The Things We Wish For...

Chapter 13

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Preface: What's happened before: Akane got her hands on a wish and used it to wish her mother had never been in a car accident and was alive in the present. Well, her mother wasn't in an accident, and is with them in the present. There's only a slight complication; Kachiko had been in two accidents, the first occurring when she was the ripe old age of seventeen.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

More excited than he had been for months, Ranma squared off against his opponent for what would be the final and deciding conflict. After months of deception, evasion, and outright cowardice, he had trapped his foe, affording his opponent no path of escape.

"It's ten o'clock already. I want to get this over with and get to bed," Kachiko yawned for emphasis.

It was a trick of some sort, everything was when it came to her. But he had gotten her to agree to one last sparring match in exchange for willingly going on a date with the intention of having a good time. It was an incredible sacrifice on his part, but as his father always said, the path of the martial arts sometimes required sacrifices.

"Let's get a move on here."

Dating was one of the worst things he could do. It only led to a host of irate people, including romantic interests, parents, and even total strangers. At least it didn't seem as though Kachiko would be any making any demands of him, beyond him trying to make it a good time for both of them. The upcoming date could have been much worse, as past experience had taught him.

"You're internally soliloquizing, aren't you?"

If anything, it was the exact opposite, as Kachiko had laid a set of specific ground rules beforehand, rules that expressly prohibited him from trying anything, not that he wanted to, of course. But it implied she would not be engaging in such behavior either. There was a reassurance in that.

"You are. Great. Just !#$% great."

And there was one other problem bothering him like few things ever had. Kachiko had the audacity to compare him to Kunou. No, worse. She said Kunou was better than him. It was as inconceivable as snow in July, or talking his way out of a fight. He could not rest knowing someone believed in such a boldfaced lie. He had to set her straight and prove he was the manlier of men. For if Kachiko thought Kunou was better than him, who else might come to believe the same thing? No, this was a problem that had to be settled now, before it grew out of control, like a contagious disease, or Happosai with unlimited access to women's undergarments.

That would be dealt with later. Right now there was something more important to worry about; finally showing Kachiko conclusively who the more talented martial artist was. Everyone else in the house was asleep, and Ranma had nailed the doors to the dojo shut, ensuring there would be no outside interference. This time it would be a clean one-on-one battle with the winner being permanently declared the better martial artist while the loser would be just another defeated foe. Ranma trembled in excitement at the opportunity to finally show his superiority.

Ranma went into his standard attack stance. "All right. I'm read... Hey!" he shouted at the girl who was now resting in a curled up position on the floor with her eyes closed.

Maintaining his distance, wary of a trap from such a tricky foe, he shouted, "Wake up!"

Kachiko's eyes fluttered open. "So, finally done with your mental rambling and ready to fight?"

"I was not mentally rambling and I'm always ready for a fight. And remember your promise. No tricks this time, got it?"

"I got it, I got it." Kachiko stretched out, raising her arms above her head as she yawned. For just a moment, the belt on her gi loosened, allowing an opening of flesh starting with her neck down to slightly below the center of her chest to show. It displayed the fact that she was choosing to fight without a shirt or bra underneath her uniform.

The sight made Ranma slightly uncomfortable. Undoubtedly that was the exact reaction Kachiko had been hoping for. Luckily, he had come up with the perfect counter of his own, one that had worked every time he had used it..

Kachiko took on a more serious demeanor as she matched Ranma's own stance. "Are you ready?"

"Let's do it." Eager to end things, Ranma ran forward to attack.

Kachiko responded by turning around and running in the opposite direction.

"Hey, you can't do that!" Ranma shouted as he began chasing after her.

"Sure I can. I like to refer to it as the Tendou School of Martial Arts Ultimate Defense: Strategic Relocation."

"All you're doing is running away."

"From someone stronger and slower than me: the ideal situation to employ Strategic Relocation." Kachiko maintained her speed.

Well, Ranma mused, it wasn't like The Saotome School of Anything Goes didn't have its own version of that 'defense'. Luckily, despite being slower, they were in an enclosed space, and in the time it would take for Kachiko to crack open the door or destroy a wall, Ranma would be upon her.

Kachiko must have come to the same conclusion as she suddenly stopped and reversed direction, running backward and lashing out with an elbow toward Ranma's head.

He ducked under the blow, but Kachiko having anticipated the evasion, suddenly went low, spinning and lashing out with her leg. She caught Ranma with a leg sweep and knocked him off his feet. She tried following up with an axe kick into his stomach, but Ranma had barely hit the floor before springing back up and out of the way of the blow. The kick broke several floorboards.

Her lack of restraint irked Ranma. He was holding back rather than risk hurting the time-lost girl, both for his own peace of mind as well as to avoid incurring the wrath of the Tendous. Though even with him holding back, the outcome still wasn't in doubt. Not this time.

Since she had chosen to close the distance, Ranma was not going to allow her to run from him again. He immediately went on the offensive with a flurry of punches aimed for various disabling areas of her body.

Much to his surprise, Kachiko deflected or evaded the blows, some by only the slimmest of margins. He increased his speed, but she managed to keep up with him, though it was taking obvious effort on her part. As frustrating as his inability to land a clean blow was, to his trained eye he perceived that the only reason she could keep up was because she was putting everything into defense, while he was holding slightly back in case of retaliation on her part. Still, it was something of a revelation that she could defend herself so well. She might not have been anywhere near as strong as him, or as skilled, but she possessed superior reflexes. It made things challenging.

"Not bad," Ranma tried distracting her with his talk, but Kachiko didn't rise to the bait, and remained silent as she continued blocking his rain of blows.

The stalemate continued for nearly an entire minute before Ranma felt the first burning sensation of exhaustion set in. He could still fight for a while, but his attacks would become progressively slower as the match wore on. Kachiko was breathing hard, but still remained as fast as ever. Concerned she would flee at the first sign of an opening, or worse, come up with some trick to remove her from the fight altogether, Ranma used the plan he had concocted to counter her trickiness and defeat her.

Ranma let a smile creep across his features, one that came surprisingly easy despite its premeditation. "It's funny. I never realized it until now, with us fighting like this, but that look of concentration on your face actually makes you looks cute."

For just a moment, Kachiko hesitated. That was the only opening Ranma needed. He snared one of her wrists and jerked her toward him, knocking her off balance. He pulled her past his body and sidestepped, allowing her to trip over his extended leg while keeping a firm grip on her arm as she struck the floor. It was all over at that point; Ranma had both superior strength and leverage. Within seconds he was sitting on the small of her back, twisting both her arms behind her back and muscling them high enough to prevent her from breaking out of the hold.

"Give up?" Ranma offered.

Kachiko snarled once. An increase in pressure changed it to a squeal. "Fine, I yield."

"Who's the better fighter?"

"You are."

"That sounded good. I want to hear it again."

"You are, oh great and invincible martial artist. Now get off my back before I get really mad!"

Ranma did as she requested and leapt into the air, shouting in glee at his triumph. After celebrating for several minutes with his 'Happy Martial Artist' dance, he threw open the doors to the dojo, ripping the boards nailed over them off, and raced into the house as he continuously chanted how he was the better man.

Kachiko rubbed her sore arms, staring at where Ranma had exited the dojo. Despite her contention, she did not seem angry, but rather perplexed, and perhaps a touch distressed.

"Did he mean it when he called me cute?"

She was left without an answer.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was not until the next day, after a restless night with little sleep, that Kachiko considered ripping Ranma's lips off his mouth for causing her such grief. It was curious, and more than a little annoying. All it had taken was him saying a single compliment and turning her into a downward spiral of uncertainty and confusion. It didn't make sense. Guys had called her cute before. Lots of them, and some of them had been cute too. Kunou complimented her continuously and in much more flowery language when he was in her presence, and on a basis strictly of looks, he was more handsome than Ranma (though not by much). So why was it when Ranma said something as simple as calling her 'cute' it made her feel warm inside?

Of course, it might have been nothing more than an attempt to throw her off her game and lose the match, which it had done. She would have tried the same thing if she thought it would work. Maybe Ranma had finally learned to be shifty. Actually, she was certain the timing of the remark was to do precisely that. But that wasn't what was really troubling her. 'Was he sincere?', that was what she was concerned about. Just because he had been opportunistic didn't mean he was lying.

The more she thought about it, the more she thought Ranma meant what he had said. He didn't seem like the type that could lie that casually, or convincingly. He was a terrible actor on the few times she could recall him trying to pretend to be something he wasn't. But there was no strain or hesitation when he called her cute. It was as natural as saying she had black hair. So that meant he was being honest. Probably.

But why did it matter? Why did his words affect her more than Kunou's? Maybe it was because they meant more, since he never spoke that way. One of Kunou's more distinctive traits was a glib tongue that passed out praise freely. He made the same flattering comments about Akane and some pig-tailed girl he had the hots for as he did about Kachiko. While she enjoyed the flattery, it wasn't as though it was exclusively meant for her, which made it less important. While she felt appreciated, his words hadn't made her heart flutter or cheeks warm the way Ranma's had.

"Stupid jerk," she grumbled to herself. They hadn't even gone out on a date yet, and she was not fixated on him they way she had been on Bosatsu. There was no way he should have been able to make her react this way. She didn't care for it. Not one little bit. Guys were supposed to jump when women said jump, not the other way around. She wanted Ranma reacting to her flattery, not her reacting to his. She wanted to control the direction of the relationship, if they were going to have one, which she had not decided yet since they hadn't even gone on a date to see if there was any chemistry between them. Now Ranma had thrown the whole plan out of whack with his stray compliment, which might not have even been a sincere one. It made her angry.

Kachiko wondered if there were any other girls that found Ranma as alluring and annoying at the same time as she did.

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Ranma hummed to himself as he prepared for his date. Not that he was looking forward to the date, but he was still delighted at his victory and Kachiko telling everyone in the home that he was the better martial artist. It felt wonderful putting everyone's doubts regarding that to rest. The two fluke victories Kachiko had managed (the third match not being a loss for him no matter what Kachiko claimed) were just that. Ranma's superiority had been assured in both thought and deed, and he found himself happier than he had been in months. Even having to go out on a date couldn't foul his mood. He'd probably manage to have a good time, and if things started to bring him down, he'd make Kachiko admit he was the better man again to boost his morale.

He had already picked out what the suit he would wear, an 'engagement gift' given months ago by the two pushy fathers. He had also chosen what restaurant they would dine in (one he could afford), and made a reservation. All was ready to give Kachiko the time of her life.

