Introductory Note:

I apologize for the delay. I have spent a lot of time re-ordering plot elements and, as I expected, getting to my plot points is taking longer than I thought thanks to my own idiosyncrasies. I've also spent my time writing what has emerged as Chapter 4, so the delay between now and then will probably not be as long. Editing had also taken a while, since I've been making multiple passes through the text (about 5 or 6 on this chapter alone) as well as I'm trying to balance economy and verisimilitude, which is never easy.

I have a lot of work ahead of me. I hope you will stay along for the ride

ー?には?がある

Chapter 3: The Beam

Ranma grabbed her head as she wandered down the street towards the shopping district. Her anger, even the simmering resentment she felt as she left the Tendo Dojo had dissipated. Ranma felt like her head was underwater, only coming up to briefly notice the otherwise gorgeous afternoon around her. Things around her felt thin, sparse, as though they were going to float away from her. She shook it off and said to herself, "Just gotta grab some food and I'll feel better."

While Nerima, like most of the other wards of Tokyo had a fairly wide variety of restaurants, from fast food to faux french bakeries to perhaps the most Japanese of contemporary food service options, the convenience store, what Ranma really wanted was some Chinese food, real Chinese food. Her time in the country has fostered a love for it, especially Sichuanese food, which was hard to find without going on a train ride out to Minato Ward or gods know where. Hell, as far she knew, the only Chinese place in Nerima was the Nekohanten and these days Ranma would almost rather eat Akane's cooking than willingly step foot there. Almost.

In Ranma's mind, the less she had to do with Shampoo and the ghoul, the safer everyone was overall. Proximity to either of the two women seemed to just make everyone else around Ranma get angry, arrive, fight, and otherwise cause destruction and pain.

Oddly enough, Mousse was usually the exception to Ranma's informal "avoid Amazons" rule. Since he started classes, he'd come by the Dojo once in a while to study with Akane and her. Mousse usually ended up tutoring them in math and Akane would help the other two out in history and literature. Ranma didn't really have much to offer, but was grateful to not be dead last in the student test rankings.

That last memory stuck as she walked down the residential streets, "Guess, I'm good for nothing except busting heads," she muttered as she looked down at the unchanging pavement as she continued.

Being lost in that sort of reverie took a toll on her perception, as the knife which flew just past her head at incredible speed demonstrated.

"What the-!" Ranma yelped as she turned and took a battle stance.

"Ranma! Just the martial artist I was looking for!" A young man in white robes appeared in the air, as he chucked knives which, while fast, were slower than the first one.

"Mousse! What the hell is wrong with you!"

"You think I'm gonna stand idly and while Shampoo's seeks your love?" He yelled as he landed across the street from Ranma in a crouch. His stance indicating he was preparing to leap again.

"Goddamn it, this is not what I need today!"

"What's the matter? Don't want a taste of the good old days?" Mousse smirked as he jumped at her.

"Please Mousse... I thought" Ranma said, dodging several thrown knives. Her eyes shimmered with anger and betrayal as she stared at Mousse, "Dammit, I thought we were friends!"

Mousse was able to finally discern the fine details in Ranma's face as he landed near her and stopped. He adjusted his glasses as Ranma's ki lightly flickered around her.

"Oh! Oh god, I'm sorry Ranma! I didn't... I was only play-acting." Mousse fumbled now for words while putting his hands up in fear, "I-I thought it would be funny if I came in, like the old days. You know, quirky and all," the confused boy bowed deeply at the angry girl, who slowly let her defensive stance drop to a normal relaxed position. She took a deep breath.

"That's the worst joke that ever tried to kill me, Kuno included."

"I guess I'm not much of a comedian," he looked away from the enraged fighter.

"No, you're not," Ranma emphasized by placing her hands on her hips ans shaking her head pointedly.

Mousse stood there blankly for a second as he stared at the red-haired martial artist. He then shook his head and perked up, "Right! I wanted to show you and Akane this new trick of mine."

"A new Hidden Weapons Technique?"

"Not quite, let me show you." Mousse flicked his robes outwards rapidly, Rather than knives, chains, yo-yos, or a child's potty coming out, two bracers, each with a somewhat large hollow cylinder attached on top, the open ends parallel to his arms.

"What the hell are those?"

"They're an idea I picked up from physics class. It's an electromagnetic projectile launcher, based loosely on the homopolar motor."

