Breaking the Cocoon

by FriendlyEl

The failed wedding has left the teenage martial artists to think over their life, and what to do with it now. However, things become even more interesting as a strange fighter comes to challenge the Tendo Dojo from the Amazons' enemy village. Please revie

5. Chapter 5

It has come to my attention that many readers are rather upset with some of the over reactive personas I have made some of the characters have. I have tried to moderate them, despite the fact that I myself did not find them that out of character. I also saw one comment saying that it was odd how Ranma was "holding a grudge". May I ask how he was? Against the suitors? How would you like it if someone just randomly came in and busted your house down, arguably attempted to kill your bride, all because they weren't the ones you chose? Even someone as unlikely to hold a grudge like Ranma was bound to feel a little mad. At Qin? That's more of an ego thing. We all know how he can be when he looses a fight.

The second source of complaints seems to be the original character, Qin. People seem to think that he is "horribly overpowered" despite the fact that I don't think he's that powerful when you compare him to a lot of the enemies Ranma faces. Also, yes, the last two chapters focused on him a lot. It's introducing him more than anything.

He is a character that I sort of derived from a non-fan fiction based one I have developed except I find for the most part Qin is a lot more honorable and generally nicer. But yes, I have added a plot twist to make him not seem so undefeatable.

By the way, his role in the story is not to "replace" Ranma. It is to help train a lot of his rivals more than anything. You'll see what I mean by the end of this chapter.

It wasn't that Ryoga Hibiki was devoid of any intelligence. Actually, there were rare occasions when he was quite insightful. It was just that he didn't have the willpower to act on it, plus his temper never really seemed to make things any better.

When he was a child, his parents seemed to constantly nag him of the importance of education the few times that he saw them. To them, it was an opportunity that they themselves had, but never took the full advantage of. His father claimed that with his poor sense of direction, he thought all the degrees from Japan's greatest colleges wouldn't have helped him find a job if he couldn't find his way to work, or get lost in Egypt when trying to find the bathroom even if he could. So once he finished high school he decided not to take the entrance exam, simply leaving his house after graduation to almost never be seen again. It was a shame, considering the fact that he apparently graduated in the top ten percent of his class.

Like his son would end up doing later, the father would wander Japan aimlessly, finding odd manual labor jobs on the street when he needed money, sometimes doing random acts of heroism when he saw someone being bullied or just plain treated badly. That was another lesson he gave to his son. He claimed that it was imperative for any descendent of the Hibiki family to learn martial arts, not just to defend themselves, but anyone they saw who needed it. The Hibiki ancestry was known for their two particular attributes; first was their sense of directions, or lack of it, and second was their inhuman physical strength. With no training a Hibiki male could take on any common criminal by bronze alone, and with the proper training, either male or female could easily defeat all but maybe the most formidable martial artists. Although, due to being prone to wondering and isolation, it was rare for them to be that well trained if at all.

Ryoga himself had some training, but nothing nearly as formal as what Ranma or an Amazon would go through. His father taught him some karate when he was a kid, some basic katas and punches, but he himself wasn't that skilled either, and was hardly around to teach him anyways. Once in middle school, when he found himself unable to make it to his first class, he accidentally stumbled upon a Rhythmic Gymnastics session, some of it focusing on applying it for martial arts. Finding it intriguing, he ended up switching to it from the original gym class, something he would never regret doing. The basic lesson in the class was that any harmless object you found laying somewhere could be turned into an effective weapon. At least until Shampoo's great grandmother taught him the Breaking Point that was by far the most useful training he had ever received. The day he got an A in that class, somehow being the only one he managed to never have trouble finding, was the day that he finally had the courage to challenge that other boy in lunch, the one who kept stealing his bread.

Yes, that was the infamous fight in the back lot behind his house that never happened. It was the day that ruined his life.

Ryoga made very good grades in school like his father, despite all the hardships he had finding his way through. Teachers were eventually understanding about it, and were willing to lead him to his next class until he finally had the right way down. That was another thing that made this quest for "revenge" screw up his life so much. That last day of school, he lived a good, albeit not perfect life. Any problem he faced in life seemed to be a minor annoyance that he would sometimes make out to look a lot worse than it really was. Even the infamous bread feuds. But then, just because of the "incredible dishonor" Ranma showed him by not waiting any more than three days for a match, Ryoga just had to have his revenge. And what did he get out of it? He ended up stuck in the Chinese wilderness, turning into a small animal that was easy prey if he ever touched a drop of cold water, and with no education to put him back on his feet even if he did make it back to Tokyo. It seemed like a little more of a problem than having to bring a lunch from home. The worst part was, as much as he wanted someone else to blame, it was all his fault. Ranma may have accidentally kicked him in the lake, but he certainly wasn't forced to go.

That's what he learned from Akari. He had many good chats with her and she had helped him think over the mishaps in his life. She also said that he was still young, and could easily go back to high school and not be that far behind. That's actually most of what her grandfather told him about. Since there was no school nearby, and transportation was unlikely, the Unryuu family had actually hired a tutor for their daughter, who was more than willing to teach a second student for the same price. That meant he could have Akari lead him around, and that it would at least be somewhere he was familiar with anyways.

In other words, for once things are really looking up for Ryoga Hibiki.

Ryoga raised his knees to his chin and hugged them together as he watched the pig raising girl sleep in the furo he lent to her, sighing wistfully as the thoughts circled through his mind. Not that she didn't before, but she seemed particularly peaceful asleep, hugging the stuffed piglet next to her. Although it seemed awfully familiar to him, it also reminded him again of why Akane could never love him. Not that he hated her now, not even close, but he did begin to see less and less of the perfect woman he saw before.

He heard enough horror stories from Ranma, and had experienced it enough personally to know a sad but true fact – she was not a very good cook. The one time he had Akari at his house again, Akane and Ranma had come visit as well. She offered the leftovers of dinner last night to them, which was rightfully accepted by him since there was almost never any food in his house anyways. Ignoring Ranma's comment that it was "nuclear waste" as another immature insult, and the candy like red and green dots in the chicken soup as harmless spices, and remembering that he didn't think it was that bad when she cooked for him when he trained under Cologne, he gladly accepted it and gave some to Akari. They both gladly ate the food, completely ignoring the acid accumulating in their stomach, both heading strait to the bathroom only after the two guests left.

Neither one was able to leave the house the next day. Akari must have been in absolute agony, because it was the only time he had ever seen her truly angry. While bed ridden, she warned him, to make a long story short, that she would leave him if she were ever poisoned like that from his bad decisions again. The lecture probably was on the matter of three hours. Keeping in mind who was saying all of these things, and the fact that he had to keep a trash can next to him since he couldn't find the bathroom, he knew her harsh statements were perfectly excusable.

That was another thing that he found he grew to dislike in Akane. Not only was she unable to cook right, but also she was completely unable to admit it. He almost felt bad for Ranma when he thought later about it. He couldn't imagine someone forcing him to eat that. He knew that if he had a girlfriend who constantly force fed something that bad, and attacked him if he refused it or asked her to improve, he didn't know if he could stay with her very long.

Cooking wasn't the only thing Akane couldn't admit she needed to practice in. He also noticed that she overestimated her fighting skills. Willpower and confidence was always a good thing, but too much of a good thing could always end up being a problem. One day that ego was going to get her in a lot of trouble, if it didn't already. A prime example was the confrontation he stopped between her and Ukyo just yesterday. While she may not have been at the same level as himself or Ranma, she was clearly still well out of Akane's league. He still wondered how likely Akane would have been seriously hurt or even killed if he didn't stop the fight. Then what did she do to thank him? She angrily warned him not to get involved in her fights!

The few times he watched her 'train' all she really did was smash bricks or do a few basic punches for a few minutes, simply seeing it as a pleasant exercise. His father told him that there was one distinct difference between a true martial artist and a hobbyist; a true one constantly worked to improved their skill, even when they didn't feel they needed to. The only time he watched Akane desire to improve her skill was when she was about to fight a challenge or was just angry with the other three girls.

She had the same mentality of Kuno in some ways. She was simply that good because she was Akane Tendo. If she was beaten, it was because the other cheated. At least when Ranma defeated him, he admitted that it was because he was too fast or clever to get hit like a man.

Still, Ryoga couldn't possibly dislike Akane despite her flaws. She just wasn't the perfect goddess who did no wrong anymore, true. A little sister to watch over was more like it.

Hearing a familiar pitter patter echo from the hallway, the Lost Boy grinned as he watched a dog with black fur on one side of him and white on the other enter his sight from the doorway, leaping towards him and landing neatly into his lap. Embarrassed as the dog began to frantically lavish him with slobbery licks all over his face, Ryoga shook his head and closed his eyes in displeasure, pushing the dog away. "Geez," he giggled as he wiped the saliva off of his face, "I miss you too, Checkers. Believe me. But there ARE other ways to show it for me." Checkers simply looked away, barking as she noticed the sleeping guest.

"Don't bark at her!" Ryoga told the dog as he crawled between her and Akari. "That's Akari! Don't you remember her? She's the last person you ever bark at!" Watching the dog look down in shame, the house owner began to feel guilt from being too harsh, so he picked up her head and gave her a warm smile. "Sorry. I overdid it didn't I? But anyways, she's our friend. I've been living with her for a while now. We're taking you to her house, and she'll take great care of you. Her whole life revolves around animals. You'll see. We'll all live at her ranch. I'll stay indoors all the time, and never really get lost. If my parents ever come back Akari will go by and bring them over there." He turned around, staring at his sleeping girlfriend idly, his eyes saddening and contradicting his smile. "You'll see," he murmured. "She's as great as they come. We'll love it there. I'll love it there." Leaning to her, a tear fell from his eye before he held her head to whisper into her ear. "Thank you."

Completely unseen by Ryoga, a small purple cat had stood in the windowsill watching the entire conversation, but jumped off onto the grass once she heard the final thanks.

"So then, their relationship has deepened that much," Cologne pondered, sitting next to Shampoo in the back seat of the car. "I didn't expect that."

"Is only time Lost Boy happy," Shampoo lamented as she rested her head on her folded hands, a sad expression on her. "Is no like Ranma. Shampoo no really love Lost Boy, and Lost Boy already now have nice girlfriend."

Turning grimly to her great-granddaughter, the old woman narrowed her eyes as if she was reprimanding her offspring. "Maybe not, but three thousand years of Amazon tradition depends on you not going back to China without a strong groom. It took me a lot out of me to convince the council to not punish you for the inability to get Ranma to enter the tribe." Her stare softened into an excited smile. "Fortunately for you, the Hibiki bloodline is quite well known. The moment I mentioned Ryoga's last name even the most closed minded elders in the council gladly accepted the substitution."

Shampoo's eyes widened in amazement. The elite in the council almost never were that lenient. Only "Aiyaa! So stupid pig boy who always get beat up by Ranma that good?! Never know."

"He DID beat you in combat after all, young one," the old woman laughed, but glared at the girl with a more serious expression. "But no. It's not about what he is now so much as what he could become, and will if he receives the proper training from Amazons. You may be too young to be fully aware, but the Xingu-an village next to us could attack any day, and as much as I hate to admit it we wouldn't stand a fighting chance against them if we were to go to war. Don't get me wrong. The previous son in law would by no means be a pushover for them, but he is by now far closer to his full potential than Ryoga. In that state, I bet you this Saffron prince would have been more of a punching bag than an opponent."

Shampoo could understand the old woman's fear of the other tribe. When she was younger, many of her older sisters told her of the war they fought against warriors with the ability to project chi so well that only one attack from one of them her own age would have desecrated the entire village. Even the most war mongering of her older sisters thought it was an abominable mistake of the elders to attack them, especially so unprovoked. She was more surprised by her great grandmother's last statement. She agreed that Ryoga was certainly a formidable fighter, but dwarfing Saffron? He was able to destroy a mountain with one blow! Everyone used to say he was a god! How could you outdo that?!

