"I'm home!!!" Akane stumbled into the foyer, struggling to kick off her hiking boots while she pulled her pack off her shoulders. She felt cranky, stiff, and hungry. The hangover certainly wasn't helping her mood any, either.

Kasumi came down the hall to greet her sister. "Welcome back, Akane!" She reached for Akane's pack and received a very grateful smile from the younger girl. "Did you have a good time?"

"Wonderful, except for the hangover. I just had a little too much to drink last night."

"Akane!"

"Yeah, I know, I shouldn't be drinking, but it was a celebration." Akane finished unlacing her shoes and took them off

"Oh? What were you celebrating?"

Akane just waved her sister's question away. "I'll tell you later, but I really feel like a bath right now. Is it ready?" She saw Kasumi nod before she bent over to arrange her shoes in the entrance before taking the pack from her sister.

"Dinner will be ready in 30 minutes, Akane."

"Oh, alright. I'll be down when I'm done."

"Akane..."

"Yeah?"

"Can you give Ranma a call first? Invite him over to dinner. Someone is here to see him."

"Ah... Can you do it, Sis? I really want to take a bath first."

"Well..."

"Please?"

"Okay, as long as you tell me about your trip."

"I'll tell you about it all later, okay?" Akane walked towards her room and noticed in passing that a middle-aged woman in a kimono was sitting in the tea room with her father and Nabiki. She shrugged it off, eager to drop her backpack off and take a bath.

Akane relaxed into the bath, wringing her body towel out over the edge before leaning back until her head rested on the edge of the tub. Settling back, she folded the towel over and placed it on her eyes, blocking out the light. In the calm of the tub, she finally started to face some of the nagging uncertainties that had accumulated over the last few days.

She wondered what her sisters would think if they knew she'd jumped some boy's bones. The thought made her giggle. But, she had done something she swore she'd never do – she had acted on impulse and taken advantage of someone else's weakness. She wasn't much better than Kuno, with what he used to try every morning. Ranma hadn't complained, of course, but she hadn't given him much choice about that first time in the love hotel. She didn't quite know what she had with the boy. It was part desire, part respect, part... Akane didn't know. She had never mentioned love, and he certainly didn't seem inclined to say anything.

As confused as she was, she did know that she trusted him. He was gentle when they weren't sparing, caring and considerate, a good teacher, intelligent, and it didn't hurt that he was gorgeous. But then again, he was kind and considerate to everyone but Happosai. Konatsu had given her the initial go ahead. He had made it clear that if Ranma didn't want to do what... what they had done, he wouldn't have, no matter how weak he might have been. He had girls throwing themselves all over him back at home in China, and had never succumbed to any advances as far as the ninja's knew. So, that he had submitted to Akane's attempts had to count for something, right?

She sighed. She wanted more – more training, more time alone with Ranma, more of that feeling she sense of security and completeness she had with him, but she was afraid and confused. Why hadn't she wanted to talk to Ranma? Somehow, she didn't think things were going to get any easier. It had been her choice, so she'd deal with the consequences. She got out of the tub after soaking a few more minutes.

Akane walked into the tea room to see that same woman was still being entertained by her father. Soun saw Akane approaching and called out to her. "Oh, there you are Akane. Do you want some tea?" Soun placed a mug in front of her spot on the table and showed her the tea pot. "It's some lovely green tea that Mrs. Saotome brought over."

"Sure, father." Akane began to sit when her brain caught up to the statement. "Wait, Mrs. Saotome? As in Ranma Saotome?"

Soun chuckled. "Where are my manners? I'd forgotten you haven't met yet. Akane," he pointed to the woman in the kimono, "this is Nodoka Saotome, Ranma's mother. Nodoka, this is my youngest daughter, Akane. She will be joining us for dinner as we discuss some issues."
Akane exchanged greetings with Nodoka to once the formal introductions were exchanged.

"Ahh, forgive me father, what issues are you referring too?"

"Oh, just some stuff concerning the Dojo." Akane had the distinct impression her father wasn't telling her the whole truth.

Ranma was quiet during his game of Go with Shinran. Between his hangover and his thoughts, his mind really wasn't into the game, and it showed. The monk was destroying him.

"Care to tell me what's on your mind, Ranma?" Shinran placed another stone. Ranma looked at the board. The outlook was bleak. He could see that in ten moves the monk would control over half the board.

Ranma bowed slightly at the waist as he said, "I concede this game." With that, he began to clear the board. Shinran started to clear his pieces as well.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it, Ranma?"

"It's nothing."

Shinran just watched as Ranma methodically placed the stones back into their case for a bit. "Hmm... Looks like girl trouble to me." Ranma dropped the stone from nerveless fingers. "Oh, you mean I was right?" The monk began to cackle. "Oh, do tell, Ranma. Do Tell!"

