The moon is a wild, unruly mistress. She is partners with the wind, and in their night revels they lead many a warrior along a false path. Sometimes the path is one followed through the woods, sometimes it is one followed through sands of time.

The moon and the wind have conspired together to take my cousin from me.

In her way, the moon has shrunk and grown again three times since I last saw the face of my favorite cousin, and I cannot say that time has diminished the fear I hold for her. I know why she left, perhaps better than anyone. Nodoka wanted Ranma to marry that man, that strange foreign man, and my cousin refused. I know why-- who would know better than I?

I have felt Ranma's hands on my skin and I know her heart only beats faster under a woman's touch. I have heard her say it, and I have seen her prove it-- many times over. It's not uncommon for young Amazon women to turn to each other before-- and after-- marriage. A man cannot possibly understand what it is to be a woman, for true love a woman must find understanding.

Most women do not cease such "games" when they are finally defeated by a man, but I had to-- the truth of Ranma's first gender would make such acts adultery. Amazon women are faithful. The day came a little over a year ago that Mu Tsu, that silly child who plagued my every step all my life, finally grew strong enough to defeat me.

I expected it. What I did not expect was that Mu Tsu's sudden strength came from a tutor, and that tutor was none other than my own cousin. When I asked her why she would betray me so, she was confused. She claimed to feel pity for Mu Tsu, and to want only my happiness. She said he loved me more than any man had a right to love a woman, and what could be wrong with that?

That was when I understood at last that for Ranma, our kisses and caresses were only that, and I could never command her heart the way she did mine. Great-grandmother said it was because I am not strong enough, mentally. Physically, yes, but Ranma needs someone who can yell her down. I never could, in all our endeavors my cousin was the undisputed leader.

So I married Mu Tsu, and after a year of laying with him, I think I'm finally going to have a child. Not for a while yet, but I can feel it beginning within me.

That is why, before I grow too heavy and cumbersome, I must find my cousin and talk her out of her stubbourn refusal to marry that foreign man. The act of love is endurable even for one such as her-- there are stories. Great-grandmother says her sister was the same way. A warrior could bear it. Ranma must bear it. I cannot have my daughter born without Ranma to help in the naming.

It is a tradition-- all women of the tribe must offer a name. I want to hear the one Ranma would offer. I want to see her face when she hears the news.

Time is, as always, short. Help will be needed.

(Changing from Xian Pu's point of view to Akane's. . . I'm sorry for the awkward scene shifts, my compy hates me and doesn't like to keep formatting. I couldn't see Tofu in an ER, so he won't appear there. . . sorry again.)

I woke in a maze of machines.

A man in a white coat was standing over me, holding a clipboard. He smiled when he saw I was awake. A man in a police uniform started at a word from the doctor, and began fishing around in his pockets. He pulled out a pen and paper.

"I see you're awake," the young doctor smiled. "I'm Dr. Malphrus, and this is Officer Perkins. You are a very lucky young lady."

"Lucky how?" I asked. My voice was tight and hoarse even to my own ears, my lips felt cracked and dry. There was a strange pounding in my head, as if every capillary were expanding and contracting as one.

Everything else was just a haze of pain. Fortunately, the young doctor seemed inclined to catalogue each ache.

"You're awake, is how. I was beginning to wonder if you'd come out of it tonight. You have a major concussion-- three seperate concussions, truthfully, but who's counting? Four cracked ribs, one broken arm, a mass of bruises and bumps, not to mention that rather odd hole you've got in the back of your leg. Bullet wound. Looks for all the world like you got shot while you were running away from your attackers," he said, in the tones of a mother scolding a child. I almost smiled. Almost. "The nice policeman would like to know just who shot you."

I did smile at that. They were making my life a lot easier-- I thought I'd have to track the police down, prove I wasn't crazy, and then give them a report. Here one was all ready to jot down my story.

"Natalie. That's what she calls herself, anyway. I don't know a last name, but she was arrested a few nights ago on charges of fraud, then let out on bail. Her and Jordan Upton," I said. I was encouraged by the sight of the policeman writing it all down. "He was my fiance, until I found out about the fraud charges. I broke it off right in the jail,"

"Thank you," the yougn doctor said, turning away. I shot him a withering glance.

"I'm not done. Stay put. Earlier today I was hit across the back of the head while I was walking, and taken to an apartment I recognized as 1435 Parkview, in the Palasade complex. Jordan's father owns it. Natalie was there, as well as two thugs. She said something about her ambitions reaching far beyond petty fraud, and left me with them. When I made my escape, she was the one who shot me," I finished, giving the policeman a steady stare. He blinked at me.

"But Palasade is nearly four miles from where you were found. You couldn't have run all that way," he protested. I scoffed at him, and it hurt my throat.

"I'm a martial artist. I could have run twice that far."

