Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Rendezvous with Fate ❯ May ( Chapter 7 )

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

Though Akane lives with the Saotomes, she doesn't know much about them, what motivates them, what made them, what haunts them...

And though childhood never lasts long in times of war, she tries to understand who they were so that she could believe who they have become.

The ritual training trips, China, their coming of age. Ranma and Nabiki didn't try to revisit their past too often. They didn't like to be reminded of what they once had... and lost.

Anime/Manga: Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Samurai / Romance / Drama | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 04.27.2005 | Updated On: 04.03.2006 | Pages: 12 | Words: 27.0K | Visits: 1.3K | Status: Completed

Revision
04/02/06 : common errors in the English language
01/14/06 : changed tenses (removed had when possible), and changed quotation punctuation
10/18/05 : grammar
04/28/05 : punctuation, grammar and colorful word fix (Media Miner Upload)
01/07/05 : Fixed ending scene with Nabiki since she was too childish and some grammar.
12/28/04 : Added a ranma-akane scene and corrected grammatical errors.

Sweet are the hours in one's own country
Where all is friendly underneath the sun,
Sweet are the breezes from the native rice fields,
Death less bitter and love more sweetly won!
Dr. Jose P. Rizal
Noli Me Tangere

Rendezvous with Fate v.3
by iCe
Chapter 7

...Hikaru Gosunkugi... yes, he was one of Kodachi's sins. She turned him into a monster. It seems like Kodachi was skilled in this kind ofthing...

Soon the hallway was clear except for Sasuke, Nabiki, Ranma and Kodachi. Kodachi was pale from the experience, but she did manage to lean on Ranma for support. Nabiki followed closely behind with Sasuke bringing up the rear in their small procession.

Ranma pulled Kodachi into their room and looked at her face. Nabiki raised her eyebrow in question but did not comment. The bruising was already starting. "Get me something to put on her lips to stop the swelling. Sasuke, call for Ifuku. Nabiki, please come here."

Nabiki sat down gently beside her brother, both surveying her critically. Seeing them side-by-side, it was the first time Akane saw that they shared the same eyes. Though different in color, Ranma's being its unique bluish gray and Nabiki's a deep hazel brown, the contour and the same impossibly long eyelashes framed them. They shared the same bone structure, high and well defined. As she looked from one to the other, could believe they were twins.

The difference was their coloring and their hair. Ranma's curled a little reminiscent of his mother's own locks, but was well hidden with the plait of his braid, while Nabiki's was straight possibly from their father's side. It was probably that obvious difference which differentiated them. They probably looked identical as infants. Akane began to feel noticeably faint during the examination of the twins and managed to give them warning just before she fainted.

"The stress must have been too great," Ranma muttered as he laid her down on the nearby futon that one of the maids already prepared for that evening.

Nabiki looked at Kodachi's head critically. "She's hit her head again, seems like Gosunkugi managed to bang her head on the rail of the palace. Luckily, it isn't in that old wound," she was referring to the one that gave Kodachi her amnesia.

Ranma nodded and turned to the water that Ifuku brought to clean Kodachi's cuts. He looked at the water tentatively then at Nabiki. Even if he knew that immersing his hands in water would not activate the curse, some part of his mind was always cautious about touching water. Jusenkyo managed to do that to all its victims. He shrugged, then picked up the washcloth and dipped it in the cold liquid.

Gently Ranma cleaned Kodachi's face and scalp, while Nabiki set out to disinfect the worst of the wounds that she acquired. On Nabiki's orders, Ifuku disrobed Kodachi so that she would soak in the furo. The warmth of the water would be good for her body.

Silence settled over the three of them as they worked efficiently and methodically over her, from her head to her feet. It was not unusual for the twins to work on minor wounds, battle injuries taught them that much.

There was a long pause before Nabiki spoke up. After the show in the gardens, she didn't know what to think of Ranma and whatever reservations he held against his wife. She spoke in Chinese because she didn't want others to hear her misgivings, "Ranma... don't tell me you're falling in love with her again."

"No... no. I don't make the same mistake twice, Nabiki," Ranma said moving the cloth towards her arms and legs, which were dirty from the scuffle. Gosunkugi managed to do a lot of damage in the short time he managed to isolate her.

"What's going on Ranma?" Nabiki sighed, usually the brother and sister spoke in Chinese when they didn't want to be understood. Nabiki picked up on languages very well and learned some basic words from Chinese merchants before they were sent on the errand to China and luckily she could speak some of the basic sentences before the Matriarch from the Amazon village started to instruct them. Ranma learned off from her, eager to show one up over their foster father Genma.

"I'm just as confused as you are Nabiki. And it's scaring me. You're never confused." He looked at his sister worriedly. "When I left her to check on the border, she was still acting her normal self, and I found her like this..."

Nabiki looked at her brother then at Kodachi, her heart constricted at the pain in his eyes. She caught him move his fingertips against her bruised lips, tracing the bluish black spots. "She is beautiful isn't she?" Nabiki commented off handedly, probing her brother's mental state.

"No. She's adopted the deep brown skin that is a trait of the commoner, she's got calluses, and she's far too brash and..." Ranma trailed off helplessly, his hand on her hair.

"And we were not raised like ordinary Japanese." Nabiki laughed. Ranma was startled. It was something so rarely heard from her person. "Ranma, I know you like those who don't care much for appearances, women who train in the sun for the art... women who don't fawn over you. Women who are the exact opposite of your ex-fiancées and women who definitely are the exact opposite of Kodachi... well except for her fawning over you part. She hasn't exactly flattered you over the seven year marriage."

"That's the key word. The exact opposite of her." Jerking his hand as if it had been burned, he called for the samurai out of the door and told him to ready the furo.

He stood up to leave, but Nabiki blocked him. She wanted to get an answer out of him. Just to prove that her hunch was wrong. "She's cheated you more than once, with different men. Framed me and ruined our lives. Blackmailed the family. Ruined Ranko's reputation. Doesn't take care of her duties to you. Doesn't produce you an heir. Caused me my miscarriage--"

Ranma's hand went to his brow, and used his other hand to wave her off. The list Nabiki was starting to tell was an endless one. "Nabiki..."

Nabiki searched her brother's face for something, anything that would work against Kodachi. She found none.

That scared her.

For years his life held a semblance of control. His life held no joy, but there was no conflict either. Now...

He didn't know where he stood. Kodachi for the most part was a lunatic. The only presence that used to be seen in her eyes was the madness that lurked there, the Kami that played with her soul. Now, it seemed she was cured of her madness. That or a different Kami possessed her body.

He threw one final disgusted look at Kodachi then left for his quarters. Nabiki watched him go.

Ranma bowed low, it was a whole day after he arrived at the donjon, and Happosai was not pleased. He was expected to deliver his findings the moment he set foot in the palace and he deliberately avoided him.

Happosai was not one to listen to anyone's side patiently. Ranma hoped Kodachi's demonstration of lunacies the previous night would make Happosai think that he was merely keeping tabs of his overwrought wife.

Fortunately, Happosai did not comment on his late report. He found other things to criticize with his time.

"My lord Happosai, I fear that I should go back to Rose Brier, as soon as possible. I request the Lady Nabiki, my sister, to come with me," Ranma said, still in his bowed position.

Happosai puffed on his pipe then shrugged leisurely. "Tell me your report of the countryside, the estates, and why you want to go and I'll think about it."

" Kodachi is suffering from memory loss and the doctor has advised to keep her in familiar surroundings to help her regain her memory," Ranma informed Happosai as he looked up and settled into the cushion. He honestly didn't like the idea of Kodachi getting her memory back, the fact that it was gone was still in question, but it was the only way he could observe her without Happosai interfering.

For an old man, Happosai was one hell of a manipulator. Damn the man who cursed them all, he was a worse plague than Kodachi. But he was their liege lord and he must be followed... at least until the right heir takes his place.

"You are aware that this feast is in honor of your mother?" Happosai asked, a little bit irritated. Ranma wondered if his presence was needed for the banquet. The old lech must have some plans set for them.

"Yes sire, but..." Ranma tried not to place his hand behind his head, a clear sign of indecision. He silently cursed that Nabiki couldn't take this interview, since manipulation was her best skill. So he proceeded with the story he came up with Nabiki. He would have to play out everything slowly. "Our mother does not need us on the day of her birth. We have already celebrated with her and we fear that more days away from our duties would bring bad tidings to the clan."

"Bad tidings?" Happosai, for an impatient man, asked a lot of questions.

"Troops have been mobilizing around Nerima, sir, and we fear that if we leave Rose Brier for too long, they might get access to the Tokai(1) Road." The Tokai road started at Rose Brier, and ended at the city of Edo. It was the road from Nerima in his han, Sagami that has the easiest access to the main city.

Happosai nodded, the Tokai was needed. Edo was an important capital. After all, it was the Saotome Clan's main fort. "And why does Nabiki need to be present?"

"We are two halves of a whole, sire. I handle all things that have to do with troops and fighting, and she has the job of thinking things over." Ranma paused wondering if that was the right image to feed Happosai. A needy daimyo is not an effective daimyo. "Sagami would be powerless with half of its leadership gone."

Happosai smiled then drew on his pipe again. "Then it seems you should thank your wife for handing you Nabiki back on a silver platter. However did you manage to think intelligently these past few years without her?"

Ranma cursed his luck. He stumbled again. Happosai just gave him another reason not to kill Kodachi... another reason in a long line of reasons that Happosai came up with over the years. He didn't doubt that if Nabiki was present, she would have seen through whatever ploy Happosai was weaving him into.

