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Ranma nibun no ichi - 8 - Moments                   [WARNING : Lemon fanfic!]

All characters portrayed in this fanfic are copyright of Rumiko Takahashi
and Shogakukan Inc, etc, etc, etc.
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[Toufuu's Clinic, Nerima, 3am]

Ranma and Ryouga both sat on the front doorstep, grinning like idiots. It
had been a long day for both of them, but even at the small hours of the
morning, neither could even think of sleeping. Ranma held up a celebratory
cup of sake, Ryouga complying. They both downed the small cups of the warm
liquid, and started grinning again.

It had also been a long day for Akane and Ukyou. Both of them slept, worn 
out beyond belief.

Miyabi slept in her own futon, on the floor of Akane's old room. She didn't
really understand what had happened, but she was content. Her grandparents
were looking after her, spoiling her rotten while her parents were away. 
She didn't mind one bit - and she slept like an angel...

The rest of the household slept quietly, but a tingle of excitement filled 
the air. Although they'd all been late to bed, the three grandparents had 
already planned a party. Even if it had to be a quiet one.

The rest of Nerima slept, but the news would travel quickly in the morning.

[Morning]

Toufuu opened the curtains and smiled. The early morning light streamed in,
shining on the sleeping men. Ryouga and Ranma had moved in to the waiting
room, and both were alseep on the chairs.

An annoyed look crept over Ranma's face as the sun shone on him. He moved
a little, groaning... and fell flat on his face onto the floor.

"Waah!" Ranma woke up with a start.

Ryouga gave a yawn and blearily opened his eyes.

Toufuu smiled, "It's time you two joined your wives... You don't want them
to know that you've been outside half the night, do you?" He gave a wink.

Ranma grinned sheepishly, and grabbed Ryouga by the collar. Dragging him
to his feet, Ranma thanked the doctor, and the two entered the clinic...

Kasumi smiled as they walked past, her face filled with happiness. She
looked over at her husband, "Everything is going well, ne?"

Toufuu nodded and took her hand, giving her a warm smile, "Without your
help, I don't know what I'd have done."

She kissed him gently on the cheek and just smiled.

[A private room, Toufuu's Clinic]

Both men sat in the room together, each of them seeming to be in a world
of his own...

Ranma sat down on the chair next to Akane's bed, and smiled. A little cot
at the end of the bed held his son. The little baby was fast asleep, as
was his wife. He gazed tenderly at the two of them, a smile touching his
lips.

Ryouga gazed at his wife and their new-born daughter with a look of
bemusement and awe on his face. He was rather lost, not knowing what to
do but sit by his wife's bed and watch his family. Not so long ago, he
was holding his wife's hand as she squeezed it tightly, crying out with
labour pains... And then the next thing he remembered was the cry of his
daughter. But now they were both so peaceful... Ryouga gave a small sigh,
and continued to watch over them both...

It wouldn't be too long before one of them woke up.

[Kunou-ke]

Nabiki rolled over in bed as the phone rang. She didn't want to wake up,
but the ringing was irritating. She opened her eyes a crack, and looked
at her husband. He was still fast asleep. She gave a little sigh, and
reached over, grabbing the phone.

Maybe if she got rid of the people on the phone, she could go back to
sleep.

"Moshi, moshi?"

Nabiki's expression went from tiredness and irritation to surprise, then
to excitement and a smile crossed her face as she talked on the phone. By
the time she put the phone down, she was practically ready to jump out
of bed and spread the news... and to collect her winnings.

She woke Kunou up, shaking him, "Kunou-chan, the babies are born!"

Before Kunou could even register what was going on, Nabiki was already
on the phone...

[A private room, Toufuu's Clinic]

Ranma's son started to cry.

He cried long and loud, his cry soon joined in by Ryouga's daughter. The
combined noise of the two babies woke up the mothers.

Still tired, but both rather happy, the two women slowly awoke to the 
cries of their children. Before either of the couples had a chance to
do anything, Kasumi was in the room. She picked up the squalling babies,
and handed each child to the mothers. She handled them gently, like she
was already a mother herself... And with only a smile at the parents,
she left the room.

As soon as Akane held her son, he quietened a little, but he was hungry. 
Akane knew the cry well. With a soft, tired, but happy smile at Ranma, 
she opened her yukata a little, and started to feed her son.

Ukyou's little girl fell back to sleep as soon as Ukyou held her. Ryouga
was not the only one in awe of the little girl. Ukyou smiled at her
husband, "Oh, Ryouga... she's just so wonderful..."

Ryouga smiled and gently kissed his wife. He whispered, "Yes, she is..."

Akane and Ranma exchanged smiles. Even though they already had a 
daughter, the whole experience seemed new again, and still seemed so ... 
special.

The birth of the two children was nothing short of miraculous.

[Outside]

A group stood outside the front of the clinic. Nabiki had called around,
and invited half of Nerima to come and see the children. This would be
her first look, too.

She and Kunou were there, Sasuke holding the two rather large gifts for
both mothers. Nodoka, Genma, Souun and Miyabi stood with them, Miyabi
running around them, chasing a little puppy that had wandered too close.
Her eyes lit up at the sight, and she was soon more interested in trying
to pet the little creature than to see her mama and papa, and the new
baby.

Kodachi and Mikado stood nearby, with Azusa, Tsubasa, Akari, Konatsu,
Shampoo, Mousse, and many of the other residents of Nerima. Just about 
everyone was there to see the babies!

Opening the door, Kasumi looked about in surprise. "Maa, you're all here?
Oh, this is wonderful - Akane-chan and Ukyou will be so pleased! I'll
just go in and make some tea, but please be quiet when you come in, ne?"

Smiling, she wandered back inside, to the kitchen.

[Inside]

The doctor smiled at the crowd invading his little clinic. He led them
to the private room, urging them to be quiet for the sake of the babies.
He was rather proud to have been the one to look after the two mothers
as they went into labour. Kasumi had been wonderful help, and she had
proven to be quite a competent midwife. It had been hectic, though. Both
women had gone into labour at the same time! He was sure that Ukyou had
gone into labour first, and that Akane followed her in sympathetic labour;
But they were both due around the same time, and both babies were healthy.

The group entered the little room to see the families.

Both of the women were holding their children, their husbands seated near
by. Miyabi, spying her parents, ran up to her father and glomped onto his
leg.

"Otou-san!"

With a smile, Ranma lifted up his daughter. She giggled and hugged him,
before she caught a glimpse of her mother, holding the new baby. She 
looked over at him curiously, wondering what on earth it was, and why her 
mama was holding it.

Akane smiled at her daughter, "This is your new little brother, Masao."

Miyabi pouted a little, and squirmed in Ranma's arms to get to her
mother. She wanted to see what it _really_ was. It looked like a doll,
to her.

Ranma shook his head with a smile, "Later, Miya-chan. How about I get
you an ice-cream, instead?"

Miyabi's interest went straight back to her father. "Ice-cream!" she
squealed with delight.

"Just wait a little while, and papa will get you some." He smiled at his
daughter. She was a little miracle on her own, even if she did like to get 
her own way all the time.

"Masao? What a nice name," Nodoka smiled at her daughter-in-law, but
she looked over to Ukyou and Ryouga, "What is the name of your child,
Ukyou dear?"

Looking up at Ryouga, Ukyou smiled. They had long since gone through a list
of names for their baby, back when she first knew she was pregnant. The
name that they had chosen if they had a girl sprang to Ukyou's lips.
To them, it was a perfect name for their little girl, "Saeko."

Ukyou's father poked his head in the door. "That's such a pretty name,
and I can see that my little grand daughter is as pretty as her mother."

"Father!" Ukyou smiled with happiness, "I didn't think that you'd be
able to make it ..."

He walked into the room, even now dressed in his okonomiyaki outfit. 
"I would give up a day of business any time for my daughter... and her
child." He moved over to Ukyou's bed, and picked up his grandchild.

Ryouga gave a little sigh and whispered to Ukyou, "I guess my parents got 
lost on the way here. I know I almost did."

She kissed his cheek and smiled, "They'll be here, I know it, Ryouga-kun."

As soon as she uttered those words, Kasumi entered with the tea. And
Ryouga parents. "Oh, they came in to the kitchen asking where Nerima
was..."

Ryouga smiled. They were his parents all right.

As the close relatives huddled around the beds, seeing the newest members
of the families, the others contented themselves to chat and wait for a 
turn to hold the babies.

