Sten stared out at the Kouken Temple, perhaps for the last time. The fall of Prime Minister Honest several months ago, to whom the temple had pledged their support to, meant the end for the Rakshasa Demons as well. Officially, the reason was that forcing children to continuously drink from the lake was considered inhumane since only a few in every batch of children actually attain a viable body. The rest are left to survive on their own with their various mutations. For that reason, many peasant workers were now within the temple, taking it down piece of piece. Standing about were numerous generals of high rank, enough to lay waste to the entire congregation of practitioners. Those of the Rakshasa Demons that violently objected were put down with extreme prejudice.

Whether it was from a foolish sense of compassion or a master plan, the former inhabitants of the temple were being spared despite their high martial abilities. They were not even forcefully recruited into this new fledgling government. However, as he stood there among his flock, he could not smile.

No future Rakshasa Demon could ever be born without living off the waters of the lake, and it would be guarded for generations to come, perhaps even poisoned. It didn't matter, though. Their temple could only survive here. Even if they were to steal the water every day, they still wouldn't be able to get enough fresh water to sustain the young ones long enough to fully morph their bodies and bring out their potential. The only way to do so was by living here, next to the lake. That was now an impossibility.

This was truly the end.

"There's no point in watching this." Sten turned his back on the temple that had served as his home for his entire life.

"Where will we go?" The question came from a nameless voice within the crowd of lost souls. Sten only spared them a single glance.

"To wherever you wish."

~o~

Najenda walked through the bustling marketplace of the Imperial Capital, watching as the citizens bustled about their business. The place was starting to regain a bit of normalcy, especially after the months of the chaotic aftermath. Here and there, she could even spot traders from the Western countries and the Northern Tribes, eager to tap the new open market that the country was now employing.

"Najenda, try some of my fruit. It's essentially ripe today."

"Oh, if it isn't Najenda. Come, come. Try some of my cookies."

"It's big sis, it's big sis. Hey, big sis!"

Najenda waved back at them, though she didn't stop walking.

The thing that she noticed the most was the smiles that were on people's faces, a sight that was a lot rarer in the years previous. The wound that the nation had suffered was slowly being healed, though it would still bear the scar for generations to come. With time, even this bad memory would fade from the world, but she hoped that the lesson never would.

It had been a year since the Emperor had been kidnapped. After news of the Emperor's abduction came to light, the support base for the Prime Minister began to collapse. They had followed behind Honest because he had the unconditional backing of the Emperor. Without the Emperor, splintering and infighting soon broke out. It started slow, but as they saw everyone leaving, others began to leave as well. That soon turned into a tide.

In the midst of it all, the Revolutionary Army mobilized. With the Prime Minister's sinking power, there was barely any resistance, and they took over the capital within a month's time. Most of the remaining Generals and their forces surrendered before a battle could even break out. There was a token resistance, much of it from Grand General Budo, but they were quickly put down by both the size and unity of the Revolution Army.

Honest, knowing that the end was coming when the Night Raid breached the palace's defenses during the invasion, killed himself. It was an ending that left most in the rebellion and the victimized citizens of the nation dissatisfied, but there was nothing that could be done on that end. Since then, much had changed.

When Emperor Makoto had taken the throne, Prime Minister Honest had taken the time to thoroughly wipe out any that were even suspected of having royal blood. That left none that could legitimately take up the throne. Furthermore, the recent tyrannical reign had left a bad taste in the mouths of the populace. To that end, they reformed the Empire and established a council to govern the nation, with its representatives chosen through democratic voting in order to ensure that no one like Prime Minister Honest could come into power. Or at least, not as openly.

There were a number of checks and balances now in place to tie the offices to the populace, but even then, it was experimental in nature. It was more of a republic now than a monarchy. Whether it worked or not would be telling in the years to come.

Najenda sat down heavily on a bench and stared up at the noon's sun. It was a hot day, but she didn't mind it. After being stuck in the dark for years after her induction to the position of leader of Night Raid, it was a welcomed prospect to finally be able to walk in the capital in the daytime.

