Ki Cutters: 21

The Possibilities

Ryoga sighed. He had put this off too long. It had been almost two months since he went ballistic at Akari. He had tried calling her, but she had refused to talk to him. It was now the break between Christmas and the New Year and he was planning to try to see her.

…If he could find her. "Uhhh, Excuse me? Could you tell me where to find…"

If only he could take directions, it would be a lot easier. But that was part of his curse. He wondered where the guy with the fringe of tentacles around his chin came from. He'd actually been reasonably helpful. Well, at least he'd seem to understand that Ryoga had a problem with directions. Ryoga wondered what was going on back home. "Oh, hi, Shirokuro." He reached down to scratch his dog's ears. "Hi, Mom!"

His mother blinked. "Hello, son. Home so soon?"

"I guess…" He looked around. "Is Dad home?"

"Somewhere that way, I think," His mother said waving absently toward the living room. Or was it the kitchen? No they were in the kitchen. "It's nice being pregnant," she smiled. "It's one of the only times a Hibiki can focus on their surroundings well enough to really be a homemaker." She took in Ryoga's despondent face. "Oh, my! I said something?"

Ryoga shrugged. "I just wonder if it's fair."

"Fair?"

"Fair to ask any woman to put up with this curse of ours."

"Well, it wouldn't be if you didn't tell them. Of course, if the girl knows and doesn't mind, it's all right." His mother checked the stove and pulled out a big casserole. "I've made enough for all of us. Want some?" Ryoga's stomach growled and she laughed. "Sit down so we don't lose you. Dear!" she sang out. "Dinner!"

"Oh?" Ryoga's father stuck his head in. "Oh, Ryoga! It's good to see you, son!" He enveloped him in a bear hug.

"Ack! Dad! Can't breathe…" He turned red

"This is wonderful. You were here for Christmas and here again the very next day!"

"Urk! Dad! You're squeezing…" He turned purple.

"I heard you have a cute little fiancée, too. Why don't you bring her by sometime, while you can find us?" His dad rubbed Ryoga's head with his fist, while still keeping him in a hammerlock.

"Aaagh! Dad, dad…" He turned blue and passed out.

"Was it something I said?" His father propped him up in his chair.

"I don't know," Ryoga's mother sighed. "I heard a rumor that they broke up."

"Oh?" His father sat down and waited to be served. Meanwhile, he used a foot to keep Ryoga propped up at his place. "That's too bad. Still better to find out before making the commitment." He shook Ryoga. "Son, wake up! You need to eat to keep up your strength."

Ryoga shuddered and regained consciousness. "Eat? Oh…" He accepted his portion and began to eat, murmuring appreciatively.

"About your fiancée," his dad began.

Ryoga blanched and put down his bowl.

"That bad, dear?" His mother patted his hand.

"I made a horrible mistake," Ryoga admitted. He explained what had happened concerning Konatsu and Akari. "…they were childhood friends. Why didn't I hear that? I was…"

"There there, dear." His mother still stroked his hand. "Did you love her very much?"

"To tell the truth, no," Ryoga sighed deeply. "But she's a very sweet person. I was considering breaking off the understanding. Beating her pig is a stupid reason to get married. I didn't want to hurt her feelings and I… think I was afraid of being lost again."

"Why?" his dad said, polishing off his bowl.

"Being alone. I usually end up alone when I get lost. Missing school is another reason."

"What happened to your books?" his mother asked. "Aren't they in your backpack?"

"Uhhh…" Ryoga looked embarrassed. "I just have my books from Furinkan in there."

"What?" Both parents exclaimed.

"I lost my other books when I was in China. I fell into one of the cursed pools of Jusenkyo."

"Which one?" his father asked.

"Ummm… Pool of Drowned Black Piglet." There was a long silence.

"Ouch!" His dad looked green. "Fell off a cliff over the valley, didn't you?"

"How did you know?"

"Been there, done that," his father muttered.

"Excuse me?" Ryoga's mother regarded Ryoga's father. "Since when do you turn into a pig?"

"Oh, I haven't for a while. It was before we were married. Found a cure." He glanced at his son. "I'll place a call to Nerita to get your books replaced. You have to be able to manage business on the road, and its not like you have anything better to do when you're lost." He held his bowl out for seconds. "I wish I knew how to find my way back to that cure, though, for your sake. Some crazy girl with red hair and an irritating voice." They contemplated the fact that they had several redheads around with irritating voices. "Maybe there's hope for you yet," the senior Hibiki offered.

"That's okay. I don't turn into a pig anymore, anyway." Ryoga said nothing more but set to his dinner with enthusiasm. His parents watched him and waited for him to finish.

"What do you turn into, then?" his father asked.

"Dad!" he whined. His parents remained gently anchored in their unity that demanded response. "A girl."

"Oh! That's not so bad. At least you're human," his dad commented. "Cousin Giritano has a curse, too. He turns into horse. Now, if his head gets wet, everyone has to shovel shit at both ends." He ended this witticism laughing like a maniac. He flinched and stopped immediately when his wife glared.

"That's sort of how I felt about it." Ryoga managed a grin before he finished with his dinner.