"My twin and I have compensations for the lack of skill, sire. Though I may not be as bright as my sister nor she as advanced in the art... we still both have something that the other excels in. We are not one brain halved, merely two people who are equal. Since we are not an exact copy of the other... we each have an advantage the other does not have. It is what we learned in China, sire."

Happosai nodded, he heard the right answer... this time... "Well then, your departure may be arranged. After all, we wish the Lady Nabiki to feel better from her sickness, ne? And the soothing waves of Rose Brier may just be the cure." Happosai flashed a toothy smile.

Ranma breathed a sigh of relief. What he said wasn't necessarily a lie. Troops are mobilizing but far from the Tokai road... and more directly towards the Nerima ward than anywhere else.

"Tell me boy. What have you learned from the last errand I sent you off to?"

Ranma swallowed, the time to play games was nigh. How much could he tell without contradicting himself and how much is too much. How much was he willing to reveal, and would these things make Happosai suspicious.

Clearing his mind, he began to narrate, "Troops suspected belonging to Tokugawa Ieyasu's(2) enemy -- unconfirmed exactly to whom -- have been moving against the Sagami--"

The interview lasted for five whole sticks. Nabiki was glad she was ordered to bed. It seemed that she acquired the flu rather mysteriously.

Having broken her head once before in this ordeal gave Akane's abused an excuse to hurt when she woke up. As soon as she did move, there was the disoriented feel every time she opened her eyes into the different rooms that she was hoisted into through her stay with the Saotomes.

The room was dim so she barely registered movement in the corner of her room. The shadow was about to slip out, but she managed to muster a groggy voice, "Wait, wait." The figure hesitated but Akane reached out for it. "Thank you for watching over me."

"I'm sorry about Gosunkugi. It's not going to happen again." Even in the darkness, Akane could recognize Ranma's voice.

Akane smiled at his concern, so her husband wasn't totally indifferent to her after all. He worried about her enough to stop by and check on her. He was worried enough about Gosunkugi. "Please stay awhile, Ranma. I would like to talk to you."

Ranma stood there for a while deliberating if he would leave or not. His conscience won over sitting beside her. "You're leaving tomorrow. I will not be going with you, I have business to attend to here but Ranko and Nabiki will accompany you back home."

The room wasn't completely dark because of the hallway lamps and she could see his outline. It was the troubled sort, worried for her condition, yet hesitant, guarded. She brought one hand up to his face. Ranma was a man difficult to love. He made it difficult for her to love him, but right here when they were the only two people in the room she could sense what he has kept hidden from all others, a pained life. One which made him the man he was today.

"We're not friends now, are we?" Akane asked softly, omiais usually didn't deal out friends or love. They were the harsh realities of heirs and bloodlines. There were no emotions in these matches, arranged marriages that did not have a home. "I'm willing to try so badly to be friends, Ranma. Would it hurt so much just to be my friend?"

He averted his face and took her hand away. "We were never meant to be friends, Kodachi." Ranma's resignation resonated through him. He did not believe in second chances.

"Thank you for protecting me from Gosunkugi, Ranma," Akane whispered as he stood up to leave her. He was her only defendant in that row of people, when all else scorned her, when all else turned their backs on her. "Thank you for fighting for me."

"He shouldn't have gotten away. I should have killed him."

"Don't stain your hands with his blood for me," Akane appealed softly. "I'm fine. That's what matters."

"Men have died for lesser insults," Ranma asserted, regretting the words. "Rest well, my lady. Tomorrow you leave. I did not mean to disturb your sleep."

The next morning, it was as if her conversation with Ranma never happened. Akane woke up with one hell of a headache and sat up on the futon with aching muscles. Akane confirmed her memory of Ranma's words that night from Ifuku and learned that she, along with several other companions, was ordered to travel and were being sent back to Rose Brier even in her condition. Ifuku tended to her constantly, but Ranma did not visit her again.

During their journey, Akane only noted Nabiki, Ranko, Sei and Hanae. As Ranma informed her, he was left behind and apparently, so was his mother. One of the samurai informed her that it was because Ranma's presence would bring more complications. Akane just took that as a sign to befriend at least Nabiki or Ranko. Unlike her first hit on the head, her healing process was more gradual, and she barely noticed the days as they traveled.

Once they reached Rose Brier she decided to try to move about but Ifuku forcibly let her sleep the day off. When she finally got out to the beach, she was restricted to walking.

At the path, she looked at the nice little flowers that dotted the way towards the beach and sighed as she walked along in her day kimono. A cat mewed in the distance. Having nothing better to do, she followed the sound to find the animal. It was obviously lost and the poor little thing was shivering. She lifted the pitiful animal up and stroked its fur softly whispering as she turned towards the house to see to some food.

As usual, samurai were not too far behind to see her, and she ignored them as she usually did. They almost never bothered her unless she severely encroached over certain rules, and even then very lightly. So it came as a surprise when one immediately blocked her path.

She tried to put on her sunniest smile, she was learning the rules and it was at best a tedious process. There was no rulebook, no norms, and she was expected to know these things and implement them. "What is it?"

"I'm sorry Lady Akane." The samurai, Omokage(3) -- if she was not mistaken -- looked at her uncertainly, then at the small animal at her hands. The prevention of cats to gain access to the area was one of the little odd rules that the Lady Nabiki made sure the samurai never forgot, but was not mentioned to Kodachi. "No cats are to be allowed within the parameter of Rose Brier."

Assuming that one of the people inside the house was allergic, Akane nodded. It was a severe rule for a mere allergy, but was a rule nonetheless. Death was an easy sentence to give in those times and people were less forgiving.

She changed her direction towards the beach when the samurai stopped her again. "If I may ask the Lady Akane to hand over the kitten? Lord Ranma will not be pleased to see it."

Akane bit her lip as the little thing mewed pitifully in her hands, as a little girl she always had an attachment to strays. Little lost creatures without a home always found a small bowl waiting for them in their kitchen before she sent them away. "Please, Omokage-san, I promise I won't take it in the house. I'll just go pick raspberries or something and feed it. I'm sure Ranma or anybody else won't turn crazy when they see a cat."

Omokage looked at her then frowned in puzzlement at her comment, unsure how to react to her last statement. Akane took this for a yes and thanked him cheerfully. The samurai followed close, whereas before, he always did so at a distance. 'Someone must really hate cats or something.'

Sighing she turned to face the samurai. "Um... I think he's hungry, I'll go by the border and set it free if you get me some milk?" It seemed that the cat was of importance to him.

Torn between loyalties, the samurai gave her an uneasy look. Akane was almost in the stage of giving up. It seemed like he was not going anywhere. "Look, I promise I won't bring him anywhere near the house. I'll even take him to the farthest possible place. I'll just feed him and then I'd give him to you to give to some little girl who would take care of him nicely. Okay?"

There was a long pause but he reluctantly agreed to do as she wished, retreating to the woods and then running for the house. Akane stared after him 'He didn't have to run. He could've taken his time. Oh well...' She walked towards the beach in relative peace.

"--Ooof." Ranma-chan grunted, the wind knocked out of her. She pushed herself upright again bringing her hand up to her head and moaned softly. Still, it was Ranko's fault. The woman was recklessly running towards Rose Brier without looking where she was running.

It was also attributed to the fact that she just saw a cat. She shuddered. It seemed like there were too many cats around lately. She idly wondered if that girl living some miles north was losing those cats she was breeding.

"Are you all right?" Ranma asked looking at who he knocked down -- well surprise-surprise -- Kodachi was walking about. The doctor must have given his okay already. The samurai were under strict instructions to follow the doctor's orders.

"No, of course I'm not all right!" Kodachi said indignantly as she moved to stand up brushing her kimono. Her eyes flashing in the raw release of emotion she seemed to favor now over her old calculated laughter. She glared at the offered hand and stood up without Ranma-chan's help. "Would you mind watching where you're going?"

"Well, sorry, my lady," Ranma answered angrily as he turned her back to Kodachi moving towards the house again. He really needed to tell some samurai to watch the perimeter more closely. Plus the thing about the troops... he just has an idea which...

"The least you could do is help me find it," Kodachi mumbled, already on her knees going through some bushes, searching for whatever item she lost.

Ranma resisted the urge to grumble, telling himself he would not let Kodachi get satisfaction from his discomfort. His message could wait. It was rare that she could see Kodachi in a situation like this. The troops weren't really closing in on Nerima anyway, just mobilizing. They were probably biding for time. "What are you..."

"Found it!" Kodachi yelled triumphantly which made Ranma-chan look up from the place she was searching. Unfortunately it was under a low lying branch which she hit as she stood up. "Owww..."

She rubbed her sore head for a few seconds before she heard a distinct meow behind her. The hairs behind her neck began to stand. "Exactly what was it that you were trying to find Kodachi?"

"This kitten, silly... you're not allergic to it, are you?" Kodachi asked worried as she purred over the cat, which thankfully Ranma still hasn't seen.

'That has got to be one of the stupidest questions she's asked me.' Ranma thought nervously, his body freezing, the distinct symptoms of her ailurophobia surfacing. He still managed to speak, "Get it away from me."

"What! This..."

"I said get it AWAY!" Ranma almost shouted, his breathing labored. 'Oh Kami, please let that stubborn witch listen...' "I don't know what you're trying to prove but get it away from me."

Kodachi looked at the little cat as she cradled it against her arms from the grass, specks of dirt falling softly on her pale kimono. She scratched the back of the cat's ears then looked at Ranma contemplatively.

Ranma's response to that was to back away, Kodachi merely looked at him. "Oh, come on, Ranko, you can't possibly be afraid of one little cat." She patted the small creature as she smiled. "And you can't be allergic or you'd be sneezing at the moment."