Although the doctor asked for quiet, there was definitely a party
atmosphere prevailing in the room. Handing out tea and snacks, everyone 
was celebrating the birth of the newest residents of Nerima.

[Later that night]

Everyone had left, and the two mothers and their newborn were resting. The
fathers hadn't wanted to leave, but Kasumi had persuaded them both to go
home for the night. After all, they'd had a long day.

Toufuu sat down next to his wife, having finished his examinations for the
day. She smiled softly and took his hand.

"Anata, maybe we should start thinking about having children," Kasumi said,
The doctor smiled and gently kissed her, "If you want to have a child, all
you have to do is ask. My job is stable, and we have room for a baby. But
you need to decide whether you're doing this for yourself, or for everyone 
else. Ever since I've known you, you've been doing things for others. For 
your father, for your sisters, for Ranma and his family, and now for me. 
This has to be your own decision, Kasumi. Don't do it just because people 
expect it of you."

Kasumi squeezed his hand, "I don't know... I just know that I won't be able
to help you so much with your patients, once I'm pregnant."

"You're thinking about others again, now. I want you to do what you want
with this, Kasumi. If you want a baby, then we will cope. But it has to be
your decision - I want whatever you want." He smiled kindly down at her.

Kasumi nodded slightly, then lay her head against her husband's shoulder.
"Are you ready to be a father?"

He nodded and kissed her forehead.

"Well... I really do want a baby. I want to be a mother of my own child,
and not just a mother to the rest of my family. I... I want this for us,
Toufuu."

Toufuu wrapped his arms around her, and held her close, "Anything for you,
my darling Kasumi Ono."

She sighed, and smiled up into his eyes, "Oh, Toufuu..."

He gazed back down into her sweet face, and trailed his fingertips lightly
over her cheek, "My love..." And slowly he reached down to kiss her soft
lips.

They kiss softly, her arms reaching up to slide around his neck... one
hand snaking up to slip of his glasses, placing them down on a table.
He moved down to her, holding her even tighter to him as they kissed,
changing the tender kiss into a kiss filled with passion...

The couple held each other and kissed on the couch, both thrilling to the
sensation of each other's touch... neither caring that Kasumi was still
taking her herbal tea that stopped conception. They were in love... and
their future child would come from their combined love.

Slowly, the doctor picked up his wife, and carried her to their room...
laying her carefully on the bed, he slid out of his clothing, and into
the bed beside her. Working at the zip on her dress, he started to
tenderly kiss her face and neck, showering her with his soft kisses.

Before too long, Kasumi's clothing was on the floor next to Toufuu's,
and they were in each other's arms, both of them pressing against the
other, their arms holding each other in a loving embrace...

They seemed to drift in a misty haze of pleasure, both almost floating
as they started to join together, to please each other... Kasumi's
sweet voice grew a shade deeper as she started to moan, loving the
sensations that Toufuu was giving her as he filled her womanhood again
and yet again. He fingertips held tightly to his back as he moved on
top of her, her hips rising up in time with his, creating a rhythm all
of their own...

Toufuu's moans joined hers, his eyes on Kasumi's lightly flushed face,
watching the plreasure in his love's face as they moved together. He
felt euphoric each time he was with her, she was just so incredible...
And he always did his best to match her and give her back the sensations
that she gave him. His hands seemed to flow over the pretty woman under
him, touching her most sensitive areas, and giving her another wave of
joy as he filled her again...

The two lay entwined on the bed, making love to each other, focused only
on each other ... both loving the feelings so much ... both loving the
other so much. Their bodies merged again and yet again as the waves grew
stronger and stronger ... sending them both towards pure ecstasy.

And suddenly it came crashing down around Kasumi, her pretty mouth open,
calling out her lover's name as she let go of herself, and felt her
body shuddering with release... and then she felt the heat as Toufuu
joined her in that release...

With soft whimpers of happiness, the couple held onto each other for a 
moment - and then relaxed, both still almost floating in happiness and
warmth as they snuggled together.

Just holding each other close, the two eventually drifted into a sleep,
both filled with the love they hold for each other...

[Fuurinkan High]

Gosunkugi closed the library with a sigh. Being the school librarian was
always a long and tiresome job for him. Especially since the students 
never seemed to take much notice of him. He was forever asking them to be 
quiet. That, in itself was futile at Fuurinkan High, but on top of that - 
no-one could seem to find him to borrow a book, even when he was at the 
loans desk!

At least being the school librarian had a few perks. He has amassed a huge
collection of books on shinto magic - and once the students left for the
day, he could clear his office for practise on his magical skills. He was
actually getting better.

The other perk came bouncing up the hallway and glomped onto his leg, "Wai!
Wai! Hikaru-chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!"

He looked down at the child attached to his leg, and patted her long, dark
hair, "Hello, Hinako-san."

Well, it was half a perk. To get her to become her true age, she had to
suck the fighting spirit out of people with her 5 yen coin. Normally he 
was the target, even though he had hardly any fighting energy most of the 
time. The problem was that each time his energy was drained he became as
light as a feather, and just as weak, so that he blew away in the breeze! 
He hoped that she'd go home and drain some of the energy from her fighting
fish instead, this time.

He and the little girl, who was still a teacher at Fuurinkan, left the 
school and headed for Hinako's apartment.

[Hinako's Apartment]

Now in adult for, Hinako put away her coin. The fish continued to swim
around in the bowl, the two fish totally unaffected by the drain. The
transformed teacher sat down on the edge of her bed.

Although her chronological age was thirty four, she still looked as sexy
as she did when she first came to Nerima. Age didn't seem to leave a
mark on her, although she seemed more mature in some way. Her room, in
contrast, was a total disaster. Manga, stuffed toys, the remains of last
night's dinner, clothes and video games were strewn around the room.

Gosunkugi looked around with a sigh, "Hinako-san, after I clean up your
room again, would you like to go out for dinner?"

Hinako's voice was deep and sensual, "Of course, Hikaru. Maybe one of
the usual restaurant will still be open?"

He nodded and started picking up some of her manga, placing them on the
shelves. He was happy to be able to even do something so little for her.
If only he could do more ....

They had sort of been going out for the last few months, but Gosunguki
was still too nervous to even think about making it official. He could
only dream about hugging her or kissing her - wasn't it enough that she
talked to him, and went to dinner with him? Once he had gotten over
Akane, he had begun to notice the teacher. He was but a poor librarian
at the time. He still was, but at least he was better paid. She had
asked him and another teacher to join her for dinner one night, after
they had all finished work late. Ever since then, they'd all gotten
together for an evening meal. Gosunkugi's happiness was turned into
pure joy when the other sensei retired... and Hinako continued to go
to dinner with him! Although he could ask for no more than this, he
always dreamed of it.

Hinako, on the other hand, had become attached to him. He was quiet and
he wasn't really the best looking guy she knew, but he was rather sweet.
She's been to his apartment once, and there were photos of her all over
the place! She found that rather flattering. But even so, she knew that
normally she wouldn't have even looked his way. After all, he was just
a weak, young, slightly creepy guy. The only reason they'd become friends
was because her younger self liked him. And because she was the same
person, with the same heart, her feelings stayed. But, with her change
in body, her innocent childhood feelings changed into something more...
But she never could stay adult long enough to find out what they were.

She just sat and watched him as he cleaned the room.

When Gosunkugi finished, the two left for dinner.

[Nekohanten]

Shampoo set down two bowls of ramen for the last customers for the night.
It was late, and the restaurant should have been closed, but she had made 
an exception in their case. They often came in late at night. She wondered
what it was that made them so late all the time, but she never asked.

"You know, Ranma and Akane have new boy, and Ryouga and Ukyou have new
girl." She had guessed correctly that they hadn't heard the news, having
been working at the school all day.

"Really? How wonderful," Hinako exclaimed between mouthfuls of ramen,
"We'll have to visit them, ne Hikaru?"

Gosunkugi quietly nodded as he ate. Although he had known that Akane and
Ukyou were both to give birth, he was rather shocked. After all, Akane
was the girl he had obsessed over all through high school. He felt an old
urge to make Ranma pay for yet another outrage ... but it quickly died.
He didn't harbour any grudges against Ranma, even though he did marry
Akane in the end. He sighed inwardly. If Ranma could get someone to love,
why couldn't he? All he ever seemed to get was a girl to obsess over. It
had been the same in primary school, too. 