"Huh?"

"It's a railgun."

"A what?" Ranma asked again.

"It's best it I just show you," Mousse turned away from Ranma, towards a brick wall. He took a wide stance, then jumped into the air, flinging his sleeves forwards. Rather than the screen of knives that Ranma was used to, she instead saw a barrage of knives, which formed a line as Mousse moved his arms outwards. The knives moved almost too quickly for even Ranma to see.

"How the hell..."

Mousse adjusted his glasses with one hand and produced a large piece of colored chalk with the other. He began drawing a diagram on the wall, next to the embedded knives, "It uses electromagnets to fling materials. The controls are on the bracer itself. That force plus my regular power means I can make any ferromagnatic object fly at almost 150 meters per second! That's three times faster than the fastest baseballs thrown by professional pitchers."

Ranma stood there in silent contemplation, staring at the drawing for a long time. She finally nodded and said, "That's actually kind of awesome, Mousse. Way to use your noggin. You built it yourself?"

"Well I had to mail order some of the components, but I did assemble it by myself. I.. I thought it'd be an interesting exercise to combine scientific knowledge to benefit my fighting skill." Mousse looked away for a moment.

Ranma looked thoughtful, almost scholarly as she of thought of the possibilities for a fighter like Mousse. She then looked at the lanky boy, "Look, I haven't seen Akane today and I'm still shaking off this cold I caught. I was gonna go find somethin' to eat, so if you were looking for her or something I-"

"Want me to come join you? I haven't really eaten since this morning myself."

Ranma still seemed a bit on edge, asking, "Don't you have work for the old lady or somethin'?"

"Not today, thankfully. Shampoo is taking my shift. She's been slacking and Cologne actually found it in her shriveled heart to give me a break for once."

Ranma relaxed and nodded, "All right, let's get something. You owe me for givin' me flashbacks of the old days."

"Hmm.. I know a little place in town. Only decent Chinese food in town"

"I'm not going to the Nekohanten."

"There? Good? Hah!" Mousse sputtered as he laughed, "It's passable, I suppose, but only if you like soup. No, I found this hole in the wall place called the Nanhanten. Mostly food from Yunnan and Vietnam."

Ranma's eyes widened as though someone had shown her that Santa Claus was real "That sounds pretty damn awesome, Mousse! Lead the way."

Mousse smiled, "All right," as they walked, Mousse turned to Ranma, "Oh, by the way, I forgot to ask, but did you want any hot water?" Mousse produced a kettle from his sleeve.

Ranma thought for a second, "Nah, I'm good."

Saturday night at Ucchan's usually pulled a decent crowd of families wanting a break from cooking, students happy to have a day off from school, or college-aged people grabbing dinner before heading out to whatever pleasures the central wards of the city offered.

Ukyo would look at the patrons longingly on evenings like these. She remarked to herself that it was a good thing this restaurant gave her the living she needed to go to eat and go to school, even if it meant not having the freedom to do normal things that girls her age would do. Even Shampoo could get out of the Nekohanten once in a while, while Mousse and Cologne were there to watch things.

Ukyo looked at Konatsu and sighed at the poor feminine boy who was simultaneously waitress, prep cook, and busboy.

"Kona-chan, did you take your break yet? You should probably get one in before the rush really gets going."

"I'm all right. I don't really need one Ukyo-sama. I'm your willing servant, after all. I will take my rest once we close and everything is in its place."

Ukyo looked away from him briefly let out a sigh. She had already asked too much of him, with nary a complaint. At first she was happy to exploit the lovesick kunoichi's good graces and worked him as little more than a slave. In recent months, she had softened on him, paying him like a real employee and treating him like a real friend rather than as a servant. Ukyo thought to herself, "Still acts like I'm his mistress. I wish he could loosen up a bit."

The dinner rush began in earnest 15 minutes later and the two began hurriedly running to fulfill orders. Moving across one side of the scalding hot metal perimeter to the other, she seemed to be, all at once, mixing up fresh batter, pouring it onto the open grill top, adding the main ingredients, and finishing up orders with the the various condiments. Ukyo came into her own as mistress of the grill station. She even played up the process, tossing toppings in the air, cutting up meat and shrimp with her throwing spatulas, and drawing art with sauce, mayonnaise, bonito, and aonori.

