(A/N) I apologize. It took me a little long, but I was bummed out because no one was updating Split Up. Oh, well it also took me a bit to write this because I was having so much fun with Split Up (and homework. Never forget the homework.)

I mean, school's ending in five weeks, then the eighth grade will be over and I'll be headed for Reseda High Science and Math Magnet. What's the big deal?

In any case, this chappie is dedicated to writer's cramp, without which it never would have turned out the way it did.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, Ranma ½ or Tendo Dojo. If you think that I do, you're seriously messed up. All I own is about half of the crappy plotline, because it was inspired by an RPG my sister and I made up.

That's right! I don't own the plot for my own fic! Bwahahahahahahaha! It's not my idea!

Oh, and …/ is hikari to yami

/… is yami to hikari.

Peace Never Lasts

Chapter One

"A Pet"

Ranma cheerfully bounced out of bed, feeling better than he had in a long, long time. Happosai was in China, Kuno and Kodachi were in Hawaii on vacation, Ryoga had disappeared, Shampoo and Cologne had agreed to lay off for a while, and Mousse had gone with Ryoga. He and Akane were having a rare moment of peace, and Nabiki had found another way to make money. Yes, everything was perfect…it's surprising that he thought it could last.

As Ranma jogged out for his morning workout, his braid bounced on his back. The air was warm, which was just as well, because he would likely be falling in the pond.

"Good morning!" his father cheerily greeted him, "are you ready to take a swim?"

"I'm not the one that's gonna be swimmin', panda!" he replied.

Happosai sighed as the man shook his head, refusing to let him on the ship. How could he possibly return to Japan if he couldn't get a place on a ship? He wasn't Ranma or Genma, to swim from Japan to China and back again!

How could he get a ride…?

As long as he was stuck in China, he might as well add to his precious collection. How to do that, though…? Underwear was all well and good, but he needed something to get a good reaction…maybe even a fight from Ranma. Now, what could be big enough to do that…?

"Excuse me," called a soft voice, interrupting his meditations.

Happosai turned, to see a young woman with a figure even better than Ranma's in his female form! As an afterthought, the old pervert noticed a white dog with large, soulful eyes standing behind her.

"Do you know who this dog belongs to? He doesn't have a collar."

She spoke true. Upon closer inspection, instead of a collar, the dog wore a strange medallion, a golden triangle with a stylized eye in the center. The whole thing was encircled with a golden ring that had five pointers dangling off of its edges. It also had a pack strapped onto its back.

"He's my dog!" cried Happosai, who, of course, couldn't possibly let an opportunity like this pass him by. Who knew what was in that pack? In addition, the necklace glittered so invitingly.

Ryoh reflected on how he'd gotten into this odd predicament. Bakura had gotten some hot water and poured it on himself, causing Ryoh to resume human form. After which Ryoh took control of the body, and rigged his pack not to fall off if he transformed wearing it. He would be able to carry his pack as a dog!

Then he bid farewell to the guide, giving the man his well-earned pay. Once he reached the coast, he managed to buy the last ticket for the last cruise ship for the whole month back to Japan that (thank goodness) allowed pets.

Once he'd put away his ticket and was headed for a nearby restaurant, some little kids dumped a bucket of seawater on him, turning him into a dog. The children's mother saw him and the bucket and scolded her children for "soaking the poor doggie." Bakura had found the whole thing immensely funny and couldn't take over to help in any case because he would wind up stark naked.

The woman had gone off in search of his owner, taking him along. Then this old man who seemed barely able to take his eyes off her décolletage said he owned Ryoh. Moreover, he was going through Ryoh's pack!

"Hmmmm…" the man muttered, "what's a dog doing with a ship ticket? To Japan? My prayers have been answered!

/What's with this freak? muttered Bakura, who was in Ryoh's soul room, sitting on the bed with Ryoh on the floor, lying at his feet in his dog-form.

I don't know/ Ryoh replied with a soft whine, We should be careful./

/Of course. He's going to use our ticket, so be his pet for a while. This could be interesting.

Ryoh snapped out of his inner conversation in time to catch the old man looking at him. "If you're going to be my pet," he began, "you'll need a name."

