-Chapter 2-

In the deep of the night Beryl sat up in Ranma's mindscape watching with interest as the boy dreamt with chaotic swirling images. Brief glances of someone labeled 'mother' other moments in the wilderness being yelled at by Genma Saotome, "Be a man boy!" and other such epithets warred with images of young women listening to Ranma as she trained them, girls who looked up to her as a Tribe Sister and teacher. Days and weeks of grueling training and her honor as one of the Tribe's top warriors fought against years with his father on the road being scolded for being a 'girl' for being 'weak' and then stealing. In dreams Ranma was stealing from stores, from carts, and even people walking along the street. He was committing crimes, losing his honor with each petty theft and what was more losing respect for his father whose ideas of training were too often mistakes that without his vast ability to learn would have left Ranma crippled or worse.

The boy's mind was warring with his self image, with who he was and his own sexual identity. Was she a warrior woman high in standing and honor in her tribe bringing new techniques and ways to learn to her sisters or was he a young man the best martial artist in his generation, but adrift and trying to find his honor.

Beryl watched and wished she could guide him to a place of ease, but she knew her presence in these dreams would not be helpful. Indeed Beryl represented training in magical powers that Ranma could only use in his female form. It was another rock that slammed into his self image and made the poor boy wonder if he was actually a she. Beryl watched and wanted to help, but she had her own issues to deal with tonight, her own nightmares that were even now beginning to consume her.

The ancient Queen of Terra screamed as she was killed by her trusted advisor Kaolinite literally stabbed in the back again and again. Then she was awake and someone else was controlling her body, someone else was rushing away from a pool of water filled with rage and anger at a Panda or 'Stupid ol Man!' Desperately she tried to move her own limbs, but they would not obey, she shouted and screamed begging it all to stop and then she was shoved away. She was pushed into a dark recess and ignored forever.

She woke with a mental scream and disrupted Ranma's nightmares as well waking the boy up. Ranma stood and shivered with fear of something and then slowly walked to the bathroom and stared at his reflection in the mirror. There were dark circles under his eyes and his voice sounded wistful as he said, "Who am I?"

Beryl didn't have an answer for him; indeed she hardly had an answer for herself. Once she had been Queen of Terra and in love with a young and handsome prince and now she was a phantom in her own body and despite herself she was in love with two very different women, much like Ranma himself was.

Beryl could feel fear washing over Ranma as he said, "Do you want to try walking Beryl san?"

Trepidation filled her as well, he must have heard her thoughts or felt her sadness at being unable to control her own body and so he was offering her a chance. He was offering her a chance to allow him lose himself and run away. She realized that if she took control at this moment Ranma would retreat and despite her own needs and wants she had grown to love this young man and couldn't let him do that to himself. She couldn't let him give up or lose, Ranma Saotome didn't lose. So she said, "No thank you Ranma and why don't you practice in that form this morning."

Ranma nodded and went off to his practice and sparring with his father. The crisis was averted and his outer shell of confidence was back. She sighed to herself and wished that instead of taking another class in fighting tactics in the academy that she had instead taken the course in psychology.

Despite his own internal war between man and woman Ranma continued to spend time in his female form learning magic from Beryl and working on a device that would prevent him from being drained by youma. "This is a complete piece of junk!" Ranma tossed a shirt with a battery, an old circuit board, and miscellaneous components sewn into it to the ground. The device sparked with electricity which set off a chain reaction in the magical signatures and started to burn. Ranma hastily put the fire out and frowned, learning magic from Beryl had been hard, but with something so useful and potentially adaptable to martial arts Ranma spent the time and learned them. In fact she may have neglected her school homework for the magical lessons, but in this case Beryl hadn't complained.

With her training Ranma could now use small magics in her female form and write runic instructions and forms into cloth and circuits, however it just wasn't enough to create a functioning outfit that would protect her from being drained and potentially even access her magical core while a male.

She was relatively certain she could erect a magical barrier that would keep herself from being drained, but it would last about twenty seconds at the moment which might or might not be enough time to take out a youma of the same caliber she had last faced. Also, that path wouldn't give Ranma the ability to use magic while male. So, she was left with waiting until she could erect a longer standing magical barrier which might take months and wouldn't be what Ranma really needed or she could build an outfit.

