Kenta Hibiki walked impetuosity when the screen before his wife showed something he didn't expect at the moment. The old man saw how the massive reactor his son managed to fix a year back threatened to break down again thanks to unscrupulous people regarding matters like optimum maintenance obsolete.

"Akemi. . .Those bastards almost killed my son when they hid the truth about the caustic fumes. . .Now they are trying to hide this new leakage I was able to hack from their systems. . ." The man clearly exhibited his fangs when something tried to hurt his kin.

"I always knew the Yakuza was behind it all, but to show dominance by killing a whole town is just wrong. I will find a way to pay them back. . .Or better yet, my son will find a way. . .I just hope he'll be ready for a task like this."

On the other side, a very calm Akemi Hibiki patted his back with the security a mother has for her son. "Kenta, Ryoga managed to escape the fumes and survive the radiation. . .I am very proud of his actions and I know if there are people in danger, he will choose the same path again."

Both parents hugged for a minute before going to meet Ryoga in the baby's chamber. When they arrived, a very frustrated fanged boy argued with Natsume about things he could never learn in life. "Don't you get it Ryoga? . . .You need to understand how to feed a just born baby. . .How to change her and take care of her as a father. . ."

The boy kept nodding with a blank expression when terms like breast feeding and diaper change took him to a purple face and a nosebleed. "I-I know what you're saying, but there is no way in hell I'll be in front of you while the baby is fed . . .I just can't! . . ."

Kenta shook his head disapprovingly while her mother walked at his side. "Don't worry son. . .When the time comes all those confusing feelings a man has for a female body disappear. If Natsume-Chan offered to raise your daughter, it's only natural that you are present. . .Stop thinking like a boy for a moment and you'll see everything with a new perspective."

His dad walked close to him too, but his motives were a lot different from what his mother explained. "Don't worry son. . .Natsume is a beautiful girl and look at those breasts . . .Aren't they so big and perky?" The desired effect showed the instant Ryoga turned mechanically to see a fuming girl crossing her arms before her chest.

Natsume assumed the position of disgusted girl by the way men think, but the moment she raised her arms, the girl's two well endowed breasts jumped and kept moving up and down for the space of a second or two . . .Enough time for the lost boy's nose to explode in a stream of blood, rendering him out cold from his enormous imagination.

The offended girl and Akemi stared at the man with such indignation that he just shrugged his shoulders, leaving the room in a hurry. "Gee . . .Can't anyone take a joke around here? . . .Better get myself scarce." As usual, Ryoga managed to wake up while throwing an apologetic look at the girl, hoping his behavior didn't let her down.

The girl sighed at the innocent look on the boy, but an old carpet beater popped out of no where anyway pointing right in front of him. "Ryoga Hibiki. . .I know you have a good heart, but don't let others sway your thoughts. . .Don't let your "base behavior" dictate who you really are. . ."

The boy blinked several times when he saw how cold and calculated this girl really was. "You are a combination of Akane-san, Nabiki and Kasumi somehow. . .Interesting. . ." He promptly got up, bowed in respect and nodded accepting her instruction.

"Thanks Natsume-san. . .I'll keep that in mind." He couldn't help it when the girl smiled back at him while nodding amicably. The problem was the motion she did afterwards when her breasts agitated once again, forcing him to look away promptly.

His mother giggled at Natsume's occurrence when noticing how a girl must tease as part of her charms. "Good one Natsu-Chan . . .That'll keep him on his toes . . ." The girl walked back to another room while Ryoga's mother left the chamber alone to attend matters with the Nuclear plant in trouble. As soon as she arrived, her husband was explaining the plan to her son.

"In 1995, a private organization corrupted the news for the Monju power plant situated in the Fukui prefecture. These. . .Men. Managed to hide the fact that a massive amount of sodium coolant leaked through one of the pipes. . .We were asked to assist on the prevention of radiation and other contaminants so we sent you to supervise the operation."

"They never told us how many kilograms of the sodium coolant escaped into the ground and the rest made contact with open air, creating very corrosive caustic fumes and raising the temperature in some rooms several hundred degrees Celsius."

"You went in and helped seal the defective weld points, but this organization took credit while editing videotapes and producing falsification proof about the incident. . ." The old man stopped for a moment when he tried to harsh-swallow a word of regret.

"Son . . .We almost lost you that time when you used the full extent of your ability to survive. . ." Mother and father looked desperate, thing that made him think over his so called powers. "Mom . . .Dad, I'm glad you are here for me. . .But there had to be someone in danger for me to risk my life. If there is one thing I learned on the road, is to protect and serve the innocent and weak. . .That always has been my goal."

Akemi smiled happily when knowing how his son became a real man thanks to her efforts and her husband's. "I know son. . .I really do, and if there are people needing our help we will be there for them too. . .You can count on it."

Kenta decided to intervene when the moment became too endearing for mother and his boy. "Sorry son, but even when that is nice and all, you are meant to protect more than a few victims in a catastrophe. . .We Hibikis have the duty to perform for our nation, but our nation does not recognizes us and will hunt us down for their own interests. . .Can you see what I'm trying to show you?"

The boy nodded when realizing the outside world had its claws ready to shred on those who uphold honor and the law as their way of life. "I know dad, but what is our duty when those people force themselves on the weak? . . .Are we supposed to stand on the sidelines and just watch?"

Akemi smiled proudly at her husband when seeing how her son turned more into the Kenta she once knew that what he cared to admit. With a gentle shove, the older woman winked at him to remind him of it. "I seem to remember someone who believed in the same ideals. . .Someone who saw how his wife and little son were about to fall in that net, but he offered himself in exchange for his family."

