Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma ½, Charlotte's Web, or any characters or places from either. The Children's book author Ivona Tinkle and environmentalist Seymour Butts mentioned in this story are not real people, they are fictional, they do not exist. Any similarity to real persons is coincidental and unintentional.

Charlotte's Sequel
Chapter VII
Adult Decisions . . . (part 2)

"What do you mean, 'gone'?"Akane demanded.
Cologne shrugged. "They are some place that is not here." She offered.
"But where?" Akane protested, "I have something very important I need to see them about."
"They are attending to very important matters, had you not distracted son-in-law from reading my letter perhaps they would still be here to assist you with your problem."
"So they're after Lotion?" Akane scoffed.
"Perhaps." Cologne shrugged.
"Well I want you to know what I think,"
"I wont expend the necessary energy to stop you." Cologne shrugged.
"Yeah? Well I say it's wrong for you to try to force her to marry someone she doesn't like, someone who beats up on her yet, and it's even worse if you think you can send Mousse and Shampoo to drag her back here."
Cologne shrugged again. "Your opinion is noted. But this matter does not concern you, the moment Lotion left your property you lost all say, this has become a tribal matter, it will be settled by those of our village."
Akane scoffed in disgust and decided to see if she could catch Ranma at Ukyo's place. But Cologne stopped her first.
"Akane Tendo, heed my warnings. Do not invoke my wrath by getting involved in this matter . . . for your own safety. And see to it that Son-in-law does not get involved either."
"Ranma? Involved? Two words that don't belong in the same sentence unless something's been broken and shoved under the rug. Hey, are you threatening me?" Akane asked, turning around.
"If that is what it takes." Cologne nodded. "I act with nothing but good intentions."
"Then let Lotion go so I can ask Mousse and Shampoo to help me instead." Akane offered.
"This is no matter of a runaway bride. Lo-Chun has caused a problem and she has fled in hopes that Son-in-law and Ryoga will simply handle it for her, which is exactly what will end up happening if Shampoo cannot bring her back soon enough."
"What about Mousse?" Akane asked.
"In speaking the name Sun Set, Han has perhaps accidentally given us a mighty clue as to her final destination, as for Mousse, well he has gone ahead, to Lo-Chun's suspected destination. There, with luck, he will stop her should she elude or otherwise subdue Shampoo. And if he fails Ranma and Ryoga will be our only hope, and sadly I fear by involving themselves they will be bringing about their own demise."
"What do you mean?" Akane asked.
"Oh nothing. I made all that up. I sent Shampoo out to get a news paper and Mousse tagged along. As for the annoying assassin . . . well I just don't care where she is." Cologne chuckled.
Akane shook her head. "Uh . . . tell Mousse and Shampoo that Ranma and I need to talk to them as soon as possible . . . I guess . . ." she said and walked out of the cat café, completely confused.