The good natured ribbing seemed to work. Slowly, Ranma opened up to Shinran. He listened patiently till Ranma stopped talking before saying anything. "You want me to tell you if it's right or wrong, don't you?" Ranma nodded. "I'm not going to. You know that, don't you?" Ranma frowned as he nodded again. "How do you feel about it, Ranma?"

The boy stared into his hands for a bit as he pondered. "I'm mostly just... confused, I think. I feel weird having done... that with a student." He sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "I mean, I think she's attractive, and, I like her, and well, frankly we had a great time, but..."

"But?"

"I keep feeling like I failed. I should have been able to resist temptation a little better. I could before..."

"Ranma, look at me." The boy looked up to catch Shinran looking at him in the eye. "If it were easy no one would ever falter. It just shows you are human. If you are intent upon your path, you will learn how to deal with this in time. Do you understand?"

"I... Yes. No. I mean... What should I do?"

"Do you want me to answer as a monk or a person?"

"As if you were in my position."

"Ranma, you're young yet. Enjoy yourself. Be happy. See where it leads. Who knows? You will find that life rarely goes as planned. Very few individuals manage to plot a course and stay true. Why should you be any different?"

"Because..."

"Because?"

"I was asked a long time ago to master the Art. Isn't mastering yourself part of that?"

"Yes – but you can't master yourself until you know yourself, Ranma."

"You're saying I should just give up?"

"No. These things take time. You shouldn't expect do to in years what most people spend eons trying to figure out."

"And that makes it alright?"

Shinran smirked. "It was that good, huh?"

The boy blushed and smiled. "Yeah, I guess."

"Even the Buddha was married and bore a son before he began austerities, Ranma. If you don't know the pleasures of the flesh and the pain of love, how can you expect to really overcome them?"

Herb wasn't particularly paying attention to his surroundings as he returned home with a bag full of groceries for the evening's dinner. He was in a very pleasant mood, enjoying the sunshine and the bruise on his jaw that Ranma had given him. It was nice to have his friend back to full strength. Not that Ranma wouldn't have been welcome back with the Musk had he remained weakened, but Herb would have missed such an entertaining sparing partner.

Because Herb hadn't been paying attention, he barely had time to dodge the knife thrown at the back of his head. He managed to evade the blow, but unfortunately lost a block of tofu to the concrete in the motion. Annoyed, glanced down at the ruined block of soy bean curd before turning to see who had thrown the weapon. Herb turned to face his assailant.

The figure facing him was wrapped in a thick cloak, obscuring both form and size. Below his cloak a pair of white kung fu pants and black slippers peaked out, along with a piece of sheer fabric that hung down to the knees. The person was slightly shorter than Herb, though.

"Are you Herb of the Musk?"

Herb ignored the question and bent over, calmly placing his groceries down. He straightened up, pointing to the ruined food.

"You made me drop my tofu."

"Cry about it a little, why don't you?"

"I always appreciate it when I am attacked first and asked questions later."

"Well?"

"Before I answer, what is your name?"

The figure paused before answering. "Taro."

"Taro what?"

"Just Taro."

"Ahh. I see." Herb began to nod his head, rubbing his chin sagely as he spoke.

"Are you mocking me?"

"Yes, I am. Glad you caught on so quickly. Perhaps you aren't as stupid as you look?" Herb smirked a bit.

"Yeah, nice to know I amuse you. Now are you Herb or what?"

"I am. I have a few questions for you, Just Taro. Are those," Herb pointed at the fabric hanging down, "pantyhose?"

The boy in question growled.

Herb held up his hand, "My second question: why did you attack me?"

"Yes and because! Now shut up and die!" The boy lashed out with a blindingly fast punch at Herb's face. Herb calmly caught the punch in one his palm, crushing the boy's hand in his grip, forcing him to his knees.

"You realize that I am going to enjoy hurting you very, very badly, right?" Herb's aura began to flare.

Taro gritted his teeth as Herb landed yet another punishing blow past his defenses to send him crashing to the wall behind him. Taro struggled to his feet as Herb simply walked forward calmly, clearly enjoying demolishing his opponent. Happosai had told him these two were powerful, but this was ridiculous. Well, Taro knew how to even the odds real quick. Taro threw his cloak off into Herbs face, reaching for his flask at the same time. Taro upended the contents over his head. He instantly changed into a giant minotaur with wings and an eel for a tail, standing more than twice Herb's height.

Herb allowed his aura to flare briefly, incinerating the cloak before it obscured his vision. Herb's smirk changed to a grin when he saw Taro change into his cursed form. Herb cracked his knuckles and said, "Oh good! Jusenkyo! Just when I thought this fight might be boring."

Herb fingered his bloody lip as he watched 'Just Taro' take to the air and fly away. The fight had certainly gotten much more interesting after the transformation. Taro hit about as hard as his man servant Lime, and that was saying something. Of course, Taro soon found out that Herb hit even harder, and happened to be much faster.