Ranma still felt good about himself when a knock on his door interrupted his reverie. He told the person, "Come in," as he finished buttoning up his shirt.

Nodoka did so.

"Hey, Mom, what's up?" Ranma asked distractedly as he adjusted his tie for the third time. He couldn't seem to center it, and he wanted it to appear perfect for the date.

Rather than answering at first, Nodoka closed the door behind her. Ranma finally took note of her. She looked like a prisoner about to walk to the gallows, or his father being forced to admit he did something shifty. "What's wrong?"

Nodoka walked further into the room until she stood next to her son. She cleared her throat. "I realize that tonight you are going on an official date with that... girl, who could potentially be your... fiancee... someday."

So it was the engagement thing again. The way just about everyone other than Kachiko brought it up was annoying Ranma to no end. "It's just a date. We aren't talking about getting engaged or anything like that."

"Thankfully," Nodoka muttered. "You should really, really take your time regarding the engagement. Don't rush into any decisions. You have all the time in the world. Don't think just because you're dating her that's any reason to get engaged to her. Please."

"I keep telling you it's just a date. She's made it real clear from the beginning she's not interested in getting engaged to anyone for a long time, and that includes me." Which was one of the reasons the date wasn't as troubling as it could be.

"Yes, well, it would be best that a... situation does not arise that would force an engagement, so here." She thrust a small packet that had been hidden in her hands toward Ranma.

It took Ranma a second to identify the condom. "Just what in the hell am I supposed to do with that thing?!"

Nodoka rolled her eyes. "Didn't your father teach you anything? Very well, first you tear open the wrapper then remove it. Then unroll it on your-"

"I know how it works!" Ranma interrupted before the conversation went one word further. "What I mean is I don't need something like that on my date."

Nodoka's gaze took on a burning light. She dominated Ranma's vision as she drew herself up to her full height. "That's the exact sort of attitude that leads to unwanted complications! I will not be questioned on this decision, young man! You are my son. You will be taking this with you on your date if I have to put it on myself!"

Ranma's stomach recoiled at the very idea. Sensing his mother would try to follow through on the threat, he accepted the item and put it in his pocket.

"That's better," Nodoka said, the majority of her anger dissipating. "Now you're prepared for your... date. Remember, don't take any chances." It was much a threat as it was a warning. Her task completed, Nodoka exited the bedroom and shut the door forcefully behind her.

Staring at the door, Ranma gulped nervously. It was as though the condom weighed a thousand pounds and threatened to tear a hole through his pocket. He couldn't believe his mother was encouraging him to do... that with Kachiko. While he knew she demanded he be manly, he thought she disliked the time-lost girl. It was confusing.

Worse, he didn't want to imagine how Kachiko would react if she caught him with something like that in his pocket. She had made the 'no getting to second base' rule clear, which suited Ranma just fine. But if she discovered he had come on a date with something that was intended to be used to 'go for home', he'd be lucky if she didn't go ballistic and forcibly remove the anatomical feature that the condom was designed for.

"Why does it seem like every time my life gets better, something else makes it worse?" he grumbled.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Soun Tendou sat in his bedroom, looking through a photo album perched on his lap. It was the first time in over a decade he could bring himself to pore through the pictures and feel good about them. Normally he would break down and weep over each one. In many ways, it was though he was looking at them for the first time. There were so many joyful images of the past, and it was a good past. It had been a happy life, and worth remembering in a way that warmed the heart rather than tearing it apart. How could he have been so blind and foolish for so long?

He was smiling at a picture of his wife and the girls playing in the nearby park, remembering that day well, when the door to the room burst open and Kasumi entered.

"Father, we have to move quickly!" Kasumi urged.

Soun immediately shut the album and placed it aside. To see Kasumi panicked meant something terrible must be happening. "What is it?"

"Ranma is going to try to date Mother tonight. We must stop him. I already have the perfect plan." She pulled out a brown, unmarked bottle. "I'll offer to feed Ranma some special cookies. They'll be laced with this mild poison that will make him too sick to go. Then you can step in and offer to take mother out instead."

Soun shook his head. "Kasumi, we can't do that."

"Do you think we should use laxatives instead? I wasn't as confident about using those, since it might take too long to affect him, and he would be all right in between visits to the bathroom. Although I suppose it would be less cruel to him."

"We cannot do that either."

"I'll distract him while you knock him out from behind?"

Soun rose to his feet and walked to Kasumi. He placed his hands affectionately on her shoulders. "No, Daughter. We aren't going to interfere in any way."

Kasumi looked heartbroken. "Oh Father, don't tell me you've given up. I just know Mother will come to her senses and realize you're the only one for her."

Soun gave a smile accompanied by a slightly sad laugh. "Kasumi it's not that simple. Kachiko, the one that is currently living in our house, is not your mother."

A touch of fear laced Kasumi's voice. "Of course she is. I mean, I know she's young, but she's her. I can tell by some of the things she does. And you recognize her. And she admits to who she is. She's our mother."

"She's no more a mother than you are," Soun informed his eldest daughter. "She's the girl that has the potential to be your mother, but that's all it is. Potential. She might be similar to your mother, which makes it hard to differentiate sometimes, but she isn't her."

"She is," Kasumi contended, voice cracking ever so slightly.

Soun tried being firm, yet comfort his daughter at the same time. "She's never given birth to anyone. She is not the woman in your memories. She's not the woman that raised you and showered you with affection and helped make you into the wonderful young woman you are today. Your mother is dead."

"She's right here, living in Akane's room. She's the second chance we need to have Mother back!" Kasumi insisted.

"She is not," Soun said in a tone that left no room for argument. "She's her own person. She's Kachiko Tendou, a rambunctious teenage girl who's been torn out of her time and put here among us. She is not the second coming of your mother, Kasumi. I know you miss your mother, I still miss her too, and so do Akane and Nabiki, but you have to let go. You can always honor and cherish her memory, but you have to move on beyond her. It's what she would have wanted."

Tears began to fill Kasumi's eyes. "But it's not fair. I want her to be Mother so we can do all the things we never had a chance to do."

"She's not the person you want her to be," Soun insisted. "Even if somehow she were to change like that, it would be because she wants to, not because you do. It was like that when you were born. Kachi didn't act like a mother because I made her, it was because she wanted to love and raise you. The girl with us now has made it clear she has no desire to act the role of your mother, which she is currently ill-suited for. You must stop trying to force her to behave that way. You'll only earn her resentment, and I know you don't want that."

Kasumi couldn't respond. She simply began to weep.

Seeing how the words were making his daughter break down, Soun embraced Kasumi, trying to comfort her as best as he could. "Believe me, I know what you're going through. For the longest time I felt exactly the same way. But recently I've come to the realization, no, the acceptance, that your mother is gone and she is never coming back. She was the world to us, and justifiably so. But while we keep her in our hearts, we must honor her memory and move on. Our lives did not stop on the day she died. They might have been slowed down for a while, but not stopped. It would be shameful, and she would never forgive us if we were to continue wallowing in misery over her absence. She would want us to move on, beyond what we were, and to continue living life to the fullest, just as we did when she was here at our side."

Kasumi stared at Soun through tear filled eyes. "But it's not fair. I thought we had a wish that came true. I want her to be Mother so much."

Soun continued embracing his daughter. "I did too, but even if she was to wake up one day and start behaving like we want her to, she still wouldn't really be your mother. She still wouldn't be my wife. Only the woman who went through the exact same experiences your mother did could be that, and this young girl has not. Nor would your mother want her to pretend. We have to let the past go, so we can move forward to the future. And we have to let Kachi, no, Kachiko," he corrected himself. "Live life as she wants to while she's here. If she wants to date Ranma, well, it does make for an awkward situation, but we have to respect her wishes."

Kasumi continued sobbing for a while, letting the tears flow down her cheeks. After a handful of minutes, the sobbing slowed down, the stopped as her form seemed to firm up. She wiped the tears from her eyes and looked up to her father. "I suppose you're right. I think I've known it since she and I went out that night drinking and doing other things."

"I'd rather you didn't remind me of that," Soun said, uncomfortable at the memory of the state Kasumi had returned in that night.

Not sensing the effect her words were having, she continued. "I enjoyed myself, spending time with her, and dancing with those boys was fun. I haven't done anything like that in a very long time, if ever. It was fun cutting loose like that."

"Ah, yes." Soun suddenly found his words about 'going forward' coming back to haunt him as Kasumi spoke of doing exactly that in her reminiscing about drinking and interacting with men. Of course, she was nineteen and entitled to do engage in such behavior, but it didn't mean he had to like it.

After dwelling on her enjoyable time, Kasumi turned the conversation back to its original topic. "But what I was trying to get at is it wasn't the sort of thing I would ever have done with Mother, and I think I knew it. I mean, she's so much like Mother in some ways that it was sort of like I'm with her, but at the same time it's not."

"I know what you mean," Soun agreed.

"I suppose you're right," Kasumi finally decided. "I should let her do what she wants instead of trying to make her into what I want. But, it's difficult. I'd rather have Mother back than just having a friend, and an erratic one at that."

"Yes, it is," Soun said. "But we'll manage to get by. Understanding the truth of the matter is the first, and most important, step. Once we manage that, the rest will be easier to deal with."

"Yes, Father," Kasumi said with a touch of remaining melancholy.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ranma stared at the packet in his hand, the item primarily responsible for ruining what had previously been a good mood. He deftly rolled the object between his fingers wondering why it being 'ribbed and lubricated' was for a woman's pleasure. While he knew how the things worked, he wasn't aware of the finer details involved with their design. His opinion on the subject of prophylactics was that he didn't need them since he wasn't going to engage in the behavior that would necessitate having one. End of discussion. Now he found himself thrust into a situation that was almost surreal, thanks to his mother's bizarre behavior.

He grunted in annoyance, pondering what to do with it. The best thing would be to throw it out, but if his mother asked to see it and the packet wasn't with him, there was no telling what she might do. She might even make him wear one for the entire evening!

Ranma was considering running the risk and tossing it in a wastebasket when the door to the room was thrown open. Reflexively he hid the packet in his pocket, hoping whoever had barged in hadn't seen it. When he identified the intruder as an angry Akane, he prayed twice as hard he was quicker than her eye could follow.

For a moment, Akane's eyes focused on the hand hidden in his pant's pocket. Then she turned her angry gaze from it to Ranma himself. "Is what Nabiki said true? Are you going out on a date with my mother?"

