen, she gave up trying to become accepted as she
realized she had to make her own way. She announced that she was going
to find Ranma and kill him, thereby gaining back her honour and family.
     "I'm glad you finally decided to do your duty, Son," her father
stated and then left the room. 
     "Take care." It was the only words her mother gave her. Ukyou left
that very night. She knew no one would see her off. She doubted anyone
would have missed her if she had just walked away one night.
     Tears were pouring down her cheeks as she flipped the page to an
earlier picture. For two years she attempted to find Ranma, nurturing
her hatred as if it were a hurt puppy. By the time she reached Nerima,
it was a vicious wolf held tightly in check, waiting to be loosed upon
Ranma and Genma. Genma felt the wrath of hatred first, but when Ranma
came along he held out his hand and tamed her hate with but a word.
     Her eyes fell to the album again. It was an older picture. Ranma
was pushing her on a merry-go-round as she leaned back, her mouth open
wide in laughter, a swirl of leaves floating by them. Even in the
picture, Ukyou could see the exuberant light in Ranma's eyes as he
watched his friend. They were the closest, the best of friends. 
     Quickly, she flipped the page. She knew the next picture by heart.
Her and Ranma in front of their tree, hands on each other's shoulders as
they watched each other. She remembered the day that picture was taken.
It was the day before Ranma had left. They had just finished their
okonomiyaki when Ranma was called home by his father. They always parted
the same. 
     Ranma walked up to her smiling. He placed his hands on her
shoulders. "Ucchan."
     Ukyou repeated the gesture, her hands resting on his shoulders.
"Ranchan."
     "Friends?" Ranma asked.
     "Always and forever, Ranchan," Ukyou answered. 
     "Itsumo to eien ni, Ucchan," he would repeat, his face lighting up
in joy. He hugged her before running home, waving goodbye as he
disappeared up the street.
     He hadn't said that when she returned to challenge him. He had
either assumed it or cared little about it. She wondered if he even
remembered the little ritual or knew how much those words had meant to
her. Ranchan and Ucchan, always and forever. That was how it was
supposed to be, but now he was running off to China. They wouldn't even
be friends anymore. 
     The thought was a blow to her. When she had found Ranma after
their separation, she had discovered something that she had always
lacked throughout her life, acceptance and approval. Ranma took
everything that she had lugged into that challenge, the years of change,
the festering hatred, the painful memories, and swept them away like
they were cobwebs in the attic.  He had accepted her as a friend, and
given her companionship and love. Sure, it was always the love of a
friend, but the love of a friend could grow into the love of a life.
     Over the months though, she had seen that it was not going to be
like that. Ranma didn't want her to love him. He seemed to avoid any
kind of involvement like that. He sought out her friendship. He wanted
her trust and a sympathetic ear, and she handed that to him without
reservation. If she was denied his love, she desired his friendship.
Without that she would sink back and become useless like she had been
for her family. 
     Everything had been done for Ranma. The restaurant set up so she
could be beside him forever. Her travels and training had been to find
him. She had suffered because of him. She deserved at least his friend-
ship, and his love, in the end, became a dream she held closer than the
hate she had nurtured for years. If he was going to China, she had to
stop him. She had to convince him that Shampoo was not right for him. So
what about his stupid promise. She had lost her family when he had left
her. If he lost his family because he broke the oaths, they could become
a family. That was what she wanted. 
     Her decision made, she closed her eyes and imagined how beautiful
that would be. Slowly, sleep overtook her and she sank back onto her
bed. The album slid from her lap to the quilt, a page flipping to show
the young Ranma and Ukyou with their arms about each others shoulders,
sharing an ice cream as they stuck their tongues out at the camera.


