The Dying of the Light

A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic by Alan Harnum 

All Ranma characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi, first
published by Shogakukan in Japan and brought over to North
America by Viz Communications.

This copy of the story is from my centralized fanfiction archive
at http://www.thekeep.org/~harnums/fanfic.  I can be reached by
e-mail at harnums@thekeep.org

Part 2 : A Distant, Darkened Echo

     The mood of the crowd was ugly, to say the least.  They ran in a large
mass through the early morning streets of Kobe, all pursuing one single
figure.  The crowd was singularly female, but there any categorization
ended; housewives ran beside teenage girls, old grandmothers beside young
executives.  They all pursued the same goal, and the same cry rallied the
hearts of each member.

     "GIVE US BACK OUR UNDERWEAR, YOU PERVERTED OLD GOAT!"

     The cold didn't matter to them, and neither did the snow.  The crowd
was out for blood.  Up ahead, the small, wizened figure looked back over
his shoulder and smiled slightly.  "You'll never catch me, or your lovely
undies!"

     The second part of the crowd came into view ahead of him.  "Dang." 

     He darted into an alley.  A blind alley, it turned out.  "Double dang.
Backup plan."

     The two groups converged on the alley, prepared to deal out some very
physical justice.  Instead of an tiny, wrinkled old man with a huge bag
containing most of their underwear, there was a small boy with no bag.

     "Hello, nice ladies," he chirped.  "Why are you all out so early this
morning?"

     "Hey kid, you see an old pervert go in here?" one of the mob leaders
said.  The boy nodded and gave a beaming smile.

     "Uh-huh.  He went over the wall," the boy said, indicating the dead
end.

     "How could anyone, especially a little old man go over a wall that
high?"

     "You saw how fast he moved; I don't think he's human.  Some kind of
demon, I tell you."

     "Whatever he is, we've got two more teams stationed around that side,"
the leader said.  "Let's go, ladies.  We've got him trapped."

     They took off in a cloud of dust, leaving huge masses of footprints in
the snow.  The little boy waited for a few minutes, and then pulled his
sack out from behind the garbage cans.

     "Time to move on," Lukkosai said.  "I think this town's become a
little unfriendly."

     Whistling merrily, the little boy headed out in the opposite direction
that his pursuers had taken, towards the outskirts of Kobe, safety and
freedom.

     Wrapped in a heavy cloak, the figure atop the roof of one of the
buildings that created the alley watched him go until he was only a dot in
the distance, and then he dropped to the floor of the alley.

     Leaving no footsteps in the dusting of snow, he began to follow.

**********

     It was an extremely unpleasant thing to wake up cold, damp and female,
if your state the night before had been none of these three.

     Ranma blinked her eyes and sat up, looking blearily at Akane standing
in the doorway.  She took in her fiancee's unsmiling face, her sharp gaze,
and the empty bucket, and wished with all her soul she could go back to
sleep for another hour or seven.

     "It's way past time to get up, Ranma," Akane said.  "We have to get to
school.  It is the last day before exams, after all."

     "Why'd you have to wake me up with water, Akane?" Ranma said.

     "Because we tried everything else," Akane said.  "If you want to come
to school with me, I have to leave in ten minutes.  Otherwise, you can go
on your own."

     Akane turned on her heel and stomped away.  Ranma peeled off the
soaked sheets, and for a moment forgot about the past six months, forgot
about the ring, forgot quite a few things she'd promised herself to never
forget.

     "Stupid tomboy," she muttered.  "Who'd wanna go to school with you
anyway."

     As soon as the words were out, she regretted them, and gave silent
thanks to whatever forces might be listening that Akane hadn't heard them.

     Somehow, things would work out.  She hoped.

**********

     The walk to school was in silence, Ranma making his way along the
fence for the first time in a while, uncaring of how the snow that had
fallen in the night had made it slippery.  The snow was deep and thickly
packed, and Akane's boots made crunching noises as she stomped through it.

     Their speed was better than usual; neither of them seemed to have the
desire to spend any more time in the other's company than they had to.

     Occasionally, one would give a sad glance to the other, and the other
would look away, pretending they had not seen it.  This continued for quite
a long time, until in a moment of absolute perfect timing, they each let
out a long sigh and turned to face each other, Ranma hopping down off the
fence and coming closer to Akane.

     "Akane-"

     "Ranma-"

     "You first," Akane said, blushing and playing with the strap of her
schoolbag.  Ranma put a hand behind his head nervously and laughed, not
quite sure why he did.

     "Umm... I'm sorry," he said.

     "I'm sorry too," Akane said, still not looking at him.  "I shouldn't
have dumped that water on you this morning."

     "Yeah," Ranma said.  "I wish Happosai hadn't kept me up so late last
night..."

     The mood of the moment vanished, replaced by an uncomfortable silence
for several long seconds.  Akane narrowed her eyes and looked at Ranma.

     "Just why are you helping him, anyway?" she said.  "I wouldn't have
put it past you a while ago, but I thought you'd changed..."

     "I never changed," Ranma said, clenching his fist slightly.  "You just
stopped yellin' at me long enough to figure out I wasn't a pervert."

     "Oh, so I yell, do I?" Akane yelled, pulling back her schoolbag as if
she were about to hit him with it.  There was that same strange time
distortion that made a second last far longer, and the bag sagged limply
back down.

     Ranma scuffed his feet on the ground, and looked at Akane
apprehensively.  "Akane... please trust me on this.  I have to do this, and
I can't tell you why."

     She looked away, then nodded uncomfortably.  "Alright."

     "Really, Akane?" Ranma said.

     "Yes," Akane said, after a moment's hesitation.  "I trust you."

     "Thank you," Ranma said, sagging slightly with relief.  "I promise as
soon as I can I'll come clean with you."

     "You'd better," Akane said.  He opened his arms hesitantly, and Akane
embraced him with a mild sigh.

     "This is one of the things I like about you, ya know," Ranma said,
gently stroking a lock of hair back from her face as he looked down at her.
"You're willing to put up with all my weirdness."

     "Well... times like this help to make up for it," Akane said.  She
moved her hand behind his neck.  "There's only one good thing about these
fights, and that's that we can make up afterwards."

     She was beginning to draw his lips down towards hers when her eyes
caught sight of her watch and widened.  "Ack!  We're going to be late..."

     "One minute won't hurt," Ranma said softly.

     It didn't, in the end.

     In fact, it was rather nice.

**********

     "Good morning, class," Hinako-sensei said cheerfully from the front of
the room.  The class continued on with their general routine of social
interaction, gossip and peer pressure.  A cute frown creased Hinako's child
face, and she slapped her pointer down on the desk with a sound like a
cannon going off.

     "GOOD MORNING, CLASS!" she said, a bit less cheerfully.  Manga and
magazines were hidden away, a few last giggles were exchanged, and the
class settled down and found their seats.  The teacher glanced around the
room, looking for any delinquents, and finding none.  In fact, it almost
looked as if she had a perfect attendance for today.  Even Ranma Saotome
and Akane Tendo had been on time, although they'd arrived looking somewhat
embarassed and out of breath.

     "Now, as you all know, this is our final class before winter exams
begin," Hinako said.  A few muted voices groaned from the back of the room,
and Hinako silenced them with a look, and an almost casual reach for her
change purse that she never completed.  "Today, I will be reminding you of
what you should know for your English exam."

     She opened her notebook and hopped up on her desk.  "By now, you
should be able to communicate effectively with an English speaker.  May I
have a volunteer?"

     There was silence.  The clock ticked.  Hinako whistled and tapped her
pen against her lips.  Finally, she sighed and pretended to pick Daisuke
randomly.

     "<Hello sir.  Can you direct me to the train station?>" she said,
pointing at him with her pen.

     "Me?" Daisuke said.  Hinako reached for her change purse.  "<Me?>"

     "<Yes, you.  Can you direct me to the train station?>"

     "<Hello, miss.  I am a Volkswagen,>" Daisuke said.  Hinako sighed and
pulled a coin from her purse.  Whimpering, Daisuke covered his eyes with
his hands and awaited the inevitable.  As the inevitable must, it occured.

     "Thank you, Daisuke.  Can someone else give me a better answer?"
Hinako said, smoothing out her dress and causing several of the boys in
class to desperately cram handkerchiefs under their noses to prevent a
later need for a blood transfusion.

     Akane raised her hand.  "Miss Tendo?"

     "<Down that street and to the left,>" Akane said smoothly.  Hinako
nodded her head.

     "Very good, Miss Tendo.  Mr. Saotome?"

     "Huh?  What," Ranma said, blinking blearily out of his half-sleep.
"The sum of the square of the sum of both..."

     "<Where is the supermarket?>"

     "<My hovercraft is full of pandas,>" Ranma replied.  Hinako looked at
him blankly for a moment; mistaking her look of total confusion for silent
approval, Ranma pressed on.  "<I will not buy this dojo.  It is
scratched.>"

     Hinako sighed.  "Let's move on," she said, getting off the desk and
turning to write on the blackboard.  Getting mad at Ranma for not knowing
answers was like getting mad at a fish for being wet.

