For the rest of the week, Nabiki continued her early morning departures, followed by her late evening arrivals. She said little to anyone about what she was up to. Even Kasumi was unable to get more out of her than what Akane had already revealed. All Nabiki would admit to was she had business in town each day. By Wednesday morning, Kasumi noticed a particular quickening in her sister's pace. She was especially interested when Nabiki cornered Tofu and held a short but serious discussion with him. She couldn't hear what was being said but the sight of him seriously nodding his agreement so quickly made it clear that something special was about to happen.

Just before noon, Tofu asked the fathers to go with him to buy paint for the dojo. When Soun protested, siting the lack of money, Tofu happily noted that Nabiki had authorized the purchase. The fathers were surprised but suspicious. They still suspected something was going on. Tofu, now in on Nabiki's plan, interrupted Soun with the announcement that the trip included lunch - on Nabiki. That seemed to break the stalemate. With only cursory continued reservations, the two fathers agreed. As Kasumi and Nabiki stood in the doorway watching the three men disappear through the gate, Nabiki smiled at how well the plan was working.

"We need to get Ranma and Akane in the main room," Nabiki said to her sister while smiling towards the departing fathers. "Everything must be arranged properly."

"I understand." Kasumi answered as she waved at her father. "You going to tell me what this is all about?"

"Sure. I'm getting Ranma and Akane quietly married as soon as possible. I want everything to be done exactly in accordance with traditional courtship rules. That way no one can claim we cut corners or in some way did something that could be challenged."

"Very sensible." Kasumi nodded her agreement.

"Mrs. Suzuki has agreed to be the go-between for our sister and Ranma."

"I understand." Kasumi was smiling happily now. It was sometimes handy to have such a schemer for a sister. "All will be ready when Mrs. Suzuki arrives." The two older Tendo sisters, finished with 'seeing off' the fathers, quietly closed the door and stood looking at each other. Their long silence was broken by sudden snickering and giggles. Kasumi had to admit, this was fun.

An hour later, Akane, dressed in a semi-formal kimono, knelt uncomfortably on a pillow in the main room. Ranma sat across from her dressed in only slightly more respectable clothes than his usual attire. Both looked nervous. Only the width of the family's heavy wood table separated the young couple. Akane kept casting nervous glances at her fiance and blushing. Ranma, as usual, didn't care much for getting 'dressed up', even if it was for a good reason. All either had been told was it had to do with Nabiki's plan for resolving the fiancee issue. Naturally, they were curious what that meant exactly. Their suspicions centered on the obvious:

marriage.

Kasumi scurried around the room, carefully arranging the tea cups on the table and seeing to it that there was sufficient tea for such a formal meeting. Nabiki waited patiently at the front door - occasionally casting nervous glances at her watch. She knew there was only going to be a narrow window of opportunity in which to perform this portion of her plan. If not completed on time, it could jeopardize the whole scheme.

Her wait was soon rewarded by a soft knock at the door. Opening it, Nabiki smiled and bid their guest welcome. Slowly, Mrs. Suzuki waddled into the main room and bowed to Kasumi, the lady of the house.

"I'm here as a go-between for Akane Tendo," she announced in a clear voice that demonstrated her long experience at such duties. Kasumi formally welcomed their guest and motioned for her to sit between Ranma and Akane at the large table. Nabiki, after helping Mrs. Suzuki assume a comfortable position on the largest pillow the Tendos owned, took her own place next to her older sister and offered their guest some sweets.

The whole affair began with small talk about the weather and gossip concerning the activities in the neighborhood. It was clear by the way Mrs. Suzuki avoided eye contact with Kasumi that she still harbored some guilt about the results of her last matchmaking effort. "Tendo Akane," the old woman finally began the formal portion of the meeting. "I'm here on behalf of a young man who has expressed interest in you. I'm told he is from a fine family and should be considered a suitable marriage prospect. Do you wish to continue?"

Akane never looked up, her gaze locked on the tea cup on the table in front of her. This was like a dream come true for her. "Hai."

Mrs. Suzuki pulled out a sheet of paper Nabiki had given her earlier, adjusted her glasses and read from it - detailing the Saotome family history. It was complete enough in tales of his ancestors to cause even Ranma to take special interest. His father had told him little about their family - preferring instead to concentrate on the present and his particular brand of martial arts. Obviously, Nabiki had been very thorough in her preparations. When Mrs. Suzuki finished, all that could be heard in the room was the ticking of the clock on the wall and Nabiki's noisy tea sipping. Kasumi slowly rolled her eyes. Her sister never did learn how to sip tea properly.

"Do you accept this young man as coming from a good family?"

Akane continued to look at her tea cup, never moving to pick it up, and nodded. "Hai." She worked to make her voice high and kawaii.

"As you've known him for five years, there is little about him I could tell you that you don't already know. He is honest, hard working, and would be a good provider. Do you wish to consider the last five years as your courtship?"

Akane softly smiled and glanced up to see Ranma staring at her with a wistful look. As they looked deeply into each others eyes across the old family table, Akane could see genuine compassion for her. She could also see all the adventures they had shared, all the troubles they had endured together, and all the hopes they both held for the future.

"I accept Saotome Ranma as my Iinazuke." Akane's voice was soft and feminine, like she was assenting from her heart. She blushed again and lowered her gaze to the table. This had been a long time coming. It had taken five years for her to fully accept in her heart Ranma and everything that went with him. She lightly mused how it had all been worth it.

Mrs. Suzuki turned to Ranma and roughly outlined what Akane would be bringing to any union. "Do you find the terms of this arrangement acceptable?"

Shaken out of his revere, Ranma blinked and looked at the old woman. "Huh?"

"The terms. Do you find them acceptable?"

"I... guess so." Ranma glanced at the other two sisters to get a clue.

Nabiki leaned over towards him. "She means do you accept the dowry and all that other stuff she mentioned."

"Dowry?"

"Don't worry. You and your father will be well taken care of." Nabiki sounded disgusted at the mention of any kind of financial conditions. Ranma should have known that he would be well provided for. He quickly caught her drift.

"Oh. Ah... sure. Whatever." He tugged at the collar of his shirt and tried not to sweat. He wasn't doing a very good job.

Mrs. Suzuki wrinkled her nose behind her glasses. Ranma's response was less than completely dignified. But, she'd come to expect as much from the young man - considering who his father was and all. She looked at Kasumi. "As the representative of Akane's late mother, is Saotome Ranma an acceptable fiance for Tendo Akane?"

"Well..." Kasumi paused with a contemplative look - like she was considering all the possibilities. Ranma and Akane both watched her apprehensively - like they feared the possibility of Kasumi calling off the entire engagement. "He has some bad habits and we know of no property he has to offer." Ranma's jaw dropped and his look became panicked. Kasumi lightly smiled before continuing. "However, I have found many traits about this suitor that would indicate his suitability for Akane. I believe it would be a acceptable match."

Ranma and Akane let out simultaneous sighs of relief. Mrs. Suzuki nodded her agreement and turned to Akane.

"Do you wish to complete this match and become Saotome Akane?"

Akane opened her mouth to say something but paused. Slowly, a scowl crept across her face. Nabiki and Kasumi exchanged nervous glances. Something was wrong.

"What is it, child?" Mrs. Suzuki tilted her head, determined to get to the bottom of the girl's sudden hesitation.

"It's just... well... Saotome Akane doesn't really sound all that good. I mean, it sounds sorta... goofy." The stunned silence that followed was punctuated by Nabiki and Kasumi slapping their foreheads.

"Akane! You've had FIVE years to think of this." Nabiki's irritation at her sister's sudden reluctance was more than obvious.

"Yeah, and what's wrong with my name anyway?" Ranma blinked and stared at Akane, more out of shock than anger.

"It doesn't sound right with 'Akane'."

"What's wrong with it? Saotome Akane sounds alright to me."

"Well, to YOU it would." Both kids were now getting themselves worked up. Despite the frantic but low-keyed hand-waving and warning looks from Kasumi and Nabiki, Ranma and Akane were beginning to act like... well, Ranma and Akane.

"Hey, I can't help it if you were given such a goofy name."

"Are you saying my name is goofy? What about Sow-toe-may?"

"My family has a long and noble history. You heard what the old lady just read." The 'old lady' in question just leaned forward resting her cheek on her fist and stared at Nabiki. Unfortunately, Nabiki never saw this as she was too busy leaning forward herself, her head held in her two hands. She couldn't believe it was happening again.

"I don't see why I can't just do like Nabiki did - combine the two names 'Tendo-Saotome'. Akane Tendo-Saotome sounds much better."

Kasumi quickly intervened. "I was proud to assume *my* husband's noble name."

"Yeah, well, it was easy for you. Ono Kasumi sounds a lot better than Saotome Akane."

"Look, ya tomboy, I've lived 21 years with this name and it's a pretty good one-"

"-Why don't YOU change your name to Tendo? Guys do that, ya know."

"Because he's an eldest son," Mrs. Suzuki muttered with a heavy sigh. "He has to carry on the family name."

"Well he doesn't have to be such a JERK about it!" As the Akane-Ranma Rumble gathered momentum, Nabiki tossed a sweet to get Mrs. Suzuki's attention. The old lady looked up, the sweet sticking to her hair. Nabiki loud whispered: "Just say it!"

"Huh? Oh, right." Mrs. Suzuki sat upright and declared in a loud voice: "As both parties have essentially accepted the terms to this engagement...," Ranma and Akane got even louder in their argument so Mrs. Suzuki almost had to scream to be heard. "... I declare this engagement complete and preparations for the marriage can take place at a mutually agreeable date. Thank you."

Akane, now totally engaged in the argument with her fiance, began to glow. Kasumi was the first to notice it. "Akane Tendo, don't you dare do that in this house!"

Akane must have heard her because she switched from glowing to swinging an oversized mallet. The first blow landed short, impacting the table and sending sweets and tea cups flying. Ranma quickly got the message and bolted from the room with a slower moving, on account of her kimono, Akane right behind.

"Come back here you worm!" The sounds of Akane chasing Ranma through the neighborhood were punctuated by a mallet impacting the street and the shouts by people for them to knock it off.

Nabiki sighed loudly. "Well, that came off pretty well, don't you think?" Her answer came as Kasumi and Mrs. Suzuki pelted her with a hail of sweets.

Two hours later, Kasumi had finally cleaned the last of fallout from the go-between's meeting. Mrs. Suzuki, fearing all the excitement had been a bit much for her, had waddled home to take a nap. Akane had returned briefly to change into her serious 'Ranma hunting' clothes. She had calmed down considerably - especially after Kasumi's little 'heart-to-heart' talk - and set out to find her fiance. She wasn't angry, just irritated and concerned. This latest incident had brought home to her the importance of being able to talk things through with Ranma. All her chasing and pounding had done nothing to resolve either her name problem or Ranma's attitude. Ranma, however, was now nowhere to be found.

As Tofu returned with the fathers, Nabiki and Kasumi were calmly sitting around the table in the main room sipping tea.

"We bought the paint." If Tofu had expected a standing ovation, he was going to be a bit disappointed. Both women continued to sip their tea and look across the table at each other with lazy eyes.

"So, what's going on?" Soun's question was innocent and nonchalant.

"Nothing's going on, Daddy." Nabiki took a noisy sip of her tea and worked a little harder on her trance-like stare.

"There's nothing going on, Tendo."

Soun's eyes rolled towards his friend. "So it would appear, old friend."

"Perhaps we should see about sharpening the mower's blades."

"What? Again?"

Genma's surprise was aborted by Soun's elbow to his ribs. "We might as well, seeing there's nothing going on."

"That's right, father. There's nothing going on." Kasumi's eyes looked lovingly at Tofu who seemed to melt under her gaze.

"Well, since there's nothing going on..."

"Quite right, old friend. Since nothing is going on, we might as well go sharpen the mower blades."

The two fathers nudged each other and, with barely contained gestures, departed to 'sharpen the mower blades'.

"Don't you even want to see the paint I bought?" Tofu plopped down on a pillow between the two women and pouted. He had expected a more enthusiastic welcome from the women than this.

"No, dear. I'm sure it's just fine." Kasumi took a quiet sip of her tea and smiled innocently at her husband.

"It's really pretty paint," Tofu pouted as he leaned forward and supported a cheek on his fist.

"Tofu-baby, I'm sure you got wonderful paint." Nabiki paused to take another sip of her tea. "Now be a dear and shut up so we can listen as the fathers try to sneak up on Akane and Ranma.

"Neither of whom are currently home."

"But that shouldn't stop Daddy and Mr. Saotome."

"Never has."

"Especially since we left a few 'clues' as to their whereabouts."

Tofu had been ping-ponging his attention back and forth as the women outlined their plans. To say he was thoroughly confused would be an understatement. "Clues?"

"Bits of clothing, a book or two - all leading up to Akane's room."

"Why Akane's room?" Tofu adjusted his glasses and scowled at Nabiki.

"Because that's where Daddy and Mr. Saotome placed the bugging device." Kasumi sighed. She had found the device a few days ago while cleaning her sister's room. She was going to throw it away but Nabiki said she had a better idea.

"I suppose we better start the diversion," Kasumi sighed. Her father was SO predictable.

"I suppose. Tofu-baby, would you be a dear and turn on the TV and hand me the remote?" With a confused look, Tofu did as he was asked and sat back down with a scowl. Something WAS going on. Calmly, Nabiki pushed the VCR PLAY button and smiled as the movie came up on the TV.

Out in the storage shed, the fathers were huddling around a special box they had received in the mail only a few days before.

"This little device is going to prove to be a most worthwhile investment." Soun opened the box and handed Genma a set of headphones.

"Yes indeed. Worth every yen we paid for it." Both men placed the headphones on their heads while Soun fiddled with the tuner. "Poor Jeffrey had no idea what we wanted when we asked him to send us that Electronics Catalog."

"Hush, I think I'm getting something." Both men concentrated intently on what was coming through from the bug they had planted in Akane's room.

Their scowls of concentration slowly dissolved into raised eyebrows as the sounds of a Japanese female suddenly came through loud and clear. "Oh! Oh! Harder! Oh, ride me! Harder! I'm going...! I'm going...!" Followed by a long orgasmic groan.

At that point, Soun's eyes went wide and he snatched the headphones off of Genma's head before removing his own. "What did you do that for?" Genma's look betrayed his...excitement as he made an abortive grab at the headphones. "I want to hear how it comes out."

"You already know how it comes out, old friend. I think we should keep in mind those are our children." Soun's chastisement was punctuated by his jamming the headphones back into the box and slamming shut the lid. Genma just grabbed his head and groaned.

Inside, Nabiki was leaning forward on her fist and watching the Japanese porno movie through half-closed eyes. "Well, she's not much in the performance department but I'll give her credit; she's loud enough."

Kasumi kept casting nervous glances over her shoulder at the screen between long scowls at her tea cup on the table in front of her. "Honestly, I don't know why anyone would want to watch this stuff." She glanced at her husband who's head was tilted over 90 degrees, his face a mixture of confusion and pain as he watched the TV.

"If she continues to do that for very long, she's liable to dislocate her second and third lumbar - possibly inflaming her entire pelvic region." He adjusted his glasses and winced.

"Her pelvic region already looks pretty inflamed," Nabiki dead-panned.

"Nabiki, I agreed to move the bugging device to the TV," Kasumi chided with an embarrassed glance at the TV. "But I think the movie was a bit much."

"Actually, the movie is not much at all." Nabiki sighed. "I picked it out because the 'actress'..." Nabiki rolled her eyes at the inappropriate term. "... sounded so much like Akane."

Kasumi scowled like she was still unhappy with their playing the movie for the benefit of a cheap trick. "Tofu, would you please check on Daddy. If he's done in the shed, we can turn this disgusting thing off."

"Oh, I don't know." Nabiki almost yawned. "I understand there's always a big orgy scene in these things and you wouldn't want to miss -"

"-Nabiki" Kasumi gasped and hunched over a little further - her embarrassment obvious.

"Well, it's not due back at the video store till Sunday. If you want to borrow it -"

"-NABIKI!"

"Okay," Nabiki chuckled and nodded to Tofu as he got up to check on the fathers. It was still fun teasing Kasumi - in spite of what she knew of her sister's 'activities'. Kasumi insisted on maintaining a proper front for the neighbors - certain that they had no idea what went on inside the walls of their compound. Nabiki paused with the remote in her hand as she watched her sister's reaction. She could almost see Kasumi sweating - nervous that someone would overhear what was playing on their TV and think her less a model housewife. With a snort, Nabiki clicked off the TV and VCR.

Moments later, Tofu returned with the news that the fathers were carrying a ladder towards the back of the building. Nabiki yawned and asked Kasumi which one of them would intercept the fathers this time. They resorted to a quick janken - a Japanese version of 'Rock, Scissors, Paper'. As usual, Nabiki lost.

"Damn! Best two out of three?"

"No way. You lost."

Nabiki got to her feet grumbling about how she *never* wins at janken. Kasumi just chuckled into her tea. She'd been beating Nabiki at that game for almost 20 years. Besides, it served Nabiki right for making her sit through that disgusting movie. Still, Sunday *was* a long way off.

Akane searched just about everywhere she could think of to find Ranma. She was no longer angry, that having been lost soon after he had given her the slip. She was, however, concerned - concerned and a little embarrassed at her reaction to her future husband's name. She had not been fair, reasonable, OR rational about any of it. Because of that, she'd resorted to her old ways, destroying what should have been a wonderful moment for both of them. Akane blushed when she considered how ridiculous she must have sounded trying to deny her future husband's name. However, there was more at work here than a simple disagreement over a name and *that* bothered Akane more than anything else.

She looked in all Ranma's usual hiding places but came up empty. Outside Ucchan's, Akane paused to think. There was only one place she hadn't checked. It was the one place she ran away to when she found out Dr. Tofu loved her sister instead of her. With a determined look, Akane cut through a nearby alley and headed for the walk near the river. At first, she didn't see Ranma and thought she might have made another mistake. However, a flash of red down by the water near the bridge confirmed she'd guessed right.

"Ranma?" she softly called as she approached. She wasn't entirely sure how he'd react to her presence. She couldn't say she'd blame him after what she did to him. "Ranma?"

"If you're going to hit me, just do it and get it over with." His voice sounded sad and remorseful.

"I'm not going to hit you, Ranma." Akane shoved her hands into her pockets and kicked idly at a small rock.

"You could have fooled me."

"I was just..." Akane paused, her expression darkening. With a sudden flap of her arms, she expressed her exasperation with the whole situation. "Why are we always doing this?"

"Huh?"

"Acting like children, arguing and fighting, then one of us has to find the other to apologize. It's not normal, Ranma." Akane collapsed onto the grass, her back to Ranma's. She might be disgusted with him... and her, but just the feeling of his back against hers gave her comfort beyond words.

"I donno, Akane. Maybe we're not right for each other."

Akane quickly turned towards her fiance. "Don't say that!"

"Why?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Just because. That's all." Akane turned to face away from Ranma and scowled at her drawn up legs. They sat in an uneasy silence as a couple of river barges chugged past. A pair of little boys ran down to the river's edge and waved at the barges, delighted when the operators waved back.

"Akane?" Ranma's voice sounded far away. "Why did you really object to my name?"

Akane hung her head. "I always envisioned my mother talking to me before I got married and telling me all the secrets of being a good wife." Akane sniffed once and stared at the water flowing past them. "I guess I didn't realize how much I really missed her until Mrs. Suzuki said 'Akane Saotome'."

"I'm sorry, Akane."

"It's alright. I just felt like I was losing something important - my name. It's who I am, Ranma. It's all my mother left me with. I had just never thought about having to give it up."

Akane twisted around and supported her self on a hand as she leaned towards her fiance. She could see he'd already turned his head and was looking intently at her. "I really do love you, Ranma."

A small smile fluttered across his face as he looked into her deep hazel eyes. Akane could see how much he loved her.
"All my life, all I ever really had that I could call my own was my name. It's all I have to offer you. When you said didn't want it, I... I felt like you were rejecting me." Ranma lowered his eyes and grimaced. "I should have known better."

Akane reached over with her free hand and gently brushed some hair across his forehead. She smiled at the reminder of how handsome he'd grown. "When we get married, I'll gladly accept your name."

"Really?"

"Really." Akane smiled, her eyes glistening in the late afternoon sunlight. "I just want to use 'Tendo' in the dojo. That's all."

"Well... I guess so. After all, it IS your dojo."

"No." Akane ran a finger down his cheek. "It's OUR dojo and you're going to be a big success - ya jerk."

Ranma blushed and looked at the ground. "WE will be a big success - ya tomboy." Only the sounds of the river meandering past disturbed the silence as they grinned at each other.

"Ranma, take me home." Akane's soft request reminded him of how kawaii she could be when she really wanted to. He quickly got to his feet and helped Akane to hers. They paused for a moment before he threw caution to the wind and pulled her into a warm embrace. They remained that way for several seconds until a voice interrupted their tranquility.

"That's enough, you two."

Akane and Ranma quickly turned to see a local policeman standing up on the sidewalk, his hands on his hips. "You both are old enough to know better than such public displays."

"But officer, we're getting married," Akane pleaded with a grin.