"Well," Herb said to nobody in particular, "that was certainly random." Scooping up the rest of his groceries, he eyed the ruined tofu before walking away. Herb thought back to the battle. He was satisfied in the outcome; the two ribs of Taro's that he'd broken seemed a fair exchange for a bloody lip and the tofu.

Pantyhose Taro tried to keep from wincing as Dr. Tofu wrapped his ribs in a binding to keep his ribs from moving too much. Every breath was agony. Herb could fucking hit!

"Now, you are going to have to let this heal for a few weeks." Dr. Tofu finished wrapping the bindings and clipped the lose ends. "You should be thankful that these are the only bones you broke. Honestly, stepping into an oncoming truck as training!" The doctor continued to mutter as he put away his supplies. Taro definitely heard "stupid martial artist," and a "get himself killed," before the doctor stood to leave the room.

When the doctor was finally gone, Taro turned to the bed ridden Happosai. "You didn't tell me he was this strong, you old freak! I should just kill you now!"

"That won't help you get your name changed."

Taro growled. "Well, what should I do? I can't take Herb. And if Konatsu is as strong as that, I won't come out any better next time."

"You could always use your cursed form."

"I DID!"

Happosai paused. If his arms hadn't both been in casts, he would have scratched his chin as he pondered. "Hmm...Well, Pantyhose, you seem like a smart kid. I suggest you think of something."

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!"

Herb walked into the kitchen with the groceries. His lip had stopped bleeding long ago, and a little ki had managed to mostly heal the wound. "Konatsu, dear?"

"Yes, Herb?" Konatsu walked into the kitchen from the back, where he'd been practicing.

"If you go shopping, you might want to avoid the tofu. I think there may be a shortage."

"Why's that?"

"Someone tried to steal mine today."

"Oh. In a 'I'm hungry and can't afford my own', or 'this is a vendetta and you will die' kind of way?"

"The latter."

"Should we tell Ranma?"

"Naw – he'd probably love to take on a mugger or two. Where is he, anyway?"

"Oh, he just left. He's going over to the Tendo's for dinner. Apparently there is someone there to see him."

"What about Shinran?"

"Off administering last rights. He won't be back for hours."

Herb suddenly shifted forms to his female half. She walked over to Konatsu and grabbed the boy by the front of his trousers. "Well, since we are all alone and don't have any tofu tonight, how do you suggest we get some protein?" The grin on her face was anything but innocent.

"Excuse me?" Ranma entered the foyer and began taking of his shoes. He balanced the flowers and the gifts he'd brought in one hand as put his shoes to the side. Kasumi came to greet him as he finished. He offered the wrapped gift towards the girl. "Here, these are for your family. Ryuzengawa manju. They're pretty tasty, and shaped like giant animals."

"Oh, thank you, Ranma. How nice of you. Come on in."

Ranma followed her to the tea room. Everyone was assembled around the table. Kasumi handed Ranma's gift to Soun before heading into the kitchen to bring out the meal. Seated next to Soun was a middle aged woman in a kimono, clutching a silk wrapped bundle in her arms.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know you had a guest tonight, Mr. Tendo. I can leave if you wish."

"This person is here to see you, Ranma."

Ranma just looked at Soun, eyebrows squinted. He seemed... happy about something.

"Ranma, I want you to meet your mother, Nodoka."

Dinner had long since ended, and the table cleared away. Ranma and Nodoka sat talking as the rest of the Tendo's vacated the room, giving them privacy.

"Are you sure you want me to continue?" Ranma reached over to grab Nodoka's hand. His mother's hand. He could hardly believe it. But here he was, telling his mother, whom he hadn't seen in more than ten years, about how his father had died.

The woman nodded her head as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "Please, Ranma. I need to know."

Ranma nodded. He could understand that. He continued his story, trying to make up for ten years of lost time with a simple narrative.

"You turn into a what?" Nodoka clutched the silk bundle to her chest, hands gripping the contents so hard her knuckles popped."

"I turn into a woman. I still don't have complete control over the curse, but I'm close. It may take a couple of years." He stared at his mother for a second, realization dawning. "Actually, now that I think about it, I look a lot like you." He took a sip of his tea as he thought for a second, "It's really cool, truth be told. I haven't been spending nearly as much time in my other form since coming to Japan, and I kind of miss it. So much better than being male when it comes to certain things..." Ranma trailed off.

"Like what?"

"Oh, like dealing with pain, and getting ice cream. Random stuff."

"You like being a woman?"

"Not all the time. But I'd miss it if I couldn't change every now and then."

"Ah... could you..." Nodoka picked up her tea cup and nervously took a sip.

"Change?"

Nodoka nodded. Ranma chuckled as he concentrated briefly, channeling enough ki necessary to trigger the transformation. Nodoka gasped and dropped her tea cup. Ranma's hand shot out, catching the cup before it could fall and spill.

Ranma grinned. "For one thing, I'm much faster as a woman..."

"But what about your father's pledge?"

"Pledge? What pledge?"