"Well, yeah," Ranma said, hesitantly. Judging by the look on Akane's face, she was mad as hell. It was times like this he wished he had less pride and could run for it. Or had a terrible direction sense like Ryouga. Becoming lost could only help his current situation.

The answer only made Akane angrier. "I've had enough of this. It's time to stop this nonsense once and for all. I forbid you from going out with her!"

Rather than back off or become apologetic, Ranma's own gaze narrowed. "Where do you get off telling me what to do?"

The retaliatory anger did nothing to assuage Akane's own. "Because you are my fiancé. Mine! You have no business fooling around with someone like her, or anyone else, for that matter!"

Ranma dug in even harder. "And you think that gives you the right to tell me what to do and who I can hang around with and anything else. You think you can lord it over me like I'm your pet or something? Well I got news for you, I am not your fiancé at the moment. I'm not anyone's fiancé. I am my own man for the first time in a long time, and I happen to like it that way. I got no intention of being engaged to anybody for a good long while."

"Even me?" Akane said bitterly.

Ranma threw his hands up in frustration. "Aren't you listening? It's 'even everyone'. Why do you keep trying to make it sound like it's all about you? It's not always about you. Sometimes it's about me, and this is one of those times."

"You were ready to marry me once," Akane said, her voice somewhat more subdued.

"I was knocked out and others dressed me up and took me to the chapel. I think it's safe to say that whole thing was not my idea. I was still messed up from Saffron, you nearly dying, and the springs getting screwed up. It wasn't exactly the best time for me."

"Then you're saying you don't want to get married?" Akane said, the anger returning.

Ranma felt like screaming at the top of his lungs. "I'm saying I don't want to get married now! I'm tired of everyone trying to push me into things I don't want to do. Even my mom's starting to do it. You used to be different, but now you're acting just as bad as everyone else."

"Except Kachi?" Akane asked bitterly.

Ranma shook his head. "Nah, she does it too, but at least she lets me know how far she's trying to push me, and it's not that far, really. It's a heck of a lot less than anyone else is trying, even you, now."

The anger returned a threefold. "So you're saying she's better than me?!"

"No-" Ranma tried to explain, but was cut off before he could manage more.

"It's because of her, isn't it?! It's all that damned Kachi's fault you're acting this way! You used to be better behaved and not act like such a jerk, but now you're worse than ever! She's been making you think stupid things and interfering in matters that don't concern her, like calling off the engagement and trying to seduce you! I hate her! I wish she'd never come into our lives!"

"I'm not getting seduced by no one and it's not her fault," Ranma insisted. "I'm doing this stuff because I want to do it, which is the exact opposite of people making me do it."

"Fine," Akane said in a low, hiss, and exited the room, slamming the door shut behind her hard enough to cause it to crack.

Ranma stared helplessly at the door. He hated seeing Akane worked up like that and wanted to calm her down, but it was obvious she would only get angrier if he tried explaining things to her again. And he was more than a little mad at her for her own self-centered attitude. Why couldn't she give him the space he wanted? Why did she have to try to force herself on him now, just when he was starting to get a little breathing room? Well, she was going to have to adjust. He'd give her time to cool off and try again later, when she might actually be willing to listen to him.

And if she didn't listen, well, then that was her fault, not his. He was trying his best. He knew he was. It was time for other people to make adjustments for his well being, rather than theirs. Akane included.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was a quiet and somber Ranma that made his way downstairs, the issue with Akane still bothering him. She'd get over it, of course, like she always did. Although there was something bothering him about their arguments of late. They seemed more serious rather than stemming from the usual misunderstandings. They'd just have to work through it. But that was for later. Right now, he had to live up to his word and take Kachiko out on her date.

At least he didn't have any concerns that she would turn all serious and argue with him, or try anything untoward. There was a reassuring feeling in her constant litany of "Don't try anything funny or you'll be sorry" on their date. It was the first time he had been given a set of ground rules in his dealings with a person. If only everyone else in his life did the same, then he could relax.

Ranma found Kachiko waiting for him in the entryway to the house, ready to leave. She was dressed in a sedate white and blue dress that accentuated her inherent cuteness, at least in Ranma's eyes. He had been slightly uneasy wondering if she would choose something more risqué, like that small red dress she wore that night they had gone out to dine at the Indian restaurant. Seeing her clothed that way had made him uncomfortable. It was odd, since he couldn't recall seeing someone dressed in such an outfit making him feel that way before. Luckily, Kachiko hadn't tried anything, and once they settled down to eat, things went well with the two talking and having a general good time. He hoped she would behave herself like that again so that things went smoothly. If she tried anything tricky, like Shampoo had during the time he went on a date with her for the Instant Nannichuan, it would ruin everything.

Maybe it would be best to reaffirm their agreement. He said to Kachiko, "Remember, the deal is you don't try no funny stuff, like trying to make me engaged to you or something."

Kachiko, who had seemed somewhat distracted, focused on Ranma, her eyebrows forming a 'V' of annoyance. "This is our first date. Try going any further than that, and you'll be the one who ends up feeling sorry. The way you keep harping on it makes me think you might be up to something. Maybe we should call this off and I'll go out with Tachi-kun. He won't keep trying to talk himself out of trying to do something perverted with me on a date. And he knows how to impress a girl too, I bet," she said under her breath.

Once again the suggestion that an idiot like Kunou could one up Ranma in anything, especially when it came to women, raised his ire. "Forget it. You're going out with me. I already made plans and everything. I personally guarantee this will be the most unforgettable date you've ever been on.." He grabbed her by the hand and dragged her out the door.

They had only made it to the street when Kachiko said, "Holding hands within the first minute? My, you're certainly aggressive."

Ranma realized what he was doing and released her hand, as though holding it a second longer would have resulted in third degree burns. "I didn't mean it like that."

"I know you didn't. I just thought it would be cute to tweak you a little," she joked.

The two began walking alongside one another at a less frantic pace. They were not so near one another as to suggest they were intimate, but neither did it imply only a casual acquaintance either. Ranma was aware of this, and relieved she didn't try getting too close by holding his arm or a similar romantic action.

"So, what are our plans for this evening?" Kachiko asked.

"Dinner and a movie," Ranma answered. Asking some of the guys at school for advice, they seemed to think that was a standard plan when going out on a 'first date'. That made sense to Ranma, and sounded agreeable. He didn't watch too many movies, and one had to eat no matter what. That way the time with Kachiko wouldn't be wasted no matter how things turned out.

"Sounds good. Eating first?" Kachiko asked.

"I was thinking afterwards." Besides, the semi-formal restaurant's reservation was booked for later in the evening. While he wasn't concerned about doing anything romantic with Kachiko, there was no way he'd look cheap compared to Kunou.

As if on cue, a voice some distance from behind them shouted out, "Saotome, you cur, unhand that noble beauty!"

Both of the people in question turned to see a tuxedo clad Kunou, bokken in hand, racing toward them.

"I didn't call him to mess things up," Ranma told Kachiko, remembering their deal about trying to make the date go smoothly.

"I didn't think you had."

"I'm just making sure," Ranma said.

By the time their exchange had finished, Kunou had caught up to them. He leveled his bokken accusingly at Ranma. "Foul sorcerer, how dare you weave your enchantments about this fair young maiden!"

Kachiko turned to Ranma. "You know magic? That's cool. I never went out with someone who could do magic tricks. Can you pull a rabbit out of your pocket? How about the interlocking ring thing? I could never figure that one out. Or change water to wine? That would be really cool, and we could drink the stuff afterwards."

Irked, Ranma said, "I don't know any magic. It's that idiot who got confused over my little changing problem with cold water. "

"Oh," Kachiko said. "Well, that is magical, sort of. I'd rather know how the ring trick works, though."

"Once again I order you to keep your churlish hands away from the beauteous Kachiko Tendou," Kunou reiterated.

Before Ranma could speak, Kachiko said, "It's okay, Tachi-kun, we're just going out on a date. I asked him, actually."

Kunou recoiled. "Never! I forbid this foul animal from engaging in such an act. He'll attempt lascivious and improper actions if left alone in your presence."

"Then he'll end up doubled-over in pain from a couple of knees to the groin. Did you know the male scrotum can be driven into the pelvic bone about an inch or so?"

Ranma and Kunou winced and crossed their legs.

Ranma told her, "Even though I'm not going to do anything perverted, you're still really killing the atmosphere here."

Kunou sneered at Ranma. "Enough. I forbid this travesty from taking place."

"Since I'm not available tonight, just go out with Akane or that pig-tailed girl you keep going on about," Kachiko suggested. "I don't mind."

"He can't do that!" Ranma said.

Kachiko arched an eyebrow at that. "Oh? Have a crush on them too, do you?"

"No!" Ranma exclaimed. "It's just Akane doesn't deserve to have him bothering her and the 'pig-tailed girl' is you know who." He pulled his pig-tail.

Kachiko's eyes widened in disbelief. "Wait, you mean to tell me he doesn't know about your gender problem?"

"I tried explaining it to him, but he refuses to believe it. I guarantee you, him harassing me over it makes me ill to my stomach."

"I understand. Yumi tried to seduce me all the time." Kachiko patted Ranma sympathetically on the shoulder.

"I cannot tolerate such an open display of affection!" Kunou declared.

Kachiko evened things out by patting Kunou on the head in sympathy. He reacted joyfully to it, like any household dog would.

"Better?" Kachiko asked.

"I would date with you!" Kunou declared. He tried to embrace Kachiko, but she ducked out of the way, allowing him to hug a lamppost.

Kachiko darted to Ranma's side. "Sorry, I'm with Ranma tonight, and while I openly admit to being a lot of girl to handle, dating two guys at once is too much. We can arrange something tomorrow."

Ranma turned on her in irritation. "Hey, you're going to have such a good time tonight, you're going to forget all about him."

Bokken at the ready, Kunou once again declared, "I shall not allow you to go out with Kachiko. Instead I shall dispose of you today and go out with her in your stead."

Kachiko squirmed in delight. "Wow! My first official date here and I'm already being fought over."

Ranma snapped, "Would you mind not encouraging him?!"

"Fine, I'll date the winner," Kachiko said satisfactorily.

"You will not. You're already on a date with me," Ranma stated in a firm tone even as Kunou loosened up by taking several practice swings with his bokken.

Kachiko moved closer to Ranma and whispered in his ear, "It's obvious Tachi-kun's being overly possessive and not going to stop bothering us unless he gets beaten. Besides, I think we both know who's going to win this one."