There was no answer from the paralyzed girl as she stared at the cat, it was too far out of her reach to trigger the Neko-ken but close enough to send shards of fear through him. Enough for him to back away, enough for his brain to obstruct what would otherwise be normal thinking.

Ranma couldn't run, his feet were firmly planted, huddled on the roots of the brush he managed to back himself into. He couldn't jump for he was immobile, he couldn't scream -- for it would bring him shame, and if he did so -- Kodachi wouldn't let him hear the end of it. He could just stare at Kodachi, hoping Kodachi would send the cat away.

Then, with whatever mercies the Gods were willing to give to him that day, he didn't trigger the Neko-ken, and his mind succumbed to oblivion.

Akane looked at the kitten then at the girl wondering what brought about Ranko's orders. When Ranko fainted, she was both surprised and panicked, for she didn't know what she would do. She didn't even know what was happening, much less come up some way to resolve it. Thankfully, Omokage appeared just as suddenly with a bowl of water on his hands. As he approached her he gave her a questioning look.

Finally, Akane sighed as she gave the small cat to the samurai with some instructions to feed it and turn it over to someone who cared before she turned her attentions to Ranko.

"Is there any help I can offer?" Omokage asked as he held the kitten and the bowl of water, when Akane waved him away. The samurai nodded in submission and left her to do what he was instructed to do.

"The cat's gone now, Ranko." When there was no response from the girl, Akane waved her hands in front of her several times, finally she pinched the dazed girl by her shoulder. "RANKO!"

She didn't respond Akane looked at the girl closely and realized the problem -- she fainted. Pulling up the sleeves of the long kimono, she dragged Ranko to the beach where she cupped some water and splashed it over her face.

Finally coming to her senses the girl slapped the offending hand away, and spluttered at the water that was suddenly thrown at her. "What did you do that for?"

"Well... you fazed out!" Akane answered in a matter of fact way as she sat on one of the bigger stones on the beach, it was mid-afternoon and the breeze was as refreshing as the lull of the waves, although the sand was scorching. Dusting herself, Ranko stood up as Akane lectured, "What did you want me to do, drag you back to Rose Brier?"

"There are some samurai over there you know," Ranko retorted, thumbing some trees a distance away, Akane squinted against the sunlight and looked at the spot hard. True enough, some samurai were watching them complacently. "You could've asked them for help."

"I did the first thing I could think of okay!" Akane muttered in disgust. There was an option of asking help from Omokage, but she didn't tell Ranko that. "Besides, I told someone to keep the cat away from you. You owe me one."

There was a smile on Akane's lips, Ranko frowned, no matter what angle you saw the argument in, Akane was right. Ranko wouldn't -- couldn't deny it, it would too much a breach of honor to do so. Still Ranko shrugged then stood up, fear-induced palsy wearing off. "I thank you for doing what the master bids us all to do."

"Still... I think it's more of your reasons than the master's, don't you think?" Akane retorted as she put down her hand on Ranko's shoulder, her message was clear. "You still owe me."

"A favor?" Ranko took Akane's hand off and looked at her wearily. "Please, spare me, Kodachi, I really don't like giving you any favors."

"Even if you owed me?" Feudal Japan has its advantages. Their honor was one thing, their debts another. Someone told her before that Ranko did not like owing debts and that her sense of honor was deeply instilled. 'Feudal Japan was sooo... old-fashioned.'

Ranko cursed again then sat down in the sand as if nothing happened, ignoring the heat. She turned to Akane in a conversational manner and said her words in a way that didn't make it sound like a death sentence, "What grand torture befits someone who owes the Lady Kodachi? Seppuku perhaps? Or maybe just kill me off? I could think of more gruesome things to do at the moment, but thinking of a ways to kill myself is not one of my better habits."

"I just want three things." There really wasn't much to ask. She has everything in the palm of her hands, now all she needed to do was use them. Ranko was the perfect person to ask, and a cancellation of debt the perfect way to do it.

There was a guarded look on Ranko's eyes and she weighed the girl before her, and dismissed the things she was going to ask for as trivial even before she heard it. Then she intoned in the most formal manner she knew of intoned, "How may I be of service to my Lady Kodachi Saotome of the House of Kuno?"

"I don't want you in my husband's bedroom at night." Akane reasoned it was for the best, her husband would sleep earlier, and the whole household would sleep earlier and a lot less grumpy people. It was on no account of jealousy on her part, she thought, after all it was for the good of the household. "If possible I don't want you wearing his clothes."

Thinking about it, Ranko made a face clearly showing her dislike in the matter, but she couldn't and wouldn't refuse it. 'It isn't such a hard bargain as one that Kodachi might usually drive... and Kodachi usually tired easily of her games.' Ranko mulled over the thoughts then smiled graciously, 'Ranko will play your game for a while, Kodachi' "Where would I sleep and what would I wear, then? Surely you have some idea."

"I don't really care. As long as it's not my husband's." She waved her hand in dismissal, there wasn't any way Ranko could go around this agreement. There was no way Ranko would go against her precious code of honor. Just as any self-respecting samurai wouldn't.

"Agreed. I don't really have a room and I don't really have clothes. I would then wear your kimonos for the duration and would sleep in your room. After all you don't really care."

Inwardly, Ranma-chan congratulated herself on the brilliant idea. It was obvious that Kodachi was less than happy with how everything turned out. Ranma managed to turn what initially seemed to be a punishment for her into a punishment to both of them. 'Hell, I'm not suffering by myself.'

Seething, Kodachi glared at the redhead. She would not weasel out of the next one easily. "Also I want you to tell me about Ranma's childhood."

Of all the things Kodachi could've asked for, this one surprised Ranma-chan the most. Ranma-chan stopped to think about the issue then decided that it was inconsequential. Things like the past caught up easily, she couldn't hide it forever. And though she made sure that her household weren't gossipmongers, she knew Kodachi would hear of it one way or the other. "Now?"

"Yes, please," she answered sitting close to Ranma-chan to hear her story, she might hate Ranma-chan for being the consort, but she has no qualms about becoming friends.

Ranma shifted uncomfortably at her nearness, the past was something he did not readily visit. He thought it was best forgotten... it was useless to live in yesterday when the burden of today and tomorrow was heavily laden on your shoulders. "I'm only telling this because it's my duty and that I owe you. But it doesn't mean I trust you."

There was a pause as Kodachi weighed the words, but she held Ranma's gaze when she answered, "I never expected any more."

Ranma wondered where to begin as he wove a highly edited tale. "There isn't really much to tell about Ranma's childhood." In fact, he didn't feel that he and his sister have much of a childhood at all. Times of war brought that about and … a conversation, an hour wouldn't even begin to describe their childhood.

"He lived like every samurai in the Saotome clan has. The twins were raised together, and against convention have a single foster parent." Ranma frowned as he remembered the man. "Their foster father was Saotome Genma. A man was their foster father because well, he managed to infuriate Happosai. Don't ask me how. Men are never foster parents (4). He was an exception. The twins always were the exception."

He drew on the sand with his fingers a remnant of a battle plan long ago. The sand was hot to the touch. They held many memories, and a lot of pain went with them. "Nabiki and Ranma won their first battle at the age ten. Because of this, Happosai sent them to China to learn under the Imperial Palace when they were twelve..."

The Imperial Palace. It seemed so long buried in the past... and so much like the memories of yesterday...

||---------------------||

Ranma-chan was irritated and wet. Through their newly acquired forms, Nabiki obviously gained strength, but she still managed to let him carry all her load. She reasoned out that since they were indeed the same strength now, but her speed was decreased and Ranma's increased, an excess load would hamper her pace.

Their speed was essential in the chase that was presently happening.

Their currently panda of a foster father was running along with them... the guide puffing along. "Where the hell is the Imperial Palace anyway?" Ranma grunted hefting the two packs along while trying unsuccessfully to bring them in a nice enough position while running.

"I think it's that towering thing over there," Nabiki-kun quipped looking the impressionable building over. It wasn't hard to miss. It was the largest thing in the city.

Ranma grumbled. It was perplexing to see him walk beside himself... currently herself. In his opinion, no one should be subjected to such things. It was weird that their foster father turned into a panda and Nabiki turned into -- a mirror image of himself. What he thought unusual in the situation was that even though they were twins, Ranma certainly didn't turn to her.

"I'll get to the palace first, you guys watch my back! You shouldn't have much of a trouble. She's after me!" Ranma shouted. When Nabiki-kun nodded Ranma threw her both of the packs, which she gracefully caught. Ranma noted that Nabiki was indeed slowed down by the extra weight.

Turning towards the palace and jumping towards the roofs, Ranma began to put on speed. Amazons, he was starting to realize, were very, very persistent. The Amazon that was chasing them has been in pursuit for seven days!

As she prepared for another jump, he wondered if the palace guards were going to give him any trouble. He wasn't sure if they were expecting them. Happosai just sent them to China to go under the Imperial palace because every daimyo was supposed to send their best students there. However, he didn't care how they got there. There was no doubt that he didn't care if they were warmly accepted either.

As for Genma, he didn't mind the lack of transportation. Their foster father made them swim. Both were resigned -- if a bit reluctant to label that as a training experience. As Ranma ran towards the palace gates, he saw the guards close in to block his path, weapons rising threateningly.

Ranma cursed, his balance was too much off at the point to be in the fight with what seemed like two very able guards. "Outta my way!" he screamed as she ran through them, both moved to strike. Ranma cursed and jumped, vaulting over them, quickly opting for running and hiding, making a two-point landing on the palace walls. He jumped over the first set of gates and aimed for the sixth floor. Luckily, Chinese palaces were similar to Japanese ones. The layout would most probably be the same.