Nodoka sighed as she unwrapped the bundle she was holding. From out of the folds of the silk she pulled a katana and placed it on the table in front of her. Then, reaching into the sleeves of her kimono, she pulled out a scroll and placed it on the table next to the sword. She pushed the scroll across the table to him.

Ranma carefully opened the scroll and read the contents. "I Genma Saotome, will raise my son to be a man amongst men, or we shall both commit seppuku." Ranma placed the scroll on the table and stared across at the woman. "This is some kind of joke, right, Mother? Nodoka?"

Nodoka had taken the sword out of the scabbard and was taking a few practice swings. "The burden of proof is on you, Ranma. Convince me."

Ranma felt a bead of sweat trickle down the back of his neck. "Um... First, could you tell me what you consider manly?"

"Psst... Nabiki! What's going on in there?" Akane quietly opened the door to Nabiki's room and stepped in closing the door behind her. Nabiki held up her hand as she listened into the headphones, trying to catch the last couple of words. She shook her head. She knew she should have put another mike in the tea room...

"Seems like Ranma's mother is a nut job. She wants to make him commit seppuku."

"WHAT?"

"SHHH!"

Akane blushed before she asked in a quite voice, "why?"

"She needs to be convinced he's a man among men. Being polite and all doesn't seem to be enough to convince her."

"What else does she want to prove he's a man?"

Nabiki snorted. "A woman falling all over herself to leap into his pants, judging from her description."

"Oh, okay, then. You had me worried for a second."

Nabiki looked at Akane for a second, disbelief on her face. "You didn't." Akane smirked. "YOU DID!" The shout managed to make Akane wince from the volume.

"Easy there, Nabiki. My head still hurts."

"I want details."

"Why?"

"I mean, come on! Look at him. He's a hunk! If he's half as good in bed as he looks..." Nabiki trailed off as she got a dreamy expression on her face.

Kasumi opened the door, carrying tea and some snacks for her sisters. "You did what, Akane?"

Nabiki smirked. "She did Ranma."

Kasumi nearly dropped her tray. "NO!"

Akane blushed. Kasumi squealed. "DETAILS!"

"That's what I said!"

"Is that all you have to say for yourself, Ranma?"

"What else would you have me say? Considering what happened, I think I've done pretty well for myself, Mother." Ranma pointed at the sword she still held drawn. "I've gone most of my life without you. If you want to continue this... idiocy, I will simply continue to do so."

Nodoka looked across the table at her son. He was calm and composed, but keeping a wary eye on the sword she held. "But you turn into a woman! How can that be manly?"

"That shouldn't be a problem. I can understand more about woman than perhaps any man alive."

"But..."

"But nothing. Put that away. I refuse to honor this contract. It was made before I had any way of comprehending it, and the terms are ludicrous. I have yet to fulfill my goals, and I will not give my life to someone else's definition of my manhood."

Nodoka carefully sheathed the sword with a frown. She sat down and hesitantly reached over grabbed Ranma's hand, giving it a brief squeeze. "I'm sorry, Ranma. I just..." She gestured towards the scroll with the butt of the sword. "That's all I've had for ten years. No word of you or Genma, whether you were alive or dead or..." She trailed off, choking back the sobs that threatened to break free. She picked up the contract and ripped it in half. "Satisfied? I want to get to know my son."

The entire Tendo family joined Ranma and his mother at the table later to enjoy the treats Ranma had brought from Ryuzengawa. Akane, true to her word, was telling her sisters about the trip to the forest, carefully editing out certain nocturnal activities. They noted the omissions and smirked, causing her to blush. Ranma looked puzzled for a bit, then provided the details about what happened when they actually met the Orochi.

"You guys saw an actual Dragon?" Kasumi's eyes were wide. "And it had eight heads?"

"Yeap. It was pretty scary, actually. Herb was scary, too. I've never seen him show so much power at any one time."

"Why not?"

"Well, we've never actually fought all out, you know? We hold back quite a bit, only sparring, and keep out most powerful techniques out of the matches." This caught Akane's attention.

"You mean you guys are holding back when I watch you practice?"

"Of course." His tone made it sound more like, 'are you an idiot?'

Soun cleared his throat to interrupt the conversation at that point. He waited until everyone had turned to look at him before speaking. "Ranma?"

"Yes?"

"I know this may be a bit much in for one day, but I think it is time to tell you about the agreement Genma made with me."

"This had better not be some stupid seppuku pledge as well."

Soun smiled. "Actually, no. Quite the opposite. At birth, we promised to engage our children to each other in order to continue the Anything Goes School of martial arts." Nodoka nodded as she listened.

"Say again?" Had Soun known Ranma a little better, he would have been unsettled by the uncharacteristically quiet tones of his question. Akane caught the undertones, though. They were the same ones he had used when he prevented his friends from ending Happosai's life.

"As a matter of family honor, you have been engaged to one of my daughters from birth. You can choose which ever one you wish."