The results of the attempt to build an outfit were in charred remains at her feet and so Ranma was frustrated. That was when Beryl spoke up saying, "If the components were better we could make something better Ranma. Just one or two of the best computer models we saw in those magazines would be more than enough spare parts."

Ranma snorted, those things were expensive and she wasn't going to turn her back on her honor and again to become a thief like her father. Approaching Nabiki with that picture idea was sounding more and more worthwhile. Ranma sighed, picked up the ruined shirt and device, threw them into the trash and walked inside. It was after dinner so the middle sister would be in her room most likely listening to J-pop and planning some scheme or other much like the one she had when Ryouga returned last time.

Stopping by the bathroom for some warm water Ranma now paused at the door ruefully remembering the poor lost boy thinking he had half a chance in battle because of a bottle of aspirin. Ranma had ended up literally dodging a telephone pole, but even so he took Ryouga down yet again. Nabiki had probably profited off that fight and here he was about to knock on the girl's door. He clenched his teeth and finally struggled through his annoyance to knock on the door.

Moments later the door opened and Nabiki smiled with a predatory gleam in her eye, "Why Ranma what brings you to my room this late at night. Surely you aren't intending on anything indecent?"

Ranma just shook his head and said, "I need some money."

Nabiki looked at him and said, "Did our fathers put you up to taking us each out on a date again?"

"No," Ranma replied remembering that little fiasco. He'd tried a movie with Akane and dinner, but the girl just stormed out of the theatre soon after they sat down basically telling him to go to hell for thinking she would allow herself to be groped by him in the dark. The date with Nabiki had been easier, but there was no spark. It was just her trying to pull as much money out of him and their fathers as she could. The final date with Kasumi might have been good, but it didn't get farther than Akane attacking him for taking her sister to the movies to grope her. After that they had to take the unconscious form of the youngest Tendo girl back home, which was probably better in Ranma's mind. He really didn't want Kasumi to know his feelings for her, didn't want her to feel sorry for him.

"Okay so what is it then?" Nabiki asked pulling Ranma out of his reverie.

Ranma hesitated and then said, "I'm working on a project like the last one. Something based off what my mentor taught me."

Nabiki smirked and said, "You know Mr. Saotome doesn't recall ever bringing you to a teacher who knew about technology or who would have taught you such things."

Ranma sighed and with Beryl's assistance in wording he said, "I'd like to do something about the youma problem in Juuban. It's a martial artist's duty to protect the weak."

Nabiki snorted at what she must have felt was his outdated sense of morality, but she said, "All right Saotome this will cost you a favor in return, now how much?"

Ranma looked back at her and said, "I need 100,000 yen."

Nabiki looked at him and said, "Cute Saotome, real cute. I can't help you with that, not even if you were interested in posing for some pictures for Kuno."

Ranma saw that by her body language she was now annoyed with him so he nodded and said, "My apologies for taking your time." Then he walked off. Hearing Nabki's door shut he sighed and walked back to his room. It had been a long shot, but he had to try. He sighed in his bedroll, looked up at the ceiling and said, "I guess I'll just have to wait two months then."

Beryl sighed as well in his mind and wished she could help him gain the money or learn the skills even faster. Then she realized that while she couldn't someone else certainly could and so she said, "We could contact Grandmother Cologne, she might be willing to help."

Beryl winced internally even after she had said that. Ranma was still having issues with his conflicting sexes and life in addition to guilt for having deceived people in the Amazon village. He wanted to contact Cologne and yet at the same time knew that doing so would hasten his/her admission to any village sisters that she was actually a male. Ranma sighed and said, "You're right actually. I'll send her a letter telling her that I am well and in Japan. I'll explain the youma situation and ask if she can help me with funds."

Beryl was proud of the boy turned girl. Not only, was he facing up against his difficulties in this life but also, despite the seemingly minor progress with magic Ranma had actually done what had once been thought impossible. No one in the history of the kingdom of Terra had mastered the small magics, Ranma now knew, in less than a year's time. If he continued learning at that rate he'd be able to generate a defense field against youma draining in a month, maybe even less.