"You'll understand these legends when you get older, child. But basically the moral of my story is that under that thick, childish head of his there's a bloodline that will make all the other tribes fear us like the plague in a few generations. Not to mention the fact that they tend to be a little too trusting for their own good."

"But, Lost Boy no like Shampoo," the Amazon whimpered in a pathetic voice. "That why he fight Shampoo."

"You really don't understand that boy, do you?" Cologne asked as she shook her head. "Do you know how Ranma was able to learn the Heavenly Blast of the Dragon? The only way he could effectively do it was to find someone with a chi powerful enough to do so. Ryoga said he would provide it, but when it came down to the fight he simply couldn't. That of course changed once he thought Ranma raped Akane. Hoo, that boy was angry. I'm sure he would have murdered his friend on the spot if he wasn't stopped." A sarcastic smirk went on the old lady's face as she continued. "Also keep in mind that the silly boy was chasing down Ranma with a death wish for a good two or so years, now they're practically best friends. I think that with the right attitude you'll have him eating from the palm of your hand in no time."

The young girl nodded her head in understanding. "So, what to do to make Lost Boy no hate Shampoo?"

Cologne playfully poked her Great Granddaughter on the head, far too softly to hurt. "I suppose I spoiled you in the past and allowed a lot of the poor social skills you have obtained in the past slide by, but it's especially important that you don't do that here. Remember, we're in a different culture." Then, she stared at her Shampoo, demanding that she take what she said next as seriously as possible. "I've watched you do many of these things with no regard to what others thought, and I'm afraid that it may have been part of the reason Ranma has rejected you. You know what they are. I'm warning you not to do those if you want to woo Ryoga, and ultimately be allowed to return to the village."

Shampoo split her lips apart as she thought some about it. Her great grandmother was right. She constantly tore through walls when she could use the door and landed on people's faces with her bike, even after it became clear that they would greatly prefer it if she just didn't do that. A determined stare grew on her face, hardened eyes staring directly to the elder. "Shampoo understand," the Amazon youth confirmed. "No make Airen angry."

"I hope you don't," Cologne warned her great granddaughter as she raised the staff away from her. "We're going to his house now, and you will have that one chance. You know what happens if you fail."

"Shampoo know too too well," the young girl murmured as she looked down grimly. "No fail."

"Very well. Just follow along with me, and soon enough he'll be all over you," Cologne assured her descendant. However, she knew there was more that was bothering Shampoo as she placed a shoulder on her. "Look," she sighed sympathetically, "I know you're upset about loosing Ranma, and I know that you don't love Ryoga, but I have been around both of them to know that you'll be in just as good of hands with Ryoga, if not even better. He'd be willing to die for you if it came down to that, not to mention the fact that he would certainly be more honorable and respectful than that fool Mousse. I have seen many of my comrades married to men that are not nearly so worthy due to these engaged marriages. All I ask is that you at least be thankful this is not the case for you. You have come out lucky."

"Shampoo not hate Ryoga," the Amazon youth claimed while leaning her head on her fist, seeming to daydream. "She not love him, like she love Ranma, but is okay. Maybe Shampoo love new Airen over time." Her wistful face let out a warm, small smile as she worded the last sentence.

Cologne bellowed a good-natured guffaw as she fastened her seatbelt. "That's exactly what I told you. He's about as lovable as they come, once you get to really know him. Of course you will." However, on the inside the Amazon elder wondered to herself exactly how difficult it really would be to win the Lost Boy over. If her great granddaughter was right, he had already formed a relationship with that Akari girl that could be difficult to break. Even if it wasn't he was probably still angry from Shampoo's foolish actions both last night and during the wedding. She looked back to the younger female, her mood greatly sobered. "You're father will be back in a few minutes. When he is, we'll go back to his house. Remember, you only have one chance to win him over. Do NOT make him angry. You will use the door; you will try to keep your physical advances on him to a minimum, and most of all you will NOT hurt the girl he is with. Understood?" She watched Shampoo nod her head in agreement; acknowledging that hopefully at least one of the factors could work for her. "Good, my child."

I know this isn't what you have planned for your life, Ryoga, but life never seems to go exactly how we all planned it does it? I'm sorry for what I'm about to do, but you never know. My Shampoo is an attractive girl, and outsider males who enter by marriage are treated like kings. Maybe this is all for the best.

It was fortunate for Akari that she heard the toilet flush; otherwise she could have been forced to assume Ryoga was off in Okinawa now. She never liked being bossy, not in the least bit, but she couldn't afford to loose him. If she did, how was she supposed to get him back to her grandfather? Oh well, at least she didn't.

She walked to the bathroom to see Ryoga's dog wagging its tail as it sat, watching the door. As she walked closer, she noticed the animal look back at her and walk towards her. She gladly pet the animal as it calmly sat in front of her, seeming to trust the pig raising girl. However, both of their minds were taken off of each other when they saw someone open the door from inside it. That person looked back at them with a slightly confused, shy look. "Oh, morning Akari. Sorry for not waking you up. I forgot to tell you that I use Checkers to guide me around the house, too. I guess I should have mentioned that."

"It's okay," Akari shrugged with a smile. "I was just going to go down and make some breakfast."

Scratching his head shyly, Ryoga happily accepted her idea. "Oh… go ahead. I'll be right with you. I'll just be packing some of my things while you do that."

Akari disappeared as she walked down, leaving the Lost Boy with his search dog. Following his pet, he did exactly what he said he would, starting by packing his dirty clothes in a separate plastic bag.

A knock on the houses front door could be heard from downstairs, causing Akari to call "I'll get it". Soon, the door could be heard opening, and an energetic "Nihao!" could be heard, causing the Ryoga to tense his muscles in alert mode.

"Not already! I have to stop her!" Looking behind him, he noticed that Checkers had already left in reflex, about to go friendly and naively greet the guest. Frustrated by the fact that he had to depend on his own instincts, he rushed to the first door that he could find, frazzled when he discovered nothing in it but darkness and a few hangers on a rack. He turned away to the next door in the room. "Of course… I should have known that door was wide open." He ran out, looking for the way down. Finding the next doorway he ran in, hitting his head as he looked strait into his toilet. "This isn't the time, Ryoga Hibiki," he softly cursed to himself. "I need to find Akari."

"I'm right here!" the voice of the person he was searching for called from behind him. "We have guests!"

Ryoga veered back and saw his girlfriend standing in front of the doorway. Next to her, a familiar blue haired girl greeted him with a friendly wave of her hand. "Nihao, Airen! Shampoo come to go on date!"

Instead of the fury that he was used to giving people, the Lost Boy "Hey! I'm not your husband." Before he was about to continue lecturing her, Shampoo simply leapt to the Lost Boy and grabbed him in a warm embrace nuzzling her breasts to his chin and causing him to reflexively begin stuttering from the sudden burst of blood to his face. "You can't… just…" Blood suddenly exploded from his nose, at the same time as he fainted in the Amazon's arms who stared at his

"Aiyaa! Is Ryoga okay?!"

"He just doesn't like it when you get too close to him like that. You'd be better off to just hold his hand," Akari patiently informed the guest like she was talking about a scared pet. She herself learned to restrain herself from coming too close. "He'll be fine, though."

As a dark red light finally reached the optical section of his brain, Ryoga found that he also heard three familiar female voices talking to each other.

"I suppose he can't hate you that much with a greeting like that," the voice of a familiar old lady stated, amused.

"Pig girl, how Shampoo get close and not make Ryoga faint?"

Akari let out a laugh before she responded to that answer. "I don't think you can do that. Not for a while at least. He has to get used to it first." He couldn't believe it! Was she joking about that in front of Shampoo like that?

He pushed himself up after he opened his eyes, finding himself laying on the furo in the same room he had woken up in this morning. The three females he heard stared back at him in silence when they found him awake. "Hello there, Ryoga." Cologne greeted him. "Sorry about the nosebleed. You know how my Shampoo can be, don't you?"

Ryoga presented the granny an uncomfortable smile as he nodded his head. "You know, I was expecting you to come."

Cologne gave a healthy laugh from that remark. "Of course I did son. You didn't think I'd just let my future groom run off like that, did you."

"I told you before. I'm NOT your groom!" he claimed as he pointed to Akari next to them. Calming down, Ryoga gave a frustrated exhale. "I already have a fiancée."

Her smile shrunk as she still chuckled. "Sonny boy, you didn't honestly believe that would exempt you, did you? We've been through this before. My Shampoo would be a better match for you anyways."

Ryoga folded his arms and scoffed haughtily. "Well I don't think she is!"

"You don't, eh? So that's why you got that nosebleed when she got close to you? You must have had some nasty thoughts going in your mind for that."

His head went pink again as he scooted away in shock, shaking his head back in forth rapidly. "That's just something that happens to me with any girl!"

"What a pity! And she seems to have taken such a liking to you, too."

Of course, hearing that caused Ryoga to stare at the mentioned girl in surprise. "She has?! Shampoo, be honest. Do you really have a crush on me?"

Bouncing her head heavily up and down, the bubbly female "You handsome, and nice when want to be. Sense of direction annoying, but at least you no confuse me for statue."

She likes me! I think she really likes me!

Ryoga, what are you thinking? Akari has no right to be betrayed like that!

But…

He suddenly noticed Shampoo next to him, wrapping her arm around his. "Hey! That doesn't mean you can just…"

"See what I mean? She's all over you!" Cologne and Akari both watched, slightly amused by the scene. "Tell you what. Why don't you two lovebirds go out for a walk?"

Shampoo pulled the Lost Boy up, who was a little flustered from everything. "Is good idea. We go on date, yes?"

"Hey! I'm not betraying Akari!"

Ryoga was quite surprised to hear Akari's words afterwards. "Actually, I don't really mind."

As he stood up, the Lost Boy stared at the pig girl, confused. "Akari? You don't really mean that, do you?"

"She does have just as much of a claim to you," she shyly responded. "And, I don't want you to marry me if you love someone else."

"Why don't you two go outside and just get to know each other? I want to talk with Akari alone," Cologne asked of the other two. "You don't have to think of it as a date for now."

Before he could continue arguing, Ryoga found himself being tugged so that he was forced to walk in the direction to not fall. "If Ryoga no want to go on date, we at least talk alone, too!"

Angry arguments came from Ryoga as he reluctantly followed Shampoo out the hallway and down the stairs. He knew the Amazon's grasp on him wasn't nearly strong enough for him to be unable to resist, but knew doing so would only make the situation worse. He compliantly followed her through the front entrance of the house, accidentally hitting Akari's sumo pig in the butt. Ignoring the animal's irritated squeals; they stopped in his driveway where a strange, Model T shaped black car stood. When she turned around to face Ryoga, Shampoo grabbed his hands as she gave him a determined, but not truly angry stare. When he stared back at her, he noticed for the first time a large scar dropping down from her bottom lip down her chin. Ryoga couldn't help but to feel some guilt while looking at the ugly bruise.

He stared at her shyly, unable to think of what to day without giving the wrong message. "Look, I know what I did last night was wrong. I'm sorry."

"Shampoo may be out of line too, then," she shrugged, not really seeming to hold a grudge about it.

The half pig martial artist couldn't help but to soften up due to the light-headedness caused by her grabbing his hands and staring at him so innocently. "I'm sorry Shampoo. I know you don't want to hear this, but I can't marry you. I already have a girl that I like."

I don't want you to hurt that girl or threaten to do so in any way. Do that, and he will only hate you more.

Shampoo closed her eyes as she thought. She knew Ryoga didn't love her, and threatening Akari would only make him angrier. What would spatula girl have done in this situation? She always seemed at least a little better about these things.

"What you like about Akari?" The question did not seem to come out in any sort of sarcastic malice, but rather in honest curiosity. "How she win you over? Shampoo do same things."

He wanted to simply burst out 'Get serious!' and 'You're two completely different people' at her. He really did. However, there was the problem mentioned before involving hormones. "Well… she's nice to me."