                                -- 5 -- 


     Kunou Tatewaki, a mountain of undauntable persistence and dubious
intelligence, was troubled. Nay, he was not troubled. His mind was a
quandary of doubts and morose thoughts that placed him in the throes of
a crisis of proportions that would have daunted the greatest minds,
hence the dilemma for Kunou. Before him, floating in a small bowl of
water, was the source of his troubles, a few wretched petals, slowly
withering and dying. They were the remnants of a rose that had repre-
sented his love, a rose that had been cast aside with the malicious
callousness of a lover slighted by infidelity.
     If that were not enough to bring Kunou to his knees in despair,
the visit of his classmate and love's sister, Tendou Nabiki, had brought
him much distress. Her words, dearly paid for, indicated that his
fortunes had indeed changed, yet he was uncertain whether the kami
played into his hand now or, inwardly filled with derisive laughter at
his plight, passed him by like one did a wretched beggar.
     Closing his eyes, he ran his hands along the cold metal of the
naked katana that lay across his upper thighs. This was a solid thing,
an object that had no complications or subtleties of the mind. It was
logic, training, and endless, persistent practice. With a katana there
were no surprises, only the basic forms, the positions off those forms.
Your opponent stood before you, blade at the ready. One would attack,
one defend. Mind, spirit, body, and soul all melded with cold steel to
turn it from inanimate to a living part of the body. So simple, so
unfettered by doubts and uncertainties. Why could life not emulate it?
     Saotome Ranma. That was why.
     The world had begun to turn his way when Saotome had at last been
laid low and placed in the hospital. When the news of that joyous
occasion had reached his ears, he had been ecstatic that his loves would
be free, but then Saotome had returned. With him, however, came the
tidings of a broken engagement. Kunou had cared little whether Ranma or
Akane had broken the vow. It was the fact that Tendou Akane had been
free at last. 
     Even when Saotome had stepped in between them and assaulted him
without pretext, he was not downtrodden. It was just one more indication
that the honourless cur was becoming desperate. So he bided his time and
turned his attentions unto his elusive Osage-no-onna. Before his search
even began it ended as the miraculous occurred. Saotome disappeared from
the Earth. None, not even the larcenous Tendou Nabiki, had known of the
disappearance or where the leech had fled. Surely, it was a sign from
the heavens that Saotome had conceded to the majestic skills of the Blue
Thunder of Furinkan High. 
     When his steps had brought him to Tendou Dojo, so that he might
bask in the warmth of his love like a tiger sunning upon a rock, he
found her whereabouts as elusive as his Osage-no-onna. He waited for
over a week, preparing himself each day to face her and gather her love
to him like a bouquet of fragrant blossoms. Finally, the destined day
dawned, and he saw her lithe form approaching the school she had been
astray from for so long. He saw her troubled face and weary steps. Hen,
as he stepped forward to assert his love, she had taken it and thrown it
back into his face with the most vile of epithets and words.
     For the first time in his life, he was disillusioned. He saw the
truth, that she did not love him. No longer was Saotome there to hold
her in check and bind her to his nefarious ways. No, she had rejected
him of her own volition, and as a knife thrust to the kidneys does, that
single revelation brought him to his knees.
     It had been a rare moment of clarity for Kunou. The pain of Akane's
words had for a single moment lifted him from the haze he had surrounded
himself in, but just as quickly he surrendered to the haze of madness,
allowing it to overtake him, drag him down, and drown him. 
     It was impossible to deny her words. For each day since, he had
attempted to find a crack within her declaration of hatred that would
allow him within her heart. There was none, but his determination was
never culled by this. There was always a weakness, even in the greatest
swordsman. 
     Then, in his darkest hour, Nabiki had come to him.
     She brought a tale of Ranma abandoning Akane and heading for China.
She brought with her a ray hope, yet the clouds of doubt still darkened
the horizon. It was obvious that Ranma no longer held Akane's heart. If
he had, he would not have left as he did. Instead the question became
whether of not Ranma had influenced his stray love into denouncing him
with vituperative words and actions that cut like a sharp blade.  
     It was impossible for Kunou to even give credence to the belief
that Akane held him in disregard much less hate. It must, therefore, be
the work of that wretched Saotome who had, for months, slowly poison the
heart of his beloved. That was the answer. It had to be.
     Kunou sighed and raised his face to the pictures of his two loves.
Akane in her gi, her eyes burning with fire, hung on his sword hand to
give her strength a place of honour. The demure and innocent Osage-no- 
onna hung above his literate left, the hand he used to compose and
arrange flowers and art. 
     He had pursued them with a vigor that bordered on inhuman and many
times passed beyond that indefinite boundary. Every waking moment had
been spent in contemplation of this single goal. He would never admit
that it was a goal that was beyond his reach. Bushidou dictated that
every goal could be achieved by committing himself fully to the pursuit
and final capture of them. He had done that with admiration, rising to
meet each challenge with the dignity and reserve that one of his
position was required to maintain. 
     Observing those symbols of his love, he became uncertain about
what he had done. At first Akane's strength and violent denunciations of
all affection from him and others had brought him to the conclusion that
she desired to be defeated, but was that truly the case? Was it possible
that she did not want to be defeated? Did she wish to be won over as his
Osage-no-onna wished to be, with words and gestures instead of sword and
fist?
     The idea, like the parting of the clouds to reveal the whole
starry universe at night, opened a new world to the desperate, would-be
samurai. It was apparent to him now where he had gone wrong. His beloved
Akane had never desired to be defeated, she wanted to be treated as a
woman and not a prize. How many times had she told him that? How many
were the denunciations against him for trying to claim her like a prize?
He had heard the same many times as she explained the truth, vehemently,
to the wretched Saotome and others who wished to have her hand. 
     A new world opened within Kunou's clouded mind. He saw what he
needed to do as if it were written on the picture of his beloved in
front of him. He smiled, the depression of many months lifting from his
shoulders. Picking up the bowl in front of him, he emptied it onto the
floor. It no longer held significance. His path was set.