**********

     "Good morning, Shampoo," Mousse said as he came into the kitchen of
the Nekohanten.  Shampoo was seated at the table, a cup of tea on the table
in front of her between both her hands.  She didn't answer him.  Mousse
wilted a little, shrugged and started to rummage through the cupboard for
something for breakfast.  Shampoo was silent behind him.

     Finding nothing, he turned back to Shampoo.  "Has Cologne gone
shopping in a while?  We seem to be a little low on..."

     Shampoo's head slumped forward until it rested on the table next to
her tea, and she let out a light snore.  Mousse frowned and walked over,
carefully picking up the tea cup.  It was still half-full, and a quick sip
acknowledged that the contents were cold.  He dumped the tea in the sink
and ran water in the cup, then put all his attention back on Shampoo.  She
was sound asleep, although she was dressed, if somewhat rumpled looking.

     He frowned again, and put a hand on her shoulder.  "Shampoo," he said
quietly, giving her a light shake.  She murmured something softly under her
breath, and he bent down to listen.

     "<What do you want?>" she said in Chinese.  "<What do you want?  What
do you want?  What do you...>"

     "Shampoo," he said, louder.  "Shampoo, wake up."

     She gasped and her eyes blinked open.  "<What do you want?>"

     "It's only another dream," Mousse said soothingly, massaging her back
gently with one hand.  The muscles underneath his hand were tense and
knotted.  Shampoo shuddered slightly, blinked again, and raised her head
up with a gasp.

     "Great-grandmother!" she said urgently.

     "She's not here, Shampoo," Mousse said.  "She's out again."

     Shampoo sagged, her entire body slumping down in the chair.  Now that
he got a closer look at her face, he could see the bleariness of her eyes,
and the beginning of dark circles underneath.  She hadn't been sleeping
well for some time now.

     "Shampoo," he said, pushing a chair back and sitting down at the
table.  "What's wrong?"

     "Nothing, Mousse," she said.  She began to push her chair back, and
Mousse stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.  She glared at him, but
paused.

     "Shampoo, I will do everything in my power to help you, but only if
you let me," he said slowly.

     A sad expression passed across Shampoo's face for a moment, and then
he saw her consciously replace it with a scowl.  "What you do, stupid
Mousse?  You have no power."

     "Shampoo..." Mousse said.

     She glanced at the hand on her shoulder.  "No touch," she said,
bringing her arm back and swinging for his face.  He caught her wrist and
stopped it, still keeping his hand on her shoulder.

     "Hitting me isn't going to do anything," he said quietly.  "It isn't
going to change what's happened, or what's happening, or what's going to
happen."

     The moment hung still for them, seeming frozen in crystal.  "I know
something's happening.  You haven't been sleeping well, and something's up
with Cologne.  Now, what is it?"

     He flinched beneath the force of her scowl, still keeping one hand on
her shoulder, the other on her wrist.  If she decided to hit him with her
other hand, he would have no way of blocking it.

     She didn't.  With a sigh, she hung her head, letting her hair cover
her face from sight.  She began to weep quietly, tugging her hand from his
grip and putting her hands over her face.  It wasn't great wracking sobs,
as if from grief, but tears of exhaustion and frustration.

     Hesitantly, Mousse shifted out of his chair and put his arms around
her.  With a long, drawn out sigh she buried her head against his shoulder.

     "What's wrong?" he said gently.

     "<I'm scared,>" Shampoo said in Chinese.  "<Scared to sleep.>"

     He frowned, continued to hold her, gently running his hands through
her hair, trying to ignore his own desires and let himself comfort her.  He
had dreamed for so long of holding her like this, and now that it was
happening he was too concerned for her to gain any real pleasure from it.

     Something drew his eye to the door of the kitchen that led into the
restaurant, and his heart nearly stopped when he saw Cologne, perched upon
her staff, looking at the two of them with an expression completely without
emotion.

     He was desperately trying to think of some excuse when, without any
change of expression, Cologne tilted her aged head slightly to one side and
winked at him in a movement so calculated it almost seemed like slow
motion, before turning and hopping away without making a sound.

     Now even more confused, Mousse continued to hold Shampoo while he
looked at the empty space Cologne had occupied, as if she would return at
any moment and interrupt things.  She did not.

     Finally, he took his arms off Shampoo and settled her back into the
chair.  Her face was slightly streaked with tears, but she smiled
gratefully at him.

     "Thank you, Mousse," she said.  "Shampoo need that."

     "Now," he said, sitting down at the table.  "Can you tell me what's
going on?"

     She could, and did.

**********

     Lunchtime at Furinkan was a chaotic affair, particularly in times like
this when it was too cold to eat outside.  Students thronged the tables in
the cafeteria, with the bravest ones taking a place in line for whatever
concoction the cafeteria staff had produced today.

     At one table, Ranma and Akane sat with Ukyou.  The chef seemed almost
to glow, her mood was so good.  She eagerly told Ranma and Akane about
Konatsu's return, providing most of the conversation for the table by
herself.

     "So," she said as she popped a piece of okonomiyaki into her mouth.
"Are you guys nervous about the exams?"

     "A little," Akane said.  "But I think I'm ready.  How about you,
Ranma?"

     "Mmhmshp," Ranma said through a mouthful of rice.  Swallowing, he
nodded.  "I think I'll be okay."

     "Hey, Hikaru," Ukyou said, waving to Gosunkugi as he passed by.  "Why
don't you sit with us?"

     The thin boy blinked, a bit suprised.  "If it's alright.."

     "Of course it's alright," Ukyou said.  "Siddown."

     Looking a bit apprehensive, Hikaru took the seat next to Ukyou and
across from Ranma and Akane and began to unpack his lunch.  "Actually, I
wanted to show you all something."

     "What is it?" Akane asked.  Hikaru opened his schoolbag on the table
and dug through it, finally coming up with a folded sheet of newspaper.  He
spread it out on the table; it looked as if it had been torn out rather
hastily.

     "This was in this morning's paper," Hikaru said, putting his finger on
the article as if he wanted to make it very clear what he was referring to.
"Way at the back, but..."

     "Still No Answers In Pacific Explosion," Ranma read, leaning forward
on his elbows to look closer.  He glanced at Hikaru and cocked on eyebrow.
"Are they talking about..."

     "Uh-huh," Hikaru said, nodding.  He picked up the article and began
to read it quietly.  "Although scientific teams say they have pinpointed
the source of the explosion seen and felt by ships everywhere two months
ago, they still can give no explanation for what caused the event.  'We're
still a bit mystified,' admitted Doctor Eichi Tanaka during a radio
interview.  When asked if there was a possibility the explosion was caused
by a military test, Doctor Tanaka replied: 'If it was, it's no military
test the government of Japan had authorized.'  Doctor Tanaka is aboard the
government research vessel Hakken with a top team of other scientists,
trying to find out just what happened.  As of two months past the date of
the event, they still have no answers."

     Ranma chuckled softly.  "I don't think they're ever gonna figure out
what happened."

     Hikaru looked at him wide-eyed.  "You find this funny?"

     "Sure, why not?" Ranma said with a shrug.  "All those egg-head
scientists tryin' to come up with some explanation, and they're never gonna
guess what actually happened."

     "We nearly died there," Hikaru hissed.  "And you're laughing at it?"

     "What else am I supposed to do?" Ranma said.  "It's over now, Hikaru."

     "Dammit, why don't any of you see it," Hikaru said, banging his fist
on the table.  His face was a mask of frustration.  "Even Kodachi's
starting to think I'm too concerned about this."

     "Hikaru, please," Ukyou said, putting a hand on his shoulder.  "What
are you so worked up about?"

     He relaxed slightly at her touch.  "I'm sorry, it's just..."

     "What is it, Hikaru?" Akane said.

     "It's not over," Hikaru said.  "Yeah, Stalford's dead.  Yeah, we
stopped that thing from waking up."

     "Go on," Ranma said, crossing his arms and looking at Hikaru evenly.

     "But he's still out there," Hikaru said, leaning forward and looking
intently into Ranma's eyes.  "That guy who beat you without even trying,
the one who attacked Stalford and took the effigy.  The one who came with
us for a while, and we thought he was nothing but a harmless crazy."

     Comprehension began to dawn in Ranma's eyes.  "You mean..."

     "Have you even thought about this, Ranma?" Hikaru said.  He looked
around the table at Akane and Ukyou.  "Have either of you?  There's a bunch
of questions I've been trying to figure out for two months.  Who, or what,
was that guy?  Why'd he take the effigy?"

     There was silence at the table for a moment, as Hikaru let his words
sink in, and then spoke again.  "And now that he's got it, what the hell
does he intend to do with it?"

     "You're right, Hikaru," Ranma said.  "Whatever that thing was, he
didn't take it because he thought it looked pretty.  I figured that out a
long time ago."

     He shrugged and looked at Hikaru evenly.  "But what the heck are we
supposed to do about?  We don't know where he went, what he is or what he's
gonna do.  What's the point of worrying unless we can do something?"

     Hikaru sighed.  "You're right.  There is nothing we can do right now,
as much as I hate to admit it.  The only thing is to be ready if something
does happen."

     "I'm always ready," Ranma said cockily.  "If something were to burst
in here all of a sudden, no matter what it was, I'd be..."

     "Meow," Akane whispered into his ear.