Konatsu, meanwhile, was tirelessly taking orders, busing tables, washing dishes, and keeping the grill station stocked with all of the supplies Ukyo needed, occasionally dashing to the cellar for another 20 kilo bag of flour, quarts of dashi, or several dozen eggs.

To an outsider's view, the work was something akin to seeing a brilliantly choreographed tornado: at once graceful and violent. To most of the regulars though, it was a typical, if busy, scene in what had become a Nerima institution.

Konatsu carried a large stack of dishes to the back and took a deep breath. In an lilting alto, he said "I wish Ryouga was here on the weekends as well, Miss Ukyo. He's been such a saint about helping the dinner rush during the week. I almost forgot what it was like to be in the weeds like this."

"That's for sure. I don't know if I can afford to hire a part-timer though, even just for the weekends."

"With the kind of customers we're getting? I think you're just being stingy," Konatsu teased.

"Yeah, but what happens if if a burner goes out, or we need to replace a fridge or, heaven forbid, our rent goes up?" Ukyo sighed. She didn't like being the bad guy, but the importance of being fiscally solvent had been drilled into her by her father growing up and maybe, just a little, her Osakan business sense played a role in her spending allergy.

The conversation was cut short as a large group of college-aged women, dressed to kill, came in to order food. Ukyo and Konatsu went on autopilot, fielding okonomiyaki and shuttling out loitering customers (single men, mostly) to make room as they kept serving up food.

In the midst of this flurry of activity, Akane Tendo walked into the restaurant.

"Acchan! Welcome!" Ukyo opened up some grill space near and open stool and pointed at the chair with her spatula.

Akane sat down, smiling as she smoothed her uniform behind her.

"How was your day, Ukyo?"

"All right. Pretty easy since I'm in the 'go home' club. Or I guess it's the 'go to work' club," she lightly quipped, "How's the Drama Club, Vice-President?"

"Going well. We're starting to think about what we want to put on for the festival in September. Right now we're just doing acting exercises and small scenes. Yuka and I did this scene from Madame de Sade. I think the 1st years were surprised by the content, but we've been trying really hard to engage them in serious theatrical drama. Sometimes I wonder if they joined because they thought it would be like acting in movies, or Takarazuka."

"Maybe they heard from the upperclassmen about the last two plays," Ukyo added as she quickly mixed up a batter with chopsticks.

"Well the play our first year was a total disaster. I really thought last year would go off without a hitch, since not too many high schoolers know Streetcar Named Desire, but it was almost as bad, especially when Ranma came out dressed as Stan, yelling out "Akane!" right on cue. So embarassing" Akane sighed into her hand.

"Well, I have to say I didn't mind seeing Ranchan in a tight tank top."

"And neither did the rest of the school, especially when Mousse showed up and threw a prop glass of water at Ranma. The male student body really enjoyed that scene and the resulting... tension?"

Ukyo laughed. "yeah, I was crying with laughter."

Akane served up an okonomiyaki with a cute sketch of her, Akane, and Ranma with "friends" written out in sauce. As Akane ate, Ukyo stretched her arms and stifled a yawn as there was finally a quiet as the last of the large crowds began shuffling out to whereveer the night would lead them. Akane had finished eating, but she kept nursing her water until the restaurant was practically empty, save for a few patrons, sitting in far off tables remained.

"Hey Ukyo. There's something I came to ask you."

"What's that, Acchan?"

"Actually, I'm sorry to ask, but... It's about Ranma. I think I might have done a terrible thing..."

Ukyo dropped her spatulas suddenly, "Oh God, you finally hospitalized him, didn't you? That's why he wasn't in class today."

"What? No! He has a cold! Really! I mean... I think I hurt his feelings."

"Oh, sorry Acchan, I got carried away there for a moment," she laughed nervously as she picked up her spatuals, "I'm actually a little surprised. He wants to believe he doesn't have any feelings, other than hating to lose. Usually it takes you being kidnapped or almost dying to really make him think it's okay vulnerable," Ukyo remarked, her slight annoyance poorly masked in indifference.

"I know Ukyo. I'm sorry, I wouldn't come to you if I didn't think you knew him as well or even better than I do. You're in his class this year. How is he doing? He seems different at home, but I haven't really been able to get him to say what it is."

Ukyo was quiet as she carefully put her spatulas down and looked at the black surface in front of her. She took a deep breath. She scanned the restaurant.