"So… You're off to find this Akari girl?"

"Yes, dad. I need to apologize and make some sort of amends." Ryoga stood up and received hugs from both his parents.

It felt strange having his parents lead him right to their front door. His mother stopped him, brought out hot and cold water and looked at him meaningfully. "Can we see your other form?" He nodded, grimacing.

They looked at the shorter curvy form, his mother with amusement and his father with trepidation. "Try to stay out of trouble," the latter said uneasily as the hot water poured. Ryoga glared. He had a good idea what his dad meant by that. As payback, he gave him a hug, just to return the favor.

"ACK! Urk! Son!" His father turned red.

"Love you, Dad, Mom. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Eeep, help?" His father turned purple.

"You just take care, son," his mother said. "You'll find the right girl, don't worry."

"Hahh! Ooooo…" His father turned blue and passed out.

"After all your father found me! Too often to ignore, finally."

Ryoga let his father slump into his mother's sturdy arms. "You're kidding."

"No, I'm not. It was embarrassing. After we kept finding the same campsites or yelling…"

"Where the hell am I?" suggested the lost boy with a sense of deja vu.

"Exactly!" his mother said. "Never mind that we were never where we wanted to be. We decided Kamisama had plans for us." She grinned mischievously. "You'll find the right one. You probably won't be able to get away from her." She patted her husband conscious and missed Ryoga's sick look. That description had fit Akane. Had he blown his only chance at love?

Outside, he pulled out his GPS unit. He quickly checked that his house was still there and entered its coordinates. He punched in Akari's address and waited for it to give him a route. He sighed. Sakurida had had a nice idea but Hibikis literally couldn't comprehend directions. The machine burped up a digital map with Akari, presumably, at the other end. But he couldn't help but wonder how Akane was doing. He was glad that, for a change, that baka, Ranma, had gotten her something nice for Christmas. The guy normally only had taste in his mouth. Nabiki must have helped him select that necklace. He marched through the night, determined to put himself out of his misery.

"Ryoga! How nice!"

Ryoga blinked. "Kasumi?"

"You're just in time for the wedding!" she gushed.

"Wedding! Whose?" Panicked he let himself be led into the dojo. He must have zoned out again. This wasn't anywhere near where he had been headed. Suddenly he thought, 'Wedding? Ranma and Akane's?'

He must have spoken out loud because Kasumi giggled and said, "No, silly! My father and Miss Hinako are getting married. Come sign as a witness."

So Ryoga got to see the ceremony that turned Miss Hinako Ninomiya into Mrs. Hinako Tendo. He also got to see Nabiki, Akane and Ranma along with his parents, Ukyo and the Chinese contingent, as well as Urudu, Baradandya and Sakurida. It was a bit disturbing, though, to see Cologne done up as a bridesmaid. Nabiki had given him a seductive smile and left him alone. He briefly got lost again, but Ukyo found him and dragged him off to see Akane. Ukyo had been awful nice before Christmas, stopping to see him during that nasty, if short-lived, virus that had gone around. He felt bad he had missed the performance of the Nutcracker and was duly amazed to hear Jiro was Happosai. He looked hangdog at Akane, pondering his mother's words, when she had suddenly stuck out her hand. On it was one of the prettiest rings he had ever seen. He barely comprehended that it was an engagement ring.

"And you don't have any trouble with this, cat-girl?" Ukyo was asking Shampoo as he stared dully at the rock.

"No! If Akane and Ranma do wild dance between sheets, that one thing, spatula-girl. This just jewelry in eyes of Joketsuzoku."

"Why were you hunting for that ring at the Saotome's then?" Ukyo sounded peeved.

"Misunderstanding. If gift from mother, then recognized by law," the Amazon said seriously. "If gift from boy, have no meaning. Besides, he get Shampoo something, too."

"Oh?" Ryoga frowned as he felt Ukyo grow tense. When Shampoo held out her arm to show a pretty bracelet with cats on it, Ukyo relaxed and grinned. She showed Shampoo her bracelet with sand dollars on it. "They look a little like okonomiyaki, don't they?" Shampoo agreed.

"I wonder if he got anything for Kodachi?" Ukyo exclaimed.

"A charm bracelet with baby icons and good-luck symbols," Akane chirped. "They loved it."

Ranma covered his face. He had picked the thing up, thinking of Kodachi and her pregnancy, and then had done emotional somersaults wondering why he had done something so, so… He had finally gone to Akane who kissed him silly for being so thoughtful and helped him wrap it. He still felt damned uncomfortable about the situation!

Ukyo suddenly turned to the silent lost boy. "Rychan, I didn't get to give you my present!" She hunted through her pockets and pulled out a little slip of plastic. "It's a phone card. Something new. Five hundred hours of calls. I thought you could give me a buzz next time you get lost. Since I can find you now…"

He was touched. "Gee, thanks, Ukyo." He didn't bother to mention that he had two phone cards and about a dozen credit cards. He slipped off his pack. "I think I have something for you, too. It's kinda funny but it sort of matches your gift to me." He finally found what he sought. He handed her a square package, twenty centimeters on a side and ten deep. He handed out other packages to his friends. Suddenly, it was Christmas all over again.