Damn it, Ryoga Hibiki! You're going right into her trap!

The Amazon tilted her head to the side, attempting to understand the point. "So that it? If Shampoo be nice to you, you love her, too?"

"Well… no! I mean… well…" Suddenly, a rare event occurred as the Lost Boy thought of a way to manipulate someone else. "I don't think I can live in a female dominated society. I like having a girlfriend I can protect. You wouldn't want me to do that, would you?"

"Even if Amazons strong women, always appreciate stronger man. If not, marrying him be very bad idea."

"Oh come on! Don't tell me there's actually men in your military are there?"

"Men no have to. Women drafted, but men only go when volunteer. No many want to, though. Mousse fight sometimes."

Okay. Maybe those were just rumors he heard all the time. Wait! That's right! "But wait! What about Mousse anyways! We all now how much he loves you!"

Hearing the name of the old "friend", Shampoo's eyes lowered some. "Mousse show much disrespect by not recognizing me for long time. Even blind old woman from village me not really know do that! Shampoo try to love him, but he be too too annoying. When date him, stupid Mousse find bad dating place!"

Once again, she just had to come up with an excuse too. "Well, okay. He can make a fool out of himself sometimes, but you think I'm any better? I can get lost in a closet or a bathroom sometimes."

"Shampoo no mind. Just stay with others in village and ask for directions when looking."

Of course, there was the last factor that he knew only Akari would ever overlook. "You do know that I have Jusenkyo curse, right? I turn into a little black pig. You really don't mind about that?"

"Shampoo turn into kitty! You no mind, I know mind." Since she was obviously not doing enough by just holding his hands, Shampoo completely out of the blue gave Ryoga another big bear hug similar to the one he fainted from before, except this time making sure to go lower so that her chest touched his, rather than his face.

Ryoga couldn't help but to notice his heart begin to suddenly bounce up in an attempt to escape from his shoulder, forcing him to straighten his back. His mind went into a complete flurry, unable to think of any irrational thought. He attempted to protest the glomping, knowing that this would be in plain window sight of Akari and Cologne. Unfortunately, when irrational thought was not something you could use, you tended to do stupid things.

Ryoga gave a gleeful laugh, as he wrapped his arms around Shampoo as well, fortunately reflexively not quite hard enough to crush her. "I don't believe it! You know about my curse, and you still love me! I'm so happy."

"Aiyaa! Airen stay so close!"

Just as he was worried that they would, Akari and Cologne watched from the window as Ryoga had voluntarily snuggled up to Shampoo, quite surprised.

"Oh dear! I didn't expect him to fall for her so quickly," the old Amazon commented in some surprise. "He's a fickle one. I'll give him that."

Akari stayed silent, accepting the facts the scene was implying. They were in love. They were so happy together.

"Akari, do you mind me asking you a question?" Akari turned her head to the old woman and slowly shook her head. "I'm just wondering. I don't want to see you suffer because this dishonors you. What happens in your clan when someone fails to marry someone they are honor bound to?"

"Well, I'm not punished for it. I just have to go find someone else that can defeat my sumo pig." Looking down, Akari sighed as she remembered the difficult fact. "It's just that it took me forever to do that. I don't think it will be any easier to find someone that can."

"I don't know about that, child. That Nerinma town has some pretty strong boys and girls. Some of them I don't think even I would have been able to beat when I was your age. However," Cologne eyed the girl with a grim stare, "I must warn you to watch who you hand yourself over to. First, you said that you have met Ranma Saotome before, haven't you?"

"He visits here all the time," Akari answered in a serious tone. "He's one of Ryoga's best friends, isn't he?"

"Well, sort of like that, but the point is you'd be better off to find someone else if he defeats your pig. He himself is a decent catch, don't get me wrong, but he already has a lot of other girls wanting him. They're all far stronger than you and wouldn't be above killing you to get you out of the way." The old woman pointed two fingers up, showing that there was a second. "There's another boy there who wears white robes and fights with weapons under them named Mousse. You do NOT want to be in a relationship with him."

"Why not?"

"He's a violent one, and quite dishonorable. If you can't handle Ryoga's temper, there's no way you can handle this Mousse. Other than those two, the other boys seem safe enough." Well, unless she minds that Kuno boy chasing after other girls and none of Ranma's other "friends" like Ryu or Taro show up. Cologne just had to hope that they were both off doing their own things for now. "Trust me, girl. Ryoga's not the only good man out there who could beat your piggy." After they both stared at each other for a few seconds, they looked back at the window, seeing the two teens outside in a very passionate kiss. The moment they stopped, Ryoga ran off as fast as he could, Shampoo following in step. "My word! I think they're going to elope already! I knew Shampoo would make Ryoga a happy man."

"He certainly seems that way." Despite the calmness she was showing, Akari's muscles around her heart seemed to grind against each other. "So what happens to Shampoo if she doesn't get Ryoga or Ranma to come back with her? Does she just not marry anyone?"

"To make a long story short, she dies." Akari couldn't help but feel uncomfortable from the calm way the old woman mentioned that fact. It was like the time her father had her kill a piglet because it wouldn't be strong enough to compete. "I have the Amazon Law book if you want to see what I mean." Cologne pulled the book out of her cloak pocket and turned to the page she was looking for, then handed it to the girl while pointing to the text to read.

Akari looked at the translation of the text that started with the section starting with "In case an Amazon fails to marry or kill the outsider they are honor bound to do so…" After she silently read it to herself, she closed the book and swallowed a deep gulp. "I see…"

Little did either of them know, "happy" was not the word to accurately describe Ryoga. He was running through the sidewalk of his block, screaming in agony. It was a long time ago that he thought he lost track of Shampoo, as she didn't seem to be quite as fast as he was. Eventually, he slipped his footing and dropped chin first onto the grainy cement. As he pushed himself up, he felt a very nasty burning sensation on the bottom below his face, stinging even worse as he rubbed his finger underneath it. As he dropped the hand to his side, he stared into space, asking himself what he had just done.

You made out with Shampoo right in front of the house, and even let her kiss you. What do you think you just did? And you think you have the right to call Akari your girlfriend after you betrayed her like that?

Soon enough, he heard the pitter patter of feet clapping on the ground, followed by the high pitched call of "Airen!" The calls repeated until he felt the Amazon grab his shoulder from behind. "Stupid Ryoga! Why you run away like that?!"

"Just go away." He didn't look behind himself or raise his voice. He just politely asked her to leave.

"Not until husband tell Shampoo what he run away for! Was happy until you do that!"

"You ruined my first kiss, that's what!" Ryoga twirled around to face Shampoo, seeming rather disappointed with her.

Shampoo was a little shocked to hear that. First kiss? "You and girlfriend never kiss? But Shampoo thought you in love with her."

"I am!" Ryoga calmed down as he continued, trying to explain himself. "I promised Akari that we would never kiss until we get married. You know what it was like to have that chance disappear just like that?"

"But Ryoga already husband of Shampoo," she reminded the angry boy. "Is okay to kiss. You enjoy hug, right?"

"You tricked me!" Finding himself pulled towards Shampoo in another warm embrace, the angry boy found himself slightly less able to argue. "Come on, Shampoo!"

"Either way, you kiss no one but wife, right?" Shampoo asked. "You kiss me first, you marry me."

She was right! As it was, he betrayed Akari's trust. He made Shampoo love him. He allowed her to seduce him, and kiss him when he was off guard. He only hoped that Akari didn't see him, or she might even threaten to break the engagement! Shampoo was his first kiss. He couldn't believe it. After all the will power him and Akari did to wait until marriage, all of the benefits of it disappeared in that second by someone he hardly knew.

And as he soon realized, she took his second one too! While Ryoga was sulking and generally letting himself open in her arms, Shampoo lunged towards his face and stuck her tongue into his barely open mouth. Unable to move out without hurting the girl, which he did not want to do again, he had no choice but to just allow her to gleefully have her way with him, bringing her closer in her embrace as she lowered her arms to his lower back.

Ryoga couldn't push himself, and even if he could there was a more instinctual side of himself that didn't want to. He couldn't explain it, but something about the way she was tickling his mouth, and the tingle up his spine as she massaged the area above his buttocks. Some part of his psychology was claiming that he should simply lay back and enjoy the assault.

Am I just going crazy?!

Shampoo let him go when she heard a car stop near them. The window rolled down, and in the driver's seat was a skinny man wearing sunglasses she knew as her father and Cologne in the passenger seat. Her father gave a mischievous giggle and peeked his face out to them. "Aiyaa! We thought you both go on to third base now, yes? Maybe we come too early!"

"You fool! Get back in the driver's seat where you belong." Cologne shoved the man back, then smirked to the two teens. "Shampoo, I'm disappointed in you! You've been all alone with him and a little kiss is all you got out of him? I was expecting to see you behind the bushes… doing something a little naughtier if you know what I mean. Anyways, come on in so we'll all have a big picnic."

"Yes, Great Grandmother!" She opened the door and grabbed Ryoga's hand to pull him in. "Airen! Me and Great Grandmother make you too too delicious lunch! You and Akari come eat!"

Ryoga became confused from the mention of the other girl. "Akari? She's coming too?"

"I'm right here, Ryoga." He looked to the other end of the back seat, seeing Akari smiling back at him. "Come on! Akane said they're both supposed to be good cooks."

The two entered the car, Shampoo sitting in the middle. The entire ride over, the Amazon used the opportunity to snuggle close to Ryoga and give him multiple kisses. Akari still kept calm, friendly conversation with both of them, but the Lost Boy couldn't help to feel that she was waiting for a more appropriate time to kill him.

The blood dropped into the toilet bowl, mixed with the water. Qin knew the chi inducing pills he took before his fight with Ranma Saotome were bound to wear out, and ultimately he was bound to feel the side effects of it. The insatiable itch continued to tingle in his lungs, forcing him to involuntarily cough up another wad of the red liquid and vomit it into the toilet. Bending down, he grabbed onto the bowl and stared at his blood diffusing through the clear liquid, attempting wet, painful, and short breaths while his lungs filled with the water.

Last night after his first dinner and dishwashing in the house, Qin was forced to sleep in early. He claimed that he had to work on something to the family, but simply dropped into his furo with the lights off in his new room. Staring at the panty clad ceiling above him, the spasms in his body kept him from sleeping despite his extreme exhaustion. Even when he tried to close his eyes the lids reopened by force.

He soon heard the door creak open, and he was in too much pain to look over. His head was raised from below as he felt a hand slide a soft, silky blob under. "It may seem gross, my boy, but they're as comforting as heaven." Qin was perfectly aware of what his pillow, but was unwilling to argue. Any sort of extra comfort was appreciated. He also was unable to complain when he could hear his roommate search through his things. "I had my suspicions that you were using some sort of magical item in this fight. So the rumors are true. The Xingu-an have developed pills to increase their chi inducting abilities." Happosai held out a glass flask of marble shaped balls, all about the size of a pea that sparked his interest.

"I'm afraid that display of power you saw today won't be of the norm. I was only trying to examine the full capabilities of Saotome, and normally there's not way I would be able to fight him off. Those pills, as you can see have some very nasty side effects, and if you take too much you will die of brain trauma from your nerves being overworked by the flow of chi."

"So I guess that you're not the powerhouse everyone thinks you are. If that snot nosed punk Ranma finds out, you're done for. Don't worry, kid. You're secret's safe with me."

If any of the other family members found out, they probably wouldn't understand the situation, and punish him for cheating. Even if all they did was kick him out, it would make his job a lot more difficult. At worst they'd probably have him commit what the Japanese called 'sekuppu' for dishonoring one of their clan members.

He heard soft knocking on the door, Kasumi's voice calling from outside. "Qin, are you okay? I can hear you vomiting from upstairs!" Flushing the toilet, Qin soaked a paper towel and wiped the blood from his lips.