"Why don't we talk upstairs?" she said quietly to Akane, then turned behind her and said in a loud voice "Konatsu! I need you to man the grill for a while."

"Of course Miss Ukyo!" Konatsu replied as he walked into the counter to take Ukyo's place.

The two women then slowly walked thorugh the kitchen and up a set of stairs, where two rooms were. Walking down the hall, Akane saw the smaller room had two futons and surmised it was where Ryouga and Konatsu slept. Entering the larger room, Ukyo shut the door behind her and collapsed in a heap.

"Ukyo!" Akane cried in shock, "are you okay?"

"No, I'm not. I'm not even sure how I feel." She looked up at Akane, a sharp expression in her face which just as quickly softened, "You've been so nice to me and I've been trying really hard to keep my distance like I promised him. I'm trying to just be his best friend, but seeing him so," she started tearing up, a few drops falling onto her lap, "dead inside every single day breaks my heart. I love him so much, Akane. I'm doing everything I can to not to go up and hold him." Ukyo grabbed her chest as though the wind had been knocked out of her.

Ukyo lowered her voice, sniffling, "I know you feel the same way and, I'm sorry, but there's a small part of me that hates you so much because I can't be the one to help him."

Akane kneeled down and embraced Ukyo in a deep hug, the distraught girl sobbing into Akane's shoulder. Akane spoke in a whisper, as though she needed to hide this from the furniture.

"That's just it Ukyo. I know how you feel. He doesn't say anything. He seems like he doesn't even want to really talk to anyone, myself included. The only time he even seems like himself is when he's fighting, but even then..." she looked at Ukyo, the cute girl who was her sometimes rival, sometimes friend.

Seeing the formidable fighter and strong girl so vulnerable stopped Akane's train of thought. She put a hand on Ukyo's shoulder and said, "I don't know if anyone can 'save' Ranma, but Ranma himself. I just think he has to admit there's even a problem. He either pretends like everything is normal or"

"he's really mechanical, like he's on autopilot?" Ukyo completed the thought. Akane nodded as she began to tear up slightly as well and the two sat together for a while, leaning against Ukyo's modest twin bed and staring at the wall on the other side, the only sound a ticking from the mechanical alarm clock nest to Ukyo's bed.

After an interminable silence, Ukyo spoke.

"Hey, Akane. I don't think I ever told you. I told Ranchan, but, I was too ashamed to face you at the time, but I'm so sorry about what happened then. I lost my head, I let Shampoo's near-insanity and Nabiki's scheming get the better of me and I know I probably cost Ranma his happiness."

Akane shook her head, "Ukyo. The past year, you've been my friend and I wanted to try hard and be friends with you too. Even if you didn't say it, I knew you were sorry. But, I forgive you." Akane looked up at the ceiling, musing, "besides, I don't think that was the cause of what's going on anyway."

"What is it then?" Ukyo turned to her friend.

Akane curled up, hugging her knees and said, "I don't know. Maybe he's heading towards a nervous breakdown and we're all a little bit to blame for pushing him off the deep end? Or the idiot tried so hard to pretend he doesn't have feelings, he's finally done it? Or, heck, maybe this is something that's been with him for a long time. I just wish the idiot would figure out what's wrong with him so he can fix it."

Ukyo giggled slightly, "Yep, isn't that the way with him? He can beat any challenge, but it takes him forever to figure out how to do it." She shed a tear in her reverie.

"Ukyo..." Akane looked at the distraught girl, "I'm sorry for intruding, especially when you still have work downstairs. Maybe I should go home, it's getting late."

Ukyo shook her head, "It's okay. We're closing up shop in a few hours. I was wondering... do you wanna hang out tonight, maybe stay over? It's been a long week and I could use a friend tonight."

"Hmm, I think that should be fine. I should go home and grab a change of clothes. Did you have anything in mind to do?"

"Probably just some tv and snacks. I hope you like scary movies," Ukyo said teasingly.

"No, I hate em!" Akane replied vehemently as she stood and sauntered out of the room.

"Oh, you're no fun, like Kontasu," Ukyo replied, pulling down her eyelid and sticking out her tongue.

Leaving the Nanhanten, Ranma and Mousse stretched their arms into the darkening sky as they walked down the street.