"Ryoga!" Ukyo gulped. He had gotten her a cell phone.

"You just hang that off your belt. You get lost or hurt and you can call from almost anywhere on Earth. I'll find you. Uhhh…" He blushed remembering he had trouble finding anyone. "Well, someone can find you. I didn't want you getting lost again." His hand went up behind his bandanna nervously.

"That was so sweet," Ukyo crooned, making him blush more.

"Ukyo," he mumbled.

"Hey! Thanks, buddy!" Ranma ruined the moment. "Waterproof soap. That could come in handy! Yours is waiting at home for ya. Picked it up at that shopping spree."

"Ryoga no need to get Mousse, Shampoo things. But thank you," the violet-haired girl broke in.

"Ryoga, do you want me to get your missed homework for you?" the former Miss Hinako asked.

"Eeep! No, thank you. I'll deal with it when I get back." Ryoga backed away.

"I was just kidding," Hinako smiled.

"Hello, Ryoga, how's the GPS unit working?" Sakurida asked, sidling up a little cautiously. She hadn't seen Ryoga since his breakup with Akari at the university.

He sweated a little, though he wasn't sure why. He didn't remember much of his berserk tantrum, but had been told Sakurida had tried to stop him. He followed the golden rule. Apologies are best made in person. "Please forgive my horrible actions at the university, Sakurida. I have no excuse for how I acted."

"That's not strictly true," Sakurida observed. "But you really need to keep better control of your temper."

"I know. I will not let that happen again."

"Don't make promises you can't keep," she warned him. She was shoved aside by her oldest sister who already seemed several sheets to the wind.

"Hey, Ryoga," Urudu remarked with a faint slur to her voice. "The girls at the Temple asked me to say 'Merry Christmas' to you. They've got some mistletoe and want you to show them how to use it." She smirked as he sweated more.

oOo

It was with some difficulty and mixed feelings that he made his escape. He shook his head as he walked away. He might not see anyone there for months but he had a job to do and an obligation to discharge. As he walked, his thoughts came back to Ukyo. She was cute. He bumped into someone. "Excuse me… Sorry… Ukyo?"

"I thought you were going to look for Akari?" she asked with a grin. Behind her everyone was congratulating the lucky couple again.

He looked around. "Didn't I just go out the door?"

"Yeah. That one!" She pointed. "But you came back in that one over there."

"Oh! Sorry." He glanced over to where Akane and the other girls were fussing over Hinako. Yup, it still worked. "I'll, uh… be going now. Can you show me the door?"

"Sure, honey!" She walked him to the exit. "You have a safe trip, okay?"

He walked away again, shivering slightly from the kiss she had placed on his cheek. They had passed under some mistletoe and it would've been wrong to refuse, right?

oOo

He traveled down several lanes before encountering a desert he hadn't noticed near Tokyo, before. His umbrella served him well to keep off the scorching sun. He shrugged as he found himself wandering a city street. The air was cool. He shrugged and put away the umbrella. He never listened to weather forecasts, because they never matched what he experienced. He looked around and noticed two men struggling to take a big TV out of a white van. "Excuse me, do you know where I am?"

""Pardon?"" They stopped and looked at him. That had been English, hadn't it?

""Pardon me,"" Ryoga repeated. ""I was trying to find Highway 65. Could you direct me?""

""Sure,"" said the shorter one. ""But you're a bit off-track. It's about ten miles that way."" He pointed.

""Thanks!"" Ryoga walked away at right angles to the given course.

""Hey! Didn't you say…?"" The shorter man's partner asked.

""Don't worry about it,"" Barry Barlowe said. ""He's probably got a car."" He looked in the direction the young man had disappeared in. ""Did he look familiar, Joe?""

""Nope."" The fact that this Highway 65 was in a different country, at the very least, was never addressed.

oOo

Ryoga pushed his way out of the underbrush and huffed. Three days! He was halfway through the break and still hadn't found Akari! "Where the hell am I now!" he screamed.

"Ryoga!" He jerked and turned. "What's the matter with you? You mess up my sidewalk planter and I'll bust you with this!"

"Ukyo?" Ryoga blinked. "Um… I was just in a jungle… Wasn't I?"

"Not even close, sugar," she smirked and twirled her main battle weapon. She slapped it into its clips. "Hungry?"

His stomach rumbled and he nodded. Entering after the girl, he noticed Ranma and Akane at one table holding hands. His heart thumped. When they looked up, he smiled as honestly as possible. They were his friends now and Akane looked unbearably happy.

"Hey, P-chan!" Ranma chuckled. (WHANG!)

"Don't call him that, Ranchan. It's not nice and it's not even true anymore." Ukyo re-slung her spatula. "Sorry, Akane," she added.

"It's okay, Ukyo," she replied grabbing Ranma by the pigtail and unseating his face from the tabletop. "You just beat me to it."

They asked after his journeys.

"Oh… Not much. I must have left Tokyo in a new direction this time," he said. "That desert was tough." He sipped at his drink while his friends' eyebrows rose. Desert? "Is there an English speaking city near Japan?" he asked.

