Ranma dodged a ki blast from Herb, and launched himself into the air. Herb had anticipated this, and prepared a nasty surprise from the ground. While Herb was one hell of a fighter and damn tough, he wasn't very imaginative, and that was the one area that Ranma could always take him. Ranma waited until Herb's follow up blast was about to impact, and used that exact moment to replace his body with the log he had hidden in his clothes. Slipping out of his robes in an instant, he was on the ground and pummeling Herb for all he was worth before Herb had even registered the miss.

Herb recovered quickly, but the damage was done. He launched himself in the air, away from the beating, only to be stunned by a different Ranma pummeling him from above. Not only had he slipped the blast, he had divided himself using a ninjitsu technique he picked up from Konatsu. Herb crashed to the ground, into the waiting fists of the first body clone. While Ranma couldn't hit as hard with his body split, he certainly could keep up a relentless assault, and that was all he needed.

"I yield!" Herb threw up his hands. "I yield!"

Ranma backed off, and his body clone sank back into him. He shuddered. It was very draining to use that technique, but as Herb had found out, could be quite effective. From the sidelines Konatsu and Ku Lon, and several members of the Musk began clapping. As always happened when Herb and Ranma sparred, a small crowd gathered to watch. They inevitable split the matches 50/50, but Ranma didn't mind. He won today. Tomorrow he would probably lose, but that just made the next match even more entertaining.

Ranma walked over to Herb and offered a hand. With a grin, Herb accepted it and was pulled to his feet.

"I never thought you to pull that move, Ranma. Excellent, very well done. Konatsu's cunning is finally wearing off on you." Herb looked at Konatsu, but she returned his glance with a frosty glare. Herb sighed.

"You two fighting again?"

"Yes."

"About Jusenkyou?"

"What else?"

"Why don't you just do it, Herb? You've been talking about this for almost six months now. You know that it would make him happy."

"I don't think I am ready for that, yet Ranma. Konatsu might be very comfortable with both sides of himself, but I…" Herb floundered for a minute as he watched the female Konatsu leaving the grounds. "I maybe ready soon, but not yet."

Ranma also watched the retreating Konatsu, and began stretching and running through slow kata to cool down. Herb joined him. "I've said it before Herb, and will again. He'd marry you in a heart beat if you could just get over the fact she's a he. You know, Konatsu's a woman half the time."

"But it is the other half of the time that concerns me."

"Yeah, but that wouldn't be a problem with Jusenkyo. Hell, with the amount of ki you generate, you can learn to control the curse in no time." Ranma stopped his kata, and walked to a near by pool. Splashing himself with water, her remained male for a few seconds, then slowly morphed into his female self. "Hell, it only took six years, and I am finally beginning to gain control of it. I can at least fight of the change half the time. I can't change at will all the time yet, but I know I will be able to, soon. Maybe in a few more years. I know Konatsu is at least as far along as I am."

Herb still looked dubious.

"Look, Herb. Konatsu's in love with you. I know you love him. Your one hell of a guy, and I could think of no one better for my brother than you. It's been more that two years already. Taking a dip is one way to solve some of the awkward questions that may arise."

"But don't you think it is wrong, Ranma?"

"Not at all. My doctrine says that removing yourself from a source of pleasure is suffering. The way I see it, the two of you are suffering needlessly. Giving into craving can be wrong, but I've never seen any texts that say that enjoying pleasure is wrong, but only that excess is. I don't see a problem in simply satisfying a need if done with the right frame of mind."

"You confuse me, Ranma. Anyway, I do not wish to discuss the any more today. Shall we work on your training?" Herb walked to the center of the ground they had been sparring on. Sitting in a lotus position, he was joined by the captain of his guards, Basil. The captain in question had a distinct feline aura, accentuated by the light orange fur and black stripes that adorned the bare skin of his arms and face. Before the captain sat, he removed his body armor and laid it carefully to the side.

"We have made great progress here, Ranma," said the captain. "Are you ready for the final step?"
Ranma nodded, and joined the pair on the ground.