"That was awesome delicious! I miss that kinda food. Japanese food is good too, but man, that was just..." Ranma let out a squeal of joy.

"Yes, I rather enjoyed it as well," Mousse said in a halting voice, looking at Ranma quizzically, "I didn't realize Chinese food would bring out such a 'side' of you."

"Whadda ya mean? What side?" Ranma asked.

Mousse stiffened, "Uh, your... um, 'exuberant' side?"

"Ah. Yeah, sorry, It's just been a long time," she put a hand behind her head in embarrassment, "It made me a bit nostalgic of back when I was in China with Pops, before the mess with, you know. Though I guess back then, though we ended up stealing or scamming it more than payin' for it."

"I see. Like at Juketsuzoku?"

Ranma put her hands up, "That was a misunderstanding. We hadn't eaten in days, and I was still half in shock over what happened to Pops and I."

"You would think, after that, you and your father would have realized the error of your thieving ways."

"Eh, You'd think." Ranma looked down at her feet, "I wanna believe I ain't as much a freeloader as Pop, but I've gotten enough free parfaits in this getup," she motioned her hands up and down, "to know I'm a chip off the ol' block whether I like it or not."

Mousse chuckled, "So I've heard from your fiancee."

"Which one? The one that you're in love with, the cute one who's more handsome than I am, or the tomboy who's jealous of this?" Ranma put a finger to her chin, "Well I there's the crazy one, but anything she says doesn't count!"

Ranma let out a small laugh. Mousse appraised Ranma's words and finally remarked, "I wouldn't want to Akane to catch what you just said, but it's good to see the old Ranma again."

"What?"

"Well, um, no offense Saotome, but this is the most animated I've seen you in months. I was afraid something was deeply wrong, but you seem fine. You're looking like the formidable opponent once more."

Ranma stopped, her voice losing it's dynamic quality, "is that all I am Mousse? An opponent or rival or somethin'?"

"What? I consider you and Akane to be my friends. I can't lie. You two being together means I have something of a chance with Shampoo again, but, for now, that's secondary. You two have been kind to me since Jusendo, really long before. I'm sorry I let myself get so caught up and act selfishly, even when it was to my own detriment. What I'm poorly explaining here is I hope that we're something approximating friends."

Ranma nodded, "Yeah, we're cool... look, there's a lot of crap goin' on. Some of it you know, but like, there something else, but I can't figure it. I'm trying to not let it get to me, just do the normal crap, and hope I can deal without everyone losing their heads or something exploding when I ain't all there to save everyone."

Mousse looked at Ranma and saw a surprisingly open expression in her face. To Mousse's mind, it wasn't exactly the same, but he had seen that look before at Jusendo when Ranma thought Akane might have been gone for good. Mousse noted the seriousness of the moment and decided to lighten the grave mood.

"Hey, how about we do some sparring? At the park. It's getting dark, but we can fit in a short bout. How about it?"

"Yakkow," Ranma said as she took a deep breath through her nose, "I think that soup did the trick. Knocked whatever shit was clogging my sinuses out."

"Yes, I rather like Guoqiaomixian myself."

"I'm ready enough to get a bit of payback for that contraption of yours. Let's do it."

The two martial artists walked until they reached a riverside park, just north of Nerima Station. They found a suitable site along the eastern river bank, near an empty soccer field and a small stand of trees, which lined the edge of the greenery, separating it from the walkway below, and began stretching and doing forms.

Finally, after about ten minutes, the martial artists took their stances, drawing the eyes of one or two passersby.

"Ranma! Prepare yourself for your defilement of Shampoo's heart!" Mousse yelled overdramatically.

"Hah! We'll see about that, Peking Duck!" Ranma similarly retorted, cracking a smile.

The two leapt into the air and began to fight.

Kasumi had been preparing dinner when she noticed the late hour and oddly quiet household, with only Genma and Soun at their usual position at the shogi table.

"Are Ranma and Akane home yet?"

"Not yet, Kasumi," Soun said absently as he pondered his position on the shogi board.

Genma moved a piece and then exclaimed, "That no good son of mine, running off from training like that! I swear, sometimes I wonder..."

"Wonder what, Mr. Saotome, if Ranma's gotten over his cold?" Kasumi asked, the contrast between the sweet smile and the incisiveness of her tone unsettled him.

