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 II: Hara-no Sasyaki


                                -- 1 -- 


     The sun was burning brightly in the sky, burning off the overcast
sky that hung over Tokyo. A steady breeze that carried a brisk, brine- 
tasting sea air from the Pacific, seemed to caress every part of the
body as it swirled clothes and hair alike. In the trees, the birds
greeted the day with exuberant songs, trilling in competition with each
other and filling the air with an impromptu concert. Though it was
early, the day held all the promise of being a beautiful one.
     It was a day in which the office became a stuffy prison, the
classroom an eternity in Hell as, just outside the window, clouds
dallied in the sky while fragrant breezes, that spoke of relief and
enjoyment, swirled mockingly among the leaves. It was days like these
that made people wish they were retired or young children again, free of
care to enjoy the spring warmth and escape for but a few moments.
     Akane cared little either way. 
     School or freedom was a dubious comfort to her. Neither would
change her predicament, and neither would help her solve it. As she
walked to school alone, an experience she expected to become used to as
one becomes used to solitary confinement, she tried to ignore the voice
that told her she should tell someone or at least get some help. Ignor-
ing it, however, was easier than dealing with the shame and fear that
would come from telling anyone. In addition, she hadn't had a moment to
decide on a course of action. The day before she had been in too much
shock to dwell on her circumstances, much less think straight. Maybe she
might have been able to deal with it if P-chan hadn't run away. She
might have unburdened her predicament to someone if Nabiki hadn't left
her alone by the dojo. Yet, those things had happened, and she now knew
the awful truth. She was alone, and she had to deal with it alone.
     She glanced up at the approaching gate of Furinkan. There was no
point dwelling on her problems at school. It was already known that she
had gone home sick the day before and had been sick previous to that.
There was no point in generating questions she was unable and unwilling
to answer. Toufu-sensei wished to see her after school, and she would
start worrying then. Until that time, it was better to put on a face,
like she always did, and act as if nothing was out of the ordinary.
Luckily, it was a Saturday, so she only had to deal with four hours of 
torture. More importantly, Mio, the one person Akane could always trust
on to make her problems disappear, was waiting by the gate. 
     Mio had a worried frown on her face as Akane walked up to her.
Akane gave her friend a wan smile in return, but she knew that keeping
secrets from Mio was an exercise in futility. They had know each other
for a long time, and because of that, they had very few secrets from the
other and an inkling of what the other was thinking. "Are you okay,
Akane-chan?" Mio asked, falling in step with Akane as she passed.
     "Not the best," Akane answered, "but I'm sure I'll get better.
It's just this thing with Ranma and everything around it."
     "He left?" There was soft concern in Mio's voice. For some reason
it made Akane feel better to know someone was worried about her.
     Akane nodded, smiling as she fought back the rush of loneliness.
"Yesterday morning. He stopped to say good-bye first." Akane couldn't
keep the blush from her cheeks as she thought about what that farewell
had involved. 
     "It must have been interesting to make you blush like that," Mio
commented with a giggle. Akane's blush deepened as she was forced to
think about it even further. She really hadn't had much chance to think
about what had happened. With Ranma leaving, her discovered pregnancy,
and the events of the previous night, she hadn't been given the chance
to, but at Mio's words, a rush of very pleasant images and feelings
cascaded through her mind. Had she really been that forward?
     "I'll tell you about it later," Akane said, pointedly throwing
glances at the students around them. 
     Mio nodded her head in understanding before picking up the
conversation again. "You shouldn't be sick so much," Mio admonished
Akane. "You missed the funniest thing yesterday." Mio had an uncanny
sense of when it was the best time to steer the conversation in another
direction, and the fact that she was able to do it with very little
awkwardness was useful at times like these.
     "I'll try," Akane said quietly, grateful for the change of subje- 
cts. She had been violently ill that morning and was seriously doubting
that she would ever get used to it. "But at least you can tell me what
happened."
     "Well, you see, it all began with Takezo and Diasuke. They thought
it'd be..." Akane listened with feigned interest as she and her friend
entered the school and made their way to class. From what she heard, the
story sounded like an interesting one, but it was impossible to make
herself become interested in it. Mio didn't seem to care, though, and
chatted on as they walked the hallways of Furinkan. They parted ways at
Akane's homeroom, and Akane slipped into the room as the bell rang. 
     When the bell rang for the first class of the day, it was as if a
prison door had been slammed and locked in Akane's face. Although she
had hoped that school might take her mind off her problems, the droning
voice of her teachers, discussing some unimportant aspect of history,
math, or English grammar, couldn't hold her attention. So Akane, who had
spent the last several days sleeping more than she had been awake, was
unable to nod off like most of the class. Because of this, the morning
passed slowly, like an eternity in Purgatory, for Akane.
     So, when the final bell for the day rang at noon, Akane almost
bolted from her seat. Only Mio calling her name halted Akane from
getting out of the door before everyone. Despite he impatience with
being in school, and her need to go see Toufu-sensei, Akane was not
about to ignore her best friend. She waited calmly for Mio to join them.
Another one of Akane's friends, Sayuri, a slim girl with dark hair that
hung down to her waist, joined them. Akane saw Yuka still standing at
her desk, glancing between Akane and Raiko who was talking animatedly to
Koiko, making it obvious she was ignoring Akane. Yuka took one last look
at Raiko, shrugged er shoulders when Raiko didn't notice her, and went
over to join Akane and her small group.
     "So are you gonna tell us what happened?" Sayuri asked in a hushed
voice. 
     "What do you mean by 'what happened'?" Akane demanded.
     "There are rumors all over the school, Akane," Sayuri explained in