Surprisingly, Ranma was the only one who didn't explode.

Ranma was laying on the roof of the Tendo dojo, staring at the stars and trying to sort out the thoughts. He heard the sound of someone grabbing the edge of the roof, and turned to see Akane pull her self up over the edge of the roof with a flip.

"Can't make it in one jump yet?"

"No."

"Don't worry. You'll be able to soon." Akane nodded. Silence settled over the pair as she came and sat next to the boy. Neither said anything for a while. Ranma just continued to stare at the stars, while Akane simply watched the boy. She spoke first.

"Can you believe it? The two of us engaged?"

"You didn't have to volunteer yourself like that."

"Yeah I did. After what we did... I mean, I can't just let one of my sisters be your fiancée. Plus, it makes the most sense. Even if I'm nowhere near your level, I'm a martial artist, and so are you."

"I don't want a fiancée. Hell, I didn't even want a girlfriend."

"Oh, so you're just using me?"

"As I recall, you used me first. I didn't appreciate the complexity that has brought to our relationship."

Akane blushed. "heheh... right. Sorry. I don't regret it, though. Do you?"

Ranma sighed and sat up. "No, but..."

"But?"

"It doesn't make things any easier, you know? Before everything was pretty clear cut. I was your teacher, and you were my student. We were friends. We went to the same school. I was just getting used to the idea of that when this happens. How am I supposed to react now?"

"Not that much has changed, Ranma. I'm still your student. We are still friends. Right?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Now we just get to enjoy the um..." Akane blushed. She took a deep breath before continuing, still blushing. "The, um... benefits that come from the more formal arrangement."

"Like?"

"Well, you know."

Ranma thought about it for a second before he blushed as well. "Ah." He looked at Akane out of the corner of his eyes as he asked his next question. "So, I take it you enjoy... those benefits as well?"

She nodded, blushing bright red.

"You know I'll be going back to China soon, right? What happens then?"

She shrugged. "Let's cross that bridge when we get there." The two continued to sit, lost in quiet contemplation.

"Congratulations, Ranma!"

"Shut up, Konatsu!"

"Why, are you not going to invite me to the wedding? How cruel!"

"That's it!" Konatsu took to the roofs, nimbly dodging the furious blows Ranma threw. Herb just watched from the ground, shaking his head in amusement at his friend's predicament.

"I'll see you two at school, then?" Konatsu waved acknowledgement as he dodged yet another blow from Ranma. Herb walked to school, ignoring the commotion behind him.

Taro watched as Ranma helped Akane run along the fence top, keeping her from falling with light touches to correct her balance. Taro lowered his binoculars and jumped off the roof to the alley below. Good. Tofu would be pleased to hear his ribs hadn't hurt at all. Taro had been watching very carefully for the last three weeks, devoting his entire day tracking his prey to established patterns and histories. The old goat Happosai had been useful for once, teaching him an excellent form of ki suppression that allowed him to watch, albeit from a distance, with relative impunity. With a good pair of binoculars and a little money for bribes, it was amazing how much you could learn.

First he had tracked down Herb with hopes of avenging his previous injuries, but a few days surveillance quickly proved that any assault on the prince would be futile. The guy had obviously been holding back in their match. Considering that Taro had been in his cursed form at the time, he wasn't going attempt retribution until he was sure of victory.

Konatsu had proven to be impossible to track, and from the few fights he had managed to observe, Taro knew he'd be no match for the boy. That the two had Jusenkyo curses had come as a surprise. Perhaps he could exploit the curses, but... Taro had heard rumors that the two were married. Their spouses didn't seem to be around, but he was looking for some way to exploit that as well, but most scenarios that he thought of were quickly discarded, because it would probably end with Taro in a great deal of pain.

Ranma might be the one to go after. He rarely saw the boy spar with the other two. Usually, he just sat by the side and looked bored, or perhaps meditative. At any rate, he might be the link Taro needed. Another possibility that Taro liked involved that Ranma guy's girlfriend. It made more sense to go after her, since she was by far the weakest link. Take out one leg of the stool, and... Taro grinned as he began to make some plans.

"Hello, Tendo Dojo. This is Kasumi speaking."

"Hey Kasumi, it's Ranma. Is Akane there? She vanished in the middle of school today. I was wondering if she was alright."

"Did you two fight?"

"No, she just... well, vanished."

"Oh my. Well, she isn't here. How strange..."

"Yeah, tell me about it. If she comes home anytime soon, and she isn't sick, tell her I'm not going to let her off easy, okay? She still has to train, even if she's in a foul mood."

"Okay Ranma. Oh, by the way, did you know that Grandfather Happosai came home from the hospital today?"

"Oh, that's good. How's he doing? I haven't seen him in a few weeks."

"He's doing fine. Still hobbling around because of the crutches, but he'll be fine shortly."

"Yeah? Good to hear. Anyway, thanks. Remember, if you see her..."

