I´m back! So. Straight to the point. I read your reviews and your prayers have been answered!

ss4-link:Read the end of this chapter concerning Rae. Obviously after you read the chapter!
laniac67: You´ve been the first to reply concerning that simple wondering. And you are correct also! And no, i won´t let it die soon.

This is thinking.
(This) is Chinese.

Chapter 22: Back to the Cat

The pair remained hugging for a long while until Shampoo fell asleep from emotional exhaustion. Ranma felt her weight over him and gently and lovingly placed her on the bed. He watched her sleep with a smile planted on her lips.

So beautiful… He thought and grinned too. That smile was quite irresistible to copy it. Ranma marched out of the room still beaming, when he opened the door, Sie and Karo jumped back.

"Boy! You sure have good lungs!" Sie noted and Ranma stared boringly at him. "Whoa! What's with the attitude, man?" Sie added and left kicking dust.

"Where am I?" Ranma demanded to the old man staring with awe at the teen martial artist.

"This is the Kokuryukai base. Actually, it's the only building from our clan…" Karo trailed off. "But in matters of why you are here or stuff like that, you should talk to master Rae." The old man replied to Ranma's gaze.

"Good. Where can I find this Rae?" He asked again.

"Follow me." Karo ordered and Ranma nodded. The pair left to the other side Sie had left. "Master Rae is the leader of our clan. The meaning of the name in more…elaborated words would be "Black Dragon Clan" But as we mostly take the ideal of almost every dragon in existence, its significance is of little matter." Karo began. "Also, for centuries, we mated with people that had the image of a dragon in themselves. For example, we aren't really alike with the people with green hair because a group of Welsh Dragons attacked us almost two centuries ago."

"So you think as dragons as mighty beings?" Ranma wondered and Karo smiled nodding.

"Glad you caught up so quickly." He looked quickly at him. "Now, what I don't understand and I would want you to explain us, is why if we…urm…persuaded a red-haired girl with a cat to come with us, HOW on earth did you and that girl appear?" Karo was obviously curious to find out. Ranma simply laughed good-heartedly.

"Did he torture you too much with questions?" Rae asked from ahead of them. He was coming to them from the other side of the corridor. Ranma looked at the leader of the clan. This guy…He's someone to take in count… He thought as he "read" Rae's aura.

"No, he explained me a bit of this place beliefs and some history." Ranma replied with a smile. "Can you explain me why am I here?"

"Oh, that." Rae chuckled to that. "Say it's a very bad mistake from Karo here and Sie. I said to them a red one but I think they are becoming daltonic because they brought a blue one." He said casually. Ranma raised a brow in confusion.

"Uh? "Red one"? "Blue one"?" Ranma wondered.

"Yes. Red HAIR and blue HAIR." Rae explained and Ranma nodded.

"I see." He muffled a laugh at the revelation.

"What's so funny?" Karo demanded with a light frown.

"You said you persuaded a red-haired girl and a cat, yes?" The old man nodded. Ranma chuckled again. "I understand now why I'm here. Thanks." Ranma replied smiling.

"Um, could you explain to us why there is a boy and a girl when there was supposed to be a girl and a cat?" Rae wondered bending his head slightly to a side.

"I guess it won't hurt anyone…" Ranma shrugged. "Do you know the place in China called Jusenkyo?" Rae shook his head but Karo seemed to consider it.

"Jusenkyo…Jusenkyo…Cursed springs?" Karo asked curling his lips and Ranma nodded fervently. "Ahhh…yes. I understand. Master" He turned to Rae "This boy here is cursed. As the girl he was kissing." Ranma turned beet-red but nodded in acknowledgment. "If I'm not mistaken, he is the red-haired girl and the girl is the cat." He turned to Ranma "Am I wrong?"

"Not at all. In fact, it's perfectly accurate. When I woke up here, I asked that man…Sie you said he was called? Ok, I asked him if he could bring hot water with a tea bag but separately. You see, hot water turns the cursed ones into their true form. And cold water triggers the curse. You dig?" Ranma smiled and Rae nodded slowly.

"Yes…So Karo was saying the truth about the girl they brought?" Ranma nodded "I see." He turned to the old man "I'm sorry, good friend. I should have known that you were telling the truth." Rae apologized.

"Don't worry, young master. It's the mistakes of the age. You'll learn to control the sudden actions with time." Karo replied and Rae smiled.

"You truly are a good mentor." Rae complimented and looked at Ranma.

"One question." Ranma said raising a finger. Rae lifted a brow in sign that he was listening. "Could you PLEASE get me back to Nerima?" Ranma demanded frowning.

"Mph…" Rae glared at Ranma. "You could have asked nicely. Karo, please, do the honours." He ordered.

"Wait. I have to get Shampoo." Ranma said raising his hand.

"We might have a dispute over that, my boy." Rae curled his lips smugly.

"Oh?" Ranma shot back the same expression. "Let me get this through, YOU are trying to break the relation I have with her once I finally admitted that I love her?" Ranma raised a brow.

"No! Oh, no, no, no. What I mean is, if you can find me or at least point me to someone that could make a potential wife with a distinctive feature, I'll take you personally back to Nerima with your girl on your arms." Rae smiled and Ranma relaxed before placing a hand on his chin.

"Distinctive feature…" Ranma parroted looking at the ceiling. Ucchan? No, she'd go crazy with this guy. I know…Ranma smiled wickedly. "I know one that you may find…different." Ranma said innocently.

"Excellent!" Rae replied happily. "Let's go find your girl and we'll depart. All right with you?" Ranma nodded profusely.

The trio walked back from the middle of the corridor to the room Karo and Ranma departed. They stopped at the door.