Nabiki walked home in the pouring rain, well protected by her new umbrella.
She wondered if Ryoga was safe out of the rain, or if he'd been caught off guard and transformed into his cold-water-induced alter-ego, P-Chan.
She smiled at the crazy memories she had of that tiny piglet, P-Chan was such a source of amusement she wondered if she even wanted him to be turned back to normal.
She started whistling when suddenly an attractive young man popped out of nowhere! He was about her age, bore a slight resemblance to Kuno, and was dressed rather sharply. There was only one man this could be.
"Kinnosuke." Nabiki nodded, quickening her pace.
"Hey Tendo–er Nabiki–er Nabiki Tendo . . . uh . . . Nabi-chan!"
"What?"
"So anyway, I hear you just got back into town, where have you been?"
"All over." Nabiki said shortly, still walking away.
"Hey, Nabi-chan, look I know we were rivals, but that was then, this is now, we were just kids back then, right?"
"What?" Nabiki demanded.
"What I'm trying to say is . . . well, why don't we go celebrate our success? I think that our rivalry made us both stronger."
"I wouldn't even call us rivals, you're just a pretender." Nabiki said coldly.
"Hey now, hear me out, I just want to have dinner with you, that's all."
'What is with the men in this town today?' Nabiki wondered. 'Oh no! What if Mikado shows up next?' She thought in horror, remembering her date with the kinky skater with no shortage
"I'll pay," Kinnosuke tired, "in fact I'll give you the money up front, so you can use it to pay even if my instincts tell me to run for it."
That got Nabiki's attention, a scheme had formed in her mind. "Really? Well why didn't you say so? Sure, I'll have dinner with you. Where at?"
"Oh don't worry, I'll come get you." Kinnosuke said with a grin.
"No . . . just tell me where to meet you." Nabiki said.
"Why cant I come get you?" Kinnosuke frowned.
"Because Ryoga might not understand the situation." Nabiki said honestly.
"Who is Ryoga, again?" Kinnosuke asked. "I know it's not your sister . . ."
"Ryoga is . . . my pet."
Nabiki could have swore she then heard a faint 'PET!? PET!!' from somewhere, and Kinnosuke grimaced and put his hand over his left ear, but he recovered quickly. "You've a pet?" He asked.
"Yeah, that little pig, you remember him."
"Hmm . . . wasn't that your little sister's pig, P-Chan?"
"I am surprised you remember that." Nabiki said.
"Well when it comes to you, I never forget anything." Kinnosuke chuckled.
"Oh yeah? How many sisters do I have? Name them!." Nabiki said.
"Uh . . . you have two sisters. Akane and Kasuki–er Kasumi." Kinnosuke said, rubbing his ear.
"When and where did we first meet?" Nabiki asked.
"Before we were born, in heaven, because baby you're a fallen angel!" Kinnosuke said with a grin that seemed to suggest that he was quite pleased with himself.
"Uh-huh . . . well whatever. I'm still waiting for you to tell me where to meet you." Nabiki pointed out.
"Oh right. Well how's about the Cat Café, eh?"
"Ugh! No thanks, I cant stand the delivery girl, and I have some bad blood with the old ghoul that runs that place." Nabiki shuddered.
"Well then that's perfect!" Kinnosuke said. "What better way to show this city that we are still the best, than to go there, order as much as we can eat and more, and then get out without paying the bill?"
"Many reasons." Nabiki said. "One, if Cologne were determined to catch us, we wouldn't make it past the front door, or any other exit. Two, she knows where I live. Three, she probably knows where you live. Four, I think those wrinkles give her strange powers, and five, I thought you said you were going to pay for everything."
"Oh-ho-ho-ho. So the great Nabiki Tendo has lost her nerve? Given up on the fight, have you?"
"Yeah, guess so." Nabiki scoffed and turned to leave.
"N-no wait, don't go! We'll go someplace else, please, Nabi-chan I really want this night to work . . . you have no idea how much is riding on it."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Nabiki demanded.
"Millions of billions of trillions of yen . . . er . . . is not enough to keep me from you tonight, so I'll go to any place you like if it means I can be graced by your company."
'I need to introduce Ryoga to these guys, he could learn so much from them.' Nabiki decided. "Against all my better judgement . . . fine, meet me outside of Burger Thing at seven. Give me the money now, I wont hear any 'I forgot my wallet' lines."
"Uh, right, here." Kinnosuke chuckled, giving her a fair amount of money.
Nabiki raised an eyebrow. He was so willing to give her this money . . . her trained eye revealed that it was not a fake . . . something was not right.

'Heeheehee, doesn't she feel like a prostitute getting paid to go out on a date? Oh well, that unworthy woman will never have my Ryoga!' Yoshimi giggled to herself. 'Everything is going swimmingly!'
She took a deep breath. This Nabiki was renown in this area, a real evil super genius with a love of money to perhaps even rival Yoshimi's love for Ryoga . . . and yet she played right into Yoshimi's hands at every turn.
Yoshimi knew she should expect something by way of counter attack sooner or later, she'd taken steps to keep herself free of blame should Nabiki discover that someone had set these boys after her.
If all went according to plan Yoshimi would have Ryoga all to herself, this fool girl would be in college dealing with excessive drinking and unplanned pregnancy while Yoshimi toured the globe with her love in the most romantic of fashions.
She sighed longingly as she fantasized about it, she almost missed seeing Ranma Saotome and some guy running towards the hospital. The man was familiar, Yoshimi had seen him before . . . but where?