"Of course, Ranma. Talk to you later."

"Thanks again. Good bye."

"Tell me again why you're doing this?" Akane asked angrily, attempting yet again to wriggle her hands free from the bindings that held her fast to the chair. She had stepped out of building for lunch, only to be assaulted by some weird guy with pantyhose tied around his waist. The fight had been short but brutal – he'd knocked her out, but not before she managed to land a few good blows. She knew from experience he'd be pissing blood for a week after the shot she got in on his kidneys, so that made her feel a little better.

Just to make sure she couldn't wiggle free, her captor began to wrap duct tape around her wrists and fingers, immobilizing them and making the bindings even stronger. He moved to her feet, taping her ankles together, going through nearly half a roll of duct tape to make sure the bindings would hold.

"You, my dear, are the bait I need in order to kill your friends. Sorry. No hard feelings?" Taro smirked as he tore off another piece of tape and placed it over the last of her fingers. "Now, just sit tight. If you're good, I'll let you go once I've got what I want. I promise."

"You know you're no match for any of them, right? I mean, come on! Even I was able to hit you."

Taro smirked. "True, they may be more skilled, but I have something they don't."

"Like what? Cerebral palsy, or perhaps a death wish?"

"Cunning, and explosives." He pulled a little remote out of his pocket, holding it up and gave it a little shake. He quickly pocketed it again before turning and leaving the room.

He came back a few seconds later, dialing a number on a cellular phone. Taro walked over to the corner and squatted next to the captive girl. "Hello, is this Ranma? Someone wants to say hi."

From his hiding spot amongst the trees, Ranma carefully looked out over the promontory, surveying the temple and the surrounding grounds. Taro had chosen the ground to make a stand very carefully, because no matter what course he took, he'd be visible the whole way. The temple stood at the top of a high bluff, facing the sea. There was only one way up, and judging from the look of things, that way was heavily fortified. He began to plot his route to the top, trying to avoid the obvious traps.

Taro was an unknown. Herb briefly mentioned his encounter, but love of tofu didn't seem a strong enough motivation for the unprovoked attack. The information about his cursed form was handy, but he was 'only marginally skilled' according to Herb. His confidence meant that either he had something up his sleeve or he was just stupid. Probably the later, since he had chosen to abduct Akane. Ranma growled at the thought. Ranma was still uncomfortable about the whole engagement business, but he liked Akane. She was a friend, and a good student. Things had been going nicely recently – she was getting better, which meant he could step up her training even more. Plus, he really enjoyed the 'benefits,' as well.

Ranma started forward, but a tickling sensation in the back of his mind made him stop. He felt like he was being watched. He extended his senses as much as he could, but detected nothing wrong. He moved to step forward once again, but the sensation only doubled in intensity.

He frowned. It was almost like... like a warning. The feeling refused to go away. Ranma looked around once more, just to make sure he was truly alone. There was nothing for it. The feeling wouldn't leave, and he had to go get Akane, if only to stop Mr. Tendo's constant stream of tears. With a deep breath, he ducked low and sprinted to the first hiding spot he had chosen.

Taro smiled as he watched Ranma emerge from the tree line and dash for a boulder. He lowered the binoculars and reached into his pocket. Pulling out a small remote he smiled as he said, "Boom! Ahhh... It's beautiful..." and mashed the button.
As Ranma ran to the boulder, and the feeling became even stronger. It was almost palpable at this point, like a finger hovering over the back of his neck. Something was wrong; he didn't know why, but he could feel it. When he arrived at the boulder, he immediately cloaked himself in the Umi-sen-ken and jumped back towards the trees. He wasn't quick enough, though. He felt the blast more than he heard it, but the pain quickly blocked out anymore thought.
"Well, that was easy." Taro watched the crater smoke for a while, scanning for any signs of movement. After thirty minutes of scanning, he was satisfied. He turned back towards the temple, contemplating the next step of his plan.
Ranma gritted his teeth as he pulled another rock shard out of his bloodied body. He applied a good deal of ki to seal the wound and heal it. He moved to the next shard, pulling it out and repeating the process. His back and legs received the worst of the shrapnel damage. Unlike when he had trained in the bakusai tenketsu, he hadn't anticipated the blast, and his body had come out the worse for the exchange. He was still cloaked, but he was burning ki fast maintaining the cloak and healing the damage.

The feeling of being watched never left, which bothered Ranma even more. His hackles had never real settled, even with the blast. He snarled as he pulled out a particularly large chunk of rock. He held the golf ball sized rock in his hand, watching the healing process as he concentrated his ki on closing the wound. This was slow work, but... He was about to drop the rock and move to the next when epiphany struck. The feeling was gone. Ranma looked at his blood covered hands and smiled.

While he hadn't expected this, he almost felt sorry for Taro. Almost.

Taro was dialing another number when he was splashed by cold water. He roared and spun, turning to face the source of unexpected water, only to find a madly grinning Ranma. "I really should thank you, Taro."