"Oh, okay." What she said made sense. It probably was the quickest way resolve the situation, and Kachiko knew Ranma was going to win, so it wasn't like she was hoping to date Kunou instead.

"Have at you!" Kunou declared as he thrust his bokken toward Ranma's body.

Ranma side-stepped the thrust and moved forward, striking Kunou in a flurry of punches and kicks, rendering him insensate within seconds.

"The winner!" Kachiko declared, holding Ranma's arm up high.

Ego satiated, Ranma said with a great deal of pride. "Come on, we're going to continue our date."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They arrived at the movie multiplex without further incident.

Kachiko stared in awe at the number of titles on the marquee. "I can't believe they offer so many movies at just one place. Where, or more appropriately when, I come from you were lucky to get a choice of four."

"Yeah, they got a lot more variety now." Which was part of the problem Ranma had as he looked over the titles offered. He had no idea what she would like. He decided the best approach would be ask his date. "Anything catch your eye?"

Kachiko looked them over, scratching her head in confusion. She stopped scratching and shrugged. "Since you're the one paying, you go ahead and decide. Choose something you'd enjoy, I'm sure I'll like it as well."

"Good." Ranma was relieved. The last thing in the world he wanted to see was some sappy romance movie. He had enough romantic intentions directed at him, and had no desire to watch someone else go through the same ordeal. Worse, the movie would always resolve the situation. He had made that mistake once in going to a movie with Akane. The ending, with the girl in the guy's arms and all the other problems resolved nicely in a happily ever after ending made Ranma stand up in the middle of the theater and shout, "Liar! It's never that easy!"

It was the last time Akane let him go to the movies with her.

Ranma finally chose a martial arts picture. Kachiko liked martial arts, and the two could laugh at how fake everything was. He walked up to the ticket counter and said to the girl behind it, "Two tickets for 'Tekken'."

The girl looked at him curiously. She pointed to Kachiko. "Aren't you on a date with that girl?"

"Um, yeah."

The ticket girl gave a delighted smile. "Then you'll want something romantic. 'Boys Over Flowers' will do nicely."

The title alone made Ranma feel nauseated. "No way."

The girl's smile remained fixed in place. "It's an enchanting, romantic picture about the coming of age of a girl and the men in her life that start as her rivals, but end up falling for her. They're all so wonderful." She sighed and stared off in the distance.

"I want two tickets for Tekken," Ranma insisted.

"It'll give you ideas on how to act and treat a lady right," the girl said dreamily.

"I don't want to see some sappy romance picture filled with a bunch of angsty bishonen guys mooning over some chick whose world revolves around which one she's interested in."

"Have you ever thought of growing a little taller, losing some weight, and letting your hair grow out? Your girlfriend would be really turned on."

"You're not listening to a word I'm saying, are you?"

"Here are your tickets, Sir. She'll love it." She handed two to him.

Ranma sighed helplessly and accepted the fact this was one fight he wasn't going to win. Shoujo fangirls were like a force of nature. One didn't defeat them; one survived them.

As Ranma left, he heard the girl say to the next customer, "Hopeless computer geek, comic collecting loser? I'll get you one for 'Army of Darkness, Redux'."

"Actually I want to see Karekano."

"It won't do you any good. You're never going to land a girlfriend. It's Army of Darkness for you." There was the sound of a ticket being printed.

This was the last time Ranma was ever coming to this theater.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Mikado Sanzenin looked deeply in the eyes of the girl before him. "So, my dear, did you enjoy the 'Marmalade Boy, revisited,' double feature?"

The girl had a tear in her eye. She wiped at it as she sniffled. "It was so moving. I always cry when I see it."

He drew her into his arms. "I knew you would. You're so much like Miki, I am overwhelmed with emotion."

She stared deeply into his eyes, "And you're my Yuu."

And with that he leaned down and kissed her. It seemed as though everything became hazy and flowers filled the air as she returned the kiss with just as much passion.

Mikado broke off the kiss. She swooned in his embrace. "Let's go out to eat, and then return to my house where we can engage in deep and meaningful conversation."

"I don't think so." Mikado released her, allowing her to stand on her own. He pulled out a pen and a small, but thick, black book from his suit's jacket pocket. He made a mark in it, saying to himself, "One thousand, one hundred and twenty five," then returned it to his pocket.

Surprised by his suddenly aloof behavior, the girl said, "What's going on?"

"I think we should stop seeing each other," Mikado said bluntly.

"What do you mean?"

"We've already reached the kissing stage of our relationship. There's nowhere else to go from there."

The girl trembled in fury. "You asshole!" She picked up a nearby trashcan and slammed it into his head before stomping off.

"Breaking up is hard to do," Mikado waxed philosophically as he picked himself up from the ground. It was still early. He should have enough time to woo one more girl long enough to manage a kiss, then he would call it a night. He surveyed the lobby with his eyes until they fell on one girl in particular.

Mikado pulled out a mirror and looked into it, making sure his teeth gleamed when he smiled. Satisfied, he was in proper form, he made his way to the girl with the short hair and slender figure who was looking over candy in the concession stand's display case.

"You'll want to avoid the JuJubes. They would require carbon dating to determine how old they are," he said as he smoothly placed an affectionate arm around her shoulder.

The girl's eyes narrowed as she turned to him. Suddenly they opened wide as she shouted, "Icky!" and proceeded to drive a powerful punch into his stomach.

The air whooshed out of Mikado's lungs and he fell to the ground doubled over, unable to draw a single breath that didn't cause him pain.

He was barely able to make out an, "Oh, I'm sorry. You reminded me a lot of some creepy pervert from my past, Icky Slutzenin, right down to the oily residue your groping hand leaves behind. By the way, you shouldn't grab women like that. It's only asking for trouble. And beatings. Lots and lots of beatings." Kachiko purchased a large tub of popcorn and left, stepping directly on Mikado's gut as she walked away.

Mikado simply lay there, gasping for air. Maybe he would call it a night after all.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As Kachiko approached, Ranma saw she was rubbing at something on the shoulder of her dress.

"I, ah, got the tickets," Ranma said sheepishly.

Kachiko gave up on the rubbing and sighed, turning her attention to Ranma. "What movie are they for?"

Unable to force himself to repeat the name, Ranma offered them to her.

Kachiko read the title. "Boys Over Flowers?" She looked at one of the nearby posters depicting the movie. It showed two boys kissing a surprised girl. "Ewww. They look bishonen. I hate girly boys like that. Do you honestly like movies like that? Because if you do, I don't think we should go out again."

Ranma was almost childlike as he complained, "It was that ticket seller. She wouldn't give me the tickets to the movie I wanted."

Kachiko sighed. "Fine. I'll do it. Let me get the tickets." She chided, "You've got to learn to be more firm. About the only thing you were adamant about was me giving you a rematch."

Ranma watched as she walked over to the ticket seller. She saw Kachiko talk to the girl for a few minutes, then return, bearing two tickets in hand.

Ranma managed to read the title that was sticking out from above her fingers. "What's 'Super Girls'."

Kachiko's eyebrows twitched madly as she muttered, "She told me it was a movie that would make me feel good about being a woman despite my... demure, features."

Ranma chided, "You've got to learn to be more firm. About-"

"Just shut up and let's watch the movie," Kachiko insisted as she grabbed him by the arm and escorted him into the theater.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ranma and Kachiko were laughing so hard they had to keep leaning on each other for support. Passersby gave them a wide berth, most thinking the two were drunk, judging by their incoherent laughter and swaying as they made their way down the street.

"God, that was the most pathetic thing I've ever seen!" Kachiko laughed hard.

"Got that right. We ought to go back. I'm sure we missed half the movie with how hard we were laughing."

"Then we can make fun of that stuff, too." Kachiko wailed in laughter again.

As Kachiko leaned against him, Ranma had to admit, going to the horrible movie had turned into an entertaining experience. Not that the movie was any good, it was every bit as painfully bad as Ranma had expected, but Kachiko had found it equally unlikable, and was vocal about it. Ranma began agreeing with her, and the two ended up competing at who could mock the movie best. Their contest had made for a lot of angry stares by the other patrons of the film, mostly girls, but both he and Kachiko had too much fun to care what a bunch of shoujo fangirls thought.

The two regained some measure of control as they made their way toward the restaurant. Both were smiling, enjoying the afterglow of the movie.

"What time is our reservation for?"

The sun had gone down. Ranma had to move under a streetlight to read his watch. "Hmm. We're running a little late. Why don't we cut through the park?" He pointed to a walkway that led into the park, though it was quickly obscured by the trees lining the path.

Kachiko tensed up slightly. "You want to take me through the park at this time of night?"

"Why not?" Ranma asked innocently.

After a moment of consideration, Kachiko chuckled. "Yeah, knowing you, you probably don't have a clue."

"Clue to what?"

"Never mind. Lead the way." She waved him past her.

Ranma did as she indicated, feeling perplexed and annoyed. Kachiko seemed to know something he didn't. She might have been playing a headgame with him to keep him off balance, but she seemed to want to have a good time on the date, and she wasn't like Nabiki, who would have tormented him just to entertain herself. Perhaps she was nervous about walking through a poorly lit area in the dark. There was always the possibility of being mugged, or more accurately, someone trying to mug them, since there was no chance someone like that could actually defeat him. Still, he'd keep an eye out for any trouble.

They had only made their way a short distance through the park when Ranma's senses went on alert. He could feel the presence of people off the path hidden out of sight, a sure sign of trouble. So they had wandered into an ambush. Kachiko's suspicions were on target. He tensed up, waiting for someone to make the first move. While he was sure Kachiko could take care of herself, they were on a date, and it was his duty to protect her from any harm. It was the manly thing to do. Besides, if he let Kachiko do it, she'd brag about how she protected him, and that wouldn't do at all.

They continued walking, Ranma wondering when the ambush would be tripped. He started to think the group was too scared to move when a rustling sound come from a set of bushes a small distance away. It was followed by a woman's gasp. So, they had already found a victim.

"Stay here, I'll take care of this," Ranma told Kachiko and moved toward the bushes.

Kachiko froze for a second, startled at his declaration. By the time she came out of it, he was already halfway there. "Wait, Ranma, I don't think you want to do that!"

It was too late as he leaped over the bushes and said, "Hey, you creep! What are you doing to that girl? Get off her."

There was the brief sound of a struggle, then a girl's voice screech, "Let go of my boyfriend!" followed by a slap.

More slowly this time, Ranma walked out from the bushes, a red handprint on his cheek.