There had never been a girl to obsess over him. Maybe he was invisible. 
He looked down at his reflection in the ramen soup. There he was, Hikaru
Gosunkugi. His skin looked almost white, reflected in the liquid. The
dark rings under his eyes looked even darker. This was the legacy passed
on from his parents - a sickly pallor, and dark rings under his eyes. Not
even his magic could change that. He somehow wished that he really _was_
invisible.

He looked back up at Hinako. She was deep in conversation with Shampoo,
probably about the babies. <Who am I kidding? She would never love
someone like me.> All he'd ever have would be her deigning to let him
clean up her room and take photos of her. He looked into the kitchen.
Mousse stood at the sink, cleaning up some dishes. <Even Mousse finally
found his dream. It's been five years since I gave up on Akane... and
where has that gotten me? No-where. Everyone else has someone.>

With another inward sigh, he picked up his bowl of ramen and finished
it. <This is how I'll be forever.>

He was jolted out of his brooding by Hinako tapping his shoulder. She
had already finished and was up, waiting for him. "Hikaru, let's go.
They have to close up some time." She turned and sashaed out of the
restaurant.

Gosunkugi sighed and dug into his pockets. Yet another night he paid for
her. Without looking back, he turned and meekly followed her out to the
street. As they walked, Azusa and Tsubasa bounced kawaiily down the 
street, dressed in matching outfits.

Gosunkugi gave another sigh. Even Tsubasa had someone. He would never
have anyone...

[Morning, Toufuu's Clinic]

The Ono residence was going through the normal morning routine. Kasumi
opened the waiting room for the day, and sat awaiting the morning patients.
Toufuu set up in the clinic itself, going through the list of the day's
bookings, and getting everything ready for them. It was going to be quite
busy today, which was good. Mostly the usual patients, but a few others had
made bookings. But he still had some times free in case of emergencies. He
had even set aside a little time in case Akane or Ukyou or the babies were
in need of him, even though they were all healthy. It always paid to be
safe rather than sorry.

[A Deserted Beach, Japan]

A young woman sat drawing kanji in the sand. She didn't really know
where she was, nor did she care. Anywhere would be preferable to the 
place she had just been. She was dressed in a pretty, but ragged, top 
and skirt. Her legs were bare, her slippers lay next to her on the
sand. Her shiny black hair grew down to her shoulders, framing a pretty 
face.

She sighed a little, and stopped her writing. Tilting her face upwards,
the rays of the beautiful sunrise captured her features. Her eyes showed
a deep loneliness behind the pride that often masked her true feelings.
She watched the sun rise, taking in the glowing colours in the sky.

As the sun rose higher, and the sea mists vanished like they had never
been, the girl picked up her slippers, and walked off along the beach.

The kanji on the sand read 'possible' and 'rugged mountain place'.

[A Week Later]

Ranma sat down at the table, exhausted. It was good to have the warmth
of the heater under the table on these cool autumn days. Akane and his
mother were in the process of serving breakfast, and thankfully, he had
gotten there before his father!

As Genma walked in the room, Ranma grinned, "Getting slow in your old
age, oyaji?"

Genma growled and thumped down next to Ranma. Although he had no hair to
go grey, he definitely had some wrinkles. His powerful frame was getting
a little less firm, too. But he was still in shape to give Ranma a run
for his money. He wondered how his old master, Happousai, could have
stayed so spry. He could only put it down to having to run all the time.
Run from people trying to catch and kill him, run from girls trying to
beat up the one who stole their underwear, run from people who wanted
him to pay for what he ate... Not that it mattered any more. The old
master was gone. That thought made Genma happy. So did the food that was
set before him.

Putting down his paper, Souun awaited his meal. His hair was definitely
starting to turn grey. At least time had been more kind on him, and his
face was still rather smooth. He was definitely aging more gracefully
than his friend.

Nodoka, on the other hand, had hardly changed at all. True, there were
some grey hairs here and there, but she was still very pretty. She set out
the last dish, and then joined the others at the table.

Miyabi, pretty mature for her three years of age, considering the family,
sat at the table with a pair of chopsticks awaiting the meal to begin.
She knew what it was like when Ranma and Genma warred over a meal, and
she had every intention of joining in. Pity her okaa-san always stopped
her. Otou-san and ojii-chan were always so fun! And obaa-chan always
spoiled her, as did Miyabi's other ojii-chan. So she was still willing 
to try! Okaa-san couldn't stop her _all_ the time!

As she settled down for the meal, Akane kept a careful eye on Miyabi,
and an ear out for her son. He was in the basinet near the door, finally
having fallen asleep after Akane had nursed him. She was glad to be out
of bed after the birth, but she still felt a little woozy sometimes. It
would soon pass, though. She was more than happy to help with the meals
and the house work once again - it had relieved the boredom of being in
bed all the time.

The family chatted as they ate, Akane occasionally having to stop Miyabi
from stealing her father's food. Genma and Ranma just let her get away
with it, sometimes play-fighting over the morsel she had just stolen.
Akane couldn't believe that they'd teach her such bad manners, but after
all this time she had given up chastising them. The two Saotome males
would always spoil the little girl. She dreaded to think on what they'd
teach Masao when he grew old enough!

Despite all of this, it was good to eat together once again.

[Ucchan's]

Ryouga served up the last okonomiyaki for the breakfast customers. 
Ukyou still wasn't feeling up to cooking, but he had learned how to make 
up the batter himself, and thankfully there was a nice supply of Ukyou's
special okonomiyaki sauce. While Ukyou was still resting, she'd asked
him to let the customers pick their ingredients and put them in the
mixture, so all he'd have to do would be to cook them on the griddle. He
was no Ukyou, but none of the regular customers complained. Thankfully
for them, Ryouga didn't get too lost, especially when he only stood
behind the counter and cooked... apart from the occasional step over to
the cash register.

Ukyou came downstairs, carrying Saeko. The little girl was crying, but
the walking motions and the warmth of Ukyou's body combined with the
sound of her heartbeat quickly settled her down. By the time Ukyou
came up to Ryouga, Saeko was all but asleep.

"Hey, Ryouga-kun. How's the restaurant doing?"

He looked at her, and the worried expression that passed over his
features made her burst out in a fit of giggles that woke Saeko, who
started crying again.

"What are you laughing at, Ukyou-chan?" Ryouga asked, a bewildered
expression on his face.

Hushing their baby, Ukyou surpressed another fit of giggling and shook
her head, "Nothing, Ryouga-kun. It's just that you look so cute when
you're worried over nothing. I'm fine, silly. I really am."

Ryouga frowned a little and then kissed her gently, "You should still
be resting, you know."

"Oh, well, I'm just sick of the sight of the roof, you know. And Saeko
needed to be fed."

"Well, go and sit down. I'm almost finished here for breakfast. When
we're done, we'll all go for a walk in the park?" Ryouga didn't really
want to have Ukyou out and about as of yet, but he knew how stubborn
she was... And maybe a small walk would do them good. It would also be
a good opportunity to show off his daughter.

Sitting down, Ukyou cradled Saeko against her, and nodded. "That sounds
like fun to me, Ryouga-kun. Let me go and get ready first." She smiled 
and disappeared upstairs with Saeko, getting ready for her visit to the 
park.

[Nekohanten]

The pretty girl sat down at one of the tables. She had the strangest
feeling that she'd been here before, but she put it down to deja vu.
At least it felt .... like she fitted in here? There was something
about this place that made her feel at home. She picked up the menu,
and started scanning through it for something she liked. After all,
she always loved Chinese food. The menu was written in both Chinese
and Japanese. Although she didn't know why, she knew how to read both
writings. It had taken her quite a while, but she had learned English,
too. Not that she ever liked America, but that's where she had been
for as long as she could remember.

As she continued to read through the menu, a voice asked in Japanese, 
"Please, okyaku-san, what would you like to eat?"

She looked up at the purple-headed waitress and spoke in Chinese, "May
I please have the wonton noodles?" She gave a slight smile, the feeling
of deja vu hitting her again. <That waitress...>

Before she could think any more, she felt herself being lifted up by
the collar of her top, being yanked up painfully. The waitress had
a very angry expression on her face. Before she could even try to
pull away, she was slammed up against the wall.

"You shouldn't have come back here, great-grandmother!" Shampoo growled
in Chinese, "It's only because you're my blood relative that I won't
kill you on the spot for what you've done!"

