The nightmare wasn't the one Ryouga might have expected, given the day's events. But it was a familiar one.

He was running through streets that were twisted and unrecognizable. Pushing through crowds of people and unable to see the route ahead, occasionally catching glimpses of a few recognizable landmarks that seemed to change which side of him they were on. He couldn't tell which part of the sky the sun was in, or if it was morning or afternoon. All of the street signs were unreadable.

I have to get back…! He thought, desperately pushing through the crowd. There was something important he needed to get to. Someone…? It was so hard to remember!

How long has it been? Two days? Three? He pushed into the open and started running. His legs felt heavy, his muscles ached and his lungs burned. Even though there were crowds obscuring his vision, his footsteps echoed like he was alone in an empty space. The sky was blinding, and his vision was full of disorienting afterimages, but he kept going.

Wait for me!

000

Ryouga woke up when he crashed to the floor in a heap.

Panic seized him as he struggled to free himself, arms and legs tangled up in yards of smooth, unyielding fabric. Finally, he managed to free himself and skittered back against the nearest wall and looked around wildly as his heart pounded in his chest and his breath came in ragged gasps.

It was all wrong.

The room was unfamiliar. His pack was nowhere to be seen and, for the moment, the fog of sleep still hid the memory of how he'd gotten here. Even the clothes he was wearing were not his - oversized and ill fitting if expensive. His panic surged as he realised that something else was missing, too - something impossibly important - something he needed desperately to find. He felt cold, icy fingers squeezing the heart in his chest as sleep inertia and adrenaline conspired to warp the world around him into a soul destroying abyss of darkness, loneliness and terror.

The door to the attached bathroom opened, and a girl with bright blue eyes and a mop of brilliant crimson hair poked her head out. She had a toothbrush which she pulled out of her mouth long enough to ask, "You okay, Ryo? You fall outta the bed or something?"

His breath caught - just for a moment - but it was enough to dispel the fog of sleep and panic and allow his memory to return. The room looked very different in the light of the sun shining through the balcony doors, but it was the room he and Ranma had been put in at the Kuno manor.

He knew where he was.

He knew where Ranma was.

He wasn't lost.

He closed his eyes and let out the breath he had been holding. "I'm… I'm okay."

She stepped out of the bathroom. Her hair was slightly damp and she was wearing her school uniform which appeared to have been cleaned and freshly pressed. "You sure? You have a nightmare or something?"

Ryouga stood and grit his teeth. He wanted to tell her about it - tell her about the persistent nightmare that had plagued him since the very first time he had gotten lost. The nightmare that had gradually grown and deepened every time he found himself wandering and unable to find his way. But he knew she'd probably pity him - maybe even give him that look - and after last night that wasn't something he could handle. "I'm fine Ranma. I just rolled over and got tangled up."

Ranma scowled then shrugged. "Okay, fine. Sheesh, ya don't gotta be all growly about it… Just lemme finish brushing my teeth and the bathroom's yours. You kinda slept in, so you should probably make it quick. Your school duds are in here too." She ducked back into the bathroom.

Ryouga breathed a sigh of relief once she was gone. Okay… Nothing happened last night. Whatever was going on with Ranma is over and Ranma's back to normal. Just… just gonna forget any of this ever happened.

He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked blearily at the bed. He had not slept well. He had spent most of the night perched on the edge of the bed as Ranma sprawled out. Something had told him that being in close physical proximity to her while sleeping would lead to Bad Things.

Would they really have been so bad?

Shut UP! Ryouga sternly silenced the rebellious little voice.

000

The walk to school was a bit odd for Ukyou without Ranma there. Akane and Nabiki were walking together discussing something but, after their gaffe the other day, they were being guarded and secretive. The volleyball team was deep in their own discussion with Hiroshi and Daisuke - something about 'Cyborgs vs Ninjas as dating prospects', which didn't currently interest her. She found herself left alone with her own thoughts.

"Penny for Spatula Girl's thoughts?"

She glanced over to see Shampoo had fallen in step with her. She was holding up a small copper coin.

"Hang on, is that an actual penny?" Ukyou plucked it from her fingers to examine it. It was definitely an American penny, rather than a yen.

"Yes. Is not custom?" Shampoo said. "Had customer leave as part of tip at restaurant one day."

"It's just a saying - you don't actually need to give a penny." Ukyou flipped the coin back to her.

Shampoo caught it. "Dressing more like girl today?"

Ukyou glanced down at herself. She was still wearing the boy's uniform, but she had opted for the lighter, short sleeved shirt and pants that were properly sized and cut for her figure, as well as opting for a bra rather than her usual bindings. She had also left her hair unbound and worn her ribbon as a hair bow.

"It's a girl day," Ukyou admitted. She had felt much more inclined to listen to her own whims after her date with Ranma. She had even briefly considered a girl's uniform, but the last time she had tried that had been disastrous.

"Might have to try that style myself. Fighting in pants much easier," Shampoo noted. "Skirt too long, get in way."

"Yeah, well, your preferred 'skirts' tend to barely qualify as belts, sugar," Ukyou said.

"Leaves legs free, best for movement," Shampoo shrugged. "If also distract opponent is bonus, yes?"

"It's overkill for the pervs around here," Ukyou muttered. "All I had to do was show up to school in a dress and they lost their minds."

Shampoo smirked. "Problem not dress. From what Shampoo hear of story, Ukyou try act girly. Make seem more approachable. But Ukyou also have confidence. Same reason why they chase after Akane or Airen's girl form." She held up a finger, going into lecture mode. "Males naturally wish for female stronger than them, who choose them. Especially in Japan where such desires repressed by misguided culture attempting to be male-dominant. Natural order of things male subservient."

"I… don't think that's entirely true, Shampoo," Ukyou said, giggling.

"Why think 'tsundere' such popular concept?" Shampoo folded her arms and closed her eyes, raising her chin haughtily. "Poor, misguided males of men's world seek atonement because instincts tell them they subvert natural order. Seek strong female to punish them to absolve of sins."

"Oh? What about Ranma, then?" Ukyou asked, honestly curious.

"Airen has very strong female side," Shampoo said. "Is mistaking strength as coming from male side because of idiot father teachings, of course, but males who know true strength find in balance between male and female natures. Is why Amazons make laws to add to tribe, because it rare and special thing."

"Well… I suppose that's at least better defined than Ranma's parent's whole concept of 'manliness'," Ukyou replied. She personally preferred to believe that strength didn't have a gender but she could see how someone from a female-dominated society might see things the way Shampoo did. It even made a bizarre sort of sense. Still, Nerima was hardly a fair representation of Japan as a whole. It was equally likely that growing up in the insanity of the place either forced one to turn to martial arts or resulted in a predisposition towards masochism and personality disorders. Or both.

They reached the gates just as the limousine pulled up. For a moment Ukyou wondered if the limo belonged to Himura, but then she saw the vanity plate that read 'BLACK ROSE' in English. Of COURSE she has her OWN private limo. Just one for the family obviously isn't enough, she thought sourly, considering how much it cost just for the average person to drive in Tokyo. So I wonder how the night went? Ukyou still wasn't entirely comfortable with Kodachi having her fiancee for an entire night but, at the same time, she knew the gymnast thought Ranma's girl side was a separate person.

The door opened and Ranma stepped out, dressed in her school uniform, followed by Ryouga. She had tied her hair back, but in a looser braid than normal, more of a french braid that Ukyou suspected Kodachi had insisted upon. Both of them at least looked well enough, and neither appeared to be drugged out or otherwise damaged. She picked up her pace to catch up with them.

Kodachi stepped out afterwards, forcing Ukyou to slow down a bit again. As eager as she was to see Ranma, her dislike for Kodachi was more than balancing it out. She felt her fingers curl into a fist as Kodachi put a hand on Ranma's shoulder, and the two shared a laugh over something.

"My, isn't Ranchan getting chummy with the enemy…?" Ukyou growled softly.

"Crazy girl think Airen different person when female. No have interest, Shampoo thought?" Shampoo said.

"Maybe not romantically, but Kodachi definitely got an interest in her. She's just using her to try and win over male Ranma," Ukyou said tightly. "Playing all nice-nice to gain favor with Ranchan by charming his sister!"

"But… is no can work? Airen IS his own sister," Shampoo said, confused.

"That just means if she does charm her, it works much more directly," Ukyou said. "C'mon, we should keep an eye on them." She set out to follow the trio while hanging back enough to avoid being detected.

Unfortunately, hanging back was a mistake this time. By the time they got close to the gates, Ranma, Ryouga and Kodachi had already passed through and some sort of confrontation had started just inside. Shampoo and Ukyou broke into a run, hearing voices raised and then a most horrific noise: a whine like a cross between a jet engine and a water pump followed by the sound of crumbling concrete. They sprinted through the gates and skidded to a stop

Ranma was off to the side in a wary stance. The courtyard was soaked with water, and there was a line etched deep into the concrete wall and along the ground leading up to the wall as if something had gouged a narrow trench - something that had continued past where Ranma now stood and had evidently only narrowly missed her. The apparent creator of the trench seemed to be some kind of heavily modified World War II tank that had two giant canisters mounted on the back and a customised nightmare of a main gun. In the turret, behind a plexiglass shield, sat Principal Kuno, holding a microphone.

"Eyyyy Kekis and Wahines! Your Headmaster had a brand new idea for de big fun, yey? I say to myself 'Tatsuyuki, how can de Headmaster be makin' de day easier for de students?' and den I says back 'Always wi' de rushin' to school. Not time for propah breakfast! No time for proper hygiene! So your Headmaster is here to help! We be getting dis special Showah Cannon made just for de Kekis and Wahines to wash off even de toughest o' dirt. Guaranteed to wash de waterproofin' right offa the most squirrely delinquent, eyyy!"

"That's a high pressure water cannon you jackass!" Ranma shouted. "It's washing away the concrete! If you hit me with that I won't have any skin left!"

Principal Kuno got a maniacal look on his face as the turret swivelled to track Ranma. It had obviously been upgraded as it moved and tracked more quickly than anything that large had a right to. "Small price to pay for propah hygiene, yey?"

"Father, stop this!" Kodachi yelled as she pulled out her ribbon to strike at the turret. The attacks did little more than leave marks on the tough, clear material. "Don't you dare hurt her!"

"Sorry Kochi, but dis be a mattah of honah!" the Principal said as he opened fire once more. Ranma dodged frantically as the stream sliced through a nearby tree trunk.

"Can't be dodgin' forever, keki!" the Principal chortled. "Dis turret be havin' de same targettin' dey use to shoot down supersonic missiles! You no faster den a speedin' bullet, yey?" He glanced toward the gates and spotted Ukyou and Shampoo. "Or, mebbe we see how much you care fer your wahines, yey?" The turret swivelled to point at the two of them ominously.

"Awwwww crap…" Ukyou swore as the keening whine of the pump built up for another burst.

The handle of a familiar red umbrella struck the ground in front of them at an angle. It embedded itself and popped open just as the cannon fired, deflecting the high pressure stream. It started to crack and buckle almost immediately, but the moment was all that was needed.

Ryouga jumped up onto the front of the tank and forced the barrel of the turret up through brute strength alone. Motors in the turret whined as they fought back, starting to smoke as the force the lost boy was exerting started to overload the actuators. He reared back with one finger, locking eyes with the Principal before stabbing his finger into the armor plating of the tank. "Bakusai Tenketsu!"

High pressure coupled with explosive structural failure was a potent mix. The tank exploded in a massive cloud of steam and shrapnel as everything gave out at once in a deafening eruption.

Ukyou pulled Shampoo down with her to duck behind the ruined umbrella as the battered shield still provided enough protection to ward off the worst of the shrapnel. Something was flung violently from the center of the explosion, punched through the stone outer wall of the courtyard and came to rest on the far side of the street. After a moment, Ukyou realized the crumpled heap was a person.

"RYOUGA!"

The scream was Ranma's. The redhead vaulted over the wall and was next to the Lost Boy faster than Ukyou had seen her move since… since…

The last time Akane was in danger… she thought. She sprinted over to the injured Ryouga along with Shampoo.

"Ryouga? Ryouga! Don't do this to me!" Ranma had already gathered the battered lost boy into her arms and was shaking him. Ukyou could see a look of utter terror on her face and tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Nnnn… Not so loud…" Ryouga said weakly, cracking an eye open. "... gotta headache…"

"You dumbass!" Ranma hugged him tightly, sobbing in relief. "I swear to god if you ever scare me like that again…!"

Ukyou and Shampoo knelt on either side of them. They exchanged a glance with each other then set about checking Ryouga for injuries, as Ranma seemed too overcome to do it herself.

"Thank goodness for that hard Hibiki skull…" Ukyou said. "What were you thinking, sugar?!" She poked Ryouga's shoulder. "You're tough, but you're not that tough!"

Ryouga coughed. "He… was gonna make Ranma take the hit for you two. Didn't have another play ready…" He tried to sit up, wincing as his many bruises and contusions made themselves felt. "I… think I'm just gonna lie here a bit…"

"Just lie still, buddy," Ranma said, sniffing, smiling in relief. "I gotcha…"

"What about Crazy Pineapple Brain Man?" Shampoo asked.

"I'll go deal with him, if he's got any fight left in him," Ukyou stood up. "Shampoo, stay with them, okay?" Ukyou drew her battle spatula and stalked back to the gates. That was WAY too far! The Principal could have maimed Ranchan with that! He almost DID maim US! Time to take a page from Akane's book, I think; Best place for him right now is a hospital!

It seemed someone had beaten her to the punch. The armored turret the Principal was in had survived mostly intact, protecting him from the blast, though the remainder of the tank was now little more than scattered debris and parts. The turret lay on its side with the Principal cowering inside as Kodachi stood on top of it, furiously lashing at it with her ribbon. The plexiglass was getting scored and cracked as her efforts steadily chipped away at the battered armor.

"Kochi! Please! Be reasonable!" Principal Kuno begged from inside of the plexiglass bubble as its structural integrity had rapidly begun to fail.

"I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!" Kodachi snarled. "How DARE you assault my friend! Come out of that bubble so I can injure you properly!"

Well… Much as I'd love a piece of him myself, I think I'll wait my turn and let Kodachi have her fun. Ukyou slotted her battlespat onto her back again and watched. Usually he's got a better escape plan than this, though…

Principal Kuno cowered a moment longer but as the plexiglass casing began to show fatal cracks and give way, he started to grin again. "Yer Papa is sorry ta do dis, Kochi, but ye be leaving me no choice. How about a nice Hawaiian…"

Ukyou's eyes widened and she started forward as soon as she heard him start his spiel, knowing from experience what was coming next. She dove and tackled Kodachi as compartments opened along the sides of the turret, and ejected a number of explosive pineapples which detonated in clouds of thick black smoke. Ukyou rolled as she hit the ground, instinctively trying to absorb as much of the impact as she could, though if she had been thinking more about who it was that she was saving, she might not have tried so hard.

Principal Kuno emerged from the cloud of smoke, blackened and singed, but whole. He sprinted away, cackling madly as he ran. "You canna catch a bruddah from de Isles! Bwahahahahahaha!"

"Get off me!" Kodachi shoved her roughly. "Simpleton! He's getting away!" She bounced to her feet, but could see that her Father was already out of sight. She gripped her ribbon and ground her teeth in frustration.

"You're welcome, sugar," Ukyou said testily as she rolled to her feet and brushed herself off. "I could have just let you eat that, you know."

Kodachi wirled on her but her glare softened. Reluctantly, she relaxed her stance. "As much as it pains me to admit it… you have a point." She looked away, gripping the handle of her ribbon with white knuckles. "I… promised Ran I would make an effort to be civil so…" she seemed to struggle with the words, "... Thank you."

Ukyou blinked. "Umm… you're welcome. Wow… I didn't think you'd do that even for your 'Darling Ranma'!"