"I told you you didn't want to do that," Kachiko teased in a sing-song voice.

"How was I to know the park's a place to do perverted stuff at night?" Ranma grumbled.

"I assumed that was why you wanted to come out here with me. I figured you were overcome with lust." Kachiko posed sexily for him.

"I don't want to do anything perverted with you," Ranma said gruffly as he continued on through the park.

Kachiko sniffed disdainfully. "You don't have to be so vehement about it." Her ire disappeared as quickly as it came, and she began following him once again.

Walking hurriedly, the two left the park and emerged close to the restaurant Ranma had made the reservations at. Once free from the uncomfortable environment of the perverted playground the park transformed into at night, Ranma relaxed a little, though not completely. He had interrupted the couple in very intimate moment, with the girl in a compromising position. For some bizarre reason, since that encounter, he felt strange when he looked at Kachiko. A part of him wished he could end the date now and escape the cause of his reaction, while another part was reluctant to do so.

It mattered little. He had promised to go out on a date, and Kachiko wanted to be here with him. He would live up to his obligation, and be done with it and never date her again, even if they were having a good time together. It just made things too complicated.

They entered the restaurant, pleased to see no line. Ranma walked up to the podium that the maitre'd stood behind. "I have a reservation at 8:30 for Saotome."

"I'll need your reservation number," the man said with an air of superiority that rubbed Ranma in the wrong way.

Ranma thought the whole reservation number thing was stupid, but the person that had taken his reservation insisted he needed one. He reached into his pocket and pulled out what he thought was the folded over note and showed it to the man.

"Getting lucky tonight, are we, Sir?" the maitre'd said drolly.

Ranma stared in horror at the condom in his hand. He couldn't understand why Kachiko hadn't already slapped him for its presence. Cringing, he looked and noted her head was turned away as she examined one of the nearby paintings. However, she was turning back toward him.

Lightning fast he thrust the item back in his pocket.

Kachiko stared at him curiously. "What was-"

Thinking fast, Ranma snapped at the maitre'd, "How dare you imply my date is a loose woman!"

The maitre'd was taken aback. "I'm sorry, but I just assumed by your co-"

Ranma reached forward and snared the man by the collar, dragging him halfway over the podium. "I demand you apologize to her for your unforgivable remark!"

"Yeah, apologize for saying I'm sleazy," Kachiko seconded.

The maitre'd babbled, "But I-"

"What's going on here?" a large man dressed in formal attire, who had come from a nearby discussion with two waiters, demanded as the argument had drawn his attention.

The maitre'd paled. "Sir, I can explain. I asked for this man's reservation number and he flashed me-"

"He called my date a tramp!" Ranma interjected. "I demand an apology."

"So do I," Kachiko seconded.

"I see." The manager grabbed the maitre'd by the scruff of the neck. "Back to the kitchens and scrubbing for you, Kanzaki." To Ranma and Kachiko he said, "Please forgive his impertinence, he's my wife's brother. I'll see to it you receive a bottle of wine, compliments of the house, in apology."

"Offering free booze is always the best form of apology," Kachiko said enthusiastically. She looped her arm through Ranma's. "I must say, Ranma, that was very noble of you to get so outraged and stick up for me like that. I'm impressed."

"Ah, thanks." Ranma gave a nervous laugh. That had been a close one. He wondered how many more he'd have before the date was over.

xxxxxxxxxxx

"Yes, alcohol makes everything better," Kachiko slurred slightly as she drained her glass for the sixth time in a half hour and set it back down on the table.

"Ah, maybe you should slow down," Ranma said hesitantly.

"Most guys want to get their dates drunk," Kachiko said slyly.

"I'm not like most guys," Ranma stated with a touch of indignity.

"Too true, too true. You're a perfect gentleman," Kachiko agreed. "Why, I bet if I was to give you a lap dance, you wouldn't try a thing. Want to find out?" She started to rise out of her chair.

"No!" Ranma said quickly.

Kachiko frowned. "You said that awful fast, like you didn't even think about it. Don't be so uptight. We did see each other naked, after all."

Her slightly loud voice, as well as the topic, was attracting a great deal of unwanted attention. "It was an accident. I didn't mean to do it," Ranma explained as much to the other patrons as to her.

"I know, I know, that's why I don't give you a hard time about it," Kachiko said. "That's one of the things I like about you. You let the gal set the pace. It's neat to meet a guy that wants to do that." Her voice then dropped. "Who knows, keep making all the rights moves like you have been tonight, and you might manage a double."

Ranma was about to protest when Kachiko slouched in her chair. He couldn't understand what was going on until he felt a bare toe rub itself up and down his leg.

Then there was a thud as Kachiko fell out of her chair. All Ranma could see of her was the top of her head.

"My chair moved," she said from the floor.

"Maybe you'd better cut back until the food arrives," Ranma suggested as politely as he could.

"Probably," Kachiko agreed as she set her chair back up and sat down properly in it once again. "I usually don't get giddy like this unless I'm having a good time."

"That's nice to know," Ranma said weakly, hoping the food would arrive soon so they could stop the increasingly uncomfortable conversation.

Kachiko leaned forward over the table, then curled her finger, indicating Ranma should do the same. Reluctant to do so, but feeling not doing it would result in something worse happening, Ranma answered the beckoning digit.

He leaned forward. "Yes?"

Kachiko whispered, "I'll let you in on a secret. You're doing so good, you've now got the inside line on Tachi-kun."

Ranma started to smirk. He was distracted enough that he didn't react before Kachiko brought her face closer and gave him a peck on the cheek.

She retreated back to her seat before he could offer a word of protest. "Relax, I won't try for more than first base. I can tell I'm not the only one who wants to take things really slow."

Ranma blushed furiously, unsure of what to say. Before he could formulate anything, Kachiko rose to her feet. "I have to use the ladies' room, which means the food should arrive the instant I'm out of sight."

Ranma felt grateful for the reprieve. He sat back in his chair.

As Kachiko began to pass by him, she leaned forward and whispered, "By the way, you're awful cute when you blush." Then left before he could say anything again.

Ranma remained in his chair, too flustered to decide if the date was the worst he had ever been on, or the best.

"Staying at home is definitely a lot less stressful." He drained a glass of wine himself as he tried to figure out which it was.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Kachiko observed herself critically in the mirror, uncertain if she was luring Ranma closer, or driving him away. Any other guy and she would have been sure it was the former. But Ranma had been right on target with his declaration that he was "not like most guys." It was one of his most endearing, as well as distracting, traits. There were times when the frustration of trying to anticipate his reaction was so bad she would just as soon be done with him save for one problem.

She really liked it when he called her cute.

"Idiot," she muttered under her breath.

"I agree. Let's leave this loser so you can take up with a real man instead of the weenie fem-boy."

Kachiko gasped as the sickening image of Tarou appeared in the mirror, directly behind her. Apparently she had been so caught up thinking about Ranma she had failed to notice the Chinese youth enter.

She turned in anger upon him. "Look, you creep, at least Ranma isn't so sexually confused he'd enter a ladies room, and that's saying a lot since he turns into a girl. So why don't you make like a leaf and leave?"

Tarou cringed. "That was just awful. We're really going to have to do something about that sense of humor of yours if there's going to be anything between us."

"Ranma appreciates my sense of humor, and there's nothing between us!" While the former was a lie, there was no need for Tarou to know it. And the latter was definitely true.

"Yes, well about that nothing between us bit." Tarou held up his left hand far out to his side and wiggled his fingers.

Kachiko looked at them in confusion. "What the hell is that supposed to-"

The rest was cut off as a hard right met Kachiko between the eyes. She teetered back, stunned. She was mentally scolding herself for falling for such an obvious ploy when a second blow knocked her unconscious.

"Let's work on that, shall we?" Tarou hefted her unconscious form over his shoulder and exited the restroom.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ranma began to worry over how long it was taking Kachiko to use the restroom. A dozen different disaster scenarios ran through his mind, ranging from her passing out to being abducted.

"Nah, I'm being silly," Ranma decided as he looked over his shoulder just in time to see Tarou head through the swinging doors to the kitchen with Kachiko slung over his shoulder.

Ranma sighed. "It's never the easy way, is it?" At least he wouldn't have to worry about what Kachiko was going to try to do to him next. It was almost a relief that Tarou had ended things predictably.

Ranma jumped out of his seat and ran toward the doors. He burst through them, knocking a waiter over as raced into the kitchen, looking for any sign of Tarou and his burden. He caught sight of his prey exiting through the back of the kitchen. Under different circumstances, catching up to Tarou would have been difficult, the creep was nearly as fast as Ranma, but with him lugging around Kachiko he'd be slowed down. Running him down would take a matter of moments.

Despite being out of sight, it was easy to follow Tarou's trail by the number of fallen, irate people he left in his wake. Ranma burst out the rear doors to the restaurant and emerged into an alleyway. One end of it resulted in a dead end. He turned to look the other way, but there was no sign of Tarou there either, and given how far back the door was to the street, there was no way he could have run fast enough to get out of sight.

Then Ranma looked up.

"Shit!" he cursed under his breath as he saw Tarou's cursed form flying off with Kachiko cradled in his arms. He had forgotten that little detail. Suddenly the stakes went up, as the odds of Tarou kidnapping Kachiko successfully increased. And unlike the time Pantyhose had abducted Akane, this time Kachiko was the prize Tarou wanted. It was up to Ranma to catch Tarou and keep him from doing whatever terrible things he had planned for the girl he wanted so badly.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Deckhand Yoji Kimura watched as more the cargo was dropped in the hold by the crane. The men below decks released the hooks, allowing the cable that had been supporting the cargo to retract. Once finished, Yoji began to direct the next container into position.

Just as Yoji finished bolting the last one into place, a huge form landed next to him on the deck of the freighter. He looked up at the bizarre collection of mismatched animal parts staring down at him from above. The creature carried a girl fast asleep in his arms.

Yoji pulled out his radio and said, "Captain, a large beastie just landed on our deck."

The radio crackled in response, "It's probably a dock inspector. Just bribe him to look the other way."

The creature thrust a piece of paper in Yoji's direction. He looked it over. "Actually, he has a passenger ticket."

The radio crackled a second time. "Even better, a paying customer. Show him where the passenger berths are."

"He has an unconscious girl in his arms, though."

"Don't go prying into other people's affairs. I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for it."

"He's abducting her?"

"That sounds reasonable. Now show him to his room." The radio went dead.