"Coming." He opened the door, seeing the girl outside give him a concerned look and a first aid kit in her hands.

"I know you're sick. What's wrong?"

"I have a sore throat," he stated, holding back the full truth. "I suppose some cough medicine would be needed."

After the bizarre event this morning, Ukyo found that she was sitting in for the day with the principal, simply keeping the odd man company as he relaxed in his chair and played his melodies on his guitar. She had to admit that so far it wasn't nearly as bad as she thought it would be, in fact she almost seemed to enjoy it a little. They actually had good conversations with each other, finding out more about themselves then they thought possible.

"So you no want to date other students?" a voice asked from behind her. "What wrong, wahini? You no get over evil Ranma Saotome, yet?"

She looked up from playing with the sand and saw the principal playing his ukulele in front of the artificial sunlight and ocean view, some guilt falling onto her as she answered. "Don't get me wrong. If someone wants to go out with me, I'm all for it. I'd do anything to get over him. I just don't see the whole point of trying to defeat me to do it." She threw the sand out of her hand and folded her arms on her knees, laying her head on it. "You know, if you wanted me to go out with Tatiwaki, you could have just got him to ask me. You didn't have to kidnap me."

"Maybe me and Dachi go too far there. Sorry bout dat, but we just trying to help Taki find girlfriend to get over Akane Tendo." He seemed to become more serious, caring more about getting his point across to the girl than his usual goal of simply torturing her. "You know 'bout how my boy keep asking Akane out, and get beaten up, yeah?"

Ukyo nodded her head in disbelief. "Tell me about it. You'd think he'd get a clue."

"What make him think it any different now wit different girl? He maybe think that all females no want to date him, and that he most vile man on earth."

Hearing that surprised Ukyo a little. "What?! Last I remember he thinks he's God's gift to all women. You really sure we're talking about the same person here?"

"Oh, he like to tell himself dat. He like to tell himself dat 'til he believe it, but me think he just trying to make all islanders think he feel like big kahuna." He put his instrument down and jumped down to his company. "Me not always be good father, Ukyo Kuonji. Me run away from family when they need me most, and cutting his hair made Taki hate me. You say you have father that disown you, right? How you like it when he do that?"

"I hated it." Ukyo looked down, remembering the time Ranma ran away and the constant insults everyone gave her for loosing her love. "I mean, when your own dad disowns you, how are you supposed to feel?"

"You thought no man wanted to be yo wife, right?"

Ukyo gave a light chuckle, admittedly a little disturbed by how accurate the man was. "Well, you could say that."

"And no care about if he love you back? You just want him wit you? Feel obliged to have him even if he no really want you to?"

"Yup!" Her legs collapsed down into an Indian Style sitting position as she itched her head. "Man! I don't believe it! How can you just read my mind like that?"

"No read yo' mind. Me just saying what me think Taki think, but me guess you two think alike. But you see point, right? Me used to teach psychology back at the island, and know about something called conditional reflexes. Cause Kuno feel rejected by daddy, he feel no one able to love him, just like you I guess. Also know people like to make themselves look bigger than they really are. For you, I guess you like to make yourself look like man and cook to get over fact that men no seem to like you, right?"

"Well, pretty much."

"Taki seem to do same thing. He no feel loved by the female students, and no have girlfriend, so he make them think he only not date them because he too good. That why he only go for girls that can fight with him. Feels weird when they no challenge." He looked over to his side as he pulled his sunglasses up with a finger. "Taki no fight you for reason. Me having him take week off, and practice advanced training. He want me to tell you he challenge you on Sunday, when no school is held."

"And I guess he wants to date me if he wins?"

"If he win, you have to. If you win, you allowed to." Then, stared down to his student and pointed his finger, but still not seeming very angry. "School rules say that. Dat yo punishment for being bad wahini."

It wasn't much of a punishment to Ukyo. Did the Principal seriously think forcing a girl to go out with his son was such a terrible thing to do to them? "Okay."

So she continued staring at the fake view of the ocean, at least trying to pretend that she was off on a vacation at Hawaii. Her actions brought her here, and she had no choice but to just make the best out of it. When she got back, she had a restaurant she just opened today, and it needed her best attention.

"Sir Mousse," the co-worker called from the front register, "I need three deluxe and one pork okonomyaki. The customers seem rather upset with the speed you are going at."

"I'm trying." He couldn't believe that his first day of work Ukyo just had him do all the work alone with someone who barely seemed any better at his job there than he was. Did she honestly think he was going to be able to just run the restaurant now just because he could cook good okonomyaki? It was only a half hour into lunch rush, and he was already completely under the pressure, noticing that there were still five orders right after. Mousse could cook the Japanese pancakes with relative ease, when not feeling under pressure of course. Back at the Cat Café he never had to do any of the cooking, and it was showing inside him.

Finally, he completed the dishes as well as he could, and ran towards the outside to hand the plates over to Kontasu, who served them to the people sitting in the front. Unfortunately, the guests gave them both a disgusted look when they saw their meal. One of them, some sort of biker with curly, black hair shoved his plate back to the kuonchi and cut it in half, uncooked batter drooping out. "You call this crap okonomyaki? It's not even fully cooked! Give me my money back!"

Mousse was never very good with rude customers. That's part of the reason Cologne and Shampoo were prone to send him to do dishes or clean tables at rush. "Why you…" However, he did not react in the way that he was planning because he remembered the giddy, but honest threat his boss gave him.

Remember, duck boy. Be nice to our customers, even when they aren't being very friendly themselves. They're our guests, kind of like you. Be mean to them, I throw you out.

While Mousse wasn't watching, Kontasu handed the money to the group, who angrily walked away. "Mousse, shouldn't you be working on the next order?" the cashier asked him.

Seeing the usually cheery coworker seeming honestly stressed, Mousse ran back into the back and started to attempt the next batch. Right after pouring the batter onto the griddle, he couldn't help but overhear another customer ask Kontasu if he wanted to go home with them and have a "good time" later. Hearing the cashier shyly answer, "I suppose", Mousse decided to get involved. Ukyo warned him not to threaten customers or to tell them that Uchan's best "waitress" was really a boy, so he had to find a different way to ward off the man. "Sir, I'm sorry. But she already has a girlfriend."

Kontasu, confused by what Mousse was trying to do, simply itched his head as he attempted to understand what his co-worker meant. "Mousse, I don't think you should have said that."

Fortunately for Mousse, the restaurant did not stay very busy, and within an hour the rush had left, a familiar silence reeking through the place. Enjoying the peace, the two decided to sit at the front counter and play cards together and make themselves their own lunch. As they went on, Kontasu decided to bring up a subject that was worrying him.

"Mousse, I was just wondering. What do you think of Miss Ukyo?"

The companion looked up from his cards, the thick glasses hiding his expression. "I don't know her very well. I guess she's pretty cool."

Kontasu looked away shyly, blushing as he twitted his fingers under the table. "What I mean is, when she rescued me from my Ugly Stepsisters, I instantly fell in love with her and dedicated my life to her. She saved you from hardship, hasn't she? You must be in love with her too, Aren't you?"

"I don't love her if that's what you wanted to know," the blind duck reassured the waitress. "The only person I have ever fallen in love with was my Shampoo, and I still do."

"But, didn't Ukyo say that Shampoo doesn't love you?"

"Maybe not," Mousse shrugged, not emotional in the least bit while stating so. "I still love her back. That's just the way love works. You don't always choose who you like or dislike." He also dropped his cards to the table, and gave a good laugh to his friend. "By the way, if you like Ukyo, why don't you tell her? Tell her every day what you think of her."

"Oh no, you can't suggest that I try to do that." Kontasu looked very demure as he pointed to his lips and thought of what was being entailed. "She already knows, and if I push it too much she might hate me."

"Okay, she might hate you, but she might love you back. You don't know. And what will happen if you don't? Things will just stay the way they are. She'll tolerate you, sure, but you won't be anything to her but someone who works at her restaurant." After trying to make his point, Mousse picked his cards up and reexamined his deck. "You don't want that to happen, do you?"

"I just don't want her to hate me," Kontasu answered while watching Mousse dropping a set of cards. "As long as what I do makes her happy, that's okay."

"Akane, I don't understand you." Sakuyi couldn't believe what her friend just said what she was going to do. "She's one of the girls who tried to throw bombs at you then, and then tried to bully us. Ukyo got what she deserved. What makes you think you should apologize to her?"

"I just think this is going too far," Akane answered, placing her school shoes in her locker. "I know what it's like to have a whole horde of boys chasing after you. No one deserves that."

"She wrecked your dojo because she was jealous Ranma likes you and not her," Sayuki continued to lecture her friend. "I bet you she'll just laugh at you and brag about how she's the cute fiancée like she always does. She knows how much you hate it when she does that."

"I don't know." The spatula girl they were talking about could be seen walking down an intersecting hallway, seeming to make sure she looked away. Akane couldn't help but to soften her expression as she watched her disappear again. "She usually does that when she's in a good mood. So no, I'll have to go to the movies with you later." The tomboyish Tendo lifted her bag and ran down the hall, leaving her friend to raise her hands in confusion.

"I just don't understand you."

When Akane had finally been able to catch Ukyo in her sight, she noticed Ranma had already stopped her near the school entrance. She watched them begin to talk, seemingly in good nature. She slowed to a power walk, approaching them and noticing Ranma greet her with a happy wave.

"Hey Akane! You don't mind if I have a talk with Ukyo for a little while, right?"

Nodding her head, she gleefully skipped towards the other two. "Not at all! I was just about to ask if I could join you." She gave a similar wave do Ukyo. "Hey, Ukyo! How are you doing?"

As she was just called, the other girl rolled her eyes to Akane, halfheartedly raising her hand. "Hey. So you wanna come with us?"

The two walked together through the door, Ranma following closely behind them. Both him and Akane watched the Ukyo sulk, clearly uncomfortable by their presence. They walked out of the campus in silence, all preferring to talk when the school crowd was behind them. When they finally reached the bordering park, Ranma finally decided to speak up.

He sighed as he held his hands in his pockets, looking down to get the discomforting girl out of his sight and feel more comfortable. "Look. About everything that's been going on lately."

"It's not your fault." Both Ranma and the other girl were slightly surprised from what she just said. "You don't have to worry about me trying to get back at you two if that's why you're trying to comfort me."

Although offended, Akane calmly laughed the comment off. "Hey. You really think we're just trying to do that?"

"I know what you two think of me. After what I did, I don't blame you. Just make sure you take care of Ranma, okay?"

Both Akane and Ranma were amazed by what they heard. Was Ukyo giving up on Ranma?! "Wait a minute," the pigtailed boy asked, not suppressing his surprise. "So you're not going to throw bombs at me if I marry someone else?"

He winced back as Akane looked back at him with a threatening glare, but Ukyo ironically gave a simple laugh, at least being cheered up from the comment. "I won't throw bombs at you if you marry someone else. If Kodachi or Shampoo try to kidnap you and force you into one, I'll give them a beating, but not you."

"You really sure about that? You spent ten years dedicating your life to him." Even if this was one of her most bitter rivals, Akane couldn't help but to keep Ukyo from a drastic change to her lifestyle.

"I'm sure, sugar. I think I got over him." A sad smile developed across the girl's face as she looked to Ranma. "I know this is weird, but I had a talk with the principal, and learned a lot of important lessons. You love Akane, not me. Isn't that right, Ranma?"

Akane clenched her lips as the words from her friend's revelation brought uncomfortable memories of her own.

Dr. Tofu's in love with Kasumi, not me.

It's okay. I think I'm over him.

"That must be hard to admit," Akane told Ukyo. "Letting it go after so long."

"It is. I won't lie. The only thing that kept me going in life was how you two argue so much. That's why I kind of lost it during the wedding, and Nabiki told me that you two admitted you two were in love." She shrugged her shoulder, joking off the bad flashback. "I was pissed. It was one thing when Ranma was forced into something. It was another entirely when he really loved someone else, and I was worried you two would finally get over the last humps and get married. Hitched for good. I couldn't control myself, just like when I thought your mom gave Akane an engagement ring."

