Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Ranma Universe: Alpha and Omega ❯ Chapter 17: A weekend at the Onsen ( Chapter 18 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

By: ST Pika

Chapter 17: A weekend at the Onsen

Around midnight on Friday, the cloud filled sky clears, allowing the light of the nearly full moon to illuminate the night sky. This magical effect is not noticed by the occupants of Room 128, who are lying half awake on their bed- several trays are in front of their door in the hallway…

“I'm so stuffed…” Ukyo says while rubbing her stomach. “They make some pretty good food here…”

Ryoga stifles a small burp before responding. “You can say that again! I haven't eaten like that in a long time”

“I think this is one of mom's plans I'm not going to be complaining about, it's going good so far and the company is good…” Ukyo says with a smile.

“Definitely. It's not every day we get to do something like this, especially away from the insanity of Nerima.” Ryoga says while moving his hand towards hers. The brunette chef notices this out of the corner of her eye and is delighted to see him making some moves, too.

“Now we can go to sleep, I'm too tired to do anything else” the brunette chef says before yawning aloud. “I'll be right back… why don't you get ready for bed, too?”

“Sure, I'll be waiting for you then”

Ukyo sits up on the bed and then walks over to her large backpack. Ryoga watches her take her pack into the bathroom and close the door. `What a day… it's been a long one but pretty good. I'm finally getting used to this `love' thing, I just need to be less nervous, that's all'

The lost boy hears happy humming coming from the bathroom as he changes into his sleepwear, letting him know that his girlfriend is in a good mood. Inside the bathroom, Ukyo is admiring the robes the hotel provides for their guests.

“This is super fancy, I can't wait to check out the hot springs tomorrow and maybe do some hiking up in the mountains here” the young woman says to herself softly before turning her attention to her backpack. `What to wear to bed? Maybe my casual sleepwear would be comfortable here, I'm sure he's not going to complain'

A small giggle is heard by Ryoga a moment later and he wonders what's going on in the bathroom. `She seems so happy today, it's really nice to see that'

It doesn't take long for Ukyo to change into an oversized black T-shirt and shorts, something she normally saved for the hot summer season for night wear. She puts her used clothes in a separate part of her backpack and heads back into the main room, where she finds Ryoga patiently waiting for her.

The lost boy says nothing but his eyes are fixed on Ukyo- he has never seen her wear this outfit before and he likes how she looks in it.

After getting in bed the brunette chef turns and looks at her silent boyfriend.

“I take it you like what I'm wearing”

A silent nod and a slight blush says “yes” for Ryoga.

“Thanks, sugar- I normally don't wear this in the fall but I wanted to be more relaxed, more casual for our little trip”

“It works… you've been in such a good mood all day…” Ryoga says, voicing his observations of the day so far. “It's good to see you having fun”

“Of course and we're going to have more fun tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah”

Ukyo leans over and hits the light switch, darkening the room. The moonlight outside, which had previously been hidden by the lights in room now comes in through the series of rectangular windows on the far wall, casting its glow on Ukyo.

Ryoga makes an observation immediately. “Beautiful”

It's Ukyo's turn to be silent, she looks at her boyfriend and blushes. Her heart suddenly begins beating faster and faster, especially as he moves in to give her a kiss.

“Ryoga”

“Ukyo”

Only two words are exchanged before the two lovers' lips meet. Ukyo can feel the passion in her boyfriends' kiss and reacts accordingly. `He's only kissed me like this a few times before, I like it. It makes me feel good inside'

Ryoga can tell his girlfriend likes his sudden bold and romantic move and begins gently caressing her cheek and hair as the passionate kissing continues. The initial feeling of nervousness he had is overcome by his desire to show some affection for his beautiful girlfriend. He feels her arms wrapping around him, pulling him closer- it isn't long before their bodies are pressing against each other…

“Mmm… at least I know you can't get lost when it comes to me…” the brunette teases after pulling away her lips for some much needed air.

“You're umm… easy to navigate, umm I mean…” Ryoga stops speaking after realizing how that just sounded.

Ukyo feels the urge to call him “pervert” for saying that but refrains from doing so. `Why should I say this is a bad thing? It's not… it's a natural thing for people who are involved to do…'

“More”

Ryoga is surprised by her answer. “Huh?”

Ukyo winks seductively at her boyfriend. “I want to kiss you some more before bed…. please?”

“S-sure… umm… that's no problem…” the Lost Boy stammers while looking into her soft, eyes.

“Good, I think we could always use some more practice, right?” the chef says, trying to sound bold herself.

“Y-yeah” Ryoga says before wrapping his own arms around her, wanting this to be as passionate as possible. The feelings inside the Lost Boy as he once again kisses Ukyo intensify- he feels like he's melting inside, the emotions seem to overwhelm him.

After getting lost in what seems to be like an eternity in each other's affections, Ryoga gently pulls away, his face crimson red just his girlfriend's. She's blushing from more then emotion, though- Ryoga's hands are on her hips.

Ukyo breaks the silence with a happy comment about what just happened. “Now that's a good night kiss!”

“Maybe we should umm… do this more often”

The brunette snuggles her head into his chest before replying. “Yes, I think we should.”

Content with that answer and with himself, the Lost Boy finds the blanket and pulls it over them both.

“Thank you Ryoga”

“Anything for you, Ukyo” is his response before relaxing and falling asleep. The content okonomiyaki chef sighs softly and falls asleep herself, seduced by the softness of the bed, blanket, and the warm feeling of her boyfriend's body.

This couple isn't the only one that's enjoying the show that the moon is giving tonight. Ranma and Akane find out from the front desk that several private springs are open and head over to the one they used before. When Ranma gets over to the small locker area, he takes off his robe and stashes it inside.

“Well, we're here… again” is Ranma's comment before walking over towards the hot spring pool. When Akane doesn't follow, he turns around.

“Ranma, I have a surprise for you” the youngest Tendo sister says softly.

That immediately gets his attention. “Oh?”

“I got something that I know you'll like… I know I do…” Akane says before reaching for the knot on the front of the robe. As she unties the cord and lets the robe hit the ground, Ranma cannot help but have a feeling of déjà vu…

`The way she did that reminds me of when she was possessed by that doll… wow… look at that robe…'

Inwardly, Akane grins. `I knew this would get his attention, and I even did it the way that doll used on him a while back. Let's see what he says about the fabric, design, and the horse…'

Stepping forward, Akane approaches her fiancée and waits for his comments.

“Akane, I like the new threads, very nice!” he says while reaching out to hold her.

“Thanks, Ranma. I love this robe, it's so soft”

Ranma pulls her into a hug and starts rubbing his hands along her back- discovering for himself how true her last statement actually is. She does the same and waits for more of Ranma's comments. “Yeah, it's very soft. I could hold yah forever in this”

“I'll keep that in mind” the flattered young woman says in return. “You like the design and color?”

“Sure, I think black is a good color for yah and it looks good. A lot better then the last time you wore somethin' like this…” Ranma says, referring to the “cursed doll” incident.

