Chapter 9: Ukyo's Decision

Ukyo sat sitting in her restaurant watching as Konatsu served the Saturday afternoon crowd. The police officer had just left as quietly as she had arrived for which Ukyo was grateful. The officer had put on a great act of asking questions with a casual attitude, never alerting the customers to how serious the discussion was. The chef wanted to shout and scream though – she had screwed up again. She had chased Ranma out of his sanctuary and right into Genma's hands. Now her fiancé was in the hospital surrounded by police officers who were trying to break Ranma free of his/her curses.

Her fiancé? Gods, there was a joke. Ranma didn't love her. She had gone there last night to just try and talk to him one-on-one without Akane around. She had a rough idea that she would apologize to him and see if she could get his friendship back. Maybe if she could re-establish that, she could see where things would go from there. Maybe they would just stay friends, maybe not. Unfortunately, Shampoo was also there trying to get her "Airen" to admit his love for her. There was something about the purple-haired bitch that always pushed Ukyo over the edge. Any time Shampoo was about, Ukyo brain stopped working and she did the stupidest things. Last night, it had been insisting that Ranma loved her, not Shampoo. The two has argued the whole time while rapping on the door.

Then Ranma had gotten fed up and yelled out from inside: "GO TO HELL THE TWO OF YOU! I'M NOT YOUR FIANCE AND I'M NOT YOUR HUSBAND! I NEVER WILL BE! I DON'T LOVE EITHER OF YOU – HELL, I DON'T EVEN LIKE YOU ANYMORE!"

The outburst had stopped the women cold. Ranma went on at force ten: "LEAVE ME ALONE! A STOLEN YATTA DOESN'T MAKE ME YOURS! YOU KISSING ME DOESN'T MAKE ME YOURS! GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT? THEN TAKE IT UP WITH GENMA OR YOUR TRIBAL COUNCIL! NEITHER ONE IS MY PROBLEM!"

"I BELONG TO MYSELF! I'LL DECIDE WHAT CONTRACTS ARE VALID! BUT WHEN I DO MARRY, IT WILL BE FOR LOVE! NO OTHER REASON! THAT LEAVES YOU TWO OUT! NOW SHOVE THE $%!#! OFF!"

The two women had broken out in tears, causing Ranma to scream in frustration. To Ukyo's utter shame, she and Shampoo redoubled their efforts to get Ranma to take back his words, to say that he loved them, to come out and talk to them.

"When did I become so low?" Ukyo thought to herself. "He loves Akane. I've been told that over and over again for the last three months. Ryoga told me that. Toshio Kuno told me that. Cologne told me that. Konatsu told me that. Mousse told me that."

With misery, she recalled what Mousse had said when she demanded why Ranma hadn't told her himself. "Because he lost Akane once, and he'll do anything to keep her safe now that he has her back – including training her even though it means hitting her which literally hurts him far more than it hurts her," the Chinese man told her bluntly as they stood in the middle of the marketplace. "He's afraid you'll attack Akane if he tells you that he loves her. But why *should* he tell you? He's made his feelings about you known: he doesn't want to marry you, he doesn't love you. His relationship with Akane is none of your business." There was so much there that hurt her: Ranma's love for Akane, Ranma's fear for Akane, Ranma's lack of love for her, Ranma's lack of trust in her, Akane's death.

Akane's death: Akane had died trying to save Ranma. Her onetime friend had died, but come back to Ranma. Ryoga told her first, and Mousse agreed with Ryoga's versions of events. When Ukyo had confronted Shampoo about it, Shampoo had said that she didn't know what the men were talking about, but Shampoo wouldn't look Ukyo in the eye. Normally, Shampoo would have no trouble lying to Ukyo, but not this time, so Ukyo knew where the truth lay.

Akane's death: What would Ranma have been like if Akane died? Ryoga had later said that the light had gone out of Ranma's eyes, leaving a shell. Mousse had told her that Ranma never would have come back to Japan. Hell, Mousse was pretty sure that if they had to bury Akane, they would have had to bury Ranma as well. Ranma couldn't see his life anymore without the blue-black haired girl. Ranma had left Ukyo behind twice now, but he couldn't leave Akane behind once.

Akane's death: Ukyo wondered why she wasn't as upset about Ranma's death. Ryoga had said that Ranma had died trying to save Akane. (1) Why was she dwelling on Akane's reported death? Both of them were back now. The crisis was over – long over. Did she think that Ranma was fundamentally unkillable? Did she actually care for Akane more than Ranma? But that was impossible! She loved Ranma! She dreamed of them running her restaurant together.