The policeman pushed his hat back on his head. "You don't say. Well, I suppose in that case you're entitled. Just keep it discrete." He chuckled and flashed a friendly grin. "Now, get along both of you." He waved them towards the bridge with is nightstick. Ranma and Akane bowed their way past the policeman, all three sporting embarrassed grins. Ranma and Akane would get their quiet walk home. The police officer would have a juicy story to tell around the koban that evening.

Up on the roof, Genma was lowering his friend over the edge towards Akane's window. They were still laboring under the delusion that the kids were in Akane's room doing something... noisy. Soun had insisted that *he* be the one to take a look because it was *his* daughter they had obviously been listening to on the bugging device.

"Just a little lower," Soun offered softly.

"Tendo, you could stand to lose a few pounds." Genma struggled with his taller companion's legs. He hated doing any physical labor. Dangling his friend over the edge of a roof was decidedly physical labor.

"Almost there," Soun whispered.

"Mr. Saotome?" Nabiki's voice caused Genma to jerk and spin around - his grip on Soun forgotten in his surprise. He winced at the sound of his friend bouncing off the engawa roof and impacting the ground. A tentative glance over his shoulder confirmed that his friend was now spread eagle on the ground, Ami-chan licking the unconscious man's face. Nabiki, standing at the top of the ladder so that only her head and shoulders were visible, caught Ranma's father in a serious scowl. "And just what are you up to?"

"Ah... well," Genma sputtered as he quickly looked around for some explanation. "We... were just examining the roof to see if it needed replacing. After all, since we were going to paint the building, we thought it best to see about the roof as well."

Genma silently congratulated himself at such a clever story. Unfortunately, Nabiki was just a little quicker. "Mr. Saotome, the dojo roof is over there," she said pointing to the adjacent building.

"Eh? Well, what do you know. All these roofs look alike. Heh-heh."

"Yes, I can see how you would mistake the roof of our house for that of the dojo." Nabiki's sarcasm was totally lost on the older Saotome as she slowly started back down the ladder. Genma took only one more glance at the prostrate form of his friend before quickly following. With the help of Tofu, the others were able to get Soun Tendo back into his home and laid him out on the floor. Kasumi placed a cold wash rag on his head while Tofu did a quick examination.

"Is he going to be alright?" Kasumi sounded concerned. She wasn't prepared for her father's acrobatics... or its results.

"He has a contusion of the rear pelvic region with possible trauma to the coccyx along with a minor swelling of the upper occipital region." Tofu adjusted his glasses as silence descended over the others. Nabiki and Kasumi slowly looked at each other before suddenly grabbing the young doctor and hauling him into the kitchen.

"Tofu dear, I only speak Japanese and English," Nabiki growled with crossed arms and a tapping foot. "I don't speak medical gibberish!"

"Oh, well, in layman's terms, he has a bump on the head and a bruise on his... boom-boom."

"That's it?" Kasumi gasped. "No broken bones? No internal injuries?"

"Sorry." Tofu rubbed the back of his head like he was embarrassed to have found only minor injuries on the family patriarch. "He *is* a martial artist." The two Tendo sisters exchanged annoyed looks before leading the doctor back into the main room where Genma and Soun were conducting a show worthy of a kabuki play.

"I feel the darkness descending around me," Soun moaned as he crossed his eyes and rolled his head slightly. "Saotome, old friend. Are you there?"

"Yes, Tendo, my dearest friend. I'm here." Genma knelt by Soun's side and held his hand. You could almost make out a tear in his eye.

"Before I go to join my dear, departed wife, I wish only one thing."

Nabiki sarcastically asked the obvious with folded arms and a skeptical expression. "Yeah, and what would that be?"

"I... I wish only to see my youngest daughter married." Soun grabbed at Genma's arm like it was the last act of a dying man. "Saotome, old friend, please fetch the priest while my lovely daughters go up and get our children." Soun even added a couple of coughs to indicate his dying breath. "I'm... certain I can hold out until they arrive. I could die happy if only I could see them married."

Nabiki cast a quick look at Tofu's incredulous expression to confirm that her father was in no danger of expiring on the floor - or anywhere else for that matter. She also caught Ami-chan's charge across the yard outside that meant someone was coming home. "Why don't we just move you into your room and let you rest awhile." Nabiki smiled at her father like she was terribly concerned.

"No! I mean, no..." Soun coughed again after regaining his composure. "Let me remain here until the priest arrives."

"But father," Kasumi placed another cold wash rag on his forehead. "We moved mother's shrine into your room. Wouldn't you rather die close to her shrine so your spirits could be together?"

"Well..."

"And wouldn't you rather die in your own bed?" Nabiki leaned over her father. Her pouty look of concern evident.

"Well..."

"Yes, old friend. You don't want to expire in front of your family." Genma's suggestion was greeted by a hiss and a scowl from Soun. "Er... I mean..."

"Let's move him to his room." Tofu, finally figuring out what was up, added his medical authority to the discussion. After all, in Japan, NO ONE argues with the doctor. With a sick grimace, Soun reluctantly agreed. As the others moved him slowly into his room, he actually looked sick - more from the missed opportunity than his injuries.

Nabiki quickly left the 'death watch' party and intercepted Ranma and Akane at the door as they returned home. They had resolved their differences and were happily coming home from getting ice cream. Nabiki put a finger to her lips to warn them to be quiet and follow her upstairs. The two young people looked at each other, shrugged their shoulders, and followed Nabiki as instructed. Up in Akane's room, Ranma and Akane sat uneasily on the bed. Nabiki, after stopping off in her room for a package, came in and quietly closed the door.

Akane was the first to ask the obvious. "Why are we being quiet?"

"Your father fell off the roof today and is resting downstairs. Tofu-sensei said he needed complete rest." Nabiki pulled up her sister's chair and straddled it.

"Is he alright?"

"He has a bump on his head and a bruise on his... posterior." Nabiki's raised eyebrow assured Akane that her father was going to live. "Why I called you together like this is I've got something for both of you." Nabiki dug through her package and produced three large envelopes. She handed one to Ranma and another to Akane. With a satisfied grunt, she placed the last on the desk next to her. "I want you to both open your envelopes after I leave. If you accept my proposition, you will bring me your signature stamps in my room tonight." With that, Nabiki smiled at them both, got up and left the room with the third envelope under her arm.

Outside, Ami-chan raced across the yard barking at another intruder. It was a familiar figure who wasn't too happy about being discovered. The shadowy figure with long tresses scrambled for cover, cursing in Chinese the fact she'd been discovered by a common dog. As she rounded the dojo looking for an escape from the yapping dog, she collided with another body - one dressed in black.

"Watch where you're going!" Ukyou yelled. "And get off me, you Chinese bimbo!"

"What spatula girl doing behind husband's home?" Shampoo growled as she quickly disengaged herself from the okonomyaki chef.

"That's none of your business!" Ukyou scrambled to her feet. "And what do you mean by 'husband'? He's MY fiance."

"Too late," Shampoo smugly announced while brushing off her pants. "Ranma already belong Shampoo."

"In your dreams, sweetie," Kodachi chuckled from the wall above them. "Ranma only has eyes for me. He's so lucky."

"Only if he finds some way to get away from your incessant cackling."

"Now wait just a minute, you short order cook."

"Ranma belong to Shampoo."

"Put a sock in it!"

"I sock it!"

"Back off!"

"Ranchan wouldn't touch either of you losers!"

"WHAT?"

The commotion that followed caused even Ami-chan to reconsider her aggressive barking. Frustrated that no one was listening to her any longer, she simply marked her territory and wandered off.

Nabiki was just coming down the stairs when the sounds of a battle royal out back caught her attention. Rolling her eyes and shaking her head, she put her shoes on and slowly walked to the dojo. As she rounded the corner of the dojo, the sight of three females in obvious confrontation caused her to fold her arms and lean against the corner of the building. As if the combatants could feel Nabiki's presence, they suddenly halted their fight and turned towards newcomer. They exchanged nervous glances as it was obvious the last thing any of them wanted was to get caught by Nabiki.

"And just what are you three doing here?" Nabiki's voice sounded peeved - which was a pretty accurate assessment of how she felt.

The three young ladies exchanged more quick glances before Kodachi answered. "A Kuno never needs a reason to be anywhere."

"Fine. Then never need a reason to be somewhere else." Kodachi paused only a moment to try and fit what Nabiki had said into some logical form. Failing that, she shrugged her shoulders and bounded over the wall with a characteristic high-pitched laugh that caused everyone to react like someone had just drawn fingernails across a blackboard.

"That woman has a most annoying laugh," Ukyou grimaced at the departing Kuno.

"Agreed. In China we cut out annoying laugh."

"I'll pay for the ticket."

Nabiki, however, was unamused. "Don't the two of you have somewhere to go?"

"Shampoo go... shop for new dress."

"Good," Ukyou replied with a disgusted look. "Try to get something that doesn't make you look like a bimbo."

"Look who talking. Husband wear better girl clothes than spatula girl."

"What's wrong with my clothes?" Ukyou snarled.

"If you have to ask, Ranma lucky be married Shampoo."

"LOOK YOU...!"

Nabiki finally lost her patience. "HIT THE ROAD, BOTH OF YOU!" Shampoo and Ukyou glared at each other as they slipped over the back wall of the Tendo compound. Nabiki shook her head and started back to the house. As she went, she could still hear the two other fiancees arguing.

"Spatula girl look like boy."

"At least I don't have a meter on my belt!"

"What that mean?"

"Ask that old hag you hang out with."

Nabiki made her way around to the front door, shaking her head and thinking: No wonder Akane was going nuts. Those three could drive Sister Angelica to drink.

Nabiki had just reached the front door when a sound attracted her attention to the side of the house. It sounded like someone was trying to climb up the drain pipe. As she peeked around the corner, sure enough, there was Genma Saotome slowly working his way up the flimsy metal pipe that ran from the roof's guttering to the ground - obviously intent on reaching Akane's illuminated window. Nabiki grimaced, shook her head and went back inside. She'd already taken steps to assure the drain pipe was a dead end.

As she entered the main room, Kasumi was back in her original position, sipping her tea.

"How's Daddy?" Nabiki sat back down across from her older sister and poured herself more tea.

"Acting like a baby," Kasumi sighed. "As usual."

"Mr. Saotome is about halfway up the drain pipe by now."

"The one you took the screws out of?"

"Yup." Nabiki cradled the warm tea cup in the palm of her hand and gently blew across the hot surface of the liquid it contained. "He should be just about to the top by now."

Kasumi shook her head and smiled. "They're not very imaginative, are they?"

"Nope."

Outside, Genma was just reaching the roof when he felt the drain pipe start to pull away from the side of the building. In a panic, he grabbed for the clay shingles at the edge of the roof. All he accomplished was to pull off a loose shingle as the pipe tilted away from the building.

"Oh no," he muttered when he saw where the pipe was heading. A moment later, there was a loud crash as the pipe clattered to the ground. There was also a large splash in the koi pond as Genma Saotome managed to miss the entire back yard, hitting instead the tiny pond Soun Tendo was so proud of.

"Think he'll give up?" Kasumi calmly took a sweet from the serving plate and offered the rest to her sister.

"Not yet. He can be annoyingly stubborn sometimes." Nabiki politely declined her sister's offer and leaned forward to rest her elbow on the table and watch the open engawa. Her wait was short.

A large panda, still dripping wet and smelling like a wet dog, hopped onto the engawa and flashed a sign.

[You can't stop me.]
Kasumi and Nabiki traded bored looks. [I can overcome all your traps,] his next sign read.

"Perhaps, but can you overcome your own traps?" Nabiki swirled the tea in her cup and grinned slyly.

[What are you talking about...] The panda's eyes went wide and he looked down at his feet. Before he could move, Kasumi pulled a lanyard. [Oh no. Not again.]

"Bai-bai, Mr. Saotome," Kasumi chirped as the latches under the section of engawa porch Genma-panda was standing on snapped open.

It had been several years since the trap had been used. In that time, the outer latches had rusted in place; the springs would not release. However, the inner latches worked just fine. Instead of launching the pudgy panda through the roof of the engawa, it catapulted him across the yard and over the wall of the compound. The two Tendo sisters listened as his ample body crashed through Mrs. Suzuki's fence.

I must remember to disarm my traps in the future, Genma thought as he untangled himself from the debris that was once Mrs. Suzuki's wood fence. Just as he was standing up, he heard a low growl coming from under the stairs. Uh-oh. The panda slowly started backing towards the street.

[Nice doggie,] his sign read. It didn't work. Baby couldn't read. In a flurry of snarling and snapping jaws, Genma-panda set a new record in getting to and climbing over the Tendo compound wall. Baby was soon the only occupant of the street, her mouth full of a great whopping hunk of panda fur.

Up in Akane's room, the young couple barely heard the commotion caused by Baby and the panda. They were busy reading the letters Nabiki had placed in their envelopes.

Stinky:
I'm not much at giving advice. I usually leave that job to Kasumi as she's so good at it. I can't tell you much about marriage that you don't already know. You'll have to learn to cook and clean and do all sorts of domestic chores. I don't know why. It's just the way things are. I figure it will be a learning experience for [the both of you. You'll learn domestic things and he'll learn how to [smile while you do. As far as the sex business is concerned, I figure with Kasumi and Tofu around, you'll figure it out pretty quick. Just don't be too obvious. I'm not sure Daddy can take all the 'activity' around the house. Go to a 'love hotel' once in awhile. That's what Jeffrey and I do when we want to have a quiet night together. Just make sure you don't get pregnant until you want to. Take it from someone who knows. There's more to children than we're told.

A famous American president once said: 'Trust but verify'. I think that's just about the best advice I could give to you. Trust your husband, but keep tabs on him. It's not because he might betray you but because we're talking about Ranma here. He's a pretty good guy, all things considered, and I believe he will make you happy. Well, at least, he'll make your life interesting. Anyway, you could have done worse. Work hard, love your husband, and always remember that Jeffrey and I love you very much.

Your Oneechan,
Nabiki

Akane sniffed and smiled as she re-read the letter. It wasn't very long but said about as much as Nabiki ever did to her. It also told her a lot about her sister. People had always thought Nabiki cared only for herself - that she was selfish and self-centered. Akane knew better. Nabiki may have had a bad reputation outside the home but Akane always knew that her sister loved her and would do whatever was necessary to protect her from harm. Silently, Akane closed her eyes and thanked her mother for such a sibling.

Ranma read his letter and began to sweat.

Ranma:
As I researched your family background, I was impressed with the nobility of your ancestors. I am certain that you are most qualified to carry on that tradition with my sister.

If it means anything to you, Jeffrey and I have always thought of you as a little brother - a little strange at times, but a brother nevertheless. I hold you in the highest regard because Akane loves you. Only someone special could manage that. I'm certain, therefore, you will take good care of my sister.

However, in case you should forget, know this: Hell Hath No Fury.

Your loving sister-in-law,
Nabiki Tendo-Lawrence

Ranma forced a smile and swallowed hard again as he caught his fiancee looking at him.

"That was a really nice letter from Nabiki," Akane cooed. "I really feel closer to her now."

"Yeah, nice." Ranma re-read his letter and swallowed hard. He knew what Nabiki was capable of. But this is about as close as I want to get right now.

Akane pulled out another piece of paper from her envelope and read it aloud.

"My proposition is simple. If you both still want to get married, leave your signature stamps in my room tonight and meet me tomorrow morning at the Nerima City Annex - the one that's about two blocks from Furinkan High School - at 10 o'clock. Leave separately and don't travel together. Beware of being followed and don't tell anyone where you are going - not even Daddy. I'll have everything you'll need. Don't dress up or do anything to give away where you are going. Above all else, DON'T BE LATE. Good luck. I love you both. -
Nabiki"

Both sat in silence as they digested Nabiki's instructions and warnings. It was clear that their long road to matrimony was about to come to a conclusion. They exchanged nervous glances and fidgeted slightly - suddenly aware of who's room they were in and where they were sitting.

Ranma suddenly bolted for the door. "I better get my signature stamp." He paused, his hand on the door knob, and looked back at his fiance. "If *you* still want to."

Akane blushed and licked her lips. "Hai" Her voice was barely a whisper. Ranma forced a nervous smile and turned the door knob to leave. "Ranma?" He paused before turning slowly towards Akane. "I... I..." Akane suddenly closed the distance between them and buried herself in his startled arms. "I don't want to be alone tonight."

"Akane," Ranma gasped as he quickly looked around to see if anyone could see them. "If it's about the other night -"

"- That's not what I mean, Ranma." Akane loosened her grip on him enough to look up into his eyes. "I just want to know you're close by. We don't have to... you know."

Slightly relieved, Ranma swallowed hard and nodded. "Pop will know what we're up to for sure."

"That's okay. Let him think what he wants." Akane reached up and caressed Ranma's cheek. "I *want* you to stay. Please?"

Ranma tried to think of other excuses to escape but failed when he looked deeply into Akane's eyes. "I still need to get my signature stamp out of my backpack."

"Okay." Akane reluctantly released her fiance. "You better take mine too." She opened the top drawer of her desk and pulled out a polished wooden case. Opening it, she checked the ornately carved ivory stamp. On its face was everything anyone ever needed to know about Akane. It was her name, her family heritage, and even where she stood in Japanese hierarchy. It was the single most important item she owned. With a look of anticipation, she reluctantly held the box out to Ranma. It was an act of supreme trust. With a nervous nod, Ranma accepted the box and turned to leave.

"Please hurry back," she whispered.

Ranma smiled and winked once, then was gone.

Akane slowly crawled onto her bed, pulled her legs up and hugged them for support until Ranma returned. Tomorrow at this time, she would no longer be a single woman. Tomorrow her life would be inexorably changed.

Nabiki crept through the darkened Tendo house. It was after midnight and everyone else had long since gone to bed. At the bottom of the stairs, Nabiki paused and listened. All was quiet. Carefully, she pulled the phone to the front door, uncoiling its long cord as she slipped out onto the front step. Sitting down and leaning against the closed door, she quietly dialed.

"Hello?" came a familiar voice.

"Jeffrey?" Nabiki gasped, unleashing a whole room-full of emotions as she squeezed the ancient handset tighter.

"Nabs, how are things?"

"Fine - now."

"Anything wrong?"

"No. I just wanted to hear your voice again."

"It's good to hear your voice too, sweetheart."

"Everything okay there?"

"Just fine."

"How's So-chan?"

"She's okay too. They moved her up to a real gymnastics class with her friends last week. She really likes it."

"Jeffrey, we didn't discuss this."

"I know. But her friends had been promoted and the school especially asked for her as well. I couldn't turn her down. She really wanted to do this."

"You're too soft, Jeffrey."

"Soft because you're not here. You know I need your guidance."

Nabiki stifled a tiny chuckle with her hand. It was just like Jeffrey to smooth-talk her. She liked that. "I miss you too."

"This old bed is mighty lonely."

"The bed here is pretty lonely too. I never realized how different it is to sleep alone."

"I can be there in half a day."

"No." Nabiki shook her head. "Sodoshi's in school now. That's more important. Besides, I'll be home soon."

"You about to resolve Akane's problem?"

"Tomorrow - if all goes well."

"Then it's the elders turn."

"That's next week. There'll be a full moon then."

There was an awkward silence. Nabiki sniffed slightly. Jeffrey took that opportunity to slip in the words she'd hoped he'd say. "I love you Nabiki. And I miss you."

Nabiki sagged against the door. "I miss you too." She bit her lip trying not to cry. Until now she didn't fully appreciate how much Jeffrey had become a part of her life - an indispensable part. He was her anchorage - her safe port where the storms of life could rage around her and she'd still be safe in the arms of one she knew would protect her and always love her, no matter what. Her body ached in its desire to be held in his arms again. She hugged herself and shuddered.

"Is there anything I can do from here?" His voice sounded calm and in control. Just hearing it gave Nabiki more strength.

She ran a hand through her hair and sighed. "No, I think we've got just about everything wrapped up. All that's left to do now is get everyone together."

Nabiki heard Jeff snort. "And just how do you intend to pull *that* off?"

"It won't be easy. At least I have a plan."

"Good. You better get some sleep. You sound tired."

"I know," Nabiki whispered. Hearing him suggest it suddenly made her feel tired.

"Call me when it's all over. Okay?"

"I will. Keep that spot on the bed warm. You know how I hate cold sheets."

"Who said we'll need sheets?"

Nabiki chuckled broadly. He was also the wild, adventurous one. She especially liked that. "I love you."

"Be careful, Nabs. Between you and So-chan... well, you're all I really care for in the world."

"More than your money?"

"Much more." His voice easily convinced Nabiki of his sincerity. She liked the feeling that gave her.

"Good bye, Jeffrey."

"Good luck, Nabs. So-chan and I will be waiting at the airport when you arrive."

Quietly, Nabiki hung up the phone. She thought hearing Jeff's voice would help her get through the rest of the week. Like a drug addict, she wanted just one more dose, just one more hug, just a few moments in Jeffrey's arms again. She felt so lonely. Nabiki shuddered as she hugged the phone like it was a lifeline to home.

Home.