“At least I'm not possessed this time and there's no doll at this hotel” Akane says jokingly.

“There better not be, I don't need another crazy night like that again”

Akane drives that point home. “If you see any dolls here, you better stay away from them!”

“You better believe it. Still, I got to see somethin' in you that I didn't see again until recently…”

Having an idea of what he means, Akane softly sighs. “This time it's for real, though… so when I tell you I want to take a walk with you, don't freak out and think I'm out to kill you or anything”

“I ain't gonna worry about that, don't worry”

Akane rests her head on his shoulder. “Good. As you can see, I don't to need to be evil to be… what did you tell me after that incident before I hit you?”

“Hmm…” Ranma pauses to recall that incident in his mind. “I said you were cuter when you were evil and definitely more sexy”

“And is that still the case?” Akane asks hopefully, wanting a “no” answer.

“You're cute and sexy whether you're being good or bad” Ranma says with a grin, teasing his fiancée a little.

“Ha-ha Ranma. Be serious” Akane says wryly.

“It's better when it's really you and when you really mean it. Like now…” is the more serious reply given by Ranma. Akane wraps her arms around him even tighter, enjoying the private moment with her “baka”.

A cool night wind blows through a moment later, sending chilly air against both teens, though only Ranma reacts.

“I thought it was supposed to be warm tonight”

“We're up in the mountains, you know that makes the weather unpredictable”

“I guess so.” Ranma pulls back a little and gets a better look at the front of her robe. “Hey, what's that?”

“You finally noticed- what do you think of the design on the front?”

Ranma instantly recognizes what it is. “It's a horse… heh. I wonder why you picked that?”

“Hmm, I wonder…” Akane says playfully.

“It's really well stitched…” Ranma says, suddenly fascinated by the horse design. His fiancée nods her head, acknowledging the compliment and then feels his right hand touching her robe again.

Ranma runs his fingers along the line of the horse stitching. “It feels different then the rest of the robe, it's soft but firm…”

Tilting her head back, Akane feels a battle brewing inside as her fiancée continues touching the horse on the front of the of her robe. A blush forms as the feelings increase, Ranma has put most of his hand over the design. `Mmm… what is he doing?'

In the next few seconds the battle gets even more heated… Akane is trying to decide whether she wants this to continue or not… pleasure versus the thought of this being perverted.

Ranma soon feels her decision as a sudden push sends him reeling backwards, he trips and falls back into the hot spring. Needless to say the martial artist is a little miffed by what just happened.

“HEY! What the hell was that for?” the drenched Ranma asks while looking at his fiancée.

Akane plans her response carefully, slowly walking up to the edge of the pool and peering down at her angry boyfriend. “What's wrong? Did I accidently touch your chest? Jeez, Ranma, you can be so…”

“So what?” Ranma says, feeling the need for an answer.

Realizing what she just done and what kind of mood her fiancée is in, Akane chides herself aloud. “So perverted… arrgh! Damn it!”

A very confused Ranma just blinks and looks at his now confused fiancée.

“I'm sorry, it's just you were touching my… breast and I reacted without thinking. I could've just told you to stop…” Akane admits softly.

“Oh shit, I was doing that… no wonder it felt so…” Ranma gulps. “I mean, sorry, I didn't mean to touch yah like that”

There's an uncomfortable silence between the two lovers as they both take stock of what just happened. `He didn't do that on purpose and now I might have ruined the mood. Damn it Akane, why'd you do that? My impulses got me again… it really wasn't that bad and it actually felt good, despite being perverted'

Ranma trembles a little, realizing that he was just touching her in an intimate way that she wasn't quite ready for. `Damn, I hope she forgives me. Tonight was going so good before this and I don't wanna waste this time alone with her'

After taking a few deep breaths, Akane backsteps a little and makes a decision. `I don't want to waste this surprise, or my time with him. I think it's time for the swimsuit'

“Ranma, hold on. I'll be right back”

After Akane turns around and heads back towards the lockers, Ranma breathes a sigh of relief. `Whew, I thought she was going to get mad or somethin' with me. I wonder what she's gonna do now? Just soak or are we gonna talk or do somethin' else?'

Several yards away, Akane carefully disrobes and neatly folds her new robe, taking extra care to keep it clean and folded properly. Once the robe is stowed the young woman pauses in front of the small mirror and checks her swimsuits' fit before rounding the corner and showing her fiancée.

`Looking good, Akane. Let's show Ranma how cute tomboys can really be… and make up for that last incident and enjoy our time together tonight'

Wanting to make this even more of a surprise, Akane has some instructions for her fiancée. “Ranma, close your eyes”

“Okay” is the soft reply before he complies and patiently waits, though he cannot stop his heart from pounding in his chest.

Akane quietly steps forward and goes into the hot spring, walking behind Ranma before telling him to open his eyes.

“Huh? Why are you behind me?”

“Because we need to talk a little first before I distract you again…” is the response with a slight giggle at the end from Akane. “I want you to help me practice my swimming, what should we do first?”

“Hmm. I think we should soak for a little while and loosen up our muscles. You've got most of the strokes down, there's just one thing I want to help you practice tonight”

“Oh?” the curious Akane responds. “What's that?”

Ranma relaxes and let's the water cover him all the way up to his neck, his fiancée follows his lead a moment later and waits for an answer to her question.

“Floatin', yah gotta work on that some more. You can't let think bother you when you're doing that or you'll drown”

Akane likes the sound of that. “Okay, we'll work on that… but first I'm going to help you loosen up a little, you look tense.”

Ranma immediately gets nervous. “It's probably cause of this… situation that we're in now.”

“I told you there's nothing to worry about, Ranma- no evil dolls here” is the half-serious reply to that. “Let me massage your shoulders”

After hearing no objection to her idea, Akane's hands get to work. Ranma feels his troubles melt away with the shoulder massage…

“Ranma, what did you want to do tomorrow after breakfast? Did you still want to go hiking with me?”

“Sure, let's get some fresh air and stretch out. We can take a break and practice a few moves, too”

“Okay. I'd like to learn some more from you, too- not just the moves that perverted old man is teaching” Akane says with a slight hint of disgust at the end.

That makes Ranma pause and the martial artist wants to make a point without upsetting his fiancée. He takes a few seconds to think and then speaks.

“I wanna help you, I mean, part of the problem sometimes is letting someone else help you out…”

That comment strikes a chord with Akane and she realizes that she has been stubborn in the past, thinking she could figure out everything herself and brushing off help some of the time. “I agree… I think we're both guilty of that one, right?”

Pride almost makes Ranma want to say “no” but he says a soft “yes” instead, earning a quick hug from Akane.

“Thanks for being honest, Ranma” Akane says softly before her fiancée turns his head, trying to get a look at her.

“No problem… but you do have me curious. What's this other surprise? Is that why you're hiding from me?”