"Look, I'm sorry we blamed you like we did. You're not the only one we're mad at. If I blame anyone it's our parents and Nabiki."

"They just made the whole thing come quicker. Me and Shampoo would have wrecked the wedding if it came ten days or ten years later, and I wouldn't have had this chance to grow up for a long time, and find some things out about where my life is heading."

Akane was becoming very curious about what was going on through her hopefully ex-rival's head. "What did you find out?"

"I heard a lot about Kuno. About how he just keeps going after you and doesn't care whether you want anything to do with him or not."

Ranma couldn't help but grimace some at the mention of that upperclassman. "What about him?

"He's kinda like me. We're both a little delusional." The answer came with a dry humor that made the other two feel a little uncomfortable.

Dumbfounded by the happier girl's words, Ranma frantically ran in front of her, waving his hands. "Whoa whoa woah! If I'm hearing you right, you're saying you're like Kuno. Watch what you say. That's basically admitting you're crazy."

Ukyo stretched her arms and folded them behind her head, genuinely smiling as she watched a bird fly from a tree. "Well, who said I'm not? Most people would consider wrapping your chest up and trying to be a boy pretty nuts if I'm right." As the bird disappeared in another tree, she stared back to her front, still slowly improving in her mood. "Besides, maybe the Kuno's aren't the idiots we all think they are. It was the principal of all people who was telling me all this."

"But that's not the point." Ukyo stopped in her tracks, bringing her hands down and crunching her dress. "I don't have many friends. You two and maybe Kontasu are the only ones I really have nowadays. After I lost my temper at the wedding, I was so scared that I ruined that, and I couldn't stand how you two completely lost any respect in me."

Akane had to admit to herself that she was ridiculously harsh, especially considering the lunch stunt she convinced her friends to play on Ukyo, not to mention how she just assumed the worst of her when she saw Ryoga around her.

Ranma himself still wondered if it was really necessary to just brush her off like he did last night. His mother wasn't too happy to hear about it.

"Maybe I should have just been happy with the way things were between us. I was already basically disowned, so my honor's gone whether I marry you or not. There was no reason for me to be so hell bent on forcing myself on you whether you liked me or not." It just showed him how little she really cared about his well being, and how she didn't love him at all. He was nothing but some piece of meat to an infatuated school girl. "I'm no better than Shampoo, aren't I?" She shrugged, another humorless laugh coming from her. "I'm sorry about this."

"It's obvious you've been thinking of it," Akane complimented the chef with a bright smile. "That's what matters. Now let's get back to the restaurant."

As they were about to continue on, Akane turned around as she noticed a familiar sight in her peripheral vision, yelling to it as she noticed for sure what it was. "Kasumi!"

Hearing her name called, the older woman sitting on the bench stood up to walk towards her sister, a familiar guest following foot. "Oh. Why hello Akane. And you have your friends with you. Qin and I were so busy feeding the birdies that we completely forgot to get lunch. Ukyo, you don't mind making us some okonomyaki, do you?"

"Huh?" Taken out of her line of thought, Ukyo looked over to Kasumi with a polite smile. "Sure. Hey, so who's this other guy with you?"

Hearing him mentioned, Kasumi pushed her guest towards them. "This is Qin Mao. He's a good friend of ours who just came from China. This is Ukyo Kuonji, Qin. She's a nice girl, and so high spirited, too." But I'm afraid she's just like my sister, she added mentally. She's kind of a violent maniac.

Clearing his voice with a cough, Qin greeted himself to the crowd. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Kuonji, and the same to you, Ranma Saotome."

Ukyo's usual perkiness resurfaced as she met the stranger and she stuck a thumb up to him. "Same to you, Mr. Qin Mao."

"Hey, Qin," Akane chimed in kindly, feeling awkward from seeing him out with her sister. "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing very well, Akane. Thank you." Qin walked past the two girls and walked alongside with Ranma, his expression becoming more serious. "Saotome, if you don't mind may I have a talk with you, in private?"

"Eh? Sure." The girls walked away, far enough so the two boys could have the privacy asked for. When Ranma was sure that they were out of hearing range, he began walking again, giving a confused look. "So, what is it?"

The Chinese boy murmured as softly as he could, making sure the words he spoke stayed between both of them. "If you don't mind I would like to talk with you somewhere fairly private tonight. I'd do it at the Tendo Dojo but I'm pretty sure someone would eavesdrop on our conversation."

Bewildered by the sudden request, the Saotome son dropped his jaw and eyebrows, staring at the one asking for it. "That private, huh? Already that scared of Nabiki? I can't blame you."

"Actually, I might try to convince her to come with me. It's the rest I want to keep it a secret from." Unfazed by Ranma's odd stare, Qin continued. "I've been around this park long enough to know my way around it." He pointed directly to a pond where children were currently playing, multiple benches located around it. "Meet me at those two benches with the large tree between them, about nine o'clock."

Rolling his eyes in slight irritation, Ranma rubbed his forehead. "I'll go, but if Nabiki's going to be involved then I already have a bad feeling of where this is headed." Still seeing no reaction from his conversation partner, he began to speed his pace to meet the girls again. "Geez, you're weird! You know that?! Let's just go catch up with the others. They're more normal than you are." As Qin watched Ranma meet up with the group, he smirked as he heard them call his name.

"I suppose it would be in my best interests to stay with them," he chuckled to himself as he began to speed up.

The picnic seemed to be a certifiable success for everyone. Ryoga happily laid on the ground, wallowing in the full sensation he felt from the seemingly endless heaps of ramen he received. He wouldn't have eaten so much at first to keep from offending Akari, until she of all people asked that he received all the food he wanted. Shampoo and Cologne apparently had prepared more than plenty for him, claiming that if Ryoga was Ranma's rival in eating as well, they would have to be safe. He wasn't quite, so Akari gladly did her best to finish the rest off to please them, despite being quite full already. Painfully full, she decided to plop herself in front of her friend, gladly accepting the strong arm from behind pull her back into the warm chest.

"Are you okay?" she asked with some concern, but still remaining in a good mood. "These nice people are doing so much for us and you're being really uptight around them."

"I'm… fine," Ryoga assured her with a shy stutter. "I just hope that you're not mad at me about all this. I'm sorry."

"What should I be mad about? Today's date we planned went even better than I was hoping. I didn't even have to raise a finger for anything and I made some new friends." Akari's voice became slightly harsher as she continued. "That girl's being awfully nice to us considering what you did to her the other night, don't you think?"

It was because of that night that they have any interest in him at all. "Akari, look. I'm really, really sorry about what happened in the car and before. I didn't want her to do it, and I didn't want to hurt her anymore than I already did! You have to believe me!"

"That's exactly what I mean," the pig girl retorted, looking back to him with a sad expression. "Ryoga, I think Shampoo loves you. Maybe even more than I do. Her engagement to you is just as valid as mine is, maybe more."

"It's not the same thing! The only reason she has any interest in me is because of that Amazon Law saying she has to marry anyone that can beat her up."

"I'm only engaged to you because you defeated Katsunishiki." Watching Ryoga gulp from a loss of words, she softened, an understanding but very sad face staring at her male friend. "If you like her, please don't let me get in the way. I don't want to be engaged to someone who already has someone else they're in love with."

"Don't be ridiculous. You're the only girl I love and you know that."

Acting as if they weren't hearing the conversation and too busy resting, the three Amazons began discussing the next part of their plan.

"Why Shampoo no go and kiss Airen again? Make Akari no believe what he say when me make him happy."

"You've already done enough of that. I think she gets the point," Cologne lectured her descendant. "Now it's time for plan B. We need to obtain Ryoga's trust. He said he thinks the Amazon village treats their men poorly, did he?"

"Is true."

The old woman gave a confused daughter a confused expression. "That's a strange thing to think, considering how I want to train him to be powerful enough to eradicate the whole region if he wanted to. Maybe I need to remind him of how that birdbrain Mumu the Duck was allowed to just walk out to harass us like he did." Looking to Shampoo's father, "We don't treat you too bad, do we?" Watching the amused man nod his head, she decided to take her next plan into action. "Shampoo, why don't you think of something to do with that Akari girl while I have a talk with Ryoga? I think he just needs to hear my part of the story."

"Will do," Shampoo assured the old woman as she stood up.

"By the way…" Cologne narrowed her eyelids at the girl. "Don't think for a moment that he won't know if you kill the girl. You will treat her like a sister."

"Shampoo no hurt Akari. No worry."

"I'm serious, young lady. Part of the reason Ranma was so reluctant to want anything to do with you is because of the way you treat that Tendo daughter. If I remember hearing you right before you tried to kill her that first time Ranma went against that Taro child."

"Still no believe Ranma love stupid Akane! Know Ryoga love pig girl, so no hurt her," Shampoo grumbled to her elder as she walked away.

Cologne was kind of amused on the inside. That fact wasn't so obvious at first glance. Those two hid their emotions quite well, and it was the exact opposite with the one she was dealing with now. In a way it was fortunate that the Lost Boy was such a romantic, if anything just to keep her great granddaughter from doing anything stupid this time around.

"So elder Cologne?" the middle aged man behind her asked in a serious tone. "If daughter get man to come back, does she…"

"The punishment will be cancelled, and Shampoo lives." Sobered by compassion, she sipped her tea then looked Shampoo's father in the face. "I don't want to see my Shampoo be executed any more than you do, but the council gave us this one last chance for the sake of having the Hibiki bloodline in the tribe. All we can do now is cross our fingers and hope this Ryoga boy won't refuse. All you can do now is your part of the plan."

Akari seemed to gladly accept Shampoo's invitation as the two walked away, leaving Ryoga to stay alone, seemingly assuming the worst by his shocked and scared face. "Don't worry about her, Ryoga," the elder called to the suspicious boy. "I made it quite clear to Shampoo what happens if she hurts Akari. I guarantee her safety."

He looked down to her from his position on the hill sitting up and giving her a threatening stare. "She better be! You and Shampoo already caused me enough grief as it is."

"I don't know if that little show of hers in the car or your driveway was what I would call 'causing you grief'," she laughed. Waving her stick, Cologne asked her to come over. "If you don't mind sonny boy, I'd like to have a word with you."

Reluctantly, the Lost Boy walked down and took a seat next to the two older people. "Well," he asked, actually rather lacking in anger, "What do you want to talk about?"

"Why do you feel the need to reject my Shampoo? Isn't it obvious how much she likes you? The way she hugged you, grasping onto you for dear life, and even French kissing you…"

Ryoga's pink blush and shiver from the remark showed the elder was right. "It's not that I don't have some feelings for her. I won't lie. It's just that… I'm sorry. I met Akari first. I have to stay loyal to her."

"I'm sure there are plenty of lonely, good hearted boys back in Nerinma who could take out her pig and take just as good care of you as you could, but to the Amazon's back at home you're a special one. The elders all agreed with me that you did the right thing for all the wrong reasons when you had your little argument with her."

Ryoga was a little disturbed by the good humor she seemed to be having about that. How could she just laugh off him almost killing Shampoo like that? "What do you mean by that?" he asked, very serious.

"A boy like you, I can't expect to understand things like this, but there's a special thing about you that they find most intriguing."

"You mean my heritage, right? I never thought having no sense of direction made me desirable." He gave a cocky smirk, irritated by the fact that the old ghoul knew about it. "You're right. I always thought I'm a pretty good fighter considering the fact that I never had a real sensei."

Once again, that macho ego of his was about to "Think of the look on Ranma's face when you completely outclass him. He's good nowadays, don't get me wrong, but he's already far closer to being at his full potential than you are. Why, with that strength of yours I bet the wind from your punches would destroy a forest if I just taught you the Chestnuts Fist. Wouldn't you like that sort of power?"