"Um… Maybe Naha, in Okinawa?" suggested Akane.

"Come on, Akane," Ranma said. "He's only been gone three days."

"Don't look at me," began Ukyo. Then she paused thoughtfully. "You know… There is something strange about Ryoga." Ryoga looked hurt. Ukyo quickly reassured him. "I don't mean strange-bad — just different. Remember Togenkyo?"

"What about Togenkyo?" They were not precisely fond memories, following so closely on the heels of his blowup at Akari. Also, on the trip back, Ukyo had been scary enough to curb Taro despite the recent loss of his monster form. Somehow they had ended up in Lake Biwa. Was there a problem with that? He looked up and caught Ukyo's glower. "Is something wrong?"

Ranma smirked. "Ukyo was scary enough to make Taro behave?" he chuckled. Ryoga flinched. Had he been talking out loud?

"Are you making me out to be some sort of… of monster?" Ukyo snarled at him.

"No! No, you're just real scary when you're mad."

"Then I hope you're satisfied! 'Cause I'm real mad!"

Ryoga burst out of the restaurant in a panic.

Ranma and Akane cowered a bit against the back of their seats. "Um… Ukyo, you're glowing," Akane said meekly. "Really glowing."

"Well, you would too!" she complained with a wail. She stomped back behind her grill and muttered there reclusively.

"Sheesh! She's actin' just like you used to, tomboy," Ranma commented, sweating.

"I'm not that bad!" Ukyo screamed, seeming to materialize at their table. They fled in a panic.

oOo

Ryoga shuffled along morosely. Ukyo had been real strange lately. It wasn't like they were dating or anything. How do you date someone who turns a corner and gets lost? He'd have to be led to the bathroom! He considered his lot. It wasn't as if girls weren't interested in him, but he needed more than interest. He needed love. His heart was dissatisfied with the prospect of mere physical satisfaction. In part this was due to the relationship his parents had. Their love was palpable. He was getting restless and eager to find something like that for himself. He looked up at the sky and then grimaced. He hated it when the atmosphere did things like this. Sitting down to eat lunch, he later practiced and trained under a strange triple sun.

The day grew more normal and he began to have some hope of finding his goal. The huge cockroach that had interrupted his training had been a pest. Strangely it had not tried to hurt him, but had shooed him away from the pillar of rock he had been using as a punching bag. Somewhere an intelligent being that had an exoskeleton, but really looked very little like a cockroach complained about the damage to his house. "Blasted kids," it muttered. "I think that one was pretty far from his yard, though."

oOo

Ryoga found a fence and followed it. He saw large pigs and he felt he was near his goal. His heart rose as at last he saw the farmhouse. Ryoga carefully kept his eyes on his goal and went over and knocked. "Akari!" he called. There was no immediate answer.

Then Akari's grandfather came to the door. "Oh, Ryoga! I haven't seen you for a while. Merry Christmas!" He backed away from the door. "Come in. You must have gotten separated from Akari again."

"You could say that," Ryoga admitted. He wandered in. "How are you, Mr. Unryu?"

"Not bad, son," the old man said. He rubbed the small of his back. "My lumbago's been actin' up, though. I could use some help."

Ryoga nodded evenly. He suspected the man's lumbago was either imaginary or convenient. Still, he didn't mind helping. They worked together, mostly in silence for several hours before it got too dark and Mr. Unryu led him back to the house. Ryoga let Grandpa in on the discovery of Konatsu, even though he didn't explain the circumstances. Akari's elder was thoughtful and pleased. "Konatsu was a good boy," he said. He frowned concentrating. "There was something… Here! Let me fix you some dinner, son." he added as Ryoga lifted his pack from the floor.

"Thanks, but I have to get on my way. I need to find Akari and apologize."

The older Unryu gaped as Ryoga slung on his pack and walked off into the woods. Apologize for what? He thought some more about the news Ryoga had brought. Suddenly he straightened up in astonishment. "Kamisama!" he exclaimed. "I got to tell that boy… Ahhh, nuts! Out of sight. Oh, well…"

oOo

Ryoga strode through the snow and peered through the silvery light that glanced off it from the morning sun. After a moment he stopped and searched through his pack. His eyes shielded by sunglasses, he moved forward more confidently. The snow swirled about him, chilling his exposed skin. Some was blown down the neck of his clothes and he was in danger of transformation from its melting. He knew he made Mount Fuji once. He was very familiar with its snow-shrouded slopes and paused to enjoy its beautiful isolation. What was in his future? He was a martial artist, a master of ki, but a wanderer. There had to be some reason for this. Some purpose. That gaijin, Barry, had thought so and it felt right. He sighed and, as he always did, used the moment to move through some warm-ups and kata. He mused that a lot of people never discovered their purpose and that a lot of people pursued destinies that they were never intended to fulfill.

The snowfields eventually gave way to an evergreen forest. He kept up the pace. Only two days left. Mt. Fuji was far from either the Unryu farm or from the university, but he would find them! He would apologize for how he had treated them. If he didn't, he was no better than an animal! Akari, Akari, Akari… he chanted, trying to focus.