Kodachi pinned her with a glare. "I would not! Know this, Ukyou Kuonji! I still do not forgive your insistence on claiming my Darling Ranma's time or affections, nor your opposition to my rightful claim as his fiancee. But…" she ground her teeth again, "... Ran is more… delicate than her brother, and she values the harmony of those around her. So I will accept an armistice. For now." She glanced over her shoulder in the direction her father had run. "I have more… pressing quarry to track down."

Ukyou raised an eyebrow. Ran? DELICATE? She remembered that naescent feminine side Ranma had shown her on their date and felt a pang of jealousy that Kodachi might have seen it as well. Still, there was the matter of the Principal. "You want some help with that, sugar? 'Enemy of my enemy' and all that, right?"

Kodachi actually seemed to consider it for a moment. "No. Stay with Ran and ensure no further harm is done to her or her betrothed today. I know Father's haunts and his tricks. I am more than sufficient to this task on my own."

"You willing to do what it takes?" Ukyou asked sternly. "He just about killed at least three people I consider family, plus me. He needs to be taken out of commission before this gets any more out of control."

Kodachi gave her an evil smile that made her shiver. "Are you questioning my capacity to inflict debilitating pain and injury? Perhaps you should inquire as to how I acquired the title of 'The Black Rose'? Father will survive… he may even recover one day. But that is the very limit of the mercy I am willing to extend him." She coiled her ribbon. "Tell Ran I will see her once I have dealt with the matter satisfactorily. I will be sure to forward to you all the hospital where he will be staying in case you wish to have further 'discussions' with him." She turned and started to saunter, unhurried, in the direction her father had fled.

Ukyou raised an eyebrow. "Wow. And I thought Ranchan's family had issues."

000

The Lost Boy's resilience was remarkable, even for one who had undergone the Bakusai Tenketsu training. None of his bones were broken, though he had suffered some deep bruising and scalding from the steam. Shampoo had called upon some of her knowledge of pressure points to ease his pain and reduce the swelling, though she recommended having Dr Tofu look him over.

What was concerning to the Amazon was how her Airen was reacting. It was hardly the first time the Lost Boy had been injured, though admittedly none had seen him take such a direct and dramatic blow before. The redhead flat out refused to leave Ryouga's side, even once they had taken him to the nurse's office to get the worst of his scrapes disinfected and patched up. The look in her eyes was one of guilt and fear mixed with relief. It echoed a similar look that Shampoo had seen in her eyes before.

She was afraid she had lost him. Just for a moment. It scared her, Shampoo decided as she waited outside the nurse's office while Ryouga was cleaned up. There is emotion there that wasn't before. Emotion for him.

She remembered Nabiki's conversation with Akane the other day. My Pintou also has an interest in him? No, not the same. Maybe PHYSICALLY. She snorted. She had noticed that Nabiki had something of a roving eye. But she's already seen this between Ryouga and Airen. She's testing Ryouga, getting him flustered on purpose… maybe provoking Airen too? She sighed. This was why Nabiki was D'artagnan, after all. She had a talent for spotting such things.

Airen isn't ready to acknowledge yet, Shampoo decided. But Ryouga already protects her. This was problematic. It could completely upend the entire fragile relationship dynamic! Akane sees it. That's what set her off, even if she's talked herself out of it. That girl needs to learn to trust her instincts! Nabiki is trying to negotiate… seems to think it would just be a fling. Curiosity. She glanced at the infirmary door. No. Something more here. Something deep and powerful. Buried. She narrowed her eyes. Could hurt Airen… more than hurt, could wound her sense of self. All of this is on the girl side, unbalancing things. Plus, Lost Boy is obsessive and fickle at the same time.

She sighed. Still… he saved me and Ukyou. He deserves some consideration for today. She rubbed her chin. Airen is going on her date with Akane today. Maybe a good time to pull Ryouga aside for chat; see what is going on in his head. And… if it's the usual Lost Boy stupidity, I can use Xi Fa Xiang Gao to tweak his memories, let Airen down easy before she get too deep.

Of course, there was the question of what to do if it was more serious than one of Ryouga's infatuations?

Normally Shampoo would just proceed with altering the Lost Boy's memory regardless, but she knew that true emotions would always come to the surface and make it nearly impossible to cleanly disentangle the Lost Boy from Ranma's life. Worse, if Ranma found out, it would shatter the trust that Shampoo had worked so hard and so carefully to build with her.

Still, Ryouga was a rogue factor. He wasn't bound by the same pact as the rest of them and that had needed a year of strife to coalesce as it was. Plus there were some raw emotions between him and Akane still, as well as the whole worry that Airen even contemplating such a thing would represent a radical paradigm shift for her.

I'll ask Ukyou to help, she decided finally. Her judgement is good and she is willing to do what needs to be done to protect Airen. Besides, Lost Boy respects her. She knows him better than I do. What was the term they use here? 'Good cop, bad cop'? She smiled, remembering the TV drama where she had seen the interrogation technique. In the village back home they called it 'Friend and Foe', but the dynamic was the same. Simple and obvious, but Ryouga was just the simple and obvious sort it would work on.

She looked up as the door opened. Ryouga walked out, his jacket off and over his shoulder. His white shirt had a few tears and small bloodstains, and underneath she could see the spots where gauze had been applied to cover the worst of the scrapes. For the most part he looked greatly recovered.

"Thanks for waiting, Shampoo!" Ranma stuck her head out after him, grinning.

Shampoo closed her eyes and sniffed. "Owed debt of honor to Lost Boy. Would be bad form to let die of infection after surviving explosion."

"I appreciate it," Ryouga said honestly. He winced as a sore muscle complained. "If there's anything left of that loud-shirt wearing freak, remind me I need to take a piece outta him."

"Ukyou went to go find. Should ask her," Shampoo said, standing smoothly. It was nearly time for their next class and she imagined Nabiki would want to know what happened.

"What I wanna know is where he got a tank-sized watergun from?" Ranma grumbled. "Just the bombs and traps were bad enough, but if he's gonna bring heavy armor into it…"

"Should just kill," Shampoo said.

Ryouga shrugged as both girls looked at him. "What, are you looking at me to object?"

"It's… not that simple, Shampoo," Ranma said weakly.

Shampoo sighed then smiled. "Shampoo understand. Airen blooded, but not killer. Is Airen's choice."

"We should talk to Nabiki. She had some ideas for how to take him out of the picture," Ranma said, sounding tired.

"It sounded like the Kunos might even be on board with that," Ryouga said thoughtfully. "Maybe we could ask Kodachi?"

"Ask Crazy Girl for help?" Shampoo gaped at him.

"Things're different, Shampoo," Ranma said. "Kodachi is… well, okay, she's still kinda out there, but she doesn't hate my girl side anymore. And Kuno… Tatewaki Kuno…"

"He's downright reasonable," Ryouga said, rubbing the back of his head. "All it took was these little white pills. I barely recognized him!"

"Bokken boy… reasonable?" Shampoo gave him a skeptical look. "Shampoo believe when see. And Bokken boy better convince fast - Shampoo still owe him lumps for what he do to Ukyou!"

"I think Akane covered that debt, Shampoo," Ranma said. They reached their classroom and paused. "Okay, see you at lunch?"

Shampoo nodded. "Yes." I have MUCH to think about!

000

Lunchtime involved a lot of brooding.

Nabiki had not been happy to hear about the Principal's escalation. She immediately sent Hiroshi and Daisuke to find out more about where he had gotten the tank and what other toys he might have scrounged up, then eschewed lunch to go use the library computers to research whatever it was her plots required. Akane had been outraged and shown enough sympathy to the Lost Boy that he had regressed into some of his old stammering, awkward mannerisms around her. Deprived of her usual targets, Akane eventually stalked off to find some of the Principal's statues to smash to work off steam. Ranma seemed a bit embarrassed by the fierce protectiveness of the Tendos and eventually retreated to practice with her team and Ryouga limp after her to sit on the sidelines which left Shampoo and Ukyou alone to tidy up.

"Sooooooo…" Shampoo said, suddenly unsure how to broach the topic.

"Today has been a weird day," Ukyou said. "The Principal loses his mind even for him, Kodachi is on our side for once… kinda… and…" She shook her head. "Did you hear Ranchan scream when Ryouga got hit? I've never heard Ranchan sound like that before. She was really scared, wasn't she?"

"Heard something like once before," Shampoo said quietly. "When Ranma think Akane killed at Jusendo." She took a deep breath. "Is what I wanted to talk with Ukyou about."

Ukyou didn't look at her, instead studying her hands. "You think there really is something going on between them, don't you?"

"Maybe. Maybe they not realize or accept yet," Shampoo said. "Maybe is new? Wanted to ask Ukyou, since she call Lost Boy brother sometimes."

"Like a brother," Ukyou corrected. "Not sure I'm ready to adopt that many issues, no matter how many times I find him half dead outside my restaurant." She sighed and looked at Shampoo. "Now I really wish I had squawked more about them going to the Kuno Estate together. You think something happened?"

Shampoo shook her head. "Airen not good at hiding. Always act guilty whenever something happen between her and Akane. Not see that here. Not mean something won't happen, though."

Ukyou huffed and looked out across the field to where Ryouga was sitting. "How, though? I mean I can see Ryouga's side of it easily enough; The line has gotten really blurry with Ranchan - especially since she's hardly ever a guy anymore, between the rules about her being a girl at school, the soap, and…" she trailed off, "... Hold up, when was the last time Ranchan was a guy around Ryouga?"

"Not since before Shi Shi Hokodan," Shampoo said.

"You… don't think she's doing that on purpose, do you?" Ukyou's eyes widened.

"Not sure. Circumstances not help. But always being girl not help Lost Boy," Shampoo said thoughtfully.

"Yeah… Ryouga told me he was seeing Ranma differently now. I thought it was just the near-death thing, but…" She cocked her head. "He told me he wasn't in love with her. He seemed pretty sure. And you know Ryouga, he's the sort to declare his love at the drop of a hat."

Shampoo was silent for a moment. "Watch Lost Boy," she said finally.

Ukyou did as suggested, and they both watched Ryouga quietly for a time.

"What you see?" Shampoo asked.

"His eyes are on Ranchan. The whole time," Ukyou said softly. "When she laughs, he smiles." She closed her eyes. "Ryouga, you jackass."

"Not like how was with Akane," Shampoo said. "Not dopey or tripping over self. Different. You sure?"

Ukyou sighed. "I think that just makes me more sure. Ryouga's always had one emotion pinned to the red zone. Anger, Love, Depression. About as complex as a Rubik's Cube with every side painted the same color. He's always been…"

"Childish," Shampoo finished for her.

"Yeah… yeah, that's a good word for it. 'Annoying younger brother' is where I would have pegged him. But lately? He mentioned that how he saw things has changed since the Shi Shi Hokodan. He talked about seeing things as 'cardboard cutouts' before, Ranchan in particular." She slumped. "So… the problem is that he grew up?"

"Airen grow up too. Much, much change in last few weeks," Shampoo said. "Nabiki start landslide in Airen. Good thing… but too much too fast maybe. Airen question everything, all at once."

"... And you think that's what this is? They both started growing up at the same time, seeing the world and themselves differently, and…" she gestured, "latched onto the nearest person who was going through the same thing?"

"Nearly die together," Shampoo said quietly. "Is powerful thing."

"So… what do you want to do?" Ukyou asked. "Have a Fiancee's Tea about it?"

"Nabiki already know. Scheming. Akane know, but make self not know," Shampoo replied. "Want to know more before decide anything. Airen not ready, Shampoo think. Would just deny, brush off. Get embarrassed."

"So… Ryouga then," Ukyou said. "Before you say anything else, I'm not gonna let you do anything weird to him. No potions or anything." She gave Shampoo a hard look. "He hasn't done anything wrong. He's a jackass and that stupid glass heart of his latches onto the worst targets, but…"

"... Is family, yes?" Shampoo said. "Like brother is brother. No difference that matter. Shampoo know this much about you," She smiled and reached up, lightly stroking Ukyou's cheek.

Ukyou closed her eyes and shivered slightly. "I really overshared over the sake, didn't I?"

"Is why Shampoo talk to Ukyou before do anything," Shampoo said. "Ukyou is friend. Partner. Sister. We start Fiancee's Tea, before Akane or Nabiki or pact. We plan for longest time to do things together. This no different." She leaned in and touched her forehead to Ukyou's.

Ukyou sighed. "So… what do we do if it's true? If Ryouga and Ranma…"

"Cross bridge when come to. First thing, find out if even is bridge. Nabiki right, we jump to conclusion too quick most times. So… we do better this time."

"And how do we do that?"

Shampoo grinned. "How is Ukyou's 'Good Cop'?"

000

"Okay, okay, good enough!" Sayuri called an end to the practise, catching a towel Ryouga tossed her.

"Thanks, Towel Boy!" Yuka called as he passed out towels to the rest of the team.

"Could you not call me that?" Ryouga asked, grumbling.

"Sorry, M-Mr. Towel Boy-san," Rin said sheepishly as she accepted a towel from him.

"That's not…" Ryouga sighed heavily. "... You know what? Nevermind."

"We could go with 'Cabana Boy'?" Riko suggested, waggling her eyebrows.

"Down, girl. He's off limits," Sayuri grabbed her by the collar and dragged her away before Ryouga could get flustered.

Ryouga quirked an eyebrow. "Hold on… why am I off-limits?" He wasn't exactly eager to encourage the teasing he tended to get from the team but usually declarations of that nature were due to…

Sayuri's eyes flicked back to the volleyball court where Ranma was doing a few more cooldown stretches. "Reasons," she said with a smile.

Ryouga felt like hitting his head against a brick wall. Of course. 'Reasons.'

He glanced at the redhead again, feeling a twinge of sad longing. It wasn't like he didn't understand why they were thinking that way. It was starting to become clear to him that his heart had betrayed him once more. Once they had found a cure that his mother could use for the direction curse, he was going to need to see about getting himself good and lost the the old fashioned way - and stay lost for a good long time. He was sure that a few weeks alone in the wilds to clear his head would put a stop to all of this.

I won't be able to do it, he realized. A twisting ball of dread bloomed in his stomach at the thought of leaving. He looked up as she walked over. He remembered the desperate panic he had felt when he realized the Principal was going to get his shot with the water cannon. As long as she's in danger or needs me, I can't bear to leave… and it's RANMA… she's ALWAYS going to be in danger! I'm trapped… He chuckled bitterly as it sank in that he was doomed to an impossible situation, to have his glass heart ground into sand, and for no more than the occasional smile or laugh or casual nickname he would keep turning the grindstone willingly.

Ranma cocked her head as she walked over to him. "What's with that expression, Ryo?" she asked, a flicker of concern in her eyes.

He felt his heart lurch in his chest. Yes, he was definitely doomed.

"It's… nothing," he said, looking away.

"Good." She walked up to him. His breath caught in his throat as she got close. Closer than normal. Too close.

And then slugged him in the gut.

It was a hard punch by anyone else's standards, certainly enough to drive the air from their lungs and double them over. He barely felt it. He grunted slightly as her fist hit a solid wall of muscle.

"Don't you ever do anything stupid like this morning again," she said quietly, her head down, eyes hidden behind her bangs.

"What, save your life?" Ryouga chuckled and tossed the last towel over his shoulder carelessly. "You have a weird way of saying 'thank you', Ranma."

"Shut up!" Ranma looked up at him and he could see her eyes were shining, dampness at the corners. Tears? "You didn't have to hit the tank's breaking point and you know it! You knew it was going to blow up with you standing on it!"

"That's kinda how the Bakusai Tenketsu works, Ranma," he said defensively. "That's why all that toughness training is built into it."

"For rocks and dirt and trees and stuff, yeah! Not metal shrapnel!" She glared at him. "That thing was a giant rolling pressurized hot water tank! You're not indestructible!" She frowned. "You promised."

"... What?" Ryouga blinked.

"It doesn't matter if it's blowing yourself up with a ki blast or doing it with a tank. You promised you weren't going to do it!" There was hurt in her eyes now and an echo of the fear that had been there this morning.