Ushio sighed unhappily. "So you challenged them to a grand tournament?"
"I would not use the word 'challenged', actually . . ." Anzu trailed off.
When it seemed clear that she wold not continue, Tomoko took up the slack, "We took those bozos on chief, and they got lucky. I don't know about the others, but I was certainly hindered by the suit, the helmet dulled my senses, I had no peripheral vision, I know I, and the rest of us can perform better on our home turf, if this tournament ever even occurs. They wanted a big tourney here at our place, but they don't even know where our dojo is."
"Hmm . . . so in other words, you got beaten, and you accepted their offer of a rematch, setting a place that you knew they would never find, like a coward trying to avoid risking defeat a second time?"
"Uh . . ." Tomoko trailed off. "Anzu did all the talking!" She cried, pointing an accusing finger.
Ushio turned to his daughter and threw his arms around her. "I have nothing more to teach you!" He cried.
"So we don't have to fight them?" Anzu asked.
"Oh of course you do! And you'll win, because I'm going to see to it that they get here! I want my students to test themselves against the best and brightest Tendo has to offer, don't worry, I have complete confidence in you all!" He said, "but out of curiosity, who was it that defeated you?"
"What?" Anzu asked.
"Well you said one of them came in from behind and got you all, who was it?"
"Uh . . . I don't know." Anzu admitted.
Ushio shook his head, and whipped out a photo album entitled "Memories" but the word "Memories" was crossed out several times with a black permanent ink pen, and beneath it in messy hand writing was "Enemies!" learning to write "Enemies" in English had taken five years, but it had been worth it, Ushio felt more cultured now.
"Let's see . . ." Ushio said, "Tendo . . . Tendo . . . aha, here we are, chapter three." He opened the book to a chapter filled with pictures of Tendo, his family and everyone they dealt with. "Point him out." He said.
"Right-oh. Uh . . . why?" Anzu asked.
"So I know which one of them it was." Ushio said simply.
"Oh okay . . . it was this one, with the bandanna . . . I'm pretty sure." Anzu said.
"Ah. Ryoga Hibiki, skill rating B, engaged to Tendo's second daughter, Nabiki Tendo, and none too friendly with Tendo's other future son-in-law, and heir to the school, Ranma Saotome." Ushio nodded knowingly. "I thought it would be that Saotome boy, but Hibiki is a tough one too, especially if he managed to catch you by surprise. Well, I was just curious, you can go now." He said, dismissing them.
They left, he leaned back in his chair and yawned. "Ryoga Hibiki . . ." he whispered, "Can he really be so strong?" He updated the file by erasing the B and writing A. "There, that should keep me from making the same mistakes! Now we are invincible!"
A long, slender arm extended from behind Ushio, and grabbed the book. "You've cataloged the entire household quite well, Koruda. This will help me greatly."
Ushio shook his head and laughed, "Now, now, this doesn't concern you, Jun. It's just a friendly rivalry between schools, I don't need any of them killed."
"You don't." The assassin agreed and examined two of the files. "Ranma and Ryoga . . ."

Ryoga closed his eyes for a moment, sitting near the koi pond in the Tendo back yard, where Ukyo had left him. His curiosity was starting to get the better of him.
What had Lotion written?
He reached into his pocket and pulled her letter out. He opened the envelope, and removed her letter. It was very poorly written, and she'd gotten his name wrong to boot.

Ryouga, this is H L-C, that stands of Han Lo-Chun, not hand lotion! I have something important to tell you . . . if I could only find the words . . . I love you! I LovE you! I cannot live another day without you . . . well that is not true, every word of that was a lie, I don't love you, but I could not resist. Sadly I am not there to see your face. I suppose this joke was not too well thought out. And there is only so much room on this paper . . . why did I use a pen? Oh this is a pencil . . . I can erase everything . . . but I am so lazy! Well I had something important to tell you, it was a matter of life or death . . . but . . . I forget. I think you are in danger though, it's my fault but I don't remember what I did . . . uh . . . I saw this movie once, it was spooky beyond belief, it involved a corn field and what I think were giant lizards, and some lady who got cut in half--which was rather funny--telling some guy to tell some other guy to swing away, which as it turns out meant that he hit glasses with a rugby bat to kill an evil lizard thing, I guess it was vulnerable to glass shards. That's got nothing to do with your dire situation, but . . . no wait, that makes me sound stupid and makes it seem like I wasted more paper . . . holy fruits I just wasted more paper writing about . . . uh . . . whatever I wrote about. Curses! Stop writing with the pen and start talking in your head . . . . . . . okay, five minutes have passed, ignore those blood stains on the paper, my head started to hurt, and my nose started to bleed when I tried to think quietly. Uh . . . so . . . swing away Rioga! Swing away! Wait! Curses it that wasn't what I wanted to say! Seek the moose, do not let him eat you, the lying scum will tell you one moment that he's got an important secret, the next he's chewing on your head and you're screaming for air but you cant get free and everyone else is laughing at you because they're heartless scum . . . you know what . . . do not seek the moose. When a crazy guy shows up seeking vengeance, just kill him for me . . . hmm . . . maybe 'swing away' is not such a bad thing to tell you. But don't tell Nabiki it was my fault or she'll . . . hurt me. I probably wont ever come back 'cause you'll all be dead, but hey, I like to keep my options open. Uh . . . I probably Shouldn't have said that last part. Uh . . . well anyway I know deep down you're just like me, but if you really want to prove otherwise, when the time comes for your test fail it miserably, Reogha. Oh yes, that's right, I wanted to warn you about the . . . well we've run out of room, sorry! Luv H L-C

Now his curiosity was overwhelming. What the devil was she talking about? What was she ever talking about? The woman was either a super genius or a raving lunatic. Maybe a super lunatic or a raving genius. Maybe a genius raving super lunatic.
He sighed and shoved it back into his pocket. He would never kill anyone without a reason, he'd never kill in cold blood . . . he considered his plans to eventually slaughter Ranma to be a warm blooded killing, very different indeed.
Lotion was wrong, he wasn't like her. He wasn't an assassin, or a murderer, and he never would be.
He wasn't like her . . .
Not at all . . .
So why did he have to keep telling himself this?
An enemy could be stopped without resorting to murder, as long as Ryoga recognized that, Lotion's message was worthless. He tore it up, to prove that he didn't need her insane advice.