Taro snorted, noting the blood that covered Ranma's clothing.

"Oh, I bet you know what you're thinking. You're thinking you have a chance, because I'm obviously injured." Ranma plucked at his ruined clothing, wiping his hands on his shirt. "Anyway, before we fight, where's Akane?"

Taro hitched his thumb over his shoulder, indicating the room he had come from.

"Cool. Be right back. Don't go anywhere, okay?" With that Ranma vanished, only to reappear instantly with the still bound Akane in his arms. He examined the bindings for a bit. Taro never saw the boy move, but suddenly Akane's bindings fell away, sliced cleanly into ribbons.

Ranma's proceeded to looked the girl over, checking for injuries, completely ignoring the fact that a giant minotaur stood only meters away. She, for her part was downplaying her injuries, intent instead upon the blood that covered Ranma's clothing.

Taro slid forward, intent on capitalizing on the distraction, lashing out with a blindingly fast punch, intending to flatten Ranma. Much to his shock, his punch was stopped cold by a single finger, placed between the first and second fingers of his knuckles.

Ranma wasn't even looking at Taro. With a quick smile at Akane, he turned to face Taro. He dropped the finger holding back the fist and bowed. "You've unwittingly helped me realize a lifelong dream today. Thank you. I am willing to forgive this action because I am in such a good mood. Provided you leave immediately." He extended a hand out towards Akane, not even bothering to watch Taro. "Ready to go, Akane?"

The girl nodded and started walking towards Ranma when Taro lashed out again. She distinctly heard Ranma sigh before Taro's roar of fury turned into bellows of agony.

The two were walking back from the temple hand in hand, Ranma holding Akane's left hand with his right. She pointed to the unconscious form of Taro he had tied up, slung over his left shoulder.

"So... Ranma?"

"Yes?"

"What DID you do to him?"

"That, Akane, was the real Neko-ken."

"How?"

"I really did mean it when I told him 'thank you.' He helped me realize the final piece of the puzzle so that I could finally master it."

"Oh? What was it?"

"Well, before I had no reason to master the Neko-Ken besides an abstract promise to a man long dead."

"Your dad?"

"Yeah. Before I got caught up in a blast he had rigged to try and kill me, I kept having this feeling of being watched. Took me a while to figure out what it was." He pointed to all the dried blood and holes in his clothing. "It was the feline elements, or the sixth sense ability of the Neko-ken warning me of danger I couldn't sense."

"The explosives?"

Ranma nodded. "I must have been subconsciously aware of them, either by smell or taste or... Who knows?" He shrugged. "Anyway, I barely managed to avoid the worst of the blast, and I was injured, covered in blood, worried about you, and wanting to tear Taro apart. I wasn't in the shape to fight Taro, but I wanted to. I needed a real reason to accept that half of myself, even if subconsciously. Training alone wasn't enough. It was part self preservation, part concern for others, and a little bit of blood lust."

"What's it like? I mean, when you attacked him, it seemed like you never even moved from where you had been standing."

"I did and I didn't move. I can't describe it. It's... Spectacular. Pure ki manipulation mixed with unbelievable motor control. My ki, my body, became manifestations of my will. It was like... I could do anything. And I could. I imagine Herb must feel like this at times, as well."

Akane was silent for a while. "Congratulations on mastery and all, but now what?"

"Well, I've got to find Happosai, eventually. Something about this whole setup reeks. But for now..." Ranma cast a sideways glance at the girl. Without ceremony he dropped Taro to the ground and swept Akane off her feet. He quickly headed over to a cluster of trees.

"What are you... Ah!! Ranma, stop it! Not here! NO... I.. ahh... Ohh... oh, Ranma..."

To his credit, Happosai didn't act surprised when Ranma dropped out of the air in front of him. He couldn't conceal his surprise, however, when Ranma threw a very tied up Taro to the ground next to him. Before he could react, Herb and Konatsu also appeared out of thin air, surrounding the old pervert.

"Yo, Happosai." Ranma waved, before nudging Taro's prone form with a toe. "The mailman dropped this off for me today, but I think it was supposed to be for you. Do you want to sign for it now, or should we come back later?" Ranma popped his knuckles. The sound was echoed from each flanking fighter.

Happosai whined.

"I just got off those bloody crutches, too!"

First, thanks for reading. Sorry it took a while to update, but life got in the way, as it sometimes can... :)
Thanks to all those who have read and reviewed up to this point. I've had some wonderful comments, and I thank you all. I'd like to respond to a few now. I can not respond to all of them, I appologize in advance.

Max Krugman writes:
"incidentally... Jerry Unipeg is... well, he reviews pretty much EVERYTHING. I think his standard reviews are "GREAT START," "I LOVE THIS CHAPTER," and one other I can't remember. So I wouldn't take those all that seriously, or at least I wouldn't go on those as a judge of popular opinion. "

That was my attempt at humor. I greatly appreciate taht Unipeg enjoys my stories, and I find his consistent reviews to be both encouraging and humorous, in a strange way. No crack on Jerry - you keep on doing what you do. I was simply trying to be ironic.