Thanks to the experience he suffered by hands of his own father's demise, Kenta Hibiki learned to survive the harsh environmental researching labs and padded rooms meant to tame him in his life. Such reality gave him the perspective to always be ahead of anyone and see all people as the enemy.

"Son. . .When you are captured in a testing facility, you aren't given any freedom of choice. . .You are the rabbit and the rat subject to every known illness while the so called scientists gaze at your agonizing face with voices of triumph. They think I could defeat cancer, and when the test showed positive, they celebrated with wine while I was thrown back to my cage."

The Older Hibiki rested a hand on the boy's back to assure him of his intentions. "Ryoga. . .There will be a time when you'll need to choose giving yourself for the good of others. . .Especially your own family or to survive for the need of a greater good. When that happens, I'm afraid you will go through the same hell I did,"

The mood sure was gloomy, but something reminded him about the reason for his own hellish days. "That might be so dad, but until then, I will live my life with the ones I love." Finished while staring at the next room.

"Anyway. What's this about a Nuclear plant?" Mother and father briefed him about the place and the special instruction he needed to learn while on the job.

"Ryoga-kun. . .You are a very strong boy who has faced many odds but there are others who don't share your same perspectives. There are three other members we are trying to recruit because they had become the target of these organizations."

His mother set three separate pictures on the table where Ryoga remembered at least one of them. "According to our Intel, this boy has ties with Ranma Saotome's old master. For some odd reason, the name assimilates that of a "Pantyhose Taro" . . .He has developed several mutations by the use of that magical water, giving these agencies the wrong ideas to begin with."

"The next one is Ryu Kumon. He is another student for the Anything goes style and has mastered a somewhat powerful technique derived by the original Genma Saotome's creation. . .The last one is Rouge, a girl who fell into a very strange pool in Jusenkyo."

"The Asura form and the mixed change Taro developed have become the perfect prey for the agencies as weaponry and military defenses. . .The Japanese government has agreed to let us intervene in their capture and try to bring them peacefully into our own complex. You know that is going to be doubtful at the very least so, be ready for anything."

His father gave Ryoga a bottle with medicine and a pack with passports, money and credentials he would need for the journey. The lost boy blinked puzzled by the orange, plastic bottle but soon his father explained the use.

"Ryoga,. Your mother, you and I are afflicted by a natural illness our bodies acquired as a protective self-mechanism. DTD is a Developmental Topographical Disorientation disease our bodies created to suppress the genetically induced effects by the most dangerous types of radiation."

"Your grandfather died when his Chi mutated with the blast. He gave me the same power and ability and when we conceived you, your mother acquired the same effect. . .That's one of the reasons why we chose to use an artificial method for your daughter, otherwise Natsume-san would be bound to you."

His father understood the problem with Ranma and Akane when forced to reach an understanding by a forced marriage, something he never intended for his own son. "I know how hard and confusing you feel towards Akane Tendo and that brat who likes to pretend to be a girl, so we decided to leave her out of your life for now."

The old man moved the bottle once again in front of the boy, making sure he could understand how it works. "This pill suppress the inability to generate a mental representation of the environment around you. Like I said, our bodies need to be "lost" to keep up with the negative effects in our DNA, so this isn't a cure. . .Rather a way to slow the process to the point where you can direct yourself slightly steadier than before. . .Take it once a day and you'll be able to go places you want to go."

Ryoga took one pill right away and began to revise the different documents with his picture but other names on them. "So. . .False credentials and money? . . .Am I a secret agent or what?" his smile vanished the moment his father frowned back in anger.

"Ryoga. . .This isn't a game. . .We are being hunted and if you're not careful, you will fall in their hands." He composed himself after the even angrier eyes on his wife told him to knock it off. "Son, I know you felt alone all these years when roaming the world with no one to call family, but if we manage to fix this, we will be together as a one. . .Remember, you have us and the kids. . ."

Something didn't sound quite right when Akemi Hibiki drove her hands to her lips caused by her husband's blunder. Luckily, Ryoga was too into the briefing on the Nuclear plant that he omitted the last comment completely.

"Fine dad. . .Am I the only one on this? . . .When can I leave?" Kenta pressed a button where Natsume's voice answered him back. "Natsume-san. . .Tomorrow the little girl will be born. This means the plant can hold until then so, be ready after her birth to accompany Ryoga on this mission."

"Ok. . .I will stay the night with the baby and in the morning I'll hand her to Ryoga. When she learns to recognize our scent, we'll be on our way. . ." Said the girl before cutting the communication line off. The boy fell into strange territory again when something about babies called for his assistance.

"Scent? . . ." His mother told him about the most powerful sense a baby begins her life with. The nose becomes the first way for them to recognize, and even remember their mothers and fathers. "Tomorrow when she is born we will let her impregnate her smelling capabilities with Natsume-Chan and yours. Afterwards, you guys can leave while I take care of her."


The next day Ranma and Akane left the house with no books or dressed in uniform. The pair decided to meet this doctor and to find a way to bring Ryoga back. .When they arrived, the clinic looked empty and dusty. The teenagers entered to a reception room where a nurse welcomed them.

"Hi. . .Good morning, we would like to talk with Doctor Esther please?" The nurse gave them a piece of paper where they filled the reason for their visit. After a few minutes, the nurse let them pass to the next room where the doctor waited on them patiently.

"Miss Tendo . . .And this must be Mr. Ranma Saotome. What can I do for you?" The pigtailed boy felt the sudden impression his throat became as harsh as sand paper which forced Akane Tendo to take the initiative.

"Doctor. . .We were wondering if there could be a way for Ryoga-kun to come back to us. Ranma feels terrible for what he did and he is willing to solve everything with him. I believe whatever they talk it out can be a lot better than any session he could have with strangers. . .No offense."