“Maybe. I just want to make sure you're ready- that's why I wanted you to be relaxed. I got something else when I went shopping with Nabiki”

“Oh, okay”

Wanting to see what she's wearing, Ranma tries to relax and think of something else. He tilts his head back and looks up at the night sky and the bright light of the moon.

“Sky looks pretty clear tonight” he says while relaxing his muscles. Akane tilts her head and follows suit and likes how pretty the stars and the moon look in the nighttime sky.

“Yeah, it's beautiful. I think we can get a better look, though by practicing some floating”

“Hmm, not a bad idea” Ranma says as he feels Akane's arms let go of him. His fiancée appears in front of him a moment later.

“Wow, nice!” is the immediately reply from Ranma, showing his feelings for her new choice in bathing suit.

“Thanks! I was hoping that you'd like it… and that I wouldn't be too much tomboy to handle when I showed you”

The slightly blushing martial artist chooses his next words carefully. “Nah, it's no problem. I like the dark green color and the way it umm… shows off your body”

Any doubts about Akane's appearance being anything but attractive had gone out the window long ago yet Ranma is still fascinated every time he sees her in some new like this- including this occurrence. `She has such nice legs and hips… and a full figure, very nice. She definitely picked a good one here'

“It's nice but not too revealing, I agree with you one hundred percent”

After hearing that, Ranma's thoughts return to the present. “Are you ready ta float?”

“Of course”

“Good, just lie back and relax and let your body float on it's own. Don't worry about anythin', okay?”

“Okay”

The two teens lie back and relax, enjoying the warm feeling of the water and the beautiful scenery above.

“You're doing good, just keep on relaxing” Ranma calls out encouragingly after a few minutes go by. “The key is to do this while being distracted and not drown”

“Got it”

“Hey, there's the old pervert!” Ranma calls out as a test for his floating fiancée, who coolly reacts by turning her head to one side and the other. “Nice try, Ranma”

“Just testing yah, you're doing good so far” Ranma says with much approval.

`Maybe I should test him' is the next thought going through Akane's mind. She does her best to sound genuine with her next call out. “Someone's stealing our stuff! My robe!”

Ranma panics for a moment, knowing that Akane loves her new robe, as does he. After turning his head and seeing no one, he breathes a sigh of relief.

“You almost made me panic there, tomboy- I was worried someone was stealing your new robe”

“I almost got you” the giggling Akane says before resuming her viewing of the night sky.

Both teens feel that the current situation is like an inform game in progress with the object to make the other panic. The “tomboy” decides to let her “baka” make the next move and react accordingly. She doesn't have to wait very long…

“Akane, there's someone watching you, over there by the waterfall- and they look perverted”

“Huh?” is the confused response from Akane as her eyes start scanning in that direction. “There's nothing there!”

“You must've missed `em, probably was one of those wild monkeys or somethin'”

“The only wild monkey here that's looking at me is you, Ranma” Akane says, trying to provoke a response out of Ranma.

Ranma sidesteps that comment. “I thought I was a wild horse, not a monkey… but I've been lookin' at yah a little here”

Going back to the old school insults, the mischievous tomboy continues to tease her fiancée.

“That must mean that I'm not uncute or flat-chested, right? I think you've already taken that matter into your own hands”

Ranma is not amused by that reference to his accidental groping a short while ago. “Ha ha, you know that was an accident”

“I think sometimes I got busty just to spite you, at least the old you and those comments”

The pig-tailed martial artist can't believe what he's hearing coming out of his fiancee's mouth. “Now that's just silly, Akane… you've been spending too much time with Happosai, you're sounding really perverted lately”

“And you're not? You're not saying perverted things, you're acting them out- so we're even”

`Speaking of perverted things- hmm. I think I can get her to react, I just gotta get closer to her'

“Admit it, Ranma” Akane says after not hearing a reply to her last comment.

“Fine, fine- we're both a bunch of perverted martial artists. Happy now?” he says while gently kicking his feet a few times, angling his body towards hers.

Akane cannot help but make a self-observation about her current mood. “I think I am, I've never been in such a good mood before”

“Well, this is the most luxurious trip I've ever been on and you're here so that's a good start” Ranma admits with a blush as he drifts into a parallel course with Akane and just within arms reach. `She already called me perverted, so this ain't gonna change nothing'

Hoping that Akane's arms will stay where they are, parallel to her body, Ranma slowly moves his left hand towards her back, being careful not to upset the delicate equilibrium that's keeping him afloat.

Deep in thought, Akane doesn't notice what her fiancée is doing until she feels a gentle tug on her back… and reacts accordingly.

Standing up immediately, Akane look over at her fiancée and yells his name. “RANMA!”

Ranma whistles and pretends to be innocent. “What?”

“You unhooked my bikini top!” the blushing Tendo says while reattaching the back hooks.

Standing up, Ranma delivers more bad news. “And you just lost the game”

Instead of hearing a witty remark in return the pig-tailed martial artist finds himself in a tight embrace with his fiancée who softly whispers in his ear.

“Thanks for helping me out, I won't be afraid of the water any more. I won't sink like a brick…”

“No, you won't. I don't want anythin' bad to happen to my tomboy” is the soft reply back by Ranma before he wraps his arms around his fiancée. “That was fun”

“Yeah, it was. Play me again tomorrow?” Akane asks eagerly.

“Sure thing and sorry about that sneaky move”

A large grin forms on Akane's face. “Oh, it's okay, it's not like you were trying to peek or anything- I would've done something like that to you if I had thought of it… I could've pulled on your swim trunks after all”

“True”

Taking Ranma's hand into hers, Akane gently holds it and pulls him towards the lockers and the exit. “Let's go to bed… we can get a good night's sleep without worrying about anyone bothering us in the morning”

“Mom did take us by surprise, didn't she?” Ranma says, remembering this morning's incident.

“Yeah”

The pair head back to the lockers and dry off. Ranma puts on his robe and then watches with some fascination as Akane puts on her black robe again and ties the knot on the front.

“Come on, you can stare my robe later… or maybe hold me in it, if you're lucky” the teasing tomboy says as she grabs her own white robe and carries it with her.

Saying nothing, Ranma takes her hand and pulls her back to their room where Akane comfortably snuggles against her fiancee's, allowing him to gently hold her and rub her back. A tranquil end to an interesting evening for this couple… but the past evening wasn't all fun and games for everyone, as is evidenced the next morning in Nerima.

End Part A

Begin Part B

Saturday morning

Early in the morning, one of the three Tendo's is having quite the dream. Visions of love, of her two sisters finding it that is, fill her mind while her own love stays aloof and out of reach. Vainly she chases after her love, who's crazy ways keep her from catching him. Time seems to pass and she can see herself getting old and older, her two sisters get married and have children and yet she remains apart and alone from the man she really wants…

“Wait, wait for me! Don't leave me!” Kasumi cries out, tears in her eyes. The vision of Doctor Tofu gets further and further away and is soon out of sight…

A shocked Kasumi suddenly wakes up and realizes that she was having a dream which turned out to be quite the nightmare. `It's been so long since I've had a nightmare, especially something as… emotional as this.'