Her mechanical left arm ached with a phantom itch, a reminder that she would never be able to get revenge for the loss of her arm. It was a fanciful wish, one that would be excruciatingly difficult to succeed in even if Esdeath was still here. Though it was an idle thought, really. She had long given up on the thought of revenge even before the invasion was carried out. Esdeath was an opponent far too difficult for such pettiness.

In the aftermath, Esdeath managed to escape. After forcing her own army to lay down their arms in exchange for a pardon, she escaped to the Eastern islands with her Three Beasts. It was reasonable why. The soldiers had family in the country so by doing this, it freed most of them of their obligation. Their legendary strength was necessary in the recovering Empire so the deal was taken without hesitation. And besides, she wouldn't be able to take a land-based army to where she was going.

Where did she go? That would be Eastern Sea. It was a very strategic decision. Any pursuit, even with a fleet, would end in failure. All it would take was a glacier to break a ship apart, and that wasn't even accounting for Liver's control over the water. It was a deathtrap that not many were willing to risk. Last that she heard, Esdeath had backed one of the island nations and started a naval war against the other islands…

~o~

Esdeath stood on the deck of the ship. Standing behind her were the Three Beasts: Liver, Daidara, and Nyau. They stood still with their arms resting behind their backs even as the sailors frantically ran about the ship, making sure that everything was ready.

Besides their ship was a fleet of ships, all under her command. Each was in the midst of last minute preparation for the battle ahead. They were each waiting anxiously for the command to attack.

Across from their ships was an armada that outnumbered theirs five to one. They were the combined fleets of several island nations, all determined to stop her rampage. The islands that she had violated in her campaign had brought about such a response.

In the face of this overwhelming number, there was not a sailor who wasn't stricken by fear. Yet, in spite of that, they wore their resolution on their faces. Harsh and deadly training had shaped them, and the victories that they had gained, one after the other, had carved them into warriors. For the one that trained them and showed them these victories, they were utterly loyal to her. The strength, valor, and compassion of their commander raised their morale to the highest they had ever felt. The indulgences that she allowed drove them forward with eagerness. In her name, they would slaughter and rape the islands with impunity. With her at the helm, they would do no less.

For she was the Goddess of Victory who came to them, wielding the strange power from the Western Continent that escaped their understanding. To the other nations, she was a western barbarian, a devil that sought to destroy them all. To them, she was their savior. For through her, the East would finally be conquered in its entirety and set under one reign.

Esdeath stepped forward until she reached the bow of the ship, putting her hand on the hilt of her sword. Sliding the rapier out of the ornate sheath, she swung it until the sharp point was aiming straight at the center of the enemy armada.

"Is this the best they could do?"

From there, the sailors under her command watched as the Goddess worked her magic. The powers of her Teigu seeped out of the edge of her sword and down into the water below. The sea in front of the fleet began to freeze, the waves on the top layer of the ocean becoming icy statues.

"Liver."

"As you command, Lady Esdeath." The older gentleman stepped forward and held out his gloved hands. The white layer of ice sitting on top of the sea broke apart, splitting into smaller, jagged pieces. Sweeping out his arms, he sent waves of water splashing forward at high speeds, sending the hundreds upon hundreds of icebergs rushing towards the enemy fleet. Liver smirked. These islanders were not used to the frigid dangers of the winter North, so they were not aware of the dangers that these little pieces of ice posed. Truly, a masterful tactics from the one he served.

"Forward. We'll destroy any remnant that remains," Esdeath said. The command was heeded as the sailors went to work. The ship heaved forward, following in the wake of the icebergs. A flag was raised, sending forth the command to the rest of the fleet. They began in earnest as well, like sharks at the first sign of blood.

It wasn't long before the wave of icebergs struck the frontlines of the enemy's armada, tearing gaping wounds into their undersides. Water flooded into their ships even as Esdeath's fleet came upon them.

On the bow of the ship, Esdeath smiled. It was time to begin. This was only the first step. No matter where he hid himself, she would find him. Even if she had to ravage the entirety of the Eastern islands, she would find him.

"Our battle hasn't ended yet, Ranma."

~o~

The thought of what Esdeath was doing right now sent a shiver through Najenda's spine. That was probably something that was best not to think about. At the moment, Esdeath was someone else's problem.

Najenda leaned back on the bench.