Cologne looked into Shampoo's angry face, her eyes showing an expression
of pain as well as anger. She really didn't know what was going on, but
somehow she had obviously upset this girl. She wouldn't fight back to get
away just yet. She didn't want to hurt the strange waitress any more
than she already inadvertently had. 

"I'm sorry, but I do not know you." She spoke politely, but firmly. 
Somehow she knew that if she showed any weakness, she may be in a far 
worse position than she already was.

Shampoo's glare slipped a little, a slight look of confusion creeping
into her expression. She didn't let up her hold, "Don't try to trick
me."

By now, the few remaining customers were staring at the two young women.
Curiously, Mousse left the kitchen to see what had happened. As soon as
he saw the pair, he was stunned. "Cologne, you dare to show your face
here?"

Cologne looked over at the young Chinese man, "I am sorry, but I do not
know what this is about. Maybe you have mistaken me for someone else?"
But a part of her wondered if that was indeed true. After all, she could
not, for the life of her, remember anything that happened before she
came to with a pervert attached to her almost-naked body, a year ago.

The Amazon didn't realise that her memory had been removed completely...
All she remembered was the trauma of what happened after the love potion
had worn off!

She looked at both of the young Chinese people, her eyes showing that
she was indeed telling the truth. But there was also a look of defiance 
that made them both wonder if it was a mistake to treat her like this. 
Even if she had lost her memory, she hadn't lost her power over people.

Finally, Shampoo loosened her grip, and stepped back. She looked over
at Mousse, exchanging a worried glance. She was _sure_ that this was
her great-grandmother. But she also felt that she was telling the truth.
She turned her eyes back to Cologne, "If you are not Cologne, who are
you?"

Mousse had stepped closer to get a better look at the woman. She still
seemed to be Cologne. At first he thought that maybe he had been mistaken,
considering his eye-sight problems. But he still thought that she was
the rejuvenated Cologne. He was sure of it. But he had a nagging feeling,
something about ... Cologne and Kodachi?

The young woman looked from one to the other. "I don't know."

[Nerima]

Ukyou, now dressed up to go out, stolled down the street with Saeko in
a pram. Ryouga walked by her side, letting her lead, reasoning that he'd
end up taking them all to Siberia for the day. One of Ryouga's dogs
trotted at their feet, loving the chance for an outing.

Ryouga looked at Ukyou, "Are you alright, Ukyou-chan? You look a little
nervous."

She gave a smile as she pushed the pram, "Oh, I'm fine. I just wonder
what the other mothers are like."

"We'll see when we get there. Maybe Akane and Ranma will be there this
morning. I hear that Ranma often took Miyabi down there while Akane was
pregnant," Ryouga smiled at his wife, "So I'm sure that you'll know
someone."

Ukyou and Ryouga made their way to the park, the morning sun shining down
on them and their little daughter.

[The Park, Nerima]

Ranma sat down on the park bench, in girl form. Akane had said that she
wanted to go, but Nodoka had insisted that Akane should wait a few more
days before she went. Nodoka could be very persuasive when she wanted to
be. Ranma knew that, although Akane was anxious to go to the park and
show off Masao to the other mothers, Akane would do as Nodoka said. She
still wasn't one hundred percent recovered yet.

Miyabi ran around the little play area happily with some other toddlers.
She was very energetic and agile, climbing up and down faster than any
of the other children - even the older ones. She was stronger than
the others, too. Sometimes one of the older children would try to bully
a young one, but never Miyabi. They'd learned the hard way not to bother
her - she was learning kempo rather quickly from her father, even though
she was still young.

Even Ranma himself had started training before he could write. Not only
was he taught, but he'd learned to fight with Genma over food by that
age. Unfortunately, Genma had been too strong, and he always got the
food first. Ranma had been left, stuck under one of his father's feet
while his father ate first. Ranma decided that he'd never train any of
his children like that. But starting young wasn't always a bad idea in
the Saotome family.

Since there were no other men at the park, Ranma decided that he'd go
down as a male only with Akane. After all, he was out of place there
as a guy, even with Akane. At least the other women thought that he was
an aunt to Miyabi while he was a girl, so they accepted him somewhat.
He did learn a lot of what he never wanted to know about fashions and 
being a mother, and about medical problems that came with motherhood.

The other women were sitting around chatting, but Ranma sat back, just
listening. The only time he ever got into their conversations was when
he was talking about how Akane was doing, or about Miyabi and now Masao.
The women were all eagerly awaiting Akane's return, as was Ranma. If he
heard one more woman talk about breast-feeding, he thought that he'd
choke.

Thankfully the arrival of Ryouga and Ukyou caused a stir among the young
mothers in the park.

Ranma waved them over, "Hi, Ryouga, Ucchan! It's me, Ranko!"

Ryouga blinked, but shrugged at his wife, and they both moved to sit
with Ranma, the pram by Ukyou's side. He frowned, "What's with the
'Ranko' stuff, Ranma?"

"Look around you, Ryouga. See any guys here?"

Scanning the park, the only males Ryouga saw were a few of the little
boys in the play area.

"Oh, you don't want to be the only guy around? You scared of a few girls,
hey 'Ranko'?" Ryouga grinned at Ranma.

Ranma whapped Ryouga over the head, "You idiot, I just want to be able
to chat while I'm here sometimes. And I can only do that as Akane's
cousin."

Ukyou smiled, "Well, I'm glad that you're here, Ran-chan. I was worried
about meeting the other women ... I've heard that it's hard to fit in
around here, sometimes."

Nodding, Ranma said, "Sure I'll introduce you. But, yeah, Akane had some
trouble joining in, but you know - this is Nerima. They're all used to
strange stuff happening, mostly involving us."

Ukyou picked up Saeko and smiled tentatively over at the other women. She
never really had gotten on too well with the other girls at school, and 
being so masculine had left her out of all the female circles of friends. 
The closest she'd had to a female friend at high school was Akane. So she 
really did want to make a good impression with these women - it would be 
one of her last chances to meet other girls, and to join in and be accepted 
by them. She could be an okonomiyaki cook any time, but this was her only 
chance to meet other mothers and to make friends with women her age.

The introductions went smoothly, but Ukyou knew that it would take a
while before she became one of them. She had Ranma and Akane to help
her. But belonging to this little group of mothers meant more to her
than just some friends. It would mean having a group to be part of,
rather than just talking to other okonomiyaki cooks, who were more
like rivals, anyway. It would also mean having support and help through
motherhood. And it would mean that her daughter would have friends.

She smiled, and began to start showing off her little girl. Ryouga looked
on from the background, wondering what all the fuss was about. After all,
didn't they just go for a walk in the park for some fresh air?

Miyabi had noticed her aunt and uncle, by now, and came running over.
She didn't really understand about the baby, and still assumed that her
little brother and that Saeko were just dolls. But she was getting a
bit resentful over all the attention that her parents were giving Masao.
She was happy that he wasn't here at her park - after all, it was HER
park - but she wished that her mother was here. But at least she had all
of her father's attention.

She started tugging at Ranma-onna's top, "Pick me up, otou-san!" 

The other women had gotten used to Miyabi calling the female Ranma that
name, and like good Nerima residents, they ignored it completely. Just
another strange thing about the Saotome family.

With a smile, Ranma scooped up his little girl, and hugged her into his
lap. Even when Ranma was in female form, Miyabi still recognised him.

"Uncle Piipii! Aunty Ukyou!" She still hadn't gotten over calling Ryouga
that name. Akane had wondered why, but none of the people who knew were
willing to let on that they knew anything.

Ryouga smiled down at her, "Hello, Miya-chan. How's mama?"

Miyabi pouted cutely, "Okaa-san is at home with Masao. Oksaa-san should
come to the park!" Even annoyed, she was still adorable.

Ranma grinned and ruffled her hair, "Okaa-san will come with us in a
few days. But Masao needs to be looked after, doesn't he?"

Miyabi crossed her arms and pouted further, "I want Masao to go back to
okaa-san's tummy, and not come back."

Ryouga couldn't help but laugh.

Ranma kissed Miyabi's forehead, "How about we get you a doll, instead?
Then while Okaa-san is looking after Masao, you can look after your
doll."

She looked up at Ranma, her eyes wide, "Really?"

Ranma nodded.

Miyabi clapped her hands and giggled. She squirmed out of Ranma's lap,
and jumped to the ground, "Waiwai! A dolly!" She ran off back to the
play area to join her friends and tell them all the news.

Ryouga shook his head, "She's a little jealous, I see."