                                -- 6 -- 


     Nabiki walked the darkening streets of Nerima with a satisfied
smile on her face. It had been a profitable night. Ukyou set to watch on
Ranma and Kunou holding a lighter wallet proved that. It might even be
worth treating herself to dinner, but she disliked premature celebra-
tion. There were still things to accomplish.
     Although she was still irritated with Ranma, her displeasure had
cooled under her successes, and there was more to come. Despite her
trepidations, she knew Ranma would return one way or another. Ukyou was
just to prove to him how annoyed she truly was. In a way she was looking
forward to delaying Cologne. There were several ways she could go about
it, but the one that had prompted her visit to Kunou was probably the
easiest. She would have to talk to Takezo the next morning and set up
the meeting she needed. It was highly improper to approach a businessman
directly. She'd allow Takezo to set up the go-en, and then she'd proceed
with ease. If everything went right, Cologne would be having some major
difficulties, and Nabiki knew she might make enough money to last the
family several months. If nothing else that would cover Ranma's costs
for keeping im and Akane together.
     Nabiki frowned at the thought. She suddenly remembered the grief- 
stricken face of her sister. In her rush of anger she had left Akane
alone to deal with a problem that should not have been there. If she had
spoken with Ranma like she insisted, Ranma must have explained things to
her. So why was she depressed? It made no sense. Her younger sister had
been almost glowing when she came to the table that morning, maybe a
little green but glowing. Making a mental note, Nabiki decided to talk
to her sister as soon as possible.
     With one more problem partially solved she started whistling as
she walked the streets. Then she saw a familiar  acquaintance' roaming
the streets ahead of her. She smiled. The night was just getting better
and better. "Hey, Takanari!" she called out. 
     Her victim flinched at the sound of her voice and cast a nervous
glance over his shoulder. Nabiki saw him frantically search the street
for an escape and then let his shoulders fall in defeat. Smiling like a
cat over a cornered mouse, Nabiki moved in for the kill. Her day was
ending better than it had begun, but the game had just begun. Anything
could happen.

                          Author's Notes:
     
     Translator's Notes-
     
eien ni - eternally or forever.

itsumo  - always

to - and

itsumo to eien ni is therefore - always and forever... 

burakumin - the lowest caste in Japanese society. These people
     generally handled such detestable tasks as handling dead    
     people and running the prisons etc...

go-en - en is relationship go is an honourific. This generally denotes
     the realtionship that is required to do business in Japan. One can
     only do business with a person you know, and so generally a go-
     between is used to introduce two prospective partners and form a 
     en between them.    


     Alright. Author's notes, finally. 
     This took me awhile to write for several reasons. One it was
originally pt 2 of ch 5. But as I started wriitng this, it became
apparent that it would be easier and less confusing foor you the reader
to place this as pt 1, also it would keep the time lne intact.The
original pt 1 is now pt 3 and pt 2 has to be written, but I don't think
it will be too hard.
     Okay, as I mentioned this was not sent to a prereader so there are
mistakes in it and I'd appreciate anyone's help In pointing them out. 
     As you can tell, MASN is breaking into several different plot
lines. I could have devted a separate chapter to each, ie dealt with
Ranma and Mousse as one chapter, Nabiki and her escapeades as another,
but I decided to meld them together and try and see how it works. I hope
it works oaky, but you can never be sure with these kind of things.
     Like before, My chapters always tend to start out slow. I don't
know why, they just do. Maybe it will change later, but you never know.
I hiope this part is as enjoyable and as interesting as the last parts.
Thanks for reading and please comment.

     Until next time...
     Joseph Kohle


   ----*----*----*----*----*----*----*----*----*----
   All rights and priveleges to Ranma Nibunnoichi       
   belong to Takahashi Rumiko. The characters of            
   her series are used without her permission for        
   the purpose of entertainment only. This work of 
   fiction is not meant for sale or profit.                    
                                                                  
   All original characters are the creation of the
   author. All copyright privileges to these chara-
   cters are reserved for the author.

   This story is a product of the author's hard work    
   and imagination. Do not modify, add to, or make 
   use of any part of this work without the author's 
   knowledge and consent. Please feel free to archive 
   this work.                             
                                                                  
   Comments and criticism are welcome.                   
   Written by Joseph A. Kohle, (c) 1997.                 
   Send all comments to ashira@worldnet.att.net 
   Find my fanfics at 
   http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Flats/6184/index.html