As for the others…

Many had been prosecuted and brought to justice. In the first couple of months, the Imperial Capital literally ran red with blood. That was how thorough the cleansing of the corruption was. By the end of it, the capital was in shambles, but even then, it was slowly rising again.

Grand General Budo, for ignoring the corruption in front of his eyes for all these years, was stripped of his rank and forced into permanent house arrest. There was no reason to for him to work anymore anyways, with the dismantling of the monarchy his family served for so many generations, so he spent his time nowadays with his children and his grandchildren. His immense wealth as well as the patronage of many politicians who were under his support back then was enough that it would allow his family to live without a care for at least a few more generations.

Former Prime Minister Chouri returned to the political field and took a seat on the council. Along with his daughter, Spear, they regularly talked with the citizens in the city and visited even the most isolated villages in the Empire to smooth over relations. They were now well-recognized and had become iconic, despite their relatively humble intentions. Spear had even received marriage offers from both minor and major noble families, though she had steadfastly refused them, citing her duty to her father. Chouri, on the other hand, accepted to go to a formal meeting for nearly all of them, much to his daughter chagrin, though they never amounted to much.

Najenda wondered why.

~o~

"Spear, are you still thinking of him?"

Spear turned her head to look at her father, but she didn't stop fingering the scar on the side of her face. Inside the carriage, the two were sitting across from each other, but where there was usually a conversation going on, there was now only silence. Their relationship with each other was so close that she didn't even need to respond. So she didn't.

"He's gone now, and he couldn't return even if he wanted to," Chouri said. "The Empire had been changed by one boy, but he had done the unthinkable. Even if he returned, would you go to him?"

"…I don't know."

"Spear, my daughter, it's time to move on."

Spear was silent.

Chouri sighed.

"…if he asked me, I might have left with him."

"Then I'm thankful he didn't ask." Chouri weathered his daughter's glare. "I have no wish to see my daughter living a life on the run. That could've been the last time I'd ever see you."

Spear's glare softened, though it still held. She turned her face away and stared out the window. Her reflection faintly stared back at her.

"There are many young, admirable men who would like your hand. Please, give them a chance."

"I'm not interested."

Chouri gave a resigned frown. "I suppose only time will make amends."

Spear didn't respond as she held a hand over her breast, feeling the slow beat of her wounded heart.

It hurts. It hurts so much.

~o~

Najenda rose from her seat, patting any dust—real and imagined—off her clothes and resumed her walk. So many things had happened in the past few months that her mind was still trying to process it all. Even with her former team, things had changed since the revolution.

Ever since Tatsumi saved Mine on the rooftop that fateful night when they fought Ranma, the girl had fallen in love with the boy. It had taken months, but they had finally started dating. From the last she heard, they were currently on their way to visit Tatsumi's home village.

~o~

From the driver seat of the hooded wagon, Tatsumi kept a tight hold of the reins. The horses were calmly trotting on the snowy path, but Bulat had always told him to be vigilant about it. There was no telling when something—or someone—might come out and spook them. Still, he couldn't hold back the yawn that left his mouth.

"Take a rest. I can take over."

Tatsumi glanced back to see that Mine had pulled the front curtains aside. She crawled out of wagon and into the seat next to Tatsumi. He frowned a little at that.

"Mine, you shouldn't be out here. It's still pretty cold."

"I'm wearing two coats. I'll be fine, so stop being an idiot and take a break. You've been at this for nine hours."

Tatsumi shook his head. "I'll get some rest when we get there. We should be seeing the village up ahead any minute now."

"Then I'll keep you company. I don't want you falling asleep and getting us stranded." Mine was looking straight ahead, trying to subtly hide her blush as her small hand fell on top of Tatsumi's.

Tatsumi's cheeks reddened. "Mine, I'm driving."

"You can do that with one hand."

"Uh yeah, I guess I can." Tatsumi almost released the rein to scratch his cheek, but quickly held off that urge. He took his left hand off of the rein and intertwined his fingers with hers.

They were silent as the horses continued to pull the hooded wagon at a steady pace, but there were little smiles on their faces. The rhythm of clip clops of the horses' hooves made a steady beat in the companionable silence that fell between the two.