Funny how the word 'home' had become associated with some place on a small island far away. It had always meant the building she was currently leaning against. Nabiki thought it strange how she was almost a stranger here and how uncomfortable she felt having to resort to all the old ways - the bowing, the careful use of terms so as not to offend one of a different social status from her own, and the different pace of life in general. It had all become so foreign to her.
Nabiki adjusted her shorts and sighed openly as her eyes wandered over the old gate and walls that surrounded her former home. Was it all that long ago since she used to walk through that gate on her way to school or to do a little shopping on her own?

On her own. Now *that* concept really sent a chill up her spine. Before Jeffrey, she'd always considered herself a loner. She never needed the company or support of anyone. Certainly, she had her 'associates', her business partners, but they were little more than unpaid employees who followed Nabiki in remora-like fashion. They were never the kind of close friends that a girl could confide in or do things with. She had always had the same feelings girls her age were famous for. She just learned how to hide them better. Jeffrey changed all that. His quiet humor and sweet sincerity broke through her barriers and captured a prize only she knew she had - her heart.

Nabiki's reverie was interrupted by the soft click of the door latch being opened from the inside. Nabiki already knew who it was.

"Couldn't sleep, Kasumi?" she softly asked, her eyes still fixed on the old gate.

"How...?" Kasumi's soft voice answered with the obvious question.

Nabiki chuckled and turned her head to look at her older sister. "Who else would be up this time of night?"

Kasumi covered her giggle with a hand and sat down next to her sister - making sure to tuck her long gown carefully under her. "What a beautiful night." Kasumi tilted her head to gaze at the few stars that could make themselves known through the haze of city lights. "Are things alright at your home?"

Nabiki snorted as she set the phone on the step next to her. Not much escaped her sister's notice. Sitting on the front steps with a phone in her lap so late at night could only mean a phone call to Hawaii. "Yes, Jeffrey and So-chan are both alright."

Kasumi's star gazing was accompanied by a satisfied smile and nod of acknowledgment. Something else caught Nabiki's attention - something that caused her to smile slyly at her sister.

"For as long as I can remember, you've always done that."

"Huh?" Kasumi looked suddenly at her little sister.

"Your toes." Nabiki pointed at Kasumi's feet. "You've always played with your toes like that."

Kasumi looked down at her feet like she was seeing them for the first time. Instinctively, she tried to tuck them under the hem of her gown. She always thought she had ugly feet. Having Nabiki call attention to them only made her more self-conscious.

"One of the earliest memories I have about you is the way you used to wiggle your toes so that they looked like they were wrestling." Nabiki giggled broadly as the image of a young Kasumi sitting on their parents' bed and letting her toes wiggle against each other replayed itself in her mind.

Kasumi blushed and reached down to adjust her hem so it covered her feet better. "I never thought anyone noticed."

"At first, I was amused watching you when you didn't think anyone was looking. It was only later that I figured out you were doing it because of nervous energy."
Kasumi paused and looked directly into Nabiki's eyes; like she was trying to decide if she should tell her sister something or not. With a forced smile, Kasumi hung her head.

"The truth is..." She paused and stroked her hair like she was embarrassed. "When you were born, I was too young to think much about what another child in the family meant to me." Kasumi glanced at Nabiki to see her hanging onto every word. "I just thought of you as another playmate - someone to share things with. But when Akane was born..." Kasumi paused again, this time closing her eyes and fighting an unpleasant memory. Nabiki reached over, put her arm around her sister's shoulders and pulled her gently. Kasumi's head came to rest on her sister's shoulder. Instinctively, her arm found Nabiki's slim waist.

"Akane was different." Kasumi sniffed and shuddered slightly. "Mother spent so much time with her that I felt neglected. I thought I needed to compete for mother's attention. So I tried hard to do all the things mother did - the cooking and the cleaning but mother *still* spent all her time with Akane."

"Akane was just a baby. Babies require lots of attention."

Kasumi sniffed again and hugged Nabiki tighter. "I know that now. It's just... I was so jealous of her. *I* wanted the attention."

"You were the oldest. You were supposed to be the 'grown up' one."

"I know but I was only a child myself. I saw all the time mother spent with her new baby and thought how I was being forgotten."

Nabiki could feel the dampness of her sister's tears on her t-shirt. It was obvious this was something she'd carried with her for a long time. She hugged Kasumi and gently stroked her sister's bangs. "You were always mother's favorite. Why do you think she continued to talk to you after... you know."

"I guess I'm just facing up to the inevitable." Kasumi suddenly pulled away from Nabiki and looked at her with a startled expression. "You know there can only be one 'lady of the house'. As soon as Akane is married, she becomes the heir. The house will be hers."

"Now you're being ridiculous, Kasumi. Akane has no intention of throwing you out or even taking over as head of the house."

"I wish I could be as sure as you are." Kasumi sighed and hugged herself like she had just experienced a sudden chill. "But you know tradition. Father has to abide by that tradition. He arranged for Ranma to marry Akane to carry on the family martial arts. That makes Akane the heir."

Nabiki scowled at her sister as she tried to piece together everything her sister had said. "I'm sure that's not going to happen."

"How?"

Nabiki opened her mouth but nothing came out. Kasumi was right, of course. Akane was going to become the 'lady of the house'. And there could NOT be two in one house without trouble. Nabiki glared at the ground. This was something she had missed in her meticulous planning.

"I'll... fix it somehow," Nabiki said softly.

"It doesn't matter," Kasumi sighed as she stood up. "Tofu and I have been talking. Perhaps it would be best if we just moved out."

"No!" Nabiki's sudden denial caused Kasumi to flinch. "I said I'll work it out."

Kasumi, however, exhibited all the airs of one who knew exactly where she was going. "Tofu thinks he can have the second floor of his clinic remodeled. We can build a home there."

"Kasumi..."

"It's for the best." Kasumi tried to smile as she opened the door. It wasn't easy smiling considering she was giving up the only home she'd ever known.

"I can't... I won't accept that."

"Why? You moved away."

"That's different."

"How?"

Nabiki looked up at her sister, her eyes wide with anxiety. "This has always been *your* home. You... you were always 'mother' here."

"And I'll be 'mother' somewhere else." Kasumi smiled her confident best. "It's the way of things, Nabiki. Nothing stays the same."

As Kasumi entered the house, Nabiki seemed to sag into the steps. This was something totally unexpected - an unintended consequence of her actions. Slowly, she shook her head and wished she hadn't gotten involved in any of this. Of course, deep down she couldn't have done that. She was obligated to Akane. Cursing quietly, she slapped the stone stair in frustration. She had done it again. She had been so clever in her planning she had outsmarted herself. Solving Akane's problem only caused a worse problem for Kasumi. In doing so, she'd hurt the one who'd sacrificed everything for her. Now she was causing that person to be thrown out of her own home. Frustration, irritation, and a lack of sleep combined in the middle Tendo daughter. It was just all too much. Slowly, Nabiki lowered her head into her arms and began to cry.

Breakfast the next morning was an unusually subdued affair. Ranma and Akane barely said two words to each other. Nabiki looked tired, like she'd been up all night. Kasumi, however, happily hummed to herself as she shuttled food from the kitchen to the hungry family around the table. Soun and Genma continued to trade conspiratorial looks. Soun, wearing a neck brace, was trying to read his paper and sip coffee while in a semi-reclining position. Genma mirrored his position due to his encounter with Baby. Only the television broke the silence.

"So, Saotome, feeling better?" Soun asked absently while trying to sip his coffee through a straw.

"It will be some time before I can look a dog in the face." Genma shifted his position painfully so he could shovel his breakfast directly from his plate into his mouth.

"That's not the part the dog was looking at," Ranma snickered. He was quickly joined by Akane's giggling as she recalled all the trouble they had last night cleaning his 'wound'. Every time they applied warm water to the area, he changed into a human. The cold alcohol caused his panda form to materialize.

"It's not funny, daughter," Soun admonished while wiping a stream of stray coffee from his chin. "He could have been hurt by that vicious dog."

"Baby? A vicious dog?" Akane's eyes went wide as she stifled another giggle. "Baby wouldn't hurt a kitten."

"A panda however..." Ranma couldn't help himself and he finally broke down laughing at the thought of his father in his panda form running for his life with Baby latched firmly onto his posterior.

"Laugh while you can, son. I know there's something going on."

"There's nothing going on, Mr. Saotome." Nabiki finally spoke. She turned her tired eyes towards Genma and fixed him in a gaze that sent chills up his spine. She looked like a woman not to be crossed this day.

"That's right," Kasumi chirped as she placed a cold pitcher of juice on the table. "There's nothing going on."

The two fathers exchanged disbelieving looks. There was most certainly something going on and they were determined to get to the bottom of it. Tofu-sensei's arrival interrupted further discussion of the subject. He had just returned from Mrs. Suzuki's to check on Baby's vaccination records. Relieved to see that the dog had recently had all the required shots, he shifted his attention to the treatment of Genma Saotome's injuries.

"I think it best you accompany me down to the clinic, Mr. Saotome." Tofu adjusted his glasses and tried to look as professional as possible. "Dog bites are not to be ignored. They can develop infections or worse - festering and growing large pus-filled pockets that can burst and -"

"TOFU!" Kasumi's surprised admonishment was accompanied by the sounds of everyone pushing their plates away with disgusted looks.

"What?" He looked around like he didn't understand why everyone was so upset. "It's just -"

"- It's just a disgusting thing to discuss at breakfast," Kasumi finished for him. This was still her house - for now, anyway - and she wouldn't tolerate such talk while people were eating.

"I didn't tell everyone what it would smell like -" The sounds of Nabiki, Ranma, and Akane gagging brought out another Kasumi admonishment for the good doctor. "Well, anyway, we need to get you down to my clinic right away." Tofu helped the protesting Genma to his feet and led him towards the door.

"Don't worry, old friend. I'm sure whatever treatments the sensei has in mind will be painless... mostly." Soun resumed reading his newspaper while keeping an eye on Ranma and Akane.

"For the most part, yes." Tofu guided the whimpering Genma towards the front door. "Now if there WAS an infection, the smell would be -"

"TOFU!"

"Okay, okay." Tofu shook his head and scowled at the floor. "When I was in school, we had to take our lunches at the same tables where we were doing dissections. You had to be pretty careful not to get any of the -" His explanation was interrupted by the sounds of three people making a run for the toilet.
Kasumi just sighed her exasperation. "I MUST have a talk with him about such language around people eating." She looked at her stunned father. "Last week while we were having dinner, he cleaned out a cafe by describing what gangrene looked like."
Soun's painful grimace of acknowledgment reminded him of his own nausea and he painfully struggled to his feet to follow the others.
"Well, I guess that's it for breakfast." Kasumi merrily began clearing the table and thinking about how she could recycle the leftovers.

An hour later, Nabiki calmly exited the compound via the old main gate. She sighed as her mind continued to struggle with the many problems that remained to be resolved before she could go home. Needless to say, she was not in the best of moods. She was, however, alert enough to know when she was being followed. The man wouldn't have been so obvious had he chosen a better disguise. Unfortunately, he wore a familiar kendo outfit with a set of false eyeglasses, a black mustache, and a reddish-brown beard. Nabiki rolled her eyes. Just what she DIDN'T need this morning - a Ridiculous Romeo riding her wake.

She quickly ducked around the corner of a building, turned around, crossed her arms and glared at the corner of the building. She didn't have long to wait.
The man rounded the corner and screeched to a halt only a few feet from Nabiki.

"Kuno, why are you following me?" Nabiki's icy voice cut through the background noise of the busy street beyond and attracting the attention of nearby pedestrians.

"Kooo-Nooo?" he tried to stammer out a funny accent. "Who ist this Kooo-Nooo?"

"Knock it off, you eight-ball," Nabiki growled as she angrily grabbed his fake beard and pulled. With an irritated flick of her wrist, she released it - the elastic bands that held the beard in place caused it to snap back, smacking him hard under his nose. The result of the impact proved Kuno was no actor.

"OUCH! That hurt Nabiki Tendo." Tatewaki's startled exclamation caused Nabiki to glare at him harder.

"That's Tendo-Lawrence!"

"WHATEVER!"

This only fueled Nabiki's anger. "I DON'T LIKE BEING FOLLOWED! Understand?" Nabiki emphasized her points by poking the startled would-be-samurai in his chest.

Kuno's response was interrupted by another voice. "Is this man bothering you, young lady?"

Nabiki spun around to find a local police officer standing with his arms crossed. "Yes, officer, he is."

"Alright, mister." The officer reached for Kuno's arm. "Let's see your identification."

Kuno's reaction was typical. "A Kuno is not stopped like some common peasant on the street."

"Okay. Have it your way." The officer quickly twisted Kuno's arm so that is was behind his back. The startled young man rose up on his toes as the officer applied a modest amount of pressure.

"I can assure you, officer." Kuno's voice had risen a couple of octaves. "I am a law-abiding citizen just out for a morning walk."

"Yeah, yeah, sure you are. All the folks on my beat go out for their morning walks wearing false eyeglasses and beards." The officer began to lead the pleading Kuno away.

"Officer, I am Kuno Tatewaki. I've left my identification at home. There's no room in these pants for my wallet!"

"Buddy, there's room in those pants for two pigs and half the inventory of Kobayashi's Fish Market."

Nabiki just shook her head and sighed as she watched her former Furinkan classmate being led away. The Rising Star of Japan wasn't going quietly.

"I KNOW THE MAYOR!"

"Yeah and he speaks highly of you as well. Keep moving."

With a final sigh, Nabiki resumed her trek to the Nerima City Annex. This wasn't starting out well.

Ranma was the second to leave. Cautiously, he poked his head out the front gate and looked up and down the street. Satisfied there was no one he knew waiting for him, he stepped through the gate and latched it behind him. He paused to nervously adjust his new white shirt - tugging at the annoying collar and trying not to sweat. He chose to wear a clean pair of his usual black pants - just in case he needed to move quickly to lose a nosy fiancee or something. With one more check down the street, he set off in the opposite direction Nabiki had taken. He wanted to make a wide circle around his intended goal to give himself plenty of time should anyone follow him.

He had gone several blocks and was beginning to think luck was on his side this morning when he rounded a corner and screeched to a halt. Coming down the street on her bicycle was Shampoo. From the look of things, she was making an early morning delivery of some sort. Quickly, Ranma ducked back around the corner and held his breath as the girl merrily peddled past and on down the street. Heaving a heavy sigh of relief, he cautiously stepped out and looked carefully down the street where Shampoo 'should' have gone. Curiously, there was no sign of the girl.

"RANMA!" The sound of Shampoo's happy voice coming from the direction behind him caused the boy to flinch. The girl had obviously circled the block and was now peddling up the alley on an intercept course. As his eyes went wide, his instincts did the rest. He bolted into the street and began to run.
He quickly pulled a note card from his pocket and scanned the options Nabiki had given him should he be pursued by each of the fiancees. Shampoo's listing had three choices. He quickly discounted the first two as he wasn't near any water and zoo was still many blocks away. However, he *was* near Western Tokyo University and its school hospital. Tossing the card into a trash can, he dashed for the hospital's main entrance.

Shampoo peddled as fast as she could after the retreating form of her 'husband'. At first, she almost didn't recognize him in his white shirt. Fortunately, her Amazon skills were still sharp and she was able to see through his 'disguise'. She followed him towards a strange building. The red cross flag out front indicated it was a medical facility of some sort. Frowning, as she thought of reasons why her 'husband' would be doing around such a place. As she pondered the possibilities, she caught sight of him disappearing through the building's front doors. She thought it strange that he suddenly didn't look like he was in much of a hurry. He was usually much harder to corner than this. Oh well, she thought, all the easier for me.

Shampoo parked her bicycle out front and happily skipped through the doors. Inside, her senses were assaulted by the smells of disinfectant and chemicals. She wrinkled her pretty nose and looked carefully down the halls that led from the front lobby.

"Are you Shampoo?" a pleasant voice asked from behind. Shampoo spun around to see a friendly looking nurse holding a clipboard. "You're just in time."

"Huh?" Shampoo's reaction was less than original.

"Your husband said you'd be right behind him." The nurse gently took the Chinese girl's arm and led her towards an examination room.

"Husband?" Shampoo said dreamily. "Ranma... husband."

"Yes, sweetheart, your husband scheduled a whole series of tests for you this morning. I understand you're Chinese."

"Tests?" Shampoo was still in a daze at hearing Ranma referred to as her husband. The word 'tests' didn't fully register just yet. The nurse ask for and got Shampoo's Alien Registration Card, which she clipped to her clipboard while leading the Amazon into an examination room.

Inside she closed the door and turned to Shampoo. "Now, let's get out of those clothes -"

"What?" Shampoo gasped. "Why Shampoo take clothes off."

The nurse pulled a small plastic tray off the counter. It was full of nasty looking medical implements. "We have to take some blood, get some urine, then there's the mammogram and, of course, the pap smear."

"WHAT?" Shampoo's voice suddenly became strained.

"Just slip out of your top and hold out your arm." The nurse pulled out a device that contained a long needle on the end. Shampoo's eyes went wide. In her young life, she'd faced countless foes, enemies, demons, and other armed killers without so much as a blink. But here in the sterile confines of a hospital examination room, a diminutive nurse holding a needle that looked a foot long was all it took. The champion of the Amazons lost her nerve.

"NO!" Shampoo screamed as she blew past the startled nurse and exploded through the examination room's door.

The nurse paused to look through the hole made by the startled Shampoo and scowled. "Well, he *did* say she'd be a little reluctant."

Akane quietly left the Tendo compound and started towards the City Annex. She chose a more direct route - certain that few would be interested in where *she* was going. If anything, she reasoned, they would be more likely to follow Ranma. She casually brushed her new skirt as she walked. She had chosen a light skirt and blouse combination that looked nice but not too nice. It was something she would likely wear to go to a museum or a lecture.

As she walked, a curious feeling that she was being followed began to take hold. Every now and then she would pause and look casually over her shoulder. The first few times there was only the usual Nerima pedestrian traffic. But, as she got closer to Furinkan, she began to notice more and more familiar faces. As she got to the entrance gate, she suddenly spun around to find 20 to 30 young men following her - many she recognized as her former high school classmates. They all tried to suddenly look unconcerned; gazing up in the trees or burying their noses in thick books. Akane had finally had enough. Stomping up to the nearest little knot of males, she angrily snatched a book out of one young man's hands.

"Will you guys knock it off! I don't *do* that anymore!" She tried to glare at the growing crowd as some of the guys on the fringes edged closer. She couldn't help but notice that a number of those closest wore expressions like abandoned puppies.

"Kuno said you were available again," one of the young men wearing a New York Yankees baseball hat said hopefully. "He said the class rule was still in effect."

"WHAT?" Akane sputtered. "That was five years ago!"

"Well, we still haven't found wives yet and you were the best catch at Furinkan," a heavy-set fellow offered innocently. Akane flapped her arms like she was trying to take off. This was so ridiculous she couldn't immediately grasp its significance. As she looked from young man to young man, she detected they all had something in common.

"You clowns are not living in the real world, are you." She approached one and pulled angrily at his t-shirt. "Cutie-Honey t-shirts," she snarled in disgust. "And the rest of you..." She paused to notice the book she'd taken from the first male. A quick examination of the others confirmed her suspicions. They were all wearing Anime t-shirts, pins, and carrying various editions of the current manga. "You're all a bunch of otakus. I bet you even collect manga, don't you?" The guys all muttered something unintelligible and looked down at their shuffling feet.

"GET A LIFE! Find a job! Move out of your parent's home!" She slapped the book back into its owner's chest. "And stop reading this stuff. It'll rot your brains."
With a huff, Akane planted her fists on her hips and glared at the young men. The small, embarrassed crowd of former suitors slowly began to disperse. One, however, timidly tried something that might have worked five years ago.

"Miss Akane, would you go out with me?"

Akane grabbed the guy's head between her hands and looked him in the eyes. Her voice dripped with syrup. "How sweet."

"Then you'll go out with me?" He sounded innocently hopeful.

"Not if you were the last boy on earth." Akane's face darkened and her grip on the boy's head became painfully tight. "Read my lips. I'm engaged. SCRAM!" The young man bolted from the street as fast as his legs could carry him. Akane huffed again and noticed a group of adults who had paused to watch her performance. "WHAT?" she yelled their way. Quickly, the adults scurried off, intent on putting as much distance as they could between themselves and the violent young lady holding the strategic section of street in front of Furinkan High School. However, that didn't prevent Akane from hearing the usual comments.

"See? I told you she had a temper."

"I guess not everyone mellows with age."

Akane's sudden glow caused the street to quickly empty.

Almost half an hour after the others had left, Kasumi calmly left her home like she did almost every morning. She stuck to her usual schedule which included finishing the cleaning of her kitchen, putting in a quick load of laundry, and making a short shopping list.

"Hmmmmm," she mused while passing through the main gate. "Ami-chan needs dog food, Ranma needs new underwear - again, and I need to pick up a few things for dinner." She quickly became aware that she was being followed. A limping figure shuffled along from cover to cover as he kept Kasumi in sight. Poor Daddy, she thought charitably. He's such a dear to keep an eye on me. Pity I cannot let him know where I'm going. Kasumi turned down several side streets in an attempt to lose her father in the crowd but he always seemed to find her in the end. With a sigh of resignation, Kasumi detoured off another side street and into her favorite dress shop.