"Clear your mind, then warrior. Let us command the cat, and control it today."

As Ranma tried to meditate, but for some reason her mind kept wandering back to the first time she and Konatsu had returned to the Amazons after meeting with Herb. They had spent nearly a week in Herbs company, talking about the various goals that the Musk would like to accomplish visa vie the Amazons. Together, the three drafted a document and brought it to Herb's father for approval. He was quite upset with Herb, but after a lengthy debate the trio managed to convince him to add his seal of approval to the letter and personal apology to the matriarch.

Things had not gone smoothly upon their return. Ku Lon at first was glad they had survived, then livid at the pair for having been captured in the first place. She had put them through a brutal training regimen that left them unable to move for days.

She eventually calmed down though, and talked the events over with the pair. She was interested in their observations about the Musk – how many people did they see, what state of animalism the general populous had, strengths, and weakness. The letters from Herb and his father intrigued her. While not allowing herself to hope, she crafted a careful response after consulting several other respected figures in the village.

And so it went. Konatsu and Ranma became little more than glorified messenger boys for a few months. If Ranma was with the Musk, Konatsu was with Amazons, explaining the latest missive, and vice versa. After many miles and a flurry of epistles, Ku Lon and the other elders agreed to meet with the Prince and King of the Musk. Under a white flag of parley, the two parties sat down and began hammering out terms.

There had been a number of set backs, and talks had broken down more than once. One of the major points of contention was the Amazonian treasures. The Amazons still felt that even after fourteen hundred years the items in question were rightfully theirs. The Musk, of course had other ideas. Surprisingly, the King of the Musk offered forth a suggestion that broke the stalemate. He offered to allow the Elders into the collection to catalogue it with the eventual goal of consolidation in a new archive independent of either tribe.

The concession had garnered a great deal of good will towards the Musk, and the Elders responded in kind. Young men of the Musk began to visit the village with immunity from and impunity to the Kiss of Marriage rule. In three years, there had already been almost a dozen weddings in both kingdoms.

"Ranma, you aren't concentrating," the captain said sharply.

Sheepishly, Ranma returned to the task at hand. Ranma took deep even breaths, concentrating on his hara, or stomach, the source of his body's ki. He had been through this particular exercise many times. Soon he was in the mindless state, the mind of no mind, perfectly aware and not aware at all.

"Now Ranma, concentrate on your heart beat."

Ranma heard, and shifted his focus towards his heart. He wasn't aware of how he did it, but soon he was listening to his heart, all his attention focused on it. Lub dub. He felt the valve between the atrium and ventricle open, the atrium contract, and blood rush in to the ventricle. Lub dub. The valves closed, and then ventricle contracted, forcing the blood out of the heart, and started the cycle again. Lub dub. He listened and watched for countless cycles, fascinated anew with every beat, as he always was when he meditated.

"Pull your attention from your heart and now go to the recesses of your mind."

Ranma pulled his attention away, longing to return to the comfort of the awareness but at the same time looking forward to what lay ahead. His awareness raced along his arteries, following the flow of blood to his brain, into the capillaries and finally along the very synapses of his mind. As quick as lightning his awareness flashed from one synapse to the next, deeper into his mind. Finally, there was no where else to go. He had arrived at the core of his personality.

Ranma had been here many times. Ever since the first treaty had been signed affirming goodwill between the Musk and the Amazons, he had begun training with Herb and the royal guards almost daily. When Herb had learned of the Neko-ken, he immediately introduced Ranma to the captain who now led him through the exercise.

The captain had explained, "Ranma, the Neko-ken was invented by the Musk. Before they broke from the Amazons, and before they realized that the same results could be achieved through breeding, they attempted to create the 'ultimate fighting technique,' which you know as the Neko-ken. Unfortunately, when the technique is 'learned' and not inherited, as it is with us Musk, it does substantial psychic damage."

"What happens?" Ranma had been afraid to know, and at the same time thrilled to finally have insight into this burden.