He broke through the window using one of the basic kicks and ran around, trying to familiarize himself. The guards would not reach him in at least a minute so he started to search for the main room. The questionable training in stealth his foster father gave him was now coming in handy. Finding a room larger than the rest, its entrance blocked by five guards he drew the conclusion that he has come across his destination.

Avoiding the guards he located a joint room and broke through the wall separating it and the central room, allowing her access. "I need help!" he shouted, at what seemed like an almost empty audience room... the emperor was seated in what looked like a throne to Ranma, obstructed by shadows. He hoped the emperor was an understanding sort.

Appearing out of the dark a girl wielding weapons quite similar to what the Shampoo girl used in the Amazon village put herself between Ranma and the emperor. "Halt, you are in the presence of the Emperor, you may not walk any closer. You may not draw closer than one hundred paces."

Letting out another curse, Ranma started to analyze the situation. In his true form, he looked his age... yet the girl-child body made him look two years younger. He doubted if this Chinese girl or the emperor would believe if she blurted out Happosai sent her. Although she hoped her apparent 'youth' would make the girl think about any sudden movements. "Talk slow! I can't understand much of Chinese! I'm... I need help... my sister, foster father and the Jusenkyo guide is being chased by an Amazon and I'm under the Kiss of Death... there's been this great misunderstanding and --"

Dodging her sudden attack, Ranma watched as a smile slowly crept its way onto the girl's face. "Yes, you quick, there no mistake, I am Amazon woman... my name... is Rian Pu... and I will take pride in killing you for my sister!"

Forced into battle, Ranma felt shocked as he dodged a blow and ducked under another, it was just like her luck to find an Amazon in the emperor's chambers. 'At least Nabiki and the others would be safe.' Shampoo's main target was Ranma-chan herself.

Back flipping she managed to avoid another attempt to crush her skull. She wasn't as lucky the next time as Rian, having been able to successfully plot her trajectory, threw one of her weapons and managed to clip her on her left shoulder. Her female body wasn't as tough as her male one and the damage that the heavy weapon inflicted upon her really hurt. Her flesh screamed in agony as a muscle in her arm was torn.

'At least the soldiers are simply watching the fight.' Ranma thought as he managed to get a glimpse of the spectators. All of them watched, but none dared to step in.

With only one fight since the curse, Ranma doubted his odds against winning a second match so early on. The only reason he won against the other girl was that the Amazon was fatigued, underestimated her, and a bit below her skill level... the only thing that would win her this fight would be a quick mind.

The girl -- Rian -- has every advantage over Ranma. Ranma deduced as she caught the cloth that was whipped towards him with his left hand. Had it connected, the silken belt would have gone for his throat. He pulled it out of his opponent's hands, and threw it to the side.

Watching the other girl, he counted his opponent's advantages. The Amazon was well rested, she has reach, she has weapons, she was on friendly ground and she was a bit skilled -- not more so than Ranma himself, though.

Landing a kick on Rian's hand, which made her throw her right hand weapon, he blocked a vicious kick to his chest and watched as the Amazon quickly shifted her other weapon towards her more able hand.

Seeing the opening immediately, he intercepted it with a kick of his own breaking the weapon's shaft as his foot connected with the hard wood. Smiling towards Rian, Ranma grabbed hold of the girl's shirt and made a throw at her hips sending his opponent flying through one of the walls. "Ahhh man, my sister could fight better than you!"

"Maybe because your sister is better than you!" The Amazon retorted smiling as she rolled to her feet while grabbing a knife that she was hiding in her hair and threw it at Ranma's direction. Ranma caught the knife in the air as it was just about to connect between his eyes. He threw it back, only to watch it get deflected by the new weapon the Amazon was now wielding.

As the knife clattered on the floor, Rian was already hefting the yari, a spear of about five meters used for defense, in her hands and coming at her in a rush. The weapon struck down where Ranma had been standing seconds earlier, missing him by an inch as he managed to get away by sliding towards where the ball-like weapon was.

Seeing his opponent twirl the yari around, Ranma moved for another strike. Pulling the heavy ball-like weapon off the floor, Ranma managed to throw it at Rian. The Amazon easily avoided getting hit by leaping into the air, this however was what Ranma wanted, as he, with a leap of his own, flipped over the other girl in midair and grabbed hold of her weapon.

Spinning around in the air he brought them down against the ground where Rian, still clutching her weapon, saw the knee that forced the air out of her lungs. Twisting around, Ranma brought the edge of the weapon into the ground after which he, with another twist, shifted his balance and brought his right foot on the side of Rian's head. The Amazon lost her grip on the spear but got up on her feet dazed but not beaten, only to find herself on the receiving end of a flurry of punches, which mostly connected to her head and abdomen. Finally, Rian crumpled in a heap, unconscious.

Ranma was about to lean over to check if the girl was still breathing, but stopped when the soldiers, wearing grim faces, gathered around the girl.

"Enough!" the emperor called out. "Who are you?"

"I am Saotome Ranma... sorry about this..." he smiled sheepishly as she bowed just as Genma instructed her to... with more deference than she did with Happosai -- which was to say not much.

"I thought Ranma was male?" he looked at Ranma thoroughly. When he remembered what the girl said, he nodded. "Ahhh... Jusenkyo then?"

When Ranma nodded, the Emperor laughed. "For a child, you certainly have spunk... you defeated my royal guard... bested the best Amazon in your generation and managed to best one from the village. It's a wonder you and your sister are still alive."

Ranma looked at him questioningly, but said nothing. Even he knew he shouldn't talk when not spoken directly to. "I doubt that you know the Amazon rules then?"

"Nah... I just know the one that keeps me moving!" Ranma said casually.

The emperor clapped his hands, a woman arrived, and he spoke to her briefly he nodded to Ranma-chan then turned. "If Happosai wasn't such a known figure out here... You and your companions shall be given a room in the lower donjon. Right now they will be admitted towards your quarters..."

"And young man?" he said before Ranma-chan turned to follow the girl. "You watch out, Amazons never let their husbands go."

"Husband?" He looked at the emperor puzzled as he bent over to the girl lying on the floor, trying to rouse her... that man was certainly funny...

||---------------------||

Of course, Ranma-chan didn't see the need to tell Kodachi everything that happened. She never said anything about being specific. Although Shampoo was hardly a secret, Rian was, and she meant to keep her that way.

"When they returned to Japan at the age sixteen, Ranma and jointly Nabiki were given twenty ri around Nerima ward. Ranma was married off to you at twenty-two around the same time as Nabiki. They were given Sagami as han which contains Nerima, as a wedding gift. Nabiki's dowry was-- I think we're well moving out of childhood and you know the rest."

"Thank you, Ranko. That was... insightful." Kodachi looked off into the horizon, stood up and walked towards the house, waving a little good bye towards her.

Ranma watched her go. He had never been so confused before. The damned woman was confusing him. She acted as if he was two different people and God knows that he knew that Jusenkyo didn't create a separate entity.

This has him seriously considering the amnesia, but not by much, reminded of how much Kodachi loved to manipulate. No -- it would take more than that to convince him of amnesia.

Now if he could convince his heart that.

She clasped the golden chain that hung around his neck. It wasn't visible through his shirt. The cross was a gift from the priests. Every baptized person was given the cross to wear, to distinctly mark them as Christians. He noticed Kodachi wasn't wearing hers lately.

Standing up, he began to look for Nabiki.

As Nabiki turned towards the windowsill to watch Ranma, she decided that he was definitely avoiding his wife. Although he normally did wake up before the crack of dawn, she was finding him doing it earlier and earlier. It was fine with her but the fact that everyone was to wake up even earlier because of him irked her a bit.

Aside from this he went to check on Nerima's boundaries quite often, he left early in the morning and returned late at night. Even Hanae and Sei were noticing that Ranma wasn't taking charge of their training recently having been handed over to the samurai or Nabiki for the past week.

Nabiki shrugged it off and thought it for the best. Ranma's tender feelings towards Kodachi should be eliminated as soon as the distance registered in his heart.

'At least I'm sure that absence certainly doesn't make the heart fonder.' Nabiki thought as she watched Ranma's fleeting figure in the dark horizon, along with several samurai.

She was fairly sure Ranma made up his mind to see Kodachi in every person he killed on those wanderings, remembering her every taunt, misdeed and betrayal. It was certainly easy to imagine Kodachi trying to kill him. She tried once or twice.

Of course, she wasn't pleased by Ranma's sleeping arrangements. Ranma shouldn't be sleeping in Kodachi's room, and it didn't feel right. Even after he explained that he was in her debt. It was like Kodachi to do that --

It didn't help matters that she asked about their childhood. Those were the best and worst memories that she could've asked for. Nabiki closed her eyes, feeling a headache coming.

||---------------------||

She opened them to stare back at the cherry blossoms in the Imperial Palace. The blossoms were at its peak season and they looked beautiful falling softly onto the ground, carpeting the soft grass with the pink paper-thin flowers. Yet, she still felt homesick. Back home, the blossoms would have been just as beautiful too. Probably a cherry blossom viewing party Happosai was so fond off.

She felt a hand against her shoulder and looked up, it was her brother. 'Figures.' She thought staring back out the window. 'Only he would disturb me in such a time.'

He didn't talk, just stared out the window with her. They shared companionable silence for a while. Both of them watching the pink blossoms fall softly on the ground, a shower of petals. The cherry blossoms were one of the sights that reminded them of Japan.

"Hey, Nabiki," he said in a soft voice, "Do you miss mother?"

"When I hear the lark sing and I remember her voice, or when I see the swords she gave us to bring along, or the furoshiki that came along to wrap our swords in. I miss her those times." Nabiki inhaled the sweet scent of the blossoms then her eyes hardened. "The rest of the time I try to forget her."