     "Ahh!  Where, where?" Ranma said.  The worried mood was replaced by
one of amusement; even Hikaru gave a slightly nervous laugh.  They began to
talk about other things, about school, about the upcoming exams.  Anything
but what had happened two months ago, even if it was now what was foremost
upon all their minds.

**********

     "Yeah," Jun said, clapping a hand on Nabiki and Sayoko's shoulders as
they left the examination hall.  "First exam jitters are over with, girls."

     "And only seven more to go this week," Nabiki said, rolling her eyes
at her friend.

     The taller girl nodded and laughed, eyes dancing with amusement behind
her glasses.  "And then we're home free, right?"

     "Uh-huh," Nabiki said.  "I get to go back home and visit my family."

     "That should be nice," Sayoko said quietly.  "I'm looking forward to
seeing my parents again."

     "I get to deal with way more than my father," Nabiki said.  "There's
my sisters, and the Saotomes, and Ranma, of course."

     "I still don't believe most of the stuff you've told us about him,"
Jun said.  "It's too weird."

     "You should hear the stuff I haven't told you," Nabiki said.  "That's
the really weird stuff."

     "Nabiki Tendo!  How art thou this fine day!" a familiar voice called
from up ahead, the speaker not visible yet.

     "Lucky you, Nabiki," Jun whispered.  "Here comes that cute guy you
spend so much time with, and yet do not have a thing for."

     "Hey Kuno-baby," Nabiki said unenthusiastically as Kuno came into
view.  "How'd your exam go?"

     "Brilliantly," Kuno said.  "Thanks in much part to your help, Nabiki
Tendo."

     Nabiki blinked.  Kuno acknowledging someone else's help?  This was a
new thing.  "You're welcome," she said finally.

     Kuno seemed to notice her friends for the first time since he'd
arrived.  He gave a small bow in their direction.  "Fair Jun, fair Sayoko,
it is a delight to see you as always."

     Jun smiled, while Sayoko simply blushed and looked at her feet.  "Such
a gentleman," Jun said.  "Nice to see you too, Tatewaki."

     "Nabiki Tendo, are you doing anything right now?" Kuno said.  No one
else would have noticed it, but Nabiki had known him long enough to
recognize the trace of nervousness in his voice.

     "Uhh... no, not really," Nabiki said.  "Why?"

     "I was wondering if you would like to join me for lunch," Kuno said.
"A way of saying thank-you for your help preparing for today's exam."

     "Sure, why not?" Nabiki said, shooting glares at both Jun and Sayoko,
who seemed to be on the verge of breaking into giggles at any moment.

     "Then come," Kuno said.  "My illustrious company awaits you Nabiki
Tendo."

     "I can't wait," Nabiki said as flatly as possible as she started to
walk with Kuno, wincing as she heard her friends burst into laughter behind
them.

**********

     It was among the nicest restaurants in town, but Nabiki couldn't seem
to get comfortable even amidst the fine decor and excellent food.  She
pushed food around her plate with her chopsticks, occasionally popping a
bite in her mouth, but most of the meal so far had been dedicated to her
study of Kuno.

     She had never seen him like this; or rather, she had never in the past
few months noticed the change in him.  That bothered her; she'd always
prided herself on being the person most able to gauge Kuno's subtle shifts
of mood, from manic to contemplative and back again.
     
     Now that she took the time to look, though, she could see that he
truly had changed, and for the better.  He was calmer, less likely to be
set off on one of his periods of tempermental raving by some seemingly
small thing.  He was even beginning to develop a rudimentary sense of
humour, something he'd often seemed to be entirely without before.

     She also found, now that she thought about it, a change in herself.
Before, she'd seen any of her dealings with Kuno as being purely business;
another way to make connections and money.  Now, she was spending more time
with him that wasn't like that; today, for example.

     And she was finding, to her surprise, that some of the time she
genuinely enjoyed being with him.  She'd always found him entertaining,
ever since they were kids, but it had always been because of his weird
behaviour.  Much of the time she spent with him these days was different;
studying, going out for lunch like this, even just talking together after
class for a few minutes.

     She looked intently at his face; he was in the middle of talking about
something, gesturing occasionally with his hands to emphasize a point.  She
hadn't been paying attention to him for the past few minutes, absorbed
within her own thoughts.

     A momentary twinge in his face brought her back to reality.  "Are you
alright, Nabiki?"

     Nabiki.  Not Nabiki Tendo.  "Sure, just spaced out for a moment," she
said, making a casual gesture of dismissal.  "Go on."

     "Very well," Kuno said.  "You are as absorbed with the details of my
Kendo victories as I had expected.  My next took place in the summer of..."

     Nabiki allowed herself a small smile.  He hadn't changed that much;
but the small change had perhaps made a lot of difference in him.

**********

     "Is that the last of them?" Ryoga said, tucking some of his unruly
dark hair back under his bandanna.

     "Just about," Akari said as she closed up the door of the pen.  The
snuffling of the pigs was all around them in the barn, the grunts of the
adults mingling with the squeals of the piglets.  She stroked the enormous
head of one of the pigs as he stuck his head over the top of the pen and
grunted at her.  "Get the last pen in the corner, would you Ryoga?"

     "Sure thing," Ryoga said as he grabbed up a bucket of food in each
hand and headed over to the corner of the barn.  The massive pig in the pen
grunted eagerly as he smelled the food coming his way; the animal was about
the size of a large pony, making him among the smaller of the Unryuu pigs.
Akari had names for all of them, and could tell one from the other on
sight, but he'd never been able to keep them straight.

     He didn't think he would ever like the animals in the way Akari did,
but he'd at least learned to tolerate them.  He poured the food into the
trough in front of the pig, who began to eat while making the occasional
contented grunt.
     
     "We're done," he said happily, turning back to Akari, who was still
stroking the head of the pig.  "Now we can get out of here."

     "Just a moment," Akari said as she gave the pig one final scratch
behind the ears.  Ryoga rubbed his hands in front of him anxiously, eager
to get out of the barn and away from all the pigs.  Akari came to stand
beside him, putting one hand on his arm.

     "Do you want to go have lunch now?" she asked.

     Ryoga nodded.  "Yeah.  I'm starved."

     He turned and started to go, but paused when Akari put her hand on his
arm again.  "Ryoga, the barn doors are that way."

     "Oh, yeah, of course," Ryoga said, putting one hand behind his head
and grinning embarassedly.

     The two of them headed out together, Akari keeping one hand gently but
firmly on his arm to guide him.  Outside, they left a trail of footprints
in the snow as they walked.  It was a short distance between the barn and
the house, and as they got within sight of the front door Akari let her
hand drop from his arm and walked ahead of him.

     Ryoga sighed and shook his head; Akari had been fine on the way back
from Nerima, but as soon as they'd gotten back to her place she'd seemed
distant.  Something was bothering her, although he had no idea what.

     In the front hallway of the house, the two of them took of their coats
and boots, putting them away in the large closet.  He'd known from the
start that the Unryuu's were fairly well off, but he'd been suprised at how
well off when he finally found out.  Akari was by herself in possession of
a large amount of land in the Tokyo countryside, most of which was taken up
by the farm on which she raised the pigs.  They also had extensive
investments and bank accounts.

     The house was large and quite luxurious, if not exactly decorated to
Ryoga's taste.  The pig motif became a bit repetitive after all, but Akari
loved it.  As far as he knew, it had been only her and her grandfather for
many years; now that her grandfather was gone, she was the only member of
this branch of the Unryuu family left in the area.  There were some other
relatives she'd mentioned, scattered around Japan, but he'd never got the
impression that she was close to them.

     He imagined that she must have been quite lonely, much like he'd been.
They'd got to know each other much better in the past six months, but he
still wasn't sure if he truly knew her that well.  What he did know,
though, he loved dearly.  It wasn't the same as the intense infatuation
he'd had with Akane; it had grown over time, as he'd gotten to know Akari.

     He followed her into the kitchen, sat down at the table and rubbed his
hands together to warm them up.  It had been an exceptionally large amount
of snow that had fallen in the night, and the temperatures had dropped
accordingly.  The short walk from the barn to the house had chilled him
slightly, and he contentedly sat and let himself warm up a little as Akari
started to make lunch.

     "Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked as she started to boil
a pot of water on the stove.

     "No, I'm fine on my own," Akari said.  Ryoga shrugged and studied her
as she worked; she was a good cook, much better than Akane.

     He winced slightly and shook his head.  He had to stop comparing the
two of them.  It wasn't fair to him, or to Akari.  She was not some flawed
reflection of Akane; she was an entirely different person.

     "Ow!" Akari said, startling him.  He was up in an instant and at her
side.

     "What is it?" he asked frantically.

     "Just burned myself a bit," she said, looking away from him.  "I'll
run water on it."

     "Akari..."

     He put a hand on her shoulder.  "What is it?  What's wrong?"

     "Ryoga, when you, when you... left last week," Akari said, her
shoulders trembling under his hand.

     "I didn't leave," Ryoga said.  "I got lost.  You know I get lost."

     "Did you go to see her?  Did you go to see Akane?"

     Ryoga gaped behind her as she walked forward, his hand slipping off
her shoulder.  "Akari... what do you mean?"

     "Don't lie to me, Ryoga," she said.  "I'm not so blind I didn't see
it.  I thought... maybe I was wrong, or that it was something you'd get
over.  And then you disappear, and the next thing I know you're showing up
at her house."