"Mine, do you think they would've been happy with this?"

Mine, for her part, had to force herself not to glance back at the wagon at his mention. "Happy with what?"

"Coming home like this," Tatsumi said.

"Idiot, why are you asking me that? I never knew them." Even though the content was harsh, her tone was soft and gentle. "But I think they'd have been happy."

"If only we didn't get separated, then they wouldn't have been—ow ow ow!"

Mine had stabbed her fingernails into the hand she was holding. "Idiot. If you say something like that, then I'm worst. I could've saved so many people, but I couldn't."

"That wasn't your fault."

"Then this isn't your fault either, Tatsumi."

"But—"

"Don't say another word. If you can say that about my problems, then I can say that about yours. Don't become a stupid hypocrite, Tatsumi, or I'll blow your head off with Pumpkin."

"Ah." Tatsumi wanted to argue more, but he realized what she was trying to do. He smiled. "Thanks." Tatsumi took his eyes for the road for a second to lean in and kiss her cheek. He already returned to his original position, looking nonchalant, by the time Mine got out of her shock to turn her reddened face towards him.

"W-w-wha?"

"You know, you're cute when you're like that."

"D-don't say stupid things like that!"

"But you are."

"…idiot." Mine lowered her face, but it was colored like a tomato at this point. Despite herself, she had a wide smile on her lips.

"Ah, there it is." Tatsumi pointed up ahead, where the village could be seen far in the distance. While Mine leaned forward to try to get a better look, Tatsumi glanced back at the hooded wagon. The flap of the curtain was hanging off to the side, revealing two black coffins inside. He smiled softly and sadly.

"We're home, Sayo, Ieyasu."

~o~

There were many that had been lost during to Honest's reign of power. Every one of them needed some time to heal their wounds, now that the revolution was over.

Even though Bulat loved the peace, at the same time, his blood was too passionate to remain here. He had gone to the east to find his former commander, Liver. His guilt about not being able to save Liver drove him to do so, even knowing about the older man's new allegiance. In a sense, he was searching for answers to questions that could not be left alone. Whether or not he would find what he was searching for there, in the midst of the war that Esdeath was waging, only time would tell.

In regards to Leone, she had started living in the slums again. Most of the money she had gained from her employment had gone to helping out the residents. Things were still in bad condition there, despite the revolution, but her work was slowly paying off as things were getting better. Though, she was still getting drunk every so often, usually under someone else's moneybag.

As for Akame, she was reunited with her sister. Najenda was glad that the war had stopped when it had; the sisters had almost been forced to fight each other, especially since Kurome had joined the Jaegers. Still, the damage to Kurome's psyche and body from the drug abuse and the Empire's indoctrination was extensive, so Akame had taken her sister into the seclusion of the mountains to recover.

~o~

Akame stood before a small table inside a wooden cabin. Directly opposite of her was her younger sister, Kurome. They stared at each other with blank eyes, before they both looked down. On the table were two bowls, one stocked with meat and the other filled with individually wrapped candies. Kurome reached for the candy bowl.

Akame slapped her hand away and shook her head at the younger girl.

Kurome reached for it again, but her older sister slapped her hand away again. She frowned deeply, the lines indenting on her cheeks.

"Why can't I?"

"Not healthy," Akame said.

Kurome's frown deepened. She couldn't take the drugs, and it was making her agitated all the time. She kept feeling the urge to go out and get more, but she refrained from doing it because it would make her sister angry. Still, if she was going to take away her candy as well, then she might as well just get some more of the drugs. In fact, why didn't she just do that now—

"It's hard?" Akame's thumb brushed the spot under Kurome's eyes. There were dark bags there.

Kurome didn't reply. She didn't trust herself to. Arms wrapped around her and pulled her in.

"I'm sorry. I should've come for you." Akame hugged her. She buried her face into her shoulder. How long had she wanted this, even when she thought she would have to kill her? Now that it was reality instead of a dream or fantasy, she could hardly believe it.

"Are you crying, big sister?"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I'll stop eating so much candy, so don't cry."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry…"

"Big sister…"

Outside the window, beyond the ridges of the mountains that surrounded the little cabin, the sun dipped below the horizon.