Ryouga winced. He hadn't really been trying to end his own life - just acting on instinct. But the problem was that his instincts didn't always take his own safety or survival into account. "I'm… sorry. I was just trying to…" he swallowed, knowing he was about to cross a line, "I was just trying to protect you," he admitted finally.

Her eyes widened, color rose to her cheeks and he knew that was another degree of separation between them he had just broken. She gaped for a moment then looked away. "I never asked you to protect me. I don't need it. I'm not Akane. I'm a better martial artist than you, even!"

"Yeah, and you've got nothing in your arsenal that would work on a tank. Don't try and tell me you were gonna get him to follow you into a spiral somehow," Ryouga said crossly. "And don't try and tell me you don't need protection!" He reached out and grabbed her shoulder. "When were you gonna tell me about your parents using the contract to blackmail you?"

She turned, blinking owlishly. "The… contract?" her eyes fell as she made the connection. "... oh."

"I saw that look in your eyes," Ryouga said. "When You were talking with the Kunos about your Mom wanting your future kids."

"I said I'm not going to let her take my kids and I meant it!" Ranma said fiercely.

"Yeah, but what you didn't say was you weren't gonna fulfil the contract," Ryouga said. "Kuno said it wouldn't mark your personal honor if you refused - you remember that, right?"

She looked away. "Yeah… but the family honor would be destroyed. And… and if I have kids at some point… What I do will affect them their whole lives." She looked at him. "I can save my kids, save my family honor or save my life, but only two of those. Which do you think I'll choose?"

"I'm not giving you a choice, Saotome," Ryouga growled. "You want me to stick around? Fine. One condition; I will stop you if you try and fulfill this contract."

Ranma's eyes widened and the blush returned. She looked away quickly. "W-what… what're you gonna do if I do decide to go through with it? You gonna watch me every minute of every day? Keep me in a room away from anything sharp? For my whole life?"

"Yeah," Ryouga said simply. "If that's what it takes. I've got nothing better to do."

She froze, her back to him. There was an awkward silence that stretched out long enough for Ryouga to consider reaching out to her but before he could, she relaxed.

"Oh… I'm your Anchor," she said softly. "Of course."

"Ranma?"

She turned and smiled at him, having regained some of her composure. "I'm sorry, Ryo. I didn't understand why this was such a big deal for you but I get it now. You don't gotta worry about me, I wouldn't do that to you."

"I… okay?" Ryouga replied, confused.

"We should get to class," she said brightly. She walked past him and broke into a light trot as she headed back towards the school.

Ryouga watched her but got the feeling that he had missed something important. He trailed after her and hoped that he could figure it out before it became a problem.

000

The end of day came soon enough. With Principal Kuno absent, The Madness seemed somewhat subdued.

Nabiki had been spending most of her day making sure the Principal kept running. Kodachi had not been terribly happy to learn that Nabiki had her cell phone number but her anger had quickly faded when Nabiki turned over the tracking information she had collected on the elder Kuno. Taking him some irrelevant bit of paperwork to sign, a bit of carbon paper slipped between and a dummy company able to do credit checks had gotten her a remarkable amount of data about where Tatsuyuki Kuno spent a lot of his money and time. That included several private clinics and a few bars where Principal Kuno would go to patch himself up and/or drink away the latest of his defeats. Nabiki imagined several of them were probably rubble by now.

Never thought I'd be cheering on Kodachi Kuno, Nabiki thought, Much less while we're still in the midst of the omiai. But if Ranma's right, she's no fan of Nodoka now either. Maybe if we could convince her to be patient about Ranma's decision about whom to marry, we could calm things down enough and work together to get Ranma out from under that blasted contract!

Nabiki sighed, chewing on her thumbnail as she walked. That might require letting Kodachi in on Fiancee's Tea, at least for the purposes of negotiating a cease-fire. But it was almost certain that the other fiancees would object strenuously to even that much. And what if Kodachi demanded a compromise and a 'share' of Ranma herself?

And we'd still need to explain the curse to her and weather THAT storm which could very well undo ALL OF THIS… No, for now we keep Kodachi in the dark, play nice and hope she does the same. She sighed. She walked out the doors of the school into the daylight, shielding her eyes.

For once she was the last one out. The rest of the group was waiting for her on the steps. Ranma was perched on the railing, Ryouga leaned against a nearby wall, Akane was chatting with Yuka, Sayuri and Riko while Rin listened politely and Hiroshi and Daisuke sat on the steps nearby looking bored. Shampoo and Ukyou were nearest the door, waiting for her.

My own little army, Nabiki thought with some pride.

"Oh, Nabiki!" Akane perked up and hopped over to her. "Ready to head home?"

"Yeah," Nabiki said, glad Cologne had given her the night off. "Any sign of Kodachi or Principal Kuno?"

"Not yet," Shampoo said. "School quiet for once."

"Himura's off at her away game, Principal's running for his life, and Kodachi's busy chasing him down. Alla the troublemakers are out for the day," Ranma said, hopping down from the railing.

"Well… all the troublemakers that aren't us," Yuka amended dryly.

"We don't make trouble… do we?" Rin asked quietly.

"We do, but only for people who deserve it," Sayuri replied, ruffling her hair.

"So, what's the plan for your date, sugar?" Ukyou asked Akane.

Akane exchanged a glance with Nabiki, then grinned. "It's a secret. We'll tell Ranma when we get back to the Tendo Dojo."

Ukyou and Shampoo exchanged a glance.

"We-ell… then maybe we could let you guys get an early start? Shampoo and I can escort Ryouga home," Ukyou said. She leaned around Akane to look at Nabiki. "You got any plans Nabiki?"

Nabiki stretched. "Actually… I do. Haven't slept in my own bed for a while. As pleasant as the accommodations at the Nekohanten are, I miss home. I'm probably just going to veg at home tonight."

Ukyou raised an eyebrow. "Really? You sure you're okay on your own? Buddy system and all that, right?"

Nabiki smiled. "I'll be fine. Kasumi's home, and Daddy. And I'm sure I'll think of something to do. Like Kasumi said, it's a guideline, not a hard rule, right?"

Shampoo gave her a skeptical look. "Riiiiight."

Yuka leaned over to Daisuke, whispering audibly, "Is she plotting something?"

"Yes," Hiroshi and Daisuke deadpanned in perfect unison.

"Well, that works out for us anyway," Ukyou walked over and grabbed Ryouga by the arm. "C'mon, Ryo. Let's get you home!"

Ryouga jumped a bit. "Hey, wha…? Ukyou, what gives?"

Shampoo immediately grabbed his other arm. "Yes, good idea!" She waved as she and Ukyou dragged Ryouga along between them. "Have fun! No stay up too late!"

"Okay, now they're definitely plotting something," Yuka muttered as they watched them frog march Ryouga towards the gates.

"It's kind of a 'thing' with this group I've noticed," Riko noted.

Yuka gave her a sly look. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Riko returned the look. "Ice cream plot?"

"Yup!"

Yuka grabbed Daisuke's arm and hauled him to his feet while Riko pulled Hiroshi up somewhat more gently.

"Come along, boys!" Yuka said as Daisuke yelped and flailed.

"What? Why are we coming?" Hiroshi asked, confused.

"We need someone to pay," Riko said sheepishly.

"Betrayal!" Daisuke cried as Yuka dragged him along.

"Oh stop being so dramatic!" Yuka growled at him.

Sayuri shrugged and stood up. "I've got a few bucks left over from my allowance. My treat, Rin?"

"Okay!" Rin hopped to her feet and followed after her.

Ranma watched them go, folding her arms. "Wow… everyone popped outta here pretty fast," she muttered. "Guess we should get going, girls?" She glanced at Nabiki. "You sure you're okay being on your own tonight, Nabiki?"

Nabiki exchanged a glance with Akane then gave Ranma a smirk. "I would be, but Akane had a more interesting solution…"

000

"Point, Furinkan!"

Himura smiled as her team scored another point. It was looking like they were going to have another early night. It was amusing to watch how hard her benchwarmers would work to prove themselves, even knowing that their opponents were a joke and not worth Himura or her Elites' time. Hope springs eternal. Especially desperate, misguided hope.

"So… this game is the root of your Grandfather's challenge?" the girl next to her asked in Mandarin. Dressed in a Chinese silk pantsuit of green and yellow, with a dragon embroidered in metallic shades of red and gold, she had her long green hair tied back in a ponytail that fell to the small of her back. Her eyes had a yellowish cast and she wore a haughty, disdainful expression. Her demeanor suggested that it was one of only two or three expressions she ever used.

"Call it a metaphor," Himura replied with a smirk. "The game itself is of no real importance. It merely serves as a proxy for an actual trial by combat. But it's a challenge Ranma has accepted all the same. Should my team beat Ranma's, I secure her services for the year and satisfy the conditions of my Grandfather's trial, thus securing my inheritance."

The chinese girl raised a skeptical eyebrow and folded her arms over her generous chest. "And this is the plan for which you require the elder's help?"

Himura laughed. "Oh dear, no. the outcome of the game itself is nearly irrelevant. But Ranma and his friends believe it is and pour all their effort into it so it serves a useful purpose in keeping them distracted. They'll also keep underestimating me since I planted the idea that I cheat to make things easier on myself and use my status and position to get away with it."

"But you are cheating," the girl replied, confused.

Himura shook her head. "No, no… What I've done is fooled them into thinking there are rules in this little contest. They're so focused on the cards I've tucked up my sleeve that they won't notice the gun I've already drawn under the table."

"If everything is arranged so perfectly, then why do you need us?" Tan Pohn asked.

"I can hardly afford to think only one step ahead, my dear," Himura replied. "Nabiki Tendo has the potential to be dangerous. She's already brought a number of previously conflicting elements in Nerima to heel and, once I make my move, she is liable to attempt to employ them in ways that would be… troublesome."

"Why not simply kill her? That's what obstacles like her are for," The Joketsuzoku warrior sneered.

"My grandfather's edict prevents it and I'm not in a position to openly defy him. Yet," Himura replied. "However, this whole matter has created an opportunity for me. I've had to accelerate many of my plans but what I've learned from all this has opened up a number of possibilities. If I must be perfectly honest, Nabiki Tendo has been rather useful in her attempts to pacify the chaos that normally exists here and concentrating what remains into a predictable pattern. It's made my own progress much smoother. I was hoping that I would get the opportunity to break her rather than destroy her. She would be that much more useful as a pawn."

"Hmph. She's a weak Japanese girl with no fighting skills. Just like you. You make what should be a straightforward battle into a complex, bloodless, joyless dance." She gave Himura a cold look. "If it wasn't for the Elder's instructions, it would not be worth my time to even speak to you, much less do your bidding."

Himura gave a self-depreciating shrug. "The King on a chessboard must seem ever so dull and limited to the Rook, but both have their place on the board. There will be plenty of the sort of entertainment you crave soon enough."

"More talk of games?" Tan Pohn made a skeptical snort. "Just so long as you uphold your end of the bargain. Otherwise you and I will play a very short 'game' of our own. One that I doubt you will enjoy quite so much."

000

"You want to do what?" Ranma said, eyes wide.

Nabiki smirked. Akane had retreated to her room to change, leaving Nabiki to float the idea she'd had to Ranma. "We want to do a girl's night out. The three of us. Hit a few dance clubs, take in the night life, that sort of thing."

"I thought this was supposed to be a date," Ranma said, looking disappointed. "I mean… I get that things kinda got messed up by Kodachi, but…"

Nabiki's smirk widened. "You wanted a little romance… some flirting and basically being touchy feely?" She grinned and laid her arms on Ranma's shoulders, leaning in close to the redhead as she blushed. "Ranma… have you ever seen girls at a dance club?"

"N-no?" Ranma said nervously.

Nabiki giggled. "Girl-girl is kind of a thing on the dance floor. Oh, it's a tactic girls use to get guys' attention, of course. Make out with another girl and suddenly all your drinks are free and all the eyes are on you. Everyone knows it's just playing to the fantasy. Well… that seems like a good place to go be public and open about things without any actual fallout. It just won't be an act when we do it."

"But… isn't that… kind of… perverted?" Ranma asked in a small voice, eyes wide.

"I think 'naughty' is a better term for it," Nabiki said. "Well? Wanna give it a try? I've already got an outfit or two in your size you can wear."

"You already bought me clothes for this?!" Ranma squeaked, slightly aghast.

"Maybe? A little?" Nabiki said, somewhat bashfully. "I see stuff that would look good on you as a guy or a girl now and then and I pick it up…"

"Because it's way more daring than anything you would wear, and you figure that you can get me into it because I have no feminine modesty?" Ranma asked, folding her arms and giving Nabiki a skeptical look.

"Oho! Now that sounds like a challenge!" Nabiki said with a grin. "Besides, let's be honest; You have no male modesty either. You wander around in your boxers more than a male lingerie model!"

Ranma flushed a bit and ducked her head. "No one ever said anything about it!"

"Yeah, because you're hot," Nabiki waggled her eyebrows. "Trust me, if your Dad had tried that sort of thing we'd have tossed him out in the street."

"He kinda is, you know?" Ranma said. "He doesn't wear underwear under that dogi."

Nabiki winced and stepped back, putting her hands over her eyes. "Okay… I totally didn't need that mental image…"

"Trust me, never camp with him. It gets worse," Ranma said. "He doesn't wash that thing very much either. The smell is… memorable."

"Please… stop…" Nabiki muttered, starting to look a little green. "You win. Mood dead. I'll be good."

Ranma smirked. "Besides, what's the point of getting dressed up just to give a bunch of guys a show?"

Akane's door opened and she stepped out of her room. There was a sound that could have been the door closing behind her or it could have been Ranma's jaw hitting the ground.

She was wearing a blue minidress, cut dangerously short and slit even further up each hip that drew attention to her legs and created the illusion that they were longer. She wore a wide black belt around her waist that accentuated her curves and the bodice was cut low, with a black nylon panel that ran up to a choker around her neck to leave her shoulders and upper back bare. Her hair had been teased and styled to give her dark locks a somewhat feral appearance and her carefully applied makeup highlighted her eyes and made them seem darker and more sultry. Her ruby red lips looked softer and fuller than Ranma remembered.

Akane gave the redhead a heavy-lidded look and in a breathy tone that simply dripped with seduction and promise said, "I'm not wearing it for the boys, Ranma."

"Hrk," Ranma whimpered, frozen in place.

"I think you broke her," Nabiki said softly after a minute of the redhead's lockup.

Akane stepped forward slowly and traced a carefully painted nail across Ranma's cheek. "Should I kiss it better, Ranma?" she asked.

"Grk," Ranma replied. Her blush deepened, but otherwise she didn't move a muscle.

"So… what do you say, Ranma?" Nabiki asked. "Want to go dancing with us? We'll head home if you're not having fun, promise."

"And I'll make sure Nabiki looks at least as good as me, just for you," Akane winked.

Ranma finally managed a slow nod, though one could almost hear a sound like a creaking, rusty hinge.

"Thank you!" Both girls threw their arms around the redhead's neck and hugged her, which only made the paralysis worse.

"Umm, one last thing…" Akane said shyly. "I know it's asking a lot, but… do you think maybe you could use the soap? Y'know, just to avoid accidents?"

"The… soap?" Ranma said dumbly. "Uhhh… sure, Akane…"

She beamed. "Great! Go take a quick bath and I'll help Nabiki get ready, then we can help you."

Ranma swallowed a bit as her mind started conjuring possibilities of what Nabiki might come up with and decided it would be wise to retreat before she simply passed out on the floor from the overload. She nodded, bowed clumsily (She wasn't sure why) and scurried for the stairs, nearly bowling Kasumi over in her mad scramble to get to the furo as fast as possible.

"Oh my…" Kasumi said, watching her go.

000

"Gah!"

Ranma yelped and shuddered as she dumped the tub of cold water over her head. It was the seventh one so far.