Yoshimi looked over Gosunkugi's photographs. "This is excellent, really." She said. "Certainly worth ten times our bargained price."
"Does that mean you're going to pay me ten time the bargained price?" The skinny kid with bags under his eyes asked.
Yoshimi thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, certainly." She said, after all she could afford it. She looked at the pictures he'd taken of Nabiki kissing Kuno. She hadn't even expected Kuno to kiss her! That her little photographer had caught the promiscuous wench on film made the day feel good.
"I have everything I need, once Nabiki leaves tonight I spring my trap, and show these to Ryoga!"
"And what about me?" Kinnosuke asked.
"What do you mean?" Yoshimi frowned.
"Well, I was supposed to show Nabiki pictures of Ryoga cheating on her with you, but all these look completely worthless. In the ones where he is with you, it's obvious he isnt happy to be there, and the ones where he's with other girl there's no romance lost between them."
"You really think so?" Yoshimi asked hopefully.
"Uh . . . yeah, it's pretty obvious." Kinnosuke said.
"Well hopefully Nabiki wont care. Besides, she doesn't matter, Ryoga does and as long as I can convince him you can do whatever you like to Nabiki. Drug her for all I care." Yoshimi shrugged.
"What about this career she told me about?" Kuno asked. "She said she wouldn't be going to college, this defeats phase three of our plan."
"No it doesn't, I have connections everywhere, I can make her go where I want her to go . . . if only I could figure out what this job of hers is. I'm clueless, my spy network has turned up nothing! But once I know, I'll promptly have that fall out from under her, then offer her a scholarship to you know where."
"Ingenious." Kuno sighed.
"Indeed." Kinnosuke nodded.
"What about me?" Gosunkugi asked.
"You're not old enough for college, so you needn't come."
"Oh good." The voodoo fool sighed in relief.
"But you two will," Yoshimi continued, referring to Kuno and Kinnosuke, "and she will forget all about Ryoga! I believe it's time for us all to share a maniacal laugh now."
"BWA-HA-HA-HA!" The four laughed together.
"Ah, very good." Yoshimi said. "Now, I am off to the Tendo home, to wait until Nabiki leaves so I can spring my trap on Ryoga!"
"And I'll wait for her at this Burger Thing." Kinnosuke nodded.
"And I'll . . . well I believe I'll go home." Gosunkugi said, "Pleasure working with all of you."
Kuno however said absolutely nothing.

Nabiki looked at her watch, wondering if it was normal for an hour to pass like a year. It wasn't that she was eager to see Kinnosuke, she simply wanted to get it over with, her boss should have shown up by now, and she wanted to be here when he arrived.
Kasumi just wouldn't understand, and Ryoga might get homicidal.
"Is there anything to watch, besides Anime?" Nabiki complained.
"No." Kasumi sighed.
"I've seen too much Anime for one day! What happened to the shows with real actors?"
"Their popularity dropped when anime directors discovered a loop hole in the law that allowed them to legally show underage cartoon women having sex with giant grotesque demons, provided their 'parts' were too covered in their own blood to be properly identified and the show received a Y-7 rating. For some reason it caught on." Kasumi said.
"Yeah, well . . . it's stupid." Nabiki spat.
"The only other thing on is the news."
"I'll take that." Nabiki said.
Kasumi shrugged and turned the channel.
Down town is in chaos, hours after a suspected terrorist bombing, and uptown is not much better after a suspected terrorist poison gas attack, both attacks claimed dozens of lives, including children's author Ivona Tinkle, and environmentalist founder of "Free the Trouser Snakes" movement, a mister Seymour Butts.
"Oh those poor snakes! Now they'll never be free!" Kasumi gasped.
Nabiki gave her sister a concerned look. "Do you know what trouser snakes are?"
"No. But all of mother nature's creatures deserve freedom, don't they?"
"Well uh . . . sure." Nabiki frowned.
"What is a trouser snake?" Ryoga asked.
"You're too young to need to know that." Nabiki said simply.
With down town, and up town in chaos, midtown is in terror, and preparing for all out crisis by looting toilet paper from any store not smart enough to burn it all, in the cases of the stores wise enough to burn their toilet paper supplies, people have resorted to stealing candy bars simply because they refuse to be denied. We're now in front of the local Rifle and Bomb shop, which exploded after it's owner tried to follow suit and burn his inventory.
"What a world we live in." Kasumi sighed.
"Yeah, everyone's an idiot." Nabiki scoffed.
They say that a hero can save us, but we cant stand here and wait.
"Is she going to start singing?" Nabiki demanded. "Go back to the cartoons!"
Ironically while the bombing and the gas killed only thirty six people, due to the rioting, over two hundred have died since then. There are only two known survivors of the initial terrorist attacks, and they are being held in the F City Hospital, their names are not yet to be released, they are however expected to make a full recovery.
"Do you think we're in any danger?" Kasumi asked.
"No." Nabiki said simply.
"Well . . . what about Father, Akane, Ranma, Mr. Saotome, and . . . well we haven't seen Happosai since that whole sheep incident."
"Sheep incident?"
"Never you mind." Kasumi smiled. "However, I am concerned."
"Don't be." Nabiki said with confidence, "Ranma and Akane don't frequent bars, and daddy was supposed to be getting Ukyo, Shampoo and Mousse to fight for us in the tournament, he wouldn't have had time for a drink."
"What about Lotion?" Kasumi asked.
"Too incompetent to plant a bomb." Nabiki shrugged.
"No, what if she was in the building?"
"Are you kidding? We're not that lucky." Ryoga sighed.
"This is a sick, dangerous world we live in." Kasumi whispered. "I certainly hope everyone returns safely tonight."
"Hey, maybe Yoshimi got blown up." Nabiki said, trying to look on the bright side.
"I doubt it." Ryoga frowned. "They'd have added "Also, insane billionaire's daughter, Yoshimi Harume, age seventeen and three quarters was killed in the explosion."
"Hmm . . . well, so much for dreams." Nabiki sighed.