"Kasumi!" an old high school friend called from the back of the store as she worked her way towards her surprise visitor. She had worked at the shop ever since graduating from high school and Kasumi was one of her most welcome customers. "How nice to see you again. Have you decided on a new dress today?"

Kasumi smiled and responded to her friend's welcoming bow. "I need your help."

"What is it, Kasumi?" Her friend frowned.

"I think Daddy is following me this morning. I really need to be somewhere by 10 o'clock and I don't want him tagging along." Kasumi's friend looked around her and noticed an older man, all dressed in black, standing idly over by the lingerie while trying to look inconspicuous.

"I know just the thing." She led Kasumi back where there was a rack of fashionable but practical dresses on sale. Kasumi, delighted to see so many wonderful dresses in her size, excitedly sorted through the rack - pausing only to trade the latest gossip.

Soun Tendo continued to try an look like a mildly interested customer but it was hard due to where he was. It didn't help when a young clerk asked him if he wanted to see anything special. Without looking, Soun snatched up a red lace teddy from the rack next to him and stammered something about a gift while waving it in front of the embarrassed clerk.

Kasumi, delighted to find a couple of dresses - including one she'd had her eye on for weeks waiting for the price to drop, accompanied her friend to the back of the store where they disappeared down a short hallway screened from the rest of the shop by a long curtain. At the end of the hallway, just past the changing rooms, was the shop's back door.

"I hope your father doesn't catch on," her friend chirped as she pushed open a door onto a quiet alley behind the shop.
Kasumi bowed and giggled while handing the dresses back to her friend. She paused partway out of the door and added that she would be back later for the dresses - especially the one she had her eye on. Her friend assured her that she'd keep them in the back for Kasumi and they'd be there when she returned. She also said she'd do whatever was necessary to keep Mr. Tendo from discovering Kasumi had escaped.
With Kasumi gone, her friend carefully hung up the dresses (after leaving a note on them) and returned to the shop where Soun Tendo was being given an uncomfortable lecture on the benefits of under-wire bras by another young clerk. Now committed to buying something, Soun endured the whispers and giggles of the other customers as they filed past.

Ranma quickly made up for lost time as he completed his planned broad circle of Nerima. Because it was getting close to the time he needed to be at the Nerima City Annex, he chose a more direct route to his goal. As walked, his mind began to wander. He recalled the events of last night in Akane's room. He had to admit, she could be excitingly kawaii when she wanted to be. He was just getting to the part where she had been especially kawaii when a familiar voice jolted him back.

"Ranma?"

Ranma's reaction was like he'd been jabbed with a cattle prod. "Oh... Hi, Ukyou." He began to sweat.

"What are you doing here at Tobu-Nerima Station?" Ukyou's question caused Ranma to glance around quickly like he was looking at the place in question for the first time.

"Oh... uh... I'm..." He quickly spotted the door for the ticket booths. "I'm checking on tickets down to Osaka. Pop wants to take another... uh, training trip. That's it. He wants him and me to go down to Osaka for a few weeks." Ranma began to sweat harder as he told his tale. It wasn't a total fabrication. He father *had*
suggested such a trip - 5 years ago. Still, if it satisfied Ukyou, it was worth it. At first, it looked like his story was working.

"I see," Ukyou mused out loud. "Well, maybe you'd like to stop by my shop afterwards and have a mid-morning snack. I know how hungry you can get." Ukyou giggled broadly at the thought of getting Ranma alone in her shop. Perhaps, she thought, she could convince him of how bad Akane was for him.

"Yeah... that'd be... great." Ranma cast a quick, nervous look at the giant clock in front of the station. "However, I really have to be somewhere by 10 o'clock."

"That's okay," Ukyou chirped as she slipped her arm through his. "I don't have to open the shop until 11 for the lunch crowd so I can go with you." Ranma attempted a sick smile and gave a nod that looked more like a someone who was trying to convince Akane she really *was* a good cook while forcing down a mouthful of her food. Another depressing thought quickly occurred to him: There was no way he was going to lose Ukyou gracefully once she got it in her head that she was going to go with him. He quickly looked for some avenue of escape. A sign for the station's toilets looked promising.

"Uh, Ukyou," he stammered while trying to disengage himself gracefully from the girl's grip. "I really need to use the facilities."

Reluctantly, Ukyou released her 'fiance' so he could take care of business. Before he totally escaped her grasp, she made it clear she would wait for him right outside the rest room doors and hinted that she would be *very* disappointed if he didn't return quickly. Relieved to escape Ukyou's clutches, Ranma practically ran to the men's toilet. Inside, he frantically looked for some escape. As it was an older station, he noted there was a painted-over old window at the back of the room. Thanking his lucky stars, he bounded over to the window and, after only a short struggle, was able to open it enough for him to wiggle through.

Once outside, he found himself in a narrow alley that led to the train platforms behind the station. With a sigh of relief, he quickly gained one of the platforms and started walking calmly towards the pedestrian bridge to the other side of the tracks. It would necessitate a minor detour but if it allowed him to avoid encountering Ukyou again, it was worth it. He was pondering how he could make it up to Ukyou when a small club struck the back of his head.

"OW!" he snarled as he spun around to confront his attacker. "What'd ya do that for?"

"Ranma Saotome the time has come for us to end our rivalry for the hand of Shampoo." It was Mousse and he looked determined to inflict the maximum damage on his rival for the Chinese Amazon's affection. "What have you done with her?"

"Mousse, you moron, I don't know were she is. The last time I saw her she was going into a hospital."

"LIAR! My Shampoo needs no medical attention. Defend yourself!" Mousse waved his long sleeved arms like he was preparing to deploy one of his many hidden weapons. However, as he continued to flail his arms, nothing happened. Ranma, taking no chances, dropped into a defensive pose - ready for whatever the near-sighted Chinese Amazon-consort had to offer. Off in the distance, he could hear the warning horn of an approaching express train.
With an irritated look, Mousse paused and looked up one of his sleeves. "I can't believe it. I over packed again."

He shook his sleeve and resorted to rummaging around with his other hand in an attempt to dislodge whatever was preventing him from deploying his master weapon. Ranma watched in fascination as Mousse pulled item after item out of his sleeve - clubs, whips, tennis shoes, a lady's bra (probably one of Shampoo's), two Japanese lanterns, and a live rabbit were quickly dropped on the platform. "Ah, that's what was causing the backup," Mousse announced with some satisfaction as he removed a stuffed armadillo. The express train began to pass by the station behind Ranma as Mousse again flailed his arms and announced in his nasally Chinese voice Ranma's impending demise.

A chain topped by a particularly nasty looking claw shot out of the boy's sleeve, headed straight for Ranma's body. With an almost nonchalant jump, Ranma avoided the claw. However, as he landed lightly, the claw impacted the last car of the train and embedded itself deeply in the car's skin. Mousse only had time for a short 'Uh Oh' before he was snatched off the platform by the speeding train - leaving a small pile of strange-looking parts behind.
Ranma leaned over slightly to watch Mousse, his body horizontally suspended behind the speeding train on the end of his long chain,
disappear around the bend in the tracks.

"Next stop: Osaka," he happily mumbled as he headed for the pedestrian bridge. He could just make it if he hurried.

Nabiki and Kasumi met quietly outside the Nerima City Annex building. Both scanned the street looking for either of the prospective couple. Nabiki set her briefcase on the ground and nervously glanced at her watch.

"Where are those two?" she grumped.

Kasumi just shrugged her shoulders and clasped her hands in front of her skirt. Her pretty face screwed itself into a worried frown as she anxiously tried to pick out her sister or Ranma from the people passing by. "Perhaps they were delayed."

With a sigh, Nabiki shook her head. "Well, they better get here soon. I can't keep everyone waiting. We'll lose our place in line." Kasumi was about to say something when her eye caught on a familiar figure. Before she could point him out to her sister, a dark-haired blur darted from a nearby rooftop and tackled Ranma in the street.

"Ranma, darling! We've got to stop meeting like this." Kodachi's voice cut through the street noise like a buzz saw. Ranma's reaction was timeless.

"Get off me, you latex loonie!" He struggled briefly before wiggling out of Kodachi's embrace.

"Uh-oh." Nabiki's reaction was answered by Ranma taking to his heels and dashing back the way he had come.

"Well, at least he had the good sense not to make a run for the city offices. That would have given away where he really wanted to go." Kasumi sounded hopeful and, as usual, overly optimistic. Ranma's choice of direction was dictated solely by the circumstances.

Nabiki, a little more attuned to what was really happening, couldn't help but scowl at her older sister. "You're really lost, aren't you?" Kasumi's response was interrupted by Akane's arrival. Naturally, she ignored her older sisters and set off in pursuit of her fiance. "Great!" Nabiki growled in disgust. "Now we gotta wait till 'lover boy' ditches the Black Rose of Insanity. Go back inside and hold our place in line while I try to round up the happy couple." Nabiki handed her briefcase to Kasumi, admonished her to keep a close eye on it, and hailed a nearby cab. As she climbed into the taxi, she uttered the oddest instructions the cab driver had ever heard. "Follow that loony."

The driver glanced around to see who his passenger had indicated. Figuring she must have meant the short-haired girl running furiously down the street, he jammed the car into gear and shot off after Akane. They quickly caught up with the running Tendo and Nabiki yelled for her to get into the cab. The driver, figuring he'd met the required challenge, turned around in his seat and looked questioningly at Nabiki.

"Keep going, you fool! Don't let them get away!." She added a slap on the passenger seat back for emphasis.

"Go WHERE?" The driver was clearly confused. But then, this was probably the first time a Tendo had ever been in his taxi.

Nabiki quickly scanned for any sign of Ranma or Kodachi. Seeing a flash of white dart onto a rooftop a block ahead, she pointed further down the street. "That way!" The driver, figuring a fare was a fare, set off at the best speed he could. Akane and Nabiki stuck their heads out the windows like two dogs enjoying the ride as they tried to keep Ranma in sight.

"Why is he heading South?" Akane yelled.

"Who knows. He's Ranma." The cab continued for the next 20 minutes dodging traffic and making sharp turns upon Nabiki's commands. No matter what they tried, they couldn't get any closer to the roof-running pair. Akane, however, soon figured out where Ranma was heading. "Tokyo Tower!"

"What?"

"He's heading for Tokyo Tower. I've seen him use this on Shampoo. He'll lose her in the tourist crowd at the tower."

"Akane, it's Thursday morning. There's no crowd at the tower this time of day."

"Uh-oh."

Ranma tried everything he could think of to lose Kodachi but she doggedly stuck to his trail. Sighting the tower a few blocks away, he darted off a pair of trucks and onto the street below. Kodachi followed only seconds behind. She had her deadly ribbon out now. That could only mean one thing; she was going to snag him like a cowboy roping a steer.

Ranma ducked through the remaining obstacles between him and the tower. To his surprise, he found the plaza at the base almost empty of people. Only a handful of tourists were waiting patiently for the elevator that would take them up the gigantic structure. Kodachi's first attempt to snag Ranma by the leg snapped loudly as it came up inches short. He knew she wouldn't miss a second time.

"Gang way! GomenGomenGomen!" he yelled as he dove for the open elevator door. Kodachi must have figured she had him trapped because instead of using her ribbon, she bounded merrily into the elevator behind him. Her insane laughter echoing oddly in the confined space of the elevator. The few waiting cringed and backed off. All, that is, except a lone couple.

Ranma timed his escape from the elevator perfectly. Just as the doors were closing, he sprung out the narrow opening and rolled free. He might have made it except a ribbon suddenly lashed out from the elevator and wrapped itself around his ankle. As the doors fully closed and the elevator began its assent, Ranma was jerked off his feet and dragged aloft. Frantically, he grabbed at the ribbon and tried to disengage himself from its tight grip. It was no use. In seconds, he would come in contact with the first cross beam. The result would be most... messy.

His plight did not go un-noticed. Only inches from the beam, a black and yellow blur seemed to come from nowhere and easily severed the ribbon - dropping Ranma to the hard pavement below. Akane and Nabiki bolted from the taxi as it screeched to a halt and arrived at Ranma's side as he staggered to his feet.

"Are you okay?" Akane anxiously asked as she brushed his shirt lightly to remove the accumulated debris and smudges.

"I think so." Ranma steadied himself on Akane's shoulder while he removed the remnant of Kodachi's ribbon from his ankle. "Good thing this broke."

"Yeah, good thing," came a familiar voice. Ranma jerked taut and groaned as the three turned towards the voice.

"Ryouga." Nabiki's annoyance at this new turn in her plan was obvious.

Akane was about to ask something when she noticed a short, dark-haired young lady peeking shyly from behind Ryouga. "Hello?" she asked softly. "And who are you?" The girl stared at the trio with large, dark eyes. It was clear she found all their antics most... unusual. Ryouga, who was busy rubbing the back of his head in an embarrassed manner, blushed when his eyes met Akane's. "It's okay. You can come out." Akane's soft voice seemed to do the trick as the girl tentatively leaned out from behind Ryouga a little more. Her frown and the way she clung to Ryouga told Akane she was more than just a casual friend.

Ryouga, as if he suddenly figured out what Akane was talking about, hurriedly put his hand on the young woman's arm made a reluctant introduction. "This... is my... friend, Unryuu Akari."

The girl did a tentative bow in acknowledgment of her name. "Ryouga, who are these people?"

Ryouga quickly went through the introductions. As usual, he practically bit his tongue when he introduced Ranma.

As he finished, an irritating voice echoed from the top of Tokyo Tower. "Ranma darling. I'll wait for you up here. Don't be long." All five slowly turned to look up at a single speck waving from a platform far above.

"Ranma-san certainly has some unusual friends," Akari noted firmly.

"She's his fiancee," Ryouga corrected.

"Hey! That wasn't my idea." Ranma bristled. "As I understand, neither was Akane." Five years ago Ryouga's retort might have started a fight. But both young men had grown and matured enough to realize and respect the truth between each other. Besides, Ranma had just been saved by Ryouga - again. That alone was enough to temper Ranma's spirit.

"Yeah, well..."

"We have to be going," Nabiki interrupted as she pushed Ranma and Akane toward the waiting taxi. "Enjoy your tour of Tokyo."

"Oh, this isn't the first time I've been here. I just love coming to Tokyo." Akari hugged Ryouga's arm in a bubbly way.

"You've been here before?" Nabiki paused her departure, curious as to Akari's meaning.

"Oh, yes. The pigs and I have come to Tokyo on several occasions."

"Pigs." Nabiki blinked like she wasn't sure she heard what she thought she heard.

"Yes, especially my sumo pigs. They just love all the attention they get."

"I can just imagine."

"They really like the park." Akari giggled.

"The park."

"Oh yes, they like to wallow in the ponds and root around for things to eat. Most people are happy to share their picnics with my pigs."

Nabiki scowled as she tried to imagine 500 pound pigs begging for food from families picnicking in the park - even if they *were* well behaved pigs. With a shrug and a sly smile at Ryouga, Nabiki patted him on the arm and summed up her opinion of Akari. "You've got a winner there, sweetheart."

Ryouga's embarrassed smile graced Nabiki's departure as she hurried to catch up with her sister and Ranma.

"What a nice lady." Akari happily waved to Nabiki. "We should invite her out to the farm some day." Ryouga cast Akari an incredulous look. Somehow, he just couldn't see Nabiki standing among a bunch of pigs.

"Ranma darling! Where are you going?"

Ryouga and Akari slowly looked up the tower again. The figure on the platform was jumping up and down and frantically waving.

"Umm, are you certain you want to go up there?"

"I see what you mean." Akari frowned at the bouncing figure. "Let's go to the park instead. I'm sure my pigs are done with the picnics by now."

The small taxi seemed even smaller with three occupants in the back seat. Ranma, wedged between sisters, was especially uncomfortable - mainly because Akane continued to brush his shirt clean. He also wondered if it was such a good idea for all of them to be in the same place at the same time. No telling what might happen.

Nabiki ordered the driver to the Nerima City Annex and the car slid easily into the flow of traffic. They still had time to get to the Annex. Besides, Nabiki was confident that Kasumi could delay even the workings of government if she had a mind to. With a satisfied sigh, she slumped back in the seat and tried to gather her thoughts. Her plan wasn't going exactly as planned. The timetable was off, it was getting close to ten o'clock, and they still had half a city to cross.

On the other hand, she at least had everyone she needed gathered together. All they had to do now was get to the City Annex before any of the other fiancees figured out what they were up to. The taxi jerked to a sudden halt and jolted Nabiki back to the current situation. Concerned, she leaned forward and scowled at what she saw. For some reason, there was a massive traffic jam blocking their way.

"We're not going to make it," Akane moaned as she stuck her head out of the window.

"Looks like Kasumi will just have to delay things a little longer." Nabiki grinned darkly as she thought of Kasumi applying her full treatment to the city staff. She felt a spark of pity for them really.

"But what if she can't?"

"Then we'll just have to think of something else."

Ranma, never very good at thinking of something else, wasn't about to wait for another idea. While Nabiki loudly objected, he pushed the protesting Akane out of their cab, gathered her into his arms and began running over the tops of the cars. Nabiki opened her door and stepped partway out. "Ranma! Come back here! Oh, for pete's sake." This was yet another wrinkle in her plan. In desperation, she yelled at the driver. "Follow them!"

"Are you nuts?" the driver protested while waving his hands at the stalled traffic. "There's no way I can follow them."

Disgusted, Nabiki angrily dashed around the car and yanked open the driver's door. "Move over," she commanded. The driver, sensing Nabiki was one not to be trifled with, did as he was told - offering only scant protests in return. Nabiki slid behind the wheel and looked at the car's controls like she was daring them not to do her bidding.

"Do you know how to drive a car?" the nervous taxi driver asked.

"Jeffrey does it all the time. How hard can it be?" Nabiki ground the gears putting it into first. The driver winced at the punishment his poor vehicle was taking but he refrained from protesting when Nabiki cast him a withering look of warning.

Nabiki looked for a way out of the traffic jam. Her eye caught on an open space off to her left. Unfortunately, it was the sidewalk. Never one to look an opportunity in the mouth, she gunned the engine and forced the little taxi onto the nearly sidewalk - wildly scattering pedestrians and knocking over store displays. The car's engine revved dangerously high.

"Second gear, lady! Second gear!"

"Where's that?" Nabiki looked down at the gear shift knob. The driver's scream caused her to glance up and yank the wheel to the right just enough to avoid a group of junior high girls in their fukus as they scattered like a flock of geese.

It was then Nabiki discovered the car's horn. Using it freely, she announced her intentions to pass without hitting anyone. Surprisingly, she was successful. Her vehicle bobbed and weaved as it lurched over curbs and skidded around other obstacles. In a short time, she had escaped the traffic jam, discovered the first three gears and found herself motoring down almost deserted alleys and narrow back streets. The taxi driver cowered in his seat and mumbled prayers for salvation.

I wonder why Jeffrey wouldn't let me drive before, Nabiki thought as the taxi skidded around a corner and shot off towards Nerima. This is easy.

Meanwhile, Ranma nimbly dashed over cars, trucks and the occasional bus as he made good time crossing the city. Akane, nestled uncomfortably in his arms, clung to him for dear life.

"Slow down!" she yelled before closing her eyes to avoid seeing how he was going to avoid a truck full of chickens.

"Can't! We've got only ten minutes to get there." Ranma bounced off the roof of a nearby city bus before landing on the sidewalk. Their passage was marked by surprised shouts of warning and honking of horns. Whatever Akane might have thought of this mode of transportation, it was certainly making good time.

Kasumi had just gotten to the front of the line at the City Clerk's office. Looking nervously back along the rest of the line, she quickly thought of how to delay things until her sisters and Ranma arrived.

"May I help you?" the young lady behind the receptionist desk asked in a bored, official-sounding voice.

Stuck for an excuse, Kasumi improvised. "When was the last time you cleaned this lobby?"

Stunned, the receptionist blinked before adding a scowl. "I really don't think -"

"And the glass on that front door." Kasumi waved her free hand at the front of the building. "Honestly, my little sister could clean glass better than that."

"The cleaning crew doesn't come on until ten. I'm sure they'll take care of -"

"Is this the way you organize your desk?" Kasumi was on a roll now - speaking of things she knew about. "My husband, Dr. Tofu Ono, used to try and work in such a mess. He was always losing files and forgetting appointments." The receptionist looked about her cluttered desk with a confused expression. "I'm sure we can get you better organized than this." Kasumi moved around the desk and set about sorting out the mess. "If you put all your appointment files here and put your phone over there..."

"Lady -"

"Just bear with me. I'll get you organized in a jiffy." The long line of Nerima citizens could only look on in wonder as the eldest Tendo daughter conducted an impromptu class on office efficiency.

"Only a few blocks to go," Nabiki crowed as she sped past the Tendo home - her horn blaring in triumph. The taxi driver could only whimper and hang on for dear life.