The practical woman smiled worriedly when the part she feared the most about her job came knocking on her door rather sooner than she expected. "No offense Akane-san. I understand you feelings and believe me, if Ranma really means well, his involvement could be a lot productive than any therapy Mr. Hibiki could receive. . .But."

The doctor opened the drawer on the right side of her desk, pulling a set of yellow folders from it for them to see. "I have written statements signed by you and Ryoga where describe me the rather unscrupulous behavior Mr. and "Miss" Saotome displayed when near him."

"The female curse in Ranma has freed him of any self control over the meaning a girl has over a boy." The woman changed her attention this time to an increasingly nervous boy. "Ranma. You have put Ryoga's manhood and identity as a male in question. . . You think the practical jokes you play on him and probably other males give you the satisfaction to feel powerful and in control of your own."

The second she pressed her presence closer to him, Ranma moved a few inches away from the stare. "Mr. Saotome. . .You don't need to tell me anything, but I wonder anyway. How do you feel as a woman? . . .I have extended notes about your prideful bravado over your manhood but. . ."

The annalist moved away from her impetuous position, resting more comfortably on the back of the chair. "Don't misunderstand me please. . .There are two terms you need to comprehend. Homosexuality and gender confusion."

"The first applies to all those who are attracted to their male friends and strangers alike where the gender selective mechanism our body comes with can refer to our "inclination" as human beings. . .A boy doesn't necessarily feels attracted to another because of his gender identity does not fit the first option, he simply feels right as a female."

The woman drove both hands to the front of her lips where they functioned as support on the following speech. "You are a special case where two different identities clash the one with the other. There is irrefutable proof that you can be one-hundred percent feminine and move from the male version without any regret, albeit your upbringing has forced you to negate that possibility."

The boy saw words everywhere, but the meaning rang in his ears with such force he stood up undignified by her accusations. "No! . . .I'm a man amongst men like my mom and pops want me to be. . .There is nothin' that can prove I can be a girl. . .I tease because I can prove my enemies I will always have the upper hand. . ."

The pigtailed boy walked backwards unconsciously dropping the chair in the process when the woman's smile began to creep in his mind. "There is nothin' you hear? . . .I am a guy an' I will always be a guy." The doctor raised her hands in a defensive notion when the teen seemed to begin loosing his composure.

"Like I said Mr. Saotome, you don't owe me a thing. . .But consider what has happened in the past." Dr. Esther passed by several pages until stopping in the middle of them. "Page 45, exert B." The woman of letters read out loud making sure the protagonists knew the premise on the conversation.

"Saturday afternoon. Mr. Saotome and Ranma practiced on the roof while Kasumi Tendo prepared breakfast. Akane Tendo decided to help on the elaboration of food and when called in, Ranma Saotome stepped accidentally on Miss. Tendo's plate causing a chain reaction where the subject lost any knowledge of who he was."

The woman stopped briefly to stare and ask the Tendo girl for her participation on the case. "Akane-san. Could you describe Ranma's behavior those days he hit his head. . .Loosing the memory of who he really was?" She stopped for a moment to stare at the boy who went back to his seat, ready to hear what he had gone through.

"Doctor. . .He changed completely. There was a time where he described himself as a full fledged woman who hated the Anything goes martial arts and her sole desire was to learn to cook and master the flower arrangement techniques for her marriage with a husband. . ."

Akane felt the need to hide, but she understood the reason the doctor confronted Ranma with his own words. "When I asked him about how he really felt in a restaurant we stopped by, he told me what I think he really felt as a woman. . .He . . .She told me how the hit woke her up from a long nap where she had no power over her actions."

"She considered me a strong, independent woman and that the Ranma I knew was the fake mask . . .The farce who existed no more. . ." The pigtailed boy trembled when deep inside his mind those words struck him. He knew his mind had a dormant personality waiting to free herself if something so extreme as that hit happened again, which scared him the most.

"I . . .I ain't no woman. . .I . . ." His eyes turned a shade of gray from the steely blue hue he always showed the moment doubt sneaked in. "I don'. . .Know Doc . . .I don' really know if I should talk 'bout this. . .I need to leave. . ."

The pigtailed boy rushed away from them, the waiting room and back to the place he believed home. Akane saw how desperate he looked, standing up after and bowing before the doctor. "Miss. Esther. . .I will be back to see my friend, but Ranma needs me more right this moment. . .I think he needed to see that side of him. . .I just don't know how this will affect him as a boy. . ."

The older woman's hand resting on her shoulder reassured her of the role she needed to fulfill. "Go Akane-san. . .He is confused and you are his beacon of hope . . .He doesn't know just yet, but I can see how dependant he is of you. . .Go take care of him."

When the girl went after Ranma, the doctor sighed relieved by what she feared was the biggest weakness in her armor. The nurse walked in while taking the white face protector off and setting a carpet beater on her back. "That was a close one Sensei. . .I thought you were about to tell them the truth. . ."

Dr. Esther saw her disciple with gentle eyes when realizing how well she knew her. "A little more and I would have. . .Let's close this place and head back to headquarters. . .Is good to know our contacts were right about their visit and we could time everything right."

"By the way. . .Has Ryoga thought of a name for the baby?" The younger girl nodded with her question when the lost boy took almost all day thinking on the right one. "Yes Sensei . . .He felt Michiko symbolized what she meant for him. . .A beautiful intelligent child. . ."

Dr. Esther frowned at the name and meaning since most teens would never go to those lengths these days. Still, she shrugged happy by the name and finished packing all the important papers. "And what do you think about this Natsume-san?"

The girl stared down at the floor when the same thought ran in her mind from day one. "I love her Sensei, but Ryoga is so confused about Akane and Ranma as a girl he has no time to look "somewhere else" . . .I decided to accept him as a friend and little Michiko as my niece more than a daughter."