"If the person is young enough when he learns it, the attributes that the Neko-ken attempts to imprint are written into the very core of the person's psyche. Strength, speed, flexibility, and devastating ki control all become yours, at a terrible, terrible cost of lost of control. Loss of control is equivalent to a failed technique. Our ancestors quickly abandoned it when they learned a better way through selective breeding."

"So what do I do? If it is imprinted into my very core, can I ever consciously harness the power?"

"You can, but it is not easy. The easiest part is finding it. Getting it to accept your mastery, however, is the real battle. Even mastery will not make you invincible. But it certainly makes you an extremely powerful fighter, much like Prince Herb."

"Does any of the training I have done with Ku Lon help at all? I have mastered my fear of cats."

"That is useless, mostly. The meditation techniques will be helpful only for the first part, but not in the actual mastery of the Neko-ken itself."

"Then how do I do master it, Sifu?"

"That, Ranma, you must figure out for yourself. It is different for everyone. Some say it is a matter of exertion of will, others say an act of forgiveness. It all depends on the circumstances in which you first were introduced to the pit. I can only show you where you must go."

Ranma had practiced meditation and the various kata of the Neko-ken that the captain had given him now for over two years. He had mastered the kata long ago, and examined his psychic core many times. Nothing had ever come from the exercise, though. Two long years of frustration and bitterness were all he had to show for his efforts.

In the vast void that was his core, a dark figure came stalking out of the blackness. As dark as the night, a large powerful predatory feline slinked towards Ranma. This had happened many times before, and like previous encounters, the cat ignored him after a cursory inspection. Chasing the cat did no good, and goading the cat into a fight only caused it to retreat. And again, like he had on so many other occasions, Ranma tried to do something else, something different to get the beast to accept him.

Extraneous thoughts of Herb and Konatsu intruded upon his awareness. The situation was difficult for all involved. Ranma wasn't sure when it had happened, but his best friend had fallen for the Musk Prince with in a year of meeting. It was a complex issue, because Konatsu knew he was by birth a male. But so much of his identity was wrapped up in being the legacy of the kuno-ichi that he thought of himself as female more often than not. The curse had given him an outlet for that desire, and he had blossomed to become a beautiful woman. Konatsu, however, was still a man, and had the same desires as any male.

The courtship had been initiated by Konatsu. One day, while sparring with Herb, Konatsu had managed to pin Herb to the ground in her female form. Either from lack of judgment or excess hormones, the girl had planted a kiss on the stunned prince before he could react. Herb had been upset, but after many long discussions and sleepless nights, it became clear that the Prince harbored a similar sentiment towards the some-times kuno-ichi. The fact that she was a he half the time threw a major wrench in the works.

An Amazon had suggested using the Chusuiton to lock Konatsu in his cursed form to solve the problem. However, Konatsu did not want to give up his male identity. He considered himself both male and female, and had suggested a different option; He wanted Herb to take a dip in the Nannichuan instead. Herb wasn't the only one who was displeased at the idea. Several high ranking Musk officials were adamant in their objections, as were some of the Amazon elders. Ku Lon seemed to like the idea, which was the only reason it was given any serious thought. She supported it because, as she put it, "That way, both tribes could have heirs."

During his ruminations the cat carefully watched Ranma. Ranma noticed that thoughts of Konatsu always seemed to make the feline aware of his presence, almost as if finally deigning to notice him. He had long pondered the question, and never arrived at a satisfactory answer. The cat became bored, and curled up once again.

Other thoughts flashed through his head; thoughts of the Amazons, the changes that had accompanied the reunion of the tribes, Ranma's desire to see more of the world. The thought took him by surprise. He carefully examined the last thought, and knew it to be true. He had little left to learn here with the Musk and Amazons. Sure, there were some new techniques, and he could become a little stronger, but it was time to leave. Would Konatsu come with him?

