Akane did not take the news of Ranma and Kodachi's fight okay. Her response involved, in order, a loud and angry "WHAT!?", an intense glare, and the drastic uptick of words like "stupid" and "idiot". It also lasted their entire lunch period, driving even Yuka and Sayuri away about halfway through.

Which was why, when Akane came running toward Ranko in the dojo that afternoon, the red-head almost bolted before a single word could be spoken. The tears in the other girl's eyes were the only thing that made her hesitate.

"P-Chan's gone!" Akane shouted, her fists balled and held to her chest.

"...Wow, that was quick."

The look of distress on Akane's face instantly turned to anger. "What's that supposed to mean?"

After a light shrug, Ranko put her hands behind her head. "I mean, I figured the dog would run for it eventually, with how hard ya kept squeezin' her. But I thought it'd be another week or so, at least."

"Why're you being such a jerk!?" Akane said, one fist shaking. "I lost my pet and that's how you react!?"

"Hey, you wasted my whole lunch period tellin' me what a moron I am, an' ya expected me ta be helpful now?"

Throwing her arms in the air, Akane said, "Yes! You agreed to something stupid, you deserved to be berated! And I thought you'd have at least a little compassion for someone who lost something dear to them!"

"Feh, ya found that puppy a few days ago," Ranko said, rolling her eyes. "Can't've been that dear ta ya already."

Bringing her shaking fists to her sides, Akane fixed Ranko with a glare that could raze cities. Teeth grit, she forced her words out one at a time. "If you don't help me find him I'm not going to your fight."

Doing her best to ignore the unease that Akane's so-far non-violent reaction was instilling within her, Ranko's mind lit upon a question. Did she have to bring someone to the fight? It didn't seem like a requirement. And yet… much as she hated to admit it, she did want Akane to be there, even if they were mad at each other at the moment. Swallowing down a snarky comment, Ranko sighed. "Fine. I'll help ya find your dumb dog."

The immediate smile that lit up Akane's face filled Ranko with a host of emotions that she quickly decided were best left unidentified.

But as the two of them searched the neighborhood to no avail, that bright smile slipped away. The longer they fruitlessly looked for the dog, the angrier Akane seemed to become. Which felt odd to Ranko… she'd have assumed Akane would be sad and distressed, but angry and irritated? It wasn't the dog's fault, it was just a dumb animal. By the time they returned to the Tendo dojo, Akane was in a supremely foul mood. The silver lining was that this mood wasn't directed at Ranko anymore.

"Um, not ta upset ya or anythin', but… I did help ya look, so…"

"Yes, I'll go to the stupid fight," Akane replied, glaring at an indistinct point on the ground. Her hands were balled into fists, as they had been for hours now, it seemed.

"A fight?" said a disingenuously friendly voice. Nabiki stood a few feet away, eager eyes fixated on Akane.

"Not now, Nabiki," Akane said, stomping away toward the main room.

Those awful eyes turned their gaze upon Ranko, eyebrows raising in an unspoken question.

"She lost her dog," Ranko said, shrugging. "An' I ain't tellin' ya a damn thing 'bout the fight."

That haughty smirk Ranko hated briefly flit across Nabiki's face, but fortunately she sauntered away without another word.

Later, at dinner, she had plenty of words.

"I'm not telling you a damn thing!" Akane shouted, for the fourth time.

Nabiki, more upset than Ranma was accustomed to, replied nearly loud enough to constitute a shout. "You sure you wanna keep saying that? Do you want me to start talking abou-"

Slamming her hands against the table, startling her father so much that he dropped his chopsticks, Akane said, "Really!? You're gonna try to threaten me, when you know my P-Chan is missing!?" Ranma, eyes wide, glanced back and forth between the two sisters, eternally glad he'd been left out of this particular conflict. Purposefully irritating Akane was one thing, but this felt like a whole other level of verbal conflict.

A quick glance at the other people sitting around the table revealed varying reactions to the situation, from Genma's mild incurious irritation, to Kasumi's knit brows of concern, to Soun's tear-filled eyes and wobbling lip. "Why don't you think about someone else for a change!?" Akane continued. "About how your sister is feeling right now, instead of about money you can make off her fiancé!?"