~o~

That had been months ago, right after the revolution. She had gotten a letter from them last week, asking her to send a supply of meat and sweets to the mountain. It seemed they had hunted all the nearby creatures to extinction and eaten their entire supply of sweets. The former was something she could easily imagine, but the latter…

They had taken a two year supply of sweets with them when they had first gone into isolation.

Najenda wouldn't have been surprised if Kurome pissed sugar at this point.

Speaking of the Jaegers, most of them were pardoned with a couple of exceptions. Bols, in particular, was working off his punishment with community service and free labor. For Dr. Stylish, his crimes against humanity in general were many, but his research was invaluable. He was pardoned on the condition that he would hand over all his research data to the new government and any new research project would have to be approved by the council first. One of his first duties was to use his Teigu, Perfector, to restore the damages to flesh wrought by the civil war.

Sheele had been one of the first to undergo the surgery. At the end of it, her body was restored to the condition it was before the torture, though it seemed to be a little better even. She was currently working at the Lubboc's bookstore, since it was thought that it would be difficult to damage books even with her clumsiness. Not impossible, to Lubboc's surprise, when she had caused all the bookshelves to fall in a domino effect.

~o~

"Sheele." Lubbock sighed as he stared at Sheele who was behind the cashier counter. She was reading a book, holding it in both of her hands.

"Yes, master?"

"Your book is upside down."

"Is it?" Sheele tilted her head, staring at the pages with both of her eyes. Normally, she would need to push up her glasses at this point, but she wasn't wearing them. She didn't need them anymore.

Lubbock plucked the book out of her hands, righted it, and put it back into her hands.

"Ah, so it was."

"I know you're still getting used to all the new parts that Dr. Stylish made for you, but you've to pay more attention. Last time, you gave too much change to the customer."

"I'm sorry…"

Lubbock sighed as he scratched his head through his hair. "I'm not trying to make you feel bad, but you need to pay attention, especially to your new body parts. I don't trust that guy to not put something weird in them."

Sheele smiled and motioned for him to come closer. He looked curiously at her as he stood in front of the table. She leaned over and gave him a peck on the lips.

"Thanks for caring."

Lubbock looked stunned for a moment before he grinned in a silly manner and rubbed the back of his head. Even with how many times he got it from her, he still felt embarrassed and more than a little happy. Suddenly, a thought entered his mind, and his grin became mischievous.

"Do you want to close up shop early today?"

Sheele nodded happily.

~o~

As for her, life had been different living out in the capital once more. Najenda had been offered the position of captain in the Imperial Guards, but she had refused. Work had already taken most of her best years so she didn't want to use up the ones she had left on that.

She didn't quite have the beauty that she used to have, but she was starting to think more and more about marriage. Love was something that she had put off by telling herself that she would think about that after the revolution. Now that it was over, she didn't quite know what to do.

Lubbock had been her back-up plan. A bad back-up plan, but a back-up plan nonetheless. Now, that option was gone, but she didn't begrudge the girl for it. Sheele deserved to be happy.

She just wondered how life would have been like if she had accepted that prince's confession all those years ago before she joined the Revolutionary Army. Probably boring, now that she thought of it.

Well, there was still time.

As for Ranma and Genma…

After their abduction of the Emperor, they became the most wanted criminals in the Empire, but their trail ran cold in the forest. Search parties were sent far and wide, consisting of the most skilled in the Empire, but even then, there was nothing to be found. Information about the two was near nonexistent despite all the information gatherer and spy they sent to the Eastern islands. It was like they were ghosts.

The only piece they managed to acquire was the information they extracted from the Kouken Temple. The reason that they had been inducted into Honest's service was because of a prophecy that had originated from the Lord of the Path of Peace. When questioned about this, he had only smiled and said that all was as it should be. After that, he refused to say anything more about the topic.

It was officially one of the blackest crimes in recent history, but there were many that applauded their actions in secret, even with the fact that it ended the Imperial bloodline.

Najenda didn't know how she felt about it.

She just wondered if they, along with the Emperor, were happy now, wherever they were.

~o~

Ranma sometimes wondered if things could have been different. There were so many events, one after the other, that led to their current circumstance.