"Yeah right. First off, that grudge you're talking about is long gone. I hadn't had an official sparring match with Ranma since I learned the Lion Roar Shot. Why would you want to give that much power to a man when you treat them all like animals anyways?"

Cologne sushed the man behind her before he added his part then continued. "This grudge of yours goes a long time back. Are you really sure that there's no desire now to prove yourself to Ranma, the source of your motivation to constantly improve? Why don't you just admit that the reason you never challenged him is because you were so intimidated by how he defeated Herb?"

"That's not the reason," Ryoga calmly assured her. "I just grew up since then. We're friends, now."

"Don't feel bad about it, sonny boy. After all, he's already defeated two absolutely frightening warriors that I don't think even I would be able to. If I was in your shoes I'd want to stay on his good side, too. But like I said before, as strong as he has become, you have the potential to become far more than he could ever hope to be with the proper training from our elders. All you have to do to get that power is to marry my Shampoo and let that Akari girl of yours find another strong man in the meantime right here."

"Okay, I won't tell you that it doesn't sound too bad when you say it like that. I have to admit, back when I had that martial arts calligraphy I was amazed by how much stronger I got. I just wish I could become like that without having some stupid graffiti on my stomach and having this constant thought in the back of my head that I was cheating…"

"Yes," Cologne interrupted. "You got a little of a glimpse of what you are capable of becoming under our training. If you didn't have it the calligraphy would not have been nearly so potent."

"But I'm not stupid," Ryoga continued, becoming sterner. "I see the way you treat Mousse despite the fact that he's an even better fighter than your village champion, and I don't like it. If that's the way you treat the men in your tribe I don't want any part in it."

Cologne lowered an eyebrow, taken off guard by that remark. "That fool is treated the way he is because he's been an annoyance to Shampoo since she could remember. I keep trying to get it across to his thick head that he should just go back home and find something better to do with his time if he doesn't like it in the Cat Café, but I'm afraid he's just too thick headed to get the point." Closing her eyes, the old woman looked down in slight disappointment. "Besides don't you think the fact that he was allowed to just leave the village like he did without being punished is a little odd since we're so oppressive to him? If we really saw our males as animals like you think we are, that would have been punishable by death. Zhẻng, do you mind telling our friend of what your day to day life in the village is like?"

Zhẻng, Shampoo's father, nodded, excited that he was about to have his fifteen minutes of fame. "Amazon women give us as many choices as them, yes, just many no willing to use it. Can get education and join military, like women forced to, but almost no one do it. Unlike women, we get food and clothes whether we do or not. Is good life either way."

"Of course though, we have to keep in mind that Ryoga here would be coming in as an outsider marrying our village champion. I know, it's something that hasn't happened in twenty years, but do you remember what his life was like at the village?"

The man's eyes were filled with a glittering happiness at the memory brought back. "Oh yes! That be Toji! He marry village champion, and treat like king! All of village's best teachers team up to train him, and he do no work other than training and fighting if we have war, where he never die because he so strong. Elders do whatever can do to please him." Of course, he didn't mention the fact that he was always inwardly jealous of the chum of his old days, being married to the woman he always loved himself, and the special treatment he always received. "You be very sorry if you give that up."

Ryoga had to admit that it sounded nice in its own way. It at least didn't sound half as bad as the police state he used to imagine the old woman being forced to. "I'll admit," he stated, not sounding quite as sure as before, "that sounds pretty good, but the fact of the matter is I already have Akari, and she treats me really well too."

"I'm sure she does, but how much do you think you'll improve your skills when all you do is raise pigs?"

"That's not all I'll do. Akari won't need me to do that. She'll be able to take care of her ranch alone. She'll let me train."

"You really so sure she won't? She, too, wants a strong man for a reason beyond simple love. Just as Shampoo would devote herself to the tribe first and you a close second, I get the impression Akari will do the same thing to you as selfless as she may be. She may not be a martial artist herself, but she seems to have a similar honor code."

Even though it was far from the point of him loosing his temper, Ryoga was angered by that remark. "If you think for a moment that Akari is the sort of person who would just have me do that all day with no regard to my feelings, and never let me train, then I'm afraid you're sadly mistaken!"

"What you should concern yourself with is that eventually you won't want to train anymore. Since she doesn't need you to reach your full potential, how likely do you think she will encourage you to improve yourself? Not much. It would be a shame to once again watch a martial artist with so much hidden potential to loose his ambition. I'm sure your parents would prefer not to see you do that, too." Deciding that she did the best she could to convince the Lost Boy, she sat back down and sipped her coffee. "I just want you to consider what we discussed today. When we take you and Akari back home, I will give you an hour to make a decision before we come back. You can continue to devote yourself to this Unryuu girl and live the way you do now, or you can come with us and within a few weeks we will take you with us back to China. For now, I just ask that you try to enjoy our hospitality while you think this over."

"I'm sorry to say that my decision isn't going to change," the Lost Boy assured the ghoul as he pushed himself up, "but I'll try to lay back for a few hours."

"Tsubaki flowers very good for decorations. One kind Great Grandmother like to put in vases at restaurant." To kill time, Shampoo decided to take Akari to the flower shop next to the park, expressing her vast knowledge of the plants accumulated in front of the white light from the window.

Akari stood by, intently listening to the vast knowledge the other girl had to share with her. "Thank you for telling me all this. I like flowers, too. One time I made wreaths out of them, and put them on my pigs' heads and tried to train them to do a dance with them on." Looking down in shame, she continued. "But then they shook them off and ate them, and got sick, so I guess that wasn't a good idea."

"No sound like good idea, but be fun to see if work." Shampoo found the girls weird obsession with pigs rather annoying at first, but it started to become more accustomed to hearing about it. Besides, she had to admit that the image presented in her head was funny. It was still strange though how she was being able to get along so well with the pig loving girl, despite the fact that she was the "obstacle" that was in the way of getting her husband. Maybe it was just the fact that Ryoga's pig loving fiancée actually was nice to him, or just her own attitude change due to her Great Grandmother's threats, but she just didn't seem to have the need to berate her like she always did to the competition for Ranma.

Maybe it was the fact that Akari just wasn't the offensive type. Competition or not, she seemed more like a naïve girl who couldn't defend herself than an enemy, hence not worthy of being treated like one. She had to admit that her harsh put-downs the other night were probably out of line, knowing the easy target the victim ended up being. "Me buy too too pretty flowers for Ryoga," Shampoo giggled. "Buy you some to give him too if you want."

"It's okay. I have my own gift that I want to give him," Akari reassured Shampoo as she watched the Amazon pick out the flowers she wanted.

"If you say so," Shampoo shrugged off her rejected offer, picking up some of the flowers she chose. "Aiya! Shampoo not notice how fresh these flowers is until she touch. Ryoga love Shampoo when she give him these!"

Despite her pleasure in watching her new friend's happiness, Akari couldn't help but to feel a hint of sadness, knowing what was required to truly please her.

"They really are pretty!" As the two girls walked on the sidewalk back to the rest of their group, Akari admired the bouquet of flowers Shampoo bought.

Pleased with her purchase, Shampoo hummed to herself, singing an old Chinese folksong as she stared at her flowers in a way a mother would stare at a newborn child. "Shampoo make Airen so happy! Be husband in no time!" She turned over to Akari, noticing some sadness in her. Sympathetically, Shampoo sighed as she tried to comfort her. "You upset to loose Ryoga?"

Of course she was. One morning she was happily planning the future with the man she finally got track of after so long, and some strangers randomly come in and say he was going to marry their daughter or else. Akari couldn't lie to herself. There was a base, selfish part of her that wanted to hurt Shampoo for taking Ryoga from her. But she couldn't. She couldn't bear the thought of hating someone simply because Ryoga made them happy. It was obvious that Shampoo had very genuine feelings for him, and she was far more capable of expressing that love than she could ever hope to. Not to mention the fact that she didn't want her new friend to die because of her own selfishness. "I'm a little sad," she mentioned in a sobered tone. "I like him a lot, and I always liked to think that I was the right woman for him. But maybe I'm not. I don't want to trap him in a loveless marriage if that's the way it is." A sad smile was directed towards Shampoo as she continued. "If you really love Ryoga, and he loves you, I won't get in your way. I just want to see him with someone that makes him happy. Just make sure you take care of him."

Surprised by the remark, Shampoo bulged her eyes out and she shaped an "o" with her mouth. "Oh, Akari. You do that for Ryoga? Such nice girl." Was this that "true love" that she heard about? It actually seemed rather depressing in some ways.

"I'm back!" Ryoga opened his eyes as he heard the feminine voice from above him, seeing Akari loom over his lying body.

"You're okay." Standing up, the Lost Boy stared at his girlfriend with a look of relief. "I have to admit, I was kind of worried about you."

Confused by Ryoga's expression of discomfort, Akari did her best to shrug it off. "Why? Shampoo was with me the whole time. Don't tell me you thought she was going to kill me."

"Well, I…"

Leaving Ryoga unable to finish his sentence, Shampoo jumped up from behind him and wrapped her arms over his shoulders, tickling his chin with the flowers she bought before. "Nihao, Ryoga! Shampoo bring you present as sign of wifely devotion."

Once again, Ryoga went into "brainless girl slave" mode due to the shock of Shampoo's arms wrapped around him and chest rubbing against his back. Staring down at the flowers, confused about what he was supposed to do with them, he looked over to Akari for the answer.

"Ryoga, she paid money for those," Akari reminded Ryoga with a hint of shame in him. "Take them."

Complying with his girlfriend's command, Ryoga took them from Shampoo's hand, blushing furiously while staring at them. "Sh… Shampoo! You mean, you bought these for me?!"

In response to the question, Shampoo tightened her grasp on his neck and nearly suffocated him with a deep, kiss. As much as he enjoyed it physically, His blush even redder than before from the combination of male hormones and embarrassment showed the fact that he was enjoying it physically, but he couldn't help but to watch Akari's reaction, frightful of how much it would anger her.

Why is Akari happy about this?! I'm being unfaithful to her, she's watching it, and she's smiling!

"I suppose it's time to leave," Cologne's cheery voice called from behind. "This has been such a great idea. My Shampoo seems to have had a wonderful day.

"We both had such a nice time, too," Akari politely told the old woman with a smile. "I'm so happy Shampoo found herself a husband."

"You see, Kontasu, the idea is that you need to show Ukyo that you are a real man, and that you can stand up for yourself. None of this being willing to work double shifts for five yen a week. When she acts cold to you, you need to be the same way." The lack of business at Uchan's for the last hour had allowed Mousse to have a good talk with his new co-worker about the way to attract women. "You see I find that Ukyo is a lot like my Shampoo. She wants a very strong willed man. I personally wonder if the reason Shampoo rejected me is because of the fact that I am by nature very weak willed."

"But, sir Mousse." Kontasu showed no restraint of the distaste of Mousse's advice. "I could never be mean to my dear Ukyo! She is the reason I am no longer under the abuse of my wicked stepmother and stepsisters."

Mousse's expression darkened, angry eyes hidden behind his glasses. "And now you live under an iron fist equally as oppressive once you think of it, except that you are led falsely to believe that you are the one that is benefiting."

"You don't like Ukyo?! But she was willing to take you in when you had no home!"

"I do, but maybe that was an overstatement I made. I'm not saying that you should hate her, but you should stand up to her and tell her to be nice to you." Pushing his glasses to his face, Mousse began to calm down. "I just don't want to watch you go the same path I have. The point is if you want Ukyo to love you, you need to be a man."

"Please understand that I still have a hard time accepting the fact that I am one of these men," Kontasu admitted, folding a napkin in front of him in discomfort. "I have lived my entire life thinking I was a woman."