Usual cool nowhere to be found, Nabiki shouted back, gripping her chopsticks so hard that Ranma thought they might snap. "Don't bring him up like you care about him! I do think about other people! I'm sure your dog will show up again, I don't know why-" Cutting herself short, Nabiki slammed her utensils onto the table and turned away, still fuming. "Fine! Forget it. I hope you find your pet, sis." Then she stood and walked away, not looking back.

A heavy silence enveloped the table, the only sounds apart from breathing derived from Genma. The willfully ignorant man continued to eat as though nothing had happened, finishing a minute or two later with a satisfied sigh. Out of the corner of his eye, Ranma saw the old man take note that Akane, who sat right next to him, still had food left in her bowl.

"Akane, dear, were you planning on finishing that?"

Two seconds later, Genma had a bowl smashed into his face, its contents spilling down his chest, and Akane was stomping up the stairs to her room.

The next day's walk to the location of the fight - some boxing ring that Kodachi had assured him would be cleared out when they used it - was miserable, if a bit less so than Ranma had expected. The mood of his fiancée and walking companion could be described as both 'tense' and 'irritable', which resulted in every attempt at conversation quickly becoming a shouting match. He kept trying to impress upon her the fact that he didn't even want this fight, that he just couldn't stand seeing Kodachi cry anymore, yet Akane either wasn't listening or wasn't satisfied by this point no matter how many times he repeated it.

Eventually, they arrived at the boxing ring - a rather nondescript building from the outside. As Ranma's hand reached for the door, Akane apparently decided it was time to make another declaration. "After this we're searching for P-Chan," she said firmly, for the fourth time that day.

Ranma sighed. "Yes, I know." With no further remarks coming from his reluctant companion, he opened the door and stepped inside. A little ways down the entrance hall stood none other than Kodachi. Nearby, a little girl sat in a chair, something dark and fluffy in her lap.

Presumably hearing the door, Kodachi turned, her expression quickly shifting through happiness, surprise, and determination.

Donning a more neutral expression, she approached, leaving the girl behind. "Ranma! Finally you deign me with your presence!" Looking to Akane with a dazzling smile, she continued. "And Akane! How delightful to see you! But a day has passed, and yet that alone has been far too long." Though she continued facing Akane, her eyes darted back to Ranma as she added, "I must admit, 'tis a shock to have your welcome company today. Instead, I expected my red-haired goddess, this villain's sister, to be by his side."

"She couldn't make it," Ranma said with a shrug. "She really wanted to, if it helps."

"It does not."

Recognizing a conversational dead end for once in his life, Ranma looked over at the younger girl. "Who's the kid, anyway?"

"Ah!" Kodachi cried, bouncing on her feet and beaming. "This adorable child is none other than my own kin! My sister, Rui Kuno!"

"It's Tachi!" the girl shouted from the other end of the hall.

Kodachi's hand shot to her mouth in surprise. "Ah, my apologies, dear!" Eyes shifting to Akane, she said, "That is the nickname she has recently taken to using, due to its connection to my own."

Akane, who had been oddly silent this whole time, wasn't looking at Kuno at all. Her eyes instead fixated on who Ranma now knew to be his opponent's sister. Pointing, she shouted, "There's P-Chan!"

Following the line of her finger, Ranma took a closer look at Tachi. She looked a great deal like a younger version of her sister, even sporting the same side-ponytail. The main difference besides their age was the lack of makeup, and the fact that the girl's nose seemed a little too wide to fit a young Kodachi.

But it wasn't the kid that Akane's finger pointed to, but rather the fuzzy lump in her lap. It did look like a dog, now that he was actually paying attention to it.

"P-Chan?" both Kunos said, looking at each other and then back to Akane.

"My dog!" Akane said, a little less frantically, her eyes still locked to the fuzzy black mass. "I lost hi- her yesterday, and-"

Holding the dog tighter, Tachi said, "B-but…"

"The timeline most certainly fits," Kodachi said with a nod. "We found this pup outside our abode yesterday afternoon, and my dear sister immediately set her heart upon the notion of adoption."

"Heh, she and Akane would probably get along," Ranma said with a smirk.

"Ranma, would you shut your stupid mou-"

"Com'on, it wasn't even an insult!"