Even so, Beryl really wanted him to be able to make this suit so that he could access his magical core while in male form and meeting with Princess Serenity. If that suit could be finished then Ranma would be able to use his/her magical core for offense without worrying about draining or defense against magic without the magical garments he/she, would not be as prepared or defended. Beryl desperately hoped that Cologne could send some money and prayed for a miracle.

A few days later Ranma was closer to the goal by a small margin. He was actually pondering that fact while at the ice skating rink nominally with Akane. The fathers had once again foisted time to get to know each sister on Ranma and Akane and so here he was eating fish cakes and being somewhat bored when Akane ran towards him in a panic, "Ranma have you see P-chan?"

Ranma sighed, not even wanting to begin contemplating where Ryouga could have gotten himself lost to and because the entire situation was ludicrous. Akane had seen Ranma smash the piglet into a wall and decided right then and there to protect the creature from him and adopted it for her own. Ranma's first inclination at the time had been to simply tell Akane the news and so he had walked into her room and said, "Akane I think you should know something about that pig."

Akane had just screamed, called him a pervert and said she didn't want to hear anything he had to say against a poor defenseless piglet. So, here he was watching her gesticulate wildly about losing her pet while he was thinking of a way to say, "You idiot it's Ryouga!"

As he was about to say exactly that another young girl with long flowing brown hair and a cute pink outfit flounced into the eating area with the piglet in her arms. Ranma simply pointed and said, "Is it that piglet?"

Akane turned to the other girl and practically screamed, "Give me back my P-chan."

"Oh no you must be mistaken this is Azusa's little Charlotte."

"No it's my P-chan. You can't have him."

The claims went back and forth until a young gentleman in a fancy outfit came up to the two, took the piglet from Azusa's hand and gave it to Akane explaining that his partner was basically a kleptomaniac. Akane smiled at him and murmured a thank you when the young gentleman swept her up and as an apparent repayment for rescuing her piglet he kissed her on the lips. Ranma winced at that and knew the outcome even as it happened and Akane smashed her fist into the young boy's head and implanted him into the floor. This gave Azusa enough time to put a small pink ribbon around P-chan's neck and declare that 'Charlotte' was hers.

Akane argued the fact and somehow the two of them ended up agreeing to a skating competition to determine who 'Charlotte' would belong to. Ranma just rubbed his face and walked out of the rink not wanting to be any part of another failure of Akane's.

Beryl cut in as he walked off saying, "You know she wasn't all that bad in that match against Kodachi."

"Not with any help from me except when she nearly tripped on that ball. That near win of hers was all Ryouga"

"Yes but, I don't think Ryouga will be able to help her unless he wants to choke himself to death on that collar."

Ranma sighed and agreed with Beryl that he would try to help Akane win her match against Azusa. This soon led to Ranma getting on the ice and falling on his butt. Akane laughed at him and asked how he would train her if he didn't even know how to skate. Ranma ignored the provocation and said, "Give me a couple days to learn this part and come back."

Akane left the building laughing, but Ranma just stood up and started over. He fell numerous times and so by the time he was done for the day it was a red haired girl who was sodden wet and just barely able to skate who was nearly toppled by Azusa and then rescued by one Mikado Sanzenain. Beryl recognized his attempt to kiss her and warned Ranma who quickly responded before lip contact with a fist directly into Mikado's face. The boy toppled onto the ice nearly taking the girl in his arms with him, but Ranma easily slipped out of his unconscious grasp and skated off.

A day later had Ranma once again at the skating rink with Akane and her pet pig attempting to show the other girl a few possibilities for combat on the ice. Akane began to listen at first, but soon enough Ranma's mouth got him in trouble despite Beryl's best efforts he seemed incapable of not insulting the girl as if she turned on his antagonism meter or something.

Ranma finally stalked off determined to just let Akane lose the match. The only flaw in that plan was that young Ryouga would end up stuck as a pig in Azusa Shiratori's house and with that collar on the poor boy would not be able to transform. However, the solution to that problem hit Ranma as he arrived at the dojo and transformed into a girl to begin working on her magic and sorting through various components. She grabbed the wire cutters that were in her tools and ran back to the skating rink.