Ranma smirked, "You don't know the half of it. Whenever Akane's holding
Masao, she wants Akane to hold her. Whenever I'm holding him, she wants
me to hold her. And she won't let Masao be held, too, or else she gets
mad. And then she gets in the way, trying to help us look after him."

Laughing, Ryouga patted Ranma's shoulder, "Have fun, then."

"Heh, just you wait till it's your turn, Ryouga."

Ryouga whapped Ranma over the back of the head, "Shut up."

[Back Room, Nekohanten]

Cologne sat on the stool, facing the two Chinese people. Shampoo stared
at her, her arms folded while Mousse looked thoughtfully over her. It
had been clear for quite a while that she wasn't lying when she said
that she couldn't remember anything. Shampoo was still suspicious.
After all, the last time she had seen her great-grandmother, she had
tried to kill Mousse, not to mention everyone else.

Maybe Cologne had gone insane after Ranma and Akane had married. So,
even if she couldn't remember, maybe she was still insane now. Or maybe
she was testing them. Shampoo couldn't be sure. She leaned forwards
and eyed Cologne. "So, we've told you who you are, and how you got to
be like this. What will you do?" she asked in her native language.

Cologne shook her head, her dark tresses swaying gently around her face,
"I don't know. Maybe if I could have my memories back ...." She trailed
off, and looked up at them, "But I don't know if I want to remember such
things as what you told me of myself."

Mousse looked over at Shampoo, adjusting his glasses, "Maybe we should
let her stay here for a while." It was the only way he knew that they'd
be able to keep an eye on her and see what she really DID remember of
her past. And they did need another waitress.

Shampoo sighed, "I guess you're right. You have no-where else to go, do
you ..." She hesitated, not wanting to call Cologne 'great-grandmother'
again. After all, this wasn't really the woman who'd raised her. This
was almost like another person.

The rejuvenated Amazon shrugged, "You two seem to be my only link to my
past. And here is far enough away from that horrible American city, so
I am not in a rush to leave."

"Well then, Cologne, if you wish for room and board, you will have to
help out in the restaurant." Mousse narrowed his eyes a little, "But
there are others we shall have to talk to first, and we shall have to
watch over you, for your own protection."

He knew that if the others caught wind of Cologne back, without the
full story, someone would be hurt. He looked over at Shampoo for her
reaction. He half expected a slap over the head for taking charge like
that, but it didn't come, much to his surprise.

"Yes, and maybe we will be able to find a way to help with your memory
problem. Well, this is enough time. I must go back and look after the
restaurant. There is your old room, down the hallway and to the left.
A bathroom is just beyond that. Once we have finished for the day, I
will help you settle in." Shampoo looked over Cologne again. She could
not yet trust her, but further questioning would not be useful. Maybe
she could find something out from Cologne's actions in private. Her 
actions would be watched in minute detail.

With that, Shampoo turned and walked back out into the restaurant. She
would leave Cologne to her own devices for now. It wouldn't take too
long to figure out what was going on.

Mousse took his leave and followed Shampoo. They would have a little
discussion on their new guest, and then maybe things would be settled.

Cologne rolled her eyes skywards as they left, then turned to find her
way to her 'old' room. Cologne still wasn't sure about all of this, but
there was a ring of truth to their story. Maybe things would fall in
place if she stayed around for a while ... <But do I really want to
remember that other life...?>

[Kunou-ke]

Mikado smirked over at Kodachi, her naked body illuminated by the morning
sun. They always enjoyed a little role playing in their love life. Normally
it was Kodachi who was dominant, though... but today both of them had
agreed on a little change. This would be fun.

Kodachi looked up at Mikado, her eyes wide with need, "Oh, I'm so hot..."

He pointed to a chair, "You know what to do, slave." Although his voice 
seemed harsh, his eyes sparkled with warmth and love. He couldn't disguise 
his real feelings, and they both knew it. But it was fun to pretend.

She meekly followed his order, placing herself in the chair. Mikado then
bound her arms with silken ties to the arm rests, and her ankles to the
chair legs. Kodachi wriggled her limbs a little, testing the tightness.
None of these bonds could stop her from escaping - a tug would untie them,
and she would be free... but they gave the illusion of bondage, and the
trick was to try and not break the silken cords during their little
session. She looked back up at him, "Hot..." she repeated.

With a smirk, Mikado answered, "Hot, huh?"

"H...hai..."

Mikado bend down and drew out an ice-cube from Kodachi's little bucket
of ice. Slowly, he placed the little block of ice against Kodachi's mouth,
then ran it over her ruby red lips. Her lips parted slightly and she
shivered. He then proceeded to draw the ice-cube down over her chin...
and down over the smooth skin of her neck.

Kodachi's skin was hot to the touch, and the ice melted a little as it
travelled down towards her breasts. Kodachi leaned her head back, biting
back a small moan.

But Mikado didn't stop there... his cool fingertips slid the ice down over
one of the soft breasts, to swirl it around her nipple. Shuddering, the
gymnast jerked back at the cold, unable to stop herself from crying out.
Only then did Mikado draw the ice-cube away from her skin... to blow on
her hard, wet nipple, sending Kodachi into shivers both of pleasure and
pain.

Gazing down at her, Mikado could tell that she was turned on. He knew
exactly what she needed... he could see some of her honey glittering at
her opening, her pretty pink petals slowly growing wetter. But he lifted
his eyes to hers, "Still need to cool down?"

Kodachi's eyes half closed, "Yesss..." she hissed softly, "Oh, kamisama,
yes."

"Open your legs wider, and show me where you need cooled down, bitch," he 
ordered. Though he didn't particularly enjoy the language he was using,
it was rather fun to get into the role.

Although her ankles were still tied to the chair, she pressed her knees
as far apart as she could, giving him a perfect view of her sex... the
coldness she felt at her breasts contracted sharply with the burning heat
she felt at her groin. She wanted him badly... but she also wanted him
not to touch her. She wanted him to make her beg. It was kinky, but it
turned her on so much, when she was in the mood.

"Oh, you're such a slut, Kodachi. Aren't you?" Mikado looked down at her,
his face impassive...

Panting, she moaned, "Oh, yes... I'm such a slut..."

"So you want me to cool you off, hmm?"

She nodded, her whole body starting to burn with need and desire...

"What was that, tart? I didn't hear you."

"Oh, yessss, master! Yes!"

Mikado smirked, and then dumped the whole bucket of ice between Kodachi's
spread legs.

Kodachi's eyes opened wide, and she gasped out as the cold hit her, a
burning but delicious pain flooding her body, "Aaaaaah!"

He pinched her nipple, "Be quiet, or I'll leave you here like this, girl."
His voice seemed to sneer over the word 'girl'.

She immediately closed her mouth, repressing any more moans from the
suddenness of the freezing cold against her hot sex.

"Now, slave... Lift up your hips."

Kodachi complied, shivering a little ... but lifted her hips as high in
the air as possible, the ice falling away underneath her, and exposing
her petals to him.

Slowly, watching her hold that position, he undressed... his clothes
dropping on the floor, one by one. When Kodachi thought that she may not
be able to hold her position any more, Mikado bent down to her and
started to stroke her damp petals, making her shiver with pleasure. He
carefully made sure to only touch the lips, avoiding her clit totally.
He knew what drove her mad with passion, and he wanted her at the edge
for as long as possible...

As she wriggled in pleasure on the chair, Mikado reached down and unbound
her ankles... leaving her unfulfilled as his touch left her sensitive
sex. She groaned again, needing to be touched... and not even able to
touch herself.

Then suddenly he lifted her hips, and thrust his manhood into her body.
With a shudder, Kodachi groaned in pleasure, needing him to fill her
so badly... Mikado himself had to repress a groan to keep their little
game going. He had to be totally impassive until the end... It was
almost too much for him to bear, but he suddenly pulled out of her, and
let her fall back in the chair. He wanted her just as badly as she
wanted him, by now. But...

He stood up in front of her, "Open your mouth, slave."

She complied, her mouth... still wriggling with need, so much more now
that he'd given her a taste of what she wanted desperately.

Taking her head in his hands, he pushed his hips forward, and felt her
warm mouth closing around his shaft. It felt so good... He started to
slowly rock his hips, careful not to choke her, and felt her mouth and
tongue work around him. As his wife gave him pleasure, his breathing
became more and more irregular, and he was unable to stop moaning from
the feeling. She was always so good at this... he felt a small twinge
of regret at having to act so callous towards her in these little plays,
but his mind was filled with pleasure again as Kodachi's tongue worked
around his member...