an exaggerated tone. "Everyone's got a different story, a few people
have two or three. Some are saying Ranma ran off with the Chinese girl.
What's her name?"
     "Shampoo," Mio supplied.
     "Yeah that's it. Some are saying you kicked him out. Raiko even
went so far as to suggest that you put him in the hospital because he
was sleeping with some other girl."
     "Nani?" 
     "It's true," Yuka said. "Raiko's been spreading all kinds of nasty
rumours. The problem is they are almost believable, and people are
believing her."
     "I didn't do anything to Ranma. He had to go to China and that is
all. He'll be back in a few months. Just wait. You'll see."
     "No need to get grouchy," Sayuri admonished. "We just wanted to
know what was going on."
     "Gomen," Akane apologized, "I've just been out of sorts for the
past few days."
     "What's wrong?" Yuka asked.
     "She's been sick," Mio explained.
     "Yeah, and I've gotta go see Toufu-sensei about it pretty soon,"
Akane said. "If you don't mind, I'll say good-bye now. I've really got
to run."
     "That's okay, Akane. We'll just have to get together later. I'll
call you," Yuka said. "I hope you feel better."
     "So do I," Akane said as she turned away and weaved her way past
the students crowding the hall. It took her almost five minutes to get
down to the front steps, but when she did, she set out across the yard,
planning to take a quick short-cut to Toufu's clinic. It wasn't that she
was in a hurry, she just didn't want to be bothered by people, and no
one, except the teams, would be over by the sports fields for awhile.
More importantly, she enjoyed walking the school grounds in the early
spring. All the trees were just putting foliage on their branches,
barren from the winter chill. She had always loved watching the trees
bloom in the spring, it was one of the reasons she always ran in the
park, but she had almost missed it this year, and she was content to
slowly walk in the yard, alone with her thoughts.
      Because of this she was surprised and more than a little angry
when Kunou fell in step beside her. "I have searched long and hard for
thee, Tendou Akane," Kunou said. "There are things that I must needs to
impart unto you unless, like frolicsome nymphs, I do waste my time with
loquacious praise and dwell fulsomely on thy beauty and spirit."
     "Kunou-senpai!" Akane snapped, her eyes blazing in anger. Halting
in mid-step and spinning to face the egotistical kendoist, she thrust
her finger accusingly at him. "I'm in no mood to listen to your babbl-
ing nonsense! If you wanna talk to me spit it out, or I'm knocking you
senseless. And don't even think about giving me that flower." She
directed her finger and smoldering gaze at the single rose Kunou held in
his hand. "I already told you that I don't want anything to do with you,
and there is nothing you can say or do that will make me change my
mind!"
     Surprisingly, Kunou took a step back. "It was my intent to bring
you a gift, just as Polonius gave Julius Caesar Pompey's head, to show
my respect instead of bring about thy hot rage and vindictive words. It
is always thus when I bring myself before thee. Thy beauty and grace are
a siren's call to my heart, forcing me to put aside all reason, but now
I tie myself to the mast and do what is right instead of leap into the
waters to reach that impossible goal."
     "What are you getting at?" Akane asked impatiently.
     "I have come, with repentant and open heart, to ask thy forgive-
ness." The words struck Akane dumb. Kunou Tatewaki was more incapable of
apology than Ranma. To hear it freely given felt like the first time
Ranma had whispered "I love you" to her. "I have wronged thee, Tendou
Akane. It hath always been my intent, like a samurai bent on his goal,
to win thee through strength and victory on the field of battle, yet my
ways were an empty and hollow means through which my claim on thee
wouldst be secured more tightly than a ship hawsered at dock. Thou, like
my Osage-no-onna, art a tender blossom to be nurtured instead of rudely
plucked from the ground like some base weed, as I hath treated thee, and
for such treatment of thy person am I covered in most heinous shame that
bringeth about my contrite words like the glacier doth give birth to the
crystal clear stream whose waters will refresh and sustain instead of
mar and sicken the landscape like those polluted by the leavings of
unjust war."
     "Kunou," Akane said quietly, her mind vainly attempting to sort
through the gibberish Kunou had just spouted at her,"I know you want to
impress me, but I've got things to do. I accept your apology, but I need
to get going."
     "Tarry for but a moment more, Tendou Akane, for my words shalt not
linger much longer, though I would talk until the sun died to keep thy
visage before me."
     "I'm sure you would," Akane muttered dryly, shuddering at the
prospect, "but could you get to the point?"
     "Hai," Kunou said. "I hath sought thee out to debase mine self
before thee and offer eloquent words of apology for the cretin conduct
of mine, but also, I have brought myself, like a petitioner before the
Emperor, to offer mine friendship to thee in thy times of need and dire
straits. I have wronged thee with previous acts of aggression and ego-
driven madness, and mine one and only desire, and shalt I die content if
it be fulfilled, is to make those wrongs right by being as a rock for
thee to stand upon. Mayhap, we can put aside our bickering of the past,
and become companions, and, may it be so, more."
     "Kunou, I really appreciate this, at least I think I do, but right
now, I can't take anything else in my life. I thank you for your hones-
ty, but too much has happened to just let it be water under the bridge."
Akane turned to leave.
     "Hold, please," Kunou said, his voice almost stricken. "Even if
thou dost not wish mine company as a scarf that holds off the chill of
winter frost, I doth insist on being a shadow that can watch over thee
in thy troubles. It is all I ask."
     Akane sighed. "I'll think about it, Kunou-senpai, but right now
I'm too busy. I'll see you." Akane quickly walked away before Kunou
could say another word. She was baffled by the entire exchange, but it
wasn't important. Weirdness and Kunou went hand in hand. She simply
assumed it was another ploy of his to make her love him. She wondered
what it would take to make him realize that she loved Ranma. Marriage
was the only one she could think of, and even that might not work. After
all, he had never caught on to Ranma's curse, despite being shown it
several times. Sighing, Akane pushed the problem of Kunou to the back of
her mind and walked reluctantly to her appointment with Toufu-sensei.