Once at the rink Ranma found P-chan, snipped his collar and brought the piglet into the bathroom when she transformed him back into a boy. Ryouga proceeded to attack, but Ranma easily blocked them and said, "Look I don't have time for this pork brain. If you don't want to end up as a trophy you best stop attackin me and get down there to help Akane."

Ryouga nodded his assent and Ranma led the boy to the ice. Unfortunately Ryouga had the exact same problem as Ranma had originally and thus couldn't skate at all. Even so Ranma knew that Ryouga's weird grudge with him would provide all the impetus the other boy might need and so skated off saying, "Come an' get me bacon bits"

Ryouga rushed onto the ice after Ranma and was indeed able to stand and skate with rage giving him the impetus to do so. After about twenty minutes of avoiding Ryouga the young Saotome skated off the ice, looked at Akane and said, "I present Ryouga Hibiki your new skating instructor."

In stereo the two shouted at Ranma and tried to attack. Ranma avoided both and skated off saying, "You'll be perfect for each other."

Ranma spent the next few days avoiding Ryouga and Akane hoping that the cursed pig boy didn't accidentally get lost again. Unfortunately for Ryouga he did get lost and ended up with Azusa and her horrifying collection of pilfered and French named items. Luckily for the lost boy he was taken to the match by Azusa and shown as the prize.

Ranma sat in the stands not far from 'P-chan' and watched the battle down on the ice. Azusa clearly outmatched Akane in sheer skill, but the Tendo girl was a mountain of power and rage. Pirouettes and flips were lovely to watch and the girl's talent just spoke of someone who could be an Olympic star, but her punches and kicks just didn't quite have the power to take Akane down and unlike Kodachi Azusa couldn't make the rink move after throwing Akane into the air and then win that way.

It was simply a matter of time Azusa threw everything she had at Akane, but Akane had more than enough reserves to weather the storm. So when Azusa was finally too tired to move out of the way one of Akane's punches slammed into her and sent her under. With that Akane had won the match and rescued her little pig. She walked past Ranma on the way out and finally the boy said, "You know it's just Ryouga right?"

Akane stared at him tired and angry she said, "What do you mean Ranma?"

"Your pet pig is Ryouga, just like I turn into a girl he turns into that. I can't blame the guy for not telling ya and I'm glad ya rescued him, but before you went home to your room and undressed or something I thought I would tell ya."

Akane looked at Ranma and then down at her piglet. Finally she said, "We'll see if you're lying or not Ranma. But, somehow this has to be all your perverted fault!"

Ranma watched Akane stalk off with her pig in tow wondering why it was that he and she got along about as well as kerosene and matches. He shrugged to himself more determined to avoid the youngest Tendo girl and walked off to practice.

A day later Ranma was sitting next to his nominal friends in Furinkan and frowning slightly. Nabiki was still suggesting much too low a sum for any pictures of the Amazon goddess for Kuno and while Akane and Ryouga seemed to have hit it off after the skating match leaving him with one less potential fiancée it also seemed to have given him two rage induced psycho's who thought everything was his fault. While normally it would be good training for him to take the two of them out in battle it was seriously putting a damper on training in magic.

He pondered that last though a moment wondering if perhaps he should just add magical blasts to his next fight and then smiled to himself and took a bite from his sandwich. As he was chewing he wondered when he might get a letter from Grandmother Cologne, then suddenly there was an explosion from the wall next to him and he was in midair reflexes having taken over and thrown him away from the attack.

A figure stood in the dust and looked at him with clear anger in her eyes. "You, what have you done to my Tribe Sister?"

Ranma's mind boggled as he realized it was Shampoo her best friend in the village and so much more. Without hesitation he rushed forward to embrace her saying, "Shampoo. . ." only to come up short as a wicked blade swung towards him. Suddenly he realized the problem and then Shampoo was on the attack.

The blade barely missed his neck as Ranma dodged past Shampoo and headed out into the streets. Once outside he was on a desperate defense dodging Shampoo's blows as fast as he could. He wasn't quite fast enough and pain jolted down his arm as he missed a dodge and the blade sliced him this was not good. Not good at all, he had to stop her and quickly.