But he managed to quell his need to come, and pulled out of her mouth.
"You've been such a good slave..." he started, and undid the silk tying
her arms to the chair. "Now, go lie on the bed, and hurry, or else you
will have to stayed tied to that chair while I come all over you. And
you won't even be allowed to touch yourself." He gave a cruel smile,
knowing in his heart that he'd never be able to do such a thing to her
as that... he would never leave his love hanging for too long, even in
fun.

Kodachi nodded, still acting meek and subservient. She lay down on their
bed, spread eagled, and waited for him to come to her. She didn't think
that she could take much more than this, and wouldn't be able to control
herself for much longer. She was already concentrating to stop her hands
from sliding down to touch herself... but she often did this kind of 
thing to Mikado. Plus it was such a turn on when he did finally come to
make love with her. It didn't last too long for either of them, after
all the semi-sadomasochistic setup... but it was always mind blowing.

She felt his movement over the bed, then his weight on top of hers. She
wrapped her arms around him, her legs sliding apart to accomodate his
body. Her need-filled eyes gazed up into his ... and then she cried out
with pleasure as she felt him thrust into her again.

They made love on the bed, still both in character. Their lips never met,
only their bodies. She held him tightly, moving rhythmically and 
sensually underneath him... his body joining her motions, matching them
perfectly. They were both one with each other, yet both wore their own
masks for the game. But their eyes met, showing their true love for each
other, behind and in spite of the game.

Before too long, Kodachi shuddered and let herself go to the first of
many waves of pleasure as an orgasm coursed through her body. Mikado
quickly followed, and his come flooded her body, feeling hot inside her.
They were together as one, and the masks fell away. They met in a kiss
of passion and love, and they embraced each other tightly. As the 
pleasure flowed away, both were left in a soft, warm glow...

Breaking the kiss, Mikado smiled softly at his wife, then rolled off of
her, and opened his arms. Kodachi rolled over against him, and he
cuddled her gently. After any of their more sadistic sessions, they
both took time to hold each other, whispering words of love and of
reassurance. The degradation the dominated one felt was sometimes so
great that it stretched their trust of the other. But always they found
their love growing stronger afterwards, knowing that their trust was
never, ever broken. They held each other close for a long time, resting
in bed... feeling close.

Even after all this time, and all the games that they had ever played,
they both needed this time together. It built up their trust in each
other, and so their relationship grew stronger.

Holding each other, they nuzzled each other tenderly, just giving each
other the love they needed.

After a little while, the phone began to ring.

Sighing, Kodachi slipped out of Mikado's arms, and into her robe. She 
picked up the phone.

"Moshi, moshi?"

Quietly, Mikado dressed in his bath robe, and moved to the couch. Even he
needed some rest - especially after today's session. How could he keep up
his love-god-like stamina for the evening if he was tired during the day?
He settled down to wait for Kodachi to finish her conversation.

Kodachi put down the phone and smiled. It was more of a smirk than a smile,
but she was rather pleased with herself.

Mikado leaned back in the chair, and looked up at Kodachi, "Who was it,
Kodachi?"

"That was Shampoo. It seems that the Cologne woman has finally made her
way back to Nerima."

Frowning, Mikado asked, "And that is good news?" He remembered what she
had done. The memory of what she had done in the past was not forgotten
by anyone who had been there that night.

"No, but the good news is that my potion worked ... even better than I
had hoped. The Chinese woman had been my only chance to test the new
formula, and it worked so much better than expected. It seems to have
resulted in permanent memory loss. A much better formula than even
Shampoo's shampoo formula and shiatsu. So much easier to use, too. All
it takes was a little spray in the face." Unfortunately she didn't also
have the results from Happousai, as no-one had heard anything about him
since Kunou had shipped both Cologne and Happi off to America.

"Congratulations, lover," Mikado winked, "But you think that she'll need
some watching?"

The Black Rose shrugged, "It all depends on what Shampoo is going to do.
It seems that she wishes to play around with Cologne's mind to see if
she can bring back some of the past memories, but leaving out a few key
points such as the Amazon's will that Shampoo and Ranma-sama would
marry. Unfortunately none of my potions can do that. And Shampoo's 
shiatsu only removes key memory points, rather than bringing some back."

"Well, if she's going to try something like that, you may have to get
ready a new batch of your potion. Just in case..."

Kodachi bent down and kissed him somewhat passionately, "You are right,
my darling Mikado-sama. But first I must inform the rest of the family.
I'm sure that Nabiki shall be able to get in touch with everyone else."

She clapped her hands, "Sasuke!"

Almost immediately the strange ninja and Kunou family retainer appeared,
kneeling in front of Kodachi, "Yes, Kodachi-sama?"

"Sasuke, please inform onii-sama and his wife that I have some news that
they must hear. And tell them that it is urgent."

Sasuke bowed, "Hai, Kodachi-sama." With that, he disappeared.

Kodachi sat down next to Mikado, awaiting the others.

[Gosunkugi's Apartment]

It was Sunday, Gosunkugi's one and only day of the week for sleeping in.
Although it was late in the morning, he was still fast asleep.

Then the phone rang.

Irritated at the sounds, Gosunkugi gave a muffled groan from under the
covers. A hand reached out from under the pile of blankets, and after a
few attempts, it finally managed to grasp the phone. The receiver
disappeared beneath the covers.

"Hello?" Gosunkugi managed a sleepy mumble.

"Is this Hikaru Gosunkugi?" a strangely accented voice asked.

With a stifled yawn, Gosunkugi answered, "Yes, who's this?"

"Is Shampoo from Nekohanten. We hear that you good at magic. We must talk."

"Eh?" Gosunkugi was jolted out of his half-sleep in surprise, "You did?!
You want me to help you somehow?"

"Hai. Shampoo need you to help check someone's mind, secretly. Shampoo can
no do this herself - it would no be secret any more. Can you help, yes?"

"I'll see what I can do. I'll call you back later today?"

"Hai, thank you."

With a click, the phone hung up. Gosunkugi was absolutely thrilled.
Someone wanted his help! He jumped out of bed and zoomed off to get ready
to go out to the library. He was sure to find what he needed there.

"Yatta! Someone needs my magic!"

[Tendou Doujou]

Ranma walked in, holding Miyabi's hand as she skipped along next to him.
Ryouga and Ukyou followed on, leaving the pram at the door and carrying
Saeko.

Akane was in the middle of the doujou, looking very angry. A pile of
bricks were scattered over the place, chopped up into little pieces. She
was dressed in her white gi, wearing a black belt around her waist. She
had definitely been working out very enthusiastically.

Ranma frowned, "Oi, Akane, what's wrong? Ofukuro said that you slammed
down the phone and ran out here." He let go of Miyabi's hand and stepped
towards his wife.

Akane span around and ran straight at Ranma.

Although still female, Ranma lifted up his arms to block... but he found
Akane hugging him tightly. He slowly wrapped his arms around her, and
hugged her. She was about his female height, but Ranma still managed to
hold her close and stroke her hair. "What is it, Akane?" he asked softly,
his female voice sounding sweet and gentle.

Ryouga and Ukyou looked at each other, then slowly left, taking Miyabi
with them. They would wait.

Akane lifted her head to look at Ranma, "Cologne is here." She clenched
her jaw, "Ranma, they say she's lost all of her memory... but ... but I
just can't handle her here again!"

Ranma frowned, "She's back? Who said this?"

"Nabiki-oneechan. Shampoo told them, and ... she's staying at the 
Nekohanten!"

Feeling a flush of anger himself at her brazen return, Ranma clenched
his fists, "That bitch!"

But before he had a chance to do anything else, Kasumi and Toufuu came to
the doorway, Nabiki, Kunou, Kodachi and Mikado following.

"Maa, Ranma, please calm down," Kasumi said softly, "Please listen before
doing anything rash."

Toufuu spoke up, "I have looked in at the Nekohanten, and did a check up
on Cologne. Her ki readings indicate that she can not remember anything
before she left Japan last."

"Hai, my potion worked rather well, didn't it? Oh, I am so clever, aren't
I? Ohohoho!" Kodachi nodded her head with a smirk.

Nabiki rolled her eyes, but said, "Yeah, that's why she can't remember
anything. So I don't think going to bash her up will do anything. You
already punished her, right?"