                                -- 2 -- 


     "Boss?"
     "What can I do for you, Kumi?" Nabiki asked as her associate fell
in step next to her. The final bell had just rung, and they were walking
down the steps and out into the main yard where Nabiki generally
conducted business.
     "I was just curious."
     "About what?" Nabiki asked, looking over at her partner. Kumi was
in the grade beneath Nabiki, but she was a good worker, and had a knack
for the business. She was a few centimeters shorter than Nabiki and wore
her dark hair loose around her shoulders, so it swayed with each step.
She didn't wear make-up, and wore thin-framed reading glasses over her
dark, almond-shaped eyes.
     "Well, we haven't really done any business recently, and I was
wondering what was going on? I mean you haven't asked me or Yoko to get
you anything in the last week."
     "Speaking of Yoko, where is she?" Nabiki asked as she directed
Kumi toward the athletic fields.
     "She had to go visit her grandmother. She's dying." 
     "I'm sorry. I'll have to get her something," Nabiki mussed as she
scanned the school ground for any sign of Yoshioka Takezo.
     "I'm sure she'll appreciate that, Boss, but it still doesn't help
me. I kinda need some money, and if you don't give me assignments ..."
Kumi left the phrase hanging. She knew Nabiki didn't like to be pushed
for money, but she was desperate. To her surprise, Nabiki stopped and
smiled at her.
     "I'm sorry, Kumi," Nabiki said, opening her bookbag. "I haven't
meant to neglect you or Yoko, but I've been very busy. I should've
called you, especially since I'm behind on my collections. Here, take
this packet." Nabiki pulled a legal envelope from her bag and handed it
to Kumi.
     "What's this?" Kumi asked as she opened it and glanced inside.
     "Those people owe me money. Most are due today, but a few are
late. If they are a day late, charge them the usual fee. If they are
more than that..." Nabiki paused for a moment, thinking. "If they are
more than a day late just charge a percentage of the interest. Make it
eight percent instead of sixteen."
     "You're giving them a discount?!?" Kumi nearly shouted in shock.
     "Well, that's one way to put it," Nabiki answered, zipping up her
bag. "I'm still getting some money, but it is my fault for the delay. I
know none of them want to pay me, but I've not been there to remind
them, so I'll be nice today, but only if they are more than a day late
... and less than three. Okay?" Nabiki added after a slight pause.
     "I got it, Boss. But what if they don't have the money?"
     Nabiki smiled evilly. "Double the interest and apply it retroac- 
tively." Nabiki started to walk away, and then turned back. "Oh yeah.
Also tell them it doubles each day they don't pay."
     "No prob, Boss, and thanks," Kumi gave Nabiki a quick, vicious
smile and headed off toward the other end of the school, leaving Nabiki
to her own devices. Nabiki wasn't worried about Kumi. She was a very
accomplished girl with a good head on her shoulders. In the past, Nabiki
had sometimes gained more money out of Kumi's exploits than her own.
Yoko was the same way, and it was one of the reasons Nabiki did business
with them, that and they were willing and nearly enthusiastic to work
for her. Of course a little incentive never hurt, and that was why she
gave Kumi and Yoko a percentage of whatever money they collected from
her 'customers' and debtors. It wasn't much, but, over time, a twelve
percent gain on each deal could rake in a good deal of freehand cash.
There was also the added benefit of freeing up her own time for more
delicate deals, like what she was doing now.
     Yoshioka Takezo's father was a real estate agent whose expertise
would be useful in dealing with Cologne. She needed Takezo, though, to
approach him. Usually Takezo could be found in the cafeteria at lunch,
but this was Saturday, and he always hung out with the school rugby team
before their game. When she arrived at the field, however, he was no-
where to be found. Frustrated, Nabiki turned around to head over to the
track, when she saw her sister talking with Kunou by the soccer field.
They appeared to be arguing, well at least Akane was gesticulating in
anger while Kunou calmly accepted it.
     For a moment Nabiki considered going over and helping her sister.
She was still feeling guilty about leaving her sister alone last night,
and she had not been able to talk to Akane before school or last night.
Akane had been asleep when Nabiki had returned and she had risen early
to get to school early. She took a step toward her sister, and then she
noticed Takezo walking toward the rugby field. Caught in a moment of
indecision, she was rooted in place. She had to talk to Takezo as soon
as possible, and Akane could take care of herself with Kunou. Besides,
she doubted Akane would want to discuss anything personal in front of
Kunou, much less on the school ground. Glancing back over at Kunou and
Akane, she saw her sister had calmed down somewhat, and Kunou, amaz-
ingly, was still standing unscathed. 
     It was obvious the trouble was past, but Nabiki was more than a
little curious by the turn of events. She was not, however, curious
enough to forgo her surprise meeting with Takezo. She promised herself
to check on Akane later. With her conscience at rest, Nabiki turned and
made her way toward the unsuspecting Takezo.
     "Hey, Takezo!" Nabiki called out cheerfully. Takezo visibly
flinched at Nabiki's greeting. That was one of the main reasons Nabiki
loved greeting people like that. It put them off balance from the start
and gave her the edge she needed.
     "Listen, Nabiki," Takezo was saying as she walked up to him, "I
don't have a lot of money on me now. I'll have some of it next week
though. Really, I will. I swear!"  Nabiki silently congratulated and
berated herself at the same time. She had had no reason to be worried.
Takezo owed her so much money that what she was going to ask of him
would be a relief to him. He would fall over himself in his efforts to
ingratiate himself to her.
     "That's good," Nabiki stated, eyeing him up and down like one does
a side of beef before buying it. He was a tall, thin young man, with
dark eyes, scraggly dark hair that never seemed to stay in place, and a
thin face with pale skin that made him look older than he actually was.
It was probably a result of the stress his family and she put on him,
Nabiki decided. Nabiki, however, didn't feel the least bit of pity for
the emaciated, young man in front of her. "It doesn't help to let the
interest pile up like you've been letting it."    
     "I'm sorry, my father is just not giving me as much money as he
used to. I think he thinks I'm wasting it."
     "Aren't you though?" Nabiki asked. "You've been gambling with me
for four years, and I've only got those first three months showing
anything resembling a profit for you." Nabiki suddenly smiled and waved
her hand dismissively. "But I didn't come here to talk about that."
     "Then what do you want?" Takezo asked in a relieved yet guarded
voice.
     "I actually wanted to talk to you about your father."
     The fear was instantly back in Takezo's eyes and voice. "Y-you
can't! If my father finds out how much I owe you, he'll kill me!"
     "Takezo, Takezo, Takezo," Nabiki admonished him, "you know I don't
involve family unless it is a more delicate matter. You're just in debt,
and I thought that you might want to do me a service that might reduce
that debt. But...if you don't..." Nabiki left it hanging.
     Takezo was quiet for a moment, nervously rubbing his long, thin
fingers together. "I'm listening," he finally said.
     "Wonderful. I knew we could work together. All I want from you is
to introduce me to your father. I want to talk some business with him,
and I can't approach him directly. You know how that goes, don't you?"
     Takezo nodded. "You want me to be your go-between."
     "Exactly, I knew you'd get it," Nabiki said. "I'll even take the
interest off your debt for this month as your fee. Do you think we have
a deal?"
     Takezo considered Nabiki's proposal for a moment. "And if I don't
help you?" 
     Nabiki just gave him a cold stare.
     "Okay, okay. I understand. I'll try and talk to my father. He'll
probably meet with you. Is tomorrow night a good enough time?"
     "No, Sunday is a bad day for business. Monday is much better,"
Nabiki answered after a little thought. "A dinner would be best. My
treat, at the Floating Plum?"
     "Hai. I'll broach the subject tonight."
     "Arigato, Takezo-san, I'm glad we could do business." Satisfied
with her progress, Nabiki left Takezo alone in the field, flustered by
what had just happened.