     Ryoga could say nothing as Akari continued.  He'd seen no hint of this
for as long as he'd known her, no sign that she had any indication of his
feelings for Akane.

     Of course, Akane had never seen any sign of his feelings for her
either.  He was so clumsy with his feelings, he hid so much.  Perhaps Akari
was the same.

     "I need to know, Ryoga," Akari said softly, her back still to him.
"Do you stay with me because you love me, or am I just your second choice
after Akane?"

     Ryoga tried desperately to think, knowing that if he said the wrong
things here he might lose Akari forever.  He sucked in a breath and
approached her, gently laying a hand on each shoulder, fearful that she
would pull away.

     She didn't.  It was a start.

     "Akari," he began, trying to keep calm and focused, not dissolve into
panic.  "I'm sorry.  I used to be in love with Akane; that was the main
reason Ranma and I fought so much."

     He let out a long sigh and continued.  "I never had anything until I
met her, you know?  I couldn't rely on my parents, on myself, on anything.
After I met her, she was the only stable thing I could rely on.  Somehow, I
was always able to find my way back to her."

     Her shoulders shook under his hands as she began to cry.  "I was so
blind; I could never see how her and Ranma felt about each other, even
after all those times he fought for her.  I always held out hope that
someday she'd see him the same way I did, and she'd fall into my arms like
magic."

     He sighed again.  "I was destroying myself, day by day.  Every time I
saw them look at each other when the other one couldn't see, every time I
saw her smile at him, every battle I watched him fight for her, I died a
little inside."

     He smiled, rubbed her shoulders gently.  "Until I met you, Akari, I
was like a moth to a flame.  I was drawn to Akane, even though I knew in
the end it would only hurt me.  You gave me something else I could have,
something I might wander away from but could always come back to.  You gave
me your love, and that let me stop hating myself, hating life, and let me
start being happy."

     He smiled a bit sadly and looked up at the ceiling.  "I can understand
if you don't want to give me your love anymore, Akari.  There are lots of
other guys out there, guys who won't get lost on you all the time, guys
who..."

     "Stop it," Akari said firmly, turning around and embracing him
tightly.  "Don't ever talk like that, Ryoga.  I don't want anyone else; I
want you."

     "I want you as well," Ryoga said, gently stroking her hair and holding
her head against his shoulder.  "I..."

     He sucked in a deep breath, steadied himself as well as he could.  "I
don't even know why I'm asking you this now; I don't even have a ring or
anything.  But I'm such a coward with these things, I need to do it when I
can."

     He stepped back, keeping his arms on her shoulders for a moment before
taking one of her hands in both of his and dropping to his knees in front
of her.  Inspiration striking him, he tugged a bandanna off his head and
looked up at Akari, who seemed too suprised to do anything other than gape
at him.

     "Akari," he said, wrapping the bandanna around her ring finger as
carefully as he could.  "Will you marry me?"

     "Yes," Akari said.  "Oh, of course.  Of course, we've got to get ready
for the ceremony and everything of course, and of course there's..."

     Tears trailing down her face, she looked at him.  "I'm babbling,
aren't I?"

     "A little," Ryoga said, standing up and embracing her again.  "Just a
little."

     "It's only because I'm happy," she said.  "I'm so happy."

     "I'm happy too," Ryoga said.  He was happy, and he knew with all his
heart and soul that this was not like a brief moment of overwhelming joy
that would soon fade and be replaced by darkness, but a happiness that
would last him till the end of his days.

**********
         
     Mousse put the orders down at the table, turned and headed back to the
counter to get more.  Cologne put out four bowls on the counter, but
stopped him as he reached for them by rapping him sharply on the knuckles
with the end of her staff.

     "Ouch," he said, shaking his hand and glaring.  "What'd you do that
for?"

     "Go and check on Shampoo," said Cologne.  "I sent her into the
storeroom to get some supplies and she's been gone too long for my liking.
And whatever you do, don't make a fuss and scare off the customers."

     Mousse nodded, his annoyance gone and replaced by concern.  He headed
to the storeroom quickly, as Cologne brought the orders around to the
tables he'd been serving behind him.

     He felt a twisting in his stomach when he opened the door and stepped
inside; the lights were out.  He could hear soft breathing nearby, and
stepped hesitantly inside.  The lights might be out for a reason, and he
refrained from turning them on.

     "Shampoo?" he called quietly, closing the door behind him and plunging
the room into complete blackness.  He listened to the soft sound of her
breathing, tried to locate where it was coming from.  It was eerily
reminiscent of what he'd done two months ago, when Ranma, Akane, Ukyou and
Kodachi had disappeared without explanation and they'd been lured into a
trap by the creature that had called herself Hibino Kyofu.  She had tried
to control him and Sasuke into attacking Shampoo and the other one they'd
been with, the teacher.  She'd succeeded with Sasuke; he'd had to fight the
ninja in the dark, using only his hearing and instincts.

     "Shampoo?" he said again, squinting as his eyes gradually adjusted to
the darkness.  He could see she was right in front of him now, but he
didn't know what kind of state she was in.  There was still no answer, and
he reached out hesitantly to touch her.

     "We all tried our best," a voice said, and he didn't realize it was
Shampoo's for a moment.  It was Shampoo's voice imitating another's voice,
the voice of an old man.  The Japanese was accentless, flawless; Mousse
sucked in a breath in shock.  "Just wasn't good enough, in the end."

     "Shampoo..." he breathed softly in the darkness.  She'd told him about
what Cologne had said, about Shampoo beginning to develop whatever gift of
future-seeing Cologne herself had, but he hadn't quite understood himself
what she was talking about.  This must be part of it.

     But what was she talking about?

     Shampoo groaned, and her voice when she spoke again was halfway
between her own voice and the voice she'd spoken in before.  "The end..."

     She gave a sharp cry, and Mousse darted forward and caught her as she
fell.  "Shampoo, are you alright?"

     There was only silence, and then Shampoo spoke in her own voice.
"Mousse?"

     "I'm here, Shampoo," he said.  "Another vision?"

     "Yes," Shampoo said.  "I think.  No remember anything."

     "Nothing?  What's the last thing you remember?" Mousse asked.

     "Coming into storeroom," Shampoo said.  "Then nothing."

     The light flickered on; Mousse blinked for a moment to adjust his eyes
and looked a bit nervously at Cologne standing in the doorway to the
storeroom.  His nervousness increased when he realized how closely he was
holding Shampoo.

     It reached excessive levels when he saw that the apron and shirt
covering her upper body were little more than slashed rags.  They left very
little to the imagination.

     "This is not what it looks like, old gh-, Colo-, honoured elder," he
said, getting up and trying to avoid looking at Shampoo.  "Really, it
is..."

     "I know, boy," Cologne said.  "I've closed the restaurant.  Go and
wait in the kitchen; I need to talk to Shampoo."

     Mousse nodded and hurried out past Cologne, heading for the kitchen as
quickly as he could.  As Cologne had said, the restaurant was closed now.
Half-eaten bowls of ramen were still at the tables; obviously, Cologne had
been fairly quick about it.

     "So much for not scaring the customers," he murmured under his breath
as he entered the kitchen.  He sat down at the table and took off his
glasses, rubbing his eyes with his hands a few times to try to focus his
mind.  Ever since Shampoo had woken from that nightmare yesterday morning,
everything had been weird.

     He'd never felt so close to Shampoo, and yet he'd never felt so far
away.  He couldn't even really comprehend what she might be going through;
to have dreams as real as reality, to have dreams when you were awake.

     And then there was Cologne; the old woman had never behaved like this
before.  When she'd found him holding Shampoo in the kitchen this morning
after her breakdown, she'd winked at him, actually winked at him, and then
left without saying a word.

     He'd have been beside himself with happiness, if he wasn't so
concerned for what was happening to Shampoo.  He put his glasses back on,
and watched as the room swam into focus.  If only it was so easy to see
everything else that was going on.

     There was the familiar tapping of Cologne's staff, the sound she made
when she wanted to alert you she was coming.  She came in from behind the
curtain and hopped up onto the table, looking intently at him from up
close.

     "Where's Shampoo?" Mousse asked, trying to stare back with what he
hoped was an unafraid expression.

     "She's upstairs getting changed," Cologne said.  "That outfit is
ruined, I'll tell you that."

     "Honoured elder, I had nothing to do with that," Mousse said
vehemently.

     Cologne nodded.  "I believe you.  You're lucky I do; if I didn't, I'd
break every bone in your body."

     Mousse gulped, and Cologne looked at him evenly for a moment before
giving him a twisted thing that might have been a smile.  "However, I do
believe you.  I think you yourself would die before you allowed anyone to
touch a single hair of her head, would you not?"

     "Yes," Mousse said, believing it totally.  "I would."

     Cologne nodded, and hopped off the table.  "Since the restaurant is
closed for the next few days, you and Shampoo have some time off.  Perhaps
you'd like to take her out; it might help to let her take her mind off
what's happening for a little while, at least."

     Mousse was utterly stunned for a moment, and then he slowly smiled.
"If she wants..."

     "I think she'll be agreeable," Cologne said with another nod.  "I must
go out for a while; I should return later tonight."