At the neighborhood koban, Sergeant Fujimoto was just settling down to his morning tea break. Setting a small chair and table out front, he took a deep breath and exhaled happily.

"Such a beautiful day," he said to the duty officer inside. "Turn of the radio and let's get some music." He bowed briefly and saluted to an elderly couple passing by. Nothing could go wrong today. Nothing.

"You forgot your munchies, sergeant," the duty officer said with a grin. He really liked these calm summer days. The worst they ever had to deal with lately was an occasional lost salryman or illegally parked car.

Sergeant Fujimoto chuckled as he stepped back into the koban. "Absolutely correct. My morning tea wouldn't be complete without the sweets." He picked up the little box containing his snack and was just about to step back outside when a runaway taxi careened past - its horn blaring. His little table and chairs clanged off the side of the building. With a shout of surprise, Fujimoto dove for cover - his box of snacks scattering throughout the koban.

"WHAT WAS THAT?" The duty officer leaned over his desk in time to see the lid to Fujimoto's tea kettle spinning forlornly on the sidewalk; the kettle itself long since smashed.

The rotund Fujimoto crawled out from behind a desk and stared dumbfounded at what was left of his morning tea. "Get me a driver. I want that felon."

A squad car quickly pulled up out front and Sergeant Fujimoto waved the driver over into the passenger seat. This was *his* chase. Wedging his large body behind the wheel, he flipped on the siren and the little police car took off after the runaway taxi. It wasn't hard to follow, it's wake was littered with knocked over signs, damaged carts, and crushed trash cans. Within a few blocks, Fujimoto caught sight of the taxi as it veered into the city park.

"Ooh-ooh-ooh, shouldn't we call it in?" the other officer asked as he grabbed the radio microphone.

Fujimoto snatched the microphone from his fellow officer's hands and tossed it out the window. "This guy's mine!" The police car accelerated as it tried to follow the taxi through the park. Whoever was operating the taxi had to be a master getaway driver, perhaps even a yakuza gangster.

"Get the license number!" Fujimoto skidded past a rock garden and tore off the rear bumper of the patrol car. The officer in the passenger seat began to rummage around in the glove compartment.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

"I can't see without my glasses! They're in here somewhere."

"How do you see to drive?" Fujimoto wrestled with the steering wheel as he struggled to stay behind the fleeing taxi.

"This is Nerima, sergeant! We don't chase people here!"

Nabiki's taxi plunged through a hedge, clipping a large chunk off and dragging it behind the vehicle.

As the police officer fitted his glasses, it quickly became apparent that they weren't going to help. The section of hedge being dragged behind the taxi fully obscured the license plate. Fujimoto followed as best he could but it was becoming clear he was no match for the yakuza professional behind the wheel of the taxi.

"Only a bank robber would be so reckless!" Fujimoto yelled as his car took out a drinking fountain sending a geyser of water arching high overhead.

Nabiki crested a small rise and roared down towards a group of picnickers. Leaning on the horn, Nabiki shifted gears and fish-tailed the taxi around a particular picnicking couple and their pigs.

"Wasn't that your friend Nabiki?" Akari asked calmly as the taxi pirouetted around her prized sumo pig. Ryouga froze with a rice ball to his mouth as he followed the vehicle's path around their encampment. Mud, grass, and park debris flew in all directions. The pigs loved it. Ryouga just grimaced. He didn't remember this part of the park being so noisy. Of course, he really didn't remember this part of the park at all.

"I don't think we should have her out to the farm. She's a little too active." Akari struck a contemplative pose before calmly offering Ryouga a plate of food. "Another rice ball?"

The police car stormed over the rise and skidded sideways to avoid a herd of pigs. Fujimoto and the police officer screamed and closed their eyes as it became apparent they were not going to avoid all the pigs. A loud squeal followed by a firm thump on the front of their patrol car confirmed the strike. When they opened their eyes, there was a VERY large and angry looking sumo pig staring at them through the front window. He had been munching on some mashed rice when the front bumper hijacking occurred and he wasn't a bit pleased about it.

"It's a pig!" the officer yelled as he pushed himself deeper into his seat. The pig snorted and glared at him through the window with angry red eyes.
Fujimoto stomped on the brakes sending the pig flying.

A courting couple were having their own picnic on the other side of another rise. They heard the disturbance but couldn't see what was going on - not that they were all that interested in the first place. The young man kept stumbling as he nervously sought the right words to ask the girl to marry him. She, however, was dubious about him being the right man for her.

"Will you marry me?" he finally asked most romantically. The girl blushed, closed her eyes and asked for guidance from her recently departed grandmother. Please, grandmother, give me a sign if I should marry this man. Something that I cannot mistake. Just then a large sumo pig crashed into their picnic. Gee,
grandma, could you be a little more subtle.

"Get your things, we're leaving," she sighed.

"Where are we going?"

"To get married, where else?"

Meanwhile, back at Akari's picnic, the police car spun around after discharging the large pig and headed for Akari and Ryouga. At the last minute, the car swerved but not enough to avoid Akari's bag of water. It exploded all over Ryouga as the police car took off after the runaway taxi. By the time Akari looked back at him, there was only a little black pig angrily hopping around while 'bweeing' furiously. With a sigh, she picked him up and calmly waited for his little legs to stop kicking.

"Can't take you anywhere," she giggled. "Let's go home. I'll give you a hot bath." The little pig's legs stopped instantly. A strange blush seemed to envelop P-chan's snout.

Near the far side of the park, the little taxi spun around a stone shrine and ducked between a pair of trees as it headed for the lake. Not far behind, Fujimoto grinned to himself. There was no way that car was going to get away from him now. To his surprise, instead of trying to double back and make for a park entrance, the taxi headed straight for a small foot bridge that spanned the narrowest part of the lake. His jaw dropped as the car sped up the narrow bridge, it's doors only inches away from the railing - panicked pedestrians jumped from the bridge into the water to escape. At the top, the taxi seemed to launch itself the remaining distance to the shore beyond - landing with a loud thump and sending chunks of turf flying as its wheels dug in and the car shot forward once again.

"Hang on!" Fujimoto growled as he aimed the police car for the little bridge.

"WE CAN'T MAKE THAT!"

"SHUT UP! He made it! I can make it!" With his siren screaming and the little engine roaring, Fujimoto hit the bridge at a high rate of speed. The structure, already weakened by the assault from the taxi, bobbed and weaved dangerously. With a final groan, the structure collapsed like a cardboard display. The squad car seemed to pause in mid-air - its little tires spinning furiously and its siren rising to a fever pitch. As gravity took over, the vehicle dropped like a rock into the shallow water near the collapsed bridge - ending with a mighty splash. The siren wound down and gurgled as it slid underwater. The two police officers sat stunned as the water level climbed up to the edge of the windows and stopped as the little police car settled onto the bottom of the lake.

Slowly, Fujimoto turned to look at his partner. "If you say one word..." His partner, sitting with his hat askew, could only stare back as the water caused the car's police radio to suddenly click on. "Car 54. Where are you?"

Ranma, with Akane still nestled in his arms, dashed up the street leading to the Nerima City Annex. He was just seconds away from his goal.

"I see it!" he yelled. As he took one more bound, a white streak seemed to come out of nowhere and collided with the couple, sending Akane into a cloth merchant's display and Ranma into a nearby fountain.

Akane crashed onto the table full of linen and pillows, the impact driving the breath from her. She lay still for a few moments trying to gather her wits as a number of ladies looked on and whispered to each other.

"Are you alright?" the shop owner asked anxiously as he helped Akane to her feet.

"I think so." She felt the back of her head and winced at the bump her landing left her with. Other than that, she seemed unhurt. "Sorry about your merchandise."

"Don't worry about that. Are you certain you're okay?" Akane started to nod when she noticed what, or who, had caused their accident. Standing in the middle of the street, calmly leaning on her staff, was Cologne. Suddenly, everything added up. Only Cologne could have figured out what Nabiki had been up to all week. It only followed that she would be the one obstacle that they couldn't easily avoid in getting married. Akane was about to say something when she heard Ranma approaching.

"You crazy old ghoul!" Ranma-chan yelled as she stepped into the street her white shirt clinging obscenely to her body. "You could have killed us."

"I doubt it. The impact was not nearly hard enough."

"You could have hurt Akane."

"That matters not. You've toyed enough with this local girl. It is time you gave up this foolishness and come home to China as Shampoo's husband."

"I'm not going anywhere with you... or Shampoo." Ranma-chan stepped between Cologne and Akane as he talked. "I'm staying here with Akane."

"You have no choice. Our laws -"

"Don't apply here. Go home and leave us alone."

"You know better than that. Having you return with us will restore Shampoo's honor among our people. You and she will make many powerful young Amazons."

"You're insane. I love Akane." The gathering crowd frowned at each other as the female Ranma-chan loudly proclaimed her love for the youngest daughter of Soun Tendo. Apparently, Ranma-chan detected what effect her words were having on the crowd. "I mean, Akane is like a member of my family."

The crowd groaned a loud 'ooooooh' in unison to confirm their understanding of the public relationship between the red-headed Ranma-chan and the embarrassed-looking Akane. Ranma-chan, figuring the best defense was an offense, leapt to the attack. What followed was a short and totally uninteresting fight. In the end, Cologne stunned the red-head with her cane. As the dazed Ranma-chan bent over holding her head, the old Amazon lined up her next shot like a golfer.

"Fore!" she yelled as she smacked Ranma-chan back into the fountain. "Damn! Gotta work on that slice."

Akane had had enough. Stepping into the street and facing the victorious Cologne, she dropped into what looked like a gunfighter's stance. "I've waited five years to get married. In that time, I've put up with you and your little band of gaijin with patience and understanding. You've embarrassed me, my family, and my fiance. I don't like you."

Cologne chuckled lightly. The youngest Tendo girl was not threat. "Go home, child. This doesn't concern you. It's between myself and my son-in-law."

Akane refrained from answering as her anger grew with every passing second. Her body began sucking up ki at an astounding rate. Fast enough for even Cologne to notice. Akane began to glow a bright amber. Cologne's eyes narrowed for a moment before springing open wide with surprise. She now recognized what she was faced with. It was something that she hadn't seen in many years. It was something that if she didn't strike first and quickly, she might not be able to strike at all. As Ranma-chan climbed out of the fountain sputtering, Cologne attacked. Her staff held like a lance, the old ghoul launched herself at Akane with such speed and ferocity, she appeared to be but a tiny white comet.

Akane calmly stood her ground, her hands inches from her shapely hips, as her glow became bright enough for even a non-martial artist to see. Ranma-chan was about to call out a warning when Akane flipped one hand up like she was holding a six shooter and a concentrated ball of pure ki energy lashed out catching Cologne squarely in the chest.

The old witch had only an instant to utter a choked cry of surprise before her body was violently thrown back down the street with such force she pin-balled off the buildings as she went.

Stunned silence surrounded the gathered onlookers as Akane slowly held her finger up to her lips and blew lightly. You could almost hear the theme from 'The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly'.

"Come on, Ranma. We've got an appointment to keep."

"Akane, you've *got* to show me how you do that," Ranma-chan said with a shake of her head.

"Not a chance. Let's go get married." Akane skipped lightly up the steps and disappeared into the building.

The red-headed girl shrugged at the crowd with an embarrassed look. "She didn't really mean that. I mean, *she's* getting married to a guy. Right now. Well, at 10 o'clock... but he's a real guy. Really."

The crowd exchanged dubious looks.

"Gotta go help her. Bye." Ranma-chan bounded up the stairs and followed Akane. Behind her, were the usual odd comments.

"I thought the Tendo girl was going to marry Ranma Saotome."

"He was here a minute ago."

"Maybe he went inside."

"Who's the red-head? Did the Tendo girl say they were going to get married?"

"Well, she always said she didn't like boys."

The whole crowd groaned "Ooooooooh" again and began to wander off.

Nabiki was just turning onto the street the led to the Nerima City Annex when a small body bounced off a nearby building and slammed into the windshield of the taxi. It didn't stay long as its momentum caused it to bounce off the car and over the wall of nearby Furinkan High School.

"What was THAT?" the taxi driver screamed.

"Chinese take out." Nabiki scowled at the window as she turned on the wipers. "Leaves a mess, don't it?"

The little taxi, honking its warning, careened up the street. Like a Hollywood move, it skidded 180 degrees in the street and slid perfectly into a parking place in front of the building. Nabiki kicked open the door, tossed some money to the driver and scampered up the stairs. The clock on the front of the building just clicked over to 10 o'clock. Nabiki easily found Ranma and Akane. They were standing among a crowd of onlookers watching Kasumi conduct a demonstration on the proper way to scrub a floor.

Down on her hands and knees, Kasumi twirled the scrub brush in her yellow gloved hands and smiled confidently at the cleaning people as she demonstrated her technique. "You see? Small circles that overlap will get the floor much cleaner and it really doesn't take any more time than the old back and forth method." The gathered cleaning personnel 'ooohed and aaahed' their appreciation - like scientists being shown the way to read Egyptian hieroglyphics.

"Nice job Kasumi. Now, can we get these two married?" Nabiki pushed her way past the crowd and up to the receptionist desk. It too looked like the recipient of Kasumi touch. "I'm here for my 10 o'clock appointment."

Smiling at Kasumi, the receptionist easily plucked the appointment book from its new, more efficient location. "Ah yes, Nabiki Tendo-Lawrence. Ten o'clock. To get married."

"Not me. Them." Nabiki scowled as she jerked a thumb towards her younger sister and Ranma. Unfortunately, Ranma was not currently... Ranma.

"Excuse me, but those are two girls," the receptionist loud whispered as she practically twitched at the non-conformity of it all.

Nabiki turned and looked at Ranma-chan like she was seeing her for the first time. Covering her face with a hand, Nabiki sighed. "Akane, would you please take... Ranko here to the facilities and try to locate Ranma. Thank you." Nabiki turned to the staring receptionist. "I'm sure he'll be along shortly."

"Fine." The receptionist stamped an official looking form and handed it to Nabiki like she was glad to get rid of the whole annoying family. "Room 121 - down the hall and to the right." Nabiki thanked the receptionist, gathered her briefcase and started towards the room. Kasumi, after returning the gloves and offering a few last minute pointers to the cleaning crew, quickly followed.

Room 121 had no line. It was a typical Japanese government office; only a handful of identical gray metal desks behind a long counter that looked like it had seen better days. As the older Tendo sisters purposefully walked up to the counter, they were almost universally ignored in typical government employee fashion. Nabiki placed her briefcase on the counter in front of the first station and pulled out a packet of papers. The male clerk behind the counter looked unimpressed but acted cordial nonetheless.

"I'm here to register a marriage," Nabiki announced forcefully. The clerk pulled out an official-looking checklist and began to drone out a list of required documents. As he asked for each, Nabiki calmly handed them over. He quickly went through his check-list again to conclude everything was in order.

"Now, which one of you is the bride?"

Nabiki and Kasumi traded looks before holding up their left hands and answering together: "Do we look like brides?"

The clerk blinked. "I'm sorry, I thought you said you were here to register a marriage. Perhaps you want another office."

"No, we're here to get our sister married." Kasumi tried her Number 3 smile on the clerk. It always worked on the mailman. The clerk, however, was made of different stuff. He scowled at the eldest Tendo sister. "I'm sorry, but there must be a bride. It says so right here." He pointed to one of the boxes on his checklist as he held it in front of Kasumi. Before either of the sisters could answer, Akane burst through the door. She was not alone. Unfortunately, the person who was with her still had red hair.

"I can't believe it! We've been to two rest rooms on this floor and neither of them has any hot water. How's a person supposed to wash their hands?" Akane glared at the clerk.

The clerk, however, was firm in his surroundings and returned an official-looking smirk. "I trust one of *you* are the bride."

"Yeah, so?" After all she'd gone through this morning, Akane was in no mood for snooty government employees.

"And where's the groom?"

"We're working on it!"

The clerk frowned at the application. "Young lady, you cannot just show up at a city office and hope someone there is willing to marry you."

"The groom's name is on the documents," Nabiki growled. She was beginning to regret not getting her sister married in Hawaii. Less paperwork there.

"Oh yes, that would be... Saotome Ranma. I trust he's coming."

"Sooner than you know." Akane spotted a possible solution to their dilemma - the office tea pot boiling on a hot plate. "Could we borrow that?"

The clerk glanced at the pot and scowled. "This is most irregular."

"You don't know the half of it."

"I don't know..."

"I'll leave a deposit," Nabiki snarled as she slapped a 10,000 yen note on the counter. The clerk glanced at the note, at Nabiki, at the tea pot, and finally back at the note again. With a visible twitch, he retrieved the pot and handed it to Akane.

"We'll be right back," she said to her sisters before turning to Ranma-chan. The red-head already knew what was going to happen.

"Back to the toilet?" she asked.

"Back to the toilet." Akane took her gender-switched fiance's arm and towed her towards the door. If there wasn't a line before, there certainly was one now. Akane, holding the hot tea pot in one hand and Ranma-chan's arm in the other, pushed her way through the crowd of prospective brides and grooms along with their families and matchmakers. A curious series of whispered discussions broke out and rippled from one end of the line to the other as the odd looking couple passed on their way to the building's toilet facilities.

That, however, was nothing compared to the discussions that followed as Akane pushed her way back through the crowd a few minutes later - this time with a wet and nervous-looking male in tow. "We're back." Akane handed the empty tea pot to the clerk while Nabiki slid her money off the counter and back into her pocket.

"Where did you find him?" the clerk asked in a haughty manner.

"In the toilet. Let's get this over with."

Unperturbed, the clerk moved on to the next item on his check list. "Do you wish a 10 generation or 25 generation koseki?" he asked in an official-sounding voice.

Nabiki paused to look at both Ranma and Akane. "Well?"

Akane fidget nervously. "I suppose the 10 generation would be cheaper." She paused to look pleadingly at her older sister.

Nabiki never could resist it when her sister looked at her like that. "We'll take the 25 generation."

"Fine. This will only take a few moments." The clerk smugly turned away and handed all the paper work to a young female assistant at a computer terminal before taking his tea pot to refill. His tea break was in 20 minutes and he wasn't going to miss it because of some loony girl and her damp fiance.
Kasumi beamed at the couple. It's times like this when Kasumi could say or do the wrong thing. Today, she did it in spades.

"Last chance to back out," she chirped. Nabiki's look in response was priceless.

"Well, I still want to get married." Akane looked questioningly at Ranma. "If you do."

Ranma blinked before frowning. "What do you mean by that? After all I went through to get you here -"

"What *you* went through?" Akane bristled. "What about what *I* went through?"

"All you did was use that little ki trick you'd learned on Cologne. I had to ditch Shampoo, Ukyou, Kodachi AND Mousse."

"Big deal!"

"Look, ya tomboy. I didn't ask to be engaged to you."

"And *I* certainly didn't ask to be engaged to such a jerk."

"THAT'S IT!" Nabiki yelled. "I can't believe you two are doing this again! After all I've been through - after all the phone calls, the travel, the trouble, THE MONEY - you two still think this is just a child's game. GROW UP! This is MARRIAGE we're talking about. It's serious! It's important!" Nabiki's rant was suddenly interrupted by a man wearing a sport coat so ugly it would embarrass even an American used car salesman.

"Excuse me but I couldn't help but overhear your difficulties." He held out his business card to Nabiki. "Perhaps if you had used a professional matchmaker, such as myself, you wouldn't be having this problem. Now I'm sure you're asking yourself just how much this all would cost. The point is: how much is your future happiness worth? I can get this young lady a perfect match for a husband in no time at all. My work is guaranteed for two years or the birth of their first child, whichever comes first."

Nabiki snatched the card out of the man's hand and presented it to Kasumi. With a totally neutral look on her face, Kasumi tore the card into tiny bits and handed it back to Nabiki who grabbed the man's hand and slapped the shredded card in it. The professional matchmaker got the message and bowed his exit.

"So, what's it gonna be you two? You ready to act like adults yet?" Nabiki crossed her arms and began to tap her foot impatiently. The silence between Ranma and Akane was deafening. The two kept glancing at each other between long scowls at the floor. The clerk took that opportunity to return.

"Anything wrong?" he innocently asked.

"NO!" all four snapped at the clerk.

"Fine." The clerk swallowed hard. "Perhaps you just require a little more time."

Nabiki finally grabbed Ranma by the shirt, pulled him close and looked him directly in the eyes. There is no way he could mistake Nabiki's expression for anything but the utmost in seriousness. "Ranma, do you love my sister enough to marry her?"

Ranma gulped and glanced once at Akane. "Hai." His voice was soft and yielding. When it came to his innermost feelings about the youngest Tendo sister, nothing else would have been truthful.

Kasumi reached out and gently lifted Akane's chin with her fingers. "Do you love Ranma enough?"

Akane looked up at her oneechan and thought how much she looked like mother. "It's just so... scary."

"I know. It was that way for me too." Kasumi switched to stroking her sister's hair. "Marriage is a big step in your life. But I'm certain you can handle it. After all, Nabiki and I did."

Akane glanced at Ranma once more before nodding her agreement. "Okay, Oneechan." She turned to Ranma. "Let's finish this. I'm getting hungry." The mention of food prompted Ranma's quick agreement.