Sentiments were high but the psychologist agreed with her. Ryoga had a jigsaw puzzle with a missing piece in his head and there was no one else fitting in his love life until he'd sort his feelings for Akane and the pigtailed boy. . .Than again, something else loomed over his new found happiness and that would swallow him whole.


Hours later, doctors filled the medium size room where Ryoga, his parents and the rest arrived. The chamber finally opened and the fanged boy saw how the viscous gel began to smear everywhere as the leading doctor carefully pulled the little girl from the tubes and transparent wires.

Little Michiko rested on a tiny bed after they cleaned her up, readying her with clothes and setting the baby in an incubator. "Dad. . .Why did they leave her in there. . .I-Is she alright?" His mother's tears ran freely when a sudden wail told them the girl was conscious and healthy.

"Son. The reason we set her in that capsule is to protect her from the outside environment. This place is disinfected thoroughly but all the presents confuse her." She signal him to walk inside the small crystal chamber after the doctors left the room. Ryoga walked inside just as Natsume did.

The little girl rested comfortably while a giant hand ran across the tiny bundle. When Ryoga's index finger reached her head, the most incredible thing happened in the boy's life. Michiko opened her eyes, staring in such a way the boy bowed nervously at her.

"Hi. . .Miss Michiko Hibiki . . .Welcome to the real world. . .I'm . . .I-I'm you dad. And this is Natsume-San. . ." As if understanding every word the little girl moved very slowly to his left where a crying girl stared back at her. The baby's smile made both teens tremble proudly at her, Natsume found a new way to see the lost boy when tears left the sides of his face openly.

"He. . .He doesn't care about me or everyone. . .How can a boy be this close to his feminine side is just beyond me. . .I'm glad I got to know him. . .He sure is one of a kind." The girl scoffed jokingly when the boy whimpered the moment Michiko wrapped her tiny hand around the tip of his finger.

Through the intercom, the people outside laughed when Ryoga talked to them with a tense tone. "M-Mom! . . .She grabbed my finger . . .What do I do. . . .What if I do something wrong . . .What if I . . ." His mom rushed by the window where her boy tried to escape the baby and his brute force proved a deadly effect on the child.

Kenta and Akemi stayed quiet even when the mother tried to scream with all her lungs. Natsume walked near the fearful boy, resting her lips on his ear. "Ryoga-kun . . .Let your instincts take over. You are her father and creator. . .You are in control. . ."

The boy stared at her eyes than at the little girl's. The peaceful face in the infant made him relax to a point where he smiled once again at her. "Thanks Michiko. . .Natsume . . .Thanks for that . . .I really needed it." The fanged boy never moved for the rest of the night while the girl felt tired from hours of traveling from Nerima.

She fell on his arms after the tiredness took over. The boy left the chamber for a few minutes to set her on a nearby bed then, He began to see something when his hand traced her bangs away from her face only to stare at someone who has been wronged by Ranma as well. . .Someone just like him.

"Thank you Natsume-san . . .Rest for now. . .I'll take point and you can see her in a few hours." The boy went back to the girl while his mother raised an eyebrow towards her husband. "You think . . ." The man nodded as well with a sense of pride over his son.

"They're identifying more intimately? . . .I would think so. Seems Ranma Saotome's curse is finally being lifted from my son." The older couple left the boy alone trying to make sure everything would be ready for the next few days.

Kenta had an understanding with Mr. Kobou about his son's intervention over the Nuclear plant, but there were other concerns he needed to keep an eye on. With time he would share those worries with his son, right now, his daughter was their first priority.

When Ryoga saw the motion of the clock outside the chamber, hours turned into seconds when someone so precious laid at his side. Little Michiko slept peacefully for the rest of the night giving him a sense of well being simultaneously.

When morning came, the boy stood up when hearing someone enter the incubator. Ryoga stared frantically at a naked breast in front of him. Natsume looked to the side with a blush on her face while the boy tried desperately to look else where.

"I . . .I . . .I'm sorry. . .I . ." The girl grabbed his hand, directing it to cup her female part while motion him to massage it in a pattern. "Ryoga-kun, you need to learn how to feed your baby. . .Now, I already took a warm bath and rubbed a warm cloth around my bust for a few minutes so this should be easy."

Ryoga was totally petrified the moment his hand touched the base of her breast, but when she took his other hand and lead it to her chest wall area, his nose threatened to explode. The blue shirt looked very skimpy as it was so when she moved his hand into her cleavage, it completely opened, showing the other breast as well.

"Use the flat of your fingers. . .Start at my chest wall and stroke towards my nipple and areola. Gradually move around my whole breast . . .Yes. . .Like this. It should take about a minute or two." Something happened to the boy he had never experienced before.

He stopped looking at her female part like a sexual object the moment the baby cooed in their direction. Ryoga followed the instructions blindly while staring at his daughter with devotion which in turn helped Natsume relax.

After the allocated time, the girl set her thumb, index and middle finger into a C shape about an inch and a half away from her nipple. Starting at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions to press in towards her chest wall. "When I press the thumb and fingers together gently . . .The milk should flow steadily."

The second she did that, a shot of milk explode in all directions, splattering on the boy's clothes and face. He did not expect this which turned his face in the reddest hue color he could muster. "Oops. . .That can happen the first time a mother breast feeds. . .Sorry I didn't mention it. . ."

Both teens saw how the practice made a lot sense but above anything else their bond became even stronger. The milk filled a small mouth sized container which Natsume gave to the lost boy. Ryoga took it while preparing for his next hellish time.

With all the care he could summon the boy moved closer to the baby, but the little girl rejected the cup while beginning to cry. Natsume felt lost until Ryoga pointed a finger into the air. "Maybe she wants to be fed directly?"