Ranma nodded leaning out the window, perhaps it was best if they didn't keep memories of her to haunt them. It prevented them from doing so much more than they should be. But, she was still their mother and there were times they were allowed to think of her. He sighed the few moments of peace they shared alone were rare, and sometimes they were just too exhausted. "I miss her too. I wish I could have gotten to know her better, before we left."

"How could we miss someone we hardly know?" she asked, more of herself than her brother. Nodoka was rarely with them and they were taken away from her just as soon as they were old enough to train. That wasn't very old in samurai standards, about the age when they could stand, with some basic training even before that. "Sometimes, I think it's Japan we miss most of all."

"Maybe, but Happosai won't let us come home." Ranma quipped, a soft wind blew, scattering more of the flowers in the breeze swirling them about in a beautiful pattern before letting them fall softly on the ground. "I think he intends us to stay here for the rest of our lives."

"Maybe." Nabiki frowned as she turned her back from the window and leaned softly on the banister, she untied her hair, the brown locks falling past her shoulder. "I think he wants us out of his way. We're of direct lineage to him, if ever the Saotome's decide that he's been head of the clan for far too long... you're the best candidate."

"We're only fifteen, Nabiki," Ranma reminded her, and fifteen was not old enough to be head of the clan, much less threaten an experienced ghoul such as Happosai. "No one will want children in his place."

"I wasn't saying they'll do it now," Nabiki muttered, she thought about it and it was the only reason why Happosai would detain them in China. But Ranma was wrong, they weren't children anymore, childhood was so much swifter in times of war. Their childhood was over years ago. Maybe they weren't old enough to rule, but they were certainly old enough to fight.

In a few months, their assigned time with the emperor would be over, they needed to be back at Saotome land when they turned sixteen to be in time for the accreditation, and their father needed them as his generals if not his warriors. They should be home instead of wasting their time in China doing nothing but learn martial arts techniques which they could well learn in the heat of battle.

Happosai knew enough of Ranma's skill to know that he could dissect any move in mere seconds, even Cologne conceded he was a genius in the battlefield. Though Ranma lost battles, he has never lost wars, and he has never ever been beaten so thoroughly that he couldn't find a way to challenge and win back. "I'm saying he's keeping us from everyone's sight so that nobody will get any ideas. So nobody will see how fast we both learn."

"If you say so," Ranma conceded. He learned long ago that in matters such as this, Nabiki was usually right. "I just want to go home."

Nabiki suddenly broke out into a smile and pinched him slightly in the shoulder. He spun around to glare at her while she teased lightly, "You just want to get rid of Xian Pu and Rian Pu!"

"You try having them follow you around!" Ranma answered rubbing his shoulders. Shampoo and Rian were both nice enough girls -- if they weren't trying to kill you. It was good that her brother was the one who fought them in the first place. She didn't know how well she would've fared if she was the one being hunted to the death. "I can't even get enough sleep."

"You haven't!" Nabiki gasped exaggeratedly her hand flying to her mouth, implying the less than honorable reasons for his lack of sleep. "Oh brother, if Lord Happosai hears of your conquests! Why... you would make him proud."

"What the--" Ranma said, he let the words sink in before he managed to put on an indignant look. "Hey! You know I'd never do something like that!"

"Men!" Nabiki smiled as she ran across the hall, brown hair flying about her, her brother in hot pursuit. "You think you know them, and suddenly they pop up with these surprises. Oh, Nabiki, when will you ever learn?"

She passed some servants who looked at them with confusion, mostly because they couldn't understand Japanese at all. She took the chase outside leaping out the three-story balcony. When she looked back, Ranma was still behind her.

"I'll get you for that!" Ranma shouted.

"If you catch me!" Nabiki let out a giggle as she jumped towards the trees, shaking the already falling blossoms even more. "You're certainly funny, Ranma, first you're trying to get away from them then you invite them to bed?"

"Excuse me!" Ranma shouted back dodging a low branch, then taking to the trees as well. He wasn't closing in on Nabiki, in this body with Ranma male, she was faster, but he wasn't lagging behind either. It was okay. She tired far more easily than he did. "You're the one who's in 'marriageable' age already."

"Not if you don't marry, brother!" Nabiki called gaily, taking a handful of cherry blossoms she threw it at her brother's approaching form. Ranma dodged them all, but it hindered his pace. One managed to hit him in the shoulder, and for flowers, they certainly stung. "I'm to be granted omiai after you find yourself a suitable wife!"

"You just want to get married!" Ranma bantered, snapping some branches from the trees, he threw one at her and she dodged sticking her tongue out at him, frowning he threw another, missing her for the second time.

Nabiki smiled at him, her hair obscuring some of her vision and reminding her why she didn't want to grow her hair longer or remove the strings which bound it. Currently it was running away with the wind.

"For someone who's supposed to be better than me, you've got a lousy aiiiiiimmmmm!" Nabiki shouted as she fell from the branch that she was standing on, her arms shooting out in an arc as she landed on her feet onto the ground below.

"Wasn't aiming at you," Ranma answered as he lowered himself with a nimble leap, Nabiki gave him a small smile. She couldn't quite guess why her brother managed to be graceful at martial arts but have this awful swagger when he simply walked.

"Children!" someone called behind them in Chinese... and was promptly ignored as the two engaged in a small fighting spree. "Children!"

Cologne sighed as she jumped over to them and landed a blow on each of their heads stopping the fight immediately. The siblings bowed to each other then looked at Cologne ruefully, hands seeking the back of their necks as both of them adopting identical sheepish looks.

"What is the meaning of this?" Cologne asked as she pointed to the rather disheveled looking trees and general chaos abound of what was supposed to be a peaceful garden.

Ranma and Nabiki winced as they looked at the Sakura tree which they managed to strip to a few flowers by jumping around and the occasional torn branch or two.

"You're restricted to your rooms," Cologne said in an even tone. "Relearn your meditative techniques, and I want both of you in my quarters to report to me what you have concluded from all of this! You will both remain in your cursed forms for the duration of one week. You will not spar, you will not read and you will not have any contact with any other person save myself and your direct superiors."

They managed to look ashamed up to their rooms where they looked at each other, then spoke at the same time in hushed voices, "You know... we should try that again sometime."

||---------------------||

Nabiki smiled at the memory, turning away from the window and Ranma's retreating back. They truly did have an unnatural childhood. China was a part of their hearts for some time, but there was something to say about being in Japan. Japan was home.

Even though Japan was where Happosai has dominion over them and Japan was where Kodachi pulled them ruthlessly by their strings, Japan would always be their home more than anywhere else.

To keep their home, she must lookout for those who would keep them from it. 'Then, I would watch Kodachi for you, Ranma.' Nabiki thought as she left the windowsill.

As the days turned into weeks, Nabiki watched Kodachi from the shadows. Her first slip, her first fall, Nabiki would learn of those. And that would be reason enough to kill herself -- with that Ranma could finally kill Kodachi, he can finally kill her off.

"You're honestly sleeping in my room?" Akane deadpanned as she saw Ranko move a futon to the ugly room she called her own, for the simple fact that she has no other.

"I'm honor bound to sleep here." Ranko laid her futon down beside Akane's. She stretched and moved towards the closet picking one of Kodachi's sleeping kimonos. She donned it so quickly Akane was not even sure if she took off her initial clothes, had she not seen the pile of discarded clothing folded neatly in her hands.

That was the only thing that was exchanged between them, before Ranko slept in the comforts of the futon. Akane sighed once again wondering why she was in the past, in Kodachi's body. She couldn't have been such a bad person in her past life, right?

Her thoughts wandered over to her husband, who was currently avoiding her.

Apparently, so was everybody else in the house.

The children simply didn't talk to her and even if they did, she wasn't sure she wanted to, because they were so distant.

Nabiki, she never knew, she disappeared in and out of the house, as if she didn't exist, yet it was glaringly apparent she was actually living there. The ikebana arrangement on the takonama was always fresh, the house was distinctly clean, and the samurai wages and needs were looked after. Her touches lingered in the house, yet she wasn't seen. She was like the wind, you knew she was there, but you really couldn't see her, except for the soft touch in your face that makes certain of its presence.

Ranko was constantly missing, the consort of her husband she only saw at night and only when she wakened from her discreet motions through her rooms... and even that, rarely. The girl moved with such grace and yet a non-grace that puzzled her... a distinct tomboyish sluggishness in her movements, but something distinctly feminine as well.

She has all reasons to believe she dreamt the girl in her room except for the fact that Ranko did not clean up her futon after using it. Ifuku was the one who always moved it towards the alcove where they kept the futons. When she questioned Ifuku about it, she shrugged and said in a mild manner that reminded her of her sister. "It's my pleasure and honor to keep my master's bedding. It would be most improper if he -- she keep it herself. Even my lady Nabiki doesn't do it, and you don't. My Lady Ranko deserves the same respect."

"I don't think your lady Ranko deserves any," Akane huffed, jealousy rearing its ugly head, she kept the hussy away from her husband and she still managed to nag her. "She's nothing but a whore."

"Ladies don't use such language, my lady," Ifuku offered gently, brushing Kodachi's long locks, the furo was to be ready in some minutes. "It is though sufferance that you are given indulgences. My lord has already been too kind."

"He doesn't visit me when I'm sick and he's kind?" Akane wondered what hatred equated to. His sword flashed through her mind.

"It is not through affection that my Lord Ranma shows his benevolence towards my lady," Ifuku said, the brush running through her black hair gently. "It would please him greatly if you would treat Lady Ranko the same way you treat him."