"Well..." Genma mumbled the rest as he caught Soun in the midst of surreptitiously moving three different shogi pieces. "Ah! What are you doing with my Gold General, Tendo?" Genma yelled as the two patriarchs proceeded to argue their game with some amount of bombast until everyone heard the sound of the front door opening.

"Ranma! Are you finally back from sulking like a little gir- Oh, hello, dear!" Genma paled as the Saotome matriarch entered the Tendo home. Genma tried to swallow the lump in his throat. Even now, he still tread lightly around his wife.

"Hello dear. I take it that Ranma is out?"

Kasumi walked out to the living room and said, "It's good to see you Auntie Saotome. Yes. I'm afraid he stepped out earlier. He should be home soon."

"Oh," Nodoka momentarily looked disappointed, but then walked towards the kitchen, "Let me help you dear. You do so much for this house."

"Oh thank you very much, Auntie."

"Oh it's my pleasure. It's my way of paying back whatever trouble my lout of a husband and only son have caused you."

"Oh, It's no trouble at all. It's not much more work than it was with the four of us." Kasumi then lowered her voice to a whisper, "I'm a bit worried about Ranma, though."

"How so? Is he ill?" Nodoka asked, in similarly hushed tones.

"No. Well yes, recently, but it seems to have been a mild illness. I meant that he hasn't really been himself. He has less of an appetite and, at home, he seems rather distant when he isn't arguing with his father or my little sister."

"Do you have idea what it may be."

"I don't know yet, but I left a message to a friend of mine who can help. I've told Ranma if he ever needed to talk, I would be there. Even if Akane's future wasn't part of it, Ranma's a good person and I don't like to see him so down."

"Thank you for always taking care of him, actually, all of us, dear. Actually, I came today because I wanted to speak to Ranma about something important. I had hoped I could finally see him in a moment of calm now that the new house is completed and I'm not entangled with that mess." Nodoka sighed a little as she helped Kasumi with table settings and brought out tea.

"Oh, were you planning on asking him to move back with you?"

"Oh heavens, no! Not after last time! Even so, I know he gets on well with your sister. I of course would love to see them wed, but I think for the moment, it's all right if they are just teenagers. Really, I just wanted to see my son."

Kasumi only smiled and the two finished dinner preaparations, brought the meal to the table, and ate peacefully. The dinner, all told, was a rather quiet affair, with only the elder Saotomes. Soun, and Kasumi present.

"Oh Kasumi. Did Nabiki phone us today?"

"No. I expect she won't call until tomorrow afternoon. I imagine she and her roommate are relaxing in their apartment."

"What school is she attending again?" Nodoka asked.

"Hitotsubachi University, in Kunitachi. Not too far, but she insisted on living separately. She managed to raise the key money and deposit to be able to get an apartment."

"Oh that's nice. What is she studying?"

Kasumi paused for a second, "If I recall, she plans on studying Business Administration and Marketing, but she's taking preparatory courses this term. I believe she also plans to study economics as well."

"Oh that's very good. Have Ranma and Akane been thinking about college?" Nodoka asked with a certain measure of optimism in her voice.

"The boy doesn't need to go. He has the dojo, after all," Genma gruffly replied

"Now dear, he needs an education, inheritor of the dojo or not."

Kasumi continued, "I don;t know if Ranma's been thinking about school, but he's so quiet it's hard to say. Akane has been looking at her options, but I think she's looking at four-year colleges nearby. She wanted to find a school that had courses in education and theater. She told me she's seriously thinking about whether she wants to be a teacher or try and take acting more seriously. I believe she mentioned Nishogakusha University in Chiyoda."

"Oh that sounds very sensible. It's good that's she thinking of future seriously. It's good to pursue a dream, but it's also good to have a fall back if things don't turn out as you imagine."

Kasumi stared past Nodoka for a brief moment, then caught herself and nodded, smiling, "I suppose that's true."

"And how are your studies going? I know you've been taking a class at the junior college nearby... Kokusai Junior College right?

"Yes. I'm doing an English program there. I hope to transfer to a four year-school next year. Musashi University if I'm lucky, so I can be near home."

"Wouldn't that be great! I'm glad the women of the family are so goal-oriented. Maybe my son can learn a few things from you three."

Kasumi looked down, unsure what to say. The group finished their meal in silence. Kasumi had just stood up to clean up when the door quickly opened.

"Welcome home!"