Unfortunately that was easier said than done as the battle with the purple haired girl raged on. She had been catching up with him in the village and she had probably had additional training from grandmother since Ranma had left. It was only with a combination of luck and skill that he was able to disarm her. But, that just meant an extension of the battle not necessarily a win. It was quite possible that sooner or later, even without her blade, Shampoo could hit him with something that might kill him. Seeing an opening he used it to kick off her approaching fist and disengage himself from the combat. The punch propelled jump sent him across the street where he shouted, "Wait Shampoo!"

The girl stared at him with anger clearly evident on her face, "I am waiting male. You tell me everything about what you have done to Ranma or you I kill."

She was deadly serious and Ranma couldn't quite blame her. If he thought someone had taken Shampoo he'd probably be out for blood too. His eyes desperately looked about the street and area for some water as he said, "Look Ranma's fine I swear. I'll even take you to her."

Shampoo growled low in her throat and said, "Very well, but if you think to trick me you is wrong."

After that the girl slowly approached him, picking up her deadly sword on her way. As Ranma walked off at sword point towards a cup of water he felt that this was not the way he wanted Shampoo to find out about his curse.

"Shampoo, I . . . look I'm sorry" Ranma Stammered

The girl just shoved her sword into his back and said, "March, show me sister male"

It was a long and slow walk as Ranma desperately though of some way to explain, to tell his best friend that he hadn't been tricking her and that . . . deep inside he loved her. But, there was no way to do that except to fight Shampoo and he didn't want to do that right now. Not for real, not to the death and so, despite his wants or desperate pleas he marched back to the school.

There at the school he found the table he had been sitting at. Despite the destruction of the wall and what must have been chaos in the room his drink was still sitting there. Its cool liquid seemed to be taunting him. It felt like the cup was saying this was his last chance, his last moment to change his life and it was ready to do so for the worse. Steeling his nerves as Shampoo jabbed him with her sword again he took the cup in his hands and said softly, "I'm sorry Shampoo, I should have told you earlier. . ." the water dumped over his head and he became a girl watching as the anger in his tribe sister's eyes faded and then turned into a look of sheer betrayal.

"Why. . ." the sword swung towards Ranma and she didn't even dodge. Even so the blade stopped right at her throat. She looked at Shampoo and the purple haired girl slowly took the sword away and with tears streaming down her eyes she said, "Were you ever my sister, ever my friend or were you just stupid male all that time!"

Ranma reached out her hand trying to explain how it had been, trying to undo the damage she had caused, but Shampoo was gone already running down the street after a barely heard Chinese statement, "goodbye forever"

The look of betrayal and sadness on Shampoo's face burned into Ranma's mind and he stood stock still. Shampoo's face and her final words slammed into the red haired girl like a truck. Goodbye to the girl who she had known so well for eight months, goodbye forever to her friend and ally, goodbye to the home she had known, forever goodbye. A soft voice nudged her out of the cycle and said, "Ranma, go after her. You have to explain. . ."

Beryl was right she had to find Shampoo, had to tell her that she was sorry for everything. She ran down the street as fast as she could desperately searching for her friend. She was desperately trying to find one of the women who was so dear to her heart. As she ran scenes from training rushed through her mind. Triumph at mastering the Amaguriken and her best friend next to her smiling happily, and then Shampoo re-dedicating and then mastering the move. Ranma had cheered happily as the purple haired girl also mastered the technique a week later. Pain as boulders smashed into her form, but a smile on her face nonetheless as Shampoo was right next to her being smashed as well. More memories of techniques, pressure points, training every day, and teaching young girls the art flashed through Ranma's memories and all of it was punctuated by Shampoo. She had always been there in the morning; she had always been there at night. All of those happy days with her friend flashed through her mind. All that time with her grandmother watching the two of them grow close and bond. Each day she would wake and plan to tell Shampoo the truth and each day she ended up not doing so. It had been perfect bliss to have such a friend and she hadn't wanted to ruin it.