The girl blinked at his question but agreed that idea had merit, so the lost boy moved to the other side trying to look away when Natsume nudge him back. "Hey! . . .This is a two people operation. . .Stay put." The girl grabbed the little girl from the base of her head carefully while leading her to the front of her chest. Just like magic, little Michiko latched effortlessly to her nipple beginning to suckle with desperate gasps.

"What do you know. . .She prefers the real deal . . ." Both boy and girl displayed the perfect picture up to the moment the boy opened his mouth. "Her eyes remind me of . . .Oh Akane-san . . .If you could only see her."

Natsume frowned angry by the mention of someone who never did a thing but keep him down like a puppet. She decided to ignore the comment for the good of the baby, but soon realized he wasn't free from his feelings for the other Tendo teen.

"You are messing your life all over again. . .Stop talking about Akane. . ." Ryoga blinked disconcerted by the comment when he realized no one was talking around him. "Did . . .Did you say something?" Asked to the girl next to him with a puzzled expression.

When Natsume shook her head, the boy scratched his questioningly. "Well . . .I seem to . . ." He couldn't finish when that someone spoke once again. "Don't mind me. . .I'm here to protect my interest which in this case happens to be yours as well. Now, say something nice to her for all the things she is doing for you and walk away for now. . .When you meet you father, request to go alone on our mission . . ."

The boy stood up somewhat doubtful, but before walking to the room's entrance, he turned around to talk to the girl. "Natsume-san. . .I really appreciate all the things you are doing for us. . .You are the best woman a man could ask for. . ." His blush told even more volumes to her when the comment aimed at the girl as a woman more than a friend.

Her blush told him about her acceptance and the nod offered him an even stronger bond between them. Ryoga left the room in direction to the main hall where his parents discussed the details for the mission. The moment he entered, Kenta stared at him in attention.

"Son . . .Are you ready to depart with Natsume-Chan?" The boy grabbed the documents he needed for the journey while looking intently at the desk. "Dad . . .I can't explain this now, but I need to go on my own. Leave Natsume in charge of the baby . . .I will be back shortly."

The boy walked with papers on hand ignoring any order his father issued after he left. When he arrived to the LTD express thunderbird or Raicho, the transportation's operator in charge assured him a good two hours of wait he'd be on his car until arriving to Fukui.

Ryoga sat comfortably on his seat while focusing in his mind. "Fine. . .You got my attention. Who are you and why you never talked before?" The second voice appeared in the shape of a net made of light-blue pulses sparkling in the darkness of his recess.

"Me? . . .Well . . .I have always lived in here, but lately I've been forced to come out of retirement and beat some sense into you." A version or projection of Ryoga formed inside his mind standing right in front of that net of stars.

"Why until now. . .I could have used a friend in my desolate times. . .Even if it was in my mind." The cluster of stars began to dance at the pace of this voice, laughing at his comment. "Moron. . .Who do you think keeps you up when things get rough? . . .There is a fine point where you fight to the end. But when the time to give up comes, I stand before you and push the extra mile. . ."

Ryoga tried to make some sense of that when moments like the Bakusai-Tenketsu training or the time he almost gets it by the Ryo-Shoten-ha training left him out of this world. "I know what you mean, but why I can't remember you?"

The tone kept quiet for a second until a memory tried to pop in between. "Do you see that flashing image? . . .That's the time you were destined to die. The nuclear plant did its work on you when the high temperature and the fumes ate your body in seconds."

"You were able to survive by spending all your senses at the same time, but the damage was irreversible. . .You were dying a fast and painful death." The constellation of lights kept dancing around the image and the boy who stared at the memory saw nothing but white noise in it.

"I was forced to leave my nest to come at your aid. . .I gave you a last resort to save yourself. . .A last chance to survive and believe me, you did it but at a costly price. . ." Ryoga felt the need to ask. He hated the idea to sacrifice something of value but he really needed to know.

"Tell me. . .What did I lose?" The cluster highlighted in bright colors when the memory before them both tried to "tune in" from the white noise but failing to do so. "I offered you to erase a memory from our mind Ryoga Hibiki. A memory is more than images stored in your noggin. . .They are accompanied by feelings which in turn makes them incredibly powerful."

"When you were about to bite it, I offered you the choice to erase your father and mother just when you met them a year ago. . .The sheer happiness in your soul was enough to restart all your senses and heal you in a faster speed. . .But you lost those moments forever."

Ryoga understood why even when his parents used a method to erase his memory he couldn't make sense before about who Kenta really was. . .Not even before they met. The lights spoke once again in his mind. "Ryoga. . .I'm you unconscious mind. . .The one awake even when you sleep. I will protect you since it protects me so remember, when you use everything you got to give come. . .Look for me. . .I'll be waiting."

The boy meditated about how lucky he really is when not only his parents finally took him in, but Natsume and Kurumi entered in his life and now his inner Ryoga alerted him of more choices for survival. "That's why I sacrificed everything before. . .I must've met you but I erased my memory of it. . ."

The steady march of two hours kept advancing as the boy and his mind talked about things to come and what he had to do about his heart. Ryoga turned the conversation to his inner voice into the only advice he needed help with. "Tell me. . .What do you think about "them" . . .?" The constellation of lights danced at the rhythm of slow, paced music.

"Who do you mean? . . .Are we talking about Akane Tendo. . .Natsume. . .Or Ranma Saotome?" Ryoga blushed at the idea of a pigtailed boy closing in on him with a smile and turning into that dreaded redhead. He shook those thoughts away with fury making other passengers look concerned at him.