/Yadonushi-sama, there's no telling what kind of name he'll give you! Bakura thought-cried in a panicked tone.

Ryoh had it covered, though. He used his paw to scratch "Ryoh" in the sand.

"Oh!" the old man cried. "You can write?"

"Wrorf!" Ryoh barked, wagging his tail.

"Well, then, I'm Happosai! Shake." Happosai said.

Ryoh raised his paw and shook the old man's hand, trying very hard to ignore his darker half laughing in the back of his mind.

"Well, Ryoh, what say we catch our ride?" Happosai suggested. "We'll get on that ship, and I can show you the Tendo Dojo!"

A dojo? Yaaay! Yami, I can do more training/

/Ryoh, you're a dog. How can you train if you're a dog?

Hot water./

/Serious?

Yup./

Ryoh bounded after Happosai, who had his only ticket back to Japan.

Happosai glanced back and saw his dog bounding after him. Nevertheless,…Ryoh was a bit too smart to be just a dog…and besides, dogs don't carry tickets for a cruise ship around as a rule. Maybe there was a Spring of Drowned Dog at Jusenkyo…Well, there was only one way to find out!

"C'mon, boy!" he called out, and Ryoh bounded right over to him, tail doing a very good windshield-wiper impression.

As Ryoh followed Happosai to their room, Bakura separated into his invisible spirit mode.

"Good morning, ladies, gentlemen, and canines!" began the spirit, inaudible to all but Ryoh. "And we're following our canine buddy, and my Yadonushi, Ryoh, along with his master, Happosai!"

Yami-sama, what are you doing/ Ryoh asked in his tired mind-voice.

"I'm glad you asked, my good dog! I am livening up the place!"

You mean you're bored./

"Precisely."

"Here we are!" Happosai cried happily. "The place where we shall live for the next two weeks! Now come in here."

Ryoh followed the ancient pervert into the room. It was rather nice.

"What have we here?" cried the annoying spirit, "The old man has a kettle of hot water!"

Yami, he probably wants some tea./

"Then why has he no cup? No, he is after some nefarious deed…"

"Now to see if my hunch is correct," Happosai proclaimed, "for no ordinary dog can write in sand! There must be a Spring of Drowned Dog, and you must have fallen in, Ryoh! Prepare to prove me right!

Happosai poured hot water on Ryoh, certain that he was right and the dog he had found was a person. When the steam cleared, he saw he was right, for before him stood a pale young man with long, white hair, about the same age as his disciple, Ranma. On his chest was the pendant Happosai had longed for since he first saw it.

There was a moment of silence in which the young man removed his pack, which had surprisingly stayed on during his transformation.

"Who are you?" Happosai demanded.

"My name is Ryoh," the youth informed the master of peeping toms as he dressed. Then his eyes glazed, and he paused. "And don't even think about trying to steal my pendant, you old thief!"

Happosai was amazed. Could this young man who had fallen in the Spring of Drowned Dog read minds?

Thanks for the heads up, Yami-sama/ Ryoh sent gratefully.

"It was nothing, Yadonushi-sama."

"Say, Ryoh," Happosai began.

"Yes, what is it?" Ryoh snapped, irritated.

"Do you have anywhere to go once you get to Japan?"

"I was going to stay with a friend."

"Could you come home with me? To Tendo Training Hall? I could say you're my pet dog, and people say the weirdest things around animals."

"You want me to spy for you?"

"You get free food and a warm place to sleep." Happosai wheedled.

"Deal," Ryoh said, swiftly. Free room and board! Jackpot!

(A/N) Thankies to all the people who reviewed, except for that nasty person who said there wasn't enough action. I'm not good with action!

Anyway:

MikariStar Ryoh looks however you want him to look. The whole point of a written story is everyone looks the way you imagine them to. Therefore, yes, to you, I suppose he's a cute little puppy with the floppy ears and the waggy tail cuuuuuuuteeeeeee!

Misawa Kaitou thanks, and I will!

Now, to all you other people out there in fic land, I need reviews before I update! Review, REVIEW, REVIEW!

Thank you.