In his mind's eye, though, the vision of a girl with brown tresses, not black disturbed his awareness. He sighed and stopped, shaking his head in pain. He had a goal! He had an apology to make! "Why can't I stop thinking of Ukyo?"

"Ryoga?" came a small timid voice.

That voice. He remembered how angry she had been and jerked into a defensive posture. "Ukyo?" He glanced between his fingers to gaze at the young woman in question. She was frozen in the act of sweeping the stoop of her shop. Her eyes were huge. Slowly his posture relaxed. "Are you all right?"

She swallowed nervously and nodded. "Are you still looking for Akari?"

He sighed, dropped his eyes and nodded. "Yeah. I found the farm, but she wasn't there. I think I was at Mt. Fuji for a while. For all I know she's wandering around on Katsunishiki. I have to see her. I've put it off too long as it is. What I did was unconscionable. I have to make amends." When he looked up, Ukyo's eyes were closed as if she were in pain. "You aren't all right," he said with concern. He moved closer and then stopped as she flinched. "Go inside! You're not well. I'll finish off the sweeping for you." He reached for the broom.

Her eyes opened and her face lit up with the pixie-ish smile that made her so cute. "Jackass! I don't want to lose my broom." She held onto the tool. "I'm almost finished. Then, we can both go in and get warmed up."

Ryoga grinned at her blush, though he wasn't certain just why she was blushing. He just knew it made her cuter. "I'd like that." Ukyo turned away and swept furiously. Soon they were inside her shop. Ryoga looked about. "Is Ranma or Akane here?" They must be if he had found this place.

"What time do you think it is?" Ukyo asked, eyebrows raised.

Ryoga blinked. "I'm not sure. I've been pushing late since the sun sets so early."

"It's nearly 10:00 P.M."

"It is?" Ryoga was appalled. "Oh, no! Only one more day! I'm sorry, I've got to go." She snagged him by the ear.

"Oh, no; you don't. I'm going to the university tomorrow, myself; and you're going with me. If Akari's not at the farm, she might be with Konatsu." Ryoga nodded at her logic. "Besides, I sorta beat up on Konatsu, too. I should apologize, so we'll do it together. Okay, sugar?"

Ryoga blinked and nodded. "Okay. Thanks, Ukyo." He looked around. "If you don't mind I'll move some tables out of the way and…"

"Uh-uh!" Ukyo waved a finger at him. "You disappear way too easy for my liking. Come with me." She led him up the stairs.

His hair stood on end. "But isn't this is your bedroom?" he squeaked when he saw where she had guided him.

"Yes, and the bathroom is over there." She pointed. "Rychan, we slept in the same tent when you rescued me. You're my friend and you're so upset by this. I trust you."

"I don't trust me," he blurted.

"That is so funny," Ukyo said. She giggled.

"What?" Ryoga gulped.

"That's practically the same thing Akane told me Ranchan said the first time she dragged him into bed with her."

Ryoga paled. "Ranma's doing what? That pervert! I'll kill—!" (WANG!)

"Will you calm down?" Ukyo said a bit peevishly. "They're sleeping together, not having sex! Well, not beyond some petting, anyway. That would mess up the understanding between Shampoo and Akane."

"How do you know about this?" he yelled shocked.

"Um… We're girls and friends? We do talk about things like that with people we trust."

"Why are you telling me about it?" Ryoga demanded, panting with emotion.

Ukyo smacked her face with an open hand. "Because. I. Trust. You."

"Oh." He deflated. He thought about all those evenings when Akane had curled up in her bed, his pig-form clutched in her arms. "Uhhh… Ranma's all right, isn't he?"

She snorted. "He gets the damnedest goofy-looking expression when she looks at him a certain way."

"No broken bones?"

"What are you… Oh!" She blinked and a glimmer of anger showed in her brown eyes. "That's right. You're familiar with the territory, aren't you?"

"Ukyo, that's over now," he said, backing away slightly.

"Why do you think he'd be injured? It's not like Akane beats on him all the time, anymore."

Ryoga blushed. "Ah, ummm… Let's just say Akane is… violent… in her sleep." Ukyo looked at him blankly. "Look, Ukyo, I think some of the reason I learned the Bakusai Tenketsu so quickly had to do with the conditioning Akane gave me as P-chan. It was brutal!" Ukyo began to laugh. "Now what?" he asked, aggrieved.

"She used to be that way. Apparently, since she's decided she wants Ranchan, she doesn't unconsciously defend herself against hidden perverts anymore." Her voice was 'arch'.

Ryoga nodded sadly in understanding. "That's why she was so peaceful that time at the lake." He sighed. "I guess they each found what they were looking for." He looked up to meet Ukyo's gaze and saw tears.

"I wish I had," she choked out. Ryoga couldn't swear later as to whether she stepped into his arms or he reached out to pull her to him. "Oh, Ryoga, I feel so alone."

"I know, I know… You don't deserve to be alone," he told her miserably. He held her tightly. "You deserve to be loved." The pounding of her heart with his was almost hypnotic.

Ukyo felt the circle of arms about her and wept. This felt so right to her, yet Ryoga was Akari's. When they went up to the university tomorrow, Ryoga would apologize and everything would go back to the way it was and she would continue on… alone.