Okay, get it together, Saotome! she thought, slapping at her cheeks. This isn't anything wilder than what you've already done!

Sha paused a moment, blinking a bit as that thought sank in, then clunked herself in the forehead with the wooden tub.

"I really am a pervert…"

There was a polite knock at the furo door. "Ranma?" Kasumi's voice was tentative, hesitant. "Are you decent?"

"Uh, not really…" Ranma said, looking down at the tub. "Sorry, have I been in here too long?"

"Oh, no, not at all. I just realized I had all the towels hanging on the laundry lines and forgot to warn you. I brought you some. Is it alright if I open the outer door and put them out for you?" Kasumi said.

"Uh, sure," Ranma had learned to be nervous about the furo door, but at the same time Kasumi wasn't liable to drop a table on her head should she accidentally get an eyeful.

The outer door opened and Ranma could see Kasumi's shadow through the paper panels of the shoji separating the entryway from the bath itself. "Ranma… actually, now that I have a minute, I just wanted to ask how you're holding up?"

"Huh? Umm… okay I guess?" Ranma looked down at the tub in her hands. "I mean… the whole situation with my parents kinda sucks but… just about everything else is better, so… I guess it balances out?" She sighed. "I know I musta sounded kinda messed up the last time we had a serious talk."

Kasumi was silent for a moment. "Ranma… You're dealing with something I admit I can barely grasp." She turned and sat down on a stool just on the other side of the screen. "And that's okay," she added quickly, "but… I'm sometimes afraid that I'll say something offensive in my ignorance, so I've stayed quiet. But I DID want to say something today. I know my sisters can get carried away. I overheard your conversation with them about your date this evening…"

Ranma blushed and covered her head with the washtub. "Oh god, you must think I'm a freak, doncha… Taking advantage of Akane and Nabiki..."

"No!" Kasumi shook her head. I… see? This is what I was afraid of doing. No, Ranma, going dancing hardly makes you the least bit unusual, and even if it did… so what? In the almost two years I've known you, nothing about you has been anything but noble and kind. I don't believe you're CAPABLE of taking advantage of my sisters that way. It's not in your nature." She took a deep breath. "I am… a little worried they are taking advantage of YOU, however."

"How so?" Ranma lifted the tub off her head, looking over at her curiously.

"Ranma… when was the last time you got to change forms?" Kasumi asked.

"Ummm... " She scratched her head. "Tuesday, I think? Yeah… I was a guy Tuesday morning."

"And you haven't been able to change since, partly because the soap locks you for several days, right?" Kasumi said. "Usually you've been using the weekend as a respite from spending the entire week as a girl because it's your first real chance to change back. I overhead Akane asking you to use the soap tonight. That would lock you again almost until your next game, wouldn't it?"

Ranma paused, glancing at the bar of soap nearby. "Yeah… it would…" I didn't think of that! I'd be stuck a girl for practically an entire extra week!

"I wanted to make sure you were aware, and you were okay with it." Kasumi said, "I know you're inclined to want to make Nabiki and Akane happy… which is good! But… I also remember how hard it was on you when you've been stuck in your female form for an extended period in the past." She sighed. "I know Akane in particular… PUSHES. If you'd like me to talk to her about this, I'd be happy to."

Ranma picked up the bar of soap from the dish and looked at it, then looked up at her own reflection in a nearby mirror. The Full-body Cat Tongue had me locked for almost a month. Am I just doing that to myself willingly now? Unconsciously the traced a finger along her cheek, although the freckles she knew were there weren't visible this far from the mirror.

She took a deep breath, then filled another tub with water and started lathering herself up. "Do you know the worst part of being stuck during the Full-body Cat Tongue?" she asked conversationally.

"What?" Kasumi asked.

"My clothes didn't fit," Ranma said, scrubbing. "That's always been the worst part of the curse. If it fits in one form, it doesn't the other, and so I'm stuck wearing baggy, shapeless stuff that's somewhere in between. I kept wearing my guy clothes during the Full-body Cat Tongue 'cuz I didn't wanna admit that Akane's clothes were more comfortable."

"Even if they were too tight in the chest or baggy in the hips?" Kasumi asked, bemused.

Ranma shook her head. "I was just turning her crank. My guy side stuff was worse." She dumped the tub over herself to rinse off. "But I was terrified of being comfortable, you know? I was so scared of any possibility that I might learn to live with it - or even that it wasn't that bad, really. Just different." She looked at her hand. "I mean… that's all this is. Just… different. And… these last few weeks my clothes have fit most of the time and nobody blinks if I'm one way or another. I feel like… like I've been holding onto a ledge, trying with all of my strength to keep from falling, feeling my grip slowly starting to slip as my feet dangle in the air with no purchase anywhere… that awful, awful feeling you get when you're about to fall and ain't got no control? And then… My grip slips and there's the ground, right under my feet, and the whole time there never really was a fall." She shrugged. "So what if I spend another week as a girl? Or a month, even? It's just 'cause circumstance make it easier right now. That'll change, and maybe I'll spend a month as a guy. Or maybe I'll be back to back n' forth. But even if I go a little girly… or even a lot… I can swing back just as easily. So it'll happen or it won't - but someday - at some point - it'll reach some kinda equilibrium. If I end up being a certain way, it'll be because I want to be that way. I'm comfortable being this way. Mebbe that is weird. Mebbe it wouldn't work for someone else. But it's how it is for me. I'm okay with being comfortable for now."

Kasumi was quiet for a long moment, but when she spoke, her tone was lighter. "Well, then I finally know what to get you for Christmas. Some kind of magic shapeshifting clothes."

000

"I… uhh… I know I'm the last person who should be pointing out this, but…" Ryouga stared at the familiar sign out in front of Ucchan's. "This isn't the way to my house."

"Oh, we know that, sugar. We just thought we'd stop by to have a bite and see how Konatsu is doing running the place…" Ukyou said conversationally.

"... Tie you to chair and beat senseless until you tell what you intentions are for Airen?" Shampoo finished with a bright smile, then took two fingers and stabbed them into the pressure point on the back of his neck.

"Owwww! What the hell!?" Ryouga clapped a hand over the spot on his neck and glared at her.

Shampoo blinked, then looked at her fingers. "Ooops… Bakusai Tenketsu training make too tough for sleep spot to work…"

Ukyou sighed and slapped her forehead. "God damnit, Shampoo…" Great! NOW he's going to either get angry, run, or start a fight! Or all three! He's too strong for us to get him inside by force! She glanced at Shampoo, discarded an idea based on how the Furinkan girl's uniform was designed, then came to an uncomfortable realization.

"Sleep spot?! What the hell is going on?" Ryouga glared at Shampoo. "What are you up to this time?! What do you mean, 'what are my intentions for…'"

He didn't get to finish. Ukyou tapped him on the shoulder. He turned just in time to see the last button on her shirt and the front clasp on her bra pop open at the same time as she took a step back to make sure he got a good eyeful when she pulled her shirt wide open.

There was a moment where time seemed to slow. The breeze caught her shirt, making it billow, and the cups of her bra fluttered further apart as her breasts, freed from their lacy fabric prison, bounced lightly from the exertion.

Ryouga's eyes widened. His pupils dilated and his skin went pale as the blood drained from his face. His mouth hung agape and, contrary to expectations, there was only a slight trickle of blood from his nostrils. Then his eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed in a boneless heap on the ground.

Ukyou closed her shirt quickly to avoid flashing anyone else, fumbling to try and get her bra clasped while simultaneously holding her shirt closed. "Don't just stand there, pick him up, Shampoo! We need to get him inside!"

Shampoo's eyes seemed to be fixed on a point somewhere below Ukyou's neck. "Perhaps… Shampoo help with bra first?" she said, unconsciously making grabby motions with her hands and drooling slightly.

"You are such jackasses! Both of you!" Ukyou finally got the clasp done up and, not bothering with the rest, knelt down and grabbed Ryouga by the ankle and dragged him into the restaurant.

000

Ryouga stirred. He felt groggy, his head throbbed and his nose felt itchy. When he tried to move his arm to raise a hand to scratch it, he found they were bound firmly in place behind him.

He cracked open an eye. There was a light being shone in his face so he shut it again and groaned.

"Finally awake?" a familiar voice said, though it sounded like they were trying to be gruffer, more menacing, so his confused brain couldn't place it for the moment.

"What is this?" He risked opening an eye again. "Ugh… could you move the light, please?"

"Uhhh… no," the voice said uncertainly. There was some whispering between the voice and another figure.

"What do we do if he asks us to move the light?"

"No move light! Light is in eyes so no can see us."

"Oh, okay."

"The light stays!" the voice said firmly. "We have some questions to ask you. Cooperate, and this will go easily. For you."

A glass of water was placed on the table in front of him.

"Refuse, and it will go… uh… LESS easily."

"That's okay. I'm not actually thirsty," Ryouga said. "Could you maybe undo the ropes, though? They're kinda chafing…"

A pair of hands slammed down on the table. "What you planning to do with Airen!?" The second voice demanded. "What you ALREADY do with Airen?!"

"... Shampoo?" Ryouga squinted, just able to make out a hint of her lavender hair past the glare of the lamp. "What are you doing?"

"Shampoo ask questions!" She slammed her hands onto the table again.

Ryouga shrugged. "Okay… what do you want to know?"

"You play hardball, huh? Prisoner who refuse to answer questions go to very bad… wait… what?"

"What do you want to know?" Ryouga repeated, a little more slowly.

"What you do with Airen!?" Shampo demanded again.

"Umm… do you mean what kinds of things or did you misplace Ranma and are asking where I put her?" Ryouga asked, confused.

"Hmph… wise guy, huh? Maybe Shampoo show you what we do to wise guys here!" she growled at him.

"Where is 'here'?" Ryouga asked. "Are we still at Ucchan's? I'm pretty sure Ranma's at the Tendo Dojo, if that's who you're looking for, but you know that, we walked here together..."

"Oh my GOD…" the first voice interjected in exasperation. "She wants to know what you and Ranma did at the Kuno's last night, or if you guys did any compromising stuff together?"

Ryouga blinked. "Compromising…?" He paused, chewing over the question as he tried to work out how he had gotten where he was, in the hope of figuring out some of the context. "We had dinner, talked about bushido and stuff with the Kunos, then went to bed. Now… hang on, I remember walking home with you two and… and we got to Ucchan's but…"

"Just go to sleep?" Shampoo asked. "Or sleep TOGETHER!?"

"Well, together, actually. There was only one bed, after all." Ryouga said off-handedly. "Now… something happened when we got here, right? There was… there was some kind of 'popping' noise, then…"

"You slept in the same bed!?" the first voice yelped, aghast.

"Well, yeah, Ranma didn't want me to sleep on the floor. It wasn't a big deal, really. I mean, we've shared a tent before so…"

"You've slept together BEFORE!?"

"Yeah, I mean, occasionally," Ryouga replied. "Ranma was usually a guy those times, of course… Now… Ugh… what happened that caused me to black out? There was… I saw something… There was… was… Ukyou was there, but..."

"You slept with him as a GUY?!" Ukyou yelped.

"Hold on… think this too easy." Shampoo said. She pushed the light out of the way, causing Ryouga to blink in the relative darkness as his eyes adjusted. She turned his chair to face her, gripped his shoulders and looked him in the eyes. "Shampoo ask plain because stupid Japanese is full of stupid metaphors because is stupid. Have you had sex with Ranma?"

Ryouga's eyes widened and he rocked back in his chair. "What!? NO!"

"Even though you sleep together in same bed?"

"It was a huge bed! We could have fit five people between us!" Ryouga protested. "I wanted to sleep on the floor, but Ranma said that was stupid because she knew nothing was going to happen! And nothing did!"

Shampoo nodded. "And no tempted at all?"

"Of course n-" Ryouga started, but suddenly he remembered the image of Ranma in that silk nightgown and how the moonlight had played over the highlights in her crimson hair as it fell past her shoulders, and cast shadows that only emphasized her curves. What light there was seemed to collect and pool in her eyes, making them the brightest things in the room. With a slight smile on her lips, she'd been like an illustration from a fairy tale. He trailed off, swallowing, then squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. "Of course not!"

The chair was spun back around. Ukyou was in front of him now, and glaring daggers at him. "It took you almost 30 seconds to finish that sentence, sugar. You looked awful far away for a bit there. Care to try again?"

He swallowed, noting the anger in Ukyou's eyes as she leaned over him. Then, a little lower, he could see that the collar of her shirt was misbuttoned.

A flash of memory.

His eyes widened. "When we got here… you… Your shirt… You flashed me!"

Ukyou's eyes widened and she took a quick step back, covering her chest. "Don't look THERE, pervert!"

Ryouga shut his eyes tight. "I'm sorry! I…" He cracked one open. "You were trying to knock me out?"

Ukyou clapped her hand over her eyes. "This was a terrible idea. Why did I let you talk me into this, Shampoo?"

"Hey, getting tits out Spatula Girl's idea. Shampoo just try and use pressure point," Shampoo huffed.

"Why were you trying to knock me out?!" Ryouga demanded.

"So we could get some answers!" Ukyou shot back. "You're doing that thing where you make a girl the entire center of your universe. Except it's our Ranma! We wanna know what's going on!"

Ryouga sighed. "What's going on is Ranma doesn't feel that way about me. It's Ranma. Why would she?" He glared at Ukyou. "If you wanted that answer, you should have just asked me, Ukyou!"

"Ryouga," Shampoo walked around in front of the chair and crouched down on her haunches so that she could look him in the eye. "How many people you think Airen cry for? How many you think she let see cry?"

"I…" Ryouga blinked.

"Only hear that scream from Airen once before. Bad, bad day. Akane nearly die," Shampoo said. "Airen scared ever since of losing someone she care for. See it in eyes. Airen have that fear when you get hurt. So Airen care for Lost Boy."

Ryouga blinked owlishly at her, his expression shifting as he tried to process that. Of course he knew Ranma cared on some level; It was impossible to be linked to her without knowing that. He had very carefully and willfully avoided processing what that mass of warm, reddish-gold emotions he felt from her towards him might mean. It was very important for the sake of his sanity that it wasn'tTHAT.

"Ranma can't feel… that way about me," Ryouga said carefully. "I've seen how Ranma acts when she… when she feels that way about me. There was… an incident with a magic fishing rod and…"

"That magic," Shampoo said. "Shampoo know from experience that real thing different." She looked away guiltily. "Magic… magic compel. Hollow out inside, make only love. Simple, like cartoon of real thing. Real love complex, mix with other feelings… annoyance and jealousy and selfishness and insecurity and need."

Ukyou walked back over and squatted down as well. "We're not asking how Ranma feels, sugar. We're asking how you feel?"

"I told you…" Ryouga started.

"You told me you're seeing Ranma differently," Ukyou said. "You've been evasive about how you feel which is so not like you it isn't funny." Ukyou poked him in the chest. "Look, I'm not trying to attack you… We just… This is kind of a paradigm shift in things."

Ryouga closed his eyes. "You want the truth? Fine. I… I…" He shuddered. "In my head, I know this is the worst thing I could be feeling. I try and think about Akari, or even Akane and how much that hurt. I try and keep the face of that arrogant, smug jerk in my mind. But… but then she looks at me… smiles… and even though I know it's just an illusion, I…" he trailed off.

Ukyou wrapped her arms around him and gave him a fierce hug.

"I've been there, Ryouga," Ukyou said softly.

"I can't do this…" Ryouga shook his head and shuddered. "She's my friend… she always was… Even when I thought I hated her. When I met Ranma I didn't have anyone else. My Dad was dead and my Mom was gone and… and I was so alone… then she… he left and… She trusts me now and this… everything I feel is just a betrayal of that trust and I need it to stop so I can just be what she needs me to be… what she thinks I am instead of… of…" He started sobbing softly.

"Easy, sugar…" Ukyou sighed. She felt like a complete tool now.