The cat raised its head. Instinctively Ranma grasped that part of the puzzle lay with the kuno-ichi. What was it about Konatsu that interested the feline? Ranma focused his thoughts on Konatsu, slowly examining memories as they played across the expanses of his mind. The first meeting, subsequent travels, countless sparring matches and adventures together. For the last eight years, Konatsu had been constant, companion, and friend. Ranma would miss him. He wished Herb and Konatsu the best.

He realized that he had subconsciously known he was leaving, and probably without Konatsu. He loved Konatsu like a brother, and only wished the best for him. He could never tear the ninja away from the person he loved. His family was going to be torn apart, again. Like when his father had trained him in the Cat fist. His dad had trained him, the father he loved unconditionally had hurt him, and left him alone and confused in his pain. He missed his dad. He wanted his dad back.

The cat was walking around in slow circles, carefully watching the meditating boy. Ranma hardly noticed, so lost in this train of thought that he was unaware.

Why had Genma thought it was a good idea to do this to him? Why had he insisted? Thrown him back into the pit time after time, until at last, it had ended in his death at Ranma's hands?
Because he loved you.

"Who said that?"

I did.

"Who?"

Me. You. Us.

Ranma looked up, and saw the cat crouching low, rocking back and forth in preparation to pounce, tail flicking back and forth.

"That's the key, isn't it?"
What is the Key, Ranma?

Love. I have to love this thing that can and has killed those I love. I have to have compassion for those that it causes pain. I have to end their suffering.

Are you willing to try, Ranma?

Yes. But I'm scared.

But what do you do in the face of fear?

I conquer it, and in so doing have place myself beyond its grasp. I no longer suffer from it and for it.

What else, Ranma?

If I can put myself beyond fear, than greed, hatred, and delusion are with in my grasp.

I understand. What you are asking of me maybe beyond my ability in this life.

Acknowledgement is enough. What I ask is no small feat. Can you do it, Ranma?

Maybe not. But I will try.

Then it is enough. Come.

Ranma stood. He looked at the cat, close by and poised to pounce. Ranma took up a relaxed stance. With a nod, he said. "I'm ready."

Herb and Captain Basil sat on the ground, carefully watching Ranma as he joined them.

"Clear your mind, then warrior. Let us command the cat, and control it today." Breathing slowly, Basil watched as Ranma slowly slid into a meditative trance, eyes partially open but unseeing. Ranma's eyes slowly came back into focus, however.

"Ranma, you aren't concentrating," the captain said sharply. The boy blushed, and concentrated on his breathing once more. Satisfied, Basil continued after a few moments. "Now Ranma, concentrate on your heart beat." Herb and the captain both watched as the boy sank deeper into the trance. His posture straight but body relaxed, he breathed in deep, even breaths.

After a slow count to one hundred, the captain spoke again. "Pull your attention from your heart and now go to the recesses of your mind." A slight tremor ran through Ranma's body. Again the captain counted slowly to one hundred, before motioning to Herb. As silently as possible, the pair stood, and backed away from the meditating boy.

Safely out of ear shot, Herb asked, "do you think he will do it today?"

"I am unsure, Lord Herb. He is fettered by something, and until he can resolve it…" Basil shrugged, and held his hands out. "Who knows? For now, we wait." And wait they did. An hour passed, and still Ranma had not come out of his trance. Ku Lon joined the pair and watched as yet another hour passed. They kept the vigil up, but there was no change in Ranma's status. A servant came and summoned the group to dinner. With a few backward glances, they passed out of the courtyard and on to dinner.

Dinner was a quite affair, with only Herb, Ku Lon, and Konatsu present. The captain had declined, instead preferring to return to the courtyard to tend to his charge. Ranma had still not stirred from his meditative state. This was not particularly alarming. The boy had once meditated for thirty-six hours straight. Unfortunately, this left Herb alone in the room with just Ku Lon and Konatsu.

Ku Lon had really taken to Konatsu after the boy/girl had confessed her feelings about Herb one afternoon two years ago. She treated her like a long-lost granddaughter, determined to see her married and happy. Even though Ku Lon knew logically that Konatsu was a man, she could tell that this would be a good match, if she could ever get Herb to agree to accept a curse of his own.