After rubbing her eyes, the eldest Tendo realizes that she's been crying in her sleep- all the more reason for her to feel depressed at the moment. She gets out of bed, looks at herself in the mirror and recalls the events of the last night… which cause her to begin crying again.

Nabiki, who happens to be passing her sisters' room on her way back from the bathroom hears the crying and is immediately concerned. She opens the door to Kasumi's room and peeks her head inside. “Kasumi? Are you all right?”

The very emotional Kasumi turns her head to look at her younger sister, giving the middle Tendo a full view of her tear-stained face.

“What's wrong?”

Not able to respond verbally, Kasumi moves forward and hugs her sister. Nabiki can feel Kasumi shaking and begins to get very worried about her older sister.

“Tofu…” is about Kasumi can say and it only takes a few moments for Nabiki to figure out the story and what happened last night.

“Kasumi, you went to see him last night, right?”

“Yes” the older brunette says softly, her sobbing slowly coming to a halt.

“Did he act crazy? Act stupid?”

“I just went to return a book and to say hello, I haven't seen him in so long and he…”

“Sis, it's okay. You don't have to say anything more” Nabiki says while imaging what happened. `Sis has finally hit the breaking point with this and his goofiness- I'm surprised she lasted this long. She's so patient but even that runs out… why does he have to be like this? Kasumi is head over heels in love with him!'

“Nabiki, there's more… I just had a nightmare… about being alone” Kasumi admits softly, bringing Nabiki's attention back to the problem.

“Oh no…”

“It's been so long since I've had one, that must be why I'm so… so…”

“Sis, you know I'm not… good with stuff like this. I do know that you really like Doctor Tofu and that he likes you…” Nabiki says, trying to bring the words together as best she can.

Hearing her sister say that, Kasumi wants to hear more of what she has to say. “Go on”

“Well, umm… I don't what it is, but all three of us ended up with ummm… special partners”

A small smile forms on Kasumi's face after hearing that. “Lucky us”

“Yeah”

“I should get breakfast started…” the elder Tendo sister says while pulling away. She wipes the tears from her eyes and tries to compose herself. “I'll be fine…”

“Kasumi” Nabiki says softly, not entirely believing her sister is okay. She watches her sister leave the room and then sighs aloud. `This is something that I could use some help with, I'll have to talk to Akane about this when she comes back from her trip'

After exiting the bedroom and closing the door behind her, Nabiki is surprised to see Nodoka Saotome at the end of the hallway.

“Something seems wrong with your sister, she's normally so happy and energetic, even in the early morning”

“Yeah” is the quick reply from Nabiki who quickly debates whether or not to discuss this topic with the Saotome matriarch.

Nodoka continues relating her observation to Nabiki. “She seems… sad this morning. I wonder what happened?”

“Auntie…”

“Yes, Nabiki, what is it?”

“She had some… problems last night. There's this one guy that she really likes…”

Nodoka nods her head. “Doctor Tofu? Your father has mentioned that young fellow… and his very odd habits…”

“Kasumi's at the end of her rope with him… I don't she can take much more of this separation- all because of his crazyness every time he sees her” the middle Tendo sister says, getting right to the point.

“I see… hmm. I'll see if I can help out, I've already helped out my son with his problem so maybe it's time to change gears here…”

“Umm, yeah… we need to umm, figure this out…” Nabiki says nervously while taking a few steps towards her room. `I hope she doesn't want to jump into “helping” my relationship with Kuno'

“Exactly. You should get ready for breakfast, I'm sure it'll be up soon. I bet you can't wait to head out and visit your own boyfriend- what was his name again?”

Nabiki gulps. “Tatewaki Kuno”

A smile forms on Nodoka's face. “If you need any help, please don't be afraid to ask. I'm here to make sure everyone's happy after all- I'm sure you can see how my work has helped Ranma and Akane”

A soft nod is Nabiki's acknowledgement of that fact before she heads into her room and closes the door.

`I'm sorry Kasumi if I unleashed anything bad on you… Auntie Nodoka is out to help all of us out. Still, she might be right, Akane has never been happier and she's a lot more honest with herself. She finally gotta her “Baka”, just like she wanted'

Though she had not mentioned it to anyone, Nabiki does have plans for a later morning date. `I think she has the power to read minds sometimes- but I better get dressed'

After yawning and stretching her arms towards the ceiling, the brunette opens her closet and begins looking for a nice outfit for her date.

Down the hallway, Nodoka is hurriedly getting her husband ready for his long day…

“Now now, I don't want to hear it. You've got plenty of debts to pay off Genma and you're going to live up to your end of the agreement- you did say that both you and Ranma would come back as `honorable' men”

“But, but” Genma sputters, trying to come up with an answer.

One movement of his wife's hand towards the sword hanging on the side of her kimono silences Genma and gets him “motivated” for the day ahead.

“You'll have time to sleep in tomorrow…” Nodoka says, offering a small ray of hope to her husband.

“Yes, dear…” the sighing Genma says before getting dressed. “At least I'll get a good breakfast before going out…”

“That's right, Kasumi is making it right now. We need food from the market for Ukyo's restaurant- you and I will be running it again today. Our daughter is counting on us”

Resigning himself to his fate, Genma shrugs his shoulders. “That she is…”

It isn't long before breakfast is served at the Tendo house. Despite her own personal turmoil, Kasumi still manages to put her full heart and soul into her cooking, delighting the taste buds of everyone at the table and getting favorable comments in return. Even Happosai is more jovial then usual as a result of breakfast- he declares that he'll be making an extra long “Run” due to this extra energy, much to everyone else's chagrin.

Nabiki also makes a quick exit and heads over to visit her boyfriend. The middle Tendo, dressed in a snugly fitting top and jeans, arrives and finds him wandering around his room, apparently in search of something.

“What are you looking for?”

“My tennis racket, I seem to recall have an interest in the game. I have memories of us playing the game together” is his response while continuing the search.

“That's true… you even proposed to me one time while I was on my way to practice” Nabiki says with a wink. “Needless to say I was shocked”

“Ah, yes- I do remember that incident. Are your words in reply still good?”

A red blush covers Nabiki's face as she remembers the half-joking way she replied to his comment about marriage. `I was kidding with him… but maybe something inside me wanted it to be real. These days, well… it's too early to be thinking about anything of that sort!'

“Let's talk about that later…” Nabiki says, wanting to deflect attention away from that topic. “What's in this box over here?” she says, pointing at a square box on the shelf. “That writing looks familiar”

“I have no idea…” the curious Kuno says before walking over to the box in question. He gently opens the lid and peers inside. “It appears to be some kind of egg”

Having a sudden sense of dread, the brunette walks over to see this for herself. “Egg? Let me see…”

“Yes, a large egg of some type”

Nabiki gasps aloud. “Oh no…”

“Is something the matter, fair Nabiki?”