Ukyou was a bit surprised when Shampoo hugged him from the other side.

"Shampoo understand how feel," Shampoo said. "Sick, sad feeling. See what want, but can't have."

Ryouga chuckled a bit, bitterly. "I'm sorry, but you don't."

Shampoo jerked back a bit, as if burnt. Ukyou backed off a little more slowly. She could see his jaw had tensed.

"You got what you wanted in the end. All of it," Ryouga said in a low voice. "Maybe you thought it was out of reach once or twice, maybe you doubted, but you didn't start off knowing that it was impossible… and fall anyway." He gave Shampoo a hard glare.

"Lost Boy not know what he talking about." Shampoo glared back defiantly. "Not know Shampoo's heart. Not know what Shampoo felt." Her expression softened. "You know what magic love like. Hollow. Wrong. Think Shampoo try such thing if not desperate? Think Shampoo use such magics on own self if not think no other way?"

Ryouga's own expression shifted as he remembered the incident she was talking about. "The red thread. It affected you too?"

Shampoo looked away sadly. "Of course. Shampoo already love Ranma, but… but…" She shuddered. "Magic love all-consuming. Push out all doubt, all other emotions. No why anymore. Not love other person because of who person is, love because."

"And yet you re-tied it anyway?" Ryouga asked.

"Wait, you got involved in that mess?" Ukyou said, a little surprised.

"Lost Boy try to stop Shampoo. Almost succeed, too," Shampoo said, twiddling her fingers.

"Why?" Ukyou said, flabbergasted. "You would have had Akane all to yourself if Shampoo had pulled it off!"

Ryouga looked away, embarrassed. "It would have hurt her. Akane didn't deserve to have her heart broken because of some stupid magic spell. What I got out of it didn't matter." He sighed. "That's what I told myself, anyway. When it came down to it, I froze up."

"You never really believed you were gonna get anywhere with Akane, did you?" Ukyou said. "That's why you kept blowing all of our long-term plans in favor of getting a couple of minutes with her. You figured you were gonna lose anyway, so get what you could, right?"

He shook his head. "I think you're giving me too much credit. My brain just kind of switched off whenever Akane smiled at me."

"I… kind of understand that now, actually," Ukyou said, blushing a little.

"Should untie. No need for ropes now," Shampoo said, moving behind Ryouga to undo the bindings.

"Oh, uhh… did you need the rope back?" Ryouga asked over his shoulder.

"No, is just old rope. Why?" Shampoo asked, curious.

Ryouga tensed, flexed his shoulders and casually snapped the rope. "That was actually really uncomfortable. I was worried it was valuable rope or something and I'd twitch and wreck it." He rubbed his arms, leaning forward a bit in the chair.

Shampoo blinked. "Maybe should take Lost Boy back home to Joketsuzoku village. Girl problems solved with one challenge there!"

Ryouga winced. "No thanks. I don't like the idea of some girl having to marry me because some law forces them to."

"Agreed. That always struck me as sorta creepy. What if some cretin from the Musk came in and just beat up an Amazon girl and said she was his bride now? Ukyou said, folding her arms.

Shampoo shook her head. "Not work like that. Challenge must be formal, and accepted, and no dishonor if Joketsuzoku tell Outsider to get lost. Women not accept challenge unless prepared for consequence." She cocked her head at Ryouga. "They see Lost Boy's strength, they ask him to challenge. That way it normally work. Is test of worth, not way to win trophy!"

"That's not how I heard it went with you and Ranma, sugar," Ukyou said, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

Shampoo suddenly looked nervous. "Uh… Shampoo's case special…?"

Ryouga turned in his chair as Ukyou came up next to him, both of them giving Shampoo an incredulous look.

"Shampoo… have you been fudging the law this whole time?!" Ukyou asked, aghast. She started to giggle. "Are you serious? After all we bet on those stupid Amazon laws in the first place?!"

"Not fudged!" Shampoo said haughtily. Then she paused and considered. "Well… first time come to Japan, maybe fudge a little. Ranma boy-side cute and strong. But original challenge proper, just circumstance of Airen's curse not known. Elders rule original challenge valid under marriage law."

"In other words, you wanted Ranma really really badly and so your Great-grandmother pulled some strings to make sure it happened," Ukyou said with a smirk.

"Yes, that," Shampoo said brightly, standing up and dusting her skirt off. "All work out in the end."

"Yeah…" Ryouga said, standing up from the chair. "I'm happy for you. Honestly. So… is this the part where you tell me I need to stay away from Ranma, and should go get myself lost for a few months?" He rubbed the back of his head. "Because I've considered it. I… I just need another week or two to see if we make any progress on this cure for my family directional curse. For my Mom's sake."

"Do you want to disappear for a couple of months, sugar?" Ukyou asked, giving him a searching look.

"It'd give things time to cool off," Ryouga said. "It's how I used to deal with my Akane problem, to try and get over her. It never really worked, but…" He sighed heavily.

Ukyou put her hand on his arm. "That's not what I asked, Ryouga."

He closed his eyes. "It's… I…"

"Just be honest," Shampoo added. "Be here, or be free?"

His shoulders slumped. "I never wanted that kind of freedom. Ever. The first time I got lost in my life was the worst feeling in the world. When I started tracking Ranma, I spent two years alone. I almost died… I don't know how many times, and I knew that no one would ever even miss me. Since I got my curse I've had as many close calls in a month as I had in my first year of wandering." He clenched his fist. "I don't want to go. I want to be here."

"All right," Ukyou said gently. "In that case, this is the part where we go downstairs, see if Konatsu is awake, crack open a couple of bottles of sake, and you two can tell me funny stories to get my mind off of how much revenue I'm losing by keeping the shop closed today."

Ryouga raised an eyebrow. "What happened to Konatsu?"

"Spatula girl not close shirt when drag Lost Boy inside," Shampoo said. "Ninja see, pass out cold."

"Yeah… uh… yeah, I can see that…" Ryouga pinched his nose closed as he remembered exactly what had knocked him out. "It was… it was… was the angelic choir something you guys arranged, or was I just hallucinating at that point?"

"Lost Boy hear too?" Shampoo smirked. "That allll Ukyou."

"Wow…" Ryouga shook his head. "You'd never think… I mean, I guess with the bindings and all you don't normally get a real idea..."

Ukyou blushed and self-consciously crossed her arms over her chest. "Okay, great, yeah, can we please stop talking about my chest now?"

"Why?" Shampoo asked innocently. "Ukyou's chest amazing."

Ukyou closed her eyes. "Okay… Sake and an aspirin…"

000

"Nervous, Ranma?"

The redhead glanced over at Nabiki. The middle Tendo had opted for a deep maroon strapless minidress with a matching half-length open front shirt overtop. She had finished it off with nylons and a set of black heels.

Ranma herself was wearing a short sleeveless qi-pao made from iridescent silk, silver in color with black edging. There was a chinese-style dragon embroidered over the left breast in blues and greens, with red and yellow accents. It was cut very short, no more than mid thigh, and slit up to the hip. "A little? I mean, I've worn daring stuff before, but I kinda always had an escape route…" She glanced at the club door warily.

"A little risk is part of the fun," Nabiki replied. "Besides, the bouncers here are sweethearts."

"You've been here before, Nabiki?" Akane asked.

"I used to come a lot more before Ranma came and made Nerima more interesting," Nabiki said as they got into the line. "Broke in my first fake ID here. Speaking of which… they usually know not to check me, but just in case." She handed each of them a laminated card.

"Ooooh, right…" Akane bit her lower lip and looked nervously toward the door as she accepted the card. She glanced at it curiously.

"What's this?" Ranma asked. It looked like a standard Government ID card with her picture on it, but the rest of the information was all wrong.

"'Kei Yasuhiko'?" Ranma asked, raising an eyebrow at Nabiki.

"I'm apparently 'Yuri Takachiho'," Akane added, tucking her ID away. "When did you even get these made, Nabiki?"

"Safe to say the less you know, the better," Nabiki replied with a smile.

"There's no way they're gonna buy this," Ranma said darkly. "Nobody is going to believe that I'm twenty!"

"You're not trying to prevent them saying 'no', Ranma. You're giving them an excuse to say 'yes' and not get into trouble." Nabiki grinned. "Just look hot and it'll go smoothly."

Ranma gave her a cocky grin. "Well that I can do!"

"Yes, we know Kei dear." Akane leaned over and murmured in her ear. "Just remember you're very, very taken by a jealous uncute tomboy who wants your eyes on her tonight."

Ranma gave her a wink. "And who would that be? I thought I was your date tonight, Akane?"

"Oooooh, smooth!" Akane said with a grin and kissed Ranma's cheek.

"She's been rehearsing that one for a while," Nabiki said dryly. "And save the PDA's for the dance floor. Trust me."

Several people ahead of them were turned away at the door as the line advanced, until the usher waved them forward. The bouncer was a huge man clad in an untied navy blue yukata, with a sarashi wrapped around his midsection and dark, loose pants. He had muscles upon muscles, and stood well over six feet tall. His eyes were nearly hidden behind dark bangs. He regarded the three girls levelly as they approached.

"Hey, Rasho!" Nabiki chirped and waved to him with a bright smile as they walked up. "How are you? It's been a while!"

"Faye," he said, his stone-like face cracking into a subtle smile. "I haven't seen you around here for a long time. I was afraid you'd gone respectable on me."

"Me? I'd never do such a thing!" Nabiki acted shocked. "I just lost my taste for watered down drinks for a while."

He barked a short laugh. "Well, I'm afraid we can't help you there. Only the finest liquors and spirits are sold to our patrons at The Ruby Sea."

Nabiki raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"No, of course not. Seawater will get you drunker than the shite they serve in there and probably be less likely to make you blind," Rasho said with a chuckle. "But Tansui is working the bar tonight and he knows better than to try and swindle Faye Valentine." He looked over Ranma and Akane. "Minions of yours?"

"Friends, as it happens," Nabiki said.

"They up for this place?" He looked them over skeptically. "The sharks in there will be all over a cute pair of minnows like them."

"Oh, trust me, they can take care of themselves. They're most of the reason I've been away, actually." She stepped in closer and motioned him to bend down so she could whisper in his ear. "Your fire insurance is paid up, right?"

Rasho raised an eyebrow. "Well, if Faye is vouching for you… Look for the boys in the blue yukata if you get hassled." He stepped aside, pushed the door open and motioned them through.

"That was easy…" Ranma said as they made their way into the club's foyer.

"It's his job to pack as many pretty girls as he can into this place, then fill the rest with guys with fat wallets. The dynamic from that does the rest of the work for them," Nabiki said, stretching as she breathed in the heady scents of hot skin and alcohol. "Oh yes, I have missed this place!"

"Sounds like they should be paying us," Ranma said, looking around.

"Oh, they've got girls on the payroll. Float around, coax a few drinks out of the poor wallflowers. Gets their confidence up enough to try again, gets more cash in the till for the bartender, and it keeps the energy up," Nabiki replied.

"You seem to know an awful lot about it," Akane said skeptically.

"I only did it for a couple of months," Nabiki said off-handedly. "Found doing it on someone else's schedule kind of sucked the joy out of it. Plus, some of the other girls were a little too competitive for my tastes."

"Nabiki!" Akane yelped, aghast.

Nabiki rolled her eyes. "What, I scammed a few free drinks and trinkets by flirting with the boys? Trust me, that's one of the less eyebrow raising things I've done."

Akane folded her arms. "I'm not sure I wanna know…"

Nabiki led them into the club proper. The first thing Ranma noticed was that it was big. The main room was perhaps forty meters square and the ceiling was high enough that, with no overhead illumination, she couldn't make out any real detail. It had a definite oceanic theme - oceanic rather than nautical. The walls were painted in light, concealed floods in pastel shades of blue and green that shifted color just enough to suggest a wavelike motion. Coupled with strategically placed planters with frond-like vegetation a number of large, internally lit fish tanks, it created the illusion of being under water.

The round dance floor filled the middle of the room. Set a few steps down from the main floor, it appeared to be made of a translucent material and was lit from underneath. Three of the room's four corners were arranged with booths and tables while the massive bar, a great arced counter, occupied the fourth. A door in the far wall likely led to a kitchen and doors in either side wall bore signs for the restrooms.

The place was just starting to fill up with a scattering of patrons at tables, while most clustered around the bar or on the dance floor. The lights in the floor pulsed and dimmed in time with the music which was loud enough that Ranma could feel the beat like a physical force.

"So… uh… what do we do?" Ranma asked, eying the dance floor warily. "I… umm… probably shoulda said that… I dunno how to dance?"

Akane smirked and hooked her arm through one of Ranma's. "Don't worry, Ranma. We'll show you how."

Nabiki nodded, hooking her arm through the other. "Dancing is just improvising to a beat anyway. I don't think you'll have any trouble with it."

000

"Y'know, Ryouga, your problem is you take everything too ser'sly," Ukyou said, levelling a finger at the Lost Boy, her words just slightly slurred. "Y'gotta lighten up a bit. I mean… we ain't even twenty, right? Who finds their soulmate that young? Nobody's got it together that early."

They were sitting at one of the booths with a number of sake bottles, many of which were empty now. Konatsu was passed out to Ukyou's left and Ryouga was sitting opposite her with Shampoo on his right. They had made a respectable dent in Ukyou's supply of sake.

Ryouga gazed at her with tired eyes, his head pillowed on his fist. "Says the successful business own'r who's set t'marry both th' girls I like and is even younger'n me?"

"Two months, jackass! You're still th' little brother because… because… because!" Ukyou said crossly, her finger wavering. "And stop tryin' t'be two of you, I'm not that drunk!" She frowned. "Also… thought you gave up on 'Kane."

"Jus' 'cuz I gave up on her doesn't mean I don't still… y'know…" Ryouga said, slumping a little.

Ukyou's scowl softened. "Ouch. Sorry t'hear that, Ryo…"

"Is only two girls?" Shampoo asked, leaning in closer to Ryouga. "Heard maybe is something with Nabiki?" She tried to poke his nose but came closer to his cheek. "Pintou talking about keeping Lost Boy as pet."

Ryouga leaned back away from her, blushing. "I-I don't know what you're talking about!"

Shampoo smirked, smelling blood. "Shampoo know her Pintou. Is greedy. But… also share what have. Might be fun." She winked at him.

"Ack…!" He fumbled to pinch his nose closed, eyes widening as despite the effects of the alcohol (Or perhaps because of them) he caught the implied come-on. "Sh-Shampoo, you've got the wrong idea! Nothing is going on with Nabiki! She was just messing with Akane!"

Shampoo smile widened, her eyes half-lidding seductively as Ryouga's frantic babbling yielded more interesting information. "Is so? Perhaps Akane not so indifferent to Lost Boy as she claim?" She scooted closer, forcing him back up against the wall and slid her arms around his neck. "Think Lost Boy enjoy it, though. Think Pintou enjoy too, maybe enough that sometime she forget she just teasing. If Ranma, Akane and Nabiki all want Lost Boy, must be something to Lost Boy, hmmm? Perhaps worthwhile to test for own self?"

Ryouga made a small, strangled noise, eyes wide with panic. He glanced at the wall behind him, searching desperately for the breaking point so he could blow it out and escape.

A wrapped straw plinked off of Shampoo's forehead.

The Amazon girl blinked and turned to give Ukyou a perplexed look.

"Could you keep it in yer pants for once, Shampoo?" Ukyou growled. "I don't need t' clean up six litres of blood and/or fix a hole in the wall when he freaks out!" She crossed her arms and glared at her. "Honestly, ever since you uncorked your libido you've been shameless! You can't just drag someone into your bed because they catch your eye!"

Shampoo cocked her head, still halfway into Ryouga's lap with her arms draped around his neck. "Why not?"

"Because it's a different culture here!" Ukyou snarled angrily, her ire having sobered her up considerably. "Because it's more meaningful here and maybe because it makes the people you've already slept with feel like you're ditching them!"