"I don't see why I have to be anything but civil to Ranko." She twirled the little golden pins in her hands, a sign of discomfort. "It's not right for a wife to share her husband."

Ifuku didn't respond for a minute, and Akane wondered if she would let it go but she finally did. "But Lady Ranko has a right to share Lord Ranma. Consorts are what give pleasure to men, my lady. Wives put order to the house."

"I don't bring order to the house," Akane grumbled. "Why should she do what she's supposed to?"

There was a small sound that Akane suspected as withheld laughter. She must really sound silly to the maid's ears. She was acting like a spoiled child. "Maybe the lady should consider doing her duty then? Maybe it would make Lady Ranko's presence less disquieting."

Akane let the question go unanswered. She was thankful Ifuku didn't actually laugh out loud, she asked, "Um... does Ranma have any more consorts?"

"No, my lady. My lord hasn't been in a woman's arms for a long time." Ifuku smiled at Akane's surprise. "He wishes for an heir of his own blood but he desires it from his wife, not anybody else. If my lord doesn't produce an heir before he dies, he has granted that privilege to Sei-san."

"But I thought he was Nabiki's son!" Akane frowned. "Why not Hanae?"

"Women are not heirs... they are to be granted omiai(5), just like yourself, my lady." She counted one thousand. She wondered if they would finish up to two as they usually did before her head injury. "Lord Ranma adopted Sei when Lady Nabiki was banished from the Ikkasei clan. My lady Nabiki's being alive is a secret of the Saotome House."

"A secret? How so?"

"We really don't meddle with samurai business, my lady," Ifuku answered, she didn't know if she should be telling this, but it was her duty to make her mistress understand the rules... but she also has a greater duty to her lord to keep secrets... what to tell and what not to... the eternal game of the houses. "I don't know why my lady is to be kept here, but she is and all servants are ordered to confidentiality."

"My lady Kodachi's bath is ready," Sasuke called as he opened the shoji.

Ifuku nodded as she gathered what Akane would wear for the day following her master out to the bathhouse.

Ranma shivered as the cold water hit him -- the change washing over him... it wasn't really very obvious when they underwent the curse. There was nothing to indicate that they did, except the feeling of dampness and the obvious gender change. "I thought the water was hot?"

"Never mind that... the furo is warm anyway." She turned to scrub Ranma's back, when the small red head suddenly threw cold water to her as well, triggering her curse. Nabiki-kun frowned. "Such childish behavior."

"Want me to suffer alone?" Ranma-chan smiled. "Now scrub my back, please." Usually there were attendants who washed the samurai's backs, but because of their unique qualities regarding water, Ranma and Nabiki almost always bathed without attendants and together.

It wasn't anything new, when they were young and training on the road, they had no other choice, after all no one would do it for them. When they returned from China, they were ordered to keep the curses secret... and so they were confined to themselves again.

When Nabiki was married off, she found it a little bit harder to keep the curse to herself. But she managed to get the bath house vacant when she washed, which confused people to no end.

"If you weren't my brother, I swear I'd get revenge." Nabiki-kun said moving his arm towards Ranma's back. Usually the red-head used a small cloth around her waist where she was branded but ever since Nabiki found out about it, she stopped using it. Nabiki briefly wondered at how dense she had been. They were exposed to each other's bodies since they were children, but she never questioned the peculiar sash.

"If's the key word here!" Ranma pointed out, then lapsed into comfortable silence before he asked, "Hey, Nabiki... do you ever wonder why we have different cursed forms? You know... why I don't turn to you? But you turn to me?"

"Sometimes..." Nabiki smiled a little. Ranma almost never thought of such things, there were simply too much other things to think about, 'martial arts' in particular. "I believe it's because we looked similarly in our previous life, ne? After all, we're supposed to be twins and we bear little similarity towards each other, and that... you have to strain to see."

"You were the guy in our previous life?" Ranma asked as he crumpled his face, it was obvious that the red-head's imagination fell short in that department, even if the supplement of Nabiki's form was in front of her. "I really don't see it."

"Maybe we switched bodies!" Nabiki let out a little smile. "We received different bodies than we were supposed to! I was supposed to turn to Ranko while you were still like yourself?"

"You know... some ideas are so stupid... only intellectuals believe them," Ranma quipped, Nabiki smiled. She always liked Ranma's loose tongue and he could be quite witty when he put his mind into it. When he didn't, his foot often landed in his mouth rather than his mind.

"Sure, sure." Nabiki rolled her eyes. "And back in the Amazon village, you would be considered a 'learned' person, you know. Only a step below the Elders?"

Ranma shook his head still not willing to believe the idea. "It's a weird theory."

"Maybe I'm not your sister in your previous life. Maybe I was Kodachi's older sister, which is the reason why I like her so much." Nabiki made a face at his obvious dislike of his own suggestion.

"If that's true, then I'm in love with my wife and I actually believe in love." Ranma snickered as he listened to Nabiki.

"It was only a theory, or maybe the man who died in that spring looked like you and his twin died at the Nyannichuan." Nabiki shrugged. There was no telling what the explanation was. "Your turn to scrub my back."

He obliged to Nabiki's request. "So? Are you all right with this? Your Jusenkyou form, I mean."

"It's been so long, and you ask it only now?" Nabiki wondered at Ranma's ability to brood over matters that they've learned to live with for years. "It was our karma to fall in those springs. By falling to those springs, we became more able to serve our liege lord. It provides a new identity... Ranko's unrecorded background has given us advantage over some cases, and the ability to be in two places at once. I never actually regretted falling into that spring, Ranma. It gave me more of a way to protect you."

"It was a way to protect each other." There was a long pause. "Hey, Nabiki?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks, for everything." Ranma always turned sentimental on her abruptly.

Nabiki stopped what Ranma was doing and turned to face him, Ranma's gratitude was as rare as his apologies and even rarer than his smiles. "No, it's me who should be thanking you."

"We both thank each other then?" Ranma smiled.

It was then that Kodachi walked in on them... Kodachi blushed and started to turn around but stopped and crossed her arms. She was still wearing her night kimono. "What are you doing in here?"

Ranma-chan regarded the intrusion, unsure of how to answer the question. She turned to Nabiki just as Nabiki-kun smiled and said, "I don't really know... I think I'm making a baby... what do you think Ranko-san?"

Ranma looked up at the ceiling and twiddled his thumbs, thoroughly embarrassed at the obvious lie that Nabiki blatantly claimed, accomplishing what looked too much like a guilty flush. "Ah... um... I don't think that's the best answer Na-- Ra-- umm... I mean Lord Ranma."

"Fine! See if I care!" Kodachi stomped out of the room and closed the shoji with a bang.

There was some silence and Nabiki started laughing, Ranma looked at her with a frown. "Do you really wish to see me die so early Nabiki-chan?"

"Oh please, Ranma, spare me," Nabiki said under fits of laughter. "We both know that even on her best day Kodachi can't touch you... hell she can't even touch me! Serves you right for waking up this late."

Ranma rolled his eyes over his sister's obvious mirth in his discomfort. "Besides, you should be happy."

She frowned. "And why is that?"

Both of them have seriously thought about Kodachi's amnesia and conceded that she might not be faking the ailment. Neither of the two thought that her new attitude was better off than her attitude before. "She's obviously jealous of you. And only women who care are jealous."

"Why would she be jealous... I mean... I think she did see it as a joke... right? She can't be that dense! I mean 'Ranko' is our 'faraway' relative as you've stated... and there's no reason to be jealous... She acts as if she detests me. I mean I'm supposed to be my own legal consort, right?"

"Of course..." Nabiki drew out a long suffering smile. "Kodachi hates to share anything, haven't you noticed? I'm willing to bet she feels bitter she isn't Hanae's mother and resents the fact that Sei would be your heir."

Ranma winced at his statement. It was far too true for him to contradict. Resolving to talk to Kodachi, Ranma stood up to wash the soap off when he was playfully punched on the ribs by Nabiki. "Hey, you! You're not finished scrubbing my back!"

Okay... so he would talk to Kodachi after scrubbing Nabiki's back.

Ifuku winced as Akane dragged on to her room looking around frantically. She wished her mistress wasn't looking for something to break because a lot of things in her room were delicate.

"Define 'a long time', Ifuku!" Akane slowly enunciated with anger streaking her eyes.

Her mistress just received the worst possible answer from the Lady Nabiki at the worst possible time.

Sure, Ifuku knew that there wasn't really anything happening inside that room... after all they were siblings... and yes, Ifuku knew that the Lady Ranko was really Lord Ranma and the Lord Ranma she saw there was really the Lady Nabiki, but that particular knowledge wasn't helping her a bit in this situation. She doubted if the Lady Akane would truly believe Jusenkyo until she saw it. The Lady Nabiki and Lord Ranma would never actually submit to a show in front of the Lady Akane. "They were merely playing, my lady surely --"

"Oh, they were playing all right!" Akane continued to fume and walked around in circles. Ifuku wondered when her mistress would get dizzy.

"Surely you realize that Lord Ranma was only trying to tease my lady?" Ifuku tried her damnedest to calm Akane down. It simply wasn't working.

"Tease... tease... Tease... TEASE!" Despite of herself, Ifuku found herself imagining the girl's head growing larger, every time the word was repeated. "That sonofabitch isn't teasing me! He's down right rubbing my face by the fact that we actually haven't slept together in... How many years?"

"Four years, my lady," Ifuku answered promptly the time that Kodachi was moved at the opposite end of the house that Ranma remained.

"Four years! I keep Ranko out off his bed but he manages to do 'the deed' in the bathroom!" She paced around a little more, cracking her knuckles in the process. "I'm going to pulverize that... that... that..."