After their escape from the Empire, it wasn't long before Pops found out about the night games they played. It had been the first time that she had ever seen him truly and utterly angry. It took a lot of effort just to keep him from strangling Makoto. In the aftermath, plenty of explanations were given about what they were really doing. After that, Ranma had made sure to stay away from Makoto.

Still, the journey was a long one. Eventually, inhibition slowly eroded, giving way to secret and guilty pleasure. Even though Ranma had been misled into it, that simple act had opened Pandora's box. It was a slow process. It wasn't like it was overnight. Day by day, week by week, little by little, it started to not feel so wrong. That small thought that it wouldn't be so bad grew bit by bit. Temptation and the memory of what it felt like had plagued them. What was learned could not be unlearned and eventually, the temptation was far too much for them. So great was the desire after abstinence that they indulged in it and ran rampant with it. Worse, it didn't feel wrong to do so.

Eventually, it became what it was. From there, it was a whirlwind of events. It eventually settled down, but it was a time that tested her in more than ones.

After all that, Ranma had to admit one thing.

She was happy now.

Looking down at the plain gold wedding band on the ring finger of her left hand, she remembered when Makoto had proposed to her.

It was a couple of months after the chaos had settled down in Nerima. The antiquities that Makoto had on him were more than enough to pay off the debt, especially when radiocarbon dating proved their age. With Nabiki's connections and the considerable amount of money they had left over, it was easy enough for the girl to set up Makoto with an identity as someone who came from Belarus. It was a small country, so it wasn't hard to find someone in the government who would do it for them for a fee. Even then, most in Japan simply consider him to be Russian, and with his appearance, it was easy to pass him off as such.

They had been having secret liaisons with each other, but with how things were in Nerima, that wasn't to last. In the midst of it all, he had proposed to her, having gotten the idea off of Nabiki. In spite of everyone's expectation, Nabiki included, Ranma had accepted it. She didn't even know why she accepted it, but she did. The fallout from that led to them moving into her mother's home.

"Ranma?" Nodoka walked into the living room with a sleeping baby boy cradled in the crook of her arms.

"Yes, mom?"

"Do you know where your father is?"

"Pops went on another trip to Europe."

Even though Genma had sought out the capital to retrieve his hidden treasure, he could never find the way back there no matter how long he searched in the forest in Belarus. Eventually, he gave up after he searched almost every square foot of the forest. Even though he came back to Japan in defeat, he would sometimes get the notion in his head that he would be able to find it. Out of the nine trips he had taken, all of them had ended in failure. In spite of that, he still kept trying.

Nodoka sighed. "That man…"

"Why are you still up? It's almost midnight."

"I should be asking you that, young lady."

"I'm not that young. I'm almost twenty-five now." Ranma scrunched up her face. "And I don't like being called a lady in any case."

"Well, that's the life you chose, Ranma," Nodoka said. "Now, you didn't answer my question."

"Did you ask one?"

"Ranma," Nodoka said sternly.

"I'm…I'm just thinking 'bout a few things."

"About," Nodoka corrected.

"About," Ranma repeated.

"Would you like to talk about it?"

"It's not anything important. Just about how crazy things were to end up like this. I never thought I'd marry Makoto and have a child. It's just so strange."

"And I never thought that my manly son would choose to be a woman." Nodoka chuckled softly.

"It ain't like that. Makoto accepted both my male and female forms. You know that," Ranma said. A smile appeared on her lips. It didn't matter if it was hot water or cold water, the one who she chose to spend the rest of her life with was comfortable with both.

"I know. I'm simply teasing you, Ranma." Nodoka looked up at the clock. "Makoto is late."

"He probably got stuck with some last minute work." With the money they had left, Makoto had started up his own company after he graduated from high school. At first, they wanted him to go on to university like Ranma had done, but he had been adamant about earning his way and supporting them. It had started as a small company, but with Nabiki's help, it grew to the international level. Sadly, that meant less time at home, but Ranma made sure to visit him whenever she could, fitting it in between the martial arts classes that she taught in the dojo they built in the backyard.

"Is he the reason you're staying up?"

"No," Ranma said exasperatedly. "I already told you why."

"It doesn't mean you can't have another reason."