"So, Prince Herb, Konatsu tells me that you have been giving some thought to the Jusenkyo proposal."

Herb dropped his water goblet into his lap. With a curse, he sprang from the table wiping away the liquid from his garments. Ku Lon laughed at his discomfort, and Konatsu chuckled softly, obviously trying to hold back deeper laughter. He waved away the servant that sprang forth to help, and sat down after accepting a new linen napkin. "I… have given the proposal some further consideration, Elder."

"So you'll do it?" Ku Lon smiled, innocently.

"I did not say that, Elder."

"Oh, my mistake. But it would just be so lovely. We haven't had a double wedding like that in hundreds of years."

Konatsu avoided looking at Herb, and spoke very carefully to Ku Lon. "You mean this sort of thing has been done before, Elder?

"Oh, a number of times! At least, among the Amazons. It is one of the beauties of the Jusenkyo valley." Ku Lon flashed a quick wink at Konatsu.

"What usually happens?" Konatsu asked softly, trying to keep the smile out of her voice. Herb was fidgeting madly on his side of the table.

"Wouldn't you rather talk about Ranma's progress with the Neko-ken?" Herb ventured, trying not to look overly eager.

"Oh no! Come now, Herb! You should know we girls just love to talk about weddings." Ku Lon cackled, and reached for a piece of bread. She raised it to her mouth, but lowered it to speak. "Usually, it happens between two partners of the same sex who otherwise aren't allowed to marry. Both just take a dip, and bam, you have two legally separate couples to marry. Always great fun. I remember one that happened back when I was about fourteen…"

"Oh, do tell Elder!" Konatsu just positively exuded enthusiasm.

"Well, there was this one couple…" Ku Lon spun her story, taking a great deal of time getting in all the details about the courtship and the trouble it caused. Konatsu play her part perfectly, asking questions at just the right moment and always begging to hear more. Herb looked steadily less confident as the conversation continued. When Ku Lon moved on to the amount of children the couple produced, Herb's pallor took on a decidedly green hue.

The meal had been long finished before Ku Lon wrapped up her story. She was near to tears to tell it, and Konatsu was laughing right along with her. Herb had loosened up a little by the end, but that may have been the result of the several alcoholic beverages he gulped down right after the details about the children. When he finally stood to stand, he did so unsteadily. Politely thanking Ku Lon for her presence, he turned around and stumbled out of the dining area.

Both women watched him leave. "Give him time, he'll come around. And when he does, he'll thank you for it every night." With a wink, both women shared in a hearty laugh. "I better go follow him, just to make sure he's alright." Konatsu stood.

"Yes, I guess you better. Poor fellow doesn't know when he's whipped. Just like Ranma. He keeps fighting even though the odds are stacked against him."

"I think that partly why I feel in love with him. I just wish this wasn't so damn confusing." Konatsu buried her face in her hands, only to find herself wrapped in a hug by the diminutive Amazon Elder.

"But it will be worth it. Go to him. Good luck." Shooing the girl along, Ku Lon watched with a smile as Konatsu ran off into the night.

"Herb, wait!" Herb turned to watch Konatsu running towards him. With a scowl, he turned around and continued to lurch in the same direction he had been heading. "Maybe those last three drinks were a mistake," he mumbled to nobody in particular.

Konatsu caught up shortly. She fell in step, not saying anything for a while. After a few minutes of walking silently in the moonlight together, she reached forward and grabbed his hand. Herb slowed.

"You mad?" She asked.

"Not really. It was a rather grand joke. Did it take the two of you a long time to concoct that story?"
"No concoction. It is a true story. But," she giggled, "We did spend about an hour going over what questions I should ask."

Herb laughed briefly, and looked at Konatsu's profile in the moonlight. She really was beautiful. It was just so… so damn frustrating.

"Konatsu, can you do me a favor?"

"If I can."

"Do you think you could turn into a guy for a bit?"