Soun looked at the four people inside the hospital room, aside from himself and Genma. He smiled. "Akane, Ranma! And you've got Ukyo! How wonderful! And what's this? You even brought . . . eh . . . I know I've seen you before . . ."
"I am Yutaro." The striking young man said, running his fingers through his hair.
"Right . . . who the heck?"
"You visited my hotel, I swam around and beat the stuffings out of you, you thought I was a monster."
"Oh the hot springs guy." Soun nodded.
"How's showbiz treating you?" Akane asked.
"Very well. Why, my face alone sells movie tickets. Yes, I am a movie star now."
"From commercials to movies eh? What movies have you been in?" Soun asked, knowing he'd seen the boy in some movie, he just couldn't remember which.
"Well I co-starred in "Silent Filler", I was the star of "Deep Thrusts" and "Ass Meats"
"So . . . why are you here?" Soun asked, certain he'd seen all three of those movies, but unable to recall any details by way of story or plot.
"Well I was working on my movie set in Europe, I finally got to write and direct my own film!"
"Oh? What's it about?" Soun asked.
"Well, I cant say, that would ruin the surprise, I will tell you it will either be called 'D-Day Bombshells' or 'Ambushed Behind Enemy Blinds'."
"Ah, a war movie, eh?" Soun nodded sagely.
"Seemingly." Yutaro chuckled. Ranma started to giggle.
"Well what brings you to Nerima?" Akane asked.
"Ooh! Ooh! I know! He told me!" Ranma said, jumping up and down. Akane whacked him on the head.
"Let Yutaro tell us!" She commanded.
Yutaro ran his fingers through his hair again. "I met a young woman in Europe, a member of your family if I remember correctly. Nabiki Tendo, your . . . sister? Daughter? Wife?"
"Daughter." Soun nodded.
"Sister." Akane nodded.
"Ex-Fiancee." Ranma nodded.
"Yes, well anyway once I saw her I knew she was the perfect spunky heroin, so I asked her to play the role. She slapped me, but I assured her that once this movie was finished, I would send her name to all my contacts, in fact just seeing her picture all three of the men I worked under before want her for their new movies, she'll be almost as rich as I've become. Hers is a talent that belongs in this industry, and to think, I'm the one who found her . . ." Yutaro said.
"How do you know she's talented?" Ukyo asked.
"I asked him that! He told me! I know! I know!" Ranma said, jumping up and down, looking really pleased with himself.
"Let him tell us!" Akane cried, whacking Ranma with Ukyo's spatula.
"Hey!" Ukyo protested.
"Well, you see all you need to do is look at a girl like Nabiki to know she'll make a fortune in the film industry."
"You think Biki has what it takes to be a movie star?" Ukyo asked.
"Not just any kind of star!" Ranma giggled. That was getting rather annoying.
"She's a tough one too, most women turn to jelly at the mere thought of staring with me, and until meeting her I had never met a woman who wasn't thrilled at the idea of becoming a movie star, but she wanted to be paid, can you believe it? Apparently it's common practice to pay the lead actress a third of the movie's overall budget, and bonuses for good behavior!"
"Now that sounds like Nabiki." Akane sighed.
"So she's going to be an actress? Well why all the secrecy? This is great news, I don't see why she wouldn't want to brag about it endlessly!" Soun said, but even as he spoke he realized why she'd been so dodgy, and why now Ranma was so excited. "Eh . . . it's going to be a pornographic movie, isnt it?" He asked dejectedly.
"Dad!" Akane protested.
"Would that be a problem?" Yutaro asked with concern.
Soun sighed, Akane's jaw hit the floor, Ranma broke out laughing, Genma choked and even the nurses gasped.
"You people are her family, but I'm the only one not shocked by this?" Ukyo said with a shrug.