"We're ready now," Nabiki said to the clerk as she passed out the signature stamps. An official-looking document was placed on the counter. Briefly, the clerk explained how Tendo Akane had been added to the Saotome koseki and deleted from the Tendo. All the couple needed to do now was to affix their signature stamps to the document to make it legal. Ranma, as the groom, went first. Despite his nervousness, his stamp went smoothly and was quite acceptable. With a sigh of resignation, he quietly handed the stamp back to Nabiki and looked shyly at the other couples waiting their turn.

Akane followed. After applying sufficient ink, she paused before nervously pressing it on the place indicated. As she pressed, her mind whirled with the enormity of what she was doing. She was declaring herself dead to her own family and taking on a whole new family complete with new family obligations. She was now obligated to take care of Ranma's mother in old age. She was also obligated to take care of Genma. Voices of panic rang in her ears as she pressed down.

"Uh, Akane, I don't think you need to press quite that hard." Nabiki and Kasumi were actively engaged in trying to get the dazed Akane to release the signature stamp. She was pressing so hard it looked like she was trying to squeeze water out of the document.

"Akane, please." Kasumi's voice seemed to snap the youngest sister out of her trance.

"Huh? What?" She looked around like she didn't recognize where she was.

"Akane, let got of the stamp."

"Oh. Okay."

Nabiki helped her pull the stamp from the document. Despite the ferocity of her attack, Akane had left a perfect mark on the document... and the counter... and possibly the shelf underneath. The clerk, relieved to get his document back in one piece held it away from Akane like she was crazy.

"I'll still need the witnesses to sign," he said while staring at the shaken Akane. Quickly, Kasumi and Nabiki applied their stamps while Akane stared at the document and kept mumbling something about 'Tendo-Saotome' and feeding pandas for the rest of her life.

"Is that all?" Ranma asked in a daze.

"What else would you like? Some confetti and noisemakers perhaps?" The clerk was being especially annoying now.

"I donno. It just seems like there should be more to it." Ranma rubbed the back of his head and glanced at the still shaken-looking Akane. "Well there isn't."

"Are you sure?"

"Look - kid..." The clerk waved the checklist in his face again. "It says right here that once the document is properly stamped and witnessed you are married."

"Well, what do we do now?"

"Do what other married people do. Go to a love hotel and scr -" Nabiki and Kasumi loudly cleared their throats at the same time and shot the clerk withering looks. With a hard swallow, he cleaned up his advice. "- do whatever married people usually do."

"Oh." Ranma blushed and looked again at his new bride. She was blushing as well - more from embarrassment than excitement at being married. In fact, it wasn't certain that either felt the full impact of what they had just done - yet.

"This will take only a few moments to process. I'll have your original and the two copies you requested in about ten minutes." The clerk quickly escaped into a back room with the original, leaving the married couple and their witnesses alone.

"Ummmmm, I guess we're married." Ranma shuffled his feet and shoved his hands deep into his pockets.

"I guess so," Akane answered softly as she stared at the floor.

"Aren't we supposed to do something now?"

"Like what?" Nabiki asked casually while watching the next couple smoothly go through the registration process with another clerk.

"I donno." He shuffled his feet some more. "Kiss or something?"

"Sure. Why not? You're married. You can do whatever you want." Nabiki grinned at Kasumi who hid her blush behind a hand.

Ranma looked at his new bride with questioning eyes. "You wanna?"

Akane shrugged her shoulders and swept the toe of her shoe lightly across the floor in front of her. "I guess so."

Ranma stepped closer while Akane glanced nervously around at the other couples. Some had come dressed in their finest for this occasion. Some appeared to be getting married over a long lunch hour. One young couple were telling about how a giant pig made the decision for them. Without warning, Akane quickly kissed her new husband on the cheek and nervously stepped back.

"Oh, I'm sure you can do better than that," Nabiki said softly with a mischievous look.

"I agree. Much better." Kasumi's teasing came complete with a taunting giggle that she tried to hide behind a hand.

"Come on, Ranma. You're the man here. Show us how you kiss your new wife." Nabiki was holding nothing back. She wanted a show and she was determined to get it. All in fun, of course. Challenged, Ranma pulled himself up to his full height, took Akane by the shoulders and planted a kiss on her lips that rivaled any he'd ever seen on TV or at the movies. Initially, Akane resisted - her eyes wide. But as the kiss deepened, her arms went slowly around his neck and she seemed to sag into his arms. Moments went by and neither had come up for air.

"Uh, Ranma." Nabiki tapped him on the shoulder. "You've proven your point."

Nothing happened.

Ranma and Akane remained locked together in a most inspiring passionate kiss. "Ranma. Akane. You can stop now."

"Yes, please stop. People are beginning to stare." Kasumi moved to block the scene from the other couples waiting to register. The couple continued to kiss, their breathing coming faster. Akane's hands played with his pig-tail as she pressed his face into her own and her body into his.

"Come on, you guys. Knock it off." Nabiki was actually coming unhinged watching her sister and Ranma in their pre-foreplay activities.

Kasumi adjusted the collar of her dress and fanned herself. "I wonder if Tofu is taking lunch in his office today," she mumbled.

The office clerk, returning with the documents in a cardboard tube, proved his experience with such things. "Oh good grief. Can't you two wait for the hotel?" The couple finally broke the kiss and went immediately into snuggling. Akane sagged further against her new husband and rested her head on his shoulder. Her face was a portrait of complete contentment. Even Ranma looked strangely satisfied.

"I'll take those." Nabiki held her hand out for the tube with the documents.

The clerk quickly withdrew the tube and gave Nabiki an arrogant look. "There's a little matter of the registration fee." Nabiki grumbled, dug into her pocket and started to count out the money. "And the document fee." Nabiki continued to count. "And the duplication fee." Nabiki's counting became strained. "And the taxes." By this time, Nabiki was counting very loudly through clenched teeth. "And the tea pot rental." He quickly turned to Akane. "Bet you thought I'd forget that one, didn't you." Nabiki fished out a ten yen coin and dropped it into his hand. The clerk seemed unimpressed. "Well, I can tell you're no woman of means."

"WHAT?" Nabiki bristled as Ranma and Akane each rushed to grab an arm. Kasumi stepped between the clerk and her sister to accept the cardboard tube - and possibly save his life.

"That poor woman needs professional help." The clerk shot an incredulous look at the struggling Nabiki.

"Thank you very much for your help." Kasumi smiled at the clerk as he returned to his desk. "Creep," she hissed, her smile still in place. The struggling stopped as all three stared in shock at Kasumi.

"Why Oneechan," Nabiki gasped in mock surprise. "Such language."

"A lady has her reputation to protect." She brushed her pony tail over her left shoulder and smiled in a motherly way. "Come on. Let's get out of here." Kasumi triumphantly led the way out of the offices, cradling the tube in her arms like a newborn baby. Nabiki brought up the rear lugging her still stuffed briefcase but looking strangely content. And why not? She'd done it. She'd successfully orchestrated the marriage of Ranma and Akane. There were no disruptions, no damages, and no delays - just an annoying city clerk. Not bad, she thought. Not bad at all.

Out front of the city annex building, the taxi driver had just finished cleaning his battered taxi. With rags and a bucket of water, he'd gotten all the dirt off his car from its earlier wild ride. As he marveled at how it now shone in the mid-day sun, he noted that it had only a few scratches and tiny dents as mementos of the ordeal. He stored his cleaning items carefully in his trunk and considered himself a VERY lucky man.

With a sigh, he settled behind the wheel of his vehicle and reached for his lunch. It was a little early, but considering what he'd been through this morning, he deserved a few quiet moments to himself. He had just unwrapped his sandwich and was about to take a bite when a huffing Sergeant Fujimoto lumbered up to the taxi and stuck his head inside.

"Hey buddy," he wheezed. "Have you seen a taxi come by here driven by a Yakuza getaway driver. I'll bet they held up a bank or something." The driver, frozen in fear with his mouth in mid-bite and his eyes wide, stared at the police officer.

"Did ya hear me? I'm looking for a taxi used in a crime by the yakuza. Did you see it?" The driver quickly shook his head and continued to stare at the police officer.

"Damn!" Fujimoto slapped the roof of the taxi in disgust. "I lost them." He exhaled hard one more time before leaning back inside the taxi. "Here's my card. If you see it anywhere, call me."

The driver could only nod weakly as he accepted the card and watched as Sergeant Fujimoto lumbered off in search of the elusive yakuza-driven getaway taxi.
With a sigh of relief, he attempted again to bite his sandwich when he caught sight of Nabiki coming out of the building. As she extended her hand to summon a taxi - probably his - he screamed, threw his sandwich into the street and hastily started the taxi. Panic gripped him as he shoved the little car into first and laid rubber trying to get as far away as possible from the crazy woman in the short brown hair.

"What do you suppose that was all about?" Kasumi asked as she watched the little car take the first turn on two wheels.

"Beats me. Probably got a call." Nabiki yawned and signaled for another taxi.

"What do we do now?" Ranma asked again. Nabiki was becoming annoyed at his constant use of the irritating phrase. "We go home. What else?" A different taxi pulled up and the door popped open. Only three got in. Kasumi closed the taxi's door and declined the ride. She had to see a friend about a couple of dresses. She added that she might stop by the clinic - just to see what Tofu thought of them, of course. She finished by agreeing to meet Nabiki at the restaurant later as the cab pulled away.

"What about a restaurant?" Akane asked innocently.

Nabiki sighed and shook her head slowly. "When a couple get married, they need some time... alone. You know... to get to know each other... you know."

"Huh?" Akane's expression clearly conveyed her confusion. Fortunately, realization dawned on her rather quickly. "Oh, you mean sex. That's okay. We've already done *that*."

"WHAT?" Nabiki snapped a look Ranma's way and added an expression that could melt steel. The groom was nonchalantly examining the window frame of the car and silently whistling - doing anything to avoid looking at his sister-in-law.

"Honestly, Nabiki, I don't see what all the excitement is about. I mean, it was no big deal." Nabiki looked between Akane's big, innocent eyes and Ranma's attempt to pretend he wasn't there.

"Are you sure?" Nabiki turned back to Akane, her hand cupping her cheek in contemplation.

"Of course," Akane chirped. "You and Kasumi tried to make it sound so wonderful. It was really kind of... boring."

Nabiki slowly turned her head to scowl at Ranma. "You *were* in your boy form, right?"

"Of course!" Ranma tried to look as manly as possible while being interrogated by Nabiki about his sex life - or lack thereof.

"It's no big deal, Nabiki." Akane crossed her arms and frowned at her sister.

Nabiki scowled at the floor of the taxi. Something was terribly wrong here. "Ranma, I want you to talk to Tofu-sensei... no, make that Jeffrey. Yes, Jeffrey would be a better choice."

"About what?" the pair asked simultaneously.

Nabiki looked slowly between the two as she tried to sort out how to answer. "I'm sure he will think of something. Men always do." She glanced one more time at Ranma. He was sweating now. "In the mean time..." She opened her briefcase once again and retrieved a large envelope. Handing it to Akane, she described its contents. Inside was their wedding gift; some stock certificates that Jeffrey assured would go big, all the makings of a honeymoon in Hawaii and the paperwork for their own bank account that contained enough money for a suitable dowry.

Akane slowly turned the envelope over in her hands as she searched for the proper words. "Thank you," she whispered. "Don't mention it." Nabiki patted her sister's hand. "Just remember Jeffrey and I will always be there for both of you."

Akane leaned lightly against her sister's shoulder and sniffed. "You always have been, Nabiki. Always."

"Well, now you and Ranma can have a proper wedding ceremony in the dojo without interruptions." Nabiki sighed. "I'm just sorry I won't be able to help Kasumi plan it."

"What do you mean?" Akane asked as she sat up and stared at her sister.

"I have some business to take care of. I've been summoned by the Shinobi Grand Council of Elders."

"What do they want?"

Nabiki absently ran her fingers over the edge of her briefcase. Akane could tell by the look on her face the summons struck a bit of fear in her sister. "I don't know," Nabiki said after taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out. "Maybe... maybe they're still suspicious of that 'monk's cave' business."

"Well, you can't go alone." Akane shifted in her seat. "I'm going with you."

"Oh no you're not. You're a newlywed now. You've got other things to do."

"Nabiki, I'm a member of the clan too."

"You're not an elder. I don't think they'll let you -"

"They don't have any choice," Akane chirped as she shifted back around in her seat and stuck her lower lip out. "I'm going."

"You're crazy. There will be lots of elders there. You remember what just one was capable of? Fukoono was only defeated because mother and the rest of the our ancestors teamed up to defeat him." Nabiki almost choked on an unexpected emotion when she mentioned her late mother's spirit. "We don't have them to call on anymore."

"If Akane's going, so am I," Ranma finally added.

"What is the matter with you two? You've just gotten married. Don't you value that at all?"

"I value it very much. It's just that... well, I owe you... for everything." Akane briefly held up the oversized envelope and wiggled it at her sister.

Nabiki snatched the envelope out of Akane's hand and waved it back at her. "This stuff means NOTHING compared to your life. What good is a clan if everyone suffers the same fate at the same time?"

Akane snatched back the envelope and bonked her sister over the head with it. "BAKA! What good is a life if not used for the good of our clan?"

"I'm goin' too," Ranma repeated firmly.

"SHUT UP! YOU ARE NOT!" both girls yelled.

"Hey! I'm now married into your... clan. That makes me a member too."

"If anything were to happen to either of you, it would kill father. You know how he's counting on you for grandchildren. You're the heir to his martial arts. You have to stay behind." Nabiki crossed her arms and glared at Akane.

"Yeah? What about Jeffrey? What about Sodoshi?" Akane tried to glare back but the mention of her little niece and the thought of the little girl growing up without a mother defused her anger. It was all too close to her own experience.

Nabiki too felt the painful thought of Sodoshi without a mother - even one as poor as herself. "This council is only for elders. I'm the only elder in our clan. Therefore, I'm the only one who will go."

Akane shook her head. "You've tried this before, remember? You can't go without me if I don't want you to." She tried a weak smile on her sister. "I'm going with you."

"You're impossible." Nabiki slumped back into the seat. "What good is it being an elder if no one obeys you."

"Beats me." Akane's victory grin was lost on her new husband.

"I still think I should go," he pouted. "You might need to be protected."

"If there's any kind of trouble, I doubt even you would be good enough to do much about it." Nabiki scowled at the floor of the taxi and shivered. She knew well what shinobi elders were capable of. It wasn't a pleasant thought. The rest of the cab ride went by quietly. All stuck stubbornly to their positions.

As the taxi pulled up to the gate of the Tendo compound, Nabiki just shook her head. "We have almost a week to consider this. Let's not think anymore about who's going and who isn't tonight." The others agreed as they got out of the taxi.

"What now?" Akane asked, a certain shyness creeping into her voice.

"Now, you go enjoy your wedding night."

"What about you and Kasumi and father?"

"I'm taking them out to dinner. I figure between all the free food and sake, we should return home long after midnight. That'll give you two plenty of time."

Ranma and Akane blushed while exchanging nervous looks. They understood what Nabiki was referring to. With nervous bows they passed through the gate and walked hand-in-hand up to the front door. Just before opening it, Akane noticed Ranma's hesitation.

"What's wrong?"

Ranma looked at her in the moonlight. She looked so kawaii standing there shyly holding her hands in front of her and fidgeting slightly out of nervousness.
"You remember when I was reading that Western wedding customs book? In Hawaii, I mean." His voice trailed off and his foot dug silently into the old stone step.

"Yeah, so?"

"Well, there was one Western custom I kinda liked."

"Which one?"

Without warning, Ranma scooped Akane into his arms. She squealed in surprise and wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder. Carefully, he opened the door and carried her inside.

"Now what?" she practically whispered.

"We could go upstairs."

"Bath first," she insisted as they kissed.

Ranma was the first to break the kiss. "Don't we need yukatas or something?"

"Nope. We're all alone tonight." Ami-chan's happy arrival caused Akane to modify her statement. "Well, almost alone."

Ranma kicked off his shoes and carried her towards the bath. "No cold water tonight. Okay?"

"No cold water. I promise." Akane giggled. "Besides, I know where Kasumi keeps her Pillow Book."

"Really?"

"Maybe we'll find something we like in there."

"Maybe."

Ranma scurried towards the bath with little Ami-chan right behind. If the dog was expecting attention this night, she was going to be quite disappointed.

Out at the gate, Nabiki posted a copy of the marriage koseki on the old wood announcement board. Stepping back to admire her work, she sighed. This was a special night for her sister - one she'd long hoped for. She thought back to when they were younger and she was always teasing, taunting, and conning Ranma. A chuckle rose from deep inside as she remembered how mad he used to get. Ah, those were the days.

Pulling up a chair in a shady spot, she sat down and waited for the fathers and Tofu. She knew the good doctor would hold to his part of the scheme and keep the fathers occupied until she'd wrapped up the marriage registration. Again, she shook her head when she considered how easy the solution was - how easy it had always been. All Ranma and Akane had to do was go down to the city offices and register their marriage. No ceremonies, no guest list, no elaborate costumes. She chuckled at the thought of all she had to go through for her own marriage. A darker thought crossed her mind when she considered what lay ahead for her. The Shinobi council were a suspicious lot. Even Master Sato didn't fully trust them. Whatever they intended for the meeting, she was certain it wasn't going to be for the good of her or her clan.

"Nabiki?" Tofu's voice brought her back to her current situation. "All done?" Nabiki squinted to see Tofu-sensei approaching in the mid-day sun. He looked calm and collected in spite of all he'd done to help her plans. She thought how he was the perfect associate for such things - one she was certain to remember in the future.

"Signed, sealed, and delivered," she said while indicating the document pinned to the message board. "Mission accomplished." She threw in a casual salute.

Tofu paused to examine the posted document. With a satisfied grunt, he pulled up another chair and joined her in the shade. "Where's Kasumi?"

"She stopped off at a dress shop. Said she had to see a lady about a couple of dresses." Nabiki lightly fanned herself. It was getting hot as the sun reached its apex overhead guaranteeing a warm summer day for the Tokyo area.

"Hmmmm, something practical I suppose." Tofu didn't sound exactly thrilled at the thought of his wife in another common house dress.

"I'm sure they will be typical of my sister," Nabiki sighed with a forlorn grin.

"I just wish she'd buy something... you know, once in awhile."

Nabiki looked at her brother-in-law with a sly smile. "I'll tell you what. I can send her a catalog from Victoria's Secret. How's that?"

Tofu shook his head and leaned back lazily in the chair. "I doubt she'll even look at it. You know how conservative she is."

"Sometimes to a fault, yes. But I'll bet if *you* encouraged her..." Nabiki almost blushed at the thought of her sister in one of the more revealing outfits. It was so non-Kasumi.

Tofu chuckled lightly and got a far away look. His glasses began to fog again. "Might work. You know she bought a two piece swim suit this summer."

"Really?"

"She saw some of the other housewives buying them and didn't want to be different. She looked pretty good in it too." Tofu blushed at revealing such intimate details of his relationship with Kasumi to her sister. Still, Nabiki had become much easier to talk to in recent years. He attributed that to being married to Jeffrey.

"Where's Genma?" Nabiki abruptly asked.

"Sleeping it off down at the clinic. I gave him a sedative that would knock out a panda. Come to think of it, he *was* a panda at the time I gave it to him." Tofu chuckled as he slapped his knees and stood up. "I guess I better get back and wake him up. Are we still meeting at the restaurant?"

"Yup." Nabiki crossed her shapely legs and casually rubbed a knee. "You better make sure he's human before leaving. We don't need a circus act showing up at the restaurant."

Tofu laughed out loud. "I'll douse him with warm water THEN wake him. Waking up naked on a doctor's table will put a spark of humility into him. Maybe he'll behave himself tonight."

"Somehow, I doubt it. Just in case, tell him that if he doesn't, I know of a pig farm that will be his next home." Nabiki paused as a thought occurred to her. "Oh, I almost forgot. Kasumi said she was going to stop at the clinic before going to the restaurant."

Tofu sighed and shook his head.

"She still... aggressive?"

"I haven't had a lunch since we were married."

"In that case, you better hurry back and get Genma out of there. Don't want him waking up at an inopportune time."

Both laughed as Tofu waved good-bye and sauntered off towards his clinic. Nabiki casually swatted a few flies that landed on her legs and grumbled about their bites leaving marks.

Rain clouds were gathering when Soun and Genma arrived at the gate. They couldn't enter because a hot and increasingly grumpy Nabiki barred the way.

"Daughter, why do you keep your father from entering his own home?"

Nabiki was about to say something when she noticed the package in her father's arms. "What's in the package?"

Soun blushed slightly and slowly slid the package behind his back. "Oh... nothing, really."

"Come on, let me see." Nabiki made a grab at the bundle. No one could grab a package like Nabiki - especially if she thought it might contain something of value.

In seconds, she held the carefully wrapped bundle in her hands. "Hmmmm, it's pretty light."

Soun quickly broke down and confessed. "The clerk made me buy it. Really. I didn't want to but what else could I do? I mean, do you realize it took your sister four hours to try on two dresses?"