Ryoga felt helpless. She was crying. What could he do? He was sure, when he had seen her outside, that it was just another stop on the instinctive road to find Akane. But Akane wasn't here. Only Ukyo. He had been bumping into Ukyo since she came to Nerima, almost more often than Akane, even if they had used those moments to plot to make off with the object of their respective desires. They had worked like a well-oiled team in the Cave of Lost Love. Had it been Ukyo all along? He struggled to put what was in his heart into words, but he'd never been good at that. Besides, he always got lost. What good would he be for Ukyo?

They found themselves on their knees. Ryoga trembled with the need to act. His body was telling him one thing, but a martial artist was more than body. Until he was free, it would be wrong to offer what might not be his.

"Uhhh… Let's get some sleep," he said, trying rationality.

Ukyo froze. She had felt… She had thought… She gulped and looked into those beautiful green eyes, which wouldn't quite meet hers. She gulped again and nodded. What was she thinking? Was she that desperate? Did she have that little self-control? Had she reduced herself to the point where she was throwing herself at any man that came near her?"

Troubled, she took the bathroom first to change. "Don't you dare move! You hear me?" She changed out of her clothes quickly and then realized she had forgotten her nightgown. She whined in frustration. Was this Freudian? Or opportune? While she dithered, her hamper moved.

"Ukyo, don't do it! Be mine instead!" shrilled an unwelcome and unexpected voice.

"EEEeeeee!" screamed the startled girl.

(BAM!) The western style door slammed open, crushing the noisy hamper against the wall. "Ukyo, are you all right! What's wrong?" Ryoga gathered her in as his eyes darted around the little room.

"The hamper… You… It…" Her breathing slowed. "It talked?" She slipped out of his grip and opened the door slightly. "Oh, lord!"

Tsubasa had chosen a bad night to return to Nerima.

"Ukyo, you're… You're…" Ryoga's nose was being contained by both hands.

Ukyo glanced down and blushed. She was putting on a show. "I notice you're still looking," she commented, putting her hands on her hips instead of over salient features. After all, he'd seen them already.

Ryoga keeled over.

"Oh, Ryoga!" This was said with comprehension, affection and a little annoyance.

oOo

Ryoga sighed. He was feeling very good, warmer than usual and subtly protected. Not even the homeless have as much experience with being alone as a Hibiki, who can't even find offered shelter or who lose it the moment they step away for nature's calls.

He rolled over, sighing. The source of the warmth was near. He shifted closer in subtle little movements much the same way he would shift closer to the dying heat of his fire; his subconscious allowing him to position his body to maximize his comfort. He didn't reach out. You learn not to grab at fire.

His 'fire' was near. Tsubasa-baka was tied up in Konatsu's old room off the storage area, but Ukyo huddled on her futon within arm's reach, where she had dragged Ryoga onto a spare futon and covered him up. She was conservatively dressed in a thick flannel nightgown that covered her from neck to toe. On top of that she was firmly tucked under her quilt and she had tucked the edge of the quilt under the edge of her futon on the side toward Ryoga. Unfortunately, she couldn't sleep. She thought of Ryoga so near. Nearer, in fact. She gulped as Ryoga's body shifted into contact with her back.

Well, this wasn't so bad. She snuggled a little, herself. This was harmless enough, right? A soft smile lit her face. She rolled over and looked at him in the dim light coming in through the windows. Ryoga was a lot like Ranchan. They both looked as innocent as angels asleep. She worked an arm out from under the quilt and stroked back Ryoga's hair. She stopped when he murmured her name.

"Ukyo… uh… " His faint smile gave her shivers.

She looked at his face, so innocent and attractive, and thought, 'I really shouldn't, but I want to.' She leaned over and very tenderly kissed him on the lips.

Ryoga was dreaming. Usually, he dreamed of home and having some place safe that he always could find. In his dreams, he had no trouble navigating his house. In this dream, he had other concerns as well.

"Oh, Ryoga, at last we can be together," dream Ukyo was saying. "And I don't mind at all that we're at your house for our honeymoon."

Ryoga didn't wake up at Ukyo's kiss, but he did respond. His arm snaked out of his covers and circled around Ukyo's shoulders. He deepened the kiss.

Ukyo had heard Akane tell how disorienting Ranma's kiss was, but she hadn't realized just what her friend had meant by that. She had never been kissed like this. Her head swam and her body, tensed against his movement, relaxed. Ryoga had good instincts. Even asleep, he rolled further over and cupped her head in his hand to maintain the contact.

Awake or asleep, though, no one's action matches his intent perfectly. Their mouths slipped apart and Ukyo gasped in the dark stillness, only now realizing she needed air. She gasped again, as Ryoga's lips found the smooth skin of her neck and worked lower; their movements had popped some of the buttons on her nightgown. Nerves buzzing, she realized that she was teetering in indecision. She wanted this to continue to its ultimate conclusion. She feared having this experience if it only meant she was going to be alone again. On top of that came the realization that Ryoga was still asleep.

"RY-O-GA!" she wailed, her nerves sparking like fireworks.