     "Alright," Mousse said.  Cologne left without another word.  Mousse
headed out into the dining area after her, but she was nowhere in sight
when he came out.

     After a few minutes, when Shampoo still hadn't come down, he headed
upstairs and knocked on the door of her room.  "Shampoo?"

     "Come in, Mousse," she called back.  She was sitting in a chair by the
window, leaning forward and looking out at the blank wall of the building
next to the restaurant.  One slim hand cupped her chin as she stared out at
blank brick and nothing else.

     He walked up hesitantly behind her and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Shampoo-"

     He lost his voice when she laid her free hand over his gently.
"Mousse, thank you.  You... you were there for me today, and day before."

     "I've always been here for you," he said quietly, not quite believing
the words he heard.  "I've always-"

     "I know," Shampoo said.  Her fingers traced across the back of his
hand, sending tingles through his skin.  "Taken Shampoo too long to realize
that."

     "Cologne says the restaurant's going to be closed for a while," Mousse
said, trying to sound confident and assured.  "I was wondering if you'd
like to come out for a walk with me?"

     "Okay," Shampoo said.  "Might be nice."

     "I'll need to get something warm to wear," he said, taking his hand
off her shoulder and away from her touch with some regret.  "I'll meet you
downstairs, okay?"

     "Okay," Shampoo said.  The smile he saw on her face as he left the
room warmed his heart so much he was fairly sure he could have walked
outside dressed as he was and not have felt the cold in the least.

**********

     "A delicious lunch as always," Genma said, wiping his mouth with a
napkin and standing to his feet.  "Well, Tendo, back to the game?"

     "Of course, Saotome," Soun said.  "Still hoping to get a victory
today?"

     "As I recall it was I who won our last game," Genma said as the two
walked out of the dining room.

     "Ah, well, that one didn't count..."

     Kasumi smiled slightly at Nodoka as the men left the room and stood
up.  "Would you mind helping me clear the table, Auntie Saotome?"

     "Not at all, Kasumi," Nodoka said, smoothing out the folds of her
kimono as she stood as well.  "I do wish you'd allow me to help more.  It
really isn't right that you do so much work around here."

     "Oh, really, it isn't that much," Kasumi said.  Her smile faltered
a little, but she brought it back full force as she saw a vague look of
concern trace Nodoka's face.  "Besides, I like the housework."

     Nodoka nodded as they carried the dishes into the kitchen.  "Is
everything alright, Kasumi?" she asked hesitantly after a moment.

     Kasumi smiled forcefully and nodded.  "Everything's fine."

     "Well, I'm always here if you need some..."

     There was the sound of someone knocking on the front door,
interrupting the conversation between the two of them.  "Would you start
the dishes, Auntie Saotome?  I'll just be a minute getting that."

     "Certainly, dear," Nodoka said.  She watched Kasumi's back for a
moment, a troubled expression gracing her features, and then she shrugged
and began to wash the dishes.

     Kasumi opened the door to see no one there.  She was about to close it
again when she heard someone speak.

     "Down here, girl."

     "Oh!  Hello there," she said, a bit suprised to see Shampoo's
great-grandmother on the doorstep.  However, a visitor was a visitor.
"Please, won't you come in?"

     "Is Happosai here?" Cologne asked.  Kasumi pursed her lips slightly at
the demanding tone.

     "I haven't seen him since breakfast," she said.  "Is there some kind
of message I can give him for you?"

     "No," Cologne said, a shake of her head sending long white hair
flying.  "He's probably out roaming the streets."

     "Master Happosai is very lively for a man his age," Kasumi said with a
slight smile.

     "Far too lively for my liking," Cologne muttered under her breath.
"Well, pardon me then.  I must be going."

     She hopped off on her staff before Kasumi even had a chance to say
goodbye.

     "How odd," Kasumi said with a slight shrug.  Then she headed back
towards the kitchen, the dishes and Auntie Saotome.

**********

     In small clearing in a forest, Lukkosai sat and warmed his hands at
the fire he had built.  Arrayed around him on blankets laid across the snow
were his prizes of the morning, sorted by type, then size, then colour.
Small scraps of paper with neatly drawn characters indicated what each pile
contained.

     The old man leaned back and puffed on his pipe, contentedly basking in
the heat of the fire.  The winter chill bothered him more and more these
days; despite his longevity, he was not immune to aging, and he grew
frailer and frailer each year, although still far more formidable than men
a century or two younger than him.

     He had seen Japan change in the twentieth century since the twentieth
century had begun; he had seen the devastation of two great wars, and he
had seen the country rise again to stand amongst the world powers.

     And now, as the millenium drew nearer and the twentieth century came
to a close he was old and tired, and wanted to do nothing more than live
out his last years in peaceful lechery.  He was sick of wandering, sick of
moving from town to town.

     He thought enviously for a moment of Happosai; his old friend had it
made, up there in Tokyo.  Free room and board, surrounded by a seemingly
endless supply of lovely girls, that was certainly the life he would like
to lead.

     Not likely, though.  Happosai managed to sponge off one of his old
students, while the few students he'd taught were long-vanished.  There was
far more demand for the wisdom of a master of the legendary Anything-Goes
school than there was for his discipline, which was a little more obscure
and esoteric in nature.

     Still, he thought as he drew another log into reality in the air with
one of his smaller pens and watched it drop into the fire, it does have its
uses at times.

     Perhaps he'd head east now, towards Osaka or Kyoto.  From there, he
could make his way towards Tokyo, maybe have a visit with Happosai again,
spend a few days at the house.  Now that he had the ink tablet back, he
hoped he'd be able to have a better time with Happosai than before; Happy
was one of the few people in the world who he could truly relate too.

     "You might as well come out," he said suddenly.  "If you want
something from me, you're not going to get it by hiding in those trees."

     There was a light crunching of snow underfoot, and a figure in a cloak
stepped into view from out of the trees.  He couldn't even determine the
gender; all he could see was a pair of dark eyes through the wrapped hood.

     "Hello," the cloaked figure said, the baritone voice identifying it as
a man.  "It's been a while."

     "I believe you have me at a disadvantage," Lukkosai said, reaching
over his back for his large ink brush as subtly as possible.

     A hand emerged from the depths of the cloak and tossed a small object
into the snow in front of him.  He could see only the top of it, but he
felt himself go cold, even in the winter air that had left him already
chilled.

     "Where did you get that?" he said.  He'd never wanted to see the
damned thing again; that's why he'd sold it all those years ago.

     "It has always been mine, by right," the cloaked man said.  There was
a rustle as his hands emerged again from the depths of the cloak, this time
holding the handle of a weapon far too large to have been contained within
the folds of that garment.  The slim, curving blade of the naginata
glittered slightly in the sunlight filtering between the leafless branches
of the trees, as the man's hands lightly gripped the dark wood handle of
the weapon.

     "How?" Lukkosai croaked.  "They were unbreakable; I drew them myself."

     "The mercy of my mother," the man said, bringing the naginata up into
an attack position.  "And my own strength."

     "Your mother was-"

     "Silence."

     The word echoed in the forest, as Lukkosai pulled his brush from
behind his back, dipped it into the ink and drew a complex pattern of lines
in the air in a single motion that took him less than a second.  The lines
of ink solidified until they were stronger than any rope, and lashed
forward like snakes, seeking to bind and trap the man in front of him.

     Spinning and whirling the polearm through the air around him, the
man's cloak swirled about his legs as he cut the ink ribbons to pieces, and
then sprang for Lukkosai.  The old man blocked with his brush, and found
himself driven back across the clearing by the strength and fury of his
opponent's strikes.  Sparks were struck into the air where the blade of the
naginata struck the handle of the brush again and again.

     Finally, as the cloaked man pulled his weapon back for another strike,
Lukkosai moved, darting to the side and having another opportunity to draw
with his brush.  The daggers of ink solidified into reality and swept
forward in a wave of steel at his opponent.

     The man leaped straight up to avoid the attack, and as Lukkosai
watched him ascend, not sure what to do next, he vanished just as he
cleared the tops of the trees.

     Lukkosai spun, but it was too late.  He watched in startled disbelief
as the tip of the naginata appeared out of the front of his chest, and he
gasped in agony as the full pain of the wound hit him.  It was fatal, he
knew that much in an instant.  He fell forward, groaning and whimpering as
the blade slid out.  His brush dropped from his hands, staining the snow
dark with ink that quickly mingled with red.  He gasped, coughed, found
himself unable to draw breath.  Footsteps crunched in the snow as the
cloaked man retrieved the dark figurine he had thrown in front of Lukkosai
moments earlier.

     He struggled, drew forth a pen in barely endurable agony, his only
thought to somehow send a warning.  He was in the midst of trying to draw a
bird, a bird to carry his message, when the foot crunched down on his hand,
the agony of his fingers breaking nothing compared to the pain of the
previous wound.

     "I am sorry," the voice said, and it was made all the more terrible by
the genuine sympathy and regret he heard within the voice.  "I had thought
you dead."

     <Tried my best,> Lukkosai thought in his last few moments.  <We all
tried our best.  Just wasn't good enough, in the end.>

**********

     "I'll see you guys tomorrow, okay?" Ukyou said, waving to Akane and
Ranma as she headed down the street.