"Could you wait here?" Ranma asked. Karo smiled knowingly and Rae nodded. Ranma entered just to find a known show. Shampoo sleeping quite peacefully. A smile still drawn on her lips. He sat down next to her and moved a few hairs from her face trying to wake her up without startling her. He smiled as she twitched but kept in the dream world. "You're making this harder than it already is…" He whispered. After a few pokes on her arm, nothing happened.

Ranma sighed. "Don't tell me later that you didn't ask for it…" He threatened in a teasing whisper but to no one. He slipped his arms under Shampoo and carried her on her arms slowly. Still no response. The only one was that she snuggled closer to him. He shook his head with a smile but exited the room nonetheless. "We're good here. She won't wake up, so…" Ranma explained and both other men nodded.

"Good. Are you ready for leaving now?" Rae asked and Ranma nodded. "I'll grab your shoulder. It's preferable your hand but seeing that you're…um, with your hands…full, oh, you get the idea!" He burst with a smile he shared with Ranma. Rae placed a hand on Ranma's shoulder a second later. "This could feel a little strange." He warned.

Indeed it was strange. Ranma could feel like his stomach was turned inside out along with all his intestines. Just when he was getting used to the feeling, it was already gone. He opened the eyes that were closed since the beginning of the trip just to find himself in the park not far from the Nekohanten. He looked at his side and Rae was removing the hand from his shoulder with a content smile. A quick gaze at his arms revealed that he was still carrying his small bundle of love.

"So this is where you live…" Rae commented looking around. It was clear that he was impressed and excited at the same time. "You said that a girl I must see to check if she could be my wife lives around here?" Ranma nodded in his manner.

"Yes. Look, do you mind if I leave you on your own now? I'm tired and I want to let her sleep comfortably." Ranma explained. "Obviously I'll tell you were to go." He added in a rush.

"Judging by her smile, I'd bet that she wouldn't be more comfortable…" Rae pointed and Ranma blushed but smiled. "Ok, I agree." He replied.

"Good, you see that house in the corner? Well, you must go three blocks from that house straight, then one to the right and when you see a house with black tiles, that's the one." Ranma explained using his head as a pointing tool. Rae frowned and looked in the direction Ranma said.

"Mh, I see. Thank you. And may you two happy for the rest of your lives." Rae smiled.

"Thank you!" Ranma exclaimed to Rae's departing back. He sighed with a smile and looked at his arms. "How could I been so stupid to never tell you that I loved you?" Ranma whispered to self before starting to walk towards his home.

Two blocks later, Ranma arrived finally at the Nekohanten. He yawned. The tiredness and emotional exhaustion that he fought back so that he could bring the two of them back to Nerima was catching up with him.

As he had his hands busy, he had to knock with his feet. But before he even touched the door, a sign called his attention.

"Closed for missing waitress." Ranma panicked. He knocked a bit harder than that it would be needed and waited. Not a minute later, Bambou opened the door. Her eyes grew.

"You're here!" She exclaimed surprised. Ranma stepped in looking around. Everything was closed and it gave the restaurant a haunted look. "Where were you?" Bambou shouted once the door was closed.

"Mhhh…Darling…" Shampoo moaned from Ranma's chest. He blushed almost strawberry red. A sheepish smile was the only response Bambou found.

"Riiiiight…" She said suspiciously. "Now, could you answer me!" Ranma yawned.

"Could it wait? I'm tired. I promise that I'll tell you when I wake up, ok?" He said and didn't wait for an answer when he was already climbing the stairs. He opened the door to their room with his foot as it was already mid-open.

The room was still the same as he had last seen it. Except that his "bed" was gone. Possibly back to its place in the closet. Not that he needed it…

He placed Shampoo on the bed and closed the door so nobody would disturb their well-earned slumber. His eyes were already mid-closed when he simply lay down next to Shampoo. Five seconds after he placed his head over the pillow and Shampoo sub-consciously placed her head on his chest, he was asleep. Peacefully asleep finally. Finally after years of not having one of those rests.

"Elder!" Bambou exclaimed when Cologne entered the Nekohanten minutes later.

"I didn't find them." She replied and Bambou grinned. "Why the smile?"

"Because you can call off your search. Ranma just came back carrying Shampoo in his arms. I believe both are asleep now." She explained in a haste call. Cologne sighed.

"Good. When they wake up we'll ask where they were this past day." She said and sat down on a nearby chair.

"Mh…Ranma said three blocks straight and one to the right. Good. In a good trail." Rae said to him after turning the corner he was supposed to. He started looking around as he looked around for the black tiles. A paper was in his hand, the paper he wrote down the name that Ranma had given him.

"Ah! There it is." He pointed and approached the house in question. He pouched the paper and knocked the door. A woman a bit younger than Rae answered.

"Yes?" She said with a brow up.

"I was looking for Kodachi."

Tricked ya! Who thought it would be Akane when I wrote it? (grin) I simply HAD to put it there. That way, I'll take her out of the story without killing her (Considered it) Even if she didn't make an appearance in the whole fic. I don't like much the fanfics that simply forget that there are four fiancées, even if Kodachi doesn't count as fiancée. I tend to do it because I want to. She's a nut-case, I won't deny it, but Rae, with his gentle-self, will make the perfect couple for her.

Speaking of left out fiancées, I don't know who to pair with Akane. Ukyo I already decided and I'll take part of a small group who pair her up with a certain type. Anyway, you have any ideas for the pair that would fit Akane? Ryoga is too used up. So that he's out of the question.

Also, I decided to do Rae as a gentle kidnapper, I hate those who believe that they are the centre of the universe. So, as a small change, I decided to make him different than the rest. Anyway, REVIEW!