Ranma shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe."

The sound of a door unlocking and someone stepping into the house interrupted their conversation.

"You should go greet him. A wife should properly welcome her husband home after a hard day at work."

"What if I'm the husband?"

"Then you wouldn't be wearing that nightgown." Nodoka smiled. "Go to him. I'll put Kanma to bed."

"Thanks, mom."

Ranma rose from the couch and walked out of the living room. Moving through the hallway, she reached the main entrance. Standing next to the shoe rack, having taken off his dress shoes, was Makoto in a slightly wrinkled dark blue suit and tie. He had grown to be even taller than Ranma, and his lean muscular physique was an effect that came from being an Anything Goes practitioner. He had a handsome, slightly effeminate face that wouldn't be out of place on a fashion magazine. He was in the midst of pulling his tie loose when he noticed his wife standing there.

"Welcome home." Ranma smiled happily at him.

The stress and hardship of the workday slowly fled from his heart as he gazed upon that smile. Slowly but surely, Makoto returned that bright and wonderful smile.

"I'm home."

~o~

Author's note:

I was trying a new style by placing scenes within the narrative scene, but I don't think that went over well with the semi-constant switch of tone. Still, I don't think the scenes couldn't be enjoyed without the context. Or at least a longer individual scene to explain more, but that would have taken a lot of time to do. Well, live and learn. I believe I'm getting better at writing by figuring out which styles work, even if the results are less than spectacular.

In any case, I hope that you enjoyed the story. I can't believe I was able to finish it in a month and a half. A full, complete story that is longer than 60k!

Someday, I'll reach the vaunted 100k. Someday.

Okay, now onto how to how I wrote this story.

Well, I didn't actually have a plan for this story. I didn't even have a plan to the end of the current chapter I was writing. It was pretty much go with the flow and do it if it was interesting. That led to some unique things.

As for not making the story longer…I let everyone down! I was truly aiming for that high ceiling of more than 100k, but when I found an ending that neatly wraps up everything, I had to take it. The opportunity to wrap stories up becomes harder as a story becomes more complex. There are more threads that need to be tied up, otherwise it will lead to the universally despised bad ending or the ending that leaves a lot of questions unanswered.

I suppose I have to thank the opinions I received that made me decide to rewrite the storyline. It was originally going to go into Ranma and Genma joining Jaegers. Where it would go from there, I don't really know, but I assume a lot of fighting, bonding with the Jaegers, moral dilemma, and slowly going insane.

Oh, and you know, eventually finding out the truth and having to decide the ultimate dilemma on which side to choose. Also stuff like Genma getting a scratch on his hand from Akame's sword and cutting his own arm off. It's not so bad! Dr. Stylish is there to replace his arm with…something.

And adding more Ranma cast. I got to say that Mousse with Zank's third eye Teigu would be so incredibly deadly that it's not even funny. Wild Hunt would even get Kuno (and maybe Kodachi). Honestly, it would be pretty hard to figure out what Teigu fits with each of them.

If it went on this route, it was more than likely that I would have paired Ranma up with Spear. That girl deserves happiness, don't you agree? Well, Chelsea would have been good too. Maybe even Suzuka.

Makoto going yandere was also something I thought about. That would have been pretty awesome.

Generally, I judge if it was a good chapter or not by how fun it was to write it. Like when I wrote the ending to chapter 4 between Makoto and Ranma (and Honest), I was laughing my head off. Well, that was due in part to my thoughts about the reactions I knew I was going to get. The fact that it actually turned into something bigger surprised even me because I certainly wasn't planning on it. It was like a joke that somehow became bigger than it was supposed to be, but then again, I always liked weird pairings.

I don't care about gender lines. My own preference is that I'm not a fan of yaoi or yuri, though I make an exception for traps just because they're so cute. That said, I'm completely open to gender bender romance. All in all, I think Ranma and Makoto make a cute couple.

For the beginning few chapters, I had an editor that helped me and kept me confident, but for the last few, I was sadly without one since he got too busy. I always do self-editing before I foist it off to my beta, but I had none to shoot off ideas and find my mistakes. Especially the fight between Esdeath and Ranma had me feeling the lowest amount of confidence that I had this entire story. It feels like something is wrong, but I can't find it. Like an itch that I couldn't scratch.