Kuno stood outside the Burger Thing, Kinnosuke was shouting various profanities, but none of them could be properly made out, since his mouth was covered in scotch tape. 'At least,' Kuno thought, 'He can enjoy a free scotch for his troubles.' He looked back to where the other man was tied to a tree. "Sorry about this, but I, Tatewaki "Blue Thunder" Kuno do not share my women, though sadly, I am so popular that they must share me. Nabiki Tendo will be mine, your services are no longer required."
"Mckmoomoomuermcker!" Kinnosuke grunted.
"Now there is no need to bring our mothers into this." Kuno said simply. "I'll release you after Nabiki Tendo and I have completed our date." He looked out at the stars. "Come to me, my angel, my heart yearns for our next kiss!"

It was starting to rain, and Yoshimi was freezing. She was hiding in the bushes outside the Tendo home, she hadn't wanted to wait in her limousine, since that'd be too conspicuous. "That three t-timing no good little . . . she's l-late for her date with Kinnosuke! I c-cant just sit out here all n-night! Ha-choo! What is that girl doing in there? It's almost midnight, is she going or not?!" She was starting to get drowsy! But she would persevere, for Ryoga's sake!

Nabiki looked out of a rain soaked window, very curious as to where everyone had gone to.
She had this feeling of impending doom, as if forces in the universe were working even now to see that she finally got what was coming to her. She didn't really believe in Karma, so it had to be something else.
She sighed, and wondered what she should do.
"Kasumi." She said at last, turning to her older sister. "Do you think it's okay for a girl to see more than one guy at a time?"
"Hmm?"
That had just slipped out. But what the heck? There was nothing else to talk about. "Well . . . uh . . . it's just . . . I was thinking about uh . . . Nodoka! Yeah, Nodoka gets on my nerves, being with dad and Mr. Saotome at the same time, doesn't it make you angry too?"
"Well . . . not everyone is the same." Kasumi said thoughtfully. "Some people are meant to find one person, and be with that one person forever. Maybe you and Ryoga are like that, and maybe that's how Nodoka used to be. But then there are the people for whom a permanent partner is more of a permanent bother, people who would prefer a series of short, passionate relationships as opposed to a longer one, moving on when the passion starts to burn out, maybe Nodoka is one of those. To be completely honest, I always thought that was how you really were, Nabiki."
"Uh-huh . . ." Nabiki nodded. "So what made you change your mind?" She asked.
Kasumi didn't look at her when she said "Who said I did?"
"Well what about my relationship with Ryoga? That's gotta put me in the first category."
"You mean the one reliant almost completely on sex? The one that hasn't even gone on for a year yet? That's the one you mean, right?" Kasumi raised an eyebrow.
Nabiki's eyes narrowed. "So what you're saying is you think I'd cheat on Ryoga?"
"I'm saying that people are different. If someone who loved you as much as I do were to see you kissing . . . say . . . Kuno, even though you were engaged to Ryoga, she wouldn't pass judgement. People are different Nabiki, and they have different needs. It is not for you or I to approve or disapprove of Nodoka's actions. Or . . . anyone's actions."
"Are you trying to tell me something? Because if you are, just say it." Nabiki said crossly.
"I'm only answering your question." Kasumi said innocently.
"And what makes you think I'd kiss--no, even be near Kuno?"
"It was just an example." Kasumi sighed.
"Good. Because I really do love Ryoga."
"I'm sure that's true." Kasumi nodded.
"Good." Nabiki nodded. "Speaking of Ryoga, where is he?"
"Well he found his way into the dojo, he's been training ever since. He's probably asleep now." Kasumi shrugged.