"Hi Kasumi. I'm heading out again, so I won't be long. I'm sorry I didn't call ahead, it was a bit of a last minute- Oh, Auntie!" Akane stopped at seeing Ranma's mother and bowed.

"Hello dear," Nodoka bowed slightly in response, "Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

"Oh, Ukyo invited me to stay over for the night wither her and Konatsu."

"Konatsu? Who is she? A friend from school?"

"Huh? He-err," Akane regained her composure, "she works for Ukyo. She's our age and very nice."

"What about Ranma?"

"What about him? Wasn't he asleep the whole day?"

"That no good brat, running away at my attempts to keep his wits sharp!"

"Um, he was sick, or did the fever not mean anything to you?" Akane said, her expression revealing her own surprise at what she said.

"It's okay Akane," Kasumi said over the din of the sink as she washed dishes, "He seemed mostly okay before he left this afternoon. He just didn't come home for dinner. He's probably fine."

"Are you sure? I can go look for him, if he just wandered off like that."

"It's all right Akane," Nodoka smiled at the girl, "I can wait for him. Have fun with your friends," Nodoka smiled at the young woman, "You should enjoy the springtime of your youth, after all."

"You don't have to do that, Auntie. I can call Ukyo and-"

"It's all right child. I want to be able to see my son when he comes home. I've lost a lot of time already," Nodoka looked away wistfully, before looking at Genma and remarking, in a significantly less reflective tone, "besides I need to have a talk with my husband about his comportment." Genma began to stand up to run away when Nodoka revealed a flash of steel, causing his feet to stiffen as though stuck in concrete.

"Thank you Auntie. I really appreciate it!" Akane bowed deeply, then ran upstairs.

"My, that was very kind of you Auntie," Kasumi smiled as she set out tea.

Before Nodoka could respond the phone rang. Kasumi dashed towards the kitchen to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Kasumi! Good. I'm glad I got you."

"Ono! How are you? How is Kagoshima?"

Dr Tofu sighed, "Oh, it's April and already too damn hot. Look, I received your message. I want to help in whatever way I can. I don't want to leave Ranma on the lurch." The line went silent momentarily, only white noise hissing between the two. Dr. Tofu's tone had shifted from the pleasant demeanor, " Honestly? I was afraid something like this would occur."

"Why didn't you say anything, Ono?"

"Well, at the time, it was just idle speculation. Also, I probably would have been useless because of my... personal weaknesses."

"I see. Of course," Kasumi had replied with a disconsolate tone.

"However, I'm willing to make the trip up during Golden Week, since we all have a break. I'd like to talk with him, maybe refer him to someone local who's good about these things. In the meantime, keep talking with Ranma. He needs a stable support network and, from what I remember, you and maybe Akane are it."

"I will keep myself open. He's my friend as well, Ono."

"Good. Anyway, if anything happens before Golden Week, don't hesitate to call, though my schedule is rather hairy. I'll call later on next week to coordinate the trip. Um,..." the doctor hesitated, mumbling "keep it together Ono," a few times before he took a deep breath, quickly said, "Um, good night Kasumi!" and hung up.

The sun had set for about half an hour when an exhausted Mousse and Ranma sat down on the slope by the riverbank. Ranma lied back against the grassy artificial hillside.

"Man, that was a good fight. Jeez Mousse, you did a number on me with those knives."

"I barely touched you," Mousse replied incredulously, pointing to the torn sleeve of Ranma's shirt, the only indication that she had been fighting just moments before.

"And it took everything I had to make sure this is all that happened. Maybe Pops is right and I have been slacking."

Mousse poorly stifled a laugh.

"What? I say somethin' funny?"

"Not exactly, " Mouse sputtered, "just the idea of your fighting condition being 'slacking off' is laughable. I only really had a chance cause of fancy weaponry."

"But that's the way it is, isn't it. I mean, without your Hidden Weapons, you'd be toast. But that's the beauty. You're never without your weapons. You gotta use your strengths, whatever they are."

"You sound like yourself again."

"You keep sayin' that? Who else would I sound like?"

"Ranma, I'm not the only one who sees your 'poor little boy' act. The problem is that I know it's not exactly an act."

"Oh?"

"Look, I don;t want to get into it, but you seem to have people who care about you that don't have a stake in this whole marriage business. I'd like to say I'll assist you, but... I have my own happiness to attend to."