Ranma searched for hours and hours wasting the entire day hoping she would find Shampoo and figure out what she could say to bring back her friend. Finally as the sun went down Ranma stood alone on the sidewalk she finally gave in to her emotions and cried. More accurately she bawled, curling up into a small ball and crying on the street desperately wishing for a miracle that would bring Shampoo back into her life.

When Ranma finally came back to the Tendo house she walked inside and up to Kasumi's room where the oldest Tendo girl would be reading a medical journal and listening to classical music. She rapped on the door and said, "I'm home, sorry I missed helping you with dinner Kasumi. There was. . . well an emergency."

With that pitiful explanation done Ranma walked back outside and stood in the darkness finally saying, "Thank you for not saying 'I told you so'"

Beryl who had been unsure how to comfort Ranma just whispered back, "Oh Ranma, I wouldn't. I know what it is like to lose those you love. I know how it feels to have the one you love throw it back in your face. No, I wouldn't have said any such thing Ranma. I do not wish this sadness upon you. In all truth Ranma I love you."

Ranma sat staring up at the stars, hoping that somehow this could be made right and smiling with a single tear running down her cheek. At least someone loved her, even if it was the voice in her head.

When Shampoo did not show up the next day, or the day after Ranma was sure the girl must have returned to the village in China. Slowly his spirits rose day by day and he went back to something of a routine. He became a girl every night and poured herself into learning more and more from Beryl and as a side effect her math class became one in which, as a boy, he started receiving A's.

After seven days Ranma was still somewhat glum, but the hard exterior of confidence and bravado was back. She had a clock on the wall and looking at that clock she went through a number of attacks, defenses, and such while keeping her magical shield up. Tossing a few mana bolts here and there was a difficult addition, but she was still able to keep the shield up for an entire minute. After that she could toss a few more mana bolts and then she was left with only her chi and all of her accumulated martial abilities associated with that. It seemed as if both of her reserves were refilled by resting and meditating, but that she could not increase one using the other.

Still, what she had was probably enough for a return trip to Juuban and hopefully a meeting with Princess Serenity and whatever remained of her court. Determined to get something right she went back into the house and began speaking to the eldest Tendo saying, "Kasumi I will need to be in Juuban tomorrow, so I can't help with dinner is that all right?"

Kasumi smiled that sweet and gentle smile of hers making Ranma's heart beat slightly faster and said, "Of course Ranma. Do you know what time we should expect you back?"

Ranma shook her head and said, "Not really, but I'll try not to be gone longer than four hours."

Kasumi nodded and went back to reading one of her books. Ranma contemplated the eldest Tendo's features one last time and walked to the bathroom for some hot water. After returning to his male body Ranma went to sleep.

Ranma didn't find anything the next day and not wanting to take every day away from the Kitchen and thus Kasumi's presence Ranma didn't go to Juuban again the day after that.

"You should tell her you know?"

Ranma sighed as Beryl spoke saying, "What if she laughs?"

"She won't laugh."

"What if she doesn't feel the same way, but feels duty bound to follow through on our fathers' promise."

Beryl didn't have an answer for that. She thought that she herself would have leapt at the chance to take Prince Endymion through a marriage contract. Then he couldn't have chosen princess Serenity he would have been hers and she wouldn't have burned with hatred anger and jealousy enough to actually consider a plan that would have destroyed the Moon Kingdom. She didn't fool herself anymore it was obvious that Kaolinite must have killed her and exacted the vengeance she had worked so hard to set up otherwise this world would not be so primitive.

The ancient bitterness, anger and betrayal subsided in her mind and she contemplated Ranma's question again. Finally she said, "I think I would tell her anyway. I think I might be tempted to take the one I loved for my own despite how they felt about it."

"Really?"

"Yes, Ranma I would. I must admit that such does not make me a nice person."

Ranma just said, "You know what Beryl I don't think you would. I think you would let the person go."

"That was nice of you to say Ranma, but despite all the things I have told you about my past I don't think you know me very well."

Ranma shrugged and walked off to help Kasumi in the kitchen. It was actually the next time Ranma was in Juuban, three days later, when it happened. Ranma was walking down the street when her detector pinged and she turned a corner to follow the signal.

There she saw a group of young girls in those skimpy outfits fighting a youma. A quick count and Beryl's assistance gave her Princess Serenity along her inner guards Mars, Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter.