                                -- 3 -- 


     Akane nervously tapped her foot on the carpeted floor of Toufu- 
sensei's waiting room. She didn't understand why she was nervous. Actu-  
ally she knew why she was nervous, it was confusing her more why it was
making her nervous. She already knew she was pregnant. It wasn't like it
could get much worse, could it? The problem lay in the fact that she had
avoided or been unable to think about her delicate situation. She knew
that when Toufu called her back she would have to make some decisions.
She didn't want to. She just wanted to ignore it as long as she could,
hoping it was a dream. What she really wanted was the last few weeks to
just turn out to be dream, but neither was going to occur.
     "Akane, you can come back now," Toufu called from the hallway
leading back to his examination room.
     "Hai," Akane answered sullenly, extracting herself from the chair
and heading back toward the familiar room. Toufu was waiting for her,
sitting in a chair. There was another one set up across from him. He
motioned for her to sit down, and Akane complied.
     "How are you feeling?"
     "Fine, I guess. Is it always that bad in the morning?"
     "It depends," Toufu answered. "Some women adapt quicker and only
feel out of sorts for a few weeks. Others are ill most of the pregnancy.
Generally, it is a medium, with the worst being the middle of the first
trimester."
     "Oh, I was just hoping...you know, if you could give me something
that could stop it?" Akane asked hopefully, glancing up at Toufu.
     He smiled. "I have a few things that might help, and if you're
talking about reducing the morning sickness, I guess you've decided to
keep this baby."    
     Akane's eyes widened. "What do you mean decided? I haven't decided
anything! I just don't want to be sick. I do-don't want a baby..." 
     "Are you sure?" Toufu asked, leaning forward to stare directly
into Akane's eyes. Akane blushed and dropped her eyes under the intense
scrutiny of Toufu's soft, brown eyes. 
     "I-I don't know. I don't want to have a baby. I-I haven't thought
about it... I mean, how can I deal with this? I don't have anyone. And
what will Ranma want? I just don't know..." Akane's voice trailed off.
     "Do you want to know what I think?" Toufu asked, gently placing a
hand on Akane's shoulder.
     Mutely, Akane nodded her head.
     "Raising a child is very hard work even for an adult, Akane," he
stated evenly. "You're seventeen, Akane. You have one more year of
school to go and several years of college. Your family does not have the
money to support the extra cost of raising another child. On top of
this, you are so emotionally unbalanced right now from the past few
weeks and you probably will continue to be for a while, and that will
make your pregnancy a tough one. For your own good, emotionally, finan- 
cially, and physically, I don't want you to have this baby."
     "You mean I should..." Akane's face blanched, "..should abort the
baby?"
     "I'm not saying that, Akane. That is your choice," Toufu explained
in s comforting voice. "I just don't think you should try to raise this
baby. If that means adoption, so be it, but I think you'll save your
family, Ranma, and yourself a lot of grief and shame if you just abort
the fetus now. Do you understand what I'm getting at?"
     Akane stared at the floor as Toufu lectured her, trying to sort
out her feelings. Finally, she looked up at the sincere and compassion-
ate face of Toufu. This was the man who had helped her since her moth- 
er's death, the man who had tended her hurts before that. She knew he
was right and she trusted him without question, but...
     "I-I don't know, Sensei," Akane murmured. "This is coming to fast.
I need...I need some time to think, by myself. I haven't even gotten
used to Ranma being gone yet...I'm sorry." Akane hastily wiped away the
tears forming in her eyes.
     "I understand, Akane. These things are never easy. Let me get a
few things." Toufu stood up and went to one of the cabinets. Opening a
drawer, he extracted a bottle and came back. "This might help with the
morning sickness. It doesn't always work perfectly, but it should lessen
it."
     "Arigato," Akane said, taking the bottle from her doctor's hands.
     "One more thing, Akane. If you want to have the abortion, go to
this man." Toufu handed her a business card. "I know this man and trust
him. I can't do it myself. I'm sorry, but I don't have the skill or the
tools. He'll-he can help you."
     Swallowing, Akane nodded her head and took the card. Standing up,
she turned to leave, but at the last moment turned back. "You won't tell
my father or anyone else, will you? I don't...I want to tell them only
if I need to."
     "This is between us, Akane, but only if you keep me informed. I
don't want you hurting yourself by doing something stupid or rash. I'll
drop a packet at your house sometime tomorrow. It will have some infor- 
mation in it that might help you decide."
     "Arigato," Akane said as she left the exam room and made her way
out of the clinic and towards home. She was reluctant to go straight
home. It was not a reluctance born of any reason, just a feeling that
she wanted to be alone for a while. 
     Toufu had given her a lot to think about, and most of it she was
woefully unprepared to deal with. His blunt assessment of her options
had somehow made the fact that she was pregnant a reality instead of
some dream she had mistaken for reality. The entire interview had left
her with a green taste in her mouth, as if she had eaten an unripe
banana, and an empty pit in her stomach.
     If the truth were to be known, she did not want to make a decision
about anything. Like Paris awarding the golden apple, the best option
was to never have become involved in the first place, but that was an
impossibility. Neither one of them had even thought of it at the time.
She very much doubted Ranma had been thinking clearly, and she, herself,
had been confused and disoriented by her time unconscious and Ranma's
loving attention. Of course she could blame the entire thing on Ranma.
Hadn't he insisted over the past few weeks, at least when he had been
able to talk, that it was all his fault?
     She felt an irrational surge of anger building up, and she forced
herself to stop and lean against a telephone pole. She could blame Ranma
and make his life Hell for this. She could scream and rave at him. She
wanted to. She wanted to hit someone. But was that what she wanted?
     Although most people can go through drastic emotional swings with
little trouble, there comes a point when the body simply has no more
strength to deal with that and retreats from itself. Akane had undergone
a form of it, two days of a deep melancholia, after she found Ouchi- 
sensei on Okinawa. In most cases this would have been enough of a break
for her body to regain a portion of its balance, but after the episode,
the stress had not been removed from her life. Instead it had increased
exponentially with the new problems revolving around Ranma and what they
both had to endure. Dealing with the grief, indecision, highs and lows,
and depressions on a nearly constant basis had overwhelmed Akane. It
became too much, and Akane's mind started to protect itself by locking
away most of the emotions to leave her feeling a tired detachment from
reality, almost as if she were looking in on her own body.
     This was one of those times. The anger slowly faded as the will to
fight simply dissolved like a mouthful of cotton candy. It was useless
and sheer hypocrisy to blame Ranma. Every time he had insisted that he
had forced her, she had refuted that. She knew she could not go back on
that stance now. Her anger was more centered on the fact that he had
left, but even that was selfish of her. His leaving had been done for
her, so they could be together, but she still wished he was here. The
baby was his responsibility, and he did have a right, if not a duty, to
make a choice in what happened. 
     Akane sighed as she pushed herself away from the telephone pole.
Would Ranma want her to have the baby? There was no question Ranma would
support the child, his honour demanded that. But, if she kept the child,
would his support be out of obligation or love? In their brief moments
together in the past weeks, his love for her had shown through instead
of his usual arrogant bravado, but...
     With a growl of frustration, Akane began to walk down the street.
She didn't understand why she was concentrating on Ranma's thoughts.
Pondering it was as helpful as staring at a foreign alphabet in a vain
attempt to learn the language. Besides, in the end, it didn't matter at
the moment. She was the important one. Whatever she wanted and feared
would make her decision, but she couldn't shake the haunting feeling
that what Ranma thought and felt was the more important reason to her.
     As she continued to walk, Toufu-sensei's words repeated in her
mind as if they were the most popular song on the radio. Everything he
had said was correct. She was, to put it simply, unable to care for a
child at this point of her life. Only a small part of it had to do with
her age. Although she was young, she doubted that her father would ever
put her out of the house, especially since Ranma was the father. Quite
on the contrary, he'd probably be planning the wedding after "I'm