"Natsume is really nice. . .I think I could live my life with her. Akane-san is a love I'll always keep in my hearth but I don't think I'll ever have the guts to tell her something. Ranma. . .Ranma is just a mistake. . .A feeling he forced in me by all those tricks. . .I don't even think that way about her. . ."

The cluster in his mind shone brightly again when he tried to negate what it was clear as water. "Are you trying to lie to me? . . .Ryoga . . .I'm you. The you who never sleeps. . .The you who savors those feelings. Ranma is a good friend and his curse makes him the best companion you could ever wish."

The boy scoffed internally when recognizing his own mind. "And what good does that do me?. . ."He" is a man and that beautiful mirage is just that. . .An illusion. You might know how I feel, but be practical. . .I will never let him in my life. . .Not like that."

The cluster went silent for a few seconds as a way to give up on their discussion. "That is a theme for another day. . .Right now we need to be ready for what's to come. Just a last comment before we get off this train. . .Ryoga. . .You may focus on everything you can, but I do that a lot easier."

"When we come back, you need to ask your parents about "the other child". . .You may have ignored it but I can't. . .We need to find out. . ." With a stern tone Ryoga spoke rather out loud and to no one in particular. "O-Other child? . . .!"

There was no time left for the boy to think when an hour before arriving to Tsuruga, a man joined his seat. "Excuse me Mr. Hibiki. . .My name is Zhao. . .Zhao Masashi. I represent a very distinguished family who would like to have an audience with the famed Hibiki child."

Ryoga measured him from his seat until revealing a piece of paper from his side pocket. "Oh yes. . .I believe we met before. . .Mr. Masashi. . .Weren't you the hired assassin in charge of the misplaced accident on the plant a year ago?"

The man clearly felt annoyed when the young teen mentioned his title so carefree and in front of other strangers. "Mr. Hibiki . . .Is not wise to treat these "deals" on the open. . .Would you accept my invitation?" The boy had never gone for these treatments so he did like any other innocent boy would do. . .Accept. That is until someone decided to intervene.

"Damn it Ryoga! . . .He is the one who let the fumes free. . .Don't you dare follow him." Ryoga blinked several times by the new information and the desire not to punch him through the train's wall. "I really appreciate your invitation Mr. Zhao, but I must deny it. . .I'm sure we will see each other soon enough."

The man left angry but politely from his spot but he only moved three seats behind him. The rest of the time went without a problem, the passengers left the train in an orderly fashion while Ryoga walked outside taking his own path. When he considered the place as a safe zone, he brought up a tiny plastic device to his ear.

"Dad? . . .Mom? . . .I'm in Tsuruga. . .Heading to the hotel you set me on. . .Yes, I met someone but is of no concern to now. . .Yes, I will let you know when everything is ready for the meeting. I know. . .I know, I'll keep the transmission device on at all times. . .Let me get everything in place and I will talk to you later on."

The rest of the day passed with no consequence while the boy learned to develop his own talents in his mind. His subconscious taught him from scratch how to articulate his secret ability. This wasn't a super powered technique he had to master, but something he already lived with.

Ryoga learned about his senses and how they were stripped independently from his system when the irradiated genes affected his DNA. Inner Ryoga taught him how to separate them and even use them as part of his own power. It took him the rest of the day to assimilate and practice every sense individually and at night, he managed to understand his healing factor.

Back in Kyoto, another kind of relevant issues presented a new challenge for Natsume and Kurumi. The girls tried desperately to make the little girl eat comfortably while tiny hands pulled Kurumi away from her sister. Natsume is a very kind girl, but the harsh reality in her life forced her to be a more mature teen for the good of her sister and her.

"Ichiro! . . .Leave my sister alone for two seconds. . .Can't you see we are feeding your little sister?" The little boy changed stares between the two girls and the wailing baby on her arms. His small hands flew all the way to his back while his big, expressive eyes sent the message of a prompt wail of his own.

Before he could start crying, Akemi managed to reach for him, swooping the boy on the side of the bed and playing with his tummy. Natsume saw with sadden eyes at how lonely the little child was and to what extent his father would recognize him as his own.

"Mrs. Hibiki. . .Don't you think Ryoga should know about little Ichiro? . . .I mean, he accepted Michiko with such pride I think he should be thrilled by a first son." Akemi Hibiki sighed deeply when her longest pray ever was for Ryoga and his children to be reunited.

"I agree Natsu-Chan, but I don't know about this little bundle. He may love him right away but as soon as he sees his red hair I'm sure he'll blow through the roof. . .I know is my fault for convincing Kenta but I just wanted what was best for my son. . .Can you blame me for that?"

The younger girl shook her head accepting the older woman's defense without reproach. "Then we need to tell him. . .I don't know how hard this mission really is, but the sooner he finds out about them, the better he'll become a great dad. . ."

Akemi's abrupt sixth sense told her to lift the little boy with her, leaving the other two with the other infant. "Excuse me Natsu-Chan. . .I need to confirm something." Her steps became more pressing the moment she reached the main hall.

Inside, Kenta rubbed his chin with slow motions. She of course knew what that meant which made her close the gap even quicker. "What is it Kenta. . .Is my son Ok?" The Hibiki father stared at her for a moment before handling Pantyhose Taro's picture on the table.

"It seems the "family" hired Taro as a personal guard. . .Intel tells me he is in Tsuruga too and Zhao is accompanying him everywhere he goes. . .I don't like this. I think I should pull Ryoga off the operation."

Kenta took the communicator immediately with the help of his wife. Both parents tried to establish a link as soon as possible, but static was the only sound they could hear on the other side of the line. "Kenta. . .What's going on?" asked fearful Ryoga's mother when nothing came through the other side of the line

They both looked at each other with the dreading feeling that something already happened and they were out of the loop from it. On the other room, a concerned girl looked at her sister while biting the lower side of her lip with worry.