Shooting a glare Ranma's direction, Kodachi said, "Not to worry! We will, of course, return her to you! Though I am afraid doing so may break my caring sister's fragile heart."

Tachi's lip was already trembling. "Y-you mean Mana-chan has to go away?"

Almost too quickly for Ranma to comprehend, Kodachi and Akane crossed the hall and knelt down next to Tachi, a look of concern upon both their faces. Taking a moment to push away his mild surprise, he followed after them, his pace leisurely.

"Well, P-Chan is my dog, so yes, I'm going to take her back home," Akane said, her voice soft. Despite her overall firm demeanor, Akane's eyes shone with a kindness that Ranma had only managed to see a handful of times before. It was a wonder the same person could be so angry and violent, yet, at least sometimes, so kind and thoughtful. Smiling, Akane continued, "But, maybe we could work out a visiting schedule? Sometimes you could come to visit, and sometimes she could go to visit you?"

"Ah, Akane, what brilliance!" Kodachi proclaimed, smiling brightly.

Thoughts racing with unpleasant scenarios that could arise from this arrangement if the upcoming fight went sour raged throughout Ranma's mind. "Hey, but, if Kodachi comes with her, no weapons, right?"

Both Akane and Kodachi glared at him, but he refused to apologize. It was a valid concern!

"Do you really think I would sour such a pleasant visit for both Akane and my sister, just for a chance to smite you?"

"...Yes?"

Without another word, Kodachi turned back to her sister, though Akane kept glaring Ranma's way a while longer. "What say you, dear sister?"

Despite some sniffling, a tiny smile pushed its way onto the little girl's face. "I-I guess that could be okay… From everything Nee-san says, you're probably a good dog mom…"

"Everything she says, huh?" Akane said, raising an eyebrow at Kodachi.

"All good things, I assure you!"

Akane rolled her eyes. "Hah, don't worry, I wasn't worried about that."

Though he was unable to put a finger on it, something about the situation was really starting to bother Ranma. If he had come as Ranko… well, the fight wouldn't be happening, but also, he was pretty sure he'd be getting less hostile looks. Especially for that comment about Tachi and Akane being similar; he still felt like he'd been really on the mark with that one.

Well, the kid was smiling now, so surely the situation was over? Ranma felt confident he wasn't going to have a good time while he was here, not in this form anyway, and that fact was making him more and more antsy to get the fight over with.

"Hey, so… she's fine, right? And we gotta fight ta get over with, so..."

Standing to her feet, eyes boring into Ranma's like drills, Kodachi said, "For weeks and weeks you refused my requests, yet now you are impatient? Inconsiderate cur."

With that, she swiveled around and extended her hand to Tachi. "Come, dear sister. Let us not make the anxious cretin wait any longer!"

Still gripping Akane's dog, Tachi plopped out of her seat and grabbed her sister's hand. Expression blank and head cocked to the side, she stared at Ranma a moment before Kodachi pushed open the nearby door and the two of them walked inside.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Ranma glanced at Akane. "I wasn't that rude, was I?"

At first, Akane offered no response, instead rising to her feet and raising her eyebrows at him. "...I still think you're an idiot for agreeing to this fight in the first place."

Frowning, Ranma said, "That didn't even answer the question. You'd think gettin' your dog back'd lighten your mood…"

"It did," she said, sticking her tongue out a moment. "It's just that it's hard to see this ending well for anyone, since you're not gonna throw the fight or anything."

"I can't! She'd know, an' she wouldn't be satisfied!"

This time, only one of Akane's eyebrows raised. "Is that the only reason?"

Silence fell between them. After a few moments, Ranma crossed his arms and said, "Ya keep sayin' you're not a lesbian, but ya keep flirtin' with her…"

A smirk flit across Akane's face. "Now who's not answering the question?"

"Ranma! For a man with so little patience you are remarkably far behind!" Kodachi shouted from beyond the door.

Shrugging, Akane turned to follow after the Kunos, and a few seconds later a decidedly less eager Ranma followed suit.

"I see you've brought your weapon," Kodachi said as he approached, eyes flitting briefly to the item poking out from behind Ranma's shoulder. "I have brought my own as well, of course," she said, pulling a bokken out that looked exactly like the one that had nearly stabbed him in the face.