     "Good luck studying for your exams, Ucchan," Ranma said as he waved
back, before heading around the corner with Akane.  Ukyou smiled as they
left her sight, knowing that the walk between school and home was one of
the few times they had alone together.

     "To think you ever thought you could come between those two," she said
softly to herself as she walked through the snow-filled streets.  Other
people thronged the streets at this time of day, enjoying the sights of the
winter weather.

     It looked as if it was going to be a very cold winter this year;
they'd been talking on the radio this morning about the possibility of even
more snow falling tonight.

     She looked up at the winter sky a bit dubiously; much as she'd tried
to hide it throughout the day, Hikaru's words at lunchtime had probably
disturbed her more than they had either Akane or Ranma.

     Ever since her experience of two months ago, she had been slightly
nervous.  Amidst all the strangeness of the dream world she'd been trapped
in for a short time, there had been the words the gaki had spoken as it
died, slain by her hand.

     <I've seen what's coming.  He's coming... cities burning with fire...>

     She shuddered slightly at the memory of the words and wrapped her coat
tighter around herself, seeking to drive away both the winter chill and her
own apprehension.

     "What were you, exactly?" she said, remembering the man called Satoshi
Okamoto who they'd found wandering mad and raving in the forest on the
island.  "Was there ever a man called Satoshi Okamoto, or was he just
someone you created to draw us in?"

     The masquerade performed by whatever being had worn the form of
Satoshi Okamoto had been a skilled one; none of them had seen any sign of
what he truly was until he revealed himself.

     She in particular had been drawn to the man, sorrowing for whatever
horrors he had been through.  She had become his self-appointed guardian
for the short time he had been with them, and had been the hardest hit by
his sudden transformation.

     Whatever he had been, it was something very powerful.  And now that
Hikaru had raised the subject, she was beginning to be disturbed by the
questions as well, along with additional ones.  Whatever purpose the effigy 
had been taken for, it certainly couldn't be a good one.

     She shook her head and sighed; now was not the time to think of these
things.  There was nothing she could do right now, no hint of what was to
come.  The best thing she could do was be prepared, and be watchful for
anything out of the ordinary.

     Besides, if it was anything they should be concerned about, they'd no
doubt hear from Shigeki.  They knew next to nothing about the man's past or
his true purpose, but he'd proved himself to be an ally previously.

     She smiled a bit ruefully at the memory of the last time she'd seen
him; ordering him out of the restaurant before preparing to get drunk
enough that she could sleep without having any of her dreams about Ranma.

     Now, she had no more dreams, and no more need for the sake.  Whatever
was coming, she was fairly sure they all could handle it.

     She glanced up at the numbers on the buildings she was passing; soon
enough she'd be back at her restaurant.  Konatsu would be waiting; for the
first time in six months, they could open the place for dinner together.
It would certainly be an interesting experience.

     "Well, he may not be as cute a waitress anymore," she said quietly,
shrugging her shoulders.  "But I think he'll make a handsome enough
waiter."

     She coloured slightly at her own words; she didn't want her thoughts
to go in that direction.  She was still unsure of her own feelings for
Konatsu, although it was quite obvious that his were little changed from
before he'd left.

     They'd talked for a long time, all about what had happened in the
months they'd been apart.  By a kind of silent agreement, they'd avoided
any talk about the future, dwelling only upon what had past.  Finally,
she'd given him back the room he'd had before when he'd lived with her.
He'd still been asleep when she'd left for school in the morning; the long
journey and the talking had obviously worn him out quite a bit.

     She unlocked the door to the restaurant with her key and stepped
inside.  To her shock, the restaurant looked nothing like when she'd left
in the morning; every table and chair was polished, the floor was scrubbed
till it shone, and it even looked as if someone had cleaned the light
fixtures.

     Konatsu popped his head up from behind the counter.  "Oh!  Hello,
Ukyou.  How was school?"

     "Fine," she said, dangling her bag in one hand and looking around the
restaurant.  "How long have you been working?"

     "Since I got up," Konatsu said cheerfully, disappearing behind the
counter again.  "You wouldn't believe what a mess you had on the underside
of some of those tables, Ukyou."

     Ukyou blinked a few times, and then shook her head.  She came over and
sat down at one of the seats by the counter, dropping her bag on the floor
and peering over at Konatsu.  He was removing bits of batter that had
dripped down the sides of the grill, humming a slightly off-key tune to
himself as he worked.

     "Konatsu, you didn't have to do all this," Ukyou said.  "You're not an
employee now, you're a guest."

     "But I like doing this," Konatsu said, looking up at her with wide
eyes.  "I like to help you."

     "Alright," Ukyou said with a mild sigh.  "I'll have to open up for
dinner in an hour or so.  Why don't you take a break until then?"

     "But Ukyou, there's still some..."

     "Take a break, Konatsu.  For me," Ukyou said.

     "Okay," Konatsu said, standing up and fidgeting nervously.  "I'll
clean the bathroom!"

     "A break, Konatsu.  That means you don't work for a while.  You relax,
have a rest, do something you enjoy."

     "But I like to work!"

     "Konatsu, sit down and wait for me," Ukyou said, getting out of the
seat and picking up her school bag from the floor.  "I'll be down after I
get changed out of this uniform."

     "Alright," Konatsu said, hopping over the counter in one smooth motion
and sitting down.  He immediately began to wipe the counter from where he
was sitting.

     Shaking her head and trying not to laugh, Ukyou headed upstairs, the
sound of Konatsu humming following her as she walked.

**********

     After yet another delicious dinner by Kasumi, Ranma and Akane sat in
her room, studying together for the English exam that would take place
tomorrow.  Dinner for Ranma had been a particularly good experience this
evening, due to the fact that Happosai had made no appearance.  Hopefully,
the little lech wouldn't show up tonight.

     On the other hand, of course, that meant one more night that he'd be
without the ring it had taken him so long to save for.  Even if he'd had
the money to buy another, which he didn't, it wouldn't have been the same.
The ring represented the culmination of all his feelings for Akane, and
expressed his desire to spend the rest of his life with her.

     He glanced at Akane where she sat at her desk and sighed; he knew that
the old lech might try to control him forever by holding the ring out like
a carrot to a donkey, but he wouldn't let him do that.  He hoped he'd be
able to get the ring back without Akane or anyone else finding out about it
before the time came to give it to her, but if it really came down to it he
knew he might have to fight the old man to get it back.

     Although considering how much success he'd had when he tried it
yesterday, he wasn't sure if that was a fight he could win.  He'd always
known Happosai was incredibly skilled, close to or as good as Cologne, but
the old man had always been easily distracted, gullible.

     When he'd been in the dojo yesterday, there'd been none of that.  He'd
been focused, and Ranma hadn't even been able to touch him.  The old man
obviously had something planned, something he wanted Ranma around for, and
he was willing to forget about his lechery for a while.

     Whatever it was, Ranma was pretty sure it couldn't be good for him or
anyone else.

     "What's wrong with you?" Akane said, turning around in her chair and
regarding him intently where he sat on the bed.  "You haven't been
listening to a word I've been saying, have you?"

     "Sure I have, Akane," Ranma lied.  She quirked one eyebrow and
snorted.

     "Fine, then.  Please explain to me explicitly in English the best way
to make an ice-cream sundae.  Chocolate."

     "What the heck kinda question is that?" Ranma said, stalling for time.

     "One of Hinako-sensei's from the study sheet she gave us," Akane said.
"Come on now.  You said you'd been listening."

     "Uh..."

     Ranma gulped, and began to speak.  "<Take one scoop ice cream, and one
chicken... horse...>"

     Akane buried her head in her hands and sighed.  "I guess this is how
Nabiki must be feeling helping Kuno study for their exams."

     "Are you comparing me to Kuno?" Ranma said.

     "Maybe," Akane said with a trace of a smile.

     "Oh, come on, I'm nothing like him," Ranma said.

     "Not even just a little?"

     "Not one bit."

     "Well, you both have enormous egos."

     "Yeah, but mine is entirely justified," Ranma said with a slight
smirk.  Akane sighed theatrically and got out of the chair, sitting down
beside him on the bed.

     "What's up with you?" Ranma said, looking a bit nervous.

     "Nothing," Akane said, moving slightly closer and laying her head on
his shoulder.  "Just taking a study break."

     "But we've only been studying for five minutes-"

     "Oh, come on, this is more fun, isn't it?" Akane said, cutting off his
words with a short peck on the lips.

     "True," Ranma said.  "But I don't wanna fail this exam."

     "Did someone steal your brain and replace it with another one?" Akane
said, kissing him again.  "You're actually worried about school?"

     "Well, I gotta start thinking about my future.  This is my last year,
after all."

     "You, thinking about the future?" Akane said.  "Am I in it?"

     "Well-"

     The door swung open.  "Eh? am I interrupting anything?" Happosai said,
as Ranma and Akane each leaped about a foot away from each other, Ranma
tumbling off the bed and hitting his head on the floor.  "Oh, no, please
continue.  Don't mind me.  I'm a silent observer.  Here, I think I have my
camera..."

     "What do you want?" Akane growled.

     "Nothing from you, dear Akane," Happosai said.  "Unless, of course,
you have something you want to give me..."

     "In your dreams, old man," Ranma said.  "And her nightmares.  What are
you doin' here?"