"Yeah, I know. I'm just hoping I can have enough time."

"Enough time?"

"I dunno. I guess I just wanted my last year of high school with no tricks, no savin' people, no crazy magic. Just try and live as normal as possible for one year. Afterward... I don't know. Maybe it won't matter afterward. Maybe I can just disappear forever," Ranma laughed at this seemingly private joke.

"Now you sound like the sullen boy I've seen skulking the hallways of Furinkan High of late. But I know you wouldn't do something as rash as suicide and, unfortunately, even if you could hide from the others, Shampoo and Cologne would find you, so running away on any long-term basis is out."

"Yeah in the long-term, I'm toast no matter what I do, huh?"

"Well there are worse fates than being married. For both our sakes, I hope it isn't to an Amazon."

"Why? What's that like?"

"For you Japanese and your inflated sense of male pride? Probably too dreadful to bear. For us Amazon men? I wouldn't mind it so much. My mother runs a tight ship, as far as the family goes. We tended the gardens, grew rice and vegetables. Raised chickens and ducks. My dad took care of us while my mom and elder sister fought or went hunting. I took care of my younger siblings for a while too. Like I said, you would probably find it demeaning, but there is some amount of peace to it, having a woman around to take care of you and for you to take care of her."

"Huh. I admit, it sounds a bit screwy to me, but I can sorta see where you're coming from. I guess when it comes down to it, it's good to have a place. You know, older brother, first son, betrothedm whatever else."

Mousse leaned back against the grass next to Ranma and lifted his glasses, his iridescent jade, almost teal eyes shone, reflecting the last bit of twilight and the city lights which were beginning to illuminate the streets.

"Well, it's not just that sort of thing. You know, my dad's very quiet, but you could tell from how he doted on us how much he cared about his kids. My mom was rather loud and brash, even for an amazon, but quite funny. She always praised me on my abilities and how quick a learner I was. My elder sister was a bit of a bully to me, but she defended me from the other bullies. My little brother on the other hand was such a crybaby growing up, but he's really something now. He learned to play the Erhu from Yu-diedie. My little sister was a little monster when she was little. When I left she was finally learning to pick up the bonbori. From what mom wrote me, she was picking up fighting faster than even I did at her age." Mousse grew quiet as the air took on the chill of night. Ranma didn't say anything and the neighborhood seemed desolate and silent save for the sound of trees rustling or the steps of a nearby pedestrian.

Mouse continued, "I hope they're doing well. I miss them sometimes, you know. I can't stop wanting Shampoo to have eyes only for me. I would love nothing more than to go home and be her husband. But then, the thing is, I don't hate my life here Ranma. The short time I've tried to become part of this world, I've enjoyed myself immensely, but sometimes I'm also afraid that-" Mousse let out a loud sigh, "that there may not be a place for me when I go home. That I'm already too different to make it back in Juketsuzoku"

Ranma nodded for a sec. "I guess I kinda understand, but I never really had a home like that, you know. But I know what's it's like when the past ain't what you remembered. When the things you thought you knew became different and you didn't see it til it's staring you in the face."

The two closed their eyes and laid against the grass in silence as they reflected on their respective fates.

After seemingly a long time, they sat up, admiring the waxing moon, already rather prominent in the sky.

"What time do ya think it is?" the tired girl in red and black asked.

"Hmm.. Probably 7 or 7:30. Should we go?"

"Yeah, we better. If I don't get back soon, always a chance Akane'll think I'm somewhere I'm not supposed to be. Or worse." Ranma stood up, brushing her jeans of grass.

Mousse did the same, dusting off his robe and adding, "Well if the old woman wanted you whether you consented or not, you'd have been unconscious aboard a slow boat to China ages ago and you'd probably already be there, married, and speaking fluent Mandarin and the local dialect. I think you're clear."

"Yeah yeah. Ready to go home?" Ranma motioned her head up the slope, towards the street.

"Well, we have to pick up after ourselves," Mousse made a slow sweeping motion with his arms pointing out the several dozen throwing knives embedded in the grass and trees around them, extending all the way down to the small pedestrian area by the river itself, the sight of which confused the occasional jogger who stumbled upon them wedged deep into the sidewalk.

"Oh, right, the knives," Ranma replied sheepishly as she bent down to pick them up along with Mousse.