Ryoga's eyes snapped open. He looked up into Ukyo's face, the tears in her eyes, silver in the light from the window and her heaving bosom, mostly exposed in their struggles. He vividly remembered how his dream had been going and realized abruptly, that reality had been following suit. He went out like a light, collapsing across her and pinning her to the futon.

Ukyo took her time, gasping and trying to regain her composure. Her attempt to cover herself failed as Ryoga was pinning her clothes as well. As her heartbeat returned to normal, she took stock of herself and rolled Ryoga back onto his futon. Damn! Even that kiss they'd shared in the mountains or the one on the beach at Togenkyo hadn't been like this! She had imagined that Akane's stories were either exaggerations or something special between herself and Ranma. But this? Wow!

"Why did I have to wake him up?" she mourned. She punched her pillow in frustration and sighed. Maybe it was all for the best. She tucked the covers back into place, made sure Ryoga was covered and then got into her own bed. Surprisingly, she went to sleep quickly.

oOo

Ryoga awoke with a start as sun streamed in through the window. 'Wow, what an interesting dream! If only…' He paused and took stock. It was kind of funny to dream that you woke up from a dream, wasn't it? He licked his lips. He wished he really had kissed Ukyo like that!

His musings put aside, he looked around, trying to figure out where he was. A room, two doors… Hey, there was one of the martial arts trophies from the university! It wasn't his room at home; he had junk spread out everywhere. Then he saw the spatula leaning against the wall.

His gulp echoed in the small room, waking the other occupant. It didn't seem to clear what was in his throat though.

"Good morning, Rychan," Ukyo said neutrally.

A second gulp echoed in the silence. He turned and barely restrained a meltdown.

Ukyo sat up on her futon, hair tousled, the neck of her nightgown open almost to her waist exposing a lot of creamy smooth skin and soft curves. Ryoga's jaw dropped and his nose twitched.

"Don't start that again," she said in a hurt voice, tucking the edges of her clothes back together.

"Ukyo, I'm sorry! Did I hurt you?" He was on his knees with his face hid beneath his bangs.

She glanced at him from under her eyelashes and gave a cute if brief smile. "No! Nothing permanent, but I got what I deserved for my kiss." Her smile returned, if a bit sadly. "That must have been some dream, sugar."

Ryoga finally swallowed what was in his throat. He nodded slowly. "It… it was."

Ukyo almost seemed to glow. Ryoga blinked and the image vanished. He rose to his feet and took an unsteady step to the wall. He again considered the evening before. A deep rumbling growl rose in his throat. "Where's Tsubasa?"

Ukyo jerked defensively. "Ooops! I forgot about him. I tied him up and threw him in Konatsu's old room." Why had Ryoga growled? That had been a chilling sound.

"I guess we should take out the trash before we leave," commented the young man beside her, with a toothy distortion of his mouth that was not a smile. He had Ukyo lead the way, cracking his knuckles as they descended the stairs.

He spoke his piece in chilling tones that cut through Tsubasa's hysterical whining like a fine blade. "This has gone on way past too long, Tsu-baka. I'm not Ranma, who likes to compete with his challenges and doesn't hold grudges. Ukyo wants you gone. You come back and I hear about it, I'm going to do something permanent to you." The cross-dresser gaped as Ryoga hoisted him by the back of his frilly pink and white party dress like he might a kitten and escorted him from the premises. "Now, get lost!" Ryoga booted him over the horizon.

"Think he'll take the hint?" Ukyo chuckled a bit at the astonishment and fear on her stalker's face.

"I wasn't hinting. He doesn't listen, there won't be a next time." Ryoga let loose that predatory growl again and Ukyo shivered. It didn't exactly make her afraid, though.

They locked up her shop quickly. "Let's get going," she suggested. Ryoga shouldered his pack and together they walked for the train station. "Uh, Ryoga?" She suddenly had an idea that might explain his sudden aggressiveness.

"Yeah?"

"No one ever put you through any training like the nekoken, did they?" she inquired.

"No." He thought a long moment and then shook his head. "Never."

"Good." Ukyo wondered what Ryoga would be like if he were afflicted as Ranma had been. She did shiver then. "Good," she repeated under her breath.

oOo

The snow was swirling as they got off the train at the university. They marched along in companionable silence. The yatai was across campus and depending on the business during the week off, Konatsu might have it closed up. Ukyo decided that being downbeat and pessimistic just didn't fit the day, and stuck out her tongue to catch the falling flakes. She could pretend for the moment that they were two lovers out for a walk in the snow. Reality would catch up soon enough. They passed by a deep depression with cratered sides smoothed by the white blanket. Half filled with water, its frozen surface created an impromptu rink for some local children.

"Hope they're careful," Ryoga said reflectively, gazing at the innocent scene. "Skating over a flooded quarry like that can be dangerous." He frowned as Ukyo tensed, her happiness dulled by this sudden shot of reality. "What?"

"Ummm…" Ukyo debated about whether she should simply lie. Taking a deep breath, she finally said, "Ryoga, sugar… That's not a quarry…" She prayed he wouldn't ask.

"What is it, then?" he asked innocently.