Her brain stopped and restarted. "My restaurant. Not 'our' restaurant," she thought to herself. She looked around at her livelihood. Actually, make that her life. "This is not Ranma's life. It's my dream, not his. Either he has to give up his life, or I have to give up mine. Trying to share our world would not work. I'd be working overtime in my restaurant, but he'd be working overtime in his dojo – he would make a point of not putting his time in here. He likes to eat, not cook. He'd worry about his students, I'd worry about my customers."

Ukyo pushed at that a little more. "Most married couples don't work together," she thought. "Why can't Ranma and I have separate lives – I mean separate careers?" But she knew her mental slip had given her away. A restaurant like hers was typically a family business. What would happen when Ranma decided a training trip was needed? How would she feel about him just taking off for a week and she couldn't just pick up and leave? Immediately, Ukyo felt resentment at Ranma's freedom and lack of concern about her restaurant. "Oh gods," she said to herself. "I'm not even married to him and I'm already resentful. Yes, couples do have separate careers, but the careers are not their way-of-life. Ranma's obsessed with Anything Goes. And I guess I'm obsessed with my business." She sighed as she admitted that to herself.

Yet, Ukyo's brain still couldn't leave the idea of Akane's death alone. She wanted to start keening in grief, but she was in the middle of her restaurant. Thank god there were no new orders. What was up with that? Akane was not dead! "Why is this bothering me so much?" Ukyo questioned herself. "She's my rival; my competition; my friend…"

"Oh crap…" she groaned. That was it. Akane had been her first real female friend – her first real friend besides Ranma – even better than Ranma because Akane knew who (and what) Ukyo really was. Ukyo had grown-up without any real friends. Ranma had taken off and left her to the scorn of the people around her. Ukyo had grown up alone with her desire for vengeance, keeping everyone at arm's length. Then Ukyo had come to Nerima and had her showdown with Ranma. Afterwards, she had tried to get to know Akane, so she could get a handle on the competition, and that had been Ukyo's downfall. Akane could be a royal bitch, but she could also be one of the nicest people, and she was loyal to her friends. Even though they had been rivals, Akane had been willing to be her friend and get other girls in the school to treat Ukyo well, even though her school mates supported Ranma's and Akane's relationship (even if the couple didn't always). Ukyo had a friend now – someone who accepted her as she was; someone she could talk into skipping school together; someone she could just *talk* to and who didn't judge her. "And I paid her back by trying to blow up her wedding. Nice one, Ukyo," the cook thought.

Akane's death: Ukyo wanted to scream in frustration – the thought would not leave her alone. Ukyo knew she had a Power within her that went beyond what normal people could do. She knew Akane also had the Power. Between the Power and the fact that she was young, Ukyo never considered the fact that she was mortal at the end of the day. More importantly, she never considered that her friends were mortal, including Akane. Akane almost left for good, leaving so much between them unresolved…

Akane's Death: ***ENOUGH!***

"Enough," she thought pulling herself together. "I can't go on this way. I've become a shell of myself. Once I was defiant, supposedly spurning Love itself. I said I lived for Revenge, but that was a lie – I wanted to be more than someone full of Hate. I wanted to Love, so when Ranma offered a way out of the Hate, I grabbed at it not really understanding that he offered the Love of Friendship (which was all he was capable of), not True Love. Since then, I've been chasing shadows and ignoring what was truly offered."

"I'm better than this," she continued. "I don't need Ranma to define who I am. And I don't have to turn back to Hate. I've made things miserable enough for Ranma and Akane – that can be my Revenge. I can consider my 'Honor' restored, such as it is. Now, it's over. Now I can be their friend, if they will let me. Even if they won't let me be their friend, at the very least, I can stop getting in their way. I can find my own way forward. I can go back to being strong. I can be MYSELF, not one of Ranma's fiancées."

She got up and looked at her restaurant. Things were slowing down as the time between lunch and dinner had arrived. She went over to her 'waitress'. "Konatsu?" she said to get his attention.

"Yes, Mistress," he answered with a smile.

"I need to step out for an hour or so. Do you think you'll be all right by yourself?" she asked.

The cross-dresser nodded. "Yes. Where are you off to?"

"I need to go to the hospital, and say that I'm sorry to Ranma. I need to say some other things too," she told him.

Konatsu looked at Ukyo with concern. "Mistress, I'm not sure that is wise. Ranma may not even understand you now."

"Honestly, it doesn't matter if he can, Sugar. I'll repeat it later if necessary, but knowing that he has one less problem in life may make things easier on him. I know it will make things easier for me. I have to start while I'm thinking clearly," she told him.