Shampoo blinked, her eyes widened and she scooted back. "Oh!" she said, suddenly looking sheepish. "A-am sorry! Not mean to…"

Ukyou rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I get it. Sex's jus' like playin' cards fer Amazons. No big deal if you play wit' me or Ryouga or… or whoever!" She scooped up the bottle of sake and took a slug from it directly.

Ryouga took a tentative breath and relaxed a little. He didn't let his guard down, though, because it sounded like things could get tense in a different way.

"N-no! Not that way with Ukyou." Shampoo reached out and caught Ukyou's hands. "Is true, mean different things in Japan. But… but… Ukyou special! Ukyou first."

Ukyou blinked. "W-wait… hold on…" She leaned closer. "There's no way you knew how t'do all that… that stuff th' first time!"

Shampoo blushed self-consciously and looked away. "Is… is… is many writings on subject in Joketsuzoku village…"

"You got all that stuff out of a BOOK!?" Ukyou yelped.

"Scroll. Maybe… lot of scrolls…" Shampoo replied sheepishly. "Most girls Shampoo's age already have lover or two, but… Shampoo not well liked among sisters. So… study lots."

Ukyou blinked, looked thoughtful then leaned forward. "You… uhh… dinn't happen t'bring 'em with you from China, didja?"

Shampoo smiled. "Can loan if Ukyou want read?"

Ukyou blushed. "Uh… m-maybe… y'know… outta… curiosity…" she mumbled.

"Maybe can read together?" Shampoo asked, her voice dipping into a low, suggestive purr.

"God, you're shameless!" Ukyou protested, blushing harder and ducking her head. "... I-I guess… since I can't read Mandarin at all… You could translate 'em for me…"

Ryouga snatched a bandanna from his head and plugged his nose with it. Unfortunately for him, both Ukyou and Shampoo noticed.

"Pervert," Ukyou said, giving him a glare.

Shampoo smirked. "Maybe Lost Boy want to borrow too?" She winked at him. "Maybe will let see. But no can translate… Unless sister say is okay." She winked at the qualification.

Ryouga squeezed his eyes shut.

"Y'know, I should let her," Ukyou said, glowering at Ryouga. "You'd never survive the blood loss."

"Since when are you my sister?!" Ryouga said defensively.

Ukyou folded her arms and raised her chin, eyes closed. "Someone has t'look out fer you. You need an older sister!"

"You're younger than me!" Ryouga protested. "By two months!"

"I'm more mature!" Ukyou shot back. "So… so metaphoric'ly I'm th' older sibling!"

"Hmmmmm…" Shampoo glanced back and forth between them, a slow smile spreading across her face. "Siblings. That have potential."

"DON'T GET IDEAS!" they both shouted.

000

Performance anxiety wasn't something Ranma really had a problem with.

Ranma had long ago learned that worrying about how she looked to others while in front of the crowd was pointless. Not just because self-consciousness was a distraction but because if you were worried you might look silly, you already did. But if you were confident, whatever you did would tend to work out and be well-received. Ranma had cultivated a kind of 'zen' of confidence, feeding off the crowd as it responded. She found she enjoyed performing, liking the rush from the positive feedback.

… Except for kiss scenes.

… Well… maybe kiss scenes wouldn't be so bad anymore…

Dancing, however, was unambiguously awesome.

There was a beat, throbbing and deep enough to feel rather than hear, all through the club, a steady, solid rhythm to move to. There were no katas or established forms, just movement, unrestricted and demonstrative - a way to express feelings through motion.

It was heaven.

It took a few minutes for Ranma to learn the 'language' but Akane and Nabiki being there helped. Eventually she forgot about the crowd almost entirely to focus on the music and the two girls with her as they wove their dances together. Ranma realized that if the dancing was like a language, then what Nabiki and Akane were 'saying' would be a little suggestive. She was a bit hesitant at first but then she decided to set her worries aside. It was a little exhilarating, like sending naughty messages by secret code.

Ranma didn't stop to consider that their 'secret code' was something just about everyone in the club was fluent in.

She realized her mistake when, after a pleasant eternity dancing, she cracked open an eye to notice that the crowd had pulled away and formed a rough circle around them as they watched the three of them dance. Normally an audience wasn't a big problem for Ranma, but those watching were mostly male, and Ranma was starting to see familiar look in the eyes of some of them; entirely too much like that of some of the Hentai Horde from Furinkan.

"Uh oh…" Nabiki noticed it as well. "I think it's maybe a good time for us to take a break and get a drink, huh girls?"

That was apparently the wrong thing to say, because a small knot of young men stepped forward from the crowd.

"Why not let us buy your drinks, ladies?" The leader of the group said, thumbing towards his chest proudly. He was wearing a cheap business suit, as were those with him, but their hairstyles were all over the place. Bad dye jobs, pompadours - the entire spectrum of the stereotypical 'thug' styles. "You three seem kinda lonely dancing by yourselves. Why not let me and my boys show you a good time?"

Ranma remembered Nabiki's comment about getting the boys to pay for their drinks but something felt off about this. She shot a glance to Nabiki, who shook her head slightly and stepped forward.

"Thanks for the offer, boys, but we're good for now. Maybe later?" Nabiki said lightly.

"Nah, nah, you've been out here puttin' on a show for nearly an hour!" The leader walked up and slipped an arm around Nabiki's shoulders. "We gotta booth off to the back where it's nice'n dark, an-AUUURGH!?"

He didn't get to finish. His hand never came to rest on Nabiki's shoulder. Ranma glared at him as she held his wrist between two slender fingers in a vice-like grip. She gave one of the pressure points a none-too-gentle squeeze.

"That's mine," Ranma growled softly. "You don't touch her without permission."

Ranma was aware that the rest of them were moving in closer. There were six or seven of them, all reacting to the leader's cry of pain.

The leader withdrew his had and gave her an amused look as he rubbed it. "Easy, Red! No need to be so hostile. Me'n my boys just wanted to show you girls a good time, since you were all on your lonesome. A lotta girls would be happy to spend time with us."

Another guy with his hair dyed a shocking shade of red leaned over and leered at Ranma. "A lotta girls would be happy to spend some time with us. The boss here is movin' up in the world an' bein' nice to us could have some serious benefits, y'know?"

Nabiki folded her arms and raised an eyebrow cooly. "I'm afraid we're not interested in that kind of work, fellas."

"Nah, nah, nah," the leader chuckled. "We don't ask our girls to do stuff like that. You three are way too high-class for that kinda stuff, right boys?"

There was a chorus of chuckles and assent from the rest of the band of thugs that just served to emphasize the fact that they were more or less surrounding them now.

Ranma traded a glance with Akane. She didn't want to start a fight and get them kicked out of Nabiki's favorite club, but if this went on much longer…

"Look…" the leader leaned in conspiratorially towards Nabiki. "A guy in my position's got a certain… rep, y'know? Gotta keep up appearances and all. Every night me'n the boys come here, find the hottest girls in the joint and give 'em a good time. I got a direct line to the good shit, too. None of this crap cut with bakin' soda. Whatever you like. So you three are the hottest girls this place has seen in weeks, mebbe ever, and so we just think you should be properly escorted is all. I promise, you won't regret it."

"TOUMA!"

The booming voice caused the Thug Leader to freeze, his face showing fear and recognition. He turned quickly toward the one who had addressed him.

Another young man stepped forward. He was in his mid-twenties with dark brown hair tied back in a neat ponytail and, although he had obvious stubble, it was that carefully groomed type that was meant to evoke manliness. His dark suit was the polar opposite of those worn by the thugs; crisply pressed, perfectly tailored and obviously high-end. Despite the heat of the club, he didn't look like he was sweating. He fixed the leader of the group with his dark eyes and folded his arms. "You know, if my grandfather knew that he was paying you to harass girls and do drugs rather than keeping tabs on me like he thinks he's paying you to do, he might have to reconsider his payroll."

The leader's eyes widened at the implicit threat. "I… I…"

"I came out of my private booth, yes," the dark-haired man said. "That's what happens when you utterly fail to be discreet."

"L-look, we don't work for you!" one of the other thugs stammered.

"No, you work for my grandfather," the dark haired man replied, not looking at him. "He pays you a lot of money to keep an eye on me without me noticing. So how do you suppose he might react if I were to call him and complain about how you're harassing friends of mine, making a scene and completely ignoring your assigned task - thereby failing completely in every single aspect of your jobs?" His voice boomed and narrowed his eyes. "Shall I remind you what happened to the last low-level street thugs who made that mistake?"

"Th-that's not necessary…!" the leader said quickly.

"Good," said the dark haired man. "Now… go back to your table and your drugs and whatever other floozies you can attract and you play nice for the rest of the night and you leave my friends alone. I keep my mouth shut, you keep your fat paycheck and everyone is happy. Fair?"

"Yeah… yeah!" the Leader said, breaking into a wide grin. He stepped away from Nabiki and bowed. "You know… you're alright. You're an alright guy, Yuto. Me'n the boys look forward to working for you."

"You aren't," Yuto growled, his arms remaining crossed, his glare cold. "Suck up to my sister if you want to try and score points with your future boss." The dark haired man smirked slightly. "Not that it'll get you anywhere."

The thugs backed away, leaving only the well-dressed man and the slowly dispersing crowd who had been watching the scene. Ranma stared at him. The name seemed familiar, but she didn't recognize this man at all.

"Thank you for the assist… 'Yuto', was it?" Nabiki said, raising an eyebrow. She seemed to be studying him carefully. "I'm guessing that if you're willing to come to our rescue, there were no lasting hard feelings about that 'One Cup Genki' incident?"

"That was you?" Yuto yelped, a disgusted scowl crossing his face. "I might not have helped you if I had known! It took me a solid week to get the aftertaste out of my mouth!"

"Yuto!?" Ranma suddenly made the connection. The scraggly, inebriated, demanding, eccentric Beer Otaku from the beach weekend.

Yuto raised an eyebrow. "Yes. Has my reputation preceded me? I'm afraid I'm the one at a disadvantage then, Miss…?"

"Yeah, the beach weekend, doncha remember?" Ranma said excitedly. "Asahi and Chiyako, and there was the clam bake and…"

"Ran," Nabiki said sternly, cutting her off. Ranma gave Nabiki a curious glance but after a few more seconds of Nabiki's steady warning look she remembered her current form and glanced down at herself. Crap! I'm a girl right now! He only knows boy-type Ranma! And I've soap-locked myself so I can't even show him to clear things up!

"You'll have to forgive Ran," Nabiki said, using the name Kodachi had come up with. "She's gotten so used to living vicariously through her brother's exploits that she sometimes forgets she wasn't actually there."

"Brother…?" Yuto said, then his eyes widened. "Ah, you mean Ranma!" He cocked his head and regarded Ranma skeptically. "... Are you adopted, maybe? I don't see the resemblance at all."

Ranma boggled a bit at that but then paused to consider. My hair is down and styled, I'm not dressed at all the same, I've got makeup on, I'm a lot shorter… maybe all the differences add up? "I'm… uh… his half-sister," Ranma said, electing to stick with a bit of the backstory she had woven for Kodachi's sake.

"And this is her date, my sister, Akane." Nabiki said, motion to the brunette who was regarding Yuto warily. "Akane, this is Yuto, someone Ranma and I met during our beach vacation."

"Yeah, you failed to mention," Akane said, giving her sister a scathing glare. "In fact, I'm starting to wonder what other little details you might have left out about that trip?"

"Aheh…" Nabiki looked a bit sheepish. "It… well, at the time…"

"Maybe we could take this back to my private booth?" Yuto suggested. "This sounds far more interesting than Asahi or Chiyako's usual prattle."

"They're here too?" Nabiki asked, following him as he turned and led them through the crowd towards rearmost corner of the club. The bouncer guarding it nodded to Yuto as he pulled back the rope and waved them through into the VIP area.

"Yes. They needed a designated driver for tonight," Yuto said off-handedly.

"Designated driver… You…" Nabiki said flatly.

Yuto shot her an annoyed look. "I am fully capable of driving."

"Yes, but…" Nabiki gestured as she struggled to find the right words, "... I would think that your 'hobby' would generally preclude…"

Yuto rolled his eyes at her as he led them past a much smaller, private dance floor to the corner booth in the very back. The area was dotted with tables, and had its own bar, with a much more subdued atmosphere. "It is not a hobby. It is a way of life. I am a gourmet, good lady, not some common drunk! While I'm sure most of the unenlightened masses who come here are content with their sour grape juice or ungodly russian potato squeezings or even the pale, blasphemous imitations of the One True Beverage, my liver is a temple and I will not defile it with these lesser offerings! My friends are taking advantage of my good nature and insistence on quality... as well as the fact that while I'm visiting my family I have to keep up appearances."

"What he means is that since they aren't selling some obscure microbrew from Yugoslavia, he won't touch the booze here." A familiar mop of sandy hair popped up into view as Asahi got up from the table and walked out to meet them. "Nabiki! What brings you to this wretched hive of scum and villainy?"

"Hives of scum and villainy make the best nightclubs?" Nabiki grinned and stepped forward, ignoring the outstretched hand to give him a hug. "If I had known you were in town I would have arranged to meet up! What're you guys doing here?"

"Moral support," Asahi said. "Me'n Chiyako tag along whenever Yuto has to go be sociable with his family."

"Hi!" Chiyako peeked out from behind Asahi, having snuck in behind him. "What, no hugs for me, Nabiki?"

Nabiki laughed and hugged her too. "All of the hugs for you, Chi!"

Ranma felt a little awkward, having to consciously remind herself that, as much as she might remember them, she had to play the part of being a stranger or it would bring up questions that she couldn't currently answer.

Nabiki stepped back and motioned to Ranma and Akane. "This is my sister, Akane and Ran…"

"... Her girlfriend," Akane finished, giving them a defiant look as she looped her arm through Ranma's.

Nabiki blinked at Akane's fierce tone then shrugged. "I was gonna say 'Ranma's sister', but… fair enough."

"The siblings are out!" Asahi said, unconcerned about the pairing. "I don't think Ranma said anything about a sister, though I think Nabiki mentioned hers once or twice." He held out a hand to them. "I'm Asahi, this is my fiancee Chiyako and you've already met our pet eccentric rich person, Yuto."

Yuto huffed but remained silent.

"Fiancee?" Nabiki raised an eyebrow at Chiyako, who responded by lifting her hand and showing off a ring with a stone that caught the light. "Chi, you devil! When did you propose to him?"

"Hold on, that's backwards…" Asahi protested.

"No, no, she's got you dead to rights, Asahi," Yuto said with a grin.

"I strongly hinted at the idea…" Chiyako said carefully.

"You took him ring shopping," Yuto said.

"Ring window shopping," Chiyako corrected him.

Asahi sighed, the sound of long suffering. "I think I need a drink."

"Excellent idea!" Yuto clapped him on the back. "Asahi! Find our friends something drinkable in this den of philistines and heathens!"

"Augh!" Asahi stumbled forward at the slap. "Why me?!"

Yuto folded his arms. Despite his tailored suit and perfectly groomed looks, his countenance was now much more that of the slightly manic Beer Otaku Ranma remembered. "Because everyone should be relied on for their expertise and your expertise runs to swill and palate-numbing fruity froo-froo nonsense. So get to it!"

"Look, Yuto, this stuff in the VIP lounge is all $30 glasses of wine and stuff. I'm sure if you just gave it a try…" Asahi said diplomatically.

Yuto ignored him. "And get me a sasparilla! And make sure they put enough of those little umbrellas in it this time!"

"How many umbrellas do you need?"

"More than I got last time!"

Ranma noticed Akane's uncertain expression and patted her arm. "Don't worry, 'Kane. You'll like these guys."

000

At some point it was decided it was time to walk Ryouga home so his mother didn't worry. A less inebriated soul might have pointed out that perhaps that a phone call could easily reassure her, and that perhaps Ryouga and the girls should stay put until they had slept off some of the many bottles of sake they had worked their way through.