"I doubt that," the young doctor sighed. He began walking toward the door, and the policeman followed. "I'll be back to check on you in an hour. Your family has been notified, and they're on their way. Until then-- Officer Perkins, I'd say it was safe to let the young Chinese man come in for a visit, wouldn't you?"

Officer Perkins nodded, looking abashed.

"I'll take the handcuffs off him right away, Doctor," he promised. They left, and a few minutes later Ranma strode in.

Just who I didn't want to see.

"I'm not in the mood," I snapped, and closed my eyes. He whistled, long and low.

"Y'really look like hell warmed over," he said, softly. "I'm glad I got you here so fast."

My eyes flew open at that. He was standing quite harmlessly at the foot of my bed, rubbing his wrists.

"You brought me here?" I asked, somewhat incredulous.

"Carried you. Had to, you were obviously spent. No wonder." He made a scornful noise deep in his throat. "Do you beleive they actually thought it was me who did this to you?"

"I can see why, you look dangerous enough," I noted, taking in the muscles under his shirt. He stiffened.

"Surely you dinna think I would?"

"What's stopping you? Because I'm a girl? Because if so, you can shove that sentiment . . ."

"Because an Amazon man never hurts his wife. To do so is punishable by death," he said, stopping me in my tracks. I started to laugh at him, but that hurt, so I stopped.

"I'm not your damn wife," I said, for what felt like the thousandth time. "If you don't want me to kick your ass, you'll stop SAYING things like that!"

He opened his mouth to say something, then shut it promptly and turned away.

"I'll see y' at home, lass. Dinna fight the doctors too much, aye?" he suggested. He paused at the door, without turning around.

"I meant to. . . never mind," he whispered. Then he was gone, and I was alone with the whirr and bleep of the maze of machines.

(Changing from Akane's perspective to Ranma's. Can't make it interesting or pretty. . . tear)

It was a long walk to the Tendo dojo.

When I got there the house was dark. Presumably the family had left for the hospital already. I meant to tell her that I was wrong about her, that she had done better today than any Amazon warrior could have. That I respected her now, and that didn;t come easy.

What would be the use? What could I possibly acheive with that? A sense of home? A place to belong with a loving wife and an endless supply of food?

No such thing.

Even among the Tribe, I was alone. Pops always wanted to take me on some training mission, we'd be gone weeks, months at a time-- once for two years-- before Mom would send people out to find us and bring us home. I was always the returning stranger or the temporary help, and only three or four people ever claimed to be my friend at all.

So even if this works, and I could return home with that little hellcat, what would I be returning to? To a life of shame as a male who once was female, to give up all that I gained as a warrior and become simply a MAN. Some life that would be. Maybe I should have married Ryouga and been done with it. Married someone who thought I was a freak. Let him possess my body husband to wife.

The thought makes me ill.

If only I knew where I was trying to go. . . what I was trying to achieve. In battle, one has clearly defined goals. That's why I love it. In the rest of life, one just has to try and do the best one can. . . I would gladly do anything, anything at all from murder to whoring, if only I could find something worthy to devote my time to.

What in the bloody blue ballocks am I trying to achieve? What do I want? Where can I possibly go from here?

For now, all I can do is sort though the mess of this girl's life, and try not to flunk out of this useless university. It's enough to keep me occupied but then. . . what?

Maybe I'll become a wandering mercenary and travel from town to town taking down the corrupt influences of this corrupt society.

Or maybe it would be more fun to just lay down and die.

The house was dark, but not empty. Someone was sobbing quietly in the entryway. I approached cautiously, until I recognized the silloutte.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I snapped. Jordan looked up at me, tearful and dribbling snot like some baby. I allowed my contempt to show on my face. "Don't make me repeat myself."

"I'm too late, they already got her," he sobbed. "They took her and. . . I was trying to warn her, you bastard, you wouldn't let me warn her. . ."

"If you actually wanted to warn her, you wouldn't have let me stop you so easily," I spat. He sobbed again. "She's fine, if you're interested. Beat to hell and back, but she'll live. They have her in the hospital overnight."

"Oh god, what did they do to her?" he asked. I thought about kicking him in the side until his ribs broke, but I couldn't bring myself to injure the weak little creature. It would be like kicking a puppy.

"Nothing compared to what I'll do to you if I ever see your filthy, snivelling face again. Get up. Get up!" I commanded, feeling my temper begin to boil. Shakily, slowly, he stood up. "I don't know what you're involved in, and I don't care. Keep away from Akane. She's mine now, got it?"

"She loves me. She'll never love you," he hissed. I almost hit him. Almost. I kept my temper in check to avoid the guilt I'd undoubtably feel later-- one punch from me could kill a guy like him.

"Maybe she will, maybe she won't. I don't care. You aren't hers anymore, so keep the hell away from her. Like I said, if I ever see your face again, the doctors won't be able to put all the pieces of you back together, Western medicine be damned. Now get out of my sight."

For the second time that day, I watched the little coward flee.

(Thanks for reading. Explanations of Ryouga's nationality to be up next chapter.)