Ifuku flinched at the string of profanity that came out of her mistress' lips, she thought her mistress thought it was unimaginable for ladies to swear... unfortunately... along with her great change in attitude came her new love for expletives.

She was about to continue with her tirade when Lord Ranma -- still in her cursed form slammed the shoji open, with her hand on her towel. She regarded Ifuku for a moment but didn't dismiss her, then turned to her wife.

"Akane, will you stop bringing the whole house down!" Ranma-chan ordered, holding the towel firmly around herself. "I was not doing anything with Nabiki, all right! She's my sister for goodness sake."

Ifuku gulped a little wondering if her lord, in the condition she was in, realized what she just said. The curse was something they agreed to keep quiet about.

"I was not referring to Nabiki I was talking about Ranma. You're a girl." She paused for a moment, seemingly contemplating on something, "Unless of course... you like that kind of thing..."

Ranma-chan looked at her puzzled. Ifuku gave a little cough and motioned a little. Understanding dawned on Ranma and she gave a small strangled sound before she could muster enough of the righteous indignation to lecture Kodachi again. "What! No... no... no... You're getting this all wrong! Listen Kodachi and I'm not repeating this. I AM ONLY RANMA'S CONSORT BY NAME! Not dissimilar to your situation! We do not share a bed... we do not sleep in the same futon... we're never together... I like his clothes... so what, I like his room... so? I am his consort, I have the right to stay there... just as you do but have not done so in seven years. I give him his back scrub... he gives me mine... it is my pleasure to do so... he is my lord. I follow what he says. If you ask Ifuku she will confirm that Ranma only bathes with his sister or me."

Before she walked away, she turned back and shouted, "And no! I don't like that kind of thing! I have been celibate for nearly four years Kodachi, just as my lord. I could only wish I could say the same for you."

Ifuku tensed as she watched the lord leave, she wondered what the lady would think about the Lady Ranko having professed her abstinence, and perhaps she would not realize that the Lord Ranma is the same, ne? Then things wouldn't be so complicated.

Watching the Lady Akane grab a shoji to steady herself, she rushed to lend her support, but it was shrugged off, she was a proud woman.

Looking at Ifuku in the eyes Akane sighed. "She was telling the truth wasn't she?"

Ifuku nodded, of course... she wasn't about to tell her lady that her lord omitted some very vital facts... that the Lord Ranma and the Lady Ranko were one and the same, for instance.

A loud bang issued from the rooms to their left and Ranma grumbled putting on his red shirt, another day, another problem, he would've ignored the bang if it didn't persist. He sighed as he ran towards the general direction of the noise... his wife's room. Surprise, surprise.

He stood there leaning at the shoji watching her take down most of the black things and pulling black tatami off the floor, when she noticed him.

"Oh, Ranma... I was cleaning up the room a bit... it's a bit too gloomy here... and, I wanted it to be a little bit more cheerful," she said. Thinking of nothing else to say, she forcefully pulled out one of the shoji that promptly tripped her. It seemed like she wasn't used to taking the shoji down after all. In their home, Kasumi did that. In their apartment... there were no shoji. It came as little surprise she couldn't do so.

Surprisingly her husband caught her in an instant, she blushed as she righted herself with his help... she never encountered anyone so fast. He raised an eyebrow at this. "What? You react as if you've never touched me before."

Akane bit her lip as she gazed to his bluish gray eyes. They were clouded up, and looked royally pissed. "If I have I've actually forgotten."

Ranma nodded, it was good he decided not to do anything about it, he turned to leave but Akane stopped him with a question, "Do you know where Ranko is?"

He turned around to look at Akane and frowned. "Why?"

"I wanted to apologize to her... for telling her some pretty nasty stuff..." She offered a weak smile at her husband. She hoped he would understand and help her explain. "I'm really sorry... It just doesn't feel right to share my husband."

Ranma tapped his fingers against the shoji. "It isn't right to share my wife. More so... law allows me a consort my dear, several in fact. Law also demands I kill all of yours."

Akane scrunched up her face, stupid feudal Japan, here she was being nice and he comes up with pretty good excuses. Damn it, she had the right mind to tell him that she didn't care. "I'm sorry I didn't know any better. Please, Ranma. If it makes you feel better..." She winced at what she was going to say next, "You could sleep with her already... I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused... I'll tell her as soon as I find her."

"What brought this on?" Ranma looked incredulous. Apparently Kodachi didn't do this very often. Or maybe it was the fact that he didn't actually need her permission.

"I -- Ifuku explained everything... I'm sorry for acting childish, as your wife, I should tend to your needs... I've not been doing a lot of that. I just realized it. I want to ask for her help, how to run your household you know and how to act like a proper wife."

Ranma snorted. "Ranko wouldn't know how to do that... that's the reason she's the consort! The person you should be asking is Nabiki, and my sister isn't as forgiving as I am."

'FORGIVING! The lout has not even shown her a moment's compassion! -- Okay so Gosunkugi was an accident --' "I'll -- arrange to meet Lady Nabiki, then?"

"Whatever." He looked around the room noticing the changes. "What are you doing with the shoji Kodachi? It cost us a lot, ten samurai actually." She didn't know if he picked the dreadful thing so she offered it to him, she was met by a grimace. "Burn it if you want, I don't want it touching my room... not after ten good men's blood was spilled to get it."

She shuddered, all the more wanting the shoji out immediately... she wondered how her room should look...unfortunately she wasn't good at doing creative artsy stuff either, she hoped Ifuku would lend her a hand in decorating her room.

Briefly, she thought if she should've asked help for her room before she tore everything down...

Nahhh...

Ranma shook his head as he left the house towards the trees, 'Kodachi is too damn hard to understand.' He thought leaping for the next tree. He sighed as he took off towards the border. When was the last time he tree-hopped for the mere enjoyment of it and not to get away from his problems?

Far too long...

||---------------------||

...long?" Nabiki asked from beside the pond, her newly bought Chinese shirt hung loosely around her figure.

"Uh... would you mind repeating that Nabiki?" Ranma asked as he landed beside her, the pond looked far too inviting, and swimming was the last thing they should be doing now. "I didn't hear you."

"I said," Nabiki repeated throwing him some parcels of clothes. "What took you so long?"

"I had to get away from Rian Pu and Shampoo," Ranma answered, deftly catching the paper wrapped packages from the air. Recently, avoiding Rian and Shampoo have been troublesome. Cologne must have been stepping up their training too. After all, the old crone believed that their constant pestering would do well for the twin's training. "What? You want them along?"

Nabiki shook her head. "No, I just thought you might. Come on, Cologne rarely gives us our free time, you know. You're wasting time." She re-tied her recently grown hair. Ranma just looked at her, when they were younger she had refused to grow her hair past her chin. It took him by surprise that she changed her mind, Nabiki rarely did.

"Uh huh, and what do you suggest we do?" Ranma asked opening the small parcels and found some assortment of Chinese clothes identical to hers. He nodded, the kimonos and gis they have barely fit them anymore. Genma gave them money to buy some clothes, but Ranma was avoiding the Amazons the whole morning and was forced to ask Nabiki to shop for him. "If you remember, we don't do much of anything outside of martial arts for fun."

"Put those on, will you? I want to see how you look in them." Nabiki smiled, at thirteen they were still of the same height, she still could pick out his clothes from the market for him without using the Jusenkyo curse.

"I'm sure it'll be perfect, Nabiki," Ranma reassured her as he closed the packages and placed them in the crook of his arm. Nabiki just gave a little pout of disappointment. "As always."

"Well... it is our birthday..." Nabiki's eyes twinkled as she gazed at the trees. "Come on, let's go tree hopping and terrorize the countryside for a bit. I'm sure we'll think of something better to do."

"Yeah, sure." Ranma rolled his eyes, and then threw her a small box. "Here catch!"

Nabiki caught it between her hands and opened the small wooden box in delight. "Oh, you shouldn't have!" she protested putting the two ivory trinkets amidst wood shavings from the box on her hand. Both were hand-carved. It was actually clever of him to put the wood flakes there because it protected the ivory.

"I know." Ranma smirked as he moved closer to see her reaction. "But I couldn't resist. Some old guy gave me an inch of ivory 'cuz I did something or the other. Happy Birthday, Nabiki."

"They look wonderful... thank you." Nabiki admired the small earrings on her hands. If you looked at it on one side, it looked like a small curled up dragon. If you looked at it on the other, it was an exquisite flower. "How did you manage to carve this? Oh, I wish I have a mirror."

"That's a secret." He smiled as she clasped it on. "Now that that's over, we can go and tree-hop if you like."

"Oh no, I've got something for you too." Taking a bag from her other things she handed it to him. "I know you disapprove of me making money from Rian and Shamps' affection of you, but how else do you think I'd manage enough money to buy things?"

"Still..." Ranma smiled as he opened the package and took out a beautiful three tiered lacquered bento box with a pair of matching lacquered chopsticks, both have the design of a dragon etched into them, his name was on the warabashi. "Thank you, Nabiki. It's beautiful."

"I know. Happy birthday to you, too," Nabiki answered knowingly as she fingered the earrings. "You always eat too much I say, and I saw this makie vendor just beside the Chinese silks and I couldn't resist." She said echoing his words. "It doesn't have gold in the design, so it's not that expensive, and I wish it was made off the deigo wood, back at home, but beggars can't be choosers..."

"Oh come on, you know I'm not choosy, Nabiki, even a simple note would've been fine," Ranma answered, re-wrapping the gift gently, makie needed to be kept out of winds and direct sunlight for it to last long... and they were going to go tree-hopping.

"It wouldn't have been fun," Nabiki answered as she pocketed the wooden box. "Come on, time's wasting."