preganant" left her mouth. Having support and the love of her family to
help her through this would make it easier, but there were other consi- 
derations as well; her future, her goals, and her dreams. They would all
suffer and maybe crumble. If she had a child now, her schooling would
falter at the least, and from there, the rest of her life would slowly
disintegrate.
     There were hundreds if not thousands of reasons, and very good
ones at that, to not have the baby, but there was one important consi- 
deration that almost outweighed her doubts. She was carrying her, and
Ranma's, child. To go through with an abortion almost felt like killing
a part of herself and Ranma. When Toufu had mentioned it, she had been
repulsed by the idea, and now she didn't even want to think about it.
But were the other options any better?
     Her steps carried her down the streets in a random maze of twists
and turns. She was not paying any particular attention to where she was
going. As long as her path eventually brought her home, she didn't have
a preference for where she went. Lost in her own thoughts, she was sur- 
prised when she heard several shrieks of laughter off to her side. As
she glanced up, the world seemed to stop for a moment as she was swept
away by memories of the past. 
     She was standing in front of a small playground. There was nothing
particularly grand or interesting about it. A set of swings, well-worn
from years of use, stood like skeletons of an age long past, at one end
of the playground. At the other end, there were several slides and a
fort-like structure made of wood. The shrieks of laughter came from
there, and Akane could see three kids scrambling over the wood, looking
more like squirrels and monkeys than children. Off to the side, a young
mother in a blue kimono patterned with white clouds watched the children
with an attentive half-eye as she read a book.
     It wasn't the playground or the scene of domesticity that stopped
Akane. She remembered this playground from her youth. She was only a few
blocks from her home, and this was the playground her own mother had
taken her to since she had been able to walk. Some of her earliest
memories were of chasing her older sisters around the playground in a
rambunctious game of tag. They had all been very active and playful
children in those days. Akane sighed regretfully. That had all changed
when her mother died.
     Turning, she was about to leave when, on an inspiration born of
loneliness and nostalgia, she walked into the playground, over to the
swing set, and settled into one of the swings. The cloth seat conformed
to her body as the chain creaked under her weight. Closing her eyes, she
pushed herself backwards with her legs as another peal of laughter
escaped from one of the children on the play structure.
     For a time, Akane reveled in the rhythmic motion of the swing as
the wind rushed past her face on the upswing and her stomach dropped as
she plummeted back toward the earth. She lost herself in the moment,
pumping the swing higher and higher as the chain creaked out its metal-
lic plea for oil. Although it was fun, there was a hollowness in being
alone on a swing set. Akane felt it as she traveled back and forth. She
had not been on one for years. The last time she had come she had been
with her father, and that had been nearly nine years ago. Her father had
always delighted in pushing his daughters on the swings. He had even
made a game out of it. He would start them all, one by one, and then
encourage each of them to go higher and higher, promising an ice cream
cone to the one that got the highest. Of course he always declared it a
tie, but that never mattered to Akane or her sisters. It had been the
competition and enjoyment that they had craved, the fact that they knew
they were loved. It was something Akane had been without for a long
time. And now, when she had seemingly found it again, it was like she
was walking a tight rope to keep it.
     As the memories turned sour, the swing slowed, and Akane finally
came to rest, swaying slightly, in the cloth seat. She did not cry,
though she felt like it. Instead, when she looked inside herself she saw
a gaping emptiness staring silently and accusingly back at her. Taking a
shuddering breath, she opened her eyes to watch the children play with
confidence upon the wooden structure.
     Akane couldn't keep the soft smile from her face as she watched
the three children, two boys and a girl, cavort on the other side of the
playground. They were playing a game that seemed to involve a good deal
of mock fighting and running around, screeching at the top of their
lungs. It was hypnotizing and, like the swing, brought back memories,
but these were happy ones. She started to enjoy herself as her problems
fell from her shoulders like rain from a parka.
     It was not to last. A sudden wail of pain, snapped her back into
reality. She saw that one of the boys had fallen. He was holding his
knee, and Akane could see some blood on his fingers. The other two
children had stopped the game and were watching their hurt playmate with
wide eyes. Akane was about to go to the boy when the mother was there,
pulling a small handkerchief from the sleeve pocket of her kimono. She
gently pulled the boy's hands away as she kissed his forehead to comfort
him. He quickly settled down, whimpering only occasionally as his mother
wiped the dirt and gravel from his scraped knee. 
     With this done, the mother tied the handkerchief around the knee
and helped her son to his feet. She gave him a quick hug and ruffled his
hair, a warm and caring expression on her face. The beaming love in the
young boy's face caught at Akane's heart. Kasumi had sometimes been
there to make her scrapes and bruises better, but it had not been the
same. Kasumi rarely came to the dojo or the playground where Akane would
hurt herself. She learned to just accept it and deal with it as a part
of life. She had little experience with the loving care the mother of
the hurt boy lavished on him.
     For the first time she wondered what kind of mother she would be.
Was she going to be caring mother like the one who was tending her son?
Or was her lot to fumble through life, trying to make the best of what
happened? What kind of life could she offer a child? She couldn't cook,
she had a nasty temper, and her patience was easily worn away. She
believed most of Ranma's insults were on the mark, and that was why they
hurt so much. She had never had a very high self-image, and she wondered
if that would just be carried over on any child of hers. Maybe it was
better to just not have the baby instead of gambling with what kind of
life she could give him. More importantly, how could she and Ranma hope
to be parents when they barely got along?
     Sure, they had spent the last few weeks closer than they had ever
been, but how long would that last? Would a baby just pull them apart
faster? This was just one more problem on top of a mountain. Sooner or
later there would be a landslide. It was easier to just not have the
problem in the first place.
     Yet, if they eventually made everything work between them, what
would happen ten years from now when they wanted to have children? The
memory of first child they aborted or gave up for adoption would haunt
them. She knew it would. How could they decide to kill or give up one of
their children? But was it better to raise a child when she and Ranma
hated each other? She just didn't know.
     Across the playground, the mother, like a mother duck, had collec- 
ted her children around her, and was leading them home. The hurt boy was
sporting his mother's handkerchief bandage with pride as he clung tight- 
ly to her hand. Akane tried to imagine how that woman would feel if that
boy was no longer there and was just a possibility that had never come
to pass because she was too uncertain of her future. It was impossible,
she didn't know what that kind of love and devotion felt like.
     Akane remained on the swing as the woman left. She sat idly, push- 
ing back and forth with her legs. She went over every possible reason to
have the child, and looked at the overwhelming evidence against it. She
knew she should not have the baby. It wouldn't be fair to the kid, to
her family, or to Ranma. The child would be a burden more than anything
else, but if it was a burden, then why did she feel like getting rid of
it was the wrong decision?
     As her shadow lengthened behind the swing, she made a shallow and
unsatisfying bargain between her reason and emotion. To keep the child
would be disastorous, but an abortion could destroy her hopes of a
family with Ranma. If she had the abortion, she would never tell anyone.
She would keep it from Ranma and her family. Then it would only be her
who was made to suffer. Digging in her pocket, she retrieved the small
business card and looked at the phone number and address. It wouldn't
hurt to make an appointment. It wasn't forcing her into any action, but
it made sure she had her options open.
     Pushing herself from the swing, she sighed as she slipped the card
back into her pocket. She wished Ranma was here. She wanted someone to
talk to who would hold her and tell her everything would be alright. She
slowly wandered home. The swing set was left behind, but its ghosts rode
heavily upon her shoulder.