"Daddy, we women always take longer to get dressed than you men. To you guys, getting dressed up means your socks match." Nabiki tore into the package. When she got it open, she paused before slowly holding up a red lace teddy. "YOU bought this?"

Quickly, Soun tried to get his daughter to hide the intimate apparel from passers by. He especially wanted her to keep her voice down. "Daughter - please!"

"Oh, Daddy, it's just a seductive, lacy and sexy red colored bit of bedroom wear that snaps at the bottom." She held it up to herself. "And look, it's just my size."

Soun was sweating heavily now - he looked faint. "What a thoughtful gift, Daddy. I'm sure Jeffrey will just love me in it." Nabiki snapped the crotch open and grinned at her father. A sudden improper image of his daughter flashed through Soun's mind. His palms got sweaty and his knees began to shake.

"Are you alright old friend?" Genma moved to steady his partner. "Perhaps we should take you inside so you can lay down."

"Let's not do that." Nabiki quickly stuffed the teddy back inside the wrapping and again blocked their way.

"Why daughter?" Soun asked, his face still flushed at the image his mind had just showed him.

"Because..." Nabiki pointed to the posted document. Curious, the two fathers approached the document and leaned in close. For several seconds, they stared with their mouths open.

"We've done it," Genma finally said.

"So it would seem, old friend."

The two fathers slowly looked at each other and blinked. Nabiki quietly moved the chair and herself out of the way.

"YIPPIE!" The fathers began to dance around each other. "WE DID IT! WE DID IT! WE DID IT!"

"The Anything Goes Martial Arts School is safe now. Our martial arts will be passed on to the next generation." Soun began to blubber. Nabiki just rolled her eyes and handed him a box of Kleenex. The two men clung to each other crying in the street as people detoured around them staring.

"They're so much in love," Nabiki chirped to one old lady who stopped to stare at the men with their arms around each other.

"Oh dear," the old lady gasped.

"So, tell me, which one of them do you think would look best in this?" Nabiki held up the red teddy. The old lady gasped loudly, covered her mouth and waddled away as fast as she could. Soun continued to cry as he reached for the gate latch.

"And just where do you think you're going?" Nabiki quickly moved to block her father.

"We're going to help them celebrate."

"How they're celebrating I don't think requires your help."

Soun looked blankly at his daughter until the realization of what she was talking about dawned on him. "You don't mean..."

"If we're lucky, yes."

"In the middle of the day?" Genma stammered.

Nabiki shot the two men a look of genuine pity. "Look tubby," she poked Genma in the gut. "If you went home once in awhile, you wouldn't have to ask that question."

Genma switched from surprise to fear. "If I went home once in awhile, that question would become a moot point."

Nabiki paused as the thought of a gelding Genma happily crossed her mind. Taking the fathers by the arms she started for the street. "Come on you two. We're going to celebrate somewhere else. Kasumi and Tofu are waiting for us."

"But -"

"No 'buts'." Nabiki man-handled the fathers across the street. "If you're really good, I'll let you see my Victoria's Secret catalog."

The two fathers exchanged confused looks. They liked catalogs. This one, however, they'd never heard of.

"Victoria's Secret?" the fathers asked each other.

"Sure. All us women shop there for red lacy teddies."

Both men's eyes 'bonged' open at the thought of such a catalog.

It was getting dark when the first of the troublemakers discovered the posted marriage koseki. Tatewaki Kuno crossed his arms and glared at the document. His sister just wrinkled her nose and gave it a disgusted look.

"So, Ranma Saotome, the enslaver of women, has tricked my Akane Tendo into matrimony." Kuno's look darkened as he prepared for one of his histrionic displays. His reaction, however, was cut off by his sister.

With a snort, she flipped her pony tail behind her. "Well, I never thought he as all that good looking anyway."

"By the heavens, I will free the fair Akane Tendo from his vile clutches." Kuno waved his bokken above his head. A crack of lightning flashed across the sky behind him followed by a low rumble of thunder. Mr. Rising Star seemed pleased with himself.

"Don't get cocky, brother dear. It's only a thunderstorm coming in off the Pacific." Kuno glared at his sister. He hated it when people refused to be impressed by his very presence. Deep down, he hated it even more when his sister rejected him.

"I despise you."

"I know."

"I loathe you."

"I know."

"I... I..."

"I'll scrub your back."

Kodachi's offer seemed to defuse her brother. "Okay," he agreed with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders.

The Kunos had barely departed when the Chinese connection arrived.

"What paper say, great-grandmother?" Shampoo asked as Cologne leaned in closer to get a look at the document posted on the wall of the Tendo compound. The fading light compounded by the gathering thunderstorm made the paper hard to read.

"It would appear that my son-in-law has done something rash." Cologne leaned back and tapped a knurled finger on her staff as she considered the document's consequences.

"What husband do?"

"According to this document, he's gone and married Akane Tendo."

"NO! Ranma belong to Shampoo."

"Of course. This changes nothing. He is still honor bound to you. He will conform to our laws and return to China with us." Shampoo, however, didn't look much like she agreed with her great-grandmother. Depression spread across her pretty face. "Come child. It will rain soon." Cologne hopped onto her staff. "We need to get home."

"Where Mousse?" Shampoo only half-heartedly looked around for the missing Amazon consort.

"It matters not. The boy will find his way home." Cologne set off down the street. "In one form or another."

The last to arrive was well after dark. She'd waited for Ranma outside the train station as long as she could. When he didn't return, she reluctantly left to tend to her okonomiyaki shop. Business had not been the best as of late, so she needed to be open every possible minute in the hopes she would be able to make ends meet. Lately, she'd been only marginally successful. She read the posted document several times. Each time she stopped and looked up at the gathering storm clouds overhead. A fifteen year odyssey had come to an end.

"Ranchan," she whispered. "Why?" Only the rumble of thunder answered her. She waited a few moments more before slumping across the street and turning back to see a single light in Akane's window. As the sky opened up and the rain hissed it's arrival, Ukyou stood silently on the sidewalk staring at the light in Akane's window. It represented to her the last thread to her Ranchan. She fought the urge to think of what it meant Ranma was doing with Akane just then.
Rain drenched her clothes and caused them to cling to her body. Her hair became stringy and plastered itself to her face and neck. Despite being cold and wet, she continued to watch the light in Akane's window. Afraid to look away even for a moment she continued to cling to the spot of light. It was supposed to have been her. It was not supposed to have ended this way. She fought the urge to cry but failed - her tears quickly mixing with the rain on her cheeks. She didn't care. Nothing mattered anymore.

Hours later, after the rain ended and the light had been extinguished, Ukyou tore herself from her post and quietly staggered home. It was all over. She'd lost. The emptiness inside her felt like a bottomless pit of despair. Walking only seemed to intensify the feeling of hopelessness.

She never made it back to her shop that night.

Instead, she turned into an alleyway. Halfway down, she could walk no further. She leaned against a wall, nausea rising in her and shuddered from the cold and, perhaps, something else. In despair, she rolled so her back was against the wall and slowly sank to the pavement. She came to rest seated in a puddle and staring blankly at the wall in front of her. Alone, Ukyou cried herself to sleep, wet, tired and beaten, in a deserted Nerima alley.

The next morning was more subdued than usual around the Tendo household. At breakfast, the fathers could only sit quietly and groan, ice bags on their heads, and regret the previous evening's libation. Their celebration had taken full advantage of Nabiki's generosity in an attempt to drink the restaurant dry. Kasumi happily scurried about her usual morning duties. This morning she added the extra services of bringing fresh ice bags for the father's throbbing heads.

"Serves you two right," she said cheerfully as she dropped a full bag of ice on Genma's head. It was hard to tell if she was just pleased with the previous day's results (her sister's marriage) or took some perverse delight in the sufferings of her father and Mr. Saotome. "Abusing alcohol in such a manner. You two should be ashamed of yourselves."

"Softly, my daughter, softly." Soun held his head and moaned.

"And another thing." Kasumi paused to shake a finger in her father's face. "When Ranma and Akane come down, I don't want either of you to make a fuss. You understand?"

"Fear not, daughter. Mr. Saotome and I are in no condition to be doing much more than eat and... where is that husband of yours anyway?"

"Tofu said he'd be right back with your hangover medicine,"

Kasumi sighed. "He had to walk all the way to his clinic for you. So I think you should show some appreciation." Her cheerfulness had finally given away to exasperation. Her father was acting like a baby again and that irritated her. Still, she partially succeeded in forcing a morning smile. "Your breakfast will be right out."

Listening to all this while clutching her cup of morning coffee like it was a magic potion of life was Nabiki. Her blood-shot eyes and dark circles clearly indicated a general lack of sleep. It wasn't the newlyweds that concerned her. It was all the other problems she still had to resolve before returning home. When the newlyweds sheepishly came down to breakfast, nothing was said. Everyone acted as if this was a morning like any other. Ranma wolfed down his breakfast and Akane approached hers with all the manners she was taught. The only thing that marked this breakfast as different was the couple refrained from making eye contact with anyone. With Kasumi's return, Nabiki addressed one of her remaining problems.

"I've been thinking about your concerns, Oneechan." Nabiki shifted on her pillow and leaned heavily on the table as she played with her steaming coffee cup.

"There is nothing to be concerned about," Kasumi chirped as she set more food in front of Ranma. "Tofu has agreed and as soon as the remodeling is complete we will move in."

"Move in?" Akane's head shot up and she stared at her sister. "What do you mean move in?"

"It's really not complicated, Akane. You are the 'lady of the house' now. There cannot be two in a single house so Tofu and I are moving out the house as soon as he can get the second floor of his clinic remodeled."

"What?" Akane gasped. The open revelation by Kasumi caused the whole room to freeze in shock.

"Kasumi, how are you going to pay for all this?" Nabiki was buying time so that her tired mind could link the last elements of her idea together.

"Well," Kasumi paused and held her hands together down the front of her dress. "We've talked with the bank. I'm hopeful they will loan us the money."

"And what if they don't?"

Kasumi sighed and glanced at her stunned father before answering Nabiki in a hushed voice. "We'll probably come to you."

"Kasumi, Tofu-sensei is a good doctor but he's no businessman. Remember all the trouble we went through getting the clinic rebuilt because he forgot to make a couple of insurance payments?" Nabiki pushed herself upright as Kasumi shuffled nervously. "Tofu doesn't make enough to support you, the clinic, and raise a family."

"We've already discussed this, Nabiki," Kasumi said in a softly distressed voice. "Please, let's not open this up again."

"The clinic is an acceptable place to live for adults but I wouldn't want *my* grandchildren growing up there. It's not a proper place for children." Nabiki bored in for the kill. She had a plan now. All that remained was to maneuver her sister into agreeing. As the shock of her original announcement wore off, Nabiki quickly had allies.

"Daughter, why would you subject my future grandchildren to such an environment?" Soun, still in pain, straightened up and glared at his daughter. "I thought better of you."

"Father, please," Kasumi whispered with her eyes screwed tightly shut. A tear formed and clung tenaciously to her eyelashes. "It's not that way."

"Well, what's this about the 'lady of the house' anyway?" Akane frowned at her Oneechan. It was obvious she hadn't considered any of this when agreeing to marry Ranma. It is arguable whether or not she even would have gone through with it under the current circumstances.

"Kasumi feels awkward because you are the heir to the Tendo heritage. The way Daddy arranged for the marriage means you will inherit the dojo, the grounds, AND the house. Kasumi's just facing facts. As you are now the 'lady of the house', and there cannot be two, she is offering to leave so there's no conflict between you and her." Nabiki slumped back onto her pillow - relieved the whole issue was finally out in the open.

"Did we do that?" Genma asked in a low voice.

"It would appear so. It happened so fast I'm not sure exactly what was said or promised."
The room grew deathly quiet. No one could think of a solution. No one, that is, except Nabiki.
"Oneechan, families all over Japan are experiencing this problem in one form or another. Many homes have two and sometimes even three related families living under the same roof. I think we could adopt the method used in those situations."

"Tell us, daughter."

"Yeah, I don't want Kasumi to leave." Akane's face had twisted itself into a mask of anguish. Ranma continued to eat like this was going to be the last decent meal he was going to get while casting worried looks between Kasumi and the others.

"It's a simple division of the property involved." Nabiki paused to see if anyone raised immediate objections. Hearing none, she felt comfortable elaborating.

"Kasumi and Tofu are already living on the first floor. Akane and Ranma would be most comfortable upstairs. Therefore, I propose that the first floor be Kasumi's home. We can convert the guest room upstairs into Ranma and Akane's main room, move them into Kasumi's old room for their bedroom and wall off the hallway so they can cut doorways through from their bedroom to their main room. That will leave the rest of the hall access to the two other bedrooms. We can even convert Akane's old room into a new guest room, for now."

"What about your room?" Akane asked. She looked and sounded like she approved of Nabiki's solution.

"My room remains my room. After all, you don't want Jeffrey and I to stay in a hotel when we visit."

"Of course not." Soun's calm voice spoke of his acceptance.

"We approve," Akane said decisively without even looking at Ranma.

There remained only one person's approval to obtain. "Well, Oneechan?"

Kasumi frowned at the floor while she appeared to be considering Nabiki's solution. "Separate phones?"

"Naturally."

"Can we install a door that leads to the front hall?"

"Of course."

"And when someone comes to the door looking for the 'lady of the house', we all agree it will be you they are looking for," Akane smiled at her Oneechan as she made the offer.

Slowly, a typical smile spread across the oldest daughter's face. "I should have left it to you in the first place, Nabiki. You're so sensible when it comes to such things." She was grinning at Nabiki now. "Of course, I accept and I'm certain that Tofu will as well. Thank you, Nabiki." Kasumi added a grateful bow her sister's way. The fathers seemed to exhale at the same time. They had been facing the loss of more than just a friendly face around the house.

"Now Akane, you are going to have to learn how to clean properly because I won't be cleaning upstairs anymore."

"I understand, Oneechan. I needed to learn sometime anyway." Akane sighed with a glance at the surprised-looking Ranma. "I'll keep the second floor neat and tidy."

Kasumi nodded her agreement to that as well. This was going to work out even better than she'd hoped. No longer would she have to go up and down stairs to do her daily cleaning. "By the way, Akane, you'll have to learn how to do your own laundry as well." Akane glanced at the dubious-looking Ranma before agreeing.

"What about us?" Soun asked while indicating Genma and himself.

"I'll continue to take care of you both."

"Yippie!" the two fathers cheered before wincing and holding their heads in pain. "*That* was really stupid, Saotome."

"I agree, old friend." Genma pressed the ice bag harder against his head.

Breakfast concluded on the high note of family cooperation. Akane even offered to learn how to do dishes in order to help out in their new living arrangement. As the two women disappeared into the kitchen chattering how they would remodel the guest room. Soun and Genma quietly congratulated themselves for such a clever solution as they wandered off to the engawa to take in the fresh morning air and clear their aching heads.

Nabiki remained behind with Ranma. Over a sip of her coffee she eyed him thoughtfully. "What do you think of the solution?"

Ranma looked at Nabiki with a touch of awe. "You're being awfully nice to me and Akane. What do you want out of all this?"

"A home to come to once in awhile. A family that is living in harmony. "You usually want something from me."

"What I want from you is to make Akane happy, make father's dreams for the dojo come true, and grow up to be the man Jeffrey and I believe you're capable of." She fixed Ranma in her most serious stare. "I really like you, Ranma. I know you don't fully believe that but it's true. Jeffrey has shown me many things since we've been married. One of the things he's taught me was how to important marriage is."

Nabiki crossed her arms and leaned forward so her elbows rested lightly on the table. "He and I are a lot alike, you know. Neither of us grew up with many friends. What I *did* have that he didn't was siblings. He's told me many times how much he wished he had brothers or sisters. Now, for better or worse, he looks at you like the younger brother he never had. Don't disappoint him...or me."

Nabiki abruptly got up and carried her coffee with her into the kitchen. Ranma, alone at the table, stared blankly ahead. Nabiki was right, of course. He needed to grow up and accept responsibility. He'd already proved he was capable of that by holding a job for three years, finishing college and marrying Akane. The enormity of how much his life had changed, especially in the last 24 hours, finally struck him. He was no longer a kid able to pursue whatever childish whim that appealed to him. He could no longer run away and hide when things didn't go just right at home. He had obligations now - adult obligations. His sense of honor silently made a vow not to fail. His sense of tradition confirmed it.

By mid-week, Nabiki knew it was time to face the elders of the Shinobi Grand Council. The full moon was due to rise tomorrow night. It, like the meeting, could not be put off. Alone in her room, she packed a few necessary items into an overnight bag. If everything worked out right, she would slip out unnoticed this afternoon and catch a train for a town nearest to the meeting place. Naturally, everything didn't work out as she'd planned.

"I'm ready to go," Akane's cheerful voice came from the open door.

Nabiki groaned softly. "Akane, I've told you this is only for elders."

"I've been thinking about that. Mother was the last chunin of our clan."

"Yeah, so?"

"So, I've decided to become a chunin like mother."

"Do you know what that means?"

"No, do you?"

Nabiki scowled at her bag. "Not really. I don't even know fully what being an elder means. As near as I've been able to figure out it's like being the head of a company."

Akane chuckled and shook her head. "Leave it to you to put it in some corporate terminology."

"It's all I know really." Nabiki sat down on her bed next to her bag and sighed. "I'm not sure about much of anything anymore."

"That's why you need a good chunin to go with you."

"Akane, there might be trouble. I don't want you hurt."

"I can take care of myself. Besides, one of the duties of a chunin is to protect the clan elder." Akane smiled. "Who better than me?"

Nabiki shook her head. "No, you're newly married. You need to be here with your new husband." Both looked at each other in silence. Neither was going to give in easily on this issue.

Abruptly, Nabiki slapped the bed in frustration. "I can't believe all this is happening. We've done nothing to deserve being singled out like this."

"Maybe they don't like us because we're different. We're the only surviving female Shinobi clan, you know."

Nabiki sighed and nodded. In male dominated Japan, women were expected to know and stay in their place. Having a female clan, not to mention one that could have special powers, running loose would upset their exclusive club and challenge an important aspect of Japanese culture. Women were not supposed to become shadow warriors. They were supposed to stay home cooking, cleaning, and having babies.

"Ranma is out helping Daddy and Mr. Saotome paint the dojo. So we should have no trouble slipping away. I'll go down and have Kasumi pack us a couple of bentos for the trip." Akane paused in the doorway. "It'll be okay. You'll see."

The sound of Akane's footsteps on the stairs confirmed Nabiki was alone again. With a heavy sigh, she closed her eyes and summoned the only help she knew of.
It took but a few moments to work as Sodoshi Tanaka's white form shimmered into existence next to the door.

"You've summoned me, clan sister?"

Nabiki sighed again and looked at the spirit of her best friend. It always impressed her how beautiful the girl was. Even in death, she looked like a cover girl model. "I'm going to face the Shinobi Grand Council. Akane wants to go with but I know she shouldn't."

"You're asking me if you should take a chunin with you to this meeting?"

"I'm asking if I should take Akane with me."

Sodoshi's ethereal chuckle seemed to brighten the room. "Both your sisters are chunin now, whether you like it or not."

"What?"

"I thought you knew. When your mother died all three of you were heirs to her legacy. As you've ascended to the role of elder, that leaves your sisters as the only surviving chunin."

"Kasumi too?"

"Especially Kasumi. She is very special because the mind tricks of the elders won't work on her."

Nabiki sadly shook her head. "Master Sato told me all this already. We each inherited some part of mother's abilities. But I-"

"But you refuse to look deeper into those abilities."

There was a pause as Nabiki scowled at Sodoshi. What she just said triggered something deep with her - something that she'd never felt before. It was a sense of inner strength unlike any she'd felt previously. "You mean we all have powers that are untapped?"

"Exactly."

"That might explain Akane's new ability of channeling and projecting her ki energy."

"What makes you think the ki energy is hers alone?"

"Isn't it?"

"Of course not. She's made the crossing to being in touch with the elements of nature. The ki she uses is mostly from the things around her. She only adds a little of her own and channels the entire force to do her bidding."

"So that's why she appears so powerful when she uses it. But why did it seem to drain her when she tried it a couple of weeks ago?"

Sodoshi shrugged. "Perhaps she was still using too much of her own ki then. Once she learns to rely on the ki energy around her, her power will be supreme."

Sodoshi cocked her head and smiled an embarrassed little smile. "I envy her. It's a technique I tried for years to learn. The best I was ever able to do was to use it defensively, reducing the strength of another's blow. If she can channel it offensively and do it with only the natural ki energy that surrounds us all, well, she's a lot more powerful than you know."

"And this is a gift from mother?"

"Maybe. That much is always hard to tell - even for a spirit."

Nabiki continued to stare at the floor thoughtfully. If Akane was all powerful and Kasumi could see through the most potent mind tricks of the elders, perhaps the fears of the Grand Council were not as unfounded as she first thought.

Sodoshi Tanaka seemed to sense Nabiki's resolution. "I have to go now. As you'll recall, my job is to keep an eye on my namesake. I shouldn't leave her for very long."