"You're leaving your parcels here?"

"Please, Ranma, Chinese don't steal things in the middle of the forest!" She smiled as she took off to the trees. "Come on, I want to show you sunset over Jusenkyo valley, it's beautiful."

"I'd rather stay as far from the Bayankala Mountain range as possible," Ranma quipped. He was beside her in a moment. "It can't help us any and I hate what it reminds me of."

"Don't be such a baby, you remind me of Jusenkyo, you know." Nabiki laughed at his expression. "Oh come on, suffer with me for a while."

||---------------------||

Ranma sighed as he landed on another branch, his destination was not so far off now, and Nabiki was at home suffering through the mere presence of his wife. 'Yes, Nabiki, we'll suffer along, together.'

Nabiki leafed through the papers... it was a cookbook of sorts that she needed to deal with weekly, since the responsibility of Ranma's wife fell to her. She was happy with the job... of course, doing the menu was still one of the most detestable things, happy or not.

She flipped through the pages, with her brother, you could actually place the same boring food in front of him, and still he'd eat it, but she wanted variety in her food.

'What should I let them cook this week? Somen-coated shrimp(6), we don't have shrimp yet... Yosenabe(7)? Do we have mushrooms... some shitake probably, I'll look it up.' She copied the name and put a question-mark with it. 'First day is done... Second Day morning? I wonder if Ukyo will be gracious enough to serve us some Okonomiyaki when she picks up Hanae. Hmmm... better prepare some yakitori in case she's in a hurry.'

She flipped more pages as she thought of the second meal... 'Would Kisu No Sujime(8), be good? Ranma won't be home for the second meal after all... Vinegared Fish will suit Kodachi well enough.'

"Nabiki... could I talk to you for a minute?"

Not bothering to look up from what she was doing, Nabiki shrugged while she continued leafing through the menu in distaste. In the past, she had been unencumbered in the house, and Kodachi ignored her, something that she liked about their relationship immensely.

"Are we in good terms Nabiki?" her question was tentative, gauging Nabiki's answer.

Her back still against Kodachi, she placed the feather quill down. If Kodachi wasn't so dangerous in the kitchen she would have just given her the menu and escaped somewhere else. "I ignore you, you ignore me. That's how the world works around the house Kodachi. Let's hope you re-acquire that habit and I'm sure both of us would be happier."

Her anger rose a notch when Kodachi sat down beside her asking, "Can't we be friends?"

"I cannot be more than civil to you Kodachi." Nabiki snorted, she decided she would just put Kodachi's hated food on the menu, something which she called plebian once. 'What was it... Ahhh... Fish Simmered in Miso(9) Sauce... she hates red bean paste, she hates miso.' She added some side dishes and went on with her task, trying to pretend that her sister-in-law wasn't beside her.

"It's Akane," She whispered softly.

Nabiki almost broke her quill into two, the damned woman was trying to get to her nerves again. 'Calm down, breathe, breathe...' "A nice name Lady Kodachi... the color crimson suites your namesake. I would say it reminds me of blood."

"What's wrong Nabiki, you never call me lady... and..."

"My first daughter's name was Akane, lady. It honors me that you should choose that name for yourself." Although it was usually above her to take petty revenge over Kodachi, it wasn't above her to make the woman's life miserable once in a while. Since Kodachi made enough scenes to last them a lifetime and then left them alone at the dinner table, damaging the menu enough was good revenge. 'What was the thing Kodachi was allergic to again... ahh yes... kamboko(10)... I think Chawanmushi(11) would be good for first meal in the third day, I think I'll ask Yuka to add more kamboko than a measly eight.'

Though it was soft, Nabiki heard her gulp. "If you're at uncomfortable with it Nabiki... I could always change it."

She shrugged as she remembered that Kodachi particularly loathed lotus and added Age Renkon(12) to the dinner list of the third day. "I don't see the reason why my lady needs to change her chosen name, as I said I am honored."

Yuka passed by and Nabiki thought the cook would give more recipes she was holding over to Nabiki but she retreated, she probably heard the way she addressed Kodachi, she never called Kodachi 'lady' until she was mad. And Lady Nabiki Saotome was rarely angry.

There was a tentative pause. "I want to ask something from you Nabiki."

"My lady can ask anything from her humble servant." This time, Nabiki managed not to close her hand on the quill. 'She hates turnips because they're bland... what is a good recipe... ah irony is it? Kikka Kabu(13) will do for breakfast. She looked at the diagram of how to prepare and smiled... flowers... what a befitting meal.'

"I would like you to teach me... to be a good wife."

She heard Kodachi hold her breath. 'She's been married seven years and she wants me to give her pointers on being a good wife, now? What the hell is she thinking? Miso... are there more miso recipes? Kurume no Mosohuri(14)...'

After writing that down, she decided a full three days of Kodachi not eating anything prepared by the cooks was a good enough revenge and turned towards her. "If it's what my lady Kodachi wants, her humble servant shall oblige... is there anything else you would require from me... should I stop the menus today, or does my lady want her lessons now?"

Kodachi looked uneasily at the sheaf of papers on the low table. "What you're doing seems important and--"

"Oh no, no, no," Nabiki punctuated each word with a shake of the head... "I would always be happy to oblige my lady."

"Well -- would it be better if I knew more things of the house? It seems truly distasteful that I'm the wife and you and Ranko do all the work." She bit her lip, which Nabiki duly noted, Kodachi never bites her lips.

An idea came to Nabiki as she saw Kodachi steeple her hands in worry, it sounded ridiculous... but it was worth a try after all. "My lady wishes to know the Martial Arts of Wife in Good Graces?"

"Martial Arts of Wife in Good Graces?" Kodachi repeated.

Nabiki shrugged, reasoning out that if one school claimed Martial Arts Tea Ceremony there has to be a martial art for almost everything. Of course, Kodachi was exceptionally smart when it came to things like Nabiki conning her, but even a bluff was good enough to get Kodachi distracted... even though no one in their right minds should actually believe that there's such a thing as --

"Sure, I'll try it," Kodachi offered her a warm smile.

'That knock on her head loosened the few remaining screws too.' Nabiki almost stopped herself from laughing, this was too hilarious. 'She's so dense...' "Yes. I have a few things I need to do this month, Ranma is making me look up a few things, but my schedule will be loose next month. We could start then"

Only when Kodachi fully disappeared from her sight did finally let out a smile. She would find out if Kodachi was faking her amnesia, even if it meant suffering through the long hours with her and trying to show Kodachi things she already knew. And Kodachi hated to be taught something which she already excelled in.

Footnotes:

(1) What is the Tokkai road? Well it's the road connecting Tokyo and
Hakone. And since I don't exactly have a map of Japan with me,
it's the road that connects to Nerima too.

(2) Before someone righteously lectures me about Japanese history
and tells me that Edo was given to Tokugawa as a fief and all
that, please, let me tell you, I spent my whole second year high
school in Japanese history. If something doesn't connect with
Japanese history it's because I'm re-writing it :).

(3) Omokage: Image

(4) Genma as a foster parent? I ask you this, if I made him their
real father, would he actually have time to train his kids? As
for him being a guy... well... read on.

(5) Omiai: arranged marriage. (Isn't it great to have a dictionary?)

(6) Somen: is a kind of buckwheat noodle. They add salted water to the
wheat flour and knead it, then coat it with vegetable oil. It's
stretched thin, and dried by sunshine. It turns out as a kind of
bleached white color, but the vegetable oil coating is about the
only real difference between soumen and ramen. As a general rule
of thumb, any food ending in "-men" is likely to be a
noodle dish of some sort.

(Thanks to LarryF)

(7) Yosenabe: It's sorta soup with this clear white noodles called
'sotanghon' o wait... what's the English of that... I can't
remember. If you cook tinola with sotanghon (and actually know
what tinola is) you'll know what it looks like.

(8) Kisu No Sujime: Vinegared Fish

(9) miso: bean paste

(10) kamboko: boiled fish cake

(11) chawanmushi: Steamed Egg Custard

(12) Age Renkon: Field Lotus Roots

(13) Kikka Kabu: Flowered Turnips

(14) Kurume no Mosohuri: Eggplant Miso Soup

Special Thanks to:
MJ, Maurice Phillip, Tony Loco, Tin and Angel, Jourdan Bickham, Jose Aragao, Byooki Desu, Anno Nimus, C. Jones, Richard Robinson, David Bateson, David Stanley, Jitou, King Chan, Lawrence Chu, Bert Miller, The Dragonbard, Darthcwader1, Erin, Outlawone1

And to the person reading this.

I hope I didn't miss anybody...

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2 and the book I based it from is When there is Hope, and if you sue me you can't possibly get money from me.

Author's Notes:

I'm not particularly happy with the way Akane got Ranko with the debt. Any suggestions as to how she's going to extract a debt of honor will be most appreciated. (Even if it's so late that I have to redo the entire story again... really)

This was actually my favorite story before... I have no idea why, but anyway I've revised it and thought that it needed more Akane-Ranma interaction. Byookie-desu and I also fixed a couple of fighting scenes in this piece and made it better. After this we're going to leave Ranma and Akane alone for a while to take a peek at the other people in this story. :)

iCe

website: ice dot esmartdesign dot com
email: siuane at gmail dot com
livejournal: ice underscore of underscore dreams

I can't believe that formatting in ff.n completely changed in the past few years. THey are now content to give me headaches and heartache whenever I upload stories.

We sometimes tend to forget that criticsm is better than praise, when we criticize we say that the other person has the ability to accept our words and take it as a challenge to become better because of this.
my teacher (hehehe)

I write when the spirit moves, and I make sure it moves every day.
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