Ryoga had the dojo all to himself, so he'd decided he might was well practice.
He went through all of the routines (at least the ones that wouldn't bring the dojo crashing down) a dozen times, but his mind was too clouded. He took a deep breath and sat down. 'Where is everybody?' He wondered.
"You cant sleep?" Nabiki asked. He turned to see her standing in the doorway, she looked tired.
"No." He admitted. "Did I wake you?"
She shrugged. "I'm a grown up now, I can stay up all night. But I came to check on you."
"You don't have to do that." Ryoga grunted. "I'm fine."
"I thought you would be. I was just sort of lonely." She said with a shy smile. A face she very rarely wore. "It's almost midnight, you really should get some sleep."
"I was just about to." Ryoga lied.
"Good." Nabiki smiled. "Um . . . Ryoga, I wanted you to know . . . uh . . . I love you."
"I already knew that." He smiled.
"Well then I want you to remember it. No matter what happens, you're the one I love, all right?" She said, sounding a little uncomfortable.
He nodded. "I love you too." He said.
"No matter what happens?" Nabiki asked. "What if I strangle Yoshimi with a shoe lace . . . ?"
"I'd love you more, and I'd help break you out of prison. I'll never stop loving you, Nabiki. I asked you to marry me, didn't I?" Ryoga shrugged.
"And what about Yoshimi?"
"I didn't ask her." He scoffed.
"But what about her?" Nabiki asked. "She can give you everything, cant she? Anything you want. If someone offered you the world for the mere price of being their husband, would you really refuse for my sake alone?"
"She cant offer me Nabiki Tendo, now can she? As far as I'm concerned you are the world, you're everything." Ryoga said simply.
Nabiki smiled wryly. "Nicely said."
"I thought so." Ryoga nodded. "You want to take a walk?" He asked.
"What? In the middle of the night? With terrorists running rampant bombing all the good bars?"
"Well we'll just avoid the bars. Besides, you're scarier than any terrorist around these parts."
"Well . . . yeah sure, I guess." Nabiki shrugged. "One condition . . ."
"What's that?"
"It's raining anyway, so you might as well go as P-Chan!" Nabiki chuckled, splashing him with cold water from a bucket that seemed to just appear in her hands.
'Why does she do this?' Ryoga wondered.

The rain had stopped, but Yoshimi was still cold. She'd never really been exposed to the elements before, it was a startling new adventure.
But she saw Nabiki finally leave the house, taking the family guard pig along for protection apparently. Yoshimi noted that the piglet was cute, but not enough to make her expose herself until Nabiki was very far away, after that she wasted no time going to the door, being wet, tired and a little afraid that the stray dog that had made love to the trash can not five minutes ago might return for her.
She came to the house and knocked three times, Kasumi answered it, looking a little disappointed.
"Where is Ryoga?" Yoshimi asked.
"What? He just left with Nabiki, didn't he?" Kasumi sighed.
"No. She was alone, save for the little black piglet. It was rather cute, but not as cute as Ryoga."
"Oh don't be silly, that was Ryoga."
Yoshimi gasped. "How dare you say such things behind my Ryoga's back!"
Kasumi looked at Yoshimi as if she were insane. "He transforms into a pig when he gets splashed with cold water."
Now Yoshimi looked at Kasumi because she had to be insane. "I am sorry, I thought you were sober."
Kasumi's face lit up. "I see. You don't know about the Training Grounds of Accursed Springs."
"No . . . was it a low budget movie?" Yoshimi asked.
"Oh no, it's a place. A place where almost all of the most prominent martial artists of this town have gone to train, and one and all have fallen into the pools there."
"Uh . . . forgive me for being vulgar, but you speak craziness!"
Yoshimi listened as Kasumi told her the story of Ryoga's curse. It filled her with a lot of things, first it filled her with rage that Ranma would do that to her Ryoga, then it filled her with grief that Ryoga had felt it necessary to hide this from her, then if felt her with disgust because she allowed herself to wonder what it would be like to transform into a man if she were splashed with cold water, and finally it filled her with warmth because the house was well heated.
"So . . . Ryoga will never be cured?" Yoshimi asked. "This wont just go away after so many days?"
"I've known Ryoga for almost two years now, and he shows no signs of recovery. He does seem to be coping with it, though."
"Oh . . . oh I cannot marry a man who turns into a pig when he gets wet . . ." Yoshimi sighed.
"I thought so." Kasumi nodded. "Best just to find someone else, forget Ryoga. It will be hard at first, but you'll manage."
Yoshimi shook her head, "Is there no cure?"
"None, I'm sorry." Kasumi said. "He'd have to get back to the training grounds and find the spring of drowned man, then fall into that, but he, well everyone has tried and failed. Like I said, he's coping with the curse."
Yoshimi smiled wickedly. "Imagine his gratitude when I find the cure for him! I bet he'd do anything for it!"
"Of course he would . . . uh . . . oh my." Kasumi sighed.
Yoshimi laughed, this was perfect! She would show Ryoga the picture of Nabiki kissing Kuno, then whisk him away to China, cure him and he'd be hers forever! And she had Kasumi to thank for it! "Hear me now! From this day, I shall not rest, I shall not sleep for an instant, until Ryoga is my husband!"
"But you seem quite tired." Kasumi pointed out.
"Hmm . . . then the declaration takes effect . . . after a brief nap." Yoshimi nodded.
"The guest room is over there." The eldest Tendo said with a smile.
"Thank you . . . I do not expect I will make it to a hotel . . . good night . . . morning, whichever it may be."