"This was where Konatsu got you tangled up in his net, right before you let off a Shishi Houkudan," she blurted. Ryoga stared at the pool, the laughing children and the white snow for a long time.

They trudged on with Ryoga in so dismal a state that Ukyo was certain he would scare the hell out of Konatsu and Akari, if she were there, all over again. Angst fueled the nuclear weapon of Ryoga's arsenal and angst was pouring off him in waves.

"Ryoga, what's wrong now?" He trudged on. "Sure, you lost it back there, but you had cause." His steps hit the ground so hard the snow was ejected from the prints. "Come on! It's in the past! Get over it!" she tried, a light almost wheedling tone. "Think of how the kids are enjoying your pond. I bet they could name it that, 'Ryoga's…"

"And what if those kids had been playing there? What would we call it then?" he suddenly turned and snarled at her. "Kiddie-corpse Park?" His tone was full of self-loathing. "I know by now how aware I am of my surroundings when I'm berserk like that. I nearly killed Akane the first time I faced Ranma after I was cursed." His face was mottled. "This close, Ukyo!" He held his fingers apart minutely. "If she hadn't turned around to yell at Ranma, my belt-sword would have hit her right between the shoulders."

"That was even longer ago than this," Ukyo began.

"Wonderful! Shall I recount all the times I've let my anger endanger people? Can I even count that high?" There were tears in his eyes. "Just because this is the latest in a long series of incidents doesn't absolve it or me!"

Ukyo was starting to feel a little warm. She couldn't stand self-pity at the best of times and her attempts at dealing with this were wearing thin. "So, what's your solution, Mr. Martial Artist? You going to crawl off and hide? With your curse, how long will that work? You going to let yourself just build up until you can't hold it in, then launch at the sky? How many times can you do that before you bring down an airliner? Or what if you build up to a 'perfect' Shishi Houkudan? What happens if you're standing on a military base and you start World War Three because they think the Russians or the Chinese have attacked. Huh? What's your solution?"

His face had gone white at her summation of his problem. He gazed at her tight face; angry, jaw pushed out like a boy's, daring him to claim what she said was not true. He couldn't believe it. He had secretly expected her pity, but she had taken his confession of guilt and fear and piled it on, higher and deeper. His aura welled up sick and green and thick. He started to stumble away from her, trying to get clear at least from Ukyo. This one was going to be bad—possibly the dreaded perfect form. He turned, his lips drawing back. It would only be seconds now…

A huge handful of cold snow went down the back of his neck like a rain of molten metal. "AAAAAAAAAHHH!" His ki release sputtered out like a light as the shock of the cold swept him, followed by the shock of change as his hot skin melted the snow into a river of seemingly colder water. "Wadja do that for!" burst from her lips as she danced, trying to extract the painfully cold substance before it all melted.

"Don't you dare," hissed Ukyo at the transformed girl's face. "Where is your control, your focus? Martial arts is about control and you flail around like this? How dare you?" She picked up some more snow and hurled it into Ryoga's face, making her flinch and gasp. "Don't you dare tell me you jump through all these hoops to learn these special techniques, meditate, center yourself and can do practically everything Ranchan does, just so you can throw temper-tantrums when things don't go your way!"

"But I…"

"Shut up!" Ukyo screamed in Ryoga's face, making her cringe. "How the hell do you expect to apologize to Akari and Konatsu, like you say you want to, if you've just blown another hole in the ground and you're glowing like a lamp?"

"But…"

"You self-centered little boy!" Ukyo glanced down and her lips twitched impulsively, her sudden anger starting to unravel as quick as it had come. "…girl, or whatever," she concluded. She gazed at the woebegone figure before her, a ragamuffin in overlarge cast-offs. Ryoga was despondent but not literally exuding depression like she had been. "Come on, Ryoga, you're better than that."

Ryoga sighed and looked down. "If you say so…"

"I know so, sugar," Ukyo said assertively. Her anger passed as quickly as it came. "Come on, let's get this over with." Ryoga sighed and nodded.

oOo

"What am I going to do?" Akari leaned on the counter of the yatai and moped. She had not returned home since Ryoga went ballistic at them, supposing that she and Konatsu were betraying him. Her grandfather had relayed Ryoga's attempts to reach her, but that made it no better. She didn't know what to do. By the time she tried to call Ryoga he was out or lost, and she couldn't bear to tell his pregnant mother what was wrong.

"It's all my fault," Konatsu lamented. "I ruined your reputation and got Ryoga all angry with you. I'm sorry, Ari."

"Well, I'm not sorry I found you again, Kenna," the girl said, patting his hand. There was a grunt of approval from Katsunishiki. The big pig still had its ribs taped from the clash with Ryoga, but those would soon come off. It had gotten used to a steady diet of okonomiyaki and treats given by campus students who were beginning to view the big pig as a sort of mascot. It lay beside the cart like a mountain. "I even brought trouble between you and Ukyo."

"Ukyo was angry, yes," Konatsu said, "But she is fair. She will come to understand…"

"But what if she doesn't? She's meant so much to you."

"Why don't you ask me about how I feel?" They flinched and turned noticing their guests for the first time.

"Ukyo-sama!"