     "Just wanted to inform you that we'll be heading out in an hour,"
Happosai said.  "And I expect you to be ready."

     Happosai closed the door and left; Akane got up off the bed, smoothed
out the long skirt she wore, and sat down in her chair again.  "We don't
have a lot of time, Ranma.  We'd better get back to studying."

     "Akane..." Ranma said as he stood up from the floor.

     "Let's just study, okay?"

     Once again, Ranma cursed Happosai in many different ways, this time 
within his head and silently.

**********

     Ranma and Happosai stood in front of the Tendo house, looking up at
the sky as the snowflakes fell to join their brothers already upon the
ground.

     "I've never seen this much snow in Tokyo before," Ranma said.  "Kinda
reminds me of when me and pop were up in Hokkaido."

     "Been too long since I last saw Hokkaido," Happosai said
conversationally as he pulled out his pipe and lit it.  "Lovely place."

     "Might as well get this over with," Ranma said.  "Right, old man?"

     "Let an old man enjoy the sight of the falling snow for a moment,"
Happosai said as he puffed on his pipe.

     "It's not like I have a choice," Ranma muttered, crossing his arms.

     "Your words ring true, boy," Happosai said with a smirk.  Ranma
growled slightly and kicked at the snow.  "Keep calm.  That's an important
discipline, boy.  You can't allow someone to make you so angry that you
lose your cool."

     "Uh-huh.  By the way, old man, I burned your photo collection this
afternoon," Ranma said.

     "Yes?  And I told your mother how much you like to dress up as a girl
when you're a boy," Happosai replied smoothly.  Ranma yelled and charged,
and Happosai introduced him to a snowbank.  He pulled himself out and
brushed himself off quickly before the snow melted and made him change.  He
really didn't want to deal with Happosai as a girl if he could help it.

     "Come on, boy," Happosai said, bounding off through the snow-filled
streets.  "We've got plenty to do tonight."

     Ranma sighed and followed.  Last night had been tolerable, actually.
The old lech had spent most of the time leading him throughout the city on
some kind of weird route that probably only made sense to the old man.  As
far as he could tell, the old man hadn't even gotten any underwear, unless
he'd snatched some when Ranma wasn't looking.  Knowing Happosai, that was
probably a distinct possiblity.

     The snow continued to fall about them as they ran, and Ranma shivered
slightly and tugged his green cap tighter over his head.  He was keeping
pace with the rapidly moving figure of Happosai up ahead, but only barely.

     "Come on, boy," he called back.  "Can't you keep up with an old man?"

     "I've got no problems keeping up with you," Ranma yelled.

     "Guess I can speed up then."

     Ranma gritted his teeth and ran faster.  As soon as he had his hands
on that ring again, he was going to give Happosai a lot of reasons to never
pull something like this again.

     Up ahead, Happosai had stopped running, and was crouched down on the
ground smoking his pipe and looking ahead, apparently at nothing.  Ranma
pulled up beside him and gazed in the same direction, trying to figure out
what he was looking at.

     It appeared to be a blank spot between two other houses, where another
house should have been.  The only indication that there had once been
anything there was the twisted, half-melted gate surrounding the area.

     "What is this?" Ranma said.  "What're we doin' here?"

     "That's the house where we came when we thought you'd all been
kidnapped," Happosai said, blowing a long stream of smoke into the air.
"Turned out to be wrong, of course."

     "You guys burn it down or somethin'?"

     "We didn't," Happosai said with a sigh.  "Something else did."

     "What?"

     "Nothing, boy.  Never mind," Happosai said.  "Let's move on.  We've
still got lot's to do tonight."

     There was silence between them for a moment, and then Ranma spoke
again.  "You know a lot about... magic, stuff like that, right Happosai?"

     "More than I'd like," Happosai said.  Ranma looked at him strangely;
he'd almost heard something that sounded like regret in the old man's
voice.

     "When you guys thought we got kidnapped, we were off on that island,"
Ranma said.

     "I know that," Happosai said with a nod.

     "I saw a lot of stuff there," Ranma said.  "But there was one thing I
fought.  He looked like a man, even travelled with us for a bit.  But then
he turned out to be something else."

     Ranma gazed at the empty space formerly occupied by the house.  He
supposed it must have been Richard Stalford's house, from what everyone
else had told him when they got back.  "He beat me, Happosai.  More easily
than anyone.  It was as if he didn't even need to fight me, as if I were no
threat at all."

     "There are things in this world," Happosai said slowly, sucking on his
pipe as he talked, "that walk upon two legs, that speak with human voice,
and yet are not human."

     "He... took something from us, Happosai," Ranma said.  "A little
statue, made out of black stone.  I think it was called the Effigy of the
Sleeper."

     Ranma paused as he saw a momentary look of shock cross Happosai's
face.  "Do you know anything about that?"

     "Nothing," Happosai said vehemently, knocking out some ashes from his
pipe.  "Go home, boy.  I don't need you anymore tonight; spend some time
with Akane."

     "You do know about it," Ranma said.  He crouched down in the snow, put
a hand on Happosai's shoulder.  "Tell me, old man!  What is it?"

     "Go home, boy," Happosai said wearily.  "I need to be alone for a
while."

     "Dammit, Happosai-"

     The pipe flicked out, and stopped a hair's breadth from his face.  If
the old man had continued through, he most likely would have broken his
nose.  The foul scent of the tobacco drifted up from the bowl and stung his
eyes.  "Go home."

     "Can I have the ring back?" Ranma said, standing up and backing off.

     "In time," Happosai said.  "Now go home."

     "Fine," Ranma said, turning on his heel and stalking off.  "But don't
think this is over, old man.  Don't think this is over!"

     He was too far away to hear when Happosai finally spoke again, in a
weary tone.  "Of course it isn't over, boy.  It's only just begun."

**********

     Happosai sat in the snow, uncaring of the cold, and smoked his pipe.
He gazed into the darkness, through the spot where the house had been, as
if he might see some answer in the emptiness.

     He was not alone for long; the staff made a soft tap as it landed in
the snow, Cologne perched atop and gazing down at him like a hawk at a
mouse.

     "Evenin', Cologne," he said, looking up impassively.

     "I've been looking for you all day, Happosai," Cologne said.  "Have
you been trying to avoid me?"

     "Why would I try to avoid you?" Happosai said, blowing a cloud of
smoke into the air that was quickly dissipated by the winter wind.

     "I can think of several reasons," Cologne said.

     "So how long were you eavesdropping on my student and I?" Happosai
asked.

     "He's hardly your student," Cologne said.  "I've taught him more than
you ever will."

     There was silence from Happosai as he refilled his pipe, so Cologne
spoke again.  "This would hardly seem to be your choice of how to spend an
evening, Happosai."

     "Sometimes you don't have any choice," Happosai said with a slight
shrug.  "Sometimes, you have to do things because they must be done."

     "I never expected to hear words like those from you again," Cologne
said, with more than a trace of bitterness in her voice.  "I thought you
had forgotten whatever sense of duty you might have had."

     "Perhaps I did," Happosai said slowly.  "But sometimes, things happen
that force you to remember."

     "I know what you mean."

     There was quiet between them for a moment, as they both looked
intently at the site of the burned house.

     "You've felt it too, haven't you?" Happosai said finally.

     "Of course I have," Cologne said.

     "Have you been having dreams?"

     "No."

     Something in the way she said the word caused Happosai to look up at
her, trying to disguise the slight concern he felt.  "What is it?"

     "Shampoo's started to have them," Cologne said softly.

     "Oh."

     Happosai nodded, sucked on his pipe some more.  "You know what
happened two months ago?"

     "Of course," Cologne sniffed.  "Shampoo told me."

     "I talked to Ranma a bit," Happosai said.  "He went into a little more
detail."

     "And?"

     "They lost the Effigy of the Sleeper," Happosai said.  "To something
that walked in the form of a man."

     "Oh, gods," Cologne said, closing her eyes and shuddering slightly.
"I thought Lukkosai had it."

     "I guess he must have gotten rid of it," Happosai said.

     "That damn fool!" Cologne hissed.  "Damn him and his stupidity."

     "Don't be so hard on him," Happosai said wearily.  "It was never the
same to him as it was to us.  How could it have been?"

     "Fool," Cologne said again.  "Damn fool."

     "Do you think we should tell them?" Happosai asked.  "We may need
help, you know."

     "I will not have them know my shame," Cologne said vehemently.  "I
will not have it."

     "It wasn't our fault," Happosai said.  "You know that as well as I
do."

     "It was our fault," Cologne said.  "Don't try to get out of the
responsibility you and I have."

     "Cologne," Happosai said slowly.  His pipe had long ceased to burn as
the two of them had stood amongst the snow and talked.  "You know if it
comes down to it, I will help you.  We can face it together, you and-"

     "I do not want your help," Cologne said, looking at him with narrowed
eyes.  "I will finish this myself.  Just stay out of my way, Happosai.
Just make sure you stay out of my way."

     "Will you doom your great-grandaughter with your pride, Cologne?"
Happosai said.  "Will you-"

     The blow of the staff knocked him sprawling, tumbling head over heels
through the snow and knocking the pipe from his hand.  "How dare you
lecture me, you irresponsible fool?"