"They may not even let you in to see him," the ninja told her gently. "You are not a relation."

She nearly laughed at her poor servant. He was always trying to spare her pain, even if it was necessary. Instead, she gently raised her hand to his cheek. "Again, it doesn't matter, Konatsu," she answered. "I just have to try. It's a matter of taking the first step."

The ninja looked at her eyes and decided that she would be all right, so he nodded and kissed her raised hand. "As you wish, Mistress," he replied.

When Ukyo arrived at Nerima General, things started off badly. Shampoo was at the front desk demanding to see Ranma. "I'm his wife!" she was yelling at a police officer. A receptionist looked on annoyed.

The officer was firm. "I know exactly who you are, Ms. Xian Pu. I've lived here a long time, and I know your history. You're not his wife, Ranma is not married, and you are not on the list Dr. Ando has set up. That's that."

Ukyo walked up to the two. "I suppose I'm not on the list either, Officer?" she asked.

The man shook his head firmly. "No, Ms. Kuonji. Neither of you are on the list. Mr. Saotome is under protective custody by order of Judge Sanu. He will not receive any visitors except those on the list."

Ukyo just sighed and shook her head. Shampoo got angry though and let out a stream of Mandarin Chinese. Suddenly, a man answered from behind the two women. "The 'bloody' judge is behind you Ms. Xian Pu, and I understand Chinese very well. Do understand that any real threats to my person will be frowned upon. You are in Japan, and you will answer to Japanese Law. You are not in China, although even there your threats would land you in jail. Do you understand me?" the judge said harshly.

Shampoo went stock still and winced. She turned to face the judge with an artfully sorrowful face. "I very sorry Judge. I just want to see husband." The purple-haired girl seemed to be concentrating very hard on her speech.

The judge looked at the police officer, who shook his head. "Ranma's not married, Judge Sanu. There's not a single legal piece of paper filed in either China or Japan that says he is," the officer said. "Ms. Xian Pu is from one of the unrecognized indigenous tribes in China. The women there think if they kiss a man, they are married, even if the man doesn't return the kiss."

"I'm not sure I can take any more strangeness today," the judge said. "Please tell me you are joking." Shampoo started to frown.

"Sorry, sir," the officer replied. "But, it's the truth. Even though the kiss happened on Japanese soil, she insists they are married. Ranma insists just as hard they are not, and he's right. I guarantee Mister Bashful has never consummated the 'marriage' either. He hasn't even kissed her – she is always forcing herself on him."

"That's not true!" Shampoo hissed. "Ranma loves Shampoo and we are married!"

Ukyo noticed that several police officers had appeared in the surrounding area. She saw them taking out tasers. Slowly, she backed up with her hands held in plain sight, grateful that she left her battle spatula at the restaurant. Meanwhile, the officer smirked at Shampoo. "That's bullshit and you know it. You and your old biddy keep saying Amazon laws trump all others, but you know different – otherwise you would have just moved in with Ranma by force. You know full well that both people have to recognize a marriage for it to be binding; otherwise you wouldn't have been trying to drag Ranma to the altar or trying to trick him into signing a marriage certificate." Shampoo started shaking and her lips started to curl up.

"Bring it on, honey," the officer told her in almost a whisper. "Give us the excuse."

"Officer!" Judge Sanu barked out. Shampoo remembered herself and backed down.

"Sorry Judge, I forgot myself," the officer answered, also backing down. "As for the claim that he loves her, there were several witnesses last night to a shouting match at the Tendo Dojo where Ranma was screaming at the top of his lungs that he did not love either Ms. Xian Pu or Ms. Kuonji." The officer indicated Ukyo with his chin.

Ukyo winced and looked down. "This is true. Ranma doesn't love either of us," she admitted.

"And who exactly are you in relationship to Ranma?" the judge asked.

"I was his fiancée," Ukyo told him.

"One of two!" Shampoo hissed venomously.

Sanu looked dumbfounded. "Excuse me," he said with great disbelief. "Are we talking about the same patient upstairs who was first introduced to me as Ranko Tendo? Then I was told she is sort of a he and is really named Ranma Saotome? The one with two fairly good sized swells on his/her chest?"

Ukyo winced again. "Yes, that would be Ranma."

Judge Sanu stared at Ms. Kuonji for a minute, not believing what he was hearing. The young woman kept her eyes downcast and seemed to be blushing, as if acknowledging the ridiculousness of the situation. The purple-haired girl stared with hate-filled eyes at Kuonji. Finally, the judge's phone went off, startling him out of his disbelief. Isao looked at the screen and saw it was Ryuu. He addressed the officer: "Neither of them gets to see the patient. If someone isn't on Ando's list, that's the end of it."