Yoji shrugged. He wasn't captain. If anything bad came of this, it wouldn't be on his head.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kachiko first encounter upon awakening was a collision with a splitting headache. "Oh man, I must have had seriously way too much to drink." She went to rub her temple, but found her arms pinned to her sides. She was able to pivot her head just enough to look down and see she was securely bound in thick links of chain.

It took her a moment to collect her muddled thoughts. What was the last thing she remembered? Ranma, the whip cream and... no, wait, that was the dream she had before awakening. No way was he that inventive with an ice cream scooper and hazelnuts. It was something else. She had gone to the bathroom, pondering the dilemma 'Mr. You Look Cute' presented her with when her ruminations had been interrupted by....

"Hey, Babe. Nice to see you awake."

The voice had come from the direction directly above her prone form. She turned to look up and snarled, "So it's you, Bull-butt. You sick pervert. You've tied me up so you can do twisted sexual things to me."

"You're into that sort of thing?"

"No way!"

Tarou breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. As much as I love you, I'm not into bondage or kinky stuff like that. If you were, I'd have to rethink our relationship."

"We don't have a relationship!"

Tarou snickered. "Sure we do. It's love/hate right now, but it'll change over time, like all the cool romances do. There's the usual time period of denial on one or two of the people's parts. Then after we've shared some bonding experiences and stuff, we'll grow closer after our trials and tribulations and eventually proclaim our love for one another. That's what makes cool romances like that worthwhile."

"That's a load of crap," she retorted, then took in her surroundings. Oddly, the ceiling had a number of metal crossbeams above her head. The metal of the floor felt cold, and she swore she could hear water lapping against something. Even the room seemed to have an odd sway to it. "Where are we?"

"On a cargo ship bound for Tasmania. I have you stored in the back toward the engine, since my room is the first place anyone would look for you."

There was the sound of something large breaking somewhere overhead.

Tarou cracked his knuckles, making an unusually loud popping sound with them. "Sounds like one of those trials I mentioned just showed up. Don't worry, I'll take care of that pesky Fem-boy. No way I'll let a pansy like him come between me and true love."

"Ranma will kick your ass!" Kachiko swore.

"He hasn't been able to do it yet, not without help. And there's no way he had time to round up anyone, since we came directly to the ship. We'll be setting sail any minute now. So all I have to do is beat him up again and then we'll have nothing but each other left."

"It'll never happen." Kachiko struggled against her bonds.

Tarou shook his head sadly at the display. "Even I'd have a tough time breaking out of those, and you ain't anywhere near as strong as me. You just take it easy. I'll be back before you know it." Tarou headed up and out of the room.

"Bastard!" Kachiko spat and filling the air with rattling as she tried to break free of her chains.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

"Where is she? You'd better cough Kachi up, or you'll be sorry!" Ranma bellowed to the rough looking men lining the deck of the ship. Although he had lost sight of Tarou, it was right around here. He knew this was the place the jerk had to have landed. It was the only ship in the area, and from the looks of the crew, they were preparing to leave the harbor.

Yoji stopped directing the crane, which had picked up the last of their cargo, a fifteen by fifteen foot box container suspended above the deck, and moved to the front of the pack of irate crewmen. He brandished a crowbar menacingly in hand. "Now see here, kid. We don't like people coming onto our ship and making demands, at least if they aren't fifteen feet tall and look like a bull with wings. So why don't you shove off, or we'll make you sorry." He poked Ranma in the chest with the crowbar.

Ranma poked him in the chest with a fist, which was actually closer to a punch. It knocked Yoji down to the deck and sent the sent flying out of his hand where it landed on the deck with a clang.

That served as a signal for the rest of the crewmen to descend on Ranma, trying to gang tackle him all at once.

Ranma finished the dozen large men off in under a minute.

As the last, and largest, man went crashing unconscious to the deck, the sound of clapping filled the air. Ranma turned to see Tarou relaxing lazily against the forecastle of the ship.

"Looks like you're all warmed up. Ready for the main event?" Tarou dramatically cracked his knuckles again, since Ranma hadn't had the benefit of hearing him do it earlier.

Ranma stepped menacingly toward Tarou. "I can't believe you're sick enough to kidnap Kachi and try taking her away on a ship so you can have your way with her."

Tarou looked aghast at the accusation. "I am going to do no such thing."

"Then why'd you kidnap her and come here?"

Tarou smirked. "I was saving her life. After all, anyone hanging out with you would die from terminal boredom. Right now she's lively and vibrant, but there's no telling how boring she'll get if she spends time with you. You are a pansy assed weenie boy, after all."

"I am not!"

Tarou continued. "And I have no intention of having my way with her. I'm simply taking her on a cruise with just the two of us. That we can have some privacy and get to know what each other's like. And, you know, fall in love and everything. But that comes after we spend some time with one another."

Ranma scoffed. "Yeah, like that will ever happen. She doesn't even like you."

Tarou gained a crafty smile. "Oh, from what I understand, most of the girls that are currently after you started off disliking you for one reason or another."

Ranma became flustered. He came up with, "Kodachi didn't."

"I thought you had some kind of gymnastics competition with her."

"That's only because she doesn't know about my curse, but she started off liking me as a guy within seconds of the first time we met."

"Whatever," Tarou said. "The point is, most relationships start out a little testy, but as the couple gets to know one another, feelings blossom and the two fall in love. I'm just following the usual tried and true course."

"I don't care what you think. You're giving her back." Ranma was near enough to try a leap kick at Tarou. Despite his lackadaisical pose, the older boy was ready and leaped over the attack, tucking into a ball then coming out of it to land gracefully on one foot.

"I don't know why you're trying so hard to woo her. You aren't anywhere near man enough to tame a wild girl like Kachi. You're hopelessly outclassed," Tarou spat contemptuously.

"I can tame her if I want!" Ranma jumped down to land next to Tarou, ducking several of the blows unleashed at him as he landed. Ranma saw an opening and punched Tarou in the gut. The older boy was quick to retaliate with a kick to Ranma's midsection, both driving him back and winding him enough that he couldn't follow up with another attack.

Tarou sneered. "Get real. You wouldn't know what to do with a woman if she stripped naked and began bouncing on your lap, Fem-boy." Tarou went for a three punch combination.

Ranma blocked the first two and dodged out of the way of the third blow. "This from the guy that runs away when girls ask him his name."

For the first time since the fight began Tarou became angry. "It's not my fault I can't stand my name. Besides, I don't care if Kachi calls me by it. It's obviously a sign of true love, so quit interfering." Tarou tried to attack Ranma again.

Ranma blocked the incoming blow and retaliated with a palm strike that connected solidly with Tarou's chin, making his teeth snap together with an audible clack. Ranma was quick to press the advantage with a series of punches and kicks that struck Tarou squarely in several areas of his body.

Backing off for a second, it was Ranma's turn to smirk. "Looks like you've lost a step. Ready to tell me where Kachi is? If you haven't done anything to her, I'll go easy on you, sort of."

Growling, Tarou pulled a small half foot piece of rounded wood from the inside of his vest. "Hey, Fem-boy, want to see a new trick?"

Ranma tensed up. There was a good fifteen feet separating him and Tarou, so he should have time to react to anything the guy had planned with the short stick.

Tarou held it out perpendicular to Ranma's body. The end pointing at Ranma suddenly telescoped in length, striking him in the gut, and sending him flying into the forecastle hard enough to buckle the metal.

The stick shrank down to regular staff size. Tarou began twirling it around. "I got this off some crappy fire breathing martial arts monk that was flying around on a silly cloud. It's kind of neat, though. Want to see what else it can do?"

"Not really," Ranma said as he picked himself up.

Tarou proved the question rhetorical as he closed the distance between them in an instant and lashed out at Ranma with the staff. Ranma leaped out of the way again just as the weapon struck where he had been a moment before. He saw a gout of flame shoot out from the end of the staff just as it impacted with the metal. The force of the blow created a sizable hole in the plating.

Tarou tried bringing the staff around again, but the end that had been driven into the deck was caught on the edge of the some of the debris. The momentary delay was all Ranma needed to unleash another kick to Tarou's back, sending him away again from the force of the blow.

With the weapon freed, Tarou was quick to use the distance to his advantage as the staff extended. This time a small fire emanated from the tip as he tried to swat Ranma. The younger martial artist was forced to give ground due to the increasing length of the staff, as well as the blur it was in the hands of Tarou. The Chinese youth displayed an expertise with the weapon Ranma hadn't thought he possessed.

Each blow that hit the deck destroyed sections of it, leaving a series of craters that turned the deck into a metallic lunar landscape.

Ranma tried taunting his opponent. "I can't believe you're cowardly enough to use a weapon."

Tarou wouldn't rise to the bait. "Says the guy who practices a school called 'Anything Goes'. Besides, I freely admit to using anything to gain an edge. Now why don't you stop dancing around and accept your beating like a girl? Oooh, I'm sorry, I mean like a hermaphrodite?"

"I'll show you!" A bright blue ball of energy formed between Ranma's hands. He shouted, "Moko Takabisha!" and unleashed it in Tarou's direction.

Rather than trying to dodge, Tarou braced himself and shrunk the staff down to its normal length, spinning it fast enough that it was a blur of brown. The ball of ki energy struck the center of the staff. The force of the blast drove Tarou backward, creating ruts in the metal from his feet. But the energy itself eventually petered out, dissipating in the air and leaving both man and weapon unharmed.

"I'm not even going to have to use my cursed form to kick your ass," Tarou taunted.

A ball of energy formed between Ranma's hands again. "Moko Takabisha."

"You just don't learn, Saotome." Tarou spun the staff around again.

This time the ball didn't strike the staff, but rather the ship beneath Tarou, specifically, the hatch to the hold he was standing on. The metal vaporized in the blast, and Tarou fell into the huge hole and out of sight.

Ranma was quick to leap down into it. He saw that in the fall Tarou had lost his grip on the staff and it had landed a dozen feet out of reach. Ranma was quick to take advantage of the opening and tried landing with both feet on Tarou, intent on caving in his chest with the kick.

Tarou recovered just in time to spin out of the way, letting Ranma land on the floor. Tarou retaliated by bringing his leg into the back of Ranma's knees, causing them to buckle. Both martial artists regained their feet at the same time. Ranma connected with a right to Tarou's jaw, but his success was short lived as the older youth jabbed several times, each blow snapping off in Ranma's face, temporarily stunning him.