"Ryoga . . .Be Ok. . .You have two beautiful boys waiting here and I . . . ." The sensation and the thought never left her lips when the girl pressed her eyelids close and kept mouthing the rest of her wish. Afterwards, she just smiled at little Michiko and went on with her feeding faking the worry she had for the boy.

The scene felt somehow eerie when blood damped the bed while Ryoga hid behind it. The boy reached for his right ear looking if everything was right and finding a cut just under it. "Damn it. . .I got here barely minutes ago and they already tried to kill me?"

The boy covered his window with the mattress, stopping any sharpshooter to attempt another shot at him. He went to the bathroom, washed with warm water and then it hit him. Ryoga left the room with an idea of where the assassin was shooting from.

With hurried steps he managed to find a man matching the one he observed from the window, setting up the chase and following him until arriving to a desolate area. Of course his sub-conscious was already alerting him of a trap, but something told the lost boy to wait patiently by the dumspter.

Not five minutes later an old face popped from the end of the corridor. "We meet again stupid piggy. . .It seems this time you won't be so lucky." The bandanna teen saw the old pantyhose taro standing confidently before him.

"Taro. . .What are you doing here?" The older boy scoffed with disdain at him when Ryoga opted to omit his first name. "That is of no concern to you. . .leave this place now and I won't kill you. That cowardly transvestite isn't here to vouch out for you and I won't go easy like I have done in the past. . ."

Ryoga fumed when someone always left him in a second plane after putting Ranma as his leader or better. "Shut up. . .Ranma is not even here! . . .I am on my own and this "Is" my business. . .Tell me what you're planning and maybe we can work something out. . ."

The older boy shook his head disapprovingly before turning around and leaving him alone on that corridor. Ryoga scoffed back at him when he realized there were other concerns to take care of first. The lost boy left the place and set back on his room for the next day's meeting with the Nuclear Plant's supervisor.

On the next morning, Ryoga walked into the main office where a short man awaited patiently. The supervisor looked somewhat annoyed by something and his nervousness was clearly visible to him. "M-Mr. Hibiki. . .Your father has told me lots of things about you. It's a shame for what happened a year ago, but as you remember I wasn't even on duty that time."

The teenager smiled back while nodding as if he knew what he was talking about. They sat and the short man began to talk about the family, a powerful Japanese organization constructed primarily by the Yakuza. "This group has sized full control here in Tsuruga and they have threatened the prefecture's leaders with blowing the plant."

"Now, don't get me wrong, I am afraid of them as you can see but their bluff became reality the moment a monstrous being waltzed in here with one of their lackeys. They targeted this place and the incident will happen no later than this weekend. . .If we either comply or defend, they will back off from the contract."

Details were always sketchy at most since the people feared a leak in information if transmitted to external sources. Ryoga agreed to guard the plant from that day, until Monday morning. The supervisor gave him the key to a small condo besides the complex where he prepared everything to guard the place.

At the doors, all employees were dispatched leaving just a few as an emergency crew. "Mr. Hibiki. . .I hope everything goes as planned and we can meet again soon." He bowed before the teen and left in a hurry.

The teenager set his things on the small bunker with nothing anyone could recognize. No family pictures or other materials someone could count as Intel against him. Ryoga sat comfortably on his bed revising every instruction his inner voice told him about his fighting capabilities.

His subconscious took him by surprise by a yell so loud, he barely fell off the bed. "Damn it. . .What's wrong with you! . . ." The sparkling lights in his mind turned from the pure white to a red hue. "Damn it! . . .Focus on your training. Stop thinking about your second child. . ."

Ryoga chuckled the moment he understood there is nothing you can hide from yourself. "Fine. . .But I want to know. . .Yet another child. . .Why mom never told me and more importantly. . .Who's mother is he?" His inner Ryoga version popped into his mind's view with a painful bonk on his head and the boy managed to see the image rolling his eyes in desperation.

"Keep practicing but remember this. . .Akane Tendo is your first childhood love and your family thought her "involvement" was necessary. . .Now think about this. . .Who else sneaked in our mind with "her" tricks and made you fall for the girl only to realize she is a guy?"

Yes. The idea of putting two and two together gave him the right result when a whisper left his tighten lips with hatred for such boy. "Ranma. . .Ranma's curse is the mother . . ." His thoughts flew miles per second about all the images he had with the redhead.

Memories about a cute girl calling him fiancé, a tiny sister he never had and even those times where he pretended to hug him, declaring her love for the boy flashed between his image and the net of stars. Ryoga lamented the moment he laid eyes on that redhead but a shadow with the shape of a much younger Ranma in female form peeked from his mind making him feel at ease with the idea.

"Fine. . .If I had a baby artificially with that bastard I guess is Ok. . .Is something I can live with. . .Besides, the little boy has no fault on this. Of course I'll love him just as much." The net of lights formed a big smile who let him know he finally opened up to his own soul with the truth.

After their conversation, the training went a lot smoother and the peaceful state the boy looked for some time appeared before him.

Saturday noon came and certain loud noises told him the attempt was underway. The lost boy took his medicine for the DTD and went on his way believing ready for the fight. On site, a group of men and Taro were yelling at the smaller crew to leave the place while other three men were carrying packs he assumed were explosives.

There was no denying any longer. The moment Ryoga stepped in the area, Taro felt him with such desire to exterminate him, he left the group unattended. Zhao of course had the family's honor at stake so he tried to go by the book.

"Shishi-san. . .We have rules and a confrontation isn't allowed until ordered by our father." The older boy scoffed madly at his own employer when his agenda came in full view. "I came to you as my goal to rule the world. . .I will not bow to you as a pet waging my tail at your command. . .Let me be or I'll kill you too."