Ranma rushed in with her magical field up and used her staff to rip the youma to shreds in mere moments. Once again the Amaguriken technique did the job and the lack of her chi being drained meant that the youma felt the technique at its maximum potential. When she was done Ranma turned to the sailor girls and gave them a jaunty wave saying, "Hi"

The said fuku clad females looked at Ranma as if she were their worst nightmare given form. The princess spoke first saying hesitantly, "Beryl, we have seen your youma and we know your plans to revive Metallia using the Ginzuishou, but we won't let you have it."

"Ginzuishou?"

"The Silver Crystal of the Moon Kingdom one of Queen Serenity's more powerful artifacts."

"Right and Metallia is the one ya didn't contact cause you died."

"Yes, that's right."

"So why do they seem to think otherwise?"

Beryl's response was, "Look out!"

Ranma dodged to the side of a golden disk and then had to continue dodging to avoid a bolt of lightning, a powerful beam of light, a blast of fire, a strange chain made of hearts, and then a blast of fog. The last wasn't so much a dodge away from as it was a dodge into. Moving into the fog gave her an opportunity to avoid the blasts of the sailor girls, but it gave the same girls a chance to re-arrange themselves and provide themselves good positioning for the next salvo.

The fog cleared and Ranma was millimeters away from another blast from Sailor Venus and then she felt the skin of her thigh blister even as she moved inches out of the way of magical flames produced by Mars, then she felt herself go airborne and all of her muscles try to lock up as nearly a thousand volts of electricity smashed into her. Despite all of that she was just able to get her body to move out of the way as a golden tiara blasted past her.

In pain and with her mana reserves exceedingly low after shielding her from those attacks Ranma did the one thing she had left screaming out, "Very well you have forced me to use my Ultimate technique!" The girls arrayed against her all blanched as she tensed herself, but when she shouted, "Fast Break!" then ran off down the street none of them were able to recover in time to catch her.

Thus Ranma was able to find a restroom use hot water and escape onto the streets again wondering how he was going to find out all the information he was going to need. He catalogued the questions with Beryl, "Okay, so we need to know why they think you're or I in this case am the bad guy. Then, we need to know why you or uh she needs the Ginzuishou. After that we need to find out about Metallia and what sort of force that thing is. Then we need to convince the people who just tried to kill us that we aren't bad guys, and finally we need to hunt down the youma and whoever is pretending to be you and stop them."

Softly Beryl said, "Maybe it is me. . ."

"What? Why would you say that?"

Sadness clear in her mental voice Beryl said, "I said once that you didn't know me and it's true Ranma. I didn't tell you everything. I planned to destroy the Moon Kingdom, I planned to contact Metallia and perform the rituals that would grant me enough power to kill them all for taking Endymion away from me."

"But, you didn't do it. You were killed and betrayed by Kaolinte."

"It was still my plan, my responsibility."

Ranma could feel Beryl's anguish, could feel the weight of responsibility that now consumed the Queen. "It's not. . . you didn't. . ." words failed him as he tried to tell her that she didn't do it, but he couldn't really know that. Not without finding the woman who was pretending to be Beryl and asking her.

The biggest problem with that plan was that if she went into Juuban then she would have both the sailor girls and the youma to deal with. The only way to avoid at least one of those issues would be to build the suit. With that Ranma could go into Juuban in his male form and attempt to get to know the Senshi and their plans.

As Ranma rode the train back from Nerima he realized that he was wrong. The biggest problem would be getting Beryl to come out of whatever depressive funk she had just fallen into. It was causing all sorts of issues and he really didn't want to start bawling on the train. Yeah he was having enough troubles figuring out who the hell he was without doing something as girly as bawling again.

So, he tried something new. He sat in the seat allowing the rhythm of the train to still his thoughts and he traveled into himself. There within his thoughts and essence he found Beryl she was cold and shivering as she cried. He tried to touch her, but it was just warmth no physical contact was possible. He tried again, this time keeping his hand at a small distance he ran it across and through her back sending a ripple of warmth and concern through the woman's spiritual essence and bringing her back from the abyss. Slowly he coaxed her forward, slowly she moved out of the recesses of his mind and back out to the harsh lights of the train. She blinked his eyes and touched the seat back she was there, she was him and he was behind her encouraging her to move.