"I know how you feel. I lived in a village where men were taught that they are second rate citizens. But the point is the reason doesn't matter. If you can't show a girl that you have willpower, she won't like you." An optimistic smile went across the blind boy. "You have two options now. You can stay the way you are, and keep feeling sorry for yourself like I always did, or you can work really hard to change the way things are and be a man, and make Ukyo like you."

The sexy ninja clapped his hands together, motivated by his new friend's speech. "So you're going to teach me how to be a man?!"

"I'll try, but I must warn you that I am not that manly myself. That's why Shampoo hates me." Mousse smacked his fist onto the palm of his other hand. "Don't worry. I'll show you everything you need to do. Starting today, every day when we have these breaks I will give you lessons. Now stand up in front of the door there." He pointed to the sliding door entrance of the restaurant, the angriest face he could muster, "And make a face like this! Get really mad!"

Crying with joy, Kontasu leaped out of his chair and ran to the front of Uchan's. "Sir Mousse is so nice to me! He's going to teach me how to be a man for my loving Ukyo."

"Kontasu, that's not an angry face. C'mon. Get MAD!!"

Kontasu made his best imitation of an angry face, which in reality looked more like a baby pouting.

It would just have to do, Mousse thought. "Now, yell out as loud as you can. I don't need a heartless queen like you."

"I don't need a heartless queen like you!" Kontasu angrily snapped, not really raising his voice. It didn't make him feel good, considering the fact that it was a fake anger, and the fact that just at the same time he said it, the door had opened, and he said it directly in the face of the person he was practicing to speak to later, followed by a group of people behind her.

Ukyo simply stared at the event; unable to make sense of what she was seeing. Was Kontasu… mad at her? But wait, he had the stupidest looking angry face, and there was the little fact that he looked as shocked as he did when he saw her.

"He's pretty mad, Ukyo," Akane joked. "Maybe you should have made it ten yen."

In true fear, the sexy ninja dropped onto his knees and begged his master. "I'm… I'm so sorry, dear Ukyo. I didn't mean it."

"That's kind of obvious, sugar," his boss informed him, too surprised by the scene to be mad. "Stressful day?"

Kontasu calmed down when he discovered the fact that Ukyo didn't seem angry with him. "Not particularly. I don't know what has just overcome of me."

"Why don't you just sit back and let me do the cooking for the rest of the night?" Her expression grew a little colder when she looked over to Mousse. "I'm sure it was a very eye opening day for both of you."

"Man! Talk about your dumb moments, Ukyo. Leaving your restaurant in the hands of a blind duck who hugs people he wants to kill and someone who once made you go broke for a week."

That comment seemed to cause one of Kasumi's rare moments of anger. "That's rude, Ranma! Ukyo's offering us lunch and you insult her."

"It was just an experiment, and I only put a little cash in the register." A wide smile came from the restaurant owner's face. "Ten thousand yen more than in the morning? I don't know Ranma. I think the whole thing has more potential. It's not much, but it's an improvement over last time." Noticing the guests still standing and watching her, Ukyo waved them in. "C'mon. Why are you all just standing there? Take a seat! Get comfy."

They all took up their spaces, cheerfully talking among each other at the rows. "So Mousse, how are you doing these days?" Kasumi asked the glasses wearing boy next to her.

"Oh, I'm doing okay. In case you haven't noticed I live with Ukyo and Kontasu right now since that old mummy kicked me out."

"Yes. I just found out from Nabiki about how Shampoo has become engaged with Ryoga last night. I hope Akari makes good friends with her."

"I'd like to think so, too," Ukyo commented in a morbid tone, "but that just doesn't sound like it would happen. You get in her way when it comes to a fiancée; you've got another think coming. There's someone who needs to learn a few lessons on subtlety. I was so mad when I heard that jackass s.o.b. just challenged Shampoo like that."

"Oh my! Ukyo, you know I don't like it when you use that word."

"And what do you always have against Ryoga anyways?" Akane became defensive when she heard the low opinion Ukyo expressed of her friend. "Okay, so the lack of direction can be annoying, and he could learn to control his emotions better, but he's one of the few boys I know that's mature, and I can trust. Not to mention that he's almost as good of a fighter as Ranma."

So you think you can trust him, Akane? Wait until you hear about your pet.

"He went the wrong way on a three legged race, for crying out loud! And remember when he thought Ranma raped you, when he was so weak he couldn't hurt a kid? Talk about a moron."

"You call it stupidity, I call it fate," Ranma defended his brother in arms as he grabbed his plate of okonomyaki. "Trust me, on that race you were better off going the wrong way anyway. Didn't you two win? And that beating of his was the reason I got my strength back. Porky may be a pain in the butt at times, but he can also be real helpful." Taking a large bite from the dish he had, he continued to talk despite the chunk of food still in his mouth. "He's kinda like you, except not as cute, and not around quite as much. That and you don't stand a chance against me in a fight, being a girl and all. He sort of does."

He called me cute, and it didn't affect me. I don't feel a blush and a sudden desire to bop him on the head. Things really must have changed.

"And just exactly how am I like that dork?" Ukyo asked as she handed the last of her creations to her guests, offended. She also refrained from using her favorite derogatory term for the Lost Boy due to Kasumi's request.

"Well, you both are good friends from the past, you both tried to kill me when I saw you after I didn't for years, and you're both really obsessed with me."

"Rub it in, why don't you," Akane grumbled to Ranma. "We're supposed to be making her feel better, not insulting her!" She politely smiled back to Ukyo as she sat down with her own okonomyaki she made for herself. "Don't listen to him, Ukyo. He's just being Ranma."

"And making some good points, I'll admit. Principal Kuno told me that I should really get to know his son better, or some other boy at school."

"And we all know Principal Kuno is just the greatest source of adolescent advice," Akane hummed unimpressed. "I'd pick Ryoga over any of them any day, especially Kuno. If you're that desperate I'm sure Kontasu or Mousse would gladly go out with you."

"You may not like Kuno, but I do. That guy seriously made me feel on top of the world this morning with his speech," Ukyo sighed, dreamily reminiscing the event. However, her expression darkened when she remembered the other. "Kodachi just makes me more angry than ever before though. Last night she used paralysis gas on me then tried to get Kuno to have his way with me in his room. Talk about nuts." She swore she was going to avenge her honor later from a certain martial arts rhythmic gymnastics expert.

"But can I just ask you to do one thing?" Akane asked of her friend, demanding to be taken seriously. "Those boys who will go after you are jerks, don't get me wrong, but they don't know any better. As much as I always wanted to, don't do anything to them that will get them put in the hospital."

"They're not martial artists, right? I don't even think I want to hurt them any more than I need to. I might even just use some special sleeping flour bombs on them."

"That sounds kind of boring, don't you think?"

"Well, that's all you can do. Like you said, they're not really fighters, so why hurt them?" Suddenly, they noticed the fact that there were only three in the conversation, and Ukyo searched through the store to find them. "Hey, where'd the others go? Usually Kontasu would be doing whatever he could to be the center of the crowd."

"Oh, we're still right here, lady Ukyo. I'm just making new friends. Don't feel sad." Of course, she looked everywhere but where she expected them to be, right next to them.

"Kontasu's such wonderful company," Kasumi cheerily told them, her cheeks covered in an elegant blue powder when she turned to the other group. "He's teaching me about makeup. Isn't that nice of him?"

"Um, sure. It looks really good on you." Holding back her slight disgust from the scene, Akane complimented her sister's admittedly elegant makeup job. "He's good with that. I'll give him that."

I can't believe Ukyo just lets him stay like this. And it's all for the sake of making a few extra bucks.

"By the way, Kasumi. I kind of noticed your friend's not very talkative," Ukyo informed her guest in makeup.

She was right, and it was pretty introspective of her considering the fact that most of her attention seemed to be given to her school chums so far. He didn't really seem to talk with anyone except for a few words when someone talked to him. He seemed friendly enough when he did, and smiled when he talked, but it was obvious he wouldn't talk unless he was spoken to first.

"Qin's very nice," Kasumi let her sister's friend know. "He's just a little shy. He's probably a little worried that Ranma holds a grudge for beating him and making him live with his mom in her new condo." Demurely patting her cheek with her hand, she recalled a moment. "Oh, I forgot to tell you. We helped pay for Mr. and Mrs. Saotome to have a new place after you helped to wreck their old house. I'm so proud of them."

"You beat Ranma?! I'll have to compliment you on that. Seems that no one can."

"I understand your praise, but I'm not worthy of it." Noticing the odd looks from the school children, he felt the necessity to explain further. "I doubt that he was using his full strength. I was. By the way," Qin commented, a gentle smile on his face. "I have never had okonomyaki before despite hearing of the Kuonji clan, living in a secluded area in China. I must say that I am quite pleased by the fact that I have been able to now."

"So you like it?" Ukyo cheered, excited by the supposed compliment.

"I do, and I hope that fate allows you to continue doing it as long as you desire to. I feel that you take more pleasure in it than you could in any man."

"Yay! Thanks. Always appreciate a supporter of the okonomyaki."

She obviously didn't understand the subliminal message he was trying to imply. Oh well. Maybe he was better off that he let her stay ignorant and happy. But she did deserve to take pride in the tasty dish she served him.

"It was very nice of you to treat us like this," Kasumi told Ukyo as she took out her wallet. "How much do you ask for? I'll pay for me and Qin."

"Oh no. It's on the house, Kasumi. I'm being nice to you since I'm in a good mood."

"Oh. That is very nice of you," Kasumi humbly told the chef. "We defiantly had a good time, but I'm afraid me and Qin need to go home and finish some chores before dinner." Noticing him still not done with his own meal, she became more demanding. "Qin, if you don't mind we need to go. You're going to have to finish that on the way back, I'm afraid."

As soon as the two designated cleaners of the Tendo's left, Ukyo turned back to the other two. "So Ranma, just exactly how did that guy beat you? He seemed way too nice to be a fighter in the first place."

"Nice? Yeah right. I still have the scars on my wrists from when he was torturing me. I swear to god that nice act of his was a fake."

"I don't know about that, Ranma," Akane corrected her fiancée. "He's been pretty cool. I heard he refused to steal underwear for Happosai. He's basically like Kontasu, without the pretty dresses and makeup. You should see the way he acts around Kasumi. It's so sweet."

"Well, he's not getting away with kicking me out like that. Like he said, I was just caught off guard last time." Smugly waving his hand back in forth in front of his face, Ranma continued to scold the Tendo. "C'mon, Akane. You really think I'd just accept defeat like that?"

"If you refuse to accept defeat as you say, then I'm afraid you may find yourself a little disappointed," Mousse entered the conversation, cryptically warning the pigtailed martial artist, "because you will have to fight him many times before that ever stops happening. That symbol on his cloak is what nightmares are made of to the Amazons." After he finished saying this, he looked over to them with an eerie stare, the glint on his glasses and evil grin making the other three slightly uncomfortable.

"Heard about 'em," Ranma informed Mousse, disinterested. "Xingu-an, right? The ghoul told me about them. They're nothing but a bunch of dorks who hide behind a bunch of hocus pocus since they don't know any real martial arts, aren't they."

Mousse gave an evil cackle while he stood up and approached the stairs. "Mock it all you want, but that 'hocus pocus' you're mocking is about as much of a real martial art school as you can find. I myself used to try to imitate it when I was a child, but needless to say since none of the trainers understood it the only way I could learn it is to read about it on my spare time. That's why what I use is still even after more than a decade of practicing it is nothing compared to the abilities of theirs. Just keep that in mind before you make him mad enough to, I don't know, give you the Kiss of Death." Sobering his nasty expression, Mousse smiled a sarcastically polite grin right before he ran upstairs laughing frantically. "Good night."

The four people still in the room watched Mousse leave, unable to figure out what they should think of it.

"I thought I told him to leave you alone," Ukyo grimaced.

"Oh, lady Ukyo, I have something to tell you," Kontasu told his master, holding his hands to his chest. "I thought it over, and I decided to express it to you how much I love you every day from now on." He approached Ukyo and gave a huge hug, almost strong enough to hurt the girl. He gave her a kiss on the cheek, a hint of lipstick going onto. "My loving Ukyo! I am so happy that you are my woman!"