                                -- 4 -- 


    Lifting the top from the rice cooker, Kasumi stirred the rice for
a moment. It was not quite done, but it was almost there. She lifted a
small spice shaker and added just a hint of flavour to the rice. She
would add more when she formed them into balls, but it fully permeated
the food when she added it while it was cooking. 
     Replacing the lid, she went back to her cutting board and began to
chop the celery into small chunks. Her knife flashed quickly and evenly
against the board from years of experience. She only paid the slightest
attention to the knife so as not to accidentally nip one of her fingers.
Instead she was mentally running over the menu she had planned for the
night, making sure she had everything prepared. Everything seemed to be
in order. She only had the soup to finish and the rice balls to form.
     Slicing the last stalk of celery, Kasumi used the knife to empty
the cutting board into an open pot on the stove. Replacing knife and
board, she began to stir the celery into the soup. Lifting the spoon out
she tasted it. There was something missing from its delicate balance.
Then it came to her. Reaching for the spices, she grabbed a shaker of
cinnamon and another of ground black pepper. She added a dash of each
and returned them while stirring with the other hand. 
     As she put the cover back on the soup, the front bell rang a few
times. "Otousan," Kasumi called out, "could you please get that." There
was no answer. Curious, Kasumi stuck her head out of the kitchen as the
bell rang again. "Otousan?" she called. It was obvious her father was
not in the house. 
     Wiping her hands on a towel, Kasumi left the kitchen and headed
down the hall to the front entrance. She crossed the tatami mats as the
bell rang again. As the last echo was fading she opened the door. "Oh,
Toufu-sensei, what can I do for you?" Kasumi asked.
     "Ah-ah Ka-ka-kasumi, what a-a pleasant surprise," Toufu stammered.
"Of all places to meet you, I run across you here." He smiled at her
foolishly, his eyes blank and void of thought.
     "You can be so silly, Toufu-sensei," Kasumi giggled. It was nice
to see him again. They had very little chance to meet, and when Ranma
was hurt, he had been to busy to say more than "hello" to her. "Would
you like to come in? I'm making dinner, and you're welcome to join us."
     "Ah-ah that would be nice, Kasumi-san, but-but I just came by to
drop this off." Toufu's manner became a little more serious as he went
about his job at hand, but once he handed Kasumi the legal envelope with
Akane's name printed on it, he lost it again. "I-it was so nice to see
you, Kasumi-san," he said to the bronze bell on the front door. "We'll
have to do this again." He turned and walked off from the house, stop- 
ping to talk to the front gate post for a moment before he disappeared
out into the street.
     Sighing, Kasumi shut the door and made her way back to the kit- 
chen. Although she enjoyed the silly way Toufu acted to please her, she
thought he overdid it sometimes. Of course that didn't diminish her love
for him, and it certainly was cute when he did it, but just once she
wished he'd ask her out on a regular date. She knew she had told him
that he had to wait, but that didn't mean they couldn't go out for a
dinner, or a movie, or even just a walk in the park every so often. Ka-
sumi could sympathize with Akane's situation. It was hard to build a
relationship, when there was very little serious contact between the
two. Kasumi, however, was not a woman to be daunted by that fact.
     "Who was that, Kasumi-chan?" Tendou Soun asked as Kasumi entered
the dining area.
     "Oh, it was only Toufu-sensei, Otousan," Kasumi explained.
     "Where is he? Didn't you invite him in for dinner?" Soun asked,
looking around for the good doctor. "We owe him that much for what he
did for Ranma."
     "I invited him in, Otousan, but he had other things to take care
of," Kasumi explained. "He only brought this over for Akane." Kasumi
showed her father the envelope.
     "I wonder what it is. I hope my baby girl isn't sick," Soun said,
a few tears dampening his cheeks.
     "I'm sure it's just something for school, Otousan," Kasumi assured
her father.
     "Soo-de su," Soun exclaimed. "That must be it." He turned around
and went back outside where Saotome-ojisan was sitting in front of the
shogi board, his face long and melancholy. Kasumi was tempted to tell
her father's friend that Ranma was okay, but Ranma had asked her not to
tell anyone, and she always kept her promises. Sighing, she returned to
the kitchen and almost screeched as she saw the rice cooker starting to
boiling over. Throwing the envelope for Akane on the back counter, she
rushed forward to save dinner.