Beryl stood up in Ranma's body it was strange, not balanced like she remembered and something was pinching her at the crotch causing a slight pain. She looked down and saw the body its lack of breasts and the source of her discomfort. The body had moved around in the chair and certain parts had gotten caught in the boxer shorts. She made the body stand and move hoping to fix the issue. Standing up made the boxer shorts shift and the pain was relieved. Beryl sighed happily at that lack of pain and then slowly, hesitantly, she took a step. Ranma's body crashed to the floor and suddenly she was back behind the boy, back away from the delicious sensations of touch and feel. Even so shifted away she could still feel things as Ranma moved towards the opening doors she could feel the cool bars of the handgrip as he let go and sense the feel of the ground on his feet as he walked towards the Tendo home.

It was late by the time Ranma arrived at the house and he didn't expect anyone to be up, so when he walked in and saw Kasumi Tendo sitting in a chair and drinking tea he stared at her for a few moments. She was wearing a long loose night robe of violet that made her brown eyes shine like chocolate with a hint of mint. Her hair was tied up for bed and she seemed the very vision of ethereal beauty. Kasumi smiled at him and said, "Oh Ranma you're back late. Is everything okay?"

Ranma walked past her and with his usual confident self said, "Yeah Kasumi everything's fine. Just have to get some rest is all."

He kept walking as her sounds followed behind him. She was at the bottom of the stairs as he reached the top and she said, "You know Ranma, anytime you want to talk about something I'm here for you."

He could hear the concern in her voice and it seemed to sound just like an older sister might sound. He couldn't bring himself to tell her what he was feeling towards her, but maybe, just maybe he could explain the rest. He looked over at Nabki's room listening carefully for any movement and then he carefully crept down the stairs.

At the bottom of the stairs he looked at the taller brown haired woman and said, "All right I'll tell you, but ya got ta promise not to tell anyone else."

Kasumi nodded and said, "I promise Ranma, let me make some tea and we will talk."

Soon enough Ranma was sitting across from Kasumi and telling her a wild tale about a martial arts trip, Chinese Amazons, an ancient Moon Kingdom and the Terra Queen who once loved a prince of Earth. Some parts were glossed over and other parts were avoided, but Kasumi understood the general idea of the tale and its main protagonists. When it was over Kasumi looked at Ranma and said, "what will you do now?'

That was the question and Ranma felt it ring through him. What would he do, he would find a way to win no matter the body, no matter the form, he was Ranma Saotome heir to the Anything Goes style and best martial artist of his generation, she was the shield sister of Shampoo one of the best warriors of her age and had thousands of years of Amazon history backing her up. The strange conjunction of those two lines of thought pulled Ranma to a standing position as he looked at Kasumi and said, "I'm going to win. Whatever it takes 'cause Ranma Saotome doesn't lose."

If the look Kasumi gave him as he stood there was somewhat less than sisterly Ranma missed it. Now that his mood was vastly improved the young martial artist gave his sincere thanks to Kasumi for listening and walked back up the stairs and into his room. The eldest Tendo cleared the two cups and went to bed as well.

Author's notes: Thanks to everyone who has read my stories, without you I'd be writing to myself, which while fun just wouldn't be the same as trying to produce for even a small audience.

Also, thanks to those who have taken time to give me praise and even those who have given time for criticism. For those who don't like the characterization or the "OOC" of certain characters, well my regrets, but I won't be pleasing you with this fanfic and that's okay. Thanks for the comments anyway.

For those who have given me suggestions on style and how to improve my writing I have to say those are true gems. Each time I see that I think about it and try my best to encompass it into my next chapter.

Finally apologies to the folks who are still waiting for Baba Yaga's curse to finish. This story has caught my mind and ambition at the moment, but sooner or later we'll find out what happens to Ranma, Hotaru, and yet another Beryl. Apparently I have something for bringing that lady to the side of light.

Anyway, I suppose people would rather read my stories instead of Author futzing, so I'll be done now.