"What'd I do now?" Ranma demanded. "This is about the shrimp, isnt it? If ya wanted the shrimp, ya should have just said so!"
"It has nothing to do with shrimp Ranma! Sea food is uninvolved!" Akane cried.
"So yer mad at me . . . because?"
But Akane just huffed and stomped away.
Ranma shook his head, "Oh no! I'm not letting this one go, I'm tired of this, you think I can figure out what I did to tick you off, but I cant, Akane! I really cant! I mean I do so much stuff you're not supposed to know about I'd confess to all sorts of crimes I never even committed before I figured out what I'd done wrong by you! It's the toilet seat isnt it?"
Akane spun around and stared him in the eye. He did wonder why she never seemed to have a problem doing so, considering the fact that she was so short.
"You get so excited about Nabiki being in a pornographic movie. Obviously you want to see her naked, but you wont even touch me!" Akane shouted so the whole hospital could hear. "I bet you wish you were still engaged to her, don't you? Go on, admit it!"
"Is that what this is about? I cant believe you, you dunce! Obviously I'm just excited because as soon as yer dad finishes those release forms, we get to go home and see Nabiki drawn and quartered! If I know Ryoga, and I do, he'll leave her in a fit of righteous indignation, and that means with luck we might get to see her cry! We could sell tickets to an event like that!" Ranma said.
She just glared at him.
"Hey," he tried, "you could be in smut films, I mean Akane, when I first came here, who did all the boys fight over? It wasn't Nabiki, it was you. I still remember the melee the first day of school, how can you think Nabiki's looks even compare to yours?"
"So every guy in town wants me except my Fiancee?" Akane demanded.
"Ugh!" Ranma scowled. "You're hopeless! What am I supposed to do? Take you into that broom closet over there, right now, despite the fact that neither of us is in the mood, and there's a hospital full of people wishing we'd shut up or come down with something and die?"
There were shouts of agreement from the various rooms, and someone shouted for Ranma to shut up.
"Well I was hoping for an unoccupied bed, but a closet is fine!" Akane said sarcastically (maybe)
Ranma gapped at her. He played his trump card, the 'good morals' card. "What ever happened to waiting until you're married?"
"Is it size issue, Ranma-dear?" Akane whispered loudly (how does one whisper loudly?)
There were various shouts and groans from the people in the rooms, so either the patients were all finally dying, or they agreed Akane had scored a point. That was unacceptable to Ranma, now it was a contest, he had to win!
"Excuse me miss, but you really need to quiet down," A nurse whispered to Akane, but Ranma shook his head and waved the hospital worker away.
"Mind yer business infirmary slave! And yes Akane, size is a issue all right! See, your chest is so flat, that when you take off your shirt I get all confused . . . did yer dad cut the wrong cord?"
The crowd response was confused silence. These people didn't know funny.
Akane's response was to slap Ranma with all her might, he dodged it though and she just made a hole in the wall.
"Ooh, you gotta pay fer that." Ranma said.
The argument was brought to an abrupt halt when the doctor came up to them. "Excuse me, but all our patients have either drowned themselves in their own bed pans, or hung themselves with their I.V.s, also you're really killing the mood for those of us who are in the closet. I'd ask you to keep it down, but if you could just bring it up a notch, maybe you can wake all the dead and save the janitors a lot of work."
Soun and Genma stood there suddenly, shaking their heads in disappointment, Ukyo seemed quite amused, and Yutaro was rubbing his black eye. "It's time to go." Soun said.
"Uh . . . right." Akane said, her head bowed in shame. "But first . . . doctor . . . did the patients really commit mass suicide?"
"How should I know? I don't like to go near them unless a news camera is there to film my miracle. I just said that to shut you up." The doctor shrugged.
"Well in that case . . ." Akane said, turning to Ranma, "PERVERT!" She screamed so loud the walls shook. She took a moment to catch her breath, then smiled brightly and turned to leave.
Ranma shook his head and sighed.

Next Time . . . (consider this a basic guide of things that might happen, something around the lines of 99% of it wont come true)
Ryoga and Nabiki return in the morning to find an inquisition waiting for them, battles break out all over the world, Ryoga and Ranma finally have their duel, evil people get what's coming to them, Lotion confronts Sun Set, Shampoo will in turn challenge Lotion, Happi makes a dire prediction, Dr. Tofu starts to feel a little insane again, and it's making Kasumi jealous for some reason, Akane will appeal to Cologne for guidance, Happi will score big with a hot young lady, Ryoga will be tempted by Yoshimi, and Mousse will return for the tournament (with the Moose) !!!