                                -- 5 -- 


     Nabiki was sitting at her desk, a folder open in front of her and
several books on real estate beside her. Glancing over a few formulas in
one of the books she turned back to the folder and wrote a few numbers
down. Pulling a chart out of the folder she checked it and frowned.
Rolling her chair over to her computer, she typed in an address for the
city database before turning back to the charts. 
     She was not listening to her walkman, as was her wont when she was
studying. There was no need for it with Ranma gone. The possibility of a
fight or shouted argument between him and Akane were rather slim at this
point. Because of this she heard her younger sister's door open and
close. She glanced at her watch, it was after eight, Akane was almost
never home that late, and she had missed dinner. Something was not
right, and Nabiki didn't like having secrets kept from her. Besides, she
had promised herself to talk to Akane several times, and she was sick of
trying to figure out ll of the real estate figures. It wouldn't take
that long, she decided and closed the folder on her desk.
     Flicking the monitor of her computer off, she left the room and
stepped down the hall to Akane's door, which she lightly tapped before
opening it and entering. Akane didn't look up as Nabiki walked in. She
seemed to be deep in study, a book open beside her as she scribbled in a
notebook. On closer inspection, though, Nabiki saw that Akane was simply
doodling, her pen moving in random arcs and circles instead of the semi-
straight lines of kanji, hiragana, and katakana, or even the English
alphabet.
     "Hey, sis," Nabiki said as she grabbed a chair and spun it around
so she could sit facing her sister. 
     Akane's head snapped up at Nabiki's greeting an almost guilty
expression on her face. "Oh, hello oneechan," Akane greeted her sister.
"I didn't hear you enter."
     "You looked pretty busy doodling. I'm sorry I interrupted you."
     Akane smiled sheepishly. "I just couldn't concentrate. You know
how calc is."
     Nabiki eyed her sister for a moment. She looked a little pale like
someone who had just received some bad news. "So," Nabiki said, leaning
back in the chair, and putting her feet up on Akane's bed, "What were
you doing with Kunou today? Checking out the waters now that Ranma is
gone?" Nabiki winked slyly at her sister who was furiously shaking her
head.
     "No way! I'd never go out with that baka!" Akane denied vehement- 
ly. "He just wanted to apologize for chasing after me for the past two
years."
     "You're kidding. Kunou? Apologize?"
     "Yeah, I was kind of shocked too," Akane agreed. "I don't trust
him though. He kept muttering about a fragile heart needing to be
nurtured instead of plucked."
     "Typical Kunou gibberish," Nabiki allowed. "He's never been able
to utter a sentence without poetry since middle school. I should know.
He kept trying his lines out on me because I sat next to him." Nabiki
shuddered. 
     Akane laughed, her voice sounding like a pealing bell.
     "You know," Nabiki stated, smiling a little at her sister, "that's
the first time, I've heard you laugh in a long time, sis." 
     At her words, Akane's laughter died, leaving the room silent and
empty once again. "I guess I haven't had much to laugh about," Akane
explained.     
     "C'mon, sis. It's not that bad. Ranma will be back soon, I promise
you that he will."
     "How do you know?" Akane asked, pushing aside her notebook. "Any- 
thing can happen in two months. What if he gets trapped Cologne and
Shampoo? What if he can't get out of this?"
     "This is Ranma were talking about, Akane-chan. Besides," she added
in an offhand manner, "I made a deal with him. I won't let your iinazuke
run off."
     "You made a deal? What kind? What's going on here?" Akane asked
in a dangerous voice. "Ranma only told me he had to train Mousse so he
could beat Shampoo."
     "That's basically it. Amazingly, Ranma came up with the idea on
his own. Of course he left a lot out, but that's where I come in."
     "Stop that! He's not that bad. A little dense, but he means well."
     "You know," Nabiki commented, "you must actually like him. That's
the first time you've ever complimented him and not taken it back the
next moment." Nabiki flashed her sister a smile.
     "It took you this long to figure it out? You must be slipping,
oneechan," Akane shot back, unwilling to give her sister any real
satisfaction from a comment that would have had her spluttering denials
a month ago.
     "I'm glad you're getting back to your old self. It's no fun
without all those bizarre happenings going on around here. Besides, how
am I supposed to get money out of you if there's nothing to bet on?"
     "Is that all you think about?" Akane asked quietly.
     "Not much else is worth the effort," Nabiki shrugged, the smile
dropping from her face. "Money can give me everything I want."
     "What about love?" Akane asked. "I doubt money would ever buy you
Ranma."
     "So, I can do without. I've always got my family." Nabiki stopped,
and turned her face away from Akane. "If I can make you happy with
money, I'm happy. It's one of the reasons I'm helping Ranma. One of us
deserves happiness, sis."
     "Arigato," Akane said, her eyes misting a bit.
     "Don't mention it," Nabiki said, trying to brush off her comments.
It didn't work, Akane leaned forward and caught Nabiki in a hug. For a
moment Nabiki stiffened, but then she returned Akane's affection with an
equal zeal.
     "How can you stand being alone?" Akane asked. "I already miss him,
and he's only been gone a few days." For a time they were silent, enjoy-
ing the moment, and then Nabiki gently pushed Akane away. Akane sighed.
"Is there anyway to make this go faster?"
     Nabiki shook her head. "Sorry, sis. Ranma's not going to be in
Hong Kong for a month. The earliest he could possibly get back is maybe
two weeks after that. Don't worry, a few months isn't gonna hurt
anything."
     To Nabiki's surprise, Akane sank back against the wall. "Yeah,
what does a few months matter," she said in a quiet voice. "Each week
makes it harder. I don't even want to think about months."
     Nabiki stood up and went to the bed, concern in heart. "What's
wrong?" she asked. "You know there is nothing to be depressed about."
     "Yeah nothing," Akane agreed. Akane turned her face away from
Nabiki and stared silently out of the window for a time before seapking
again. "Nabiki, thanks for the concern, but...but I'd like to be alone,
if you don't mind."
     "Sure. If you need me..." Nabiki left it hanging and tried to give
Akane a quick hug.  Akane had other ideas. She pulled her sister tightly
against her.
     "Promise me, you'll make sure he comes back."
     "I promise, sis."
     "Thanks, Nabiki. For everything." Akane gave her sister another
hug before releasing her. Nabiki gave her younger sister a soft smile
and leaft the room a little more concerned than when she had entered in
the first place.


                                -- 6 -- 


     Ukyou glanced at the equipment spread out on the bed. It was not
much, but she had left home with even less. Her backpack was leaning
against the bed, already packed with a few changes of clothes and most
of her camping equipment and food. Her sleeping roll and canvas tent
with collapsible poles were rolled tightly together and laying on the
end of her bed. Next to the sleeping roll was a small knapsack with the
rest of her food and a canteen. Her battle spatula was leaning next to
the backpack, her bandolier of throwing spatulas hanging from the small
handle. She had no illusions that this was going to be an easy trip.
     Grabbing the bandolier, she slung it over her shoulder and began
packing the rest of her things. She was getting frustrated with all of
the small delays that had cropped up, and she desired to be away. After
Nabiki had told her Ranma had left, Ukyou had spent the next day and
Sunday getting her affairs in order. It had taken her nearly a day to
convince Konatsu to stay and mind the restaurant. Once he had learned of
her intentions, he had demanded to go with her.
     It had taken all of her persuasion and finally a few threats to
convince him to stay at the restaurant. But now all the interruptions
were over and she could get going. Tying the bedroll to her backpack
frame, she slung the pack over her shoulders and tightened the belt so
most of the weight rested on her hips. Quickly glancing over the room,
she made sure she hadn't forgotten anything. Satisfied that she hadn't,
Ukyou walked out of her room and closed the door behind her. 
     Turning around she found Konatsu standing before her, an unspoken
plea in his soft, brown eyes. "Please, Ukyou-san. Don't do this."
     Sadly, Ukyou laid her hand on the kunnoichi's shoulder. "I have
to, Konatsu. I'm not going to lose Ranchan like this. He's all I got.
You understand, don't you?"
     Mutely Konatsu nodded his head. "At least let me come with you,
Ukyou-san."
     "I need someone to care for the restaurant."
     "But what if you get into trouble, or get hurt?" Konatsu objected.
     "I'll find, Ranchan quickly. He'll help me. Besides, I've been on
the road since I was fourteen. I think I know what I'm doing, Konatsu."
     "I still don't like this."
     "It's not for you to like. I'm sorry, I need to get going before I
get stuck here." Ukyou turned away and began to walk down the stairs to
the lower floor. 
     "Ukyou-san!" Ukyou turned at Konatsu's voice, expecting another
objection. Instead she saw her friend almost in tears. "Please take care
of yourself. You're all I have."
     "I will, Konatsu. I'll be back before you even know it." Ukyou
smiled and then descended the stairs. IN the dining room, she glanced
around for a few moments, taking in the orderly chairs and tables, the
well-kept grill behind the counter. This place held memories, but with- 
out Ranma, they were unimportant. Settling the pack on her shoulders,
Ukyou left the Ucchan. As the door closed behind her, and the tinkle of
the bell died, Ukyou had a sudden feeling that she would not be back for
a long time. Dismissing the disturbing thought, Ukyou began to walk down
the street toward the rising sun, the horizon burning red as the heavy
clouds gathered.