This threw the girl off balance for a second, but she quickly recovered. "Sure, just a second." Concentrating for a few seconds, Herb felt a tremendous surge of ki, and Konatsu quickly grew in stature. The dress she had been wearing turned into a tunic, with black pants underneath. "Why? Is this better?"

"Does Ranma know you can change at will like that?"

"Yes, but so can he. We can only do it about once a day, though. It takes way too much ki to do it constantly. Why did you want me to change?"

"I just wanted to check something." The two were about of equal height, but Konatsu was slighter in build. Yet, it was still Konatsu that stood before him, the same person that had helped bring the Musk and the Amazon together years ago. Here was the sparring partner every bit as challenging as Ranma, the friend he had grown to trust and rely on. His personality didn't change with his form.

The two walked side by side for a while in silence. "Konatsu, will you keep an eye on Ranma for a bit? I have to think for a while."

"Sure. Will I see you later?"

"You will." Herb squeezed Konatsu's hand briefly before taking off into the night.

"Father, I wish to consult with you." Touching down on the balcony, Herb waited until he sensed the changes in the ki permeating the air that told him to enter. Like any dragon, his father was very protective of his lair. The lesson had been rather painfully taught to Herb at a young age, and never wanted to repeat the experience.

"What is it, Herb?" Seated alone in a chair, his father was reading a book by torch light.

"I simply wish your approval."

With a sigh, his father carefully marked his place and put the book down on a nightstand next to the chair. He stood carefully, drawing his silk robes around him as he walked to his son. He simply asked, "Why?"

"I realized tonight that form doesn't matter. Regardless of what he looks like, that will not change. However, if by changing my form makes it easier for you and the kingdom to accept, than the price is worth it."

"Nothing I say will change your mind?"

"I did not say that. I have heard your reasons. I simply ask for your approval."

"I suppose you could not find a better mate. It is just difficult to accept."

"I understand, father. However, it simply is the union of a man and a woman, twice over."

The two walked out onto the balcony into the moonlight. Leaning on the balcony, Herb's father looked out over the mountains illuminated in the silvery light. Off in the distance, a soft mist hung over the Jusenkyo Valley. "That's one way of looking at it, I suppose. When would you get married?"

"The ceremony probably would not happen for a few years."

"hmm… Giving me time to get used to the idea, or for other reasons?"

"Maybe a little bit of both. I want to travel. I hear of Ranma and Konatsu's journeys, and I feel this urge to visit the Land of Wa. This way, I would not have to travel alone."

"Do something for me, Herb."

"Yes father?"

"Come here and give me a hug."

The soft evening air didn't carry the sounds of either's tears very far.

The Jusenkyou guide was not a night owl. He had little choice. This far into the Chinese hinterlands, there was no electricity, and his ration of oil provided by the state did not nearly cover his needs. When the sun when down, he went to sleep. He nearly fell out of bed in response to the pounding at his door. Scrambling to find his slippers, he staggered to the door in the dark, stubbing his toe on a stool in the middle of the room. Cursing, he flung open the door. The curses died on his lips.

He couldn't believe what he heard the first time. The second time barely registered. But when the third request was accompanied by being lifted from the ground by one hand, his brain quickly jumped into overdrive.

"Right away, honored customers. Follow me, please."

The next morning, Ku Lon walked down to the courtyard with Konatsu to observe Ranma. There had been no change over night, and Captain Basil had left a guard with strict orders to awaken either one of them should the Boy come out of his trance.

Konatsu seemed to be even more vibrant than normal today. In fact, she was positively glowing.

"What's with you, girl?"

"What?"

The comment earned her a sharp rap on the head with Ku Lon's staff. "I don't like to repeat myself, child. What has you so happy today?"

Rubbing the knot forming on top of her head, Konatsu replied, "Oh, just Herb."

"Oh. Just Herb, hmm? Care to elaborate?"

"Not really!" With a sunny smile the kuno-ichi raced down the steps to the courtyard below.

"Youth!" With false exasperation, Ku Lon followed her down.