Also, I received a question that asked: "Why Belarus?"

The answer to that? No reason! My editor mentioned the country so I took it. It was originally just going to be a nameless country in Eastern Europe. That's pretty much it, hahaha.

I would also like to thank Hiryo and Vahn for the moral support they have given me. I enjoyed our talks, and I hope to talk to you more.

Anyways, it's time for me to move onto a new story. Cheer for me! Once I figure out which series to do. I don't know what I want to do. Well, I'll figure it out sometime.

Now for Omake time!

~o~ Omake One ~o~

That speed. Even his eyes, enhanced by the waters of the Kraken Lake and decades of training, were strained in keeping up with that speed. Even his Hundred Blazing Fist technique could not compare—no, it was even sacrilegious to think of them in the same thought. The young man's technique had sent five hundred punches to several points on Suzuka's body. It was not random, for there was at least fifty punches to each of the locations, done specifically to spread out the damage so that it wasn't lethal and to effectively disable a person.

Sten crossed his arms as the technique ended. If it were anyone else besides a Rakshasa Demon, it would have put them down for the count. However, their bodies had a far higher endurance than a normal human.

Suzuka fell to her knees.

Eh? Sten stared, his mouth gaping slightly.

"Ah…a-ahh…" Suzuka's face was flushed.

"You…you climaxed, didn't you…?" Sten's eye twitched. The front of her hakama was soaked, and from the smell, it certainly wasn't sweat.

Ranma, for his part, tilted his head slightly in confusion,

"This…this exquisite pain. I've finally found you, darling!"

Ranma took a step backwards. "Hey! I got plenty of that to deal with. I don't need another one."

"Instant rejection! It hurts," Suzuka said, "but it feels so good."

~o~ Omake two ~o~

"Ranma is guilty of treason."

Emperor Makoto looked between the Prime Minister and Ranma, his expression becoming a little strained as he thought about the situation. "You mean…"

"Yes, he'll be sentenced to death," Honest said.

"Hey! I didn't do nothing." Ranma glared angrily at Honest. "Just because you keep saying it doesn't make it true."

"Quiet." One of the guards holding Ranma kicked him in the side, but it didn't little to him.

"I see." Makoto walked down the steps to the martial artist. "I understand what I've to do."

Honest smirked at those words while Ranma's glare at the Prime Minister intensified. Makoto came to a stop before Ranma. The little Emperor took a deep breath before finally speaking.

"I'll pardon your crimes."

"I don't know what that fat guy is telling you, but I—wait what?"

"What?!" Honest's jaw dropped open.

"I said you're pardoned." Makoto smiled brightly at Ranma. "By my authority of Emperor of the Empire, I hereby pardon one Ranma Saotome of all crimes henceforth. Those that dare to call into question my decision will be subject to my wrath."

"But Emperor Makoto, you can't possibly be—"

"This applies to you too, Prime Minister." The eyes that Makoto glanced back at Honest with were cold. "I'll not have you questioning my decision."

Honest's face darkened, but he held his tongue. "As you wish."

~o~ Omake Three ~o~

Makoto looked down at the list and then up at Ranma. He looked at the list again and then back up at Ranma. There was a worried expression on his face.

"I'm having second thoughts about this arrangement, Prime Minister."

"What arrangement, Your Highness?"

"Ranma working under Esdeath. I think it might be better if he simply stays at my side."

"We've already talked about this, Your Highness," Honest said. "It's far too late to change things now."

Makoto frowned. He stood up from his chair and walked over to Ranma. The pigtailed boy in question stared at him in confusion, but he ignored that and hugged him from behind.

"Ranma is mine." Makoto was staring at Esdeath as he said this.

Esdeath simply stared blankly at him.

Honest coughed into his fist. "I believe that His Majesty is worried that you might steal his fiancée away from him."

"Why would I do that?" Esdeath honestly asked.

"It would seem that Emperor Makoto believes that Ranma fits all of your criteria."

Esdeath turned and stared at the frowning Ranma. It was a few seconds before she finally spoke.

"Can I have him for a trial period?"