Gently closing the lid, Nabiki decides to give a brief explanation. “Lock this up immediately, trust me you'll be doing everyone a favor”

“I do not understand- what is this?”

A soft sigh escapes Nabiki's lips. “It's a long story… let's just say you used it once before and it caused a whole lot of trouble”

“Oh… I do not recall any incident with this egg but I will follow your advice, since I trust you” is the reply to that before he closes the lid.

`Trust me… he trusts me after all I did to him- surely he remembers something of the past'

Thoughtfully, Nabiki looks at her boyfriend as he carries the box with the Phoenix egg over to a large chest with a lock on it. He puts the box inside and locks the chest, securing the egg from any casual theft.

“The egg is secure, fair Nabiki”

Nabiki breathes a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness! That's a Phoenix egg, you know”

That surprises Kuno. “I thought such a creature was mythical?”

“You proved that it's not a few months ago… we don't need it on the loose again.”

A few memories of that incident flash into the young man's mind and he cringes briefly before feeling the need to rub his neck for some reason. His girlfriend sees this and smiles…

“I told you it was real, your neck is reacting to the memory of having that large yellow bird on it”

“I see. Perhaps you and I can search for other items that will help me remember my past, there must be plenty of them in this room- I have already disposed of two shelves worth of improper pictures” he says while pointing at a large stretch of empty shelving which was full of picture books last time Nabiki was here.

`Wow… he got rid of all of those pictures of Ranma and Akane that I sold him, he's definitely turned over a new leaf if that's the case. I haven't heard him say “pig-tailed girl” once since he went off those meds'

Nabiki nervously chuckles. “You definitely got rid of them all…”

“'Tis no small task- I wonder how I came to have so many pictures of a redhead and your sister Akane Tendo. The bonfire last night lasted for quite some time”

“Oh…” Nabiki says after hearing that, glad inside that her boyfriend has turned his back on that part of his past. “I still see something on the shelf, over there”

Seeing where his girlfriend is looking, Kuno walks over to the shelf and grabs a large envelope. “This?”

“What's in there?” the ever curious brunette asks after seeing what seems to be her name written on it.

“Ah, yes, I have not showed you the contents of this envelope yet. See for yourself” Kuno says before handing the envelope to Nabiki, who opens it up and looks at the photos within.

“These are pictures of us- I don't remember you taking any pictures” a slightly confused Nabiki says before putting them back in the envelope. “They look good, though”

“I had Sasuke take a few pictures of us during our dates, I am glad you approve of the pictures”

After hearing that, Nabiki suddenly remembers another important set of pictures that Kuno has. “Kuno-baby, where are those special entry pictures of me?”

“Those are under lock and key in my desk over there, I would not wish them to get stolen and get out to the general public” Kuno says with a firm nod.

Nabiki feels bad, since he just referred to a potentially damaging picture getting out into circulation, just like the ones that Kuno had burned last night. Her head tilts down slightly, causing Kuno to react immediately.

“Do not worry” he says before pulling her into a warm embrace. “The pictures of my brunette goddess are quite safe from prying eyes”

Overcome with emotions, the middle Tendo sisters' face turns beet red. She rests her head on his chest and tries to calm her now rapidly beating heart. `Despite all that I did to him, he still called me a goddess… and he actually means that- no games, no teasing… no wonder I'm so… so…'

“Thank you” she whispers softly, not knowing what else to say at the moment.

“I only speak the truth… and do not worry about your past activities- you could have judged me the same way. Your skills in matters of… finance and commerce are quite formidable…” is Kuno's reply back, carefully working the last sentence to avoid offending the young woman in his arms.

Nabiki immediately feels better. “I'm glad you recognize my skills, I think you and I could make quite a deadly combo”

“Indeed”

“Kuno-baby, what did you want to do today? I've already had breakfast so…”

Wanting to spend some time with his girlfriend in a “new” activity, Kuno comes up with a suggestion a moment later. “Help me find my tennis racket and we can indulge in some tennis before lunch at a restaurant of your choosing”

“I like the sound of that! Let's find your racket and get out on the courts…”

After a short search, the pair find the missing tennis rackets and head down to the nearby tennis courts and engage in some friendly but heated matches against each other…

In the later morning hours, Ukyo wakes up after a long and peaceful night's rest. She opens her eyes and gently pulls away from her boyfriend's chest.

`It's been a long time since I've been so refreshed after a good night's sleep… wait a second…'

The brunette chef realizes that something just isn't right and looks at where her boyfriend's hands are at.

`His hands are on my butt… that's the first time I've seen him do that. Maybe he's getting more interested in me as a whole, I wonder…'

Turning her head, Ukyo catches a glance of the current time and realizes that the breakfast buffet will soon be over.

“Wake up!” she calls out to her sleeping boyfriend, to no avail. The only response she gets is a slight squeeze by his hands on her butt, which causes her to blush.

“Ryoga!”

After not getting a response that time either, she decides to try something more unorthodox and begins tickling the sleeping Lost Boy… who starts to wake up and begins laughing uncontrollably.

“Hey, that tickles, stop that!”

Ukyo grins and makes a verbal observation. “I had no idea you were ticklish, I'll have to remember that”

Ryoga rolls his eyes and then puts his hands on her shoulders. “Nice wake up call, Ukyo”

“Sugar, the breakfast buffet is going to be closing soon, we've got to get down there” the brunette says with some urgency. “I'm hungry!”

“Well, me too…”

“Then let's go!” Ukyo says before rolling off the bed. Ryoga follows suit and the two rush out of their room…

Across the hallway, Ranma and Akane have also lost of track of time but for a different reason. For the last half hour the pair had been talking and doing morning stretching exercises…

“Ready to eat?” Akane asks eagerly. “I'm hungry”

“Me too, let's get some food!”

“What time does the breakfast buffet close? There's something about it on that paper over there”

Ranma looks at the paper in question and then quickly looks down at the clock radio. “Damn!”

“What is it?”

“We only got twenty minutes left!”

“Then we've got to go down now” Akane says while motioning towards the door. Ranma follows right behind her and as soon as the pair step through the door they run into a little surprise…

“What're you doing here?” is the question asked by all four teens simultaneously. Upon seeing Akane, Ryoga backs off a little and positions himself behind Ukyo. Akane sees this but says nothing, not wanting to cause any more of a problem with her future sister-in-law and her boyfriend.

The two Saotome siblings realize the answer to the question at the same time and look at each other.

“Mom?”

“You got it, sugar”

“Figures” Akane adds. “Your mom is always up to something… but who's complaining about this place?”

“Not us, Ryoga and I had so much fun here last night, right Ryoga?” Ukyo says while turning to look at her boyfriend.

“Yeah, umm, this is a nice place… good food…” Ryoga says softly.

“Speaking of food…” Akane draws attention back to their current situation. “We'd better get down there before we miss our breakfast, I can hear Ranma's stomach growling already…”

The pig-tailed martial artist isn't amused by that comment. “Ha ha, Akane. Your own stomach is bein' louder then mine, anyway.”