"Absolutely, Judge Sanu," the officer agreed.

"I have to take this phone call, I'll be back in a minute," the judge said. Isao strolled a little distance away and answered the phone: "What's up Ryuu?"

"I get first crack at the whiskey bottle tonight," his henchman said. "What the hell is an 'intersex' person?"

"Where did you see that?" the judge asked.

"It's on Ranma's medical charts. Instead of 'M' or 'F', it's marked 'X'. I had to ask someone what that meant, and I still don't understand. The medical results make even less sense. Ranma's marked down as having started menstruation, but she's also marked down as having a testicular exam completed. I'm definitely looking a mammogram, but her charts also show a prostate check. What the hell? Those two are usually done on people starting in their late 30's, aren't they? "

"Depends," Sanu answered. "A doctor may order them earlier if there's a history in the family or if there is anything unusual about the patient. Also, they are starting the tests younger these days anyway."

"O.K. But if a person needs a mammogram, they usually don't need a prostate check. And I'm sure menstruation and a testicular exam are mutually exclusive too," Ryuu said with frustration. "Is this girl some type of hermaphrodite?"

The judge sighed. "Yes," he answered. "Apparently she/he is."

Ryuu made a snorting sound. "Better buy a new bottle on the way home, Boss."

"Or two," Sanu commented. "Did you have any luck with finger prints? Although it just got less likely we will need them…"

"Yeah. Ranma Saotome has a set of prints on file. So does his father, Genma Saotome. His mother, Nodoka Saotome, does not. I pulled both. I also have a copy of the birth certificate which has his footprints. But, the birth certificate definitely says male. Are you sure this girl is Ranma Saotome?"

"You've got the medical records. And I just talked to a woman claiming to be his/her wife and another claiming to be his/her fiancée – they didn't seem surprised when I described the patient."

"SAY WHAT?" Ryuu yelled.

The judge couldn't help but grin; he hadn't heard shock from the assassin in ages. "Oh, it gets better," Sanu told Ryuu. "There's another fiancée out there somewhere…and it sounds like they all know about each other."

Ryuu was letting out a stream of curses. Finally, he stopped and said: "You know, Isao, all my life I've had trouble meeting women, and I've also been a bit envious of the guys who could attract them. But if a true hermaphrodite can get three women willing to marry him/her, I just have to assume it's me and admit I know nothing about what women want."

"You're preaching to the choir, Ryuu. For what it's worth, after listening to them, I don't think Ranma has any interest in these two."

"So, if these two have shown up, where's the third?" Ryuu asked.

"There's an Akane Tendo on Ando's list of allowed visitors and Ando didn't say she's a guardian. Ando mentioned earlier that Ranma was friendly with the youngest Tendo daughter. She may be the second fiancée. Since she's out-of-town right now, that's why she is not here," Sanu answered.

"How many people are on the list?" Ryuu asked.

"Five, including Doctor Ono," Sanu told him. "There's Kasumi Tendo, Nodoka Saotome, Akane Tendo, and Soun Tendo.

"And there were five people the police were trying to get to the hospital when this mess started. We know Ono is the Doc…" Ryuu prompted.

"The Town Cryer must be Soun Tendo – I know he's on the Town Council," Sanu added.

"Which leaves the Smile, the Swordwoman, and the Little Missy for the three women," Ryuu finished.

"Makes sense. I'll lay money on the fact that the Little Missy is Akane Tendo. On the other side of the coin, I'm pretty sure that the Bastard is Genma Saotome. Ando actually called him by that name come to think about it," Sanu said. Then a thought struck the judge. "Ah crap," he said out loud.

"What's up, Boss?"

"The two women who were arguing in front of that park gate last week. They both worked in the restaurant business," Sanu told his henchman.

"So," Ryuu quizzed.

"They are both here at the hospital – one claiming to be a fiancée and the other claiming to be the wife," Sanu explained.

"So, one of them may be the Cook. Talk to you later Boss," Ryuu signed off.

Sanu said goodbye and turned to see Ukyo talking to the officer.

Footnotes:

(1) Ryoga told Shampoo, Ukyo, and Kodachi in Chapter 10 of "The Date – The Flip-Side".

3/4/14: Removed the word "transvestite" from the story - some people tell me that it is a slur. While I do not know the truth of this, I'm not interested in debating it. A quick search on Google gives me mixed results including some regarding fetishes, which does not apply to my interpretation of the character of Konatsu. Since the word has definitions/implications beyond "cross-dresser", it does not fit in here, so I have deleted it. My apologies to anyone offended by my ignorance.