Unfortunately, that less inebriated soul was passed out under a table.

Leaving Konatsu to sleep off the sake, the three of them stumbled off in the direction of Ryouga's house. Ryouga was the steadiest, his endurance allowing him to at least walk straight (Though his directional curse was still a problem). So Shampoo and Ukyou still needed to steer. However, as tispy as they were, this required they lean on him rather heavily. From the perspective of an outsider, Ryouga looked quite the playboy - with a couple of very pretty girls hanging off his arms and giggling occasionally.

"I coulda made it m'self…" Ryouga muttered, completely oblivious to the appearances of the situation. He was sulking, but mostly because he was tired and Ukyou had said it wasn't okay for him to just pitch his tent in the alleyway behind the restaurant to sleep. It also didn't help that he hadn't been able to find his tent.

"Maybe… inna week," Ukyou mumbled. "Yer boyfrien' would get mad."

"Ranma isn't my boyfriend!" Ryouga protested. "She's not my girlfriend, either!"

"I meant Nabiki," Ukyou said, giving him a leer.

"That… doesn't… I don't think that even makes sense, Ukyou…" Ryouga said, scowling as the perfectly obvious reasons that it didn't make sense were kinda of lost in the haze at the moment.

"You don't make sense!" Ukyou shot back.

Shampoo muttered something that might have been in Mandarin, but was more likely just incoherency.

They reached the door. Ukyou fumbled for her keys, trying to find the one that fit. "Jus… just hang on… just…"

"Ukyou…" Ryouga said blearily.

"Hang on… I got this…" Ukyou squinted at the lock, then went back to her key ring. "S'always the third one… usually always… 60% of the time every time it's th' third…"

"Ukyou…" Ryouga repeated.

"Shut up, shut up, I can't see th' keys with you makin' all that noise…" Ukyou lifted a key into the light, squinting at it.

"Ukyou, this's my house," Ryouga finally managed to get out.

"Huh?" Ukyou blinked and refocused on the door, wobbling a bit. "Oh, yeah…"

Ryouga reached for the door and gripped the handle. "I dun' even think it's locked…"

He didn't get to finish, as the door was pulled open from the inside. He toppled forward and Ukyou and Shampoo - who had been leaning on him heavily - toppled in on top of him, all landing in a heap on the floor.

Standing over them with a look of concern on her face was Ryouga's mother. "Ryo…?"

"Hey Mom… I jus… I jus… I wanted t'let you know I was gonna be late…" Ryouga said weakly before he passed out on the floor.

"Oh dear…" Mrs. Hibiki said as she looked over the three snoring teenagers.

000

"Mom was… well, I don't remember her, I was too young, but… I think mebbe she was part Irish? Y'know… because of the hair? Dad 'collected' me early on when he set out to go on his training journey with Ranma, so i don't know anything of my life before him. He didn't know what to do with a girl, so I guess he just raised me the same as Ranma. Not that he knew what to do with a boy, either. So we got dragged all across Japan and half of Asia for fourteen years on this nutso quest of his." 'Ran' recounted the tale of her origin as Yuto, Asahi and Chiyako listened, rapt.

"Oh, so you're trained in martial arts as well?" Asahi said, leaning forward. "As good as Ranma?"

"Better," Akane said with some pride.

Ranma shot her a confused look, unsure if that should wound her pride or not. "W-well… we kinda go back and forth, y'know?"

Nabiki was rather proud of the redhead. After Kodachi had extrapolated part of 'Ran's' backstory, Nabiki had thought it prudent to hash out the fictional Saotome's backstory so they could keep it consistent. She found it interesting how Ranma had added little details to it to flesh it out, like one about Genma hating her hair color, or the stuffed rabbit that had been her only thing from home that she lost along the way. She had even (very timidly) suggested an unrequited crush on Ryouga in middle school as a backstory for their fictional engagement. That last addition had surprised Nabiki and, so far, had been kept just between the two of them, given how volatile the whole situation around Ryouga remained.

"That's crazy, though! Fourteen years practically homeless?" Chiyako shivered. "Two children out in the world like that? So many terrible things could have happened!"

Terrible things DID happen, Nabiki thought darkly, remembering when they found the Neko-ken manual in Genma's pack. She had desperately wanted to put the horrible thing through a paper shredder, but she hadn't dared, just in case there might be something in it that could someday help cure Ranma's ailurophobia.

"Pops did a pretty good…" Ranma started, then paused. "... Well, he did okay at…" Ranma tried again, but quickly realized that was just as false. "... My parents are kinda crazy," she said finally, hanging her head.

"At least you seem to have gotten out alive," Chiyako said then smiled at Akane. "And even found someone… though I'm guessing Ran's father wasn't too happy about that, judging from what I heard?"

"He was more hoping I'd go for his son," Akane said with a smirk.

"Mom wants grandkids," Ranma added, a dark note entering her voice.

"We should go freshen our drinks," Chiyako said. "And I need to visit the little girl's room and I'd feel much better having a couple of martial artists along." She stood, Akane and Asahi following suit.

"Well, not sure Nabiki's training is far enough along to fend off bar creeps, but Akane can handle anything this place can throw at her," Ranma said distractedly.

"She means me and you, baka." Akane grabbed the redhead's arm and dragged her out of her seat.

"H-hey, wait… ack!" Ranma flailed as she was given very little choice in the matter.

"And so it falls upon me again to be waiter," Asahi sighed. "What will you two have?"

Nabiki held up a hand. "Just a water for me. Two is enough. I'd rather keep a clear head." She smiled at him. "Bring something sweet back for Ran, though, alcoholic or not. She'll appreciate it."

"Nothing for me," Yuto muttered. "Even the root beer is a travesty here!"

"Gotcha." Asahi nodded and trotted off toward the bar.

"Your sister and her girlfriend are adorable," Yuto said gruffly. "Almost gives me cavities."

"Aren't they though?" Nabiki said with a smile. She leaned forward on the table, steepled her fingers and fixed her eyes on him. Her smile was still there, but it wasn't reaching her eyes anymore. "We should probably discuss your sister while we have the chance, though," she said.

"Caught that, did you?" Yuto sighed. He straightened, his eccentric demeanor dropping away as the stern, confident young man who had told off the thugs returned.

"Too many coincidences," Nabiki replied. "An eccentric rich boy who's wasting time at school to avoid dealing with his family, has a tinge of alcoholism, not only has a grandfather who hires Yakuza thugs to keep tabs on him, but is on a first name basis with them and has a little sister who is the true heir apparent." She smirked. "How is Himura, by the way?"

"Like the rest of my family; as far out of my life as possible." Yuto said gruffly. "If you're looking for information about her…"

"So you know about the conflict between her and me," Nabiki cut him off.

Yuto sighed heavily. He scrubbed his hand down his face. "I know of it. Grandfather made damn sure of that. Mostly to make sure everyone knew to stay out of it. Which I intend to do. I have no interest in it. My family and I have an arrangement; I stay on my side of the crazy, they stay on theirs. I stay out of their business and drink to forget they exist and they pay me to do it far away from them so they can forget I exist."

"And yet here you are." Nabiki narrowed her eyes. "Stone cold sober, dressed up and out at the club with your Grandfather's boys."

"Yes, well, even the family drunk has to pay his respects now and again if he doesn't want his allowance to suddenly dry up," Yuto said. "Trust me, I don't plan on being here any longer than I have to be. I have a package from Holland waiting for me at home and a handful of classes to pretend to attend."

"And that's it?" Nabiki raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"You've met my sister," Yuto said. "They're all like that. There are only monsters and victims in my family. If you were smart, you'd let my little sister have whatever it is she's after and move to a different area code."

"What she wants is Ranma," Nabiki said coldly. "As a servant."

Yuto raised an eyebrow, then looked away, his expression unreadable. "... My advice stands."

Asahi wound his way back to the table, ending the conversation. "Alright! A water for the lady. Chilled, of course." He set a glass down in front of Nabiki. "A beer for me… And a dry mouth and sense of pride for my friend Yuto." He sat back down at the table.

"Actually… I'm going to see what they have," Yuto stood.

"Wait, what?! I was just up!" Asahi said, moving to get up.

"Sit," Yuto barked. "I don't want anyone observing my shame, least of all a Sapporo Light drinker!" He stormed past, heading for the bar as Asahi watched him, agape.

"Well… either he's turning over a new leaf or visiting the family has him more stressed than I thought," Asahi said, pillowing his cheek on his fist.

"What do you know about Yuto's family, Asahi?" Nabiki asked carefully.

Asahi shrugged. "They own a big pharmaceutical company. Typical rich family bullshit." He took a pull at his beer. "He doesn't talk much about them and we don't ask. It's sort of been our unspoken rule and the reason he's stuck with us for so long."

"But you're here now for moral support?" Nabiki cocked her head.

"Well…" Asahi shrugged. "You don't make flunking out of college over and over and drinking heavily a hobby when your home life is all that great. He bailed out me'n Chi when things got sticky with finances, he's been there to grunt supportively when whenever we get stressed out of our minds with classes and he was the loan that paid for the shiny rock that's on her finger. I figure that's close enough to family that we can stand to keep him company while he gets his yearly dose of whatever kind of suck his real family is."

"You ever met any of his family?" Nabiki asked.

Asahi raised an eyebrow. "Awful lot of questions. What's sparked your interest in our resident Beer Otaku?"

Nabiki briefly considered how much was safe to share. "Turns out his little sister goes to my school," Nabiki said finally.

"Ah," Asahi nodded understandingly. "Let me guess - 'Total bitch'?"

Nabiki smirked, covering it with her drink. "Something like that."

"Eh, she's a teenager. More hormones than brains," he said off-handedly then blinked and gave Nabiki an apologetic look. "Ah… present company excluded, of course!"

She held up a hand. "No, I think you're probably right about 90% of my peers. Such as…" She gestured with her glass as Ranma, Akane and Chiyako approached from the bathrooms.

Asahi looked up. "Who, Chiyako? Yes, definitely a walking hormone-Aoouch!" he yelped as she swatted at him.

"I see my fiance has not been behaving, as usual." Chiyako sat down next to him and gave him a warning glare. "Where's Yuto?"

"Up getting a drink," Asahi said. "As in… alcohol."

Chiyako boggled at him for a moment. "That bad, huh? All right… I'll… uhh… I'll keep emergency services on speed dial."

"I know. Last year he held out until we got back to the hotel room where his stash was," Asahi said, looking concerned.

"Something wrong?" Ranma asked.

"Yuto doesn't deal with his family terribly well," Asahi said. "We've only come with him once before. That time he mostly kept it together until after he met with his grandfather."

"Which is tomorrow," Chiyako reminded him, touching his arm. "So don't let him get blotto until after."

"So his family sucks too, huh?" Ranma murmured thoughtfully, looking out towards the bar where the erstwhile Beer Otaku was compromising his vows.

"You'd be shocked how many people go to college just to get away from awful families," Chiyako said. "They're the ones who stay in the dorms over breaks or get really anxious when it's time to go home." She looked sad. "Sometimes I wish I was taking psychology instead of medicine so I could help more."

As if sensing the mood was dipping, Asahi moved to put an arm around her. "Now, now, we've talked about this, sweetheart. I can't have you taking psychology and figuring out how much I don't deserve you." He kissed her cheek.

"Baka," she muttered affectionately and leaned into the kiss. "I don't need a psychology degree to know that."

"On that note, how are you and Ranma doing?" Asahi asked, changing the focus to Nabiki. "I… uhh… notice he's not here with you."

Ranma blushed and sank down in her seat a little.

Nabiki smirked. "Oh, he's here in spirit, trust me. Anything that goes on here you can bet his little sister will report back to him in detail." She gave Ranma a wink. "But tonight was my sister's date night. I'm just…" She searched for the right words dramatically. "... Ensuring that they're properly corrupted."

"Well, I did suspect that if anyone was responsible for getting the three of you in here…" Chiyako admitted sheepishly.

"And Ranma?" Asahi pressed, leaning forward. "Come on… I have money on this!"

Nabiki raised an eyebrow. "How much money?"

"Asahi had this ridiculous idea that Ranma was going to propose to you, which is what got us talking about it…" Chiyako started. "... I told him you were both obviously too young, and…"

"Last Monday," Nabiki replied with a smirk.

"I knew it!" Asahi crowed, pumping his fist in the air. He turned to Chiyaki, hand out. "Pay up!"

"Hold on!" Chiyako said. "You're high schoolers! You're teenagers! You're… you're… how did he afford a ring!?"

"Oh, uh…" Nabiki's eyes flicked over to Ranma and Akane, and she winced, realizing she hadn't considered her words carefully. Ranma was looking like she wanted to sink into her seat, and Akane was alternatively looking at her, and then at Nabiki, her eyes full of questions and a spark of the old, dangerous jealousy in them. Whoops!

"Well… uh… no ring yet…" Nabiki said, embarrassed. "It was kind of a promise…"

Chiyako grinned and folded her arms. "Hah! Doesn't count without a ring, Asahi! You pay up!"

Asahi scowled. "Oh come on! How materialistic can you get, Chi?"

Chiyako glared at him and poked him in the chest. "It's not 'materialism'! It's a demonstration of the lengths someone will go to sacrifice for and provide for their future wife!"

"You're studying to be a doctor. I don't think either of us has any illusions about me being the breadwinner in the family," Asahi protested

"It's symbolic," Chiyako growled, cradling her ring hand protectively.

""Expensive symbology…" Asahi muttered.

"I don't think that's right!" Ranma piped up suddenly, causing everyone to look at her.

The redhead ducked her head again, suddenly flustered. She looked to Nabiki for support as she spoke. "I-I mean… the ring is just a ring. It's just meant to show that you're serious, but if you are serious about it, that's what really matters, right?" She twiddled her fingers nervously. "... Right?"

Asahi and Chiyako glanced at each other, then at Nabiki.

"Was it at least romantic?" Asahi asked.

Nabiki took a deep breath and shot Akane an apologetic look. "We… were on the roof at night. He goes up there to think a lot and I climbed up to join him. We looked at the stars for a while. We started talking a bit, about the future, the present… " She closed her eyes, smiling in spite of herself as she remembered. "I was feeling uncertain about the future and he picked up on it - Reassured me. The cracks were kind of showing that week and… and he made that okay. He called me brilliant… not just told me, but described how I was brilliant. Then… he talked about how the things we decided together were more important than the things other people decided for us or what seemed to be inevitable… and how sometimes you couldn't wait for the perfect moment to do something, you had to make the moment… And then he asked me to marry him. And I said 'yes'."

She opened her eyes and blinked a bit. Taking a deep breath, she felt the ghost of that moment and a little bit of blurriness in her vision at the memory. "S-sorry…" She picked up a napkin and dabbed at her eyes.

Chiyako stared at her for a moment, set her jaw, then reached into her purse, pulled out two 1,000 yen notes and handed them over to Asahi. "Okay, you win. That counts."

"Hah!" Asahi snatched the bills, grinning in triumph. "So… why was it I had to mortgage my soul to The Church of the Brew for a ring?"

"Because you make terrible decisions about your schooling, vacation plans and, more importantly, your choice of beverages," Yuto said, clapping him on the shoulder as he came up behind him. "And the karmic scales needed to be balanced with a sacrifice so that you could, for once in your miserable life of cut-rate hops and rushed fermentation, actually successfully make the right choice."

"That and you proposed in a coffee shop," Chiyako said dryly, closing her purse with a *snap*.

"We aren't allowed up on the dorm roof! Plus it's filthy up there!"

Nabiki was distracted enough by their antics that she didn't notice Akane suddenly stand up.

"Sorry… I just need some air," she said quickly. Is there a place I can duck outside for a few minutes?" Akane asked, her bangs covering her eyes.

"Back exit over there," Yuto pointed. "Tell the bouncer you're going out, he'll stamp your hand so he knows to let you back in when you knock. People go out there to smoke."