“Akane has a point, let's go eat and we can talk…” the brunette chef says before heading down the hallway with Ryoga in tow. “Just watch out for the doll by the entrance” the giggling brunette says, teasing both Ranma and Akane as she leaves.

Akane and Ranma look at each other and shake their heads.

“That will never die, will it?” Ranma says, referring to that incident.

“Nope, and I'll be the last one to forget it! I'm glad you didn't take advantage of me, despite that dolls advances”

“I knew that wasn't the real Akane… I like how you tease me, it's more, you know, realistic…”

“I'm glad to hear that… let's talk about that more later…” Akane says after her stomach growls loudly.

“Okay- it seems like Ryoga is making Ukyo happy, I'm glad to see that…”

“Whatever makes your sister happy- remember when we thought they got together that first time?”

“Oh yeah, I remember that- and they were trying to break us up but they got caught by all those ghosts and stuff…” Ranma says, recalling that incident in the “Tunnel of Lost Love”

“It didn't work, did it?”

“Nope, I still got my tomboy right here”

“And I got my baka”

The four teens get their first plate of the western style food and sit down at a table in the hotel restaurant and talk, swapping stories of how they got set up to come to this resort.

End Part B.

Start Part C.

Ukyo gets things started conversation-wise. “So, Akane, how are the outdoor springs here? That's what you used last night, right?”

“Yeah, they're pretty nice. Nice and quiet…”

Ukyo likes the sound of that. “Sounds good, right, Ryoga?”

“Y-yeah, it does…”

Akane senses the Lost Boy's uneasiness and decides to tease him about it. “As long as you don't get lost, right, Ryoga?”

Ryoga is not amused. “Hey! I haven't gotten lost in a while… maybe some of Ukyo's sense of direction is rubbing off on me or something”

“Maybe… this is the first time you've replied to me and not cowered, you know”

Ranma and Ukyo look at Akane and realize that she does have a point and quietly watch this conversation.

“I guess… Ukyo's been a great help” Ryoga admits softly. “I'm still think you're dangerous…” is the reply back to Akane who can't help but grin.

“Yeah… that's true- but look at it this way. If you and I had gotten together somehow, what do you think I would've done the first time I saw you as a pig?” Akane says, getting right to the point.

“Umm… well…” Ryoga thinks about that and tries to come up with an answer. “I guess the same thing as what happened earlier…”

“Exactly. I don't mean to harp on that, but you just weren't made for this tomboy”

“Heh” Ranma says, finally getting a word into the conversation.

“He just needed a chef's touch, that's all…” Ukyo says softly, causing Ryoga to blush.

“Can we talk about something else?” the exasperated Lost Boy cries out, quickly tiring of all of this attention.

“Okay- what are you two going to do after breakfast?” Ukyo says, addressing her brother and Akane.

“Hiking, me an' Akane are going on this trail we didn't see the last time, it's supposed to be very scenic or somethin'”

“Yeah, it should be fun. How about you two?”

The brunette chef grins. “Hot springs. Definitely- I want to relax and unwind… and then maybe we'll take a walk around a little, check out the scenery”

Ryoga likes what he hears and nods his head. “Yeah, that sounds good…”

Akane wipes her mouth and then looks at Ranma, who's already finished eating, leaving a spotless plate. “We're off… see you two later…”

“Okay, have fun” Ukyo says while waving at the departing couple. Ryoga silently watches the two leave and then breathes a sigh of relief.

“Whew… I'm glad that's over”

The brunette is a little dismayed by that comment. “Hey, it's not like Akane was out to kill you at the table. You both can be civil with each other- don't forget that Ran-chan is my brother now so you'll be seeing more of him and Akane”

“Yeah, I just wasn't sure what was going to happen, that's all. She does have a reputation of being quite… energetic…” the Lost Boy says, phrasing his reply to convey his thought in a milder manner.

Wanting to get off of this subject, Ukyo reaches over and tugs on Ryoga's sleeve. “I suppose so… but let's forget about that. Let's go!”

Seeing that Ukyo wants to go and spending some time with him, especially in a relaxing and possibly romantic setting like the private hot springs, the Lost Boy knows the direction he needs to head- forward.

Ranma and Akane head back to their room and then head out for one of the more ambitious trail loops, stopping to get some extra food and water for their trip at the hotel shops before leaving. The crisp morning air is slowly getting warmed by the sun as the two follow the map provided by the front desk up into the higher elevations and the forests therein.

During the first leg of the trip, Ranma and Akane engage and small talk and enjoy their surroundings, stopping to take an occasional picture. After an hour and brief rest stop at one of the designated stops on the path things begin to get a little heated…

“I told yah I'd do it… but why do you want to do this now?”

“Because you never know when we'll be attacked… and you're a lot stronger then I am…” Akane says, her voice becoming softer as she admits out loud something that she had denied in the past. “I don't want to be the one rescued all the time”

Ranma's not entirely buying that statement. “Who said you were bad at martial arts? You've improved a lot since our fight with those two sisters, you know, fire and ice… the ones that the old man tried to pin on your dad as his kids…”

“Yeah, I remember that. I almost thought I had another two sisters… but I guess you and I took care of business, though we fought a lot afterwards”

Ranma grins. “Yeah, that was kinda silly… you and I won together, not separately”

“It's taken a long time for me to actually admit that… I do have my pride…”

“Yeah… you certainly do…” Ranma says in a slight mumble.

Akane hears that and prepares to make a move. “Oh, is that so?”

“Yeah” Ranma says, aware of the fact that she's moving closer with each passing moment. `Uh oh, she looks pissed'

Akane makes a playful swipe before making a fighting pose. “Let's spar”

“Now?”

“Yeah, it must be my pride that makes me want to practice with you, Ranma”

The pig-tailed martial artist smiles. “You don't say? If you wanna fight me, tomboy, then let's do it”

Ranma moves into a fighting stance and drops his backpack to the ground, Akane does the same and pushes it out of the way.

“Your move”

After hearing that, Akane grins. “Okay, let's spar!”

With speed that initially surprises Ranma, Akane moves forward and attempts to punch him, using a flurry of punches not unlike his own special move. He slowly moves back as he dodges her attacks, trying to gage her intentions and how eager she is at the moment.

“Not bad”

“Yeah, not bad for a tomboy”

“My turn…” Ranma says while turning to the offense, causing Akane to back away from the fury of his attacks. Akane isn't dismayed by this turn of events, however.

`He's attacking me for real, that's what I need. REAL practice under the worst conditions…'

Despite feeling a few blows, Akane does a good job of keeping on her feet and keeps her defenses up… until she feels her back against a tree.

`Uh oh… I'm pinned'

“Got yah now” Ranma says before going into to tag Akane. At the last moment, Akane sees Ranma moving forward in his attack and sidesteps him, causing him to miss and hit the tree behind her…

“OWWW”

“You missed me” Akane says while holding up her hand to block the flying shrapnel from the tree he just hit. Ranma's about to say something when an acorn falls on his head… and then another… before a rain of acorns fall from the oak tree, hitting Ranma on the head.