"...That ain't the normal one, is it? With the spikes?"

Both Akane and Tachi seemed confused by the question, but fortunately, he wasn't asking them. Bowing her head, Kodachi said, "It is not. Such a weapon would go against the rules of our agreement. You may examine it if you like."

"Nah, that's fine." There was a pause, during which Ranma decided to add some clarification. "Just know that if I see spikes come outta that thing the match is over an' I'm gone."

Bowing again, Kodachi said, "That seems only fair."

Eyes wandering around the room, Ranma quickly noticed that it did indeed seem to be a regular boxing gym. Various pieces of equipment sat or hung about the room, including staples like punching bags. There were also two folding chairs facing the ring, and, on the other side, a table, covered in various items. He might've thought it was just part of the room's usual decor, except that it was about as close to the ring as the chairs. Also, he was fairly certain a bowling ball had no place in a boxing gym.

"Hey, uh, what's up with that table?"

"Oh, that!" Kodachi grinned, baring her teeth. "Those are a few more instruments that either of us are free to use during our match."

Ranma narrowed his eyes. "...They're safe, right?"

"Well they're certainly not lethal," Kodachi said, still grinning.

Pushing aside the unease that response left in him, Ranma said, "Okay, but… the table seems kinda far from the ring. Are we allowed to get outta the ring for this fight, or…?

"Oh no, definitely not!" Kodachi said, shaking her head. "Leaving the ring is an instant loss for either of us. If you want something from the table, you'll have to figure out how to obtain it while staying within the confines of the ring."

He had a funny feeling that she already had a plan worked out to do exactly that. But he wasn't going to let it get under his skin. Walking over, he examined the items, balking as one in particular caught his eye.

"Is that a gun!?" he practically shouted, pointing at what looked like some sort of off-brand pistol.

Waving a hand dismissively, Kodachi said, "I assure you, it does not fire bullets. It meets your requirements."

Completely unassured, he eyed the other items on the table. The aforementioned bowling ball was there, of course, and a strange-looking pair of gloves ...were gloves a 'weapon'? If only he'd known that ahead of time! Wait, was that a water spray bottle? The gun and gloves disappeared from his mind as he instead fixated on the bottle. Why would that be there? How would that help in a battle? It's not as though spraying water would actually hurt an opponent - the only way it made sense was if Kodachi somehow knew of the effect cold water would have on him. But… she didn't, right? She'd given no indication! And why would she want to fight him in his usual form, if she knew about the other? It didn't make sense!

Mind whirling, he looked away from the offending bottle, doing his best to keep his emotions from showing on his face. If Kodachi managed to get ahold of the spray bottle, he'd just have to immediately take it out of play. That's all there was to it. It just shifted his priorities a little, but it didn't affect the fight in any real way. There was no reason to be concerned.

"Well, no need ta keep draggin' this out." Pushing down the concern that refused to be reasoned with, Ranma leapt into the ring, easily clearing the ropes and landing on the other side. Reaching a hand behind his back, he grabbed the end of his staff and pulled it around to the front, gripping it with both hands. He'd been lucky that his father'd had a bō staff to lend to him, though he knew it was best not to question where the thing had come from. His practice with it, and weapons in general, was minimal, but he felt confident that he could adapt to this one quickly, compared to other weapons. It was essentially an extension of his fists, in a way. Though, having looked at Kodachi's 'instruments', he couldn't help thinking that getting ahold of those gloves might allow him to go back to actually using his hands, like he preferred.

Climbing into the ring, Kodachi raised her bokken, determination and a hint of relief on her face. Despite it in many ways being against his best interest, Ranma related to both emotions. He'd been unwilling to admit it to Akane, but he just couldn't pretend to lose; he was just as determined to win as Kodachi. If Ranma Saotome agreed to a fight, then he had to give it his all, that was just how things were! It was a mentality that his father had drilled into his head for years, even if it often proved to be a "do as a I say not as I do" type of thing.

And then there was the relief. One way or another, this fight would put an end to the whole Kodachi mess, and though the possibilities for that resolution all seemed at least partly negative, he couldn't help but be eager for it to be over.

It was finally time for the fight.