"Hey, Akane. I think we should get going now," Ranma stated as he left for the door. "I don't think Ukyo wants us to see this."

"Yeah, you have a point." Akane followed step, running out the door that her fiancée had already left from, Akane stopped to give a wave goodbye to the three. "Don't send anyone to the hospital this week, okay?"

"If you don't mind, Kontasu, I'd kind of like you to let me go. I have to go upstairs."

"But I can't let you go, or I wouldn't be manly. Mousse said that you wouldn't love me unless I acted more like a man."

That's it! Either Mousse moves out, or he can donate to the cause so I can have a duck okonomyaki special tomorrow.

"And just what exactly possessed you to do that?!" Mousse sat still, allowing the enraged girl sitting on her furo to voice her spiteful speech. "He's going to be grabbing at me all the time now! And didn't I tell you not to threaten Ranma while you're here?!"

"I was not threatening him, I was telling him not to take this Qin guest we had over lightly," Mousse told her calmly.

"First off, you're not the type to have concern for him. Second, if you weren't trying to threaten him then what was with that stupid laugh you had?!" Her anger was only fed when Mousse did nothing but stare at her defiantly. "I'm asking a friggin' question."

"All right. Fine." Mousse gave her the same menacing glaze he did at the lunch. "If you must know, I'm just excited that Ranma is having this little slap in the face that he is now. It's not every day you see someone cause him to fall flat on his face and loose his dignity, rather than the other way around, is it?"

"So you still have it out for Ranma? Thought so." Ukyo rolled her eyes in frustration. "So obviously I was expecting a little much from you to expect you behave around him."

"Well maybe if he didn't steal my woman from me…"

"Could you stop with this damn 'he stole my Shampoo' crap?!" Raising her voice and again, Ukyo made sure she was being listened to. "Look! I told you this before. Get over it! She doesn't like you! She never did, not even before she met Ranma! That hardship is what you get when you go for a heartless, homicidal, spoiled brat so either go on with your life and forget about her or keep it to yourself, but don't go ruining the one time I've had to be with my friends without them assuming the worst of me, sugar! And most of all, do NOT take your problems out on Kontasu! Don't think for a moment I don't know what you were putting in that naïve head of his!"

"I don't need that from you," Mousse repremanded her in a calm, eerie tone. "Tell me this, Ukyo Kuonji. What's the difference between what I do and you three constantly chasing after Ranma and bullying Akane Tendo? You act as if you're entitled to him, despite the fact that he doesn't love you." As a humorless chuckle escaped from his nostrils, Mousse stared at Ukyo with a menacing smile. "That's right, Ukyo. He doesn't love any three of you. In fact, I'm sure that one of the best things you could do for him would be to get out of his life. He doesn't like the 'love' you show him by destroying his house or throwing explosives at him at his wedding just because he chose someone else. Get over it? You have the nerve to tell me to 'get over it'? If you believe in it so much why don't you 'get over it' yourself and leave Akane alone. Shampoo's not shy about punishing me for annoying her. That's the only difference between me and you two. My Shampoo forces me to pay the consequences for my actions. Ranma is too nice to do that, despite the fact that you deserve it just as much."

"You're talking talk that I heard over and over again today. I'll do what he wants. I'll get out of his hair." "I called my school friend in Osaka. Next month I'm moving in with him, and it's most likely Kontasu will be going along simply because I don't think he'll be able to handle life on his own. We'll both have to work part time jobs while we're there, and there's supposed to be a nice restaurant nearby that's always looking for waitresses or chefs. You want to come with us?"

"So then, you're really serious about leaving, are you?" Mousse softened his expression, knowing she was probably thinking what he told her all along. "Why don't you just start another okonomyaki store there?"

"I can't," Ukyo answered with a bitter sadness. "I failed to marry the person was engaged to, remember? I dishonored the clan. I mean, yeah, there's a way I can redeem myself, but I don't think I can do it."

"What's that?"

"To devote myself to killing both Ranma and Akane. If a Kuonji clansman fails in marrying someone they are engaged to, then they are honor bound to defeat them and kill. If that person has married someone else, than the Kuonji clansman is honor bound to kill both of them." Mousse couldn't help but to notice the way she spoke it. She seemed to be purposefully imitating the Amazon rulebook. "No can do. Killing may not seem like such a bad thing to you, but it is to me. I mean, I didn't even have it in me to take out Mr. Saotome when I first came back here, even after everything he did to me. I definitely don't have what it takes to kill old friends. Besides, I'm not going to try to think I could ever get good enough to take him out in a real fight."

"I see," Mousse nodded his head as he sympathized with the situation. "Qin made a statement about that fact if I'm right. The Xingu-an is very knowledgeable of tribes in both China and Japan."

Ukyo pointed her finger to her lip, thinking of what he said. "Now that you mention it…"

I do, and I hope that fate allows you to continue doing it as long as you desire to. I feel that you take more pleasure in it than you could in any man.

Pounding her fist on her pillow, the female martial artist growled in rage. "What an insulting little prick! No wonder Ranma has a grudge against him!"

"Yes, I have to agree with you that there was more to him than meets the eye. If there wasn't, he wouldn't have given me this." Out of his robe, Mousse picked out a vial of green, pea sized glass balls with a note attatched to it. The note, in Chinese, said "fight Ranma tomorrow after school". "I know what you're probably thinking. He didn't say a word about it at lunch today. I heard his voice echo in my head, and at first I thought I was just hearing things. Then I felt something hit my leg and the voice was telling me to listen if I want to defeat Ranma. Next thing I knew I was looking down and he was handing over these."

"Okay, so what is it?"

"These, Ukyo, are the secret of the power of the Dark Magic and Hidden Weapons School. I read about pills that are able to bring out a person's maximum chi dissipating abilities by temporarily sending their nervous system into overdrive. It's forbidden in the Amazon village due to its dangerous side effects, so it has been nothing but a mere fairy tale to me." That dark grin returned, sending discomfort into Ukyo again. "That is, until now. Until Qin gave me the one thing keeping me from beating Saotome into the ground."

"Kinda sounds like cheating and a little dangerous too."

"That's because you don't understand the power these aura pills derive. Only the oldest and wisest martial artists are able to truly develop enough chi naturally, so for the rest of us who know how to manipulate the techniques but do not have such natural reserves, we can use these to increase our reserves temporarily with side effects. They are legal and commonly used in the Qinghai tournament. Dangerous, maybe, but not cheating."

"Know any of these techniques you're talking about?" Ukyo asked, wondering whether Mousse was just full of hot air. "Those pills you have sound like they're pretty useless if you don't."

"I have read about some of them on my spare time. Many of them I actually have manipulated successfully, but unfortunately far too slowly to be useful in a fight. I suppose we'll have to find out what they're truly capable of soon, won't we. And we will soon find out whether I need to take your offer to give up on Shampoo."

Ukyo rolled her eyes in amazement by the last sentence. "If you say so. Just remember, you can always come with me if you change your mind."

"I'll keep that offer in mind," Mousse claimed as he jumped up and left the room, excitement running through his head. "I want to practice for the big day tomorrow."

"Can I just say something before you leave?" Ukyo asked as the ecstatic duck boy disappeared from the door.

Mousse poked his head back in. "Yes, Ukyo?"

"I know you're probably not too happy with the way Kontasu is being treated. I don't blame you. Neither is Akane or Ranma." She watched Mousse's entire body returned into her room, taking that as a hint that he was interested. "I didn't really want him to work at the restaurant in the first place. I always thought I could handle it fine by myself. But he wouldn't have any of that. He'd keep going on about this whole bit with showing his gratitude and how he couldn't bare to be nothing but a burden. I told him he could help me out a little, then he goes on about how he'll only work eighty hours if I wanted him to."

"The weird thing is he'd probably be less of a burden if he just let me run it myself. I mean, the way he screws up all the time it's amazing I'm making a dime anymore. And I can't blame him too much for it since he's just doing what he's used to. His ugly stepmother and stepsisters must have really treated him like crap for him to think I pay him a lot."

"You are aware that he's in love with you, right?" Mousse reminded Ukyo, some bitterness in his voice. "You complain about being alone and you reject someone who would gladly devote his entire livelihood to you. Sounds a lot like someone you said you don't like, don't you think?"

"If you're telling me to date him I don't think I can do that. I hate to say it but and I don't want to hurt his feelings so don't tell him this, but I just don't feel the same about him."

"Of course you don't." It was obvious from the acidic tone Mousse was taking this personally. "After all, I guess you're the type who enjoys watching men go after you unrequitedly. Breaking hearts is so much more fun than a functional relationship. I suppose that's why you like to go after a masher like Saotome, right?"

That comment hurt. Ukyo was the type that always took putdowns quite seriously, but what Mousse just said did what only the worst ones she heard could do. It was almost as bad as the insults she put up with from other kids when they heard of her engagement. "Mousse, let me get two things straight," Ukyo scorned him. "First off, I have a claim to him. I have ten years of being disowned to prove it. And two, it would be my greatest wish for Kontasu to get over me. I feel really, really sorry for him, and I know outright rejecting him would break his heart. That's why I'll never do it because I don't WANT to do that to him. I just hope that one day he finds a nice girl, who actually deserves him, and they live happily ever after. Not some nasty butch like me."

Her words became less bitter and more wistfully sad as she went on. Now she just stared at Mousse, hoping that it would help him understand. Eventually, she stood up and signaled for him to leave. "I gotta change. It's almost time for the night shift. You and Kontasu are off for tonight. Go ahead and practice for your big day, and take Kontasu with you."

"Very well. I'll take care of him."

As he was about to walk out the door, Ukyo called him again. "Oh, and Mousse."

"Yes?"

"I swear if you ever get any ideas in that poor soul's head again, I'll make the both of us some duck lo mien." Despite the harshness and seriousness of the threat, she still maintained some hint of humor in it.

Knowing the threat was very genuine, Mousse thought of a new idea. "I guess I'll just tell have to tell him that his lessons on manliness are over for now."

"Good idea."

Save for the three foreigners who just walked in, the Hibiki house was merely an empty disaster area. Cologne frantically called for Ryoga while calling his name, only being greeted by a large hole in the wall upstairs, exposing the house to the night sky. "So. That was Ryoga's decision. I should have expected that." When she went downstairs, her grandson and great granddaughter had waited in the same place in front of the front door.

Shampoo looked over to her elder, a determined hint of hope on her face. "Great Grandmother. You find Airen, yes? We go home now."

Cologne could only stare sadly at the girl that she had watched grow up for sixteen years, and shake her head. "We're going home soon, but not in the way that you're hoping for I'm afraid. I'm sorry."

Shampoo could only stare at her harbinger, letting herself drop to her knees. As she looked down in distress, a few tears began falling down her cheeks and she made no effort to push off the painful grip her father had on his shoulders.

It was only a week until they were due back to China. Their only hope was that Ryoga would by fate come back to Nerinma within that time and Cologne could change his mind. Not entirely improbable, but not entirely likely either. There was a fear in her that maybe all she ultimately did was destroy the one hint of happiness in a lonely boys life in a futile attempt to save her daughter's life.

Well, this chapter ended up going a lot longer than I expected it to and the fight scene between Ranma and Mousse just wasn't on my priorities in this. I did try to moderate the characters a little better and make Qin more of a side character.

Another thing. I actually am an avid fan of the Ryoga/Akari pairing. She may be a simple plot device, but I think they're one of the few relatively functional relationships in the manga – the Ranma/Akane pairing is the relatively close second there, and both of them seem to understand love MUCH better than any of the three other suitors for Ranma (okay, Ryoga understands it better in the end at least). This separation was intended more as a plot device to get him good and angry again more than anything.

Well, I hoped you all liked this better than the previous chapters.