The old man paced back when Taro walked away from them and closer to Ryoga. The bandanna boy chuckled when his new name made some sense. "Shishi?. . .They call you beast instead of . . .The other name, that is an improvement and it sounds scary once you transform I bet."

His enemy began to walk in circles around his enemy trying to intimidate him but he saw how this boy felt in control. "Stop patronizing me little piggy, your mistress is not here to save you and you can't run and hide under her skirt. . .That transvestite is nothing but a big mouth and I can tell how in love you are with him just by looking at you in action."

"Oh. . .To love another man most be painful, but to live from the scrapes he throws at you when done with that girl is just shameful. . ." His laughter made Ryoga tremble inside and the verbal attack sure was doing a great job too. If he were the old Ryoga Hibiki, that would be the only taunt he needed to go at him, but something or rather someone calmed him down in his mind.

"Well. . .Either I hit the jackpot and your secretly love for Ranma Saotome is now on the open or you have grown out of you childish years. I don't care. . .This ends now." The boy lunged with killer intent at him, at first Ryoga saw his human ability as below his own strength, but this time his movement was more synchronized and rhythmic.

The variation of punches and kicks kept the lost boy at reasonable distance since his ace could go off on any moment. Taro managed to hit him directly several times but nothing came from his powerful attacks. "It seems I need to take it up a notch."

The beast finally appeared the second the boy used a hidden gourd he had under his belt. The quick transformation gave him several feet above him and the shadow of his wings encompassed his surroundings. "This is it. . .I'll give my regards to your mistress when I see her. I'm sure the transvestite will mourn your death."

Ryoga maintained his composure while trying to avoid the powerful swipes the incredible beast threw at him. A well calculated jump here and a somersault there kept him away from the beast until his own honorable fighting style made him trip from a cheating move. The beast spat black ink in the distance which he didn't saw right away. By the time Ryoga cleared his eyes, the monstrous minotaur was mere inches away from the boy.

A few seconds later, Ryoga was in the air and hoping back on the ground, a sudden feel of dizziness overtook him and a coppery smell filled his nose. The boy slowly tapped his shoulder blade all the way to his chest where a finger pressed in the indentation. Ryoga had been stabbed directly on the heart as he looked at the bloodied right horn on the transformed boy.

"I . . .Told you. . .No more nice fights like with your woman. . .I am a new man and your cowardly friend will die too if he gets in my way." The monster began to walk away, signaling at the crew to keep setting the explosives.

The lost boy concentrated on his own mind after so many hours of training with inner as he liked to call him had made them a team. "Ok. . .I'm badly hurt. How does it work again?" The inner Ryoga bared his teeth in anger at the always distracted owner of their body, but to be fair, he lost the memory of his own mastery to begin with.

"Remember our training. . .Feel the separate senses and apply the least necessary one. . .I know all of them are important, but we can live without one or three for that matter. . .Now, concentrate." Ryoga focused intently in his mind, calling out a spark kind of energy much like the inner Ryoga possessed in his form.

The spark came in small intensity but began to light brighter by the second. When he felt comfortable, the lost boy focused on his sense of smell. The wound rapidly closed and the boy stood up from his near death experience.

"Taro! . . .The fight isn't over. . ." The minotaur turned around to see a weakened boy barely on his feet. "Damn piggy. . .Stay down and die!. . .Your male lover is not here so you don't need to show off. . ." Both young men stared once again before hell broke loose.

This time Ryoga's moves were a bit slow, but his resolve made him counter Taro's attacks more efficiently who was ready for a dirty fight. The minotaur noticed how the fanged boy began to get closer and closer through his punches, but he refused to fly away in a cowardly manner though.

The exchange kept pushing them together until a loud noise made them recoil a few steps back. A new dark-reddish stain appeared on Ryoga's back making his enemy furious. "Damn it! . . .I don't need your help. Stay out of this!" Said Taro after a shot had been made. Ryoga felt how a bullet hit him on his back, all the way to his heart but he never fell from his stance.

"Damn. . .Think on your hearing. . .Concentrate. . ." The teenager shook the sharp pain like if it was a fly resting on his back and went on his pursuit of the older boy. His punches became a lot harder and relentless to the point where Taro began to fly away.

He cursed the fanged boy for his stupid tremendous strength while leaving the place knowing fully well he had become a fugitive for the Yakuza. Zhao walked near the tired boy. With an honorable bow, the man offered his own help but Ryoga refused respectfully away from it.

"Thank you Mr. Zhao. . .If you please leave this place, I will honor my side as your enemy and leave you out of my mission to protect it. . ." his labored breathing told the yakuza man he hadn't much time to live so with a deep sigh, the man waved at the rest, telling them to wrap everything and leave.

"Well fought Mr. Hibiki. . ..The memory of your last fight will go with me the rest of my life. . .It's been an honor crossing paths with you." The men and their leader left the premises while a slouched fanged boy began to fall on his knee. . .Then, he rested on his hands and knees and finally let his tired body drop unceremoniously on the ground. . .Blood spreading over the cold concrete.

Miles away, several loved ones and others not so much felt the need to look into the sky. Natsume's eyes leaked a tear which rolled freely making her think about someone in trouble. Akemi Hibiki began to cry uncontrollably when a deep feeling told her son was doomed on this life. Two children cried by their own volition from something more than just a tummy ache or need for nourishment.

And far away, in the distance, someone who is not even a real woman felt a pang in his heart. . .Something he managed to learn with his experiences as a cursed girl. His fiancée saw the change forcing her to look after him.

"R-Ranma . . .What is it?" The boy grabbed his chest, wringing his shirt while doing so. "I don' know Akane. . .I feel like someone just died. . ."