Suddenly Tarou was upon him, grappling with him. The Chinese boy gained the advantage by getting behind Ranma, grabbed one of the Ranma's wrist and pulled it back over his opposite shoulder, choking him with his own arm.

Secure in his superior position behind Ranma, Tarou gasped, "Looks like I'm not just quicker, better-looking, smarter, and more talented, but stronger too."

Feeling his source of oxygen being cut off, Ranma tried to reach behind him with his free hand, but Tarou deflected it with his own free hand and attempted to snare Ranma's flailing arm with it.

Eventually Ranma was forced down to his knees, Tarou making it worse by bringing his weight down on Ranma's back, while making sure not to overbalance himself and allow Ranma to toss him over his shoulder.

"This is the end, Fem-boy. You didn't even put up a decent fight this time."

Ranma was beginning to worry when he realized where their struggle had taken them. Smiling, despite slowly being asphyxiated, he reached down and grabbed the end of the fallen staff. Before Tarou could react, Ranma brought the end of it into the grappler's cheek, forcing him to release the hold and clutch his face in pain.

Ranma wheezed, trying to regain his precious oxygen even as he swung the staff at Tarou. While the Anything Goes School specialized in unarmed combat, Ranma was familiar enough the with the weapon to use it effectively.

He swung twice at Tarou, who ducked both blows. When Ranma came around a third time, Tarou surprised him by moving into the swing, arms brought forward. The staff caught Tarou in the side of the ribs, but he brought an arm around it, trapping the weapon and pinning it to his side. With his other hand, Tarou punched Ranma in the face again, forcing him to release the weapon.

With the staff once again in Tarou's hands, he began extending its length and lashed out with it. Unlike before, when he had been aiming primarily at Ranma's body, this series of blows were aimed at Ranma's feet in an effort to break them and limit his mobility. Ranma's feet were a blur as a dance began with Tarou trying to hit Ranma, but only succeeding in blowing a series of holes in the floor as he chased him.

"You're going to get tired eventually, Fem-boy, then you're history!" Tarou threatened as he continued in his pursuit of Ranma.

Ranma, who had been fighting a retreating battle since Tarou's newest offensive started, lunged forward with a leap toward his foe. Tarou reacted instinctively by shortening the staff and bringing it up and over his head, trying for a crushing blow that would end the contest.

Ranma managed to evade the swing in mid-air, allowing the staff to strike the deck with a tremendous impact. Ranma then followed through by using Tarou's head as a springboard and vaulting upward and out the hole they entered the hold through originally.

Tarou raised his fist to the hole. "Running away isn't going to save you, Saotome! Nothing can-" His cursing was abruptly stopped as what little remained of the metal flooring buckled and a huge spray of seawater burst up through the hole where Tarou's last blow had landed.

Now in his cursed form. Tarou gave a bellow of rage. He had wanted the joy of dealing Ranma a resounding defeat in his human form. It would erase any doubt as to who the superior fighter was to everyone, especially Kachiko. Now the pummeling would have to happen the old fashioned way, with Tarou using his more powerful cursed form to crush Ranma.

The hold continued to fill with water as Tarou flew up to the hole, which was large enough to accommodate his massive, bovine shoulders. Now it was his turn to have superior maneuverability. He wagered the fight would be over within a handful of minutes. Ranma had already taken a beating, and even his best shots would do little more than faze Tarou's beastly form. One clean blow is all it would take for the fight to end and Tarou to have peace of mind.

Tarou's head had just cleared the hole when he saw Ranma forming yet another ball of energy in his hands. Tarou reflexively ducked, intent on using the hold as cover. Once the blast passed by, he'd fly up and finish Ranma off for good.

Tarou heard the cry of "Moko Takabisha!" once again, followed by the sound of crackling energy cutting through the air. Curiously, it didn't carom off the metal of the hold or impact with it. Apparently Saotome was so tired, he had missed completely.

Unleashing a gruff chuckle, Tarou looked up, intent on flying through the hole and finishing the fight. Instead, all he saw was the bottom of something large and heavy falling toward him.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Ranma smirked as he heard the grunt of pain come from Tarou as the large container struck him squarely in the head. There was a loud crash as both beast and container landed hard on the bottom of the ship.

Then there was the sound of more metal buckling and a geyser of water shooting up through the hole in the deck.

Ranma poked his head down into the hold, avoiding the column of water. The container had hit the monstrous form of Tarou with enough force that, in addition to the damage the bottom of the ship had already taken, it had driven both the container and Tarou clean through the hull of the ship. With the gaping wound in its bottom, the ship was now filling with water as quickly as the ocean could claim it.

"Oh crap," Ranma said as he ran into the interior of the ship.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Kachiko looked up at the ceiling. Whatever that last impact was, it had caused several of the crossbeams to buckle. Definitely a very bad sign in her book.

Having nothing better to do, and feeling a sense of urgency that hadn't been present before, Kachiko grunted as she redoubled her efforts to free herself. She had given up using brute force, which had never been her forte. Instead she went about trying to find the weakest link. Break that, and she could slip out of one set of the chains, and with the way Tarou had tied her up, the others would be loosened enough for her to slip free. By the time the conceited jerk realized she had escaped his trap, all he'd be left with was a pile of worthless metal and hard feelings.

There was another loud crash behind her, followed be the groan of metal being rent. From somewhere behind her, the sound of water rushing in reached her ears. "Ohhh. That's really not good." Panicked, she tried rolling to the set of steps Tarou had taken up and out of the room. If she tried hard enough, she thought she could make like a Slinky and inch her way up the steps. Once she got some clearance from the floor, she'd concentrate on her bonds again.

Kachiko had made it almost halfway there when she was struck by a wave of pain so sudden and powerful, she passed out. Everything seemed to turn a shade of white and disappeared in the haze of agony lancing through her entire being. She couldn't even form a semi-coherent thought as her body reflexively convulsed, despite being bound....

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kachiko opened her eyes, only to shut them again as something bright nearly seared her retinas. It took a moment to reorient herself. She was on her back. From the texture of the surface she lay upon, it was concrete. From the smell and the feel of the wind, she was outdoors. Rolling over, she dared to open her eyes again and found herself facing asphalt, as she had expected.

A familiar voice said, "Look, is that not Kachi lying in the middle of the path?"

A second familiar voice said, "I think so."

"This is to be a very curious thing, yes?"

"For anyone else, yes. For her, not really."

Strength returning to her body, Kachiko rolled over and sat up. Sure enough, it was Kachiko's long time classmate, Gosunkugi, and the Scandinavian knockout, Ingrid. Their arms were affectionately around each other's waists as they stared at her in concern.

"Do I even want to know why you're lying on the ground?" Gosunkugi asked.

Kachiko scratched her head. "I don't know. I haven't got the faintest idea how I ended up here." She concentrated, trying to jog her memory, but nothing came to her. She remembered school ending and talking to Sakura on the way home. She had just dropped her best friend off when she noticed Icky's limousine come up the road. Rather than dealing with the boorish would-be Casanova hitting on her, which was as reflexive as breathing to him, she had opted to flee and head toward her house. Just as she was nearing it, everything went blank and she found herself lying on the ground in the middle of the sidewalk.

"Do you need help?" Gosunkugi asked.

Kachiko rose to her feet, brushing some dirt from her skirt. "Nah. I'm fine. Strange things happen to me all the time. I'd say I was due for a bout of temporary amnesia. At least I haven't had something like a personality inversion with Yumi happen. Now that would be really strange."

"Only you could feel that way," Gosunkugi said. He and Ingrid gave their good-byes and departed, talking with one another about Kachiko's strange behavior.

Kachiko scratched her head. The loss of memory was bothering her. Perhaps she could find Wacky Wakaba, and see if she had any ideas on memory restoration. Her family had lots of geniuses, as evidenced by the number of things they loaned to Wakaba so she could show them off to Kachiko. That prototype Battle Dogi had been pretty neat. It had allowed Wakaba to actualize her potential as a martial artist, and work out with Kachiko in a fun sparring match that ended with the Battle Dogi being damaged and Wakaba having one of her shoulder's dislocated when it malfunctioned. But it would serve as a reminder that one should learn martial arts the hard way, through practice, rather than some quick-fix magical item.

Kachiko sighed. "I'd better get back home. Or those rotten parents of mine will bit-"

Her diatribe ended abruptly as there was a sensation of falling followed by....

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Uhhh." Kachiko groaned as every muscle and joint in her body cried out in protest of her breathing. She remained motionless, her mind slowly relearning how to form thoughts. Luckily, her recovery was quick as events slowly returned to Kachiko. What had happened to cause her such pain? One second she had been in the middle of the park, talking to Gosunkugi without a clue of how she had gotten there when-

No. She did remember. She recalled everything from the moment she ended up in her house that wasn't her house and the revelation that she had been plucked from her time to the future and avoided the complete destruction of her life right before a premature death. She remembered meeting her 'family', Ranma, and that bastard Tarou abducting her. She had been trying to get to the stairs to avoid the water, that was now starting to flow under her, when there had been pain and then she woke up in the park.

She remembered the pain. That wasn't the first time she had felt it, though it was by far the worst bout of it. The attacks started shortly after she arrived in the future, getting progressively worse and closer together. But they had passed quickly, and there were no lasting effects, so she hadn't worried about them. She was used to dealing with odd situations. But this time something different happened. She had been cast into past with no memories of her time spent in the future. It was only upon her return to the future that her memories of that time came back to her.

It took only a moment to make the logical conclusion to what it all meant.

"No!" Kachiko wailed. She didn't want to go back, not without a memory. Not without the ability to change everything. It was the main reason she hadn't tried to go back, nor really wanted to. Yes, she had missed her family and friends, but to go back meant risking everything turning out the way the others said. Even armed with foreknowledge, there was no guarantee she could change her fate. Best to avoid the situation altogether. It was far better to face an unknown future rather than one that would probably lead to doom.

Now it appeared the choice of remaining in the future and forging a new life had been taken away. With no memories of her time traveling experience, she would be damned to repeat the same mistakes once again. She would lose her dreams, her friends, her lover, her family, compromise her integrity, and die before her life even had a chance to start. She would lose everything she cared about, and it would only be replaced with ashes.

Kachiko looked upward and screamed, "No! It's not fair! You can't show me all this, then take away my ability to change it! You can't! You can't!"

She screamed and screamed until her voice cracked and throat became raw. Then the screams became sobs and tears rolled down her cheeks in an unrelenting stream. It wasn't fair. If anything could be called Hell, this was it. The detailed knowledge that one was doomed to lose everything and there was no way to avert it.