                                -- 7 -- 

     The lunch hour was nearly over when Akane excused herself from her
friends. Mio was the only one to give her a good-bye wave. Yuka and
Sayuri were too involved in their debate on who had the cutest boyfriend
to notice Akane's withdrawal. Akane walked across the lawn and up the
steps and into the school where she directed her steps toward the gymna-
sium and the bank of phones that were there. They were the most private
phones in the school, and Akane didn't want anyone to overhear her call.
     She walked the halls with a steady tread, trying to gather the
courage to make the phone call. She had spent most of the previous day
and the night before that, after Nabiki had left her room, trying to
convince herself that she was making the right decision, but there was
still a small seed of doubt that, like a weed, grew back faster than it
could be plucked.
     Turning a corner, she saw the entrance to the gym and the bank of
phones next to it. Walking up to the nearest one, she dug out some
change from her purse and pulled out the business card Toufu-sensei had
given her two days ago. She looked at the number with sightless eyes,
instead taking in the blue border of the card and the lettering on the
off-white card. She knew she didn't have much time left, so she picked
up the phone and deposited the coins. There was a click as the charge
was accepted and she quickly dialed the number before her resolve faded.
     It rang once, twice, a third time. She was about to hang up when
the other line picked up.
     "This is the office of Tsujimura-sensei. We specialize in gyne-
cology and family medicine," a female receptionist stated on the line.
"How may I help you?"
     "Hello," Akane said in a small voice. "Toufu-sensei, my doctor,
told me to call you about setting up an evaluation with Tsujimura- 
sensei."
     "What is this concerning?"
     "Ah, um...it's about. Well..."
     "Are you looking for consultation for family planning or is it for
an abortion?" the voice prompted.
     "Hai, the latter," Akane answered relieved. "I'd like to speak
with Tsujimura-sensei about that. When can I come in?" 
     "The doctor has a full schedule for the next two days. But on
Thursday we can work you in with no problem. What time would you like?"
     "Is four in the afternoon too late?" Akane asked.
     "We have a time at four-thirty. Is that fine?"
     "Hai."
     "Okay, what is your name?" Akane answered the questions the recep-
tionist asked quickly and then said good-bye once her appointment was
made. Sighing, she put away the card and left the phone. From the door
to the gym, Nagai Raiko watched Akane walk away from the phones. She
wondered what was going on. It had to be something juicy if Akane was
going to all this trouble to keep it secret. Raiko decided that she
would have to find out. No one mocked her and got away with it.   


                       Translator's Notes:

Hara- hara literally means the lower abdomen. In Japanese culture, the
lower abdomen is supposed to be the equivalent of what the english
consider the heart and mind, center of emotion and intellect, or the
Chinese call shin (heart-mind). Hara can be translated as mind, but it
takes on a deeper conotation in Japanese. It is the center of thought
and emotion, so it is very important. It is one of the reasons suicide
is refered to as harakiri, and is also the reason a seppuku is comitted
by mutilating the lower abdomen with a tanto. 
     Some commone phrases with hara are.
     Hara o kimeru - to make up one's hara - to make up one's mind
     Hara o watte hanasu - to open the hara and talk - a heart-to-heart
talk.
     Hito no hara o yomu - to read another's hara - to read another's
mind.

Sasayaki- whisper or whispers
So the title means the hara's whisper, a close approximation of the
English phrase, whispers of the heart, or listening to your heart. Hey,
it's not the best translation, but it was the best I could come up with.
     
                         Author's Notes:

     Ah, another part that has been completed. I wasn't expecting to
ever finish this part, I kept getting sidetracked by other things. Well
I finished it and I guess that's the important part. I hope you all
enjoyed it.
     Well on to some more important points. In case any of you are
really wondering, I believe this part starts in early April. (What do
you mean believe? Well, I'm not entirely sure whether I wanted the story
to start in March or April, hence why I haven't mentioned months and
only days.) Anyways, that is a rather unimportant part. Onto some more,
ah shall we say delicate, situations.
     One thing I would like to ask is that any debate or disatisfaction
with my inclusion of abortion in this fic be directed at me. I've
planned on putting this in the story for a long time, and it won't
change. Remember, this is a realistic drama, and as such, it deserves to
be dealt with in real life situations. If you have a problem with my
characterization about this, don't complain to the ML, complain to me. I
refuse to be an instigator of a flame war.
     Sorry, I had to put that in there, mostly because of that little
thread that almost flared up when I put out 5_1 of MASN.
     Let's see onto the lighter side of my story. As you can see, I
love to make things as complicated as possible. It's not really
intentional, well it is. I'm trying to create a very realistic world,
because of that I have to put in outside characters who don't belong in
the Ranmaverse. I'm trying to integrate them as easily as possible.
You'll find out, later on, that some of these characters will move into
more prominent positions within the story. Some, however, are just
static characters. 
     Oh yes, while I'm on the subject of new characters, I'm fast
running out of Japanese surnames and given names that I actually know to
be real. I can probably keep up with the male names for a long time, but
it's kind of difficult to find female names, mostly because Japanese
literature generally focuses on the male. Anyway, if anyone could send
me lists of surnames and then given names, I'd be most appreciative.
Even if you only know one, send it. If a hundred people know one, then I
have a hundred names. I'll even compile them and post them to the list
as a reference for other authors..
     Okay back to the plot. This is turning out to be very novelesque
in nature. This chapter is splitm over several different plots and time
lines. I'm going to be spreading them out. For instance, the next part
is about Ranma and Mousse, a sort of break before I pull you back to
Nerima and he problems.
     The surprising thing is the role Nabiki has assumed. I never
intended her to grab such a large portion of the story. After Ranma and
Akane, I believe she is the next most important character, and maybe
even more important than those two at times. 
     If you're wondering when certain chacrters will show up, don't.
They all, or almost all of them, will show up at some point, but what is
the point of putting them in if they have no reason to be in the story.
It would only creat problems in an already complicated story.
     Anyway, I hope you have enjoyed this installment. My writing might
be slowing for the next few weeks because I'm trying to put together my
homepage. Luckily, I have the next part of MASN written and I'll hurry
up and finish the next part of the Legacy sometime this weeken.
     Please comment, and until next time, have a good time.
     
     Coming next week:
     MASN Ch 5 Separate Paths Part 3 Teacher and Student.

     Until next time
     Joseph A. 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 some of my fanfics at
   http://www.geocoties.com/Tokyo/Flats/6184/index.html