Kunou nodded, "Yes, although her deeds were horrrendous indeed, she still
requires to be heard out as she truly seems to be another person now.
We stopped at the restaurant, and she seemed unlike the woman we hate."

"Yeah, I think you should give the pretty woman at least one chance to
prove herself. I know that if this turns out to be a trick, that we
shall all stand back and let you get your revenge, but right now..."
Mikado shrugged at them.

Ranma sighed and looked at Akane, "What do you think?" The momentary
anger brought on by the painful memories had flickered away. He was still
upset, but he wouldn't lose control over her.

Akane looked at Kasumi, "Is she really different...?"

Kasumi smiled, "Well, she seemed to be very polite and did not even
recognise any of us. So please, Akane, you should calm down a little,
too. Maybe we should all talk about this over a nice cup of tea?"

Ryouga and Ukyou had entered with Miyabi and Saeko.

Sighing softly, still rather upset, Akane nodded, "Ee, you're right,
oneechan. Let's all go to the house... I'll put some tea on."

The group left the doujou, moving into the living room. Kasumi and Akane
went to the kitchen for dinner, while the rest filled Nodoka, Genma and
Souun on in the situation with Cologne.

Once tea and sweets were served, they sat down to discuss what was going
on at the Nekohanten and what Shampoo was asking Gosunkugi to attempt.

[Nekohanten, That Night]

Shampoo sighed and sat down at the table. The restaurant was closed, and
she had managed to slip some sleeping powder into Cologne's ramen
without her noticing. The other Amazon was fast asleep in her room. She
wouldn't wake up.

Everything was set. She had Kodachi's potion in a little perfume bottle.
Gosunkugi would be here any moment. She was glad that everything was
sorted out with Ranma, Akane, Ukyou and Ryouga. They wouldn't attack the
other Amazon. They did have a reason to get rid of her again, even if the
woman couldn't remember anything. Shampoo knew that she would run Cologne
out of town herself, if she hadn't of been a relative. Maybe it was a
stupid idea to give her a second chance ..... but, it still was the woman
who'd looked after her since her mother died.

Mousse came to the kitchen, "Ne, Shampoo. He's here."

He stepped to the side, and Gosunkugi entered the room. He had a large
bag with his magic items inside. He was ready. "Where is she?"

Shampoo and Mousse led the shinto priest to Cologne's bedroom. They all
entered quietly, but Cologne didn't stir. Gosunkugi stepped up to the
bed, and started to set up his items...

He placed a kami-dan, a tiny model shrine with a small mirror in the center,
by the bed. Reverently he clapped his hands twice and prayed to the god of
the shrine. Then he took out a pair of candles. Upon lighting them, he
strapped them to his head. He laid out his wara-ningyo - his straw voodoo
doll - next to him, on the floor.

He then took out his gohei, the little wand with streamers on the end for
purification purposes. He mixed his cursing powers with shinto magic to
create his own style... but for this, he would follow the ritual that
he found in one of the many books in the library.

He started to shake the gohei towards the sleeping woman, and slowly started
to dance around the kami-dan. He mumbled a chant-like prayer to the god of
the shrine as he moved... the words were in an ancient, magical language
that not even Gosunkugi truly understood. He moved around the room, then
over to Cologne. He brushed the gohei streamers against Cologne's forehead
and chanted "Cleanse and purify, cleanse and purify, cleanse and purify"
over her as he moved.

Gosunkugi could feel the power flowing through him, from the mirror. He
concentrated, willing the power from him, through the gohei, towards
Cologne... cleaning her soul and purifying her mind. He could feel a 
darkness deep within her... It was different from the numb sensation of the 
forgetfulness potion, and it was within the amnesia.

Slowly, he focused the power on the dark feelings, praying that it would be 
purified... Slowly, he could feel it unravelling and disappearing. Moving in 
his dance for the god of the shrine, he danced around Cologne's bed, 
concentrating even harder to rid her of this evil. He wouldn't stop... no, 
he couldn't stop until she was cured.

Praying and chanting, he felt the power grow brighter within him, and felt
it flow even more strongly out over Cologne, washing away her taint... Then
he worked on the numbness, sending it spinning off into the earth. He knew
it was working, he could feel it...

He kept up the work until he felt the power from the mirror diminish and then
twinkle out... He slowed to a stop, and looked at the sleeping woman. She was
still deep in slumber. Mousse and Cologne were by the door, watching him with
wide eyes. He felt a small glow of pride deep in his heart.

Gosunkugi then bowed his head and clapped twice, praying that he'd done 
everything correctly. He lifted his head and looked over at Cologne. She was 
still fast asleep... Gosunkugi couldn't help but notice how pretty she was. 
But he took his mind off of her, and contented himself with putting away the 
magical items.

"You'll have to watch her and see what she remembers when she wakes up. I
hope I've driven all the insanity from her mind. I could see it there when
I cast the spells, but it was hidden in the amnesia. So just watch her for
a while, and call me if you notice anything unusual," Gosunkugi stated.

Nodding, Shampoo said, "Hai, we will. Thank you for help. Mousse, you show
Gosunkugi out. Shampoo watch hiibaa-chan."

Mousse nodded and handed the purple-headed Amazon a small perfume bottle, 
"But here, take Kodachi's potion. She may wake up soon."

Once Gosunkugi was ready, Mousse led him to the door. Gosunkugi hoped that
he had finally proved, once and for all, that he was a great magician. He
bowed to Mousse and left, headed for his apartment. He would be tired for
work, he realised ... but if all went well, he wouldn't care. He would win
Hinako's love by proving himself with his magical abilities!

Even as he walked, the image of Hinako was replaced by the image of
Cologne's pretty, sleeping face.

[Morning, Unryuu-ke]

Akari's house, the Unryuu mansion, was at the outskirts of Toukyou, no more
than a pig's ride away from Nerima. Akari herself had already left, riding
on Katsunishiki to the Nerima shops for the groceries. Konatsu stayed behind
with Akari's grandfather, who was a little unwell today. He still looked like
a girl, but he was wearing men's clothes for a change, rather than his usual
ninja outfit, and looked like a bishounen. He got on well with the farm
hands, making them tea and lunch. He would probably have made a great geisha,
thanks to his training at the Sexy Kunoichi Tea House, but he was content to
be a ninja and to be Akari's husband. He was having the happiest time of his
life here with Akari and her grandfather. It was a beautiful Japanese mansion
with a large garden out the front, and out the back was the pig farm. It was
completely run by the farm hands, and Akari only helped get her pigs ready
for sumo competitions. Konatsu had learned quite a lot about it, and loved to
watch the pigs being trained to fight. He even sometimes helped Akari get
them ready for the competitions. It was a good life here, and he was free.

[Tendou-ke]

Ranma was outside practising with Genma for the morning. Miyabi sat by them,
watching. Akane was thankful that it left her free to look after Masao...
But at least he didn't wake up so often in the middle of the night. He was
a very quiet baby, compared to Miyabi, but he still needed looking after.
Souun read the paper, as per normal, and Nodoka went about with her house
work. None of them had gone to the Nekohanten recently, as they all wanted
to keep out of Shampoo's way until there was concrete evidence, one way or
another, that Cologne wouldn't attack anyone. So the family stayed at home,
keeping the children out of the way of possible danger.

[Nekohanten]

The husband and wife stood at the door of Cologne's room, and spoke
in quiet Chinese to each other.

Shampoo looked up at Mousse, "She is waking up now.  We should be ready, 
just in case."

Mousse nodded, "If she remembers, you'll have to spray her before she can do
any damage."

They stepped back a little as they heard foot steps coming to the door. Her
memory should be back, Gosunkugi had said, when she woke up. Her subconscious
would have sorted anything out in her sleep... Now if only the restrictions
were still in place, everything should be fine ...

A sleepy Cologne stepped out of the room with a yawn, carrying a set of
clothes. She was still in her night gown, obviously going to take a bath.

"Great-grandmother?"

"What is it, Shampoo?" Cologne yawned, "You should be in the restaurant,
serving, not out here bothering me, great-grandaughter."

"So you remember me?" Shampoo asked.

Frowning, Cologne stopped, "Of course I remember you. You really should be
working instead of asking me silly questions. And you, Mousse, you should
go work, too. I'm not paying you for hanging around out here with Shampoo,
even if you are her husband."

Mousse rolled his eyes skywards. <Why on earth did Shampoo want that woman
back? She was so much nicer when she couldn't remember anything.>

He felt a whack on his head, "Don't you roll your eyes at me. Get to work,
son-in-law!"