The water rose higher, submerging her body halfway. She could have continued wiggling toward the steps and seek higher ground, hoping someone would find and rescue her, but what was the point? She was damned anyway. Move or stay, if the outcome was the same, what difference did it make? None at all. She remained motionless and allowed herself to be submerged in the brine.

Dimly Kachiko became aware of the sound of feet running quickly across the deck above her. The sound of steps became louder, and a pair of feet appeared at the top of the steps. Within the blink of an eye, Ranma appeared.

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank god I found you. I was afraid Tarou had..." Ranma trailed off as he saw the look of devastation on Kachiko's features. He had never seen anything like it, not even on Ryouga when he formed the Perfect Shi Shi Houkoudan. "What did he do to you?"

"He killed Hope." Kachiko knew Ranma wouldn't understand. She didn't care in the slightest. No one could understand.

It took Ranma a moment to pull himself together. "I'll get you out of here."

"Leave me!" Kachiko said bitterly. "It'll be over soon enough. Better a quick, clean death than a slow agonizing one that stretches out over the years. I'd rather drown than return to that pitiful, hollow existence."

Even Ranma was taken aback by the desolation in her voice. "Quit talking nonsense. We'll get you out of here and things will work out. They always do."

"I hate your optimism and I hate you!" Kachiko spat. "I said leave me! Are you too stupid to understand the words coming out of my mouth, you sex changing freak?! Leave me here to die!"

Rage had replaced devastation, making even Ranma pause. While he was struck silent, the same could not be said for the rest of the ship as the sound of more metal tearing filled the air. The sound shook him out of the spell woven by Kachiko's inexplicable actions. "I don't care what you say about me. I'm getting you out of here."

Ranma hadmade it to the bottom of the steps when the sound of something heavy struck the deck directly overhead. Then the ceiling gave way and came crashing toward Ranma. He tensed up to leap, but the water pooled in the bottom made the deck slippery and he fell.

A second later, half the deck above came crashing down on top of him.

"No!" Kachiko screamed. Seeing Ranma's fate broke the veil of hopelessness that had settled over her. Momentarily forgetting her own plight, Kachiko resumed her struggle against her bonds. For a moment, there was nothing, and the water merely rose up until it nearly filled her nostrils. She sat up as best as she could, catching a breath as she pulled and strained until it felt as though every muscle in her body would tear free from bone.

Then, just when it seemed all was lost, there was the sound of a link snapping.

Luck was with Kachiko; the break was next to her right hand. Writhing around, she pried the broken link free. The removal of that chain triggered a domino effect among the others, and she slipped free of her confinement.

Standing for the first time in half an hour, she ran to the pile of metal that was on top of Ranma. He had to be all right. He was far stronger than her, and she probably would have survived such an impact. Maybe.

Tired muscles pushed beyond their endurance pleaded for her to stop, but Kachiko ignored them and tossed the smaller pieces of broken metal aside. There wasn't as much as she feared. It had seemed tons had dropped from her position on the floor, but it couldn't have been more than a thousand pounds or so, and most of it hadn't fallen directly on Ranma.

She tossed multiple chunks of debris aside until she came upon a large, flat piece of metal on top of several others. She went for an edge of it, digging her fingers in with the best purchase she could manage. It was heavy, heavier by far than the other pieces she had pulled. Heavier than it had any right to be. She continued pulling, ignoring the pain as the skin ripped away from her fingertips and left bloody smears on the metal. She couldn't ignore the pain in her back as a muscle finally did give way from the strain placed upon it. So she cried out, and continued to pull until the flat piece trembled, then pulled free of the metal that was heaped upon it, and it was tossed aside.

Looking down at what lay underneath made Kachiko recoil. The seawater had turned Ranma into his girl form. Her head was slightly propped up by the way the metal had fallen, keeping her from drowning, but only barely. There was a large gash on her temple, causing blood to flow down the middle of her face so that only the far sides of her cheeks weren't covered in a crimson mask. But the worst part was the small length of pipe sticking up through her body, near her kidney. It had been driven vertically through her side and into the deck below her. Blood flowed freely from the wound.

Kachiko wasn't squeamish, but seeing the impaled girl nearly made her throw up. She had to repress the urge. Instead she forced herself to use the ruins of her fingers to grip the metal protruding from Ranma's flank. She bent low, her back sending jolts of pain from her sore muscles pleading with her to stop, if only by making her pass out. Her body's aches joined in the chorus of protest, but she ignored everything other than removing the projection of metal from Ranma's body.

Her grip slipped from the mix of blood and water and she went crashing to the deck. She picked herself up and bent lower, and gripping it right above the point where the pipe entered Ranma's body. It was slightly twisted, affording her some purchase, though there was also a particularly jagged piece of metal there. Digging her grip there meant driving a centimeter of metal into her palm, but Kachiko accepted it and forced her hand to drive the metal through her own flesh, which was just a pale imitation of what Ranma must have been experiencing.

Kachiko put everything she had into pulling upward. She wouldn't let herself fail. She pulled despite the pain caused by her actions, despite the ever widening wound in her hand as it moved up, but the pipe didn't.

A disc slipped in her lower back, making her scream, but still she pulled. And then suddenly, the pipe pulled free with a pop.

Kachiko had only a second to feel relief at the lessening of pain when there was a loud explosion behind her. Heat seared her back and she was lifted up the floor and through the air. There was the sensation of something hard hitting her from the front.

Then there was nothing.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Pain.

Pain.

Pain.

This was not right. The world was not supposed to consist of nothing but pain. There were other things, though a mind filled to overflowing agony at every point of the body said that was the only sensation that mattered.

Pain was a feeling. That was all. Kachiko's father had taught her that. You feel sad. You feel happy. You feel pain. Accept the feeling, and move on. Or just give up. Just make sure if you give up to the pain, you give up on everything else as well.

So Kachiko accepted the pain, trying to locate the worst areas of it. Her whole back felt like someone was applying a match to it. Somewhere beneath the flame, muscle was torn and bone had shifted, though her spine was not broken, as the legs joined in their assessment that everything was hurt, not unfeeling.

Breathing was hard as well. Someone was jabbing a poker in her chest each time she drew breath. She coughed, and there was more pain. It would be so easy to pass out. Everything cried out she needed to. Her body was hurt, perhaps beyond repair. It was time to let it rest and fix itself. But there was one thing preventing her from giving in to the urge. One important matter that nagged at her conscience and refused to allow her to seek her much needed rest. Only one thing.

Ranma.

She had to rescue him. It was a competition between which would finish him off first: drowning or bleeding to death. She couldn't let him die. She was doomed, but there was no reason for him to be as well. No one deserved to be damned the way Kachiko was.

No one.

She told her body to rise up off the steps she had been thrown into, the ones that had probably broken her ribs, judging by the stabbing pain coming from her chest. Curiously, her body refused to respond. She could make her fingers twitch. She got one of her feet to try to find purchase, but she couldn't get anything else to work properly. It was taking everything she had to accept the pain and remain conscious. She tried, and she tried, and she tried harder than anything she had ever attempted before in her life, but her body wouldn't respond.

It wasn't fair! She had the will to save him. She had the perseverance. She would not accept what Fate had in store for her until she saved Ranma. But the while the spirit was willing, the flesh was unable to complete the desire, and so Kachiko lay still, incapable of saving herself, much less anyone else. She lay limply on the steps, helpless. It was perhaps the most pitiful thing in her life, to know what she had to do and be unable to do it. It was the first time she knew she had limitations she could not hope to overcome. She sobbed at her useless mortality.

Then there was the sensation of an arm forcing its way between her chest and the steps. There was more pain, and a moment of whiting out from it. More agony produced the opposite effect, and forced her awake. She saw that now she was draped over someone's shoulder, head and legs dangling limply.

was suspended above the ground, though both her legs and head were pointed downward.

Kachiko had enough control to force herself to look up past the tuxedo clad breasts and to the blood shrouded face of the redhead that now supported her body. Ranma's eyes were glazed over, as though looking off at some distant land. Despite the appearance of not knowing where she was she continued to move forward and up the stairs.

Impossibly, the pain started to lessen, as though Kachiko was somehow moving past the concept of agony and into another state of mind where things were muted, like a faded water-color. Everything took a dreamlike quality. She looked down again, and saw blood continue to flow from the tear in Ranma's flesh from her earlier impalement. A disconnected part of Kachiko's mind wagered her savior would bleed to death before she could get them free of the ship. It looked like Ranma was going to beat her again.

There was no longer a sensation of time, it went to the same place the pain had. Each moment was an eternity that never happened. There was only white and gray, which were dimly recognized as something called colors. There wasn't even fear. Not really. It went to the same place where everything but consciousness went. Or maybe it was gone too, and all of this was just imagination. The ship, the explosions, the time shifting, nothing but a twisted dream, and she'd wake up in her home, in her proper time, and laugh with Sakura about this tomorrow, especially the part about her best friend marrying an ugly man.

Suddenly there was a new sensation. Wind ripping along her back, soothing burned flesh ever so slightly. That was nice. It was the only thing remotely connected to relief. Everything else was just more of the same.

She thought she heard shouts coming from somewhere. It was hard to tell the direction. Everything was far away. Even Ranma, who was right next to her, still looking off into the distance. What did the redhead see? Kachiko wanted to know.

Ranma kept walking, until they reached a wide gangplank that, despite the slow sinking of the ship, was still connected to the dock, though at a steep upward angle rather than the lower one it had started out with. Moving with the slow steady pace she had maintained since picking Kachiko up, Ranma went up the gangplank until her feet landed firmly upon the dock. It was as the second foot touched the edge that there was a groan from behind, and the gangplank collapsed, falling into the ocean with the rapidly sinking ship.

Ranma's eyes turned away from looking ahead, and seemed to suddenly understand that there was someone over her shoulder. She looked at Kachiko and said, "I told you this would be the most unforgettable date you've ever been on."

Then her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she slumped to the ground, dumping Kachiko unceremoniously on her back.

Kachiko stared up at the sky. She had to admit, she was guilty of underestimating Ranma. He had given her the most interesting date she had ever been on.

Deciding now was a good time to pass out, she did so.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[END CHAPTER]

Yep, Tarou's staff was pulled from the bad guy in the second episode of the Read or Die OVA.

Revision date: 2/27/04

Special thanks to:

Michael A. Chase

Eternal Lost Lurker

Christopher Horton

David Tai

The Apprentice