“Great, just great…” is the reply from the flustered Ranma as he brushes off the acorns that managed to stay on his clothing. “Good move there, Akane”

“Thanks. You know, what just happened just proved a theory of mine” Akane says while her grins grows ever wider.

“And what's that?”

“That you're nuts”

Ranma rolls his eyes. “Ha ha, Akane. That was so funny that I forgot to laugh”

Trying to control her laughter, the youngest Tendo takes a few deep breathes before turning to look at her fiancée. “I thought it as funny… but seriously, your moves are `nuts' sometimes”

“I suppose…” Ranma concedes. “But they get the job done”

Despite the heat of the moment that drove these two to fight with each other, each is secretly glad it happened- fighting of one sort or another used to keep them apart but now is having the opposite effect on their relationship.

Despite the good mood that Akane's in as a result of his misplaced attack, Ranma wants a little friendly payback. He notices out of the corner of his eye other similar trees nearby, all laden with acorns. `Maybe I can get her to get rained on, too'

Akane is surprised to hear Ranma suggest some more sparing a moment later. “Really?”

“Yeah, let's practice some more”

“Okay, but I won't be going easy on you this time…” Akane says in a half serious tone.

Ranma takes a deep breath for getting into a defensive stance. “I'll keep that in mind”

To make his strategy work, Ranma let's Akane take the offense first, wanting to mimic his last attack and situation almost exactly, except for the results. As she punches and kicks, Ranma cannot help but admire her tenacity and skill, which is much better then it was before. `She's definitely making some good progress, I'm glad to see it'

After Akane slips in a few blows, Ranma puts his plan into action and puts some heavy pressure on the attack, causing his opponent to back up towards another oak tree. Akane notices what's happening and plans to do the same thing as before… hoping he'll want to be caught in another acorn shower.

The same situation soon presents itself, with Akane's back against an oak tree. She sees Ranma's strike and moves to sidestep… only to find his hand on the way. She closes her eyes as she realizes that he's got her… but feels nothing as his other hand moves to hit her.

`Huh? What happened? Did he miss me?'

Akane hears some small noises above her head and opens her eyes. Ranma is standing about a meter and a half in front of her and sporting a wide grin.

“Hey, what's so…”

The question Akane was about to ask is cutoff as the grumbling sound increases and a bad feeling overcomes the young woman. `Oh no!'

It's Ranma's turn to grin as an avalanche of acorn falls on his fiancée. “You got me” is her slightly angry reply while brushing the offending acorns off of her body.

“Looks like this tree was worse then the one that got me”

“Seems like it…” Akane says while brushing off some more acorns. A peculiar feeling on her back causes her to reach back to find the cause. “Ranma, come here”

Curious about what she needs, Ranma approaches his fiancée. She turns around and then addresses him.

“It seems like some of the acorns fell down my shirt, can you get them out? I can't seem to reach them”

“Sure thing, I'll get `em for yah” Ranma says before gently pulling up the bottom of her shirt. Akane blushes as his hands move up her bare back and her heart begins to race…

Ranma's hands soon come across the trouble making acorns and gently remove them, though something else is on his mind as he realizes where his hands are at. The pause of movement causes Akane to wonder what he's doing.

“Is there a problem?”

“Naw, no problem…” A quick movement of Ranma's hands is felt by Akane before he removes them… causing the young woman to blush even more”

“Ranma, why did you just unhook my bra?”

A wide smile forms on the pig-tailed martial artists face. “Cause you told me I was hopeless as a woman and needed practice… those acorns just happened to be right there…”

“I see… well, get some more practice and hook it back up! I swear…” the flustered Akane says while tapping her feet on the ground.

“Okay, I'll get yah fixed up then…” Ranma says before lifting the back of her shirt once again and reattaching the hooks of her bra. He smoothes the shirt back down and gently pats her back.

“All done”

Akane does an about face and looks at Ranma with a mix of anger and embarrassment. “I swear you're becoming more perverted everyday!”

“Oh come on, it's not like I saw anythin' and besides…” Ranma stops mid-sentence after getting a good look at Akane's chest, which happens to be expanding and contracting quite a bit due to her heavy breathing. He notices something that's out of place and once again decides to tease his fiancée…

“Looks like some of the padding fell out…”

Akane has no idea what he's talking about. “Huh?”

After looking at Ranma and noticing where he's pointing, Akane takes a look for herself. `I must've missed some acorns, there's a few still on my chest. What's gotten into him today? He's being really naughty… I guess after that robe incident he's really excited about doing things with me- who'd have thought that he'd have this side to him?'

Akane clears her throat. “Ahem”

“Told yah”

After removing the acorns, Akane proceeds to chide her fiancée. “You should know better, Ranma… this is all me, I don't need to pad my bra!”

“Yeah, I know… but I couldn't resist. Those acorns were right in the middle of…”

A mallet strike ends Ranma's response mid-sentence. “Don't push it”

“Sorry” is the reply from the woozy martial artist, who realizes that she does have limits in this area… and that her mallet is as deadly as ever. Unlike previous attacks, however, Akane soon returns the mallet to “malletspace” and begins caressing his head where he had just made her strike.

“Ranma” she whispers softly. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hit you so hard”

Hearing her voice and the tone that she's using causes any anger Ranma has to melt away. “It's okay, I'm kinda used to it by now…”

“Still… I'm a little hot-blooded sometimes”

“I know, but that's what makes you so interesting, you're a feisty tomboy”

“Thanks. After yesterday's accident, you should've known better then to ask that question about my bra”

Ranma smiles.“Heh, I guess you're right. That's all you”

“And don't forget it!” is the response from the red-faced Akane, who can't believe she just said that.

“I won't, I promise”

The two martial artists embrace and hold each other tightly, realizing just how close they were getting, intimate and perverted jokes are now common in their relationship and even looked forward to, if not entirely acknowledged at the moment by either party.

“Looks like we're definitely on our way to becoming really perverted martial artists after all” Ranma admits softly.

“Yeah… but it's not entirely a bad thing. You've been making things more… interesting lately. Keep it up- but don't push it too much, okay?”

Ranma is happy to oblige. “Deal”

After gently kissing Ranma on the cheek, Akane lets go of her fiancée. “We've still got a lot of hiking to do, we're only a quarter done”

“True. Let's get up to that waypoint over there and then take our lunch” Ranma says while point at a ridge in the distance that's on their intinerary.

“Sounds good, let's keep going then!”

The pair pick up their backpacks and hit the trail once again, happy about the interesting turn of events that diversion caused. Back at the hotel, the other Saotome couple is making their way out to one of the private hot springs.

“This is really nice, I can see why Akane and Ranma went here first… it's so beautiful!” Ukyo exclaims while looking at the pretty flowers lining the path and exquisite mountain scenery around her.

“I like it too, it's nice and quiet”

“That's true, too. Let's put our stuff down over here and check it out then” the brunette chef says while pointing at a small mirror and wooden shelving built in front of a nearby rock, just a short distance from the pool.