     "Because you are acting like an irresponsible fool yourself," Happosai
said as he stood up and retrieved his pipe, brushing snow from the front of
his shirt and glaring at Cologne.  "Think about it, Cologne.  We do not
have to do this alone."

     "Is that why you've blackmailed Ranma into going out with you these
nights?" Cologne asked.  "Because you are afraid to face this alone?"

     "Yes," Happosai said.  "Yes, of course I'm afraid.  I'm afraid for
myself, and for all of them.  And you're afraid as well, as much as you try
to hide it."

     "I am not afraid," Cologne said.  "If you have any scrap of honour
remaining in you, stay out of my way, and do not involve them in this.  It
is not their battle to fight."

     She turned before he could respond, and bounded off into the darkness.
Happosai brushed himself off some more, then lit his pipe again and looked
in the direction she had gone.

     "No, it isn't their battle to fight," he said to himself.  "Not yet.
But I fear it shall soon become theirs."

     And with that, he headed off slowly back towards the Tendo house,
seeking a warmth and solace he would never truly find.

**********

     The ship bobbed gently in the early morning ocean, swaying back and
forth upon the waves.  The sun had not yet risen, but the deck was already
bustling with people.

     The ship's name was the Hakken; it was a research vessel, carrying a
diverse team of scientists that included oceanographers, geologists and
physicists, among others.  For the past two months, they had been trying to
figure out just what had happened here, hundreds of miles out into the
Pacific, upon an island that no map had said existed.

     It might as well not have, Doctor Tanaka thought as he looked out at
the remains of what had obviously been a large island.  Possibly even
inhabited before, it was now a few hunks of rock stripped of all vegetation
and topsoil.  They'd brought up chunks of wood and metal that could have
been the remains of houses or boats, but had found no sign of living things
anywhere near.

     They still had no idea what could have caused such devastation.  The
only sign of whatever had occured had been the blue flash spotted by ships
from miles away, and the small earthquake that had accompanied it.  Yet the
damage was far too massive for a quake of that magnitude; the entire island
appeared as if it had been cleaved in two.

     The only thing he could imagine would have been some kind of military
weapon, an incredibly powerful nuclear device, or some kind of experimental
laser.  But there were no signs of radiation, nothing to indicate that such
a thing had occured.  After two months work, each day only uncovered more
questions and few answers.  They still had, in truth, no idea what was
going on.

     "Greetings, Doctor Tanaka," Doctor Matsuki said as he stepped up
beside Tanaka.

     Tanaka corrected himself; no one had any idea what was going on except
Doctor Matsuki.

     "See any strange lights or colours last night, Doctor Matsuki?" he
asked.  "Any new probes installed in your body cavities recently?"

     "I've never had a body probe myself," Matsuki said with utter
seriousness.  "I've examined them, though; one of the things blew my lab up
when I scanned it."

     "Of course," Tanaka said, deciding it would have been an unscientific
gesture to roll his eyes.

     "You can mock my theories as you like, Doctor Tanaka," Matsuki said.
"But until you can come up with something better, I'm sticking with them."

     "Spacemen testing their new death ray?" Tanaka said with a snort.

     "Precisely," Matsuki said, a wide smile crossing his broad face.  "I'm
glad to see you're starting to think about it with an open mind."

     Tanaka smiled slightly; he liked the man personally, but he found his
constant insistence on this UFO theory had become tiring.  There had to be
some reasonable explanation for what had happened.

     "Doctor Tanaka," said one of the assistant scientists as she
approached.  "One of the divers has found something... a body..."

     "What?" Tanaka said, turning away from Matsuki.  The assistant held
out a hand-held communications radio, one of the ones they used to maintain
contact with the divers.  They'd been pulling up wreckage and ruin for two
straight months now; it looked as if they might have finally found
something important.

     "Tanaka here," he said into the radio.  "What have you got?"

     "A body, sir," the diver said, voice crackling from the radio,
distorted, with a slight hum of the ocean behind it.  "It was wedged under
a big pile of stones."

     The diver sounded nervous, but Tanaka was too caught up in the moment.
"Any signs of damage?  Injury, burning?"

     "No, sir..." the diver said.  There was a gulp.

     "What is it?"  Tanaka said.

     "His eyes... he looks like he's staring at me," the diver said.

     "He's dead.  You don't have to be afraid of him," Tanaka said.  "We'll
send some divers to your area and you can get him aboard the ship."

     "Yes sir," the diver said.

     Tanaka handed the radio back to the assistant and turned to face
Matsuki.  "Looks like we may finally get some answers."

     "So do I," Matsuki said.  "I wonder how many internal organs he'll be
missing?"

     Tanaka kept himself from groaning by sheer force of will.

**********

     "Pretty well preserved for two months under water," one of the
scientists said as they looked at the body laid out on the deck.  Nearby,
the divers who had just emerged took off their masks and breathing
apparatus and took breaths of sea air.

     "Incredibly well preserved," said Matsuki, who among his various Phds
counted one in biology.  "He should be decomposed and have had various
parts of him eaten by small sea creatures."

     That was one of the more mysterious things they'd noted; the total
absence of marine life in the area.  Even if it had been killed off in the
devastation, more should have moved into the empty space.  It was almost as
if they were avoiding the area for some reason.

     The body was slightly bloated, but little more.  It was a foreigner,
that was obvious.  He did not look like a body that had spent two months
under the ocean.  He was small and slightly overweight, although perhaps
that had been exagerrated by the bloating of the sea-water.  His clothing
was mere tatters.  Most curiously, through the ragged scraps of his shirt
it could be seen he had dozens of medium-sized scars upon his body.

     "See those?" Matsuki said, kneeling down and pointing with his finger
at one prominent scar over the heart.  "Those are from the surgery aboard
the ship."

     Doctor Tanaka looked at the body a bit uncomfortably; he was a
physicist, and was more disturbed by the dead man than Matsuki.  None of
the other scientists seemed to be handling it as well as Doctor Matsuki
either.

     There was something odd about the closed eyes, and the almost amused
expression on the man's face.  Hadn't the diver said the eyes had seemed to
be staring at him?  Shouldn't they be open?

     Doctor Matsuki looked at the scars, adjusted the glasses on his nose.
"I think we've found some definite proof of alien contact here.  The sooner
we get an autopsy done, the better."

     "Matsuki, we..."

     Tanaka lost his voice, his mouth still moving but no words coming out.
The dead man had opened his eyes.

     Rigor mortis, Tanaka thought.  Incredibly delayed rigor mortis.  No
one else seemed to have noticed.

     The dead man winked with one eye at Doctor Tanaka, and the mouth
curved into a twisted, awful smile.

     <Hallucinating,> Tanaka thought.  <I'm hallucinating; all the work is
getting to me.>

     The dead man reached up, grabbed Doctor Matsuki by the head, and
snapped his neck with a sound like a hundred chicken bones breaking.

     He heard small electrical crackles and explosions coming from every
part of the large ship, and he knew without any real way of knowing that
that was the radios and other communications gear going.

     He tried to turn and run, but found he could not, lost within the
glittering depths of the dead man's eyes.  No one else seemed able to move
either.

     The dead man stood up, walked towards him with one leg dragging.  He
stood in front of Doctor Tanaka, and Tanaka breathed in the scent of
corruption and decay all around him.  For a moment he saw two figures, a
rotting corpse with the stump of broken bone in one leg and empty eyes, and
a cheerfully smiling, healthy looking man with eyes just as empty.  And
then the images merged into one again, and he felt fingers both cold and
dead and warm and alive stroke his face, and he was finally allowed the
mercy of passing out.

**********

     It was finished quickly; the Hakken had been a large ship, with
several dozen people aboard, including the scientists and their assistants,
and the crew of the ship.  Now, there was no one left alive aboard the
Hakken.  Bodies were sprawled across the deck, some horribly mangled in a
variety of ways, some with no mark upon them.  The ship floated still and
silent in the vastness of the ocean.

     Occasionally, there would be a small scream or other sound of pain
from the waters around the ship; some had tried to escape by diving off the
boat.  There, they had discovered that there was marine life in the waters
surrounding the devastated island after all, although it was like no kind
of marine life they had ever seen before, or imagined they would see.

     Aboard the ship, a single figure stalked, dragging one leg behind him.
Occasionally he would pause and stand doubled over for a moment, as his
skin bulged and rippled.  It was then that he made his only sound beyond
the dragging of his leg across the deck, a high keening wail that was
utterly unlike a human voice, and was somewhere between agony and laughter.

     Moving jerkily, as if the body were a new thing to him, the dead man
made his way across the deck to the lifeboats and lowered one into the
water.  He dropped down into it and began to clumsily fumble with the
motor.

     As the boat made its way north, away from the ship of death the Hakken
had become, the dead man's eyes watched as grey figures, hunched and
dripping with sea water, began to climb aboard the ship.  Now that the
strongest predator in the area was leaving, they could scavenge what they
wanted.

     The boat moved on through the still and silent waters, and although it
was slow, it would reach the shores of Japan soon enough.  The voice began
again, crying out in the emptiness of the ocean, and there was no agony in
it this time, only the cold harsh laughter that rolled out across the
waves, disturbing the morning flights of the seabirds and the sleep of ship
crews miles away.