"Thanks." Before Nabiki could protest Akane turned and walked quickly towards the exit.

Nabiki started to get up but Ranma held up a hand, already out of her seat. "I'll go."

"This is on me, Ranm… Ran," Nabiki said, stumbling bit as she nearly got the name wrong.

"No, it's not," Ranma said evenly. "We gotta work this out between me and her." She flashed Nabiki a smile. "I'll be right back, I promise."

000

Akane stepped into the night air, the chill making her shiver. The door led out into an alley behind the club, though it was well lit and a bouncer at the door kept watch over the area. One couple was standing over by the wall sharing a cigarette and talking.

She walked a few feet away and took a breath, closed her eyes and tried to get her emotions under control.

It hurts, she thought miserably, folding her arms tightly and gritting her teeth. It hurts, it hurts, it HURTS.

Part of her wanted to get mad, bury the pain under familiar anger again. But that just brought with it a surge of despair as she was reminded how she had ended up in this position. Why did Nabiki have to say all that? Why didn't she tell me!? Why is she… why is she so much CLOSER to Ranma than me?!

You know why.

She closed her eyes more tightly but she couldn't shut out the accusatory voice.

How many times were you on that roof with her? How many chances did you have to tell her? How many times would it only have taken you giving an INCH to be the one? How many times did you sabotage it?

"Akane…?" a familiar voice sounded as Ranma poked her head out.

Not yet. Akane winced. "I'm… I'm alright, Ranma, I just need a minute." Please PLEASE just go away and let me get this under control!

"'Kane, what's wrong?" Ranma trotted over to her. Akane didn't look, but she could hear Ranma's footsteps, feel the girl's presence behind her.

"Please just give me a few minutes," Akane said softly. She could feel the redhead reaching for her, feel her hesitate as she spoke.

"This is my fault," Ranma said softly.

Akane turned to look at her and shook her head miserably.

"Just say it, Akane," Ranma repeated softly. "It's my fault. Just… just tell me and get mad so… so I can make it up to you somehow and…"

"But it's not," Akane said softly. She could feel the tears running down her cheeks now.

"I… I shoulda…" Ranma started, but trailed off.

Akane knew why. "You should have what, Ranma? Not proposed to Nabiki?" She sniffed and shook her head again. "Don't you get it? That's absolutely what you should have done! Because… because you love her. This is my fault." She clenched her fists. "How many times were we on that roof together, Ranma? H-how many times did we look up at the stars?"

"A-Akane, don't…" Ranma started, but it was too late, the ball was rolling.

"How many times was it just one word I could have said differently? Just one thing I could have done differently? How many times could I have just said something and no one would have had to know but us?" The tears were flowing hot and freely now. "I just had to say it! I just had to say the words! 'I like you.' 'I love you'. Something! And it would have been me! Just me! But I kept waiting! I kept putting it off until tomorrow! I-I kept…"

"I should have said it!" Ranma said. Tears were running down her cheeks too. "I-I should have… I should have just… just been a man and said something!"

Akane almost laughed at that. "I didn't… I didn't love the man, Ranma…" She reached out and cupped her cheek. "I loved you… what was hiding inside of him… under all that machismo and posturing and insecurity. I love you. And… I kept waiting… for you to say the words you didn't have… or tell me the things you didn't know… because I was too afraid to take a risk."

"I'm… I'm sorry…" Ranma repeated, her hand moving to brush Akane's.

Akane couldn't take anymore. She stepped forward and pulled the redhead close, crushing her in a tight embrace, like she was afraid she was going to be taken away if she let go. "I feel like I'm going crazy, Ranma," she said softly. "I keep thinking of all the ways I could have done it better. All the different ways I could have handled it… I-I threw you away because I was too afraid… that you might throw me away first. A-and now that I know all I had to do was… was say something… it's killing me."

"I didn't… I don't…" Ranma shuddered. "I don't know what to do, 'Kane. How do I fix this?"

"You can't, Ranma," Akane said softly.

"Please…" Ranma pulled back, looking into Akane's eyes with desperation. Akane could see there that old fire, that drive that had pushed Ranma to do incredible things for her, even kill a god. "Please, whatever it is, I'll do it! Whatever it takes, I'll make it happen! Whatever I need to be…!"

She cupped her face. "No… Ranma, you can't fix this because it's me. I'm what's broken." She fell silent for a moment, looking into those blue eyes as they gazed imploringly at her. There was still the innocence there that had drawn Akane to her the day they'd first met. Something she had felt an overwhelming need to be closer to and to protect. She brushed her thumb over Ranma's cheekbone, tracing where she knew the faint line of freckles to be. Why did I fight this so long? Even when it cost me everything? Why am I still fighting it?

"I wanted to be strong enough to protect you…" Akane said softly. "Even when I knew you didn't need it. Even when I knew that you couldn't accept it. It was all I ever wanted. It still is."

Ranma reached up and cupped Akane's cheek in turn. Her eyes were clear now, shining with… understanding? A slight smile crossed her lips. "Then protect me," she said softly. "You let me protect you. Even when you didn't need it, right?"

Akane blinked. Something lurched in her at those words. She let her fingertips trail down from Ranma's face to her shoulders as she looked intently into her eyes. Her mouth felt dry. "S-say that again?"

Ranma looked confused a moment, cocked her head a bit, then understood. She wrapped her arms around Akane's neck. She shivered slightly and started to speak, pausing a time or two, as though she were struggling with something. "Protect me," she said at last, her voice barely more than a whisper.

It wasn't something Ranma could have ever asked for before. The 'man amongst men' couldn't be that vulnerable. He couldn't ask for help - could barely tolerate it. He had to be the strongest. He had to be undefeatable. He had to be invulnerable. That was Ranma Saotome.

Ranma had been willing to give up his life for her. She could never want that. Ranma had been willing to give up his manhood for her. She didn't want that either. She wanted him to be her because it suited her and made her happy, not as a sacrifice.

Now Ranma was willing to let Akane be strong for her - to allow herself to be weak, even if only a little bit. Even when she didn't need to be.

Akane needed that.

Akane kissed her fiercely, drawing the redhead into an ever tighter embrace as she smothered Ranma's lips with her own in artless need. This is mine, Akane thought as Ranma responded, kissing back with equal passion. Nabiki gave Ranma her Art. I'll give Ranma my Strength. I'll be strong sometimes so that she doesn't have to be.

The two patrons smoking in the alley, as well as the bouncer, were clapping and cheering when they finally broke, leading them to both blush, though their eyes were only on each other.

This part of Ranma is mine, Akane thought again.

"Ranma, will you marry me?" Akane asked softly.

Ranma's eyes widened, then slowly filled with tears. "I-I thought I was supposed to ask that…" she sniffled.

Akane shook her head. "I'm not going to wait to say things anymore, Ranma. I'm not going to make someone else ask for what I want. I'm not… going to wait for the perfect moment. I'm going to make the moment, just like you did with Nabiki. You're her 'boy on the beach' she told me… Well you're my 'girl in the dojo'. Even if that's not what you were born as. Even if that's just part of who you are, I want that part for me."

Ranma's arms tightened around her and she giggled softly. "That was… that was the first time I ever wished I was a real girl…"

"Well?" Akane prompted, feeling a slight pang of nervousness.

Ranma laughed. "Yes. Yes! I'll marry you, Akane Tendo!"

000

Tatsuyuki Kuno was many things, but stupid wasn't one of them.

Crazy, maybe… but not stupid.

In his youth he had done many things; made many enemies. One didn't get to be where he was with the Yakuza without doing that even if his position had been because of family connections. He had earned his place despite that. At least, before his breakdown.

So he knew when to lay low and how.

The bar wasn't anything like what he'd normally frequent. It was dingy and dull; understated. It was the sort of place you'd expect to find someone laying low but the absolute last place you'd expect to find the bombastic Hawaiian-shirt wearing Principal of Furinkan High. He was seated at the bar, wearing a dark brown suit. He had traded in the large sunglasses for a pair of modest wire-framed spectacles and his hair had been re-tied into a ponytail. He was virtually unrecognizable.

Sometimes being loudly and obviously crazy had its benefits - especially if you could turn it off when you needed to.

Tatsuyuki sipped his colorful drink, the one nod he was allowing himself to his usual demeanor. I'll let the girl tire herself out hunting for me tonight, maybe take a few days off. Perhaps I'll take Nobu up on that standing invite to stay at his country club. Then when she's forgotten why she's mad, I'll see about getting those damned pills away from Tatewaki. I'll probably need to move back into the manor… Maybe see about getting the boy to sign it back over to me.

He held up his nearly empty glass, swishing it as he caught the bartender's eye to signal for a refill. I'll show those ungrateful children of mine who is in charge and THEN I can get back to having a little fun at school. Hmph, Ranma thinks a TANK is over the top? Heheheheheh… nnnh! No, don't start laughing yet. Keep the Kahuna under wraps. Play it straight. Gonna need a few more drinks.

Before the bartender could pour, a purple flash snapped out, shattering the glass in Tatsuyuki's hand.

He spun, an old reflex causing him to reach for the shoulder holster that hadn't been there for nearly a decade. His eyes widened as he saw a girl in a green leotard step out of the shadows, idly twirling a harmless-seeming ribbon.

"Hello father," Kodachi said softly, a wicked smile gracing her lips. "Tag… you're it."

000

Ranma was in that kind of pleasant haze that came from a combination of having successfully weathered an emotional crisis, having had a little too much to drink to celebrate and being with someone with whom she was comfortable being casually affectionate.

… Well, two someones. But Ranma Saotome rarely ever did things the normal or easy ways.

She leaned against Nabiki, an arm around her waist. Her other arm was around Akane as the three of them walked slowly home. She wasn't so drunk that she needed the support, but it was chilly and they were warm and soft in the right places and smelled nice; and right now it was just nice to be held.

"You're not passing out on us, are you Ranma?" Nabiki asked. Ranma felt long fingers thread through her hair, nails trailing pleasantly along her scalp.

"No… just enjoying this," Ranma replied. "It's kinda new to be able to be relaxed like this with other people."

"Just relaxed?" Akane asked playfully. "Are the two of us not doing anything for you? Is that what you're saying?"

In the past that comment would have thrown Ranma into a panic of denial and stammered apologies. But Ranma could hear the playfulness in her voice now. She tightened her arm around the brunette's waist and grinned at her. "Is that a challenge I hear, Akane Tendo? Need me to prove something to you?"

"Well it is my turn," Akane grinned back, bumping Ranma gently with her hip. "I think I've been very patient."

"Oh? So all that pounding me into the ground over the last year was just your pent up sexual frustration?" Ranma poked back.

"You have no idea, Ranma," Akane purred, leaning in against her more heavily. "... but you will."

Ranma started to feel some of that old nervousness returning, though somehow it was less an all-encompassing fear and more a… nervous anticipation. "W-well… there was what happened in the showers…" she said timidly, unsure if Nabiki even knew about that.

Akane waggled her eyebrows. "That was just a quickie, Ranma. That hardly counts. It barely took the edge off."

"Took the…" Ranma squeaked, suddenly feeling a lot more nervous as she wondered what she might possibly have unleashed in the youngest Tendo. Ranma herself remembered it as considerably more than just a quickie.

Nabiki remained oddly quiet for the duration.

They reached the Tendo Dojo and made their way quietly inside. It was late enough that everyone was probably asleep, and they had told both Kasumi and Soun to not wait up for them. Soun was still struggling with his joy over the prospect of the schools finally being joined and the future of his dojo being secured conflicting with the manner in which it was happening, so it was no surprise that he had turned in early. Kasumi was sometimes a night owl, but thankfully tonight she had turned in early as well. They quietly doffed their shoes and snuck inside, avoiding the creaky floorboards as they crept up the stairs, giggling like children getting away with a prank.

They reached Akane's room and Akane opened the door carefully and stepped in. She tugged gently on Ranma's arm, grinning at her. Ranma didn't resist and got about halfway through the door before she realized Nabiki wasn't following.

She turned back, then her eyes widened as she realized the problem. They're sisters. This is probably really, really weird and awkward for them. I didn't think, I just expected… after Nabiki and Shampoo… "Nabiki, I…"

Nabiki shook her head. "It's okay, Ranma. This was always Akane's night. She was just nice enough to let me tag along. I think I can survive one night in my own bed without having to share." She smiled but Ranma was getting good enough at reading her to see the cracks.

Akane surprised them both by grabbing Nabiki's arm and tugging.

"Akane, what're you doing?" Nabiki asked, staring at her blankly.

"Just shut up and get in here," Akane said gruffly, looking away and blushing.

Ranma looked back and forth between them. "L-look, guys, we don't have to… I mean, it was a good night, I can just go to my room and…"

"You said we need to, Nabiki," Akane said. "We need to be around each other, as much as we can, as many ways as we can, so we can figure out… figure out where the lines are, right?" She bit her lower lip and looked down. "This… this is gonna come up again, over and over and over, and you know it is a-and… and we need to know…"

Nabiki looked away awkwardly as well. "I... " She took a breath. "You're right, but… this is your night, Akane. You shouldn't have to share it with your sister being awkward and uncomfortable. We can figure this out later…"

"When?" Akane demanded. "You know how our lives are. You said we needed to hash this out as early as possible. If… if it were Ukyou or even Shampoo here right now, we both know how this would go already. S-so… just get in here with me and Ranma and… and… we'll see where the lines really are, okay?"

Ranma looked from Akane to Nabiki and then back again. She felt the uneasy twisting in her gut of guilt and the overwhelming desire to help somehow. They're having to go through this because of me…

She reached out and hugged the pair of them tightly, earning squeaks of surprise from both.

"I'm sorry," Ranma said, closing her eyes tight. "I know you'd tell me it isn't my fault, but it is because it's because of me, and… and I don't know what this is like for you but I know all about awkward and uncomfortable." She hugged tighter. "You don't… you don't need to do this for me. Even if neither of you ever touched me again you've already both made me happier than I've ever been, and… and… Don't do this for me."

Nabiki and Akane stared at the redhead for a moment, then at each other. Slowly they both smiled and wrapped their arms around Ranma as well.

"Ranma, stop being an idiot," Akane said gently. "We aren't doing these things just for you, and it's not like as if we don't get anything out of it." She sighed heavily. "You're making it sound like we're making some noble sacrifice for your sake!"

"Aren't you?" Ranma asked, slightly muffled.

Nabiki shook her head. "Maybe at the start, when we all sat down to talk out this arrangement, it might have been something like that. But we did that, the sacrifice was made and everyone was happy with the deal. This?" She gave Ranma a sheepish smile. "Ranma, if I've learned anything over the last couple of weeks? We're all perverts. All of us. Even those of us in denial about it." She glanced at Akane and gave her a wink.

"Especially those of us in denial about it," Akane admitte, slightly subdued. "Right now this is just us… deciding how to figure out how far we're willing and able to go with this. We're not suffering, we're just…"

"... Testing boundaries," Nabiki finished. "And… thank you for reminding me about that part, Akane." She gave her sister a shy smile.

"... So… do you guys just wanna sleep instead?" Ranma asked, not having really followed the entirety of the conversation, but relieved that the awkwardness seemed to be bleeding off.

Akane and Nabiki shared another glance then smiled and nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Nope," Akane said, turning her gaze back to the redhead. She stepped back and guided the other two into her room.

"Wait… what do you mean…?" Ranma asked nervously. "What're we doing?"

"Testing boundaries," Nabiki replied as she pushed the door closed with her foot.

000

Welp. If there was EVER a chapter I was gonna eat shit on, it'd be this one.

For those of you reading the scene in question, throwing up your hands in the air and yelling out "What, just like that?!" It's not going to be 'Just like that', I promise.

It's probably would have been a lot easier if I had just left things are whatever unstated assumption the reader is comfortable with. But my Muse occasionally decides I must suffer and tackle such things and their consequences.

I am, referring, of course, to Yuto drinking inferior beer.

What did you THINK I was talking about?