"Yes, you go. I'll work out something here."

"Any messages for So-chan?"

"Yes... no, she knows how I feel about her."

"Perhaps, but it's always good to hear it from one's mother. Be careful, clan sister. I'll watch over your family while you're gone."

"Thank you, Sodoshi." Nabiki forced a smile as the spirit disappeared.

Sodoshi Tanaka's help only raised more questions in the already worried Nabiki. She'd never wanted to be an elder but there was no one else who could do it. She never wanted her sisters to be chunin but she had no control over that. They were destined to that title when their mother died. Now there was this meeting with the other Shinobi elders. If Nabiki went alone, she would be in much danger. It was possible that she wouldn't come back from such a meeting. However, if she took even Akane, she stood a much better chance of surviving and that had become the most important aspect of this meeting. She knew if they asked her about the monk's cave they weren't going to like the answer she had for them - honest and truthful as it was.

On the other hand, if Akane did go with her, they might both be lost. That would be a fatal blow to their clan - not to mention the rest of her family.
The clans, she thought bitterly. How she hated even the mention of the other clans. That thought burned a fateful spot in her heart and hardened her resolve.
After leaving an envelope on her pillow with a letter to Jeffrey along with fingernail clippings and a lock of her hair, Nabiki slung her bag over her shoulder and silently slipped out of her room. When she got to the top of the stairs, she got a *real* surprise.

Waiting for her by the front door were both of her sisters.

"I have everything packed," Kasumi said with a warm smile. She wasn't wearing her usual house dress. Instead, she'd chosen a dark blue jogging outfit with a famous shoe company logo on it.

"Where do you think you're going?" Nabiki asked as she descended the stairs.

"Akane and I decided last night. If you go to face the elders, we are going too."

"This is insane. Do you have any idea what we're up against?"

"It really doesn't matter, Nabiki. I owe this to mother." Kasumi's calm resolve somehow didn't do anything for Nabiki's nervousness.

"Does your husband know about this?"

"Of course not. He's not a member of your clan - yet." Kasumi giggled like she was holding back a big secret.

Nabiki turned to her younger sister. "What about Ranma?"

"He's off buying beer for the fathers. We've got almost a half an hour to get out of here. I suggest we not waste it." Akane opened the door and looked seriously at her sister. Nabiki couldn't help but notice Akane was wearing a version of Ranma's black pants with a loose-fitting peasant top that looked perfect for fighting in. Akane's amulet peeked out from the open collar. Closing her eyes, Nabiki shook her head in resignation. There was no way she could keep them from coming. All she could do now was pray that nothing violent was going to come from their meeting with the council.

The trip to the mountains took all too little time. Nabiki remained lost in her thoughts much of the way despite attempts from her sisters to cheer her up. They might not fully appreciate the danger they were facing but didn't stop Nabiki from brooding over the possibilities.

"Nabiki? Why must we answer the call from these elders?" Kasumi finally asked as she handed out the bentos she'd packed.

"Because they are the leaders of all the clans." Nabiki opened her box and stared at the food. "The essentially control even our clan."

"Why?"

"What do you mean why?" Nabiki stopped picking at her food and frowned at her sister.

"Oh, I don't know. It just seems so silly for us to have to submit to them. I mean, it's not like they've ever done anything for us. As I recall, they were content to allow you to be killed by Fukoono."

"How did you find out about that?" Nabiki shot her sister a stunned look.

"I overheard Master Sato and Inspector Abe talking. You forget, nothing escapes a lady in her own home." Kasumi slipped some rice daintily into her mouth.

"After all, this would indicate to me that *they* broke their bond to *us*. I wouldn't listen to anyone who did that to me."

Nabiki scowled at her bento. Of course. The council had abandoned the Cold Moon Clan - and that came on the heels of 400 years of attempted to extermination.

Why should she submit her clan to their will?

The more Nabiki thought of this, the more irritated she became. The Cold Moon Clan and her family had been hunted, shunned, and finally left to die at the hands of their own people. Why, indeed, should she subject her clan to their pronouncements?

As the train pulled into their destination, Nabiki's mind was made up. This meeting would go on as planned. However, *she* would control its agenda. She would demand the answers.

The Cold Moon Clan was back and it wasn't in the best of moods.

Nabiki halted just outside the clearing where the Grand Council was to meet. It was a pitch black night, the moon not yet having made its appearance. Through the trees, Nabiki could see the small fire that would light the summoned but leave the elders safely hidden in the protective embrace of darkness.
Nabiki could feel her two sisters flanking her. Akane was broadcasting clearly her discomfort at the surroundings while Kasumi held a calm but receptive air about her. Deep down, Nabiki was glad to have their company on this trip. She wasn't sure she could have done this alone.

Nabiki's fist slowly enveloped the amulet she wore around her neck. Its glow was like a tiny star, bathing her in a deep amber color. Without warning, she shuddered as a wave of fear swept out from the council and crashed down over her. She was about to face the entire Shinobi hierarchy. They wanted her to approach with the right amount of apprehension so it would be easier to manipulate. Despite her conviction she'd done nothing wrong, fear touched her soul with icy fingers.

Akane's firm hand on her shoulder caused Nabiki to look suddenly towards her sister. Akane smiled and nodded her readiness. A quick check of Kasumi confirmed her agreement. With a hard swallow Nabiki led her sisters towards the lone fire with its welcoming ring of light. Halting before the flames, her two sisters slightly behind and on either side of her, Nabiki finally released the amulet.

"I've come as you requested," Nabiki said in a loud but surprisingly firm voice. "Please be brief, I have other duties to attend to."

The night's silence was broken only by the mating calls of the local cicada population and the crackle of the fire. Seconds ticked by as Nabiki continued to eye the darkness with increasing uneasiness. "By brothers and I welcome you, Tendo Nabiki of the Cold Moon Clan."

"That's Tendo-Lawrence Nabiki," she corrected with some irritation.

"Of course. Forgive me for my presumption. I forgot the unique position females hold in the Western world. I trust this strange conjugation of family names means you have adopted Western ways."

"I am still Japanese."

"Yet you live elsewhere with a gaijin husband."

"My marriage to Jeffrey Lawrence is of no concern to this council." Nabiki was becoming more irritated at the thought of these people dragging her husband into this.

"Jeffrey Lawrence is of our clan," growled another voice from the opposite side of the darkness. "That makes him a concern of this council. Some of us warned against the introduction of Western ways to our people. Now, standing before us, is the tragic result of such... pollution." Nabiki visibly bristled at the charge. Not only was her husband being maligned by this council but they were also working on her. With narrowed eyes Nabiki calmly regained control of herself and waited for her chance to deal with those who would insult her in such a way.

"Is this the reason I was summoned from the other side of the world? To be insulted and belittled? I have no further time to waste on such nonsense." Nabiki waved her hand at the darkness in a dismissing gesture and started to leave. Another voice from the darkness caused her to pause.

"Forgive us, Tendo-Lawrence Nabiki, elder of the Cold Moon Clan, we are old and sometimes forget our manners."

Nabiki paused her departure and considered the voice's words for only a moment before nodding her agreement. She would charitably dismiss the insults - for now - in an effort to resolve whatever it was that caused these elders to summon her in the first place. Still, there was one issue that caused Nabiki concern. With folded arms, she stepped closer to the fire.

"Am I not an elder of my clan?" she asked in a firm voice.

"It is true. As there are no surviving elders or their offspring of your clan, you are an elder by virtue of the fact that you are a daughter of your clan's only surviving chunin."

"Then is it also true that I have a place on the council."

There was some hesitation before one of the voices on the end answered. "Yes, that is also true. There has always been an empty seat at the council for an elder from the Cold Moon Clan - even during the times of the 'blood hunts'."

"Then why is it I must stand in the light while you cower in the darkness? Do you fear me that much?" Nabiki was almost enjoying this now. Like a cat on the hunt, she could feel the emotion of fear - this time coming from the darkness.

"You are not the only one of your clan present," warned a different voice. It sounded old but still lethal. "Only elders can see other elders as they are."

"My sisters?" Nabiki gestured to the girls who flanked her. "Surely the great and grand Council of Elders are not afraid of a couple of mere girls." Yes, Nabiki was clearly feeling the upper hand now.

"Don't toy with us, Tendo-Lawrence," warned the voice who claimed to be of Jeffrey's clan. "We know of your kunoichi clan. We also know these who accompany you are neither elders nor harmless."

"Well, I for one feel better knowing that," Akane chirped. "Don't you Oneechan?" Kasumi just smiled and nodded, like she was in on some big joke.

"See? We offer no threat of harm to you or your people." Nabiki smugly folded her arms and scanned the darkness for some hint as to what was to come next.

She, however, was determined to milk this current advantage for all it was worth. "If you truly do not fear me, prove it. Step forward into the light."

Her words were met with only silence.

"As I thought. You cower in fear. I wonder, just what could cause the great Grand Council of Shinobi Elders to behave in such a manner?"

The response of the elders only more silence.

Eventually, one dared to speak. "That is not permitted."

"Why?"

"Your sisters are not elders. They have no standing in this forum."

"My sisters are the last chunin of my clan. Their heritage is the final gift from our mother. They are here because I asked them." Nabiki was becoming increasingly irritated. How dare these people treat them this way!

"You cower in darkness and complain of the presence of females." Akane shook her head and turned to Kasumi. "Sounds like a bunch of boys to me."

"Yes, like children," Kasumi added.

"We shall see who cowers like children," came a growl from the darkness. With a blinding flash of a smoke bomb, a single shadow warrior covered completely in blood red clothing, appeared behind the Tendo girls, his katana drawn. Akane immediately dropped into a fighting stance and warily tracked the warrior as he slowly circled the trio. His blade's razor-sharp edge gleamed in the fire light, clearly proclaiming its lethality. The way the warrior held it spoke volumes about his skill with such a blade. He was clearly a master of his weapon. Akane swallowed hard but concentrated on the warrior none the less. She'd faced Kuno's bokken a thousand times. She knew well how to fight unarmed against such a weapon.

Despite her best efforts, as she continued to face the swordsman, her fear bubbled to the surface. A bead of sweat rolled quickly down the side of her face. She frantically tried to tap into the ki forces around her but found none. Either her mind was too distracted to properly prepare or someone was blocking her ability to gather ki energy. It was then she heard Ranma's voice from when she faced Kuno to protect him until he could change back into a boy. 'You're okay, I guess, against a wooden stick. But a *real* sword is totally different.'

Akane's face twisted into a snarl as she answered the voice. I'll show you, Ranma Saotome. I'm as good as you'll ever see. Without a sound, the warrior struck out towards Akane's head with his sword. In an instant, she caught the blade between her tightly pressed together hands and delivered a thundering kick to the surprised warrior's midsection, lifting him several feet off the ground. Quickly, Akane followed with another kick, this time to the warrior's hands, sending the blade spinning above their heads. As she calmly snatched the blade out of the air, she heard, rather than saw, the spinning shuriken thrown by the warrior as they approached her head. Deftly, she pivoted twice to deflect the projectiles, the impact showering her with sparks and sending the shuriken spinning off into the darkness. In another blinding flash, the warrior was gone.

"Is that the best you have to offer?" Akane snorted with disgust as she stabbed the katana into the soft earth. Her answer came in the form of a loud snarl from the far side of the fire. They froze in their places as a small, snarling, misshapen beast with horrible looking horns and vicious fangs bounded across the flames and confronted Kasumi. Before Akane could spring to her sister's aid, she was halted by a warning wave of Kasumi's hand. The beast did not attack but stood only a few feet in front of the oldest Tendo sister, its hands occasionally lashing out in lethal-looking ways. Slowly, Kasumi knelt down on one knee before the snarling beast and looked deep into its blazing amber eyes. For several long moments, neither moved, save for the beast's continuing snarl.

"You're not evil," Kasumi finally announced. "You're not even a snarling beast. I can feel what you really are." She smiled and tilted her head before extending her arms in a welcoming manner. "Let me help you."

Slowly, as if fighting some compulsion, the beast vibrated and shimmered into another form. Where once stood a small, misshapen creature of evil, was now a young girl with short hair and wearing a bright new kimono. She smiled at Kasumi and shyly held out the doll she was carrying. There was a tiny cut on the doll's plastic arm. It was not a bad wound but from it ran a disturbing trickle of blood.

"Your friend is hurt," Kasumi said compassionately. "That's why you were so angry." The girl silently nodded and again held the doll out for Kasumi. With a motherly smile, Kasumi reached into her pocket and produced a handkerchief with which she carefully bound the doll's injury. The bleeding immediately stopped. Delighted, the little girl accepted the doll back from Kasumi, hugged her, and walked lightly back into the darkness.

"Any more of your little magic act?" Nabiki sarcastically asked. "I grow weary of all this. If you have a point to make, do so now. Otherwise, we have a train to catch."

"It is as we feared, my brothers." The same voice that had taunted Nabiki was quickly becoming a real irritant to her. "This clan harbors the secret from the monk's cave. Their actions here tonight prove as much. They could not have seen thorough our illusions without such a force."

This time, Akane bristled with anger. "What!? That... flawed excuse for a fighter you presented me with wouldn't even qualify as a student in my husband's martial arts classes."

"Your... husband...?" Clearly, Akane's outburst caused certain members of the council pause.

"Yes. Ranma Saotome, my husband." Akane seemed to take great pride in such an announcement. It had certainly taken a long time in coming. Nabiki quietly calmed her fussing sister. It wasn't easy considering Akane's elevated sense of outrage. Kasumi, however, had gathered enough courage to address the shadows before her in a way that was unmistakably her own.

"Forgive me, honorable elders," she began, ignoring a loud derisive snort from Akane. "If I may clarify something -"

"Yes, please do." At least one of the council's elders continued to sound conciliatory towards the girls. Whether or not it was a ruse, was yet to be seen.

"You are a council of leaders of the old ways. I honor your dedication and devotion to the traditions of our ancestors." Kasumi paused to extend a respectful bow.

"But we are a clan who's numbers are small. We are also a clan with no living history. All our leaders, scribes, and storytellers have long since passed from this earth. Consequently, we are a clan without a past. As such, it falls to the three of us to forge a new beginning for our descendants. A beginning that cannot be rooted in the past but cast boldly in the future. My sister, whom we have acknowledged as the rightful elder of our people, has set our clan on a new path, one that will take us into that future as full members of our new communities."

"Meaning?" The elder's voice sounded irritated at Kasumi's pronouncements.

Nabiki quickly took up where her sister left off. "We will create the Cold Moon Clan in the image WE desire. Whether that image will be of business, charity, or as shadow warriors, we cannot immediately say. Make no mistake, we will maintain what traditions of our people we can so that they may be handed down to our children but we no longer feel bound by councils or the rule of your Shinobi nation. We will stand alone, gladly and with pride in our past, however we choose to construct it.

"Living in America, I've read much about Westerners and their philosophies. One said something that I believe will best suit our new clan. He said: 'With malice towards none and charity to all.' That, my brothers, will be how we will leave you tonight. We are not your enemies. We wish you and your people nothing but the best. You can accept this or you can continue in your narrow-minded ways. We care not. For this is the last time we shall speak. This is the last time you will ever summon us before you." The three turned to leave, firm in the knowledge they had done the right thing - convinced they had gotten in the last word.

"This is NOT PERMITTED!" Obviously, one of the elders disagreed. Others took up their own cries of protest. Some even sounded panicked.

"You cannot so easily dismiss us."

"This is an OUTRAGE!"

"We will bend you to our will, child." Before Nabiki could answer, another figure emerged from the darkness behind the girls. With an impatient stamp of his staff,
Master Sato announced his presence. In an instant, the council fell silent. Even the cicadas ceased their calls to hear the most respected Shinobi chunin.

"Honorable elders," Sato began in a low but regal-sounding voice. We must cease this fighting amongst ourselves. NOW!"

"Sato, you fool! You have no say in this matter. Mind your place."

Sato's eyes narrowed into angry slits. Even Nabiki had to admit, the old man looked like he was at the end of his tether. "Would you continue the persecution of this clan?"

"You try our patience. Do not interfere."

"Haven't you people had enough? How much blood does it take to slake the thirst of this council? How many more lives must be sacrificed to your devotion to the past?"

"You go to far, Sato! You are no longer welcome before this council." A stunned silence descended over the clearing. Slowly, Master Sato's eyes swept the darkness before him, as if he were silently polling each of the elders.

"I see." His voice was like a low growl. "Perhaps you're right."

Slowly, he turned to Nabiki. In spite of her dislike for the old man, she was suddenly struck with a sense of pity - if not for him, at least for his plight. He too had been used and abused by the Grand Council - perhaps even to a greater degree than herself. Now he was being dismissed like a common house servant. She could only imagine what such a blow must have done to his pride.

"Nabiki Tendo-Lawrence." Sato's voice sounded old and tired. "Over the last five years, despite my best efforts, I have repeatedly failed you and your family. For that I can never provide just compensation."

Nabiki grimaced slightly, her sense of pity stabbing her deeper in her heart as she listened. "That's not really necessary -"

"But it is," he interrupted. "There comes a time in every old man's life when he realizes he's overstayed his welcome." Sato forced a smile, his mustache fluttering like a wounded bird, before settling back into his sad frown. Nabiki shot a quick glance at her sisters. Kasumi was looking typically dismayed at what she just heard, her hands appropriately in front of her mouth in a shocked gesture. Akane simply pouted at the ground. Sato slowly held his ancient staff out at arm's length, tilting it towards the fire. It's seven rings of enlightenment glittered in the firelight. There was no protest from the council.

"With this sacrifice, I renounce my position within the clan." He released the staff and closed his eyes. The staff seemed to quiver in place for a moment, as if it were fighting its inevitable destruction. Then, it slowly began to fall, its rings sounding a final jangle of farewell as it impacted the burning logs. There was a soft hissing sound that grew slowly in volume until it became the wail of a thousand voices. A pillar of flame shot directly upwards from the fire, twenty meters or more, before spreading out in all directions. From the tips of the flames the three sisters could see tendrils of white mist that sped off into the night, each uttering an anguished scream that faded with its departure.

Sato never moved. He never opened his eyes. Only Nabiki caught the tear as it formed in the corner of his eye, only to be quickly dismissed by the old man. Silently, she forgave him for every transgression she held him responsible for. As the fire died back to its previous level. Sato sniffed once, cleared his throat, and began to waddle out of the clearing.

"Master Sato," Nabiki called softly.

The old man stopped and slowly turned his head towards Nabiki. "There is no longer anyone by that name."

"What about Sodoshi?" Nabiki almost bit her tongue off as she asked about her daughter and her place in Sato's future plans. She never agreed to his training of the girl. She didn't want her daughter turned into one of those 'damned shadow warriors'. But watching one of the last links she had to her own heritage quietly walk away left in her a multitude of questions - and emotions.

"Little one, I can no longer guide your daughter. Look to your husband. He already holds the key." Sato paused as if he wanted to say more before deciding he'd said enough. He turned sadly and walked like an old man out of the ring of light.

"You no longer have to worry on that score either, Elder of the Cold Moon Clan." Nabiki flinched and ground her teeth at the sound of Jeff's clansman's voice.

"With his mentor gone, your husband is no longer a member of our clan. We renounce his membership with few regrets and even fewer feelings of loss."

Slowly, Nabiki turned towards the speaker. Her eyes glowed as they reflected the fire. "Nabiki...?" Kasumi's warning voice told of her concern that her sister was about to over-react and do something completely regrettable. Nabiki glanced at her older sister. She could see Kasumi's look of pleading. It was clear she didn't want Nabiki saying anything that might restart the 'blood hunts'. Nabiki nodded and turned, once again, to face the elders.

"Then the lines are drawn. You have chosen your path. So be it." She turned to leave, her sisters following. She paused before totally leaving the circle of light and turned towards the darkness beyond the fire. Her amulet was glowing a bright as a tiny star, casting an eerie amber glow across her face. "Just one more thing. Don't EVER summon me again."

With that, she clapped her hands once and lashed out with the palm of her hand towards the fire. She didn't know where such a gesture came from, it was all instinct, but the fire suddenly extinguished itself as if it were a small candle being blown out by a great wind. As darkness enveloped the trio, they quietly departed the council's meeting place for the last time. The Cold Moon Clan was now on its own. For better or worse, they had no history, no heritage, and precious little in the way of a certain future.

"So be it," Nabiki hissed under her breath. The council may not have made an enemy, but they were far from having friends in the Cold Moon Clan. Above the horizon ahead, a classic cold moon rose slowly into the night sky. Nabiki smiled to herself as she noticed it.

In a way, all those suspicious elders were correct. She had indeed taken something from the old monk's cave. It was something she didn't realize she even had until this night. It was a new sense of self-worth and responsibility. No longer a child of selfishness and manipulation, she had grown and matured into a woman and, perhaps, even an elder. More importantly, she had closed out a sad chapter for her people and pointed them towards a new horizon - one of hope and promise for those not too timid to grasp it.

As Nabiki, Kasumi, and Akane quietly walked down the narrow road towards the lights of a small town. They closed a chapter of their own lives as well. The tale of their childhood had come to an end. Before them was now the blank page of their future;

the story of their adult lives.