"Looks like she's back, Shampoo. I'm going to the restaurant," Mousse turned
and stalked out.

Shampoo watched Mousse go, then looked back at Cologne, "You shouldn't treat
him so harshly. You have been gone for a long time, and this is our 
restaurant now, great-grandmother."

Cologne wrinkled her nose, "So it is. But I won't let the rest of the world
see the Amazons as a lazy people."

"If you wish, great-grandmother. But you should be less harsh." Shampoo
decided on her first real test of Cologne's memory. If the specified
restrictions were truly in place, the whole of Nerima could rest easily...
If not, she had the potion. "Great-grandmother, am I still allowed to give
Ranma free meals?"

Cologne looked a little surprised, "You still give that ungrateful boy free
food? Even after he sullied your honour by refusing to become your husband?"

<So far, so good...> Shampoo nodded, "Yes. He is a good friend."

"Do what you will, as this is, as your have said, your restaurant. Although I
would not have him in here if he did that type of thing to me."

It was obvious that Cologne had some distain for Ranma, but at least the
obsession for forcing Ranma to wed Shampoo seemed to be gone. Hopefully
Gosunkugi was right when he said that all of Cologne's insanity was gone.

"Thank you, great-grandmother. I shall go to the restaurant now." Shampoo left
Cologne to take her morning bath.

It would be an interesting week, especially after Ranma would turn up to see
Cologne - the final test!

Shampoo could only hope that Cologne wouldn't snap again.

[Ucchan's]

The restaurant was opened, and Ryouga sat by the hallway door with Saeko.
Ukyou wanted to try cooking at the griddle for a little while, because she
couldn't live without cooking for long! It was the first time she'd gotten 
back into the swing of things in a couple of months, so she really wanted
some time to adjust. And since mornings were pretty quiet, and she was
feeling much better, she had a chance to start cooking again. But it was
a little hard with one of them looking after Saeko all the time. But she
was happy, as was Ryouga, and things were going smoothly. And it seemed
that having Saeko attracted some of the young mothers from the park to
the restaurant, too. So business was doing well. Ukyou idly wondered about
teaching Saeko to cook when she got old enough...

[Evening, Nekohanten]

Shampoo and Mousse had slowly invited the other Nerima residents over to the
Nekohanten for lunch and dinner over the week, gauging Cologne's reactions 
to each. Basically, she didn't mind one way or another about any of them, 
just as she had felt before Ranma and Akane had married. She never was 
really interested in anyone except her great-grand daughter and Ranma. She 
had helped people when they needed help ... and had never really been 
malicious until after the wedding that had somehow sent her insane with 
anger. Maybe it was her inability to change, or the fact that it had 
compromised Amazon honour too much ... but all of that seemed gone.

But she hadn't yet met Ranma and Akane.

Mousse looked up at the clock as he finished wiping down a table. The
Saotome couple would soon be here. They would all be ready in case something
happened during the dinner - Cologne would have to be subdued and her mind
would have to be erased again. Mousse almost wished that something _would_
happen. Although she was treating him better than she had in the past, he
still hated how he ordered her around. But he would cope.

Shampoo waited by the door as Cologne cooked in the kitchen. She cooked
very well, after all - she hadn't lived a hundred and ten years for nothing!
Soon, Ranma and Akane would come. Shampoo could only await Cologne's
reaction, and be ready for it.

The door opened, and Akane stepped in. The whole family had been briefed,
and Miyabi and Masao's grandparents were at home, not just baby sitting,
but protecting the children in case anything _did_ happen.

Cologne hadn't looked up, she was still busy in the kitchen.

Ranma followed Akane in, and Shampoo led them to the table in the middle of
the restaurant. Everyone was a little nervous, but Ranma was confident that
he could handle it. After all, he'd handled Cologne before and won. Akane
didn't mention that he'd had help the last few times, because Ranma's
Mouko Takabisha may come in handy... after all, it only worked well when 
Ranma's ego and confidence were at it's peak!

Mousse stepped up to the counter, "Oi, these two customers want to know what
your speciality for the day is."

Cologne looked over at the two ...

Everyone tensed ...

Cologne frowned, and stared at Ranma ...

Ranma got ready ...

The dark-haired Amazon jumped over the counter, and before anyone could
react, whacked Ranma over the head with her knuckles, "You've eaten here
often enough - You _should_ know what my speciality is, baka!"

Everyone face-faulted, and Cologne stalked back into the kitchen.

The rest of the meal passed quietly, Ranma, grumbling over his bowl of 
ramen, about Cologne whacking him over the head. Everyone was quite 
relieved, and feeling so much more relaxed. 

Eventually, the others started turning up to join in the meal - Ryouga and 
Ukyou, Kunou and Nabiki, Mikado and Kodachi, Konatsu and Akari, Toufuu and 
Kasumi, Tsubasa and Azusa... Even Gosunkugi and Hinako turned up. The
restaurant was filled with people eating and chatting, Shampoo, Mousse and
even Cologne joining in. It almost turned into a party, the sake was flowing
freely among the men, and the girls spent time chatting. It was a good night
in Nerima.

Maybe - just maybe - everyone would finally be able to get along.

Outside, a strange little man, dressed up in a thief's head-scarf, jumped
over the roof-tops, carrying a large bag.

Or maybe not.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ranma nibun no ichi -                                              [Epilogue]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

[The Park, Nerima]

Ranma and Ryouga sat at the park, Ranma in his male form. They both smiled
happily as their wives chatted with the other women, both the babies in
prams. Miyabi played at the swings with some other children.

Ranma grinned over at Ryouga, "You know..."

"Hm?" Ryouga looked quizically over at Ranma.

"Maybe we should get Masao and Saeko engaged? After all, it turned out fine
for Akane and me."

Ryouga smirked, "I wonder what our wives would say if they heard that."

Ranma laughed, "I could handle Akane fine. So, what do you say?"

With a grin, Ryouga replied, "Sure, if you live long enough after telling
Akane."

Maybe it wasn't a good idea to have gone to the park so early in the morning
after the little party at the Nekohanten the night before. More precisely,
maybe it wasn't a good idea for the two not-totally-sober men to be talking
about engagements.

Ranma stood up, "Hey, Akane!"

Turning her head, Akane looked over at Ranma, "What is it?"

"Ryouga and me have decided. Masao and Saeko are going to get married when
they're old enough. We've engaged them." Ranma grinned at Akane, proudly.
He didn't even realise that he was still somewhat under the influence...
maybe if he had, he wouldn't have said what he'd just said... he may have 
guessed Akane's reaction beforehand.

And Ryouga would have been ready for Ukyou's.

"You WHAT????" Both women yelled at once.

Without hesitating, both Ukyou and Akane jumped up - Ukyou with her spatula
out, and Akane with her fists ready - and started chasing their respective
husbands. Having at least some sense left, the two men turned tail and ran.

The young mothers with their little children shook their heads as they
watched the four run off, left to look after the four's children. Things 
were definitely back to normal in Nerima.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Okay, now for comments about this 'fic.

Yes, it's a transitory piece, just to show what life it like when things are
going "normally". There's no major action going on, nor was there any
intended to happen. Some people wanted to have a piece just to see how the
other couples were going, so that's what I did. ^_^

Sorry to all you out there who were expecting another action-packed fic!
^_~

And, well, it's a shade darker than the rest, too - the Kodachi-Mikado scene
(I hope it was done tastefully enough...) and then there's Gos and what's
happening in his life.

But don't worry, I'll get more into what happens with Gos in the next 'fic,
which should have some stuff actually happening!

But I couldn't put it all in one story, or else it would be even longer than
"Too Much Wedded Bliss???"!! (And I don't really enjoy writing giant stories
that go back and forth all the time, because it gets too confusing!)

So, yes, Gos will end up happier, I promise that! ^_^

Another point is that in the last story, it was only the love potion that
wore off - Cologne and Happi don't remember what happened, and Cologne was
only reacting to a pervert stuck to her chest, rather than her remembering
who Happi was! Otherwise, they'd have been back and attacking/stealing
underwear almost straight away ... plus, Cologne would be even more bent
on revenge!

Sorry if that mislead anyone!

But, anyway, that's enough comments for now. Hope you enjoyed it, anyway!

Ja, mata!

Send all comments to kunoichi@thekeep.org

Kun-chan...
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