“Looks like the changing area to me, I like these robes that they gave us” Ryoga says while pulling at his belt.

“Me too. I'd love to have something like this at home”

Ukyo blushes as the robe her boyfriend is wearing hits the ground, revealing his yellow and black spotted swim trunks. `He's really good looking… and he even has the same colored trunks as his bandana'

Ryoga is unaware of what Ukyo's doing and takes off his trademark bandanna as well, putting it and the robe into one of the holding shelves.

“Something wrong, Ukyo?”

“Oh no, nothing's wrong” is the slightly nervous reply back from Ukyo, who removes the white ribbon from her hair and places it on the shelf. She gently tugs at the cords of her robe and removes it, noticing that the sound made Ryoga suddenly twitch.

`I guess I'm not the only one thinking certain things…'

The Lost Boy turns his head and motions at the hot spring. “Ready to go in?”

“Ready as ever, sugar”

The pair walk up to the side of the spring and gently dip one foot into the water to see just how hot it really is.

“Nice and warm, but not too bad”

“Yeah, just right. I'm glad it's not cold water so we can be in together”

Ukyo steps into the spring and walks forward, the water level rising with each step. “Definitely”

Ryoga is right behind her, watching the water hit more and more of her long brown hair, causing it to float on the water. `She's got such full bodied hair, and I know it's really soft. Ukyo's got her own enchantments, that's for sure'

After resting her back again the far end of the pool, Ukyo stretches her arms towards the sky and lets the water work its magic. “This feels so good”

Ryoga does the same thing and relaxes right next to her. “Yeah, nothing like a relaxing soak in a hot spring… especially with that special someone”

“I like what I'm hearing”

“I don't get to do this too often, it's always by accident that I found one of these while I was wondering around” the Lost Boy admits with a sigh.

“Same here, I don't get away from work as much as I should… but a free trip is a good excuse as any, it gave me a chance to pull out this swimsuit of mine and use it again” Ukyo says, commenting on the light green one piece swimsuit that she's currently wearing.

“I haven't seen you use that since we were on that floating island”

“You're right, I haven't used it since that little adventure. What do you think of it? I never did get to ask you if you liked it” Ukyo says, feeling a little bashful at the end of her sentence.

“Oh, it looks good. The color definitely suits you and umm… you look…”

Ukyo is almost hanging on his every word and wants him to continue. “Yeah?”

Knowing what he wants to say and being able to say it are two different things in Ryoga's book, though he knows that he needs more practice with conversations of this nature.

“Sexy… I umm, like how it shows off your umm… body”

A quick kiss on the cheek is the reward for Ryoga's honesty and compliment. “Thanks”

“Anytime”

“You're looking good there yourself…” the brunette shyly admits. “Let me try something out…”

Ryoga wonders what she means by that until he feels her hands on his shoulders.

“A massage huh?”

The chef nods her head and begins her massage. “Yeah… you're so tense, Ryoga. Don't worry about Akane, okay? Worry about me.”

After a slight shrug, the Lost Boy lets his muscles relax and thinks about her words. “Sorry, I guess I don't do too well with that situation- but at least you've forgiven me”

“Speaking of that, I need to finish my paper- and it is about what I want to do in the future. What do you want, Ryoga? You're a part of my future so… I want to know”

“Well… hmm. That's a good question”

Ryoga lets the good feeling of the massage work through his body and focuses on positive thoughts in an effort to answer her question.

“I don't know… I always pictured myself having a family, but you understand why certain things I was thinking about before aren't going to happen. It's not a bad change, though”

Ukyo smiles. “Glad to hear it. I want to finish school and work on my restaurant and cooking skills so I can become the best okonomiyaki chef in all of Japan”

“I think you've already accomplished that” the sly Ryoga says, earning a soft “Aww” from Ukyo.

“Thanks, sugar. I know you love my cooking, it's the only thing you've really eaten since you arrived and you've never complained about it. Since you mention family, well I… I want kids, too.”

“Ah…”

Ukyo is silent for a moment. She realizes that Ryoga has admitted to his past dreams being different now, since Akane's rejection of him. `I'm the same as him- I'd been fantasizing about Ranma myself until Ryoga came back into my life full force. It's only fair if I tell him that…'

The brunette chef lowers her voice and bares her soul to her boyfriend. “Ahem. Ryoga… about plans changing… I had different dreams up until the end of that fight you know. Ran-chan was my everything and he's still important to me… just not in that way”

Ryoga knew about her prior desires to be with Ranma but is still glad to hear her say those words- the open and honest talks they've been having lately have really been a help to their relationship, opening the door for more intimate things.

“Thanks, Ukyo, for telling me that. I'd be more then happy to talk about this some more and help you with that paper”

“Really? Thanks!”

“But first, let's enjoy this hot spring some more”

Ukyo likes his thinking. “Of course. How about you return the favor and rub my shoulders a little, too”

“Sure” is his quick reply back. Ryoga turns around and finds Ukyo's back right in front of him, the strings of her bathing suit are off of her shoulders and she's resting herself against a rock.

“Ukyo…”

“What? You're giving me a shoulder massage… I don't want the straps in the way” is her reply to that, though inside she knows that this is another chance to be a little flirty with him.

“I guess…”

“Just don't be looking over my shoulders trying to peek or something” Ukyo says, trying to be innocent and yet naughty at the same time.

Caught in the act, Ryoga takes a half step back and then places his hands on her bare shoulders. “Oh, of course… I'd never do that…”

Inwardly, the chef grins, knowing that he did back away and must've been trying to get a look at her. She sighs softly as the massage begins and hears him speak a little while later…

“You know, I'd like to get out sometime and go traveling with you- since you're good with directions and I'm not. I need a little break from your place… no offense”

“None taken. I'm sorry if I've neglected you… we need to go out and do more `couple' things together. I promise to take you out…”

“Okay… but then I want you to do something else with me. You told me about the Amazons… and how Shampoo thinks they might attack again”

“Yeah, I remember that”

“I want you to train with me… so in case something does happen…”

Ukyo can sense the concern in his voice and knows that he has a valid point. “Okay…”

The couple continues their hot spring experience while in another part of Japan a pair of sisters have stolen food from a group of people that seem none too happy about it. What concerns them is the vigor in which they're being pursued- both can sense that they've angered some real powerful people.

“Where to, sis?” the younger asks while looking over her back, having just heard a noise in the distance.

“Maybe father can help us out… I know he's not really our father but…” Pausing to peer down the alleyway, Natsumi breathes a sigh of relief when she sees a cat jump off of a garbage can.

“False alarm… but maybe you're right. Those other two might be able to help us, too”

“Oh yeah…”

“Let's get out of here then…”

The younger sister Kurumi has no arguments with that. “Right!”

End of chapter 17.

To be continued in Chapter 18: Invasion

Hope you liked this chapter as much as I did writing it! Comments are appreciated!