Myuu-Fox girl writes:
"Woah, awsome fic. I'm ging to have to thank my bro for sending me the link to this. I love Ran/Aka, mostly because they're so good together (what's that saying about opposites attracting? Certainly fits with them) and because I believe that it's the pairing that Takahashi-san was aiming for all along, although I haven't seen much of the anime and have never read the manga."

As I believe Takahashi intended the pairing. However, this is not a Ranma/Akane fic, but rather a Ranma fic. Important distinction. I also enjoy a good R/A story, but I've given enough clues as to how this ends. I simply have to set up dramatic tension for the end to be effective. :)

C. Rose writes:
"Pretty good, it's been a while since I've run across a Ranma story of this quality. Now if only you would get more descriptive with the sex scenes. smirk"

You are welcome (or anyone, for that matter) to write sex scenes and submit them to me for inclusion. There will be no guarentee i will include the material, and retain the right to edit for cohesivness. But I do welcome them - I just have no flair or ability to write a good scene, just like fight scenes. both are very hard to write well.

Fangorn writes:
"About the R/A pairing, which is my prefered one, it seems to me they are right now more a pair of young people curious about sex then a proper couple (like Herb and Konatsu). Ranma's struggling to understand his feelings for her, or isn't even trying to right now. He didn't say he loved her, but didn't deny it, either, which is pretty much ambivalent, as you wrote (and liked it!). Akane haven't said the words, either. For a shier than normal, and probably curious after discovering Herb's and Konatsu's marriage, Akane, a powerless Ranma offered an interesting opportunity, largely because he couldn't force her to do anything she didn't want to."

Astute. I am glad you got that impression, because that is what I am trying to write. It really does make me happy to see that the point came across. It is important for later development.

"And I don't think Akane is much out of character. Her reactions so far are pretty much plausible to a Ranma that's tremendously different from the Ranma presented by the manga. Without the weight of a forced engagement and the stress caused by the rest of the usual Ranma 1/2's crew, I find pretty easy to her to have great respect and trust for this Ranma.
Anyway, I do hope this story evolves to a R/A pairing, but frankly speaking, it would be quite unique if they don't. Keep writing true to your opinions and we'll keep reviewing. Keep up the good work!"

Thank you for the vote of confidence. I am trying to create a unique story here, and I feel that i will when I resolve the remaining issues. I also feel that none of the characters are extremely out of character - these actions seem to be logical conclusions to the changes i've introduced. I am not as fond of the Ranma fanfictions where people simply re-write what has been done already.

Karibanu writes:
"Heh, "Akane" seems far more like Nabiki. Not a problem, she seems a fun girl so far, but hardly anything of Takahashi's Akane is in there, for which I'm grateful; there's hardly any aspects of her character I enjoy, after some repeated reading/analysis of the manga. I'd be disappointed if Ranma didn't do some further and broader exploration of the joys of the female half of the species though; just picking the first girl he's come across when he's mature enough to appreciate matters and then just settling seems ridiculous. Doesn't mean he can't end up with her, but it's all far too convenient so far."

Thank you for the honest assesment. reviews like this are VERY helpful. I'd like to introduce more elements like you point out, but I'm afraid i'm not creative enough to do so with out destroying the flow and integrity of the story. As it is, i feel like i am walking a very thin line.

"I disagree with your assessment of the manga R/A/S triangle, but this isn't the place for that."

Oh? :) later, then perhaps. you can always send an email.

"I'm hoping you won't make a big deal out of some teenage pregnancy thing, considering where these characters actually are...
Anyway, not a lot really happened, but the Orochi was fun. I'm not really sure where this little arc is going, though; moxibution came & went without much more than meeting Herb's relatives. They're still in Ryuugenzawa, so there's still room for real plot."

I'm sorry if there wasn't enough plot development. that was more a chance for me to work in some classical japanese education. Culture, people. Culture. :)

WarpWizard writes:
"The reason I usually find Akane boring is that due to that ambivalence, things never progress. They just go back and forth, back and forth. That's how Takahashi managed to go 38 volumes without resolving anything, along with other convenient reset buttons. Also, characters that ruled by their emotions are boring. To me anyway. The final caveat is, of course, with good writing anything can be made readable."

Yes, Takahashi does waffle, but in the manga she makes a clear choice between the tree girls.(Can you blame her? This series made her a fortune, and if she ended it after 10 volumes it wouldn't be nearly as popular. sorry, cynical me.) In her own words, she wrote the comic in the following fashion. "one marital arts skit, one humorous skit, followed by one romantic skit furthering the relationship between Ranma and Akane."
And characters ruled by emotions can be boring, granted. But when they learn to start thinking, the interaction between the two forces are great.